Rock the Bells: 7 acts to watch
After winning over rap fans and critics as one half of brother duo, the Clipse, Pusha T started to lay the groundwork for a solo career as his brother focused on his own. Pusha got a major boost when he inked a deal with Kanye West’s GOOD Music. His first solo project, “Fear of God” and its reworked EP “Fear of God II: Let Us Pray,” offered a glimpse of what his upcoming debut will be like and the wait is surely killing listeners. Until the album drops, enjoy his biting verses on “Mercy” and “New God Flow,” two singles lifted from the imprint’s highly anticipated compilation album, “Cruel Summer.” (Christopher Polk/Getty Images)
By Gerrick D. Kennedy
The case of the female rapper has long been a frustrating one. In the last half-decade, the fierce voices that carried the genre through the early 00¿s like Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliott and Eve have largely remained silent. Eve, who joins DMX during his comeback performance, has established herself in the acting and fashion world. But fans are still yearning for the original ¿pitbull in a skirt.¿ With a flow that could turn from flirty to lethal without warning Eve set the standard for being a queen amongst kings when she made her introduction through as the lone female of the Ruff Ryders (which includes DMX and fellow Rock the Bells performer Jadakiss). Hopefully E-v-e debuts material from the serially delayed fourth album that has been in the works since 2007. (Pete Marovich/EPA)
Kendrick Lamar pulled off an impressive feat when he released his indie album, “Section.80,” last year: He topped two of the mightiest forces in current pop, Adele and Lady Gaga, on the iTunes chart. Lamar and the rest of the Black Hippy supercrew, which includes Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q (part of L.A.-based indie Top Dawg Entertainment) have played an integral role in rejuvenating West Coast rap. After racking up some major co-signs from heavyweights like Snoop Dogg, Nas and Dr. Dre, who drafted him to help on his obscenely delayed “Detox,” it was no surprise Lamar and TDE inked a joint venture deal with Interscope Records and Aftermath Entertainment. (C Flanigan/Getty Images)
Twenty years into his prolific career, Nas is (finally) tapping into subject matter he’s largely tiptoed around: himself. His latest album, “Life is Good,” tackled the troubles that have plagued him including a contentious divorce from R&B-pop sired Kelis, heavy tax debt (to the tune of $6 million) and polarizing records. “Life Is Good’s” unapologetic realism has fans calling it a classic, a month after its release, and comparing the album to benchmark efforts including his 1994 debut,”Illmatic,” its follow-up, “It Was Written” and 2001’s “Stillmatic.” (Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
