The man behind Soul Train was found dead this morning at the age of 75.  He started Soul Train in 1970 and hosted it from then to 1993. The show became an important piece of African-American culture as an entertainment platform featuring music, fashion and dance.  Found with a self inflicted gun shot wound, this news has already shocked many individuals across the United States from all walks of life.  This show featured legendary artists as well as some of biggest acts of this generation before they became mega-superstars.  Not only did the show leave a huge impression but Don himself with his unique voice and parting tagline at the end of each show.

With the two birthdays being a day apart, Quik’s today and Suga Free’s yesterday it only seems right to celebrate these two West Coast artists by sharing a couple of their videos.  Spread the world and make sure to show them love however you see fit.

We posted Will.I.AM‘s newest campaign with Intel the other day and it really showed how far he has come in his career.  An aspiring music artist from the city of Compton is now a full fledged ambassador for a huge technology brand.  Will.I.AM has really embraced new media and technology and found ways to mesh it with his music.  This forward thinking has turned him into not only a world famous musician but a successful businessman.  And with all those accomplishments he is always looking at the next goal as well as ways to help the next generation and less fortunate individuals.  But with all of that said it’s still interesting to see where someone started…this video was what introduced Will.I.AM and his movement to the world.

Long time readers of the source should be familiar with the name Kim Osorio and her contributions to The Source.  Well she has returned to the long standing hip-hop publication and in the video above gives the real about her return.  Check it out.

New episode of GGN and Snoop Dogg aka Nemo Hoes talks about his infamous Dogg Ramen.  Also features a special performance from rising artist YG.  Enjoy.

Our friend RZA was on Chelsea Lately and talked about his headphones and his role on Californication.  As the conversation moved forward a Chess challenge came up and Chelsea told RZA she would beat him.  She’s supposed to download the RZA’s World app for iPhone and get this challenge going.

A sad day in West Coast Hip Hop history as V.I.P. Records is closing.  As of this past weekend the store is supposed to have closed.  If you don’t know about the store just remember Snoop Dogg‘s iconic first video as he performed on the roof of a record store in his hometown of Long Beach, CA.  He also revisited this place in the Welcome to Atlanta remix video with Jermaine Dupri.  V.I.P. Records is where 213 (Snoop Dogg, Warren G & Nate Dogg) recorded their demo that lead to their discovery.  Now think about if there was no V.I.P. and we never were introduced to Snoop Dogg…now you realize the importance.  LA Weekly has more.

Today, the League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF) in partnership with Rock the Vote, launch their first installment of their Generation Next: #UnF_cktheWorld mixtape series. Featuring the work of hip-hop’s hottest underground artists, LYVEF will use this series as a way to educate hip-hop fans about civic causes and ramp up each release to have strong voting messages as we get deeper in the 2012 Presidential election cycle.

First on deck is Detroit’s young rapper FowL, the 2010 Red Bull EmSee Champion who was crowned “Best Freestyler in the Nation” by Eminem. The series was created by LYVEF to connect with hip-hop fans about social and political causes as we approach the 2012 presidential election.

Preview the tracklisting below:

Download Generation Next: #UnF_cktheWorld NOW from AllHipHop.com

“If you like vodka, you should try the Silo Vodka freezer bar!”

-Annie, @ShenANNIEgans

“This weekend, my retired neighbor, who plays in a blues band, hooked me up with an Fender Guitar and amp. Thanks to hours of playing Rock Band and my affinity for Prince’s music, I’ve been wanting to learn how to play for a while. When I knocked on his door to ask for his advice on a guitar purchase and if he could provide some lessons, he let me borrow the equipment to get the feel of it before I make my purchase. He’s already taught me to play my first song and Cashmere staff will be disappointed to learn it’s not a Prince song, but instead Nirvana’s classic track, “Come As You Are.”

-Anthony, @antpooh

“Started the weekend with our Holiday party, then Saturday I ran around the city for a number of events. Two notable ones were the opening of the New Era LA Flagship store on Melrose. I made it in time for the Surf Club performance that included Chase N. Ca$he, Kent M$ney and Audio Push. Hit-Boy was also there to support. The store is laid out nice and sits in a prime location for people looking to shop in various lanes of fashion.”

“After that I ran over to the opening of COLORS in Downtown. Thurzday has a hand in this new store that is directly next to Holy Grail. The hats and clothing here will definitely complement all the shoes you can buy out of Holy Grail. Young Guru (Jay-Z’s engineer) was on hand to DJ along with producer Ro Blvd. The place was packed with fashion folks, tastemakers and some of California’s hip-hop scene. The layout of the store (every colored hat from the high ceiling to the floor) and the color changing sign complemented the name of the store perfectly. I didn’t “Watch the Throne” last night but I might extend that weekend fun to tonight.”

-Brandon, @Eazee

“This weekend I went to Rockreation and rock climbed for the first time without a harness. At night I got together with some Cashmere and Stampede peeps at the new vodka bar in DTLA called SILO for @rodnotrob’s 30th birthday party.”

-Kristen, @tambybear

“Spent all of Sunday having a nice picnic with my friends and Puppy. We went to a new restaurant, Milo and Olive (Delicious- I highly recommend it to everyone) and picked up food for the picnic.”

-Hila, @Hilala11

“I got to DJ for my friend’s birthday party at Proof Bar in Orange County.  It was good times seeing lots of old friends again.”

-Kyle, @KyleDineen

“This weekend, I took my first ever trip to San Diego County’s Viejas Outlet Center to do some holiday shopping, and boy did I come up! From some great deals from my favorite outlet stores paired with an awesome scenery composed of a soaring decorative Christmas tree, beautiful mountains and the largest ice skating rink in SoCal. I was in for a good time.”

-Misty, @LuvlyIzMe

“At church, I’m in charge of the media department, who’s responsible for the video capture and social media updates. Greater Metropolitan MBC starts at 9am every Sunday. Check us out!”

-Shakes, @DJWillieShakes

“Sunday, I hit up the Staples Center to see Jay Z and Kanye’s Watch The Throne Tour. I’ve been to a lot of shows throughout the years, but they certainly had the most sensory overload. Especially, sitting in the 7th row! Here’s some clips from the night courtesy of my iPhone.”

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