Kid Cudi - Immortal

Mr. Ranger is drops yet another single off his third studio album, Indicud. We can expect this GOOD Music release to hit the shelves April 23rd, unless he continues to have issues with his label. Either way, I can't say I wouldn't love to have another Cudder album in my life.

February Mix 13'

No real major albums this month but we still got some new singles from the likes of J. Cole, Drake, Asher Roth, and Chance the Rapper (who's been putting in work lately). Additionally several artist, such as Kris Kassanova, CyHi the Prince, KRNDN, and Dee-1, dropped some respectable projects. Nothing too amazing but still some new music to ride to. Enjoy!

Download February Mix 2013!

Slept On: Flatbush Zombies

Very simply put, these posts will be me paying respect to artist(s) I unfortunately sleep on at first but as I eventually give them a shot, I kick my self in the ass for initially passing them up. Let's hope I keep these posts to a minimum.

This time around I will be paying homage to the Brooklyn trio, Flatbush Zombies.

If you're like me and have waited till 2013 to listen to this group for the first time, I urge you to download their free mixtape, D.R.U.G.S. which dropped last July. They've previously worked with A$AP Mob and I recently saw a THC interview where the production crew stated they were looking to produce some beats for them. That would most definitely be something I'd love to hear.

Throwback Thursday: Digable Plannets - Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like That)

For this week's throwback I've decided to go with the east coast jazz/funk trio. Digable Planets is most definitely one of my favorite old school groups and if their Vinyl wasn't so rare and priced at $300!!!! then maybe I would have this album on my wall. This track is actually from their 1993 debut, Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space) which I highly suggest anyone to buy a copy if they don't own one (I might even possibly slap someone for just merely downloading it). Track 1-14 are straight GOLD! 

ASAP Rocky and Danny Brown on Katy Griffin

So it all begins back when Noisey did a "Back and Forth" with ASAP Rocky and Danny Brown (which in case you haven't watched yet, go watch now! These two deserve their own reality TV show). Amongst their various topics of conversation arises the, "Would you fuck an older lady?" question. With this conversation in place, Katy Griffin's name comes up and both rappers agree they would smash. Katy Griffin finds out about these "Back and Forth" videos and decides to bring them up in her own talk show and states "I would pull a train". Just when you think it can't get anymore odd, Katy Griffin actually books the two dope rappers to come onto her talk show...

J. Cole - Truy Yours EP

Looks like my favorite rapper is gearing up to drop his sophomore album, Born Sinner. In preparation to get his fans ready, J. Cole has graced us with this 5 track EP. Along with the 5 dope tracks, he has written this small note to the music hungry consumers:

It’s time.

I appreciate you giving me the time I needed to grow, experiment, and find the direction for my 2nd album.. And I have.
Along the way I’ve recorded at least 4 albums worth of material, lots of it being unfinished demo versions waiting to be polished up, some of them are great songs and important stories that just won’t make the album (either they don’t fit Sonically, don’t fit Theme, or there’s just not enough space) .

Tonight, I want to give you a few of these songs because you deserve them. It’s hard as fuck for me to keep all this music from you for so long, so I know it’s been hard for you to wait. Thank you for your patience. Vibe out to these songs in their raw form, no polish.. just a lot of my soul..

The wait is over.

Truly Yours,
Born Sinner

PS- 1st single coming this week. The album is hands down my best work yet. Can’t wait to share.


Unlike all them fair weather fans out there (*cough* SAM! *cough*), I support my boy Jermain no matter what he does. Listen to this interview and tell me this man let the limelight get to him.

January Mix! (2013)

Big bear tomorrow. No time. Dope Mix. Enjoy :)

Download January Mix 13!

Big Boi - In The A ft. T.I. & Ludacris

Here's another set of visuals for Big Boi's last album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, where the Outkast member enlists some of the more successful ATleans of the last decade or so. If this track ever goes on at the club, I'm just going to start busting out my own conducter moves. 

Long Live A$AP's Listenting Party

Being that ASAP Rocky just dropped his album a week ago, I feel it's right to boast the rising star some more and show his genuine personality through his listening party. This video clip just reinforces my belief that "that Pretty Muthafucka" has to be one of the coolest dudes out there and that his major label debut is most definitely making my 2013's end of year list. If you haven't yet, do yourself the favor and buy  Long Live ASAP. 

Good Kid MAAD City Production

Over the last week or so I've come across these two videos that showcase the talent behind the production for last year's "Album of the Year". I found them very interesting and entertaining and feel anyone who knows a little bit about what goes into actually making a hip hop beat will feel the same. Truly gives you more appreciation for an album that could stand alone on Kendrick's lyrics.

First, watch the LA producer/rapper, Terrance Martin, (also responsible for Section.80's outro track) incorporate Latin Jazz drums into track #11 off GKMC:

 

Next, watch The Bizness craft a flawless beat from scratch without the need of a sample. This is the intro track off GKMC where Kendrick brings Sherane, his first fling, into the picture and speaks of getting set up:

All we need next is Hit-Boy's "Backseat Freestye":

Now that I have a real visual of Sherane (2:30), I can see how young Kendrick mindlessly walked into that situation.

Hip Hop Quotables: Old Tigallo! Old Tigallo! Old Tigallo

So I just got back from lunch with a home girl from high school and one of the topics we discussed was the male and female dichotomy when it comes to relationships. With this conversation stuck in my mind even after departing with my old friend and returning to my home, I played the one and only track off GetBack where Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh allow 9th Wonder to handle the production (being the first album that the trio turned into a duo). This track I'm speaking of, titled "Breaking My Heart" (ft. Lil Wayne), deals with the opposite gender desires as Phonte's verse is about a woman whos man cheats on her and in return the woman leaves to her mother's place. The song turns into a conversation between the mother and daughter where the mother advises that as long as her man is not physically abusive and does well, then he's worth keeping around.

"Momma was like 'baby now I hate to see your tears, 

but I've been witcho' daddy for 'bout 35 years

and in my day I had to turn a blind eye to cheatin' 

but i ain't never had to wear no black eyes from beatins 

As long as he doin right by you and your kids

How u goan' expect that man not to be he is'"

  

While these few bars obviously exhibit Phonte's lyrical ability and exceptional word play, the line I deem today's "hip hop quotable" is the one below.  

"'Cause a woman's life is love, a man's love is life"

 Wise words from the mother counceling the heart broken daughter.

This line, along with countless other Phonte quotes, has stood out to me for years. Whenever I see these young ladies rushing into marriages or homies just wanting one night stands and B.U.D.D.Y.s, Phonte's voice rings in the back of my head. It's somewhat true that men are afraid to settle down with a woman because of the fear that their freedom is being stripped away. Not saying that men prefer to remain single instead of starting families, but it is definitely a more thought out decision to settle down for the male than it is for the female. Just as Phonte puts it with the line above; women's lives revolve around nurturing their relationships and finding that significant other, while males are more in love with the idea of freedom and roaming the earth without a leash on (arf! arf! arf!).

But remember, "everything ain't what it seem, every lady ain't no hoe and every bitch ain't no queen, every nigga ain't no dog, and every nigga ain't no king!" These are just mere observations made by a young man trying to make sense of this world.