The Year of The Grapes

Retro Jordans will run 2013 and this is the year of the Grapes! Check out the video and Enjoy Sneaker Heads!!!!!!

Look Out For Noah

Joakim Noah knows how to make a name for himself. Rather if it’s because he wore something weird, or he said something to stir drama but now he’s being talked about because he hard work. Noah is making career high moves, averaging (so far) in points per game (13.5), assists per game (4.5), blocks per game (2.2) and (1.4) steals per game heading into today's game with the Houston Rockets. If all of Noah’s season averages hold, he will join Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, David Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, and Bob Lanier as the only players to hit all of those benchmarks over an entire season. This is great to see one of our players with heart still going and Rose has to be inspired be this. Let this motivation carry on into next year guys, especially when Rose does come back. BULLS NATION!!

Artist of Appreciation: Missy Elliott

When it comes to the ladies in Hip-Hop there’s a handful you can name, one of them is Missy Elliott. Missy’s has knocked down barriers for female artists and rappers making a brand for her. She got her start with her fellow partner in crime Timberland and Magoo in the early 90’s. Missy and Timberland wrote and produce songs together for groups like SWV and 702. They also brought in other artists to the game such as Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Lil’ Mo and more. Missy was featured on a track by 702 called “The Things That You Do” and caught America’s attention with her catchphrase “He He He How” that landed her with a record deal of her own. Her 1st album “Supa Dupa Fly” was just that and flew right of the shelves going platinum with hits like “The Rain”. After that the hits kept coming along with the most entertaining videos in Hip-Hop. She’s won 5 Grammies and in total sold over 30 million records and being the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA. Missy still works with Timberland till this day. Missy shows how to get it done and have fun with it.

Album Review "Finally Rich"-Chief Keef

Chief Keef’s debut album “Finally Rich” hit stores and ITunes yesterday and it already is the topic of discussion. Laced with Young Chop beats, “Finally Rich” as a whole is as infectious as the single that started it all, “I Don’t Like.” The 12 track (15 on the deluxe edition) features heavy hitters Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, 50 cent and Wiz Khalifa and fellow GBE member Lil Reese. The production is mostly handled by Young Chop and YG with one song “No Tomorrow” being produced by Mike Will Made It. Considering this is his debut album, this is a solid release from Keef. He reintroduces himself as a larger than life figure from Chicago’s South Side and he definitely has the city riding with him! Congrats to the homie and check out his latest "Love Sosa" below!  

The Year of the Hustla-Chella H Proves Its Not Just A Man's Game Anymore!!!

The First Lady of Chicago has no intention of slowing down and if 2012 was any indication of how Chella H’s career is going to be in 2013-I hope the South Side Diva has on her seatbelt. Following her appearance on MTVs Suckerfree Countdown: Chicago Edition, Chella has been hard at work making even more of a name for herself. This year she started the Real Bitch Episodes on Youtube, released her “The Morning After Pill” mixtape and more recently released a video to Love Chella. The video has only been up a week but is already well on its way to reaching 20,000 views. Check out Chella’s video below and don’t forget to download her current single “Ugg Boots” available on Itunes!

Pavy "If I Told You (Twerk)"

Chicago busy body Pavy is back with a video for his infectious track “If I Told You (Twerk).” The video was directed by Thomas Price and will definitely have u nodding your head to the beat-and the girls in the video.

DJ Spotlight-DJ Sam Sneaker!!!

Up Next we’ve got the youngster DJ Sam Sneaker. Sam is Rick Ross’s official tour DJ and is affiliated with the famous MMG Maybach Music Group. He also has his own group “Jam Squad” and “Sam Sneak” drops on mix tapes around his hometown Miami, Florida. Sam has done mixtapes and worked with a lot of artists from Wale, Meek Mill, Ace Hood, and more. The name says it all; the guy has a crazy sneaker game. He’s had articles from the famous sneaker blog NiceKicks.com for his mixtapes and his thoughts about certain shoes. Congrats to this young up & comer!!!

Drop In Gas Prices Expected to Increase Holiday Travel

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If you’ve been making trips to the pump lately, then you’ve probably noticed the decline in gas prices. Chicago once had the distinction of having the highest gas prices in the country, but now we are seeing a slow drop in the cost of filling up. According to the Chicago Tribune;

"Chicago area, regular gas averaged $3.398 Tuesday, down from $3.631 a month ago but up from $3.369 last year at this time.”

The plunge is expected to boost holiday travel and according to the AAA-Chicago Motor Club;

“Year-end travel will be at its highest level in six years.”

Will any of you guys be hitting the road for the holiday?

Bulls Dominate Celtics!!!

The Chicago Bulls are hell bent on letting people know, just because Derrick Rose is out, doesn’t mean they don’t have intentions of making it to the playoffs. Since the beginning of the month, the Bulls have won an impressive 7 out of 10 games. Last night’s victims came by way of the Boston Celtics. The last meeting of the Bulls and Celtics did not go in our favor but keep in mind Kirk Hinrich was out. This matchup between the two teams showed that not only are the Bulls the team to watch, but once Derrick Rose returns the Bulls should find themselves in playoff contention. Last night’s power players included Joakim Noah-who with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists-had his 2nd career triple double and Nate Robinson who went on a 3 point bonanza in the 4th quarter. In the end everyone in the United Center got their free Big Macs and the Chicago Bulls beat the Celtics 100-89.

DJ Spotlight - DJ Johnny O

One half of today's DJ Spotlight is DJ Johnny O. DJ Johnny O is an affiliated with the Nerve DJ’s and is a vet. He’s been in the game for 30 years and still going hard representing Cleveland. Along with rocking the party, Johnny promotes, he’s a manager, Blogger, and more. This man has done it all and is looking to do a whole lot more!

T.I. - The Troubled One

Mr. Clifford Harris aka T.I. is back on the music with a new project in stores today! Trouble Man Heavy Is the Head is the Atlanta’s rapper 8th studio album. This album is heavily anticipated by the fans and the rest of the Hip-Hop community since his last effort No Mercy. The title is appropriate for the well documented facts of TIP’s run inns’ with the law. T.I. tho he’s known for the trouble he’s known to be a happy family man. He still has his family reality show T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle on its second season on VH1. The new album has guest features from Andre 3000, Meek Mill, A$AP Rocky, Cee-Lo, Pink, and more. He even had the time to stop by the Windy City Underground studios for the J.R. Bang Morning Show. So lets support the Trouble Man and cop that album!

Que-Tee of the Week: Tia London!!!

Tia London is one diva on the grind. The Chicago native is hard at work promoting her latest LP “The Overdose”. The 10 track project is produced entirely by renowned hit-maker The Legendary Traxster and features some definite bangers. From the beginning track “New Girl” to the very last “Drunk”, Ms. London addresses a variety of topics and before you know it you’ll find yourself singing along with her infectious songs. For her style and grace and ability to win you over with her vocals, Tia London was chosen as this week’s Que-Tee of the Week. Check out her latest single “Drunk” feat Twista below and don’t forget to download “The Overdose.”

Sound Off!!!! Is World Star Hip Hop Bad for our Community???

We’ve all been there. Even if we don’t admit it to our friends, many of us do in shame what we are afraid to do in public. You know I’m talking about, World Star Hip Hop (WSHH). WSHH is a website, contrary to what its name suggests, that has some of the most controversial videos found on the internet. While other sites are ashamed to post illicit content, WSHH gobbles it up as if it were a last meal. The website began in 2005 and garners in more than a million hits per day. What began as a simple mixtape distribution website is now the leader in urban content and while WSHH has seen its share of controversy, it shows no signs of slowing down-but we have to ask ourselves, at what cost. Like I said before WSHH is THE website to go to for urban content, but how much of that content is damaging to our community. If you go to the website, you must first scroll through pages and pages of “ratchedness” to even find a hip hop video. While there is no shortage of girls busting it wide open or gangsta’s threatening your favorite artist, it is extremely difficult to find anything positive on World Star. If this is the premiere website for our community, what is it saying about our culture? World Star needs to be able to find a balance between the good and the bad if it wants to represent the Hip Hop community effectively, well at least if it is operating under the name of World Star Hip Hop!

President Obama Speaks On Connecticut School Massacre!!!

One of the hardest things to do to a friend is console them during their time of need. Well this past week, President Barack Obama had the task of comforting a grieving nation. Following the Connecticut school shooting, the President addressed the nation, wiping away tears as he read off the names and ages of the victims. In total, 26 people-20 of them young children lost their lives Friday and the President guaranteed a change to current gun laws. The tragedy has sparked the highly controversial gun law debate however there is a sense that this particular senseless act will ignite change. Let’s continue to pray for the families affected and our nation as a whole.

DJ Que Eleven and DieselBeats Presents "Alien"

DJ Que Eleven has been putting in work this year and the fruit of that hard work is the “Alien” EP. Available on ITunes, “Alien” features Philadelphia native Fiq, President Tel, A$A and more. Produced by DJ Que Eleven and DieselBeats, it is the perfect hybrid of Chicago’s eclectic music sound. Greatly influenced by the heavy drums of Dubstep, the EP introduces you to a world of melodic blends. The title track, featuring fellow Chicagoan Trell Love, samples Katy Perry but don’t expect a poppy song here. The chopped up sample blends well with Loves hardcore lyrics. The "Alien"EP release party was held this past Friday with Windy City Underground at Tiger O'Stylies in Berwyn and all proceeds went to the Blessed 2 be a Blessing Toy Drive. Overall, “Alien” is a solid release from DJ Que Eleven and DieselBeats! Congrats!!!

DJ Spotlight - DJ Tony Touch!!

The legendary Hip-Hop DJ Tony Touch has been in the game before a lot of us were born. Not to put the man on blast for his age, but the man has history in this game and still is putting in work till this day! His real name is Joseph Anthony Hernandez and he grew up in the mecca of Hip-Hop New York where he got his start in the early 80’s as a B-Boy. He was influenced by other legends like Grandmaster Flash, Crazy Legs and the Rock Steady Crew, Red Alert, and many more. He released a series of mixtapes called the “50 MCs” which included of the hottest rappers like Mos Def, Big Daddy Kane, Big L, and many more. Later Tony moved on to releasing albums off Tommy Boy Records. His album “The Piece Maker” moved 400,000 worldwide which had features Big Pun, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and more. The lead single “I Wonder Why” featured the popular R&B 90’s group Total was a hit and the video stayed in rotation. Since then he’s still released albums and mixtapes, making his name still relevant in industry. He not only does Hip-Hop but mixes R&B, Reggaeton, and House/Dance music. Tony still spins in New York and all over the globe. If you have Sirius XM, you can check him out every Tuesday for “Toca Tuesdays” 8PM EST and follow him on twitter @DJTONYTOUCH. With all the things this man has done for Hip-Hop and music alone, he more than deserves the DJ Spotlight! #Salute

Lady Gaga and the King of Pop???

Besides success what else does “The King of Pop” Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga have in common? Well just recently Gaga purchased over 55 pieces of the Jackson’s wardrobe he wore on “The Bad” tour. The items were the jacket that Jackson wore on the Bad tour brought $240,000, while a pair of crystal-encrusted gloves sold for more than $100,000 each. Some proceeds will benefit Guide Dogs of America and Nathan Adelson Hospice of Las Vegas. Gaga tweeted out "The 55 pieces I collected today will be archived & expertly cared for in the spirit & love of Michael Jackson, his bravery, & fans worldwide." This shouldn’t come to a big surprise for Gaga is known for her fashion and making fashion statements on the biggest stages in the world. Gaga is currently on her world tour “Born This Way”. The tour will make its stop to Chicago next year February 13-14 at the Untied Center.

Lyrical Tyrant- J.Cole

Rapper J. Cole has been hard at work with his new sophomore album “Born Sinner” The North Carolina spitter doesn’t feel any pressure with his next release in fact feels less stress compared to the debut album. "Freedom, just having no pressure," he said. "As soon as my first album dropped, all of this weight was off me and everything was flowing out and that lasted a long time, months and months. So just the freedom of not having to please the label, the machine, that was very inspiring.” Another rapper having the same success is rookie Kendrick Lamer. Him and Cole where slated to have collaboration album but due to them having demanding schedules it’s been put on hold…for now. In the meantime you can check them out on the Cole produced track with K. Dot’s ryhmes on “The Jigg is Up (Dump’n)”.With this track alone shows the chemistry these to have so let’s keep our fingers crossed for the collab to come thru. Cole’s album is slated to drop on his birthday January 28, 2012.