Lupe Fiasco AKA the best hip hop artist currently alive just dropped his second LP, The Cool, yesterday. How does it stack up to the hype? Stacks up quite well I would say.

It’s a dark album full of criticisms of today’s mainstream rap, politics, war, and the like. A wide departure from the usual mainstream rap we hear today, his lyricism blows my mind every time I listen to him flow. I loved the first single “Superstar” and have been listening to it religiously since it first dropped a few months ago. Eagerly awaiting the supposed November release date, I was a little irritated that it got pushed back until December. But…now that I have it, it was well worth the wait and am already overplaying it on my stereo. Tracks in particular to check out are “Gotta Eat,” (from the perspective of a hamburger), “Hello/Goodbye,” and “Paris Tokyo.”

He’s on tour starting in January so for all those out there I’d cop tickets soon from ticketmaster before they start to sell out. In particular I will be at the show in Anaheim on January 14th. To the first 3 people that come and find me and say the words “Future Rockstars of America” and I’ll buy you something nice…probably a drink if your over 21. I’ll be rockin’ the FR*A t-shirt. Hope to see ya there!

What if your favorite band contacted you out of the blue and asked you to be in their band?

http://www.journeymusic.com/index2.html

Yup, that’s Journey’s official website with an announcement of their new lead singer whom they discovered through YouTube. Crazy, huh? I think it’s pretty cool. Arnel Pineda, the new singer, says he didn’t believe it at first when he was contacted on YouTube by Neal Schon from Journey. I mean, I’d probably be skeptical, too, with all the spammers out there.

 
Anyway, congratulations, Arnel Pineda! What happened to you is pretty freakin’ awesome.

Pineda is from a band in the Philippines called The Zoo. Here’s the cover of “Faithfully” that got Journey’s attention:

YouTube. The new eHarmony for musicians.

Journey: http://www.journeymusic.com
The Zoo: http://profiles.friendster.com/zooband

I just realized that all this time we’ve had FR*A going, we’ve never had anyone post about Iggy and The Stooges. Hands down one of the best frontmen ever to grace a stage, Iggy Pop brings it. The thing I love about him so much is his raw power (which is also the name of my favorite Iggy/Stooges album). The dood is 60 years old now, but still brings it on stage, and naturally too.

Iggy and The Stooges are often cited as “the godfather of punk” - and rightfully so. At a time when 10 minute, intricate solos were popular Iggy came out with just enough sophistication to be above punk, yet enough raw energy to destroy the pretentiousness of the time.

Here is a great short doc on Iggy:

“Big deal. So I rolled in the broken glass. I mean, I spent like what 30 seconds in the broken glass. I didn’t even feel the broken glass. I scored a cool chick after. I was too stoned to fuck her. And other people, what do they do, they sit around really uptight for like 40 years waiting for the chance to say, ‘So Iggy, are you gonna roll in the broken glass again?’ Now broken glass is a major corporate advertisement. It’s fucking Converse. There’s a little Iggy shoe with the broken glass.”
- Iggy Pop with Perry Farrell, Ray Gun #35, April 1996

Come party with TEAM FR*A at Hollywood’s very own club Avalon!

KINGDOM FRIDAYS will begin this Friday, December 21st.
Print this flyer and enter for $10 before 10:30PM ($15 without or after 10:30).

18 & over | 10PM to 3 AM | Every Friday Nights

For more info, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15714035396

Clear Static is the audial equivalent of the sensation you get when you have an entire package of Pop Rocks in your mouth.

Need I say more?

Check out their Myspace atwww.myspace.com/clearstatic

-Ruler of the World

DJ Strong has compiled a tastemaker mixtape featuring artist’s Perfecto, Strong Arm Steady, Bun B, Paul Wall, Young Buck, Lil Eazy E, 50 Cent, Kartoon, Lil Tone, Bash Bros., Spider Loc, Burnz, Trina, Joker Frum Watts, Boretta, Tristar, J Mccoy, Cashis (Shady Records), Far East Movement, Ashkon, Baby Bash and Lil Rob, Young Dre The Truth, 40 Glocc, Bad Lucc, WS Bugg, Keak Da Sneak, Flo-Rida, Hot Rod, Roccett (CTE) and more!

DJ Strong - P’S & G’S Mixtape (FREE DOWNLOAD):
http://www.hiphopwest.com/podcast/djstrong_psandgsvol1.zip or
http://www.hiphopwest.com/podcast/djstrongpsandgsvol1mixtape.mp3

Official Website: http://www.djstrong.com/
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/djstrong

Trace will stand out the way a rock n roll front man should. You can be in line at a restaurant or next door to him in a cubicle, and still know that he fronts a good band. This isn’t to say that he’s always talking about his music or shooting up and yelling “WOO!” next to you; he oozes sex appeal. Yea I said it. He’s got that kind of old school sex appeal where you can’t figure out if he’s gay or if he’s super pimp - think Prince.

The music of Trace’s band, Trace Devai, draws some influences from the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Aerosmith, etc. If you like good ol rock n’ roll, the kind that hits you hard but still makes you wanna dance, Trace Devai has tons of tracks for you. You can easily catch them at a venue like the Viper Room, beer in hand, girls dancing all around the stage.

Since you can’t just take my word for it, be sure to check them out in the most recent issue of Rock City News, where Trace Devai takes cover story for their award.

You can listen to his music at: myspace.com/tracedevai

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