With no G.O.O.D. Friday (or Saturday) it’s been a slow weekend in hip-hip. Here are some blasts from the past that you may not have heard in a minute to help get you to Monday.

Speaking of G.O.O.D. Friday, what do you think happened?  Kanye promised new music each Friday through Christmas.  Do you think it had something to do with his album leaking, the Matt Lauer interview or something else altogether?  In the absence of a new Kanye joint, here’s some good music.

Common and Lupe Fiasco spit while Jennifer Hudson sings the blues over a No I.D. track. That = dopeness. Check out the video for We Can Do It Now.

Here’s a video showing the story behind We Can Do It Now.

Click here to see the video courtesy of 2dopeboyz.com.

Check out the Cyphers from BET’s Hip-Hop Awards ft Kanye West, Common, Pusha T, Big Sean, Raekwon, Ice Cube, Diggy Simmons, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf and many more.

The BET Hip-Hop Awards have been featuring Cyphers for years and they’ve taken a life of their own. Last year’s launched the career of Nicki Minaj. This year’s are the best yet. Check them out:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

Vodpod videos no longer available.

 

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Kanye West continues G.O.O.D. Fridays with…G.O.O.D. Friday ft Charlie Wilson, Common, Pusha T, Big Sean & KiD CuDi

Click here to download.

Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape has finally dropped. Check it out here.

A lot of cuts have already leaked from here, but it’s still worth copping the mixtape.  Click here to download.  Tracklist is below:

1. Consequence f. Common and Talib Kweli, “It’s G.O.O.D. Music”
2. Pusha T f. CyHi Da Prynce, “Popular Demand” (Remix)
3. GLC f. Shawn Chrystopher, “I’m G.O.O.D.”
4. GLC, “G.O.O.D. Man”
5. Big Sean f. Kanye West, “Whatever You Want”
6. Big Sean f. Paije “So G.O.O.D.”
7. Tony Williams, “Everything About You” (Snippet)
8. John Legend, “Dream” (Snippet)
9. Fonzworth Bentley, “G.O.O.D. Bye Love”
10. GLC, “Got Me Gone”
11. Amber Rose “Never Get Enough” (Skit)
12. KiD CuDi f. Kanye West, “Erase Me”
13. Mr. Hudson, “Watch You Move” (Live)
14. Mr. Hudson, “Love Never Dies”
15. Tony Williams, “You Never Know”
16. Tony Williams, “All the King’s Horses” (Skit)
17. Rick Ross f. Kanye West, GLC and Tony Williams, “Live Fast Die Young” (Remix)
18. Kanye West f. Lil Wayne, “Life of a Don” (Perajok Mix)
19. Kanye West, “See Me Now” (Skit)
20. Kanye West f. Beyonce and Charlie Wilson, “See Me Now”
21. KiD CuDi f. Kanye West, “Wylin Cause I’m Young”
22. GLC, “In It For Keeps”
23. Really Doe f. GLC, “Chicago”
24. Taz Arnold (aka TI$A) f. Major, “South$ide Blood Cuz’n”
25. Fonzworth Bentley, “Fireside Chat”
26. John Legend & The Roots f. Common and Melanie Fiona, “Wake Up Everybody”
27. KiD CuDi, “Mr. Rager”
28. Perajok & Kanye West, “Outro”
29. Kanye West, “Power” (Live)

Here are the 20 most important hip-hop record labels of all time.

Before record labels were considered “the enemy” their brands actually meant something.  Artists dreamed of being on the same label as the MCs they grew up idolizing and some labels had such credibility fans would buy the record just because it was on that label.

Over the next several days we will look at the 20 most important hip-hop record labels of all time as determined by a host of factors including credibility, sales, enduring legacy and cultural impact.  And, the labels are:

#20 Rawkus Records

In the late nineties and early 2000s, many thought Rawkus Records was going to be the next Def Jam.  They were putting out singles, compilations and albums of some of the most well-regarded underground hip-hop of the last several years.  They also launched the careers of some artists who still today (10 years later) are seen as among the most credible in hip-hop.  They even put out one of the earliest Eminem singles…Here are some of the key releases by Rawkus in its heyday:

Definition – Blackstar

Before they were widely known as Mos Def & Talib Kweli, they were known as Blackstar

Umi Says – Mos Def

Get By – Talib Kweli

Simon Says – Pharoahe Monch

Any Man – Eminem

Oh No – Mos Def ft. Nate Dogg and Pharoahe Monch

1-9-9-9 – Common ft. Sadat X

Previously:  #20 Rakwus Records, #19 Loud Records, #18 Select Records, #17 Rap-A-Lot Records, #16 No Limit Records, #15 Sleeping Bag Records, #14 Uptown Records, #13 Ruffhouse Records, #12 Cold Chillin’ Records, #11 Jive Records, #10 Aftermath Records, #9 Cash Money Records

Whoa. Estelle is also a dope rhymer.

I met Estelle recently.   She has great energy.  She’s one of those people who is just cool not because she’s trying to be cool but because it’s just who she is.  In fact, she’s so cool she cuts through pseudo cool.  Case in point, I saw her perform at a recent music industry event and she literally would not start until everyone got out of their chairs and made their way to the dance floor.  She waited a good 2 minutes and was calling people out table by table.  Once people got up, she rocked the house and had everybody dancing and that was…cool.  On this track, instead of singing she rhymes with Maino to Kanye’s They Say track originally produced for Common.  It’s a treat.  Click here to download.

In My Lifetime – Ayah

Ayah is the great DJ Jazzy Jeff’s latest protege.  She puts her spin on the sample of the timeless Everybody Loves the Sunshine by Roy Ayers, previously taken on by Mary and Trendz of Culture.  Those are BIG footsteps to follow, but Ayah does her thing.