Rock the Bells sparked some memories. MCing and DJing reign supreme but do you remember the b-boy? If not here’s a refresher.

Many forget that hip-hop is a culture, not a genre of music.  The fundamental elements are MCing, DJing, Breaking and Graffiti.  The music has become synonymous with the culture, but where there’s music, there’s dance.  Here are some classic b-boy moments.  Enjoy.

(Yes…that was the young homie Ice-T)

(and for the new school…)

Erykah Badu sings The Healer, her ode to hip-hop, at the House of Blues. Can you dig it?

If you have not seen Erykah Badu live, please do so if you are a fan of R&B, neosoul or hip-hop music.  She is a consummate performer who brings it every night (well…most nights…) she performs.  When she is on, she is a siren.  You will be brought under her spell and thankful for it.  Her songs are typically re-arranged from the album version to be MUCH funkier.  Often, they feature samples of hip-hop classics.  Whatever may seem too abstract on the album is brought down to earth and fully to life in concert.  The clip above does not do it justice, but it’s a start.  Hip-Hop.  It’s bigger than the government…

Is T-Pain hip-hop? He is when he has Rick Ross on his new track.

The rapper ternt sanga drops Rap Song, his first single in a while and he brought out Ricky Rozay to make it hot.  Did he succeed?  Click here to listen and download.  Props to hiphopconnection.com.

Skillz has alway been slept on. His tribute to DJ AM called Adam is dope. The beat is official.

Click here to download.

Buckshot Shorty rocked the stage with KRS-One at Rock the Bells in New York yesterday. Check out the original song used in Who Got Da Props.

Old School hip-hop was in full effect yesterday at Rock the Bells.  Snoop, Lauryn, KRS, Slick Rick, Rakim, Wu-Tang and A Tribe Called Quest all did material from their best albums.  KRS-One’s set was one of the highlights as he bought out both Buckshot and Super Natural (maybe the illest freestyler ever).  Of course, Buckshot did Who Got the Props, one of the all time classics…Props go to Ronnie Laws for creating the original song.

Tidal Wave

Who Got the Props

Speaking of Drake…he, Bun B and Boi1da team up to lace Pimp C’s new track What Up.

Pimp C’s final album drops in October.  This is the first single. If it’s any indication it will be the second classic dropped by a member of UGK this year.  Click here to listen and download.

Diddy’s Dirty Money track Loving You No More ft Drake is a nice way to end the summer.

This one has the same kind of mid-tempo chilled out feel that Drake’s album has.  Will Dirty Money’s Last Train to Paris ever drop?  Click here to listen to the song and download in the meantime.

My Mic Sounds Nice the new documentary from BET premieres on 8/30 at 10pm. It is one of the best hip-hop films ever.

If you are a fan of hip-hop, documentaries or just great TV, check out the premiere of My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip-Hop on BET at 10pm on Monday, August 30.  The show is the most comprehensive look at the role of women in hip-hop, ever, and it will be one of the best shows you have ever seen on BET.  The film, produced by Ava DuVernay who also produced This Is the Life (a documentary on the rise of Bay Area underground hip-hop ) for Showtime, takes a look at the complicated evolution of women in hip-hop and attempts to answer the question of why there are so few women currently in the genre.  The story is told chronologically and touches on virtually every female MC of note including Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, Salt N Pepa, Queen Latifah, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Trina, Nicki Minaj and many, many others.  The film is slickly shot (watch in HD if at all possible) with stark colors and interesting portraits of its subjects.  If you were to pause many of the interviews, the composition would look like a photo from a coffee table book on hip-hop luminaries.  More importantly, the substance of the film is equally engaging and does a lot to stimulate the dialogue on just why hip-hop is so lacking in the female voice.  Check out the teaser for My Mic Sounds Nice: A Truth About Women and Hip-Hop and, in honor of the female MCs it documents, the 5 best to ever do it (in order…):

My Mics Sounds Nice teaser

Lauryn Hill

Missy Elliot

MC Lyte

Queen Latifah

Salt N Pepa (Sorry Kim and Foxy…)

New school is showing love to the old school today. Big K.R.I.T. rides a Souls of Mischief track on Somedayz

Somedayz – Big K.R.I.T.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Click here to download Somedayz.

Here’s the classic Souls of Mischief joint, ’93 til Infinity:

…as well as an ill version by Kidz in the Hall, Wheelz Fall Off (’06 Til):

…finally the original, a song called Heather by Billy Cobham.  The sampled part start at 2:03 (wait for it…):

Freddie Gibbs put his spin on a classic Dr Dre beat (really Isaac Hayes) on his latest song Something New and did it real justice.

Check out the video showing a bit of the making of the song and click below for the download.

Closed Sessions: Freddie Gibbs

Click here to download Something New.

Also, check out a few other uses of the sample by Dr. Dre, as well as the original by Isaac Hayes which was MUCH slower than any of the samples.  Which do you like best?

XXPlosive – Dr. Dre

Bag Lady – Erykah Badu

Bumpy’s Lament – Isaac Hayes