So the debate on rapper Rick Ross rages on..so i’m going to lay out the facts as they stand instead of how they are assumed or as they are rumored to be.

The basics: Things people attack him on.

1. He’s not the real Rick Ross.

2. He’s never been a drug dealer.

3. He was a corrections office.

4. He hasn’t sold an astounding number of records.

5. He in all likelihood came into the industry with a bad record deal.

Now with that said lets present some other facts……..

1. He survived what many would consider an instant career killer..hip-hop hates law enforcement.

2. He survived a war of words with a bigger name and more successful rapper.

3. He may not have sold a ton of records but his singles have had an impact on the charts.

4. He may have come into the game on a bad deal but he’s since bossed up starting his own label and even creating a bidding war for distribution.

5. He’s been consistent, even if you don’t like his music you can’t deny Ross has kept the fans happier than your favorite emcee over the past 3 years. Between albums he’s offering free mixtapes with some pretty big names on them which is unusual as he’s not profiting from them as sales…in case he’s losing money on those offerings..who else does that?

Now onto the break down.. So whether you support Rick Ross or not is up to you but I have to say this. Over the years we’ve had many artists come and go. Some have been actual gangsters and others have been everything but that. The whole argument that he was a corrections officer holds no validation in my book. He held a job..most rappers have regardless of how many kilo’s they claim to have pushed. Most rappers embellish their backstory, I can’t tell you how many times i’ve sat down with rappers for interviews and the moment the cameras get turned on the street character comes to life. When the cameras go off i’m sitting across from a soft spoken, well versed, properly speaking normal person. So to say that Rick Ross is a fraud would require you to say the same exact same thing about 95% of the top 20 rappers in the game. Hate him or love him the dude came in hot and just kept the music going..hell Jay-Z as president of Def Jam jumped at the chance to sign him and even remix his first commercial single. I can even sit here and argue that Ross played a great part in taking 50′s career from 60 miles an hour down to a suburban zone 20 in how he handled that situation. The dude is a survivor, that’s what hip-hop has always stood for..poets with stories of coming up and surviving. I fail to understand the animosity towards Ross for a number of reasons, the same reasons he’s hated for are many of the same reasons Jay-Z is loved for. The difference here is we know for a fact Ross knows how to actually bust a gun because it was part of his job where I find it hard to believe Jay-Z does. So whose realer? Neither..both are just like every other rapper in the game..playing a part the people can buy into.

Lyrically yeah there are times where he comes off as lazy, the patterns can sometimes just sound repetitive but it’s his. He didn’t bite it which is more than I can say for a slew of other people. I personally started focusing more on his lyrics after listening to “usual suspects” featuring Nas.

Excerpt “usual suspects”

If you ballin physics, nigga money never flow,
Meanin every day im livin, tryna stay on flow,
Coming from a BOSS, I can predict a double cross,
Handlers managin money, they never come across.
I spend in Africa, Magnamers, numbers involved,
AK47s, Singin win or by sum or u fall?
I dealt with brawls, and those willin to sell they soul,
Over cars and clothes, man am talkin petty hoes,
Ask ma feddi grow,
Fuck a feet of spaghetti-o’s.
Im club poppin in cali shout out to ariel,
Somebody dim the lights,
Triple black tuts,
Caz associated and the flesh is tryna catch up,
I roam with niggas who destined to get a life sentence,
Get they baby mama a lexus for them nice visits,
Ma nigga got a dub an love to do the push ups,
I got a million cash, tryna get the kush up.

South Florida’s Knowledge Medina and Numonics have come together with The DJBooth and IMKING to present their collaborative street release, the Never Enough EP. The project finds Medina offering listeners a glimpse into the trials and tribulations of the modern-day emcee over the course of nine original records. Included on the tracklist are reader-approved selections “Never Enough,” “Can You Let Me Be,” “You Don’t Really Care” and “Dead or Alive.” Assisting on the guest tip throughout Never Enough are REKS, VIP, Co$$, J. NiCS, Jon The Barber and Chi Knox. All beats come courtesy of Numonics.

Judah, the groundbreaking producer that brought the world such talents as Wale and Tabi Bonney, is proud to present P.U.S.S.Y. (Please Understand She Saved You), his organically directed new instrumental album inspired by the hip-hop lifestyle.

Armed with a MPC and vinyl, Judah set off on a two week long escapade to London, Puerto Rico and Paris to creatively put this project together. Fresh off the release of his critically acclaimed Amber Rose Instrumentals, Judah has once again crafted a sexy sonic landscape over the course of P.U.S.S.Y.‘s 16 brand new, exclusive instrumentals.

Kid Ink has announced on his Twitter page that the name of his upcoming debut record will be “Up & Away”. The record drops this spring.
Kid Ink released the official single from the record, “Time Of Your Life” today on iTunes.
iTunes link: http://t.co/KSruGLMk
https://twitter.com/kid_ink

After receiving over 170,000 teaser views, we are happy to announce the release of the official music video for “Untouchable”: The result of an exciting collaboration between B-Real, lead rapper of renowned hip-hop band Cypress Hill and French artist Laetitia Larusso.

The video was filmed in Los Angeles, California by celebrated director Matthieu Tribes.

You can watch it by clicking on the screenshots below.
The song is also available on iTunes here! 

Nathaniel teams up with DJ Absolut, Ace Hood, Pusha T and French Montana to create yet another smash record titled ‘Untouchable’.

Nathaniel’s recently released debut mixtape ‘BORN’ is available now via DatPiff.

CLICK HERE TO STREAM

West Coast rhymesayer Uptown Swuite has come together with The DJBooth and Live at the Dojo to bring listeners his latest street release, Beneath the Lights. The project features 16 tracks’ worth of previously-released material and original cuts from the Vacaville, Cali representer’s catalog. Included is reader-approved leak “Cukui (Forever).” Joining Uptown on the guest tip throughout Beneath the Lights are REKS, S.O.L., Antcheta and The Seed partner-in-rhyme Kahlee. Original beats come courtesy of 1PM, FourFive, Jahlil Beats and DJ Shagg.

The DJBooth joins forces with ReverbNation for their new mixtape series, The Flip, giving artists the chance to create original tracks over instrumentals from today’s most versatile producers. First up is L.A. producer and artist Shane Eli, who provides six exclusive instrumentals for rappers, singers, songwriters and artists everywhere to flip into fully formed songs.

Winners who create the best original tracks will be featured on The DJBooth, be eligible to perform at BMI’s Next Fresh Thing showcase and receive a free, exclusive instrumental from Shane Eli. In addition to The DJBooth staff, entries will be judged by BMI’s Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Nicole Plantin and music supervisor Jonathan Christiansen of Hit The Ground Running.

Stream & Download Link: http://www.djbooth.net/index/mixtapes/entry/the-flip-shane-eli/

Singer/Songwriter Cheekipowpow presents the first official single off of her Sophomore project “Hear Me Roar … LOUDER *Where the Wild Things Are*” Due to be released March 22, 2012.
“Get Her High” speaks to the “real” person who is going through a lot and just needs a break.
As an up and coming artist, Cheeki is no stranger to struggle. She channels her challenges in Get her High with help from fellow songtress Melodi J and NJ emcee J Philippe.
” Light an L.
If it wasn’t for the weed.
You’d remember all the hell.
She smokes to forget
And she coughs up the shit.
That has caused her the shame.
And the pain and regret…
Keep her sane keep her sane
Get he high Get her high”
Get Her High ft. Melodi J x J Philippe by CheekiPowPow

After selling nearly 300,000 units of their self titled album, Bon Iver is nominated for four Grammy awards this year. However, Justin Vernon said the indie-collective will be on pause for quite some time. Briefly speaking on the growth of Bon Iver in an interview with USA Today, Vernon says he’s working on a few other collaborative musical projects. Most hip-hop fans probably know him because he worked with Kanye West on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. He also announced plans to work with Alicia Keys.

“I have a big idea to do an American songbook of the greatest women singers. There are so many: Casey (Dienel) from White Hinterland, Bonnie Raitt, Alicia,” and that he’d like to make “a one-off charity album to have an excuse to work with a bunch of people that I’d choose to work with, all at once.”

Hit the jump to read when Vernon thinks Bon Iver will reunite.

Vernon added that the Bon Iver collective will be a stagnant crew, at least until 2015.

“I don’t have songs written yet. I’m guessing three years. But it could be five. It just depends when the songs come about. I sort of have to wait ’til they reveal themselves.”

But still expect to hear from the indie artist. It’s been announced that he has already recorded a few songs with Keys, yet, release information has yet to be revealed. Vernon also said there’s two other projects he’s working on and hopes to work on a collaborative album.

There’s Shouting Matches, which he refers to as “sort of a blues-gospel band,” and indie-pop Volcano Choir, which is working on an album for the Japanese market…At some point, he wants to do “a one-off charity album to have an excuse to work with a bunch of people that I’d choose to work with, all at once.”

Related:
Things I Love: Kanye West and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon perform “Lost In The World” at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, and more

Original source: Click to read full story.
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