NaNoWriMo

Dear friends, acquaintances, and spectators,

Midnight tonight marks the beginning of National Novel Writer's Month (NaNoWriMo). Those participating in this glorious event will be attempting to craft a first draft of 50,000 words by November 30th. I'm taking part this year and, in doing so, will not be updating either of my blogs with new content. I'll also be taking a bit of a social hiatus, leaving time mostly for writing, working, more writing, and working out.

I'm sure there will be some events I absolutely must attend (a friend's return from Afghanistan being foremost in my mind) and you will be able to catch me there. Beyond that, though, I will be limiting my cell phone, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogger time. If you'd like to keep track of my writing progress, you can go to NaNoWriMo.org and search for "Jinjokage".


For those participating, I wish you the best of luck. For those not, I will see you on the other side.

Sincerely,

Charles Singletary, Writer

Wale - Bait

With "Ambition" around the corner (11/1/11), Wale has had a major media push as of late. This video for "Bait" is the latest release, along with a freestyle over Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say". Check them both out.

"Bait"


"What More Can I Say"

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Wale-What More Can I Say Freestyle

Joe Budden - Why Would I

The popularity of lyricism is on the rise and I am gladly reaping the benefits. Check out this new joint (rough version) from 1/4th of Slaughterhouse. Budden comes correct again, with creative metaphors, clever plays on words, and deeply personal lyrics. I think he does some singing on this one too. Enjoy.

"Why Would I"

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Why would i (ROUGH)

Battlefield 3 - Launch Trailer

Its less than a week before the launch of quite possibly one of the greatest shooters for this console generation and EA has seen fit to craft a launch trailer just as epic. This trailer highlights the single player campaign, which has not been in the limelight often. The initial "interrogation flashback" idea was iffy to me before, seeing as Black Ops utilized a similar technique. But its seems the actual story here is much more interesting. Check it! See you all online next week!

"Sergeant Black"

Lupe Fiasco - Lightwork

It seems Friend of the People will ACTUALLY drop on this Thanksgiving, exactly two years after Enemy of the State. I'm always excited for new Lupe music and this is WAY overdue after the "commercial" release that is L.A.S.E.R.S. This song is different from what I was expecting, more of a Kid Cudi type joint, but I like it. It looks like Lupe is sticking to his activist lyricism and "Friend of the People" will be a good outlet for that, since its a mixtape and not an album. I can't wait. Check it out.

"Lightwork ft/ Ellie Goulding and Bassnectar"

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LightWork (ft. Ellie Goulding x Bass

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

Wow. That's about all I can say other than saying I'm buying this on day one. Just watch. Remember, this is a video game.

"Launch Trailer"

T Pain - 5 O'Clock ft/ Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen

Credit goes to Samantha over at "Through The Eyes of Veracidad" for putting me on this one. Much obliged.

As much as I enjoy T-Pain's music, I'd let him fall completely off my radar this past year. The slow trickle of songs he put out wasn't very great and I was overwhelmed by great new artists and albums. After some research, I learned he was testing the water with a few singles that didn't perform well, until this one. "5 O'Clock" has become the official single for "RevolveR". Its a damn good song too. It samples Lily Allen (whom I've fallen in love with) and Wiz Khalifa. I hope this single signals a new start for the album. Check out the video.

"5 O'clock"

Diggy Simmons - Do It Like You

I haven't liked the direction Atlantic has been pushing Diggy lately, buy THIS single I can enjoy. Its a good song with a catchy hook and a decent beat. If it was the exception, not the rule, I'd like it even more. Check it out.

"Do It Like You ft/ Jeremih"

Emilio Rojas - Right To Stay

This song was made in response to Arizona passing SB1070. Alabama's version is said to be a lot tougher. Nonetheless, terrible things happened to immigrants beforehand and, now that these bills have passed, these things are bound to happen even more frequently. Do some research before you blindly support anything and put yourself in other people's shoes.

"Right To Stay"

XV - Blame Yourself ft/ Emilio Rojas, GLC, Casey Veggies

I love the up-and-comer posse cut right here. Spearheaded by XV, he brings along Emilio Rojas and Casey Veggies for sick verses and GLC on the hook. The production is sick as well with XV and Seven having a relationship akin to Drake and 40. Check it.

"Blame Yourself"

#JustListen Emilio Rojas

I've posted this gentleman's music before, but I feel like most of you are still sleeping on him. There's a resurgence of artists taking a more personal route with their music (and being successful with it) and this song is one of Rojas's most personal. He covers a multitude of topics, ranging from his sisters being lesbians to unplanned pregnancy. Check it. His album "Breaking Point" doesn't have a release date just yet, but its coming soon.

"Breaking Point"

Kendrick Lamar - Rigamortus

"He dead. Amen."

Here are the visuals for Kendrick's rapid-fire joint from the critically acclaimed album, "Section 80". It was pretty cool how he allowed fans to participate in the video, playing the role of slain rappers. Notice the sign close to the end. "Will kill your favorite rappers for money." Lol.

"Rigamortus"

Wale - Focused ft/ Kid Cudi

Another sick feature from Wale's upcoming "Ambition" (releasing on 11/1/11), this one has Kid Cudi on the track. For those that don't know, Wale and Cudders went through a rough patch for a short time, nearly on the verge of beefing. Apparently that has blown over and its good to hear them together again. Check it.

"Focused ft/ Kid Cudi"

Slaughterhouse - The Illest

"Rappers are in danger"

Here's a new joint from the illest squad in hip hop to hold everyone over before the Shady Aftermath debut is released. The lyricism is at an all time high per usual and I swear each artist only gets better with each song. Who had the "Illest" verse?

"The Illest"

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The Illest - Slaughterhouse (No Tags)

#JustListen Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino, real name Donald Glover (of "Community" and "Mystery Team" fame), is extremely entertaining. He pulls no punches on the mic, much like with his comedy. Don't get it twisted though, is not all laughs when he spits. He's quite serious and I'm definitely checking for his debut album "Camp" on Nov. 1st. Check out a studio performance he released recently.

"All of the Shine"

Tech N9ne - The Noose

Techa Neena comes through with another amazing song from his upcoming collaboration collection, Welcome To Strangeland. This one has sparked a bit of controversy, tackling the sensitive subject of the US Military. It features an impressive band called "Mayday!" and they set quite the tone here. Let me know what you all think.

"The Noose ft/ Mayday"

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Tech N9ne – The Noose (feat. ¡MAYDAY!)

Drake - Make Me Proud

Same ole Drizzy. Different beat. This time Nicki Minaj is along for the ride. "Take Care" definitely seems to be targeting the ladies all the way through thus far, but its a cool song nonetheless. Expect to hear this in clubs and from damn near every female's phone for the near future. Fyi, Funk Master Flex dropped this, so excuse the bomb drops through the song. Enjoy.

"Make Me Proud ft/ Nicki Minaj"

The Avengers

Finally we have the full length trailer for "The Avengers". It still doesn't give us much about the threat Loki imposes, but I assume his statement ("In the end, it will be everyman for himself) has something to with it. He has a track record of using illusions, so anything is possible. The banter between the characters (Tony Stark vs Everyone else) looks to be a highlight of the film and I hope the action is equally rewarding. I need some more Hawkeye action though. Check the trailer.

"You were made to be ruled"

#JustListen - Mayer Hawthorne

A brother of mine unleashed Mr. Hawthorne on me and I've been hooked ever since. His soulful crooning and heartfelt lyrics stand out amongst the flooded R&B market. He released his debut album this past week and its quite impressive. Here's one of the cuts featuring Snoop Dogg.

"Can't Stop ft/ Snoop Dogg"
 

Diggy Simmons - Come Up Show

Diggy spits some verses over Amil's "4 Da Fam". The second verse is potent and I totally agree with him. People should stop comparing him to his age group. His label should also stop trying to market him to that same age group. He's lightyears beyond. Check it.

Nitty Scott, MC - Auntie Maria's Crib (Video)

Fresh off her dope Hip Hop Awards Cypher, Nitty Scott, MC comes through with a video for the dope joint "Auntie Maria's Crib". Check it:

"Auntie Maria's Crib"

Dust 514

Here we have what could be one of the most ambitious console shooters of all time. And its exclusive to Playstation :).

Dust 514 is an FPS taking place within the massive world of EVE Online. So technically, MMOFPS is the correct terminology.

From what I've gathered, you play as a mercenary amidst a gigantic war. The developers say they aim to bring in a vast amount of maps, not your usual 10-15. They also plan to create a constant flow of content, more akin to vast online rpgs versus console shooter's slow trickle of content. This game will also be available on the Playstation Vita, so you can play on the go as well.

Somehow or another, EVE Online players will employ you (as a collective squad I assume) and your success dictates there's. On your side, you set prices for your services. The EVE players, then, can dish out as much money as they are willing to supply you with various pieces of equipment (ships, weapons, etc).

 

Dust 514 is a very interesting concept and could quite possibly shape online gaming for the foreseeable future, as long as its executed well. EVE Online's well balanced 100% player run market is the exception, not the rule, in online gaming and with a mercenary premise, the micro-transactions will have to be monitored well. I truly hope this game accomplishes the lofty goals it has set for itself. If it does, considered me sold. Check the trailer:

"Debut Trailer"

Nas - Nasty

We finally have the visuals for Nasty, the single for Nas's upcoming album. Cool video. Watch as Nas goes back to the streets he was raised in.

"Nasty"

XV - Boss Level

Here's XV with a new release. This time he's spitting over some Skrillex dubstep and it comes out pretty clean. Check it out.

"Boss Level"

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XV- Boss Level (Prod. by Skrillex)

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Shady 2.0

And the dopest Cypher of them all...

Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf, Eminem

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Chris Brown & Friends

Chris Brown, Tyga, Ace Hood, Kevin McCall

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - International Flow

Soprano, Lacrae, Nitty Scott MC, Estelle

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Maybach Music Group

Rick Ross, Meek Mill, Wale, Pill

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Survival of the Illest

Lady of Rage, Blind Fury, Dom Kennedy, Skillz

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Uncut

Busta Rhymes, Reek Da Villain, 2 Chainz, Ludacris

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - Indie Meets Mainstream

Big K.R.I.T., Tech N9ne, Machine Gun Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, B.o.B.

Hip Hop Awards Cypher - The Warm Ups

Here we have the first two cyphers from this years Hip Hop Awards.

Part 1: XV, Gilbert Forte, Jay Rock, Chris Sutton


Part 2: Rico Staxx, Wais P, Termanology, Sean Cross, French Montana

Jay Electronica - Call of Duty

Its been a good long minute since we've heard any new Jay Electronica, but he has finally put something out. I'd hoped this would signal the announcement of his next full length with a release date attached, but this track has a story of another kind. Check out these words straight from the man himself via eyeofelectronica.com:


i wouldn’t have believed it myself if i hadn’t experienced it.
within just 24 hours, i wrote a record to give away online, summoned the legendary Infamous Mobb Deep via out of the blue tweets and we released a record together. I became a trending topic Worldwide within 3 minutes of its release and actually penetrated radio. Just heard the news that the Great Zane Lowe will premiere the record in the United Kingdom tonight as ‘The Hottest Record In The World”. 
All of the above is attempted daily by major music corporations who have teams of ppl spending excessive amounts of money and still fall short of the goal. My methodology is quite different, but we must agree… it works. and on a pretty consistent basis. with exponential growth. every. single. time.
i’d like to take this time to quote my mom …”thats pretty damn good son!”
i guess it is.
and this isn’t even a single.
or even a song from my album.
its just a dope ass beat, with some (extra) dope rhymes from me and 2 of My favorite hip hop artists of all time, who woke up yesterday not even knowing they’d be on a record with me a few hours later.
Look at the atmosphere all in a stir. 
if i were a younger me, right now is probably where i would say, “dog, look around. I’m the fucking man ouchea”
good thing I’m striving to grow.
i wouldn’t have believed it myself if i hadn’t experienced it.
I am Thankful and Grateful for This Blessing Filled Journey

 Its incredible what kind of effect Electronica has on the music world and I hope he continues to put out dope stuff. As for this track, I'll let it speak for itself.

"Call of Duty ft/ Mobb Deep"

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Jay Electronica Ft Mobb Deep-Call Of Duty

Movement Lifestyle - My Own Planet

Shaun Evaristo of Movement Lifestyle comes through with a nice new vid. Nerd vs Bully is the concept and Evaristo's choreography for the bullies is understandably stylish and aggressive. The choice of Royce Da 5'9"'s "My Own Planet" is equally fitting. I love the concept vids they post and I'll continue to feature them here as they release. Enjoy!

"My Own Planet"

Happy Birthday Nitty Scott, MC!

Happy Birthday to the dope MC known as Nitty Scott. Check out her track over Deep Cover.

"Deep Cover"

Road To Battlefield 3 - Beta Impressions Part 2

The squad set up and friend's list squad making is completely broken right now. You can't create your own squad. And don't even attempt to get friends into your squad. Its difficult enough to get them on the same team. I hope Dice fixes this before launch.

The destruction in the game is very nice and realistic. I've been a victim of a lot of collapsing columns and the like and chipping off walls is really detailed. I have noticed, though, that shooting through glass has delayed reaction. That could be internet connection though. There are a few other bugs as well. The one I've experienced most involved falling through the ground and getting completely stuck. It happened only in specific areas, but the areas were ones of heavy traffic (ex: around objectives). The collision detection in the beta isn't the best, either. I'd have issues jumping over things or setting up a bipod, only to end up halfway through the object.

Last up, teamwork. This subject has been sore one for a few years amidst shooters of any kind. COD has bred a lone-wolf pick up and play gamer, and teamwork is limited to those that bring friends or compete in tournaments with pre-made squads. I've usually found the Battlefield series to be a bit more team friendly, but only in limited occasions. To their credit, the objective focused levels and game types push for teamwork on mass scale and the individual squads add a personal team dynamic as well. In one particular match, my team worked extremely well together on defense. We held the enemy at the FIRST objectives with rarely any bombs placed. Though not everyone had a mic, communication was there. The new "spotting" system (press select to highlight enemy characters for your entire team) is a brilliant addition and helps a lotwhen you don't have a mix handy. Our success translated into offense as well, as breezed through every objective with few loses on our side.

Long Live Play

With Kevin Butler leading the charge, Sony has seen great success in the PR areas, even amidst the Playstation Network debacle. The witty and hilarious commercials featuring Butler, and even his live speeches, are truly entertaining and make me proud to be a diehard Playstation fan. Here's the latest commercial celebrating gamers and the stories our hands unravel. Its the best gaming promotion ever. Long Live Play.

"Michael"

Top 50 Best Radio Freestyles (Complex)

Caught wind of this sick "Top" list. Complex usually comes through with dope lists, but this is the first I felt I really had to share. It focuses on the near-dead art of hip hop freestyles. Not many artists today can really hold their own in an on the spot, off the top rhyme session. Check it as Complex breaks it done. HERE

I Am Alive

I'm a huge fan of Disaster Report, a survival/thriller video game from 2002. In the game you had to manage water/food intake, manage injuries, and assist other survivors while unraveling an interesting plot involving possible government tampering in a city destroyed by constant earthquakes. It was awesome being able to manage such things in a pseudo open world while reacting to sudden earthquakes, floods, and the like. After my play-through, I'd often wondered what a more powerful console could do with the disaster genre, and it seems I'll be able to find out soon enough.

"I Am Alive" was announced waaaaaay back in 2008 and news had been lacking since then. It seems the game has changed directions a few times throughout development, but I believe they've nailed it down. Finally. In 2011. Nonetheless, the game looks impressive. Disaster Report didn't have many guns in it, and it seems IAA is following suit, mixing in some tense archery and melee. I really hope they don't stray from the survival and exploration aspects, though, as those were the things that make games like this stand out. We don't need another generic shooter. Check out this intense trailer following a description of what we know so far.

"I Am Alive"

Road To Battlefield 3 - Beta Impressions Part 1

I got into the PS3 Open Beta on day 2. After a surprisingly light download (Dice says this is actually outdated software), I got right into it. The main menu is plain and straightforward, but the "My Soldier" menu option (grayed out at the moment) seems most intriguing. I tried accepting a friend's game invite, to no avail. I grew impatient and decided to just jump in headfirst. The load time was pretty swift and you can choose whether to be tossed into a squad or not while you wait.

The graphics are stunning immediately. The textures have a natural look to them, the characters move well, and the guns look amazing. The map they chose for the beta is well known to anyone that has kept up with the trailers, so I won't go into detail, but something else that deserves the highlight is the sound. Dice has completely outdone itself with this. A friend of mine tried to describe how awesome the sound was over the phone, but I didn't get the full grasp until I experienced it myself. Every weapon has its own unique sound and everything affects how you hear it, whether its the texture of the wall being shot through or the fact that you're inside or outside.  They've done an exceptional job here.

Another area that caught my attention early on was the difficulty while aiming and shooting guns without scopes and other added accessories. Thank you Dice. While its not impossible to get consecutive kills with the "naked" weapons, having a well earned scope or grip makes a HUGE difference. That alone increases the worth of unlockables by a large margin. There were too many times when I'd unlock all the games in an old fps title and end up going back to early unlocks that performed just as good. Now, Battlefield 3 has created a noticeable difference between scope and no scope, the different kinds of scopes, and the effects of horizontal and vertical shifting while firing on automatic. This game will make a better fps player of us all, emphasizing the benefit of burst fire (something I'd already grown accustom to, but took for granted, back in Modern Warfare days).

These are just a couple things that stand out in the beta so far and next time I'll focus on the teamwork gameplay, matchmaking, and destruction. Peace till then.

Common - Blue Sky

Hot DAMN! I love this joint. I already was getting my hopes up for Common's upcoming release, "The Dreamer, The Believer", but now my hopes are through the roof. Too bad Kanye couldn't keep him on his label. No I.D. handles the production on the entire album and he definitely brought it big with the latest song, "Blue Sky". Common had been teasing a new release for quite a while and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. This will be on repeat for a while. Let me be quiet. Just listen for yourself.

"Blue Sky"

Drake - Headlines

Here's the video for Drake's latest single, "Headlines". Most of the vid is pretty cool. Nice set pieces and scenes. The editing is annoying though. You'll see what I mean lol.

"Headlines"