As most of y’all know Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers has been delayed until who knows how long. As an album that promises to be more left-field than his last album, I’m not surprised.

But while we wait for the album to leak (let’s be serious) we can at least get lost in Lupe’s side project Japanese Cartoon. The band (which Lupe swears up and down that he’s not a member of) just dropped a 9 song EP out of the blue called In The Jaws Of The Lords Of Death, blending electro, hip-hop, and punk rock into a really tight package.

Although the group isn’t pop-friendly I really wish they would do some more marketing on this project. With the MIA backlash in full effect it looks like it could fill the hipster music void that’s steadily increasing. Check it. (via Hypetrak)

Japanese Cartoon – In the Jaws of The Lords of Death by Hypetrak

Although I’ve been slappin’ this in the headphones for quite some time now, it’s nice to finally see a video to go along with such a dope song. Look for the much anticipated L.A.S.E.R.S. to drop later this year.

Download: Music For Releif Haiti Compilation

Lupe Fiasco and Kenna – Resurrection (Produced by Mike Shinoda)

Download to donate is billed as compilation of unreleased music from such artists as Linkin Park, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, Slash,The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Enrique Iglesias and Lupe Fiasco, all in the name to help earthquake victims in Haiti.

The album is free and you are encouraged to donate. I think the system would work better if you had to make a donation before you could get the album but as long as people are aware of the need for donations I’m down for it.

Lupe Fiasco – I’m Beaming (Produced by The Neptunes)

Although this is not the official single from Lupe’s third album, titled Lasers, this classic Neptunes beat has already made it my favorite Lupe tune that I’ve heard out of all of the releases and leaks the dude has. Lasers is set to be a banger when it drops this year.

Nike continues their hilarious MVPuppets series. This time with the help of Lupe and KRS One. Happy Holidays!

6.) Dr. Dre – Detox

Slated for release ever since 2004, Detox has had a default slot on everybody’s anticipated album list for almost half a decade. 2010 is supposed to be the year. Yes, I’ll believe it when I see it, but my sources say it’s true. Will Dre go the Jay-Z “old man” route and school the youngin’s? Or will he take new rappers like Freddie Gibbs and Nipsey Hussle under his wing like he did with a young Snoop Dog? Only time will tell.

5.) Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty

Expected to drop in 2009, Big Boi’s first official solo release has been shelved for the better part of this year. Even though Royal Flush received amazing buzz on the Internets, and they actually filmed a video for “Somethin’ Gotta Give,” Outkast fans have been left waiting. All is not lost: Big Boi has been touring the country for the past few months, and he just dropped a new track, “Shine Blockas”, with Gucci Mane. All is not lost.

4.) Lupe Fiasco – Lasers

Ever since Lupe dropped his Grammy nominated album, The Cool, the Chicago rapper has been somewhat of a mystery. I truly believe that Lupe is confused and fustrated. He’s easily one of the best MC’s this decade but he never got the respect from the old hip-hop crowd that he deserved, and the new school’s lack of respect for lyricism won’t help him either. However, as his freestyle rant at MTV’s “hottest” rapper list would show us, he is still hungry, and hopefully he will be out for blood in 2010.

3.) Diddy – Last Train To Paris

This album will either be a game changer, or the biggest bust of 2010. Hyped for almost all of 2009, via Diddy’s Twitter, a Felix The Housecat produced mixtape, and an MTV show, the electro-tinged Last Train to Paris is a concept album, which follows your boy has he chases a girl from London to the French capital. Will it be too European and avant-garde for American audiences? Possibly. Or it could be the next 808s and Heartbreak. It will all be revealed next year.

2.) Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea

After dropping the single Like A Star and becoming a commercial and critical darling 2006, Ms. Rae simply dropped off the face of the earth. The sudden death of her husband last year kept Rae out of the public eye, however a few weeks ago, she posted a video on her site, detailing her comeback. Shortly thereafter she made appearances on UK television with her newest single “I’d Do It All Again”. The Sea, promises to be a deeply personal album, dedicated to her husband, and fitting follow-up t0 her self-titiled debut.

1. ) Sade – Soldier of Love

Yes, this one is a no brainer. I mean, come on, it’s the first album from Sade in 10 years!!!! Nuff said.

It’s good to have a true original back in the limelight. At 50, Ms. Adu has still “got it,” and during her almost 30 year career she has not yet disappointed me. I will be first in line to cop this for sure.

BONUS – Other albums that are eagerly anticipated:
RJD2 – The Colossus
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Radiohead (rumored)

Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos – Shining Down

Speaking of Lupe, apparently he just dropped a new track with his homeboy Matthew Santos. I was wondering when Lupe was going to come back onto the scene because the dude was been making some weird moves lately. Shining Down reminds me of Hello/Goodbye from his last album The Cool, and has more of a dark rock (think Nine Inch Nails) feel to it than the typical hip-hop track. I’m not complaining. Apparently this is a track from his forthcoming album Lazers, which at the moment has no release date. (via TSS)

Hmm…I think I like this track the first time I heard it. Now, not so much. We blogged about Japanese Cartoon, the Lupe Fiasco side project  back in January, and they just dropped the video for their track Army Music this week. Even though Lupe swears up and down it’s not him singing, I won’t believe it until I see it. If it is Lupe, then the dude should drop that British accent ASAP. The video is actually rather dope, but the sound just sounds too damn repetitive for my tastes. I’m still going to keep tabs on this project, however, because I do see some glimmers of hope for the future.

So I haven’t even gotten over my New Year’s Hangover, and I already came across the first Internets rumor of 2009. Apparently some people are beliving that Lupe Fiasco is mascorading as a singer with a bad British accent in a post punk band called Japanese Cartoon. I orginainally dismissed this as bunk, but apparently its gathering major steam in the blogosphere.

The tracks that are posted to the MySpace page are…..alright. Nothing spectacular. Still, if any rapper can pull this off it would be Lupe. It seems like the dude has been dying to break out of the hip-hop shell for a while now and this might be the way to do it. And the dude has branced out as well by signing Chicago electro band Hey Champ to his 1st and 15th Label. Still, I won’t belive this until I get real confirmation.

So, is this Lupe or some aspiring UK shoegazer trying to get attention. As your friends at Fox News would say…..We Report, You Decide? (via DJ Rooftop)

myspace.com/japanesecartoon

Lupe Fiasco, Wale and Kardinal Offishall – Dope Boyz Remix

This is a very dope collabo from Lupe, Wale, and Kardinal, three artists that we have featured extensively on this site. This is of off Greg Streets’ Certified Worldwide Mixtape, dropping Sept. 30th, though it should be on somebody’s album. (from TSS)

Which album did you download stream online today?