I'm a big fan of when companies with money leverage marketing ploys to support real artists financially. Here for example, Adult Swim gets Kia to sponsor 8 downloadable tracks from cool folks, including a never-before-released Madvillain track (that's DOOM + Madlib in case you were just born). This new joint is everything you loved about that Madvilliany. Propers to everyone involved in getting this to my ears.
Check out "Papermill" here.
If you like Tanya Morgan, you'll definitely be feeling this; not because they sound similar, but because they work toward the same standard of quality and use a lot of classic hip hop elements, like the R&B singer intro (see: "Daytona 500"), for example - or rapping using real words strung together in sentences.
When I first saw their name, I worried that it would be riding the Cool Kids' jock, but these guys come correct with their own thing. They're from Houston, but one of the MCs hails from Queens. The end result of the aforementioned geographical diversity is a style that melds Houston's unique branch of Southern style with some classic NYC sensibilities. Check out the cut "Not At All".
If you dig, go download their new EP called The Green Roomfor free here.
Dres of Black Sheep pulled together the old Native Tongues crew (including Q-Tip, Dave from De La and Mike from the Jungle Bros.) for this new cut called "Birds of a Feather." It's smoother than the hand full of pick up lines that actually work. Check it out.
Dres' new album From the Black Pool of Genius is out June 29.
Just take a deep breath and marinate on this hazy groove, a lost and found track from Flying Lotus that he dropped seemingly at random, unrelated to any sort of album or whatever. Thanks for sharing.
Here's a party banger for the summer. Atlanta's FKi are making some moves down South. If you missed their Blue Steel 2.0 mixtape a few months ago, definitely find a copy of that. Creative production, fun and some Zoolander references, how can you go wrong?
They just dropped this new song "Red Cups"
In honor of Mother's Day, we'll be kicking off the evening with selections from some vinyl appreciating ladies, which will be followed by a mish mash of regulars and a couple new faces as well. As always, the music will be eclectic to say the least. Last time we touched on everything from obscure NC post punk from the early 80s right up through glitch and dubstep, with pit stops for funk, soul, hip hop, traditional Japanese koto records and a few books on record...This Sunday (5/30), from 5-10pm at Indigo Arts (703d Louisville Rd - 1 block west of MLK and Liberty).
In the ongoing series of remixes known as the 38th Chamber, all sorts of folks are going in over the El Michels Affair versions of classic Wu beats.
Check out "Trifect Your Neck" which does a nice job of paying homage. Check out whoever is ripping where Method Man's verse was. He's got the cadence spot-on. I've never heard of any of the guys on this track, but it's impossible to keep up with all these underground rappers now that the internet is around.
Desoto Strut is back and more rocking than ever. This 1st Saturday regular has established itself as one of the best places to get a taste of what's going on artistically around town, and now begins to branch out. Starting 2 hours earlier and bringing on a gang of local rock n roll as well.
This 20 year-old beatsmith hailing from L.A. is on his way to big things. This is a new track off his upcoming "Camping" EP that will be out on Friends of Friends in mid-June. It's got that stuttering west coast beat vibe, but keeps it pastoral. Can't wait to check out the rest of the EP. Birthday Beat - Shlohmo - Camping EP by FoFMusic
Nothing lasts forever. Although, change the suffix to -ster, add some spandex and trade SF for Brooklyn, and maybe things have only changed aesthetically.
Bob Dylan's birthday is May 24, and the old so-and-so turns 69 this year. To honor the occasion, curator of Savannah's Psychotronic Film Society, uber-collector, and rock geek par excellence Jim Reed will be hosting a Bob Dylan marathon at Indigo Arts (703 D Louisville Rd. - a block west of MLK and Liberty).
Jim will screen 6 hours worth of rare and unreleased footage of Dylan - interviews, concerts, etc - from 5-11pm on May 23. Folks can come and go as they please, and he will have schedules available so you can plan on when to leave for dinner and a smoke break without missing what you want to see. This will be something special.
Jim's been compiling rare video for the better part of 28 years, so whatever he decides to show is going to be good, and you won't see it anywhere else. He broke out a super rare James Brown concert from Paris in '71 for last year's Urban Arts Festival. Here's a link to the Facebook event with more info.
Mixtape king pin Mick Boogie puts his stamp on this Southern. Check out "Doeknots", "Who You Know" and "Love My Music". They've got some nice verses, not the top of the vocal game, but it's time to ride for the summer, not get introspective with winter music. They're gonna need to step up their hooks before they really catch on. The slow jam is "Across the Water", which flips a Sade sample that is gonna have Polo blowed because Swag just wrapped up a beat with a similar handling of that (more drums though).
Maybe you wore out your copy of Version too long ago, and are jonesing for some Mark Ronson, well itch your neck no longer, because here's that fix.
More epic instrumental 80s proto-hip-hop-electro, and less Dap-King-fueled-hip-hop-soul-pop, than some of his previous endeavors. Check out the break at 2:35, which is some sweaty b-boy action. The video is on some throwback Nintendo/Zelda stee. While we're on the subject of Zelda, does the video game unfairly step on the territory of F.Scott's wife?
Oddisee is, without a doubt, one of the hottest things going in the underground hip hop world right now. He's been doing these seasonal releases for a little minute now. I think I posted Odd Autumn and Odd Winter back when they were seasonally appropriate, so here's Odd Spring. It's a nice collection of some odds and ends from around his lab. A couple of beat snippets, some instrumentals and a couple of full on tracks.
From the man himself:
"The "Odd Seasons" series was a way for me to be creative for no reason other that creativity. That's why they've been free releases. In order to remind my self why I do music."
If you're looking to get your summer jams up, hosting a pool party, or looking for a track to put on the new Oceans 11, 12, 13 sequel soundtrack, then here it is. This saucy Brit named Diesler just got his island vibe on for you.
Check out "Deepest Cuba"
His album "Tie Breakers" is out June 4.
I like these guys. Their first album was dope. They fit into the same musical realm as old Hot Chip - the first two albums, not the more recent stuff. The music is like sentimental club jams. It's not upbeat enough to blow up the dance floor (unless you like shuffling around and flailing like a Teutonic goth), but it might be a little to much for a lounge set. Whatever it is, it's good.
Check out their new tune "Forget Me Not."
This is a nice little remix from Philly's one and only Diplo. I have no frame of reference so far as what the original sounds like, but I doubt I would like it as much as I like this. Heavy and the subs and the skittering drums, it walks the line between dubstep and the dirty south.
"P.O.N." will be on the new Nappy Roots album, Pursuit of Nappiness, which is out 6/15. It also appeared on the 808 Experiment Vol. 2 from ATL's SMKA, who were responsible for the beat.
If you missed it, grab a copy of the compilation here. It's a veritable buffet of new Southern talent, with the exceptions of Nappy Roots, who've been around for a good minute now, and Tanya Morgan, who aren't really from the South.
This is what's up in these skreets. C.C.B. been doing their thing since those boys were about 14 - wearing custom gear and rocking parties. This is their first video that I know of, and it's pretty hot. The song has been getting radio plays for a minute, but I'm glad to see they freshened it up with the visuals.
This man Basik Lee decided that breaking and rapping just weren't enough and started messing with some decks. You can definitely catch him spinning at a few spots around Savannah with Valis and the rest of the Dope Sandwich Crew - Bacchus, Hang Fire, etc - and of course, you can always catch him hosting hip hop night at the Jinx every Tuesday.
Anyway, while tipping back a margarita in honor of Mexican Independence earlier, he casually unleashed this mix, the first in a series that he's planning to turn out over the summer.
In the moment, I think I described it as something that would fit perfectly for a slightly hung over ride out to the beach. It opens smooth with some Lauryn Hill and then rolls through a bunch more stuff I hadn't heard in too long, nothing too fancy on the technique, but some nice mixes and plenty of hip hop gems.
This new Big Boi video is something. A cameo from George Clinton and Too Short, a bland club beat, and yet somehow Daddy Fat Stacks straight rips the verses. Ain't that some shit.
