#Throwback Lil Wayne - Tha Block Is Hot

I remember when "Tha Block Is Hot" first came out! I promise every car and home theater system was bumping the song. Tha Block Is Hot is the debut major label studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne.

In the video (directed by Dave Meyers), Lil' Wayne is getting chased by cops, and successfully evades them as well as a police helicopter. So if you never saw Wayne when he was younger, then watch the video below!

See More Throwback Here

Doc Samson f/ Leroy The Neighbor - "FANGS" | Directed by @_Drewshotya | @beanerjohn @nword_dom

Doc Samson and Drewshotya did it again! This time with fellow SCUMBAG, Leroy The Neighbor. “Fangs” is a disgusting work of art. Everything about this video is a masterpiece. From lyrics to effects, camera work to transitions, this is really something that will definitely keep the viewers watching from start to finish.

Supa Kaiju "Category IV" EP

Supa Kaiju "Category IV" EP

MC/Producer Sicknature of the Snowgoons and Brooklyn MC Napoleon Da Legend are back as Supa Kaiju with their new EP Category IV. Napoleon has been dropping projects consistently and Sicknature has been busy working on new material and productions with his Snowgoons comrads. 

Earlier this year Supa Kaiju released a full album followed by a debut show at the famous Hip Hop Kemp Festival in Europe, but will not let 2019 pass without an EP made with energetic beats and hardcore rhymes.

Stream the EP here

Young Escobar - "Real Kingz"

"Real Kingz" by Young Escobar, “One part of the real kingz short film about the team meeting the godmother of the city and doing a job to prove themselves worthy of taking over the game. Its the sequel to "LMK".. PART 3 COMING SOONl!

Why Nelly And KRS-One Rap Beef Happened

In 2002, Nelly was one of hip-hop's biggest stars. His 2000 breakout debut, Country Grammar, sold nine million records.

Old school boom-bap rap pioneer, KRS-One, who had earned a reputation not just for his community-conscious lyrics but for never shying away from a lyrical showdown, called Nelly out.

KRS— who by that time had already proclaimed himself to be a keeper of classic hip-hop— voiced his discontent with Nelly on the track "Clear Em Out" from the compilation The Difference.

The song was aimed at pop-rap, and given his success as hip-hop's reigning top-seller at the time. Nelly took offense. He'd just dropped the track "#1" from the Training Day soundtrack, where he was defending his right to reign on top of the charts.

"He had to defend himself. He's like, 'My career probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for KRS-One,' that's what Nelly is on. My man got tired of critics and made a song '#1.' He wasn't specifically talking about nobody, but if the shoe fits, wear it."

KRS claimed he even sent an email to Nelly's camp, explaining there was no beef and he wasn't interested in getting into it with the St. Louis star. Nelly didn't get the memo, however, and in response, recorded a verse on the Freeway's "Roc the Mic" remix, on which he called out the veteran rhymer, letter by letter.

KRS responded by calling for an actual boycott of Nelly's album, Nellyville, which was scheduled to drop that June 2002, dramatically declaring himself a "sovereign power" in the process. Nelly challenged a sovereign power.

Needless to say, the whole boycott thing didn't exactly pan out the way KRS had hoped. June 25, 2002, rolled around, Nelly dropped Nellyville, and the entire world danced to the album's monster hit, "Hot in Herre." Nellyville ended up selling over 6 million albums and it stands as the 14th best-selling rap album of all time.

Jay-Z Returns To Spotify Music

Rap icon Jay-Z brought his music discography back to the world’s largest streaming platform Spotify, leaving Tidal subscribers scratching their heads. The service he bought for $56 million in 2014 has struggled to gain any real market share against major players like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.

Is it genius marketing for the Tidal owner, or does this show he’s throwing in the streaming wars towel, as his company continues to struggle with growth?

The Breakdown You Need to Know: Even with Tidal’s exclusive music offerings and a $200 million investment from Sprint, it still doesn’t seem to be enough to keep the ship afloat, and Jay-Z may be jumping off the boat.

Also See: Sprint To Buy Parts Of Tidal

Jay-Z has been a vocal critic of tech companies in regards to the issue of compensating artists, so it’s a bit odd that he’s back in bed with them. Especially, when you consider Tidal markets itself as a “more equitable [business] model for artists” to make money while streaming their music.

In the beginning it was all good at Tidal, with artists like Beyoncé, Kanye West, Madonna and Chris Martin to name a few, who all had an ownership stake in the company. Each of the artists reportedly were given 3% equity in the platform, with Jay-Z holding the remaining stake.

The onset of streaming has poured new life into the music industry, with revenue hitting $5.4 billion earlier this year, $4.3 billion just from streaming services. Apple Music and Spotify boasts 113 million and 60 million subscribers respectively, which is massively hard for Tidal’s 2016 self-reported 3 million subscribers to compete with.

Also See: Tidal CEO Steps Down

Tidal’s offering is the most expensive option on the market at $20 per month. Amazon Music and Apple Music come in at $14.99 and $9.99 respectively, just another reason subscribers have been few and far between for Jay-Z’s company. They have tried other ways to grow subscribers by heavily discounting its subscription service for first responders. So if you consider yourself to be a hero, the company was offering a 40% discount for its Premium and Hi-Fi plans.

Jay-Z seems to be taking a “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach to music streaming and social advocacy. Let’s not forget he has now partnered with the NFL on it’s social justice mission, while also curating their halftime show.

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Causin' Effect! - "EXTORTION" | @causineffect

Vazy and Jibba make the hip hop duo Causin' Effect! Songwriting diversity is what separates these artists from the others. Causin' Effect tours New England frequently and they call Southern Vermont home. Well known for their hit single Redneck. We now bring you "EXTORTION" which is a brand new track! With your help we can get this song in front of the proper audience. Lets look at some facts... 

Redneck spent 10 weeks on the top 8 at 8 countdown on Z97.1(WZRT-FM Rutland VT), making it to number one for two of the weeks, as the most requested song for the radio station. Amassing 60,000+ streams across multiple platforms. 

The combination of genres within Causin’ Effects music combined with community outreach has allowed for a wide variety of demographics to be reached by the duo. From young children to more senior adults, Causin’ Effect is able to keep the whole family entertained with witty humor, solid musical performance’s and crowd engagement. 

Recently, with the addition of video sketch comedy (Bad Cool-Aid) to their resume, the pair has been able to add even more flavor to their live show’s recipe. Reaching into the hundreds of engaged fans per month via social media, live shows, video and streaming platforms.