Not sure if we’ll do this every week, it’s an evolution of our old “Round-Ups” which was an evolution from our “almost-daily briefs” where we would simply bring you a bunch of external content in one nicely wrapped up package.

Perhaps a Sunday is a good day to do this. Nice little compilation of links regarding your favorite NYC/NY-area affiliated hip-hop, from around the web.

Let’s see:

50 Cent – Do You Think About Me [teaser vid]

50 Cent – Tim Westwood Interview [Part 1] [Part 2]

Lloyd Banks – Microphone (He-style) [NahRight]

Behind The Beats with Dirty Money [103.5 The Beat, via NahRight]

Raekwon – Crime Wave (He-Style) [NahRight]

R.A. The Rugged Man Interview [HipHopDX]

Raekwon & Kool G. Rap Talk Collabo [OnSmash]

Here are a list of several hip-hop events going on in NYC and surrounding areas during December. We’ll be adding to this page as we get more events. Also be sure to visit out Events Calendar page as well.

December 4
Hip Hop Karaoke Manhattan Finals @ Mercury Lounge

December 10
Special Ed @ Southpaw

December 12
Fabolous @ The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza

December 16
Raekwon @ The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza

December 21
LLoyd Banks @ BB KINGS

December 23
Talib Kweli @ Highline Ballroom
Hip-Hop Legends @ BB KINGS

We’ve been saying it for a while, and now the world is catching on… Twitterers said it best tonight:

@KINSLEYJONSON: After hearing Jigga and Rakwon new music I’m happy with hip hop again. let’s go NYC we started it all

@WeArtisticWings: Now All NYC need to do is join together like the 90′s and the hip hop game is ours again.

@BIGCITYOFDREAMZ: NYC OWNS THE PUBLISHINGS FOR RAP AS AN ART AND THE RIGHTS TO HIP-HOP AS A CULTURE! FUCK YA LAWYER!

@evierobbie: reading updates on the Jay-Z concert, while watching Notorious, on breaks in reading @nelsongeorge “City Kid”..damn NYC hip-hop overload

@FutureX90: NY IS HIP HOP,WE GETTING OUR SPOT BACK

@Prinzentennial: Get Ready 4 The Ressurgence of NY Hip Hop…We Bout To Juggernaut The Game..AGAIN!!!

@ImTheReasonWhy: OMG I REALLLY AM HAVIN A MOMENT IN THIS CROWD I’M SO GRATEFUL I LIVED THRU THE PEAK OF HIP HOP AND FROM NY YES PROUD MOMENT!!!!! I LUV NY

@djasmooth: IM SO HAPPY FOR HIP HOP/NY OMG!!!

@Bernice1012: NY is def. in Madison Square Graden-Real Hip Hop-NY Baby!!

@ItsTheBee: Its lookin like NY is finally shutting things down on the Hip-Hop side of things again.

and of course, us:

@BirthplaceMag: NY Hip-Hop. We are not dead. Never. www.birthplacemag.com – Help me do this! Let’s go!

HE’S A BUSINESS MAN
According to the NY Post, as reported by AllHipHop.com, Jay-Z “has been hit with another federal lawsuit, stemming from his trendy Manhattan 40/40 club.” The lawsuit alledges many employees are owed wages.

AND A BUSINESS, MAN
In a recent Las Vegas set, Jay-Z also takes shots at hip-hop foes, fueling the buzz for his upcoming Blueprint 3 one would imagine. The video clip can be seen here.

KINGS (AND A QUEEN) AT KINGS
Video clips from Hip-Hop heavyweights Raekwon, Showbiz & AG, Nice N Smooth, Naughty By Nature, MC Lyte, Lord Finesse, KRS-One and Das EFX putting it down at the Hip-Hop Legends concert at New York’s BB King’s.

ALL VLOGS CONSIDERED
NPR’s All Things Considered took a look at the hip-hop multimedia maestro that is Jay Smooth from IllDoctrine (who is, in our opinion, one of the smartest men in Hip-Hop/Journalism/Radio/Blogosphere/etc.)

THE TOOTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TOOTH
Redman expresses his longtime desire to become a dental hygenist. (And promptly kills off one of our fantasies..) [via YouTube via AllHipHop, via JumpOffTV, via etc., etc.]

For those who have been wondering, “What the hell has happened to that little upstart website BirthplaceMag.com,” you know, the one run by the awesomely talented remixer/producer Manny Faces? Well, it’s still here, but has been floating in the water for some time. However, it is still my pet project, and I am starting to slowly revamp and revive what I always believed, was a strong product — A website dedicated to showcasing, highlighting, and reporting on, New York area hip-hop artists, culture and events.

That being said, it will take a little time to get back to the in-depth type of features like we had before. In the meantime, we will attempt to be more diligent with aggregating news of interest to those who are interested in what we are interested in, NY-area Hip-Hop, and will expand our older “Almost-Daily Briefs” into a slightly more fleshed out, Almost-Daily Roundup.

Beginning today.

WALK THIS WAY
According to WPIX, AKA Channel 11, “The corner of 205th Street and Hollis Avenue will be rechristened “Run-DMC JMJ Way” to honor the hip hop pioneers. The symbolic renaming comes after a bill was approved by the New York City Council to rename the Queens intersection after the iconic rap group.”

BACKSTAR
For one night, under/overground hip-hop Super-Brooklynites Mos Def and Talib Kweli, formerly united under the BlackStar moniker, reunited on stage for two shows at the Nokia Theater. It is missing shows like this that are reminding us how much ridiculously dope hip-hop there is in and around New York, and we are still kicking ourselves for falling off and missing this event. Sigh. Oh well, read all about it here.

THE RULE-R’s BACK?
According to SOHH.com, Ja Rule is talking big and bad about a comeback, breaking new artists, the state of New York hip-hop (“I think New York is making a surgence. I got my acts outta New York, I’m coming with a crazy album right now. But you know as a whole, it’s not about New York…it’s about hip-hop. We all in this together. So when I think about it, that’s really my feelings on the situation.”) and other interesting tidbits from the unruly Rule. We will withhold judgement until we hear what he’s got before we decide whether his music will indeed be making a “surgence“.

SUMMER JAMMED
Missed the annual Hot-97 Spring Summer Jam? So did we. (again, sigh). But, we can read all about it over at HipHopDX.com.

KING 50
The incomporable 50 Cent has just dropped his latest mixtape. The cover is crazy, and we’ve heard from a few heads that the South Side Jamaica thoroughbred goes IN. Download and tracklisting available via Nah Right via Miss Info via probably This Is 50, via 50′s computer webmaster, via 50′s messenger, via 50, etc., etc.

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW SO
Also seen on NahRight, Fabolous’ interview with ThisIsCurtis. (Must admit… Kinda looking forward to Loso’s Way).

TELL US WHAT YOU REALLY THINK
Lastly, seen over at the SOHH NYC blog, a rant against LL Cool J and his rant about the NY Hip-Hop scene. We want to know what you think.