Just Blaze and Jay Electronica have teamed up to give us one of the most compelling hip-hop songs of the year. And I realized this after repeat spins of an untidy version of the track, replete with obnoxious shoutouts. Imagine how much more powerful it sounds after passing through a mixing console en route to iTunes. Hop over to iTunes and help yourself to the final, mixed and mastered version of Jay Electronica's Exhibit C EP right now.

Don't say I never gave you a Christmas present.

Cue the cinematic theme music. Lil Wayne and Eminem, two largely revered hip-hop titans clash on their first real collaboration (no, "Forever" doesn't count) on "Drop The World," a track off Weezy's eternally postponed Rebirth album, due out Feb. 1st. Both MCs seize the opportunity to tout the cachet that others could only envy. Here's my take on Lil Wayne's "Drop The World" featuring Eminem.

Christmas may be in the air, but that doesn't mean that Kid Cudi is in a festive mood. Cudi was caught on tape engaging in a slugfest with a disrespectful fan during a show in Vancouver last weekend. From the video, it appears that the fan had tossed a wallet at the rapper. Cudi then vaulted off the stage and proceeded to serve him a knuckle sandwich. Turns out he was slugging the wrong fan all along. Watch the video below.

• Kid Cudi Attacks a Fan [Video]

From early indications, Common's next album might see him return to the raw emceeing he was known for before he caught the Kanye experimentation bug. For starters, the Chicago native has stated that he wants to do "some raw hip-hop" with his next effort, The Believer. It gets better. He also tapped No ID, the mastermind behind his early albums, for this go-round.

"We did some preliminary pre-production type stuff, and it just felt so good to be working with him," said Common in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "It felt like, "Man, life is really, really good." It's full circle. You meet up with the person who's partially responsible for beginning your career, and you're like, "Man, this is really cool -- that we meet at this place in our lives and our creative journeys and we really are enthused to work with each other."

Other members of The Believer's production cast are Kanye West and Twilite Tone. The Believer is set for the summer of 2010.