I know this doesn’t exactly classify as underground hip-hop, but shit is dope. From “The Blueprint 3,” dropping in September.

Dope fan collage put together over Jay-Z’s History.

As the election draws near, presidential candidates and celebrities alike are mobilizing to earn votes in critical states like Ohio. And Wednesday was no different at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Cavaliers guard LeBron James and rapper/businessman Jay-Z played host to a full house of basketball, rap music and Barack Obama supporters at a Last Chance for Change rally. Tickets for the event were free.

Some were there to celebrate the Obama campaign, while others gathered to hear rap verses. Before the lights dimmed and the show began, numerous pro-Obama shirts could be seen. One featured the phrase ”Barackstar 08,” while another had a massive hand on the front and the words ”Bye, McCain” on the back. (more…)

Detroit, MI – According to news sources, Jay-Z will perform Saturday at Detroit’s Cobo Arena during a free rally and concert to promote voter registration. With just five days left to register voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is traveling to Michigan Thursday and sending in his wife and a top hip-hop artist to push the registration message.

The campaign also has created a video playing on the Obama Web site and YouTube that features Obama, running mate Joe Biden and a host of Michigan Democrats and popular entertainers who have hosted voter registration rallies and events in the state.”This is the biggest election of our lifetime,” Obama says in the video. “If you are already registered to vote, get your friends and family to register to vote. If you need more information about where to go, get on our Web site. … Remember, we need to do it by October 6th.” (more…)

SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced that cultural icon and industry mogul JAY-Z will take over SIRIUS’ Hip-Hop Nation channel 40 for one week.

JAY-Z Nation will premiere on November 5th at 5 pm ET. The launch of JAY-Z Nation coincides with the release of American Gangster, JAY-Z’s new album in stores on November 6th. The channel will feature music from American Gangster as well as other JAY-Z songs and will include personal introductions by the artist himself. JAY-Z will also play some of his other favorite Hip Hop artists and discuss what each means to him. (more…)

Jay-Z was featured on ABC News Nightline last week, but I couldn’t find the video until this weekend. As expected, ABC quoted a couple violent lyrics, showed some misogynistic videos, and took a couple shots at hip-hop. But suprisingly, they also took time to draw attention to Jay’s recent charity work.

The main point of the story was Jay’s trip to the United Nations to raise awareness about the world’s water crisis, and the November 24 airing of “The Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life,” an MTV documentary following Jay’s experiences as he meets people without access to safe drinking water. (more…)

I gotta admit, I was somewhat of a Jay-Z hater for awhile. In between Reasonable Doubt and the Black Album, I lost track of where he was going a little.

I don’t know, man … of course I still respected him as an MC and dope lyricist … I guess I just felt that my definition of hip-hop revolved around certain valuable qualities, and “Big Pimpin’” just didn’t seem like one of them. (more…)