Music On Play – We Global Now – VICTORY

After his critically-praised collaboration album, BlaQKout, last year with DJ Quik, Dogg Pound emcee Kurupt is preparing his latest solo album.

Streetlights, to be released April 20, finds the Philadelphia native taking his unique lyrical approach to an album based around what goes down after dark in California. A preliminary tracklisting, courtesy of the album’s distributor, Fontana, reveals that mentor Snoop Dogg will appear, as well as frequent collaborators Xzibit and DJ Quik. Kurupt’s brother Roscoe is also planned to appear on a track, as well as Dogg Pound newcomer affiliates Problem and Terrace Martin, who produced Streetlights. Read more…

Last night (March 10), XXLMag previewed the collaborative project from Nas and Damian Marley, Distant Relatives, and it seems as if is the long awaited album is almost ready to see the light of day.

The disc, set to come out through Universal Republic in either May or June, features cameos from Lil Wayne, Joss Stone, K’NAAN and Jamaican music legend Dennis Brown, as well as a bonus track with Junior Reid. All 14-songs, which were dedicated to the hoods in America and Africa, were produced by Marley, who seamlessly merges the worlds of hip-hop and reggae.

Distant Relatives singles, “Strong Will Continue” and “As We Enter,” have already made their way online.

Nas and Damian previously worked together on “Road to Zion” for Marley’s 2005 solo effort, Welcome to Jamrock —Brooklyne Gipson

The official track listing below:

1. As We Enter
2. Tribal War (feat. K’NAAN)
3. Strong Will Continue
4. Leaders
5. Wisdom (Sabali)
6. Count Your Blessings
7. Disappear
8. The Promised Land (feat. Dennis Brown)
9. Nah Mean
10. Angola (Friends)
11. My Generation (feat. Lil Wayne and Joss Stone)
12. Africa Must Wake Up (Feat. K’NAAN)
13. BONUS TRACK Ancient People (feat. Junior Reid)

[Editor's note: XXL has learned that one more song, "In His Own Word," will also be included on the album]

Pop/Country act Lady Antebellum finally bumped Sade’s Soldier Of Love, taking the #1 spot after six weeks on the charts. Sade does have a chance however of being the first 2010 urban release to go platinum. At best, the charts will see that next week. If not, with certainty, the week after.

The Black Eyed Peas enjoyed their 39th week on the charts. The group kept the #8 seat warm for The E.N.D. Already at double platinum, a new video “Imma Be Rocking That Body,” has will.i.am, Fergie, Taboo and Apl.De.Ap staying as close to the top of the charts as they’ve been in months. will.i.am will soon be working on Usher’s Raymond v. Raymond. Read more…

Austin, TX – Two driving forces in Hip Hop, those of OGPR and AllHipHop.com, have joined together for this years SXSW festival to bring you the “Best in Texas” showcase at La Zona Rosa on Wednesday, March 17^th. Headliners for the showcase are Paul Wall and Chamillionaire as they kick off their national “In Love With My Money” tour. The tour currently runs through mid-April, with more dates being added. Tour information can be found at Chamillionaire.com. Both artists have albums dropping this Summer.

The rest of the line-up for “Best In Texas” is comprised of acts representing various regions of the Lone Star State with performances by Houston’s Trae Tha Truth, who is currently pushing his single, “Inkredible ft. Lil Wayne & Rick Ross”, Chalie Boy, who hails from the Calvert/Hearne region and came to national attention via the hit single, “I Look Good” and Dallas artists Dorrough, who made a big splash with his single, “Ice Cream Paint Job” and Fat Pimp. Austin’s League of Extraordinary Gz, Kyle Lee and Question? for San Antonio and Big Sid repping San Angelo round out the night’s event. Swisha House’s Michael “5000” Watts will provide the hosting duties with DJ’s Grip and Hella Yella spinning between sets.

A staple in the industry, OGPR has provided public relations services to a host of Hip Hop artists over the past 10 years, representing names both regional and national including Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, DJ Whoo Kid, Pimp C, Slim Thug, Yo Gotti, Bobby Valentino, Trae Tha Truth and 3-6 Mafia. AllHipHop has pioneered the way that Hip Hop music and culture was represented online for the past 11 plus years and remains the go-to web destination for Hip Hop news and entertainment content. Having worked together closely over the years, it just made sense for the two companies to collaborate for one of music’s biggest annual showcase events – SXSW, and help Paul and Chamillionaire kick off their tour with a bang.

When I heard that Chamillionaire and Paul Wall were reuniting again on stage at SXSW I knew this was a marquee event that AllHipHop.com had to be a part of, this is history. AllHipHop’s Steve Raze had to say of the upcoming show.

I remember performing at my first SXSW and not really even speaking to Paul, and now in 2010 we will be touring together and sharing the same SXSW stage. Remembers Platinum, Grammy-winning artist, Chamillionaire. I’m sure our collective fans would be proud to see how far we have come and excited to see us together again live.

It feels great to have the opportunity to be back on stage with Cham. Adds Paul Wall. To start our tour together in Austin, at SXSW means a lot because that’s one of the 1st places we used to do shows coming up trying to be discovered. We started out as an opening act, now we’re the headliner. Hopefully this will inspire the up and coming artists to follow in our footsteps.

I wanted to share this feature from the March issue of The Source with you all in the spirit of maintaining Trae’s current level of visibility. You can also see him in the current issues of both Black Men and Urban Ink and he continues to flood the streets with great music.

Below you can download his song, I Am Tha Streets ft. Rick Ross, Game and Lloyd; another taste from Trae’s highly anticipated album, Tha Truth (ABN Entertainment/Fontana/Universal) set to drop this Summer. Rick Ross also featured this cut on his recent mixtape, The Timeless Audemars Piguet Collection.

Also below are several cuts from various DJ-hosted mixtapes that Trae continues to drop until his album releases. Next up will the release of the video for Trae’s single, Inkredible ft. Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, which was shot in Miami during Wayne’s pre-incarceration video shooting marathon.

Stream: Raheem DeVaughn – The Love & War Masterpeace

Tracklist:
1. Dr. Cornell West Intro
2. Bulletproof (feat. Ludacris)
3. The Greatness (feat. Wale)
4. I Don’t Care
5. Black & Blue
6. Mr. Right
7. Dr. Cornell West Interlude
8. Fragile (feat. Malik Yusef)
9. My Wife
10. B.O.B.
11. Bedroom
12. Microphone
13. Garden Of Love
14. Dr. Cornell West P.S.A.
15. Nobody Wins A War (feat. Jill Scott, Bilal, Anthony Hamilton, Algebra, Chrisette Michele, Shelby Johnson, Ledisi, Citizen Cope, Dwele, Chico DeBarge and Rudy Currence)
16. Revelations 2010 (feat. Damian Marley)

Sade defended her #1 turf for a second straight week with Soldier Of Love. With more television appearances coming, the veteran Jazz/Soul vocalists is enjoying a comeback after nearly a decade hiatus. Her Epic Records project is also a celebrated success to the label who’s biggest enjoyment last year was a posthumous Michael Jackson compilation. The 51 year-old Nigerian-born singer also owned her spot by a margin of nearly 50,000 units. Read more…

As the Wu-Tang Clan resurgence continues, Inspectah Deck is next up to bat as he gets set to release his fourth solo album. Deck enlists a who’s who of highly acclaimed MC’s to rhyme beside him on the album including Raekwon, Kurupt, Billy Danze of M.O.P, Cormega, Cappadonna, Termanology, Planet Asia and more. Production on “Manifesto” is handled by The Alchemist, Lee Bannon, MoSS, Phenom (Young Money’s Roger That), Deck himself and others.

“This album isn’t about bashing hip-hop’s younger generation or hip-hop’s commercialism. “Manifesto” is a celebration of 20 years in the game and still going strong as a valued asset to the culture,” said Inspectah Deck.

“Manifesto” is being released on Deck’s own Urban Iconz Records via Traffic Entertainment Group.

Inspectah Deck ft. Termanology & Planet Asia – Serious Rappin’

1. Tombstone Intro (Prod. by J.Glaze)
2. The Champion (Prod. by Alchemist)
3. Born Survivor ft Cormega (Prod. by Moss)
4. This Is It (Prod. by Dtox)
5. Luv Letter ft Ms. Whitney (Prod. by INS)
6. P.S.A (Prod. by Lee Bannon)
7. T.R.U.E ft. MeShel (Prod. by INS)
8. We Get Down (Prod. by INS)
9. The Big Game ft Raekwon & AC (Prod. by Mental Instruments)
10. Tombstone Interlude (Prod. by J.Glaze)
11. 9th Chamber (Prod. by INS and Khino)
12. Really Real ft. Carlton Fisk & Fes Taylor (Prod. by INS)
13. Serious Rappin ft Termanology & Planet Asia (Prod. by Mike Cash)
14. Do What U Gotta (Prod. by Flip)
15. Crazy (Prod. by J.Glaze)
16. Gotta Bang ft Kurupt and Billy Danze (Prod. by Shorty 140)
17. The Bad Apple (Prod. by K.Slack)
18. Brothaz Respect ft Cappadonna and Fes Taylor (Prod. by Cee the Architech)
19. 5 Star G (Prod. by Moss)
20. The Neverending Story ft Pleasant (Prod. by Agallah)