Is it physically possible for Anthony Hamilton to make a bad song? The answer, my friends, is apparently no. Peep the new single “Cool” from this generation’s answer to soul greats like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke on his MySpace page. New album “The Point of It All” due out Dec. 16.

Here’s “Let’s Just Do It,” the latest track off Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ “Eye Legacy” album due out Jan. 27. Missy Elliot contributes a verse and the beat is ’80s-inspired hotness, sort of like the SOS Band’s oft-sampled and super-awesome “Just Be Good To Me” meets the 808 machine:

http://www.zshare.net/audio/509873876b167089/

Also, peep the SOS Band on Soul Train. This song’s so fierce even Jim Jones sampled it.

I’m talking about Usher’s “One Night Stand” show at the swanky new MGM Grand at Foxwoods on Friday, of course. It was a nearly two-hour performance filled with tuxedos, simulated sex, well-timed crotch grabs, ladies losing their minds, shirtlessness, robes, generous amounts of dancing, excellent vocals, seduction-oriented material, and, oh yeah, ladies losing their minds.

But I wasn’t one of them. I do have a healthy respect for Usher and his talent as both a singer and dancer. But I’m not one of those obsessed fans who squeals every time I catch a glimpse of his pecs. So the long interlude of strip teases and lesser-known, sexually-charged songs was a bit much for me. I like the idea that Usher wants to treat his female fans to something specially designed for them, and his performance of “Here I Stand” as a tribute to loyal fans was touching, but I would have preferred a slightly altered set list.

File it under Nobody Cares, but I definitely missed “Moving Mountains,” “Before I Met You” and “What’s Your Name.” The show wasn’t sold out, which may have had something to do with hefty ticket prices topping out at $175. The 14-city tour ends on Nov. 25 in Dallas.

True rap fan/borderline music snob alert: “The Renaissance,” Q-Tip’s first (released) solo album since 1999’s “Amplified,” is off the hook! If you’re an old school hip-hop fan, or ever wanted to understand what rap music was really about beyond the dumb diamond grills, this album is a must-have.

In an age when new and old rappers blindly follow trends, the witty rap veteran and one-time A Tribe Called Quest member stays true to his style and builds on the jazzy, Abstract Poetic sound we’ve come to know and love.

So thanks, Q-Tip, for reinforcing exactly why I rail against the crap that’s on the radio: Because not only is that crap repetitive and bland, it promotes destructive messages and reinforces negative stereotypes about black people. Meanwhile, “The Renaissance” is an example of what all of hip-hop could and should be: creative, clever, uplifting and intelligent. “So just clean out your ears and just check the rhyme!” Check the rhyme, y’all…

One commenter has raised some good questions that I figured I’d take up in this post:

*Is Busta Rhymes underrated?

My personal feeling is no. I appreciate Busta’s energy level, aggressive delivery and wacky personality. I really felt him when he was part of the LONS camp and clearly “Scenario” is a classic. But in terms of the kind of storytelling that can be sustained for an entire album, I’m less convinced. So in my opinion, Busta has earned the place in hip-hop that he probably deserves.

*Who’s better: Biggie or Pac?

It’s the question that will be thrown around hip-hop circles for eternity. My personal preference is Biggie. In fact, I’ve never been a big Tupac fan, much to the chagrin of close friends and card-carrying Pac worshippers whose sentiments I usually share. I do like certain Tupac songs and I respect his talent, but my lack of a preference for Pac comes down to his production style, which I’m not in love with, his stacked vocals, which annoy me, and what I felt was his hypocrisy — considering that he’d alternately degrade and praise/uplift women, etc. It took me a lot of listening to Tupac to really understand his outlook and appreciate the emotion and honesty he brought to the rap game.

It also took me awhile to warm up to Biggie. Early on in his career, I was physically unable to understand why he was termed the Greatest Rapper of All Time. Personally, I would have taken Rakim any day. As much as I appreciated Big’s rhyming ability, his messages rubbed me the wrong way; I felt that he glorified a destructive, violent lifestyle, and in many ways I still do.

But after listening to A LOT of Biggie I came to appreciate where he was coming from, and even understand, if not totally agree with, the GOAT label (Sorry, LL). In terms of delivery, wordplay, vocabulary, intelligence and storytelling, I don’t think there is a worthy comparison to Big. His rhymes were always vivid and never boring — especially when compared with the mindless drivel that saturates rap songs today — and his funk/soul-flavored production was the perfect backdrop for his tales. Biggie may not have been spreading a message of peace and love, but he was rapping about reality, and every word counted. Listening to disc two of “Life After Death” still leaves me speechless.

So that’s my two cents on those two questions.

D-Block member and solo rapper Sheek Louch will release “Extinction: Last of a Dying Breed” on Nov. 25 via KOCH Records.

The Lox founding member says the mixtape is a warm-up for his forthcoming studio album.

“Yeah man, this mixtape is for all my hoods, jails and group homes out there – all my fans,” he said in a statement. “I just wanted to serve some food while I’m cooking up the main course. My new studio album is coming soon after. Hold Me Down!”

Louch has three solo albums under his belt along with his Lox and D-Block collabos.

A new D-Block mixtape is on its way in February.

I know I will.

Rap’s reigning buffoon has done it again.

In an interview with Toure of BET’s Black Carpet, Soulja Boy gave verbal daps to the slave trade with the following: “Shout out to the slave masters. Without them we’d still be in Africa. We wouldn’t be here to get this ice and tattoos.”

Let that stand as Exhibit A in the ongoing case to have Soulja Boy’s license to rap permanently revoked, a case I’ve been making for a long time now, as evidenced by the article I wrote last year. In response to that article, Soulja Boy posted a MySpace bulletin labeling me a “hater” and commanding his Internet army to attack.

As a result, I received about 300 e-mails from Soulja Boy fans in multiple variations of what appeared to be English. Some asked me how I could have the “ordasity” to bash their fave rapper. Others threatened to beat me down or take my lyfe. Others thought I was, in fact, Soulja Boy and promised me they’d attend my next concert if they could only get a ride. (more…)

I’ve never understood the fascination with Florida rapper Plies. To me, he’s the epitome of the talentless rapper who relies on stereotypes — not skills — to sell records, proving that the dream of becoming a successful rapper is within reach of anyone willing to sag their pants, don gaudy chains, convert their mouths to a diamond display station and form the right connections.

In his latest stunt, Plies claims in an interview with SOHH.com that honesty and lyricism are mutually exclusive, thereby blaming his lackluster lyrics on the fact that he talks about real life while other, more lyrically inclined rappers, don’t.

“Not knocking any of the lyrical artists in the industry but what does that really mean? That means you’re articulate,” he told SOHH. ” I think it means you’re clever but to me I think to be those things… I don’t want to call you a liar but you have to be unrealistic to a certain extent.  You can’t find a dude that’s great with words that its 100 percent truthful as well.”

Ummm, FALSE. While none of us will ever actually know how much of any rappers’ rhymes are made-up, I know DOZENS upon DOZENS of rappers who focus on real life and still manage to be creative and clever with their rhymes. Let’s rattle off some quick examples: Guru of Gang Starr, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, T.I., Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Tupac, Biggie, Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast, Ludacris, I could go on but there’s no need. Spinning real life into an interesting story is, I believe, the essence of hip-hop.

It’s silly excuses like these that keep mainstream rap the dumbed-down minstrel show it is. Sorry, Plies, but this is just more evidence that you don’t belong in the game.

Check the new video for “Don’t Let Go” by local r&b/pop singer Renee Marcou featuring rapper Versatyle.

As you may know from the piece I did a few months back, I was once Renee’s favorite babysitter. Now she’s a budding star and I’m borderline obsessed with this song. Production comes from Lowell-based SureFire Music Group. The hook is crazy!!!

“Don’t Let Go” by Renee Marcou featuring Versatyle