Pusha T proves he is one of hip-hop's most skillful lyricists on his debut album, "My Name Is My Name."

The rapper is hardly new. He rose to prominence as half of the grimy rap sibling duo the Clipse, whose music played out like the soundtrack to "The Wire." On "My Name is My Name," Pusha T once again mines his past in the dope trade for material.

Rapping about slinging drugs is hardly a new topic, and some would say it's a tired one. But Pusha T's storytelling, imagery, and superb rap skills make it worth hearing from his vantage point.

Unfortunately, Pusha T's lyrical brilliance gets dragged down by the extraneous elements of the "My Name is My Name." The 12-track album features appearances from Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Future, Young Jeezy and Kelly Rowland, but suffers from unimpressive production.

Kanye West and Swizz Beatz fail to pull the life out of Brown's voice on the mediocre track, "Sweet Serenade." ''S.N.I.T.C.H." is a compelling story about a friend looking to rat on someone, hoping to be freed from jail, but the music on the Pharrell Williams-produced track doesn't hold up.

There are some bright spots. On "Nosetalgia," Pusha T and Kendrick Lamar take turns recounting life before stardom, while the impressive Ross-assisted "Hold On," features West harmonizing. "Who I Am" with 2 Chainz and Big Sean, and the Pharrell-produced "Suicide" featuring Ab-Liva are also enjoyable listens.

In all, Pusha T puts on a strong performance. But the patchy production is what prevents "My Name" from being considered as one of the top hip-hop albums of the year.

idi-f?xfm?i? ??? s New Roman";color:#333333;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB'>McCartney was energetic with the students, most of whom were a bit nervous when they asked questions.

One sophomore asked why McCartney decided to continue being a musician after all of his successes.

McCartney said people frequently ask him, "Can you just retire?"

"I say, 'Thank you very much. No,'" he said.

He added that he could be home watching TV but he'd rather be with the students and performing on stages.

Bennett, who attended the event, launched the school in Queens in 2001. McCartney talked about funding and updating the Liverpool school he and George Harrison attended.

"I used to say that half of the Beatles went to that school," he said to laughs.

McCartney also told the crowd on Wednesday, which would have been John Lennon's 73rd birthday, that he connected with Lennon through songwriting.

"We weren't trained," he told the teenagers. "You guys have an advantage."

McCartney ended the day with inspiration to the arts students: "You rock on. You be great."

The event will stream on Yahoo! and across Clear Channel's classic rock, classic hits, oldies and adult contemporary stations Monday at 9 p.m.