KarenCivil.com

“We don’t play by radio rules… We come together as a family and give the fans what they need… Good Fridays.” – Kanye West

For the third week straight, I missed G.O.O.D. Friday. Maybe it’s Kanye attempting to set the soundtrack for everyone’s weekend at the last moment possible, but our schedules rarely mesh. I always end up hearing it Saturday morning, which is cool I guess. The next installment of the series is “So Appalled.” It’s cool to hear a finished product of this song, seeing as how Ye’s verse has been around for close to a year now. Let the Internet tell it, that verse was supposed to be used for Diddy’s Last Train To Paris.

In regards to the quote, Kanye may be a lot of things, but a liar he is not. That period of time after the VMA’s last year up until “Power” leaked earlier this summer was a God-send. (Keep reading…)

It may be early, but I’m almost positive I will never get tired of this song. It’s crazy because I know the reaction following the release was crazy and overwhelmingly popular, but I feel it should be more. I could be tripping, but whatever. The record is such classic Cee-Lo and it feels good to listen to even if your significant other hasn’t pissed you off for the last time.

Joell Ortiz is the second rapper (50 was the first, if you’ve been living under a rock) to put his own personal spin on the anthem. If you’re a Joell fan, you already know dude’s track record and this only adds to his resume. The man who should be a bigger artist than what he is right now waxes his frustrations with the opposite sex all in the honor of Cooper Projects. Be sure to check out his Farewell Summer EP if you have yet to do so. It’s worth the price of admission download.

DL: Joell Ortiz – “F*ck You (Cooper Projects Remix)

Datwon Thomas has long been well respected in the world of Hip-Hop journalism. To celebrate his most recent accomplishment – being named VIBE Editorial Director – Hennessy Artistry paid homage. Along with KC, Jay Sean, Free, Jalen Rose, Angela Yee, Melyssa Ford and Lola Love were in attendance. Below are more pics from the event.

This actually happened nearly two weeks ago, but I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t know about it. We all know Bob Marley. His timeless music. We’ve all got our favorites. The marijuana connection. We’ve all see the posters and paid homage in some shape or fashion. And his untimely death. We’ve heard damn near as many conspiracy theories around his as with Tupac’s.

The name “Marley” is as polarizing as it is symbolic. Given this, it only makes sense that his name would be able to support his family for decades. Not exactly. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote ruled UMG Recordings was the copyright owner of five Bob albums he recorded between the years of 1973-1977. His family, on the other hand, was left out to dry. (Keep reading…)

College Students Camped Outside Montclair State University for what they believed was for a Nicki Minaj concert happening at their school October 8th 2010. Nicki Minaj got wind of the show after several fans tweeted her that they just bought tickets to the now sold out show. Nicki Minaj called into hot97 with Funkmaster Flex to discuss The MSU scam.

what is this i’m hearing about a MSU concert? where and when is this concert supposed to be? i feel so bad 4 ppl who were scammed. i tell u guys all the time, if u don’t see me tweet about it, its not real. i’m gonna figure out the bastards behind this MSU scam. FOR THE RECORD. I’M NOT DOING ANY SHOWS BETWEEN NOW AND THE 22ND OF OCTOBER. WEN SHOWS R CONFIRMED I’LL LET U GUYS KNOW. I’M SORRY. wen i find out the person responsible for this MSU scam i’m putting their name on twitter. scamming college kids? go to hell! That’s another reason why i created www.mypinkfriday.com SIGN UP so u know wuts real and wuts not! it’ll start being updated daily.

Andy Warhol’s Rorschach painting will serve as the cover for Jay-Z‘s Decoded book which is said to be breakdown of lyrics (w/ illustrations) from 36 different Jigga tracks..

“When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics—not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC—are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history. And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to.” – Jay-Z

Pre-order a copy now via Amazon.com or pick it up in stores on November 16th & check out another shot of the cover after the jump.. Props to Hithiphop for the heads up!

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My journey to get familiar with Jon Connor continues with his new leak donning the same name as a Nas classic, “The Message.” There’s no point in comparing the two, but I’ll be damned if Connor didn’t impress me again with a flow that’s as sharp as it is crazy. I still don’t know much about the guy aside from the two tracks I’ve heard. That being said, the early seeds of success are being planted and he’s definitely attempting to make himself someone to look out for in 2011.

Nevermind the negative press the state receives at times, Denard Robinson and Jon Connor are two reasons to pay attention to the state of Michigan this year. Jon Connor As Vinnie Chase coming soon.

DL: Jon Connor – “The Message” (prod. by Optiks)

When Swiftgate went down, you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t voice their opinion on Kanye West. One of the biggest, yet most surprising was President Barack Obama. Even though it was an unauthorized leak, ‘Ye took the time to reflect on what meant to even be recognized by his fellow Chicago resident in the new issue of XXL, on stands now.

When Obama called me “jackass”, after the Taylor incident, I thought that the person who taped that wasn’t supposed to tape it. Obama was supposed to be speaking off the record. Obama has way more important stuff to worry about than my public perception. He was trying to pass the healthcare bill. And if he said that to relate to the room or lighten the room up and the whole mood, then I’d be more than happy to be the butt of all of his jokes if it in the some way helps his overall mission. I’m a soldier of culture. I’m resilient. I’m sure I’ll still beat him in basketball.