M.I.A. Goes Electro-Punk With New Song

A track from M.I.A.’s upcoming June release surfaced online today, the punk-leaning “Born Free.” We’re not quite sure what to make of the disjointed track, although any criticisms we have of it would pale next to the complaints M.I.A. has reserved for her musical peers (and pretty much everything else). Listen to “Born Free” below.

M.I.A. - Born Free

This is definitely a new direction for the artist—with the heavy, ecstatic drums and the slightly off-pitch speak-singing vocals, it sounds like a straight-up punk song with just a dab of electronica. Whereas we could gladly bob our heads to the much more palatable “There’s Space For Ol Dat I See” (a slow, groovy electro-tinged track that surfaced last January), the raucous “Born Free” (co-written by with Suicide’s Alan Vega and Martin Rev) comes off unpolished. 

But this is hardly a “new” song—here she is performing the track at Cali music fest Street Scene in 2009, and it’s no more easy on the ears than the studio recorded version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEK3vZGGezA

B.o.B First No.1 On The Hot 100

Atlanta rapper B.o.B will bounce Rihanna from the top slot of the Hot 100 to be released on Thursday morning (Apr. 22), as his "Nothin' On You," featuring Bruno Mars, will jump 2-1 while Rihanna's "Rude Boy" drops to the runner-up slot. "Nothin' On You" also rises to the top of Digital Songs, moving 184,000 downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan. Last week's top-seller,Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," dips to No. 2 with 159,000. B.o.B also has the Hot 100's top debut as "Airplanes," featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore, will land at No. 12 upon the chart's official release. The track sells 138,000 in its initial week of availability and arrives at No. 5 on Digital Songs. His debut album "B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray" hits retail this coming Tuesday (April 27).

Check back on Thursday morning for more Hot 100 happenings including the latest batch of Glee Cast debuts and Christina Aguilera's return to the chart.

R.I.P. Guru

Legendary rapper Guru has died after a battle with cancer. He was just 43.

Born in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood, Keith Elam was a member of the duo Gang Starr, and is considered one of the pioneers of hip hop-jazz crossover.

His stage name, Guru, is actually an acronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal and/or the less often used God is Universal; he is the Ruler Universal.

According to reports, Guru passed away yesterday, having suffered from the grave, malicious illness for over a year and after numerous special treatments.Guru always tried to keep his harrowing cancer diagnosis in private but in early 2010 he had to admit himself to hospital due to serious effects caused by it.

While in hospital with terminal cancer, Guru wrote a letter, which was provided by Solar, to his fans addressing his illness, career, family and loved ones.

Nicki Minaj Compares Male/Female Rappers' Limits

Young Money’s Nicki Minaj recently talked about the differences between male and female hip-hop artists and why, in some ways, women have more freedom as emcees.

Nicki talked about one-day hoping to witness a male rapper openly admit to being gay.

“I have a lot of freedom to be crazy. I can rap in a London accent, make weird faces, wear spandex, wigs, and black lipstick,” Minaj explained in an interview. “I can be more creative than the average male rapper. And I can show my boobs. Guys can’t do that…I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it’s harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced. People view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we’ll see one in my lifetime.” (Details)
Fellow New York rapper Fat Joe addressed singer Ricky Martin coming out of the closet earlier his month.

“Everybody’s their own man,” he wrote in a blog post. “And if Ricky Martin felt like he had to come out of the closet and that’s what he does and that’s what he represents, then good for him. It ain’t for me to make a decision whether he should come out or whatever the case may be…With me, it’s all about being comfortable with who you are and if you gay, fine, be gay. I’m not gay but fine, you do what you do. I’ll do what I do. I think it’s 2010 and everybody should be allowed to live happy and live their lives and whatever makes you happy, then so be it.” (VIBE)
Minaj recently talked about having a multi-layered rap image.

“I think very often people miss that I’m from New York, and I don’t really know why that is, but I remember I said on Twitter one time, ‘Shout out to Queens,’ and all of the gay boys thought I was talking to them, and I realized that people haven’t gotten that I’m Southside Jamaica, Queens, New York City. I feel like I say it a lot, but I guess I’m not saying it that much, or it’s that I’m so diverse and I don’t always rap with the New York accent–I switch it up, you know. People don’t see me as just repping one city or one state. I actually really like that. That was always my goal: to be able to bridge that gap, you know, whether it’s to London.” (XXL Magazine)
The rapper’s debut album is set to drop in the fall.

“Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown recording artistNicki Minaj will release her highly anticipated solo debut album in Fall 2010. ‘I don’t want to do anything that sounds like what any other female rapper has done,’ said Nicki Minaj. ‘I want to start a new lane that one day, 10 years from now, girls will say, ‘I’m more of a Nicki Minaj type