By the time the month of October is over, each member of California's rising rap quartet that flies under the banner of Top Dawg Entertainment and Black Hippy will have performed in or around Orange County. Kendrick Lamar, Ab Soul, and Jay Rock are coming to play The Fox Theater in Pomona and Schoolboy Q is joining ASAP Rocky and Danny Brown for their sold-out tour stop at the Observatory in Santa Ana. In case you haven't kept your finger on the pulse of what's buzzing and blowing up in today's hip-hop, or can't be bothered to drift between blogs, we've compiled the five strongest representations of the new sound TDE is bringing to hip-hop. Rest easy, Californians, we can be very, very proud about the lyricists we're producing nowadays. There's a rap renaissance going on, and TDE is at the center of it.

*Top Five Worst Places to Get Your EDM News

*Top Five Long Beach Dive Bars

[Editor's Note: Every Friday, our resident record store expert Michael Chin checks in with his weekly report of what the hell people who still buy records at local shops are listening to.]

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*The Hives - The Observatory - September 11, 2012 [w/ VIDEO]
*Top Five Hits: Left of the Dial in Seal Beach
*Top Five Hits: Creme Tangerine in Costa Mesa

Bring on the indie! Last time we checked in with Fingerprints, 420 E. 4th Street in 
Long Beach, (562) 433-4996, they were all about the '90s with top sellers like Fiona Apple, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Offspring. This time they've moved a decade into the future, bringing late 2000s and new indie hits to the game.

[Editor's Note: Every Friday, our resident record store expert Michael Chin checks in with his weekly report of what the hell people who still buy records at local shops are listening to.]
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*Five Unexpected Cover Songs from the Insane Clown Posse
*Top Five Hits: TKO in Fountain Valley
*Top Five Hits: Second Spin in Costa Mesa

Always a pleasure to hear from Parker Macy of Creme Tangerine at the Lab, 2930 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, (714) 932-0552. The top spot this week yet again goes to a bunch of four nobodies from the U.K.

[Editor's Note: Every Friday, our resident record store expert Michael Chin checks in with his weekly report of what the hell people who still buy records at local shops are listening to.]

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*Hank III, Grandson of Hank Williams, Has His Own Punk-Rock Approach to Country
*Top Five Hits: Second Spin in Costa Mesa
*Top Five Hits: Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach

This week we've got a lot of hardcore punk (per usual) from TKO Records, 18948 Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley, (714) 962-0500. The top three out of five go to TKO reissues, limited edition color vinyl that you can only get from TKO themselves. Grab 'em while the grabbing's good!

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*Top Five Acts You Can't Miss at Rock the Bells
*Top Five Hits: Vinyl Solution in Huntington Beach
*Top Five Hits: Pepperland Records in Orange

For this week, we got in touch with Second Spin, 1781 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8870. This week's top seller might be the first rap album to beat out the rest... It's about damn time.

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*House of Campaign - Five Rap Songs Looking For Your Vote
*Top Five Hits: Pepperland Records in Orange
*Top Five Hits: Bionic Records in Fountain Valley

Here are the top fivers for Vinyl Solution, 18822 Beach Boulevard #104 in Huntington, (714) 963-1819. This week, Vinyl's been selling a lot of music from a certain OC music veteran, and I bet you can't guess who. (Hint: he was also on top at Vinyl the last time I called them, just about a month ago.)

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*Going for the Gold: Top Five 2012 Rap Songs to Inspire Our Olympic Team
*Top Five Hits: Bionic Records in Fountain Valley
*Top Five Hits: Burger Records in Fullerton

This week, we got a top five report from Josue at Pepperland Music, 850 N. Tustin St. in Orange, (714) 639-0909. Not surprisingly, there's an overwhelming amount of '60s and '70s rock on this week's list (the store's logo should've given that away), with the lead spot going to a bunch of moptops you've probably never heard of.