Beyonce ft. Jay-Z – Upgrade U (mp3)

Exactly what I expected it to sound like. A song about…upgrading each other…yay!! Seriously, Beyonce’s album is shaping up to be a disaster. By that, I don’t mean that it won’t sell a million copies the first few months. The six songs I’ve heard so far divulge a lack of direction. Picture in-and-out studio sessions…

-According to well-respected DJ Semtex, Dr. Dre is on The Game’s album. I wonder if Curtis “Interscope” Jack will get pissed off and push back The Doctor’s Advocate indefinitely.

-DMX Slammed for Iraq no-show. For some reason, I’m not surprised that X pulled this crap on the troops, even though he found time to kick a free show for kids in Harlem. Not saying that the Iraq no-show was intentional, but it just seems like the sort of thing he’d do.

-Speaking of Iraq, this former U.S. Army ranger talks about the Iraqis he killed before turning his back on the war. I don’t know about you, but killing harmless children at close range, and bombing folks while they’re praying are no ways to liberate anyone. Is this guy a fraud?

-17-year old Lil’ Romeo starts his own label, hopes to follow in Master P’s footsteps.

-Xzibit set to pimp his album, Full Circle, on October 17.

-Matthew Knowles does not care about 2500 Beyonce fans.

-If finding out people’s true sexuality is your thing, then this is for you.

-Top 10 Rap Albums 09-02-06: Ross still “pushing it” to the top?

-Am I the only person not feeling this collaboration?

-“Idlewild” lacks substance, or so says the Washington Times.

-Who stole Mac Dre’s tombstone? And did I mentioin a big WTF!?

The Roots + Zion I – Come Together (mp3)
The Roots + Zion I – Come Together (instrumental)

A big shout out to my boy Dark Poet who saw this post and declared an internet search party to help find the missing GT track, which then reminded me to go Soundbites-crazy today. I see how “Come Together” could be a decent album cut on Game Theory. But, there are several samples here, and you know how easy it is to clear those bad boys these days. Besides, I heard Jay had a problem with them having that many melancholic tracks on the same album.

“Come Together” appears on The Roots/J. Period mixtape.
More odeos from that mixtape below:

-The Roots + J Period – Rock Star / PSA
-The Roots + J. Period – Thought Is Like (Freestyle)

-OutKast’s Idlewild is expected to debut at No. 1 with 200,000 units next week.

-Jay-Z and Beyonce about to dole out $3 million on their wedding?

-Pranksters release real snakes in a theater showing Snakes on a Plane.

-Rev Run’s daughter Angela launches her own magazine.

-Apparently, the only thing Janet Jackson likes to talk about is her sex life. *Yawn.*

-The Roots perform one song a day from Game Theory on MTV Live Leak.

-Ice Cube is surprised that former N.W.A. member Yella is in the porn industry. Who wouldn’t be?

-Full version of The Roots’ 3-in-1 Game Theory video

-Video: Fat Joe visits Shyne in prison. Now that’s gangsta.

-Snoop’s Blue Carpet Treatment will now drop two weeks after The Doctor’s Advocate

-Christina moves 356,000 units of Back to Basics to clinch the No. 1 spot. And…and, and I like her album. A lot. On the other hand, Obie Trice’s Second Round’s on Me 77,000 units at No.7.

-Busta Rhymes still not willing to co-operate with investigators. Busta has some serious issues. This man beat up a teenager for accidentally spitting on his car? Boycott his album.

-Nas signs an R&B singer to Ill Will I thought he erased that label to start The New Jones Experience. By the way whatever happened to Quan?

-If you’re in the NYC area, then you need to hit upHipHopKaraoke (aka some innovative shit) .

One of my favorite singles at the moment. The rastafarian in the video is Junior Reid–author of the original “One Blood”–whose voice was sampled here. I would have loved to see the “chronic smoke clears, all you see is one blood” line dramatized in slow motion, but it’s all good.

Apparently, the names have been changed to protect the innocent:

Old: I ain’t got beef with 50, no beef with Jay/What’s beef when you gettin’ head in the ‘63
New: You gotta beef with me if you beefin’ with Dre/What’s beef? Us low-ridin’ in the ‘63

Old: What would the motherf****n west coast be without one crip and…(one blood)
New: You kill me, what would the west coast be without Snoop and…(one blood)

Old: And I ain’t gotta make shit for the club, what DJ gon’ turn down a .38 [slug]
New: And I ain’t gotta make hits for the club; what DJ gon’ turn down some groupie luv

Old: Turn on the TV and all you see is the “A”/You niggas better make up a dance if you tryin’ to get radio play
New: Turn on the TV and all you see is the “A”/You better do like they do if you need radio play

And here’s JT denying the thin-veiled insults on “One Blood”:
“I’ll say it again…I’m not dissin’ the “A” — The Game

The mean-muggin’ 07 Denali below is Kelis’ birthday gift from NaS
(Click to enlarge)

Irv Gotti takes a break from hustlin’ Viagra pills to crash K’s birthday party.

(Psst: Several attempts to post more pics were repeatedly foiled by Blogger’s incredulous f*ck-ups. )

…in stores today

-C-Murder ordered back into house arrest. After being able to roam parties and events, C-M must be pissed to learn that his weed supply is back to home delivery.

-RZA and Common join T.I. and Denzel in “American Gangster”

-Jay-Z announces world tour dates.

-John Legend’s Once Again due in October. (Plenty of good music dropping around my birthday.)

-So, how did “Snakes on a Plane” fare at the movies?

-Beyonce’s B’Day dubbed a collection of “invariably tuneless songs.”

-The Game called off engagement to date this chick?