[caption id=”attachment_1657” align=”aligncenter” width=”400” caption=”Kiss My Ass (The Champ Is Here PT. 2)”][/caption]

The Evil Genius (DJ Green Lantern) and Mr. “Top 5 Dead or Alive” reunite to release something that hip hop fans across the globe have patiently waited several years for; A healthy serving of raw, unapologetic lyrics ala Jadakiss (The LOX, D-Block*).

As the raspy voiced Yonkers, New York native and recent Def Jam signee prepares to release his highly anticipated third album, titled “The Last Kiss“, on March 10th, 2009, he decided to offer something sure to wet the pallets of his hungriest fans. The Kiss My Ass - (The Champ Is Here 2) Mixtape provides 18 tracks that should definitely hold you over until the album drops.

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There’s no grand unifying theme for this week’s column. Sometimes—and only sometimes—reductionism is inappropriate when referencing pop cultural artifacts, because evidence of a particular epoch need not be found within the subtext of obsolete trends and memes. Sometimes—and only sometimes—we can look at a pop cultural artifact as its own phenomenon. It remains both timeless and past its expiration date. The best of these become irrelevant the moment they enter public consciousness. With immediate irrelevancy, the pop cultural artifact stops aging. It’s born as an ant trapped in amber, preserved for future generations to marvel at its differences and similarities with contemporary cousins.

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Last night, M.I.A., Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, and T.I. performed their highly anticipated rendition of “Swagga Like Us” at the 2009 Grammys. Donning a black and white polka-dotted outfit, M.I.A. was the first one out on stage. Nine months pregnant, the British phenom looked as if her water was going to break if a stiff breeze hit her. When a familiar beat started playing, it seemed as if she was going to perform her hit single “Paper Planes” until she uttered her famous hook, “No one on the corner has swagger like us.” Then, Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, and T.I. popped out on stage dressed in fresh looking tuxedos. Each of them took one verse of the song and killed it. I found it a little weird, however, that the signal faded in and out of black and white. Anyone else feel the same way? Check out the video:

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Earlier today, Bonnaroo officials released their tentative music lineup. This is the moment that thousands of people have been waiting anxiously for. All I have to say is that the lineup is pretty damn solid.

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I’ve always loved Biggie Smalls’ music. His beats are sick and his flow is unbelievable- there’s no denying it. With the release of the biopic Notorious on Jan 16th, I did some digging on the internet to learn more about the man. I stumbled across this video, which features Biggie Smalls at age 17 in a lop-sided rap battle. It’s clearly evident that even at that young age, Biggie was bound for stardom. He had something special. Take a look at the clip, and let me know what you think.

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