You know, I can’t remember the last time I hear a rap song I gave a crap about. I’m sure it’s out there, but after Kaye turned himself into an egomanical douchebag, I stopped listening to the radio, altogether. So when I came across this video of a kid tapping a bangin’ beat with his pencils while spitting good rhymes, it was a breath of fresh air.

In America, you’re often told from a young age that you can be anything you want to be. What they don’t tell you is that sometimes you might suck at what you want to be. And in that case, it’s probably best to not make a video documenting exactly that.

*

Remember back in the day – you know, like ‘97 – when Hip Hop used to be all about the bling and b*tches and shooting people, and every single rapper dressed in pants big enough for an entire posse? Well, it looks like the scene is going through some serious soul searching. And who have they come up with as the new model for Rap Fashion? None other than Steve Motherf**kin’ Urkel.

In this recent photo of Jay-Z we see Hova trying to pull off a new look we are dubbing, The Urkel. It might just be the glasses and the geeky look he has on his face, but it seems like Jay-Z is trying to bring mid-90’s family sitcom nerdiness into style. That’s all cool with us. But if he starts snorting when he laughs, that’s where we draw the line.

Urban Dance Squad: Deeper Shade of Soul (1990)

There’s nothing like a classic Christmas jam to really make you feel in the holiday spirit. Check out “Christmas in Hollis” and get in the mood!

Lupe Fiasco’s debut album Food and Liquor showcased the quick-witted rapper’s penchant for good vibes and G.O.O.D. beats, following in the footsteps of Chicago’s pride and joy, Common and Kanye West. His ambitious coupling of diverse subjects and long narratives (summarized with his heartfelt paean to skateboarding, “Kick, Push”) made for a well-rounded but exhausting listen (the nine-minute “Outro” was a miscalculation).

Being too eager to please all audiences may have stunted Food and Liquor ever so slightly, but not enough to consider it anything less than a good album by a promising artist. Now in 2007, The Cool is upon us.

After a poetry-slam intro and a forgettable, minute-long Akon-esque dirge The Cool picks up where Food and Liquor left off, with Fiasco’s witty wordplay and ever-changing flow dominating “Go Go Gadget Flow,” while “The Coolest” echoes latter-day Jay-Z over brooding synth-work. So far, so-so. (more…)

Donda West, mother of outspoken hip-hop auteur Kanye West, passed away over the weekend from complications during cosmetic surgery. With big-name MCs like Jay-Z offering up condolences we figured today would be a good day to honor the greatest dedications to mothers in hip-hop.

Kanye West – “Hey Mama” (Late Registration)

In lieu of recent events Kanye’s “Hey Mama” has taken on a more important role: what was once a jubilant track dedicated to his mom raising him is now a heartfelt, last-goodbye on record. Over world-music inspired beatwork and gospel claps ‘Ye sounds far different than the heartless, egocentric MCs most associate him with. Humility goes a long way, and I’m sure he will revisit this subject with even more honesty in the near future. (more…)

“Surviving the Times” is on Nas’ recently-released Greatest Hits compilation.

This gem of a training video for cooking burgers was unearthed only recently on YouTube. If you have the urge to turn it off after the first few moments just know it gets way better – and way more bizarre.

This is what they teach you at Wendys:

You think the emergence of bling-bling, misogyny, violence, Vanilla Ice and K-Fed are the worst things to ever happen to hip-hop? The following three videos will make you beg for “PopoZao.”

Brace yourself, son.

Watch the World’s Worst Rap Songs after the jump! (more…)