"King of Hearts"- Cassie

     Got to love when Cassie comes out with new material, especially her videos.  "Me and U" will be her classic Splash Dance-esq video pinnacle, but we welcome her video "King of Hearts" with open arms.
I can't lie, the uptempo dance beat is catchy and I'm sure I will find myself dancing to it at some club at 2:00 am.  This single will be on her second studio album due out this year.

Mixtape Mayhem V

     The last couple months saw a flurry of mixtapes from some of rap's biggest names.  It's become a part of being a hip hop artist to make sure you stay relevant and at the forefront with fans and of course, promo for major release albums.  This being my fifth installment of the Mixtape Mayhem series, I've gone over the same reasons as to the importance of mixtapes and how we, as the fans, win by getting new, original music for free (that sometimes is better than most major releases).  It used to be the only way a new artist could get exposure in the past, but in 2012, it's even more important for established vets in the game to release their own mixtapes.   That's exactly what has happened at the end of last year and beginning of this year.   Mixtapes are also a great forum for new and established producers to get exposure for their beats as well, since most major tapes now give a listing for each song's producer. I'll run down most of the main releases with links so you can get up to date with what everyone is listening to.  These have been out for a minute, but I like to put my ear on them and give an honest listen before I hit you with the Mayhem.  Click on the jump below for the download links and video's.
     Might as well start out with the big dog on top and that's no other than Rozayyyy…Rick Ross dropped his official mixtape Rich Forever right around Christmas.  It was the most anticipated and probably the best overall tape out of all of these.  It boasts all original music, some of which I'm sure we will hear on his forthcoming album, "God Forgives, I Don't", and it has a roster of the best featured guests.  Drake lays down a killer verse on "Stay Scheamin", which they did a video for, see below, along with Nas delivering one of  his best lines in a while, in my opinion.  John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Diddy, Pharrel and MMG's finest all grace the mixtape.  Not many can argue that Ross is a heavy weight showing off his belts right now with a strong team behind him.  Maybach Music seems to be set up for a while with releases from Meek Mill, Ross, and another MMG album all on the horizon in 2012 and this tape is a sure fire way to start the year on the right foot or I should say on the right Air Jordan.

     Fabolous dropped the third mixtape in his There Is No Competition series with DJ Drama on Christmas Eve and it did not disappoint.  Fabo is and has been a star in the rap game and built a career from mixtapes and has the perfect flow for it.  Although, I found myself thinking that he sounds like he's been influenced by other artists since certain songs sound similar to what's already out there.  Countless metaphors over original beats and freestyles make up TINC:  Death Comes in 3's.  "You Don't Know Bout It" with Meek Mills is one I find putting on repeat.  Lloyd Banks, JadaKiss, Styles P,  and Trey Songz are also on the tape.  Some might even say he throws a little jab Drakes way on the "Lord Knows" freestyle.  What do you think?
     The King of the South didn't want to be left out of the mixtape frenzy, so T.I. brought in 2012 by dropping F*ck Da City Up on New Year's Day and getting a leg up on the new year.  Everybody's familiar with his recent stints behind bars, along with the reality show with his wife, but this mixtape is supposed to get the focus back to his music in anticipation of his eighth studio album, Trouble Man, that's due out very soon.  T.I. gives you all the Trap music you can handle with a roster of guest stars (too many to mention) and producers, including Dr. Dre. Manny Fresh, and Hit Boy.   Give the Just Blaze produced "Oh Yeah" featuring Trey Songz a listen along with a verse from Pimp C on "Pimp".

     I'm sure you've been in the club within the past couple months and it looks like 50 Cent might have another banger with the song "I Just Wanna" with Tony Yayo from his mixtape The Big 10, video below.  He released this tape in early December and it's all original new music, with a different producer for each track.  He said he was going to release a video for each song on the tape as well and he's slated to release his fifth studio album this year.  Crazy to think that the classic Get Rich or Die Tryin' is a year away from it's ten year anniversary!  I'm sure 50 will have his say in the rap game this year and it will be interesting on how it's received, being one of hip hop's all time biggest stars.

"Kobe System" - Kobe x Kanye

     Nike marketing is one of the most creative groups out there, always continuing to impress with their campaigns and commercials.  The Kobe System series is one that is in full motion as there have been a series of commercials that has Kobe Bryant lecturing to countless celebrities on success.  The irony being that these are some of the most successful humans on the planet.  Of course, one of them is Kanye West and Nike plays off his self-appreciating attitude to perfection in these great ad's.

"Bad Girls " - M.I.A.

     Hard to believe that M.I.A. will be releasing her fourth album already, but of course it's welcome with open ears.  She's one of the most creative and well respected artists on the planet as she combines many different sounds, styles, and cultures.  Along with being a mother, she also does a lot of social awareness and charity work.
     She just released this video for her one of her newest singles "Bad Girls" that will be released on her new album this year.  Roman Gavras directed the video as it was shot in Morocco.  Danja produced the upbeat track as the visuals are pretty dynamic with BMW's doing 360's in the desert and swagged out costumes.  Overall, pretty bad ass and I'm sure the album will be just as good.

Flying Fish X New Jersey: Perfect Together

     Sometimes the simplest things are the best.  Or what we think is simple.  A nice, cold, pint of your favorite ale will always be appreciated after a long day, but there's a lot that goes into bringing that to your local watering hole.  A precise combination of nature, chemistry, physics, culinary skill, and imagination all go into bringing us these fantastic brews.  We have literally thousands of choices when it comes to beer and it's even better when you have one of the best craft brew makers in your backyard.   

Flying Fish Brewery has been in existence since 1996, located in Cherry Hill, about 7 miles east of Philadelphia.  It was the first microbrewery in South Jersey and is the largest craft brewery in the state.  They consistently brew 4 styles along with many seasonal varietals.  They also have their popular "Exit" series, which celebrates the Garden State by releasing one time batches of a beer that's crafted in tribute to specific exits of the New Jersey Turnpike.

   Their "Exit 4", a Belgian style Trippel, was so good that it won a Gold Medal in the world famous Great American Beer Festival in 2009 and also named best Belgian by Men's Journal magazine.  "Exit 4" is the only one in the series to be made year round and believe me, it's absolutely fantastic.  The golden color and citrus, hoppy flavor is very drinkable for an ale that is around 10% in alcohol content. There are no plans to brew some of the other exits at this time, although they just released some of their private supply of other exits to the public.  I managed to pick up "Exit 13" Chocolate Stout, "Exit 16" Wild Rice Double IPA, and the one that I definitely wanted, "Exit 9" Hoppy Scarlet Ale, in tribute to my Alma Mater, Rutgers University.  They're releasing a new exit this month, called  "Exit 8", Chestnut Brown Ale, which I'm sure will be tasty.
     They offer tours of the brewery on Saturdays, it's a great time.  You can sample all of their flavors, they explain the brew process from start to finish and they're more than friendly to answer any questions.  Very impressive when you think about how much really goes into making something we think as simple as beer.  They take pride in their craft and it's noticeable.  All of their beers are very drinkable and deliver great flavor.  They pair up very well with a variety of foods and they do have recommendations on their website.
     It's no surprise that they are moving to a bigger location very soon in Somerdale, New Jersey.  The new facility is three times bigger than the current one and will allow them to continue to grow and delivery fantastic products.  I look forward to tours in the new brewery and make sure you support your local brewers, especially ones like Flying Fish.
     Visit their website for more information on tour schedule, building moves,
and beer info:  http://www.flyingfish.com/.  They also have a Flying Fish Newsletter that's emailed monthly with their latest updates.
Click below for more great pictures of the brewery