Chilly Gonzales To Release The First Orchestral Rap Album

Chilly Gonzales has announced a new album, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales,which will be the world's first orchestral rap album. A follow up to his last album Ivory Tower, which yielded piano-driven rap hits "The Grudge" and "Crying" the new release is a creative progression of sorts.

Arranged by Hollywood film composer Christopher Beck and influenced by Prokofiev, Morricone and Phillip Glass, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales features plenty of old-school Hollywood swells, tympani rolls and French horns, as revealed by "The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales Medley." Take a listen to the track HERE.

The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales will be released digitally on June 7. 

Jay-Z And Kanye West Switch Hotels To Finish 'Watch The Throne'

I guess the phrase "location, location, location" not only applies in business but in superstar collaborations. According to The New York Post, the duo has switched recording spots from the swanky Mercer Hotel to the equally upscale Tribeca Grand Hotel in Manhattan.

Much of Watch The Throne's recording process has taken place in makeshift studios around the globe, from the Mercer in NYC's Soho District to Paris. According to the New York Post's source, it looks like the two recognize it's crunch time. "They were laying down tons of tracks," a witness said. "It was intense -- no Beyoncé and no booze."

Versis: "Slow Down"

When comes to sex, many rappers broach the subject with lurid tales of menage`a trois, endless one night stands and other assorted stories of groupie love. Versis takes a more nuanced, lyrically dexterous approach to love and sex with the track "Slow Down," from his album. iLLCANDESCENT  While not denying  there's some ladies "that he wouldn't mind beseeching" he's also aware of the potential consequences of thinking with the wrong head. Watch the video for song below.


Versis "Slow Down" from JeromeD.com on Vimeo.

Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV Gets Pushed Back, Nicki Minaj Talks New Album

Lil Wayne fans will have to wait a little while longer for the rap star's highly anticipated Tha Carter IV to drop. According to Vibe.com, label reps have confirmed that Wayne's new album will be released on June 21, more than a month after its original May 16 release date.

In other Young Money news, Nicki Minaj gave a few tidbits about her second album during a recent radio appearance on KIIS FM. “You’ll get another album within 12 months,” she told KIIS FM’s JoJo. “You’ll get the announcement for the next album in—and I’m saying the announcement—that you’ll get the announcement in September. That’s all.” Minaj is currently on the I Am Music II tour with Wayne, but will hit the road with Britney Spears for her Femme Fatale tour in June.

Lil Wayne Reveals 'Tha Carter IV' Cover Art

Lil Wayne has revealed the official cover art for Tha Carter IV. Continuing with the childhood picture theme of his last full-length, the new album's cover shows a young Dwayne Carter possibly in kindergarten or the second grade, complete with cap and gown and covered in his grown up tattoos. While the album has no official release date, it's set to include features from Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Drake, and should drop at some point this summer.

Wu-Tang Clan Announce June UK Tour

The Wu-Tang Clan have announced a five date tour of the U.K. Slated to begin in June, the eight-man rap group will play two shows at London's HMV Forum on June 11 and 12. The tour will end on June 15 with a headlining performance at Manchester Academy.

Tickets will go on sale tomorrow at 9am GMT. For more information, NME.com/Tickets.

Double Vid Pick: Xzibit Ft. Young De "Man On The Moon"/G-Side "Came Up"

Having come across two clips today that I found pretty cool, I thought I'd do a rare double vid pick. First up is a new video from rap veteran Xzibit and Young De for the new single "Man On The Moon," the first offering from his upcoming album MMXI. The clip shows the rappers underwater brandishing different objects for both serious and comic effect. It's simple but effective.



The other vid pick is Alabama duo G-Side's documentary-style clip for "Came Up." Far from a glammed up hometown trip through the hood, with scenes filmed in rundown project hallways and buildings. The visuals are made all the more poignant by the track, which features melancholy violins and atmospheric keyboards. ST 2 Lettaz told Spin "We went back to the block. We back to where we came from -- back to the basics to show where we came up from." Adds Yung Clova, "We wanted to show people our hometown."

Watch the video below.

Q&A: The Five One

Currently making waves with the hip pop jam "Closing Time," Virginia rap group The Five One have been playing the genre mashup game for a minute, reworking hit from a diverse group of artists ranging from Janet Jackson to Vampire Weekend. In a quick chat with Indies And The Underground, the group talks about how they got their name, the power of old-school Disney movies, and their favorite songs on the radio.

How did you come up with the name The Five One?

The name represents the area where we all are from as the 51st state.  its the part of Virginia thats right next to DC. DC suburbs.

What were your early musical/songwriting influences?

Early Disney movies like Robin Hood and Jungle Book, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley and the list goes on but if you day early influences I think it all starts with Disney for us and sat Morning Cartoons.

You guys have reworked songs by Daft Punk, Vampire Weekend, Janet Jackson and Semisonic for the new track "Closing Time." How do you approach remixing/remaking a song?

Things that we listen to will just speak to us and we find a song working a song just rework the concepts like a filmmakers do.

You're also one of the few live bands in rap. How do you feel that influences your music?

It brings an element of freedom which allows us to not think of genres and style 

What are your top 3 favorite songs on the radio right now ?

Wocka Flocka - Hard in the Paint , Wocka Flocka "No Hands," and if Rebecca Black - Friday is on the radio that's it.

Nicki Minaj To Tour With Britney Spears

It's official: Nicki Minaj will be joining Britney Spears as the opening act for her Femme Fatale tour. According to TMZ, sources involved in the negotiation said the deal was signed a few days ago after Enrique Igleasias dropped out. The tour is set to kick off June 17th in Sacramento, CA.

Minaj is currently on the road with Lil Wayne and Rick Ross as part of the I Am Music II tour.

New Music: Jill Scott Ft. Eve "Shame"

Two of Philly's finest come together for this souful, sultry jam. The single, Scott's first offering from her upcoming fourth album The Light Of The Sun, is a bouncy, midtempo jam featuring the singer's trademark vibrant vocals and self-confident lyrical swagger. Listen HERE.

Artist Profile: The Five One

Forming in Reston, Virginia The Five One crafted their music, a mix of hip hop, R&B, reggae and indie rock, in a basement full of guitars, a drum set and recording equipment. The multicultural, genre-hopping approach carries over into the The Five One's personal philosophy as well. Each member goes by only different colors--guitarist Red, drummer Blue, keyboardist/vocalist Green and bassist Gold--to distance themselves from the complexities of social identities.

The group toured relentlessly around the DMV (Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia) area, performing at the Afro Punk Festival in 2008 with a diverse lineup that included Janelle Monae, Saul Williams and Murs.

They attracted more attention with their Road To SXSW digital album, which featured remixes and remakes of songs from an eclectic range of artists ranging from Janet Jackson's "Got 'Til It's Gone," Daft Punk's "Need You Now," Vampire Weekend's "District of Colossus" and Outkast's "Spottieottiedopaliscious."

The Five One's latest single, the Semisonic-sampling "Closing Time," is set for release in June. Listen to it and watch the clip for the song below. You can listen to Road To SXSW and view the band's upcoming tour dates at the band's official site.

Video: Dot Freestyling In The Studio

Watch this video of Dot busting out a freestyle in the studio. The NYC rapper is set to drop a video for his next single "Sunset In New York" soon.

Big K.R.I.T. Releases Free Mixtape

Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T., who recently inked a major-label deal with Def Jam off the buzz of his independently released debut K.R.I.T. Wuz Here,  has just dropped a 25-song mixtape entitled  Return of 4Eva. The mixtape features guest spots from Ludacris, Bun B, fellow Mississippi MC David Banner and others.

And although his proper full-length debut isn't expected to come out until later this year, K.R.I.T, whose real name is Justin Scott, told Spin that he has big ambitions for his music. "I want to write music that, every time you hear it, evokes an emotion," he said. "Marvin Gaye or Curtis Mayfield or Bobby Womack... their music managed to survive and grow, crossing generations, years after it came out. That's what I want to accomplish."


You can download Big K.R.I.T's mixtape at his official site for free.

Remix Of The Week: Snoop Dogg "Gin And Juice (Laid Back Remix)"

If you didn't think it was possible for Snoop to get any more laid back, then you thought wrong nephew. Listen to this chilled out remix of "Gin and Juice" below:

New Music: Lil Wayne "If I Die Today"

On "If I Die Today," supposedly the second single from the forthcoming Tha Carter IV, Weezy remakes Rick Ross' "I'm Not A Star" in his own image, toning down the breakneck, maniacal flows dispensed on "6 Foot, 7 Foot" for a more a focused blast of chest-pounding menace. Ross returns the favor by adding a new verse on the track. You can listen to and download the song here.

Young Guru: "Watch The Throne" Is Almost Ready

Young Guru, a producer/engineer behind monster hits like Jay-Z's "H To The Izzo," Freeway's "What We Do" and Cam'Ron's "Oh Boy" told Vibe  Watch The Throne, Kanye and Jay-Z's hotly anticipated joint LP, is almost finished.

“Right now, I’m really trying to get Jay and Kanye to hurry up and finish this Watch The Throne album because the world needs to hear it," Guru said, while taking a break at the SXSW festival. “It just needs little tweaks and things like that. But the core of the album is finished."

While he hasn't contributed any beats himself, Guru confirmed that West, Q-Tip, No I.D. and Pete Rock have all created potential songs for the album. “Kanye takes what they do and adds on to it and I think that’s his genius. I say this all the time ‘Kanye records are never the same twice, while he’s making them because they always grow.’"

Guru remained mum on any guest appearances or other details about the album, but hinted at future Jay-Z projects. Watch The Throne currently has no release date. Watch the interview below.

Artist Profile: The Movement Fam

The Movement Fam, made up of rapper Cee and singer Bekah, as well as occasional appearances from solo rapper Notion, craft a mix of hip hop, soul and pop/rock they define as "Soul Hop." Originally hailing from Melbourne before making their way to Toronto, their music mines the soulful, R&B-influenced hip hop of Common, College Dropout-era Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

Tracks like "Livin' This Life" blend DJ scratching, Bekah's sultry vocals and guitar licks while Cee nimbly spits rhymes about being successful against all odds. The old-school soul sampling "Anything For You" gives Bekah space to get her Alicia Keys on, as she wails over the track about a loyal lover. But lyrically the theme consistently turns back to the struggle for success.

"Even though I'm so imperfect/I'm so determined/Been doin' this for too long to be crashin' and burnin'" Notion raps in "All Of This Time" while Bekah advises "Don't look back/The past is dead," in "Livin' This Life." Romance is fine, but unbridled ambition and love for the music are the group's real motivations. Such determination, along with their evolving style, will likely propel them into the stratosphere of superstardom they desire. Listen to a few tracks below:

Lil Wayne's The Carter IV To Drop May 16th

Lil Wayne's highly-anticipated The Carter IV will be released on May 16th. The superstar rapper revealed the news on MTV during the opening night for his I Am Music II Tour in Rhode Island.

"Tha Carter IV is done," Wayne said. "All they need to do is tell Tez [Wayne's Manager, Cortez Bryant] to stop sitting on it…It can come out tomorrow 'cause I'm so finished…Tha Carter IV will be dropping May 16. If you're not doing anything, do me."

The new disc will be Wayne's first release since he was released from prison last September, and while much of material was recorded before his prison stint, it is likely that the album will feature all newly recorded tracks.  Besides The Carter IV's first single, the Bangladesh-produced "6 Foot, 7 Foot," Wayne has been tight-lipped about the rest of album.

Young Money protege Nicki Minaj told MTV News she'd done a verse for the album while on the set of her "Super Bass" video. "I think Carter IV is gonna just be exceptional, of course," she said. "I think Wayne is definitely on his grind crazy right now."

Remix Of The Week: Ice Cube Ft. DMX "We Be Clubbin'"

East met West in this fiyah remix to Cube's '98 cut from The Player's Club. Watch below:

Nate Dogg Dead At 41

Rapper/singer Nate Dogg is dead at the age of 41. Born Nathaniel D. Hale, he was an integral part of the west coast rap scene, collaborating on tracks like Warren G's "Regulate" and Dr. Dre's "Next Episode," as well as hits by rappers like Westside Connection 50 Cent, Eminem and Fabolous.

Close friend and collaborator Snoop Dogg confirmed the news, tweeting "RIP NATE DOGG," and later tweeted: "We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met."

Hale had been battling health complications after suffering two strokes in recent years.  Watch a few of Nate Dogg's greatest collaborations below: