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Maino Waves “Hi” To Haters

It’s no lie that New York rappers have had a rough time lately. Even Brooklyn’s own Maino, who’s spent most of his career on the mixtape circuit, has been through multiple failed deals. But with the release of the video for his latest single “Hi Hater,” it looks like his Atlantic Records debut If Tomorrow Never Comes might actually be on track for its September release. The King of the South even lended some extra support by bringing Maino’s Hustle Hard imprint under Grand Hustle’s wing.

While B.G. is the only Grand Hustle affiliate on a track (”Gangsta”) from the album, Maino delivers 11 more tracks of thug motivation for BK. “Hi Hater” takes it back to b-boys in the ’80s with a classic Jimmy Spicer sample, and so does “However Do You Want Me,” a JR Rotem-produced joint that flips Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life.” Smile at the haters after the jump with the full video.

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Portishead Gets Animated In “The Rip” Video

After the grainy, low-fi performance video for their comeback single “Machine Gun,” we had been hoping that Portishead would choose a more striking visual for the follow up. So on the second video from their latest album Third, the Bristol-based trio turned to indie-director Nick Uff to bring “The Rip” to life. The hazy, hypnotic animation was all hand-drawn and recorded on 16mm film, lending a raw feel to the scenes that are half dream and half nightmare. Watch things get warped out after the jump.

Popularity: 3% [?]

T.I. & Young Dro Introduce Grand Hustle’s Yung L.A.

It’s been a year since Atlanta native Yung L.A. signed with T.I. and Jason Geter’s Grand Hustle Records, and yet few outside of the A know who the newcomer is. But after the underground success of his latest mixtape Offset Shawty, it looks like the man born Leland Austin might finally have some momentum in his corner. To make the co-sign complete, the label’s biggest names, Tip and Dro, just hopped on the remix to his latest club anthem “Ain’t I.” Hear the song below.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Flight Of The Conchords Want “Ladies Of The World”

Musical comedy isn’t normally our forte, but New Zealand’s own Flight of the Conchords definitely makes the cut. The duo’s often hilarious HBO show follows the NYC adventures of Brett and Jermaine as they try to break their band into the big time with the help of their awkward, scene-stealing manager Murray.

The show is great, but when it comes to their actual career as musicians, they’ve still yet to convince us. Their self-titled album is out now on Sub Pop Records, and it features many of the genre-bending songs that they sing on the TV show. Their newest video, “Ladies Of The World,” shows Brett and Jermaine seducing a bevvy of women with their throwback rollerskating skills. The show probably won’t return until 2009, so this is the best we have for now. Enjoy after the jump.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Wayne Vs. Kanye: Who Killed The “Lollipop” Remix?

It’s hard not to be out-shined by Lil Wayne, even for the cockiest of rappers. But on the new remix to Wayne’s single “Lollipop,” Kanye gives it the ol’ college try. The two superstars both throw on the beloved Auto-Tune and croon equally quirky, robotic verses, where ’Ye claims that he’s up for the challange: “This a song with Wayne, so you know it’s gon’ melt/But you ain’t finna murder me like everybody else.” Listen to the full song after the jump and vote on who came correct.

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N.E.R.D., Kanye, Lupe & Pusha Remix “Everyone Nose”

Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

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.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Raheem DeVaughn’s Video Chick Loves Complex

Based on their lyrical woes, R&B singers must spend most of their time getting played out like suckers by trifling women. But this time, we actually approve of Raheem DeVaughn’s choice in chick. In his new video “Try Again,” the third single off of Love Behind The Melody, he gets up-close and personal with a young lady named Tu Dang, who spends part of the video reading the February/March issue of Complex in her underwear. Sounds like wifey material to us.

The model/makeup artist was brought onto the video by Washington, D.C. rapper Tabi Bonney, who directed the clip for Devaughn. After the jump, view a gallery of the Asian stunner’s photos and watch her in action in the “Try Again” video.

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Nelly Worships Jordan On New Sneakerhead Anthem

Photo: Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

After hearing his new collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Ciara, it’s probably safe to say that Nelly’s 2005 deal with Reebok didn’t pan out. He already provided the soundtrack to Nike’s other basketball staple in 2002 with “Air Force 1s,” and now the St. Lunatic is back with “Stepped On My J’z,” an anthem for anyone who has ever spazzed when their beloved 23s get scuffed. It’s worth noting that Nelly co-owns the Charlotte Bobcats with the Jump Man himself, so perhaps they’re working out some new campaign to push the song, which is supposed to appear on Nelly’s new album Brass Knuckles. Listen to the track after the jump.

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Gnarls Barkley Keeps “Going On” With New Video

After their trippy dance party video for “Run” got banned for not passing the Harding seizure test, Gnarls Barkley’s new album The Odd Couple didn’t get as much commercial shine as it should have. So it’s probably good that the video for their new single “Going On” keeps the mind-bending psychedelic visuals to a minimum. The story follows a group of kids celebrating on their way to a mystical door that leads to another dimension. What lies beyond the door is an unknown unknown, but we’re guessing it’ll probably give you seizures too. Watch the video after the jump.

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Shawty Lo Answers T.I. On The “Foolish” Remix

This week will be remembered as the moment when the T.I./Shawty Lo beef finally came out of the closet. After throwing subliminals at each other for the last year, they both publicly acknowledged the tension for the first time in separate radio interviews—Tip on ATL’s 107.9, and Lo on Kay Slay’s show.

Now, on the brand new “Foolish” remix, which features DJ Khaled, Rick Ross, Jim Jones and Birdman (on the vocoder!), Lo contunues his quest to bring Tip’s Bankhead origins into question: “Cross your T’s and dot your I’s / I’m the real Bankhead, that’s no lie!” It ain’t exactly an ether, but its the closest either of them have come to saying the other man’s name on record. Listen after the jump.

Popularity: 6% [?]