Rockie Fresh’s got more than 24 hours to live. And for the latest leak off his Electric Highway mixtape, he expands his life expectancy with Nip Hussle and MMG boss Rick Ross. The project drops in its entirety next Monday.

The rap game loves gold. And today, Killer Mike grabs ahold Trinidad James’ track for his own interpretation. Too bad this version didn’t make the official remix. lowkey

They don’t make movies like they used to. This May, Menace II Society will turn 20 years old—that’s just crazy. The film was directed by twins The Hughes Brothers and featured rappers like Saafir, MC Eiht, and Too $hort. Allen Hughes appeared on Sway In The Morning and discussed the movie, encounter with 2Pac, and iconic scene below. UPDATE: Full interview.

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony introduced his Melo M9 sneaker last night at Cipriani Club 55 in NYC. Fabolous and French were on hand and blessed the crowd with a performance. Disclaimer: Fab’s audio gets jacked at the 2:14 mark. page31

After a seven year hiatus, Justin Timberlake is back with a new single featuring Jay-Z. Apparently, this collaboration’s been years in the making. His upcoming album The 20/20 Experience will be entirely produced by Timbaland.

Before the San Francisco 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers yesterday at Candlestick Park, Clyde Carson performed his regional hit, “Slow Down”. The Niners take on the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday for the NFC Championship.

Future and his Freeband Gang turn hustle into profit for their new video. The track’s off the FBG: The Movie project and MTV has a preview of it here.

A few days ago, yours truly sat alongside journalists Jon Caramanica and Ben Ratliff for this week’s edition of The New York Times Popcast. Our conversation revolved around SPIN‘s review of Chief Keef’s debut, Finally Rich. The site rated the album 8 out of 10. To boot, Nas’ Life Is Good received a 7 out of 10. Prior to the sit-down, I labeled the author Jordan Sargent a cultural tourist. My comments caught the attention of my colleagues (Dave Bry, Benjamin […]

Kendrick Lamar’s story was untold until the release of good kid, m.A.A.d city. Opening with a prayer, his tale unravels with a series of events. From getting double crossed by a local hood rat (“Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinters Daughter”) to nearly arrested (“The Art Of Peer Pressure”) Kendrick geniusly chronicles life growing up in California (“Compton”). Still the meat and potatoes of good kid, m.A.A.d city lies within the album’s sub-plots. There’s alcoholism (“Swimming Pools”), hustler ambition (“Money Trees”) and community (“good […]

Ca$h Out rode around last spring with two girls named “Nina” and “Keisha” on his breakout single, “Cashin Out”. From its quirky beat, meaningless lyrics and cheesy chorus, the song was tailored made for radio fluff. Although the track earned Ca$h Out a gold plaque, it wasn’t enough for the honeys to stay. “Nina” and “Keisha” haven’t been heard from since.