Emilio Rojas- Close to me (Official Video)

Above is the video for one of my favorites from Rojas' latest mixtape, Life Without Shame.

Nicki Minaj- Moment for Life featuring Drake (Official Video)

Nicki Minaj - New Music - More Music Videos

Just as her unbelievable career has been, this video resembles a familiar fairytale. If you have never seen/heard Nicki Minaj act out her multiple personalities, the beginning of the video is for you. Of course, labelmate Drake plays her charming Prince and they get eye-squintingly close to locking lips. Watch the video above.

Dr. Dre- I Need a Doctor featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey

Dr. Dre f. Eminem & Skylar Grey- I need a doctor | Hiphopdx.com

In the next single from Dr. Dre's Detox album, Eminem tells us how much Dr. Dre has meant to his career. He and a large part of the rapper world want Dr. Dre back for another round. Skyler Grey, popular songwriter, is featured on the chorus.

Diggy Simmons- Everybody Late

With Virginian rapper D.O.E taking care of the chorus, Diggy Simmons unleashes furious bars on his latest internet leak.The high energetic beat by Jahlil Beats (Fabolous- Tonight) makes the track even more exciting.

Papoose- 6' 7" freestyle

Papoose- 6' 7"

Papoose has become an underground veteran but hasn't an incredible affinity to rhyme words.

J. Cole- Pass Me By featuring B.o.B

The final version of the Jim Jonsin produced J.Cole/B.o.B collaboration about struggle. In an earlier leaked version, singer Kevin Cossom sang the chorus.

Coaching staff readjusted

It's hard to believe it's been a whole week since the Ravens' heartbreaking loss to the Steelers. Since then, the players have emptied their lockers and gone home to family and friends.

This week, the front office has been hard at work removing and replacing people on the coaching staff. One coach has been "relieved of his duties" and another has decided to become defensive coordinator of a college team.

Offensive line coach John Matsko spent the last three seasons with Baltimore as his line blocked for upcoming Baltimore stars Joe Flacco and Ray Rice. Prior that he coached in Kansas City, St. Louis, New York, New Orleans and Arizona. Matsko has landed on his feet quickly, being hired as the next offensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers.

Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who was defensive line coach before being promoted as play-caller for the illustrious Ravens defense, left Baltimore to become defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan.

Matsko and Mattison have both been replaced by coaches/personnel already with the organization. The new offensive line coach is Andy Moeller, formerly the assistant offensive line coach. Mattison's replacement is the beloved secondary coach Chuck Pagano.

Chris Brown- Beautiful People

This probable second single off Chris Brown's upcoming album F.A.M.E  is another club song (what a surprise) produced by Grammy award winning producer Benny Benassi. Throughout the song, his use of a deeper tone to his voice sounds a bit unnatural. Nevertheless, the song is pretty decent.

Ke$ha- Sleazy remix featuring Andre 3000

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the entire song but Andre 3000 did his thing. Who would have predicted a song featuring these two? Not I.

Rest (Steelers) vs Momentum (Ravens).

All week, various personalities have argued about what is more beneficial to have in the playoffs, momentum or rest? The Ravens must face the well-rested number two (Steelers) seed in the AFC playoffs and the outcome of this game may answer that question.

The Ravens are coming off of a convincing 30-7 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and are as confident as ever in their chances against the 2010 AFC North champion, Pittsburgh Steelers,. Joe Flacco had an exemplary performance, throwing two touchdowns and no interceptions. The defense forced five turnovers, three of which were interceptions.

The Steelers did not play last week due to a first round bye given to the first and second seeds of each conference. The last time the Steelers took the field was two weeks ago in their week 17 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. In that game, the Steelers embarrassed their 5-11 opponent, putting up 31 points in the first half and making the Browns' defense appear extremely vulnerable and helpless.

Although the Steelers used the Browns to show the maximum of their potential, this performance holds little merit because the Steelers played against an inferior team and the performance was two, long weeks ago. The men in "black and yellow" may have used this time off to prepare for a playoff debut of new offensive wrinkles and new blitzes.

The injury report also speaks for itself as well. Ravens cornerback Chris Carr and offensive center Matt Birk are both listed as questionable for this afternoons contest. Only defensive lineman Aaron Smith, listed as doubtful, has a significant chance of not playing. Safety Troy Polomalu clearly rested up during the bye as he has been upgraded from questionable to probable from week 17 to today.

Timbaland- Take you clothes off featuring Missy Elliott

In case you wondering whether or not the "weekly hip hop series" trend was going to stick around, the answer is yes. Now, producer Timbaland has started one of his own called Timbaland Thursday.

The first installment is a club track featuring Missy Elliott and himself. It is so good to hear Missy Elliott making new music, even if it's only for one track.

Michael Oher vs James Harrison scares me.

Left tackle Michael Oher’s ability to protect quarterback Joe Flacco from against intimidating pass rusher James Harrison will be a deciding factor in Saturday’s AFC divisional playoff game

For those of you who tuned in last Sunday afternoon to the Ravens/Chiefs game, you noticed that Joe Flacco was taking quite a pounding from the opposing defensive line despite his exceptional performance. The most renowned pass rusher on the Chiefs' defense, Tamba Hali, accounted for two of the Chiefs five sacks, one of which was a forced fumble. Hali, 27, had 14.5 sacks in the regular season and is extremely talented but still a young player whose best football should be ahead of him.

Saturday at 4pm the Ravens take on well-rested division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, a team with a menacing defense that has gotten the best of Joe Flacco on numerous occasions. One of the keys to the Ravens victory is to give Flacco time to scan the field and make a decision. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau will scheme up some elaborate blitzes to confuse the pass protection but also depend on linebacker James Harrison to apply pressure in non-blitzing situation.

2010 was not Harrison's best season but still far from a shabby one. He had 10.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions (career high) over that 16 game period. Sunday he will line up across from Ravens’  Michael Oher.

Oher had a difficult time handling Tamba Hali last week and could very well struggle again this week against James Harrison. The last time these two teams met safety Troy Polomalu, ran around Michael Oher to sacked Flacco. Oher likely didn't block Polomalu because he had a glaring Harrison lined up across from him before the ball was snapped.

Michael Oher has to learn from his mistakes and be ready to block effectively for the Ravens offense to perform as well as it did last week.

Kid Sister- Gucci Rag Top

Kid Sister ft Gucci Mane - Gucci Rag Top | Audio | Rap Basement

The always eclectic, Chicago club rapper Kid Sister released a new mixtape, Kiss Kiss Kiss, today. The compilation has a few older songs and lots of new songs, one of which is bass heavy Gucci Rag Top featuring Gucci Mane. It's short but cool, lightweight song to ride to.

Talib Kweli- I'm on One

Talib Kweli hops on a banger by North Carolina producer Khrysis and does what he does best. This track is one of many set to be featured on Kweli's upcoming album Gutter Rainbows.

Kanye West & Jay-Z- H.A.M

Jay-Z and Kanye West- H.A.M

You may have heard the term "ham" thrown around loosely but this song defines it in every way. This Lex Luger beat starts out aggressive as all of his previous work but changes toward the end into a something much more unique.

The track is the first single from Kanye West's and Jay-Z's Watch the Throne collaborative album due in early March.

The day after: Ravens vs Chiefs

No, they weren't perfect but they played well enough to pitch the lone dominant performance of the Wild Card weekend.

Joe Flacco and the offense started off the game with a substantial drive and a three point lead.  On the first drive, Flacco threw short passes to receivers who dashed across the field for first downs. Upon their arrival in redzone their momentum stopped and had to settle for a field goal after being repeatedly stopped on the one yard line.

After Chiefs defensive end Tamba Hali sacked Flacco and forced a fumble, Chiefs' explosive running back Jamaal Charles dashed through a gigantic whole created by the left guard, ran through a few arm tackles from safeties Ed Reed and Dawan Landry and scored the Chiefs only touchdown. The play was pretty embarrassing for the Ravens defense, whose leader Ray Lewis called run defense "personal" in an interview earlier in the week.

At the end of the first quarter, the Chiefs were ahead 7-3 but would held to the number of points come the game’s end.

After allowing the big run, the Ravens defense settled down. They started forcing turnovers and shutting down Jamaal Charles. One of Baltimore's most important defensive plays of the game was Jamaal Charles' second quarter fumbled, forced by colossal rookie defensive tackle Terrance Cody. This play marked the point when Baltimore began shutting Charles down and eliminating him from the Chiefs' offensive scheme.

The offense played pretty well the entire game and benefited greatly from the turnovers the defense was creating despite having to deal with safety Eric Berry who made tackles all over the field yesterday. The Ravens regained the lead at the very end of the first half when Ray Rice ran nine yards into the endzone. At halftime the score was 10-7.

The second half was all Ravens and it with the first drive of the half as the Ravens didn't let the Chiefs offense sustain the drive. Haruki Nakamura grabbed an interception, then fumbled it virtually making it a ten yard completion for the Chiefs. Eight plays later, on a fourth and one the Chiefs go for it by running none other than Jamaal Charles to the outside. The Ravens sniffed it out and knocked Charles back for a 4 yard loss.

Toward the end of the game the tension became visible and the losing team resorted to cheap shots and gripping helmets. Willis McGahee’s 25 yard touchdown was the ice on the cake, putting the Ravens up 30-7.

The Ravens passing attack displayed what the fans have been yearning for... a complete performance. Even though Flacco was under constant pressure from the Chiefs' defensive line, he persevered and threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns. His main target, Todd Heap, lit up the Chiefs with ten catches, most of which in the middle of the field. Once the Chiefs started covering him with safeties and corners, things opened things up for Anquan Boldin. The pass distribution yesterday was very impressive so I have to give Flacco compliments for that.


With an efficient Flacco and two running backs as good as Ray Rice and Willis Mcgahee in the back field, this offense can be a problem for any of the remaining teams in the playoffs. As long as the offense is keeping their defensive teammates on the sidelines and rested, teams won't be able to score many points against them. Next week is the Pittsburgh Steelers, division rivals who will meet the Ravens for the third time this season.

Curren$y- Fly Out (Pt. Tres) featuring Sir Michael Rocks and Tabi Bonney

 

Three of hip hop's talented underground rappers prepare for takeoff. Although each comes from different backgrounds and possess different rhyme styles, they mesh well together on this one.

Cory Gunz & Peter Gunz- Shade 45 Freestyle

One of the best father/son freestyles I've ever heard. Sway, MTV news reporter and co-host of his own morning radio show, states that these two are one the best father-son rappers in the business. After listening to this freestyle, it's hard to argue with that.

Familiar running attack poses serious threat for Ravens

Chiefs running backs Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones have combined forces to create the number one rushing attack in the league this year. The two are a key matchup for the Ravens defense.

Thomas Jones' 245 carries lead the team in that category but it was Jamaal Charles that lead the team in rushing yards with 1467. Charles is dangerous not only in the backfield but also in the slot. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has allowed Charles to move into the slot rather frequently. As a result, Charles is third on the team in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. His versatility is very similar to what Ray Rice has brought to the Ravens offense.

Game- Never Stop Hustling featuring Fabolous (without tags)

Game f. Fabolous- Never Stop Hustlin                           

Just when I thought Game had given up rapping to constantly update his Twitter and get in fights with lesser known rappers, this collaboration with Fabolous comes along. It's not the first between the two but an enjoyable one nevertheless.

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa- That Good

 

I was initially skeptical about this one but the track is much better than I expected. Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa get together to rap about their most obvious shared passion.

Skillz- 2010 Rap Up

Every year Skillz drops a song called the "Rap Up" to summarize the events of the previous year. Here is his 2010 volume of the series.

Rick Ros- Made Men featuring Drake

Rick Ross f. Drake- Made Men | Hiphopdx.com

The radio rip of a new Rick Ross/Drake collaboration.

On to Kansas City for the wild card game

The Chiefs lost to their division rival, the Oakland Raiders, 31-10 last week and the Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans, making the Chiefs and Colts swap third and fourth seeds in AFC playoff race. The fifth seed, occupied by Baltimore, always travels to the home stadium of the fourth seed in the wild card round so the Ravens are Missouri bound next weekend.

The most intriguing aspect of this game is the level of unfamiliarity between the two opponents. The Ravens have lengthy experience playing against every other team in the AFC playoff race. The Ravens saw the New England Patriots twice last year and once earlier this season, play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice a year in AFC North divisional showdowns, take annual spankings from the Colts and opened this season of Monday Night Football against the New York Jets.

These two teams last played in each’s 2009 season opener but have not faced each other in Arrowhead Stadium since week 14 of 2006. The only remaining offensive cornerstones of that Ravens team are Derrick Mason and Todd Heap, both of whom were outshined by Mark Clayton (hard to believe, I know). Neither Joe Flacco nor Ray Rice have ever played in Arrowhead, a stadium considered to be as raucous and lively as any in the league.

Ray  Lewis may still remember his visit rather vividly. In that game, the defense allowed Larry Johnson to run for 120 yards but used Ed Reed’s two interceptions to restrain Trent Green from racking up points. They rode a solid defensive performance to a 20-10 December win against the Chiefs, the first to accomplish such since 1995.

Flacco and Rice can brag about their extensive playoff experience. Flacco has started in five playoff games during his short three year career, Rice only in two because the ankle injury he sustained his rookie year kept him out of postseason action. The atmosphere that will reside in Arrowhead Stadium come Sunday at 1pm will among the most intense the Ravens have experienced this year. Despite that,  they should be up to the challenge. The Chiefs, on the other hand, may not be so prepared to rumble.

Most of their top performers have yet to experience a playoff game. Matt Cassel, Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry have all been deprived starting in the playoff experience so far mostly due to their age. Players like complimentary running back Thomas Jones and linebacker Mike Vrabel will help balance out this influx of talented but novice players. Not to mention Chiefs head coach Todd Haley earned the job not long after coordinating the offense of 2007 NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals.

Best believe the pressure will be applied to this Chiefs team that is not used to playing in January by this veteran Ravens team that has made a habit of dominating in the wild card round of the playoffs.

Chris Brown- Where do we go from here?

After "Yeah 3x", it's fair to assume that Chris Brown is fighting to regain the top spot in pop music. This club oriented, Jim Jonsin produced, Pitbill collaboration does nothing but reinforce that notion.

What is in the Ravens' near future?

Happy new year to all. You are reading the first post of 2011!

Tomorrow is the final day of the NFL regular season. All four teams in the AFC North division are facing each other. The Pittsburgh Steelers are traveling to Cleveland to face the Browns and capture a division title. The Ravens, who can potential seize the AFC North title with a win and a Pittsburgh loss, host the Cincinatti Bengals.

Although the Ravens have clinched a spot in the playoffs, becoming the number two seed would make things a little easier.

Right now the Ravens are the fifth seed and will travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to face the resurging Colts. Keep in mind the Ravens have not defeated Peyton Manning and the Colts since December 2, 2001 and their 2010 postseason run ended disappointingly in the same building.

The final score was 20-3 and the Ravens spent the entire game vicariously turning the ball over. Ray Rice fumbled on a 20 yard run, Ed Reed fumbled the ball during an interception return and Joe Flacco threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. Flacco threw the ball 35 times, mostly because he had to play from behind for a majority of the game. By halftime, the Colts buried the Ravens in a 17-3 lead.

As the number two seed, the Ravens could avoid all of this by earning a first-round bye and return the following week to face either the Kansas City Chiefs or the New York Jets.

Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself as the Ravens have a formidable challenge tomorrow. The 4-11 Bengals are in a position to play the spoilers and defeat the Ravens who must come out victorious to maintain their winning momentum as they approach their third playoff run in three years.