My New Setup:
 

This is what I just bought and is being shipped as we speak:

Nady Pop Filter

M-Audio Fast Track USB Computer Recording Interface

Sterling Audio ST55 Large Diaphragm FET Condenser Mic

I bought those for my studio I am building which will be almost an exact replica of Tzsar's..

What all feeling about that set-up?

thats pretty cool.....I'm happy with what i got haha,

Haha yo man I ain't braggin, I'm trying to find out what ya'll feel about that set-up.

I didnt buy a phantom power supply, because I am pretty sure that USB is powered by itself but I am not 100% sure...

I just want comments and opinions and shit..

^^yeah nah man....I have m audio fast track usb and the rode nt1-a condensor and still need the phantom power..it's not about the USB..you got a condensor so LIKELY it will need extra power that the m audio fast track won't have..so I suggest the ART PHANTOM POWER III...dolla

prah pretty much took the words outta my mouth. a phantoms not a suggestion, it's a necessity.

^I hate you lol I needed you online when I was ordering and you haven't been on in ages lol

I was talking to Tszar and thinking it was you for some reason and discussed my whole order with him lol

Ok, just ordered the phantom power III..

So that is all I should need right?

yeah i'm not surprised. that happens everytime i talk to an audio newcomer. i tell em what they need and they always go "well do i really need this do i really need that". then they screw something up and come right back to what i said to begin with.

Newcomer? Nah, but newcomer to actual recording equipment, yes lol

Anyways, so those 4 things and I'm set right?

well im talking audio newcomer from a gear perspective. and yeah don't forget you need XLR cables. 2 of em.

lol ok, with the phantom and XLR cables, that is all I need right?

Oh yea, what was some guy talking about that two mic inputs at the same time is better than a single or someshit...read the reviews under the M-Audio Fast Track USB on Musiciansfriend.com if you're interested..

P.S. Which XLR cables? There are plenty of them on the site, so which ones do I need?

most advice you get online or even in stores about recording equip is for bands. bands where there's more than one vocalist, multiple instruments, and so on. now you're a rapper and all you record is your own voice, do you need multiple mic inputs? nope. instrument inputs? nope. soundcards and preamps? hell nah

keep it simple.

btw, i'd reccomend mogami gold's ideally, but if you can't spring for em, aim for monster.

Straight, what exactly do these cords do besides transmit my mic to my interface?

they transmit the tiny electronic signals from your mic into your interface and they're arguably the most important piece of a set-up. wires can affect your sound (or to state it in a way you'll readily understand, your "sound quality") more dramatically than anything else in your set-up.