Rapper DMX was found unresponsive in a New York hotel parking lot.  Yonkers police responded to a call about an ‘unconscious male’ who appeared to be ‘lifeless.’  According to TMZ the troubled rapper was found without a pulse, and not breathing when police found him.

A representative for DMX, whom real name is Earl Simmons, said the rapper suffered from an asthma attack, but TMZ cites he was suffering from a drug overdose, and was given Narcan, a antidote to narcotic overdoses and CPR was performed.  One minute later he became “semi-conscious” and was taken to the hospital for further examination.

Story developing…

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Underway for quite some time now, we finally have March of this year to mark on our calendar for Infamous N the Hood! After the release of the official album art and a few videos to hold us over (see below) heads are eager. What will the full length offer? If it’s anything like the few records we’ve heard already, it will certainly be one for all hip-hop heads’ collection.

There’s no denying New York City natives J-Hood and Big Twins‘ refreshing energy together on a record. Can you agree? If not, hopefully after this article we will have changed your mind a bit.

J-Hood, Yonkers representative and co-founder of D-Block Records, still holds his spot firmly as an emcee – with over a dozen years on the hip-hop scene. He entered young. He has studied more then you probably think, seen a lot (both personal and business) and still has a lot to offer moving forward. ODG is the clique, a collective of dedicated artists who pride themselves in unity and moving as an equal. It’s deeper than rap.

Now let’s take it to Queens for a moment. Having first heard Big Twins on early Mobb Deep records and becoming a Queensbridge staple to all hip-hop heads it’s safe to say he has taken quite a few notes over the years as well. Though currently basking in the west coast sun, his east coast grit is still very apparent and represented. Actually, he’s probably not basking a whole lot. He’s busy making moves out there – with multiple projects underway for the ’16 and cooking up marvelous dishes. Yes, Twins is an incredible chef – flexing his culinary muscles just as much as his emceeing.

Long story short, be prepared for a busy year from Hood and Twins. ‘Infamous N the Hood‘ is going to be an incredible Lp, period. It’s almost here. In the meantime, J-Hood’s forthcoming ‘Uncrowned King‘ will be available on 1/22 via DatPiff! Save the date. Big Twins and producer Twiz the Beat Pro will be releasing their ‘TNT‘ project this coming February. Keep it locked and most importantly enjoy the music. Peace and love.

J-Hood Instagram | J-Hood Twitter | Big Twins Instagram | Big Twins Twitter

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Several nights ago in San Francisco, A$AP Rocky graced the stage for his tour alongside Tyler The Creator.  Rocky and Tyler brought out Lil B, Vince Staples as well as Danny Brown to perform the numerous records they’ve collaborated on.

That night, one of the illest moments was Rocky kicking off-top bars over Tyler The Creator’s eerie “Yonkers” instrumental.  The Harlem emcee let off quick and slick rhymes over the beat and even gave us  little Das Efx flow, all off the dome.  The freestyle was indeed a great set finisher.

Peep it below!

The post A$AP Rocky Kicks Live Freestyle Over Tyler The Creator’s Yonkers Instrumental (Concert Visual) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

8. “WHOA” – Earl Sweatshirt (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

Just like the song it visualizes, this video really embodies the “traditional” Odd Future aesthetic. There’s skateboarding, pranks, cameos from several members of the Odd Future crew and all-around weirdness. The beauty of the video is that these familiar, chaotic elements are presented in perfect harmony. That isn’t an easy task.

7. “NY (Ned Flander)” – Hodgy Beats & Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

The visuals for “NY (Ned Flander)” are the sequel to the “Rella” video. In this one, Hodgy is bald, mustachioed, overweight, and taking pills while watching large women strip on TV. This dysfunctional atmosphere is amplified by the fact that Tyler is his baby and grandpa is a predator. What’s interesting about the video is that despite its clear elements of hyperbole and camp, somehow it’s still incredibly serious.

6. ‘Trouble On My Mind’ –  Pusha T ft. Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Decon’s Jason Goldwatch )

“Trouble on My Mind” is a cross-generational collab between Pusha T and Tyler that connects them through their shared respect for The Neptunes, who actually produced the song. This is the only video on the list that was not directed by Tyler, but it belongs here nonetheless because Tyler‘s visual flair is sublimated throughout, especially when Pusha-T comically dresses up as Tyler, crutches and all. In other words, though Pusha and Tyler are neck-and-neck on the actual song, Tyler owns this video.

5. “IFHY” – Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

The Pharrell-assisted “IFHY/Jamba” is Tyler’s twisted version of a love song (the title stands for “I Fucking Hate You.”) The video has Tyler costumed as a life-sized doll living with his supposed true love, who is also a doll. The video centers around how they fail to live blissfully despite residing in the proverbial dollhouse. Their romance is so deformed, in fact, that even their faces, which should be perfect, are also deformed. This may all sound cynical, but Tyler seems to be speaking from an actual experience of love, so it’s actually very insightful. And the transition between “IFHY” and “Jamba” is so seamless that without the beat change, it might be unnoticeable.

4. “VCR” – Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

“VCR” is a dark video that craftily uses suggestive imagery to represent the song’s dark content. It’s actually quite a surprise to see this video after hearing the song. Whereas the song is pure shock, horror after horror, the video is perverse, not showing anything, but hinting at everything. Tyler probably has a nice internal knowledge of horror movies and thrillers.

The post Tyler, The Creator’s Best Videos appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The LOX is back. Rapping over an instrumental that samples a Kanye line from “New God Flow” and some dialogue from Spike Lee‘s Do the Right Thing, Yonkers’ veteran spitters easily remind us how they earned their status as some of hip-hop’s most respected emcees.They also reference The Hangover. Watch below. This is definitely one of the more engaging samples that we’ve heard in awhile. Props to Scram Jones.

Note: Jadakiss‘ laugh will never get old.

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Yesterday Blu dropped a visual to the second release, “DoinNothin’,” off his upcoming LP NoYork!  The LA-bred emcee has enlisted a bevy of guest apperances for his third studio album, a list that is sure to please even the most persnickety hip-hop consumer. Nevertheless, the video brought me back to that “Yonkers” joint, but the beat on this track is silly. See more on the album HERE and be sure to check out the video below.

BLU – DOINNOTHIN’ FT. UGOD (PRODUCED BY FLYING LOTUS) from david m. helman on Vimeo.

For those of you in the listening mood, check out the rest of the album below.

NOYORK! by EARMILK

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Dreams do come true. Last night Tyler, The Creator won the VMA for Best New Artist of 2011 for his video Yonkers (peep our exclusive story on the making of that video here). After his acceptance speech with the whole wolf pack, he took to the media alone and shocked some of the unsuspecting press. Definitely worth a watch.

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