• Asher Roth
• Big Sean
• Bobby Ray
• Chris Webby
• Curren$y
• Diggy
• Drake
• Fashawn
• J. Cole
• Jay Rock
• Kid Cudi
• Lil B
• Mac Miller
• Mickey Factz
• Mike Posner
• Nicki Minaj
• Nipsey Nu$$le
• Pac Div
• Pill
• Sam Adams
• Stalley
• Soulja Boy
• The Cool Kids
• Waka Flocka
• Wale
• Wiz Khafila
1.Chris Webby - 'The Underclassmen'
2.Sam Adams - "I Got 'Em Like"
3.The Cool Kids - 'Tacklebox'
4.Lil B Sucker Punched During Interview
5.The Cool Kids Confirm Name Change
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Union LA x Mos Def “Ecstatic Moments” Exhibition T-Shirt
“Photographer, filmmaker, visionist Cognito showcases rare performance and behind-the-scenes images captured during the two year journey of making and supporting the June 2009 release of “The Ecstatic” (Downtown Records.) This special one-week exhibition features candid photographs of Mos Def, including images from visits to the Cape of Great Hope,South Africa, performing in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a powerful series of US Summer Tour “end-of-the-night posse shots” featuring such artists as Jay Electronica, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, and even a surprise guest appearance by the legendary Shuggie Otis. Cognito has also immortalized Mos Def in bright moments from “The Ecstatic” studio sessions with producers Madlib, OH NO,Preservation & Georgia Anne Muldrow. The photographs in this exhibit, soon to be published in book format, are offered by Mos Def to his family, friends and fans in order to share the many “ecstatic moments” he experiences while creating, recording, traveling and performing around the world.”
So it turns out that Drake did not win a Grammy Award tonight. I wonder if he himself even expected to win one, it was crazy enough he got nominated in the first place! Sure he had a groundbreaking mixtape this past year, but is that really all it takes to win a Grammy... I guess not. Once his next album drops later this year he will be in the same spot again, expect this time look for him to win one or two of those golden record players.
Wondering who won in the categories Jimmy lost? Check that out bellow along with all the other hip-hop categories...
Best Rap Album Common – Universal Mind Control Eminem – Relapse Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S. Mos Def – The Ecstatic Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Best Rap Solo Performance Drake – “Best I Ever Had” Eminem – “Beautiful” Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)” Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite” Mos Def – “Casa Bey”
Best Rap Song Drake – “Best I Ever Had” Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite” T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone” Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”
Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group Beastie Boys & Nas – “Too Many Rappers” Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – “Crack A Bottle” Fabolous & Jay-Z – “Money Goes, Honey Stay” Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common – “Make Her Say” Kanye West & Young Jeezy – “Amazing”
Best Urban/Alternative Performance India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore - “Pearls” The Foreign Exchange feat. Muhsinah - “Daykeeper” Robert Glasper & Bilal - “All Matter” Eric Roberson, Ben O’Neill & Michelle Thompson - “A Tale Of Two” Tonex - “Blend”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration Beyoncé & Kanye West – “Ego” Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock You Down” Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town” The Lonely Island & T-Pain – “I’m On A Boat” T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone”
Well I'm gonna make a lot of money, than I'm gonna quit this crazy scene...
This rip is from Power 106’s The Takeover Show from last Wednesday night. B.o.B played this song, which is on his upcoming May 25th mixtape... which drops on Monday. Asher Roth, B.o.B's fellow XXL Freshmen 09 brother, is on the track... so you know it's a banger!
CurT@1n$ came out and surprised the crowd at the Leaders of the New Cool: Los Angeles event the other day. He performed Exodus and Black Folks for the surprised crowd... catch that up top.
"I was plotting on doing the follow-up to that," Lupe said. "Simply because [Enemy of the State] was short. And I felt like it was space to do another one. I was gonna do another one called Friend to the People, but I started to get wind that people had songs they shouldn't have had. I was like, 'This is just gonna open the floodgates if I come out with another record. I know these dudes are threatening to leak records and do crazy stuff.' Sometimes I feel there may be too much Lupe music out there — whether it be old stuff or new stuff or freestyles. I don't want to have a ton of music sitting out. I made the decision to fall back from it and really focus on the climb. We were a couple of weeks away from doing that."
Creative Control brings the Midwest to the big screen life as The Cool Kids & Stalley do a lil’ bit of promo for Ski’s upcoming product. I really wish artists would just take the full day instead of a half hour of the day, and make an actual music video. These "visual projects" are getting old quick!
CurT@!n$ came through to CDR: Crack Distributors Radio and delivered a dope 5 minute freestyle over Naughty by Nature's "Uptown Anthem" during CDR's "Classic Freestyle Segment", this a must see freestyle from DopeBoy C.
The latest cover of Complex Magazine features none other than Drake. The artist is featured in their February/March 2010 Issue, as well as on their cover. You can read the interview with him here. Below is a video from the cover shoot.
What the fuck is going on at the start of the video? This is kinda really super ridiculous, but the song isn't that bad. What do you think about this new "smoking fad"? Are you getting sick of rappers solely talking about and showing you how much tree they smoke, or do you get into it a light one up right with them? I honestly would like to know...
This goes HARD! The video for this track, as well as the track is the best thing I have ever seen/heard from Curtains. I have no idea why this dude isn't all over the radio and T.V. His time will come soon enough though, it has to.
A Wale and General Platt sampled beat... yeah Charles Hamilton is as nutty as ever. Who do you think is nuttier; the Pants On The Ground Guy or Hamilton? I think it's too close to call, anyway watch out for this track to appear on: The Binge Vol. 3: Charles Hamilton’s Last Mixtape.
We don’t have the power to change the weather as of yet, but those of us with means can change our location to fit the climate we desire. In Curren$y’s latest video for his song “Breakfast” he does just that going from sleeping through NYC’s harsh winter to waking up in a sun drenched Jamaican villa. Director Jonah Shwartz leads us through Spitta’s daily routine of early morning doobie rolling over a mellow Mos Def produced soundtrack. - Creative Control
At a recent show in their hometown of Chicago, The Cool Kids performed a new track slated to appear on their debut album, When Fish Ride Bicycles. To my surprise they are still referencing “beepers” and such old school items in their new songs. I am amped on this because I thought they might of chose to completely swear off the very old school vibe that made them famous. Not to mention the beat gives off a very Cool Kids-esque old school vibe.
UPDATE: Three more videos just surfaced of The Cool Kids performing three new tracks from When Fish Ride Bicycles, check them out bellow.
SO THE ALBUM IS 99.9 PERCENT DONE I GET BACK TO CHICAGO TUESDAY FOR ONE MORE SESSION AND WE TURN IT IN!!! THIS SHIT IS A MASTERPIECE SERIOUSLY I CAN’T WAIT TO PUT IT OUT!! HERE IS A COUPLE VIDEO’S OF ME IN THE STUDIO RIGHT NOW - Hollywood Holt.
I'm a fan of Hollywood Holt, but not so much his music. Sure, he is a zany character and a great hype man but his flow on the mic let alone lyrical abilities have never been there. Judging by these videos, those two things are still not present in his music. It does sound like that is Mikey Rocks of The Cool Kids in the second video, so that is something to look forward to.
This has been my song for a minute now. I posted it up on DV88 a while ago, I'm so amped there is a visual to go along with it now. This track will appear on my man Andrew Barber's upcoming mixtape entitled FSD Presents: Chicagorilla Ape Tape Vol. 1 as well as Rhymefest’s The Manual.
Curren$y performs at 595 North in Atlanta, GA on 1/22/2010 with performances from J.Lie and FatKidsBrotha as well. Smokey Robinson dropping Superbowl Sunday.
Here is some in the studio footage of The Cool Kids recording "Free Throws" with the ever so doucey, DJ Don Cannon. This track apperared on The Cool Kids' latest mixtape entitled: Merry Christmas, which can be downloaded a few posts down.
Honestly, I have no idea who Sophia Fresh is or where this track is going to end up, but it sounds like sure radio-hit. I found it on some site that was talking a whole bunch of huff in a language I didn't even know existed. Kanye verses are hard to come by these days, so I'll take whatever I can get.
The month or so TheMaskedGorilla.com was down I was actually blogging somewhere else. That site will never be talked about or mentioned on TMG again, but my posts I made over there will! In the first edition of In Case You Missed It I am going to hit you with all the mixtapes that dropped the past month that, you might of missed.
Charles Hamilton – Normalcy
Mixtape, FreEP, whatever you wanna call it, Charles Hamilton’s latest project is finally here. With the unfitting tittle of Normalcy it looks like the hedgehog will be regaining his position in the game in the upcoming new year. There are a few good tracks on here, a few that make me scratch my head, but overall it is a good project from the previously dormant Charles Hamilton.
Uhh, I thought it was gonna be six songs? Four new Cool Kids songs is better than no new Cool Kids songs though. The download link might be a little slow but it works!
While the world awaits the sun to rise to begin life, we await it to fall to become alive. The shadows is our solitude and catalyst for true art and thought. Amongst it, we are not damned nor idolized. Therefore we can only be true to ourselves. And from that, the world will eventually seek light and understanding. – The Dark Phoenix
Yeah there is nothing much I can say after that, Mickey is such a dramatic fool. Tracklist and download link bellow.
1. Sunrise 2. Amnesia 3. Turn it Up 4. Still I Rise 5. Ashes 6. S/ecrets T/hat D/estroy 7. Contemplations Of a King 8. Sunset
Although I am not a fan of rappers overtly speaking about how much they smoke and drink, this track is dope. Let's face it Spitta and Wiz re-invented their entire rap careers by talking about how much they smoke, so you can't hate on it, because it is all they got going for them! Jus' sayin'!
On that note; look out for Curren$y's Smokey Robinson mixtape Super Bowl Sunday. Seriously, it's called that. Haha.
SIDENOTE: I am only going to say this once, get to the listen button and the download link quick. The links will break over time... so get to them quick to listen and download. That goes for all tracks posted on TMG.com
So, uh where the hell is the new layout?! In case you haven't been paying attention for the last month, that plan completely fell through. There will be no new layout, as of now. Check out my personal blog for the nitty gritty details on that whole scandal.
It is weird, because this site looks completely fine on my P.C when viewed on Internet Explorer or even Safari. But on my Mac TMG looks completely out of it's bird on Safari. All of the links are out of place, moved towards the center, there are random grey boxes overlapping everywhere, and the center column is moved over to the right. How does it look for you? This is important so let me know in the comment section bellow, send a screen shot to my email, anything would be a great help.
Although it is discouraging that the site looks superglitchy and out of place, I'm still gonna be updating this thing no matter what. Hell, if anything... it gives it some personality! The current look kind of goes with the whole attitude this site was formed on. Your updating you blog every ten seconds with random shit just to fill it up? Your blog looks super professional? Guess what, I couldn't care less. TheMaskedGorilla doesn't need a fancy layout to be a good blog. I live my life sketchy, I do whatever I want... whenever I want. TheMaskedGorilla is fresher, even in this state, than your blog will ever be.
REMEMBER: Leave a comment bellow how TMG looks in your web browser, take a screen shot and link me to it, twitpic me on twitter, anything... it is super important.
Oh and just for the record I AM NOT affiliated with ANY OTHER website. There are some phonies out there pretending to be me, or pretending that I write for their blog. TheMaskedGorilla.com is my only blog. I created it and I make every single post on it. I also of course run the DopeVideo88 YouTube Channel along with TheMaskedGorillaTV YouTube channel. Those sites along with my personal blog are the only sites I operate and contribute to, don't believe the impostors!
Now that all of that is out of the way, lets get to the damn music!
DD172 and Under100 put together another crazy night. I ran through with Dan on Tuesday to check out a special performance from the Cool Kids who had friends Stalley, Mikey Factz, Jay Electonica, Amanda Diva, Curren$y and more in the building with many jumping on the mic for an extended cypher. Word was that the Black Keys and Mos Def would be making a late night performance, but around 12:30 the show ended, supposedly due to cops and a noise complaint, and the show turned into a mini party upstairs in the gallery space. – Keap Hope
This above video demonstrates the very reason why I gravitate to the new age of hip hop over the older artists in the game. If this was a 50 cent show concert than you wouldn’t be able to get within 25 feet of the stage. Stage what stage? I don’t think any of these guys even know what a stage is, they are performing on the same level you are watching. Not to mention the camaraderie that goes along with this new age hip hop crew; The Cool Kids, Mickey Factz, Jay Electornica and Amanda Diva… all at one show. I’m pretty sure none of them were stressing over how much money they would be given to make “an appearance”. Anyway, check out around the 25 second mark of the video for a sneak peak of a new Cool Kids track
