Jones Andrews & Swayze Jones Drop a Full “64 Bars” (Listen & Download) Posted by Nathan S. on 12/21/10 | Filed under Downloads, Jones Andrews, Thirty-Two Tuesdays

In honor of Jones birthday, this week he decided to switch things up and drop "64 Bars", splitting the mic work with his "The Honesty" compatriot Swayze Jones over a seriously funkdafied beat courtesy of JSWISS. (What's that? You haven't downloaded "The Honesty" yet? Shame on you.) If you hate dope rappers, you're going to hate the hell out of "64 Bars". Listen and download...

Classic Album: Common’s “Be” (Review & Video) Posted by Matt Juss on 12/21/10 | Filed under Features, Classic Album

Way back in the year 2000, Common released his fourth album "Like Water for Chocolate" and received great reviews as well as solid sales results. The recognition from the album elevated Common to a point where he was on the cusp of mainstream success and stardom. So two years later when he was set to release his next album, anticipation and expectations were very high. See more...

Tech N9ne & Travis Barker Down Some “Hard Liquor” (Listen & Download) Posted by Nathan S. on 12/21/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Downloads, Tech N9ne, Travis Barker

Considering Tech N9ne was overwhelmingly voted the best rapper alive - which is yet another sign that Tech has such a hardcore following they'll flood any site running a "Is Tech the Best Rapper Alive Poll?", I thought it was only right to start to bring 2010 to a close with some of Mr. N9ne's infamous hard living. Or to be more exact, some hard liquor. Listen and download...

GhostWridah x STS x Sean Falyon Are Rap’s “Future Presidents” (Listen & Download) Posted by Richard on 12/20/10 | Filed under STS, Ghostwridah, Sean Falyon

What’s changed in the game since ‘96, when an enterprising young emcee by the name of Shawn Carter announced (in the words of his Big Apple neighbor, Nas), “I’m out for dead presidents to represent me.”? Judging by "Future Presidents", a newly-reworked version of the classic cut by a trio of favorites, the answer is “everything and nothing”. Listen and dowload...

The Last “Rap Lines That Make No F**king Sense” of 2010 Posted by Nathan S. on 12/20/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Features, Rap Lines That Make No F**king Sense

With 2010 about to draw to a close, I thought we'd sneak in one last edition of RefinedHype's non-booty-related column, "Rap Lines That Make No F**king Sense". And don't worry, something tells me I could do one of these every week for the next ten years and we'd still have new dumb ass rap lines to go over. So without further ado....enjoy. See more...

Mean Doe Green Brings on Chuuwee, C Plus, & Nicatyne for the “Blue Ribbon Rap (Remix)” Posted by Nathan S. on 12/20/10 | Filed under Downloads, Remixes, Chuuwee, C Plus, Nicatyne

For those who accidentally swallowed a bottle of Ambien and someone slept on Mean Doe Green's "Blue Ribbon Rap", an intensely dope joint featuring OGs Raekwon and Planet Asia, the up-and-coming emcee has recruited the cream of the west coast's new crop for the remix in the form of "Return of the Real" alum Chuuwee, C Plus and Nicatyne. Listen and download...

Hypemen Episode 19: Best Songs of 2010 Edition (Podcast Listen & Download) Posted by Nathan S. on 12/20/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Downloads, Hypemen, Podcasts

We're both hip-hop nerds. We were both fascinated by that Big Pun "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It (Remix)". We're brothers in hype. It was only natural that RefinedHype linked up with The Hypemen (a.k.a. the good folks behind ItsTheReal.com and Jensen Karp) to become the official download source for their podcast series. We now present to you a very special episode nineteen. Listen and download...

Ghostface Killah & Black Thought Take a Leisurely Stroll “In Tha Park” (Listen & Download) Posted by Nathan S. on 12/20/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Downloads, Ghostface Killah, Black Thought

Regular readers know that I'd post a recording of Ghostface Killah ordering Chinese takeout - seriously, I've got money that says that'd be ridiculously entertaining - so when Ghost goes in on a song with The Roots' frontman Black Thought? I'm on it like white on rice. Ladies and gentlemen, "In Tha Park". Listen and download....

Meet G Dep - The Last Redemption Story of 2010 Posted by Brando on 12/20/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Features, Speak of Freedom

Since his debut dropped, Dep has been since released from the label, arrested for numerous crimes and has been troubled for quite some time. Going back to his very solid debut, his rhymes told you that certain things about him were too graphic for songs. Yes, Biggie rapped about sodomizing folks with plungers but we knew it was something straight out of a Mafioso picture. Dep lived that life to the absolute fullest. See more....

FamCo Clothing & RefinedHype Present: The Honesty (Mixtape Listen & Download) Posted by Nathan S. on 12/20/10 | Filed under Top Stories, Downloads, Mixtapes, FamCo Clothing

FamCo. Clothin, an upstart urban contemporary brand based out of Greensboro, NC, has joined forced with four rising and talented artists (RefinedHype regular Jones Andrews and newcomers Swayze Jones, Buck, and Raheem Kason) to create "The Honesty" mixtape.