I heard a while ago that Mr Hudson was going to release a solo cover of “Forever Young” based on what he did with Jay-Z on The Blueprint 3. It was originally supposed to be a bonus track on his album Straight No Chaser, but that never happened. Now you can cop the Kanye West produced track for free. Check it out below.
This is a video of Mr Hudson’s cover of Forever Young, which will be available as a bonus track on his new album. It uses the same beat that was used for Jay-Z’s “Young Forever” on The Blueprint 3 but is an actual cover of the original song. The sound quality on this video isn’t too good, but it sounds like it’s gonna be a good track.
2009 has been a big year in music so far, but there’s much more to come. There’s a lot of new albums coming out the rest of this year, from very well-known artists like Lil’ Wayne to lesser-known guys like Mr Hudson. There’s some we’re very excited for, some we’re not expecting much from, and some that we have no idea what to anticipate from. Here they are.
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Mr Hudson- Straight No Chaser (October 19)
This highly anticipated first album from Mr Hudson sounds awesome from the tracks that have been released. Executive producer Kanye West has supposedly been putting a ton of time into this project, so we’re expecting it to be pretty damn good. It will have appearances by Kid Cudi, Kanye West, and possibly Big Sean. In addition, it’s gonna feature a cover of “Forever Young” taken from Hudson’s song on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3, minus the rapping by Jay-Z.
Check out this single from the album: “Anyone But Him” ft. Kanye West
Wale- Attention Deficit (November 10)
Wale’s probably got the most highly anticipated album of any upcoming hip-hop artist this year, and from what’s been released so far, it’s sounds like it’s going to be an amazing album. You’ve probably already heard “Nike Boots” and “Chillin’” ft. Lady Gaga, the album’s first two singles, but three more have already been released. Check out World Tour, Pretty Girls, and Bittersweet, all from the new album. None of these singles have been the least bit disappointing, and we’re expecting Wale to come out with one of 2009’s top albums. There’s some great guest features on it including Rihanna, J. Cole. Gucci Mane, K’Naan, and Colin Munroe. We don’t want to hype the album up too much, but remember November 10, because this album’s going to be a must-have.
Check out this single: “World Tour” ft. Jazmine Sullivan
Alicia Keys- The Element of Freedom (December 1)
Alicia Keys has consistently shown that she’s one of the most talented singers in music today. From her first three albums to her guest appearances on various tracks for other artists, Keys has displayed incredibly powerful vocals and musical ability. Just check her out on Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” and you’ll know what we’re talking about. While not too much is known about the upcoming album, Keys’ first three albums were masterpieces, so we’re guessing she won’t let us down on this one.
Check out the album’s first single: “Doesn’t Mean Anything”
Lupe Fiasco- Lasers (December 15)
Here at The MuSiK Box, we’re looking forward to a lot of albums this year, but Lasers might just be our most anticipated. Lupe Fiasco is by far one of the best artists in hip-hop today, both as a lyricist and a producer. He really knows how to make a complete song that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking. His first two albums, Food and Liquor and The Cool truly changed the hip-hop game, and we’re hoping this one does the same. Lupe himself has kept most of the album news on the DL, but he’s been touring a lot and we’re expecting a second single any time soon.
Check out the first single: “Shining Down” ft. Matthew Santos
Lil’ Wayne- Tha Carter IV and Rebirth (December 15)
Lil’ Wayne’s doing some very unique things with his career this year, and many people are doubting whether he can successfully pull them off. Ever since he announced that he would switch from rap to rock for his next album, people have been doubting both the future of his career and his sanity. He also announced that he would release Tha Carter IV later this year, and Birdman has said that it will be released as a double disk CD along with Rebirth, the rock album. Wayne himself has never confirmed these statements, but as of now both albums are tentatively set to be released on December 15. If Tha Carter IV is anything like Tha Carter III, it’ll be a very good album. We’re not so sure about Rebirth, though. From what’s been released so far, it doesn’t sound too great, but we’re hoping for the best. Who knows? Weezy might come out and surprise us with something amazing.
Check out this single from Rebirth: “Hot Revolver”
There are quite a few other albums coming out this year that we’re looking forward to, but the majority are still being worked on, and little is known about them. B.o.B, Rihanna, The Dream, Band of Horses, Ludacris, Radiohead, and Eminem are all set to release new albums this year, and we’re pumped for all of them. Keep reading to stay updated for reviews on all these works and more news on future albums.
When Kanye West himself says that an artist “has the potential to be bigger than me,” you know that artist has some serious talent. That artist is Kanye protege and G.O.O.D. Music signee Mr Hudson, a British singer who’s bringing a Sting-like sound to the hip-hop arena. Mr Hudson, whose band consists of him and four other guys, has been around since 2006, gaining some fame in the British music scene after the release of his 2007 album A Tale of Two Cities. Since then, however, Hudson has done a lot of work in hip-hop, especially after being signed to the G.O.O.D. label. That’s not to say he’s changed his own signature pop style; he hasn’t. He has, however, worked with some big names in hip-hop (Jay-Z, Kanye, Kid Cudi), combining his powerful vocals with their rapping. For perhaps the best example of this, check him out on Jay-Z’s BP3 in “Young Forever.” Hudson has worked especially with the other G.O.O.D. Music signees, including Kanye, Cudi, and Big Sean, all of whom will appear on his upcoming album. Straight No Chaser, the new album, comes out October 5 and sounds pretty good from what’s been released so far. Check out the album’s three already released singles, There Will Be Tears, Time, and Supernova. Also check out his collaboration with Kid Cudi, Everything is Broken, below.
Download these songs:
1. Supernova
2. Anyone But Him ft. Kanye West
3. White Lies
The self-proclaimed “best rapper alive” just got better. Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 lives up to, if not exceeds, it’s lofty expectations. Hova lives up to his reputation as the cockiest MC in the game with lines such as: ” I don’t run rap no more, I run the map” and “10 number 1 albums in a row, who better than me?” After years of self-hype and praise, it sounds like Jigga-man is finally living up to the title.
The album features an all-star lineup. The majority of the tracks are produced by Kanye West while Timbaland, No I.D., Al Shux, and the Neptunes also contributed. The bp3 is packed to the brim with well-known guest artists such as Alicia Keys, Drake, Mr. Hudson, Pharell, Kid Cudi, Swizz Beats, Kanye West, Young Jeezy, Luke Steele (of Empire of the Sun), Rihanna, and J. Cole (Jay-Z’s first artist signed to the new RocNation label). J. Cole is featured on “A Star is Born” and he has a nasty verse, giving a sneak peak of his unique flow and creative lyrics. Be sure to keep an eye on this young and talented upcoming artist in ‘09-’10.
Overall, The Blueprint 3 is Jay-Z at his finest. The album was already highly anticipated in part because of the instant success of Jay’s previously released singles “Run This Town” ft. Rihanna & Kanye West (already reached #3 on U.S. Billboard Hot 100) and “D.O.A.” (#24). With all of the star power and flat out solid work, this hit-maker may just have produced his 11th straight #1 record. I encourage you to go cop Hova’s album and I have no doubt you’ll be glad you did.