Next up is Sway, the newest artist on Konvict Music, with his video for "Mercedes-Benz."

And here's the behind the scenes for Jim Jones & Webstar's "She Can Get It."

Our next video is from an 8Ball & MJG Grand Hustle listening session.

Konsole Kingz strike again with their new feature on DJ Hero for the XBox 360!

Juvenile talks about the early years of his career in preparation for "Cocky & Confident" to be released November 17th.

Straight from the Black Fist Tennis Academy, Pugs Atomz would like to bring you... "FIRE!"

Last but not least it's a "Gender Bender" as Eternia goes behind the scenes with J.J. Brown. Thanks for checking out the new videos on the RR newsfeed!

From DJ Heron:

Medical Marijuana Awareness & Canibus Performing Live

WHAT TO DO IN OCTOBER BESIDES HALLOWEEN

"THAT'S RIGHT YALL" GET YOUR
MEDICAL MARIJUANA AWARENESS ON @
THE NATURAL CURE FESTIVAL@ TABACCO ROAD
626 SOUTH MIAMI AVE
MIAMI FL
FRIDAY OCTOBER
16 TH, 2009
MUSIC BY
DJ HERON
* http://www.tabacco-road.com *
info-line (305) 303-3976

also
MEM
presents
CANIBUS
PERFORMING LIVE
OCTOBER 23 2009
@ PS 14
28 NE 14TH STREET
MUSIC BY DJ HERON

DJ HERON
* http://twitter.com/dj_heron *
* http://www.myspace.com/99centbeatz *
CHECK OUT DJ HERON'S INTERVIEW W/ JOHN HOOD AND THE MIAMI NEW TIMES:
* http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2009/09/head_spins_dj_heron_termanology_ps_14_miami_september_11.php *
DOWNLOAD FREE DJ HERON 30min OLD SCHOOL MIXTAPE# 1
* http://www.zshare.net/audio/62677530e7deb285/ *

From Julie Lichtenstein / Sunshine, Sachs & Associates:

For Immediate Release                                  

GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING WYCLEF JEAN To Release Explosive New 13 Song EP: DJ Drama Presents WYCLEF JEAN AKA Toussaint St Jean “FROM THE HUT TO THE PROJECTS TO THE MANSION” On November 10th

Featuring DJ Drama, Eve, Cyndi Lauper, Timbaland, LIl Kim, and others

NEW YORK, NY (October 12, 2009) –Wyclef Jean returns to his hip-hop roots with the gritty release of “DJ Drama Presents Wyclef Jean AKA Toussaint St Jean From The Hut To The Projects To The Mansion,” a collaboration with DJ Drama to be released November 10, 2009 on Carnival House via Megaforce/RED.  The EP also features Eve, Timbaland, Maino, Cyndi Lauper, Lil Kim, among others.

Toussaint St. Jean, the title character of Wyclef’s new EP, is a persona suggested to Wyclef by his friend and collaborator T.I. The character Toussaint is loosely based on the 18th-century Haitian revolutionary hero, Toussaint L’Ouverture, a figure who brought Haiti to significance on the international stage. Wyclef, who is originally from Haiti, inhabits the role of Toussaint and recreates himself in the spirit of a noble fighter, a man who says exactly what is on his mind. Toussaint’s rhymes hit hard, in a “militant style,” and make his words felt – and remembered.

And so what’s the difference between Wyclef and Toussaint? “Toussaint is more direct,” Wyclef says. “He ain’t going to sugarcoat nothing. Whatever he’s thinking, he’s going to tell you. It’s like, I’ve still got this machete – my tongue is sharper than it’s ever been.” To help create suitable musical settings for the grisly tales Toussaint has to tell, Wyclef turned to DJ Drama, who has worked extensively with T.I. “I asked myself, ‘Who’s the toughest guy out there?’” Wyclef says. “Then I said, well, DJ Drama is pretty badass. So I called him and asked if he’d be interested in doing a mixtape. He heard what I was up to and he said, ‘We gotta do a book – this is a novel!’ He got excited, and it became more like an EP than a mixtape.

The track that best captures the feelings that motivate “Toussaint St. Jean” is the intensely dramatic “The Streets Pronounce Me Dead,” a chronicle of Wyclef witnessing his own metaphoric funeral. It’s a commentary on Wyclef’s sense of himself as a forgotten man on the hip-hop scene, despite the groundbreaking impact of his former group, the Fugees, whose 1996 album “The Score” is the best-selling hip-hop album of all time, with sales of nearly twenty million copies worldwide. The song cites the flood of younger rappers – Akon, Lil Jon, Kanye West, among them -- who have risen up as Wyclef has gone onto prominence as a solo artist and producer for the likes of Shakira, Mick Jagger, Bono and John Legend.

Tracks like “Warriorz,” “Letter From the Penn” and “Toussaint vs. Bishop” paint riveting pictures, “hood stories,” as Wyclef describes them, of street life and its consequences. The gripping storytelling in those songs recalls the raw environments in Haiti and Brooklyn from which Wyclef emerged – “from the hut to the projects to the mansion,” as he memorably puts it in “Slumdog Millionaire.” It’s a story arc that these songs make compelling.

Wyclef views the message of “Toussaint St. Jean” as “not everything that appears bad is really bad, because the real bad men move in silence. So be careful what you emulate, because it’s could get you six feet deep. If you don’t see me with a gun, it doesn’t mean that the guy with the gun is badder than me. I’ve been in those communities, but you’ve got to rise past that world.”  And, as always with Wyclef, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. “Toussaint St. Jean” represents just the first step on the road to another album he intends to release in 2010 titled simply “wyclefjean.” The album will reflect a three-dimensional portrait of an artist for whom the gritty sagas of Toussaint St. Jean are just one part.

Wyclef, who is also known as one of the hottest music producers today has worked with every major artist from Bono to Shakira to Santana. His 2007 written and produced “Hips Don’t Lie” featuring Shakira was a #1 hit around the world, further expanding his utopian multi-cultural appeal. His extensive humanitarian work with his Yéle Haiti organization which he founded in 2005 has brought much needed worldwide attention to his native Haiti.  His inextricable relationship with fans is unprecedented. In a matter of a few months, Wyclef’s Twitter following was over 1 million -- in a sense, his fans are considered an extension of him.

Wyclef Jean is set to release his self titled LP "Wyclef Jean" in March 2010 through Columbia Records.

DJ Drama Presents WYCLEF JEAN AKA Toussaint St Jean “FROM THE HUT TO THE PROJECTS TO THE MANSION” Track Listing:

1. Interlude – From The Hut, To The Projects, To The Mansion
2. Warrior’s Anthem
3. The Streets Pronounce Me Dead
4. Slumdog Millionairefeat. Cyndi Lauper aka Luscious Loo
5. Interlude – Every Now & Then
6. Walk Away
7. More Bottles feat. Timbaland
8. You Don’t Wanna Go Outside
9.  Toussaint vs. Bishop
10. Interlude – The Struggle
11. We Made It
12. Suicide Love feat. Eve
13. Letter From The Penn
14. Robotic Love
15. Gangsta Girl feat. Lil Kim
16. Interlude – Tell The Kids The Truth
17. The Shottas

Tash :: Control Freek
Amalgam Digital
Author: Steve 'Flash' Juon

"Tash has tried to go the solo route once before on "Rap Life" with equally frustrating results, but you can't keep a good rapper down. After all Tash was so determined and focused that he stayed in California when his parents divorced rather than moving back to his native Columbus, Ohio - and his rap career has been a roller coaster of highs and lows (double entendre intended) ever since. All Tash needs to compete is a good beat, and he'll provide a rap that's amusing, hard hitting or tells a good story - sometimes all of the above."

http://www.rapreviews.com/feature.html

Co-Defendants :: The Patdown :: High Valley Music
as reviewed by Emanuel Wallace 

"Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, the Co-Defendants are comprised of J-Holla and 3rd Deggree (yes, two g's). Both artists had been embarking on their own journeys, but would collaborate with each other from time to time. Through the power of their fans, they were eventually paired together, officially signing with High Valley Entertainment and becoming known as the Co-Defendants. Intent on bridging the gap between urban and pop music, CoDef presents their debut album, "The Patdown.""

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_thepatdown.html

D. Black :: Ali'Yah :: Sportn' Life Records
as reviewed by Justin 'Tha Shiznute' Chandler 

"The Seattle-based emcee and producer indulges the listener with his soulful new project, which proves that he deserves to be the flagship artist of his Sportin' Life Records. It's an album that you can almost immediately recognize will be a solid offering. D. Black was an unknown until he was given the opportunity to drop a stellar verse on Jake One's solid "White Van Music" album. That's the only window he needed. Add an ingredient of Vitamin D, the renowned underground producer that mentored him, and you have a problem – in a good way."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_aliyah.html

Fat Joe :: Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E. 2) :: Terror Squad/EMI Music
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon 

"The two greatest enemies to career success in hip-hop are jealousy and time. Fat Joe has been rapping about the former for over 15 years now, and he's still here big balling and eating good - possibly better than he ever has in his career. In any field of endeavor, it only takes one envious person turning from jealousy to hatred to cause tragedy, but hip-hop artists have seen more than their fair share. It may be that intimate knowledge of what haters are thinking that has given Joe a survivor's edge - the more he's rapped about it, the more he avoids the urban traps set by everyone who prays for his downfall. Give credit where it's due - Joe is a crafty, entrepreneurial and resourceful dude."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_jose2.html

K-Maxx :: The Whole Woo Wop :: Independent Distribution Collective
as reviewed by Guido Stern 

"San Franciscan MC-cum-producer K-Maxx makes an earnest attempt to find a balance between candid lyricism, bouncy party hooks (with a tinge of hyphy) and early ‘90s R&B on "The Whole Woo Wop," his third effort that fittingly means "all-encompassing." While K-Maxx (a moniker that seems to point to his early career as a radio host) certainly encompasses a number of styles and genres, here, there is a definite imbalance in quality from one song to the next."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_wholewoowop.html

k-os :: Yes! :: EMI/Virgin Records
as reviewed by Eric Sirota 

""Yes!," Canadian MC/producer/musician k-os's third studio LP, was released by EMI/Virgin in April, though Rapreviews.com didn't pick it up until now. Few have probably noticed. Unlike his previous album, "Atlantis: Hymns for Disco," which quickly scored big on the Canadian charts, "Yes!," with the exception of its first single, "4, 3, 2, 1," which premiered at 98 on the charts, has generally flown under the radar. All the same, no one worth their salt ever said the only good albums are the ones everyone listens to right away. The release's relatively low profile should in no way reflect on the quality of the record, which is, by the way, exceptionally high."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_kosyes.html

Panacea :: Corkscrew Gaps EP :: Neosonic Productions
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon 

"There's a reliably fresh feeling to anything they do, a pervasive sense that conventional rap norms do not fit this tandem. You can't pigeonhole Panacea. Raw Poetic is an emcee who can bust over any beat, at any tempo, on any topic, at any time. K-Murdock is as eclectic as they come on production, happily digging in a variety of crates from funk to R&B to video games to anime. The only thing you're guaranteed to expect when you check out Panacea is that they're on a level other people aren't - either going so far back they've made everything old brand new or so far ahead that listeners haven't caught up yet."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_corkscrewgaps.html

Saigon :: Warning Shots 2 :: E1 Entertainment
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon 

"Perplexing conundrum - you're one of the hottest rappers in all of hip-hop, yet in seven years you can't find a label to put you on. You're famous enough to have been a guest star on HBO's "Entourage," yet you're so frustrated with the music industry you publicly announce "I QUIT" on your personal blog. You record multiple albums that never get put out, yet your name and songs are on every mixtape in the country. You just can't stop fighting with other popular rappers in the game like Joe Budden and Prodigy, yet you're one of the most beloved spitters out there. With this many contradictions, you could only be Saigon." 

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_warningshots2.html

Soulico :: Exotic on the Speaker :: Jdub Records
as reviewed by Justin 'Tha Shiznute' Chandler 

"Occasionally in this tired game of rap I come across something truly unique – never before can I honestly say that I've come across a 4-member DJ crew from the Middle East. That's because Soulico is the first of their sort, at least that's what they argue (and I'm in no position to argue). Their music, as heard on "Exotic On the Speaker," is a creative blend of dancehall, techno and hip-hop influences."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_exoticonthe.html

Top $ Raz :: Spilled Milk :: {self-distributed}
as reviewed by Steve 'Flash' Juon 

"It's not every day that anyone on the RR staff will go out of their way to cover a self-distributed artist with nothing but a zip file and a MySpace page, but Top $ Raz had an "in" that most other aspiring artists don't - he knows Adam B. Our lead interview writer also does a monthly hip-hop podcast for the site called The Adam B Experience and Raz has been a regular feature on B's shows. I don't just post the shit people, I listen to it, and trust me you should too. Some of the rappers B features on the show are so obscure your average underground rapper stands six feet OVER their heads, but very rarely does he put someone on that makes me say "Why the hell did he play that shit?" B finds the artists that you don't know, that you SHOULD know, and puts them over by playing their shit."

http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_10_spilledmilk.html

From Erik Abel:

Animal Farm Added to 3 Dates with Ghostface Killah

Many people were disillusioned earlier this year when they saw the now infamous video of Drake “freestyling” at Hot97 in New York. It showed the young superstar reading the lyrics of his “freestyle” rap off his Blackberry.

Bridgeport emcee Chase Davis says people shouldn’t have been that surprised.

Read the full story at FairfieldWeekly.com.

C.H.A.D. The Change had a lot to live up to when I first popped in his Courage Heart And Dedication mix-CD. Namely, he had to live up to his name. I’ve always felt that intricate monikers should be reserved for intricate artists. Thankfully, it only took a few songs to find out that C.H.A.D. The Change’s name and music fit together perfectly. Originally from Detroit, but now residing in Atlanta, C.H.A.D. The Change manages to be interesting both lyrically and musically, not allowing either side of his work to fall off. Radio stations in the south east are starting to notice his work, and so have I, which is why I caught up with C.H.A.D. The Change this week to find out more about his music, what kind of changes he’d like to see happen in the world, and why he feels Canada has always been quite the inviting option for residency.

Read the full interview at:  http://adambernard.blogspot.com/2009/10/artist-of-week-chad-change.html

From the desk of Stephen Bolles:

Unreleased Del & Tame track
from Parallel Uni-Verses sessions
 
Del The Funky Homosapien & Tame One- "I'm A..." (zshare) (mediafire)
* http://www.zshare.net/audio/6662421164e5d956/ *
* http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?iiuyuty5mxz *

Unreleased track from Parallel Uni-Verses sessions, album out October 13th on Gold Dust
"Flashback" digital single available now. Parallel Uni-Verses is streaming in it's entirety on Del's myspace.
 
Not every great track can make the album, but that's what gives us juicy material for your hungry ears.  "I'm A..." is a banger of a track recorded during the same sessions as the material for Parallel Uni-Verses and produced by Parallel Thought.  A liberal Quantic Soul Orchestra sample lays the foundation for the two supa emcees to get buckwild and do what they do best.  Parallel Uni-Verses drops October 13th on Gold Dust.
 
In Case You Missed The "Flashback" Video It's Below

 
For More Info, Check Out:
* http://www.parallel-universes.com *
* http://www.myspace.com/delthefunkyhomosapien *
* http://www.myspace.com/tameoneboomskwad *

From Kerosene Media:

For Immediate Release
 
Kottonmouth Kings Stream Entire “Hidden Stash 4:20” Album Online & Release ‘D Iz Who I B’ Video
 
Kottonmouth Kings are currently streaming their new album “Hidden Stash 4:20” online at www.MySpace.com/KottonmouthKings . The group has also released a video for the D-Loc solo track “D Iz Who I B” online at http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=63914175 . Kottonmouth Kings “Hidden Stash 4:20” is set for release October 13th, 2009 on Suburban Noize Records.
 
“The fourth installment of the ‘Hidden Stash’ series is a cannabis infused sonic orgy for your ears,” commented Kottonmouth Kings’ Daddy X. “In these tough times when most artists are cutting back, Kottonmouth Kings are striving to give fans more for their hard earned dollar. What other artist out there is giving their fans two CDs and a DVD for the price of a regular CD? Hopefully this will hold fans over until we drop our new studio album ‘Long Live The Kings’ on April 20th, 2010.”
 
Kottonmouth Kings’ “Hidden Stash 4:20” contains 40 smoking tracks of rip-hop music on two CDs and can be purchased with an exclusive bonus DVD through Best Buy or the SubNoize online store www.subnoizestore.com. The album features guest appearances by Tech N9ne, X-Clan, Big B, Potluck, Dirtball, as well as new solo tracks from Johnny Richter, D-Loc, and a new Kingspade song.
 
CATCH KOTTONMOUTH KINGS LIVE:

Oct 08 - Kihei, HI @ Ocean's Beach Bar & Grill
Oct 16 - Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
Oct 17 - Albuquerque, NM @ Albuquerque Convention Center
Oct 18 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
Oct 24 - San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheater w/ Slipknot, Deftones, Cypress Hill          
Nov 13 - Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Event Center w/ 311   
Nov 14 - Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid America Center w/ 311    
Nov 15 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater w/ 311 
Nov 18 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom w/ 311        
Nov 19 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore w/ 311
 
###
 
* www.KottonmoutKings.com *
* www.SuburbanNoizeRecords.com *