Gucci Mane – Burr (Remix) (Feat. Ya Boy) [mp3]

Is Gucci Mane ice cold or what? You can literally feel his chill on this song. Burr! Burr!! Please don’t misconstrue my next statement as a diss to Gucci. I don’t mind the guy at all, and I’ve defended him once. That said, this whole “burr” movement is straight up Chewbacca, son. I don’t want to hear grown men saying “burr” everywhere. If you’re that cold, go buy a damn jacket. And get Gucci Mane a chapstick while you’re at it.

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Lil Wayne – Run This Town Freestyle [mp3]

Now that it’s almost certain Weezy is going to jail for a year, I expect him to lock himself up in the studio and record like there’s no tomorrow. I also expect him to strike every beat with savage ferocity, like he does here. He could have kept going for another three minutes if he wanted.

[Via X by way of Drew]

“The One” already had a rock-esque sound and theme, but Travis Barker decides to turn it up a few notches. Warning: This is LOUD. If dude threw his hip-hop remixes on a CD he would make a killing.

[Raise 2 drumsticks to: RR]

Timbaland (Ft. Keri Hilson & Jay-Z) – Rumors [mp3]

Just because Timbaland hasn’t made a gem in years doesn’t mean you should stop caring. Tim’s new album gives him a fresh shot at redemption, and I expect nothing short of a classic. I can dream, right? Anyway, this here “Rumors” is one helluva jiggy jam, y’all. You’re going to love it because Jay-Z drops a melodic chorus while Keri Hilson kicks a mean 16. Just kidding! But Keri really tried to rap at the end. What was she thinking?

[Raise one to: OnSmash]

50 Cent – Crime Wave [mp3]

If you thought 50 Cent had forgotten how to rap, “Crime Wave” will make you reconsider. The concept is worn out, but his rhymes are sharp as a ginsu. See, Boo Boo can spit flames when he’s feeling motivated. And that’s the problem, he’s lost the fire that made him an instant success with 2003’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’. I guess he got rich and stopped trying.

[Double R]

OK, let’s address the obvious: This paints an incomplete picture because it flatly assumes that Wayne, by virtue of commercial success, perhaps, is representative of the current black music soundscape. Soulja Boy would definitely disagree with that assumption. Otherwise, it’s dead on.

Pop the lid to see what Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” looks like on paper.
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BlakRoc – Ain’t Nothin’ Like You (Hoochie Coo) [mp3]

I was just about ready to wrap this year up and throw it in the bag when I remembered that there are still a couple more potentially solid albums on the horizon. The self-titled BlakRoc album, due out Nov. 27, is one such album. The lead single, “Ain’t Nothin’ Like You (Hoochie Coo),” has Mos Def singing and Jim Jones spitting rhymes so emo you’d swear they were ghostwrittern by Joe Budden. I never thought I’d see a Jim Jones x Mos Def collaboration. Well, not only is that odd pairing a reality, the song itself is bonkers. The album also sports collaborations with RZA, Raekwon, MOP’s Billy Danze, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, and ODB.

Hip-hop bursts at the seams with imitators. If it was convenient to devise an original style or image that strikes a connection with the masses and spawns platinum plaques, everyone would do it. Granted, some rappers naturally sound alike without trying. Still, the monkey see, monkey do” attitude that’s become commonplace in hip-hop is inexcusable. Here are 12 rappers that will make you swear you were listening to someone else.
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