This is the part of the blog where I pretend my former quasi employers hold any relevance by breaking down XXL’s recently announced (sort of) Freshmen 10 list into some statistical ratings and snap judgements. But before we get into that, a couple quick notes:

- More than half these names were on that fake list that leaked a few months back. In fact, XXL has only officially announced four of these names. The rest have been leaked heavily. So if I’m jumping the gun I’ll be the gun jumper and if I’m wrong then I’ll be that too.

- Why don’t they just make it The Freshmen 15? That way it’d be an actual pun.

- No southern rappers from anywhere but Atlanta. Unless you count North Carolinian J. Cole and I don’t because Wikipedia tells me that he’s secretly German.

- Not one token New York rapper this year. The Statue of Liberty sheds a single tear.

- There has never been a Bay Area rapper on one of these things. #imjustsayin. (more…)

This So Icey Ent. freestyle from BET’s The Deal has been making the rounds for the past 48 hours and I think it deserves it’s own post. Juice and Waka pretty do what they do. At this point you’re either a fan or not. (Did they blow up the Nah Right showcase last night? Is New York Alaska yet? No?)

But it’s next generation sex kitten femcee Niki Manaj who steals the show. And not in a good way. In fact it might possibly be the worst freestyle to ever run on BET. Yet I can’t stop watching it. There’s an almost Lynchian quality to the whole image, so viscerally disturbing that it’s actually beautiful. Her appearance is plasticized and she remains almost motionless apart from some jarring head motion. Her elbows are froze perfectly at 45 degree angles, her leopard print tights nearly camel toed, her eyes glazed behind too large sunglass frames. She is rapping with every accent and yet no accent at all. She is a robot mimicking mimicking high society mimicking a hoodrat in a naive attempt to show out on their myspace photo shoot. She might actually make for a brilliant conceptual artist if we were to pile on more context than makeup. But she’s definitely an awful rapper.

Related: Niki Minaj Wants More Cheese

B.O.B. f/ Playboy Tre & Killer Mike – “Say What You Want”

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Bobby Ray – “Camera“

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from B.O.B. Vs. Bobby Ray [NODJ] (Mixtape, 2009)

Finally, a mixtape that features both Asher Roth and OJ da Juiceman!

B.O.B. is snapping on here when he wants to. I just wish he never let himself get involved with all these blog boys and I am just imagining if the Asher, Mickey Facts & Charles Hamilton spots were replaced with Bohagon Young Dro and Homebwoi but whatever. Also he needs to stop singing. The “Bobby Ray” half of the tape is mostly unacceptable sub “Hey Ya” rap.

No DJ mixtape rips are the best thing to happen to hip hop since Roger Linn but feel free to download the mixed version if you are into sadomasochism. Tracklisting after the jump. (more…)

It’s a few months late, but the magazine finally makes their formal amends to the actual rap listeners of the world. I guess blog buzz wasn’t shredding newsstands. (via RR)

Related: MGG comments on the cover.

Mostly posting this for Boomtown completism.

Does Gucci’s shirt say “Death To False Vinyl”? Serato most certainly does not make the trap aye.