It’s that time again. More music is coming out and once again it’s up to your old friend B-Easy to round ‘em up. And thankfully this time it does not include Lil’ Wayne or Gucci Mane (Hey, just to change things up a bit). In this edition we have 50 Cent getting Norman Bates-like with Marshall, DJ Khaled calls some friends and gets fed up, and we get one foot out with Mike Posner. (*clicking through iPod and setting it to Hustle) Let’s get it.

Download: 50 Cent feat. Eminem – “Psycho”
Produced by Dr. Dre
Well, looks like Curtis’ Before I Self Destruct has sprung a leak almost a month before it’s scheduled release. And of course the first song I pick is the one that features Eminem with Dr. Dre on the boards.

Download: DJ Khaled feat. Usher, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, & Drake – “Fed Up”
Produced by The Runners
By now you should know what a DJ Khaled posse cuts sounds like: Runners on the beat; Akon Usher, Weezy Drake, Ricky Ross, & Jeezy on the track. Hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Khaled’s Victory drops in 2010.

Download: Mike Posner feat. Big Sean & Freddie Gibbs – “Bring Me Down”
Produced by Block Beattaz
I just recently go into Mike Posner and what a good time since his second mixtape One Foot Out The Door just got released. Why did I picked this track? I fucks with Gibbs and Big Sean (Uh, you know what I mean). I ‘ll tell you what I think of Mike “Senior at Duke University” Posner another time.

I honestly don’t do iPod Hustle this frequently. But we kinda got some open space while we getting some reviews ready (Plus, this one is gonna be a quick one). In this edition we got Timbaland featuring Jigga & Miss Keri Baby, Gucci Mane jumps on 50’s remix, and Weezy gives us a glimpse of his No Ceilings mixtape. By now you know you should have you iPod set to Hustle right? Well…

Download: Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Jay-Z – “Rumors”
Don’t get too excited Jigga stans fans, it’s mostly a Keri Hilson R&B track featuring Jay-Z (A quick verse too). That’s not a bad thing but it’s what you’d expect from Timbo and Keri at this point. It’s supposedly gonna be on Tim’s Shock Value 2. Sidenote: Miley Cyrus is gonna on Shock Value 2?

Download: 50 Cent feat. Gucci Mane – “Crime Wave (remix)”
The beat on this one goes hard and the original version of “Crime Wave” quickly made it to my iPod (Check out the music video here). And then 50 had to add Gucci Mane to the remix. I honestly don’t have a problem with Gucci but let’s be real; What does his add to the track? Sidenote: What’s the name of the sample used on “Crime Wave”? The same one was used on Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement (9th Wonder Remix)” and on Fabolous’ “This Is Family”. Update: Okay, Gucci’s verse wasn’t that bad.

Download: Lil’ Wayne – “Wasted” & “Swag Surfin’”
Of course the big news in Hip-Hop at the moment is Weezy pleading guilty to gun charges in New York and possibly getting a year in prison (NY don’t play about guns. Word to Plaxico & Shyne!). This track are from his soon to be released mixtape No Ceilings (Which is suppose to contain no Auto-Tune or features and drops Oct. 31st). By now by the titles I’m sure you guess what instrumentals he goes over but if this is a return to the Dedication 1-2/Squad Up days…I don’t know if this is that. Either way, shout out the Lil’ Wayne. I’m sure we’ll have enough music to hold us over for 10 years (If need be).

All new music for this edition of iPod Hustle. Mostly good too. In this go around: Jezzy tells us why trappin’ ain’t dead, Juelz mixes up the medicine, and Gucci (With the help of Usher) goes for the spotlight. Set your iPods to Hustle…now.

Download: Young Jeezy – “Trap Or Die 2”
Produced by Zaytoven
I remember seeing a video of Young Jeezy performing this song at Club Dreams and I was feeling it then. Yep, it sounds like The Snowman is taking it back to 2005 with this one. If this track is a sign of what kinda music will be on Thug Motivation 103, I’m looking forward to it (Plus I’ve been bumping Jay-Z’s “As Real As It Gets” a lot lately). Sidenote: I thought Zaytoven was Gucci’s favorite go to producer? (Zaytoven explains here)

Download: Juelz Santana feat. YelaWolf – “Mixing Up The Medicine”
Produced by Kane Beatz
Juelz hooks up with Alabama’s own YelaWolf to create a certified street banger. As soon as I heard that hook I was sold. Partner that with that fact that Santana sounds motivated again (The last time I remember that happening was at the 2008 BET Hip-Hop Awards): ”Take her out and trick around/I take her home and dick her down/Send her back to you like ‘Baby I was at my sister house’”. Hopefully this is the Juelz Santana we’ve been waiting for. Remember, his last album did go Platinum.

Download: Gucci Mane feat. Usher – “Spotlight”
Produced by Polow Da Don
Wow, Gucci Mane is in another one of my posts? I guess this is what the young kids are listening to these days. On this one Gucci Mane grabs Usher and puts on his best commercial clothes. Not to sound like a hater but the flow on this song is garbage. I don’t even listen to Gucci, but I think even some of his biggest fans will probably gives this a so-so rating. The State vs. Radric Davis is supposed to drop in December.

It’s been a while since I actually did an iPod Hustle column that was totally random. Just three songs off my iPod that really have no connection but were good listens nonetheless. In this edition, we check out some 2008 F-A-B-O, a smooth cut from Sa-Ra Creative Partners, and get Automatic Gunfire from G-Unit. Set your iPods to Hustle please…

Download: Fabolous – “Fall Back”
Mixtape: There Is No Competition [2008]
I’m sure I’ve already written somewhere about how the Fabolous & DJ Drama mixtape, There Is No Competition, was way too slept on for how good it was. It definitely was one of the best mixtapes put out in ’08. One gem off there was “Fall Back”. It’s filled with the slick wordplay that made Hip-Hop take notice of Fab in the first place; “You gonna make put ya in a headline/And your girl gonna help me come up with a head line/The suck game while I’m driving is a fool/She know it’s head first like she diving in a pool/Right stroke, left stroke was the best stroke/Bitch blow whistle like she got a ref’s throat/Foul, and I’m so flagrant” Fall back.

Download: Sa-Ra feat. Ty (of Ty & Kory) – “And If”
Album: The Hollywood Recordings [2007]
If you like me, your “Get Busy In The Bedroom” playlist on your iPod is probably devoid of any Hip-Hop. Do you really want to explain to your girl why you were trying you get it poppin’ to Plies’ “Plenty Money”? One of those instances where rhymes and sexy time mix well is Sa-Ra’s “And If” featuring Ty. It sounds like something PM Dawn would have made had their heyday been in 2007. The smoothness of this track is crazy…and it is a fixture on my “Lay It Down” playlist. What? Too much info?

Download: G-Unit – “Bang Bang”
Mixtape: Automatic Gunfire (G-Unit Part 4) [2002]
I know 50 just got a release date set for his next album Before I Self Destruct (Nov. 23rd), but I’d be lying if I said I was “highly anticipating” it. It wasn’t always like this though. Case in point, in 2002, 50 Cent (with Lloyd Banks & Tony Yayo) released one of my favorite G-Unit songs of all time; “Bang Bang”. From Curtis’ calling Irv Gotta a “fat cupcake eating motherfucker” in the intro to him calling Ja Rule a “Stuart Little looking motherfucker” in the outro, this track goes hard all the way through. And what’s crazy, it’s not really a diss song aimed at Murder Inc. It does show just how well the charter members of G-Unit flowed together; 50 Cent: “Bang bang from big heaters/Hundred dollar sneakers/Two seaters, two meters”/Lloyd Banks: “And a bundle of haze/At least enough to last fourteen days/Eat where they sell lobster/My eyes slanted like Pharrell’s partner”/Tony Yayo: “Nigga respect me like you father when it come to drama/I put the lima to you momma and beat her like a piñata”

It seems like it was just yesterday when Nas and Jay-Z were involved in the what some may call the greatest Hip-Hop battle of all time. But since then times have changed; people have squashed beef on stage, deals have been sign, and it seems that Jay-Z and Nas have put all of that behind them. Earlier this month when a tracklist for Hova’s The Blueprint 3 was released, fans were excited to see yet another track, “Empire State Of Mind”, with both God’s Son and Jigga featured. Fast forward to earlier this week, and we see that on the “official” tracklist, Nas has been replaced with Alicia Keys. Now, we all love Miss Keys. But you know the real Hip-Hop heads would have preferred Kelis’ baby daddy on the track. But hey, who knows? It could still change. But until we get a final word, let’s look at past Jay-Z and Nas collaborations.

Nas feat. Jay-Z – “Black Republicans”
Album: Hip Hop Is Dead [2006]; Produced by L.E.S. & Wyldfyer
We had already been teased when it was rumored that Jay-Z would jump on the Kanye West/Nas track “We Major”, but the highly anticipated collaboration finally took place on Nas’ Def Jam debut Hip Hop Is Dead. At first listen, I was a little underwhelmed. But what had I expected? The speaker to explode and the world to cease as we know it? Once you get past the impossible expectations, the track more than lives up to the potential (And is one of my all time favorites). Both rappers got one verse each over an epic beat. Plus, that hook was hard.

*Notable Jay-Z Line: “Huddlin’ over the oven, we was like brothers then (What?)/Though you was nothin’ other than a son of my mother’s friend/We had governin’, who would of thought the love would end”

*Notable Nas Line: “Just like an acrobat ready to hurl myself though the hoops of fire/Sippin’ 80 proof, bulletproof under my attire”

Jay-Z feat. Nas – “Success”
Album: American Gangster [2007]; Produced by No I.D. & Jermaine Dupri
I guess this was the trade off for “Black Republicans”. Nas returns the favor and does a guest spot on Hov’s 2007 American Gangster. This song also has the distinction of Nas maybe taking a jab at Hov (“Worst enemies want to be my best friends”). I personally think Jay-Z went hard the whole song, but even the biggest Jigga stan will admit that Nas’ Google Earth line killed it. Jay-Z had three verses (Or one long one) and Nas went last. “Let that bitch breath!”

*Notable Jay-Z Line: “Broad daylight I off ya on switch/Ya not too bright, goodnight, long kiss,/Bye-bye, my reply, blah-blah/Blast burner then pass burner, to TyTy/Finish my breakfast, why?/I got an appetite for destruction and you’re a small fry/Now where was I”

*Notable Nas Line: “Old cribs I sold, yall drive by like monuments/Google Earth Nas, I got flats in other continents/Worst enemies want to be my best friends/Best friends want to be enemies, like that’s what’s in/But I don’t give a fuck walk inside the lion’s den”

Ludacris feat. Nas & Jay-Z – “I Do It For Hip Hop”
Album: Theater Of The Mind [2008]; Produced by Wyldfyer
Let me first state that I thought Luda had the best verse but the actually song looks better on paper. It was good to have Jay, Nas, & Ludacris on the same track, but the end results did produce a classic track (Jay’s performance was so-so and this is me saying that). The song still has a great message though.

*Notable Jay-Z Line: “The past of time when I was gettin’ it in/Just so happens I’m so illegal with the pen/They ain’t want me to do anything illegal again”

*Notable Nas Line: “That’s who you are so when the cash and cars is gone/The day after tomorrow/Don’t be asking to borrow, ski mask ang it hard/Like the way you rap in your bars”

Young Jeezy feat. Nas & Jay-Z – “My Presdent (remix)”
Album: The Recession [2008]; Produced by Tha Bizness
Okay, so this wasn’t exactly a Nas and Jay-Z collaboration since Hov jumped on the remix version. But it’s still technically a track featuring both rappers. The remix came at the height of the 2008 election and Jay-Z on the remix pushed it over the top (It already was the “hood” Obama them song). I still wished Nas would have redid his verse for the remix.

*Notable Jay-Z Line: “My president is black in fact he’s half white/So even in a racist mind he’s half right/If you got a racist mind you’ll be aight/My president is black but his house is all white”

*Notable Nas Line: “For years there’s been surprise horses in this stable/Just two albums in, I’m the realest nigga on this label”

Shaquille O’Neal feat. Jay-Z, Lord Tariq, & Nas – “No Love Lost/Analyze This”
Album: You Can’t Stop The Reign [1996]; Produced by Tone & Poke
Do some of you youngsters even remember when Shaq used to rap? If not you didn’t miss much. But it was on one of Diseil’s album that we actually saw the first Jay-Z and Nas track. Well, almost. It gets confusing here. The original version of the song only had Shaq, Jay, and Lord Tariq (”Uptown baby!”), but somewhere along the line a new Nas verse was added and Shaqillie’s verse was taken off. Even through all that, I think it’s important to see what may have been the first Jay and Nas track together…13 years ago.

*Notable Jay-Z Line: “I got mine, your little bit of money couldn’t stop mine/Your block time, too hot, too many hands in your pie/Seventy thirty, the nigga you work for work for me”

*Notable Nas Line: “I flip my loot twice a week/On my most trifest streets/”You got no right to eat/By the laws of life you keep”

Download: A Collection Of Jay-Z & Nas Collabos

Once again it’s time for me to crank out another edition of iPod Hustle. And by looking at the numbers, it’s my 24th one. If I’d known last time, which would have been my 23rd edition, I would have made some sort of reference to Michael Jordan. 24 isn’t a bad number. Those are Black Mamba/Championship numbers. Anyway, in this Hustle: I look at a cut from the new How Fly mixtape by Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa, listen to the latest Slaughterhouse track off Joe Budden’s Escape Route, and dust off a classic (And unedited) song from DMX. Okay…

Download: Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa – “The Life”
Mixtape: Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa – How Fly [2009]
I’m not even gonna front as if I was bumping this when it was released earlier this week. Then I saw this video and was like; “What’s that shit?” It was “The Life”. By far my favorite track off the How Fly mixtape. Now, I don’t really like the whole album but that’s kinda how I feel about a majority of Curren$y’s releases. His mixtapes are stylized and well put together (And who doesn’t like hearing about jets all the time?). However it’s just something that can’t let me get through a whole mixtape/album. Maybe because I don’t smoke. I really haven’t listen to much stuff by Wiz Khalifa to comment. Infamous F put How Fly up in the forums up when it was originally released (You can get that here). He’s much cooler than me.

Download: Joe Budden feat. Royce Da 5′9″, Joell Ortiz, & Crooked I – “We Outta Here”
Album: Joe Budden – Escape Route [2009]/Producer: StreetRunner
I’m picking this song for a few reasons. First, as somebody who just reviewed Slaughterhouse’s album and gave it 4 Stars, I must say: This shit is not hot at all. The lyrics are there (As always) but that hook is garbage and filled with with Auto-Tune (They need to read Christina Aguilera’s t-shirt). Another reason I wanted to put this up because I don’t know if we’ll get around to reviewing the new Budden album EP, Escape Route. After a few listens, it’s reminds me of Padded Room (Really emotional and sometimes boring). If we do review it, it’ll be sometime next week….maybe.

Download: DMX – “Slippin’” (Explicit Version)
Album: DMX – Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood [1998]/Producer: DJ Shok
I’m sure you’ve all heard “Slippin’” (In ’98, we had a different DMX that you see these days). I’m also sure the version you heard had a lot of “woo’s” and “what’s” bleeping out the curse words (And this was the album version). Thanks to J. Tinsley from The Smoking Section for making me remember that I never got the explicit version. He’s also got other/true versions of Lil’ Kim’s “Big Momma Thang” (With 2Pac & Faith diss) and DMX’s “Get At Me Dog” (Also with a 2Pac and West Coast diss). I love shit like this.

Yeah. You read it right; I’m doing an iPod Hustle on Trey Songz. What’s weird is at one time I viewed him as a third-rate R&B’er. Not to say that I’m a huge fan or anything; I usually don’t listen to many male singers (You noticed I didn’t put up a shirtless pic of Trey or anything. Pause.). But I am noticing that Trey’s feature portfolio is getting strong (Plus you gotta give the kid props for going at the Pied Piper). He seems to be on speed dial for a lot of rappers when it comes to getting someone to sing a chorus; especially if they want a more hood R&B sound. As with my other non-rapper featured iPod Hustles (Norah Jones & Jazmine Sullivan), this will be some of Trigga Trey’s best Rap cameos. If this is not enough, you can always pick up his latest mixtape, Anticipation, here. His third album Ready drops on September 1st.

Fabolous feat. Trey Songz – “Last Time (Gotta Go)”

Album: Fabolous – Loso’s Way [2009]/Producer: Jermaine Durpi
Man, as much I gripe about Fabolous expanding more from his usual “for the ladies” tracks, it turns out that my favorite song from his new album is one. Actually, Fab does kinda go a different route if you actually listen to the lyrics. The infectious beat mixed with Trey delivering a great hook takes this one over the top: “This is the last time/(I know I’m bout to drive you crazy)/Last time/(But I gotta see my baby)…”

Ace Hood feat. Trey Songz – “Ride”

Album: Ace Hood – Gutta [2008]/Producer: The Inkredibles & Ke’Noe
The second single off Ace’s first album Gutta has Songz riding shotgun. Even though it your standard “I need a ride or die chick” song, Trey’s hook stands out and is basically all you remember from the track (At least for me): “Even though I’m in the streets/You know exactly what I do/When I chase this paper/You ain’t gotta wait for me to bring it back home to you…”

Drake feat. Trey Songz – “Successful”

Mixtape: Drake – So Far Gone [2009]/Producer: Noah “40″ Shebib
I know you’ve heard this one a million times already. The only reason this is up here is because I honestly think this gave Trey a big boost in his career. Think about it: None of Trey Songz’s previous albums (Or songs for that matter) have big huge successes or even went Gold. But now Trey is doing songs (And shows) with the hottest rapper out…on the album that is his coming out party (So Far Gone). But then again I guess will see the result when his new album comes out. “I want the money/Money and the cars/Cars and the clothes/The hoes/I suppose…”

Here we are again. This is where I pick some songs off my ever present iPod and explain to you what I’m currently listening to. Sometimes it’s new stuff; sometimes it’s old stuff, but all the time its good stuff. In this go around: I co-sign G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean, give props to a Ghostface track, and check out a new track from 3 Stacks. Let’s go!

Download: Big Sean feat. Kanye West – “Glenwood”
Album: Finally Famous [TBA]
This came out earlier this year and I missed it. Damn. This shit is dope and not just for Kanye. Big Sean’s verse here is one the year’s best (“Girls get checked/But my bank get checked more/When niggas check up, I’m who they check for/Or have a check for…”)When first I heard he had signed with Def Jam, I kinda shrugged because I didn’t know much about the dude. So yea, I missed Sean’s mixtape UKNOWBIGSEAN when it dropped earlier this year. Oh, but I’m caught up now and I’m just hoping his Def Jam debut (Scheduled for later this year) get the proper treatment (I say that because Glenwood is suppose to be on it).

Download: Ghostface Killah feat. Sun God – “Street Opera”
Album: More Fish [2006]
Why this song? Short story: In last week’s Numbers Game, I made reference to Michael Jackson’s Stripped Mixes debuting at #95 on the charts. That album contains a version of “Ain’t No Sunshine”. That song is sampled in “Street Opera”. See. Everything is relative. Anyway, Ghostface and his son go in over the Fantom Of The Beats’ production. Did Ghost pay for the sample? I doubt it but who cares?

Download: Andre 3000 – “Lookin’ 4 Ya”
Abum: Purple Codeine Vol. 25 [2009]
This dropped last week to some fanfare. It’s only 2 minutes long but it’s still 3 Stacks; almost anything by him is dope. Not really much to say about this track other than I like it and I’m happy he’s working on his album. You can get Purple Codeine Vol. 25 here.

Damn. We’re already in the second half of ’09? With albums getting pushed back more and more these days it seems like we have more mixtapes dropping everyday. Yea, “MC Dognuts” dropped a mixtape every week but were they good? How was the quality? Here I’ve listed four quality and well made mixtapes that you should have picked up in the 1st half of 2009. Now. Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I’m not saying these are the only good mixtapes that dropped in ’09. But in my opinion, these are the best ones (so far…). I really just focused on the artist featured mixtape rather than compilations (Like Swaggin’ My Swag Swag Vol. 26…not a real title but you know what I mean). So yeah, here they are: Four Must Have Mixtapes Of 2009 (So Far…)

Download: Joell Ortiz – Joell Ortiz Covers The Classics

¼ Of Slaughterhouse dropped this mixtape in May and went over classics ranging from Junior Mafia’s “Get Money” to Lost Boyz’s “Renee”. Being that Joell Ortiz is one of my new favorites MC’s, hearing him go over 30+ beats (Mostly around a minute or so) is a good thing. Plus, listen to “I Can’t Go Broke” and tell he didn’t shout out nappyafro…I’ll believe it until he tells me different.

Download: J. Cole – The Warm Up

Man was I sleeping on J. Cole. After not checking out his first mixtape The Come Up, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to The Warm Up. But I’m glad I did. Did the new Roc Nation tag help? Hell yea. But besides the new signing, the Fayetteville rapper has talent. Songs like “Grown Simba” show more maturity beyond J. Cole’s years.

Download: Wale & 9th Wonder – Back To The Feature

After all the waiting and doubt about the arrival of this mixtape, I’m happy to say that it was worth the wait. Wale was bullshitting with the title either. He trades bars with everybody from Joe Budden to Young Chris to Talib Kweli to Curren$y to even Memphis Bleek. The stand out tracks like “New Soul”, “Wordplay”, & “Um Ricka” are worth the download alone. What am I saying? It’ free. Download that shit anyway.

Download: Drake – So Far Gone

Come on. Did you really NOT think this would be on the list? I’ll go ahead and say it: So far this year, So Far Gone is the BEST album put out. I know it’s a mixtape. You may even think Drake is even overrated, but you can’t deny that the man has put out a career-defining album. It’s a good chance that he will be chasing So Far Gone for the rest of his career.

This go around I’m honestly giving you gems that’s not necessarily new (Not too old though) and things I have really have been listening to lately. I shouldn’t really call this a iPod Hustle though since I’m currently updating my iPod Touch as I type this and I think I fucked it up. (If a friend passes you a copy of the 3.0 firmware; think hard before you go forward). Today we got music from L.E.G.A.C.Y and company, Ricky Ross and crew, and a Swedish indie rock singer by the name of Lykke Li.

Download: L.E.G.A.C.Y. feat. Phonte, Chaundon, & Sean Price – “TKO”
Man, I messed up not putting this on the front page when it originally came out last week. This shit goes hard! No slackers here; everyone comes with it. This is off L.E.G.A.C.Y.’s new album Suicide Music (Which I think I might review). Shout out to Phonte, Chaundon, and the rest of the Justus crew. L.E.G.A.C.Y., we need that interview man.

Download: Triple C’s – “Roadkill”
Even though I’m tired of Rick Ross dropping a new music video everyday, I got to give props where it’s due. This is a banger. Period. Rick Ross verse: “Wars a rising/Starts choosing sides and/Cause we riding Obama & Biden!” Ha! I wanna know who made this beat? It’s sick.

Download: Lykke Li – “Little Bit”
Now let’s take it down a notch. If you recognized that name and song title, your probably like me and have listened to Drake’s So Far Gone countless of times. I hope you knew the Drake track was a remake…no? Well, I always like to listens to the original source. It’s not too bad. Not better that the remake; but still good.