What’s up peoples?  It’s a brand new year so you know I gotta come brand new with the music each and every week.  My weekly segment on The Morning After with Angela Yee is a means of providing Shade 45 listeners with a dose of new music that you may be hearing more of on the channel.  Sometimes I’ll have the world premieres, sometimes I won’t.  Sometimes I’ll play songs you love and sometimes I will play songs you can’t stand.  The whole point is that Shade 45 is heard across the entire U.S. and Canada and with that many different sets of ears and opinions, it’s impossible to please everyone all the time. However, I definitely try to stay on my grind to bring you new music that represents different regions, different artists, and different sounds from all over–whether it’s from the established veterans or rookie up-and-comers while including my opinions and some informative bits of info here and there to make you’re listening experience on Shade 45 an enjoyable one.  With that said, let’s get it on….

RAEKWON – “BLOOD MISSILES” FT. AZ

I don’t think anyone will argue that Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. 2 was easily one of the best albums of the year.  To reward the fans Rae put out a mixtape hosted by Shade 45’s own DJ Whoo Kid entitled Coke Up In A Dollar Bill and although it came out right at the end of December it immediately ranks itself as one of ’09’s best mixtapes.  “Blood Missiles” is one of the exclusive new jewels from
“Coke…” and picks up right where Links 2 left off.  The AZ appearance puts the cherry on top of the sundae so to speak.  Def check out the mixtape and look out for a Rae/Ghost/Meth album coming soon on Def Jam.  That should be ill!!!

JOE BUDDEN – “MONEY’S ON ME”

Nobody promoted himself on the internet like Joe Budden.  From his Tahiri love saga to the formation of hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, you always knew what Joey was up to.  Ok so his web game was crazy and the Slaughterhouse album was banging so now what? Well just in case you thought Joe isn’t taking things seriously here’s a quick reminder.  He’s highly opinionated to say the least but he takes this rap thing very seriously so don’t sleep.

YELAWOLF – “GOOD TO GO” FT. BUN B

Alabama’s Yelawolf has been trying to connect the dots for a minute now but I think he may be on his way to bigger and better things this year.  This track is featured on his new mixtape entitled Trunk Music and it is definitely worth checking out because they dude has stepped his game up with the rhymes and a catchy vocal delivery style.  The legendary Bun B lends a hand on this track and Yelawolf holds his own with him so it’s definitely worth a listen.  Is he going to blow in 2010?  Time will tell but he’s def someone to keep an eye on and Trunk Music is a must hear mixtape.

MAINO – “TIGER”

Brooklyn is in the house and Maino reps his borough to the fullest at all times.  He’s that underdog you always root for and this new song borrows from some of the marital woes of Tiger Woods for inspiration on this joint.  The beat knocks and def has club appeal with the sing songy hook.  Hope to hear more from Maino this year.

YO GOTTI – “FEELIN MYSELF”

Yeah the pause jokes began as soon as I said the title of this new Yo Gotti track on the air but once the beat dropped the snickers disappeared.  Yo Gotti is another guy that has been putting in work for quite awhile making consistently good records while not getting as much attention as some of his Southern contemporaries.  The tide seems to be changing off the success of “5 Star” and now his current Lil Wayne collabo track “Women Lie Men Lie”.  Don’t sleep.