This is all new for HulkShare founder and CEO Ted Brinkofski. Like any startup site, HulkShare has run into "downtime issues here and there and random things," Brinkofski says. "This is actually the first time it's due to an existing file." It's certainly an exciting milestone, but not an entirely pleasurable one. "It's really upsetting," Brinkofski says. "We could have prepared for it instead of getting all these complaints from users." There are methods for handling heavy traffic to one specific page—like setting up shared hosting—which Brinkofski says his team could have employed. "I wish I had known in advance, it would've been amazing," he says.

Brinkofski, 21, launched HulkShare in 2009 as a student at Cornell University. As the site has grown, he's gathered an international team, members working from Norway, Brazil, Thailand, Israel, and other parts around the world to keep the site operating smoothly. HulkShare isn't Brinkofski's lone project: He recently moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., to work with Gorilla Leak, a website geared towards finding new ways to support independent artists—especially hip-hop acts.

"Hip-hop is my life right now," Brinkofski says. "I'm just trying to do positive things for the community...people have not been monetizing it properly, so I'm trying to build a platform for the long-term." It's an approach he's focused on with HulkShare: At one point, he had a partnership with social-media savant and oddball rapper Lil B. "I used to sponsor him back in the day," Brinkofski says. "I paid him monthly and put him on the front of the site." There are screenshots floating around online that show Lil B. on the site's homepage, with a word bubble emerging from his mouth: "HulkShare provides the best way for me to spread my #BASED music to my fans through blogs, websites, and forums..."

Wale is hardly the first rapper to use HulkShare as the go-to for uploading a mixtape and spreading it to the masses. Brinkofski says folks like Soulja Boy and J. Cole went to the site for some of their work, and the first link for Lil Wayne's recent Sorry 4 the Wait had a HulkShare URL. All of those pages went out into the public without any issue: For one reason or another, the overflow of users trying to nab The Eleven One Eleven Theory from HulkShare presented the site with its first case of a tech issue known as "popularity."

The HulkShare team fixed the issue by the time I spoke with Brinkofski early yesterday evening. At that point, Brinkofski still hadn't listened to Wale's mixtape: Though he likes the rapper, Brinkofski doesn't listen to him all that much. "I'm more of a Wiz Khalifa fan," he says.

On the Prince-influenced "Love Faces," Raheem's up to his usual tricks, detailing the intricacies of a booty call over a slow, piano-laced melody. Then on the funky "Candy Girl," the vocalist picks up the pace, lending his high-pitched falsetto to a midtempo, guitar-heavy groove.

Jackin for Beats Vol. 2 is DeVaughn's 12th mixtape release. On the first Jackin 4 Beats mixtape—released in November—DeVaughn remixed Kanye West's "Runaway," "Power," and Wacka Flocka Flame's "No Hands," among several other tracks. Go here to download DeVaughn's new mixtape and look out for his fourth studio album, A Place Called Loveland, dropping later this year.

Crazy Rhythms: By now you've heard that someone of questionable morals attacked a Gaugin painting, "Two Tahitian Women," on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the National Gallery of Art. The woman's statement on her actions? "'I feel that Gauguin is evil. He has nudity and is bad for the children. He has two women in the painting and it's very homosexual. I was trying to remove it. I think it should be burned. I am from the American CIA and I have a radio in my head. I am going to kill you.'" TBD has a brief history of crazy art attacks, so that you can gauge whether or not this particular incident is worthy.

Knock-Down Drag-Out: Weezer will headline this year's DC 101 Chili Cook-Off. Notes DCist, "If the potential of listening to 'Say It Ain't So' while trying a whole bunch of chili really appeals to you, there's also the option of ponying up $250 for 'limited VIP tickets', which include 'complimentary beer, soda, water, private port-a-johns and an elevated view of the stage.' Private port-a-johns at a chili festival, eh? That actually might be worth it." No further comment.

Yesterday on Arts Desk: We began our coverage of the D.C. Independent Film Festival with Benjamin R. Freed's review of Potiche, which may or may not be a redux of Catherine Deneuve, umbrella saleswoman. Look for all the Filmfest reviews you could ever want in our dead-tree package, which will be out on Thursday.

Click Track reminds me that local crooner Raheem DeVaughn has a new mixtape and video this week. See the above promo of "She's Single," in which he sings over the warped beat from Lil Wayne's narrative, drug-addled "I'm Single." Also on the Jackin 4 Beats mixtape: DeVaughn toys with Kanye West's "Runaway" and "Power" and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie." Phil Ade and Skillz make appearances, as do, I'm sure, a few more recent radio hits. Grab it for free here, or stream after the jump:

While PHZ-Sicks' previous single was a greasy ode to summery themes, "Your Way" finds the Drexel University student strutting with a boastfulness that would make Lil' Wayne blush. "Stacking paper, green mile, original wit style/You need an idea of fresh, then I guess I'm the poster child," PHZ-Sicks raps.

And it sounds like someone really pissed him off. His second stanza, after a rapid-fire verse from Greggs, references "haters" who can summersault off his, uh, private region. The beat, crafted by Mev of The Renegades, also boasts the shattering bass and trunk-rattling gloss that typifies recent hip-hop songs.

This track ultimately slid off my back. Luckily, you can go here and listen yourself. PHZ-Sicks performs with RA The MC, Lyriciss, Devin White, and others at 8 p.m. Saturday at Everlasting Life Cafe. The cafe is located at 2928 Georgia Ave. NW. Admission is $5.

Guilty Pleasure time: Taylor Swift's angsty teen brand of country is actually kind of catchy–and judging by her record sales, the rest of the country agrees.

Worried about the funding of the Smithsonian with the Republicans controlling the House? Maybe the $30 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will put your mind at ease. The gift will go toward online educational programs targeted for underserved communities.

First 9:30 Club launched its own record label; now Jammin Java. The Go! Team label's first act is DeepRiver, the band of Luke Brindley. Turns out it's a family affair: Luke's brothers Daniel and Jonathan own the Vienna, Va.-based venue.

Lil Wayne will have to wait one more day for his release from Rikers Island. His initial time in the pen was initially miscalculated. I don't know about you, but I seriously have to avert my eyes when I see pictures of him. Tattoos on your face? Who would to that to himself?

And they said a performer would no longer sell a million albums in a week. Taylor Swift's Speak Now sold 1,047,000 copies in its first week out, the first time an album moved at least a million units since–meta alert!–Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III in 2008, and the largest single-week haul of any album since 50 Cent's 2005 release The Massacre. The sales do reflect digital downloads from retailers like iTunes and Amazon. I'm guessing Swift's incredible sales probably have a little something to do with what I speculate to be her core demographic's lack of savviness with BitTorrent and illegal downloads.

Our cheftestants began the show cooking crabs in the quickfire for guest judge Patrick O'Connell, chef/owner of the Inn at Little Washington. O'Connell was among the show's nicest guest judges, offering kind words about even those dishes he ultimately didn't care for that much. Angelo was initially less than thrilled about the challenge: "I had crabs, so it just brought back bad memories." Admitting on national television you've had an STD–that's definitely a Top Chef first.

Despite his reservations, Angelo's crab broth landed him in the top three. Kenny was also there for his crab trio, but it was Ed, with his Thai-inspired crab, who took the win. "I'm coming out of my shell," he said, with no apparent humor.

The gang then packed it up for the elimination challenge at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Va. They were charged with working as one team to create a rutsic, organic, outdoor feast. Um, if they're all working as one team, how is that different from all working as individuals, if someone's going home in the end? In their own attempt to make sense of this confusing charge, the cheftestants paired up into the same teams they'd worked in last episode. Ed rocked the boat, saying, "I'm up for working with someone else." He really wanted to work with Tiffany, who wasn't thrilled about working with Tim again, either. "I'm just looking at it like I don't have a partner," she said of her approach to the challenge.

Kenny, Kevin, Kelly, and Andrea wound up on top for their efforts, but it was Kenny who took home the long-overdue elimination win, for his eggplant curry. "I expect my curries to be hot and my beer to be cold," Tom Colicchio said, and Kenny delivered. Tim went home for his lackluster, too finely diced roasted turnips and potatoes, with random pieces of asparagus. An aside–how great would it be to have some of that spring weather back for a day or two? Everyone looked so chic in their scarves and leather jackets, and I feel like I'm melting when I go outside in a t-shirt and shorts.

OK, if all you non-Top Chef fans haven't stopped reading, here's something for you, too. Big news in the world of celebrity pairings. Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have reunited and renewed their plans to wed, unbeknownst to mama Sarah. Guess they realized they stand to make more money together than apart. Kelly Osbourne has split from her 20 year-old fiance, Luke Worrall. Wow. Didn't see that one comin'.

Curious about how Lil Wayne's faring in prison? Rolling Stone's got the answer. A typical day involves reading, eating, working out, and listening to ESPN radio. Sounds pretty good–how can I sign up?

Good morning!

I really want to make fun of this sale of paintings by Jerry Garcia, set for April 24-25 at the Bethesda Marriott. But it's a benefit for Haiti. Also, Jerry Garcia is still dead.

The Corcoran ended its "Turner to Cezanne" exhibit a few weeks early, WaPo reports, for the same reason I can never get any sleep at night: the temperature in the room was unpredictable.

WaPo's Hank Stuever reviews Treme, the new HBO series by the minds behind The Wire. He says the former has the potential to be better than the latter, but it also has an obstacle to overcome—not the complicated sociopolitics of post-Katrina New Orleans, where the series is set (well, maybe that, too). No, the writers are probably more worried about their that guy problem—specifically, that annoying guy at cocktail parties who says The Wire is the only show he watches.

Lil Wayne's prison job? To keep fellow inmates from killing themselves. Ponder that one.

Knight v. West.

Wilco (The Summer Festival). I swear this blog will never make that joke again.

Morning, readers.

*Above: Witness one of the more awkward moments in the annals of Chevy Chase. Or of Paul Simon. Or, more generally, of Caucasian afropop.

*Seeking to resurrect its hip-hop cred, the Washington Post hosts a poll. The question: Which currently incarcerated rapper will produce the best post-slammer record? The ever-trenchant Sarah Godfrey picks Lil Wayne—both because, hey, it's Weezy, and because he's on Rikers. Which is like the Mount Helicon of rap, or some shit. (Malitz disagrees; votes for T.I.)

*THE DEPARTMENT OF LARRY DAVID JUST BEING LARRY DAVID? The Independent reports that the cantankerous mastermind behind Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm is talking smack about his old collaborator's new show. Is The Marriage Ref actually "pointless" and "painful"? (Probably, yes.) Is this merely an extension of David's Judeo-caustic shtick? (Yes. Yes it is.) Was anyone else disappointed by Jon Stewart's handling of Seinfeld last week?

*THE DEPARTMENT OF VAST SUMS OF MONEY ~ Alice in Wonderland tops $200 million in North America, becomes first 2010 release to do so. Reached in the Dorset dungeon where he winters, Tim Burton expressed pleasure at the news, but vowed that his Wizard of Oz rehash would "single-handedly jump start the global economy."

*THE DEPARTMENT OF SAW THIS ONE COMING ~ NPR Music is streaming the new She & Him.

*Tonight in City Lights: "Mexico 2010: A Vision of the 21st Century" at the IDB Cultural Center