DAVE EAST BREAKS DOWN ‘PERFECT’ TO GENIUS [VIDEO]

Harlem rapper Dave East got his big break when he was discovered by Nas in 2014 and signed to the legendary MC’s Mass Appeal label. Last week, East dropped his Paranoia: A True Story EP, and one of its most popular songs is the lead single “Perfect” featuring Chris Brown. The track has already racked up over one million Spotify streams since its release on July 28. As East explains to Genius, “Perfect” is a tribute to all of the different women in his life.

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SUM FEAT. BLACK THOUGHT & LONGBEARD – BLACK FRIDAY

Los Angeles emcee Sum teams up with Black Thought for this song off his album Whatever Doesn’t Kill Me Better Keep Running that drops later this year.

“There’s not much to be said about being able to rap on a track with the great Black Thought,” he siad. “He’s a pioneer, and I’m glad he’s finally starting to get more widespread recognition as one of the nastiest to ever do it. My guy Longbeard did his thing on the music, he’s a part of the extended Milky Way tribe and you’ll hear more from him sooner than later.”

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WATCH DJ PREMIER & THE BADDER BAND’S TINY DESK CONCERT WITH NPR [VIDEO]

Three-time Grammy winner DJ Premier, one of the definitive architects of New York hip-hop, brought a new type of life to NPR’s Tiny Desk: their first concert helmed by a DJ.

A packed house of head-nodding journalists grooved through their lunch hour to a nine-song medley of iconic Premier productions while decompressing from the unrelenting grind of the news cycle. The set list rested on the undeniable footprint of Preemo’s classics, but this was more than just another DJ mix. His touring outfit, The Badder Band, overlaid Premier’s blends with an undulating electric bass courtesy of Brady Watt, a steady accent on the one from drummer Lenny Reece and boisterous horns from Mark Williams and Jonathan Powell.

But it was Premier who remained front-and-center, commanding the crowd like a true party rocker. With throwbacks ranging from Gangstarr’s “Step into the Arena” to an amped rendition of Jeru The Damaja’s “Da Bitches,” embellished by The Badder’s jazzy horns, Preemo concluded the set with a “Moment of Truth,” featuring the exalted rhymes of his posthumous Gangstarr partner, Guru.

Tiny Desk concerts are short by design, so naturally the format could barely scratch the surface of Premier’s vault of street anthems, done for the likes of the Notorious B.I.G., JAY-Z, Nas, Kanye West, Big L, M.O.P., Mos Def, Group Home, Jeru the Damaja, AZ, Snoop Dogg, and many more. Even after a career spanning almost three decades, the man born Christopher Martin has managed to stay authentic to his analog grit and sample-chopping integrity, as if he were still an underdog.

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ROCK – GW BAG [VIDEO]

The other half of Heltah Skeltah is preparing to drop his solo debut album titled Rockness A.P. (After Price). The first single “GW BaG” is all about simplicity as The Rockness focuses on good weed, bitches and guns. Check out the video and look for the album on September 22nd.