5STARHIPHOP.COM

If you remember a few weeks ago I brought you my interview with the up-and-coming, St. Louis/Columbia based artist Goone.  After witnessing his lyrical ability in an amateur “rap battle” held here at the University of Missouri and hearing more of his music, I held the belief that Goone definitely had the talent to move upwards in this rap game.  Today, I am pleased to bring you his debut mixtape, Calm Before The Storm.  With 13 tracks, this mixtape is the beginning of Goone’s journey into what hopefully is a successful rap career.  So download the tape below, give it a listen and as always, comments are appreciated.  Enjoy.

Download: Goone – Calm Before The Storm (Mixtape)

Saints Superbowl Victory Celebration from Cottage Films on Vimeo.

In the overall scheme of things, sports and music are pretty insignificant.  But after waching this video of Saints fans celebrating their first ever Super Bowl victory, it reminds me how important sports can be to a city and to a country.  The same goes for music.  Hit the jump to read my short article on why sports and music matter so much to us and to see another amazing clip of Saints fans celebrating.   Continue reading this post »

As much as I love the big names and established artists in hip-hop, it is always a pleasure to discover a local kid who has the talent to make it in the hip-hop game.  If you remember a while back I brought you Wes Blaze from Cleveland, Ohio.  Well today I would like to introduce you to Marc Goone, a.k.a Goone, out of St. Louis, MO.  I first met Goone covering a local rap battle for the paper I wrote for last semester.  I immediately recognized his talent, and with a mixtape on the way, Goone is beginning his journey into hip-hop.  Hit the jump for my interview with him, and download three tracks from his upcoming mixtape, Calm Before The Storm.  Enjoy!

Download: Goone-Hip Hop Stick

Download: Goone-What I Am Not
Download: Goone-Money To Blow (Remix)

Continue reading this post »

If you were to ask a hip-hop fan to name of of the most classic albums of all time, many of them would probably immediately reply, “Illmatic by Nas, son!” If you then asked that same hip-hop fan what his or her favorite Nas album is, lllmatic, God’s Son, and Stillmatic are all likely answers that would come out of their mouth. But no one ever talks about Untitled, the 2008 release that should have sent shock waves through the hip-hop community but seemingly came and went quieter than a Bow Wow album. From its social relevance to its unbelievable lyricism to its ability to make the entire country take a new look at the “n” word, I maintain that Untitled is better than Illmatic. Hit the jump to read part one of my breakdown of the album and how important to not just hip-hop culture, but American culture Untitled truly is. Continue reading this post »

That’s right! You are eligible to win a chance to see Kid Cudi and Chip Tha Ripper live at a show tomorrow night (January 6th) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To enter to win, add me on twitter and @Reply me (@yoleviguy) with the subject matter being “Kid Cudi ticket.” That’s it.  That’s how you win. I will pick the winner at random and you will be notified via Twitter.

For details of the concert, click here.

JZ Axe and I decided to try somethin new here on 5STARHIPHOP.COM.  Instead of just writing the post like we normally do, we decided to post a few videos discussing our picks for the top Albums and mixtapes as the year 2009 is coming to an end.  Some of our picks include the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Curren$y, J. Cole, Wale, and Fashawn.  Check out the videos to see where your favorite rappers rank on our lists.  Up top you’ll see the album picks, and hit the jump for the Mixtapes as well as sleepers and disappointments.

Continue reading this post »

Wale’s highly anticipated debut album dropped a week ago, and I could hardly wait to get my hands on it. While Attention Deficit is a stellar album, I couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed after multiple listens.  Read why and the rest of my review after the jump. Continue reading this post »

Due to the amazing volume of responses that we received last week to the first installment of our Hip-Hop Discussions here at 5 Star Hip Hop, we decided to make it a weekly series.

So, as promised, here is the second installment of our weekly discussions, with a newly branded name; The Hip Hop Round Table.  We will give our opinions on a certain topic and would appreciate if you weighed in with your own $0.02 in the comments.

This week’s topics: 1. The Lack of Female MC’s in Hip Hop  2. Fav song of the moment?

Hit the jump for our thoughts and make sure to leave your own!

Continue reading this post »

As my peers here at the journalism school at Mizzou have taught me, public feedback and public involvement in stories and conversation is essential. As you have noticed, I like to switch it up on this site a little, and today I want to hear from you guys.  There are some definite hip-hop issues on my mind dealing with Drake and Gucci Mane, and I want to hear what you (the readers) have to say.  Hit the jump to read some of the issues/questions I am talking about and comment with your feedback.  Hip-hop needs a dialogue from its followers just like politics, race and other pressing issues do.

UPDATE: Because of the great response to this post, 5 Star Hip Hop will be making these discussions into a weekly series.  So follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/jzaxe or @jzaxe and let me know what topics you guys want to talk about next week!

Continue reading this post »

I want to take a break from the bigger names in hip-hop for a minute and showcase an up and coming artist from Cleveland Heights, OH.  His name is Wesley Ingram, a.k.a. Wes Blaze.  I have seen this kid at work, making music non-stop in the four years that I have known him, and all of that effort is culminated in his debut mixtape, The Sound Of Somethin Different.  From making every beat on the record to his unique flow and wordplay, I truly believe Wes has a ton of talent.  So download the tape, give it a quality listen, and comment with your feedback.  If you are feeling Wes like I am, pass his music on to a friend, and if you aren’t, then just delete it from your computer.  But I think if you kick back and listen to this kid, you will hear that talent I am talking about.  Cleveland stand up!

Download: Wes Blaze-The Sound Of Somethin Different

I think one reason I love hip-hop so much is because there is a constant stream of music given to us each day.  Be it mixtapes, albums, freestyles or just throwaway singles, artists are constantly flooding the internet with new material.  Some are criticized for emphasizing quantity over quality (cough Lil’ Wayne cough) but no hip-hop fan can complain about not having enough music to listen to.  You don’t find Kings Of Leon dropping mixtapes every week.  So here is my preview of what’s to come from the world of hip-hop as we move toward the fall/winter months.  Hit that jump! Continue reading this post »

My man Wale has been everywhere lately.  From his special on BET’s Rising Icons to performing as the house band at the VMAs, DC’s finest has been gracing our television screens left and right.  Then, he announced that he would be going on tour with his mentor and a hip-hop legend, then one and only Jay-Z.  Things couldn’t get any better, right?  Well, Don Cannon has released a mixtape to coincide with the release of NBA 2k10.  Wale’s joint is the finale of the tape, and he does not disappoint.  Wale loves sports, and this track, entitled “I’ma Champ” finds Wale at his lyrical best as he delivers sports similes that will leave you hitting the rewind button again and again.  You may not like his style, but Wale’s lyrical ability is out of this world.  Hit the jump for the lyrics and download link. Continue reading this post »

Have you ever thought to yourself, after listening to one of your favorite hip-hop songs, “Damn, dude went in on that verse!”?  I quite often find myself in awe of certain verses, and I want to start sharing these lyrical masterpieces with you all.  Todays verse comes from one-third of the West Coast group Pac Div.  Mibbs goes in on the self-titled “Pac Div” off of the group’s most recent mixtape, Church League Champions.  Hit the jump for the lyrics to his verse and a download link for the song.  What it is one time, Pac Div! Continue reading this post »

Jay-Z’s latest album, Blueprint 3 has suffered a change of release date, according to Amazon.com as well as Rhapsody.com, which have moved the release date of the album.  The album, which was previously set to be released Friday, September 11th, will now be due out three days earlier, Tuesday,September 8th.  The change in release date is most likely directly related to the early leak of Jay-Z’s album which leaked in its entirety last week, a full two weeks before the album was set to grace shelves.  The September 11th date was an important date to the RocNation founder, Jay-Z; the very first “Blueprint” release was released September 11th, 2001,a date shared with the September 11th attacks on the Twin Towers plagued the country.

After a one-month hiatus (did you miss it?), The Sunday Rewind returns with Volume 12.  The Sunday Rewind is a compilation of tracks that ARE NOT NEW. They are tracks that could be 5 months old to 50 years old.  They are simply songs that  I felt needed to get attention.  All of these songs are “5 Stars”.  The Sunday Rewind is done on the first Sunday of each month.  Check out Previous Sunday Rewinds.

Cam’ron – Down and Out ft. Kanye West & Syleena Johnson

Cam’ron is most known for his own, unique style of wordplay over an unique instrumental.  “Down and Out”, which appeared on the 2004 album, Purple Haze, is a bit different.  Yes, Cam still delivers his unique wordplay over great production, except he gets some help from super-producer, Kanye West and vocalist Syleena Johnson, both of whom appear on the chorus of the record.

DOWNLOAD: Cam’ron – Down and Out ft. Kanye West & Syleena Johnson (MP3)

K-Ci and JoJo – Tell Me It’s Real

Staring at the face of what many have dubbed as “The Sophomore jinx” in music, K-Ci and JoJo were faced with the challenge of making not only another hit single, but another great album.  Not only did K-Ci and JoJo succeed in getting past the “jinx”, they did so by reaching number 8 on the Billboard 200, led by the hit song “Tell Me It’s Real”, the single from their sophomore album, It’s Real, which would go on to become certified platinum.

DOWNLOAD: K-Ci and JoJo – Tell Me It’s Real (MP3)

Nelly – Batter Up ft. St. Lunatics

“Batter Up” is the final single taken from Nelly’s debut album, Country Grammar, both of which were released in 2001.  Many younger listeners may not realize that the chorus of the song alludes to the classic television sitcom, The Jeffersons.  The music video even featured the star of the show, Sherman Hemsley, along with the St. Lunatics.

DOWNLOAD: Nelly – Batter Up ft. St. Lunatics (MP3)

UGK – International Players Anthem ft. Outkast

Just months before Pimp C’s sudden death, UGK released “International Players Anthem”, a record that would feature Outkast and be known as the “summer anthem” of 2007  by many for its distinct, yet fresh sound.  The record would later be featured on UGK’s self titled album.  The song was also nominated for a Grammy.  The music video was awarded “Video of the Year” at the 2008 BET Awards.

DOWNLOAD: Outkast – International Players Anthem ft. Outkast (MP3)

Warren G & Nate Dogg – Regulate

“Regulate”, a breakout record from Warren G & Nate Dogg, is considered a classic record amongst many hip hop fans.  Released in summer 1994, the song tells a story of 2 homies uniting to do one thing; find women.  Though they run into some obstacles, the feat is accomplished near the end of the song.  Many still consider this recording  the ultimate cruise & chill song.

DOWNLOAD: Warren G & Nate Dogg – Regulate (MP3)

This is a 5 Star Original written by Mr. 5 Star