UPDATE (2:25PM CT): Max G. was inspired by the content to add some thoughtful commentary. Here it is:

Review: Champions of Change

The 3 epicenters of change in hip hop
and music entertainment all dropped new content today for their
Internet audience! The likes include Chicago’s hometown heroes Kanye
West & Lupe Fiasco and the infamous Jay Z. It’s as if the stars
have aligned and gave a nice jumpstart to our day, because now you can
compare the changes each artist creates for culture and where they’re
headed.  You better believe that what these icons are saying is going
to directly affect the change in our culture’s mindset because they are
a direct reflection of our culture’s dual nature.

Kanye West’s video “Street Lights”
personifies the powerful vision and unwavering gaze that Kanye West is
completely aware of. His video shows how focused he is in unraveling,
seeing, and manufacturing the future all in his mind, like it already
happened. Kanye’s imagination is limitless and eternal, as he passes by
in a daze living the life of the above and below. This type of video
promotes determination and powerful motivational energies for the
culture which then outputs more creativity in people.

Now mix in the addition of Lupe Fiasco
into this culture pot. His rhymes are somehow all of the following:
incredibly complex, heavily detailed, and yet still universal. A dash
of cool, streets, war, politics, & love, and you’ve got the
post-modern view through a poet’s lyrics. His new album Lasers is
on track to contain the same ideals of an urge to emit creatively -
being the best at being “you”. These snippets that he released today
are just teasers for what he himself is saying is his best work yet!

Culturally, we are moving into a golden
age of creativity and positive change. To solidify this pact, Jay Z
premieres the video to “D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)”. The video shows
Jay Z putting to bed flashy chains, garments, ringtone songs, and the
controversial autotune. He’s dismissing all of the fake parts of our
culture that clog our mindset with illusions while reminding us to keep
it classy and keep focus on the roots. These are all great directions
to be moving in and it’s amazing to see them affecting mass culture and
planting the seeds that will create exponential waves of creativity…
moreover, all on the same day.

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What a way to start off your week week than with NEW content from 3 of the heaviest hitters in the hip hop game – Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Jay-Z. Starting with the fomer, the brand NEW video premiere from Kanye is for “Street Lights” off 808s & Heartbreak. It doesn’t seem like an official single but the video takes a page from “Heartless” and emits the same vibe with its vivid animation. Some very cool effects as you’d expect. Most of the time, no exception above, I feel the animated videos are much more engaging and interesting.

Down below, a couple 30 second (okay… 29) snippets from Lupe Fiasco that will tease you even more for his upcoming 4th quarter album, Lasers. They’ve both got some clear and thought-provoking lyrics already with “Ladies & Gentleman”s production giving it the edge if I had 2 compare. Finally, Jay-Z’s “D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)” gets some full video treatment below. Enjoy!

Lupe Fiasco “Ladies & Gentleman [Snippet]“

:29 SNIPPET, CDQ, Rumored Track from upcoming album, Lasers *Tibs Fav.™

Lupe Fiasco “2 Ways [Snippet]“

:29 SNIPPET, CDQ, Rumored Track from upcoming album, Lasers *Tibs Fav.™

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Jay-Z “D.O.A. (Death Of Autotune)

VIDEO PREMIERE!

~ Sgt. Tibs