I was on Facebook last week and put Joe Budden on my list for top 5 favorite MCs for one of those Living Social surveys. I knew I was going to get called out on that pick, but I was ready to defend it by specifically citing “Dumb Out” as the best mixtape track of all time. Any MC that can keep me captivated with every bar for over 7 minutes (or 15 on WHO), is top 5 in my book.

I saw Joe perform “Dumb Out” live a few years back at an Allhiphop Week event and have the same gripe with this performance; he doesn’t have the breath control to rock the entire track over a beat. I’m not knocking the dude because it’s a long track, has no hook and he doesn’t use a hype man. I just wish he could do it.

Try the patch Joey! It works!

Regardless, both of these videos are hot and “Dumb Out” is such a lyrical masterpiece that it sounds great acapella.

Hit the jump for Part 2

Props to Nah Right and OKP

Read more »

This Week’s Top Stories:

R.I.P Real Rap Beefs

It looks as though the hip-hop industry is really dying for attention. We’ve reached the point where we can’t even get legitimate rap beefs started these days.

Here is what played out in the past 24 hours:

- Thursday afternoon, Thisis50.com, 50 Cent’s social network and hip-hop lifestyle site, began advertising that DJ Kay Slay would be debuting “the ultimate beef record” during his Thursday night show on New York’s Hot 97

- Thursday night, as promised, Kay Slay debuts a “new” dis record featuring Jay-Z along with NYC up-and-comer Uncle Murda taking shots at rapper Fat Joe, with some subtle jabs that may or may not have been intended for DJ Khaled

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

- Shortly after the record debuts, the entire industry is buzzing asking profound questions like: WTF? Why? Seriously, WTF?

- As bloggers tried to unravel the conspiracy theories, Just Blaze dropped a bombshell revealing the origin of the Jay-Z verse and letting the public know that this verse was recorded “8000 years ago” or more accurately, during the “Blueprint 2 era”

While there’s plenty of questions left to be answered, it’s quite clear that there is no real beef here and whoever orchestrated this stunt failed miserably.

Lil Wayne’s Milli Dollar Birthday

Lil Wayne was celebrating either his 26th or 29th birthday depending on which calendar you’re going by this week in Miami and was shocked when his “father”, Baby a/k/a Birdman, delivered the gift that is sure to top every child’s Christmas list this year: a briefcase filled with a million dollars in cash.

While many media outlets are reporting Wayne was “shocked” by such a generous gift, the look on Wayne’s face seems to suggest this wasn’t unexpected and his main concern is trying to figure out where he’s at.

This event is clearly another publicity stunt by the Cash Money camp reminding the public of how much money Wayne is earning. In fact, that’s probably Wayne’s money in the briefcase or at least money that has come Baby’s way via Wayne (and probably went right back his way after the party).

At least Wayne is making the most out of his stay in the MIA, as later in the week he popped up as a surprise guest at The Roots concert in the city. A live version of Wayne’s hit “A Milli” flooded the net after the performance.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

In Case You Forgot, T.I.’s the KING

Last week I said T.I.’s Paper Trail album was the best hip-hop album of 2008. While the jury will have until year’s end to prove me wrong, the people have spoken this week as the album debuted at #1 on Soundscan, moving over 568K units in it’s first week.

Not satisfied with his 3rd album to debut at the top of the charts, T.I. also stirred things up on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart by unseating himself at the top with his single “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna, moving the single “Whatever You Like” to the number 2 position. The one-week jump from 80-1 beat the record T.I. had set just a few weeks back when “Whatever You Like” jumped from 71-1.

This is such a hot record, I definitely wasn’t expecting a video to pop up for it. Props to Kanye for the heads up.

The Roots feat. Chrisette Michele & Wale – “Rising Up” from Three/21 Films on Vimeo.