The summer of hip-hop

It only took 33+ years, but with my first rap/hip-hop concert finally under my belt, I got to thinking how much of that goodness I listened to this summer. Even with quality releases from The Black Keys, the National, Arcade Fire, Ray LaMontagne and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, I still found myself listening to more and more rap and hip-hop. And it was hard not to, with Eminem, the Roots, Big Boi, Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek) and Janelle Monae dropping some serious bombs this summer. My favorite cuts? Start with a litle "No Love" by Eminem and Lil' Wayne, add a dash of Big Boi's "Tangerine"(featuring T.I. & Khujo Goodie) with a twist of Janelle Monae & Big Boi's "Tightrope" and you have the beginning of a sweet ass good time.

Not yet... but it's getting close!

The most heartening time of year in the northern climes is when the earth nods toward the sun, the temperature spikes, and the streets fill with women sprung from the prison of bulky winter clothes. Ignore the calendar; the appearance of the sundress marks the first day of summer. The little black dress, the miniskirt, the belly shirt all deserve praise. But the sundress - so strappy, so revealing, so sexy - fairly sings of warmth and possibility. The ladies enjoy it too. "Women jump at the first chance to put one on," says my fiancee, who looks both tart and sweet in the lemony yellows she prefers. "They've been waiting and waiting all winter." As have we. Gentlemen, the wait is over.

- Larry Smith, Men's Health