Tag Archives: breakthrough

Lady Gaga Fans Get Dolled Up, Take Us Along To Monster Ball Tour

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Follow two Little Monsters as they head to Gaga’s concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden. By Rebecca Macatee Lady Gaga Photo: Derek Storm/ Splash News Oh. My. Gaga. I’m still dancing, sparkling and “showing my teeth” after Lady Gaga’s epic show at Madison Square Garden last night. My friend Liz and I went in full “glitter and grease” attire to Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball. After accumulating Gaga garb for months, the time had come for us to finally unleash our inner monsters. We went to Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball at Radio City Music Hall back in January, where I’d worn leggings, a conservative leotard and clip-on bangs. Compared to the racy getups of her other fans, I was totally tame and felt a tad underdressed! For this show, I wanted to go in a full costume of Gaga-inspired glory. I started with a simple, black leotard. (We’re in the midst of a heat wave here in NYC, and honestly, who wears pants to see Lady Gaga?!) At the hardware store, I insisted on trying on 9 feet of chains, which I would wrap around my body and safety-pin into place. (I was going for that whole prisoner look Gaga rocks in her “Telephone” video .) A partial weave would not suffice for Gagaloo round two, so I searched high and low for a bright, Mother Monster-inspired, canary-yellow wig. Fishnets and bejeweled, fingerless gloves were a given. Liz wore glitter-covered high heels and a provocative mesh leotard, dyed the tips of her hair hot pink and drew on a “Just Dance”-inspired lightning bolt underneath her right eye. A girl can never be too sparkly. Liz and I got ready for the show in my small, sweltering apartment, spending extra time on our dramatic makeup that would undoubtedly melt off our faces before the night’s end. We clonked down six flights of stairs from my walkup to the street wearing 5-inch heels, and definitely got some confused stares from passersby. Our giddy anticipation and adrenaline escalated as we cabbed to the arena, belting out “Alejandro” and dancing in the backseat. The moment we stepped out of the taxi and into the crowd of Little Monsters waiting to enter MSG, we instantly fit in. Confused stares and questioning side-glances were replaced with celebration and camaraderie among new friends. There were men in S&M getups, women with lacy headdresses and sequin gowns, young kids in pleather and everything in between. An indescribable, excited energy united us all. Gender, race, sexual orientation and class truly disappeared, and on this night, we each felt like the guest of honor at a giant, judgment-free party. Liz and I made it to our seats just in time to see Gaga take the stage. The crowd screamed wildly for the iconic woman who proudly “brings all the freaks together.” She defies convention not only with her wardrobe, but with her unapologetic attitude. The costume changes, dancing, piano-playing and sheer talent are an amazing, theatrical spectacle to watch, but the real genius of the Monster Ball is Gaga’s ability to make her audience feel like an integral part of the show. In a sold-out arena of thousands, Gaga is able to make every person feel an intimate connection to her and to each other. Her message is inspiring and uplifting, adamantly telling her beloved Little Monsters to believe in themselves. It’s not the clich

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Nicki Minaj Announces Album Release Date

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘Yes. It’s time. November 23rd,’ Minaj tweeted Thursday. By Jayson Rodriguez with MTV News staff Nicki Minaj Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage Nicki Minaj promised MTV News recently that her debut album is coming this year, and that promise took one step closer to reality when she tweeted the album’s release date on Thursday (July 8). “Yes. It’s time. November 23rd,” she wrote. Minaj talked with MTV News about the LP, which is the most hotly anticipated hip-hop debut since Drake’s, earlier this week. “The album is coming along just spectacular,” Minaj said. “I been doing a lot of work with Swizz [Beatz] ,and the stuff that we been coming upon is magical. When people hear the album, they’re going to get to know Onika [her birth name is Onika Maraj]. And no one knows Onika. I really didn’t think I would be this excited about the songs that I’m coming up with. I’m really, really proud.” The Lil Wayne prot

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Freddie Gibbs’ ‘Tailor-Made Flow’ Makes Him A ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Candidate

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans decide our ‘Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010′ — vote now! The winner will be revealed on July 25. By Shaheem Reid Freddie Gibbs Photo: MTV News “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” Candidate: Freddie Gibbs Of course Freddie Gibbs wants to get a little paper, but he’s still giving away whole bodies of work for free. His fans should be familiar with his mixtapes Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs, Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik and The Labels Tryin to Kill Me, and the buzz around those projects have him in the running for “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010.” He introduced us all to his forceful baritone and Midwest flow. In the next couple of weeks, he’ll drop his Str8 Killa, No Filla Mixtape (July 29) and the Str8 Killa EP (August 3). “I been giving my fans the music with the Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs and Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik. I had so many projects with nothing for sale,” the Gary, Indiana, MC said of the EP; he did note that the EP will have several records the mixtape doesn’t, such as “Oil Money” with Bun B, Chuck English, Chip the Ripper and Dan Aurbach. “I just wanted to throw something in stores that people who ain’t on the Net can grab,” he said. “Really, you’re getting 25, 30 songs for $8. Get the mixtape first and try it before you buy it. If you wanna support, you can support.” Gibbs’ first release from Str8 Killa is “National Anthem.” ” ‘National Anthem,’ all I was really doing was documenting my personal struggle, the things I’ve been dealing with,” he said. “The struggle, that rebellion is a theme that everybody can relate to. I used my tailor-made flow.” Gibbs said the follow-up record is called “Face Down”: “Straight gangster sh– for the clubs and the streets.” “The whole process, man, it was just me taking my time doing what I wanted to do musically,” he added about the tape. “Getting creative, making my sh– sound more like an album than a mixtape. I look at dudes like 50 Cent. His mixtapes was sh– that sounded like records. Even if he was rapping on other people’s beats, he made them his own. I studied him, and I put my own flavor and came with the Str8 Killa. It’s going to jump me off like Trap or Die did for Jeezy. ” Str8 Killa is gonna blow your mind, he added. “The world kinda got A.D.D. right now. You gotta keep fresh material. With me putting out a body of work, it works in my favor. I want people to fall in love with me as an artist. I don’t want one song to be bigger than Freddie Gibbs. People get attached to one song with dudes, then when they done, they throw them out the window. I want the people to really fall in love with me. That’s why I put out good, structured bodies of work.” Freddie and 19 other up-and-coming MCs are in the running to become MTV News’ “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” — and the winner will be decided by you! Cast your vote for the “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” right here . The top five will be revealed beginning July 19, and the winner will be announced on the “Sucker Free Summit” July 25! Related Videos Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010

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Freddie Gibbs’ ‘Tailor-Made Flow’ Makes Him A ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Candidate

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Rick Ross Video Director Spiff TV Branches Out

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Ross has been ‘getting me a lot of gigs,’ Spiff tells Mixtape Daily. By Shaheem Reid Spiff and Rick Ross Photo: Spiff TV Fire Starter: Spiff TV Carlos Suarez has an ear for the streets and an eye for the Internet. Better known to everyone on the hip-hop blogs as Rick Ross’ directorial go-to guy, Spiff TV, the 26-year-old has made a name for himself with his vivid visuals for artists such as the Bawse and Waka Flocka Flame. What the world might not know yet: It was Spiff’s keen audio scouting that unearthed the beats for two of Ricky Rozay’s hottest records right now. ” ‘MC Hammer,’ I did two verses,” Ross explained to us a couple of weeks ago. “One night, we was riding around the city, and Spiff played me the beat. I just start writing to it, and Spiff took his BlackBerry and started writing down the rhymes. I actually wrote the two verses and the chorus riding around in the whip.” “I’m a director/A&R,” said Spiff, who also manages producer Lex Luger (Ross’ “MC Hammer” and “Blowin’ Money Fast [B.M.F.]” and Waka’s “Hard in the Paint”). “If you check that Albert Anastasia album , it’s ‘A&R by Spiff TV.’ I got him [the beat for] ‘B.M.F.,’ and I got him ‘MC Hammer.’ I actually gave him ‘MC Hammer’ when we left the ‘Super High’ video shoot . Like 2 in the morning. I had the laptop opened up, playing the beat. He just started freestyling. I said, ‘Hold up.’ I whipped the BlackBerry out and started writing down everything he was saying. The next week, he calls me like, ‘Spiff, e-mail me.’ Sent him the lyrics. Hit! Same thing with ‘B.M.F.’ ” Spiff is directing the upcoming videos from Albert Anastasia for “MC Hammer” and “Sweet Life” with John Legend. A couple of weeks ago, he helmed a teaser for “B.M.F.” Spiff directed all the freestyle videos Ross has done the past couple of years, as well as videos from Deeper Than Rap, such as “Mafia Music” and “Valley of Death.” The Orlando native has caught the attention of other MCs as well; he directed Waka Flocka’s “O Let’s Do It” remix video as well. “I’m from Orlando,” Spiff began to tell of how he hooked up with the leader of the Carol City Cartel. “I used to work as A&R for DJ Nasty. Nasty Beat Makers from Orlando. That’s [DJ] Khaled’s people and brother. So [Ross] put me on a couple of years ago. We just been building. Right now, we working. A lot of stuff going on. Ross manages me as a video director. He’s been doing a lot for me as far as networking, getting me a lot of gigs.” Spiff’s biggest goal right now is to start directing films. He says getting the opportunity to shadow director F. Gary Gray on the set of the “Super High” video was an invaluable experience. “I got to watch him shoot a video. It was amazing. He shoots videos like they’re movies. He’s picking two movies coming up. He doesn’t know which one. But either one he picks, I’m flying to where it is, and I’m going to be his water boy that day and watch everything he does.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc .

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Rick Ross Video Director Spiff TV Branches Out

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J. Cole Builds On Jay-Z Co-Sign To Be ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Candidate

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans decide our ‘Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010’ — vote now! The winner will be revealed on July 25. By Jayson Rodriguez J. Cole Photo: Roc Nation “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” Candidate: J. Cole J. Cole might be rolling with Roc Nation, but the North Carolina rhyme-spitter will be carrying the torch all by himself on his still-untitled solo album, due later this year. For his debut, Cole said he doesn’t expect to have any features, and the collection has been produced entirely by himself and veteran beatsmith No I.D. “I might get a last-second Jay-Z appearance. We’ll see,” Cole told MTV News over the weekend, hinting that his Roc Nation label head could join him on a song. A collaboration with the Brooklyn icon would be fitting, considering his prot

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Curren$y Becomes ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Contender With Help From Dame Dash

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

MC is poised to make his major-label debut on the re-launched Roc-A-Fella. By Jayson Rodriguez Curren$y Photo: Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” Candidate: Curren$y The Hot Spitta’s been pursuing happiness longer than most on the “Hottest Breakthrough” list. A few years ago, Lil Wayne introduced Curren$y to the world with their rumbling collaboration “Where Tha Cash At,” also featuring Remy Ma. But the New Orleans native hasn’t truly had a moment until recently. His deal with Young Money was severed due to creative differences, and he released two indie projects in the meantime. Now, though, Curren$y is aligned with Damon Dash’s DD172 studio and the hip-hop mogul’s partnership with Creative Control, a cutting-edge visual content company. The result is his forthcoming Pilot Talk. It’s not only his major-label debut but also the first effort from the re-launched Roc-A-Fella Records under Dash and Def Jam. “I call it opposite world,” Curren$y told MTV News about his deferred dreams. “That’s what I’ve named it. I’ve been doing this for a minute, and I’ve grown accustomed to things just not really panning out. But I still have a good time, so it don’t really matter. But this time, I keep waiting. “To know that [Dash] wasn’t trying to be involved in music — he reached out to do the Black Roc project to do a verse and both got so cool and knew that was it,” he continued. “I been to a million meetings, and that really wasn’t a meeting. We just kicked it. Might as well get money at the same time.” Since joining forces with Dash, Curren$y has helped recruit Mos Def and Jay Electronica into the fold, as the three plan have been collaborate on a project together. And as the de facto leader of the DD172 movement, the warbly-voiced MC has helped Wiz Khalifa and Big K.R.I.T. raise their profile by trading woozy verses with them on their mixtape projects. They all share a similar vibe, featuring laid-back production and music that’s perfect to listen to in candy-painted rides. According to Curren$y, their sound is the foundation for their current rise. “The music is progressive, and people are receptive to it, because [most other] music sounds the same,” he said. “Everything sounds the same. Really, they’re doing us a favor by staying like that. People want to be relevant so bad that once they see somebody win, they do exactly what that person did and they stop doing what they do. Except for us. So continue to do that. We think it’s awesome.” Curren$y and 19 other up-and-coming MCs are in the running to become MTV News’ “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” — and the winner will be decided by you! Cast your vote for the “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” right here . The top five will be revealed beginning July 19, and the winner will be announced on the “Sucker Free Summit” July 25! Related Videos Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010 Related Artists Curren$y

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Curren$y Becomes ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Contender With Help From Dame Dash

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3OH!3 Talk ‘Rad’ New Album, Streets Of Gold

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We were inspired by gold,’ Nathaniel Motte jokes to MTV News. By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Matt Elias 3OH!3 Photo: MTV News For 3OH!3’s album Streets of Gold, out Tuesday (June 29), they decided to seek inspiration from things they know a lot about — like partying. Would you expect anything else from the “Don’t Trust Me” singers? ” Want did really well and kept doing better, so we didn’t really have time [to make a follow-up],” Nathaniel Motte told MTV News of their breakthrough album. “We finally carved out some time to make this album, which is rad. We were inspired by gold.” The duo also wrote music about their new rock-star lifestyle. “I think there’s a few completely different things on the album,” Sean Foreman said. “Some of it’s really fun and just about kind of our life on the road and parties. There’s some heavier songs [too].” But don’t think the party-song dudes have left behind the sounds that made them household names. If you hear any new vibes on the album, they say it’s just because they have grown as musicians. “While we were touring, we managed to work in the studio, and I think we’ve learned so much as songwriters and as producers making music and making tracks,” Motte said, adding that this album is a “more developed [and] more defined album. It’s inspired by a lot of stuff.” Some of that stuff includes first love, as evidenced on their Ke$ha-fied single “First Kiss,” and, well, house parties. “I think we stretched. As much diversity as there was on the last album, we just pulled that and stretched it further,” Foreman said. “You get stuff on either end of the spectrum — like ‘House Party’ is crazy and has the craziest production, and it’s just a fun anthem that you’d want to sing with all your friends. And then there’s stuff on the other end of it, where it might be a little bit more singing and stuff like that.” Are you looking forward to 3OH!3’s latest album? Let us know in the comments!

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3OH!3 Talk ‘Rad’ New Album, Streets Of Gold

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Big Sean Keeps ‘Grinding’ As A ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Candidate

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans decide our ‘Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010′ — vote now! The winner will be revealed on July 25. By Shaheem Reid Big Sean Photo: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” Candidate: Big Sean Big Sean’s new Olympicks-produced single is called “What U Doin’ (Bullsh—in’),” but the Detroit MC’s heat index is on the rise because he isn’t a BS artist. “The misconception is thinking we just started,” Sean said about himself and some of his fellow “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” candidates such as Wiz Khalifa, Nipsey Hussle and Pill. “People been grinding for years trying to get their first look. That’s the biggest misconception. It’s not overnight for real.” Signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music label , Sean said he picked up a few jewels by watching his labelmate Kid Cudi, who was in a similar situation last year. Cudi had buzz off mixtapes and hip-hop blogs but eventually had to deliver hit singles and an acclaimed debut album. “You just learn, man,” Sean said. “You can make it as big as you wanna make it. You gotta grind hard. You get the look, now it’s time to shine. “Trying to break through, that’s it,” he added of his main goal. “You just gotta get that look. People have to start listening, people have to be drawn to you somehow.” Sean has come a long way since his fateful encounter with Kanye at a Detroit radio station in 2005. West liked that Sean had witty punch lines but also told his own story. He was a kid from the D who went to work, sometimes struggled to come up with gas money and loved hip-hop. He wasn’t trying to be anything he wasn’t. Since then, Sean dropped his Finally Famous mixtape in 2007 and broke ground in his career with UKnowBigSean last year. He’s been sprinkling several unrelated songs throughout cyberspace, alongside the likes of fellow upstarts Chip the Ripper, Wale, Mike Posner, his G.O.O.D. Music family members (West, Common, Cudi, Consequence) and the undeniable breakthrough act of 2009: Drake. “The mixtape circuit and the whole online circuit is more important than anything,” Sean said. “More important than air, than all of that. It’s all love. That’s crazy. The mixtape plays the most important role as far as artists like me, new artists getting heard. We may not be able to get on the radio, we may not be able to do that, but we can touch everybody through the Internet and through these mixtapes.” His LP is named after his first mixtape, Finally Famous. “The debut album coming out his year,” Sean added. “Its executive-produced by Kanye and L.A. Reid. G.O.O.D. Music/ Def Jam. We got Pharrell on there, Kanye, the G.O.O.D. Music fam. A couple of other surprises. Me and Drake collabbed. It’s gonna be something to remember. I hope people get a chance to listen. Finally Famous. It’s not because somebody just got on and I’m finally famous. It has deeper meaning to that. It’s a story.” Sean’s debut will be coming this fall, tentatively scheduled to drop around the same time as the next LPs by Kanye West and Kid Cudi. His newest mixtape will come out later this year, and it’s called B.I.G. Underground bangers that have come out recently, “Supa Dupa Lemonade” and “High Rise,” will be included, along with brand-new material. Sean and 19 other up-and-coming MCs are in the running to become MTV News’ “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” — and the winner will be decided by you! Cast your vote for the “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” right here . The top five will be revealed beginning July 19, and the winner will be announced on the “Sucker Free Summit” July 25! Related Videos Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010

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Bun B Says Tupac, Pimp C ‘Right Now’ Verses Feel ‘Natural’

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘We got a song that spans across three decades,’ UGK MC tells Mixtape Daily ; Trey Songz also guests on new track. By Shaheem Reid Bun B Photo: MTV News Cornerstone Credentials: UGK and Tupac Shakur Bun B knows he has an angel in his corner, with Pimp C looking down on him from up above. And Bun smiles as he talks about a record off of his upcoming LP, Trill O.G. The song features Pimp, Trey Songz and the late Tupac Shakur. The Port Arthur, Texas, legend says that it feels like a higher power intervened allowing the cut “Right Now” to come to fruition. “I don’t know, the big man was with us on this one,” Bun said of his late UGK partner, Pimp C, earlier this week in New York. “It was a song that was originally recorded in one version for a Tupac tribute album. Whatever reason, it didn’t make the [Tupac] album and ended up getting locked up in a vault. Somebody opened up the vaults and was like, ‘We got this record y’all did. Do you still want the record?’ We put some new music on top of it to get it back to a fresher feeling and give it more of a party vibe. When you listen to it, it really was a party record. [Producer] Steve Below put a real good beat behind it. I went in and did a fresh verse, got a new hook to it. “I always knew we would have to get somebody new to sing the hook because that ain’t my job. I’m an MC. We called up the young boy Trey, he was more than happy to fit us in his hectic schedule. He was getting ready to go out on the [ Blueprint 3 ] Tour. He worked it out for us. I think we put together something people are going to be playing for a long time.” Bun said the track also captures his UGK partner’s essence. “Anybody that knows Pimp’s personality, this is classic Pimp C — definitely talking about the ladies, definitely talking about getting money,” Bun said. “Same thing with Tupac; to me, this is the ‘Let Me See It’ Pimp C-meets-the ‘I Get Around’ Tupac. It’s a fun time had on this record. I think a lot of people will have a good time when they hear it. The craziest thing about this record is when you think about it, Tupac’s verse is from the ’90s. Pimp C’s verse is from the 2000s. My verse is from 2010. We got a song that spans across three decades and is just coming out now. And it’s gonna crush anything that’s out there. It sounds like we all literally came out the booth yesterday. It feels natural.” With such storied careers, it’s easy to imagine UGK and Tupac would’ve collaborated while Pimp and ‘Pac were still around, but oddly, Bun said they didn’t cross paths. “We never got to meet ‘Pac,” Bun said. ” ‘Pac got our album, I believe Edi [from the Outlawz] was saying, maybe two weeks before he passed away. Scarface gave Tupac the UGK Ridin’ Dirty album. ‘Pac went to Edi and said, ‘I don’t know who these dudes is’ — this is what Edi is telling us — ‘but they gonna be down with us. They talking about the same thing we talking about. These dudes is gonna be down with us, they on the same thing we on.’ It was crazy because Edi told us [Tupac] got the album and he was listening to it. And in one week, he lost two cousins. ‘One Day’ was a big record for him. Literally, one day [his cousins] were here, the next day they were gone. That [song] was something that helped them get through what he was going through at the time.” Trill O.G. comes out August 3, and besides features from ‘Pac and Pimp, Young Jeezy, Drake, Gucci Mane, LeToya Luckett, Yo Gotti and the aforementioned Trey Songz all appear on the LP. For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines or follow the Mixtape Daily team on Twitter: @shaheemreid and @mongosladenyc . Related Videos Mixtape Daily: Bun B, Big K.R.I.T., Rick Ross

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Jay Rock Goes From ‘Hood ‘Hardhead’ To ‘Hottest Breakthrough MCs Of 2010’ Candidate

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Fans decide our ‘Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010’ — vote now! The winner will be revealed on July 25. By Shaheem Reid Jay Rock Photo: Warner Bros. “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” Candidate: Jay Rock Even if you never saw Jay Rock or didn’t know about his street credentials, one listen to records like “All My Life in the Ghetto” with Lil Wayne and Will.I.Am or freestyles like “Anti Social” and you can tell that the Watts, California, native’s rhymes are ‘hood-validated. The husky roar in his baritone, the vivid narratives and the pain in his flow all give Rock one of the most captivating young voices in hip-hop. His candidacy for “Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010” comes with a collective thumbs-up from the streets. “Starting out in Watts, I can say I really had a love for music,” Rock said of his early musical inspirations. “I always had a love for music. When I was 6, 7 years old, I was raised on all the old-school stuff. My momma used to play oldies in the house. That’s all my momma used to play around the house was oldies. But when I stepped outside my project unit, that’s when I listened to the Dres, Scarfaces, DJ Twists, Mausberg. I was brought up on that. I fell in love with rhyming when I turned 13. I was in junior high. I got into it, but I wasn’t serious. It was just for fun.” Rock didn’t care too much about cultivating his skills; he was too busy chasing paper. “I was doing what I do, being a hardhead in the streets. I didn’t even know one of my big homies was in the music game,” Rock explained. “I heard he was looking for me. I thought it was to chastise me for some stuff I did being a hardhead. But the whole time, he wanted to get me in the studio. He heard one of my tapes, a song I was on. I used to be ducking and dodging. Shout-out to Top Dawg, he snatched me out the streets and said, ‘I’mma make something happen. You don’t need to be out in the streets doing that dumb stuff.’ ” Rock started putting out mixtapes in 2006 and has been signed to the Warner Music Group for the past three years, waiting to release his debut, Follow Me Home. “We still pushing,” Rock said about being patient. “We ain’t giving up on nothing. We been through worst situations than this on the street level. Look where we at right now? We on MTV. We gotta keep pushing.” Rock became a fixture on the hip-hop blogs back in 2008 when the video for “All My Life in the Ghetto” dropped, featuring none other than Lil Wayne. His momentum has carried into this year with his appearance as part of XXL magazine’s Freshmen 10 . The follow-up mixtape From Hood Tales to the Cover of XXL came in the spring. “I been around negativity all my life,” Rock said. “To do something positive, it’s a beautiful thing. It’s crazy how people are listening to my music. I ain’t never expect. … I’m from Watts, out the projects. I’m blessed. Real talk.” Jay and 19 other up-and-coming MCs are in the running to become MTV News’ “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” — and the winner will be decided by you! Cast your vote for the “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010” right here . The top five will be revealed beginning July 19, and the winner will be announced on the “Sucker Free Summit” July 25! Related Videos Hottest Breakthrough MCs of 2010

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