Rap Release Dates: Kool G. Rap, Tech N9ne, Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun

June delivers some long-awaited major releases from Lil Wayne and Eminem with Royce Da 5'9" as Bad Meets Evil, indie giant Tech N9ne delivers the first week of June, and Waka plus Gucci equals an album pushback.

The summer will be blazing into a hot start, as the first week of June brings Tech N9ne's All 6's and 7's to the forefront. Due to Big K.R.I.T.'s slam dunk withReturnof4eva, June 7th will also see a K.R.I.T. iTunes release in the form of R4: The Prequel.

The second week of June is all about collaborations, as Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" come together again as Bad Meets Evil with Hell: The Sequel. The track "I'm On Everything" recently leaked and more will surely come. Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, and Black Milk unite as Random Axe with their June 14th self-posse titled release. Slim Thug's Boss Hogg Outlawz gets the move to June 14th as well. However, word on the street is that album will get pushed once more.

Weezy fans get a surprise on June 21st, as The Carter IV sees the light of day. The following week gets some big releases, with Beyoncé's 4, Big Sean's highly anticipated Finally Famous and the Monumentalalbum from Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun. Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame's Ferrari Boyz, originally slated for a June 21st release date has now been pushed back to an unknown date. In other unknown release date news, Nas' tenth album has been officially titled Life Is Good.

May 31
Big L – The Danger Zone
Canibus & Keith Murray (as Undergods) – In Gods We Trust: Crush Microphones To Dust
Kool G Rap – Riches, Royalty, Respect
Vast Aire – OX 2010 Odyssey

June 7
Big K.R.I.T. – R4: The Prequel
Hail Mary Mallon (Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz)- Are You Gonna Eat That?
Ja Rule – Pain Is Love 2
Ja Rule – The Renaissance Project
Tech N9ne – All 6’s And 7’s

June 14
Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce Da 5'9") – Hell: The Sequel
J. Period & Q-Tip – The [Abstract] Best
Random Axe (Sean Price, Guilty Simpson, & Black Milk) – Random Axe
Slim Thug Presents… Boss Hogg Outlawz – Serve And Collect Part 3 (Immahogg)
Vakill – Armor Of God

June 21
Blaq Poet – Blaq Poet Society
Grieves – Together Apart
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter IV
Pitbull – Planet Pit
T3 (Slum Village) – 3iLLA

June 28
Beyoncé – 4
Big Sean – Finally Famous: The Album
Dorrough & DJ Drama – Gangsta Grillz: Silent Assassins
Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun – Monumental

Jay-Z Explains What Makes A "Classic Track"

Hov pens an article for Rolling Stone on his thoughts regarding what makes a timeless tune.

Jay-Z recently had four songs added to Rolling StoneMagazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list - "Crazy in Love" with Beyonce at No. 118, "Umbrella" with Rihanna at No. 412, "99 Problems" at No. 172 and "Big Pimpin" at No. 467. To celebrate his induction onto the prestigious list, Hov penned an introduction to the list, sharing what he thinks makes a "classic track."

"A great song doesn't attempt to be anything — it just is," he begins, lauding Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." "When you hear a great song, you can think of where you were when you first heard it, the sounds, the smells. It takes the emotions of a moment and holds it for years to come. It transcends time. A great song has all the key elements — melody; emotion; a strong statement that becomes part of the lexicon; and great production."

The Brooklyn, New York native states how difficult it can be to leave a track as is. "I spend a lot of time fighting myself to stay out of the way of a great song," he notes. "It's hard for me to leave a song alone, in its natural state. I want it to have that mass appeal, but once I start trying to push it too far, you can feel that something isn't right."

He concludes by crowning his laidback anthem "Can I Live" as one of his best accomplishments. "Some of my best songs aren't the biggest ones. A song like 'Can I Live' is so full of emotion to me — it was better than 'Hard Knock Life' or  'Empire State of Mind,' but it lacked that accessibility. ­Michael Jackson's Off the Wall album may not have been bigger than Thriller, but the songs had better melodies."

Erick Sermon Talks Longevity, Collaborations With Rick Ross And Sheek Louch

During an interview with AllAccessDVD, Erick Sermon discusses being courted by a new generation of fans and laying down tracks with Sheek Louch and Rick Ross.

Erick Sermon says that despite not dropping a solo project since 2004’s Chilltown New York, there has been a heavy demand from younger fans for another E-Double project. During an interview with AllAccessDVD, the EPMD co-founder explained how he encountered a large number of younger fans while overseas on tour.

“I used to meet young kids in their twenties saying, ‘I’m not old but I like your stuff. Are you gonna come out soon?’” Sermon explained. “My audience was going from the Drake concert one week to watching EPMD the next month. Even with the difference in decades, someone was either telling them about EPMD or they were finding us themselves. And they loved it, so that was dope.”

Another factor working in the Green Eyed Bandit’s favor was the positive reception he got from recent tracks with the likes of Rick Ross [“Ain’t Me”] and Sheek Louch. Producer Rockwilder, who has been working with both Sermon and Redman since Sermon’s 1995’s Double Or Nothing album, gave Sheek Louch and Sermon different versions of the same track, “Dodge This.” Sheek and E-Double ended up collaborating based off both emcee’s familiarity with the track, and a recommendation from some of Sermon’s friends. As for Sermon’s recent collaboration with Rick Ross, the track was originally a collaboration with Vic Damone.



“Through the grapevine, when Rick did that record, it was a $40,000 verse,” Sermon added. “I don’t know if he knows because of how the companies went down. But we ended up paying like 40 grand for that verse at the time. I just revamped it by changing the beat and putting myself on it.”

Mixtape Release Dates: Cookin' Soul's Gil Scott Heron Tribute, Skyzoo, Young Jeezy & DJ Drama

After Young Jeezy Statik Selektah and others dropped quality mixtapes this week, mark your calendars for upcoming works from Cookin' Soul, Da Brat and The Kickdrums.

There were a lot of artists that managed to sneak in mixtapes over Memorial Day Weekend. Cookin’ Soul are currently at work preparing their Gil Scott Heron tribute, “The Revolution Is Being Televised: A Tribute To Gil Scott-Heron,” which we expect to drop at any moment. The same goes for Da Brat’s Life After Death, which was supposed be done by now until The Neptunes and a bunch of other artists bumrushed the studio she was recording in. In the meantime, some new joints from Young Jeezy, Twista and others should more than suffice.


Late Pass

DJ Paul, Ya Boy, Lil Lody x DJ Scream – “Pray For Forgiveness”

Trae Tha Truth –  “Undisputed”

JR Writer – “Still Standing 2”

Twista – “GMG: We Workin’”

GLC – “Fellowship Of The Ism”

Lil Flip – “My B-Day”

Statik Selektah x Lord Sear – “Open Bar Classics Vol. 2: 90s R&B”

Young Jeezy x DJ Drama – “The Real Is Back”

OJ Da Juiceman x DJ 5150 – “Cook Muzik”

Boldy James  – “Trapper’s Alley: Pros & Cons”



May 31

Waka Flocka Flame –  “Duflocka Rant 10”


June 1

40 Cal –  “God's Gift To An iPod”

B.G. x Bigga Rankin – “History Of A Street Legend”


June 4

Black Cobain – “Young, Gifted & Black”

Phil Ade x 2Dopeboyz – “#PhiladeFriday”


June 6

Skyzoo – “The Great Debater”


June 7

Rocky Rivera “POP KILLER MXTP”


June 11

Black Thought x J.Period – “Live Mixtape At Echoplex”


June 14

Consequence – “Movies On Demand 3”

Freddie Gibbs – “A Cold Day In Hell”


June 21

Rapsody – “Thank H.E.R. Now”

Sha Stimuli – “The Break Up pt.2: The Proposal”


July 1

Tone Trump x DJ Drama – “The Fresh Prince”


TBA

Da Brat – “Life After Death”

Cookin Soul – “The Revolution Is Being Televised: A Tribute To Gil Scott-Heron”

The Weekend – “Thursday”

The Kickdrums – “Meet Your Ghost”

Meek Mill – “Mr. Philadelphia 2”

Diamond – “Bitch Muzik 4: Poor Little Rich Gurl”

Erick Sermon x Funkmaster Flex – “Breath Of Fresh Air”

Jakk Frost – “Coldest Summer Ever”

Bigga Rankin x The Cool Running DJ’s – “Everybody Eats”

QuESt – “How Thoughtful 2”

Swizz Beatz Announces "Haute Living" Release Date

The Monster also says that M.I.A. and Alexandra Burke will appear on the LP.

Swizz Beatz ha s announced the release of his upcoming third solo album Haute Living. During an interview with BBC Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Semtex, the super-producer revealed that the album will drop on his birthday, September 13^th. 

“Monster Mondays was a warm-up for people to understand that I’m doing things different. So when we get into my album Haute Living, which I’m dropping on my b-day September 13th, people, when they hear the track with me, Bono and Kanye ["Skyscrapers"], they can be prepared for it. When they hear the track with me, Lenny Kravitz and Lil Wayne, they can be prepared for it,” he said. 

He also revealed that British singer Alexandra Burke and M.I.A. will make guest appearances on the album, which has already spawned the single "Everyday (Coolin')"  featuring Eve. “When they see all these different zones, they can be prepared for it, not just thinking of one club track, because I have so much to express. I have so much to let people know who I am as a person, how I’ve grown, where I’m ready to take it and just trying to set the bar for the culture 20 times higher,” he continued. “And it comes with no sleep and putting extra work and doing things people are scared to do. I already shot five videos for my album already. Epic ones.” 

The Bronx, New York native also revealed that he may shoot a video for the Monster Mondays giveaway “The Transporter”  featuring Rick Ross. Before ducking out of the interview, he offered his opinion on upstarts Odd Future, supporting their movement.

“Odd Future, it’s a cool movement. I got to witness Frank Ocean in the studio, he’s a very talented guy. He’s definitely different from the rest of the group, which I’ve seen. I think he’s very special and I know for sure he has a lot of big things that people are going to witness that I witnessed,” he said. “I mean, having your freedom is always the best, but sometimes when you’re a young group like Odd Future, you might want to have a little extra support.”

Kokane Changes Stage Moniker To Government Name, Jerry B. Long

The Above The Law/Dr. Dre affiliate takes a page from Sean Price as he moves forward with his next release.

Pomona, California emcee/singer Kokane has announced that he will now be known by his government name of Jerry B. Long. The onetime Ruthless Records artist and collaborator with Above The Law and Dr. Dre is using this turning point with his upcoming album, The Legend Continues. The emcee known for singing much of the Pariliament Funkadelic interpolations on Dr. Dre's The Chronic released several past projects under the monker of Mr. Kane.

Jerry B. Long released Gimme All Mine last May on Bud E Boy Records. The emcee is said to be using the same imprint for The Legend Continues. No release date has been announced.

Previously, Heltah Skeltah's Ruck changed his stage name to his government, going by Sean Price since the early '00s, as well as Will Smith, who was known as The Fresh Prince throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.