On Shelves Now: Common, Brandy, Musiq Soulchild, Avant, Maroon 5

New Releases:
Common "Universal Mind Control"
Brandy "Human"
Musiq Soulchild
Avant
Maroon 5


Here's Common's latest video single, "Universal Mind Control":

TUNE IN: Q-Tip Concert with Janelle Monae and The Cool Kids

First and foremost, WOW! I love all of these artist and they were in concert together, lets hope they tour. Q-tip is pretty much as close as you're gonna get to OG hip-hop these days, he's a classic. Janelle Monae is a newly signed artist to Bad Boy records, I consider her to be a female Andre 3000, but this girl has vocals for days, she can SANG! The Cool Kids are kinda new to the hip-hop scene, but they have an old school vibe that just rocks (I featured them on my blog before). Check the vid from studio43:


Q Tip Concert Featuring Janelle Monae & The Cool Kids from KENNY BURNS on Vimeo.

Artist Spotlight: The Cool Kids

You can't really consider yourself to be a modern day hip-hop head if you don't know The Cool Kids. These midwest natives who met on myspace have been in commercials, opens concerts, and most recently have been touring with Ryan Leslie, Tyga, and Shwayze as headliners on The New Skool Music Concert. They have a new single, "Delivery Man" which can be downloaded off http://greenlabelsound.com

Had the pleasure of hearing them live and it rocked. They have another cd coming out and they played some tracks off it. It will be dope.

Check out this artwork of them (song titled "Black Mags"):

Hip-hop is Vogue??

If you ask any true hip-hop head about the relationship between the genre and fashion, you'll find that they go hand-and-hand. Slick Rick and Ghostface a.k.a. Pretty Tony had pounds of dookey rope necklaces, Run DMC with the Adidas and track suits, the list can go "on and on"...in the present day hip-hop era, fashion and trends seem to be more or less evolving to a new standard or plateau. Know we have K. West who is always decked out in Prada, Ralph Lauren, and his infamous favorite Louis Vuitton. So infamous that he's known as the Louis Vuitton Don. Jay-Z is notorius for his fetish for Asian labels such as True Religion and Evisu. High fashion is at the epicenter of most major hip-hop. When??? WHY??? In an interview with Pharrell of N.E.R.D. by men.style.com he claims he wears what he once coudn't afford and always dreamed of having. "Hermes made a tote, kind of a weekend bag especially for me. Purple croc with gold accessories" Skateboard P explained. (as pictured). He also explained he would be getting other custom made goodies from Hermes. On a sidebar, he still is under contract with Louis Vuitton as a model. Will hip-hop and high fashion remain synonymous? It will be interesting what's in store for the future.

"You're Crazy, Naw, I'm Shwayze"

Straight from the 310 (Malibu/L.A. area of Cali), a trip-hop group called Shwayze has emerged bringing a much needed swag to the hip-hop/rock underground (soon to be commercial) scene. They were apart of Warp Tour this year. There single "Buzzin'" featured in a Honda truck commercial (which I was how I heard of them)has a video. Check it out, pretty dope IMO

C.R.S. "Us Placers"

Current hip-hop's finest has chosen to grace the airwaves together creating a musical utopia. Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell a.k.a. C.R.S. have a video for their single "Us Placers". This song forces you to think outside the box on current issues and events. I can't stop listening to it, this song just haunts my brain. Take a listen...