1) Pharoahe Monch W.A.R.(We Are Renegades) (W.A.R. Media/Duck Down Music)
2) Zion I & The Grouch are Heroes in the Healing of the Nation (Z&G Music)
3) Lupe Fiasco Lasers (Atlantic Recording Corp).
4) Far East Movement Free Wired (Cherrytree/Interscope Records)
5) Gucci Mane Return of Mr. Zone 6 (Warner Brothers)
Last week the recently released Pharoahe Monch album W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) was number three on the Amoeba chart. This week the powerful, highly recommended release by the longtime emcee & former member of legendary early 90's hip-hop crew Organized Konfusion, who is currently on tour in Europe (he plays Sommercasino in Basel, Switzerland tonight), has the number one selling hip-hop album at the Hollywood Amoeba. Thanks to Ray Ricky Rivera for the latest chart, which also includes Zion I & The Grouch's latest collab, Lupe Fiasco, Far East Movement, and Gucci Mane.
Return of Mr. Zone 6 is the new release from Radic Davis, aka Gucci Mane, who teamed up with his
regular production potna Drumma Boy, who produced the majority of this 13 track album, with both Southside and Zaytoven adding production to two other tracks. Cameo mic spots include Waka Flocka Flame, Wale, Master P, OJ Da Juiceman, Cash Money's Baby, Webbie, 8ball, Rocko and Wooh the Kid.On Thursday, April 7th, longtime Oakland rapper Dub Esquire will be throwing a hometown record release party (he's already done one down in LA) for his new release Rap Starz. If you attend, dress to impress, as the whole party will be recorded by a film crew for the artist's next music video, "Smoke Away The Past." The party kicks off at 9pm on Thursday at The Stork Club. More info here.
The DMC DJ Battlefield 2011 kicked off last weekend in San Antonio, TX, where DJ Qbase of Elmendorf, TX took the top title and runner up was Rob Ohm Ortega from Albuquerque, NM. In third place was The Don Santos aka Santos C. Pastrana III of Houston, TX. Last night was the New Orleans DJ battle and tonight is the Miami DMC DJ Battlefield. More info here.
The tireless hip-hop recording artist and hip-hop organizer Murs has been instrumental in helping make today's big Paid Dues hip-hop festival in LA happen. Murs 3:16 & Gueril
la Union present the ambitious 6th Annual 2011 Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Festival which begins at noon sharp today NOS Event Center, San Bernardino, CA. The impressive lineup has a really nice, diverse mix of hip-hop styles and flavors (lots from the Bay Area) that should appeal to most hip-hop heads.
This lineup includes (naturally) Murs himself, E-40, Andre Nickatina, rap supergroup Slaughterhouse, Lil B the Based God, The Shock G Trio (feat. Humpty Hump & Dj Fuse), Eligh, Mistah Fab, Opio, Chino XL, Black Star, Immortal Technique, Bun B, Sage Francis, Asher Roth & Nottz are Rawth, Heavy Metal Kings (Ill Bill x Vinnie Paz), P.O.S., Dead Prez, Krizz Kaliko, Binary Star, Visionaries, Black Hippy, Eternia, U-N-I, King Fantastic, Droop-E, DJ Muggs VS Sick Jacken x Bambu x Planet Asia, DJ Exile VS Blu & Fashawn, Grindtime Now All Stars feat. Johnny Storm VS Dizaster & Real Deal VS Dirtbag Dan, and DJ Numark, who is in the video above talking about the fest and his new mix and forthcoming album. Check out complete listing here. Click here for all the details about the fest!
Kool Moe Dee "Wild Wild West"
1970's as part of the legendary rap crew The Treacherous Three before going solo and becoming a major rap star in the 80's, scoring hits with songs like "Wild, Wild, West" (above) and "How Ya Like Me Now," a song that was just one part of his extended very public feud with LL Cool J back in the day.As well as countless 2011 concert dates planned (he's currently on the road with the Salt n Pepa organized Legends of Hip-Hop Tour with fellow old school acts Kurtis Blow, Biz Markie, Slick Rick, and Doug E Fresh), Kool Moe Dee is reportedly in the studio working on all new album; one that has actually been promised since 2009 when he officially began his return to the rap game after a long hiatus in 2009. When released, the still untitled album will be the artist's first new album since 1994's Interlude on Ichiban Records.
Alternative rapper Lupe Fiasco, whose latest release, Lasers, is number three on this week's Amoeba hip-hop chart, has been added to the bill for next month's UCLA 25th annual Jazz/Reggae Festival as one of the headlining acts along with such other acts as Sean Paul. Lupe is scheduled to perform on May 29th -- the "Jam day" of the three day Memorial Weekend festival. More info here.
