by Jordan Runtagh

Life After Death: The 10 Most Baller Notorious B.I.G. Mashups

Biggie's 10 Best Mashups

Happy birthday, Biggie! The Notorious B.I.G. (known to his mom as Christopher George Latore Wallace) would have turned 41 years old today, and even though he was tragically killed back in 1997, his music is more alive than ever! Not only have two albums (and a big screen biopic) hit the streets since his death, but dozens of homegrown MCs have taken to remixing his verses into new beats and classic tunes, creating a whole new batch fresh tracks. Some have him sharing the mic with rappers like Kanye West and Jay-Z, while others are unlikely duets with Miley Cyrus and Frank Sinatra! In honor of Biggie Smalls’ big day, we’re going to take a look at our 10 favorite (and mostly NSFW) Biggie mashups. Enjoy!

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by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

14 Year-Old Girl’s Shredding Of “Eruption” Would Make Eddie Van Halen Proud

There are too many memorable riffs in the Van Halen catalog to list out here, but if we were to make a shortlist of Eddie Van Halen‘s best guitar solos, “Eruption” would definitely be at or near the top of the list. This instrumental track features Eddie’s patented two-hand tapping method, and is widely considered to be one of his most difficult solos to replicate. (Even Eddie himself would agree!) However, a 14 year-old girl named Tina posted this electrifying cover of “Eruption” to her YouTube page yesterday, and we have to admit — it’s pretayyyy, pretayyyy, prittay good!

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by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

LL Cool J Is A Man Who Wears Many Hats (Literally)

LL Cool J Wears Many Hats

The world knows that Ladies Love Cool James, but what does LL Cool J love above all else? Some of you might venture a guess that it would be licking his lips (and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong), but the real answer is HATS. Kangols, skullys, baseball hats, newsboy caps, bucket hats, do-rags — you name it, and LL has worn it.

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by Felicia Daniels (@fdot415)

Stevie Wonder Cries, Flavor Flav Drums And 8 Other Reasons We Love Hangout Fest

best_moments_hangout_feature

Our sunburned skin is peeling and we’ve got a mix of sand, glitter and cake (we’ll get to that) in our ears, but damnit if we don’t miss Hangout Music Fest already! Cue Boyz II Men, ya’ll, because we’re not ready to say goodbye. So don’t. Instead, let’s recap our three-day adventure in Gulf Shores, Alabama with a countdown of things we obsessed over the most at the best only beachside event like it. Read more…

by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

R.I.P. Ray Manzarek, Co-Founder And Keyboardist Of The Doors (1939-2013)

R.I.P. Ray Manzarek (1939-2013)

Tough news to pass along this afternoon. Ray Manzarek, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors, has passed away at the age of 74.

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by Jordan Runtagh

10 Unexpectedly Awesome Cover Versions Of Classic Songs

10 Unexpectedly Awesome Covers

It’s a commonly held view that covers suck. They can be lame, unimaginative and tantamount to stealing someone else’s thoughts. Just ask Prince, who apparently wants to make covering songs illegal! Or at least his own songs…

“Why do we need to hear another cover of a song that someone else did?” he wondered aloud during an interview with Billboard. “Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there.” But that’s not always the case. Every now and then you get a version that rethinks the tune from the ground up, and totally breathes new life into an old classic. Just check out these 10 amazing covers that came totally out of left field and shocked us with their awesomeness!

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