Gotta show love to ODB. Check out Raekwon’s tribute to him called Ason Jones.

Happy born day, ODB.  RIP.

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:

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Kanye West is really killing the game right now. Check out his remix of Power from SNL.

Not only did Kanye change his second verse which originally skewered the SNL cast, he also managed to do a scaled down live version of his groundbreaking video. The new verse is dope, but it’s a bit surprising that he changed it. Big Brother Hov had no problem looking the Yankees in the face at their World Series victory celebration and saying he “made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can…” Given the new image Kanye is crafting, he probably did the right thing to Runaway (check the remix ft Raekwon and Justin Bieber) from the SNL verse on the show.

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Click here to download the SNL version.

Kanye West continues to be G.O.O.D. to his fans. This week’s track is Lord Lord Lord ft Mos Def, Swizz Beats, Raekwon and Charlie Wilson.

This track is built on a 70’s funk jam.  It’s different from anything Kanye has done in a long while.  Check it out for yourself here.

Diggy Simmons is legit. People will not look at him as Run’s son for long (if they even do now…). Check out his new AIRBORNE mixtape.

Diggy burst onto the scene last Winter with his Made You Look freestyle over Nas’ classic track.  Six months later and he’s dropping his own mixtape with the likes of Raekwon, Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell.  The future is looking bright for the rap legacy of the Simmons family.  Click here to download the mixtape.  The track list is below.  Here’s Oh Yeah ft. Lupe and Pharrell:

1. AirBorne feat. Wynter Gordon (Intro) (prod. Black The Beast)
2. Thinkin’ Bout U feat. Bei Maejor (prod. T- Minus)
3. Big Bad World feat. Colin Munroe (prod. Black The Beast)
4. As I am feat. Shianne Phillips (prod. Black The Beast)
5. Put You On feat. Chris Brown (prod. Black The Beast)
6. Super Hero Music feat. Raekwon (prod. Boi-1da)
7. Oh Yeah feat. Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell (prod. Omen & Black The Beast)
8. AirPlane Skit
9. No Gravity feat. K2 (prod. Black The Beast)
10. You Got Me Now feat. Jacob Latimore (prod. Kane Beatz)
11. The Vision feat. Ghostwridah & Eric B (prod. Neako)
12. This Feelin’ (Outro) (prod. Deputy)
13. Great Expectations feat. Bei Maejor (Bonus) (prod. Black The Beast)

Wow. Faith Evans MURDERED her version of Biggie’s classic Everyday Struggle. She didn’t even need Raekwon’s verse (but it didn’t hurt).

Click here to download.

Here’s Biggie’s track, in case it’s been a while:

And, in case you’re interested, here’s the original track Biggie sampled, Either Way by Dave Grusin:

Bun B has been steady on the grustle lately. This time he cooks up some soul food with Chef Raekwon on Never Matter to You.

Click here to listen and download.

The 19th most important hip-hop record label of all time is…

#19 Loud Records

Steve Rifkin may not be a household name like Suge Knight, Sean “Puffy” Combs or Baby aka The Birdman, but his impact on hip-hop is enduring just the same.  In the 90’s, his Loud Records put out some of the grimiest hip-hop  that had ever been heard.  Additionally, his new guerilla marketing techniques of bombing the streets with stickers, flyers and posters on any space that wasn’t already covered (now known as street marketing) completely changed the game for how record companies (and eventually most other companies…) made people aware of upcoming product.  As impactful as street marketing was, the Loud musical legacy continues to influence hip-hop to this day.  Here are some of the labels key releases:

C.R.E.A.M. – Wu Tang Clan

Still Not a Player – Big Pun (R.I.P.)

Shook Ones Pt. II – Mobb Deep

Ice Cream – Raekwon

Hip-Hop – Dead Prez

Daaam  – Tha Alkaholiks

X – Xzibit

Previously:  #20 Rakwus Records