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Kanye West’s Behind The Scenes of the ‘Watch the Throne’ Tour

Say what you want about his ego, but Kanye West has carved a legacy for himself that has extended far beyond producing albums. And seriously, how many people truly know someone as unique as Ye? I’m willing to bet not many, and if you’re one of the few that think you do, I don’t believe you.

I mean, this is the same man who almost died in a near-fatal car crash and recorded his very first single two weeks later with his mouth wired shut. This is the man who has repeatedly stood up for his own work after losing out in major award shows. And finally, this is the man who raps about Manolo and Guiseppi Zanotti (seriously… Google that).

So you know it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look behind the scenes of Kanye and Jay-Z‘s Watch the Throne tour. If you can’t (or simply don’t want to) watch Ye and Jay perform “N—as in Paris” eight times in a row with Kanye wearing a kilt, you can at least see what goes on in his head, away from the lights and away from the fame. It’s insightful and for the first episode, it’s also free. Watch here.

More information about VoyR after the break. You can also watch footage of “N—as in Paris” being played eight times in a row, taken from the Chicago show.

“There are music fans. And there are true fans. Which one are you? Fans download the single. True fans know the whole album. Fans trip on the myth. True fans understand the reality.

VOYR is your all-access pass to behind the scenes at Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch the Throne tour. It’s a daily video document of all of the actual hard work that goes into living life at Kanye’s level. It’s not about models and bottles. It’s about working hard, from the moment the sun rises, until you just can’t push your body any further. If you want hype, just stay with the music mags and blogs that you already read. If you want to understand the reality of this business from the inside, come inside. We’ve got a seat for you.

Five episodes a week. Live from the tour. And you’ll join a community of hustlers that understand how the industry works and are ready to take their involvement to the next level.

This is just the beginning. Join us.”

Stream: The Roots – ‘undun’

It’s sad to admit that nowadays, leaks are almost inevitable. Unless you devote every living moment towards protecting your music from being leaked or don’t allow any advanced listens — I’m looking at you Kanye and Jay — your album will probably get leaked. After releasing thirteen records, it seems The Roots know what they’re doing and a few days ago, partnered with NPR to offer a free stream of their latest, undun, a strikingly powerful album about the fictional Redford Stephens, a poor Philadelphian kid who gets tangled up in the drug trade.

With help from Sufjan Stevens (his song “Redford” inspired the character’s name), Just Blaze, Big K.R.I.T., and more, The Roots’ first attempt at a concept album is an inspiring and beautiful piece of work. You can listen to the whole thing at NPR right now, with the album available in stores everywhere on December 6th via Def Jam.

undun Tracklist:

01. The Un
02. Sleep
03. Make My (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)
04. One Time (feat. Phonte & Dice Raw)
05. Kool On (feat. P.O.R.N.)
06. The Other Side
07. Stomp (feat. P.O.R.N.)
08. Lighthouse
09. I Remember
10. Tip The Scale
11. Redford (For Yia Yia & Pappou)
12. Possibility
13. Will To Power
14. Finality

Download: Mike G – Award Tour EP

Odd Future‘s haziest rapper and self-proclaimed king Mike G has released his long-awaited Award Tour EP, a seven track project filled with in-house production anda few collaborations with Vince Staples. Mike G’s still gearing up for the release of his proper sophomore album Gold (set for release on Odd Future Records?), but at least we can bump the Award Tour EP in the meantime. Download link below.

DOWNLOAD: Mediafire

Award Tour EP Tracklisting:
01. Moracular World (w/ Vince Staples) [Prod. Frisco TSC & Left Brain]
02. Chevron [Prod. Hodgy Beats]
03. Carrera Ft. Vince Staples [Prod. Jay Curry]
04. Chanel [Prod. Patrick The Great]
05. Award Tour (w/ Vince Staples) [Prod. Frisco TSC]
06. Vicks (w/ Vince Staples) [Prod. Left Brain]
07. Michael Douglas |Speak! & Vince Staples| [Prod. Frisco TSC]

ASAP Rocky – “Peso (Star Slinger Refix)”

Producer Star Slinger just gave Harlem upstart ASAP Rocky‘s web hit “Peso” a complete reworking, releasing the song on his Soundcloud page. The vocals are sped up for the majority of the track and ASAP Ty Beats‘s original production is pretty much completely “refixed,” with a much harder-hitting set of drums. Personally, I’m still a bigger fan of the original track and its more laid-back vibe, but Star Slinger’s version is so different in style and energy that it’s worth giving it a listen or two. Check it out below and hit the down arrow on the player for the free MP3.

ASAP Rocky – Peso (Star Slinger Refix) by Star Slinger

Mixtape: Lupe Fiasco – Friend Of The People

Following the release of his latest album LasersLupe Fiasco announced that he wasn’t personally satisfied with the album he was forced to make by Atlantic Records, despite the commercial success of the record. Long-time fans of Lu weren’t satisfied either, calling the album too poppy and a manufactured attempt to make hits for the usually deep and incredibly lyrical rapper.

Today, on Thanksgiving Day, Lupe released a brand new mixtape titledFriend Of The People as a way to thank his fans for supporting him throughout his career. The Friend Of The People project actually began two years ago, but was shelved due to Lupe’s involvement with Summit on the Summit and his climb onto Mount Kilimanjaro. After Lasers, he rebooted the project, preparing the 12-track, sample heavy release in anticipation for his forthcoming LP, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album.

You can check out two songs below (sampling Justice and M83!), as well as the full mixtape below. The full tracklist is available after the break.

DOWNLOAD: Hulkshare

MP3: Lupe Fiasco – “Double Burger with Cheese” (Justice “Ohio”)

MP3: Lupe Fiasco – “The End Of The World” (M83 “Midnight City”)

Friend Of The People Tracklist:
01. Introduction (Nero “2808”)
02. Lupe Back (Nero “Doomsday”)
03. Friend of the People (feat. Dosage) (Sebastian “Jack Wire”)
04. Double Burger with Cheese (Justice “Ohio”)
05. Joaquin Phoenix (feat. Lil Ronnie)
06. WWJD He’d Prolly LOL Like WTF!!! (Justice “On’n’On”)
07. Lightwork (Ellie Goulding & Bassnectar “Lights” remix)
08. Life, Death & Love From San Francisco (John Coltrane “Love Supreme”)
09. SLR
10. SNDCLsH In Vegas (Kaskade & Skrillex “Lick It”)
11. Super Cold (The Glitch Mob “Bad Wings”)
12. The End Of The World (M83 “Midnight City”)

Watch: Kanye West and Jay-Z Live in Montreal

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past few months, you’ve probably already heard about the hip hop superduo of frequent collaborators Kanye West and Jay-Z and their first full album together, Watch The Throne. Well, now you can finally “watch the throne” in high quality from your very own home, as Montreality has posted HD footage of the duo’s energetic performance in Montreal.

After watching a few questions remain on my mind: is this mainly a Kanye show? Or is it Hov’s show? Was it worth such a high cost? And is Kanye wearing a skirt?

Check it out for yourself below.

Listen: WZRD – “Brake”

By way of Twitter, Kid Cudi and producer Dot Da Genius, known together as the newly-dubbed WZRD, revealed the very first single from the yet-to-be-named rock album. Set for a January 30 release date (Cudder’s 28th birthday), the upcoming album will have no profanity and will have a very uplifting sound. Today’s preview, titled “Brake”, has a completely different vibe from the previously leaked, woozy-sounding “Perfect Is The Word” (listen here). Heavily driven by hazy guitars, booming drums, and Cudi’s distinctive voice, “Brake” actually sounds pretty dark and brooding, perhaps even psychedelic at times.

MP3: WZRD – “Brake”

Thoughts?

Listen: MadGibbs (Freddie Gibbs & Madlib) – “Thuggin'”

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib release their collaborative debut today with Thuggin’. The 6-track EP was originally announced and distributed at a recent Madlib show, immediately selling out 500 copies. Despite being over six months in the making, Thuggin’ has been a well-kept secret. The blogosphere was suddenly hit with a release date yesterday, finding out that the wait for a MadGibbs release would be short-lived. This sparked a craze within both artists’ cult-like followings, and for good reason. This EP is straight fire, pairing Freddie Gibbs’ intricate drug tales with Madlib’s trademark hypnotic loops. This is arguably the best work Madlib has done since 2004’s Madvillainy with MF DOOM, and Freddie Gibbs does the producer justice. Hear the excellent title track below, and purchase your copy in either vinyl or digital format here.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Thuggin’ by Rappcats

Listen: A-10 & Young Brew – “Let You Know (Prod. By Keyyz McFlyy)”

Talent isn’t something that is defined by age. That’s something youngsters Odd Future have made clear in the past year, with the extremely talented, 17-year-old Earl Sweatshirt dropping nicer lines than rappers double his age. Today, I have a new track from the 16-year-old A-10, who hails from Durham, North Carolina. With his team, A-10 has been drawing attention for his clean flow and chilled-out sound, personally reminding me of a blend between Curren$y and Chip Tha Ripper. His upcoming mixtape is entitled The Cold and will be out at the end of this month. Check out “Let You Know” with Young Brew below.

Listen: Chiddy Bang – “Ray Charles”

“The song actually started out as a joke when my brother, Cheeseburger Don, got so high he fell asleep in the studio with his sunglasses on. I looked over and he reminded me of Ray Charles, probably because I was high, too. I started freestyling about him and we laid it down right there.” That’s what Chidera Anamege, the emcee half of Chiddy Bang had to say about their new single, “Ray Charles”. The song is taken from Chiddy and Xaph’s long-awaited debut LP, Breakfast, out February 28, 2012. Check it out below.

[Rolling Stone]