The controversy over Nas‘ forthcoming ablum, Nigger, is growing more intense with news that one of its songs subverts the old Dr. Pepper jingle by replacing the word “Pepper” with the N-word:

“I’m a nigger, he’s a nigger,
she’s a nigger, we’re a nigger
Wouldn’t you like to be a nigger too?”
- From Nas’ “Be A Nigger Too” (Listen here)

Before this latest shocker, a lot had been written about who is in support of Nas’ album title (Jay-Z, Common, Alicia Keys, Don Imus) and who isn’t (NAACP, Jesse Jackson, 50 Cent). 50 Cent, among others, say Nas is going for “shock value.” The fact that rappers have embraced the word and rendered it less hurtful and more banal through overuse for at least two decades may lend some credence to his claim. Maybe this is why Nas’ earlier statement seemed kind of weak:

“I wanna make the word easy on muthaf***ers’ ears. You see how white boys ain’t mad at ‘cracker’ ’cause it don’t have the same [sting] as ‘nigger’? I want ‘nigger’ to have less meaning [than] ‘cracker.’”

Nas’ new song could pull more people into his corner. Jay-Z’s earlier remark and Nas’ employment of the word now seem to be on point: “I know he’s very intelligent and there’s a reason behind what he’s doing.” Sure, Nas is “lessening the sting.” But he also seems to be up to something else. Pairing a once-omnipresent commercial song that is childlike in its simplicity with one of the most incendiary words in the English language raises so many questions that it could make heads explode. Could Nas be commenting on how big business packages and sells just about anything to kids — from soft drinks to gangsta rap? Could Nas be attempting to hit back at the very commercialization that has damaged hip-hop as an art form? Could he be doing all of the above and stirring up controversy to sell albums, too? Nas’ intentions may not yet be totally clear, but we’re all waiting to hear more. [Source: MTV News; Image of Nas and Kelis: Getty]

Nas’ track has leaked. Listen after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Each year the act of predicting which artists will take home a Grammy becomes one of pop music’s great guessing games. Someone picks a category, and everyone becomes a pundit. That includes us. We want your comments, too. Do you think our choices are right? Watch the show with us this Sunday night, and join our LIVE BLOG commentary right here at 8 pm.

RECORD OF THE YEAR

Beyonce: “Irreplaceable”
This screed about how the value of self-important men begins with a set of instructions: “To the left, to the left/ Everything you own in a box to the left.” Wonder how Jay-Z took that line?

Foo Fighters: “The Pretender”
Moderate rock, Dave Grohl-style: loud, passionate, dynamic, classic, and prog. Don’t forget the mildly rousing refrain of “Who are you?” But, sorry, it’s still boring.

Rihanna: “Umbrella”
Barbados’ answer to Madonna returned with a Jerry Bruckheimer-sized blockbuster of a disc, and this song, which stuck in our heads for the entire summer, was the centerpiece.

Justin Timberlake: “What Goes Around . . . Comes Around”
When coupled with Timbaland’s production, Justin’s soft-pop R&B added up to a great big rock opera.

Amy Winehouse: “Rehab”
They tried to make her go to rehab; she said no, no, no. Then she said yes, got some help in London, was denied a U.S. entry visa, and can’t perform at the Grammys. Too bad, since the song so thoroughly sums up the problems of 2007.

SHOULD WIN: “Rehab”
WILL WIN: “Umbrella”

BEST HIP-HOP ALBUM

Common: Finding Forever
Half hard, half hippie. Working the poetic tip, he keeps his political and philosophical ideas up front. Kanye’s production, even when it’s florid, does a great job of selling ‘em.

Nas: Hip-Hop Is Dead
Big indictment from the Queens MC, but Nas is nothing if not a provocateur. Though it’s not a home run, it’s gripping. And that flow of his can still make your jaw drop.

Jay-Z: Kingdom Come
Jigga bounced back, and there were lots of sharp moments, but it also felt like the true glory days of this mic fiend are gone. The American Gangster soundtrack is way stronger.

TI: T.I. vs T.I.P.
Yep, Mr. Split Personality may have been at war with himself, but that tension provided for revealing glimpse into the king of Dirty South’s psyche.

Kanye West: Graduation
Haughty is as haughty does. Hip-hop’s most reliable MC hasn’t given up on positioning himself as hip-hop’s most successful MC. But his bluster has oodles of creativity behind it, no question.

SHOULD WIN: Graduation
WILL WIN: Graduation

“Best New Artist” category after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

Will.i.am (of Black Eyed Peas fame) has wrangled a bunch of celebs, including Scarlett Johansson, Nick Cannon and Common, to sing it loud and proud in his new video supporting Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. The senator’s famous “Yes We Can” speech has been put to music and celebs sing along as video of Obama plays beside them. It’s so pretty and powerful that a nation might find it in its heart to forgive “My Humps.” Stars making appearances in the piece include: Jesse Dylan, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Aisha Tyler,and Nicole Scherzinger.

Super Tuesday is less than 24 hours away! Looking to vote and get involved? Find out about the issues, and click here to register and learn more.

We love this hilarious video featuring hip hop “hit maker” Lil Royce on his quest to persuade Common and Kanye West to collaborate with him on his new album. The only problem - the tracks are all skits of him getting shot by major stars. As he explains in the video, “Lil Royce has collaborated with over 500 rappers since the mid 1980s. On many rap albums, rappers have “skits” where they shoot someone to prove how tough they are. He’s the guy they shoot.”

Check out the above clip to see if he succeeds at getting the emcees to go to town on him with a loaded gun. Be warned - there’s lots of NSFW language in this piece. But what do you expect - Lil Royce is gangsta! [FunnyorDie]

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It’s no secret what we think of this year’s Hip Hop Honors recipients. If we were host Tracy Morgan, we might say we want to take them out back behind the middle school and get them pregnant. So since you already know what we think, we thought we’d ask some of hip hop’s deftest minds and smoothest voices what they think of the honorees. Here’s Common, who you can watch perform at the ceremony on October 8th at 10 p.m., on A Tribe Called Quest:

That’s my favorite group. That is where hip hop lives. Low End Theory changed the way I thought about music — it made me go out and listen to jazz music. I often refer to them as the Earth, Wind and Fire of hip hop, because Earth, Wind and Fire to me is one of the greatest groups and they’ve made music that was universal. All people could appreciate it, and Tribe has that. They’ve been a huge influence on me; I listen to their music all the time — it’s timeless.

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It’s no secret what we think of Missy, Snoop, Tribe, WHODINI and Wild Style: we love them so much, we’re honoring them, along with Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell’s job at bringing New Jack Swing to the masses, at the 2007 Hip Hop Honors. If we were host Tracy Morgan, we might say we want to take them out back behind the middle school and get them pregnant. So since you already know what we think, we thought we’d ask some of hip hop’s deftest minds and smoothest voices what they think of the honorees. Here’s Common, who you can watch perform at the ceremony on October 8th at 10 p.m., on Missy Elliott:

Missy man! She, to me, brought in a whole new sound as far as her style of rap. It was easygoing and feel good, and at the same token there was some cleverness to it. She brought a lot of personality to the mic. Visually she did a lot of great things. She’s definitely somebody that should be noted as one of the great writers of this era. From a female perspective, I think she brought things that everybody could relate to, male or female.

Has ‘King’ Found His Queen?
Doing his best to be a Stand Up Guy, T.I. is reportedly going to marry Tameka "Tiny" Cottle just a month after the couple suffered through a miscarriage.

T.I. Won’t Have to Duke It Out
Duke University has decided not to sue T.I. for ducking out of a performance 20 minutes early. "I (think going to court) would cost more than what we would get back," said a school rep.

Common Apologizes to Duke
Classy rapper Common apologized to Duke and its lacrosse team for dissing (barely … watch) the players after they were falsely accused of raping an African-American exotic dancer. Stand Up Guys aren’t just from the ATL, evidently.