Hip Hop Blogs

50 Cent vs Cam'ron - The Complete Video Collection

In case you don't have the patience to trawl through YouTube to find the latest videos posted by 50 Cent and Cam'ron in what has become "Beef 2.0", here's a collection I made just for you:

I'm Dreaming of an Oscar Blackout

What if Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, and Forest Whitaker all win Oscars this year? What affect will it have on Black cinema?

Already Hollywood is realizing the mainstream potential of quality Black films, as Lynne d. Johnson noted.

And money is pouring in to cineplexes and production companies who support Black indie films.

And Black theater is doing extremely well on its own terms.

Can the Web Kill or Save MTV?

MTV is blaming its tumbling ratings, profits, and cultural resonance on their failed Internet strategy. The execs at MTV are mad that Youtube and MySpace are stylin' on them, so they laid off over 200 people, and plan to beef up their digital divisions.

This doesn't make sense to me. For all of the hype about the net, most big media companies only make a fraction of their profits from their web strategy, word to Vibe Magazine Media Group. Even FOX, which owns MySpace barely makes any coin from the web, compared to their movie, TV, print, and radio divisions.

For MTV, I blame their lame television programming for all their troubles. In the last year I noticed that I've stopped watching MTV almost completely, yet the network used to be my TV startpage - that's how much I had it on. While other networks have returned to quality scripted dramas (hooray for Heroes and 24!), MTV continues to push reality shows (Laguna Beach, 2 a Days, etc.) that are too weak to be documentaries, yet take themselves too seriously to be hits like VH1's Flavor of Love franchise.

Oh yeah, and the VMAs have been sucking for years.

Oh yeah, and the MTV Movie Awards need to show some integrity and stop giving prizes to its own films.

AIR Jordan XX2 Take Over

I like cool ads.

Peep the AIR Jordan XX2 Take Over commercial:

Story Behind the "Good Times" Theme Song

Now'days I have some time on my hands during the morning, so I've been taste testing the original and syndicated shows on TV One, the BET competitor cable network that launched a few years ago.

Original show: Black Men Revealed, a "The View"-type talk show, minus the women and white people.  The topics oscillate from silly to serious, which annoyed me at first, but now I appreciate what they're trying to do. TiVo the "Black Male Myths" episode, and feel free to skip the "Black Men and Marriage" pilot.

Syndicated show: Good Times, who's co-creator died late last year. I relate to this poor Black family dealing with their down-and-out troubles with so much heart and humor. They remind me of my own family's unfortunate travels from Harlem's Wagner Projects, to a nice house in Long Island, then back to Harlem's Polo Grounds Projects. Unlike the Cosby Show, which I also love, Good Times shows no sign of being self-conscious, and I feel as if the writers are speaking to me in the secret Black code that White folks aren't supposed to understand.

Y'know - the way hip-hop used to be.

Just Bought A Cadillac ...With 3 White Girls In It

Rich Boy's "Throw Some D's", a certified Summer anthem that dropped in the Wintertime, is my song of the moment. I also enjoy the video, with all of its "My First Treatment" charm.

Guess That Rap Song (Jeep Edition)

I'll give you nine guesses to figure out where Jeep got the music for this commercial from:

Jae Millz and JR Writer Video Freestyle

"Magic Johnson ain't the only sick nigga livin'" - JR Writer

And by the way, JR Writer's new album is like listening to Cam'ron back in his Confession of Fire days. And that's not a bad thing.

Tru Life Dissing Dipset Video

My people at L.I.F.E. DVD got the exclusive clip of Tru Life dissing Cam'ron and Dipset last week:

Because I'm feeling how L.I.F.E. DVD gets down, I joined the team to help them push this web video movement. Cop the latest DVD - it's crack.

Murder Mook vs Serious Jones Battle Video (Rounds 1-3)

How can anyone say hip-hop is dead when we have fresh dudes like Murder Mook and Serious Jones holding down the battle scene on the street level? Watch their recent battle videos:

Punchlines for days!