Here's a doozy courtesy of Doomtree Records: a new Lazerbeak project, Legend Recognize Legend, due out late September. On this one, the producer decided to flip the script and go against expectations. While it differs from what we've been used to, it seems like an interesting endeavour. Furthermore, the leak, "Salt & Sea", assures fans that Legend Recognize Legend won't be held against the Lava Banger. Find a promo video, the tracklist and the leak after the jump. You can preorder Legend Recognize Legend here

From what I understand, the ScholarMan-Jonesy pair worked together on an EP last year entitled, Distant Voices - the link for that is after the jump. Off of that good work, Jonesy got a chance to rework ScholarMan's "Hood Stories" four-part series that spanned his past four albums. A brand new fifth track was added to round up this EP. Tracklist and all that good stuff after the jump...

Hip-Hop has seen its fair share of audacious titles for albums that never lived up to the billing. Detroit's Black Milk is calling his fourth opus Album of the Year. As such he invites very high expectations. Nonetheless, Black Milk won't join the likes of LL Cool J (Greatest Of All Time) or David Banner (Greatest Story Ever Told) in infamy. His latest offering is to be evaluated over a finite length of time. And while it might not stand above the whole pack of hip-hop albums this year -- and we've had some pretty solid ones thus far -- one can be sure Album of the Year will be part of the debate come recap December. You can have a look at the tracklist (strictly a Detroit affair!) and trailer after the jump. Also check Black Milk's bandcamp page for some free music.

Invincible and Wajeed are two respectable artists from the flourishing Detroit Hip-Hop scene... They joined forces recently for a wo-song 7-inch, Detroit Summer, which should be out August 10th. I've enjoyed their past work and wish this collaboration would extend to an EP or even an album... Only time will tell. For the occasion of their forthcoming project, Invincible and Wajeed take us to the vinyl pressing plant... The press release says the rest!

It's no longer a secret that two of Detroit's most respected hip-hop figures, Invincible + Waajeed, are in the process of releasing a collaborative album together in 2011. The leak of their brand new single, “Detroit Summer,” has gotten lots of love on music blogs all month as tastemakers continue to appreciate the duo's blend of vivid lyricism and soul-stirring production.

I'm going on a limb here... When he releases his second album, Free Agent, I gather Joell Ortiz will have a complimentary documentary to recap his journey thus far. Or... It could just be that he and his team have chosen to go with an elaborate montage to get the hype machine going. (As a fan, I prefer the first possibility.) Whatever the case may be, enjoy the footage and lookout for new Joell material this fall...

"Brooklyn bred MC Joell Ortiz has created a buzz for himself on the radio, the Internet and, most importantly, the streets. Armed with a relentless work ethic and incredible lyrical abilities, Joell rhymed his way through the industry and into the offices of Aftermath Records, where Dr. Dre signed the young Latino rapper and added him to the team. Due to a lack of support from his label, Ortiz pushed for his release from Aftermath and is now hip-hop's most valuable Free Agent."

Pardon the lame title. Two years back, I got tipped about this female emcee out of Detroit, Invincible. Her album ShapeShifters was loaded with the same thump that made favorites out of her Michigan peers -- Black Milk, Buff1, Guilty Simpson, Elzhi are just a few. However, what made the album a worthwhile buy was the subject matter and the conscious approach. And she doesn't just talk the talk as you'll come to find out in this collection of videos of songs off the album. She uses music as a vehicle to bring attention to the plight of the people; She mobilizes the people to change the status quo for the better... That's what it's all about, isn't it? Obviously, ShapeShifters comes highly recommended. Obviously!

A bit of comic relief y'all! Kevin Hart, the Humor Mill's top comedian of 2009, recently had a stand-up special on Comedy Central. If you missed out, you can get yourself the DVD hitting store shelves next week, which will contain some extra goodies. The synopsis says it all. And hit the jump for a tidbit.

"Voted the top comedian of 2009 by Humor Mill Magazine, Kevin Hart stars in his second solo stand-up performance live from Cleveland, Ohio. Seriously Funny features Kevin Hart performing in front of a sold-out crowd at the Allen Theater—where he delivers his hilarious and unique brand of comedy. In this unforgettable night of comedy, Kevin Hart is in rare form and funny as ever!"

Over a month has passed since the last platter. There's been a flood of goodies since and I shall do my best to bring as many as possible to the fore. For this edition, I got a Black Milk leftover from his forthcoming opus, Album of the Year. I dug two World Cup-inspired joints to egg on the Nigerian and Ghanaian squads -- too bad it didn't last long, but we hail Ghana for making the continent proud. Finally, we let the ladies smooth things out: Dondria's first single marinated with some Bootsy Collins and Kelis treats us with a live cover of La Roux. Dig in!

Recently, Blitz the Ambassador released Stereolive, an EP of select live recordings off of his debut album, Stereotype. I felt compelled to shine some light on a mixtape that served as an appetizer to his debut album last year. The mixtape gives a glimpse at the Blitz live experience but above all it highlights Blitz's approach to music. The delivery is very energetic and engaging. He's done the knowledge and studied the classics. Despite a clear displeasure with the current state of hip-hop, he keeps a positive outlook. Blitz The Ambassador and his band, the Embassy Movement, are a welcome breath of fresh air. With that said, I appreciate that this came out on my birthday last year. July 28 is not far, maybe we can get a Volume 2? How about it Blitz?

The second video from the duo's "One Verse" video campaign, "Get Up and Move" is yet another example of Nefew's continuing emergence as one of Europe's most prolific Hip-Hop exports. "Get Up and Move" was featured on their Anti-Hero Begins project hosted by 2DopeBoyz and Puma which can be downloaded at oofrec.com.
- Melanie Cornish