Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On [Official Music Video]

Who is Dirty Money

DIDDY-DIRTY MONEY/ LAST TRAIN TO PARIS/ BAD BOY/ INTERSCOPE/ RATING: 3/5

Diddy's train to Paris seems to have had a few detours since he annouced last year, that he was dropping a concept album with his girl group Dirty Money. After being stuck on the train tracks for a year, Diddy-Dirty Money's Last Train To Paris finally reaches its destination to stores, and surprisingly the wait was worth checking out. Never the one to have lyrical prowess, Diddy has managed to turn out pretty decent dance numbers, while Dirty Money's Dawn Richards and Kalenna Harper compliment the legendary mogul, by filling in the holes, that Diddy can't fill (i.e. singing). Diddy-Dirty Money doesn't go on this journey to find love alone. On an album who's guest list is as diverse, featuring the likes of Grace Jones to Wiz Khalifa, it might sound like it won't work, but DDM pull it off. Album high lights include the club ready-Swizz Beatz assisted-"Ass On The Floor"--who's concept is more about love lost rather than getting your asses on the dance floor. While Diddy's singing is not something most would like to hear, and the good thing about that is that he has equal sharing time on the mic with more seasoned crooners (i.e. Usher on "Looking For Love", Chris Brown on "Yesterday" and Justin Timberlake on "Shades"). Diddy's best crowning acheivement when he's singing comes in the form of "Loving You No More" featuring Drake. The downside to LTTP is that, Diddy sometimes plays background to his own songs, and Dirty Money could have got more mic time to showcase their talents. Production duties range from Danja, Mario Winans, Swizz Beatz, J-Lack (Usher's young brother) among others. LTTP is an upgraded version of Diddy's last effort 2006's Press Play, and Diddy feels more comfortable to push the boundries of his music. Sean Combs along with his Dirty Money crew has created an album that's equally sound and entertaining, and really that's all you need at the end of the day.

RICK RO$$ NEW MIXTAPE "ASHES TO ASHES" ONLINE CHRISTMAS EVE

Eminem ft. Lil Wayne- "No Love" On SNL!

Lloyd - Let's Get It In ft. 50 Cent

Diddy - Dirty Money - Ass On The Floor ft. Swizz Beatz

ALBUM REVIEW: T.I./ NO MERCY/ GRAND HUSTLE/ ATLANTIC/ RATING: 4/5

2010 saw T.I. released from a year-and-a-day-prison-sentence early this year, only to see him sent back to prison for an additional 11 months for violating his probation on September 1st. The parole violation was yet another setback for the self-proclaimed "King of the South", but what about the music? Originally entitled King Uncaged, when the title was annouced last summer, TIP, had to do a quick title change to reflect his current situation. Finally, the much-delayed- No Mercy will be T.I.'s next shot on his road to redemption. Surprisingly, No Mercy is rather upbeat for a man who has seen more dark days than light ones. TIP only touches on his jail- time on tracks like the album's title track featuring The-Dream, the Christina Aguilea- featured "Castle Walls", and the Neptunes-produced-Chris Brown-assisted lead single "Get Back Up". The latter, finds the King coming clean, with lines like: " I admit, yeah, I done some dumb shit/ Disappointed everybody I know/ Try not to hold that against me though/ My road to redemption has no GPS/ So guess the time must be invested/ For this to be manifested." While most songs gravitate towards the clubs (i.e. "Strip" featuring Young Dro and Trey Songz and "Poppin Bottles" with Drake). T.I. is at his best when he's not jumping on furniture in VIP and takes a more retrospective route. The church organ-filled "How Life Changed" features Scarface and the orginal Queen of Hip Hop soul, Mitchelle'l, and is one of the album's strongest cuts. On "That's All She Wrote" (arguably the best song on the album) finds TIP reuniting with Eminem, as the two MC's go on a rampage and deliver some compelling verses. No Mercy at times can feel rushed, due to the time contraint when it was constructed, and it doesn't have the pizazz of his last effort Paper Trail (considered by some to be his best work next to Urban Legend), but the album does have many bright spots and is entertaining throughout, because of T.I.'s undeiable talent. Let's just hope TIP has learned from his past mistakes, so the next time around, his path towards redemption is a smoother one.

ALBUM REVIEW: LLOYD BANKS/ THE HUNGER FOR MORE 2/ G-UNIT / EMI/ RATING: 4/5

Lloyd Banks is no stranger to success. Back in 2004, he released his debut album, The Hunger For More, that racked up a million in sales and added another platinum plaque to G-Unit's then-already impressive run. Though Lloyd Banks instant success made the Punch Line King a legit mention among the game's top MC's, the recognition did little to overshadow his mentor, 50 Cent. Also Banks' sophomore effort, Rotten Apple recieved underwhelming attention, and Interscope Records dropped him a few years later. Now, determined to stand outside of 50' s shadow, Blue Hefner returns with his third disc, The Hunger For More 2, the sequel to his stellar debut. Rejuvenated and refocused--the hunger is felt on the Tony Yayo-assisted "Take 'Em To War". Banks comes out firing, spitting on the hook, "Fuck talkin'/ Let's take 'em to war/ Drama after drama/ Til they layin on the floor/ What the fuck do you take me for?/ Eye for an eye/ Time to even up the score/ I rather be not here than hungry/ I'm sick when I'm not near my money/ They want me to lose/ But I'ma win/ I made it there before/ And I'ma make it there again". Unlike his mentor, Banks has extended an olive branch to artist who were once targets or associated with many of 50's battles. Case and point, Styles P (of the Lox) pops up on "Unexplainable", Juelz Santana (of Diplomats) is featured on the album's first single, "Beamer,Benz or Bentley", former Murder Inc. crooner Lloyd, lends his vocal chops to the radio friendly "Any Girl", and Kanye West can be heard on the album's posse cut "Start It Up". The latter also features Swizz Beatz, Ryan Leslie, and Fabolous. Banks is backed by relatively unknown producers, who deliver the perfect back drop to match Lloyd Banks' aggressive bars. The good thing about HFM2 is that 50's presence is almost nonexsistent (he only appears on the hook to "Big Payback (P's and Q's)") this was done intentionally to showcase Banks as his own artist. The bad thing about Banks latest disc, is the bloated guest list, but the good thing about this is that Banks holds his own, and never really gets outshined on his own song. HFM2 is above all else, a solid comeback from one of the game's best.

Diddy-Dirty Money in SNL- Ass On The Floor

DIDDY-DIRTY MONEY : LAST TRAIN TO PARIS IN STORES 12/14/10

Curren$y- Michael Knight official video

Lil Wayne - 6'7 (Prod. By Bangladesh) Tha Carter IV

Fabolous - You Be Killin Em (Official Video)

Dr. Dre - Kush ft. Snoop Dogg, Akon

ALBUM REVIEW: CURREN$Y / PILOT TALK II / DD172/ RATING: 3.5/5

Curren$y continues to build on his JETS brand. After deciding to opt out of Lil' Wayne's Young Money label a few years back to go for dolo, the Hot Spitta has developed a cult-like following of his own. Backed by Damon Dash's DD172 imprint and Ski Beatz' (Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt) breezy production , Curren$y returns with Pilot Talk II ( his second album this year). Picking up where Pilot Talk left off, Spitta sets the mood with the eerie horns of "Airborne Aquarium", a moody number produced by the aforementioned Ski Beatz and the Senseis ( who produced eight of the album's thirteen tracks). Curren$y spits: " Rearview clear vision memories of paid dues/ Confined to a runway/ Thunderstorms came through/ But look what it came to/ Somethin that amazes you/ Soon as you quit hatin' / And hear what I gotta say to you". The vivid wordplay continues on the '80's inspired "Michael Knight", named after David Hasselhoff's character from the popular TV show Knight Rider. The JETS general puts his pimp hand down with lines like, " I fill your jacuzzi with them groupies/ Make it a bird bath/ Miss me? / No you didn't bitch/ With that bullshit 'Miss me'/ Tryna claim Spitta name/ Tryna be Mrs. Me/ All of that kicks to me/ Silly Rabbit trickery/ You only around/ Because my spot is where you wish to be/ Hope to catch me sleeping by being freaky/ But baby girl/ Let me be the first to say its not that easy / I wasn't born yesterday / Nor later on that evenin/ Just had to get that out the way/ And make the playing field even". Curren$y subject matter remains the same throughout , as: weed, money and girls dominate PTII'S topics. When Spitta does try to change things up, it comes off as forced. A clear example is "Silence" , where Curren$y's lazy flow, equipped with singer Mckenzie Eddy's boring hook can make you fall asleep at the cockpit. Luckily Curren$y regains his footing with tracks like the Monsta Beatz composition "Fashionably Late", "A Gee", and his JETS conrads , Young Roddy and Trademark make two appearances on "Flight Briefing" and "Hold On". The former finds Curren$y boasting , " Yo bitch want that vitamin D/ She lookin desperate/ Bullshit convo/ 5 minutes invested / Now she butt-naked/ Lying to you via text message". PTII doesn't do much to change the foundation its predecessor left, but more like build on it it. While we wish Curren$y would try new ways to talk his fly guy bravado, still, you can't help but love the fact that the kid from N.O.'s drive is to remain higher than 30,000 feet above the clouds. JETS...fool!

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ALBUM REVIEW: NE-YO/ LIBRA SCALE / DEF JAM / RATING: 4/5

Ne-Yo is already considered to be one of this generation's most revered and talented singer/songwriters. Known for lending his pen skills to the likes of Beyonce' to Rihanna . Ne-Yo is indeed a master in the art of R&B in the conventional and traditional sense of the word. Ne-Yo returns with Libra Scale, a concept album that pays homage to Japanese culture, comic books , Sci-fi flicks and the late , great Michael Jackson. The ghost of the King of Pop can be heard throughout Libra Scale, as Ne-Yo channels the iconic ,deceased star as he takes you on a ride through the paranormal."Champagne Life" invokes MJ circa 1979 with its upbeat , and smooth vibes. Ne-Yo set out to make a movie on wax , making his production just as grand and larger than life as the lyrics that back them up. On the appropriately titled "Making A Movie" , Ne-Yo plays director as he searches for his leading-lady, singing, " Come here girl/ we making a movie/ And the director is me/ So when I yell 'cut' / We gon' leave" Ne-Yo then slows down for the chilled out , sweet horns of "Know Your Name" where we find the Ne-Yo in full gentleman mode trying to sweep a woman he discovers off her feet, "Looking at you girl, I see so much/ Like me and you/ Becoming us/ But in your eyes/ I can see why / People write love songs/ And if God allows/ I can see how / I could love you for so long". Ne-Yo then captivates on the bedroom starter "Telekinesis" as he asks a certain lady , well in this case ALL women "Have you ever had someone take the time/ To sex your body/ But also sex your mind?" As he offers the chance to touch you without touching you. On the Ryan Leslie-score and Fabolous-guest featured "Crazy Love", Ne-Yo sings about reckless love with his significant other , while Fabolous raps, "You wanna start it first / And get the last word/ You wanna lock me down / And get the password...in the bedroom I gotta few screws loose/ The head's Coo-Coo/ Backshots psycho / Hit it from the back hard/ Hope you got Geico". Other standout tracks is "One In A Million" and the album closer "What Have I Done" , both sound like tracks that Michael Jackson would have made if he was still here. The latter finds Ne-Yo telling the tale of a relationship gone wrong because of his irresponsiblity, and the aftermath it caused. He remorsefully sings, " Time on my hands/ To sit and think about what I did wrong/ ...There's blood on my hands/ Guilty party/ Aint no secret I'm the one/ I'm responsible for this/ Sure as the moon shines / Because I'm the sun/ What have I done?" Closing the song with these sentiments, " I'm to blame/ Love is privilege/ And not a game". While the album is indeed one of Ne-Yo's best work, songs like the techno- inspired "Beautiful Monster" fails, and falls in the same vain of previous records from his catalog (i.e. 2008's "Closer") While the mishaps come few and far in between, (it had to, since the album is comprised of only 10 songs) the rest of the album is about as complete as any R&B album your going to get and quite frankly speaking , one of the best R&B albums of the year.

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ALBUM REVIEW: NICKI MINAJ / PINK FRIDAY/ YOUNG MONEY /CASH MONEY/ UNIVERSAL/ RATING: 3.5/5

Over the past decade the status of the female MC has declined. The last female rapper to make any significance on the charts was Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, to her credit her 2002 single "Work It" shot up to the top of the charts. Enter Onika Maraj (Nicki Minaj) the lone female rapper in Lil' Wayne's Young Money crew. Just like her mentor , Wayne, Nicki Minaj made a name for herself by hitting the mixtape scene , and making note-worthy guest appearances from the likes of Mariah Carey to Gucci Mane. Her buzz generated so much attention that even the Jiggaman himself, Jay-Z brought her on stage at Yankee Stadium for his historic Home and Home Tour with Eminem this past September. After watching her fellow Young Money label mate , Drake, drop his much anticipated ,successful opus, Thank Me Later over the summer , the hip hop world soon turned their eyes on Nicki to see if she could deliver another home run for her Young Money camp , while also fill the void of the missing femcees in the rap game. Nicki Minaj shoulders the pressure with the equally anticipated Pink Friday. The festivities begin with the synth -heavy album opener "I'm The Best". The song, if nothing less is an achievement in itself as Nicki Minaj brings forth her declaration, and also keeping in mind what's at stake: "I hear their coming for me/ Because the top is lonely/ What the fuck they gon' say? / I'm the best..." She belts on the hook. What makes Nicki Minaj an intriguing figure in the world of music is not just based on her style , as she is sometimes considered the Lady GaGa of rap, but her outlandish, at times bizarre delivery on the mic. The culprit for this eccentric behavior can be credited to her alter-ego Roman Zolansky. Nicki had gone on record to say she tries to keep her inner split personality hidden, but at times Roman gets the best of her, and she can't be held accountable for Roman's actions. With that being said , the album's most controversial track "Roman's Revenge" finds Roman sharing mic duties with another rapper's alter-ego , Eminem's Slim Shady. The two go on a rampage over Swizz Beatz frantic track. The track is rumored to be a subliminal diss toward reigning Queen Bee , Lil' Kim, who has recently been going back and forth with the new jack, Nicki over biting the Queen's style. Nicki--oops , I mean Roman sends warning shots to a "has-been" rapper by spitting "Is this the thanks that I get for putting you bitches on?/ Is it my fault that all you bitches gone?...'Nicki she just mad cause you took the spot'/ Word, that bitch mad cause I took the spot?/ Well bitch if you ain't shittin, then get off the pot/ Got some niggas out in Brooklyn, that'll off your top" While Slim Shady uses a female as a metaphor for life with these not so friendly bars: "I swear to God/ Life's a dumb , blond, white broad/ With fake tits /And a bad dye job/ Who just spit in my fuckin face...so I tied her arms and legs to the bed/ And set up the camera and pissed twice on her/ Look, two peas in a tripod". On the Bangladesh-number "Did It On'em" Roman pops up again stating : "She ain't a Nicki fan/ Then the bitch deaf-dumb/ You ain't my son/ You my muthafuckin step-son". When Nicki Minaj does take control of her album she displays a side we rarely see from her---vulnerability. On "Save Me" Nicki Minaj shows off her singing chops as she humbly bares her all over the sparse track, singing, " It's not your fault I'm a bitch / I'm a monster/ Yes, I'm a beast/ And I feast when I conquer/ But , I'm alone on my thrown/ All these witches / I came this way/ All this way just to say/ This time won't you save me/ Baby I can feel myself giving up". Moments like these brings more layers to Nicki Minaj that we really don't see, and its just as entertaining. Another album highlight is the Drake-feature "Moment 4 Life". Nicki and Drake reunite after Drake's "Up All Night" to deliver a stirring performance about cherishing life's most intimate moments. Drake sums it all up , closing his verse with, "Man, this one for the books/ Man, I swear this shit is as fun as it looks/ Man, I'm trying to make it more than what it is/ Cause everybody dies/ But not everybody lives". Pink Friday is not without its short-comings. The will.i.am produced and featured-"Check It Out" suffers from just being downright cheesy, and while "Your Love" was a number one hit for Nicki Minaj , the song sounds like a filler compared to the other gems that could have been better choices. Even when she teams up with Kanye West for "Blazin" the hook is stagnant and becomes annoying upon a further listen. Pink Friday still has something to offer, but its not what some may have expected with all the hype surrounded by it. What Nicki Minaj has done more than anything with Pink Friday is become a voice for female rappers who have up until this moment been silent. That is a testament to her star-power, because there hasn't been any doubt that Nicki Minaj is indeed a star, and if you beg to differ than your just deaf-dumb.