Locals Only
Julox has one of the most recognizable voices in the Colorado hip-hop scene, and he’s actually one of the hardest working emcees here as well. Since the release of his album Catfishm Shrimp, -n- French Fries in January, the rapper has dropped a group project called "Dirty Ridin’” with Shoota, a freestyle mixtape called No Pen, No Pad with DJ Desert E, and is working on an album with Nyke Loc, an album with Ad-Verse and a mixtape with DJ K-Tone called Two Weeks Notice, slated for release this month. So what is he hoping for after all these joints drop?
“Whatever the Lord has planned is what I hope for,” Julox said. “What I wish for is that I can be the best like Tupac or Biggie; but them boyz dead so I guess like Jay-Z or Lil Wayne. But I really don’t want to be all pop and all that.”
It would be easy for Julox to go pop. Being that he was born and raised in the South (Port Arthur, Texas and Alexandria, Louisiana, respectively) and has a Southern drawl that record execs would drool over, Julox rather represent the box state.
“The birthplace of my rap career is Aurora, Co. Ya know what I’m talkin bout? When I started spittin’ for real, I was on Mississippi & Sable,” he says. “So I gotta let boyz know I’m outta Colorado. Don’t get me wrong, I let boys know I’m out that dirty south, but my organization is based here. Plus we ain’t on the map yet, and the south is. So i gotta represent Colorado every chance I get. Ya Dig!?!”
Even with all the work he’s done, Julox continues to look towards the future; even if hip-hop isn’t in the stars. "My last solo album is fourteen songs deep and I’m still recording it,” Julox says. “If nothing happens then I might hang it up. On the cool, I have sixteen plus projects out, some are mixtapes but I might be about done. I ain’t ran out of rhymes or nothing. I never will. I ain’t too old because I’ll out-rap any 18-year old or anybody my age; but I’m gone because there’s blunts to be burned baby.”
With so much Julox material out there, if he does retire, at least we’ll have some dope hip-hop to last us quite awhile.
"My City Iz Yo City" - Julox feat. Money Waters
Jay-Z Announces Blueprint 3
Fresh off of joining Nas at the Rock the Bells stop in New York, Jay-Z stepped out during Kanye West’s set at the Glow in the Dark Tour. West told the crowd that he’d been working on some new music out in Hawaii and asked the crowd if they wanted to hear some music he’d been working on. As the beat came on, a hook saying, “I seen you jockin’ Jay-Z,” blared out and Jay-Z himself appeared on stage and spit a verse. At the end of the segment, Jay-Z announced “Blueprint 3!! Jay-Z, Kanye West!”. Take a look at the video here:
BLUEPRINT 3 from kwest on Vimeo.
Gunfire Disrupts Rick Ross Charity Event
On Wednesday, Miami rapper Rick Ross was hosting his 2nd Annual Rick Ross Be Out Day, an event designed to promote education and social responsibility. But during Rick Ross’ performance, 10 shots rang out across the street from the event causing local police to have to shut down the event early.
"The shots happened near the event ... across the street, but it was close enough that it seemed as if it happened in the park [where the show was taking place]," Elora Mason, a publicist for Rick Ross Charities Inc., the event sponsor, told MTV News. "It's not clear what brought it on, but police said the person shooting appeared to be shooting in the air."
Police caught one of two of the perpetrators and believe that the incident had nothing to do with the Rick Ross event or the people involved. Before the event ended however, Ross performed one song and went into the crowd to shake hands and sign autographs.
Aftermath Cognac to Coincide with Dr. Dre’s Detox
A press release sent out by Drinks Americas Holdings Ltd. announced that the debut of a new line of cognac and vodka will coincide with the release of Dr. Dre’s upcoming album, Detox. According to MTV News, the new drinks, Aftermath Cognac and a line of 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodkas, will hit shelves within the next 60 days.
"These products are to be introduced in coordination with the launch of Dr. Dre's long-awaited Detox album, and will be supported by a fully integrated marketing program with the performer and his record company," according to the release via MTV News. It looks like another confirmation that Dre’s long awaited album will finally be released this year.
New Releases
Re-Up Gang The Clipse Presents Re-Up Gang The Clipse introduced their Re-Up Gang, Ab-Liva and Sandman, back in 2004 while on a hiatus. They made huge noise in the underground with their We Got It For Cheap mixtape series but now they’re releasing their debut album. Although there isn’t any production from the Neptunes, the beats are solid and the rhymes are tight, but the content remains on the hustling life.
Nappy Roots Humdinger It’s been four years since we last heard from the Nappy Roots, and it’s been even linger since they’ve had a hit. They’re hoping that changes with the new album, Humdinger, which is actually reminiscent of early Outkast and Goodie Mob music. From the soulful southern-fried funky production and honest and heartfelt rhymes, it makes you forget all that other junk coming out of the South.
Ras Kass Institutionalized For more than a decade, Ras Kass has been seen as one of sickest lyricists to come out of the west coast, but over the last few years, some fans say he’s lost his touch. However, his new album, Institutionalized, should put all the doubters in check. Ras is still one of the best writers out there, even though he may need some help picking out the right beats. Mediocre beats aside, any fan of true lyricism ought to check this one out. -- Quibian Salazar-Moreno
