I remember rap.

This is not the official video for Foster the People’s Helena Beat… but it should be:

LOLOLOL, what other platinum selling rapper hops out of a trunk to start his performance, and then goes on airlift? Only this guy nicknamed Ye.

Below, There are even more LOLs to be had at Kanye forcing a re-do during the opening of All Of The Lights when the (majority white) crowd didn’t call and respond to the “MJ Gone..” line loud enough.  A Rest In Peace shout-out to Black Eyed Peas was totally normal, too.

From the reviews ACL sounded like a swell job to wrap up the tour supporting My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Sacramento’s Chuuwee rapped over two minutes of haywire jazz sounds from producer Rufio’s new beat tape. The video captures a picturesque bedside studio session plus rhymes that might have been penned on the back of a Chinese takeout menu. Fun over frills hip-hop.

Can you really call it shoegaze if they’re barefoot? Regardless, beautiful song.

Von Pea’s beard is more refined, precise, and dynamic than your favorite rapper’s beard.

Torae getting his Fabolous on in this video from his Heart Failure mixtape. Hear that? It’s Marco Polo severing all ties.

Amy Winehouse died on Sunday. According to The Sun, a source close to her family said the cause was alcohol withdrawal. As a tribute, Big Boi posted this unreleased remix of “Tears Dry on their Own” by Organized Noize and Dungeon Family. A spokesman for Universal said there are twelve unreleased Amy Winehouse songs.

When Isaac Hayes and Gil Scott-Heron died, it didn’t hit me that hard, because I’m 22 years old and I discovered their music decades after after they made it. It was my parents’ music. But Amy was ours and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve lost a distant, but cherished family member.

As much as I love Slow Motion Soundz, I have to admit that their videos are usually unwatchable. The “How Far” video looks like a Windows 95 screensaver and “Inner Circle” was just uncomfortable on multiple levels. But they finally found the right visual approach with “Purple Onion,” which looks the “Flava in Ya Ear” remix with the Pop-Up Video treatment — crisp black and white images and tongue-in-cheek annotations. Download the track here. Also, S.L.A.S.H. steals the show.

via Villionaire Magazine

Crown Royal is sponsoring a mini Big Boi tour that hits DC tonight (they even let him design his own bag, which I’d like to obtain to fill with quarters.). The folks at Rolling Stone teamed up with them to bring the internets massive a live stream. Based on seeing Big Boi at Bonnaroo come through with  sharp raps, a lot of on stage dancing, a lively brass section, and just a straight up party vibe– you should definitely tune (stream?) in.

Watch the concert below: