Common: Announcement Ft. Pharrell (Video)

I'm usually critical of Pharrell genuflecting production credit to Chad (Pharrell + Chad= the Neptunes) but here Pharrell's signature production anchors in nostalgia that made the Clipse: Grindin' a Top 10. 

Common lays concrete with on Announcement with his rhymes and keeps his promise dismissing Yezzy (Kanye) due to his hyper-braggadocio whereby he credits himself for the successes of Common’s last two albums even though much of the production style is in the breathe of J Dilla (James Yancey) and done so in Jay Dee’s honor (on Be half of the album was supposed to be produced by 'Dilla however his hospitalization impeaded that and more notably on Finding Forever posthumously) - effer...

Kanye, the world waits on no one - you pastel-wearing monkey.

SITE SPECIFIC: Where Indie Hip-Hop Lives

Entire article: Rolling Stone: 3/31/08, 1:45 pm EST by Evan Serpick:

New sites cater to the discriminating consumer of online rap

Hip-hop singles are top sellers at iTunes, but the genre’s albums sell poorly online — only seven percent of hip-hop full-lengths sold are downloaded, versus ten percent of albums overall. Still, indie-rap fans are a different breed. “They’re buying complete albums — they have favorites, they can name the classics,” says Jay Andreozzi, general manager of Amalgam Digital. Below, a few new sites catering to indie-rap consumers.

Amalgam Digital

This indie label/retailer, which sells unprotected MP3s, makes deals with artists to offer albums with exclusive bonus tracks and videos. They recently signed ex-Def Jam MC Joe Budden (above) and released his digital-only album, Mood Muzik 3.5, with a cappella versions of all the songs. The site is also packed with intel for hip-hop heads, including interviews with artists such as Wale and Ill Bill.

HipHopSite

When Las Vegas record store HipHopSite closed last year, the operation moved online, building an impressive digital-download outlet. The exclusive stock includes singles and digi-LPs and -EPs from the likes of Talib Kweli and J Dilla, and digital-only mixtapes, including the “Preemptive Hype” series, featuring and KRS-One, Common and Method Man.

Definitive Jux

This iconic label’s site is home to a wealth of downloads from the biggest names in indie rap: and Aesop Rock, El-P, RJD2 and more. Though it already hosts exclusive tracks and EPs by these artists, the site will expand to include releases from other indie labels later this year.

Raised by Game

Common: The Game Ft. DJ Premier
From: Finding Forever (July 31, 2007)

While in college I ran with cats from Evanston Illinois; ergo, Windy City’s folklore poses no conundrum. Formerly known as Common Sense Can I Borrow a Dollar? dropped on October 6, 1992. Common’s enigmatic time with the: Soulquarians and Neptunes for two albums worth of women-radio-ready-lollipop foci often goes to the blame of Baduisms yet I do not concretely concur. As of Be, an acronym that feigns no ending, Common has reasserted himself as the talent he walked into the game facilely expositing.


*MP3 courtesy the Tinman Has It
*Other downloads available at Kanye Talks