A Taste:

Bob Marley, Eminem, Method Man & Redman

Twista has a need for speed.

On his latest album, Category F5, the Chicago MC fires off rhymes at lightspeed, turning verses on a dime. However, he still manages to get soulful at the same time and that combination of lyrical fire and raw passion makes for one of the most epic hip hop releases on 2009. He’s about to tear through them game once more with this storm.

In order to get inside Twista’s head we conducted this exclusive playlist interview with him.

Check out Twista’s playlist below and pick up Category F5 now.

Twista’s Playlist:

1. Bob Marley — Legends

To be honest, I can’t stop listening to this.

2. Dustys

We’ve been bumping some Dustys here and there.

3. Drake

I like Drake.

4. Eminem — Relapse

We’re bumping this a lot in the car right now.

5. Method Man & Redman — Blackout! 2

I love this CD. It’s crazy!

6. Robin Thicke — The Evolution of Robin Thicke

7. Gnarls Barkley — St. Elsewhere

I’m still bumping this!

—Rick Florino
07.26.09

A Taste:

T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West

Bobb’e J. Thompson knows what’s up.

For a 13-year-old, he’s really got his finger on the pulse of what’s hot. The actor has already lit up the screen in the likes of Role Models and Fred Claus. In Imagine That, he’s the catalyst for one of the film’s funniest sequences. It involves Eddie Murphy and a ball pit. That’s all that really needs to be said.

He laughs, “It was awesome going up against Eddie Murphy in the pit! He was a good sport [Laughs]. We really took him down! The fact that he was in the movie got me into it.”

Bobb’e’s got the comedic fire to follow in Eddie’s footsteps, but he’s more likely to take the Jay-Z route.

“I have to be honest; acting was never really my dream,” he continues. “I started off in music. Acting is like a stepping stool for me. My music is all hip hop. I’m like a producer—I make the beats, I rap over them, I do a lot.”

He certainly does! Bobb’e shared his playlist with us below in this exclusive feature. Check it out and be sure to catch him in Imagine That this Friday!

Bobb’e J. Thompson’s Playlist:

1. Bobb’e J. Thompson

I listen to my own music mostly. I haven’t collaborated with anyone really famous just other actors like Nick Nervies. He’s on Curb Your Enthusiam, and we’ve done some tracks together.

2. T.I.

3. Jay-Z

I like T.I. and Jay-Z’s swag—the way they rap and the intelligence in their music. They’re big influences on me.

4. Kanye West

I love Kanye West! The last record was great with “Amazing.” It wasn’t the Kanye that we’d seen already at the beginning.

5. Eminem

The new Eminem record is great.

6. Dr. Dre

7. Snoop Dogg

8. Lil Wayne

I listened to a lot of Lil Wayne on the set of Imagine That. Everybody’s coming out with new swag. Lil Wayne’s just happens to be rock n’ roll.

—Rick Florino
06.08.09

A Taste:

Eminem, Danzig, Neil Young

Director Todd Phillips is the man.

There’s really no other way to say it. This is the guy that gave us Old School and Road Trip. He’s a defining voice in 21st century comedy and a true maverick. His latest comic masterpiece, The Hangover, kicks everything up a notch. Set in Sin City, the jokes are raunchier, the situations are crazier and the dialogue is sharper than anything else in the multiplex at the moment.

Phillips laughs, “This movie was about as much as fun as I’ve ever had on a movie set. I don’t know if they can ever shoot another movie in Vegas quite honestly [Laughs]. I think The Hangover is the last word on Vegas.”

That last word comes with some great tunes. Phillips’ soundtrack choices—including Danzig—fit the film’s vibe perfectly. For the director, music is crucial. He continues, “I have a very eclectic taste in music, but it doesn’t necessarily get reflected in my movies. I take music super seriously, and I think, outside of casting, it’s one of the biggest brushes you have to paint with as a director. It sets up tone easier than 15 pages of a screenplay can.”

Phillips shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check it out below and catch The Hangover this Friday!

1. Eminem — Relapse

Honestly, I’ve been listening to the new Emimen stuff that’s been coming out on the Internet. He consistently blows my mind!

2. Neil Young

I also listen to Neil Young. I go all over the map.

3. Danzig

We put Glen Danzig’s “Thirteen” on the opening scene. You see those shots of Vegas with that song playing, and it tells you right away it’s going to be a fucked up Vegas movie. It’s not your typical bachelor party movie. It’s not what you think it is. It’s a little bit dark, and it’s not going to be as sentimental as some of the male comedies of the past few years. Danzig’s got the best voice in music. Just listen to “Mother” and “Thirteen.”

—Rick Florino
06.03.09

A Taste:

Eminem, Fall Out Boy, Papa Roach, Dr. Dre

Hopsin is hypnotic, hard and heavy. In fact, he doesn’t spit rhymes about the norm—bling, booze and babes. Rather, he takes listeners on a dark journey through a sonic hood more horrifying than most slasher flicks. He’s like hip hop’s gothic tour guide for all things evil, and he relishes every moment of it.

He opened up his iTunes for us and shared his playlist with us in this exclusive feature. Check out what Hopsin is spinning below!

Hopsin’s Playlist:

1. Dr. Dre — “Forgot About Dre (Featuring Eminem)”

“I like this song because, to me, the beat is the sickest of all time. The overall song has a sick vibe to it.”

2. Papa Roach — “Last Resort”

“This song gets me through my down stages.”

3. Method Man & Redman — “Da Rockwilder”

“The song is one of the sickest collabs ever made, and the ill swag that they had in the video was amazing.”

4. Outkast — “Ms. Jackson”

“This was the first out-of-the-ordinary song that I ever liked. It actually made me open my eyes to be a lil’ different.”

5. 50 Cent — “In Da Club”

“This is the best club song ever made!”

6. Eminem — “Role Model”

“This is the illest rap song ever created, ever! I never get sick of it.”

7. Fall Out Boy — “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”

“This song makes me want to get revenge on my ex-girlfriend [Laughs]. I don’t know why, but it does.”

8. Michael Jackson — “Leave Me Alone”

“I love Michael’s harmonies in this song. They are really good, and the chorus is beyond a smash hit in my book.”

9. Missy Elliott — “Gossip Folk”

“This song opened my eyes up to a more funky side of hip hop and got me into funk beats. It’s like how I worked my single ‘Pans in the Kitchen.’ It also showed me that I can have fun on songs while telling a story.”

10. Foo Fighters — “The Pretender”

“This will probably be the song that I listen to before I go and whoop somebody’s ass. So if you ever see me pull up while this song is on….RUN!”

—Rick Florino
05.06.09