Artist: T.I.
Album: King Uncaged
Release Date: Sept. 28, 2010

…And the winner for most appropriate album title of the year is: T.I.! Love him or hate him, you have to admit that T.I.’s open and honest attitude about his legal woes is pretty refreshing in a time when celebs embark on secret rehab getaways and jail stints with the same frequency that normal people hit up Wal-Mart.

Whether in jail or out, T.I. never stops working. King Uncaged is the rapper’s 7th studio album since 2001 and with his recent headline-making private life and his upcoming flick, Takers, this may very well be his biggest album yet. Confirmed guests on the album include: Lady Gaga, Trey Songz, Keri Hilson, B.o.B. and Young Dro.

Slated for a September 28th release, the album is already picking up speed thanks to his first video off the album, “Got Your Back.”

Artist: Maroon 5
Album: Hands All Over
Release Date: 09/21/10

The pop rock rulers of the radio are back. The 3rd studio album from Maroon 5 picks up right where the others left off: the top of the charts. Although still over a month out, fans are already drooling.

Hands All Over is Maroon 5’s 3rd full-length in 9 years. The band isn’t known for pumping out album after album but taking their time has definitely paid off, as they are undoubtedly one of the biggest bands in the world. The 15-track album was recorded in 2009 in Switzerland and after heavy amounts of post-production, is finally ready to see the light of day.

The first single from the album, “Misery,” debuted with a high ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 and the video is currently one of MTV’s most requested. As the release date draws nearer, you can expect to hear more and more singles leading up to the album’s release. Rest assured, this will be a big one.

Artist: AmpLive
Album: Murder At The Discotech
Release Date: Out Now!

For all the hip hop heads out there, AmpLive probably isn’t a new name for you. He’s best known for his work as the production half of hip hop duo, Zion I but his latest, solo effort is more than worthy of a listen or an internet copping.

Murder At The Discotech is entrancing from the very first track allllllllll the way to the last. It sounds like a balanced mix of 80’s instruments with current sensibilities that’s perfect to dance to or blare out of your car window at a busy intersection while old ladies give you dirty looks. Part dance, part ghetto and part electro, AmpLive successfully manages to create something new in a game where everyone else is just biting.

Murder At The Discotech boasts 13 dope tracks and features the likes of: K.Flay, Trackademics, Mr. Micro, Fashawn, Eligh, Grouch, Yak Ballz and Micah 9 among others. Get this.

Ok, let’s be real here. Girls LOVE to accessorize. I would even go so far as to say that they love it even more than putting the main part of the ensemble together. However, awesome accessories aren’t cheap and there comes a time when you have to say “no to the peripheral fashion items.

Case and point: the Ashton Michaels bow tie.

That’s right, a bow tie for the ladies. Let me just say that I get it – I do. It’s sort of a fun, quirky, playful take on a predominantly male item that gives the female wearer both sex appeal and a measure of rambunctiousness. Bow ties definitely scream “Playboy Bunny.”

The only problem with the Ashton Michaels bow tie: it ranges from $140 to $220. No, that isn’t a typo. They actually charge up to $220 for a freaking bow tie.

So, here’s the plan. If you dig the bow tie look for a playful accessory on an evening out with the girls or whatever, then keep Ashton Michaels’ look in mind but by all means don’t pay that much. You can totally pick up a much cheaper bow tie at your local department store or head over to your local thrift store to see if they have any funkier offerings.

Artist: Blu
Album: Her Favorite Colo(u)r
Release Date: August 10th, 2010

Her Favorite Colo(u)r is technically NOT a new album. Blu made it years back but as the case normally is with new artists an their first albums, it wasn’t commercially available (save for at Blu’s earliest shows or if you are/were one of his buddies).

Blu made his big splash on the scene back in ‘07 when his collaborative album with Exile, Below The Heavens, dropped to uproarious reviews from independent critics. The album was solid and Blu had a lot of hip hop heads searching for more. Since then he has become involved in several projects both as an MC and a producer but Her Favorite Colo(u)r takes fans back to when Blu was hungry, green and totally unknown.

On August 10th, Her Favorite Colo(u)r, will be repressed and available to the masses (for the first time) from Nature Sounds. If the album is even half as good as Below The Heavens, then we’re all in for quite a treat.

80’s purple is straight up awesome. If you’ve never been to their site before then, by all means, check it out. They offer a wide variety of clothes accessories and whatnot for both guys and girls at reasonable prices.

The website features some prominent and lesser known designers, which makes for a nice range of clothing genres but the part that (in this blogger’s opinion) outshines everything else, is their own label: Purple Label.

Purple Label makes mostly accessories, with the bulk of their products falling under the jewelry and sunglass categories. Just in time to spice up your summer wradrobe, Purple Label just released a bunch of new 2-finger rings (which are all the rage right now) for the ladies. It has high end appeal with bargain bin pricing.

Head over to 80’s Purple and check out Purple Label.

Artist: Travie McCoy
Album: Lazarus
Release Date: June 8th, 2010

Travis “Travie” McCoy seems to have been on quite a roll over the past few years. He’s gone from being virtually unknown to an international superstar that dates models and pop stars. Must be nice.

You’ll recognize McCoy as the frontman for alt rock/ hip hop group, Gym Class Heroes. You may also recognize McCoy as the former love interest of Katy Perry; back before her ‘being engaged to Russell Brand’ days. Now, a little older, a little wiser and a little more experienced, McCoy is set to take the world by storm…SOLO.

Lazarus is Travie McCoy’s debut solo release. The album features guest appearances from T-Pain, Cee Lo, Young Cash and Travis Barker among others. You can expect it be in the same vein as Gym Class Heroes, just a little more heavy on the hip hop aspects.

Lazarus drops on June 8th.

Artist: The Hood Internet
Album: Felt 3 + Maniac Meat
Release Date: OUT NOW!

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, The Hood Internet is a DJ/Producer duo who specializes in hip hop mash ups. Yeah, yeah you’ve seen tons of DJ’s do this sort of thing every ladies’ night at the club, right? Think again.

The Hood Internet has made their name known in the hip hop community for their unique, highly creative pairings of hip hop lyricism and unlikely musical accompaniment. The majority of their mash ups pair known hip hop bigshots (both indie and mainstream) with some manner of indie rock music.

Some of their more recent mash ups include: Gucci Mane vs. Starkey, T-Pain vs. Dom, Ray-J vs. Dosh and Drake vs. Free Energy. The end result is a bangin’ mix that you couldn’t dream up if you tried. The best part of all is, all their tunes are 100% FREE.

The Hood Internet’s latest mash up pairs the vocal talents of Felt: Murs and Slug (of Atmosphere) with the musical backing of a 6 tracks from indie producer extraordinaire, Tobacco. Don’t get your panties all up in a bunch – despite his moniker, Tobacco is actually anti-smoking, for the record. The new mix combines vocals from Felt’s new album, Felt 3 with music from Tobacco’s new album, Maniac Meat.

Head over to The Hood Internet’s page to download the new mix and any of their older classics.

Jewelry has always been kind of a funny thing in that it’s typically the smallest part of one’s ensemble but is also usually the most expensive part. Weird, huh? Luckily for all of us, By Boe proves that chic can also be affordable.

By Boe specializes in high-end-looking jewelry at an incredibly affordable price. They use everything from gold and silver to leather and wood and just about all of it falls under $60. No need to run off to the mall and drop your entire paycheck on a pair of earrings; By Boe makes it so much easier to justify those purchases that we all know you don’t really need…but you really want.

Spice up your accessories with out exhausting your bank account, with By Boe.

Getting a guy to dress up, even just alittle, can often be compared to getting a 3-year-old to eat vegetables; it’s a HUGE pain in the butt even though it’s really for their own good.

Be not afraid, guys of the world, for Jachs (Just Another CHeap Shirt) is here to save the day…and your wardrobe. Jachs specializes in men’s button downs that are both presentable and comfortable. Their shirts remind me of a mix between the higher end look of Scotch & Soda mixed with the fairly reasonable pricing of American Eagle.

Whether you totally dig that clean, kind of preppy look or you just want a couple nice shirts to keep in your closet in case you go out for a nice dinner, Jachs has you covered. Shirts range between $60 to $75 depending on the style but it’s a good investment in your good looks.