Fresh off winning at the Billboard Awards, Wiz Khalifa debuts the video for his lead single “Work Hard, Play Hard.” Like the video for his #1 hit single “Black & Yellow,” Wiz pays ode to his hometown of Pittsburgh and the people that make that city known for it’s blue collar work. Wiz’s new album O.N.I.F.C. drops on August 28.
Gucci Mane offers up the latest release off his I’m Up mixtape with “Don’t Make Sense.” It’s a mix of east and south as Fabolous and 8Ball appear on the DJ Spinz-produced song. Gucci’s new mixtape drops this Memorial Day Weekend on May 25 at 10:17 a.m.
New Music: Gucci Mane Feat. Fabolous & 8Ball – “Don’t Make Sense” (prod. by DJ Spinz)
On Tuesday, A-Trak and fellow Disc Jockey Dillon Francis debuted the hilarious video for their collaboration “Money Makin.” If you know the two DJ’s or follow them on Twitter, you’ll expect nothing but repeated laughs in this one. The two star as your everyday repairmen that turn an ATM machine into a moving party animal. Even more funny is the random cameos from the likes of rap vet Greg Nice, Action Bronson, and P-Thugg of Chromeo.
If you’re a fan of the song head to iTunes and purchase it.
After making his debut back in November, A$AP Rocky returns Wednesday afternoon on RapFix Live. With his Long.Live.A$AP debut album on the way, Pretty Flacko catches up with MTV’s Sway to talk anything and everything A$AP. The live stream should begin shortly with a repeat airing following right after.
On Tuesday night, MTV 2 ushered in their new television series Hip-Hop Squares. The spinoff from the classic show made popular in the 70s and 80s Hollywood Squares, brought the likes of Fat Joe, Ghostface Killah, Mac Miller, Machine Gun Kelly, Childish Gambino (Donald Glover), DJ Khaled, and more into the revamped gaming show. Congratulations to Hot 97’s own Peter Rosenberg who serves as the show’s host.
Maybach O has arrives ladies. MMG’s newest addition debuts the first song under his new label in “Let’s Talk,” the Rick Ross-assisted cut off Self Made Vol. 2 due June 26. Nothing over the top in the stylish Spiff TV-directed video that features pretty women, a vintage car, and a dance scene at the end from French Montana.
Big K.R.I.T. keeps it all southern of the official remix to his 4Eva N A Day cut, “Temptation.” On the song, K.R.I.T. recruits Juicy J and Waka Flocka Flame on the mellow tune. His Live From The Underground debut album arrives June 5 via Def Jam Records.
Rolling Stone tributes the late Adam “MCA” Yauch with a cover of it’s latest issue. The cover story chronicles the life of MCA with interviews from fellow Beastie Boys members Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond. It also features quotes past collaborators including Spike Jonze, Rick Rubin, Billy Corgan, and Sheryl Crow, along with friends, and close family. The issue hits newsstands on May 25.
When D’Angelo first came on the scene, singing about “Brown Sugar” and “Lady” and “S–t Damn Motherf–ker”, all sleepy eyes and shiny skin…he was like some sort of revelation. The perfect storm of soulful pipes, centerfold looks, and hip hop swagger. But we’ve heard the stories of how he was derailed by the pressures to maintain his “Untitled” sex symbol status. And in the years that followed, there were drunk driving accidents, drug arrests, hooker solicitation, and two failed rehab stints…Some how D’Angelo never made his ordeal into a public side show. Aside from a mug shot and a few news reports, there was never D’Angelo selling sobriety on reality TV or showing up sweaty on the red carpet of some fashion party. He just disappeared.
I kept hearing whispers that D’Angelo was back but after buying into Lauryn Hill comebacks and DMX cleanups and countless reunions and truces and homecomings….the skeptic is strong in me. It only felt real once Q-tip told me that he was working with D’Angelo and that the music was really good. And it felt realer when D’Angelo went on a short European tour and performed new material. Now he’s featured in the new issue of GQ magazine, in fine form, body back, speaking candidly about his arrests and drugs and anxieties…He tells writer Amy Wallace that it was producer J.Dilla’s death in 2006 that snapped him out of his downward cycle.
But in the above video clip of D’Angelo singing falsetto while playing a bad-ass bluesy guitar, does it sadden you that the shine is off? Or does all the pain he’s inflicted on himself make the music better?
I appreciated this quotes from Chris Rock on D’Angelo and the burden of grace:
“Black stardom is rough, dude,” Chris Rock tells me when I reach him to talk about D. “I always say Tom Hanks is an amazing actor and Denzel Washington is a god to his people. If you’re a black ballerina, you represent the race, and you have responsibilities that go beyond your art. How dare you just be excellent?…D’Angelo. Chris Tucker. Dave Chappelle. Lauryn Hill. They all hang out on the same island. The island of What Do We Do with All This Talent? It frustrates me.”
That’s all well and good, Chris Rock says—as long as D actually releases his music. “You’ve got to earn it, man,” he tells me, adding that the only reason fans aren’t disappointed by Jeff Buckley, the celebrated singer-songwriter who recorded just one album, is that he drowned. “Body of work, babe. It’s all body of work at the end of the day. I mean, the only way D’s going to be a great artist with the output he has now is if he dies.”
Check out what D’Angelo told GQ about substance abuse, and being treated like a male stripper…
along with his first photo shoot in over 10 years…
After the jump (more…)
Online fun usually comes at a cost, quickly followed by guilt. “Did I really just spend 4 hrs Youtubing…,” yep we know you’ve done it before. I mean, who hasn’t? With that said, get ready to waste more of your life clicking away and screaming quotes at your screen with the The Funkmaster Flex Soundboard, by the devious minds at Complex. Our big homie, FunkmasterFlex, takes pleasure in ridiculing the competition and we just love laughing along the ride.
Check out the hilarious Funkmaster Flex soundboard after the jump…
