Big Boi - Shutterbugg

Big Boi's new single and video for "Shutter Bug". The video is unexpectedly one of the coolest of the Summer by far. You need to see it.

M.I.A. - Born Free (previously banned from youtube)

M.I.A. can't seem to catch a break. Her breakout song "Paper Planes" was censored heavily by MTV, David Letterman and a bunch of radio stations due to the use of gun shots on the hook, and her most recent single "Born Free" was briefly taken off of youtube for a couple of brutal scenes involving violence to red-heads. Youtube eventually relented and allowed the video, with a disclaimer foreword, to be posted. Check it out.

Bass Thumpin Thursdays: The Smashing Pumpkins

Having sold millions of albums throughout the 1990's, The Smashing Pumpkins, fronted by lead singer and songwriter Billy Corgan, became a voice for a generation that felt disconnected to the trends in music at the time. The Pumpkins broad range of subjects and melodies often traversed different genres and their music videos often defied the conventional approach used by most artists at the time. Corgan has been quoted as saying "We generally resisted the idea of what I call the classic MTV rock video, which is like lots of people jumping around and stuff."

During the 2000's, the group had it's shake-ups and break-ups with all the members eventually disbanding except for Billy himself. Though the sometimes gloomy lyrics of the Pumpkins might have indicated drug use within the band, Billy was the one to stay clear of drugs, having seen their effects on numerous 90's bands like Nirvana and Sublime. Billy even revealed his own father's addiction to heroin in a recent issue of Rolling Stone stating that he was arrested two years ago with a needle still in his arm. Nonetheless Billy has continued to persevere in the face of adversary and is gearing up to to slowly release a 44 track compilation one song at a time through digital downloads. The first four of which can can be purchased on the album Teargarden by Kaleidoscope, Vol. 1: Songs for a Sailor.

Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins have produced some of the most thought provoking and relevant music of the last 20 years and deserve a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the Rolling Stone article, Billy asks himself: "Do I belong in the conversation about the best artists in the world? My answer is yes, I do," he says. "I've been too productive for too long, and despite what anybody wants to strip away from me, I am influential. I am. So all the Pitchforks in the world can try to strip me of every ounce of dignity, but I belong." Check out some of The Smashing Pumpkins' most influential videos below, as well as the new single "Song for a Son," and see if you agree.

Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight

Smashing Pumpkins - Zero

Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula

Smashing Pumpkins - A Song For a Son

Nas & Damian Marley Perform "As We Enter"

Nas and Damian Marley Perform "As We Enter" off of their collaborative album, Distant Relatives, on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Cee-Lo Green and DJ Greg Street - Stray Bullets (mixtape)

If you haven't ever listened to Cee-Lo Green, you are seriously missing out. One half of the amazing Gnarls Barkley, and a member of Goodie Mob since 1995, Cee-Lo's voice is instantly recognizable and unparalleled. Today I bring to you a collaboration between Cee-Lo Green and DJ Greg Street called Stray Bullets and it is unlike any other mixtape ever posted on Digitally Read. Give it a listen and I promise you won't be disappointed. This mixtape is practically made of Gold and even features the B-52s.

Cee-Lo Green and DJ Greg Street - Stray Bullets Download Here

DJ Skee Mixes it up with New iPad App

DJ Skee is one of the hottest DJ's in the game and I've been bumping his shit for a few years now. He's made some extraordinary beats and remixes but if you've ever wished you could mix like DJ Skee, now's your chance. DJ Skee has announced the Skeetox app for the iPad and it allows you to wirelessly control a couple of turntables, or other peripherals without the need for cumbersome equipment. Check out the video and see the app in action and be sure to see Skeetox at the Roxy in Hollywood on June 30th. Blowing your mind? Yeah, there's an app for that.

Ron Artest - Champions

Ron Artest: You just lead the L.A. Lakers in scoring to win the 2010 NBA Finals. What are you going to do now? If you guessed "drop a single" you'd be correct. Immediately after their hard fought 83-79 victory over the Celtics, Ron Artest announced that he had a single coming out called champions. Check out the post-game interview and the video for the single below.

Ron Artest - Champions

Eminem - Recovery Bonus Tracks

Though Eminem's Recovery is dropping tomorrow, it leaked in it's entiritey earlier this month, much to Em's chagrin. So what's a rapper to do? Release a couple of extra tracks to package along with the album. Check them out. One features Slaughterhouse and the other one has production by Dr. Dre.

Eminem ft. Slaughterhouse - Session One (prod. Just Blaze) Download Here

Eminem - Ridaz (prod. Dr. Dre) Download Here

Dr. Dre feat. Jay-Z - Under Pressure

As reported a while ago, the first single off of Dr. Dre's forthcoming album Detox will be titled Under Pressure and feature a guest appearance by Jay-Z. Well, eager fans got a taste of what to expect because the single sprung a leak and an "unfinished" version of the song appeared on the net. Check it out and weigh in. Is it worth the hype, or should we all just shut up and let Dr. Dre bless us with a completed and mastered track? Dre is known for doing multiple versions of the same song before he finds one he likes, so could this be a way of testing the water before he jumps back in? You decide.

Dodge Viper ACX

Despite not being the the most powerful supercar in the world, my favorite car of all time is the Dodge Viper. The Viper has seen a slew of modifications and special editions and today I bring to you a video on how an already modified Viper ACR becomes outfitted to a track-ready and respectable Viper ACX. Also, check out the video below that where a Ferrari races a Viper along Dead Man's Curve in L.A. The outcome is certainly unexpected.

E3: What to Expect in the Near Future

This year's E3 brought tons of news and info on some of the biggest franchises in gaming history. A lot of big titles will be hitting store shelves soon as well as a new version of the Xbox that is already on it's way. Check out some of the trailers for a few games I can't wait to get my hands on, and an unboxing of the new Xbox.

E3 2010 Wrap Up

E3 has almost wrapped up and in its wake we are left with a slew of news from all three big video game console manufacturers. For those that don't know, E3 stands for Electronics Entertainment Expo and is one of the key venues in which big video game companies make even bigger announcements. This years E3 has brought us some of the biggest news in the future of gaming and technology and has channeled some nostalgia with a few announcements regarding classic and beloved franchises. Fresh designs were big this year, as was 3D and the big three (Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo) all weighed in and delivered their presentations, each highlighting their future tech for the coming year.

Microsoft

Microsoft's big announcement this year is the re-vamped Xbox 360 250 GB. According to Microsoft representatives, the Xbox 360 250GB is 15% smaller than the original Xbox 360. Side by side, the new console looks to be an inch shorter, but roughly the same in terms of width and breadth. No wonder they didn't call it the 360 Slim. Microsoft also shifted the look of the console slightly by adding a slightly off-centered taper to the case. The design styling makes the console look like a giant X and the console's matte finish, has been replaced by a glossier, more fingerprint prone, black. Cooling has also been improved with a few large vents and a bigger, more quiet fan. On the front of the console you'll find two USB ports and no Memory Unit ports. On the back of the console, there is an additional three USB ports (5 in all), and an ethernet plug. HDMI and optical audio connectors in addition to Microsoft's proprietary connector for access to component video/composite/S-Video options round out the back of the new Xbox. Eager beavers who want to get a hold of the new box can get them almost immediately. Microsoft will begins shipping the 250 GB Xbox to retailers immediately, so chances are you can pick one up at a local Best Buy (provided they don't sell out).

Microsoft's other major announcement at E3 was the formal naming of their new motion sensor peripheral, formerly named Project Natal, now named Kinect. Kinect will supposedly allow gamers to immerse themselves even further into the game by capturing their movements outside the game without a need for a controller. A new Kinect port will come standard on the Xbox 360 250GB providing Kinect with power and data transmission capabilities. Owners of the original Xbox 360 will need to use a USB port and an included power adapter to use Kinect and the price of Kinect around $150.

Sony

Sony's presentation at E3 did little to disappoint and shed some much needed light on their new motion controller, the PlayStation Move. Sony's press briefing revealed a $100 motion controller starter pack, the cost of a controller a la carte ($50) and a $30 price of a solo navigation sub-controller. Sony said a $400 PS3 bundle is also in the works. Among the games that will be compatible with Sony's purportedly one-to-one peripheral: Killzone 3 due out February 2011, Heroes on the Move: which will feature Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, and Sly Cooper, and Time Crisis: Razing Storm, which will include the arcade editions of 2007's Time Crisis 4 and the just-released Deadstorm Pirates. Both games have been updated with Move functionality and will also be compatible with the Guncon 3 light gun peripheral as well as Move. The PlayStation Move will hit stores in North America on September 19th and include a Move "demo disc" most likely similar to Wii Sports.

Sony also took some time to tout their already launched 3D enabled gaming. Although a bunch of games have already received 3D support via a firmware upgrade (all that you require is a 3D enabled TV) Sony announced a few new games that would be receiving 3D support from the get-go. Among those: A New Twisted Metal, Little Big Planet 2, Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, Metal Gear Solid: Peacer Walker, the upcoming Shaun White Skateboarding, Tron Evolution, Crysis 2, NBA 2K11, the new Mortal Kombat, Eyepet and more. Portal 2 (expected in 2011), Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Medal Of Honor, more get will be getting exclusive PS3 content as well.

Also unveiled was Sony's plan for a premium PS3 network service and though the PSN will remain free with its current feature set, There will be a new paid level called PlayStation Plus, which will require a subscription. The service will, supposedly, offer "hundreds" of dollars of value, including early demo access, beta invites, free games, free themes, and a host of other new content and will launch later this month for $50 a year, or $18 for a three-month subscription. All bonus content will be owned for the "duration of your subscription," meaning you unsubscribe and you lose any free games they may have been offering.

Nintendo

Nintendo had much to say at this year's E3 with many announcements regarding first party titles. The big N announced that a new entry in The Legend of Zelda series would be arriving on the Wii, subtitled "Skyward Sword." The goal of goal of Skyward Sword is to get Link back to basics and focus on what makes the the games really fun.

In this Zelda, Link is a little boy born into a land above the clouds called Skyloft. One day, he learns there is a land below the clouds ruled by evil forces. However, the revelation prompts a series of events that force him to go to the land beneath the clouds and retrieve the Skyward Sword. The sword possesses intelligence and will assume the semi-human form in the teaser poster shown last year and will eventually become the Master Sword. The game will feature a new exaggerated inked art style, a big improvement over the last entry, "Twilight Princess."

In other news, Nintendo officially announced the 3DS, the successor to the best selling handheld of all time, the Nintendo DS. As stated in a previous article, the 3DS will incorporate motion sensors and will apparently be able to deliver a 3D image without the need for special glasses. There will also be a set of cameras on the outside of the handheld to capture images and transpose them to 3D as well as cameras inside that will incorporate facial recognition technology. Games that are being worked on for the 3DS include new entries for Kid Icarus, PilotWings, Mario Kart, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, StarFox, and Paper Mario as well as a remake of 1997's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Other entries expected are Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Kingdom Hearts, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Dead or Alive, Ninja Gaiden, Splinter Cell, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, Contra, Frogger, Saints Row, Batman, and more. In addition, Namco also stated that they would be working on Ridge Racer, Gundam, Super Robot Wars, Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dragon Ball entries for the system.