Tide Coldwater Commercial: Cool Like Dat?

Tide Coldwater Commercial Features Digable Planets Sample

Via Slang Rap Democracy via Kiss My Black Ads

Colbert on Black Eyed Peas' Product Placements

Stephen Colbert takes the Black Eyed Peas to task for not having enough products placed in I Gotta Feeling.

Amanda Blank: I Love You Album Art

Amanda Blank - I Love You

Amanda Blank's I Love You is due August 4th on Downtown and is also available as a Vinyl LP.

Related ProHipHop Coverage:
Amanda Blank: Might Like You Better Music Video

Black Barbie on Branding: Alfamega Covers w/Lies, Drake's Video Not The Best We've Ever Had

Black Barbie writes at The Rap Up about Alfamega's recent public denials regarding his well-documented snitchery.

It's a solid critical recap of a series of missteps though links out to some key pieces of the puzzle might help those who haven't been following recent developments in Alfamega's world.

BB also points to Drake & Co.'s cluelessness regarding the effects of the video for Best I Ever Had:

"Somehow, Drake and Kanye (the video’s director) managed to turn a cute love ode into a boob-filled, soft porn mini-movie. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against boobs...But the entire video took away from the song’s intended meaning. Instead of making women feel special and loved, which is why 99.9% of us loved the song in the first place, it made us feel objectified. And how could it not?"

For his part, Drake claims he learned a lesson from the negative reactions and admits he didn't really take into account the response of the women he had been winning over:

"I guess one thing I didn't consider is what the song personally means to a lot of women...To those women, I apologize. I do apologize. My intention wasn't to put anyone down. It was to make them laugh. I wanted people to see something visually different."

Given the focus of the video, I'm not sure what the visually different part was but it's a good look to apologize, despite what some folks in the rap game on and offline seem to feel.

Though Black Barbie doesn't explicitly frame her posts in terms of branding, I think they're useful discussions to consider regarding these artists' brands as well as the ongoing issues in hip hop business regarding lying about one's past and treating women as objects.

Lil Wyte: The Bad Influence Album

Lil Wyte - The Bad Influence

Lil Wyte's The Bad Influence is due August 25 on Asylum Records.

MySpace: Lil Wyte

Business News: Nightclub Cancels Hip Hop Night, Gone Too Far w/DJ AM, N.A.S.A.'s US Tour

• Nightclub Cancels Hip Hop Night After Shooting - KYPost.com

• MTV Documents the Struggle of Substance Abuse in 'Gone Too Far' With DJ AM

• N.A.S.A. Launches U.S. Tour – August 12-20!

Joell Ortiz: Food For Thought Video

Joell Ortiz - Food For Thought

Directed by Court Dunn.

Nice use of a Twitter like graphic, simple shooting and straightforward delivery.

Singles: Black Eyed Peas Break Chart Run Record

The Black Eyed Peas set a record this week on the Hot 100 singles chart for the "longest successive No. 1 chart run by a duo or group in the Billboard Hot 100's history" beating out Boyz II Men's record from the 90s of 16 weeks. "'I Gotta Feeling' is in its fifth consecutive week at No. 1, following 12 weeks at the top by the Peas' Boom Boom Pow'."

Top 10 Singles on the Hot 100:

1. The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
2. Drake - Best I Ever Had
3. Keri Hilson - Knock You Down feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo
4. Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me
5. Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
6. Sean Kingston - Fire Burning
7. The Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
8. Lady GaGa - LoveGame
9. Katy Perry - Waking Up in Vegas
10. Jordin Sparks - Battlefield

The Beastie Boys' Too Many Rappers featuring Nas debuts at no. 93.

Available on iTunes:
Beastie Boys: Too Many Rappers

Brother Ali: Us Album Art & Promo Video

Brother Ali - Us

Brother Ali's Us is due September 22.

Us Promo Video

MySpace: Brother Ali

Saigon to Release Warning Shots 2 on Amalgam Digital

Amalgam Digital and Saigon Team up to Release the Highly Anticipated Album "Warning Shots 2"

Cam'ron, Omar "Iceman" Sharif Launch U.N. & Dipset West

Cam'ron and Omar "Iceman" Sharif

CAM'RON ANNOUNCES THE FORMATION OF U.N., DIPSET WEST, AND THE APPOINTMENT OF OMAR "ICEMAN" SHARIF AS ITS NEW CEO AND CO-OWNER

Is Cam'ron mad at Omar already?

Albums: So So Week in the Billboard 200

What's to say, really? Not much new in the world of hip hop in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 album chart this week.

Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200:

1. Demi Lovato - Here We Go Again
2. Daughtry - Leave This Town
3. Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night
4. Now That's What I Call Music! 31
5. Soundtrack - Hannah Montana 3
6. The Black Eyed Peas - The E.N.D.
7. Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
8. Kings of Leon - Only By the Night
9. Taylor Swift - Fearless
10. Lady GaGa - The Fame

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Porn f/Jay-Z & Eminem

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Box Art

While some of you might like some porn featuring Jay-Z and Eminem, I'm referring to the porn-like pleasures some derive from tech/gadget shots of products like the DJ Hero Renegade Edition that features Jay-Z and Eminem's cosign and music.

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Case

DJ Hero Renegade Edition includes: * DJ Hero game * Renegade turntable controller featuring premium metal controls and finish * Hardshell turntable carrying case that converts to performance-ready DJ stand * Exclusive JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD pack featuring unreleased tracks and collectible case designed by artist Shepard Fairey

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Stand

I just did a web search to track down some more details but everybody's doiing the same thing, posting these pics as quickly as possible! Apparently there are going to be contest opportunities with possible giveaways. I'd look for those from bigger name sites.

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Turntable

I don't have any additional info on the turntable and turntable controller options so I'm just posting the pics I got with the labels they had, you know, like everybody else is doing!

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Turntable Controller - WII

I have no idea how this would work with that WII gadget but, apparently, it will.

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Turntable Controller

I guess the difference between these last two pics is that one is WII enabled and both are lit a bit differently but I'm assuming they have the same look.

Official Site: DJ Hero

Over at Hip Hop Press:
Guitar Hero and Activision Unveil DJ Hero Renegade Edition
Featuring JAY-Z and EMINEM

Hopie Spitshard: Adam's World Artist of the Week

Hopie Spitshard

From Adam Bernard:

"Great female emcees are hard to find. Actually great emcees, regardless of gender, are hard to find, but it’s always been especially tough to find a dope lyrical lady. Hopie Spitshard, who hails from the Bay Area, is one of the few I would put in that class. I was put on to her in a very roundabout way."

"Last month I did an Artist Of The Week feature on Kaz-well and when I was making sure his MySpace link worked I noticed Hopie as one of his top friends. The combination of her look, her name and her association with Kaz-well made me click on her and I’m really glad I did (hey, MySpace does still have a use!). We got to talking, and Twittering, and she sent me a copy of her full length album, The Diamond Dame, to check out. I was impressed, which is why this week I caught up with her to find out about the history of Hopie, how being a part of two minority groups in Hip-Hop affects her, and why what she does in the bedroom is a subject you’ll never hear her rhyme about."

Read the complete interview here.

For previous Artists of the Week see ProHipHop's Adam's World category.

FTP Movement: Food, Clothes & Shelter: The Street Album

FTP Movement - Food, Clothes & Shelter

The FTP Movement's Food, Clothes & Shelter: The Street Album, produced by Amond Jackson and Kalonji Changa, is available for preorder. "Proceeds go towards Political Prisoners and The Feed The People Program".

Artists include The A-Alikes , Soul Flower ft KRS-ONE, Scienz of Life, J-Live, Nappy Roots ft A Leon Craft, Bun B ft. Cory Mo, StaHHr, Clan Destined, Ekundayo, Hasaan Salaam, Akrobatik, Arophat prod by Illastrate, Arablak, Kam Moye, Boog Brown, Cymarshal Law, Uno the Prophet, Mojo Swagger, Mocha B, Life Long, C.H.O.S.E.N, Kelly Love Jones, Kil Ripkin, Living Proof, The Smile Rays, Kumasi ft Mailik Yusef-Adam Levine & Kanye West, Sha King, Lone Catylsts, Floyd the Locsmif, Dolldaze, Ozy Reigns ft Dillon, Senor Kaos, Kendra Foster, Mike Flo, Imhotep Kushan ft the Dubber, The Welfare Poets, Rita J, Khalilah Ali, Precise Science & More.

MySpace: FTP Movement