In a special year-end issue of RollingStone, the iconic magazine ranks the 50 greatest hip hop songs of all time, while commemorating the list with four appropriately powerful covers featuring Eminem, Biggie, Jay-Z, & 2Pac.
As for the list, well, I first off don't get too caught up in rankings or lists. They're fun, especially when you're searching for that suggestion or opinion, but just don't take it too seriously. RollingStone's top 10 is a clear ode to the first big hip hop songs, which I was happy to see. Each of the 50 songs can be viewed online here and it's a fun read for more than just to see what song is where. There is a cool anecdote per song, like that of "Lose Yourself" below.
Eminem's biggest-ever hit plays like Rocky condensed into a five-minute song. It helped that in telling the story of Rabbit – the trailer-dwelling aspiring rapper he played in 8 Mile – Eminem was more or less telling his own, sidestepping demented clowning and pure rage in favor of tough, realist rhymes about overcoming very long odds. Em cut the song during a brief break from filming. "He came in and laid down all three verses in one take," recalled engineer Steven King. "Jaws dropped – we were like, 'Oh, my God!' This story had been building up in him."
Wow. One take?! That made me like my #1 song even more (which I previously thought impossible).
Big Sean chopped it up at length with Tim Westwood while out in London recently and of course that means some new details on upcoming projects have come to light. The one I'm most excited for: the revelation that Big Sean was invited to the studio by the biggest rap star to have come out of his city: Eminem!
Other noteworthy tidbits from the interview: Big Sean talks about his current single "Guap", that A-list rappers were cut from the final versions of the "I Don't Like RMX" and "Clique", and that his upcoming sophomore album title has been shortened from Hall Of Fame: Memoirs Of A Detroit Player to simply, Hall Of Fame.
50 Cent & Eminem sat down with MTV on the set of the video for "My Life" and in a series of clips beginning above, the duo talk about the single, how 50 is an understudy of Em, 50's new album, and of the highest of entertainment, a tease at the possibility of a Watch The Throne style collab album. Watch how Em reacts about that idea above.
While it's certainly a stretch, the idea is out there to 50 & Em. Would you like to see a collab album from the two?!
The new single off the upcoming album, Street King Immortal, from 50 Cent featuring mega-stars Eminem & Adam Levine. With a bangin' production from Symbolyc One.
I dig 50's flow to set the tone on the first verse and likewise, Em keeps it going in verse 2. Was starting to tune out tho by 50's 3rd verse, but that may have more to do with the radio rip quality than anything else. The omitted curse words do kind of kill the verses. Will have a CDQ up when it becomes available.
UPDATE: CDQ, yet CleanDIRTY version available now. The change definitely makes a difference. The verses are much more enjoyable and "My Life" definitely has hit potential. I'm borderline 4 stars/*Tibs Fav. on this one. What do you think?
Look for a live performance of this track on The Voice tonight.
According to HHNM, the G.O.O.D. Music posse cut "Mercy" has eclipsed 2 million in sales achieving impressive double platinum status. The news also comes with a sidebar that Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is now 5x platinum. Wow. 2 mil is definitely somethin' in this climate nowadays, but 5x plat is an incredible feat. Congrats to all parties involved.
