Left To Right: Lady Gaga, Busta Rhymes, Phoenix, Matias Aguayo, D12
Each day Complex scours the music blogs for 5 fresh songs that you should listen to in our 5 O’Clock Shuffle post. Instead of going crazy trying to keep up with your RSS feeds everyday, just head over to Complex.com to stay up-to-date on important leaks and releases.
Just like that, the week is over. If you’ve been keeping up with our Shuffle posts, that means there should be another 25 songs in your Recently Added playlist. Today’s installment has new records from pop stars, rap stars, and rock stars alike. As usual, streaming embeds and download links wait after the jump. Keep reading to get started…
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Grand Master Roc Raida—turntablist, producer, and one of the founding members of the almighty DJ crew The X-Ecutioners, passed away this weekend at the age of 37. (2009—officially the worst year ever?) Hailing from NYC, Raida came into the DJ battle scene in the early ’80s, and along with fellow X-Men Rob Swift, Mister Sinister, and Total Eclipse, he did much to elevate the art of turntablism to a brand new level.
Roc Raida’s 20-plus years in the game also included production duties for such artists as Big L, Smif N’ Wessun, Fat Joe, Ghostface, Black Thought, and Linkin Park. As the hip-hop community mourns his tragic death, Complex pays tribute to the master with highlights from his career behind the decks…
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It's been an interesting three years for Busta Rhymes. And by interesting, we're not talking about the usual interesting lifestyle that comes with being a rap star . Busta has dealt with legal and label troubles, the passing of his friend/bodyguard and just when he thought he was out of the controversy bubble, his latest smash “A-Rab Money” has churned up some chatter.
With his new album Back on My B.S set to drop March 24, we sat down with Busta for a candid interview where he spoke on the aforementioned issues, as well as Dre's Detox , Bill O'Reilly and who's verse he thought was the strongest (it'll surprise you) on the “Arab Money” remixes. Oh, and the “heated meeting” he had with Jimmy I that got him dropped from Interscope? Spoiler alert: it never happened. Read on for the real story…
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It's no secret that the Internet and the blogosphere have transformed the way artists get their music out in recent years. Tons of artists drop freestyles daily, but no one flipped the digital marketing script harder than Soulja Boy. Last year, the now 18-year-old rapper burst onto the scene with an infectious song and dance that racked up millions and millions of plays on YouTube'”Crank Dat” didn't go viral, it went straight Bubonic Plague.
Building on the initial “Crank Dat” success, Mr. Tellem has expanded his brand with Yums, a sneaker company that he co-owns, as well a new Soulja Boy-themed video game that he says will release in 2009 for the Xbox 360. Oh, and on December 16, he plans to drop his sophomore album iSouljaBoyTellEm. Complex caught up with the youngest in charge to talk about having another huge hit, why Interscope didn't want him on Busta’s “Arab Money Remix” and why he feels like anything Bow Wow does in the sneaker game, Soulja Boy could do better.
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Each week, Complex's resident music expert DJ Treats will be bringing you key tracks from a variety of genres. Click below to see this week’s choices !
RAP: Busta Rhymes f/ Ron Browz “Arab Money”
DANCE/ELECTRONICA: Annie “Two Of Hearts”
REGGAE/DANCEHALL: 77Klash f/ Johnny Osbourne “Mad Again”
R&B: Avant f/ Alfamega “Perfect Gentleman”
ROCK: Kaiser Chiefs “Never Miss A Beat”
“Only 999,790 to go ’til we platinum!”
So, “Team Blackout,” huh? Yeah, the group is a little cheesy and it features JoJo Simmons'son of Reverend Run, star of Run’s House'but c’mon, who can get mad at wholesome rap for the kids? We were totally fine with letting them live…until our inbox was bombarded with emails promoting the group’s Lights Out album, which dropped last Tuesday. Noooooooooope!!!(c) Jim Jones. Time for a lil’ kufi-smacking.
Like Jigga said'men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t. Sadly, Team Blackout didn’t even make the Billboard Top 200 album chart, so we had to hit our homey with Soundscan access to get us the first-week sales. The numbers? 210 units. As in: Two. Hundred. Ten. And that includes copies bought by the Simmons clan. Fuck, we could pull three rugrats off the street and move more units! Still, Team Blackout is hardly the first act to exploit family credentials en route to a failed rap career. We present the top 5 worst cases of rap nepotism below…
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Ahh, this is the Busta we know and love. On his last album, The Big Bang, this former Leader of the New School suddenly seemed dead serious. But on his new video “Don’t Touch Me (Throw The Water On 'Em),” Busta is making a clear effort to return to the fun-loving, brightly-colored comedic vibe of his most memorable hits. All the necessary elements are there'Busta’s big hats, goofy costumes and animated hypeman, Spliff Starr. Hopefully this Sean C. & LV-produced joint is a sign of good things to come, since Busta’s eighth studio album I’m Blessed is due in stores this June. Watch the video after the jump.
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There’s no denying Busta Rhymes‘ strong passion for his music. Last night, at a listening session for his superb eighth solo album I’m Blessed (due this June), Complex and the rap press rubbed shoulders with Bussa-Bus and a few of his producers like DJ Scratch, and Sean C and LV. The album sounded amazing'a true return to the vintage Busta we love. However, the handful of stone-faced journalists on-hand didn’t exactly show their approval. Apparently hoping for a more enthusiastic reaction, Busta started yelling at the journalists, saying, “If you n*ggas is gonna continue to do that'leave. Fuck the reviews.” After the jump, listen to Complex's exclusive audio of Busta's fiery tirade.
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We're not sure how old this video of Busta Rhymes is ( the Big Bang t-shirt leaves us confused) but it's pretty classic regardless. Apparently Trevor was overseas in the U.K and wouldn't take the time out for a photo op, causing one British women to call him “ignorant.” Busta quickly fired back calling the woman a bitch and explained to her that he had to go do work in the bathroom of his tour bus. When you gotta go, you gotta go, B. Check the video with the heated exchange after the jump.
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- The jump off: Check out this “Self Construction” preview featuring host KRS-One, Nelly, The Game, Chamillionare, Busta Rhymes, Dougie Fresh, Fat Joe, and other notables.
- Payback: 50 Cent was ordered to pay an “undisclosed amount” of money to a NY Post photographer who got ruffed up by the rapper’s security guards back in 2003.
- Acting up: Rapper/producer, will.i.am, of Black Eyed Peas fame will play mutant John Wraith in the next installment of the X-Men movie. His character has the power to teleport and like Wolverine, was a test subject of the Weapon X program. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” is set for release in May, 2009.
- Smart music: ?uestlove not only likes to entertain fans, but also educate them too. Especially when he’s behind the turntables, “Usually in my set, I cover about 80 to 90 years’ worth of music, you know. I think it’s important to be all-inclusive. I think it’s important to educate people and give them a sense of history. I don’t want to be [one of] those DJs that just give you what you already know, you know.”
