30 seconds into “Blush!,” the first track off Wonkachild’s debut album, Urkel 2.0, and it was undeniable: This kid will be famous.

He’s already well on his way. Those who have had the pleasure of seeing a live Wonkachild performance don’t soon forget the energy, passion, and tenacity the Kansas City, Missouri product brings to the stage each and every time. He dances. He writes. He sings. He rhymes. He produces. He’s created an incredibly marketable image of Elegant Funk: in a bow tie, argyle sweater, fedora, and of course Chuck Taylors, he’s equally comfortable charming the guests at a formal event as he is capable of turning said event out, having those same guests grooving on the dance floor in minutes.

Oh, and did I mention he’s ridiculously talented? Wonkachild is what I want pop music to sound like. Not that you can fit him neatly in the genre of pop; far from it. His vocals are decidedly hip-hop with elements of soul and funk. He is equally at home flowing over an electric guitar riff as he is an old-school drumbeat or a jazzy walking bass. He’s been called genre-bending, and truly is. He’s Andre 3000 meets James Brown. Michael Jackson meets Lil Wayne. Prince meets Kanye…and I could go on. Listening to his album, I was struck by his well-executed versatility. Wonkachild frolics all over the musical landscape with style and ease. He is a mix-master of intimidating proportions to the likes of Kanye West, who seems increasingly out of touch with his audience. By contrast, Wonkachild seems eager to engage listeners in his playful banter of jazz, rock, funk, soul, and electronica.

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You knew it was coming. Skillz breaks down the 365 that was 2K9.

Download Here: 2009 Rap Up

 

Kanye West may be known to be overly outspoken but one thing is for sure, he knows music and he knows how to use it to express his innermost feelings.

In a new installment for the classic book series Chicken Soup For The Soul titled Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Story Behind The Song, Kanye speaks about how he was inspired to write about his loneliness he felt after speaking with MTV producer Dave Sirulnik about his family. He wrote about the meeting saying,  Read more...

M.K. Asante, Jr.’s “It’s Bigger than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation” 259 pages © 2008 is a successful attempt to remind hip hoppers that hip hop has been and should be more than just entertainment. He more eloquently compared the book to “snatching the mattresses from beneath our slumbering selves” and opting instead to sleep on the hard floor of a prison cell avoiding the danger of getting comfortable with the status quo.

Asante, an award winning filmmaker, author and professor before the age of 30, explains why so many may be upset with the direction of hip hop today.  Read more...

Let’s try to ignore Kanye West’s current woes for a moment and think back to a time when he was triumphantly traveling around the world with his sci-fi-themed Glow in the Dark tour. The 2008 show had tons of blinding lights, a vaguely pornographic alien, and Kanye rampaging like the last man on Mars. It was incredible.  Love him, or hate him, there is no denying that Kanye West is an interesting guy with a keen eye for art, design and working with the right collaborators.

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As The Blueprint 3 drops videos and tracks lets not over look what many are calling the more anticipated and long overdue album, Only Built For Cuban Links 2. Raekwon The Chef dropped his first (teaser) video for the Wu posse track House of Flying Daggers. That along with check “10 Bricks” & “Catalina”.

House of Flying Daggers Video

Raekwon featuring Lyfe Jennings “Catalina” (Produced by Dr. Dre)

Raekwon f/ Cappadonna & Ghostface “10 Bricks” (Produced by J. Dilla)

It seems like just yesterday that Fabolous was breaking into the game against stacked odds. Now six albums in, he tackles the dreaded “concept album”.

Brooklyn rapper Fabolous returns with his 5th studio album that is a little different from the other projects in his vault. Titled Loso’s Way, Fabolous travels down the familiar road of movie based albums adding his own flavor and style to the 16-track effort.  Read more...

With all the buzz surrounding rap super group Slaughterhouse, another super-group has quietly stepped on to the scene. La Coka Nostra features Slaine from Special Teamz, Ill Bill from Non Phixion, and the original members of House of Pain; Everlast, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal.For four years La Coka Nostra recorded songs with no intention of releasing an album–it was only for the love of the game. A Brand You Can Trust is the first full length release of La Coka Nostra on the Suburban Noize record label.  Read more...

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