This week, the always-outspoken Killer Mike doesn’t want to give Samsung access, Wale moves over 150,000 units, and Joey Bada$$ earns high praise for his latest mixtape. Meanwhile, HipHopDX explores Jay-Z’s balance between businessman and emcee.
Killer Mike Says Thanks, But No Thanks To Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail Download App
Killer Mike was one of one million Samsung Galaxy smartphone users who signed up to download Jay-Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail album three days early via app for free.
As it turns out, Mike Bigga feels that Samsung’s asking price was too high, nonetheless.
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On his Twitter page, Mike posted an image of the app’s permission settings, which require users to give the app permission to their storage, system tools, location, network communities, phone calls, and more:
Ultimately, Mike decided that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and just said “naw.”
Wale’s The Gifted Earns Him A #1 Spot
Wale’s The Gifted gives the Washington, D.C. artist something he’s never had—a #1 album.
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In its debut week, The Gifted sold 158,000 copies, handily outselling J. Cole’s Born Sinner and Kanye West’s Yeezus, both of which were in their second weeks.
Born Sinner clocked in at 84,000 in its second week, bringing its total to 381,000, while Yeezus‘ 65,000 second-week sales brought the polarizing record to a total of 391,000 units sold.
Interestingly, Dr. Dre’s 1999 release 2001 squeaked into the charts again, putting its total over the past 14 years at 7,664,000.
Joey Bada$$’ Summer Knights “Reinforces His Talent And Potential”
Brooklyn, New York emcee Joey Bada$$ keeps churning out free projects, but as HipHopDX explains, they sound like anything but:
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“Joey is only 18 years old, but he sounds smarter and more provocative than many of his peers,” writes DX of Joey’s latest release, Summer Knights. “His lyrics and beat selection are reminiscent of DOOM, and true to his Flatbush roots, he embodies a genuine Golden-Era style. He actually touched on both of these notions in a 2012 interview with HipHopDX, stating, among other things, “I want to bring the golden-age back [to Hip Hop]”, and it shows within his music. But his tracks also benefit from a touch of contemporary flare. Ultimately, Joey is looking to carry the torch from the Golden Era through the 2010 decade.
“Joey Bada$$ is fast becoming a force in Hip Hop, and on this outing, he has succeeded in making another great mixtape while outdoing previous efforts,” concludes the write-up.
Does Jay-Z’s Worth Lie In His Bars Or His Business Acumen In 2013?
In light of Jay-Z’s aforementioned deal with Samsung, HipHopDX decided to explore where Hov will make his mark in the present-day and beyond.
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“As a fan of Jay-Z’s early work, I’ve watched his current ventures with RocNation Sports and his partnering with Samsung to give away one million free copies of Magna Carta Holy Grail,” writes Omar Burgess. “I’ve seen him applying the Jay-Z touch of formerly unpaid endorsements cloaked as trendsetting be applied to legitimate business ventures. And, if Jay-Z’s recent moves—direct forays into advertising and sports branding and unofficially campaigning for President Barack Obama to name a few—are any indication, I think he is now much more valuable as an ambassador for Hip Hop than a contemporary, competitive emcee.”
Traversing from Jay-Z’s earliest brand associations to his modern-day financial conquests, the piece hints at a deliberate plan by Hov to focus on the boardroom, and not the bars:
“I think that somewhere in between The Blueprint and The Black Album Jay-Z made a conscious decision to focus more on net worth, cultural impact and branding than lyrics. The tradeoff was that Jay could use his wealth and cultural capital to further promote the culture of Hip Hop and fund social initiatives instead of being a socially conscious rapper. As for the rhymes, he could pick and choose the times when he wanted to tap back into the intricate Reasonable Doubt style, subject matter and delivery.”
Other items of note:
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–Rock & Roll Hall Of Famer Lou Reed Reviews Kanye West’s “Yeezus”
–Ace Hood Was “Shocked” His Watch Fell Apart At BET Awards
–Janelle Monae “The Electric Lady” Release Date
–U-God Reveals Life-Changing Conversation With RZA
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–Ca$his Discloses Ongoing Writing Agreement With Shady Records
