Fashawn (w/ Exile on the 1s & 2s) performs his introspective single off his upcoming album, Boy Meets World, which hits shelves October 20th!

PREVIOUS: Evidence, Fashawn & Rakaa Iriscience – HNIC Freestyle (Video) | Fashawn – The Antidote (Mixtape)

Blaq Poet performs his DJ Premier produced lead single off his upcoming album, Tha Blaqprint, dropping June 30th!

Y-O and Thurzday get the Artist of the Week special. And you haven’t copped A Love Supreme yet? You lose.

After a recent show at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, we joined Busta backstage to talk about the treacherous pitfalls of Hip Hop and surviving in the industry.  He lets you in on the secret to his career longetivity and how to cope with Record Industry Rule #4080.

In the above clip, Slug talks about how him and ANT have switched up their live show throughout the years. He also goes in about the formation of Felt (his collab effort with Murs, for the slow folk) and the possibility of a third album. Honestly, if you haven’t seen Atmosphere perform live you’re missing out. Slug is honestly incredible on stage. I’ve seen him take control over thousands upon thousands of people and just throw them in a trance for their entire set. It’s pretty crazy. I haven’t been able to fully experience Atmos perform When Life Gives You Lemons, so I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for Paid Dues 2009. March 28th!

Part two with the Almighty SAS crew continues. What up Daylan?

Shit… so do I!! Anyways, in the clip above Ash talks about his love for hip hop, how Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life introduced him to it and more. I really respect the honesty he portrays. There’s far too many people out there that fake the funk when it comes to their knowledge of hip hop or when they actually got into it. I know folks that go an say Atmosphere’s best record is Overcast! when everyone knows its not. But the elitest in them wants to say “oh I been fuckin with them forever, etc” Or the types that are scared to admit their first introduction to hip hop was a Three 6 Mafia record. Who the fuck cares? Not everyone was around when the BDKs and Rakims were rocking the stages on the daily. Shit, I wasn’t. But I (like Asher) went back and learned about the artform and I respect it for what it is. Boom.

The homie Cook gets his time to shine as Hip Hop Official’s Artist Of The Week. The New Classics mixtape download drops tomorrow.

In part 2, HHO follows Wale around in Hollywood from his in-store appearance at Huf to his performance at the Key Club.

PREVIOUS: Hip Hop Official w/ Wale pt.1 (Video)

Today we have a pretty dope interview with D.C. native Wale.  We got a chance follow Wale around the night he performed at the Key Club in Hollywood. This is on some behind the scenes, exclusive access type stuff…..It was so dope that we turned it into a 2 part interview. Here’s the first part, as we ride with him from sound check at the venue to an in-store appearance at HUF skateshop on Fairfax for the release of his new t-shirt. He talks about his love for LA and gives some insight on his upcoming album. We also learn that real gangsters roll Priuses*.

* I call malarkey on that statement.

Being back on the West Coast I wanted to wait until it was actually midnight to post this. Today marks the three year anniversary of the passing of one of hip hops most talented producers, James Dewitt Yancey aka J Dilla. In the clip above Elzhi, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson & Buff1talk to Hip Hop Official about what Dilla meant to their city and hip hop as a whole. I’m gonna look through my hard drives and see if I can dig up some stuff to post today as well.

In the second part part Evidence, Phonte & will.i.am talk about the meaning behind the song and how it all came together. Props to Hip Hop Official.

PREVIOUS: Evidence – For Whom The Bell Tolls: Behind The Scenes pt.1 (Video)