By the way, I’ve finalized my new year resolution, thanks to HoustonSoReal.

(Pic by The Afflicted Yard)

From DJ Swindle, the brain behind 80 Cent, Bobb Deep, and Em-J, comes Almatic: Nas Meets Al Green. I’ve had “Made U Look(Rmx)” and “Streets of NY” on repeat all evening. Now I couldn’t tell you what “Oochie Wally” sounds like because I skipped right through it. No amount of mash-upping can redeem the horrendous lyrics on that song.

Get it: DJ Swindle & Frank Lyon - Almatic | Tracklist

Not his most sophisticated work but sometimes less is more.

“Freedom Writers Movie” Trailer: Windows | Real | Quicktime

(Via 33 Jones)

-Hip-Hop Man of the Year Award goes to…

-How James Brown influenced hip-hop.

-And the Hipster Album of the Year award goes to…

-The 2006 Wrap-Up by Junichi.

-Video: DJ Shadow - “This Time (I’m Gonna Try It My Way) (Via Spinemagazine.com)

-Video: Remy Ma, formerly of Terror Squad, now has a new group with Shawnna and Jacki-O.

-Nannies don’t care about black people.

-A double dose of Jill Scott in 2007.

Ten rap songs you forgot about (or didn’t realize existed) in 2006. Some good, some weak, some, um, forgettable. You be the judge:

Lupe Fiasco - Pop, Pop
Lupe “I Used to Hate Hip-Hop” Fiasco threatens to send “pop, pop to your car” on this 2003 single recorded on Arista. And he has the nerve to condemn Nas’ Hip-Hop Is Dead for bearing too much animosity?

Jay-Z ft. Sauce Money - Dead or Alive (Pac Diss?)
This old school joint surfaced shortly after Jay-Z disclosed that he had responded to 2Pac’s disses on wax.

Talib Kweli ft. J Sands - In the Mood (prod. by Kanye West)
Kweli reunites with Kanye on this soulful leakage from Ear Drum.

Clipse - On My Sh*t
This outtake from Hell Hath No Fury is more potent than some of the album cuts.

Lupe Fiasco ft. Sway - We Love You
Lupe connects with UK’s finest Sway Dasafo on this leftover from the F&L sessions. Jay-Z makes a cameo at the beginning.

UGK ft. Kool G Rap & Big Daddy Kane (prod. by Marley Marl) - Up Next
Despite the legendary line-up, “Up Next” failed to build up enough buzz for UGK’s forthcoming album. The album is now set for late February.

Cassidy + Mos Def - Monster Music
An unlikely collabo between Mos and Cass, produced by none other than Swizzy.

Freddie Foxxx - The King is Down (Rakim Diss)
Bumpy Knuckles tries to revitalize his career by taking thin-veiled shots at Rakim. The diss stemmed from Rakim’s statements in his interview with Halftimeonline.com.

MC Lyte - Hot Damn
To remind us that she’s still the GFOAT Lyte dropped this mixtape gem in the first quarter of ‘06.

The Game ft. Yukmouth, Erick Sermon, Stat Quo & Fatal Hussein - Across the Coast
This out-of-nowhere posse cut dropped a couple months prior to the release of Doctor’s Advocate.

- Hip-hop ain’t dead: Nas outsells Young Jeezy by a thousand units.

-Police nabsSean Price concertgoer via YouTube

-Lupe Fiasco chops it up with Format Mag.

-Fans pay tribute to James Brown.

-27 Rap Albums to watch in 2007

-New Gerald Levert album arrives this February.

-Top Reality Whores of 2006

-Iverson gets comfortable with his new team, leads the Nuggets to victory against Celtics.

Note to SOHH: STOP stealing my blog entries.

Happy Holidays from one King Koopa.

1. Guess Who’s Back Intro
2. Hip Hop Warning
3. Hip Hop Dead Skit
4. She Gonna Already Know
5. Let Em Know
6. Tryin To Change Me
7. Picture Me Rollin
8. Chamillionaire Speaks
9. Game Gonna Cost A Free
10. Game Gonna Cost A Free Break
11. Riding Overseas Feat. Akon
12. Show me What Ya Got Feat. Famous
13. Answer Machine 2
14. Chamillitary Radio Skit
15. International Money
16. I Run It
17. Get Ya Umbrellas Out
18. Get Ya Umbrella Break
19. Man Hold Up
20. Roll Call Reloaded
21. Outro

Mixtape Messiah 2 - Link 1 | Link 2

Now, if you will excuse me I have some chicken and shrimp to devour.

Not exactly how I had hoped to start off my Christmas.

The dynamic, pompadoured “Godfather of Soul,” whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said. He was 73.
Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia at Emory Crawford Long Hospital on Sunday and died around 1:45 a.m.(Yahoo News)

R.I.P. to the Godfather of Soul and one of the true pioneers of hip-hop.

Someone just sent me an email confirming what SOHH reported earlier: Nas will reunite with erstwhile members of The Firm AZ, Foxy, Cormega (and possibly Nature) at his Nokia Theater concert tonight.

If rappers keep kissing and making up like this, us bloggers would have to resort to talking about the new Clap Your Hand Say Yeah album.

Official cover art for Messy Marv’s Music fo’ tha Taliban, slated for release on January 30th, 2007. From what I gather, the title is a play on current events and a blind allusion to the war zones in the Bay Area.

It feels like Halloween all over again.