Donald Glover, what can’t you do? I mean, let’s just list the things that Donald Glover has accomplished that I know of:

1. Writer for 30 Rock
2. Actor on Community
3. Co-founder of Funny or Die comedy troupe Derrick Comedy
4. Stand up Comic
5. Now a rapper by the name of Childish Gambino

Oh, and did I mention he’s only 27?

Childish Gambino… yep, a name that game about from a Wu-Tang name generator[1]. You know, a little scary, but mostly cuddly.

Well, I love Glover’s stand up. You should really watch his Comedy Central Presents special. And I’ve come to really enjoy what I’ve heard of Childish Gambino. Below are an example of each. And here are the lyrics to the freestyle that he performed on Jimmy Fallon:

Yes I’m back with a whole new attitude
Flier than a cardinal, check my freakin’ latitude
Yes I’m so sick, man, somebody call a doctor
Girls stay wet like I’m messin’ with a lobster
I stopped talkin’, I’m tired of payin’, I’m lip service
I switched over to street, fuck the hipsters
I am so different, Donald Glover in this bitch
I don’t have to use my rapper name, that’s just childish
And they used to call me Oreo, dump me in that milk
Maybe then I would be white enough to hang out with them kids
‘Cause they have to call you names when they don’t know what you are
Now they notice what I are, baby girl, I am a star
APC kicks, lookin’ like a British boy
More money means more problems, I have been annoyed

Childish Gambino (ft. The Roots) – Late Night Freestyle [YSI]

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You can watch Glover perform that freestyle here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VebAG6CPonU[/youtube]

I love so much when my random music searchings have me end up with a gold mine of music that’s been in front of me this entire time. By in front of me, I’m talking Billboard.com, one of the top names in music. Every Monday for the past 32 weeks, they had Mashup Monday which appeared to me to be the American version of BBC Radio 1′s Live Lounge where artists do covers. In the case of this Chiddy Bang session, Chiddy does a freestyle over the classic Bobby McFerrin tune “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Check the video below and expect to see some more of these covers in the future.

Chiddy Bang – Don’t Worry, Be Happy Freestyle [YSI]

All streaming media has been removed from Bridging The Verse due to server usage issues. Until resolved, stream this song on BTV’s Hype Machine page.

Chiddy Bang – Don’t Worry, Be Happy Freestyle

Full length (10:57) freestyle available below. Having seen Chiddy Bang live and hearing Xaphoon rave about Chiddy’s skills as a freestyler, my hopes were high when listening to this. However, I don’t think he necessarily killed it. I mean he definitely did well and much better than I could ever do but not nearly as good as some other freestyles I’ve heard. That being said, I understand just how difficult it is to freestyle for 11 min straight. I’m not even sure I could give an un-rhymed speech for that long so I have the utmost respect for people who can do it. Like I said, he did well, just didn’t kill it. Today’s two audio files are an excerpt from the full freestyle as well as a separate ending freestyle he did live for Philly’s Q102. The full length freestyle is also available below if you’re interested.

This performance is also the first time Chiddy Bang had their upcoming album promo in hand. The album is due for release on August 24, confirmed by Xaphoon at a live performance. From the brief glimpse I caught, the album cover appeared to be very similar to the iTunes “Opposite of Adults” cover (pictured above in post).

Chiddy Bang – Live Freestyle (Philly Q102 Exclusive) (Excerpt) [YSI]

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Chiddy Bang – Live Ending Freestyle (Philly Q102 Exclusive) [YSI]

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Full Length freestyle available here:
Chiddy Bang – Live Freestyle (Philly Q102 Exclusive) (10:57)

Chiddy Bang album release date is August 24. This information was released by Xaphoon Jones last night at a show the guys played at Penn State. Other than that, that info is unreleased. The show went terribly for so so so many reasons (scathing review to come from a guest writer). Yesterday, however, Chiddy’s new mixtape dropped. Get it here from Pigeons and Planes. I still like these guys as recorded artists but that show yesterday really makes me think twice about going to see them live again (not completely their fault). Anyway, here’s a new one from the mixtape.

Chiddy Bang – Pass Out (Chiddy Bang Freestyle) [YSI]

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“Fuck y’all. I’m goin’ pop.”

Gotta say, I only listened to this because I thought it would be terrible over top of Owl City’s “Fireflies.” I was happily surprised to find that I was wrong. Crooked I’s freestyle is fantastic here. He makes it fun yet the entire middle section is about how tough his life was as a kid getting shot at and everything.

When in Rome
Look what becoming Roman made us

I love how he karaokes it at the end, too, and then realizes he doesn’t know it so just scats with Owl City.

Crooked I – Fireflies Freestyle (ft. Owl City) [right-click, save as]

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Sometimes you find things by accident. But when they’re good, you know it. What I mean is that I have no idea who this artist is and I am not familiar with the track he is freestyling over (something by Dirty Money). I do know one thing though: he is damn good. I think my biggest problem with this freestyle, truly, is that it is just too short. Next time, TiRon, when you do this well, keep the flow going.

“So go and Google who was on the news//
Dispute views via Twitter, get all worked up”

TiRon – Devil’s Freestyle (right-click, save as)

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Full mixtape available here.

Well Weezy F. Baby released his newest album this past Tuesday called “Rebirth.” I gotta be serious. I don’t know what to think of the guy. I view him as uneducated and dumb but at times, his word choice for rhymes can be so smart and his business model isn’t too bad either. Lil Wayne’s new album is a combination of rap and rock. Some songs would leave Mr. Hendrix rolling in his grave whereas others are listen worthy. Check out “Drop The World” and “Prom Queen.”

In recognition of his new release, here’s a track off Weezy’s October 2009 mixtape, “No Ceilings.” He takes Cudi’s already rapped over version of the acoustic “Poker Face” and does his own thing. This is one of the times that I can laugh at the rhymes he lays down.

“She know I love brain so I treat her like a geek”

So to summarize: Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” – electricity + Kid Cudi’s mix – Kid Cudi’s vocals + Lil Wayne’s Vocals =

Lil Wayne – Poke Her Face (ft. Jae Millz) (right-click, save as)

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Bonus track from “No Ceilings” over Jay-Z’s “Run This Town”

Lil Wayne – Run This Town (right-click, save as)

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Lupe is the man!

It took a long time for me to get into hip hop because there was (is) so much crap out there. But it’s the intelligence of some artists that truly astounds me. Lupe is the smartest rapper I have ever listened to. On Thanksgiving this year, he released his mixtape, Enemy of the State: A Love Story,and it was fantastic. He was supposed to release a second mixtape on Christmas Day but canceled that one as he was preparing for the charity event Summit on the Summit. His newest album, Lasers, will be released early this year with two singles having already been released. The track below is my favorite freestyle from the Enemy of the State mixtape which is over the top of Radiohead’s “The National Anthem.”

Lupe Fiasco – The National Anthem

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My freestyle shout out!

Last week, Ludacris fully released his Conjure Mixtape and I love it. I love Ludaman for all different reasons than Lupe. He dumbs it down but is so self aware of his style and is smart. My least favorite part of the mixtape is how much he is pushing his new cognac, Conjure.

Check it: Ludacris – Conjure Mixtape
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One more freestyle shout out this week: Wale (yes, Wale again)

Instead of going and choosing someone’s track to freestyle over, he asked for internet users to send in a sick beats and he would choose his favorite. I like the concept of what he did here more than the actual freestyle.

Wale – CJ The Genesis freestyle

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In November 2009, a album was recorded by the newly formed rap supergroup Young Money Entertainment. It’s been Lil Wayne’s label name since 2005 but now the other artists on the label have banded together to make an album. The song BedRock was leaked in September 2009 featuring  Lloyd and has had a number of freestyles over it since.

Wale is really making a name in the rap game. Having heard his mixtapes, singles, and seeing him perform live, he is definitely in stride with some of the top names in the industry. I think he’s got the charisma to appeal to hiphop audiences and the fresh ideas to reach some new widespread appeal. I’m thinking Wale is gonna be in the same category as Lupe Fiasco and the up-and-coming Kid Cudi.

O yeah, the bonus is Twista’s freestyle over BedRock too. I just really enjoy listening to the speed that Twista can flow.

Wale – BedRock (Freestyle)

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Twista – BedRock (Freestyle)

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I found this a capella track from one of Wiz Khalifa’s 2009 mixtapes (Flight School). I really like what this kid is doing with this track(I can call him a kid. He’s a few days younger than me). He definitely seems like he’ll be part of that new generation hip hop with Wale and Kid Cudi and others who are doing their own thing. I’m not a huge fan of some of the rest of his stuff though. Good flow, just a bit too unoriginal. But that might make him a selling point.

Khalifa dropped this mixtape in early 2009 and released his album Deal or No Deal later that year in November. I don’t know much about the album (besides that it has done really well on the iTunes hip hop charts) but I know he’s been on the scene since 2005 out of Pittsburgh and if he keeps this up, he’ll be opening for some big name acts very soon. The only thing stopping him is his lack of a label and wide audience appeal; not quite to Weezy’s standards yet.

Wiz Khalifa – Wassup

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**Check his other freestyle that’s gotten a little bit of attention: Smoker Face

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HERE’S THE BONUS!!

Wednesday night on American Idol, the final audition in Hotlanta was by 62-year-old General Larry Platt doing an original song…

So very worth it!

General Larry Platt – Pants On The Ground

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY8uzqNi4sA