Bruno Mars Covers ROLLING STONE

Bruno Mars plays bad boy on the cover of Rolling Stone. The Hawaiian-born hearrthrob, who the magazine proclaims “pop’s golden child,” shows some chest in a leopard-print shirt with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. Mars kicks off “The Moonshine Jungle World Tour” on June 22, while his single “When I Was Your Man” is No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week. In the interview, he reveals that he wrote the song for his girlfriend, model Jessica Caban. “You’re bringing up all these old emotions again,” he says. “It’s just like bleeding!”
The issue hits newsstands on Friday, April 26

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Beyoncé Kicks Off “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” PUKEJ55BHCZK

Bow down, Belgrade. Beyoncé pulled out all the stops during the kickoff to “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour” in Belgrade, Serbia, on Monday. A sold-out crowd of 20,000 packed into the Kombank Arena to witness the first of 65 dates on her globe-trotting trek. There were plenty of show-stopping moments including costume changes, choreography, pyrotechnics, and hit after hit. The 31-year-old pop icon stormed the stage in a white beaded dress to her anthem “Run the World (Girls),” marching into “End of Time” with her troop of dancers. Queen B turned heads in a dazzling wardrobe by designers including Emilio Pucci, Dsquared2, Givenchy, and Ralph & Russo, with shoes by Stuart Weitzman. She strut across the stage in a racy gold sequined bodysuit (complete with nipples) and flew over the audience in a Swarovski-studded blue bodysuit by Vrettos Vrettakos. She didn’t debut any new material, pulling from her past four solo albums and one Destiny’s Child song (“Survivor”). The unforgettable evening closed with Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” and “Halo.”“Thank ya’ll for being such a beautiful audience,” said B, who was presented with the Serbian flag. “I’ll never forget my first show. I’ll never forget all of these beautiful faces. I had such a good time tonight.”The tour will travel throughout Europe in April and May before making its way to North America on June 28.

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2013 XXL Freshmen Cover

The moment you have all been waiting for is here. The official cover for the 2013 XXL Freshmen Class issue has been revealed. The rappers are:

- Schoolboy Q
- Trinidad James
- Joey Bada$$
- Ab-Soul
- Logic
- Action Bronson
- Kirko Bangz
- Travi$ Scott
- Angel Haze
- Dizzy Wright (10 Spot People’s Champion Winner)
- Chief Keef (The 11th Freshman)

The freestyles, cyphers and behind the scenes footage should start to be released soon. What do you think of the list?

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Styles P : “Remix My Hit” Producer Contest

BeatStars , Propellerhead & BLAP On The Radio Present:

“Remix My Hit” Producer Contest featuring Styles P

Create/Compose your best remix to Styles P’s acapella vocals from his new single “So Deep”. 

Listen to the original song here

The Grand Prize winner will receive $1000 in Cash + a 1 Year Membership on BeatStars worth $300 and your own custom Producer app for iOS & Android.

2nd Prize

Propellerhead Balance w/ Reason 6.5 + 1 Year BeatStars Membership (This includes custom Mobile apps, Widgets and FB App + Free Distribution)

3rd Prize

1 Year BeatStars Membership (This includes custom Mobile apps, Widgets and FB App + Free Distribution)

Contest Instructions

1. Download the Styles P acapella vocals here (89.3 BPM):Download Acappela

2. Create/Compose your best remix to the acapella vocals

3. Upload your submission to YouTube and put “BeatStars Remix Contest” in the title of the video and submit through the contest page.

4. When voting begins, share your remix to all of your friends and family to get the most votes

5. Then Top 10 Vote getters will move on to the next round

5. Styles P will personally choose the Grand Prize and 2nd Place winner from the Top 10 Vote getters

Voting begins on April 9th-22nd

Winners will be announced on April 26th

Contest Starts

March 07, 2013 @ 12:01 am (PST)

Contest Ends

April 08, 2013 @ 11:59 pm (PDT)

Need more Details?

Read the Official Rules

Check out Styles P’s new audio book Invincible and cop some dope D-Block Hoodies

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Vanessa Elisha – Blur mp3

The 21 year old Vanessa Elisha is an unlikely R&b star, More of a girl next door than Hollywood socialite. The Australian-born upcoming writer/singer is quickly building a name for herself with her independent release – Blur. Produced by Jrdn.Gxnius (CVIRO, VINNY CHA$E, Marky.) BLUR is a perfect introduction to Vanessa Elisha – a sweet yet distinct vocal performance matched with impossibly infectious lyrics.  Set for a February 2013 release, Vanessa’s  yet untitled EP will showcase her talents as a writer, performer and artist.

SoundCloud  Website Twitter  Tumblr  Youtube 

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GUCCI MANE – ‘TRAP GOD 2′COVER

From the heavens comes Gucci Mane’s holy cover for Trap God 2, hosted by DJ Scream. The Brick Squad rapper sits in a thrown in his palace in the sky, dressed in a white robe with his arms stretched out. There are Hebrew letters on the side and stacks of money piled up behind him. The follow-up to his 2012 mixtape Trap God arrives on Feburrrrary 12.

What do you think of Gucci’s cover art? Sound off below.

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The Cheater’s Guide to R. Kelly

Robert Sylvester Kelly calls himself the R. in R&B, and he has earned the title. It is impossible to delve into the genre’s history during the past two decades without acknowledging R. Kelly’s music, debating his influence, or dealing with his personal history and how that affects his legacy.But that doesn’t make navigating his catalog easy. Kellz has released 14 albums, including two collaborations with Jay-Z (the Best of Both Worlds misadventure, which led to a falling-out between the onetime friends and eventually lawsuits) and three double-albums. He’s also produced tracks for dozens of artists; his most famous freelance assignment was mentoring (and allegedly romancing) the late songbird Aaliyah for her 1993 debut Age Ain’t Nothing but a Number. And let’s not forget that the self-proclaimed Pied Piper continues to crank out installments of his crazy R&B soap opera Trapped in the Closet for YouTube and cable TV consumption, with 23 episodes to date. The result is a towering mountain of urban pop singles, babymaker ballads, inspirational hymns and hip-hop collabos that can make the most committed acolyte take pause.

So where to begin in the world of R. Kelly? While he’s made several good albums, he has yet to

record a singular, all-time classic that any casual listener can turn to. So the best bet is to get acquainted via his excellent 2003 compilation The R. in R&B Collection, Volume 1. And when you’re ready to dig deeper, here are a few dominant themes to focus on.
The Sex God
No one does banging-the-headboard, wet-the-bed love ballads better than Kelly. Of all his albums, 1992’s 12 Play is the one his fans love the most, and it’s largely due to incredibly passionate slow jams like “Bump ‘N Grind,” “Your Body’s Callin’,” “Sex Me,” “It Seems Like You’re Ready” and “For You.” (Its success inspired two sort-of sequels, 2000’s TP-2.com and 2005’s TP.3 Reloaded.) On 1995’s “You Remind Me of Something,” he rapturously compares a fine girl to a jeep (“I wanna ride it), his beats (“I wanna bump it”), his car (“I wanna wax it”), and his bank account (“I wanna spend it”). “Half on a Baby” from 1998’s R. taps into his belief that sex is a metaphysical endeavor. But he’s not afraid to get nasty, either. On 2007’s “Sex Planet,” he drops eye-rolling double-entendres like “Girl I promise this will be painless/ We’ll take a trip to planet Uranus.”

The Drama King
Years before the-Dream and the Weeknd drove alternative R&B kids nuts with their sardonic lyrics, Kelly excelled at poking fun with his deliriously overwrought ballads. On “When a Woman’s Fed Up,” he sings “With all the things I put her through, I shouldn’t have lasted this long/Now I’m at the telephone, calling Tyrone,” a wink-wink reference to Erykah Badu’s infamous shot at deadbeat boyfriends, “Tyrone.” And he ends by singing, “She was raised in Illinois, right outside of Chicago/ Some of the best cooking you ever had, yes it was.”Then there’s his suite of songs with Ronald Isley of the Isley Brothers. With Kelly creepin’ on the wife of “Mr. Biggs,” a gangland style mobster that threatens to “catch a case” when he finds out, the duo spun their drama through 1995’s “Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)” (and its popular video co-starring Gabrielle Beauvais as Biggs’ wife), the “Down Low (Live to Regret It/Blame It On The Mo)” remix, Kelly Price’s 1998 single “Friend Of Mine (Remix)” (with R. Kelly as Price’s cheating husband and Mr. Biggs as her father), and the Isley Brothers’ 2001 single “Contagious” (and another great video, this time with the beautiful quiet storm vocalist Chante Moore as the wife). The storyline grew stale by 2003’s “Showdown,” but overall the “Mr. Biggs” saga is more concise and entertaining than the bloatedTrapped in the Closet series.

The Evangelist
One of Kelly’s biggest hits is 1998’s “I Can Believe I Can Fly,” a ballad that exhorts us to soar in the sky … like Michael Jordan. (It’s from the soundtrack for Jordan’s inexplicably popular Space Jam movie.) His number-one duet with Celine Dion from that same year, “I’m Your Angel,” proved he’s not immune to adult contemporary sap. He’s occasionally dabbled in gospel, from the second half of the double-album Happy People/U Saved Me to 2000’s “The Storm Is Over Now” and 2003’s “Heaven I Need a Hug.” Then there are his tributes to Muhammad Ali (“The World’s Greatest”), the victims of Hurricane Katrina (“Let Your Light Shine”), the victims of the Virginia Tech mass shooting (“Rise Up”), and even the 2010 World Cup (“Sign of a Victory”). In January, he released “I Know You Are Hurting,” a song benefiting the victims of the Newtown, Massachusetts shooting tragedy. Though these songs may be too earnest for the average secular heathen, they find Kelly at his most spiritually inspired.
The Superstar Producer

Credit R. Kelly for fusing the funky-worm melodies of Dr. Dre’s G-funk with the plush bass notes of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and then spreading his innovations through ’90s R&B classics like Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place (remix),”Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone,” Changing Faces’ “Stroke You Up,” and the Isley Brothers’ “Mission to Please You.” Blaque’s “808” is a marvelous example of the coquettish girl-group R&B typical of that decade. His soundtrack for the 1998 Eddie Murphy-Martin Lawrence comedy Life is often overlooked, but it yielded strong tunes such as K-Ci & Jo-Jo’s “Life,” Maxwell’s “Fortunate” and City High’s “What Would You Do?”The new millennium hasn’t been as fruitful, but he’s made standouts like B2K’s “Bump Bump Bump,” Ginuwine’s “In Those Jeans,” and Syleena Johnson’s “Guess What.” His work on teenage girl-group JS’ 2003 album Ice Cream flopped, but its title track is worth seeking out. Notably, he produced “One More Chance,” the last song Michael Jackson released during his lifetime; as well as the late Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks’ “Celebrate” from the Sparkle soundtrack.

The R&B Thug
Let’s be honest. Most of contemporary R&B is either about sex in the bedroom, or heavy petting at the nightclub. While Kellz’ best ’90s tracks are drenched in pre-coital pillow talk, his biggest hits in the 2000s celebrate the good life, whether it’s “Feelin’ on Your Booty” during a slow grind, or declaring “I’m a Flirt” over a bouncy track. “It’s like ‘murder she wrote’ once I get you out them clothes,” he promises on “Ignition” from 2003’s Chocolate Factory, which is the best document of his clubbin’ period.
A closely linked theme to Kelly’s bad-boy shenanigans — which is an obvious put-on, since he’s an admitted mama’s boy and devout churchgoer — is the Embattled Superstar. We won’t rehash his controversies, which usually involve alleged sexual acts with young teenage girls. But the result is that he rarely gives press interviews, and saves his best retorts for songs like the boisterously loud “The Champ Is Here” from 2007’s Double Up. Much of his 1998’s double-album R. is dedicated to how the world views him, and why “Only the Loot Can Make Me Happy.”

The Hip-Hop Homie
The quality of Kelly’s forays as a hook-man for sundry rappers range widely. Ja Rule’s “Wonderful,” Nas’ “Street Dreams (Remix),” Cassidy’s “Hotel” and Twista’s “So Sexy” sound inspired, but Fat Joe’s “We Thuggin’,” Big Tymers’ “Gangsta Girl” and his own “Supaman High” with OJ Da Juiceman seem like boorish pandering. Kelly’s albums with Jay-Z, 2002’s Best of Both Worlds and 2003’s Unfinished Business, are best ignored, but their “Fiesta” hit is a memorable beach party of faux-Spanish guitar and whispered come-ons. A related theme, believe it or not, is R. Kelly The Rapper. During his early years, Kelly modeled himself as a lyrical lover-man in the style of New Jack heroes Father MC, Heavy D and Bell Biv Devoe. It’s one of the reasons why his 1991 debut with Public Announcement, Born in the 90s, sounds hopelessly dated. This part of his catalog should be avoided, but if you must dabble, try “Freak Dat Body” and “Back to the Hood of Things” from 12 Play.

The Soul Student
Kelly has occasionally evoked the classic soul of his forebears. On 12 Play, he covered the Spinners’ “Sadie” in tribute to his late mother; and he went through a wonderful period in the early 2000s writing homage to the “steppers” dance culture in Chicago like “Step in the Name of Love” and the first half of 2004’s Happy People/U Saved Me. However, his recent work is drenched in nostalgia. On 2010’sLove Letter he evoked Jackie Wilson’s “Doggin’ Around” for “When A Woman Loves,” and promoted the album by performing tribute concerts to Sam Cooke. For 2012’s Write Me Back he interpolated Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” into “Feelin’ Single.” While some of Kelly’s fans hope his current obsession with the past doesn’t mean he’s gotten too old for contemporary R&B, for now it’s just another sign of his prolifically creative restlessness

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I Am Not A Human Being 2’ Cover and New Release Date

Lil Wayne unveils the cover art for his new album I Am Not a Human Being II. A red insect resembling a butterfly appears against a black backdrop on the unconventional artwork, which was designed by DONDA, the creative content company founded by Kanye West. Previously due February 19, the follow-up to 2011’s I Am Not a Human Being will now arrive on March 26 featuring the Detail-assisted single “No Worries,” plus contributions from Juicy J, David Banner, StreetRunner, Kane Beatz, and Cool & Dre. While Kanye didn’t produce on the album, he asked Wayne if he could design the artwork. “I’ma let ‘Ye do what he do. As long as it ain’t nothin’ out the box crazy. ‘Ye is ‘Ye, he’s a genius,” Weezy previously told MTV. DONDA also designed the artwork for Wayne’s Mike WiLL Made It-produced single “Love Me” featuring Drake and Future.
See it below.

What do you think of the cover art? Sound off below

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Fiasco Thrown Off Stage for Anti-Obama Comments

"Words I Never Said":

"Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist/

Gaza strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit/

That's why I ain't vote for him, next one either/

I'ma part of the problem, my problem is I'm peaceful/

And I believe in the people."

Those lyrics got him thrown off stage

A weekend geared toward celebrating President Barack Obama hit a sour note on Sunday night (Jan. 21), as rapper Lupe Fiasco performed a long song that criticized the president at an unofficial inaugural ball. The Grammy-nominated rapper from Obama's home city of Chicago, who was the main act at the StartUp RockOn concert-party, used the stage to complain about the
administration's drone warfare program, and state that he did not vote for Obama. Performed as one long song, including lyrics from "Words I Never Said," it was greeted harshly by the partisan crowd, and led to organizers ushering the show on to the next performer.

"Lupe Fiasco performed at this private event, and as you may have read, he left the stage earlier than we had planned," the event's organizers said in a statement. "But Lupe Fiasco was not 'kicked off stage' for an 'anti-Obama rant.' We are staunch supporters of free speech, and free political speech. This was not about his opinions. Instead, after a bizarrely repetitive, jarring performance that left the crowd vocally dissatisfied, organizers decided to move on to the next act."

 The event, which was held at The Hamilton in Wasington, DC, was thrown by StartUp RockOn, which supports entrepreneurs and tech startups. Lupe Fiasco has never been one to hold back his views, especially those pertaining to politics and President Obama. During an appearance on CBS' "What's Trending" in summer 2011, Lupe Fiasco called President Obama " the biggest terrorist" of the U.S. "I've got nothing to clarify. It's Obama and the U.S. government," Lupe told Billboard, echoing his former comments. "[It's] every president that came before him and every president that comes after him.

 Lupe Fiasco's performance at the partisan event included rhymes from his controversial "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1" song, Days before performing (Jan. 17), Lupe took to Twitter to announce that his upcoming album, "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 2" will not be released as planned.

"Hello. A decision has been made that the project titled 'F&L2 Part 2' will be summarily cancelled for public release in 2013… The title/concept for Lupe's 2013 release will be revealed later this year," he tweeted before deleting the tweets and closing his account.

Q: What he wrong to perform that song and the treatment he got, was it suitable for a public figure like him?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIh92OT-xTo

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Fear of an intelligent Black man: Does Hip Hop hate the educated rapper?

 “Like conscious rappers, mad ‘cause we winnin’” – Tyga in “Lap Dance”

During a recent episode of BMET’s (Black Mis-Eductation Television) Fantastic Friday Rap Battle, the crowd went wild as the champ, B. Grimey dropped bombastic bombs on the challenger, MC Imhotep. By the time he said his third “yo mama so black” rhyme, the celebrity judges were applauding loudly as hosts Clarence C and Rosie danced across the stage. However, when MC Imhotep started rappin’ about how Grimey’s sneakers were made from sweatshop slave labor, his bling courtesy of South African diamond mines and his swag a product of a dysfunctional educational system, the audience sat dumbfounded and the judges ran for cover as Clarence J yelled, “Cut to commercial!”

Hip Hop has a long history of beef with intelligent rappers. I remember back in the day when Kangol Kid of UTFO dissed fellow group member EMD, “The Educated Rapper,” in front of Roxanne with the classic line, “I know you’re educated / but when will you learn / not all girls want to be

involved with book worms?” However, since EMD was just a character who wasn’t exactly known for droppin’ knowledge, it was understood as just part of the act. However, when rappers like Tyga infer that intelligent MCs are just hatin’ on him and his crew because they are “winning,” that, sir, means war! In fairness, Tyga was not the first to diss Hip Hop brainiacs, as over the years more than a few commercially successful rappers have taken random shots at intellectual rappers. Remember back in 2002, Nelly aimed a diss at “Tha Teacha” KRS-ONE when he said on his song “Number 1” that people judging Hip Hop are the ones whose albums flop.

Ouch.

So, does Hip Hop really despise smart rappers?

Historically, America has always feared intelligent Black men. Even going back to the early 19th century with Nat Turner. Although he is portrayed in history books as a mindless brute runnin’ around slaughtering slave owners, Turner was intelligent. Also, even though the Black Panthers of the late 1960s were known for bustin’ their guns, it must remembered that the party was founded on a college campus and their main threat to the power structure was their political education classes. Today, since Hip Hop is dominated by Black male voices, the paranoia is still there.

Even though the Black Panthers of the late 1960s were known for bustin’ their guns, it must remembered that the party was founded on a college campus and their main threat to the power structure was their political education classes.

Although Ice T is mostly known for his pimp and gun talk, his most threatening lyric was “my lethal weapon is my mind.” That still holds true today, as, although white mainstream Americans profess to hate violent, misogynist rap music, the reason why they back it financially and give it a platform is because of their fear of the alternative: music that will inspire Black people to challenge the status quo. So it is not really hate that fuels the animosity against intelligence in rap, but fear. And when this fear is internalized, it morphs into self -hatred. As Marianne Williamson said in her oft quoted poem, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate but that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Although white mainstream Americans profess to hate violent, misogynist rap music, the reason why they back it financially and give it a platform is because of their fear of the alternative: music that will inspire Black people to challenge the status quo.

Feel free to comment and tell me who you think should also go on the list apart from KRS-One, Poor Righteous Teachers, Nas, The Roots etc....
I chose these rappers based on lyric content and level of intelligence. Here they are, the most intellectual rappers. 

Immortal is truly one of the most intelligent rappers out there. His lyrics are complex and you might need some sort of formal education to understand them but that’s what makes this rapper great. His focus is mainly on government corruption and racism. He spits nothing but the truth and his rhyming is on a whole other level. 
If you thought Immortal’s lyrics were complex then you probably haven’t heard of

Canibus. It’s a good idea to have a dictionary next to you when listening to this rapper. His lyrics go over most people’s heads and this is the same reason why many people probably don’t like his music. I would have to say he is the definition of an intellectual rapper and if you don’t believe me then I suggest you listen to some of his songs. 

Another great rapper who spits truth with great educated lyrics to match. Most people know Fiasco as he is more on the mainstream scene but this doesn’t mean he’s not intellectual. I’m more about underground rap and underground rappers but Lupe Fiasco is a rapper who you just have to listen to.

Papoose has a right to be on this list and I’m sure most of you will agree. His unique style combined with his intelligent lyrics make for a one of a kind rapper. His focus has always been on dropping knowledge to the rest of us..

Talib is a high skilled rapper that talks about the everyday struggles and life. His style is calm and easy to vibe to, he’s another one of the “real” rappers who uses intellect and flow to express what needs to be heard. Hopefully you already know about him but if you don’t I suggest you check this rapper out.

The way Common rap is truly unique and I’m sure you know why. His intellect is not yet matched by another rapper in my opinion. This East Coast rapper touches many sensitive topics and he uses his intelligence to paint a clear picture of what is going on. One of my favorite rappers when it comes to intellect.

Dead Prez is one of the realest rappers out there. His lyrics aren’t the most complex or the most “intelligent” but that doesn’t mean he’s not intellectual. Then again this would depend on what your definition of an intellectual rapper is. With that said you still can’t deny that Dead Prez belongs on this list.

 “there are plenty of female rappers that can also go on this list I believe this femcees are one of the best when it comes to intellectual rappers ( Lauryn Hill, Jean Grae, Rapsody and Estelle). Their lyrics are very intelligent and they always pack a punch. You can’t argue that they don’t belong here.

Many of you have probably not heard of this guy so let me say this once again, if you haven’t heard his music then go check some of his songs out. A lot of people may not consider him intellectual but if you listen to what he raps about then you”ll probably change your mind. In my opinion a real underrated rapper.

Slug from Atmosphere is another underrated rapper who more people should know about. People might argue about how intellectual he actually is but in reality his lyrics will tell you everything you need to know. This rapper has some good solid skill that people need to recognize.

Theres also J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Brother Ali, Ab-Soul, Wale and so forth....

Although some rappers are actually intellectually challenged in real life, many are just playing dumb. One of the best examples is one of the hottest rappers in the game right now, 2Chainz. Although, he is rumored to be academically gifted and, according to his website, even down with the Hip Hop Congress’s “Respect My Vote” campaign, the message that he sends our children does not reflect any of that. His latest songs, “Riot” and “Rich Man’s World,” could have easily been the political anthems of the Occupy Wall Street and Trayvon Martin Era but instead he chose to continue with the same misogynistic tales of murder and mayhem.

So what do we do?

We declare war.

Contrary to popular belief, there has never been an all out war against Hip Hop ignorance. Although, back in ‘94, Jeru the Damaja threatened to stab “Mr. Ignorance” “in the heart with sharp steel book marks,” he is alive and kicking. Reason being, over the years we have either looked to a rap apologist going through mid-life crisis, still tryin’ to be down or an overpaid Hip Hop academian to solve the problem. However, the solutions are simple. First, we have to stop parroting the lie that the reason that Hip Hop is in its present state is because that is what “we” want. Uh … no, “we” don’t. Unfortunately, anyone who is smarter than a fifth grader is, somehow, always, left out of the official Hip Hop census. Also, conscious rappers and Hip Hop journalists need to stop goin’ out like suckas. Although, playing dumb may be an entrance requirement for the cool kids table for high school freshman when adults dumb themselves down to fit in with their kid’s homies … We’ll, that’s just wrong. Finally, as unbelievable as it might sound, the best sage wisdom comes courtesy of the late Notorious B.I.G. on his song “Unbelievable”: “Dumb rappers need teachin’.” If we can’t make being smart cool, at least we can make being stupid uncool. So no, Tyga, we ain’t mad because you’re winnin’, we’re mad that because of lyrics like yours, our children are losin’. Although school is out for the summer we have to admit that for Hip Hop, school has been out for decades. It’s time ring the bell and yell, “Class is back in session.” A generation ago, KRS One proclaimed “the age of the ignorant rapper is done.” Unfortunately, we’ve been singin’ that same song for 20 summers.

Maybe this year, KRS. Maybe this year …

By Truth Minista Paul Scott

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85th Annual Academy Awards Nominations

Usually the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announces their nominations for the annual Academy Awards sometime after the Golden Globes have been handed out. This year, however, the nominees are being revealed a few days before the Globes take place.

This year brings with it the 85th Annual Academy Awards ceremony, and this morning all of the year’s nominations were made official.

You can check out all of this year’s Oscar nominees below, and be sure to share your thoughts on who is deserving, and who got snubbed.

Nominations

Best Picture

“Amour” Nominees to be determined
“Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
“Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
“Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
“Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
“Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables”
Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master”
Denzel Washington in “Flight”

Actress in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Alan Arkin in “Argo”
Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones in “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams in “The Master”
Sally Field in “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Directing

“Amour” Michael Haneke
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Ang Lee
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
“Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Animated Feature Film

“Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
“Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
“ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
“Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“Argo” Screenplay by Chris Terrio
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Screenplay by David Magee
“Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner
“Silver Linings Playbook” Screenplay by David O. Russell

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“Amour” Written by Michael Haneke
“Django Unchained” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“Flight” Written by John Gatins
“Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola
“Zero Dark Thirty” Written by Mark Boal

Cinematography

“Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
“Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
“Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
“Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
“Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Costume Design

“Anna Karenina” Jacqueline Durran
“Les Misérables” Paco Delgado
“Lincoln” Joanna Johnston
“Mirror Mirror” Eiko Ishioka
“Snow White and the Huntsman” Colleen Atwood

Documentary Feature

“5 Broken Cameras”
Emad Burnat and Guy Davidi
“The Gatekeepers”
Nominees to be determined
“How to Survive a Plague”
Nominees to be determined
“The Invisible War”
Nominees to be determined
“Searching for Sugar Man”
Nominees to be determined

Documentary Short Subject

“Inocente”
Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine
“Kings Point”
Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider
“Mondays at Racine”
Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan
“Open Heart”
Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern
“Redemption”
Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

Film Editing

“Argo” William Goldenberg
“Life of Pi” Tim Squyres
“Lincoln” Michael Kahn
“Silver Linings Playbook” Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg

Foreign Language Film

“Amour” Austria
“Kon-Tiki” Norway
“No” Chile
“A Royal Affair” Denmark
“War Witch” Canada

Makeup and Hairstyling
 “Hitchcock”
Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane
“Les Misérables”
Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell

Music (Original Score)

“Anna Karenina” Dario Marianelli
“Argo” Alexandre Desplat
“Life of Pi” Mychael Danna
“Lincoln” John Williams
“Skyfall” Thomas Newman

Music (Original Song)

“Before My Time” from “Chasing Ice”
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph
“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from “Ted”
Music by Walter Murphy; Lyric by Seth MacFarlane
“Pi’s Lullaby” from “Life of Pi”
Music by Mychael Danna; Lyric by Bombay Jayashri
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil

Production Design
 “Anna Karenina”
Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright
“Les Misérables”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Anna Lynch-Robinson
“Life of Pi”
Production Design: David Gropman; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Lincoln”
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

Short Film (Animated)

“Adam and Dog” Minkyu Lee
“Fresh Guacamole” PES
“Head over Heels” Timothy Reckart and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly
“Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”" David Silverman
“Paperman” John Kahrs

Short Film (Live Action)
“Asad” Bryan Buckley and Mino Jarjoura
“Buzkashi Boys” Sam French and Ariel Nasr
“Curfew” Shawn Christensen
“Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)” Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele
“Henry” Yan England

Sound Editing

“Argo” Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn
“Django Unchained” Wylie Stateman
“Life of Pi” Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton
“Skyfall” Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Paul N.J. Ottosson

Sound Mixing

“Argo”
John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff and Jose Antonio Garcia
“Les Misérables”
Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes
“Life of Pi”
Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill and Drew Kunin
“Lincoln”
Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom and Ronald Judkins
“Skyfall”
Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and R. Christopher White
“Life of Pi”
Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott
“Marvel’s The Avengers”
Janek Sirrs, Jeff White, Guy Williams and Dan Sudick
“Prometheus”
Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill
“Snow White and the Huntsman”
Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, Philip Brennan, Neil Corbould and Michael Dawson

The Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live from Hollywood, CA, on February 24, 2013, with Family Guy‘s Seth McFarlane as host.

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