“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

Reblogged from Tha Lady Blogga Says...:

As Valentine's Day rapidly approaches, there are a few things that we need to clear up. First and foremost, this is a day for couples. If you play the game correctly, the sidebitch/dude gets no love that day. The side dudes don't care about this holiday. But for some reason, sidebitches feel like they have some right or obligation to get a gift, taken to dinner or treated like a girlfriend.

Read more… 586 more words

Aside from Drake and Kirko Bangz, Dreams and Nightmares has a host of artist appearances including Wale, Nas, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, the boss himself Rick Ross, Louie V and Trey Songz. Production work was intricate as the MMG reached out to Jahlil Beats, Boi-1da, Key Wane and Kane Beatz to give the album the sound to make it pop. Check the track list and album art below. The album is available for Pre-Order on iTunes and you can get it by clicking the album art below.

1. Dreams And Nightmares (produced by Tone the Best Bully )
2. In God We Trust (produced by Black Metaphor)
3. Young & Gettin’ It featuring Kirko Bangz (produced by Jahlil Beats)
4. Traumatized (produced by Boi-1da)
5. Believe It featuring Rick Ross (produced by Young Shun)
6. Maybach Curtains featuring Nas, John Legend & Rick Ross (produced by Infamous & The Agency)
7. Amen featuring Drake (produced by Key Wane and Jahlil Beats)
8. Young Kings (produced by Lee Major)
9. Lay Up featuring Wale, Rick Ross & Trey Songz (produced by Kane Beatz and Co-Produced by Ashanti “The Mad Violinist”)
10. Tony Story Pt. 2 (produced by Boi-1da)
11. Who Your Around featuring Mary J. Blige (produced by Tommy “TBHITS” Brown and Travis)
12. Polo & Shell Tops (produced by Cardiak)
13. Rich & Famous featuring Louie V (produced by Jahlil Beats)
14. Real N***** Come First (produced by Kenoe and Got Koke)

Meek Mill has been working long and hard on this project and is very proud of the end result. He said,  “A lot of people have been shying away from the real rapping and hip-hop,” said Meek on the motivation behind his first record. “I want to have a classic album, an Illmatic, [Vol.2...] Hard Knock Life, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ type, a hip-hop album.” Aside from promoting the album, Mr. Mill will be joining the Maybach Music Tour with Rick Ross, Wale and MGK which will hit 30 cities later this year. Check the schedule below to see when the Maybach fam hits you town. Tickets can be purchased on LiveNation.com

November 2, 2012                       Columbus, OH                  Schottenstein Center
November 3, 2012                       Lexington, KY                   Rupp Arena
November 4, 2012                       State College, PA              Bryce Jordan Center
November 5, 2012                       Champaign, IL                   Assembly Hall
November 8, 2012                       New Orleans, LA               UNO Lakefront Arena
November 9, 2012                       Houston, TX                     Reliant Arena
November 10, 2012                     Dallas, TX                         TBA
November 11, 2012                     Austin, TX                        Frank Erwin Center
November 13, 2012                     Columbia, SC                    Colonial Life Center
November 14, 2012                     Charlottesville, VA            John Paul Jones Arena
November 15, 2012                     Providence, RI                   Dunkin’ Donuts Center
November 17, 2012                     Baltimore, MD                   1st Mariner Arena
November 18, 2012                     Fairfax, VA                       Patriot Center
November 20, 2012                     Nashville, TN                    Bridgestone Arena
November 21, 2012                     Cleveland, OH                   Wolstein Center
November 23, 2012                     Oklahoma City, OK      Chesapeake Energy Arena
November 24, 2012                     Albuquerque, NM              Tingley Coliseum
November 25, 2012                     El Paso, TX                       El Paso County Coliseum
November 27, 2012                     Tucson, AZ                       Tucson Arena
November 29, 2012                     Fresno, CA                       Save Mart Center
November 30, 2012                     San Jose, CA                    San Jose Events Center
December 1, 2012                       Sacramento, CA                Power Balance Pavilion
December 2, 2012                       San Diego, CA                   Viejas Arena
December 5, 2012                       St. Louis, MO                    Scottrade Center
December 7, 2012                       Greensboro, NC                Greensboro Coliseum
December 8, 2012                       Atlanta, GA                      Philips Arena
December 9, 2012                       Charlotte, NC                   Bojangles Coliseum
December 11, 2012                     Memphis, TN                    FedEx Forum
December 12, 2012                     Kansas City, MO               Sprint Center
December 13, 2012                     Chicago, IL                       United Center
December 15, 2012                     Detroit, MI                       Joe Louis Arena
December 16, 2012                     Washington, DC               Verizon Center

Follow Meek Mill on Twitter @meekmill

On September 5th, Big Sean dropped his mixtape titled “Detroit” on Datpiff.com. The mixtape is a solid banger. Big Sean took time out to put this together in between working on his sophomore album, which is due to drop before the end of the year. The G.O.O.D. Music camp is working hard on the album and are excited to see the end result. In the meantime, “Detroit” is in rotation and it is a solid free project. With appearances from J.Cole,   Royce Da 5’9, French Montana, Kendrick Lamar, Juicy J and many others, the mixtape is well put together and worth the download and listen. Check out the track list below and download the mixtape by clicking the tracklist or using the link below.

Bloomingdale’s private label Aqua is launching a new line and they want you to come out and see it. Aqua Rocks is an upscale collection to the already stunning Bloomingdale’s Aqua collection. The Aqua Rocks Collection has leather pieces, which is a big Fall trend this year, Skinny Jeans and eye catching jewel-toned colors. On Saturday, September 8th, Bloonimgdale’s SoHo (NYC) is set to launch the line in-store. Visit the Bloomingdale’s SoHo store from 1-4 p.m on the 3rd floor to enjoy the festivities.

Event go-ers will be able to purchase pieces from the collection and receive a free gift as well as enjoy music from a special guest DJ, free manicures, make-up makeovers and cupcakes compliments of Magnolia Bakery. HOT Certificates will be able to be used towards purchases. For more information about the event or to make an appointment, please contact Aqua shop Manager Suzanne Biello at 212.729.5174. See you there!

Chris Lighty’s life was one that beamed longevity. He had his hands in all kinds of industry projects and was responsible for a myriad of things getting off the ground. Many artists wouldn’t have careers if it wasn’t for him.

Honoring his life is a priority and while words are comforting, so is music.

Sway In the Morning DJ, DJ Wonder (Shade 45), put together an awesome playlist of artists that worked with Lighty as a way to honor him. This mix is special as it celebrates the life of a man who was passionate about his work. Check the tracklist, listen below and download here —————> DJ Wonder Chris Lighty Tribute Mix

1. Black Sheep – Pass the 40
2. Jungle Brothers – J-Beez Comin’ Through
3. Jungle Brothers – J-Beez Comin’ Through (Bonus Beats)
4. A Tribe Called Quest – Buggin’ Out
5. A Tribe Called Quest – Check the Rhime
6. A Tribe Called Quest – Oh My God
7. A Tribe Called Quest – Oh My God (Live From The Tibetan Freedom Concert)
8. A Tribe Called Quest – God Lives Through
9. Fat Joe – Dedication
10. Fat Joe – Livin Fat
11. Fat Joe – The Shit Is Real (Primo Rmx)
12. Warren G/Nate Dogg – Regulate
13. Warren G – This DJ
14. Case featuring Foxy Brown – Touch Me Tease Me
15. LL Cool J – Doin it Again
16. LL Cool J – Doin’ It
17. A Tribe Called Quest – 1nce Again
18. Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, & Q-Tip – How Ya Want It We Got It (Remix)
19. Cru/LOX – Live at the Tunnel
20. Busta Rhymes – Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See
21. Busta Rhymes – Rhymes Galore
22. Busta Rhymes – Everybody Rise
23. Busta Rhymes – Tear da Roof Off
24. Q-Tip – Vivrant Thing
25. Noreaga/Styles P – I Come Thru
26. Missy Elliot – Whatcha Gon Do
27. Missy Elliot – On And On
28. 50 Cent – If I Can’t
29. 50 Cent – Back Down 10:00am
30. 50 Cent – What Up Gangsta?
31. A Tribe Called Quest – Stressed Out
32. A Tribe Called Quest – 8 Million Stories

(Photo courtesy of missinfo.tv)

With a release date shortly following, Nas released a sneak peek into the infamous “Bye Baby” track off his “Life Is Good” album. “Bye Baby” is a musical recount to his relationship and divorce with singer Kelis. The visual puts a raw picture to the already emotional track. The pain is clear but a sense of moving forward is evident. With Aristotle of By Any Means on direction detail, the full video will most definitely be a winner. Check the trailer…

“My sound has a taste… and no, I don’t mean expensive taste. It’s full bodied, It’s crisp, and most importantly it’s inviting.
People can hear integrity. I entertain thoroughly, and maintain honesty”

-Chaz Van Queen

Watching Chaz Van Queen perform live will no doubt make you a fan of his music. His energy coupled with a blend of word play, stories and various sounds give his music a twist. His sophomore effort, A:)4U which recently dropped on Tumblr, comes with an eclectic mix of genres and influence. With Van Queen on production and writing detail, he is able to fully control the creativity going into this project. Van Queen’s sound is an acquired taste but if you are a lover of Hip Hop, I can assure you that your ears will be pleased.

His first single off the project, Do You Like It featuring Kool A.D. of Das Racist, is already boasting over 25,000 views. Check the vid, check the album and see what all the fuss is about.

Cabbies won’t spend half their shift looking for customers and customers won’t spend half their day looking for a cab. While there are still some glitches in the system, the app made its debut last week and has been in high demand ever since. Make sure the cab that arrives is a LICENSED yellow cab as ZabKab can allow anyone to register. Check out ZabKab and let us know how it worked for you!

LRG made it possible to see what life a day in the life is like for up & coming super-producer Mike Will Made It. The cameras were on for about 36 hours of the talented producer’s life and he shows us the beauty of being busy. Coming off the release of his LRG assisted mixtape Mike Will Made It – Est. n 1989 Pt. 2, the cameras catch him with some of the features from the project. From Drake to Wiz to 2 Chainz, you’d be surprised who put their 2 cents onto some of the tracks on this project. If you don’t have it yet, you can download it here. While you do that, take a look at the visual and let us know what you think…

36 Hours with MIke Will – Est. in 1989 Pt. 2 from LRG on Vimeo.

Music fit for heavy rotation is so hard to come by nowadays. The ability of an artist to actually compliment well put together beats with consistent lyricism is a task for most. Kane Mayfield is one of those artists that makes it sound easy. Mayfield dropped his project, “RhymesByKane: Thievery Corporation Edition” on July 24th and it is definitely on point. Mayfield brings such a fluid flow to the ears, you have no choice but to want to listen. Giving a lot of Hip Hop heads something to hold on to, Kane comes equipped with a lot of the talents of the dope 90′s artists of the heavily referenced “Golden Era”. Mayfield was featured in Spin Magazine’s “Hip Hop Galaxy” article a few months ago alongside Joe Budden and Sean Price. His project was also reviewed by Spin Mag this month.  This project is music to the ears and good for the Hip Hop soul. Take a listen below and definitely click that download link to add it to your collection. Tha Lady highly recommends!!! DOWNLOAD HERE ——> http://www.sendspace.com/file/0ohx6u

As it would be, our economy is currently all points crappy and finding a job is becoming harder than finding “real” designer merchandise on Canal St in NYC. Most parents have been financially and mentally preparing their children for college since Kindergarten. The American Dream is built around having a college degree. There are some situations where people are successful without one but for the most part, degrees have become a social and economical requirement. How is it possible that in this day and age, college graduates cannot find a job and are unemployed? And if these degrees are needed for jobs, how is it that people who have them are often deemed “overqualified”? There seems to be some kind of dependency on the money that is borrowed, lent and spent on the higher education regimen so one would have to ask…

Who is behind the HIRE/Higher Education Hustle?

Thinking about all of the people and companies that benefit from college students is frightening. In order to keep these people in business, colleges have to be full. The banks, stores, publishing companies, and other establishments that depend on the college student dollar to stay afloat are aplenty. The Back to School shopping for college is often expensive and gives a lot back to the economy. Textbooks cost a fortune and a laptop or some other electronic device is a mandate nowadays. All of these things add up. Aside from tuition, there are an abundance of extra costs. The companies that depended on that revenue would surely vanish if attendance at colleges decreased.

And the bank loans and hefty interest percentages… If parents didn’t put a college fund in place for their child, he/she will be paying back college loans for the majority of their life. The banks will make sure of that and with the chances of finding a job so slim, default is almost eminent.

Many employers require their perspective employees to have some kind of degree past a High School diploma. People plan their lives around obtaining jobs pertinent to their educational background. A lot of times it happens but a lot of times it does not. A lot of jobs, like the New York City Department of Education, pride themselves on educated teachers. The Department offers incentives and pay raises for teachers who go above and beyond a B.A. Matter of fact, a Masters Degree is mandatory. There are teacher programs and all kinds of things in place to make sure this happens. Aside from having to obtain a higher education, candidates for teaching have to pay the State of New York for any licenses or teaching certificates they obtain. Not only does the State get paid but NYSTCE gets paid at least three times for the various exams needed to “teach”. Recently though, the Mayor and his gang have had a change and decided that teachers with Masters Degrees and PhD’s are too expensive to pay. If a teacher is currently in that target pay salary and approaching pension eligible, the Department is finding a way to either lay you off or terminate you. But at the same time they are more than willing to hire new teachers straight out of college, clad with no experience and a Bachelors, which earns them a minimal salary. Sounds like a great financial trade-off for the City.

Over-qualified is a term used loosely nowadays. While it is easily explained, the concept for being over-qualified for a position is still baffling. Reading an email from a company that has deemed you “over-qualified” with a myriad of spelling and grammatical errors in the text, is depressing. Someone who is considered over-qualified might be needed at some of these companies. LOL

There aren’t a lot of answers to the question except to say higher education is a business. It needs to thrive in order for other entities to continue to progress. While many people feel accomplished and have had much career success with their college education, others are caught in the hustle of the higher education matrix. The best advice, don’t get caught in the hustle.

Aside from helping to bring the Nets to Brooklyn, conquering Carnegie Hall and holder of the Throne, Jay-Z has decided to add music festival extraordinaire to his already solid resume. On September 1st & 2nd, Hov and Budweiser are bringing the noise to Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. The Made In America two day music shindig has an official lineup and more acts are expected to be added. The festival includes a variety of acts from Pearl Jam to Drake to D’Angelo. Oddly enough, the event looks like a nostalgic version of “Rock the Bells” which has transformed into a Hip-Hop festival and runs in New Jersey the same weekend. Neither of these festivals are gracing New York City… Wonder why?

Check out the Made In America lineup and make sure to grab your tickets when they go on sale this Wednesday.

Companies have always used popular artists to help endorse and sell their products. With Yasiin Bey emerging with Louis Vuitton, it seems that companies are willingly tapping into the Hip-Hop culture to get their products sold. Adidas has teamed up with designer Jeremy Scott, Big Sean, D.Rose, and none other than female entertainer rapper Nicki Minaj to add flavor to their 2012 Fall campaign. The commercial shows how each person and their respective “crews” rep the Adidas brand. To the tune of Minaj’s “Masquerade”, check the commercial and let us know what you think.