Say what you will about Lil Wayne, but it is obvious that he is quickly becoming one of the most dominant artists in not just hip hop but in music over all. The New Orleans natives' relentless work ethic, his ability to unconsciously string together similes and metaphors and his penchant for virtually transforming his vocal timbre into a flow that almost becomes a musical instrument over tracks has made him omnipresent on the radio, videos and mix tapes. Though still a young man Wayne is a seasoned veteran whose skill has grown by leaps and bounds. He routinely releases energetic verses that play with rhyme patterns and tweaks flow in a state in hip hop when MCs all seemingly rely on the safe conventional conversational approach. His subject matter is almost a schizophrenic as he bounces between the humorous and emotional but it culminates in a formula that has garnered him the respect of certain legendary MCs and the wrath of others. However, with popularity comes backlash and eventually unabashed hatred. Seemingly unaffected by the new crop of naysayers Wayne continued his onslaught on the listening public by releasing "Lollipop" the first single of his highly anticipated, long delayed "The Carter III". The track is a hazy codeine induced song the combines a slow down tempo electro hip hop sound complete with auto tune vocals. When released, the song went number one on the charts almost immediately ensuring the public will hear the track all summer long and confirming Wayne’s popularity. Not content to rest on his laurels Wayne has recently released a remix to the song with arguably the other most popular MC on the planet Kanye West. On the remix, the playful vibe of the original is shifted a bit as the track becomes a trade of verse amongst two MCs who are now safely heavyweights in the game.

On Wednesday, New York was the setting for the American celebrations of Casio G-Shock's 25th anniversary. Among the headliners were the likes of Spike Lee and Kanye West as he ripped the roof off the place with a crazy performance complete with topless astronauts. As part of the celebration, legendary artist Eric Haze put his creativity to work creating a special box set including watch and t-shirt. Images after the jump are NOT SAFE FOR WORK Source: brooklynvegan, Chino

Pain breeds great art. How many times have you heard this phrase? So much I'm sure that it has lost all meaning. However, every now and then we get reminded of why certain phrases get repeated so much that it becomes a part of our consciousness. Enter Young Jeezy's new single "Put On" featuring Kanye West. The last we heard Jeezy he was spitting coke metaphors and braggadocios lines with his now instantly recognizable adlibs (yeaaahhhhh!!!!) in the same verse over distinct eerie beats. Determined not to rock the boat of success Jeezy stays with the same formula for his latest leaked single. The song is an affirmation of pride for Jeezy's city and I’m sure ATLiens everywhere will be proud. With all due respect to "The Snowman" it's Kanye's verse that seems to be an artist pouring his heart out and gives the track its break from the norm. Once the listener gets past the over used auto tune device Kanye is using you quickly hear how lyrically Kanye has become a bit darker and even angrier, and it's for the better. Although we're used to Kanyes' carefree playful persona we get to hear a side of him he rarely lets us in on. With all the turmoil and joy Kanye has experienced within the last year including the tragic death of his mother and the rumored breakup of his engagement it's no wonder Kanye spits "I lost the only girl in the world who knows me best." It has yet to be seen if this is the direction that Kanye will be taking in the near future. But, as listeners we appreciate the great art and are sympathetic to the pain.

Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D could fairly and accurately be described as the soundtrack to many Hypebeast readers' lives. Therefore, when whispers surfaced that Kanye was bringing his highly praised "Glow In The Dark Tour" to the United States, the anticipation and speculation among the Hypebeast faithful was at a fever pitch. Everything from Kanye’s clothing, N.E.R.D’s set list and possible special guests have been debated and discussed in the days leading up to the first show. The speculation can now be put to a rest, as Kanye and his supporting cast have commenced the first leg of the tour and have literally left fans as well as critics in awe. Kanye’s show reportedly goes above and beyond all expectations. There is a bizarre space odyssey story line, cutting edge set design, vivid visuals on big and small screens and as to be expected, impeccable wardrobe. Also not to be outshined, Rihanna, Lupe and N.E.R.D are holding down their opening performances with a enormous amount of energy for the awaiting fans. Hypebeast readers are already gathering on the message boards and trading stories of their experiences. In all of its grand pageantry Hip Hop now has it’s equivalent to U2’s Zoo Tour. A jolt to the system and a intense rush of pleasure to all the senses. Completely out of this world. Source: Flickr

Spotting of the Air Yeezys endorsed by Kanye West have been popping all over the place, but this is the first sighting of the glow in the dark technology in effect. A cross between McFly's, Air Bapes, and a UFO, Nike has the fashion, Sci-Fi and sneakerheads going crazy over reports of this new high-topped phenomenon.

On the heels of the latest developments regarding Kanye West's exclusive Nikes, comes a full blown detail shot of one of the most mysterious and anticipated sneakers in recent memory. The visible Air unit high top features perforated leather and a patent leather strap. Once again, no word yet on availability.

Yesterday we posted about the opening night of Murakami's exhibit at Brooklyn Musuem, today we're following up with some action shots of what went down. Kanye West rocked the stage as usual, even Marc Jacobs couldn't resist taking pictures of the champion rapper. Louis Vuitton took the war against counterfeiters one step further by taking over their turf and setting up street vendors that sell authentic LV bags. Murakami's new Monogramouflage, an overlay of LV signature monogram with camouflage print, were on sale for $6,000 dollars a piece. Again, be sure to check out the exhibit if you're around the area, Murakami's Superflat style will open your eyes to what contemporary art is all about. Check out all the pictures after the jump. Source: Supertouch

One of Hypebeast's favorite artists Kanye West just released a new music video for "Homecoming" featuring Chris Martin of Coldplay. "Homecoming" is the 4th single off of Kanye's recent Album "Graduation". The video is directed by veteran Hype Williams, and was filmed in Chicago using the always dope and classic black and white tones. Exclusive behind the scenes images can be seen at kanYe Live!.

As previously mentioned, the World Wide Bape Heads Show which will have performances by Kanye West, N.E.R.D., Nigo and the Teriyaki Boyz will be taking place in Hong Kong on April 10th. Here is a look at the commercial for the upcoming show which is an neat animation with all the performers drawn in a Bape style. If you're in Hong Kong, you can purchase the tickets here. If not, you can watch the commercial here.

I guess the debate is over, Kanye was rocking some Nikes on Grammy Night not so long ago. In a recent interview with Kanye West as part of the The Moment | Live from Colette blog, Kanye outlines his crazy ass outfit that he wore at the Grammys as was rather quiet about the heat on his feet. I designed it together with my stylist. I took a shape that I liked — I can’t say who made it, but I liked it, it had a kick in the back. Under my jacket I wore a Hedi hoodie. So we put on LED lights — there were LED lights on my jacket, on the sunglasses and my scarf. I had on a pair of Nikes too, but I can’t talk about those because they’re not out yet. The lights in the jacket were powered by battery. Source: The Moment | Live from Colette