Tag Archives: Leak

Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more

Ever since Kanye West’s magnificent album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy released on November 22, things have been pretty quiet on the West front.  Besides downloading the holiday-themed G.O.O.D. Friday joint “Christmas In Harlem” and watching a leak of the upcoming “Monster” music video hitting the ‘Net, fans have been sitting idly by rocking out to “Dark Fantasy” in anticipation of another major release dubbed Watch the Throne. It’s a collaborative album between rap gods West and his mentor Jay-Z.  Originally ‘Ye billed it as a 5-track EP but after time he admitted enough tracks would be made to consider it a full-length album.  Sweet music to fans’ ears. So what’s all the hub-bub about it spreading around the Internets today?  Well… at a New Years Eve party in Las Vegas West (drunkenly?) announced, “Watch the Throne, coming in one week!”  So what does that mean?  One of two things, in my humble opinion: (1) The album will come out this week (highly unlikely since Ye’s Def Jam record label has not even confirmed its existence); (2) West was referring to a possible lead single called “Watch the Throne” (highly more likely).  I’ve heard whispers that case #2 is the winner, and the album is looking at a March drop.  Whatever the case, though, something is going down soon so be ready.

Update (1/6): Looks like I was right.  Today ‘Ye posted a Twitpic of the elaborately designed lead single artwork and it’s called “H-A-M.”  The track will drop 1/11/11, that’s next Tuesday.

Side note: The New Years Eve party I mentioned earlier… it took place at Las Vegas’ Marquee Nightclub and so many celebrities made an appearance.  Besides ‘Ye and Jay Z, Rihanna, Diddy, 50 Cent, J. Lo and many others enjoyed the night’s festivities. Click here to browse through a gallery of hi-res photos from the party.  And look after the break to watch some videos from it (one includes ‘Ye screaming the “one week” announcement).

Next up is an unreleased track featuring vocals from West and John Legend.  “Eyes Closed” made its rounds today, spreading like wildfire in an unfortunately tagged now tagless version.  Sources say the track was originally intended to be included on Twisted Fantasy but in the end it didn’t make the cut.  Rumor has it that the West-produced beat will be handed off to Snoop Dogg who will use it (with Legend in tact) for his upcoming record Doggumentary Music, due out March 8.  Preview and download the track below.  If the lyrics sound familiar to you that’s because you’ve heard that before in the BET Cypher video and West’s “Dark Fantasy” track.

Download: Kanye West – “Eyes Closed”

[audio: Kanye West – Eyes Closed.mp3]

This news bit is short but sweet.  Over at Amazon you’ll find a preorder page hyping a “G.O.O.D. Friday [Import]” audio CD.  Is West prepping an album to publicize his free G.O.O.D. Friday tracks?  There better be some bonus tracks or slick artwork and packaging or what’s the point?

Two more things.  Today two video cropped out that are West-related must-sees.  The first features classical vocalist Josh Groban belting out Kanye West tweets, and the other is a Muppets mashup of the Twisted Fantasy track “Monster”.  Yes, Piggie Minaj makes an appearance.  Watch the videos after the break. Continue reading Kanye West: ‘Watch the Throne’ coming this week?; unreleased track “Eyes Closed” leaks; The Muppets sing “Monster”; and more

No G.O.O.D. Friday this week? [Update: “Christian Dior Denim Flow” is here]

Thanks to a gang of hackers and bloggers Kanye West has decided not to release a new G.O.O.D. Friday track this week.  On Wednesday an unfinished track off Ye’s upcoming album called “Lost in the World” leaked onto the Internet.  Shortly after it made waves ’round the ‘Net Kanye shared the news via his Twitter account.  “Due to blogs leaking unfinished songs from my actual album I’ve decided to pass of Good Fridays this week”, he tweeted.  “It’s messed up that one hacker can mess everything up for everyone… I love to take a year to finish my songs and deliver them … to you guys in there most completed form… It would have seemed like since I give free music every week even the lowest form of human being would respect that enough not to leak unfinished songs from my real album…”  I gotta side with Yeezy here.  He’s been gracious enough to spend extra hours in the studio to deliver weekly hits for us; the least we can do is not leak songs that haven’t be certified as completed.

But there may still be hope!  Late last night (10/1) Kanye tweeted, “For the real hip hop fans… even though I had to shift all my energy to mixing my album do to leaks. I’m trying to still deliver a new Good Friday song 2nt… Let’s pray!!!”  Friday has come and gone and there’s no new G.O.O.D. Friday song to be found.  Let’s keep on praying, huh?

Update: Around 4am Saturday morning Kanye posted single art for a new track called “Christian Dior Denim Flow”.  It features Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, and Ryan Leslie.  He tweeted, “Christian Dior Denim Flow GOOD FRIDAY… fuuuuck I need some sleep.”  So is this the  G.O.O.D. Friday song of the week?  It appears to be that way, but there’s no download link…yet.  Single art is pasted above.

Update 2: Kanye delivers! “Christian Dior Denim Flow” is here.  Preview and download below.

Download: Kanye West – “Christian Dior Denim Flow” (Featuring Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, Lloyd Banks & Ryan Leslie)

[audio: Kanye West – Christian Dior Denim Flow.mp3]

[Via @kanyewest; KWBlog]

HP Slate prototype gets handled on YouTube

YouTuber x313xkillax somehow managed to get his hands on a protoype model of the HP Slate.  As you can see in the video embedded above the Slate has a myriad of ports and switches around the edges (including one that reveals an on-screen keyboard) and it boots fairly quickly into a full-fledged copy of Windows 7.  IE8 seems to run Flash content without hiccup (advantage HP, iPad).  Since Windows 7 isn’t all that optimized for touchscreen implementation I am anticipating a future HP tablet running multitouch-friendly WebOS.  HP bought Palm so they can do that, you know.

Want more deets on the Slate?  A second video surfaced that previews the tablet in greater detail.  The back of the product box lists the following specs: 1.86GHz Intel Atom Z540 with GMA500 and Broadcom Crystal HD Enhanced Video accelerator, 8.9-inch WSVGA screen, 2GB DDR2 RAM, about 60GB storage capacity, Windows 7 Home Premium, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, SD card reader, 2-Cell 30WHr Lithium-ion Polymer battery.  There are also back and front-facing cameras.  Apparently the Slate will ship with a dock that comes complete with a kickstand, two USB ports, HDMI out, and a headphone jack.

Update: Both videos have been “removed by the user” due to obvious reasons.  However I was able to find another copy of the original preview video and it’s embedded above; the more extensive preview is nowhere to be found, unfortunately.

[Via Engadget, here & here]

Extended Thor trailer leaks online

Earlier today the extended trailer for Thor that was shown to thousands of fans at the Marvel panel at this year’s Comic Con leaked onto the ‘Net.  Quickly “Thor” became a trending topic on Twitter and people could not stop talking about how great it looked!  It definitely feels very Lord of the Rings, but the superhero spin works mighty well.  Director Kenneth Branagh, who has a background in Shakespearean tales, has created a believable and extraordinary world in Asgard, and the costume design for Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Anthony Hopkins’ Odin (ruler of Asgard) are top notch.  The Mjolnir, Thor’s powerful hammer teased during the credits of Iron Man 2, makes a notable appearence, as does IM2‘s Agent Coulsen.  Thor (May 20, 2011) and the utlimate followup The Avengers cannot hit theaters soon enough.

Oh, what’s that?  You want to watch the 5+ minute trailer?  Hours after its leak the studio has been making its rounds to disable the streaming of it on all popular web sites, including YouTube and TrailerAddict.  I was able to find a clean stream at Moviefone, but who knows how long it’ll stay up there.  If/when Marvel decides to officially release the trailer I will certainly embed it here for you.

Trailer #2: Tron: Legacy (+ Daft Punk tracks!)

We’re one teaser and two trailers deep into the expansive world of Tron (catch the others here & here).  This latest one is fresh from its 2010 Comic Con debut.  I really don’t know how they do it, but somehow these Tron sneak peeks get better with every trailer.  I don’t give a damn if you have never heard of Tron or don’t take any interest in the movie/1978 arcade game; you will watch this trailer and like it.  And if you are a Tron fan and are highly anticipating its December 17 release in IMAX 3D like a respectable human being, well then…you’re in for a treat!  Load in HD, turn up your speakers, and let it rip.

Note: You should know that actor Jeff Bridges starred in the original 1982 Tron flick as Kevin Flynn, and that he reprises his role as Papa Flynn in Legacy.  At timestamp 1:08 we are introduced to Clu, a villianous rogue program in the Tron universe, who might look eerily similar to a young Jeff Bridges to you.  Well that’s because it is a young Bridges!  Thanks to advanced CGI technology, a performance-capture suit, and impeccable editing skills, the Tron special FX crew was able to create a Kevin Flynn as he appeared in Tron almost thirty years ago.  Crazy (and a bit creepy), right?!  Moving on…

It was leaked quite some time ago that Daft Punk would compose the score for Tron: Legacy.  And over the course of the last year we were teased with the theme music in the trailers that have been released.  Today that tease disappears!  Online radio station “The End” got their hands on exclusive streams of six tracks from the movie soundtrack, including the epic theme from the trailers.  They’re dark and appropriately cinematic in scope.  Click here to take a listen.  (Bonus note: The electric Daft Punk duo will have cameo roles in the movie–gasp!–sans characteristic helmets!

[Via MTVuk]

Project Natal is ‘Kinect’, 5 casual games leak too (Update: Xbox 360 Slim TBA?)

With only a few hours left until Microsoft’s press conference at E3, USA Today managed to get a hold of (and leak) the final name for Project Natal.  It’s called (drum roll please…) Kinect.  Microsoft’s Major Nelson confirms it via Twitter.  A number of casual games have been outed, too.  Kinectimals lets you play with over 20 different virtual animals; Joyride lets you race with your avatars, controller-free of course; Kinect Sports features boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field, soccer and table tennis; Kinect Adventures is a river rafting game with various obstacle courses to flail your arms and legs through; and MTV Games will make Dance Central.  Disney and LucasArts are planned to unveil games featuring characters from their arsenal.  In addition, the LA Times outed four games this morning (including Richochet, River Rush, Obstacle Course, and Living Statue) and spilled that “about a dozen more” Kinect-supported games will be unveiled by other developers during E3.  It look like release date and pricing details will have to wait until tomorrow’s press conference.

Update: What appears to be a legit Italian Microsoft ad is boasting a new slimmer Xbox 360 console.  It was originally spotted at Console-Tribe.  The thirteen second spot lists features like a 250GB HDD, built-in WiFi (woot!), and compatibility with Kinect.  That last sliver of info makes this ad feel all the more authentic.  How could an imposter know about the Natal-to-Kinect transition when news of it just leaked out from USA Today?  Interesting, I know.  Well good news is that we won’t have to wait too long to see if this manifests itself into something tangible.  Look after the break for the commercial.

Update #2: Official press shots of Kinect are out!  So sleek and black and shiny.  Go ahead, take a closer look in the gallery below.

[Via Joystiq, here, here, here & here; LA Times] Continue reading Project Natal is ‘Kinect’, 5 casual games leak too (Update: Xbox 360 Slim TBA?)

New Kanye West song leaks — listen and download it here [Update]

The wait is over.  Late last night a brand spankin’ new Kanye West track leaked on the Internet.  It’s called “Power” and it is phenomenal.  “Power”, featuring Dwele, tells a mean and gritty and dark tale of Kanye’s controversial life thus far, and he uses it to vent off the negativity that surrounded him previous to his much needed hiatus from the spotlight.  It’s a lengthy epic that incorporates heavy drums and guitars and a blasting, deep bass in unique style that Kanye has mastered over the years.  And for all you auto-tune/singing haters, Kanye the Rapper is back.

‘Ye starts it off with: “I’m living in the 21st Century, doing something mean to it/ Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it/ Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it/ I guess every superhero need his theme music.”  On the Taylor Swift incident: “F— ‘SNL’ and the whole cast/ Tell ’em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass/ More specifically they can kiss my a–hole/ I’m a a–hole?/ You n—as got jokes/ You short-minded n—as’ thoughts is Napoleon/ My furs is Mongolian/ My ice brought the goalies in.  On his hiatus: “I just needed time alone with my own thoughts/ Got treasures in my mind/ But couldn’t open up my own vault …/ Reality is catching up with me/ Taking my inner child/ I’m fighting for custody.”  To the haters: “They say I was the abomination of Obama’s nation/ Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start the conversation/ At the end of day, goddammit I’m killin’ this sh–/ I know damn well y’all feelin’ this sh–.”  Then there’s the chorus that features a sample from King Crimson’s “21st Century Schizoid Man”: “No one man should have all that power/ The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours/ Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power/ (21st century schizoid man).”  The song closes with a verse from Dwele (who was featured on Graduation‘s “Flashing Lights”): “Now this would be a beautiful death/ Jumpin’ out the window/ Lettin’ everything go .. You got the power to let power go.”

So is this the first single off Kanye’s forthcoming album tentitively titled Good Ass Job?  No one knows for sure since this was in fact a leak.  ‘Ye’s A&R Plain Pat had this to say about the leak via Twitter: “So waaaack. Working on a record for all those months to see an unfinished leak hit the Net.”  OK, so what you’re listening to here is not the final version, but it sounds damn near close to completion.  Though Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam has not announced a release date for Good Ass Job, sources peg a late summer drop.  After listing to “Power” I pray this album does not get the delay treatment.

Update: Yesterday mid-afternoon Kanye West promised fans that a “mixed and mastered” version of “Power”, the confirmed lead single off his next album, would be released shortly.  And here it is.  I’ve updated the download link and audio clip below.  The mastered track is subtly superior to the original leak and should be replace it in your music library.  So what are you waiting for?  Have at it! Pasted above is a freaky “Power portait” created by artist George Condo.

Download: Kanye West – Power (Featuring Dwele)

[audio: Kanye West – Power (Featuring Dwele).mp3]

[Via Savagebeatz; MTVNews]

The next iPhone is leaked into the wild

The fellas at Gizmodo have got their hands on the fourth-generation iPhone, confirming Engadget’s initial report on the device being leaked into the wild.  The new iPhone is thinner and a bit heavier than its 3GS predecessor (it measures 4.50 by 2.31 by 0.37 inches and weighs 140 grams, three more than the 3GS) and everything is more squared off.  The aesthetics of the device go in a different direction with the new model.  The back is entirely flat and is composed of either glass or ceramic.  Also there’s an aluminium border that runs completely around the exterior.  The silent switch, power, and volume buttons are placed in their familiar positions but are now metallic.  Notice I said volume buttons; the single rocker has been replaced with two separate buttons for volume up and down.  Giz theorizes that this will likely result in one of the two buttons being designated as a shutter button for the camera.  The SIM slot is now a MicroSIM slot and its been moved from the bottom to the left side of the phone.  There’s also a second mic located at the top next to the headphone port, likely for noise cancellation purposes.  The display is slightly smaller than the 3GS’s, but its resolution is much greater.  Though Giz cannot determine its exact resolution, they would not be surprised if it sported a 960×640 screen that’s been sitting in the rumor box.  On the back there’s an upgraded camera with a larger lens plus flash.  On the front next to the earport there’s a *front-facing camera*.  Get ready for on-the-go video Skype calls!  Some other nuggets of information: its got a 16% larger battery and the internal components have been miniturized.

This prototype model of the next iPhone unfortunately cannot boot up iPhone OS 4.  That means there’s no way of finding out its storage capacity, how high-rez the screen actually is, and other secrets hidden within OS 4 built for this device (iChat, anyone?).  Do you need proof that this is the real deal?  Head over to Gizmodo and read their exhaustive breakdown for proof.  Until the final model is (likely) revealed this June at WWDC, bask in the photos and video (after the break) Giz has provided with the world.  iPhone HD, you are so close yet so far away…

[Via Gizmodo]

Continue reading The next iPhone is leaked into the wild

Google Chrome OS netbook specs leaked (looking good!)

Out of the boring status quo comes a netbook with specs that don’t mention Intel Atom, NVIDIA Ion, HDD, and standard def.  Chrome OS, that browser-as-your-operating-system concoction from Google, is coming soon and it will come installed inside a Google-designed netbook of their own.  According to the IBTimes, the “Google netbook” looks to be one beast of the netbook: it will be powered by an ARM CPU and NVIDIA’s Tegra graphics chip; it will feature a 10.1-inch TFT HD multi-touch display, 64GB SSD, 2GB RAM, and other goodies such as WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, an Ethernet port, USB ports, a webcam, a 3.5mm audio jack, a multi-card reader, and more.  According to the latest rumors, the device will be subsidized with a 3G plan and will end up in the sub-$300 category.

I really hope these specs are fact, not rumor.  A netbook with an ARM CPU and NVIDIA’s sweet Tegra graphics would be a welcome addition to the netbook mix.  Tegra can only be found inside Microsoft’s Zune today, and it deserves more than that!

In related Google news, Google will be holding a press conference on January 5 where they will likely announce the coveted “Google phone,” the Nexus One.  Search, browsers, cell phones, netbooks, oh my!  Google world dominance is starting to gain hold.

[Via IBTimes; Gizmodo; Engadget]

Microsoft Office 2010 box art

With the Microsoft Office 2010 beta out and about, the box art managed leak itself out into the public.  Remember, Office 2010 will release in the following verisons: Starter, Home and Student, Home and Business, Standard, Professional and Professional Plus.  Couldn’t make just one flavor, could you Microsoft?  Office 2010 is expected to release this June.

[Via Gizmodo; Hexus]