Two artists I’m fans of but consistently make it difficult for me to continue to like them because of my perception of their personal choices, so I guess its fitting both drop new videos today that are both in contrast to each other and to who I think they are as people.

Is Azealia a good person with bad days (a lot of them) of a good person with bad days (on display by her own hands)?

Regardless when you’re in Miami & ULTRA its a good day. She and the beat are fire.

Is Drake hard or has he just picked up the persona of his ‘dread nigga from the south’? Rap is music, music is art, art displays emotion; Drake was feeling a certain way when he penned this.

Cuz ya know lotion is still lotion. Anyway though he delivers on this track.

A lot of Prince hulabaloo happening lately, and I ain’t even mad; the man is a legend. So after his run of one off performances at the Grammys, Fallon, and marathon at SXSW; Prince Rogers Nelson has just announced via his band 3rd Eye Girl a slew of intimate West Coast dates & OkayplayTV drops this gem on us.

Let’s Talk About Prince: Questlove, D’Angelo, Elvis Costello, Alice Smith, Citizen Cope, Wendy & Susannah Melvoin, Bilal, Talib Kweli, Booker T. Jones and Nelson George share their memories and thoughts about the music icon backstage at the Music of Prince Tribute in NYC.

“From The Inbox” is the submissions portion of Social8gency, whether you sent it via email / Soundcloud / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr – we try to listen to everything. Keep Creatin’!

Ronnie Brown dropped this into the inbox, and I will tell you right now there is something to be said for solid and original artwork: so for all the submitters use that as a serious consideration. Back to the point, The cover had me at first and then his quality kept me through his The Irony tape. Its worth your time to take a listen to the MC.

At first to be honest nothing incredibly stands out with this flow, but I laud consistency and songwriting, marks he hits throughout the tape. Perhaps over time he’ll grow and bring something new to his style, but I can’t knock the guy for currently executing and doing it well. Stylistically it reminds me of the slightly gruff straight ahead style of a Freddie Gibbs, nothing ground breaking but leaves room for a few nice gems.

In terms of content there is a lot of young mc topics and of course don’t come in expecting the cleanest production, but you should take the time and give in to its charms. He’s put together a tape with personal stories and perspective on his achievements and desires without falling too deeply into cliches of money and bitches.

Look out for the Queens bred MC in NY and on the web – Facebook & Twitter – Also take a listen and download to his The Irony.

A rundown of a few things that caught my eye today; trying to build that link karma.

New Hit Boy posse cut ft. Raekwon, Schoolboy Q & more. – Pigeons & Planes

Trailer for Cali Beat Scene Documentary – OkayFuture

Fresh New Blu & Exile Video for “Ease Your Mind” – OkayPlayer

Wavves new video is apocalyptic fun “Demon To Lean On” – Pitchfork

Nova Rockafeller “Call Me Batman”

Something to kick your day off right before you plop down and waste the rest of your week on the new Sim City. Dutch Producer BINK recreates Madlib’s classic beat for “The Healer” from Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah Part One, setting the tone isa Arts teh Beatdoctor bringing crisp visuals.

To make it clear Prince might as well ascend into the heavens any day now, he’s a god of music: rock, funk, hip hop, r&b, punk, it doesn’t matter. I saw him for the first time a few years back at his epic Coachella appearance and sadly missed him during his run in LA, this past year. However I’m geared up to put some cash away for whenever he glides across the country again for whatever upcoming project he has.
Last night he was on Jimmy Fallon with new backing artists 3rd Eye Girl and they put on show.

3 Questions:

1. Is Prince batting 1.000 on fine ass talented backing artists?
2. Is he supposedly rocking ’3rd Eye’ sunglasses?
3. Is he putting on a Brit lilt to his vocals here?

More 3rd Eye Girl HERE.

Recently with BBC Radio 1′s Zane Lowe, the Channel Orange programmer drops a few hints on his latest album as well what its like to sit in with a legend like Pharrell.

Justin continues his modern Michael Jackson game with the visuals for “Suit & Tie”. No shade thrown his way, he’s super talented but the falsetto & the production techniques on many of his hits are straight takes from MJ & his various production partners, and his solid homage with the white socks. Anyway though it also appears Justin drops in touches of Frank Sinatra with the visuals and the classic class look permeating his recent appearances; we’ll see if it catches on with the public as its been attempted (R. Kelly has his fingers crossed).

All that said I’m a fan of the track unlike many others who were lukewarm on its arrival; I will have to agree with the masses there better be a pop/dance banger hidden somewhere in the upcoming album. Please don’t steer us one way and then leave us not fully satisfied (I see you Usher).

Something I’m consistently waiting for is new J. Cole. As rapper and producer he’s one of the few who can deftly do both. Crafting tracks that can get spins across the landscape of hip hop. So to my delight he just released “Power Trip” for your streaming pleasure to his Soundcloud. The track features Miguel who’s ubiquity is growing by the minute and I can’t be mad at that. Take a listen:

“From The Inbox” is the submissions portion of Social8gency, whether you sent it via email / Soundcloud / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr – we try to listen to everything. Keep Creatin’!

I actually met young Sin Marlee some time ago as he and his crew were shooting a video at my former home, crazy how things coem together sometimes. A friend of mine at the time was working with Sin’s Anti-Diamond cohorts and shot me some of their music; all were hungry, you could sense that, but Sin was the standout. Shortly after he was scooped with a deal on Bone Thugz’ label & dropped a well received mixtape “Something Like A Movie” presented by DJ Ill Will.

Sin dropped this solid gym late last year and I believe it deserves your time.