Microsoft’s 10 most important E3 2015 announcements (Article)

 Microsoft managed an unusually smooth keynote at E3 2015. It adroitly stayed away from less popular topics like Xbox apps and the Kinect (which was totally absent) and included crowd-pleasing announcements like the option to play Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One. It’s nearing the release of its flagship exclusive Halo 5: Guardians, which is coming out later this year. And the rest of its slate, including Rise of the Tomb Raider and a new Gears of War, doesn’t look half bad either.

In theory, Microsoft is competing with Sony here, but its keynote seemed like a much more direct response to PC gaming: it introduced a more customizable controller and an early access program for Xbox One games. And the rest of the week is going to be big for augmented and virtual reality: one of the coolest parts of the show was a HoloLens version of Minecraft, which we’ll be learning more about next month.

 

The Xbox One will play 360 games

Microsoft was dismissive of backwards compatibility when the Xbox One was in development. Now that the console has been out for a year and a half, though, the company is walking that back. Around the end of the year, Microsoft will make its first batch of around 100 last-generation Xbox titles playable on the console, with a promise that players won’t have to pay for titles they already own.

 

There’s A new Xbox One controller

The “Elite” wireless controller is a more customizable version of the standard Xbox gamepad, with features like controls that can be re-mapped and a directional pad that can be swapped out. It works on Windows 10 as well as the Xbox, making it a bit of a competitor to the computer-friendly and similarly remappable Steam Controller.

 

Halo 5 is really big

Halo 5: Guardians appeared at last year’s E3 as well, but we’ve now gotten a much better look at the game’s cooperative combat and its over-the-top cinematic graphics. Among other things, there’s a new multiplayer mode called “Warzone,” and the multiplayer maps in general are supposed to be several times larger than in past games. Halo 5 is coming out in October, giving the Xbox One a much-needed exclusive blockbuster.

 

A new game from Mega Man’s co-creator

We generally know very little about the post-apocalyptic ReCore, but our own Jake Kastrenakes describes it as a mashup of Star Wars and Wall-E. It’s an Xbox One exclusive developed by Keiji Inafune, who helped create Mega Man, and the makers of Metroid Prime. And it’s going to be out in the spring of 2016.

 

 

Forza Motorsport 6 looks gorgeous

Granted, the Forza series generally banks on looking gorgeous — if you don’t have any guns in your game, you’ve got to have something to make up for it, and it might as well be dynamic weather. But the early Forza Motorsport 6 footage from E3 gives us a hint at what’s to come. The game itself will be out on September 15th.

 

Play Xbox One games before they’re released

Microsoft is announcing something that looks a lot like Steam’s Early Access program, which has helped boost cult games like DayZ. As of today, Game Preview will let Xbox One owners buy and play unfinished versions of games, effectively acting as beta testers in exchange for getting to play it sooner. The program is starting with The Long Dark and Elite: Dangerous, but if this follows the trajectory of PC early access games, it could take off quickly.

 

A classic collection from Rare

Rare is the studio behind beloved titles like Perfect Dark and Conker’s Bad Fur Day, and the Rare Replay collection is exactly what it sounds like: a whole lot of Rare games (30 of them, actually) bundled and sold for $30 this August. Sadly but predictably, it looks like the especially beloved games Goldeneye and Donkey Kong Country won’t be included — licensing issues with Nintendo have tied them up a little too firmly.

 

 

Minecraft is a HoloLens game

One of the original demos for Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headset was something very much like Minecraft, but now it’s official. You can create a pixelated world on your coffee table, using HoloLens’ voice and gesture commands to build it. These controls still aren’t very sophisticated, though, so a standard controller is probably still more comfortable We’ll learn more about AR Minecraft this summer.

 

The next Tomb Raider game is still coming

Besides Halo, one of Microsoft’s more high-profile exclusives is Rise of the Tomb Raider. The game, which was announced in 2014, will launch first on the Xbox platform (both One and 360) before making its way to PlayStation. Microsoft showed off its prize at today’s event, giving us a glimpse of some wintery exploration.

 

Gears 4 comes late next year

Gears of War, the series Microsoft acquired from Epic Games last year, is getting its first non-Epic installment. It’s called Gears 4, and while we saw some footage at E3, all we really know is that it’s slated for the holiday season of 2016. As it did with the Halo series, Microsoft is also remastering Gears of War, with an “ultimate” edition available in beta today.

Top 10 Albums of 2015 (Article)

10.  Every Hero Needs a Villain

Czarface (Killah Priest, 7L & Esoteric) re-up their side project, Every Hero Needs a Villain. Says Eso: “What we’re about is coming to wreck shop, constructing abrasive but engaging verses within the darker corners of pop culture.” Every Hero Needs a Villain features Wu members Method Man and GZA, as well as R.A. the Rugged Man, Meyhem Lauren, among others. Hear snippets of the album.

9.  Dom Kennedy – Dom Kennedy

Dom Kennedy is a collection of what you might call warm weather music. The self-titled set by the bearded L.A. man is perfect for BBQ parties. It’s stripped down so you get a good whiff of Dom’s summer breeze flow, with just one guest appearance (Boo Bonic).

Release Date: June 2. 2015 More »

8.  Jedi Mind Tricks – The Thief and the Fallen

Friends since high school, MC Vinnie Paz and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind of Jedi Mind Tricks reunite for their eighth album, the electric Thief and the Fallen. Features Dilated Peoples, Eamon and R.A. the Rugged Man.

Release Date: June 2, 2015 More »

7.  Skyzoo – Music for My Friends

Skyzoo has come a long way from losing a BET freestyle battle (remember those?) to Jin. The transition from battling to album-making is a tricky one for most MCs. The Brooklynite has steadily grown and matured over the years, sharpening his writing skills along the way. His sprawling new set, which he’s calling Music for My Friends, features Roots lyricist Black Thought, soul man Bilal, Detroit poet Elzhi and D-Block general Jadakiss.

6.  Denzel Curry – 32 Zel / Planet Shrooms

10 to Watch alum Denzel Curry has been relatively quiet since 2013’s Nostalgic 64. That changed with the arrival of the new 14-song project, 32 Zel / Planet Shrooms. The Dungeon Family-inspired set features Big Rube, Mike Dece, J.K. the Reaper and more.

Stream: Denzel Curry – 32 Zel / Planet Shrooms

5.  Troy Ave – Major without a Deal

Troy Ave’s first proper retail album, Major without a Deal, will satisfy the East Coast craving you didn’t know you had. It’s delightfully flavored with a blend of New York rap solons, Jadakiss, 50 Cent, Cam’ron, Fabolous and Fat Joe among them.

Release Date: May 5, 2015 More »

4.  Pete Rock – Petestrumentals 2

Undone dishes, blank pages and dirty laundry shiver at the sight of Petestrumentals 2. The Chocolate Boy Wonder’s latest volley hits your heart and brain at all the right spots. I dare you to listen to “Dilla Bounce (R.I.P.)” with dry eyes.

Release Date: June 23, 2015 More »

3.  Pusha T – King Push

The newly braid-less Pusha T has been quietly unveiling new music to set the stage for his second solo album, King Push. Between “Lunch Money” and Major Lazer’s “Night Riders,” Push has his fans thoroughly pumped. But there’s more to the tale.

“I dropped ‘Lunch Money’ to show how far out me and ‘Ye are going to go, just sonically,” he told Rolling Stone. “Now, I feel like people don’t know where the hell I’m going to go on the next record. And that’s where I want them to be. ‘Unorthodox’ has become synonymous with Pusha T’s music, back to records like ‘Grindin.’ Everybody’s gonna be really locked in and shocked to see how I’ve raised the level of musicality from My Name Is My Name to King Push.”

Release Date: June 30, 2015

2.  Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – Surf

Surf is the collaborative album between Chance the Rapper’s side project, The Social Experiment and Donnie Trumpet. It’s a captivating listen that starts out strong and ascends to brilliance, with Chance linking the vast and varied pieces together.

Release Date: May 28, 2015 More »

1.  Vince Staples – Summertime 06

If I said I was over the moon for Vince Staples’ proper debut, I’d be lying. I’m over the moon, under the moon, around the moon and full of moon for this one.

Here’s Vince’s Instagram post announcing Summertime ’06.

“Love will tear us apart. Nov 30th, 2005 was the beginning of the loss. The following summer multiplied it. Beaten paths, crowded with the hopeless. Same song every day, listening to the words of a dead man destroyed by his own mind and body. Why? Because at the end of the day we’re all dead anyway. At least where I come from. Love tore us all apart. Love for self, love for separation, love for the little we all had, love for each other, where we came from. Jabari, Chris, Shard, Tom, Richy, Tyson, Tony, Shelly, Phil, Marcel, Brandon, Steve, Jaron, Tay. Too many to name, too much to forget. Some lost to prison, some lost to Forest Lawn, some turned snitch. Some still here but it will never be the same. Bandanas, Stealing Levis and Nike Sb’s. Derringers and Sidekicks. Its crazy how little you notice and how greatly those things impact. Summer of 2006, the beginning of the end of everything I though I knew. Youth was stolen from my city that Summer and Im left alone to tell the story. This might not make sense but that’s because none of it does, we’re stuck. Love tore us all apart. Summertime ’06, June 30th.”

Summertime 06 is a double LP with 10 tracks apiece. It co-stars Jhene Aiko, Future, Kilo Kish and Joey Fatts.

Listen to “Señorita”

Release Date: June 30. 2015 More »

YG Shooting May Have Been Recorded; DJ Mustard Updates Rapper’s Status

UPDATE: The person or persons who shot YG have not been apprehended.

YG was shot in the Studio City section of Los Angeles today (June 12), according to TMZ.

The site says that the Compton, California rapper was shot three times in the hip at approximately 1:45 am PST.

The Def Jam Recordings artist was driven to the hospital by one of his friends.

Police went to interview YG at the hospital, but TMZ was told that he was “very uncooperative.” 

The shooter has not been apprehended at press time. 

(June 13, 2015)

UPDATE: The shooting of YG that took place yesterday (June 12) may have been recorded, according to TMZ.

Los Angeles police have requested the video, which is expected to be turned over to them within two days.

Longtime YG collaborator DJ Mustard posted on Instagram that his friend is recovering.

“The kid str8 but a little prayer ain’t never hurt !!!!” he wrote on the social media site today (June 13).

The person who shot YG has not been apprehended.

YG’s Instagram post is as follows:

Rick Ross Arrested In Atlanta (Article)

The rapper was pulled over in his Bentley.

Rick Ross was reportedly arrested today (June 10) in Atlanta for a marijuana related incident, according to WSB-TV.

The MMG rapper was pulled over in his Bentley because his windows appeared illegally tinted. When he rolled down the windows to speak with the officer, the policeman said he smelled weed and then found marijuana in the car.

At the time of the article’s publication, Ross was being processed into Georgia’s Fayette County Jail.

The rapper was also arrested for marijuana related incidents in 2011 and 2013.

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Hip Hop Album Sales: Lil Durk, Jason Derulo & Boosie Badazz (Article)

Hip Hop Album Sales: Lil Durk, Jason Derulo & Boosie Badazz

Lil Durk and Jason Derulo make their Billboard Hot 200 debuts.

Although Harlem, New York rapper A$AP Rocky’s At. Long. Last. A$AP album has dropped from the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 200, the album serves as the only Hip Hop album in the Top 10 this week. With his first studio album, Remember My Name, released just last week, Chicago lyricist Lil Durk has managed to obtain the #14 spot on the chart. Crooner Jason Derulo also put forth a strong debut this week, with more than 20,000 albums sold.

Lil Durk’s “Remember My Name” Debuts At #14

After releasing a slew of mixtapes, Lil Durk released his debut album, Remember My Name, last week. Released on June 2, the album features guest appearances from Logic and Jeremih, and went on to sell just under 24,000 units this week.

Jason Derulo Beats Out Ed Sheeran With “Everything Is 4”

With the release of his Everything Is 4 album, Miami-born crooner Jason Derulo beat out fellow singer Ed Sheeran to obtain the #4 spot on the Billboard Hot 200. The album moved 21,520 units this week and had a stream activity of just under 6 million.

Boosie Badazz’s “Touch Down To Cause Hell” Falls To #22

Boosie Badazz fell several spots this week, landing at #22 with his album, Touch Down To Cause Hell. The fall serves as a dramatic drop from last week, which found Boosie at #3 with nearly 60,000 albums sold.

Top 10 Billboard Top 200 Rap & R&B Albums For The Week Ending 06/07/2015

Note: The first number below is this week’s “total album equivalent units” count, an intersection of album sales, single sales, and streams implemented by Billboard’s new rating system. A pure album sales figure is available in bold in parenthesis and information about each album’s streaming count is available in brackets.

#3. A$AP Rocky – At.Long.Last.A$AP – 50,283 (31,758) [19,414,197]

#4. Jason Derulo – Everything Is 4 – 37,495 (120,132) [5,943,735]

#12. Major Lazer – Peace Is The Mission – 27,940 (15,822) [6,786,376]

#14. Lil Durk – Remember My Name – 27,615 (23,564) [2,178,891]

#17. Various – Fast & Furious 7 – 26,549 (4,655) [7,219,970]

#19. Drake – If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late – 23,694 (9,262) [14,211,071]

#22. Boosie Badazz – Touch Down To Cause Hell – 21,555 (18,816) [2,349,174]

#23. Dom Kennedy – By Dom Kennedy – 20,678 (9,117) [186,745]

#25. Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint – 19,265 (3,915) [9,698,525]

#32. David Guetta – Listen – 15,274 (1,717) [5,167,006]

Strain Review W/ Dr Greenthumb – Mango Wellness (Bud Stop)

Hip Hop Singles Sales: Wiz Khalifa, The Weeknd & Fetty Wap (Article)

Wiz Khalifa won’t budge from #1 and The Weeknd has a new song at #2.

The Hip Hop and R&B singles chart remained in familiar shape this week with a couple new tracks in the Top 10. The Weeknd traded out his “Earned It” single for “The Hills,” which jumped to #2 in its first week on digital shelves. Wiz Khalifa meanwhile hasn’t budged from his #1 spot in months and Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” stayed strong at #3.

Wiz Khalifa Doesn’t Budge From #1

In an increasingly predictable display, Wiz Khalifa is yet again at #1 on the Hip Hop and R&B singles charts with 171,502 singles sold over the last week. The track has officially pushed more than 2.5 million copies since its debut on the chart three months ago.

The Weeknd Debuts New Song At #2

After his 50 Shades of Grey original “Earned It” hung around #2 for weeks on end, The Weeknd has a new track at the runner-up spot this week. The Weeknd’s “The Hills” sold 108,941 copies in its first week of availability.

Fetty Wap Clocks 1.5 Million Sales

With a handful of other songs on the rise, Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” remains the New Jersey native’s most resilient and successful to date and saw its sales record grow 1% when compared to last week. “Trap Queen” has now sold more than 1.5 million copies after earning more than 108,000 most recently.

Top 10 R&B/Hip Hop Single Sales For Week Ending 05/31/2015

#1. Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth – “See You Again” – 171,502 (2,560,850)

#2. The Weeknd – “The Hills” – 108,941 (108,941)

#3. Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” – 108,397 (1,504,697)

#4. T’Wayne – “Nasty Freestyle” – 65,569 (613,047)

#5. The Weeknd – “Earned It” – 55,544 (1,887,915)

#6. Silento – “Watch Me” – 53,133 (295,448)

#7. Flo Rida feat. Sage The Gemini – “GDFR” – 39,885 (1,882,225)

#8. Rihanna – “Bitch Better Have My Money” – 27,859 (573,878)

#9. Omarion feat. Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko – “Post To Be” – 27,784 (546,784)

#10. Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” – 27,290 (159,895)

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