Category Archives: hip-hop
Mos Def: Supermagic (video)
Mos Def’s The Ecstatic was one of the few hip-hop albums I really connected with this year, and the leadoff track, Supermagic, is a highlight — even if the song’s producer, Oh No, simply recycled the sample/beat from his own track Heavy off the 2007 album Dr. No’s Oxperiment.
No matter, though. Mos gives the production a worthy lyrical complement, and the newly released video is a no-frills affair, keeping the attention focused squarely on the song itself.
New Souls of Mischief: Proper Aim
It will be hard to listen to the new Souls of Mischief album, Montezuma’s Revenge (due out on Tuesday), without letting nostalgia cloud my vision. There was a time, in the mid 90s, when the Hieroglyphics site ruled my Internet habits. Mostly, I visited the Hiero Hoopla forum, eager to swap dubbed cassettes of unreleased tracks, freestyles and such (many of which I still have). Basically, it was my introduction to social networking before we knew what social networking was.
That said, I’m a Hiero fanboy at heart. And Souls of Mischief’s classic 93 ‘Til Infinity was my introduction to the crew. It was their blessing and curse to set the bar so high on their debut (see also, Nas) – no subsequent release has matched the vibrance and relevance of 93 ‘Til Infinity.
That brings up Montezuma’s Revenge, the group’s first album in almost 10 years and produced entirely by the inimitable Prince Paul (cool of Souls to include him on the cover art). Fifteen years ago, this pairing would have sent me in a tizzy and, deep down, I’m pretty excited about the potential. But my expectations are a little more realistic, a little more grounded. I like to allow myself to be pleasantly surprised, and Proper Aim – the first single off the new album – is doing that. Prince Paul drops a bass hook over a minimalist beat and pretty much gets out of the way to let Souls carry the show. I’m not ready to say this is the best thing they’ve done since 93 ‘Til Infinity, but I’m not willing to write it off either.
RJD2 (feat. Blueprint): Wherever
With the announcement of his own label, the release of a box set and a new album likely on the way soon, RJD2 has been wisely ramping up his online presence, cutting out the middle man and bringing goods to the people directly.
In his latest “Monday Madness” giveaway, RJ offers an unreleased track called Wherever, featuring his Soul Position partner Blueprint, who turns in an acrobatic verse over a pretty complex and unorthodox beat by RJD2.
Elsewhere, Weiss explores RJ’s Tin Foil Hat EP, in which our hero appears to distance himself from a (hopefully) short-lived foray into singing.
And while we’re at it, Blueprint and Illogic – together known as Greenhouse – released a free EP on Tuesday on Weightless called Electric Purgatory Part One.
Nick Andre + E Da Boss: Demonstration mixtape
Nick Andre has spent the past couple years working on the indie-electro duo City Light and touring with Her Space Holiday, but his background remains true to hip-hop. He’s a DJ/producer and co-founder of Slept On Records, having working closely with biggies from the Quannum and Living Legends crews.
After writing a post on the Pharcyde for my I Used to Love H.E.R. series, Andre kept in touch, asking if I wanted to premiere a mix he and his partner E Da Boss (Gift of Gab’s DJ) were cooking up. Naturally, I said yes.
And here we have the finished product: A fresh, 18-minute mix of soul, funk and hip-hop vibes that includes a snippet from the great O.C. song Time’s Up: “I’d rather be broke and have a whole lot of respect.”
The mix is called Demonstration and Andre says it will be followed by a series of singles in the spring featuring Gift Of Gab, Z-Man, Jern Eye and more.
- Nick Andre and E Da Boss | Demonstration (18:12, 16.7 MB)
Kidz in the Hall: The Grizzly Man
(Two Weeks sample)
It seemed like just a matter of time before Grizzly Bear’s precious Veckatimest was mined for sampling purposes. Unless I missed something, looks like Kidz in the Hall won the race to be first.
As part of a free EP coming out on Dec. 8 — Professional Leisure Tour — Naledge and Double-O tap the fairly obvious choice, Two Weeks, for a track called The Grizzly Man.
Piggybacking on Grizzly Bear’s wave of popularity is a smart idea, if not a little forced. Naledge’s rhymes sound a little clunky over the sped-up tones of the familiar piano loop. But Double-O makes great use of the vocal hooks an an intro and bridge between verses.
(via OnSmash)
Related:
New Kidz in the Hall: Flickin’
Video: Kidz in the Hall fight in Tempe
Blakroc (feat. Mos Def): On the Vista
From the previously discussed Blakroc project, which pairs the Black Keys with assorted hip-hop artists, the first leaked track has made its way around the Internets.
On the Vista features Mos Def rhyming over an intermittent wailing guitar line before he closes the track on some poetry-style talk-singing. The album is due out on Nov. 27 – “Black Friday.”
(via Spine Magazine)
Meanwhile, check the latest Webisode of the album’s recording, featuring the inimitable Pharoahe Monch pushing his creative juices along with the help of some fine spirits.
Quarterbar: Sweet Burger Sandwich
Quarterbar, one-half of the excellent electronic/hip-hop duo Meanest Man Contest, has put together a new EP of beats culled from 2003-05. Straight vintage, I tell you.
The eight-track collection is called Sweet Burger Sandwich, and Sneakmove is hosting the whole damn thing – individual mp3s and a zip file of the EP.
ZIP: Quarterbar | Sweet Burger Sandwich
And if you want more Quarterbar beats, you can check out his secret stash of remixes.
k-os: I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman (video)
In February, I posted a k-os video for the song 4 3 2 1 — a response to his friend Feist’s 1, 2, 3, 4 — and mentioned the album it comes from, Yes!, would be released in March. But no, Yes! didn’t come out in March.
Instead, it’ll be released on Tuesday in the U.S. after getting an April unveiling in his home country of Canada.
Prefix has some praise for the record — ” … an album full of single-worthy cuts” — and the video for the third single, I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman, featuring fellow Canadians Saukrates and Nelly Furtado.
If you haven’t already been hooked by k-os’ Sunday Morning from 2006’s Atlantis: Hymns for Disco, then Natalie Portman might do the trick, another track showcasing his ability to effortlessly meld pop and hip-hop vibes.
I Used to Love H.E.R.: Van Pierszalowski
(Port O’Brien)
The 44th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R., a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from singer Van Pierszalowski of Oakland-based indie-folk band Port O’Brien, which just wrapped up a seven-week tour in support of its excellent 2009 album Threadbare. Having talked to Pierszalowski at the band’s recent Phoenix show, I can tell you his enthusiasm for Lil Wayne is absolutely sincere.
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
(Cash Money, 2008)
In my view, this is quite obviously one of the finest records of any genre of the decade. I’ve listened to it non-stop since it came out, and I’m still discovering things. It’s so dense, in a good way. I first heard “A Milli” on the radio before the album came out, and I hated it. I just thought it was annoying and lacked any sort of hook. After I fell in love with the more easily accessible singles and bought the album, that song all of a sudden made sense, which is the sign of a good record. The record is just littered with amazing lyrical moments. The part that hit me first might have been “I got Summer hatin’ on me cause I’m hotter than the Sun. Got Spring hatin’ on me ’cause I ain’t never sprung. Winter hatin’ on me ’cause I’m colder than y’all. And I would never, I would never, I would never fall.” Another thing I love about this record is how Weezy can also just be hilarious as fuck.