It was all good just a year ago, when I sent Mr. Village Slum down to Austin to document all the hip-hop events. Well in 2011, photographer extraordinaire Mel D. Cole went solo on that ass, but the dope flicks continued. Peep the controversial lovebirds above and the 19-years-in-the-making meet and greet with YN and Puff after the jump, along with more of my favorite shots. Shit, I’m SXSW out. Ha!
While out at the Fader Fort this past weekend, the homie A-Trak excitedly informed that he signed burgeoning Detroit rapper, Danny Brown to his Fool’s Gold imprint. If you’re just gettin’ familiar on dude like me, read up here and peep some of the press release below. 2010 was Danny’s breakout year, with his self-released The Hybrid showcasing a hypnotic, unique flow that Pitchfork called “the most peculiarly infectious voice since Dizzee Rascal,” while the LA Times praised it for “punch lines […]
“Kill People. Burn Shit. Fuck School.” You already peeped the high-flying antics at the Thrasher show, and here’s Tyler, The Creator presenting the OFWGTKA’s next anthem. Oh boy. God bless these crazy kids. Ha! A lil “Yonkers’ on the other side. Sidebar: What’s Poppin SWXSW: Odd Future Pt. 3
The street shenanigans continue as Rap Radar’s Mr. Miller peeps his first Source cover in the flesh for the first time from photographer Ernest Estime. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever written one. Tell Bezo to holla at me, man. Ha! Sidebar: You know them ESGN T-shirts are official. Shout-out to Gangsta Gibbs!
Walkin’ thru the streets of Austin during SXSW you never know who you’re gonna run into. Here’s a brief convo with me and the young MC from Rostrum Records. Guess dude hasn’t officially inked with a major yet. Hmm!
Although he got by with a lil help from the Big Homie, Mr. West did shine on his own and with other friends. Here are two of my favorite performances from the Vevo show. No mas on this night’s footage. Guess none of us respected the no camera rule. Oops!
Of course, Mr. Finally Famous got a chance to present his current single. No C Breezy unfortunately. Let’s hope the current changes at Def Jam don’t affect dude’s project.
The man with the mixtape droppin’ today dropped a taste of his Hit-Boy banger at the VEVO show too. Victor or Victim? Oh hello, Steven. Ha!
OK I can’t cosign dude’s outfit but I do dig this new Mos Def track he debuted on Fuel TV. Dante actually opened the entire Vevo show and it’s a lil bizarre seeing a G.O.O.D. Music emblem behind him. Guess you gotta get in where you fit in. A lil “Lord, Lord, Lord” after the jump.
Pardon my shaky camerawork during Mr. West’s verse, I had to tussle with some eager drunk fans to get this footage but here’s the opener of the ‘Ye-Jay set from the VEVO show. Watch The Throne is still on the way. The dynamic duo closed things out with “Big Pimpin’” below for the Texas crowd. RIP Pimp C. Happy Born Day, Bun B.
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This is a great reminder of how powerful and lasting Lauryn Hill’s influence has been in music. The fact that The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill eventually reached diamond status after so many years shows that truly meaningful music can continue finding new listeners long after its original release. I also like how the article highlights the combination of hip hop, R&B, neo soul, and reggae that made the album so distinctive. Achieving more than 10 million sales is an incredible milestone, especially considering how much the music industry has changed since 1998. The album’s success feels less like a temporary trend and more like proof that strong songwriting and authentic artistic expression can remain relevant across generations. It is interesting to see how numbers can tell part of a story, whether we are looking at album sales or using a proportion calculator to understand relationships between different figures.