Turnbull's Top 10 Albums of 2011

Tens of thousands of albums have been released this past year, so P&B are taking on the arduous task of breaking down our very own Top 10 Albums of 2011 List. This is the first of a 2-part series (Turnbull's first, with Paqman's to follow). We'll break down the albums, EPs, and mixtapes, etc, that made for quintessential listening throughout the year. If you don't see something on here that you feel should've made the lists, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email about it!

10) Theophilus London - Lovers Holiday

Amongst a couple of mixtapes, and a major label debut that I found somewhat disappointing, this 5-track EP captured the true essence of this debonnair Brooklyn MC/singer-songwriter, who sights Prince, Mike J, and The Smiths as his key influences.  London is a fashion savvy street rebel who struck gold with this short yet solid set of tracks.

P&B Approved Cuts: Strangelove, Wine & Chocolates

9) Bon Iver (s/t)

Truth be known, I didn't know what to make of this album when I first heard it, but it certainly has grown on me over time.  This record serves less as an album, and more as a collection of lush 'soundscapes' that conjure up the same feelings of isolation shown on Bon Iver's critically acclaimed debut album For Emma, Forever Ago.

P&B Approved Cuts: Perth, Holocene, Towers

Terrane Is Feeling Ni**as In Paris On The Subway

Have you ever wanted to bust out on the subway or bus and start jamming out to your favorite cut? We've all had the impulse, but usually don't let it take control. Terrane apparently can't control himself while listening to Ni**as In Paris from Watch The Throne, he proceeds to go in and kills it like a champ. Kanye posted the video on his twitter account, so you know that he's feeling it.

The YouTube video already has 1.6 million views and I highly recommend that you add to the total. Terrane definitely gets the people going!

-Paqman 

Dissecting The Throne - Post-Show Analysis (Feat. Fabs the Fiancé!): the P&B BBM Chat

We here at P&B love technology. We both use Blackberry Messenger like crazy, so why not show our deep conversations to the world! This is a first in the Blogosphere (we think). Here it is: The P&B BBM Chat.

(All photos via esdevlin.com)

***We've invited Fabs into the chat for her insight on the show. She's a member of the P&B crew so make her feel welcome!! You can follow her on Tumblr here***


Fabiola: Sunglasses and Advil, last night was mad real

Meezy: Holy shit that's my story right now!

Fabiola: B-)

Young T: Welcome to the jungle made my night. I was happy from that point onward!

The Throne Lands In Toronto

(Photo via blogs.courant.com)

On this day, the 23rd of November, 2011, two of the most influential hip hop artists of our generation will land (and take off) in Toronto for a two night stand. If you've been listening to LL Cool J's Bad on the repeat for the last year and stayed off the internet, you wouldn't know that Jay-Z and Kanye West released a joint album called Watch The Throne. This luxurious rap album has been well received by most, and deeply criticized by others. If you are one to hate on WTT, listen to "I Need Love" from the aforementioned Cool J classic. Hip hop has always been about rhyming on what you know. Jay an Ye now know Givenchy, Margiela and Bentley. What more can I say?

Now that the shock of the ticket prices has passed, it's time to lock and load for what might be the concert event of the year. If the set list that was leaked (and posted here) is any indication of what will go down, this experience will be worth every penny. Both MCs catalog will get it's time in the spotlight but the piece de resistance will be their platinum charting album.

The P&B crew will be in full effect on Thursday night for day 2 of the WTT extravaganza. We want to encourage anyone who will be in attendance on Wednesday to send us their take on the concert, submit a review, show us your pics or drop a set list on us. You can email us at either marc@paqmananbull.com or turnbull@paqmanandbull.com. We will post your submissions as they come in. As expected, Turnbull and I will give you a post game breakdown over the weekend. Keep P&B on lock and don't let us get in our zone!

-Paqman

Stars Celebrate the Life and Legacy of Heavy D

As recently reported by Paq, hip hop pioneer Heavy D passed away at the young age of 44.

He was a well-respected originator in the rap game, and paved the way for many urban music artists both past and present.

A-Listers including Sean "Puffy" Combs, Will and Jada Smith, and Usher showed up to show love for Heav at a funeral held last Friday in his hometown of "Money Earnin" Mount Vernon, New York.

Even Jay-Z took time out from his current Watch The Throne tour duties to stop in and pay his respects.



-Turnbull

Watch The Throne Setlist Appears: The People Rejoice

(Photo via idolator.com)

Saw this today and thought you would be interested in salivating a bit. This pic has been circulating on the web for a few days now. Looks to me like a draft for the setlist as you'll notice the edits. If this is any indication of what they'll drop on us, this will be one to remember.

Toronto is patiently waiting for Ye and Jay to take over the city for two nights in November. The tour kicked off October 29th in Atlanta. Click here and here to check out our posts for Watch the Throne.

-Paqman

The Surge of Frank Ocean

photo via hiphop-n-more.com

If you read the P&B blog on the regular, you've seen Paqman's recent posts about Tyler, the Creator; the undisputed leader of hip hop's most shocking and envelope-pushing youth group, Odd Future (aka OFWGKTA - Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All).

And yes, Tyler is certainly the most visible of the group's members, especially following his recent MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist.

However....there's another kid in his crew that deserves some immediate attention.

His name is Frank Ocean.

Hov And Kanye Release Video For "Otis"

Looks like Thronapalooza has taken over P&B! Here is the first video from Watch the Throne:

Looks like they're having a blast, with Aziz Ansari and models of course!

-Paqman

Gave Them Cake: Jay-Ye Drop Watch The Throne On Its Loyal Subjects

(Photo via hitcrave.com)

So the long awaited colabo finally dropped on the digi-tip this week. For those of you living up in the woods, it was released on August 8th via iTunes. And what an intriguing few days it has been.

Are You Hyped For Jay-Z and Yeezy's Watch The Throne?

(Photo via lifeandtimes.com)

H.A.M., the first offering from Throne was released what seems like ages ago with one simple goal: get people talking about the Jigga/Ye collabo. It worked. And the reviews were mixed. Personally, I thought the track was and still is hot. The song is epic, oozing with swag, as you would expect from these 2 MCs. My only knock on the track is Kanye's verse. It is the worst he's dropped...ever. Thankfully, Jay-Z bats clean up and reminds us yet again why he's a king among pawns.