The Breakfast Club

It's just one of those days over here, where everything seems to be going wrong. Can't explain why, I just have a bad feeling. Gotta shake it off and just keep moving.

But, at least we've got some new music this morning. Just got an e-mail with Harlem lyricist Donny Goines' new free album The Breakfast Club. Anyone that heard Donny's first LP Minute After Midnight should be excited for this, featuring production from Dame Grease, 6th Sense, Buckshot, Statik Selektah and appearances from Termanology, Skyzoo, Planet Asia, Amanda Diva & more.

The persistent, up-and-coming MC says:

"With this album it was important to me for people to just listen. I didn't want any apprehensions or hindrances with this project at all and my main goal is to just get the music to the masses. There will always be times to make money, but my focus now is making an impact."

Donny's personal motto is "if you don't know my name, I'm not working hard enough." Now that you know his name, get to know his music.

Thanks to Melanie for the artwork and link, Enjoy!

Download:

Donny Goines Presents The Breakfast Club

Track List:

1) Don't You Prod. by Cook Classics

2) Bring It Forward (New York, New York) Prod. by Versatile

3) Whatever It Is (Ft. Mela Machinko) Prod. by Frequency

4) Money (Ft. Mistah F.A.B) Prod. by DJ Static

5) Don't Mess with a Woman (Ft. Amanda Diva & Naledge) Prod. by Dub Z

6) Sublime (Ft. Peter Hadar & Outasight) Prod. by Buckwild

7) She Like (Ft. Che Grand & Izza Kizza) Prod. by Apple Juice Kid

8) Make Me Feel (Ft. Emilio Rojas) Prod. by Kwame

9) Oh No (Ft. Patent Pending) Prod. by The Goverment

10) What U Expected Remix (Ft. Rain, Termanology, Reks & Big Lou) Prod. by Statik Selektah

11) A Love Song (Ft. Lydia Caesar & Skyzoo) Prod. by Digga
12) Closer Prod. by Dame Grease

13) Digital Genocide (Ft. Planet Asia & Poison Pen) Prod. by DJ Snips

14) Grateful (Ft. Tanya Morgan & Jeremy Carr) Prod. by Cookin Soul

15) Party Apple Prod. by Apple Juice Kid

16) Can't Get it Right (Ft. A.Pinks, Esso & 6th Sense) Prod. by 6th Sense

17) These Times Prod. by Dub Z

Fine Friday: Hottest Chick In The Game

[drools]

Here's Bey at the NYC screening of Obsessed, a movie I would likely never consider seeing unless she was in it. Shawn Carter, you are one lucky summabitch.

Other than that, I've got some things in the pipeline that I'll be sharing with my loyal readers over the next week or so. Stay tuned to find out what!

Hope everyone has a great Friday and thanks to Concrete Loop for the heads up, Enjoy!

Edit: Found this link to Complex Mag's choices for Beyonce's hottest pics, what a way to start the weekend!

Random Hits:

Links in the CBox --->

Kanye West ft. Malik Yusef, Common & John Legend - Magic Man

Skyzoo - ft. Talib Kweli & Reks When I Rhyme prod. Statik Selektah

Swizz Beatz - Ice Cream

Is Hip-Hop Too Accessible?

So the homies Rizoh at The Rap Up and Sleezy Trees at Jump The Turnstyle posted this digital video tidbit of actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix. Apparently, the LIV Nightclub in Miami Beach's Fountainbleau Hotel actually let this bearded lunatic on a stage with a microphone and things got ugly. And I'm not just talking bout his grizzly adams.

First, Phoenix gets riled up by an antagonistic night clubber, then jumps off the stage to confront dude. You can't really see anything, but the fight isn't the point - it's the fact that a venue actually let him hop in the spotlight for this.

I'm not mad that he enjoys hip-hop music at all. Personally, it's cool to see people of all colors and levels of sanity appreciating and bumping this glorious art form. I truly believe that anyone can rock to it if they give it an honest listen.

It's just that he thinks he can participate directly in creating hip-hop music when he's not fit to, it's quite obvious. Not many people are. That's why it's golden when someone actually can.

But lately the game's been saturated by so many gimmicks and one-hit blunders that anyone with a laptop, ProTools and mic can claim to be an MC. Man, I bet Biggie, Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Pac, Big L, J Dilla and all the other ultra skilled hip-hoppers we've lost are turning over in their graves right about now.

I'm merely ranting at this point, but I'll come back to my main point. MCs, DJs, Producers, Hip-Hoppers, Journalists, Bloggers, and anyone else down with the art, we need to institute some barriers to entry so that the quality is upheld in hip-hop. If not, we'll just be a loose community struggling to survive.


I wanna know what you all think. Is hip-hop too accessible? Should we be responsible for running checks and balances on MCs, DJs etc?


Almost forgot, here's some real tracks that get my stamp of approval. Keep on keepin' on, Peace!


3/12 Blog Hits:

Links in the CBox --->

Brother Ali - Talkin' My Shit

Drake - November 18th (Chuck Inglish Remix)

GLC ft. Kanye West & Keyshia Cole - We Don't Care [Unreleased]

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Remix prod. Beatnick & K-Salaam

Saigon - Spit prod. Statik Selektah

Saigon - The Rules CDQ prod. Statik Selektah

Statik Selektah ft.-Kali, Glasses, Malone, Termanology- Rollin Down The Freeway

Tanya Morgan - So Damn Down

Lost And Damned

I'm not one to usually post video game-related news, but GTA IV is one of my favorites so I gotta rep right quick.

The good folks at Rockstar Games decided to drop a bomb on gamers with Lost and Damned, a new, download-only GTA IV episode for XBox 360 gamers on February 17th. I'm not huge into video games and all that, but I played this one non-stop.

For real. Niko was just merkin' off while DJ Premier and DJ Green Lantern laced radio stations with dope hip-hop for my drives 'round Liberty City.

..Speaking of DJs, part of reason I'm writing this is 'cause the music is handled by Statik Selektah. Y'all should know him from his red-hot '08 LP Stick 2 The Script. Definitely official.

Check out the trailer below courtesy of Mick Boogie and family, and look out for GTA 4 Lost and Damned available February 17, Enjoy!

[Edit: Two trailers have hit, the first one the character is a bike thief named Malc and the second is Billy Grey, the leader of a motorcycle gang. Good looks Kotaku.]

The Lox's Remix Will Blow Ya Mind & Termanology Comments on the Industry..

Styles gathered the Lox squad together for a remix to his THC-friendly single and the boys from Yonkers prove they are still some of the toughest rappers out. While SP and 'Kiss come correct, it's evident that Sheek has regressed rather than improved throughout his career. There's only so many rhymes one can spit about "sippin' yak" and that other repetitive nonsense... smh.

Styles P ft. Sheek & Jadakiss - Blow Ya Mind Remix

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Cosigned by hip-hop icon DJ Premier and Source Magazine "Unsigned Hype" recipient, boricua lyricist Termanology has a lot to say about the state of the 'biz. Hailing from Lawrence, Massachusetts, the young talent discusses the digital age and the good ol' days of rap between Primo-esque scratches on his latest:

Termanology ft. Statik Selektah - The Music Industry

[i ain't mad atcha]