Here we are. New week, new songs. You’ll probably be waking up to see this post, you still have a good 30 minutes or so till you need to get ready for work/university. Hop on after the cut, click the song title to download and import the songs onto your iTunes. You won’t find these tracks on Spotify.

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JAY-Z x B.I.C.

‘Glory‘

Jay-Z described last week as ‘best week ever’ via Twitter a few hours ago. No surprise why that is; his and Beyoncé‘s child Blue Ivy Carter lays down her vocals 2 days after popping out into this world. Although she might not be making much sense, Pharrell has made a smooth beat using the sample. This is probably the softest that we’ve all heard Jay – he’s a new man. The guy who once stated in a song that ‘I never prayed to God, I prayed to Gotti’ now he thanks God for the wonderful human being that he’s been gifted with – oh how people change when kids are brought into their lives!

This is smooth, reminds me of Song Cry. Not quite as good but yet so addictive. I’ve already given it 50+ listens! I want a baby now. I’d write a glorious blogpost!

Selected by Yin

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MELANIE FIONA

‘Wrong Side Of A Love Song‘

Why oh why have I been sleep on Melanie Fiona? I know she can sing and I’ve liked songs from her in the past but I have never taken the time to actually check her out properly. I don’t own her album and I can’t even remember the name of the song of hers I like but what I can say is, this song right here is the TRUTH.

Vocals, arrangement and a sound that takes us back to the Motown era all come together on this track to provide a great piece of musical art. It’s the simple things in life that can often lead to the greatest pleasure and this song is just that, Simple (but effective might I add) Have a listen and let me know what you think.’

Selected by DJB

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STELLA LE PAGE

‘Wastin’ Time (The Shoes C0ver)‘

I hardly have time for new music these days so I usually listen to random workmates’ playlists but on this occasion I got around to checking out the most recent Hypetrak Selects. The featured track is by a Londoner, Cellist, Pianist, Singer and Songwriter by the name of Stella Le Page. She makes this ‘The Shoes’ cover her own with her silky voice and a hint of a Jamie-XXesque instrumental. Look out for her Debut Single
“Snake” out January 23rd.

Selected by Jazz

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BJ THE CHICAGO KID

‘Dream II‘

Taken from B.J.‘s (what an unfortunate name) forthcoming Valentine’s LP, “Pineapple Now-Laters” Dream II features audio clips from Will Smith interviews and production from THC (Kendrick Lamar/SchoolboyQ). I pretty much adore anything that B.J. appears on and cannot wait for his own project to come out…and on Valentine‘s?! Ahh how perfect *swoon*’

Selected by Tara

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Hope you’ve all had a great Christmas day! I’m pretty sure I’m still stuffed from the epic food consumption throughout the day, from roast to Indian. That’s how my family do. 5 tracks for you fat mofos after the cut, selected by me and DJB.

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THE WEEKND

‘D.D‘

Who would have thought Abel could cover an MJ classic and actually do it justice? It’s quite scary how similar he sounds to the late great, his vocal range is impressive. Love how he’s given the song The Weeknd twist with the production. Have a listen above, download the ‘Echoes of Silence‘ mixtape here.

Selected by Yin

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COMMON x MAYA ANGELOU

‘The Dreamer‘

Easily one of my favourite tracks from Common’s latest album ‘The Dreamer/The Believer’. It features one of my favourite poets of all time, Maya Angelou who adds an inspiring spoken word piece towards the end of the No-ID produced track. Be sure to check out the album, it’s one of the best releases this year.

‘Dare to let your dreams reach beyond you
Know that history holds more than it seems
We are here alive today because our ancestors dared to dream‘

Selected by Yin

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BEI MAEJOR

‘The Truth‘

I showed y’all a vid last week that showed off Bei Maejor’s production talents and now I’m selecting this song to showcase his songwriting and vocal abilities. I really like the fact that the beat is quite minimal, I feel like it adds to the atmosphere of the song and its message. When the truth is being told people need to hear and the beat doesn’t overpower and drown out his voice allowing the audience to listen to the words being spoken. It in fact compliments the lyrics very well. Both are of a sinister nature with the beat also delivering haunting tones. Love the production on this!

Selected by DJB

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Project Alfie

‘Still D.R.E. – Dr. Dre vs Project Alfie‘

I find it easy to express my distaste for things, however the same can’t be said for when I actually really do like something. My words never seem to say what I want to say but I’m going to give it a try. This song is DOPE! lol There that’s all I want and need to say about this track apart from the fact that Project Alfie has a mixtape which is due for release tomorrow so make sure you check back here to get your hands on that mixtape.

P.S Dre would be proud.

Selected by DJB

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RIHANNA x JAY-Z x RICK ROSS

‘Talk That Talk (Remix)‘

I’m not sure if I’ve given Rihanna’s new album enough airplay yet but from what I’ve listened to so far I can safely say she needs to take a seat somewhere. The title track Talk That Talk featuring Jay-Z was one of the few tracks I liked upon first listen and now it has been remixed by Rick Ross for his upcoming mixtape. This song should be released as the albums 3rd or 4th single cause it’s pretty good.

Selected by DJB

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It’s nearly time for the world to hear the Project Alfie mixtape but the key word in this sentence is NEARLY! 5 days are between now and the release date, however we here at Y&Y love to get an early preview so it gives me great pleasure to bring to you a never before heard song from the man himself. I’m not to sure if this song will actually make the cut for the mixtape but in any event Alfie sent me the track to share with y’all. I must admit having heard his great  take on the Jay-Z classic ‘Dead Presidents’ (listen here) I was very surprised to hear this cover. Although surprised I can abosolutely understand why Alfie decided to record this track for us, originally recorded by Damien Rice ’Canonball’ has seen a surge in popularity and is currently sitting atop of the charts thanks to X-Factor winners Little Mix. Hear how alfie fares on the track after the cut.

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Do you guys remember my Showcasing post on Project Alfie a few months ago? (see here). Well he has been hard at work writing and recording material for both an album but more immediately a mixtape. ‘Dead Presidents’ is the lead track from the Project Alfie Mixtape due for release December 27th and sees Alfie put his own stamp on the Jay-Z classic. He may not be a rapper but her still does the beat justice and brings a whole new vibe to the track that I previously wouldn’t have thought of. I am very excited for the impending mixtape and can safely say that as soon as it is released I will share it with you all.For now we have to settle for the one song but I guess it leaves us anticipating and expecting more. We’re Alfie, we’re ready!

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VOYR is our all access pass into the behind the scenes happening at Kanye and his big brother, Jay-Z‘s Watch The Throne tour. The daily video series will give us an insight into the hard work that goes into living life as Kanye West. Yes, they still work even after earning millions. Ye drops a plethora of quotables in this short first episode: ‘It’s a pursuit and responsibility. If people have done things before, you should be able to surpass them. I’m on a pursuit of awesomeness, excellence is the bare minimum’. BOOM. Inspiring, watch it on the reverse! Right off to bed I go..

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BOOM. Quality music after the cut. I know ya’ll will love the selection as always. Hop on after the cut after you’ve decided to place some decent headphones on your head.

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CROOKERS x MARIBOU STATE

‘Hummus‘

I haven’t listened this duo of DJs in a few years, my electro-loving/raving days are long gone. Ahem. This new single from Crookers isn’t the dirty type of electro that I used to listen to on a regular, Bloody Beetroots ish. However I dig this slowed down remix from Maribou State. Perfect music to play on a Monday afternoon you know to prevent the most lunch sleepy mode when you can barely  function properly. Their Hummus EP is out today – this is one of 4 official remixes featured on it.

Selected by Yin

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MARY J BLIGE x BEYONCÉ

‘Love A Woman‘

Oooo weeee this is such a smooth tune. Mary J Blige and Beyonce on one track equal’s pure aural ecstasy. I especially love the fact that this is a proper duet rather than just collaboration. The way their voices interchange and the both take charge of the verses while Mary takes precedence on the choruses.

This song in particular has got anticipating Mary’s new album and has me salivating at the prospect of her delivering a proper classic r&b album. For this track I salute you Mary!

Selected by DJB

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YOUNG JEEZY x JAY-Z x ANDRE 3000

‘I Do‘

A Young Jeezy song consisting of classic soul samples (Lenny Williams/Kanye West-Twista), marriage proposals and a feature from Andre 3000….what’s going on in the world?! Listen a little closer and you’ll realise this song is half about matrimony and half about Lady C, i.e. Cocaine – Jeezy and Jay-Z reflect on their former career paths, whereas 3-Stacks keeps it romantic. This is the latest release from Jeezy’s, “TM 103 – Hustlerz Ambition” album which is due out in December! I’m not usually a fan of Young Jeezy, but the smart lyric concept, M16 female-friendly production and features from two of the best rappers…it’s defo download worthy!

Selected by Tara

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PHONY PPL

‘4 The 1st Time‘

Selected by Yin

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CRAIG DAVID

‘Snows In July‘

I’m not to sure if this an ‘official’ leak or just a leak but what ever the case may be this week saw new music from Craig David hit the net. The Jim Beanz produced track is a slow soppy ballad type of song. I think that it was originally intended for and may have been originally recorded by Mario. The song does sound very much like a Mario song but since it’s Craig’s voice on the track we’ll just comment on him.

It’s always good to hear new music from Mr David as he such a legend in the UK urban music scene and it’s a shame that he has fallen off his perch in recent times, hopefully he can reclaim his seat at the top especially in a climate where urban music is getting the most mainstream exposure and success it has ever had.

Selected by DJB

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Bieber fever is at an all time high and while the lil dude is in the middle of recording his next album, he is also in the middle of a little promo tour to support the release of his Christmas album entitled Under The Mistletoe. One of his promo pit stops was to visit radio station Power 106 where, in addition to talking about his festive offering, he treated listeners to a short freestyle over Jay-Z and Kayne‘s ‘Otis’. I say freestyle but he had preselected Otis as a track that he wanted to rap over so it could be that he wrote his rhymes beforehand but never the less the kid done a pretty good job. This is not the first time he has slipped on his rap hat, see here, and i’m sure it won’t be the last, who know he may even be the next Chris Brown. We all know he thinks he’s a rapper now lol, not that he’s bad at it either. Anywho see how Bieber fairs after the break.

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Entrepreneur, marketer, pop culture revolutionary and now author, Steve Stoute sits down with Jay-z for the first in his new series of interviews brought to you by the Huffington Post. Throughout the interview series, Steve Stoute will be sitting with icons, featured throughout his book, “The Tanning of America” where he discusses how that particular icon utilised the tanning effect to get where they are today and how it continues to change the world. Yin previously recommended Steve Stoute’s book, “The Tanning Effect” and his short interview series with the likes of Pharrell, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and Jimmy Iovine; here well-respected media outlet, The Huffington Post has jumped on to release longer, more in-depth interviews with each of the influencial icons. Hit the jump to hear Jay-Z talk on Watch The Throne, the global impact of Hip Hop culture, the Glastonbury/Noel Gallagher incident and being an unpaid spokesman for brands such as Cristal.

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I’m sure a lot of you have seen his work in the past with the Roots and Absolut Vodka. Danny Clinch is one of the most respected photographers in the industry. He originally made a name for himself in the music scene by photographing the likes of Johnny Cash, Tupac, Bjork and even Bruce Springsteen. You name a publication, Danny’s work has most probably been printed in it. What I want to highlight in this post isn’t any of that, we’ll save all that for another post. I want to showcase his videography skills, which are exceptionally good by the way. More on the reverse.

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Danny Clinch – Website | Facebook

Danny actually started his career as an intern for the legendary Annie Leibovitz. I want shine a light onto his commercial videography – most of you will have seen the following video where he captured a behind the scenes video of Jay-Z’s Madison Square Gardens sell out show for Absolut. It’s inspired me to crazy levels, I love the simplicity of it. In fact – this might be a little premature hype for a series I have on the cards. Now to find the time and actually develop my videography skills. Let’s see.

The remaining few videos are commericals that he has created for menswear designer John Varvatos featuring a plethora of famous faces – ZZ Top and The Roots below. I’ve also added a commercial for Harley Davidson with Dave Grohl. View the rest here.

Jameel Spencer, Chief Marketing Officer at Rocawear; Steve Stoute, author of The Tanning of America; rapper Kendrick Lamar and Stylist, June Ambrose sit down to discuss the impact of Rocawear over the past 10 years and where it stands today. Spearheaded by the likes of Steve Stoute, Coltrane Curtis and Daymond John, the Hip Hop movement is just recently being recognised as a core influencer within international modern culture and so it is interesting to see what the likes of Jameel Spencer have to say about the growth of Rocawear over the past 10 years, as well as where the brand’s future lies as favour for high-fashion luxury brands such as Gucci and Rolex is increasing fast.

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I have personally never owned any item of clothing from Rocawear, I remember wanting one of their short puffer coats with the furry hood when I was about 15 and on a JLo hype, but thankfully my bank balance prevented me from jumping on that bandwagon. However moving on from my poor taste in fashion and dwindling bank balance, it is easy to forget what a huge impact Jay-Z’s Rocawear brand had on both the fashion and music world. A rapper from Brooklyn famed for his law-breaking to lavish-living tale had managed to get Victoria Beckham and Naomi Campbell to pose in his advertising campaigns, which later appeared in the likes of Vogue magazine. Rocawear is quite possibly a household name for many and is still creating popular garments and receiving regular song lyric mentions today! Stylist, June Ambrose makes a really valid point about Rocawear outlasting competition by adapting and growing up with the customer; urban clothing has become more sophisticated as that’s the type of person its customer has become. However with the brand’s frontman appearing to be more concerned with Marc Jacobs tees and Tom Ford suits, I have to question whether his Rocawear fans will start to follow suit! Can Rocawear keep up?