Freeway, “Love Is A Battlefield”

Divorce can be rough on kids. Grown men, not so much. Jay-Z abandoning his Rocafella “family,” and specifically his right hand Beanie Sigel, wasn’t so much a divorce as someone breaking the pact of a much ballyhooed friendship. Freeway claims he doesn’t really care though because you can’t change history and also because he can still rap good. Life does indeed go on, but its okay to hurt. Even if you have a beard like an ancient hood wizard.

Download: Freeway, “Love Is A Battlefield”

CYRIOUSLY: Alicia Keys & Beyonce are Back Like That

Remember back in the days? (c) Biggie Smalls…

Honestly, I had no idea how to play the PG-13 role with the above title. Thoughts slurred through my domepiece amongst the likes of “A** Like That” (Eminem), “Shake Ya A**” (Mystikal) and/or good ol’ “Donk(s)!” (Soulja Boy Tell Em)…well, why oh why would I be talking about backsides? Three words.

Alicia-Keys-Beyonce

The aim of this post? Funk a supergroup like Fabolous meets Ryan Leslie meets Ne-Yo, the gang needs to pony up and give the fans a one-two punch, throwback “Knock Out Kings” style with the two biggest names in R&B right now. Ciara ain’t selling? Funk her. Lloyd no longer on Murder Inc.? Funk him. Cherish who? Funk ‘em!

As advertisers continue to make it rain on rapper endorsement deals and try to toss shame at soon-to-be “has-beens” like Chris Brown, it brings the kid an uncontrollable urge to make a plea for the record labels to put their minds together and see my vision (via Suite903.com…owww….)

One, if not “the” biggest selling albums of 2008? Beyonce’s I Am…Sasha Fierce. Go back a year, 2007? Alicia Keys’ As I Am murks Larry Johnny and his grandmama’s hopes of seeing some teen sensation take over the R&B game. Point at hand? GET THOSE TWO A JOINT ALBUM TOGETHER!

We’ve already seen their chemistry with Jay-Z. Beyonce is wifed up with Hovi while Alicia Keys and Jay take over the entire radio game with their “Empire State of Mind” track, right? Shucks, even Beyonce had that “Deja Vu” record with the Greatest Rapper Alive, right? To make things even more interesting, think about it. Both of ‘em on an entire LP together? You’re guaranteed at least two guest features by Mr. Carter along with (take a wild guess) crazy production from a little guy called “Swwwizzzzy, man” (Swizz Beatz)…and with all the trials and tribulations they’ve gone through since their last albums dropped (Solange going Erykah Badu with the head, Kanye West VMA incident, Mashonda airing out ol’ girl)….the buzz around the project would be ridiculous…

Look, the sad truth is R&B is not what it used to be. Rihanna made a crazy comeback after the whole Chris Breezy incident and look, she comes in at number four with around 180,000 copies in its first week when Susan Boyle murders the top 20….no, the ENTIRE 2009 releases by pushing 700,000 her first week in the United States. So, if I may ever so kindly turn into a throwback George W. Bush right about now…

“Americans, R&B is at war right now. This is a state of emergency and the time to act is NOW. We have waited and seen our fellow R&B singers fall victim to label drops (Omarion), career-damaging rumors (Pleasure P) and just downright leaked XXX photos (Cassie). We will no longer tolerate this. May God bless us all.”

Alicia. Beyonce. America needs you two right now. If not for me, then at least for our country. No “Best of Both Worlds” or even an “Aliconce Kewles.” Just something along the likes of a 12-track compilation, even if you simply named it, “Best Of Us” or something you could use a Sharpie and write it on a CD-R demo disc. The time to act is now, please. R&B heads, let’s make this happen!

Holla if you hear me. -@CyrusKLanghorne

Dedication: All We Want for Jay’s Bday is Squashed Beef

We know Hov has beef with Kellz, what with the crazy breakdown on the Best of Both Worlds tour a few years back, but you know, this song is just so gleeful and expresses our sentiments so well, we had to throw it out there. Here’s to the best of ALL decades Jay-Z, hope today you get something you don’t already have and you squash beef with Kellz like Jeezy and Gucci did. Should we dial up DJ Drama?

Alicia Keys Reps The Roc

“In New Yaaawwwwk,” might just be me, but the way Alicia Keys delivers that “York” part in her “Empire State of Mind” Jay-Z collaboration track, she may have gotten some assistance from (former Roc-A-Fella artist) Uncle Murda. Well, it wasn’t long before Jay-Z and Alicia were granted another opportunity to keep Lil Mama barred from their sets and reschedule another duet performance which will be the case at the 37th Annual American Music Awards.

Word on the online streets (Access Hollywood) is both Swizz Beatz’ “Best I’ve Ever Had” wifey and Beyonce’s hubby are going to go at it for another attempt at “Empire State of Mind” with a scribbled in time slot during the annual awards showcase next month. The show’s producer, Larry Klein, has even upped the anticipation by confirming the set.

“We are thrilled to have Jay-Z and Alicia Keys on stage together for the 2009 American Music Awards,” Klein expressed to Access Hollywood. “Both are such talented artists, it is sure to be a memorable performance.”

“Memorable performance?” Sounds like he might be trying to sneak in Lil Mama –> Lil Bow Wow or someone of the same (rap buzz) to get things on and poppin’ that night. Regardless, come Novmeber 22nd, both Grammy-winning artists will be putting up the Roc as additional performers including Adam Lambert, Jennifer Lopez and The Black Eyed Peas are struggling to find out ways to get the (liberal dressed, conservative acting) crowd to at least stand up at their seats when the cameras flash on ‘em.

Unlike MTV, however, the show will be aired via ABC which should ensure no mishaps or stage-stealing moments unless it’s performance-based…as in, Hov brings out Memphis Bleek to spray the crowd with Super Soakers…or Alicia brings out the entire Ruff Ryders’ camp…eh, it’s an Empire State of Mind thang, chea? -Cyrus Kyle Langhorne

Jay-Z on Oprah

Forget Jay-Z and Kellz—this is really the best of both worlds. Oprah brought Jay-Z on her show as follow up to her feature for O magazine. You know the one where they sit on his grandma’s stoop in Marcy (BROOKLYN STAND UP!) and drink “quata watas.” Anyway, along with the part where Oprah’s audience of suburban soccer moms turn into googly-eyed tween, the interview is quite entertaining. Of course, Mama Oprah gets an exclusive tour of Jay’s office at Rocawear with all its tasteful black and white photography, and what would the show be without Oprah doing a freestyle (or rather watching Jay-Z freestyle). So if you want to learn just how he does it, go for it. Warning, though: results may vary. —Judnik Mayard

Jay-Z f. Rihanna and Kanye West, “Run This Town”

This is some secret-society, Da Vinci code ish. Can’t front though, when the world ends we will probably ride with these dudes. Also feeling Rihanna’s black panther power steez, on the outfit tip.

Fabolous ft. Jay-Z “When the Money Goes”

On tonight’s episode of Loso’s Way… Fabolous meets up with Jay-Z to talk life. Worried about if his “honey” will stay once the money goes- we see Fab go from the lifestyles of the rich and famous to locked up like Akon. Will his honey stay? Watch and find out…(insert theme music here).

Jay-Z x Rihanna x Kanye West = We Major!!!

Jay-Z. Rihanna. Kanye “Yeezy” West. Put the three together and it’s a “Take Over” (word to Jigga’s ’01 CLASSIC). The threesome (pause) linked up this week to shoot the “Run This Town” music video somewhere in New York, and sources across the ‘net are getting their Frank Lucas and spilling the beans.

According to the good folks at MTV News, Hova recruited a squad of 80 extras to form a military-like steez and, thinking back to Jay’s decree that he “might wear black for a year straight,” it sounds like he’s keeping his goth on lock for another 11 months. The upcoming video was directed by Anthony Mandler (who did videos for T.I.’s “Live Your Life” and Eminem’s “Beautiful”), who used a variety of fire and flipped out cars across the set.

Other sources including SOHH and famed stylist June Ambrose have also confirmed the video’s existence but have warned folks they won’t “tell you what I’m working on, this is a very big undercover job.” Unfortunately for Ambrose (as she probably realizes), we have the ‘net on smash and if you even think about staging a nip slip, YouTube users (shout-out to Vimeo, too!) will be locked and loaded…waiting.

Twitter head Laiza Semidey also broke the news and had the ‘net going craazzy after tweeting: “YOOOO I JUST GOT OFF THE SET OF THE NEW JAYZ RIHANNA AND KANYE WEST VIDEOOO; I HAD SOOO MUCH FUN OMGGGG. VIDEO: RUN THIS TOWN.. THE VIDEO IS FIRE; ARMY AND SAVAGE SH*T A LOT OF FIRE AROUND TOO. ITS CRAZYYYYYYY…”

Simply said, Hov is back on his New York ‘ish and although some folks say Yeezy may have out-rapped him on “Run This Town,” one thing is for certain…. Jay-Z x Rihanna x Kanye West > The Mod Squad.

No word yet on when the video will drop, but when it does, you know who loves ya! —Cyrus Kyle Langhorne

Diddy’s “Train” Derailed by Jay-Z & Drake

Behind all the shiny suits, ghostwritten “thugged’ rhymes and upcoming usage of auto-tune for The Last Train To Paris, could Diddy really be shook? It appears so, as the D-the-I-the-D-the-D-the-Y has decided to keep his new record off shelves…for the time being. You’ll have to place your hopes of Harlem Shaking and getting some “White Party” references on ice.

“We just vibin’ and making music, having a good time,” he said in an interview. “The album is gonna be something different for me, and I don’t have to support it by myself…The train is coming…It’s coming, it’s coming. Right now, it’s like Jay-Z time and Drake time. Enjoy those guys. But the train is coming. Get your ticket. You don’t want to be left out.”

Ahhh, what a nice guy! It’s Jay-Z and Drake time… however, we’ll give you Jigga, Diddy, but Drake too? His album isn’t going to even come close to dropping until, as he said in a recent interview, Valentine’s Day 2010. Sooo, with Drizzy being a “new artist,” when would “your” time be? We’ll leave the speculation up to you guys, but with so much hype and a great storyline of love, sex, adventure, sex and uhm…”sex,” mixed with auto-tune, the question becomes “when…?” And according to Puff, when Jay and Drake’s time “expires” (which won’t come before 2012), we’ll be given this great Casablanca love tale…uh-huh.—Cyrus Kyle Langhorne