I feel like I spend half my time linking to Pitchfork articles, but I guess that’s because they do a damn good job at covering music.  They’ve created a big post linking to a bunch of videos from the Coachella festival.
Wired loved the festival, particularly Jay-Z’s set
But that’s not to say there weren’t highlights, the biggest I’m-texting-my-friends-about-this-right-now moment being when he brought out Beyoncé Knowles — the Bonnie to his Clyde — to sing the chorus on his track “Forever Young.” They’re a couple that eschews much, if any, attention …

You read that headline correctly.  Terry Urban has gone ahead and made his own kind of Grey Album.  Urban has mashed up Jay-Z and Coldplay into an album he has titled Viva La Hova.
I was totally taken aback because I never would have thought of matching those two artists, but I guess that actually might be why this idea sort of works.
I’ve got something of a weak spot for mashups,  more for the idea than the result.  In general, I sort of like the idea of putting two incongruous artists …

In light of the mad amounts of press Jay Z has been getting lately, it seemed fitting that we give him a post.  Hova’s been on tour in Canada lately, and has been wowing people with his new album. 
One of the better moments in the career of Jay Z has to be the opportunity to perform at the World Series.  He and Alicia Keys got to perform their track Empire State of Mind at Yankee Stadium (the new one, obviously) and that resulted in the Yankees beating the Phillies.  …

Now I don’t want to start a vicious rumour or anything, but there’s a very real possibility that Jay-Z has officially fallen off.  It’s not his fault, he is a legend and a dope emcee, but he’s also made songs so commercial that even Miley Cyrus knows who he is and drops his name in a song.
It just gives me shivers talking about this, but it’s true.  Listen to the first verse of Party in the USA and you will know what I mean.  She talks about how hearing “a …

At the Grammy’s a few nights ago, a very pregnant M.I.A. performed.  In fact, it was actually her due date!
In the words of Queen Latifah, this was a hip hop ‘rap pack’.  Yes, that was a Latifah play on the ‘rat pack’ nickname.  Still, it’s not everyday you’ll see M.I.A, Jay-Z, Kanye, TI and Lil’ Wayne all perform together on the same track.
It seemed to be one of the biggest hip hop Grammy performances in recent memory, which is definitely a good thing.  Plus, it’s not really that bad.

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Minty Fresh Beats has put together the latest Jay-Z mashup and is currently blowing up all over the internet.
Who is it with, you may ask? Surely it would be nearly impossible to top Dangermouse’s The Grey Album! That one mixed Hova with the freakin Beatles.
Well, Minty Fresh Beats taken it a step further and created Jaydiohead, a mashup of Jay-Z with various big Radiohead songs.  This isn’t a two-album mashup, but instead is a product of many hours of work, putting Jay-Z vocals overtop of re-chopped Radiohead beats whever they …

If you listen to hip-hop, you know ”Seven Minutes of Funk” by Tyrone Thomas and the Whole Darn Family.  Even if you can’t identify it by name, or have any idea who Tyrone Thomas or his apparently massive family are, the first twenty second of this track have been indelibly etched into your subconscious. Have a listen:

A quick search of the sample database at The Breaks shows that “Seven Minutes” has been sampled for thirteen songs.  I suspect, however, that that list is incomplete given how damn funky and perfectly sample-able the …

Pitchfork media is reporting that Jay-Z is about to launch a whole new music label called StarRoc.   Weird name, I guess, but there’s a story  behind it.
Hova’s looking to lock down the hottest top40 production team since the Neptunes.  Stargate, a Norwegian duo comprised of or Erik Hermansen and Mikkel S. Eriksen.  It seems like a bit of a contrast in styles, but these electro-pop geniuses are making waves in mainstream hip hop all over North America.
They’re the ones behind the beats for songs like Irreplacable (Beyonce’s recent big hit) …

Given the recent feud between Jay-Z and Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, it seemed inevitable that an ambitious producer (or, in this case, group of producers) would try to mash-up their respective catalogues. 
Three days ago, Spanish producing trio Cookin’ Soul released just such a project.  Called OJAYZIS, the ten track download is a bit of a mixed bag, but nevertheless worth a download.  The songs that work – including “Wonderback” and “Supernova Hello” – are actually quite good, with Oasis’ soaring melodies serving as an excellent backdrop for Hova’s rhymes.  It will make you wonder …

I know it’s not really coming as that much of a surprise to you (especially since our post about the Roots struggling at Def Jam), but a lot of emcees out there are not impressed with the big labels.
Instead of investing in them and their talent, the big labels tend to cut people loose if they don’t perform as well as they had hoped.  It’s all about sales.
This article from Inside Nova fully illustrates that.  Citing specific examples, Dennis Winn really seems to take aim at major labels.  He starts …