Kids Wasting Time

Meyhem Lauren - "Special Effects" (feat. Action Bronson & Heems) [Video]

2012-05-31T22:29:00.001-05:00

Queens representatives Bronson and Lauren let featured rapper and Das Racist's own Heems direct the visual for Meyhem's Harry Fraud produced banger. Check the results below.

Mix Appeal: Keith Frazier

2012-05-30T23:11:00.002-05:00

This week's best mix comes from 6'5" guard Keith Frazier, an uncommitted player hailing from Dallas, Texas, who throws down and has extremely deep range. This mixtape looks a lot like that of Austin Rivers', with a couple fewer dunks though.

Hit the jump to check out this talented player's junior mixtape...

Pusha T vs Lil Wayne, and Which Crew is Running Rap

2012-05-30T03:24:00.003-05:00

Well, well, well, the jabbing paddy-cake continues with diss records and tweets and all sorts of tomfuckery. Are we surprised (If you need to catch up, there's a great list here.) We must do our due diligence as spectators to all this competing, and ask ourselves where are our heads are at? Are we considering all the angles, and noting successes and failures?

I get it popping about this type of shit, under the hood.

I know that I need to start this article with a big statement, so how about, "Pusha T will emerge as the victor against Weezy". Is that big enough for you? Everyone's drawing lines, and that's where I stand. But, it's not because I'm a crew groupie or anything. I'm not a delusional GOOD Music stan. No, I think Mr. Thornton will beat Wayne for business reasons. Or, if you're David Stern, "business reasons".

The jury's out on the Illuminati (wink), but let's not fuck around and pretend like rap isn't a business, and in a business, business-like activities occur. The activity in question? Increase Pusha's fame by having him beat the biggest rap star alive in a feud. Pusha's good-looking (and iconic looking) enough for stardom (big-time pause on that statement but the guy is a magazine cover type personality) and he also has a great rap character, complete with a backstory, street-certified toughness and endless daring tales. You know Yeezy already has huge records in the pipeline for the album (honestly, we do not realize how easy it is for people in this industry to create hits), but he probably wants to prove his ability as an A&R is equal to his ability in the skills that have made him uber-famous. The right combination of face-melting music, and rabid, controversial attention creates stars. Mega-stars.

Yeezy was a fan of Jay, and he certainly went out of his way to help the man along in his career. Yeezy was also fan of the Clipse. He's gonna us the blueprint for how to get your ass up off the critically-acclaimed sideline and into the glorious mainstream. I don't know if that logic makes sense, but it feels good to write, and it feels good to read.

You're probably thinking, well why the fuck would Wayne want to help out Kanye in this endeavor? Well, the media attention is good for the Young Money camp, that's for certain. It's good for Wayne's sales too, and as this is the same guy that waited to unveil his Beyonce-referencing retort to Jay in order to boost C4's commercial impact, you can bet your ass he considers stuff like this. Further, Wayne and Kanye seem to have a great understanding of each other. An understanding of who they are, and what they mean in a cultural/historical sort of way, and other types of close-minded, brain-inter-connectivity. I know this is me assuming, but the music they make together, and the specific times in their career that they've looked to each other for assistance show a startling depth to their relationship. There are even pictures of them together (at NBA games), which would be weird unless you realize that shots at the Throne (from Wayne at least) are directed at Jay solely, and not that other influential culture-crafter in the duo.

So yeah. That's my bet for who will win the feud. Hopefully the bookies consider this official and I get my lucrative payout. Maybe I should've just written PUSHA T OVER LIL WAYNE.

The next thing I wanted to chat about was the all-important crew question. The question is "which crew is the hottest", and as sad as it is, it's something I've been thinking about lately. Of course, there's a few different angles you could approach this question from. Someone could say Young Money is the hottest, because look at the the numbers for the latest releases from the Big 3. Wayne nearly bagged a mill in a week, Drake did 630k and Nicki grabbed 230k, which admittedly is lower than people expected but she just so happens to be one of the biggest stars on the planet. To add to Young Money's riches, Tyga actually got it popping this year as well, reaching a height that was a lot higher than I thought he'd have been able to reach. Statistically, Young Money does their thing. Also, I've just decided that maybe Wayne is a good A&R? I mean, he saw that Nicki Meenaj (as he said all those years ago, when hyping her signing) would be a star, and nabbed Drake before Toronto had really noticed him. He had the good business sense to turn Tyga into a rapping rapster, instead of some alt-hipster-hippie,and this has paid off tremendously. Honestly, not a bad track record for the Martian (if LT and Twaan actually read these, and they don't, they'd be grinding their teeth at this sentence. Not fans of Wayne, not in the slightest. Actually, upgrade from "not fans", they're amongst his bigger haters).

I could see you arguing Maybach Music, too. I mean, Ross is doing his thing big these days, working away at the line between where he is, and that vaunted plane the rap kings occupy. Further, between him and Meek (and French even), they create the most popular street music of the moment. And the last few moments. They also have Wale, one of those "early-days of blog rappers" type rapper, the type that seemed destined, along with Drake, ~~and Charles Hamilton~~ Asher Roth and Big Sean for iconic stardom. He might just make it there after all. Ross and he have played up his misogynistic, swaggerific edge, and in doing so have made him strip club certified. As well, by choosing a Drake-lite blueprint, they're enjoying Drake-lite success. Rick Ross, under his MMG banner, led Young Folarin back from the brink. So, just like Young Money, the man upstairs is good at this business thing. Rozay even grabbed Milly, and you can sneer and say he doesn't compare to Drizzy's success, but he might just one day. Meek is in the early days of his career, a career that might just see him placed amongst the vaunted class of street acts that crossed over to the mainstream. What else? A compilation on the way, some HUGE mixtape releases (Wale, Stalley, Rick Ross, Meek Mill) and records popping on the radio. Not a bad case for MMG at all.

Who else? Bad Boy? Don't make me laugh. The Coke Boys? You don't like them? You don't like they're notable acts such as Charlie Rock, Cheeze, Flip and Chinx Drugs? Clear pass on that one.

How about Bricksquad?

I can't hype them, or their music enough, but no. They're best claim was when Waka was blowing up, or before that when Gucci seemed poised to be the next Lil Wayne.

GOOD Music? What about them? How's their claim? They have Kanye, which is undeniably important. They also happen to have a great roster of artists, but I have to say I don't think their time has come just yet. Cudi's a star and Big Sean was just welcomed into the mainstream recently, but there's not a ton of individual success outside of that. Pusha is still a mixtape (solo) artist, and so is CyHi, but he gets even less attention. They're more a label on the verge. Q-Tip hasn't made any definitive moves yet, nor has Mos. 2 Chainz might be on the roster, and Thornton and Da Prynce are both waiting for their Big Sean-type shot. These are all post compilation promises, and with that disc looking like it might just be another dose of classic from Mr. West, the future is bright for the crew.

So I provided analysis, and didn't choose which team I actually thought was the hottest? Well fine. MMG. It's tough to argue against YM's dominance, but still. The Maybach crew feels more like an aesthetic, so there's more togetherness. Wayne's gang is more a bunch of singular talents. Plus, Rozay's house has hot music, a boss that's about to climb to the top of the totem pole, Milly, et fucking cetera. But yeah, let's all watch out for GOOD Music, because that compilation is going to be nasty.

I'm going to sleep. I accept your accustations of rambling.

Dom Kennedy - "Hip Hop Nation Freestyle" (Prod. Troy Noka)

2012-05-30T00:30:00.002-05:00

LT got on Hip Hop Nation's DJ Skee program tonight. Dom dropped this freestyle.

Previous: Dom Kennedy - "My Type Of Party" (prod. DJ Dahi)

The Throne - "No Church In The Wild" (Video)

2012-05-29T21:09:00.001-05:00

Nardwuar vs. Curren$y Pt. 3: The Nard Strikes Back! (Video)

2012-05-29T14:17:00.002-05:00

They doin' the damn thing again. These two work so perfectly together. Curren$y loves this dude. A possible song together?!

Previous: Nardwuar vs. Kendrick Lamar (Video)

Kanye West - "Cold" (Artwork)

2012-05-29T14:13:00.001-05:00

From "Theraflu" to "Way Too Cold" to "Cold"...

Previous: Kanye West - "Theraflu" (prod. Hit-Boy)

...Of The Week: May 21st-27th

2012-05-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

...Of The Week is CB40's look back at the past week, including the best dunk, stat-line, clutch play, and blunder of the week.

Hit the jump to find out what happened in the previous week in the world of the NBA's second round of playoffs...featuring the Heat, Sixers, Thunder, and Celtics.

The threat of elimination brought increased intensity, and with that, came many rim-rocking crams. Shout-outs to Kevin Durant, who threw down a nice alley-oop from Russell Westbrook on the break in Game 5 vs. the Lakers, to Kobe Bryant, who had a youthful slam going baseline on the Thunder and threw down a sick reverse, and Andre Iguodala, who had a very good week, for throwing down a LeBron-esque tomahawk jam in Game 7 vs. the Celtics, and an Air-Jordan-like pose throwdown he had straight down the middle of the key. Like I said, Andre had a good week, with his best dunk getting the Hard in Tha Paint award. Iggy caught the loose ball, drove past the reaching arms of two other Celtics, elevated, and threw down the and-1 on Paul Pierce.

Some big game by some big stars this week, with many coming in close-out games. Honourable mentions go to Brandon Bass, who had a career-best 27 points, with 6 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, all on 9 of 13 shooting, to LeBron who scored 28, had 6 boards and 7 assists, to Kobe, who poured in 42 points with 5 boards, and Rajon Rondo, who notched his 9th career playoff triple double, recording 18 points to go along with 10 assists and 10 rebounds in the Celtics' Game 7 win. But the award this week goes to Dwyane Wade, who lit up the Pacers in the Heat's Game 6 win with 41 points, 10 boards, 3 assists, and two steals on a ridiculous 17 of 25 from the field.

I want to give this award to a buzzer-beating jumper, but that has yet to occur, so I'll have to give it to an extremely smooth dagger jump shot. This jump shot I am referring to is the deeeep three that Rajon Rondo hit with the shot-clock expiring to put the Celtics up by 10, what would turn out to be an insurmountable lead.

No Kanye Moment this week, its the playoffs, no one screws up that bad anyone..

Monte Carlo - #Food4Thought: A Closed Mind, Don't Get Fed (Mixtape)

2012-05-28T01:26:00.002-05:00

The Georgia natives and KWT fam over at The Freedom Fighters collective is always a steady, dope source for hip hop music, whether it be a new visual from Steve Cantrell, a loose track from Baby Juice or a tough instrumental from David Luke. But this time, courtesy of the boys who hold their #FistHigh, comes Monte Carlo's most newest endeavor <#Food4Thought. With 17 tracks of good, FF featured music, this free download is too good to pass up.

Download: #Food4Thought: A Closed Mind, Don't Get Fed (Mixtape)
Previous: Monte Carlo - "4/20 Freestyle" (Video)

Max Frost - "Frankie Lee" (feat. Kydd) [Video]

2012-05-28T01:18:00.002-05:00

Austin, TX guitar player and singer/songwriter Max Frost lets loose of the visual for his latest collaboration with fellow Texas native Kydd. We were introduced to the producer/rapper from his Pac Div featured feel-good track "Now & Then," and have since been hip to his movement. Really digging the production on this, as Frost provides a jazzy, soulful backdrop for the two Austinites to flow over effortlessly.

Nicky D's - "Base For Your Face" (feat. Jimmy Astro & J.Nolan)

2012-05-28T01:01:00.001-05:00

Come on Twaan...how'd you miss a collabo with three of your favorite young artists over a dope 9th Wonder sampled beat? Nick, Jimmy, Nolan, I apologize, but at least we came through with the post. Anyway, as stated before, the homie Nick D's came through about a week ago with features from longtime KWT roster mainstays Sir Jimmy and J. Nolan to create a track that's definitely, as Nick boasts in the intro, a breath of fresh air.

Download: "Base For Your Face" (feat. Jimmy Astro & J.Nolan)
Previous: Paypa - "Tried To Tell Em" (feat. Raekwon, Nicky D's, & JD Era) [Video]

Big K.R.I.T. - Live From The Underground (Stream)

2012-05-27T23:58:00.001-05:00

June 5th is the magic date, but before Krizzle's debut retail LP Live From The Underground hits, NPR Music gives the blogosphere (and those who mold it, thanks) a first listen to the highly anticipated album. Clutch stream job, bro.The only bad thing about it is I can't throw it on the iPod. Hit the link.

Be sure to venture to our neck of the woods on June 5th for everything King Remembered In Time. Shouts to the fam over at ACCC on the heads up.

Stream: Live From The Underground (Album)

Previous: Big K.R.I.T. - Live From The Underground (Tracklist)

50 Cent - "Murder One" (Video)

2012-05-27T19:45:00.000-05:00

50 spits that clenched jaw shit in the first visual off of The Lost Tape. The comeback trail has been busy with dope music.

"Starting to feel like the old me..."

Nas - "Daughters" (Video)

2012-05-27T16:37:00.000-05:00

I hadn't totally gotten into lyrical hip hop while Nas was still killin' it back in the day, so his resurgence has been very refreshing to me. I'm actually really excited for Life Is Good, which is slated for a July 17th release. "The Don" and "Daughters" have both killed it for me, so check the visual for the latter below.

Ballin' Line of The Week: Hoodie Allen

2012-05-26T00:04:00.002-05:00

This week's Ballin' Line of the Week goes to the one and only Hoodie Allen. Hoodie is actually one of the best when it comes to dropping basketball references these days, and today's line is one of them.

Hit the jump to find out what the song the line is from, and what the line means...

"Nobody wants an amateur

So I keep keep keep keep at it

Til I'm Dwight Howard status

Just the center of this Magic"

From the song "Look at What We Started," from Hoodie's 2010 album "Pep Rally," Hoodie drops some basketball knowledge in his song's second verse. Hoodie says that no one wants an amateur rapper/entertainer, so he keeps on practicing and trying to improve. He says that he will not stop until he has elevated himself to the status of Dwight Howard. Hoodie also says that he will be at the center of the magic that is his own music career and hip-hop's resurgence in general. The double meaning here is that Dwight Howard plays the position of Center, and plays for the Orlando Magic.

Hassani Kwess - "Lombardi" (Video)

2012-05-24T21:36:00.003-05:00

"Lombardi," one of the hardest hitting tracks from Kwess's most recent mixtape, is the second Ruthless single to score the visual treatment. Premiered right here at the KWTemple, the project remains one of my favorites of 2012 and is heavily slept on.

People need to hear this dude. Every time I chop it up with someone regarding hip hop, I make sure to mention DC's next to blow emcee, Hassani Kwess.

Dom Kennedy - "My Type Of Party" (prod. DJ Dahi)

2012-05-24T17:51:00.004-05:00

As promised, Dom comes through with the first single for his mysterious upcoming project The Yellow Album. Produced by frequent New West artist collaborator DJ Dahi, this has all the makings of a typical DOM beat. Slow, catchy, ambient...or in other words, a genuine west coast anthem.

Mix Appeal: Jabari Parker

2012-05-24T03:23:00.000-05:00

The top recruit in the class of 2013, Jabari Parker, and athletic forward form Derrick Rose's alma mater of Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, has springs and skill. Coach Calipari will be all over this guy for the next year...

Hit the jump to see a dunking machine.

Wiz Khalifa - "Work Hard Play Hard" (Video)

2012-05-23T18:27:00.001-05:00

Remember when Wiz apologized for the Rolling Papers vibe and promised he'd go back to his roots for his forthcoming ONIFC? Naturally, he did not deliver that promise for the album's Stargate produced first single. Those of you who still aren't mad at Wiz can catch the track's visual below.

I'll pass.

What to Watch The Throne

2012-05-23T01:00:00.001-05:00

"What to Watch The Throne" is the Monday/Tuesday segment by CB40 that outlines what teams and players to watch in the coming week.

Hit the jump to see what to watch this week, and what happened last week.

Last week I told you to watch to Clippers, Celtics, Pacers, Thunder, Danny Granger, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul. The Clippers got rolled by the Spurs in a sweep, the Celtics took care of Philly in Game 3, lost Game 4 and won Game 5, the Thunder continued to outpace the Lakers en route to a five game victory. Danny Granger scored 11 and 17 in the Pacers' Game 2 and 3, while Russell Westbrook averaged over 25/5/5 throughout the series and was arguably the best player in the series, and Chris Paul averaged only 12 points and 9 assists per game by getting swept by the Spurs. But this week you should watch...

Wednesday March 23rd:

5:00 PST: Boston @ Philadelphia: Will Boston close out the series in Philly, or will the Sixers force a game 7 in this unpredictable series. Will Boston's reserves push them to the Eastern Conference Finals, a la Brandon Bass in Game 5, or will Philly's balanced attack give them another unexpected victory?

Thursday March 24th:

5:00 PST: Miami @ Indiana: Will Miami move to the Eastern Conference Finals, or will Indy push the Heat to a deciding Game 7 in Miami? Will LBJ and D-Wade dominate again, or will Indy's bigs continue to punish the Heat in the paint?

Sunday March 27th:

5:30 PST: OKC @ San Antonio: In what promises to be a hell of a series, will the Spurs outscore the high-octane Thunder, or will the Thunder's athleticism and defence hurt the Spurs? Will Tony Parker and Manu be able to penetrate into the paint, as that penetration is what leads to the Spurs' strengths of ball-movement and knocking down perimeter shots?

Players:

LeBron James: Will LeBron continue to put up crazy statlines like he did in Games 4 & 5, and carry the Heat to another series victory? LeBron has to play well if the Heat want to beat the well-rounded Pacers.

Russell Westbrook: Westbrook was the most consistent player in the Thunder's series against the Lakers, lighting it up with his explosive drives, and pull-up jumpers. Westbrook will challenge the Spurs' capable defenders off the dribble, and will need to counter Tony Parker's scoring for the Thunder to steal a game vs. the red-hot Spurs.

Rajon Rondo: The key to the Celtics offence, Rondo will have to have a near-triple double game for the Celts to steal a game in Philly, where the eighth-seeded Sixers have played well.

Dom Kennedy - "My Type Of Party" (Artwork)

2012-05-23T00:48:00.003-05:00

Looks like The Yellow Album really is on the way! Tonight DOPEITSDOM decided to unveil the artwork for the forthcoming project's first single "My Type Of Party." The song in full will drop on Thursday. I'm a firm believer that Dom is incapable of creating a bad track, so I'm hyped. OpM.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Trailer)

2012-05-22T20:03:00.002-05:00

LT could care less (who doesn't like Anchorman?) but your boy Twaan is so ready for this. Hitting theaters Summer 2013.

Cocaine 80s - "Chain Glow" (feat. Nas)

2012-05-22T19:33:00.002-05:00

The Chicago group Cocaine 80s has been on a tear as of late, bringing about the possibility of a new EP from James Fauntleroy, No I.D., Makeba Riddick, and Common. For their latest release, the supergroup grabs Nasir for a featured verse, making this one of the best Cocaine 80s tracks to date. Now we need one with both Common and Nas, that'd be dope.

Download: "Chain Glow" (feat. Nas)
Previous: Cocaine 80s x Common - "Summer Madness" (Prod. No I.D.)

GhostWridah - Downtown Lights (Album)

2012-05-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

I know the fam TS has been chomping at the bit for this project, and thanks to him, Ghost is now a KWT favorite. Corresponding with the launch of his new website, Wridah gives us 12 new, original tracks to hold us over while he finishes up his debut retail LP. Preview the Trayvon Martin tribute "Skittles & Iced Tea" below and head down bottom for the tracklist.

GhostWridah - "Skittles & Iced Tea" (Trayvon Martin Tribute)

Download: Downtown Lights (Album)

Previous: GhostWridah - "1995 (Freestyle)" [Video]

Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe" (Milk N Cookies Remix)

2012-05-22T18:28:00.002-05:00

Chicago DJ/producer duo Milk N Cookies have been hard at work playing shows at clubs and bars, traveling, and preparing for upcoming summer festivals. Even with their hectic schedules, the twin brothers are still finding time to release new music to the masses, which is exactly what we've got here in the twosome's latest drop. This time around Milk N Cooks put their own deep house spin on the infectious, guilty pleasure track "Call Me Maybe," allowing for them to bump it at their sets throughout the country.

Give the buzzing DJs your support by downloading the track below, liking their Facebook page, and following them on Twitter. You won't be disappointed with their music info, performance pics and footage, and of course, the frattiest updates you'll ever come across.

Download: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe" (Milk N Cookies Remix)

Previous: Milk N Cookies - Whiskey, Cigs, Tracks & Vids (Ep. 3)