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.

Today was a big day for new music on the blogs. J. Cole and Lupe dropped dope Internet-only songs. 50’s album leaked. Then Game and Alicia Keys came through with official singles. We know you’re not trying to read anything else, so hit the jump to start listening…

SONG: “Unabomber”
ARTIST: J. Cole
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• We’ve been trying to tell you guys about Roc Nation’s flagship artist for months now. Hopefully you’ve started paying attention. If not, this short, but awesome song should help convince any remaining doubters.

SONG: “Psycho”
ARTIST: 50 Cent f/ Eminem
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• So yeah, Before I Self Destruct leaked yesterday. We can’t help you out with a download link for the album, but we had to come through with something. This collab with Em is one of the LP’s highlights.

SONG: “Sleeping With A Broken Heart”
ARTIST: Alicia Keys
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• We posted Alicia’s first single over a month ago. Now we’ve gotten our hands on the second single from The Element Of Freedom. Not bad at all, but the first joint is definitely hotter.

SONG: “Say Something”
ARTIST: Lupe Fiasco
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Lupe is vowing to continue releasing new tracks until he feels “completed and happy,” but if these lyrical blackouts are a product of his unhappiness, we hope dude stays down for a little while longer. That might sound mean-spirited but listen to him rip the Timbaland x Drake record we posted the other day and you’ll see what we mean.

SONG: “Krazy”
ARTIST: Game f/ Gucci Mane & Timbaland
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• What’s a single in 2009 without a Gucci Mane feature? Game continues the trend with his street single. Timbaland spits on this one too. The results aren’t extraordinary, but it’s good enough to warrant a download from fans of either artist.

Visit Complex.com every day at 5 PM for your daily “5 O’Clock Shuffle“ playlist.

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.

The blogs weren’t brimming with obvious, big deal leaks today, but we still managed to put together another solid Shuffle playlist. We have official album cuts from Amerie and Timbaland, Internet-only cuts from B.o.B and Wale, and one awesome freestyle from Lupe. Ready to press play? Keep reading to get started…

SONG: “All The Way Turnt Up”
ARTIST: Lupe Fiasco
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• It’s not everyday that you hear Lupe rapping over hard Southern beats, but we wish it was after hearing him kill this track. Fans are in for a treat and even haters won’t be be able to deny his flow on here.

SONG: “I Feed These Streets”
ARTIST: B.o.B
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Video of Bobby Ray working on this song just hit blogs the other day and we already have the final song on our hands. Internet turnaround is something else. This is another solid effort from the rising ATL rapper.

SONG: “More Than Love”
ARTIST: Amerie f/ Fabolous
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Is it just us or is homegirl’s buzz a little quiet for someone dropping an album, next week? Maybe this song featuring the always-ready-to-rap-on-R&B-songs Fabolous will help her out a bit. Can’t front, the “Summer Madness” sample is pretty smooth.

SONG: “Letter”
ARTIST: Wale f/ John Mayer
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Here’s another Wale record that will not make it onto Attention Deficit. Hopefully that means the album has some real gems on it and dude isn’t scrapping perfectly good songs for no reason.

SONG: “Say Something”
ARTIST: Timbaland f/ Drake
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Snippets and lower quality versions of this song have been floating around for a minute, but we wanted to wait until the real deal arrived. This might be on Shock Value 2, but Timbo is just filler until Drake comes in and does his thing.

Visit Complex.com every day at 5 PM for your daily “5 O’Clock Shuffle“ playlist.

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.

We usually pride ourselves on keeping the Shuffle playlists diverse, but today’s is all-rap everything. Jim Jones lets his love for black-on-black vehicles be known. Timbaland drops his first single. Lupe Fiasco rocks out for the kids. Juvenile plots a comeback with some help from Gucci Mane. Long story short: there’s a lot of worthwhile stuff to check out before you hit the streets for the weekend. MP3 streams and download links wait after the jump…

SONG: “Black On Black”
ARTIST: Jim Jones
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Next time someone comes around with that tired “Jim Jones can’t rap” argument, just refer them to this song. The beat knocks and dude rips both of his verses with ease. Don’t sleep on this one.

SONG: “Morning After Dark”
ARTIST: Timbaland f/ SoShy
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Here’s the first single from Shock Value 2 and it features Timbo’s new female artist. It’ll probably take a little getting use to, but this record definitely has a place on today’s pop radio.

SONG: “Solar Midnite”
ARTIST: Lupe Fiasco
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Wow. First there was the Death Cab joint. Then we posted one from The Killers earlier this week. Now we have another banger from the New Moon soundtrack. The music supervisor behind these teen vampire flicks is really putting in work, huh? At this rate, we might just give in and see the movie.

SONG: “Gotta Get It”
ARTIST: Juvenile f/ Gucci Mane
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• If Juvie wants to make a comeback, linking up with Gucci is a smart first step. He doesn’t waste the collab either. This might not be the song that puts him back on the map, but it’s good enough to make us think that it’s possible.

SONG: “I’m That Nigga”
ARTIST: Freddie Gibbs
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• The blogs have been showing this guy love for a little while now. We finally took notice and it’s easy to understand why. The kid can spit. This record is also produced by Emile of Kid Cudi fame.

Visit Complex.com every day at 5 PM for your daily “5 O’Clock Shuffle“ playlist.

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.

Everyone has different musical tastes, but we’re pretty sure we’ve covered them all with today’s Shuffle playlist. Lupe brings the lyricism. Mariah gets a few Southern rappers to help her out. Akon applies his pop formula to a NYC tribute. And there’s more to look forward to from a couple lesser known artists. The mix is all over the place, but satisfying nonetheless. Press play after the jump…

SONG: “Fire”
ARTIST: Lupe Fiasco
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• The rapper sometimes known as Percival Fats goes in over a slick Jimi Hendrix sample. Some say this is his response to not making MTV’s Hottest MCs list.

SONG: “Enjoy The Sun”
ARTIST: Theophilus London
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• ‘09 has been a big year for this Brooklyn kid and he’s looking to keep the momentum going with this leak. His signature ambient flow and general trippy-ness is intact. Check out the music video if you’re feeling it.

SONG: “H.A.T.E.U. (Remix)”
ARTIST: Mariah Carey f/ Big Boi, Gucci Mane, & OJ Da Juiceman
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Nick Cannon’s wifey can’t stay away from the rap remixes, can she? Despite (or maybe because of) her latest album’s disappointing sales, there’s supposedly a remix album on the way. It’s safe to assume this will be on there.

SONG: “Burnt Sierra”
ARTIST: Walls
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• Don’t listen for lyrics because you won’t find any here, but that doesn’t make the record any less effective. Zone out material and nothing else.

SONG: “New York City”
ARTIST: Akon
DOWNLOAD: [LINK]
• NYC anthems usually have some type of grime factor attached, but not this one. Akon sticks to his pop formula, turns on the Auto-Tune, and sings his heart out for the Big Apple. Weird, but honestly, not that bad either.

Visit Complex.com every day at 5 PM for your daily “5 O’Clock Shuffle“ playlist.

His burgeoning clothing brand Trilly & Truly has been releasing some select pieces overseas in Japan, but we’re finally starting to get access to it thanks to the brand’s new American website. Lupe stopped by the office recently to talk about all things Trilly & Truly. Watch the latest episode of our style video series “Cut & Show” below…

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MORE “CUT & SHOW” EPISODES

Besides releasing e-acclaimed mixtapes, he’s steadily cranked out impressive videos that are always a topic of conversation throughout the blogosphere. Just yesterday, he released a well-produced video for his conscious-thinking song “Black Folks,” a good holdover until he drops his latest mixtape The Great Adventures of DoPE Boy C: Dope for President on June 16th. When Curt@!n$ came through the Complex office a few weeks ago, we put him through the Complex 7 cipher and also spoke to him about fellow trendsetters Kanye and Lupe…

Interview by Jaeki Cho

#1: WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER ONE DEAL-BREAKER FOR A POTENTIAL GIRLFRIEND?

Curt@!n$ says: Style. She’s got to have style and I’m really into great personalities before looks. I don’t like shy girls but I don’t like overly aggressive girls.

#2: WHAT WAS THE WORST WAY YOU’VE BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE?

Curt@!n$ says: We all dated crazy girls. [Laughs.] They’re good in the beginning. This one chick cut me on my hand! She was just crazy. She was playing with her knife like, “I’ll cut you.” I was like, “No you wouldn’t.” And then she just cut me! No questions asked. [Laughs] I broke up with her probably two weeks later but the worst way I’ve broken up with someone was through text messages. [Laughs] I’ve been dumped harder than that though. I was in the school hallway and then I see the chick I was dating walked pass me. I was like, “Where you going?” And she’s like, “Oh, we’re not together anymore.” I’m like, “Since when?” [Laughs] It sucked.

#3: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER OF ALL-TIME?

Curt@!n$ says: It’s a tie that I can never break. It’s a tie between the black and blue Air Jordan I and the green suede Puma Clyde. I can’t decide which one I like better. The Air Jordan 1, I put that on with anything it just works like magic. The green Puma Clyde with any outfit it’s just magic. Some kicks don’t work with everything but black and blue Air Jordan I and green suede Puma Clyde work with anything. And there’s a company from California called Android Homme that I’m working with. I’m designing a whole collection of sneakers and luggage and it’s going to be a collaboration between them and High Society Life. I hope it turns out pretty dope. It’s my first time trying it.

#4: WHAT WAS THE MOST EMBARRASSING FASHION MOMENT FOR YOU?

Curt@!n$ says: I made a lot of fashion mistakes. There was a period of time when I wore baggy jeans, fitteds and jerseys. When I looked like everybody else just for the sake of blocking out the criticism. I’ve always dressed a certain way, but in the music business the way you dress can make you miss out on certain opportunities. I kind of conformed maybe for like a year? I did the regular rapper look and now I look back at it like, “Wow, that was so wack.” Images of me rocking those clothes made it to print! [Laughs] I’m just like, “Man, I hope nobody finds these.”

#5: WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD A WEEK-LONG HOLIDAY?

Curt@!n$ says: I’ll take my team with me, my girl, my nephews, my family and go to Paris. Just tour the city. I love traveling and I love looking at architecture. I would love to go to Paris and just check out the city. Soak it in and eat. I love to eat in different places and go new places to explore.

#6: WHAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR AT ALL TIMES?

Curt@!n$ says: Fiji water and Raisin Bran Crunch. If I had Malta in my fridge all day it’ll be great. I really like soul food and as of lately I really like seafood a lot.

#7: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Curt@!n$ says: I don’t even think I can remember. I don’t know. I never cried because of a movie. I never get that when people cry over a movie especially over a movie they’ve seen already. Like, “You know he is about to die! Why are you crying for?” Maybe I’m just not emotional. Maybe I’m heartless. I never even really cried for death. I don’t look at death as a bad thing. I look at it like it’s for the better. Maybe something worse could have happened to them when they were on earth. At least they are not suffering anymore. That’s how I look at it. I always spin a negative into a positive.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

Complex: You knew Kanye and Lupe before they became what they are right now. How did your relationship with them come about?

Curt@!n$ says: The Lupe relationship was through my man Bryce Wilson from Groove Theory. When I was around 15 or 16, I was introduced to Bryce and he really talked to me like, “You got to meet my man from Chicago,” which was Lupe. So Bryce introduced us and we hit it off immediately on some homie shit. We always kept in touch. Every time I saw him it was always love. We would talk about music and random things. I hadn’t spoken to him in a while and he blew up. He came to my store to shop and we picked it up from then. Kanye was more on…I used to work at Roc-A-Fella. So it was like, “Oh, you work here.” We never had that kind of relationship until I started doing my thing in music. He started picking up on my fashion sense. One time I was like, “You got to give me a beat!” And he was like, “No, you got to take me where you shop!” So that’s how our relationship stems from fashion. All we talk about is fashion when I’m with Kanye.

Complex: What did you think about Kanye calling you a “fashion genius”?

Curt@!n$ says: It was a dope statement. I loved that statement because it took a lot off my back. I’m just me when I dress. It’s not to impress anybody. Not to fit in a certain zone. I used to get a lot of flack like, “Coca Cola on a shirt? Who does that? That’s a drink.” And people look at Kanye as a fashion genius and for him to say that about me let me know that I was doing something extremely well.

Complex: What made you decide to make a record like “Black Folks”?

Curt@!n$ says: I’m going to keep it real. From day one, that was always my mode. I always wanted to be that. When people think of 2Pac, they think about “Brenda’s Got a Baby” and “Dear Mama”. I always wanted to make those songs, but it’s really not easy to get that message out. So you know you got to hit them with beats first. We released braggadocio raps and other hard raps just to get people on my side. Once they like you, they’re in it with you. Now you can say, “Okay, I got your attention, but this is what I want to tell you.” So I had to give them the bait first before I could get them the knowledge.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “BLACK FOLKS”

To drive forward the point that (RED) isn’t a one-off hype machine, but a continuing movement, Converse held its first “Conversations” event, a seated dinner hosted by Converse Sr. Global Director of Visual Arts Scott Patt, musician Lupe Fiasco, and Executive Chef of Aquavit, Marcus Samuelsson, last night at Aquavit in New York City. The dinner brought together 50 cultural movers and shakers, including some of the hype world’s finest, to speak about Africa and what can be done to keep the project alive. Photographer Stephen K. Schuster documented portraits of special guests—read on for images and profiles of Conversations attendees…

Ian Ginoza: Founder KICKS/HI, St. Alfreds, and collaborator on the first Converse x Product (RED) series including sneakers by DQM, KICKS/HI, and Nom de Guerre. Currently working on the upcoming Converse “First String” special projects collection, including the recently dropped Comme des Garçons collaboration and a full collection, debuting spring 2010.

Scott Patt: Sr. Global Director of Visual Arts for Converse, and the man responsible for putting together the 1HUND(RED) Artists program for the Converse brand.

Dave Ortiz: Founder Dave’s Quality Meats, collaborator on the first Converse x Product (RED) series including sneakers by DQM, KICKS/HI, and Nom de Guerre, and continuing to kill it in the footwear, streetwear, and living category, NYC.

Benjamin Liu: New York fashion and cultural organizer extraordinaire, partner to Converse Product (RED) on events.

Lupe Fiasco: Chicago rapper/musician, designer, and collaborator on the Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists program. His sneaker drops this month.

Wil Whitney: Nom de Guerre/Nike Sportswear, and collaborator on the first Converse x Product (RED) series including sneakers by DQM, KICKS/HI, and Nom de Guerre.

Chioma Nnadi: Fashion Editor, the Fader magazine

Mashkulture must have the in with Vans, fresh off leaking the Eric Elms' collection, the site just put up this Robert Williams x Vans Vault Pack that will release during Fall of 2009. [MashKulture]

Kanye West and friends joined a panel to judge the 2009 Wallpaper Awards. Wallpaper? Who cares right? Actually if you're into design you'll probably be blown away by the winners of some of the categories. [Wallpaper]

Visvim can takeover whatever game they want to. This time around the focus was making deck shoes way cooler. [Star-J]

Lupe's label Trilly & Truly get down with Swagger on two Varsity Jackets. Go Loopey! [High Snobiety]

This year for Complex’s annual “Style & Design” collector’s edition issue, we set out to fuse the worlds of music and art in a way that had never been done. On one cover, we paired N.E.R.D. with KAWS, the graffiti icon-turned-art world darling who also happens to be one of Pharrell’s favorite designers. And on the other cover, Lupe Fiasco teamed up with another graf God'Todd “REAS” James'to create an outrageous image of the Chi-Town superstar sitting on the sun.

In addition to the covers, KAWS and REAS painted over even more photos of the musicians for the features inside the book. CLICK HERE to see the full story with N.E.R.D. and HERE for the full Lupe story. Check back on Monday for the other side of our August/September issue'two sexy-ass covers with Cassie (that’s 4 total, if you’re counting), along with a titillating series of videos from her shoot that are sure to have the 'net going nuts. After the jump, check out four videos from the N.E.R.D./Lupe shoots, including an interview with KAWS.

N.E.R.D. Cover: Behind The Scenes Video:

KAWS Talks N.E.R.D. Collabo:

Lupe Cover: Behind The Scenes Video:

Lupe Talks Style & Design (w/ REAS):

Apparently, the secret is out: club-hopping women love cocaine. In case you hadn’t noticed all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom, Pharrell, Chad and Shay’s recent single “Everyone Nose” has put the phenomenon on blast. Now, the song'which is the lead single from N.E.R.D.’s third album Seeing Sounds'has been remixed with a new beat and verses from the rest of the CRS supergroup (Lupe and Kanye), along with Clipse’s Pusha T. Thank god for that white! Listen after the jump.

N.E.R.D. f/ Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco & Pusha T “Everyone Nose (Remix)” (2008)

[Nah Right]

Related:
-Kanye, Lupe & Pharrell's Supergroup Gets A T-Shirt
-Inside The Opening Of BAPE's First L.A. Store
-Lupe Fiasco Has International Relations On “Paris, Tokyo” Video
-Young Jeezy And Kanye West Put On The Auto-Tune

Related:
-Lupe Fiasco Has International Relations In “Paris, Tokyo” Video
-Kanye, Lupe & Pharrell's Supergroup Gets A T-Shirt

[RealTalkNY]

[Click a photo to enlarge]

A scene-stealing verse on Kanye West's “Touch The Sky,” a buzzworthy Farenheit 1st & 15th mixtape series, and a notable summer jam about skate life'Lupe Fiasco had the beginnings of a great hip-hop career. That is, until his album release date for Food & Liquor got “Kick, Push”-ed back further and further from earlier this year. Well wait no longer'you can get a taste of Food & Liquor now, because it's in stores now. In the meantime, check out our past interviews with the ill lyricist:

Click here for the full story from the June/July 2006 issue

Click here for the full story from the December/January 2006 issue