Bill Cosby is going to Release a Hip-Hop Album?

I thought this was a joke when I stumbled across it, but apparently not! Peep the breakdown after the jump!
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By: Jeffrey Hyatt

Well-known for his love of jazz music, comedian Bill Cosby is switching musical gears. In a bid to reach out to inner city youth, Cosby is releasing a hip-hop style album titled Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency.

And while the man famous for pitching jello pudding, Dr. Cliff Huxtable and good comedy is not rapping or singing on the new album, it will feature rappers Jace the Great, Brother Hahz and Super Nova Slam – not too mention cameos by Eric Clapton, Alicia Keys, LL Cool J and others. Even the late Miles Davis is heard throughout the project.

State of Emergency is streaming in full on billcosby.com

“I don’t like referring to the music as clean,” Cosby told Boombox. “What I like is what you’re not going to do. You’re not going to curse. You’re not going to put women down. You’re not going to put the glory of the gun somewhere. And you’re not going to put a whole lot of violence up front like that’s the thing that will cleanse you and make you feel better.”

All 14 tracks on State of Emergency focus on issues that concern young people; Cosby reportedly created the topics to cover for each of the songs.

In conjunction with Ustream.com, the Cosby and the Cosnarati Band will perform on October 19 in New York City in a town hall meeting starting at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT). The town hall and performance will also be presented on billcosby.com, Facebook.com/billcosby, and urban radio station website around the country. Cosby is even taking to the Twitter-sphere: Audience members can tweet @BillCosby before and during the live town hall or connect with him directly at http://twitter.com/BillCosby.

More than just a stock hip-hop project, the album is more a blend of R&B, jazz, pop, funk and rock – and hip-hop. The point is really to drive home a positive message. There is certainly a message that’s driving this music.

It’s no surprise that Cosby has a problem with ‘gangsta’ style rap, but there are hip-hop/R&B artists who don’t necessarily fall into that category, so Cosby should be careful not to let his musical message blanket everybody in the genre. But a positive move by Cosby, for sure, all the way around.

And if anyone knows what ‘Cosnarati’ means please chime in.

State of Emergency will be available at digital retailers on October 20, to be followed by a physical release on November 24.

What do you think about Bill Cosby’s hip-hop project?

For More Info.

BillCosby.com