HRS News

Sha Money’s mix skills and producecr prowess are all over the soundtrack for the newly released videogame FreeStyle Street Basketball.

“The real challenge was matching music with the game play,” Sha told Billboard, “so I went into my lab to come up with exciting, energy-driven beats to fit the mood of action. You’ve got to have them really pulsated to match the fast face of street basketball.

Artists on the soundtrack include Lloyd Banks who does the theme track, “Go Hard or Go Home” along with a  Sha-produced video.

The game can be played for free here: http://www.freestylestreetbasketball.com/, while almot 20 bones will get you a “premium” membership and access to the Banks video amoung other perks.

Pick-of-the-week rap/hip-hop and R&B singles props go to Joss Stone, Musiq Soulchild, 50 Cent, Fantasia, Hurricane Chris, Evidence, Anthony Hamilton and more.

Get the whole list…

This week’s charts…

Brooklyn’s newest hip-hop sensation Supa Nova Slom is prepping his debut release Unify the Hood, Heal the Hood. The first single off the album is “G’s Up Salute” featuring The Game and Jadakiss.

The rapper is an advocate for holistic health as exemplified on his previous DVD, Holistic Wellness for A Hip Hop Generation. Watch a clip.

Other guests on the upcoming album include Ice-T, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, and others.

Slom is also scheduled to appear at his own “Unify the Hood, Heal the Hood, The Event” at 7pm, on Sunday, May 20th. The community event will offer a screening of the film “Hooked: The Legend of Demetrius Mitchell” and guest speakers such as  Afrika Bambaataa.

“We are in a time when rappers and hip hop artists are being targeted for their lyrical content, but the core issue lies within our communities,” Slom said. “There is always a cause and effect; so, if we want to encourage rappers to change their lyrical content, we must, first, as a collective, be accountable for our influence and encourage social change on the home front–within our hoods and our communities. We must elevate the consciousness of the people, overall, further inspiring constructive change in the future direction of hip hop.”

AUDIO: Supa Nova Slom – “G’s Up Salute” feat. The Game and Jadakiss

http://www.myspace.com/supanovaslomonline  http://www.supanovaslom.com/music.htm

Yesterday, R. Kelly released “Rise Up,” a moving track about healing in the aftermath of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech. A troubled student killed 32 people and himself on the university’s campus in Blacksburg, VA.

The lyrics feature the words: “Rise up, when you feel you can’t go on, rise up, and all of your hope is gone, rise up, when you’re weak and you can’t be strong.”

100 percent of the net proceeds from sale of the song will go to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, created to provide assistance to the victims of the families, as well as grief counseling and other needs for those affected by the shootings.

The track can be downloaded now at iTunes, Napster, and Real.

More info on the Virginia Tech Tragedy Memorial Fund:

AUDIO: R. Kelly – “Rise Up” (Virginia Tech Tragedy Memorial Tribute)

Windows|Quicktime

Here’s some exclusive video footage of hip-hop legend Rob Swift cutting up for New York audiences at Guitar Center’s Annual “GC Sessions.

Watch here and check out more stuff here.

Thanks to Cornerstone’s Roberto for this.

Prince and Andre 3000 are just a couple of high-powered artists set to appear on the upcoming album from Dr. Cornel West. The famed professor of Religion and African American Studies at Princeton University has long been an outspoken social figure and will continue to air his views regarding the N-word, Sept. 11, racial profiling, the Bush administration and more on Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations.

“This is a very political album that doesn’t pull any punches,” West said. “There are critiques of the Bush administration as well as of unaccountable corporate power, unaccountable police power and homophobia. We’re trying to get young people to wake up and recognize they’re part of a great tradition of struggle, to become organized and fight for freedom and justice.”

Other artists include KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Rhymefest, the late Gerald Levert and Killer Mike.

West expressed admiration of another artist who doesn’t appear on the compilation.

“I’ve never met Lupe Fiasco, but I like that brother,” West said. “Oh, lord, he’s a free, young brother who honestly speaks his mind. That brother hits American terrorism, the American empire and still talks about his skateboard. I love that kind of freedom because, in the end, we’ve all got to be ourselves and that takes courage.”

Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations. is due June 19.

Track list for Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations.

“Bushanomics,” featuring Talib Kweli
“America,” featuring Black Thought, Rah Digga, Iriz & Lucky Witherspoon
“Still Here”
“Dear Mr. Man,” featuring Prince
“911″
“N Word,” featuring Tavis Smiley & Michael Eric Dyson
“Welcome to Chi,” featuring Rhymefest, Neo-Abassy & Malik Yosef
“Mr. President,” featuring KRS-One & M-1
“Keep It PI,” featuring Killer Mike, Doey, Roc & Lucky Witherspoon
“Chronometrophobia,” featuring Andre 3000
“Gonne Be Alright,” featuring Dave Hollister & Chuckii Booker
“Matter Of,” featuring Lenny Williams
“Soul Sista,” featuring Daryl Moore
“The Man’s Gonna Getcha,” featuring Gerald Levert

DJ Jazzy, the DJ with the Midas touch returns with another impressive set featuring Method Man, Rhymefest, Big Daddy Kane, CL Smooth, Raheem DeVaughn, Pos of De La Soul, Kardinal, J Live, Peedi Peedi, Jean Grae and more.

Read more…

R&B/Hip-hop charts this week: Ne-Yo puts the charts on lock, R. Kelly and Usher get high with the “same girl,” and T-Pain foots the bill.

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Here’s the latest single from Young Jeezy’s group USDA, entitled “Corporate Thuggin’.”

The Atlanta based group consists of Young Jeezy, Slick Pulla & Blood Raw. Their mixtape, Cold Summer is set to drop May 22.

AUDIO: USDA – “Corporate Thuggin’” Windows|Real 

The Don Imus bandwagon is reaching full speed with the Black church and Black community leaders finally taking a real stand against negativity in rap music, most recently canceling a celebrity basketball fundraiser at Stamford’s Yerwood Center where rapper Jadakiss and his D-Block crew were scheduled to appear.

Read more…