We’re already in 2012, and I still haven’t listened to all of the mixtapes that came out on 11-1-11. Last year was filled with lots of music for almost everyone’s tastes. My favorite part of the year was when The Throne just dropped their album on us, and everybody was listening to Watch The Throne at the same time. That was cray! Hopefully they follow up with a part 2. We had major albums from just about every big rapper in the game: Bad Meets Evil, Tha Carter IV, Cole World, The RED Album, Section.80, Goblin, Take Care, Rolling Papers, Finally Famous, Camp, Self Made Vol. 1, All 6′s and 7′s, TM 103, The Dreamer/ The Believer, Ambition, and undun. Damn, what a year! Seems like everybody was dropping albums except Dr. Dre. 2011 was a solid year for music, let’s see what 2012 brings.
The 1st big album scheduled to drop in 2012 is Rick Ross’ God Forgives, I Don’t. Tracks like “All The Money In The World” from Teflon Don have me looking forward to Ross’ forthcoming album. This tape he just dropped hyped me up even more. Rich Forever was just a tiny sneak peek in my opinion. GFID will be Ross’ ticket into #1 rapper debates.
While we’re on the Ross subject, his collaborative project with Drake titled YOLO is going to crash the internet for good. Bloggers all over better gear up for this monster release. Queue the Drake is soft critics…..now.
We’ve also heard of a Watch The Throne Part 2 happening, and possible solo albums from both Kanye and Jay-Z. It sounds to good to be true, especially if Kanye is also working on a G.O.O.D. Music album, and DONDA. 3 quality albums in 1 year is nearly impossible, we’ll see if Kanye can pull it off. After all, he is a genius, right?
Another project I’m looking forward to is Kendrick’s follow up to Section.80. He hasn’t given out a name or time frame, but I don’t think he’ll go a whole year without dropping some sort of mixtape or album. IF IF we’re lucky, we might get that Kendrick Lamar-J.Cole project.
Tip and Jeezy are also working on a collaborative project of their own. The streets are going to be riding to this project for a long time.
Aside from working with Jeezy on a mixtape, T.I. is set to make his return with Trouble Man. This after nearly serving a year in federal prison for a probation violation. Telling from F#ck Da City Up, Trap Muzik T.I. is back!
An album I’m not looking forward to is Wayne’s alleged Rebirth II. Personally, Rebirth was ok, and Wayne was simply trying to tap into a different audience, but it was all a waste of time. Mack says we’ll have a part 2? You’re killin’ me. Now I Am Not A Human Being II, I’ll listen to. I feel that maybe Wayne is under too much pressure with Tha Carter series that he’s forcing hits. Although C4 was successful, it failed to deliver any monster hits like “Lollipop”, or “A Milli”. I wish he would come up with different album names too; just making sequels to albums is getting redundant. I’ll take IANAHB 2, but a Rebirth 2? I might have to bring out the YKM for that.
Slaughterhouse will also come through with their Shady Records debut in 2012. Eminem will probably make a feature on the album alongside Yelawolf. Slaughterhouse’s project will undoubtedly be making “The Top 10 Albums of 2012″ lists in December.
Seems like Jay Electronica is taking forever with Act II: Patents of Nobility (The Turn), but be patient. 2012 will probably be the year. Greatness takes patience.
A lot of good collabo albums are coming this year. I talked about some of them above. That Drake-Ross YOLO tape is going to be hot for sure, but there’s few combos in Hip-Hop better than OutKast, and Nas & Dj Premier. Having Nas and Premo back in the lab seems more probable at this moment, but I’m optimistic that L.A. Reid will do something and bring OutKast to Epic.
Hip-Hop isn’t dead you fools. It’s beautiful right now. Sure there’s lots of wackness, and things I’d like to change, but the same thing was probably going on in ’96. It’s just that the internet gives you more exposure to all the lames in the game. This year is going to be nothing short of great for Hip-Hop. Especially if DONDA becomes a reality. You know, because it’s going to change our lives and all. Good luck ‘Ye! Just try to give us a solo album, and WTT 2, that’ll make my year.
Kimmel is one funny guy. Last night, Jimmy Kimmel decided to make a little homage to Kanye’s twitter rant of two days ago and the commercial he came up with is priceless.
For women in R&B it is truly a competition on who has the best vocals and music. We have people like Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Sade, and more. Then there is Jhené Aiko, a Cali girl with so much soul, that she truly is sailing. Many may know Jhené from the vocals of a summer-hit song “July” featuring Drake. The song took blogs by storm and it truly introduced Jhené to the world. Miss Aiko has been in the music industry for quite some time now, when back in the day B2K was signed with Epic Records, she was signed as well. She served as the opening act for B2K on the Scream Tour 3.
Jhené was humble enough to open up to KillerHipHop.com and have a one-on-one conversation with Eric Kidd on what Miss Aiko has been up to, her new deal with producer NO I.D., Drake, Yeezy, her upcoming projects and so much more.
KHH: Who is Jhene?
JA: She is a mother, a writer. She can be anything at any given moment. She is passionate about expressing herself. I do writing and music. I’m just very free-spirited, always going with the flow.
KHH: Do you think growing up, everything that is happening in your life right now is exactly what you planned? JA: Growing up, I never really had a set plan. I knew I wanted to be comfortable. I never really had any specific goals. I think that helps me throughout life. I never really had expectations. I am always prepared either way, cause I really don’t expect anything.
KHH: Do you think singing was your elite dream as you got older? JA: I always thought that writing was going to be my main thing. Back when I was in elementary [school] it was just English, writing, creative writing. So when I really got into singing, maybe when I was like 9 or 10, that’s when I started realizing that I may be good at it. That’s when I started putting more energy into singing.
KHH: Your style of music is definitely different from your typical R&B mixtape, where do you categorize your style of genre and singing? JA: That’s been hard for me to do because I pull from so many different types of music and different types of artist that to me I can’t really say. One day, my manager and I, came up with “young-adult contemporary music” and it’s like a Sade but a younger and more ‘hip-hop influenced’ Sade. It’s still R&B and has elements of everything. I just like to call it “Honest Music” like Frank Ocean, Drake, and The-Weeknd are doing the same type of music and it really is the lyrical content is true to life.
KHH: Speaking of lyrical content, did you write 100% of Sailing Soul(s)? JA: Yeah, except for “July” which was done by Mika Paul. He wrote the hook for “July”. But every other song, I wrote 100% of.
KHH: I was going through forums and people like to compare you as a girl version of Frank Ocean, what do you think about that? JA: I’m a big fan of Frank Ocean. He’s dope. So that’s a big compliment to me. I can see what they’re saying, I think we’re both story tellers. We have the same type of feel; mellow, hip-hop, and R&B.
KHH: Any upcoming work for Jhene with Frank Ocean? JA: I met up with him and he’s really busy right now but I was up to collaborate with him.
KHH: The features on the Sailing Soul(s) include rappers like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, and much more. How did those collaborations come about?
JA: Well the Drake one happened because we had a mutual friend that was working with Drake at the time. Drake and I met up, he wrote a hook for the song July and he asked me if he can do verses on it. A couple of months later they sent me the song with him rapping on it and then it was on the radio a couple of times. The Kanye feature, we just took it off from the BET cypher verse. We took the Gucci verse from a Wale song. Kendrick Lamar we actually went in and did a song together and also Miguel.
KHH: Last friday I heard you were signed to Def Jam Records, is that correct? JA: I signed with No I.D.’s label through Def Jam. After the mixtape came out, I was meeting up with a lot of different labels and people like producers. I wanted to make it clear with everybody that I met, that I wasn’t going to change for anybody or anything. Of course I wanted to continue to grow and I feel like I change and grow everyday, but as far as who I am, my morals and my integrity as a person, nothing can really change that. My creative control is really important to me, and a lot of the labels I had met with didn’t understand that. Then I got a call from No I.D, I didn’t know what the meeting was about I thought it was going to be about me being on his beat. My manager and I reached out to him and he told us the whole situation. I had a really good feeling and vibe from him.
KHH: Since Sailing Soul(s) dropped in the spring and the year is almost over, is there another mixtape coming soon? JA: Yea I’m working on another project for the beginning of next year, but i’m not sure if it’s going to be an album or mixtape.
KHH: Do you have a title for it or are you still undecided? JA:Souled Out is going to be the title of the album or mixtape.
KHH: Everything seems to be going great for you. What can you honestly say is the hardest part of being a female R&B artist from California? JA: The hardest part is just dealing with people judging you and expecting you to be one way and you’re the total opposite. I’m from L.A and people have a certain way they look at girls from here but with me it’s not the same. The way I grew up was different and I have my good and bad times.
KHH: What is the biggest goal right now for Jhené Aiko?
JA: My biggest goal in life is to find a balance between everything that I’m doing like being a mom and being a singer. They almost contradict each other because I can’t stay all day with my daughter and then when I’m singing it’s like shes my drive, so I need to find a balance between her and working in the studio. Being able to find balance in both is my biggest goal and trying to give my attention to both without hurting the other.
KHH: Speaking of your daughter have you noticed any talents lately that you could say she’s following your foot steps? JA: Oh yea she has a lot of rhythm ever since she was a little baby, she makes up her own songs. I wouldn’t say I would like her to be a singer or anything like that but she obviously will. I’m 100% sure shes going to want to do the same. KHH: Thats really dope.
KHH: For all Jhené fans, what’s next? Any upcoming shows? JA: Yea I’m definitely going to update everybody like on twitter and my website. Shows are going to be happening and more visuals. I’m just going with the flow.
Kanye West Is Yeezy World Peace, Previews G.O.O.D. Music Album
Yeezy World Peace sounds like it will definitely make an appearance in some of Kanye’s future bars. This all came about as Ye refused to deejay for less than $1 million at a New Year’s Eve Party in NYC. According to the NY Post he’s rumored to be heading to Vegas to deejay a New Year’s Eve Party, at a lesser rate. Page Six also mentions, via an unnamed source, that Yeezy’s been in a studio on Broadway and Spring Street finishing up the G.O.O.D Music LP and a new video.
“He’s been picking creative people from all over and asking them to work with him,” said the source, adding, they are “a very eclectic group of music people that are very far from his old crew.”
Below, we have a preview of Mr. West’ ability behind the turntables. As Kanye spins, it’s only right that he drops some exclusive music. Sounds like another dope collab with Rihanna is on the way!
While Kanye West rocking a skirt kilt is a little questionable, the man has shown exquisite taste when it comes to his sneaker collaboration with Nike. The latest model, the Nike Air Yeezy 2, finally gets some detailed pics (really, one) for you to ogle at while you save your pennies to cop a pair. Glow in the dark soles, a mid-foot strap, snakeskin looking material…very promising. Due sometime in March 2012.
The Watch The Throne Tour web series continues, with “Church.” In this episode we see Big Sean speak on his admiration for Kanye, as well as what Kanye thinks of Big Sean’s potential.
Ye also kicks pays homage to Producer, Mannie Fresh. Oh, remember the twins Ye said he’d marry (Mary Kate & Ashley)…They came to kick it too!
A lot of people take shots at Hov for his involvement, or lack thereof, with his artists. We’ve seen in the past, that several new artists are consumed by their “Boss(es),” and become lost.
A few years ago we saw an artist released a “Classic” album, which we later found out wasn’t entirely written by that artist, but in fact was mostly the work of his “Boss.”That artist hasn’t reached that level of acclaim since, and has also seemingly struggled to let the fallout with his former boss, fade away.
Hov takes the approach of allowing an artist to be themselves, and only offers guidance when necessary. The Co-sign lies in the opportunity granted, which many tend to lose sight of. Peep the video.
Continuing the Watch The Throne Documentary Series, VOYR, we have 4 short videos detailing different aspects of the show, and the artists involved.
Just Kids From Chicago discusses where Kanye’s come from, to where he is, as well as some insight on the creative process that goes into these performances.
Permanent gives us a look at the creativity within the actual stage show.
Just Don focuses solely on Don C. (Kanye’s Manager), and some of his experiences on the Tour, as well as how he fits into the creative process.
World Leaders is a bit of a reflection piece. Kanye discusses his legacy, and how he’d like people to view it. He also talks about what he expects of himself, and how he’d like to influence others.
The Watch The Throne Tour is selling out every stop and during its recent stop in Kanye’s hometown of Chicago, he and Jigga cruised through his old stomping grounds.
