Congrats are in order for the former independent success, Anderson .Paak! The Malibu singer-songwriter is officially a signee of Dr. Dre‘s Aftermath imprint. .Paak took to Twitter to share the video while the head honcho himself announced the exciting news via Twitter.

https://twitter.com/AndersonPaak/status/693641292966854656

Anyone familiar with Andy’s work, it was inevitable Dre would add the crooner to his roster — possessing an impressive discography —  including spectacular appearances on Dre’s Grammy nominated Compton.

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Kendrick Lamar’s allegedly leaked track list.

A possible ‘leaked track list’ for Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated upcoming album is circulating the web today (see above). As most ‘leaked track lists’ are often just a list of hopeful tracks and features, it’s always important to take this kind of information with a grain of salt. However, Pete Rock and Dr. Dre have made confirmed contributions to the album which makes this track list a little more believable. Also, note the TDE, Aftermath and Interscope logos beneath the list coupled with the all black background (same as Kendrick’s Twitter profile picture). Coincidental? Yes, but although this list looks legitimate, there’s no word yet from Kendrick Lamar or his camp as to whether there is any truth to it and knowing K Dot, he’ll probably stay tight-lipped and let the fans argue it out. Aside from this, there’s not much information yet on Lamar’s next album, but it’s believed to drop either just before, or after the New Year.

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Before Slaughterhouse member Crooked I was rapping double-time alongside Royce da 5’9, Joell Ortiz and Joe Budden at Shady Records, the Long Beach emcee spent some time in label-limbo. He ended up settling at Death Row for a long period, but before that, he bounced around. He recently sat down with Vlad TV to give us the nitty gritty. It’s definitely a story worth checking out. Watch below.

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Soul, never afraid of making his voice heard, comically complains about his set-time and show-money, or lack thereof.

To purchase tickets for the BET Matters Tour, go here:

http://topdawgmusic.com/musicmatters/

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Kendrick Lamar’s Aftermath debut album, good kid, m.A.A.d city, will be available for pre-order on October 2nd.  The Compton MC didn’t clarify where or how to find the pre-order, but more information should surface soon.

 [blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/kendricklamar/status/252050254411747329″]

Tune in on Tuesday, October 2nd to see Kendrick perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Will he debut one of his hyped-up collaborations with Lady Gaga or Drake? You’ll have to see for yourself.

UPDATE:

good kid, m.a.a.d city is now available for pre-order now at Itunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/good-kid-m.a.a.d-city-deluxe/id565833795

Be sure to cop the album on October 22nd, available in retail stores and online.

The post Kendrick Lamar’s <em>good kid, m.A.A.d city</em> Available for Pre-order on iTunes appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kendrick Lamar’s debut with Aftermath Entertainment, good kid, m.A.A.d city, arrives in stores October 22. Take a look at the cover for the standard edition (above) and the deluxe edition (below). Both are definitely unconventional. Thoughts?

The post Kendrick Lamar – <em>good kid, m.A.A.d city</em> Album Covers appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

With nine albums, one Grammy nomination, and 18 years in the music industry, this Brooklyn rapper is simply known by two letters. AZ made his first appearance on wax in 1994 when he was featured on “Life’s a Bitch” by Nas. With that song, he was the sole feature with an actual verse on Illmatic. AZ then released his first project, Doe or Die, the following year. Propelled by the success of the lead single, “Sugar Hill,” Doe or Die would peak at #15 on the Billboard 200 chart.

In 1996, Nas, Foxy Brown, Nature, and AZ formed a super group of New York City rappers known as The Firm and signed a deal with Dr. Dre and his Afthermath label. Though so many big names were involved in the project their first and only body of work, The Album, was weakly received by fans and critics. This lead to the group’s disbandment in 1998, and to the general decline of AZ’s career on a mainstream level.

AZ would go on to make two more albums, but did not regain any notable success until he made Aziatic in 2002. The album gave him two things he had not achieved before, a certified gold album and a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the song “The Essence” featuring Nas. AZ released four more studio albums after that, but none returned him to any kind of mainstream prosperity. Today he is working on Doe or Die II, a sequel to his debut album.

AZ is arguably considered the most underrated rapper of all time. Take away the critically acclaimed albums, gold plaques, and nominations, AZ is one of the few rappers to hold his own while on the same record as Nas. That alone demands some RESPECT.

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