two things. i woke up and 2dopeboyz had goodies just waiting for me. like a gift bag at some kinda party or something. new jay-z and j. cole. yes, you just read that. critical.

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DOWNLOAD: Jay Z – A Star Is Born [feat. J. Cole]

also, karen civil just cised me with this info about j. cole performing at NYU on september 12, and i figured i’d let you in on the good news. happy to see this man succeed. my homie nyle, who you may know from his craaaaazy video rendition of d’wayne carter’s “let the beat build” is a recent NYU grad (and former def jam intern, we were working hard in that building!) who will also be performing. let’s get it.

With the VMA’s around the corner, the list of performers are becoming more and more clear by the day. The entire weekend has unofficially been centered around that of Roc Nation. That Friday, September 11, Jay-Z will release his highly anticipated LP, Blueprint 3. On Sunday, the 13th, the actual awards show will air including a performance from Jay.

On Saturday, the 12th, Roc Nation’s first signee, J. Cole, will be performing live at New York University’s Kimmel Center in the 4th floor E&L Auditorium. The event, which is being thrown by NYU’s Gentlemen of Quality, will be hosting the event. Here is the need-to-know info:

*Doors open at 8:15 pm for press/VIP and 8:30 for general public.
*Tickets are $7 for NYU students and $10 for non-students. These can be purchased online for students (NYUHOME) or at NYU’s Ticket Central on the 2nd floor of the Kimmel Center.
*Tickets MUST be purchased prior to the event.

The intimate atmosphere will also allow for audience members to ask questions directed at J. Cole. As an added bonus, new material will also be played here for the first time. Half of the proceeds from this event will go towards GQ’s Martin Jackson Scholarship Fund. Jackson was a high school student GQ mentored who lost his life in the spring of 2008 due to gun violence.

Nyle, a NYU alum whose video adaption of Lil’ Wayne’s “Let The Beat Build” has been a YouTube sensation, is slated to be one of the opening acts.

my man jabari is taking his brand to the next level. after establishing himself as the face of HipHopGame TV and one of the trillest journalists out there in the hip hop world, he’s on to his next project: #ArtistAdvice. from the man himself:

“With all the aspiring artists out there today I wanted to create a platform where they could gain valuable advice so some common mistakes made may be eradicated. #AritstAdvice is for anyone to give and receive in hopes to create better artists all around.”

with that being said, listen to the advice that fayetteville, NC recording artist and roc nation signee j. cole has to spread to those up-and-comers, as well as the vets that may need to adjust due to today’s musical climate. oh, and you may just hear a shout out at 1:19. because we are f*cking official. don’t let anybody tell you differently, either. ha, to be honest, i had to bring it back when i heard that, because i didn’t believe it. but yeah, it just happened. good looks, mr. cole. oh, and also, you can see my barber shop in the backdrop of the location, which also happens to be where the commonwealth, the greater good, and stussy stores are located.

shout out to jabari for the great idea, and i expect to see more solid joints like this in the future. wzup to herfection and PMD, too.

PREVIOUSLY: Get On Your J. Cole Game!

while i don’t have any funds to buy any new kicks, i think i may have to check out this joint. it’s the most renown sneaker event in the country, to my knowledge, and it brings out great crowds. art whino will be in the building, providing that trill live art entertainment that i really dig. and the show is headlined by the clipse, so even if you aren’t into shoes like that, the music will keep you entertained.

interested on who else / what else to find there? X.O., kingpin slim, wale, j. cole, phil ade, dj alizay, dj iran, dj heat, and more. the flyer says it all.

yerp. all-star emcees, DJs, and brands are a part of this occasion so if you somehow missed it on the flyer, it’s TOMORROW, july 18, and doors open at 8. 18+. for more info, and to buy tickets, click here. i heard they’re going fast, and it’s $15 beforehand, and more if you show up! grab them now.

roc nation’s first signee, j. cole, has released his highly-anticipated mixtape, the warm up. you probably typed in “j. cole – the warm up mixtape” in google and came across my site first. why? it’s cuz i had it before the masses, the johnny-come-latelys, the hop-on’ers. somehow, some way, i finagled a copy of it before the masses. don’t underestimate the little blogger.

this could be the best mixtape of the year. everybody’s been saying how hip hop has been on the steady decline, and there’s nobody out there bringing that fire like back in the days. i’ve jammed it just once. a few of the tracks were leaked earlier this year, but those who are on the fence about his ability to make a good song or the hype surrounding his name will be silenced, and quickly. jam this, and spread it to the world. i’ll bless you with one sample for those unsure of the man’s skills. the download link is below. enjoy.

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DOWNLOAD: J. Cole – The Warm Up

BONUS: Pardon Me Duke x J. Cole – The Warm Up to The Warm Up: Overtime [Video Interview]

my power is about to go out because of this crazy thunderstorm. lights are flickering on and off as we speak. i can’t say much besides j. cole is the future of hip hop, plain and simple. his flow is way too veteran status…somebody get him a deal. oh wait, he just got one. from (arguably) the best rapper alive.

produced by the homie elite out of NY. the two together are something like siegfried and roy. except nobody will get mauled by a tiger in the end. no disrespect. ha. look out for the warm up, dropping june 15th (i think).

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DOWNLOAD: J. Cole – Headache [prod. by Elite]

RELATED: The Warm Up to “The Warm Up” [PardonMeDuke Interviews J. Cole]

j. cole is a champion. he’s one of the reasons i’ve gone back to jamming hip hop music, i swear to y’all. my man aristotle put me on to his music a while back and i was one of the lucky few to be early on the bandwagon. ask the guys over at Pardon Me Duke, they’ll tell you i’m no johnny be late!

i’ve been waiting for this to come out to the public for one year. no joke. he’s been holding onto this for a minute! THIS VIDEO IS CRAZY, and there are two more that are this incredible coming in the near future, i’m calling it now. shout out to BBGUN, the directors who created this as well as christian rich‘s famous girl video that’s now gettting rotations on MTV2. enjoy.

this is a re-up. from july ’08. almost a year ago.

if for some reason you didn’t feel him the first time, you will this time around.

this is monumental music, and i’m honored to be the guy to leak it. it’s so vicious that i’m tempted not posting anything else on this blog today. that way, it’ll be the only thing on everybody’s mind. unfortunately, i need to post a few things, but i feel like hope that by the end of the day, one of the big dog blogs would have snatched it, talking about “did you hear about that guy j. cole?”

yerp. that’s how i’m going. he reps fayetteville, NC as hard as fresh prince reps west philly. and furthermore, he makes all of his own beats. like this joint.

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did you hear those live horns!? inspirational music. i rest my case. get this in the itunes library, ASAP.

DOWNLOAD: j. cole – i get up

BONUS:

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freestyle over ’93 til infinity beat. download here.

also, some video footage for “losing my balance,” courtesy of BAM.

and of course, if you need more, i got that the come up mixtape, hosted by DJ on point. over 1,800 served, and counting. download it here.

i’m back.

i’m only posting trill $#!t from here on out. here’s something new. hook this up to a powerful system and just let it bump. he’s the best rapper you’ve heard in ’09. i don’t really care what you think, cuz that’s just what it is. i threw up the mixtape a while back, and some other loosies from him a while back. bammas didn’t listen. well, 2dopeboyz did. shout out to them. but now, after sean “jay-z” carter declared j. cole the first artist on the roc nation roster, everybody else wanna listen now! i’m not mad, but i’m just saying. it’s frustrating sometimes. imagine what an artist who knows he can rap goes through! i could never be an artist, i don’t have that bank full of pride yet.

good music is good music. good people are good people. j is both. i wish this man success in the future. jam this joint, and spread the good word.

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DOWNLOAD: J. Cole – Grown Simba

if you doubt the roc nation connection, then click here.

i feel like you shouldn’t ever really critically judge music until you sit in on a studio session. then you see how much talent and hard work and grind and hustle and elbow grease it takes to be an artist.

as you can see, all that plus a mini bar does the trick for jermaine. i’m looking forward to what this “warm up” mixtape is gonna sound like. i heard it’s crazy, and features some beats from and that song at the end sounded especially vicious, didn’t it? if you need some more j. cole in your life, check the links below, they should hold you over until the mixtape’s released.

PREVIOUSLY: j. cole – i get up [audio]
ALSO: let’s just eat cheese x j. cole [interview]

study that diagram while you jam this track.

the song makes me nostalgic for high school days. college is overrated; i can’t wait til spring break. i need to figure out where i’m posting up in each class though. it will vary, depending on the professor. i need to pick my classes, too.

i hate the dudes in the front row, but admire mid-center people. and in my summer school english class @ fordham, i swear there was a girl who sat against the wall, with her hand blocking her face because she was extremely shy. she even walked to the bathroom with it in front of her face. was that mean to say? probably. oh, and in my econ class, i posted up by exit. because i had no idea what was going on. that’s why you shouldn’t ever trust me with your money. more great diagrams over at PHD comics.