Photos by: Dan Dealy

On Friday night, Mr. Solo Dolo took the stage for the second consecutive night in front of a sold-out Irving Plaza. With a 16-plus crowd, Cudi let his inner child loose, pulling off his shirt and dancing his way through a high-energy set (so enthusiastically that his pants damn nearly fell down). Early opening act Consequence brought out Asher Roth to help perform its new track “Childish Games,” featured in last week’s Play Count, but it was the headliner who really shook the house. Cudi performed mostly material off of his major release, Man on the Moon: The End of Day, along with a couple throwbacks to his first (and only) mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi. Between songs, the young MC took the time to address recent issues (like punching fans) in a Kanye-esque rant—all while knocking back shots of Grey Goose, and later rolling one up with his Cleveland cohort, Chip tha Ripper, on their performance of “Hyyer.” Check out our photos from the show above, and get a glimpse of the action in our video recap after the jump.

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Welcome to Play Count, the Volume’s weekly mix of the best in recent hip-hop. In this edition, new music from J. Cole, Chip tha Ripper, Gucci Mane, Ayomari and more.

Click past the jump for commentary.

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Eminem, pictured, ranks as the best-selling artist of the decade, according to new stats from Nielsen SoundScan. Marshall Mathers III sold 32.2 million units combined, trumping the Beatles, who racked up sales of 30 million. (The Fab Four still beat him with the best-selling album of the decade, their compilation, 1.) [Idolator]

Khaela Maricich—the Blow—unveiled a new piece of Lindsay Lohan–inspired performance art. [The Miami New Times]

Check out the spacey, slow-motion video for Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” Ratatat, who produced the song, and MGMT, who provided the hook, don’t show up. But Cudi buddies Drake and Consequence do make cameos. [Prefix]

Liars are giving away a free download of “Scissor,” the eerie opening track of their upcoming Sisterworld EP. Grab it here. [Gorilla vs. Bear]

Good news, Jeff Mangum fans. The Neutral Milk Hotel singer has contributed a track to the U.S. version of Stroke: Songs for Chris Knox. Mangum covers “Sign the Dotted Line,” a song by Knox’s band Tall Dwarfs—it’s available now digitally via Merge. [Pitchfork]

Welcome to Play Count, the Volume’s weekly mix of the best in recent hip-hop. In this edition, new music from Jon Hope, Daytona, Consequence, Joe Budden and more.

Click past the jump for commentary.

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It was sometimes tough to spot Raekwon on the stage at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, thanks to the approximately 347 photographers, videographers and hangers-on surrounding the Wu-Tang member during Better Recognize, a Wednesday night CMJ showcase presented by hip-hop blogs Nah Right and Onsmash. What you couldn’t miss, though, was the Chef’s hoarse croak as he fought through an undisclosed malady to present his set before a packed house. “Appreciate me cuz I appreciate y’all!” Raekwon shouted as he beat his retreat some 20 minutes after he started.

Not much of a set, maybe, but it was enough to turn the tide after the crowd had booed Atlanta rapper OJ da Juiceman off the stage following a three-song set stuffed with so many samples of his mentor Gucci Mane’s trademark yelp that Gooch might as well have been on stage himself. It was the only genuinely ugly moment during a fast-paced event with a handful of big surprises.

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Photos by Dan Dealy

Over the past few weeks, catching a hip-hop show at S.O.B.’s has been well worth the price of admission. It seems that the artist on the marquee is rarely the only big name in the house. Above, check out photos from the album-release party for KRS-One and Buckshot’s collaborative project, Survival Skills. The two pulled out all the stops, bringing along Tek of Smif-N-Wessun, Skyzoo, Funk Flex, Busy Bee, Sean Price and Pharoahe Monch.

After the jump, view another slide show, featuring photos from Peter Rosenberg’s Who’s Next Live event with Raekwon. The Chef put on a stellar set, performing both classics and selections from his latest, Only Built for Cuban Linx…Pt. II, and freestyling alongside Wyclef.

S.O.B.’s hosts the latest installment of Who’s Next Live tonight, with GOOD music’s Consequence. Rumors are already flying about who will show up to support. For one thing, we’ve received word that John Legend will be stopping by to guest on Con’s first single from Cons TV, “Whatever U Want.”

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Welcome to Play Count, the Volume’s weekly mix of the best in recent hip-hop. In this edition, new music from Jadakiss, Sha Stimuli, Royce da 5′9″, Consequence and more.

Click past the jump for commentary.

Consequence ft. Rick Ross - “The More I Get”
Queens MC Consequence links up with Officer Ricky for a feel-good tune about hustling and the constant want for more. Cons has always had an exuberant work ethic leading up to new projects, and appears to be back to the grind for the upcoming Cons TV.

Royce da 5′9″- “Taxi Driver”
Nickle Nine gets on his storytelling tip, taking you on a journey with his passengers, “hip” and “hop.”  Careful listeners will pick up the hints in Royce’s wordplay and borrowed flows, revealing the travelers as caricatures of the late greats, Pac and Biggie.

Sha Stimuli ft. Freeway & Young Chris - “Move Back”
The latest leak from Sha Stimuli’s next project, My Soul to Keep, finds the MC hooked up with stars from the once-great Roc Dynasty, including superproducer Just Blaze.

Mike Dreams - “Gettin Ours”
An upbeat tune about focusing on numero uno, while ignoring the ever-prevalent “haters” of hip-hop.

Sir Aah ft. The Clipse - “Let’s Go”
DMV’s Sir Aah brings in talented Virginia duo the Clipse, who impress once again with their ability to catch and flow on any beat.

Charles Hamilton ft. Show Tufli - “Long Socks”
After local rapper Charles Hamilton was dropped by Interscope, his unreleased major-label debut, This Perfect Life, found its way to the Internet. Although the album was overshadowed by controversy over Hamilton’s personal life, the project still shows signs of the talent that impressed throughout his Hamiltonization Process, and has been missing for months since.

Vibes - “Fly”
Newcomer Vibes may have some top talent on the mike (Tanya Morgan, Royce da 5′9″) to draw listeners into his mixtape, The New Generation, but it’s his solo tracks and stellar production from Trackfiends and 6th Sense that make this a standout project.

Jadakiss - “Take Me to NY”
Kiss spits a short dedication to New York. Great as it is to hear new Jada, it’s still a far cry from Hova’s “Empire State of Mind.”

Welcome to Play Count, the Volume’s weekly mix of the best in recent hip-hop. In this edition, we have new music from Novel, Immortal Technique, Consequence, Lushlife and more.

Click past the jump for commentary.
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