Author: YN

New Music: Michael Jackson x Lenny Kravitz “Another Day”

Here’s a longer version of the big leak from yesterday that got the suits at Sony salty. Bonet’s ex told MTV it was an unfinished session but fuck it, it already sounds better than a lot of shit on the radio. Plus it’s MJ, bitches. R.I.P. King. Props: Hottest Ishh UPDATE: Apparently, this is a loop but still worth a listen until the Federalis take it down.

RR’s ’09 Worst Singles: #3 Busta Rhymes x T-Pain “Hustler’s Anthem ’09”

Months before Jigga stuck his foot up Auto-Tune’s ass, T-Pain helped ’cause the self destruction of Busta’s Back On My BS project with this terrible pairing. “Hustler’s Anthem ’09”? What was ’08’s? I couldn’t imagine a drug dealer ever actually bumpin’ this in his car system. And I can’t believe Ty Fyffe produced it, I usually like his stuff. Anyway, there’s just nothing memorable or substantial here as Trevor attempts to sprinkle some thug motivation and Faheem’s “la la la’s” […]

RR’s ’09 Best Albums: #3 Kid Cudi “Man On The Moon: The End Of Day”

The sometimes rap purist inside me pretty much ignored the Kid Cudi CD after a few first listens. It’s so emo, you have to almost be in the mood for it. Then I started to peep the praise from some fellow critical colleagues that I respect and they were right. Man On The Moon should be sellin’ enough to keep Drake up at night. But even though it isn’t is no reflection on how good it is. Yeah like the […]

RR’s ’09 Worst Singles: #4 Gucci Mane x Usher “Spotlight”

That’s right I co-sign Radric’s CD despite the outcries but I can’t stand behind this one. Hopefully, 2010 will bring us less record label-endorsed, cookie-cutter collabos like this one. Everytime I play the State album, I skip by this one. Plain and simple, it feels and sounds pretentious. Big established R&B star with rising rap act equals surefire smash. Right? Nope. Oil and water. Polow Da Don’s track is okay but I can’t take serious lines like “Gucci on Elimidate” […]

RR’s ’09 Best Albums: #5 Fabolous “Loso’s Way”

It’s easy at first to dismiss Fab’s latest CD as being just like all of his previous. Well Loso’s coming out party doesn’t deviate far from his hardcore hip-hop/R&B flavored collabo formula except for the fact that these joints got a lil extra bang to them. You can’t front on the emotive “Imma Do It” and the verbal intercourse displayed with Lil Wayne on the stirring “Salute”. Your ladyfriend will enjoy Ryan Leslie’s captivating contribution (“Everything, Everyday, Everywhere”) and appearances […]

RR’s ’09 Worst Singles: #6 Birdman x Jay Sean “Written On Her”

I appreciate Bryan “Baby” Williams business acumen for signing London-based hitmaker Jay Sean but that doesn’t mean I want him to make any music with the mate. Obviously this joint is designed for clubs from the East Side of Manhattan to Europe but even if I was rose champagned-up like Drake, poppin ex pills like Irv Gotti in his prime, and surrounded in all four corners by skrippers, would I think this song even sounds halfway tolerable. Thankfully, it didn’t […]

RR’s ’09 Best Albums: #7 Eminem “Relapse”

Marshall Mathers returned to the rap game clean and sober but his mind was still on drugs. Relapse is chock full of references to seemingly every prescription your grandma ever thought of havin’ in her cabinet. Unlike any other MC on your iPod, Eminem is truly in his own dark and demented world. He’s poppin’ valium like ma dukes on “My Mom”, disintergrating babies on “Stay Wide Awake”, and chokin’ Lindsay Lohan with a sixty-six inch extension cord (“Same Song […]

RR’s ’09 Worst Singles: #8 T.I. x Mary J. Blige “Remember Me”

Last spring, the promo machine behind T.I.’s last days of freedom was on full tilt. So we didn’t need a song to remind us to keep him in the forefront of our minds as he went on his Forest City vacation. This was the lead single of the aborted Paper Trail re-release and, thank God, Lyor’s squad came to their senses. This songs reeks of schmaltzy melodrama. The Queen of Hip-Hop’s hook is excruciating and The King really has nothin’ […]