Schoolboy Q at Best Buy Theater - 5/21/13 (via Kellen Dengler)

Thanks to TDE's recent success, Q found himself as the most established performer at the Freshman show. With no one to accompany him on stage, he fared better in the larger crowd as a solo artist, breezing through tracks from Habits & Contradictions and throwback collaborations with A$AP Rocky. At one point, he asked Kendrick Lamar to join him but laughed at the audience members who fell for his joke. Fittingly, he won the crowd back with his charisma by asking them the title of his upcoming album. "Oxymoron!" they screamed back. And this was done four times over. [XXL]

The 2013 XXL Freshman Class, including Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, Angel Haze, and more, all came to NYC for a show at Best Buy Theater last night (5/21). You can check out a video of Schoolboy Q playing "My Hatin' Joint" at the show, below.

As mentioned in yesterday's What's Going On? post, Action Bronson made a video for his Harry Fraud-produced song, "Strictly 4 My Jeeps." If you missed it, you can watch that video below. Riff Raff stars in the video, and as discussed, he plays a Scion A/V show in Brooklyn at Coco 66 tonight (5/22) with Stalley and Smoke DZA. Entrance to that show had to be gained through Scion's contest which has since ended.

Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul are both members of the group Black Hippy (which also includes Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock), and that whole group is playing the traveling Rock the Bells Festival which hits the NYC-area on October 4-5 at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets for that festival are on sale now. The rest of the lineup includes Big K.R.I.T., Common, Danny Brown, Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler the Creator, Jhene Aiko, Juicy J, Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan, and many more.

Updated Rock the Bells lineup and videos below...

Continue reading "Schoolboy Q, Action Bronson (who has a new video) & more played the XXL Freshman show; Rock the Bells tix on sale"

Happy 10th anniversary to Rock the Bells, who have announced their initial, rotating 2013 lineup featuring hosts Peter Rosenberg & MURS 3:16, as well as names like Bone Thugs N Harmony, Danny Brown, Black Hippy (who just played NYC), Common, E40 & Too Short, Earl Sweatshirt (ditto), Flatbush Zombies, Juicy J (who played a Fader show on Monday and Irving Plaza last night), Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan (who play Summer Jam soon), Tyler the Creator (who just announced an NYC show as part of Odd Future), Eazy E, Ol Dirty Bastard and more. Confused? Yes, I did just say Eazy E and Ol Dirty Bastard, both of which will be "virtual performances" as part of the travelling festival. AllHipHop reports:

Ol Dirty Bastard and Eazy-E's spirits will return to the stage at Rock The Bells this year, AllHipHop has learned.

The pair of Hip-Hop legends will have holograms performing this year at the 10-year anniversary of the rap festival.

Eazy-E will perform virtually with Bone Thugs-In-Harmony and ODB will rock with Wu Tang. Organizers said Eazy never blessed the Rock The Bells stage and ODB only did once.

Also, the "holograms" are approved by Eazy-E's wife Tomica Wright and Ol Dirty's mother, Cherry Jones.

Tupac's Coachella appearance inspired the new virtual performances at Rock The Bells, organizers admitted.

So far only four dates exist for Rock the Bells. They're all listed below. Two of them are on the East Coast and one is in the NYC area at Meadowlands Racetrack in Rutherford, NJ on October 4-5. Tickets go on presale Thursday (10/16) at noon, and regular sale on Saturday.

Initial lineup (at least 15 more artists TBA), dates and some video below.

Continue reading "Rock the Bells 2013 initial lineup (Wu-Tang, Earl Sweatshirt, Juicy J, Tyler the Creator... + hologram ODB & Eazy E)"

by BBG

Evidence of Dilated Peoples. One of the illest rollercoaster MCs of all time

Evidence is prepping his second solo disc away from Dilated Peoples. Cats & Dogs will be released via Rhymesayers on 9/27. The LP will see him team with names like Slug of Atmosphere, Raekwon, Aloe Blacc (who plays NYC soon), Prodigy, Aesop Rock, Roc Marciano, and others, and features "To Be Continued..." which appears in (awesome) video form below. That's a still of it above, shot almost entirely DIY on a rollercoaster. Evidence will also hit the road for a string of US dates, hitting Rock The Bells in NYC on September 3rd. Tickets are still available. All dates are below.

Check out a new Roc Marciano track with Oh No (aka Gangrene) and Alchemist called "Jet Luggage" below. Roc Marciano will also appear at Rock The Bells 2011.

After many long years in label limbo, it was starting to seem like Saigon would be best known as "that rapper from Entourage". The MC's long-shelved LP The Greatest Story Never Told was a step away from being a fairy tale with the almost incredulous guests and producers reportedly making appearances. After four years of anticipation and frankly almost as much doubt that the project would ever come out, The Greatest Story Never Told FINALLY dropped earlier this year with appearances from Jay-Z, Q-Tip, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Bun B and others, and production from Just Blaze, Kanye West, or Buckwild on virtually every track. FreeOnSmash will release his follow-up this month, War Music. Stream a track from that below.

Catch Saigon on August 5th at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, tickets are on sale.

Knitting Factory will also host Slum Village on July 21st. Tickets are on sale. Slum Village are down to one original member, T3, who released the 3ILLER EP yesterday (7/5). Stream a sampler from that EP below.

D12 is scheduled to play BB King's on July 19th, and though the bio/and picture shows the contrary, I am guessing that Proof won't be on hand for the show. No word on if Eminem will make an appearance either. Tickets are on sale for the show which includes appearances fron King Gordy and Lethillweapon.

Pharoahe Monch has multiple appearances coming up over the next week. He was recently spotted backstage at Best Buy Theater's Salute to Hip Hop. Pictures from that HERE.

All streams/videos and Evidence tour dates are below. While you're there, check out a video of Michael Rapaport and Peanut Butter Wolf shopping at Amoeba.

Continue reading "Evidence, Saigon, Slum Village, D12 & other hip hop news"