VIDEO: JAY-Z FT. ALICIA KEYS - EMPIRE SATE OF MIND

Here's Jay-Z's video for the smash hit "Empire State Of Mind." Pretty cool to see all the historic places in NY.

- Jason

BUN B - SOUTHERN ROYALTY

Here's a new Bun B mixtape called "Southern Royalty." If your a true UGK fan then this mixtape is a must for you. Peep the tracklist below:

01. Bun B - UGK For Life Intro [Produced By DJ Unexpected
02. Bun B - My Nikes Playing Tricks On Me
03. Bun B Feat. Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Cory Mo & Trae - Obama 2008
04. Bun B Feat. Lil Keke & Trae - Grey Cassette
05. Bun B Feat. Lil Keke, Trae, Z-RO, ESG, Big Pokey & C-Note - Chopped and Screwed (H Town Remix)
06. Bun B Feat. Question - Without A Care
07. Bun B Feat. 50 Cent - As The World Turns
08. Bun B Feat. B.G & Juvenile - Retaliation
09. Bun B Feat. Example & Mic - Southern Rap Phenomenon (Rare)
10. Bun B Feat. Cory Mo & Statik Selektah - Get Out The Way
11. Bun B Feat. The Botany Boys - Snitches
12. Bun B Feat. Killa Kyleon (Boss Hogg Outlaws) - Hood Hop Freestyle
13. Bun B Feat. Self Scientific - King Kong
14. Bun B Feat. Termanology - How We Rock [Produced By DJ Premier]
15. Bun B Feat. Pimp C, Slim Thug & Cory Mo - It Aint Me
16. Bun B Feat. Jadakiss, Jim Jones, Prinz & Grafh - Like Ohh (Remix)
17. Bun B Feat. PxMxWx - Bag Of Indo
18. Bun B Feat. Chamillionaire & ESG - Ride Wit Us (Remix)
19. Bun B Feat. Birmingham J - Sip & Lean
20. Bun B Feat. Point Blank, Ice Lord & Levi Rasta - Mr. Playa

- Jason

CARMELO POSTERIZES MILSAP

Here's Melo shitting on Paul Milsap on opening night of the regular season. Sorry I'm 2 days late on this post! Thank the new Tradition store we are opening in Ventura.

- Jason

VIDEO: RAKIM TALKS DRE & AFTERMATH

Rakim talks to Nick Huff for HardKnockTV interview about his current relationship with Dr. Dre (says he last spoke with him a year ago, did a Detox reference for him), why things didn’t work out for him and Dre at Aftermath, why the album “Oh My God” never came out and speaks on his new album “The Seventh Seal”.

- Drew

MEAR & YEM :CRITICAL: COVERAGE

Graffhead

Our Blood
Here's some more coverage of our upcoming show :Critical" featuring Mear & Yem. :Critical: examines the nature of these two legendary graffiti writers and their approach to fine art.

:Critical: opens November 7th, and runs through January 2nd.
Opening Reception is November 7th from 7-11. Drinks and music provided.

- Drew

PIECE BY PIECE - L.A. 10/29/09

I'm currently playing bass for Piece by Piece on a short west coast tour with Trapped Under Ice and Alpha & Omega. Here are a few photos from our first show at the Nomad Gallery in Los Angeles courtesy of Dan Rawe.





- Drew

GAME - BETTER DAYS & MORE

Here are a few new leaks from Game... Aside from his upcoming album, R.E.D., Game is set to release a new Gangsta Grillz mixtape called Red October.

Game - Better Days (produced by Jim Jonsin)
Game - Big Money (produced by Cool & Dre)
Game Ft. Gucci Mane & Timbaland - Krazy

- Drew

BEANIE SIGEL - WHAT YOU TALKING 'BOUT (JAY-Z DISS)

I know we are a little late with this one, but for those of you that haven't heard it here's a track from the Broad Street Bully called "What You Talking 'Bout" going after Jay-Z. Let's see how Jay responds!

"I'm so bad, I'm a smooth criminal, I'm a thriller holding a snub with a glove that don't glitter..."

-Drew

VIDEO: CRUEL HAND - GET IN THE VAN EPISODE 1

VIMBY - Get In The Van: Cruel Hand Ep. 1

Here is the newest episode of Get In The Van, a series I produced for Vimby. This edition focuses on Maine's best, Cruel Hand. Look for episode 2 sometime next week.

Get In The Van: Cruel Hand Ep. 1
LOS ANGELES - In the 2nd installment of Get in the Van, we catch up with hardcore band, Cruel Hand, who talk about how they came about forming back in 2005. The band then gives us an exclusive look at the van that takes them to and from their shows.

- Drew

VIDEO: CYPRESS HILL SMOKEOUT 2009 WRAP UP

Cypress Hill brought back their Smokeout festival this year with a strong lineup of hip hop and rock acts. Over 30,000 people made it out to the two day fest which featured performances from Cypress Hill, Goodie Mob, Method Man and Redman, Psycho Realm, as well as rock acts such as Bad Brains, Sublime, Pennywise, Slipknot, and Deftones.

- Drew

MUST SEE: SUPER HUMAN 4 YEAR OLD

Damn this kid is so strong and ripped its almost unbelievable. Peep his abs, are you kidding me. There is no way this kid isn't on some sort of supplements. This is truly amazing.

- Jason

LIL' WAYNE - NO CEILINGS (MIXTAPE)

Here's Lil' Wayne's new highly anticipated mixtape called "No Ceilings." Young Money/Cash Money is taking over believe it or not. Wayne kills the tracks from some of your favorite hits this year, he kills Jay-Z's D.O.A verse "Spit hanging from my mouth, retard flow" haha. You can download it here. Peep the tracklist below:

01. Swag Surfin
02. Ice Cream Paint Job
03. D.O.A.
04. Interlude
05. Wasted
06. Watch My Shoes
07. Break Up (Feat. Short Dawg & Gudda Gudda)
08. Banned From TV
09. Throw It In The Bag
10. I Think I Love Her (Feat. Tyga & Shanell)
11. Interlude 2
12. Wetter
13. I’m Good (Feat. T- Streets)
14. Make Her Say (Feat. Jae Millz)
15. Run This Town
16. I Gotta Feeling
17. Outro

- Jason

SHYNE IS FINALLY OUT

As you may have heard Shyne is finally out of prison. Here's a pic of Shyne at the airport in Cleveland on his way to his hometown of Belize. Peep the Harvard Law School crew neck, wonder if he has been doing some law research while locked up, ya think? LOL.

- Jason

NEW BRAND SPOTLIGHT: PROS & CONS

In life we are faced with many choices. Often enough the best way to make a decision is to weigh out the Pros & the Cons. Buying a t-shirt is no different. In today’s oversaturated market the cream will always rise to the top, but it’s up to you to make the right decision. Remember, weigh your options and choose wisely.
A group of artists came together in 2007 to start the Pros and Cons clothing company. Their strength lies in their original in house illustrations. We just received their new Fall delivery full of dope graphics with a fresh concept. We are proud to introduce you to Pros & Cons... We hope you like it as much as we do!
Check the New Arrivals section of our website for pics of the fall delivery.

- Drew

SNEAK PEEK

COMING SOON

GET BUSY COMMITTEE - UZI DOES IT

GBC's debut album, Uzi Does It, releases today... It is available on CD, as a download, or on a super limited UZI shaped USB Drive! Get Busy Committee features Ryu (Styles of Beyond, Demigodz) and Apathy (Demigodz, Army of the Pharaohs). Tracks are produced by Apathy as well as super-producer Scoop Deville, known for his work recently with Snoop Dogg, The Game, Clipse, and many others. Check out the album sampler below, and hit up their website to order the album!

- Drew

MIXTAPE: CHACE INFINITIE - I WOULD HAVE KILLED THIS

Chace Infinite is back with a brand new mixtape called I Would Have Killed This. This mixtape features Chace over 10 DJ Khalil beats. Look for a track from Chace on the upcoming Tradition mixtape! You can download I Would Have Killed This here.

Most Self Scientific fans know that a number of the songs that DJ Khalil does with other artists were originally songs or ideas intended for Self Scientific. Cashmere Agency and Prohibit NYC Present I Would Have Killed This is a full mixtape by Self Scientific’s frontman Chace Infinite and finds him going in over some of the more well-known beats that his partner, DJ Khalil, produced for other artists. The first joint leaked was over the popular “Kinda Like A Big Deal” track that featured The Clipse and Kanye West. Next, Chace attacked “I Still Kill,” the beat Khalil produced for 50 Cent and Akon. In classic Self Scientific fashion, Chace changes the subject matter to instead discuss life and his attempts to understand his own journey. Be sure to download the entire mixtape to hear the Chace Infinite put his own spin on 10 Khalil beats that were snatched up by other artists. The mixtape also contains a bonus of three original Self Scientific songs.

- Drew

MIXTAPE: DRE BIGGITY - THE DIAPER DANDY

Check out Dre Biggity's IM KING presented mixtape, The Diaper Dandy. Diaper Dandy refers to the prestigious title sports analyst Dick Vitale gives to the best up and coming freshman college basketball players.

"People can expect something "new". I know it's been said over and over again but I really feel the music I'm putting out is something of its own. I ask people, people that really know music like what category do you put my sound in, where does it fit in within music as a whole and faces are always left puzzled before an answer. I've heard "Big", and "Stadium Hip Hop" when conjuring up a description of the sound so I guess people will just have to make their own opinions on it after they give it a
listen. It's forsure something unique and I think the CD as a whole is very relatable. I don't focus on the bragging, swagged out, cliche song lyrics but I try and make every song a record. Opposed to just rapping I'm trying to make each song a hit and potentially touch the soul of an individual after listening to it like yea I really felt that in my gut, from the dope
beat to the hook to the realness in the lyrics."

- Drew

VIDEO: SHARK BITES SHARK IN HALF

Beachgoers in Australia are understandably nervous about swimming after a great white shark was discovered that had been bitten in half. This has led to speculation that there could be a shark as massive as 20 feet roaming the shores of Australia.
One shark expert remarked: "They'll eat anything - including their own kind."

Via: HP

- Drew

MIXTAPE: GLASSES MALONE- NIGHTMARE ON 7TH STREET

Glasses Malone is back with a brand new mixtape called Nightmare on 7th Street. The mixtape features 11 tracks assisted by the likes of Butch Cassidy, Snoop Dogg, Bow Wow, Jay Rock & Xzibit. You can download Nightmare on 7th Street here.

- Drew

BAY SLANG!

Here's a dope little lesson on the Bay Area slang from Rafael Casal with a little bit of the Grinch for fun. Enjoy.

VIA: Teruo Artistry

- Jason

MAKING OF LIL' WAYNE'S "NO CEILING" MIXTAPE

Here's Weezy in the booth spittin acapella and giving us a little hint of what to look for on his highly anticipated mixtape "No Ceiling." It's dropping on Halloween so I'll try and post it as soon as I get it.

- Jason

MIXTAPE: JAY-Z & NAS - DEADLY DUO

Hevehitta and DJ Unexpected put together this “Deadly Duo” mixtape focusing on Nas and Jay-Z. This mixtape features demo tracks, unreleased songs and break beats from the two. DJ Unexpected gets his “Look What I Found” on for the break beat section, and gives you the break beats / samples that were used for both Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt. You can download the mixtape here. Check the track list below.

01. The Twin Towers (Intro – Produced By DJ Unexpected for Diggers Union Local 1200)
02. Jay Z – Broken English (Demo Track)
03. Nas Speaks On The 80’s (Interlude)
04. Nas Feat. AZ & Nature – Time (Unreleased – Produced By Dr. Dre)
05. Jay Z Feat. Sauce Money – Nothing But Love (Demo Track)
06. Nas Feat. Kool G Rap & White Boy – #1 With A Bullet (Unreleased)
07. Jay Z Feat. Sauce Money – Ripping It Up (Demo Track)
08. Nas Speaks On Illmatic (Interlude)
09. Nas – Nas Will Prevail (Demo Track)
10. Jay Z Speaks On Being A True MC (Interlude)
11. Jay Z – The Greatest MC (Demo Track)
12. Nas – Yeah Yeah Yeah (Freestyle)
13. Jay Z – Pass The Rock (Demo Track)
14. Nas – Death Anniversary (Unreleased)
15. Jay Z Feat. Nas – Dead Presidents (Live Performance)
16. Nas Feat. Jay Z – Black Republicans
17. Jay Z Feat. Nas & Ludacris – I Do It For Hip Hop

- Drew

MEAR & YEM :CRITICAL: COVERAGE

Vapors

Where Eagles Dare

We are gearing up for Mear & Yem's :Critical: show, opening November 7th at Tradition. We are very excited to be hosting this show from two of the most prolific graffiti writers in Los Angeles. Thanks to everyone that has helped spread the word... See you November 7th!

- Drew

BURNING FIGHT

Our good friend Elano Pizzicarola wrote a story about our Burning Fight event. You can read the whole article in the "Features" section of our website.

The sun set and as it got darker and darker, more and more guests slowly sprinkled into Tradition. The event was a book release. The name of the book was Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit, and Sound and the author was Brian Peterson. In the book, Peterson interviews a variety of hardcore musicians and scene members about the sound and the ideas contained in the music they loved, specifically in the 1990s. T-shirts bearing the book’s title were draped aback the store’s front window. The walls, paraded gritty black and white photos of hardcore musicians and the genre's treasured memorabilia of flyers and posters alike.
The crowd was diverse and their ages varied greatly. Some were teens while others were in their thirties and forties. The crowed sprawled the well-lit room, and as fast-paced, intense hardcore, blasted out the JBL speakers at breakneck speed, filling the room with explosive energy, there was an evident commonality as these fans mingled.

- Drew

PIECE BY PIECE WEST COAST TOUR

I will be playing bass for Piece by Piece on a short West Coast tour with Trapped Under Ice and Alpha & Omega. Piece by Piece features Nick (Terror) on Vocals and Corey (Carry On, IA) on guitar. Riggs (former drummer for Madball, Hatebreed, and Skarhead) will be playing drums for this tour as well... Roll out to a show if you can!

Oct 29 2009 Nomad Gallery w/TUI and Alpha & Omega Los Angeles, California
Oct 30 2009 Chain Reaction w/TUI and Alpha & Omega Anaheim, California
Oct 31 2009 The Crossing w/TUI and Alpha & Omega Palmdale, California
Nov 1 2009 The MAAC Project w/TUI and Alpha & Omega Chula Vista, California

- Drew

CROOKS HOLIDAY AT TRADITION

We just received our first holiday shipment from Crooks & Castles... The Stadium jacket is fresh, as are all the tees and beanies...
You guys all know how fast Crooks sells our, so stop by soon or call the shop. 805-497-4717.

- Drew

JAY-Z & ALICIA KEYS TO PERFORM AT WORLD SERIES

MTV Shows

Jay-Z loves to take hip-hop where it has never gone before, well how about the World Series? Hov and Alicia Keys will be performing the Big Apple anthem "Empire State of Mind" on Wednesday at the new Yankee Stadium before World Series game one's first pitch is thrown, Jay confirmed to MTV News on today.

- Jason

CLIPSE FT. PHARRELL & CAM'RON - POPEYES (POPULAR DEMAND)

Here's a new Clipse track called "Popeyes(Popular Demand)" featuring Pharrell and Cam'Ron. Listen closely to Pusha's little shot at Lebron and of course Malice and Killa Cam murdered the track. You can download it here.

Clipse - Popeyes (Popular Demand) Preview from Chris Knotti on Vimeo.

- Jason

STRONG ARM STEADY FT. TALIB KWELI - GET STARTED

Here's the first official single from the SAS Gang's upcoming Madlib produced album, Stoney Jackson, called "Get Started" featuring Talib Kweli. This track isn't what you would expect from Strong Arm, but they came off tight. As usual, Talib sounds great over Madlib beats.

- Drew

LIL' WAYNE - RUN THIS TOWN (FREESTYLE)

Lil' Wayne has been dropping a few new tracks after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon on Thursday.
Lil Wayne is expected to receive a one-year jail sentence for his guilty plea. Here's the newest leak from him, a freestyle over the other Mr. Carter's "Run This Town."

-Drew

SOCO BURNS (SPAZ SATURDAY SERIES)

The homey Soco has been in lab cooking up fire. His newest Spaz Saturday series will have Soco dropping a weekly freestyle and 2 videos per month. I'm 2 weeks behind but here's Soco's week 1 joint called "Spaz Mission." His week 2 freestyle doesn't disappoint either, its called "King." Soco is also currently working on the Mr Burns Mixtape along with other projects, be on the lookout for big things from him. You can also follow Soco on twitter @SocoBurns or email him at Socohf@gmail.com.

Spaz Mission/King Freestyle Video

- Jason

WEEZER FT. LIL WAYNE - CAN'T STOP PARTYING

Damm... Even Weezer is hitting up Wayne for a feature? It's a strange world we live in... Check out this Jermaine Dupri produced track from Weezer called "I Can't Stop Partying" featuring Lil' Wayne.

"That was a real interesting challenge. I wrote it with Jermaine Dupri. The whole idea was, 'How can I take my rock guitar approach and marry it with hip-hop?' The combination of me, Jermaine Dupri and Lil Wayne worked beautifully. We came up with something none of us would have come up on our own. It's probably my favorite song on the album."

- Drew

MIXTAPE: FREEWAY & BENJA STYLES - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Freeway has been busy this year, releasing numerous mixtapes, Philadelphia Freeway 2, and his month of madness series... Here's a new mixtape from Free called The Calm Before The Storm... This will be enough to tide fans over until the release of The Stimulus Package with Jake One sometime in early 2010.

-Drew

VIDEO: COMMON FT. CEE- LO - MAKE MY DAY

Here's a strange video for a strange song from Common's last album called "Make My Day" featuring Cee-Lo. Cee-Lo is tight, but he's 10X the rapper than he is a singer... I wonder how the Goodie Mob reunion was this weekend at The Smoke Out?

- Drew

VIDEO: INSTED - LIVE AT GILMAN (2 SONGS)

INSTED - "We'll Make The Difference / Young Till I Die" from Larry Ransom on Vimeo.

Thanks to Larry Ransom, we have this dope video of Insted performing "We'll Make The Difference" & "Young Till I Die."

Insted performing their classic show closer of “We’ll Make The Difference” and “Young Till I Die” (7 Seconds) live at Gilman St in Berkeley, California. August 29, 2009.

This is a three camera edit, filmed with two Canon HV30s and one HV20. Edited in Final Cut Pro. No color correction has been done.

Coming down the pipe is a mini documentary of Insted’s 3 shows from a couple of months back. Lots of live footage, interviews, rehearsals, bro-down footage etc.

- Drew

TIMBALAND FT. KERI HILSON & JAY-Z - RUMORS

Here's a new leak from Timbaland's upcoming album, Shock Value 2, called Rumors featuring Keri Hilson and Jay-Z. Shock Value 2 is due out on November 24th and will feature appearances from Christina Aguilera, Shakira, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, Miley Cyrus, Paramore, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Brandy, Drake, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Britney Spears, and more.

- Drew

4 YEAR OLD HIP-HOP DANCER FROM OXNARD

Miles Brown is a 4 year old hip hop dancer from Oxnard. Here he is on the Ellen Show busting a few moves. He is so cute and has some popping skills. We need him to perform with Lil' Meezy at Tradition.

- Jason

MJ'S SON'S $3M COLLEGE SNEAKER DILEMMA

A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan's son will wear at the University of Central Florida could cost the school as much as $3 million. Freshman guard Marcus Jordan is refusing to wear shoes made by adidas, the brand the university has a contract with for all its sports. He says he will only wear his father's Nike Air Jordan shoes because it holds special meaning to his family.

The problem is UCF Knights has a $3 million, six-year contract with adidas that requires coaches and athletes to use the company's apparel and equipment. UCF said in a statement today that adidas was aware of the situation during contract renewal discussions. The university says it is working with adidas "in determining how this unique set of circumstances will work for both parties."

- Jason

THE GAME - HEAVEN

The Game is back with a new track called "Heaven." Game is spittin but I'm not feeling the hook. The track is fire though, not sure who produced it.

- Jason

LIL' WAYNE - SWAG SURFIN

Here's a new Lil' Wayne joint called "Swag Surfin." You can't tell me Wayne isn't a beast on the mic. "Tiger Woods on these ho's, tryin to birdie these balls." "I leave the P#@*y Microsoft like Windows Vista." OMG!
You can download it here.

- Jason

TRADITION PRESENTS: MEAR & YEM :CRITICAL: NOVEMBER 7TH

Tradition is proud to present :Critical: a 2 person art show featuring the artwork of Mear and Yem, two of LA's most prolific graffiti writers. :Critical: examines the nature of these two legendary graffiti writers and their approach to fine art.

MEAR ONE: examines the aspects of content that accompany any piece of art. He is literally working on communicating some of what we as a society have forgotten or are unable to see.


YEM: navigates through a multi-media platform where information (data) and art intersect. The result is a visual experiment that tests the icons of the culture industry. His work involves a participation in which Theodor Adorno claims that it goes under the name of terror in mass culture. He is a pioneer of the Los Angeles graffiti/urban art movement and has shown through out the US and Europe. He is self taught.

:Critical: opens November 7th, and runs through January 2nd.
Opening Reception is November 7th from 7-11. Drinks and music provided.

- Drew

VIDEO: RAEKWON'S GOLD DELUXE EDITION OF OB4CL2

Rae talks about his upcoming tour, his upcoming video for Catalina, as well as the Gold Deluxe version of OB4CL2 which is dropping in December.

- Drew

SLAUGHTERHOUSE FT. BUN B - THE ONE (TRAVIS BARKER REMIX)

We posted the video a few days ago, and now here is the CDQ audio to Travis Barker's remix of "The One" from Salughterhouse. Bun B is a nice addition to this track as well.

- Drew

FASHAWN FREESTYLE

So I went to see Ghostface and Fashawn a couple days ago in San Diego, and since Fashawn's new album Boy Meets World is out now, I'm putting up the video of the freestyle he did over a bunch of classic beats. Forgive my recording skills this is seriously the first video I've ever put on Youtube, but plenty more to come in the future.
- Richard

VIDEO: MEAR ONE PAINTS THE DIFFERENCE

This video shows the process behind some of MEAR ONE's paintings. Mear One and Yem, 2 Los Angeles OG’s, are coming to Tradition on November 7th to represent the roots of graff, and the finer relms of art and imagination. Don't miss it!

The potential of the universe exist in each of our hearts body and mind. Change the way we view our world and change the way reality effects you; and in turn change the way you effect people.

- Drew

N*E*R*D FT. SANTIGOLD - SOLDIER

Here's a track from N*E*R*D's upcoming album, Instant Gratification. The track is called "Soldier" and features Santigold. I am sure by now, you have all heard that N*E*R*D pulled a Black Eyed Peas and added a girl to the group... I am curious to see how this will affect their sound.

- Drew

TRADITION X VIMBY

Eric Thompson and the rest of the crew at Vimby rolled by Tradition today to film a segment with former MTV VJ Quddus... Here are a few pics of what went down!




- Drew

THE LOVEWRIGHT COMPANY

The Lovewright Company is back with a brand new holiday collection. As usual, Lovewright blends vintage Americana with influences ranging from music, skateboarding, car culture, and Southern California. This collection is their strongest to date and features a handful of collabs including shirts with The Hundreds, Chase Tafoya, and Commune. Check the New Arrivals section to see all the shirts!

- Drew

SHAKE WEIGHT, FOR MEN

Jason posted the original Shake Weight for women way back when, but I just seen this one for men and its even more ridiculous! Pause the dude who says, “Within 30 seconds I was covered in sweat.” LMAO!!

- Richard

ARMY OF THE PHARAOHS - GODZILLA & CONTRA MANTRA

Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC Vinnie Paz in 1998. The group features a long list of MC's including Vinnie Paz, Outerspace, Reef the Lost Cauze, Des Devious, Doap Nixion, Jus Allah, King Magnetic, King Syze, Apathy, Celph Titled, Esoteric, Block McCloud and Journalist.
Here are two new leaks from their upcoming album, Unholy Terror, Godzilla & Contra Mantra.

- Drew

VIDEO: RZA SPEAKS ON RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE, AND METHOD MAN JOINT ALBUM

MTV Shows

We've been hearing some buzz about a joint album featuring 3 of the biggest names from the Wu Tang Clan Raekwon, Ghostface, and Method Man. MTV sat down with The RZA to hear his thoughts about this album.

“I think it’s a great idea,” RZA said of Raekwon, Ghostface and Method Man teaming up. “I was pushing that idea to them years ago. Back in the day, we was gonna have a branch called ‘The Brothers From the Grain’ that was kinda those guys right there. I’m gonna see Meth tonight in the studio to see if I could add on something to that project. Add some depth to it. They are three of the most prolific voices in Wu-Tang. Ghost would call it ‘Three the Hard Way Doing Their Thing.’ ”

RZA says the Clan are at a point where everybody is strong individually, which makes it even greater when they combine.

“We’re at a period of life, if anybody from Wu-Tang needs me, I’m there for them,” he elaborated. “Everybody has grown and matured to where we don’t need each other. … Everybody is now independent, and sometimes we become what I call interdependent. We don’t need each other, but it’s good to work with each other and use each other’s energy for the whole brand and the whole Clan. U-God reached out to me and said, ‘I want you to produce my whole album.’ I’m like, ‘It’s all good.’ When I worked [on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II] with Raekwon, he was like, ‘How much you gonna charge me?’ I said, ‘It’s on the house, baby. Just give me my publishing. My rights. But you don’t have to give me no money to work with you, baby.’ “

- Drew

DOM SIGNING WITH DON CANNON?!

HHO gets their interview on with Don Cannon about what he's up to. He goes on to say he's trying to sign Dom Kennedy. This is great news, hopefully everything works out and falls through so we can get an album out of this guy! Shouts to Hip Hop Official for the interview.

THE HUNDREDS HOLIDAY FOOTWEAR

The Hundreds released their footwear collection just about a year ago, and their shoes have quickly become the best selling styles at Tradition. Tradition is one of the first stores to receive the brand new holiday shipment from The Hundreds which features a great selection of styles, colors, and materials. All of these shoes are fresh, but standouts include the suede Valenzuela low and the Dodger blue Johnson low. Phone orders are available 805-497-4717.

FASHAWN - 21 TO GROW ON (MIXTAPE)

It's a big week for Fashawn. His album "Boy Meets World" drops today. His CD release show with Talib Kweli is Saturday at Tower Theatre. The rest of the week, he's on tour with Ghostface Killah. He's even featured on the front page of MySpace and not to mention he's also turning 21 this week. The result is a new mixtape called "21 To Grow On." It's intended to be a "best-of" all his pre-"Boy Meets World" material. It's 21 tracks, pulled from all seven of his mixtapes courtesy of the Beehive. You can download it here.


- Jason

BIRDMAN IS THE #1 STUNNA

As you can see Birdman is the #1 stunna hands down. There isn't anyone in the world that has spent more money on jewelry. This just what he brought on tour, imagine what this dude has lying around his house. He's wearing people homes on his wrist!

- Jason

MUST SEE: KID FREAKS OUT OVER NOODLES

Damn this kid is heated! He must of been hungry as hell. "LET MY NOODLES GO!"

- Jason

CLIPSE FT. RICK ROSS - I'M GOOD (REMIX)

Here's the Clipse's new remix of "I'm Good" featuring Rick Ross. Malice and Pusha T have some hot new verses. You can download it here.

- Jason

VIDEO: TRAVIS BARKER VS SLAUGHTERHOUSE - THE ONE

Check out this video of Travis Barker remixing Slaughterhouse's single "The One." His drum tracks give this beat a dope upbeat swing.

- Drew

VIDEO: YEM - ALL MEDIA SOVEREIGN

Yem navigates through a multi-media platform where information (data) and art intersect. The result is a visual experiment that tests the icons of the culture industry. His work involves a participation in which Theodor Adorno claims that it goes under the name of terror in mass culture. You can expect to find Yem's 'results' through out the appropriation of abandoned public space- that emerge within a city streets of Europe and the Americas.

Be sure to check out Yem & Mear's upcoming show, :Critical:, November 7th at Tradition.

- Drew

THA DOGG POUND - WESTSIDE RYDING

Daz and Kurupt will be dropping a new Dogg Pound album in November titled "That Was Then This Is Now". Here is the first official leak from that album, a Fred Wreck produced track called "Westside Ryding."
The record features Snoop Dogg, Swizz Beatz, Cassidy, Roscoe, Soopafly, Turf Talk, Los, Krayzie Bone, Problem, along with production by Daz Dillinger, Soopafly, Fredwreck, and more.

- Drew

BRETT DOMINO: HIP-HOP MEDLEY - STYLOPHONE BEATBOX

The $25.50 Stylophone Beatbox doesn't look like much, and if it weren't for one Brett Domino and his partner in hip-hop crime Steven Peavis, we just might have continued about our lives without knowing of this thing's potential. Described as the ultimate street cred token for the average white boy, this diminutive box reacts to panel presses by dishing out the hottest beats.

- Jason

EVIL EMPIRE - NEW YORK TRAFFICKING 3.0 (MIXTAPE)

Here's another new Evil Empire mixtape called "New York Trafficking 3.0." Peep the tracklist below:

1. French Montana feat. Snoop (from The Wire) - Cocaine Konvicts
2. French Montana feat. Akon - Married To The Streets
3. French Montana - Playin In The Wind (Full Version)
4. French Montana feat. Al Pac - Ya Bitch On Me
5. French Montana - Nuttin' 2 Think About
6. DMX - Ya'll Don't Really Know
7. The LOX - Move (Produced By J. Cardim)
8. Lloyd Banks - Lights, Camera, Action
9. Fabolous - Toast To The Good Life
10. Uncle Murda - Summer Time Shootouts
11. Red Cafe feat. Diddy - I Tote Guns
12. Fabolous - Bang Bang
13. Sheek Louch, Styles P, & Bully - This Is D-Block
14. Lloyd Banks - Best Kept Secret
15. Fabolous - Welcome To The Workplace
16. Red Cafe - Here To Get Money
17. Saigon - Aye Aye Aye
18. Styles P feat. Noreaga & Uncle Murda - Pablo Doe
19. Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah - Criminology 2
20. Remo Da Rapstar - Go Harder
21. B.E.N.N.Y. - 1/2 Brick
22. Outro

- Jason