Pruane vs. 50 Cent

Mainly because I need to post something, I decided to check out the latest happenings with hip-hop’s reigning maestro of beef, 50 Cent. In a shocker of shockers, it looks like Rick Ross aka Officer Ricky isn’t the only one looking to beef with Curtis Jackson (and no, I’m not talking about Foxy Brown).

Pruane, a YouTube phenom, has just about had it with Curtis’ shenanigans, and he’s not going to stay quiet about it. Clearly disgusted with 50′s actions, Pruane recently recorded a video expressing his displeasure with the multiplatinum recording star/actor/author/forthcoming sex toy designer. Check it out after the jump.

Inverse – “So True” EP (Free Download)

More new music for the New Year. My buddies Tunji and Toby — better known in industry circles as the duo Inverse — have dropped their latest project, the So True EP.

For those hopeless souls regrettably unfamiliar with Inverse, this Left Coast duo is comprised of some cats you’d think would be opposite ends of the musical, political, and social spectrum. Their bio lists their differences thusly: “One white, one black; one from a Jewish household, the other raised Muslim; one raised in Los Angeles, the other in the bay area by Nigerian parents. What they share is a passion for music that transcends any labels.”

It’s that passion and unique brand of soulful, straightforward hip-hop that’s earned Inverse a legion of fans across the globe. Their music is refreshing, a throwback to the sensibilities of 90′s hip-hop while  transcending boundaries and pushing the artform and culture into new realms. The duo are readying their full length Long Day’s Journey for a 2009 release.

Inverse has offered So True to the masses for free download. Hit the jump for download links and tracklisting.

E.R. – “Rice n Beans & Fried Cheese” Free Mixtape Download

One of my favorite up & coming rap crews is Miami’s own Down South Infantry, better known as DSI Entertainment. The collective was founded by two talented MCs, K-OTIC and Baysiqly, and these cats have been consistently dropping under-the-radar gems for a few years now.

Another member of the camp is my buddy E.R. In fact, it’s because of E.R. — whom I initially got to know as DaMadScientizt on the infamous Wodie/SC boards — that I became aware of the DSI crew. After toiling in the studio for months, E.R. has finally dropped his debut mixtape, Rice n Beans & Fried Cheese. Featuring artists such as Pharrell, Busta Rhymes, Lupe Fiasco, B.Z., and K-OTIC over a mixture of familiar tracks and original production, Rice n Beans is a banger.

This is not the typical cocaine rap that the 305 is known for these days, so please give this a chance. Tracklisting and download link after the jump.

Video of the Week: “Give The Drummer Some” by Black Milk

The other day, my homegirl Buscuit updated her Facebook status to say that she was going to watch some Detroit MCs get their hip-hop performance on. I queried if the act was producer/rapper Black Milk and she said no, but that brief exchange got me to thinking about the quality music that’s been coming from Motor City the past few years. By far, Black Milk has been the most talented to emerge on the scene.

I’m not going to give you a bio on Milk — you can find all of that on his MySpace or Wikipedia. I will say that his first album, Popular Demand, was bumpin’, and his newest release, Tronic, is defintiely one of the year’s highlights in a genre that’s been overrun with uncharismatic hipster rappers with no swag. Peep the video for the fantastic “Give The Drummer Some” after the jump.

The Week in Cool 10.26.08

Yeah, I need to blog more. Trust, that will happen soon. But in the meantime, what did I deem worthy to post about this week?

• I was too damn lazy to cook breakfast so I became pro-Choice.
• The Morning Coffee was delicious, though.
• Zack Snyder’s latest Watchmen trailer has me convinced that it will be the movie event of 2009. T.S. Johnson has no fucking idea what she’s talking about.
• Nothing has changed. ScriptGirl is still sexy, smart, and the personification of awesome.
• Mayhaps I need to stop drinking.

Thanks to everyone who keeps coming by to check me out. And I’m surprised that “Harley Quinn” has suddenly become a major source of interest. Did I miss something? Help me out, people! Don’t forget, I’m also on the Twitter now! Tee hee!

Morning Coffee: So Delicious

Four very lovely, and very opinionated, ladies are hitting Teh Internets with a new web series, Morning Coffee. Featuring authors Kim Osorio and Tionna Smalls and radio personalities Angela Yee and Jen the Pen, Morning Coffee touches on everything in hip-hop, fashion, entertainment, and lifestyle news. And because these ladies don’t hold back, you can expect to hear some “real shit.” And I love how Ms. Smalls succinctly describes it:

Four women from different sides of the media coming together for one common goal: gossip.

Bwahaha, well, there it is. Of course, since I’ve had the pleasure of meeting three of the four ladies, I’ma gone ahead and give this my full support and endorsement. This is like Colin Powell endorsing Barack Obama, only better.

Morning Coffee is a daily show, featured on Global Grind. Check the promo “webisode” after the jump.

“Notorious” Teaser Trailer

While I hope this movie is extra good (especially as parts of it were filmed on my street in front of the crib in BKNYC), I can’t help but wonder if this shit is going down too soon. I mean, Biggie passed away 11 years ago. Does the current generation really suffer from short term memory like that? Do the kids really not know about Biggie and his influence on the game? If the answers to these queries are the in the column marked “affirmative,” then we’re living in truly sad times.

Anyway, check out the teaser trailer for the Biggie biopic Notorious, starring Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, Anthony Mackie and Jamal Woolard, set to be released in January ’09.