Normalcy

Download Charles Hamilton - Normacy

Still sounds a little experimental like what he's usually on but, at least he's spittin' like he should. We'll see....

RIP "The Rev"

Avenged Sevenfold drummer "The Rev" James Owen Sullivan dead at 28



I remember seeing this band many times the 1st tho was here on NYE 03 I think? "Chapter Four" yeah they opened with that.. so sick.

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: The NFL Has a New #1 Team

The 2009 Regular Season is Down to One Week and the Power Rankings Reflect That

The week 17 NFL power rankings are presenting a change of the guard. The week 17 NFL power rankings also prove that there aren't any favorites heading towards the post season and that there are quite a few teams that could walk home with the Super Bowl trophy in February. The week 17 NFL power rankings even have a new team at #1, which could be met with some negative viewers, but alas, this NFL season has been full of unexpected results and that could lead to a week 17 NFL schedule of even more surprises. Let's start at the top with the new #1 team in the week 17 NFL power rankings: the San Diego Chargers.

The San Diego Chargers lead the week 17 NFL power rankings because they are the hottest team in football right now. They are proving that they know how to win football games, and they are blowing out their opponents. With a 10 game winning streak at their backs and the #2 seed clinched in the AFC, San Diego is proving that they could be the team to beat coming out of the AFC this season. San Diego is followed closely at #2 by the Indianapolis Colts, which could lead many viewers to think that this writer is predicting that the AFC is going to win the 2010 Super Bowl. On the contrary. In a season of upsets, the Super Bowl will be no different.

The #3 team in the NFL power rankings may also come as a surprise, because it's the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have put together a nice streak of games that show they both know how to win the close ones, and can beat difficult opponents. They could make the writer of these rankings eat his words if they stumble to the Dallas Cowboys in week 17, but we think they will show that they are playoff ready. The familiar faces follow those teams, still within striking distance of a Super Bowl and still commanding a strong following: New Orleans, Minnesota, and Cincinnati.

As far as the opposite end of the week 17 power rankings, the St. Louis Rams will look to lock up the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft with another loss in week 17, and Detroit is not far behind as they seek to prove they are the worst franchise in football. Two wins over the span of two seasons is just not good enough, and something serious has to be done in the Motor City. Regarding the NFL Playoffs, and more specifically what's going on in the AFC Playoff scenarios a lot could change in the next week of play.

Week 17 NFL Power Rankings

1. San Diego
2. Indianapolis
3. Philadelphia
4. New Orleans
5. Minnesota
6. Cincinnati
7. New England
8. Arizona
9. Green Bay
10. Dallas
11. Houston
12. Pittsburgh
13. New York Jets
14. Denver
15. Baltimore
16. Tennessee
17. Atlanta
18. New York Giants
19. Jacksonville
20. Carolina
21. San Francisco
22. Miami
23. Cleveland
24. Buffalo
25. Seattle
26. Oakland
27. Chicago
28. Washington
29. Kansas City
30. Tampa Bay
31. Detroit
32. St. Louis



(source: associatedcontent.com)

Classified

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWERVE OF EOC!!!

-turning the big 29! damn we're getting old!!! happy birthday fam!!!

eoc UP.

I'm Burnt.

New Song by MAKA: "This Won't Stop"

Listen/Download "This Won't Stop" by MAKA

eoc UP.

New York Minute

New Years Eve 2010 - House of Blues Block Party

New Years Eve 2010 - House of Blues Block Party
9pm, December 31st, 2009 - 2am, January 1st, 2010

Celebrate the decade's biggest party in style and grandeur at the legendary House of Blues.

Witness "The Block Party Coundown"
--a special countdown presentation showcasing San Diego's most esteemed artists and performers with visuals by Shilo choreographed to a multi-group dance production and live four-turntable DJ mixing.

Your VIP ticket includes:
+ Access to three-rooms of DJs and performances
+ Pre-sale Ticket Line Bypass
+ Catered H'orderve Buffet
+ Professional Photos by DG Photography
+ Midnight Champagne Toast

Tickets available online at ticketmaster.com and select ticket outlets.

Bottle Service and Se' Hotel packages available. Please call 858-382-5298.


New Years Eve 2010 - House of Blues Block Party

"The Block Party Countdown"
-- A New Year's Countdown Production featuring:
Visual presentation by Shilo (www.shilo.tv)

Performances by:
+ The David Ross Project
+ Culture Shock SD
+ PGN

Remixed live by DJ Mark Marcelo (MindzAlike) and DJ Virus (Battlestar) 4-Turntable Set

+ Legends Lounge featuring Tribe of Kings
+ Salvation Alley featuring MindzAlike

Complimentary Photography Booth by DG Photography

Drug Dealer Girl (Video)- Mike Posner

"Drug Dealer Girl" OFFICIAL VIDEO

Mike Posner | MySpace Music Videos

Kid Cudi - Pursuit Of Happiness (Video)

oh my god why did i drink so much and smoke so much? oh...

DJ Khaled "Fed Up" Ft. Usher,Drake,Young Jeezy, and Rick Ross

the ending had me sayin c'mon son getdafuckouttaherewitdatbullshit!

Young Dro

Clean Wit It



All That Money



Nightlife

Stupid Wild

"Stupid Wild" - Gucci Mane ft. Lil Wayne & Cam'ron

Listen/Download

The State vs. Radric Davis drops December 8th.

Cam kills this verse, on some old Dip Set shit

The Cleveland Show

Download

Lupe Fiasco- Enemy Of The State.

01 Intro
02 The National Anthem (Radiohead)
03 Turnt Up (Travis Porter)
04 Fireman (Yoga Flame) (Lil Wayne)
05 L.A.S.E.R.S. Manifesto Interlude
06 Angels (rmx) (Dirty Money)
07 So Ghetto (Jay-Z)
08 Say Something (Timabaland)
09 Thank You (Jay-Z)
10 The One (Slaughterhouse)
11 Popular Demand (Clipse)

Download

Gutter.

Fresh out the lab with some new shit from our very own, MAKA.

"GUTTER"
Download/Listen

I've been tryna tell em. Fuck it, just go ahead and click that up there.

Movie - Chip Tha Ripper

Hammer Brothers Remix - Chip Tha Ripper

"let a blob slide down her esophagus" haha!

Dipset is Over.

-why cam?

Doorman.

Popular Demand (Popeyes) - Clipse F. Cam'ron

This shit is siiik!

Wiz Khalifa - Burn After Rolling (Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD

Maka actually put me on this a week or so back but I didnt get a chance to listen till last night. Dope shit.

HIGH $OCIETY

I got a homie by the name of Smalls Uno (a local artist out here in Daygo reppin' that HIGH $OCIETY), who just dropped his most recent work entitled "Mr. Rusto-Tastic" The Mixtape. My dude is definitely on some other shit, branding a stoner-skater portrayal of rhymes to his music. Check out the mixtape though and support local talent. We back each other outchyea, as you should.


FREE DOWNLOAD!
You can also download it from their blog at www.highsocietyordie.blogspot.com

High $ociety, or get mauled by rabid rotts!

Revok (MSK) x Charles Hamilton

Idk but this shits haaard.

Dock Ellis & The LSD No-No

Viva Las Vegas!

Forever - Travis Barker remix

Listen/Download

damn travis goes hard on this shit!

TONIGHT! LA!

She Luv it.

Download MP3

Jay-Z – Empire State Of Mind f. Alicia Keys

aye...that boy good!

HALLOWEEN BLOCK PARTY @ HOUSE OF BLUES!!!

Ladies & gentlemen, its that time of the year again when Victory Nightlife transforms San Diego's House of Blues into a multi-world Halloween experience featuring three rooms of ghosts, ghouls, and grooves.

This event is guaranteed to sell out 2,000+ people! $20 presale tickets available now only at our select ticket outlets or online at ticketmaster.com:

5&A Dime - Downtown
701 8th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619.236.0364

Armory - Downtown
803 F Street
San Diego, CA 92101
619.238.8151

Armory - Pacific Beach
1539 Garnet Avenue
San Diego, CA 92109
858.274.7300

Willy's Workshop - Mira Mesa
8270-C Mira Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92126
858.527.1762

Willy's Workshop - Penasquitos
9995 Carmel Mountain Rd Ste B10
San Diego, CA 92129
858.538.0832

For more info visit www.HOBBLOCKPARTY.com where people will be able to find out additional information regarding our upcoming Block Party @ House of Blues events, plus event coverage and photos. Go check it out!

Destination: Origin (1997)

-for all you old school EOC Fans! Here it is! the classic EOC Tape! DESTINATION:ORIGIN

TRACKLIST
INTRO
NONE COMPARES
DARKSIDE Featuring Crunch & Slo-Mo
SAY WORD
NO DESTINATION
WAKE UP
GIMME THE MIC
JUST DON'T STOP
LISTEN TO THIS
OCCASIONS
WHO CAN YOU TRUST?
BONUS TRACK

DOWNLOAD

The Calm Before The Storm.

1. Intro
2. When I Rap
3. Spray Things
4. Check Check
5. Bread n Butter
6. All The Cities
7. Get The Doe
8. Obama For A Day
9. Attitude
10. Same Gang
11. To Philly
12. For The Money
13. Grindin
14. Let’s Get It On 2009
15. Old To The New
16. Made Nigga
17. Handle The Whole Weight
18. Outro
19. So Romantic
DOWNLOAD

The KickDrums- Just A Game.

-idk... but this beat is so sick.

Spaceship.

Kanye West Feat GLC & Consequence - Spaceship / NEW
by PeteRock

R.I.P.: I Killed That Shit!

DOWNLOAD

A City With No Seasons- Shawn Chrystopher

1. …And I Present
2. On Stage
3. Believer
4. Position
5. Heartbreaker f. Chris Focus
6. Fresh Prince
7. [Untitled]
8. You’re Beautiful at Night
9. Lose Your Mind
10. Cloud 9
11. A Letter to an Angel f. Mateo

DOWNLOAD

Shawn Chrystopher - And I Present from The Mighty Fifty on Vimeo.

DJ Drama & Gucci Mane - Guccimerica

GUCCI !

DOWNLOAD

Disrespectfully Speaking.

chicks with huge kicks

Horse Shoe Gang - 4 Headed Monster

If you need an anthem for this week..

Big Boi ft Gucci Mane - "Shine Blockas"

Listen/Download

this is on some old Outkast shit! that southernplayalistic, hell yeah

Beggars.

1.All The World Is Mad
2.The Weight
3.Circles
4.Doublespeak
5.In Exile
6.At The Last
7.Wood & Wire
8.Talking Through Glass
9.The Great Exchange
10.Beggars

DOWNLOAD

Anywhere But Here

1. Kids In Love
2. Anywhere But Here
3. The Silence
4. Still Breathing
5. Bruised and Scarred
6. If You Can’t Live Without Me, Why Aren’t You Dead Yet?
7. Save Your Heart
8. Get Up
9. Center of Attention
10. I Swear This Time I Mean It
11. The End

DOWNLOAD

Warning Shots 2.

Tracklist:
01. Nothing Comes Easy
02. That's Not Whats Up Ft. G Martin Soul
03. Fatherhood Rayne Dior Ft. Lokz
04. All Around The World Ft. G Martin Soul
05. For Some P*ssy
06. Cookies & Milk (Introducing Young Boombaya & A.R.)
07. Be On Time
08. G Optified (Tommy Tee's Theme Sampler)
09. F*ck Me F*ck You Ft. Guan & Ransom
10. Rusty' Gunz Ft. Lil Fame From M.O.P.
11. Aye Aye Aye N*gga
12. Copping Pleas
13. Who Can Get Busy Ft. Grand Puba
14. For Some P*ssy (Remix) Ft. OJ Da Juiceman
15. Gotta Believe It
16. Saiiiiii Outro

DOWNLOAD

-yo don't sleep on this!

Play Me Sum Pimpin 2

01 Juicy J Intro
02 Fish Ain’t Bitin
03 Get Yo Ass Robbed
04 8 Pounds of Purple
05 Hood Sprung
06 Lil Freak
07 Twerk
08 Imma Get This Money
09 KFC
1 Burglar Bars
11 Cali Drugs
12 Juicy J Speaks
13 Get At Me
14 Hyde Park
15 Knock On My Doe
16 Lay Yo Ass Down
17 Morning Paper
18 North Memphis Like Me
19 Want Me Gone
20 We Got It Come Get It
21 Scales & Baking Soda
22 Juicy J Outro

DOWNLOAD

Do The Right Thing Mixtape

DOWNLOAD

D-Block- "So Much Trouble x From The Block"

Montezuma's Revenge!

1. Intro
2. Won!
3. Postal
4. Tour Stories
5. Skit
6. Proper Aim
7. You Got It
8. Hiero HQ
9. Poets Skit
10. Poets
11. Mr. Freeman Skit
12. Fourmation
13. Dead Man Walkin
14. For Real Y'all
15. Lickity Split
16. Home Game
17.Outro
18. Lalala

...coming soon...


DOWNLOAD "LA LA LA"

'93 til Infinity.

Damn they straight killed it. i'm glad i got to see them perform live again. this is real hip hop. Opio is a beast on the mic. the new album "Montezuma's Revenge" is coming soon...

Cocaine

Z-Ro - Cocaine

track list:

Disc 1

01. Chip On My Shoulder
02. Bottom To The Top f/Mike D
03. Denzel Washington f/Chamillionaire
04. Haters Got Me Wrong f/Chris Ward & Gucci Mane
05. Raw
06. I Can't Leave Drank Alone f/Lil O
07. Rolling On Swangas f/Chris Ward
08. Don't Worry Bout Mine f/Big Pokey
09. Fondren & Main f/DJ Screw
10. We Don't Speed f/Lil Flip
11. Gangsta Girl f/Billy Cook
12. Thank You f/ Lil Flip
13. The Life f/Lil O
14. Southside f/Lil Flip
15. I Don't Give A Damn


Disc 2

01. Rest In Peace Hawk
02. That's The Type Of Nigga I Am
03. Stick Of Dro f/Trae Tha Truth
04. Drop The Top
05. Fire In My Eyes
06. I Gotta Stay On My Grind
07. Respect Something f/Billy Cook
08. Don't Be Like Me
09. Let It Go
10. One Woman Man
11. Paying Dues f/Big Moe
12. Bring My Mail
13. Top Notch(RMX) f/Staci Russell
14. Vince Young
15. Swang On 4s
16. Boss f/Mya
17. Move Your Body
18. Wood-Grain Grippin f/KB & Trae Tha Truth
19. Slow Loud & Bangin (Live)

Download

get your mind right to this shit!

C'mon Son!

twerk that.

-i didn't know people were still making it twerk! nice...

Get at me Dog.

MTV Shows

-this is hip hop. i love it.

Parallel Uni-Verses!

-damn this shit got me hype.

Red Cross Fundraiser for Ketsana Victims 10/02/09

-show some support for our families back home.

Dipset West.

Salvation.

1. The Opener (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
2. Return Of The Real (produced by Just Blaze)
3. The Beautiful Decay (produced by 9th Wonder)
4. My Interpretation (produced by Best Kept Secret)
5. Popularity (produced by Nottz)
6. Like A Marathon (produced by 9th Wonder)
7. The Shooter’s Soundtrack (produced by Cyrus Tha Great)
8. Under Pressure (produced by 9th Wonder)
9. Penmanship (produced by Black Milk)
10. Dear Whoever (produced by Illmind)
11. For What It’s Worth ((produced by Eric G)
12. The Necessary Evils (produced by Needlz)
13. Easy To Fly featuring Carlitta Durand (produced by 9th Wonder)
14. Bottom Line (produced by Eric G)
15. Metal Hearts (produced by 9th Wonder)
16. Maintain (produced by Nottz)


DOWNLOAD

Flight 360.

Tracklist:
01. Turbulence
02. Look What I Got (Featuring Korleone)
03. Stupid (Featuring OJ Da Juiceman)
04. Welcome Aboard
05. Hold Up
06. Yeah We Gettin' Rich (Featuring Ludacris)
07. Can;t Remember (Featuring Bobby V)
08. Big Dawg (Featuring Lil' Wayne)
09. Quit Flossin' (Featuring The Casey Boys Of Jagged Edge)
10. Refreshments
11. Big Wheel Whippin'
12. Weight Droppin' (Featuring Raekwon)
13. DJ Know Me (Featuring Young Dro)
14. Ghetto (Featuring Cee-Lo And Sunni Patterson)
15. Prepare For Landing
16. Outta Here

Download

Who's Gonna Hunt Chris Brown Tonight?

Comedian Affion Crockett parodies Jay-Z's "Run This Town" video, transforming it into a Chris Brown manhunt led by pseudo Hov, Rihanna and 'Ye.

Brand New.

Tracklist:
01 - Vices
02 - Bed
03 - At The Bottom
04 - Gasoline
05 - You Stole
06 - Be Gone
07 - Sink
08 - Bought A Bride
09 - Daisy
10 - In A Jar
11 - Noro
DOWNLOAD

Show No Weakness.

MAKA featuring Swerve of EOC, from the upcoming solo project "Return To Sender".

-eoc UP.

I'm Sorry... Taylor.

This Perfect Life.

-i guess since he got dropped from interscope he leaked the album... anyway... let's see if this is any good. charles hamilton is still wack. haha.

DOWNLOAD

Stapleton Sex

Elevator Muzik/ 16 Switches

Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

KiD CuDi - Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

Track List:

Act 1: The End Of The Day

01. In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)
02. Soundtrack 2 My Life
03. Simple As

Act 2: Rise Of The Night Terrors

04. Solo Dolo (Nightmare)
05. Heart Of A Lion (KiD CuDi Theme Music)
06. My World Ft. Billy Cravens

Act 3: Taking A Trip

07. Day N Night (Nightmare)
08. Sky Might Fall
09. Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)

Act 4: Stuck

10. Alive (Nightmare) Ft. Ratatat
11. CuDi Zone
12. Make Her Say Ft. Kanye West And Common
13. Pursuit Of Hapiness (Nightmare) Ft. MGMT And Ratatat

Act 5: A New Beginning

14. Hyyerr Ft. Chip The Ripper
15. Up Up And Away

this album is my shit right now

Bobby Creekwater- The Day It All Made $ense

-damn first obie, then stat, now bobby creekwater gets dropped from shady records? what's going on over there? is there anyone left on the roster besides D12 and Eminem? so sad... anyway this EP is the shit. don't sleep.

Tracklist
01 Intro
02 2 Far Gone f. Junior Varsity
03 I Want It All
04 Miss Atlanta f. Mykel
05 Business Man
06 Everybody Loves Her
07 U Betta Know It
08 Spotlight f. Stat Quo
09 Testimony
10 The Day I Got Dropped

DOWNLOAD

The New Hate.

Listen to The New Hate by Jay-Z Featuring Kanye West & Aziz Ansari

-shit is funny yo.

this sandwich is doooooope! and i gotta wash my diiiiiiiiishes!

At the office with the T-Pain Autotune app for iPhone

I know its D.O.A but this pretty fuckin funny haha..

Mayer Hawthorne

Download

don't sleep on this.

xxlmag.com FEATURE: Jay-Z, ‘Bout Me

Working with Jay-Z keeps you on your toes. You’ve gotta be prepared to roll at a moment’s notice. And once things are in motion, plans change, then get rearranged. Start times for photo shoots and interviews are moved around, then locked down, then moved again. But if you want to work with arguably the greatest rapper of all time, you deal with it. It’s not like you don’t know how busy he is.

Over the past 13 years in hip-hop, Jay-Z has gone from an on-the-come-up lyricist (1996’s Reasonable Doubt), to a label owner (Roc-A-Fella Records), to a multiplatinum-selling rapper (1998’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life), to a classic-album-recording artist (2001’s The Blueprint), to a major-record-label executive (Def Jam president), to the builder of a sprawling empire, with a successful clothing line (Rocawear), stakes in an NBA team (New Jersey Nets), a chain of trendy sports bars (40/40 Club), his own fragrances (9IX and X) and a creative new venture (Roc Nation). That’s not even delving into his smaller, lesser-known, unconfirmed, secret or on-hold business dealings.

But most recently, Jay’s time has been dedicated to The Blueprint 3, his 11th solo album and 14th overall including three collaboration LPs. It’s the second follow-up to the Brooklyn MC’s classic, The Blueprint, released on the eight year anniversary of the reverred disc, which is also the eighth anniversary of 9/11. But unlike any of Hov’s previous LPs, BP3 doesn’t have a Def Jam or Roc-A-Fella logo on the back. After 12 years signed to Def Jam—three of those as pres—Jay split ways with the powerhouse label, after buying back his last remaining album from the company for a reported $5 million. He’s since been focused on Roc Nation, an entertainment, publishing and management company he has in an unprecedented partnership with mega concert promoters, Live Nation. The Blueprint 3 is the first release off of Roc Nation and is distributed by Atlantic Records for this one project.

Jigga’s new effort has stirred up several meaty issues of discussion since its existence became reality about three months ago. Despite Hov’s possible living-legend status (that depends on whom you’re talking to, of course), the hip-hop audience has been a bit underwhelmed by the constant trendsetter’s last two efforts (2006’s Kingdom Come and 2007’s American Gangster). So some topics have been: What will Jay have to offer on an album so closely tied to a classic? And after all his wealth and success, can he still relate to rap and its audience?

On June 5 of this year, Jay addressed the issues with defiance. That evening saw New York’s Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex introduce the initial single off The Blueprint 3, “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” a semiautomatic attack against those who’ve overdosed on T-Pain’s famed vocal-assistance technology. Yet, as polarizing as it was provocative—“D.O.A.” was celebrated in some parts for its brashness and No ID’s rugged, bluesy production—some critics found a reason to accuse Jay of being out of touch or, even worse, a bullying elder statesman. Mr. Carter considers the criticism ludicrous. In his eyes, his attack wasn’t on the youth, but instead on the lack of originality. A veteran with a reputation for quality, he sees hip-hop as a genre coming awfully close to the danger zone. For Hov, it’s simple addition by subtraction: To save the culture, the artists that routinely damage it by simply following trends (Auto-Tune, for instance) must perish.

If it’s an indisputable success, The Blueprint 3 could cement Jay as the first 40-year-old rapper (or almost 40) to truly dominate the music globe—a major feat in a time when hip-hop seems to skew younger than ever. Still, even in that potential triumph lies another interesting question: Will Jay-Z become bigger than hip-hop? Scratch that. Considering his staggering résumé as it stands before the release of BP3, is Jay already above rap’s clouds? And, if so, does it make a difference?

After weeks of waiting patiently, and some tennis-match-like back-and-forth scheduling, XXL’s Bonsu Thompson sat down with the tireless businessman and self-proclaimed God MC to talk about the one thing that matters most to his truest fans, the foundation of his entire kingdom: hip-hop. —Matt Barone

Because you had so much time to live with this new album, do you think it’s your most thoughtful body of work?

No, it’s just the approach. I don’t think it changed the music any. You can look at it both ways. The Blueprint was all natural. You could tell the rawness of the spontaneous thoughts. Or you can have someone who plans and plots and makes sure everything is the same. Lyor [Cohen, CEO of Warner Music Group] asked me, after he listened to the [new] album, “Did you mess up by putting an album out every year? Should you have taken your time and done it like this one?” And I was like, “No, it’s just process.” I don’t think The Blueprint was bad. But this album has to come out. It’s just really cohesive. It feels really good.

What would you say is The Blueprint 3’s grand statement?

I keep using this phrase “new classic,” because it has classic sounds and instrumentation, like how music was recorded before. That’s why the whole album cover [features] white instruments just left in the corner, no color. It’s all about the instruments. It feels classic in that approach, but it’s new subject matter, new flows. It’s not like an Amy Winehouse thing: a take on what was already done. I mean, if you listen to “D.O.A.” just the sax alone, those type of sounds. The subject matter is right now. It’s a hot-button issue right now.

It’s funny that you stress the subject matter being current. One criticism of “D.O.A.” has been that the topic is a year old.

A year past or a year early?

A year too old. Music was being saturated by Auto-Tune the most last year. So were you thinking business first, like, Kanye’s coming out with this 808s & Heartbreak album, so I’m going to hold off on the criticism ’til he’s in the clear?

No, that’s not how it happened. It really just happened in the studio. We were just having a discussion about the game and music and where everything is going. So No ID plays this track, and Kanye jumps up. Actually, Kanye gave me the idea. He jumps up and is like, “Man, this is hard. This is against everything.” I don’t know if he knew where I was going to take it, but he sparked the idea. I came back the next day and did the record.

What’s puzzling is that your own buddies, like Kanye and Pharrell, wear the brightest shirts and tightest jeans, but you’re clearly not going at them. You’re going after the cats that are trying to be like them, and not themselves. Correct?

Yeah, once it becomes… A trend is a trend. I follow trends. I set trends. Now, when a trend becomes a gimmick, it’s time to get rid of it. As far as hip-hop. Like, when they were saying “bling bling” on CNN, it’s time to never say that word again. It was just about the aggression of everything. I saw everyone, ’cause it was successful, following one path. You turn on the radio, and that’s all you hear. I’m not saying I hate T-Pain. What I’m talking about is a trend that’s becoming a gimmick. And if we continue down this path, we’re going to open the door for another genre of music. Same way when rock was doing hair metal it opened the door even wider for hip-hop to come through and put rock music in trouble for 10 years and more. Right now, there are a lot of indie bands coming out, which is making rock more exciting: the MGMTs and the Kings of Leons. You keep messing around, making generic music, people are going to start turning off one at a time. And if these guys [keep] making great music, guess what? [Fans are] gonna go to them. If you look back in the history of music, that’s what happens all the time. I’m just saying, Stay up. Be aware. Be innovative. Let’s keep making this shit interesting. I love Drake. I’m not hating on young people. Like, when people say that, I’m like, What are you talking about? It’s just stupid. I’m not hating on young people. I love Drake. I worked with him on the album. Every time they ask me what I’m listening to, it’s So Far Gone and Kings of Leon. Them two [acts] owe me money. I’m not Bill Russell, [saying] Michael Jordan ain’t shit. I’m saying Lil Wayne and Kanye are like LeBron and Kobe. My job as someone at the forefront of the game is to leave it in a better position than when I came in. Same way that Russell [Simmons] left it to me. ’Cause this thing saved my life. Literally. So I have a responsibility to it karmically. And after that it’s on you. I did my part. I made “D.O.A.” I said it. I made the statement. I made the push. Here, y’all take it from here.

You’ve been getting a lot of heat about your second single “Run This Town,” featuring Kanye and Rihanna. Critics and the blog world have said ’Ye out rapped you.

I think that thing has gone a little too far. I think it’s more about that than the song now. What I’m saying is that’s just life. If [whose verse was better] was the thing, and we based [song quality] on that, after I’ve done 400 songs, I’m sure once the average of who was better on the song weighs out, I’m pretty high. Some nights [L.A. Lakers player] Pau Gasol can score more points than Kobe Bryant—not saying that Kanye is Pau Gasol, ’cause you have to be really clear with that—[but] as long as I’ve been in the game, that’s going to happen, once or twice or even three times.

For more of the ‘Bout Me interview, make sure to pick up XXL’s October issue on newsstands September 15.