The Real Hip Hop Room

This Holiday season the Legendary will treat their fans to a short mini-tour, in their brief time-off from Fallon. Maintaining their status as the hardest working group in hip-hop, The Roots will travel from Atlantic City to D.C., and then head out west to San Fran (New Year's Eve show!), Reno (for the opening of the brand new Knitting Factory out there), and finally Portland. - Carlos Ayala

Dec 26 Atlantic City, New Jersey @ BORGATA Dec 29/30 Washington, D.C. @ 930 CLUB Dec 31 San Francisco, CA @ WARFIELD THEATER JAN 1 Reno, Nevada @ KNITTING FACTORY Jan 2 Portland, Oregan @ ROSELAND - Carlos Ayala

"Arguably one of the nicest MCs that ever graced a mic Black Thought has constantly been a purveyor of advanced lyricism over banging beats. In 2001, The Roots-frontman was scheduled to release his highly anticipated solo album Masterpiece Theatre. However, due to label quarrels the project has never hit the shelves, thus causing major discontent among his loyal fans. Consequently, most of the recorded songs appeared on The Roots’ Phrenology album. Fortunately though, some of the unreleased joints have gradually found their way to the internet now – Mona Lisa being the latest. Check it out." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

I love Black Thought - DO ANYBODY NO MONIQUE

"What happens when a two-piece rock band from Akron, Ohio, steps into a studio with 11 artists from the hip-hop world? The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have wanted to make a hip-hop album since they were teenagers. Though they listened to a lot of blues music growing up, they listened to hip-hop, too. And they realized that each shared a common denominator. "All the blues music I liked was super simple and stripped down. All the hip-hop I liked was super simple and stripped down," says Auerbach. "We always heard that connection." The Black Keys' first demo reflected their hip-hop tastes. It featured drum loops and samples, which their first record label later told them to scrap. Years later, following recent praise for their minimalist, bluesy jams, The Black Keys have finally recorded a hip-hop album. Their collaborative ensemble is called BlakRoc." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

Hell yeah! Love the sound, thanks for this. - Adrian

Check who showed up last nite! It's Mixmasters Weekend. Besides Primo sets from Evil, Mr. Walt, Break Beat Lou, Wayneski, Bizarro, Dj Dummy... - Remo

I like it - Richard Lawler from Bookmarklet

talking about De La.. the dugout is live right now... Just saying - Remo

"Many say Rakim is the greatest rapper of all time. He is credited with pioneering the technique of internal rhyming in rap music — which he started as a teen. "At the time, I didn't know it was going to be this different," he says. "You know what I mean? But I was shooting for something different. Like, some of my influence was John Coltrane — I played the sax, as well. So listening to him play and the different rhythms that he had: I was trying to write my rhymes as if I was a saxophone player." But for a rapper so often cited by the biggest names in hip-hop today — Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, 50 Cent — Rakim is comparatively obscure, a quiet purist. Now, for the first time in nearly a decade, he has released a solo album, called The Seventh Seal." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

"Oh really?!? Yeah, well Atlantic just took some tracks for him, for his up and coming album. Mase, (laughing). Mase is coming back out. He recently released from Bad Boy. Well, he's still Bad Boy but he is able to work with outside producers now. Ummm, Jim Jones. I have a few guys from Up Top. Oh, Jada Kiss. He's on the "Wasted" remix now." - Amani from Bookmarklet

I'm back by popular demaaaaaaand. Can't wait for the new album to drop - Richard Lawler from Bookmarklet

... "you better watch your step!" - Nicholas Kreidberg from Bookmarklet

Ike and Tina Turner, War, Mandril, but nothing really compares... maybe some MC Hammer (I kid...) - Adrian

Oh!! Fela Kuti and also his son Femi Kuti - they have dozens of albums... see what's around but the band always sounds awesome and is very JB sounding (but with African instrumental flair). - Adrian

It's keeps raining Elect joints. - Remo from Bookmarklet

and may they keep coming. its like an entire album is forming right in front of us, piece by ill piece. - Carlos Ayala

"Since Plies flooded the airwaves with his sex-driven lyrics on tracks such as “Becky” and “Bust It Baby”, the rapper has come off as being more than rated R as he has dubbed himself the realist. Being the realist, he has been one not to bite his tongue and say things exactly how he feels. As a replacement for Gucci Mane this weekend at FAMU, however, the rapper showed that he is aware of that fact of timing and that there is a time and place for everything. It was reported that before performing “Bust It Baby,” the rapper saw a fan that looked to be too young to be hearing those particular lyrics. As a result, the rapper gave the girl $1,000 from his pocket and asked her to leave and have her parents take her some place more appropriate. If that's not a curveball, then what else could it be?" - Amani from Bookmarklet

Who remembers this beat from Jaylib's "go away girl"? Looking that one up right now. - Remo

I know mad heads out there dont want this dude to catch any kind of fame. Banger. Also, I know that this is posted everywhere with Dilla credits, but I dont think he produced this this is just Jay over Dilla with Jay giving him his due props. EDIT: I just saw your Go Away post...thats the one...good catch. This track is a voice over. - Carlos Ayala

Yeah true, he and Dilla never "worked" together. His Dilla beats are straight from a beat tape. Dilla heard Jay over his beats tho and they planned on working together... it never happened. http://sweeneykovar.wordpress.com/2007... - Remo

theres another track associated with this leak but its not his, he is featured on it...and its wack so i didnt add it. - Carlos Ayala

The entire demo! http://www.zshare.net/downloa... - Remo

Ghost Face Killah's part makes me cry - Shevonne

I guess the promoter was playing both sodes, telling d not to get to the venue till 11 an telling security not to let him on cause he was late. Why? Because they did't have x's money. - Eric @ CSTechcast.com from iPhone

Dedicated to *Omar* from the Wire. #crazyassf@ck - Adrian from Bookmarklet

I know I'm super late to the Wire party, but I have to say, Omar and McNulty are my two favorite characters. They both steal every scene they're in. Now that I'm in Season 2. I'm also digging the whole Polish dockworkers scene, especially the guy from True Blood and his son. Classic. - Adrian

47 tracks -- Download it here: http://www.kevincaseymusic.com/Live_Fr... - Carlos Ayala

downed! ...now listening. - Remo

From Bob James to The Force MDs to Speed Racer...and oh yeah...some dudes reppin the Island of Staten or something. ;) - Carlos Ayala from Bookmarklet

My ill sound clash is still hot... - Adrian

That hit the spot, thanks. How you been Remo? - Adrian

I have a cold, but ok otherwise. Been spending a lot of time on Flickr just browsing 35mm film groups. :D - Adrian

Got to be his best video. - Eric @ CSTechcast.com

One of my faves. - Michelle