C-Po – Hold It Down (FUTURE HIP HOP HIT)

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When we moved over to the new server, we lost a few of our most recent posts. This was one that got lost in the move. Future hip hop hit right here. Is “Hold It Down” Party-Playlist material?

Purchase “Hold It Down” in the iTunes Store

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Nipsey Hussle is a prime candidate to be the next West Coast hip hop superstar. Hiptics.com has an impressive track record when it comes to identifying the hip hop superstars of the future. For example:

Keep an eye on Drake because he’s going to BLOW UP in 2009/2010. -Hiptics.com (February 13, 2009)

And then today, I posted Drake’s Sprite commercial, which came out shortly after Drake had Eminem doing his adlibs at the Grammy’s. Yea, Drake blew up. Anyway, I posted Nipsey Hussle’s “Return Of The Mack” last month and had this to say:

Nipsey Hussle has a hit. Maybe I’ve been deprived of West Coast music like this for a few years, but the first listen of Nipsey Hussle’s “Return Of The Mack” had me screaming out “woooo!” like I was Puff Daddy on the adlibs. Props to J.R. Rotem for crafting such a fresh, funky instrumental.

As a DJ, I’ve tested “Return Of The Mack” among a lot of different college crowds and the reactions have been similar: “who is this?!” People love the song, but in order for it to become that song, it needs the right amount of marketing dollars behind it. Someone is investing in Nipsey’s hustle because he got a cameo in the We Are The World remake. That’s a serious look. This all leads to my big question: is Nipsey Hussle the next West Coast rapper to blow up? Let me know your thoughts!

Nipsey Hussle ft. Iyaz – Return Of The Mack

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Tony Yayo’s “Bullets Whistle” music video is like a promotional video for the 2nd Amendment. As far as the music goes, “Bullets Whistle” is a banger. The chorus itself earns the song an immediate replay. Hip Hop is starting to reflect the times as there are more and more agressive, hardcore songs hitting the net than this time last year. “Bullets Whistle” is a prime example. This sound of hip hop has been missing, but is making a return in 2010. Can you feel the shift? Thanks to ThisIs50 for the visual.

Take a look at the Top 10 songs currently in-rotation on Urban radio across the United States. Look out for Wacka Flocka Flame’s “O Let’s Do It” to start creeping up the Urban charts and into the Top 10.

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SUPPORT THE ARTIST:
01. Trey Songz ft. Drake – Listen/Buy “I Invented Sex”
02. Melanie Fiona – Listen/Buy “It Kills Me”
03. Young Money ft. Lloyd – Listen/Buy “Bedrock”
04. Trey Songz ft. Fabolous – Listen/Buy “Say Aah”
05. Ludacris – Listen/Buy “How Low”
06. Birdman ft. Drake & Lil Wayne – Listen/Buy “Money To Blow”
07. 50 Cent ft. Ne-Yo – Listen/Buy “Baby By Me”
08. Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – Listen/Buy “Empire State Of Mind”
09. Rihanna ft. Young Jeezy – Listen/Buy “Hard”
10. Usher – Listen/Buy “Papers”

What’s up Hipset? Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday. I spent my morning saying goodbye to close friends down in the 239 (AKA the birthplace of Hiptics.com) and spent the rest of the afternoon/night driving to Atlanta, GA. With that being said, did you know that Shawty Lo, Ludacris, The-Dream, and Gucci Mane (well, he’s in prison) shot a video for the 2009/2010 Atlanta anthem, entitled “Atlanta, GA.” According to MTV:

There were plenty of people yelling “Free Gucci,” plenty of people shouting out their city: Shawty Lo orchestrated a huge display of hometown pride on Tuesday afternoon in the ATL while filming his video for “Atlanta, GA,” with Ludacris and The-Dream. Gucci Mane is also featured on the track, but obviously couldn’t make the video because he’s currently in jail.

Still, Lo had no shortage of guest stars, with Cee-Lo and Big Gipp from the Goodie Mob, Soulja Boy Tell’ Em, Yung Joc, Lil Scrappy, Mike Bigga (a.k.a. Killer Mike), Baby D, DJ Montay, Zaytoven, Baltimore Raven Daniel Wilcox, DJ Greg Street and Waka Flocka Flame coming to the set. The video was shot at Bedford Pines housing project and at Club Crucial.

I called “Atlanta, GA” a future hit single on September 5th, 2009. Not everyone agreed, but I think the fact that Shawty Lo was able to get funding for a music video indicates that the powers that be in the music business recognize the potential for this song to take off. Or maybe they just read about it on Hiptics.com?

The best part about the Atlanta hip hop scene, from my perspective, is the unity. The cast of MC’s and producers that came out for Shawty Lo’s video is testament to that. And considering that the “beef” situations between Shawty Lo and T.I. (and Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy) are old news, it seems likely that the ATL hip hop scene will continue to prosper in 2010.

Chris Franco
Hiptics.com Creator

MP3 DOWNLOAD: Pitbull – “Pearly Gates”

Pitbull delivers club-friendly lyrics over a Jim Jonsin production. The techno sample that defines “Pearly Gates” comes from DJ Sammy’s “Baby You’re All That I Want.” It’s only a matter of time before hip hop producers start sampling Ace of Base. Can you see the sign?

In this throwback Plies video from a club performance in Duval, Florida, the Ft. Myers native goes through some of his grimiest mixtape cuts while also giving the females what they crave. How many rappers can confidently rap about being ‘real’ in “the gutterist muthafuckin city in Florida” and then hump the stage moments later? Plies! Skip to 3:37 as Plies switches into a song and interpretive dance (4:21) that makes the ladies in Duval scream at the top of their lungs. Seriously, what other rappers can pull this off?

Bottom line: Since his debut, Plies’s legion of die-hard fans is growing. With his business-savy brother Big Gates back from prison, Hiptics expects Plies’ upcoming album (“Goon Affiliated”) to take Plies to the next level.

Amazon.com: Best Deals on 50 Cent’s Before I Self Destruct Album

Although 50 Cent’s highly-anticipated Before I Self Destruct leaked three weeks before the November 17th release date, 50 Cent should still expect to do big first week numbers. For the record, Hiptics predicts Before I Self Destruct will sell over 500,000 physical copies within it’s first week in stores. Here’s why:

Reason #1 – Quality Product: Whether it’s the universally-appealing single “Baby By Me feat. Ne-Yo” or the hardcore 50 Cent rhymes that the rappers core fan base craves, Before I Self Destruct features content that will motivate 50 Cent fans of all different backgrounds to support the product. Maybe 50 Cent will even tap into a new generation of young teens that were previously unaware of his music?

Reason #2 – More Bang For Your Buck: Before I Self Destruct will come with not one, but two original DVDs. The first, a 50 Cent-directed film inspired by the music , looks epic based on the preview. The second will be a documentary focusing on the man that first gave 50 Cent a chance at career in music, the late Jam Master Jay.

Reason #3 – Grassroots Gangsta: With two mixtape releases this summer, which included the classic War Angel LP , 50 Cent began a grassroots effort to re-engage his core audience. For example, 50 Cent hosted an event for the children of Southside Jamaica, Queens called Family Day .

Reason #4 – Internet Takeover: 50 Cent hardly needs promotion via Hiptics. After all, he has his own Ning Community that also happens to be the #1 most visited hip hop news/multimedia website on the Internet.

Alexa Traffic Ranking (10/29/09):
ThisIs50.com – 3,242
AllHipHop.com – 3,328
NahRight.com – 9,165

Reason #5 – Interscope Grind: Interscope Records, the parent company of Shady/Aftermath, appears on-the-ball this go-around. 50 Cent’s last album, Curtis, suffered from unexpected music video leaks and other promotional failures that undoubtedly affected the impact of the project. With Before I Self Destruct, the chess pieces appear to be lined up. Will 50 Cent be able to knock Jay-Z from the King of NY thrown? We’ll find out soon enough.

On Thursday, October 22nd, 2009, New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne entered a Manhattan courtoom and plead guilty of attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The initial charge came about following Lil Wayne’s first headlining show in New York City in 2007. According to the NYPD that boarded the rappers tour bus following his New York City concert, police found a .40-caliber handgun. Who got the blame? Weezy F. Baby. Getting busted in New York City with a gun, no matter how famous you are, will result in mandatory jail time. See this MTV article for more details about the night Lil Wayne was arrested in 2007.

Will Lil Wayne's Prison Sentence Help Or Hurt His Career?

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Legal experts indicate that Lil Wayne will have to serve 8 to 10 months as a result of his guilty plea. The question on many fans minds, however, is will Lil Wayne’s time in prison help or hurt his career. Obviously the absence alone is enough to hurt any superstars career, but long term, Hiptics believes it will help. Here’s why:

Since the 2007 arrest, Lil Wayne has become a worldwide superstar. His 2008 album, Tha Carter III , sold over one million copies in it’s first week in stores, and earned Weezy four Grammy Awards. Even today, any record Wayne touches turns to gold or platinum (unless it’s rock influenced ). So how can nearly a year behind prison bars help Wayne’s career?

Remember when 50 Cent and Kanye West released their albums on the same date? 50 Cent’s Curtis was outsold in the first week by Kanye West’s Graduation , despite the fact that 50 Cent’s previous albums sold more copies than Kanye West had in his entire career. Hiptics refers to this phenomenon as the “Michael Jackson Theory.” The public (that’s us) tends to build up celebrities from the underground up only to destroy them for the sake of entertainment. More specifically, to see if they can bounce back from personal and/or professional turmoil. Even if the given celebrity does not ever bounce back during their lifetime, like Michael Jackson, the public will let out its suppressed love in the wake of their death. In 50 Cent’s case, he had seen so much success since his Shady/Aftermath debut (Get Rich Or Die Tryin ) that the public practically wanted him to fail in his face-off with Kanye West. The public got what it wanted; Kanye West outsold 50 Cent by a significant amount. However, 50 Cent successfully bounced back, and the public is beggining to love him like it’s 2002/2003 all over again. But how does this apply to Wayne?

Lil Wayne’s career is where 50 Cent’s career was in 2007. Weezy has been so successful in recent years that the public is looking for Wayne to fail. Well, instead of failure in the form of less-than-anticipated album sales, Wayne will instead be humbled by a prison sentence. If Lil Wayne keeps his head on straight while in prison, and doesn’t freak out from the lack-of THC and syrup, the public will embrace Dwayne Carter like it’s 2007 all over again following his release from prison in 2010/2011. After all, the Young Money CEO is talented as can be.

Thats Hiptics.com’s prediction, but what do YOU think? Let your voice be heard in the comment section.

Editors Note: Hiptics tends not to focus on gossip, rumors, or the personal lives on rappers. We care about hip hop music, business, and culture. However, as you can see by the above paragraphs, Lil Wayne’s prison sentence is far more significant than a personal problem. It has the potential to re-shape his career, and will surely be reflected through his rhymes.

Written by Chris Franco exclusively for Hiptics.com

Click Here to Read Plies’ Biography

Click Here to Enjoy Hiptics.com’s Best Videos

Plies is 100% real, but also happens to make hilarious music. Don’t you wish you could tell your grandchildren about how you made a song about getting dome, shot a video for it, and made a ‘plenty money’ off the sales as it became a massive digital hit? Plies will be able to do just that.

Shout out to my goons in the 239! -Cfro

Eminem’s Biography | Joe Budden’s Biography

Yup, that’s Joe Budden, pictured along side Eminem in the new music video for Drake x Kanye West x Lil Wayne x Eminem’s super-collabo aka “Forever.” I’ve been a Joe Budden fan ever since his Custmaster C mixtapes (i.e. since way back) and remember Budden being a fan of Eminem’s work. I think Budden, who like Em, often raps about his personal life with vivid detail, would be a good fit over at Shady Records. Don’t hold your breath, though.

On a side note, I predict that Eminem unleashes the blonde hair for Relapse 2. I’m pretty good with hip hop predictions…

Click Here to Watch The “Forever” Music Video

Click Here to Watch Hiptics.com’s Best Videos

On June 11th, 2009, I published a blog post entitled Mullage – ‘Trick’n’ (The Next Big Hit From Atlanta).

Well, Mullage’s “Trick’n” is still going strong. There’s a music video for the song, and a recently-released remix featuring verses from Juvenile, Dorrough, and Yo Gotti. This month’s XXL Magazine, with Jay-Z on the cover, features Mullage in the Show & Prove section. Here’s a scan from my personal copy.

Bonus Video: Mullage Wasn’t “Trick’n” In The Navy

My WDUB radio show, “From The Underground Up,” starts back up this Tuesday at 9:30 pm. As you should expect, I’ll be playing a lot of the same music that appears on the weekly Hip List. That’s like Hiptics version of Billboard’s Top 10 Rap Songs.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the newer music I’ve posted up. I go out of my way to pick the songs that are going to be hit singles in the future. That’s just one part of it, though.

Speaking of future hit singles…-Cfro

Chamillionaire – “Good Morning”

Shawty Lo ft. Ludacris, Gucci Mane, & The-Dream – “Atlanta, GA”

Dirty Money ft. Notorious B.I.G. - “Angels”

MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD: Nicki Minaj – Beam Me Up Scotty

The other day I posted up BET’s Top 10 must-have mixtapes of 2009 along with the download links to all of the music. I hadn’t heard everything that made BET’s list, so I’m just now checking out Nicki Minaj’s “Beam Me Up Scotty” mixtape with DJ Holiday. Hiptics first reported about Nicki Minaj on November 17, 2008, so I’m surprised I wasn’t aware when Minaj’s mixtape dropped a few months ago.

Anyway, “Beam Me Up Scotty” is really dope. Based on the research I did on YouTube, it looks like Minaj has a good head on her shoulders and is prepared to excel in the music industry. It also doesn’t hurt that Ms. Minaj is connected with Lil Wayne and Young Money. She also shares the same manager as Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman.

I highly recommend checking out “Beam Me Up Scotty” as Nicki Minaj might very well be the biggest female rap star since Lil Kim. -@ChrisFranco

TRACK LISTING:

1. Intro
2. I Get Crazy ft. Lil Wayne
3. Itty Bitty Piggy
4. Slumber Party ft. Gucci Mane
5. Kill Da Dj
6. Mind On My Money ft. Brinx & Busta Rhymes
7. Shopaholic
8. Still I Rise
9. Go Hard ft. Lil Wayne
10. Nicki Minaj Speaks
11. Best I Ever Had ft. Drake
12. Handstand ft. Shannell
13. Keys Under Palm Trees
14. Get Silly
15. Easy ft. Gucci Mane & Rocko
16. Five-O ft. Jae Millz & Gudda Gudda
17. Nicki Minaj Speaks
18. I Feel Free ft. Ron Browz, Red Cafe, Ricki Blaze
19. Can Anybody Hear Me
20. Girls Kissing Girls ft. Gucci Mane
21. Envy
22. Outro