Jamaican-born reggae/dancehall artist Honorebel recently dropped a new single, “Now You See It (Shake That Ass)”, featuring Pitbull and Jump Smokers. Check out the new video!

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This past Thursday, I was able to conduct an interview with The Fifth’s bassist, Bernie “B-Man” Mongiboyat. Among the topics discussed include the North Carolina-based hard-rock band’s signing with BMG/Universal, their new album, titled Confessions of Man, their latest music video for “The Gift” and their band name and existence of other Fifths. Also discussed briefly is B-Man’s take on what’s going on in comics (he also runs a comic book store) and partying with WWE wrestlers Matt and Jeff Hardy.

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This volume of Blaps, Rhymes & Life is dedicated to Eli Matthew Ibanga R.I.P.: Sunrise – 05.27.08 | Sunset – 06.23.09

The Blaps, Rhymes & Life compilation series continues, as the blapmaster Illmind, and Dub MD bring you volume 3, as yet another EXCLUSIVE free download. Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. 3 is jam-packed, full of more classic Illmind production, as he showcases his music with a mix of mainstream and underground artists. In this volume, he collaborates with mainstream artists like 50 Cent, Scarface, Masta Ace, Young Buck, and Marsha from Floetry, and keeps the balance with underground artists and rising stars Termanology, Wale, D-Black, Skyzoo and Torae, to name a few. Also included is an official remake of 88 Keys‘ single “Stay Up!”, featuring Alchemist, Evidence and 88 Keys himself on the rhymes. Master Shake from Adult Swim’s hit TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force also makes an appearance!

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me·dic·i·nal: A preparation or product having the properties of a medicine.
li·ba·tion: The pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual.

When super-producer J Dilla passed away in 2006, few could claim they felt the loss more than Madlib. He and Dilla had come together to present one of the most critically claimed albums of 2003, Champion Sound, and were planning on coming together again to continue to bring jaw-dropping soundscapes to the masses for years to come.

But it just wasn’t meant to be. Since the loss of J-Dilla, Jaylib’s other half has continued pushing his beat factory to its limits, interweaving solo projects dedicated to or predicated by Dilla’s spirit with EPs and albums highlighting some of today’s most underrated lyricists and singers. Madlib is the textbook definition of an “über-producer”—one who raises the bar consistently in quality and quantity, leaving a legacy few (besides his partner J-Dilla) could even come close to touching.

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In preparation for Access Immortal’s up-and-coming new collaboration album with DJ Ruckspin, he joins forces with Dub MD to present you with this exclusive free compilation entitled The Scrapbook: Volume One, a collection of tracks from the past, present and future. This new mixtape features collaborations with Karniege, Medinah Starr, Oktober, Golden Child, Mello and Emaze, along with production from Ruckspin, 9th Wonder, Vanderslice, J-Zone, The Wisemen and many more. If you’re a fan of that classic ’90s-style New York boom-bap, you’re gonna love this one!

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The official Blaps, Rhymes & Life mixtape series is back! Dub MD and super-producer Illmind re-connect for a second time to bring you another exclusive free mixtape project. Blaps, Rhymes & Life, Vol. 2 is a 22-track digi-zip packed full of classic illmind production. This time around the mixtape features established artists such as 50 Cent, Eminem, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Kool G Rap, Diamond D and Heltah Skeltah, as well as featuring a whole host of up-and-coming artists from the likes of Bambu, Megaciph, Above Ave and Grynch, just to list a few.

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Recently posted to YouTube was an entertaining piece created to coincide with the inauguration of President Barack Obama. While it’s being touted as a Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland (“Aer-Obama”) video, it’s essentially Daft Punk’s “Aerodynamic” featuring a Speak & Spell sample, so it should be billed as either Daft Punk vs. Speak & Spell, or Daft Punk – “Aerodynamic” [Adam Freeland OBAMA Rmx]. This Freeland character is taking credit for something that I could’ve done as a three-year-old. But I digress, as this could be the best Obama-related music video since “Obama Milli”.

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Dub MD presents the brand-new EXCLUSIVE mixtape project, entitled Hip Hop Renatus, with some of the most slept-on and underrated emcees, featuring the likes of Supastition, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, Mr. Live, 6th Sense, Sic Osyrus, Fred Knuxx, Karneige, Access Immortal, Donny Goines, Diablo Archer, Emilio Rojas, D.V. Alias Khryst, Wordsmith and many more, doing what they do best over instrumentals by some of the greatest producers in hip-hop, including J Dilla, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, ?uestlove, Large Professor, Hi-Tek, The RZA, Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Marley Marl, Madlib and 9th Wonder, just to list a few.

“Renatus” is Old Latin for “Born Again/Reborn”. This new mixtape features 44 emcees over 34 handpicked beats. Thirty-four tracks of that raw, authentic, no-apologies hip-hop music for the purest; 100% EXCLUSIVE from the emcee to this project, with a classic intro by the genius that is DJ Unexpected. Hip Hop Renatus is available for EXCLUSIVE FREE DOWNLOAD right here, so pass it around, throw it on your iPod or burn it to CD-R… it’s yours! Thanks to everyone for all the continued support!

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The Fader presents Fader #51, The “Now” Issue—a look at the most relevant music on Earth RIGHT NOW, available on newsstands and iTunes

To download the entire issue for FREE, go here.
And to download an mp3 of the EXCLUSIVE Fader #51 mix, go here.

NEW YORK, N.Y.—The Fader, the definitive voice of emerging music, releases its 51st issue, kicking off 2008 with an in-depth look at the most important music on Earth RIGHT NOW. The “Now” Issue celebrates two legends-to-be, and is the first time the publication has had two women grace the covers. It’s the Year of the Woman and cover stars Santi White (b.k.a. Santogold) and Keri Hilson are forces to follow in the new year. More unpredictably addictive sounds and features inside the magazine include stories on Mexico City rock, suburban sprawl rap from Huntsville, Ala., and experimental psychedelics from Lawrence, Kan.

Highlights Include:

Santogold
“When I started Santogold I didn’t really know what it was. I just knew I wanted to do whatever I wanted, because I hadn’t.”

Keri Hilson
“When I was young I didn’t know being a writer was a job, I thought Whitney Houston wrote those lyrics—when you’re a child you really buy into what they’re talking about. So when writing opportunities came up, I said, ‘I can do that.’”

Also between the pages:

Mexico City rock
“If I go to live in a farm, I certainly would not be doing what you saw the other night. My neuroses come from here.” —Miki Guadamur

Huntsville, Ala.
“It often seems like the members of Paper Route Recordz are waiting on the world to find them… but it’s unclear on how staying in Huntsville will help them achieve that. Maybe the local fame and creative freedom keeps them there, or maybe Huntsville is the type of place you fall into and can’t pull yourself out of.”

Lawrence, Kan.
“It was this dream I think we all sort of had, but I knew I could make it actually happen. I just wanted to curate all this talent around me.” —Zach Hangauer of Range Life Records

And of course, check out The Fader’s own Gen F section where the most essential artists bubbling up from the underground make their debut appearance. This month’s artists include Emily Jane White, Grand Ole Party, Teyana Taylor, Sebastien Tellier, Mickey Factz, Hercules and Love Affair, Jovi Rockwell and Black Kids.