The new season of Fox’s animated series The Cleveland Show is back on tv for another season with more celebrity cameos from hip hop’s biggest and brightest stars. Why and why?
As in, why is this show still on? And why do Kanye West (repeatedly), Bruno Mars, Will I Am, Nicki Minaj and Questlove agree to appear on it? (take Will I Am out of that question…he’ll appear at the grand closing of a pumpkin patch)

This show has all the right DNA and I really tried to get into it but it hasn’t been actually funny since….hmm….since it was an storyline on The Family Guy. The mighty Simpsons made the best use of all-star features, Family Guy doesn’t need them (except for Eminem‘s) and Cleveland keeps trying but just doesn’t have the sharp writing. Kanye’s two previous appearances were charming, while this new one looks cringeworthy.
Meanwhile, Bob’s Burgers is still my favorite new animated series. I’d like to see Action Bronson and Mac Miller on that one ; )

Watch a clip of Kanye West (as Kenny West), Nicki Minaj, Questlove, Bruno Mars and…of course Will I Am, along with Cleveland Brown from this Sunday’s upcoming episode of The Cleveland Show…
After the jump
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Nice!….its good to hear Busta in the mix with his hyperspeed flow on this new song with Cam’ron and Vado. This is off of Cam and Vado’s upcoming Gunz n Butter mixtape/album (coming Aug.24 on Koch). Thanks to Killa for sending it over. Hopefully we’ll see a video for this too….

Exclusive: Vado x Cam’ron x Busta Rhymes “Rubberband Stacks” (CDQ)

Download after the jump…
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(Thanks DoubleDeux…sadly, this Untangled was as unfunny as LOST last night was unsatisfying)

Frankly, I had the Cam’ron True Magazine-face on through most of last night’s episode. I know some folks found “Across the Sea” to be this backstory-filled revelation, but I was less amused. First off, Salma Hayak and Allison Janney from the West Wing? Ok, maybe not Salma, but seriously, this Allison Janney murder-mami was random. How did she know to kill Jacob and ManInBlack’s mom? How did she “make it so that they couldn’t kill each other”? How weren’t the boys “people”? And how come when M.I.B said “why won’t you let me leave,” she said, “because I love you.” Huh? Ugh. Also, the explanation of how the donkey-wheel sucked.

But that said, Kristin/E! makes an interesting connection about LOST’s Aaron plot, “Raised By Another.”
And Khal/RocktheDub tweeted another interesting theory about why The Man in Black was actually way more “reasonable” and smart while Jacob was a total doofus….

Read after the jump…

UPDATE: I added the funny Jimmy Kimmel Jacob x MIB Connect-4 parody and EW’s Doc Jensen recap too….

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Lloyd Banks stopped by the Hot97 studio the other day to discuss his upcoming “Hunger For More 2” mixtape album which is on the way, and he also talked about how different it was on Interscope from being independent now. I was also a bit surprised to hear how heated Banks gets about blog comments or being passed over for things like hottest emcees lists, etc. Turns out he’s paying very close attention….
I’ll post some clips of our lengthy conversation soon, but on a more current topic…
I asked Lloyd Banks about the Shyne “Unthinkable” freestyle which had leaked that day, with this rhyme….

Snippet: Shyne “Unthinkable” freestyle
[audio:SHYNE – UNTHINKABLE VERSE CLIP – 041410.mp3]

At the end of the snippet, Shyne says “F–k 50 Cents,” referencing their 2004 beef. Banks had a very strong reaction….not much to the diss line, but he went off on Shyne’s comeback overall…

Banks: “I spoke to Fif today…he just laughed about it. But I heard some other things that Shyne put out, and I’ll be the first to tell you and the world, he’s very wack….you don’t hear it? What kind of style he got right now?…”

Listen, after the jump…
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(I wanted to use a solo pic of Beyonce, but my flickr is buggin’ out today. grrr)

I think Beyonce is stunningly beautiful and her work ethic is unreal. Today she dropped 2 singles off her upcoming album and obviously that’s a big deal because musically she’s been on a life hiatus (big up to that, I need one of those). So even though its not rap, she is definitely rap-related….and more importantly, I really just want to know if its just me….’cause I’m not too crazy about either.

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I like Jack White’s track, but Alicia Keys + Jack White is like mixing Nutella and Everclear.

“Another Way to Die”
[audio:licia Keys ft Jack White – Anotha Way To Die.mp3]

Still can’t wait to Quantum though. Just rewatched Casino Royale….straight flushes, ball-bashing, and dreamy Daniel Craig.

my favorite Bond songs after the jump….
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(this photo refers to the Nas song below**…also, I’m always looking for a reason to refer everything back to food.)

Yeah, there’s actually stuff I want to listen to (that wasn’t made while Bubba was in office).

After Friday’s eventful night here on the blog, I checked out for some me time, lol. Saturday, went to a wedding (Congrats Kim and Ronnie!), got dipped, hair did, got verkelmpt, stuffed my face with lechon (lechon at a wedding? genius!), and got a lil slizzard (a rarity). But on the drive to and from NJ, I enjoyed Carter 3, and Seeing Sounds, and Viva La Vida, and Nas “Hero,” Common’s “Universal Mind Control,” G-unit’s “Straight outta Southside,” and “Get Down,” and LL’s “Hi Hater” freestyle. I never switched to NPR once. (confession: ok, I did check out “This American Life” for a little, but it was about the 10 commandments, which bored me, so…back to “Dr. Carter”)

Then I come back on Monday and there’s more!

Luckily, all the web’s best beatnuts tracked down a cd-quality version of that Jay-Z “A Billi” freestyle. Sardonic and sharp.

And Mr.Xclusives sent over NERD’s bonus track….”Lazar Gun.” (I like what Pharell is saying in the first verse….smh at the hook a little, lol…”lazer gun carrying, milky way master”)

And Thomas T. from France’s Still Nas blog, sent over a radio recording of Nas and Busta’s “Fried Chicken” (produced and introduced by Mark Ronson) (hilarious. and as a obsessive foodie, this may be the best food song ever, lol…….**sidenote: Nas and Busta….get thee over to KyoChon or BonChon ASAP! You havent lived til you’ve tried the new trend of Korean fried chicken.)

Click more for a nice freestyle session featuring Kanye, Game and newcomer Charles Hamilton….

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Here’s a perfect example of how hip hop media/new media/guerrilla journalism can work. Santogold, I’ve heard all the buzz, and because of said buzz, my gut reaction is to reject, lol. But thanks to a well-done, sincere, BS-free segment on Current, I’m exposed to the gal’s work, getting a feel for what kind of artist she is, and now feeling open to giving it a try. Her style of music isn’t my everyday all day, but I like the cut of her jib. And I respect her hustle, as do others as seen in this video.

As I’ve said before…Current Tv. Highly underrated.

thank you to Nile, Legend, Wegotit1st for sending over this song…and mixtape cover:

Nas’ “Black President” from the upcoming Green Lantern x Nas “N—-r Tape”

[audio:nas black president.mp3]

I love the messages in this song, but the beat is not my favorite Green beat so far. Can’t wait for the tape though.

DJ Forge reminded me about this LL Cool J “Hi Hater” freestyle which is ego-tripping at its best, even if the instrumental is super monotonous without that catchy Maino hook. Via Mr. Xclusives.

[audio:ll cool j-hi again haters xclusiveszone.blogspot.com.mp3]

Click for a (new) blast from ( some favorites of ) the past…..

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