Dos Equis Is Coming Back To The ATL

Mere months after Dos Equis hit up The Tabernacle for their "Most Interesting Academy" they're coming back to The A for their "Most Interesting Show". I'm guessing this show will probably have more acts than the first show...I guess. All I know is they will in fact have FREE BEER. So I don't care what the hell they do lol. As always, check out the flyer for more info.


PS: The link in the flyer didn't work for me so if it's not working for you as well you may want to try again in a few days.

BET Hip Hop Awards Cyphers

At last nights BET Hip Hop Awards the only parts that were really worth watching were the cyphers. Ironically, it's like that every year. Why BET doesn't incorporate the cyphers into the live show I do not know. They'd get a lot less hate that way.

But anyways, aside from "BET sucks" the most talked about topic of conversation following the awards was which rapper did the best in the cyphers. My vote's gonna go to Eminem, but it was a close one between him and Joe Budden. What do ya'll think? Who had the best and worst cypher in your opinion?

Blitz The Amabassador Live At CMJ

Ghanian rapper Blitz The Ambassador put on quite the performance at OkayPlayer's OkayAfrica CMJ event last week. Rapping alongside a live band and the dancing BoomBox-head man, Blitz pulled out all the stops for his CMJ performance.

Check out this video of Blitz performing his song "Kill The Radio" during the showcase at the Knitting Factory.

BLITZ-Knitting Factory clip from Truth Films on Vimeo.

Spooky Halloween Drink Recipes

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year I'm sure there's gonna be tons of parties going on no matter what city you're in. Check out these Halloween drink recipes to kick the night off right. And as usual...DON'T DRINK & DRIVE!!

Enjoy your Halloween weekend folks!!

Jack-O-Lantern
2 oz. SKYY Infusions Citrus
1 oz. mango nectar or juice
0.5 oz. orange juice
0.5 oz. fresh sour*

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a goblet glass and garnish with a slice of orange and a mint leaf laid flat on top. (*Combine 0.25 oz. fresh lime juice and 0.75 oz. simple syrup.)

Vampire's Elixir
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Raspberry
0.75 oz. white chocolate liqueur
1 oz. half and half
Strawberry syrup

Dress strawberry syrup on the inside and rim of a chilled martini glass. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glass. Garnish with vampire teeth.

Recap: Erykah Badu Live In Atlanta (Vid+Pics)

On Sunday, October 25 I had the opportunity to check out the extremely talented Erykah Badu live in concert here in Atlanta. Before Ms. Badu performed the audience was treated to performances by comedian Ricky Smiley and singer Rahbi. As expected Ricky Smiley was HIGH-larious and although I'm not really sure if the audience was totally feeling him, I personally liked Rahbi. His energy was crazyyy and I thought he was kind of a breath of fresh air musically.

About an hour and a half after the show began Erykah Badu finally hit the stage dressed in a tan trench coat, a pair of shiny, black harem paints, and black top hat. She performed a number of her classics including "Next Lifetime" and "Love Of My Life." She even did a little (a lot of) rapping and some mixing on the MPC. The rapping and the MPC was hot and all, but I would have preferred to hear more of her music.

Plus, a lot of people (including myself) were upset when she ended the show without performing "Tyrone". And to add insult to injury we later found out that maybe a few minutes after she left the stage she came back out to perform "Tyrone" and several other songs. Total bummer. All in all it was still a great show from a great artist.

Oh, and I didn't have my FlipCam on me, but I was able to get some decent footage as well as some pictures with my digital camera. Check it out!

Chris Hobe Art Pieces

While checking out the open market yesterday at Atlantic Station I came across a lot of great finds. There were tons of vendors selling great custom-made jewelry and others items like paintings, scarves, and hand-made clothing. But what really caught my eye were these really cool portrait paintings of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Michael Jackson. The artist selling them, Chris Hobe, was nice enough to let me take a few pictures and I know I just had to post them on here to share with my peeps.

And if you like the portraits check out ArtisticRevolutionary.blogspot.com.

DJ Hero Launch Event In NYC

If you've been dying to try out the new DJ Hero game well now's your chance. Tomorrow afternoon (October 24) in SoHo DJ Hero and PUMA are teaming up to give you an exclusive preview of DJ Hero before the games official launches on Monday. The event is completely open to the public and FREE. For more information peep the flyer below.

OJ Da Juiceman Gets Booed In NYC

Last night, at a CMJ showcase in New York City Atlanta rapper OJ Da Juiceman was booed by the audience at B.B. Kings. Now, I'm not the biggest OJ Da Juiceman fan but booing him like that was just dirty. Come on New York, I know ya'll have better class than that. If you're not feeling an artist then take your ass to the bar for a drink or take a smoke break or something.

Aside from that, I don't think OJ was the proper fit for a showcase like this. The showcases headliners were Raekwon, Jadakiss, and Styles P. So come on, where in the hell does OJ Da Juiceman fit in with all that? It also makes me wonder if they threw OJ on that list of artists because they knew what kind of reaction they would get. Who knows...But props to Miss Info for having his back.



And oh yea...AYE AYE AYE BURR OK AYEE!

Kel Spencer's Salon Stories Now Available

A little while back on The D Diaries you may remember I posted a list made by rapper Kel Spencer of songs that are guaranteed to kill "the mood."(click here to refresh your memory). Well, today Kel Spencer has finally released his album Salon Stories, which just happens to be hosted by female MC extraordinaire MC Lyte. Salon Stories is available for purchase on a number of sites including Amazon and iTunes.

And once you've got your copy of Salon Stories be sure to head over to The Volstead on October 28 for Kel Spencer's official album release party.

"Dilla Day In The A"

This Saturday in Atlanta the life of celebrated Hip Hop Renaissance Man J Dilla will be celebrated as part of "Dilla Day In The A." The day will consist of a number of activities including the lupus walk, BBQ, and artist showcase. For more information on "Dilla Day In The A" check out the flyer below.

Juelz Santanta ft. YelaWolf - "Mixing Up The Medicine"

Lately it seems like Alabama rapper YelaWolf has been making his way onto a lot of folks list of artists to look out for. He's definitely on mine. The kid is talented and he's bringing a sound that we don't necessarily hear too much in Hip Hop.

Ironically, I was planning on posting something about YelaWolf on The D Diaries this week and it just so happens that YelaWolf sent out a Tweet tonight with a link to this new song with Juelz Santana. Only critique is I wish it was YelaWolf featuring Juelz Santana and not the opposite (sorry Juelz).



Shout out to Maurice Garland for posting the audio.

My Tribute To Falcon...

Man, this kid really had us going today. CNN, Fox News, etc. and this fool was in the attic!! I can't get over that lol.

Melanie Fiona's Subway Series

In conjunction with the release of her upcoming album entitled The Bridge, Canadian singer Melanie Fiona is taking it to the streets performing with street artists across New York City. Melanie Fiona is an extremely talented artist and I've always been fascinated with street performers so I was really impressed with the combination.

The Bridge will be released exclusively on iTunes on October 20 and Melanie Fiona will also be hitting the road for a promotional tour beginning October 19. For tour dates visit MelanieFiona.com.

The Princess & The Frog Soundtrack

I'm a sucker for Disney movies so I just had to post the tracklist for Disney's upcoming movie The Princess & The Frog. 'Cause you know it stars the first ever black princess, right? (Side Note: I'm still a little salty about the country ass firefly from the movies first promo, but I'll still support.)

It looks like the movies soundtrack will feature several songs from Ne-Yo (which I think is a good fit) as well as songs performed by Anika Noni Rose. The tracklist is as follows:

1. Never Knew I Needed - Performed by Ne-Yo
2. Down in New Orleans (Prologue) - Performed by Anika Noni Rose as "Tiana"
3. Down in New Orleans - Performed by Dr. John
4. Almost There - Performed by Anika Noni Rose as "Tiana"
5. Friends on the Other Side - Performed by Keith David as "Dr. Facilier"
6. When We're Human - Performed by Michael Leon-Wooley as "Louis," Bruno Campos as "Prince Naveen" and Anika Noni Rose as "Tiana" featuring Terence Blanchard on Trumpet
7. Gonna Take You There - Performed by Jim Cummings as "Ray" featuring Terrance Simien on Accordion
8. Ma Belle Evangeline - Performed by Jim Cummings as "Ray" featuring Terence Blanchard on Trumpet
9. Dig a Little Deeper - Performed by Jenifer Lewis as "Mama Odie" featuring the Pinnacle Gospel Choir
10. Down in New Orleans (Finale) - Performed by Anika Noni Rose as "Tiana"
11. Fairy Tale/Going Home - Score
12. I Know This Story - Score
13. The Frog Hunters/Gator Down - Score
14. Tiana's Bad Dream - Score
15. Ray Laid Low - Score
16. Ray/Mama Odie - Score
17. This Is Gonna Be Good - Score

The Princess & The Frog will be released in theaters everywhere on December 11.

Azage - "All I Got" & Mixtape Download

Atlanta (by way of Canada) rapper Azage has made quite a name for himself lately. Azage has appeared on The Source's Unsigned Hype tour and he has even had the opportunity to work with DJ Nice on the A Different World mixtape. Aside from all of that Azage also took the time out to start his own label, The High Society.

Check out Azage's latest video "All I Got" and if you're feeling it be sure to download his The Bars Outbreak mixtape.

I Love Fashion At Apache Cafe

For all you fashion lovers out there, Apache Cafe in Atlanta will be holding "I Love Fashion" this Friday (October 16). The event will feature a spoken word performance, make-up exhibit, and more. Check out the flyer for more info.

Pill - "Glass"

A lot of ya'll might not be familiar with Pill at the moment, but give it a few months and dude's gonna be everywhere. Mark my words.

Last month Pill released the Zach Wolfe-directed video "Glass" and this video is AMAZING. The realness of this video combined with the superb videography makes for something epic. Check out the video and look out for Pill's mixtape The Refill which will be dropping some time this month.

My B-Day's Tomorrow & I Need These In My Life...

Yes, these...


And this as well...


And while we're at it just go ahead and throw these in the bag...


As you can probably see Cubannie Links is the shit. I love accessories more than I actually do clothing and Cubannie Links has been featured in a number of well-known magazines as well as on fashionista's across the country. I've yet to cop a piece of their jewelry, but if the b-day loot is looking nice I'm hitting up Cubannie Links A-S-A-P (Word to TI!).

Kosha Dillz - "Cellular Phone"

Check out this latest video from Jersey rapper Kosha Dillz. The beat's hot, lyrics are nice, and it looks like Dillz successfully hijacked a Verizon Wireless to film part of this video lol. Job WELL DONE!



Look out for Kosha Dillz album Beverly Dillz when it drops on November 10.

"Boiling Points" Is Back...Well Kind Of

"Boiling Points" isn't actually back, but MTV has recently begun airing one of their latest pranks shows "Disaster Date." The show is actually quite similar to "Boiling Points" though. It involves someone being set-up on a fake date and put in all kinds of annoying and awkward situations.

One of the recent ones I saw involved some girl being set-up on a date with a guy who was posing as a close-minded hillbilly who had never even seen a cell phone before. It was actually pretty entertaining.

Check out a clip from "Disaster Date":

Disaster Date - MTV Shows

"Disaster Date" airs Monday-Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT and is followed by another one of MTV's newest shows "Popzilla" at 6:30 p.m.

Throwback Vid - The Pharcyde

After A3C last weekend, I've really been getting back into listening to GOOD music like the good, good stuff that just has you vibing out in your own lil' world. So I've found myself listening to a lot of Tribe and Pharcyde. Take a listen to one of my fav songs by The Pharcyde:



Oh, and out with the new and in with the old!!

My BET Hip Hop Awards Recap

Thanks to the pal Amoura I got a chance to attend the taping of the 2009 BET Hip Hop Awards yesterday at the Civic Center in Atlanta. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to to expect. It's BET and I've learned not to expect much from them so I definitely wasn't holding my breath.

To my (pleasant) surprise, it wasn't that bad. I mean Gucci Mane performed way too many times and I could have definitely done without the Dorrough and Soulja Boy performances. But as far as I know there weren't any petty fights in the parking lot or Kanye-esque interruptions to report. It was a smooth show for the most part.

The show definitely started off on a great note and ended with a bang. Young Jeezy performing alongside Jay-Z for the shows opener and Goodie Mob closed the show with the always classic "Cell Therapy" and "Get Rich To This."

Special honors were given to Missy Elliott, Fatima Robinson, and Ice Cube. I definitely had no problem with that...all three of them are great at their crafts. I was kind of expecting B.o.B to win the newbie award, but I definitely wasn't shocked when Drake (who wasn't in attendance) took the award instead. The major awards, including album of the year, weren't announced for obvious reasons. I guess they have to keep some things secret until the show airs in two weeks.

With bloggers and Twitter, I'm getting the feeling that award shows might be forced to air their shows live in the near, near future. What do ya'll think?

Oh, and for those of you curious that is Nicki Minaj's ba-donk-a-donk in that picture. She's really working that whole "sex sells" thing, huh? I kiiid, I kiiid!! But speaking of Nicki Minaj, I was actually really impressed by the cipher's they taped for this years show. Among the artists included in the cipher's were Nicki Minaj, Joe Budden, Wale, KRS-1, Eminem, Mos Def, Black Thought, and more. My fav's were Minaj, Budden, and Eminem...they killed it!

I kind of wish BET would change the whole format of the Hip Hop Awards and give it that real Hip Hop feel that people will probably get when they watch the ciphers.

That about wraps it up for me. Umm...we saw Big Boi and Jim Jones in the parking lot. And there was no partaking in any post-award activities. Just Club Dreamland pour moi.

Pic courtesy of On Tha Real Magazine.

Tracklisting/Cover Art For Ryan Leslie's New Album

I'm probably somewhat late on this, but I had to post this information on Ryan Leslie's upcoming album Transition. R Les' last album was constantly on repeat on my MP3 player and he is easily one of the most talented and smartest artists out today. With 11 tracks, no skits, and only one guest appearance it's clear that Ryan Leslie is all about his music.

Not really feeling the album cover though :-\ I don't see how it represents any kind of "transition."

1. Never Gonna Break Up
2. Something That I Like (feat. Pusha T)
3. Zodiac
4. Is It Real Love
5. Sunday Night
6. You’re Not My Girl
7. To The Top
8. Nothing
9. Guardian Angel
10. All My Love
11. I Choose You

Transition will be released on November 3.

Q-Tip (feat. Norah Jones) - "Life Is Better"

Today rapper Q-Tip finally released the video for "Life Is Better" off his album The Renaissance. Since The Renaissance was released close to a year ago I guess you can say this video is a long time coming. But I'm not complaining, The Renaissance was easily one of my favorite albums last year so I'm just glad a video was released for "Life Is Better".

And I'm feeling the video. It's pretty simple, clean. But it works for the song.

More A3C Pics

Here's the rest of the pictures I took at A3C this past weekend. They include pictures from the Kidz N The Hall show and the Killer Mike/Rakim show at the Icehouse. Enjoy.

A3C Flix (Perfect Attendance)

Check out these pictures from the first night of Perfect Attendance at the 5 Spot. This first night was jam packed with artists from all over the East Coast!