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Love from DaWh@t Collaborators,
Ben, Raph & Anu Continue Entry»

HOW FLY!

As I mentioned in earlier posts #5 to Watch For Curren$y and #3 to Watch For Wiz Khalifa were working on a mixtape and it finally dropped! It actually was out yesterday but I was at Rock The Bells! His the jump for tracklist and download link.

Downlo@d

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Ryan Leslie Makes a Hit

My homie Chris Barajas turned me to this guy named Ryan Leslie. He went to Harvard at the age of 15 and after graduating went to Julliard to pursue his music career. Above is a video of him making his song, Addiction starting with drums ending with vocals. Then after the jump is the official music video of that same song. He is extremely talented and I look forward to hearing more music from him.

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Rashid Hadee - 808s and Hadee

Unfortunately I do not know a ton about this guy other than he produces and raps on all his own stuff. I got a mixtape for yall where he redid the beats from Kanye's Latest album, 808s and Heartbreak, and then raps over his new stuff. I really like it and think you should check it out, much more to come today so stay tuned!.

Downlo@d

Rashid's Myspace

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Emmanuel Jal

Emmanuel Jal is a former child soldier and current musician from Sudan. Jal became a soldier for the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) after his father joined the SPLA and his mother was killed by government soldiers. He was liberated from his SPLA days by Emma McCune, who adopted him and took him to Kenya. While in Nairobi he found music and used it as a way to release all the suffering he had seen and experienced.

He listened to a lot of American Hip Hop, but ended up creating music that was completely his own. His sound is unquestionably African and his lyrics don't compete with the lyrically word play we see from the other (mostly American) artists we typically feature on DaWh@t. Yet, there's still something really powerful about Jal's music and his story.

Jal has a recently released documentary about him called War Child and is working to create a school for children in Sudan to be called Emma Academy, in honor of the late McCune. His latest album, also called War Child, was released last year and features this song titled 50 Cent. The track goes along with Jal's disappointment in American Hip Hop, which he feels glamorizes issues that hurt children, rather than help them rise above them. In particular, it is a criticism of 50 Cent's 2005 video game 50 Cent: Bulletproof which featured him and the G-Unit possee out to seek vengence against those who tried to murder him.

The chorus tells Curtis, "50 Cent, I aint hatin' on ya" though the whole song is clearly a major jab at his principles. Didn't stop Curtis though, who released a sequel to the game last February entitled 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.

Like I said, his sound is so unique and so African that I doubt he will ever really catch on any American Hip Hop scene--be it mainstream or underground--but he is definitely talented, and an amazing story. While you may have never heard of him he has gotten a good amount of attention on the world music scene. He's also clearly an activist, and a speaker for the Make Poverty History campaign.

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Rafael Casal - The Grinch's Lesson in Bay Area Slang

Rafael Casal (a.k.a. Mr.Getback) is a Bay Area artist all over the arts world. He's mostly known for his slam poetry, being a two time BNV Poetry Slam Champion and a three time cast member of Def Poetry. He was recently featured in Bill Ayers' Handbook of Social Justice in Education and co-wrote a Hip Hop theatre piece. It's pretty clear that this is not your average emcee.

His first LP, As Good As Your Word, came out last year, and the newest one, Monster, drops on halloween. All three DaWh@t writers are Bay Area natives, so I just had to post this. It's quality though, so take a listen. Baydestrians, enjoy! Everyone else, think of this as an educational moment. Props to Chase for sending this on to me!

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61xt6en & Townez

These are two rappers from Newport News (aka Bad News) VA. Imma do a more in depth type post later on but in the mean time, here is some real good listening. Hosted by the famous Tapemasters Inc (worked with Kanye, Andre 3000 as well as others) and production from Best Kept Secret (works with Wale among other rappers). Download link and tracklist after the cut.

Sidenote: Really sick cover art!

Downlo@d

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Eminem vs. Mariah Carey

It has been known for quite a while that Eminem and Mariah Carey are not great friends. It has been goin for a while but the beef has escaltaed recently with 2 separate songs. Mariah's "Obsessed" is a response to what Em said on his Relapse album and now Em's new song "The Warning" is a more direct response to "Obsessed". It isnt fair to judge lyricism cause Eminem slaughters most everyone but Obsessed is getting all kinds of air play. Imma put videos after the jump so check em out and tell me who won?

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Brother Ali - Us

Here's another Rhymesayer who I haven't seen too much from in a while. This new single, Us, is off his upcoming album of the same title. This is one more uplifting and powerful song from Ali, and I really think the video helps add to that as well. The album drops September 22nd. Continue Entry»

The Grouch & Eligh - !BOOM! ft. Slug

New release from The Grouch & Eligh featuring Slug. Produced by AmpLive who is also featured in the video. I think all of their versus kill the chorus but it's not bad. You can dowloand the track at http://therealgrouch.com Continue Entry»

New Releases

Just thought I would give you guys an update on some stuff that dropped today.

To my knowledge, the only major release is Fabolous' Loso's Way which I have actually been hearing a lot of good stuff about, I got my copy but I have yet to listen to it. He has tons of features including Jeremih, The Dream, Keri Hilson, Jay-Z, Trey Songz and many more. I expect it to be worthwhile.

But also, my homie Kevin Nottingham's record label released its first album today. Nobody Famous' Order Up! Vol. 3 dropped digitally and while I haven't listened to it yet either, he is definitely someone to check out. He does all his own production as well as rapping on the album. I will post his last mixtape that was intended to hype people for this album, but I think everyone should definitely get it. Another very cool fact bout this album, it is 100% sample free! That is such a rarity in hip hop today (although I do enjoy songs that use samples) that it should be reason enough to buy the album.

Leave any comments, for something I missed that I/the readers should check out!

Famous Productions - downlo@d

Buy it on Amazon.com

Buy it on iTunes

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Top 10 to Watch For - Mixtape!

Having finished the Top 10 To Watch For series, I have put together a mixtape featuring 1 of my favorite songs of each artist (honorable mention and numbers 10-1). In case you started reading in the middle of the series, or missed a few downloads. Hopefully this will give everyone a taste of what each artist brings and make you want to get more of their stuff. Hit the jump for the tracklist, links to the articles as well as a short discography for those looking for more music - leave a comment if you want a download link to mixtapes. This is my first attempt at any kind of mixtape type thing so all feedback is appreciated!

DOWNLO@D MIXTAPE!

HM - J.Cole mixtapes: The Come Up and The Warm Up.
HM - Young Chris mixtapes: The Newprint and The Network.
HM - Fashawn's latest mixtape: The Phenom 2
HM - Charles Hamilton has tons of stuff, my personal favorite is: The Pink Lava Lamp. album supposed to drop 8/25.
HM - Drake mixtapes: Room For Improvement, Comeback Season, Heartbreak Drake and So Far Gone. album out early 2010.
10 - Kid Cudi mixtape: A Kid Named Cudi and Dat Kid From Cleveland (unofficial), album is dropping 9/15
9 - Tyga first album: No Introduction. mixtapes: Outraged & Underage and The Potential
8 - Big Sean's mixtapes: Finally Famous Vol. 1 and UKNOWBIGSEAN - Finally Famous Vol. 2
7 - B.o.B. mixtapes: The Future, Hi! My name is BoB, Cloud 9, Who the Fuck is BoB, BoB vs. Bobby Ray
6 - Mickey Factz: The Leak Vol. 1 and 2, Heaven's Fallout, In Search of N.E.R.D. and Flashback Vol. 1
5 - Curren$y albums: This Ain't No Mixtape. mixtapes: too many to count including 7 in 2008, personal favorite is Fast Times at Ridgemont Fly.
4 - Jay Electronica: Style Wars Ep, a sampler, "Exhibit A" single on iTunes.
3 - Wiz Khalifa first album: Show & Prove. mixtapes: Prince of the City 1 & 2, Grow Season, Star Power, Flight School and coming soon How Fly made with Curren$y!
2 - Blu albums: Below The Heavens w/ Exile, Johnson & Jonson w/ Mainframe, The Piece Talks w/ Ta'Raach. Lifted EP. mixtapes:(So)ul Amazing 1 & 2, Her Favorite Color
1 - Wale mixtape: Paint a Picture, Hate is New Love, Mixtape About Nothing, 100 Miles & Runnin, Back to The Feature. album is dropping 9/22.

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Top 10 to Watch For - #1 Wale

I would be surprised if you hadn’t already heard of Wale as he is becoming bigger and bigger every day (although not quite at Drake’s pace). Hailing from the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia) he has taken it upon himself to gain respect for his hometown. With his single and video now on rotation on MTV and BET he is definitely on his way.

He has been featured on this site before and I even wrote a review of his latest mixtape, Back To The Feature. He has put out 5 tapes total to much acclaim including his concept tape, Mixtape About Nothing which carries a Seinfeld theme throughout. He is personally my favorite rapper of any of the Top To W@tch For. Wale just finished a countrywide tour, which is extremely impressive considering the fact that he hasn’t even released an album yet. I have posted links to the other articles about him so I won’t write much more, but if somehow you haven’t heard his stuff: GET IT NOW! His album, Attention Deficit, drops September 22, 2009.


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His Five Mixtapes in chronological order:
Back to the Feature - downlo@d
100 Miles and Runnin - downlo@d
Mixtape About Nothing - downlo@d
Hate is New Love - downlo@d
Paint a Picture - downlo@d

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Nas & Damian Marley Grammy Museum Interview

Nas & Damian Marley recently sat down with the Grammy Museum for an interview about their upcoming album Distant Relatives, scheduled to come out at the end of the summer (we're looking at early August). You can see them perform live this summer at Rock the Bells. Hit the jump to see the trailer for Distant Relatives. Keep it posted to Da Wh@t for more to come...

VIEW LARGER
The Sounds of VTech / Nas and Damian Marley Grammy Museum Interview

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Top 10 to Watch For - #2 Blu

Blu is the most talented lyricist on my top 10 to watch for list. Every time I find a song with this guy, I am impressed by his verse no matter who he shares the track with.

Hailing from San Pedro, Ca, I believe he will be one of the front runners that brings the West Coast back to every day hip hop discussions and he should not be as underground as he is. He is closely tied with the producer Exile who actually produced Blu’s debut album, Below The Heavens. He has albums with Mainframe, as Johnson&Jonson, and with Ta’Raach, as C.R.A.C. Knuckles. I think whenever you see Blu featured or headlining a song or concert; do what you can to get it. He just recently signed with a major label (apologies, I forgot which one, update to come) so a major distributed album should be in the works.

I truly believe that if he continues doing what he is doing, he will go down near the top of any G.O.A.T. list. He has been experimenting on the boards as well, his most recent mixtape Her Favorite Colo(u)r is produced entirely by Blu himself. An incredible talent for such a young guy, Blu is definitely one of the top artists to watch for.

the C.O.R.E. Mixtape - downlo@d

(So)ul Amazing - downlo@d

(So)ul Amazing 2 - downlo@d

Her Favorite Colo(u)r - downlo@d

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1st Class - The Future of Classic

1st Class is probably the newest group we've blogged about so far, this is their first production together ever. You definitely haven't heard of them. Yet.

Coming out of the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Boulder, CO, 1st Class is made up of emcees Mr. Smith and Sick Sense, and producer Skinwalker. I got a chance to listen to their freshman album The Future of Classic which just dropped. Most of the album makes me want to kick back next to the pool with a blunt and a red stripe, partly because a good portion of it is dedicated to herb, but also because of a handful of made-for-summer beats that seem to be reggae or rocksteady inspired.

As far as the emcees go they both have a lot going for them. I do think Mr. Smith outshines Sick Sense slightly lyrically, and a lot as far as flow. Even where his lyrics aren't at their strongest, Mr. Smith's flow definitely makes up for it. My main beef with Sick Sense's lyrics is that they get kind of generic when he spits about drugs, money and bitches. It's not that they're bad but they don't really distinguish him. I definitely have faith in his ability to go beyond that though, and even when he does stick to those themes he sometimes pulls in surprise lines that are on point: "me and shawty both are homogenous/whisper in her ear for tonight I'm monogamous" (Mr. DJ).

Both he and Mr. Smith step it up again on "Never Going Back," the most intense track which deals with some of the harsher parts of reality beyond the party lifestyle they rep. It's definitely the most unique track on the album, I can only guess what they're going to do next. I almost wish they would've ended with this track (it's the 11th of 12 tracks) because it stops you in your tracks in a way that "The Right Way" and any other track on the album can't. It definitely is a young sound, but it's also a fresh sound. They have a lot of potential and I'm juiced to see where they go next. You can download their singles for free from thesidetracked and can cop the whole album from xcommunicated . Be sure to check out their myspace as well.

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Melanie Fiona - Live Jam Session with the Illadelphonics

Melanie Fiona just dropped a mixtape this past Saturday of a live session she held with the Roots, ?uestlove. This tape is a must download, great music and great vocals! She is a Toronto signer who has had some hype surrounding her as we wait for her debut album.

Originally slated for May, The Bridge has been pushed back to August but this mixtape should keep you occupied until then. Here she is covering other artists' material as well as performing her own stuff. Backed by the Illadelphonics (?uestlove on drums, Adam Blackstone on bass, Randy Bowland on guitar and Eric Wortham on keys).

Downlo@d

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Nyle - "Let The Beat Build"

Nyle "Let The Beat Build" from Nyle on Vimeo.

Nyle is a sick emcee/producer originally from Philly who's been rockin the NYC underground scene for a couple years now. After getting into college he decided to release an album for every year of school. The first two, Frosh and S'more are availabe on his website. The third album JR, he wrote while spending a year abroad in Ghana. This isn't relesased yet but he calls it his "masterpiece", with influence coming from Ghana, the Bay Area (represent!), and NYC.

Nyle just graduated from the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU so of course the fourth and final album is about to drop. Capstone is about to drop, and you can sign up to get it free when it does on his website as well. In the meantime, check out this DOPE video which he co-produced and which was also "filmed in one take, with audio being recorded simultaneously with the film." This guy is starting to get some coverage from big names like MTV, and this video was apparently even featured on Kanye West's own blog.

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Top 10 to Watch For - #3 Wiz Khalifa

Wiz Khalifa, like Curren$y, is not quite as new as the other guys on this list because he has already released an album but the coverage and distribution was not quite on a national scale. Anyway, he is definitely someone to keep your eye on with plenty of new material this year and al album do sometime 4th quarter. He comes from Pittsburgh, Pistolvania and represents them well considering how few rappers from there have reached the popularity he has already.

A very creative guy, the 2008 hit and his most well known song “Say Yeah” features an old dance song “Better Off Alone” by Alice Deejay. He clearly enjoys rapping and seems to be having fun without getting careless or sloppy. He raps about what he knows, be it tattoos, marijuana, or even the leaked photos of naked celebrities. He keeps his stuff up to date and interesting and his mixtapes never get boring, only outdated by his new material. Even still I look back to his old stuff all the time and am pleasantly surprised when I remember how much I like them.

The reason he is someone to watch for because his best material has been released in the last two years in the form of two mixtapes: Star Power and Flight School. From 2008 and 2009 respectively, the production value has increased immensely from his early work (kind of as expected) but his rhyming is definitely getting better too. He brings a real chill sound that can be applied to different kinds of situations, similar to my #5 To Watch For, Curren$y. And in fact, they are collaborating on a mixtape as I write this; How Fly is slated to drop sometime this month (I am expecting it next week but we will see).

I am putting download links to Star Power, Flight School and the leaks from How Fly

Flight School - downlo@d

Star Power - downlo@d

How Fly (leaks) - downlo@d

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Top 10 to Watch For - #4 Jay Electronica

I have already done a post on Jay Electronica but in making a list of artists to watch for, it would be a crime to keep him off. He is a very interesting guy because he is incredibly talented yet seems to not collect on it much of the time. Despite being pressured to make a real album he hasn't put anything out. A single was just released on iTunes but I am not sure it is new, from what I have read it leaked a long time ago. One thing I think is worth noting is that he releases his songs through web forums but rarely are they musical web forums. He has been known to put a link to his new song in a tech discussion (for example) and just watch it spread around the internet.

He is the real deal tho, his lyrics are incredible and his production is always on point. He displays all types of his musical knowledge throughout the different pieces he puts out. I will put a link to the free downloads I have found online but you can buy a couple of his songs on iTunes also.

Stop Sleeping!

Last Post with more information

StyleWars Ep - downlo@d

Sampler - downlo@d

Scratches & Demo Tape Vol. 1 - downlo@d

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Donny Goines - The Breakfast Club Album Review

Coming off a very dark and heavy first album, Donny Goines goes the opposite direction in almost every way for his sophomore release, The Breakfast Club. Minutes After Midnight had to be bought, TBC is available as a free download; MAM was dark and straight off the street, TBC is diverse, MAM had minimal features, TBC includes many great emcees.

Lyrics: Goines lyricism is not his strongest attribute but I feel that there is a very solid performance on each and every song; the lyrics never hurt the song. Compared to his first cd, the growth is tremendous. He is not a poor lyricist but the rhymes that he uses are not always the most complex. Even still, as said before, they do the song justice and every now and then you get a gem such as “if the money talks and a picture is worth a thousand words/then my cd cover’s priceless including the nouns and verbs.” One of his biggest strengths as a lyricist is definitely his story telling. What made Minutes after Midnight so good can be found sprinkled throughout The Breakfast Club. He tells stories about what he has gone through to make it to his point and shorter stories like one of his bad days (Track 16 - Can’t Get it Right). As for the features, Donny completely holds it down on his own but it is nice to hear him work with other rappers from all over the country and build chemistry. This also takes some pressure off of him to write 3-4 verses per song and allows him to focus on the 1-2 and make them better. He is able to hang in there with Tanya Morgan, Planet Asia, Emilio Rojas, A Pinks and many more. Sometimes the feature outshines him but when you work with such great emcees it is bound to happen, and it is not a usual occurrence.
7/10

Beats: With a variety of producers on this album, the sound changes up nearly every track yet I thoroughly enjoy each one. As I listen to the cd, I do not skip over any song and the beats set the tone 100%. I am not sure if he picked these beats from a larger group or if they were designed specifically for him but Donny either: a) has a great ear for choosing beats or b) has great chemistry with a number of producers. “She Likes” and “Oh No” are examples of beats that are very different yet very fitting to his style. No two tracks sound alike. Some taking samples of 80’s pop, some from funk, some straight rock and roll and then as expected there are head banging rap songs on here too. The beats are at different tempos and general styles forcing Goines to step his game up which leads me to my next point.
7/10

Flow: Donny Goines greatest ability is by far his vocal flexibility. As mentioned above, the beats are so different from track to track, that it does not seem like he would have been able to just get in rhythm and spit out a few songs. Not only is the melody different but drum patterns speed up and slow down throughout a song. Donny Goines is capable of slowing up his words and truly enunciating if need be. But he is also equally gifted at stringing words together to spit faster and faster. Although he is not always saying the cleverest words, they always have meaning and more importantly they always ride the beat. He makes it seem like any rapper should be able to rap at different speeds and change their flow effortlessly but unfortunately this is a skill that is not held by all. 8/10

Album Title: I was talking with Anu, and we were talking about how important the album title can be towards an album’s success. She had some insight that I thought was worth putting on here. It is all speculation because we don’t know why he chose the title he did but in reference to the cult classic film of the same name, Goines is capable of bringing together different types of sounds and producers much as the people in the movie were not meant to go together and be friends but found a way. Breaking barriers and stereotypes is very apparent in the movie, but equally seen in one listen of Goines' album as well.

Overall: After a very “one-sounded” debut album it is relieving to hear such a diverse effort the second time around. Both albums are very good but I would have hated to see Donny Goines get pigeonholed into one type of sound and that will definitely not be the case. This album is like going to a music festival: there are all types of music on here and Goines just happens to be rapping on every track. I think that this cd proves that Goines’ potential is seemingly endless because I feel that he could really collaborate with ANY artist out there no matter their genre. The flexibility partnered with his hard work ethic and improvement will only lead to good things. Based on what I have seen: his improvement from one album to the next, the interviews I have watched and read, as well as social outlets such as his blog and twitter; Donny Goines seems to be one of the hardest working musicians out there. I look forward to hearing what he does in the future.
7/10

The Breakfast Club - downlo@d

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The Chicharones

The Chicharones are an underground Hip-Hop collaboration between rappers Sleep of Oldominion and Josh Martinez aka The People's Champ. Together they have released two full length albums and an EP: When Pigs Fly, Swine Country and Pork Rind Discotheque EP . Sleep and Josh Martinez have been working together since a chance meeting at the South By Southwest festival, which led to the eventual formation of the group. Swine Country came out this year and I highly encourage everyone to go out and get it, but in the meantime I'll post a link to their 05' release: When Pigs Fly. The Chicharones seem like two pretty smart guys with great senses of humor (see above picture) and it definetly comes through in their music too. The beats are always nice and the punchlines clever, check em out!

Download

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Hasan Salaam - Children of God

So I know this is a little old (cough cough - a year old) but it's just too good to not be posted. To our credit, Da Wh@t didn't quite exist when this dropped. Children of God is also the newest album Hasan Salaam has released, so this is what you're gonna get.

If you aren't familiar with Hasan Salaam (something he's struggling with--check 15 Minutes), he's a half-white, half-black, black Muslim from Jersey who's been rapping since he was 10, and getting recognition since '04. He sounds sort of like Dead Prez or Immortal Technique, which is paradoxical because what makes those guys who they are is that they don't sound like anybody else. The reason you listen to these guys is that on every track they're gonna have something to say which no one else is saying, even if they're doing a similar thing. Having said that though, I would say he's not quite as militant as Tech. He actually volunteers at local schools in his area and reminds people to "fuck a revolution, first learn how to spell" (History of Violence).

Children of God paints a grim but honest picture of the world we live in today--and not that bullshit world of hoes and cars. It's the world of politics, race, history, poverty, but also love. While super star, musically lacking, radio-played rappers are calling themselves gangstas Salaam points out that "it's overcrowded at the bottom swept under the rug/gentrification claiming more turf than crips and the bloods" (Someplace).

This is one of those cds where every track starts and you just think, "ay, what is that?" Listening to it you can't help but be pulled in--it's not an album to listen to in the background. The truth is, this album is just poetic in every way--lyrically, musically, and spiritually. 50 cent can rhyme a word with itself, while Salaam spits like this: "my mind's been stuck in a state of nostalgia/and memories keep fading like my pops body from fibromyalgia" (Best Time to Pray).

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Top 10 to Watch For - #5 Curren$y

Curren$y, also known as the Hot Spitta or just Spitta, has been one to watch for, for quite a long time. Hailing from New Orleans, the same city as “The Greatest Rapper Alive.” He signed to Master P’s No Limit records in 2005 and left that for Young Money in 2007. He was featured on The Carter II and had a ton of hype surrounding him as he gave genius versus on the Dedication mixtape series as well but as time went on and Young Money refused to release is album he lost the buzz.

Eventually he left the label because he was not a priority and wasn’t getting the attention he felt he deserved. Fast forward to 2008 having released a few mixtapes, Curren$y went on a binge releasing 7 mixtapes this past year a lone. He had to earn back trust from his old fans that had lost hope as well as gain enough support elsewhere to warrant his own album being released. He finally dropped his first studio album This Ain’t No Mixtape in 2009 independently through different electronic sources. And this album does not disappoint, even for the wait.

A very casual and laidback feel, this music can be played at pretty much any time. He always brings it hard and his lyricism is impressive and still improving as you listen to his mixtapes in sequential order. As the chorus of Elevator Musik goes “this is elevator music/ all we do is ride around and get high to it” and much of his music is designed for people to cruise around or smoke too. Being a huge fan of marijuana, that theme appears in much of his music but do not think that all of his stuff sounds the same or that it will get boring. I am just trying to convey the chill sound that comes from the speaker. Much of the time, I imagine Hot Spitta recording his music just lounging in a Lay-Z-Boy.

His biggest attribute is his flow. His voice may be annoying to some people (I have not heard anyone complain, but I imagine some people may feel that way) but I think it just adds to his sound. No matter what tempo the song is at, he effortlessly rides the rhythm stringing together multiple words. Although he has already released an album, I still consider Curren$y an artist to watch for because he is not going anywhere but up. While there are many talented emcees from NO, as well as many popular ones, I cannot say that Curren$y is the best from New Orleans, but he is underrated and is definitely at near the top of my list of rappers from there.

I don't feel like zipping and uploading every mixtape so I am just putting four. Here is the link to buy his album (because I am not giving away music that should be purchased) GO SUPPORT THE ARTIST, he is releasing this independently with his own money.

Fast Times at Ridgemont Fly - downlo@d

Fear and Loathing in New Orleans - downlo@d

Super Tecmo Bowl - downlo@d

Welcome to the Winner's Circle - downlo@d

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New Artist: Life Don and Najea

I was at Venice Beach the other day and there were quite a few rappers out there promoting cds and mixtapes. I ran into two guys, Life Don from Watts, Ca and Najea from Compton, Ca. They played me some of their music and I really enjoyed it. Having received just a sample at the beach, I immediately threw their cd in my car player and listened to it straight through. I was very impressed at the professional production and sound quality (that is sometimes missing from street artists) as well as the general style of the mixtape.

These guys have a real West Coast sound; one that could be found in the 90s but easily keeps up with the times even today as 2010 approaches. Having worked with artists such as Turf Talk and San Quinn from the Bay Area they keep the whole coast on lock, branching out from just the Southern California area. They’ve opened for artists from E-40 to Snoop Dogg to Nelly and claim to have sold over 100,000 copies of various tapes just through word of mouth and street hustling.

Their music definitely has a street feel and seems to be authentic as they are out there making a living every day. Where as artists like NaS, Jay-Z and even 50 Cent may have lost touch with that aspect of their life as they became rich, Najea and Life Don are still here and still represent. If you like that hardcore west coast sound (Ice Cube, NWA, Ice T) then these guys are definitely worth checking out!




If you like what you hear/read then go check their myspace and support the artist!
http://www.myspace.com/knulife

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In Honor

Ive been sitting on this album for a minute now..Just felt the time was appropriate to share with everyone. Thrillmatic is a very interesting effort by Danimal, which mixes two of arguably the greatest albums ever in Thriller by Michael Jackson and IllMatic by NaS, and definetley deserves a listen.

Downlo@d

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What you probably didn't know about MJ...

Sorry to do another post on him... But what you probably didn't know is that Michael was an inventor. You guys remember Smooth Criminal? Remember in the video how they all lean over at a 45 degree angle? Well, if you don't I've embedded the video. Anyways, turns out Michael had a patent on special shoes that he made to make that possible. Yes, that's right, it was done with shoes, not wires or anything. Check it out...

Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion Michael J. Jackson et al

check 3:53 to see the stunt

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Michael Jackson Tributes

Michael Jackson's contribution and effect on the musical world is undeniable. He has served as an inspiration for many artists including Djs and emcees involved in hip hop. I have compiled the tributes that I could find and will link them below with a description. If you see some artists you already know make sure to hear their tribute but I would strongly recommend checking it all out. Defiantely leave a comment saying which one(s) is your favorite(s). Hit the jump for links.

First up, Rhymefest created a tribute mixtape to Michael Jackson back in 2007. I feel that it should be put first because it was a tribute to his music while he was alive and not just in memory. Rhymefest had this to say, "People like to refer to MJ as the King of Pop. I disagree. I think many of us realize he was the King of Music, redefining the way many artists approach their craft; whether it be Hip-Hop, soul, R&B, blues, pop and rock. Please download MAN IN THE MIRROR and recapture his misunderstood beauty."
Man in the Mirror Mixtape - downlo@d

Next we have a song by The Game featuring Chris Brown, Diddy and Polow Da Don called "Better on the Other Side"
Downlo@d

Cymarshall Law also made a tribute track, he said that he wrote it yesterday and that he wasn't planning on releasing it but when he woke up this morning he felt that other people should get to hear it. We are lucky he felt that way, great track.
Downlo@d

FWMJ made a HIStory Remix with J DIlla's music.
Downlo@d

And as for some DJs:
J. Period put together a mix that he says is not a greatest hits or best of, "it is simply a stream-of-consciousness mix of my own personal favorite Michael Jackson records, plus some unreleased rarities and demo versions of MJ classic." He hopes that no matter what you think of the man, you enjoy the music.
Man or the Music - downlo@d

Another mix done by DJ Aryes in tribute of the King of Pop.
Downlo@d

DJ Jaycee gives us a "soulful" mix of 37 tracks mixed together.
The Soulful Years - downlo@d

Finally we have Cookin's Soul Tribute of mash ups featuring Kid Cudi, Eminem, 2pac, Notorious BIG and many more!
Tribute to the King of Soul - downlo@d

Update: One more from the Press Play Show
Michael Jackson Remixed - downlo@d

DJ Premiere TRIBUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Downlo@d

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R.I.P. Michael Jackson

By now you've heard. Yesterday the King of Pop passed at the age of 50 from cardiac arrest. There isn't much to be said that hasn't been said since the news hit, but we wanted to do a little tribute post for him. He may have been a lunatic, yes, but he was also a brother, son, artist, humanitarian, and most of all a legend.

The fact is this guy has been one of the most influential musicians of all time, and there isn't really a way to do proper tribute to him. Having said that, I just wanted to do a short post featuring some of my favorite MJ tracks. Jump to the full post to watch the videos. I've also included one Janet Jackson song that seems particularly appropriate right now. It'd be awesome if you guys could leave comments with thoughts on the icon, your top 5 favorite MJ tracks, or maybe a story.

It was kind of hard to find music videos that I could embed but here's what I did find...







for this next one skip to 1:30 to skip the intro...


and lastly, as promised, a message from Janet...

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Wale - Back to the Feature Mixtape Review

When talking about the new mixtape, Wale called it “a rapping tape.” He said that his early mixtapes were just a young him trying to get heard, Mixtape About Nothing was proving he could do a concept tape and 100 Miles and Runnin’ was him being a little crazy. Back to the Feature is by far the best of his tapes, and does not disappoint any notion of a rapping tape. Anyone who may have been worried that Wale was becoming too pop upon hearing the single for his album (although I was never worried) need not look further than BTTF for proof he can still bring it.

Beats: 9th Wonder! I don’t really need to say anything else about the beats because when 9th Wonder’s name is attached you know it is going to be dope. That being said, I will expand a little bit. I didn’t recognize it during my listens, but I have read that the beats that Wale used are not all brand new 9th Wonder stuff. But that doesn’t really make a difference to me personally because it is not like they are 9th Wonder flops that no one wanted. Even if they come from some of 9th’s beat tapes, they are incredibly sick and Wale alon g with his features know what to do with them. He makes all types of songs by using his guests and choruses to set the tone for the type of song. This tape took a long time to put out, mostly because Wale was touring and couldn’t put the finishes touches on it, but I think that the extra time gave him time to plan it out even better. Every beat is strategically chosen and placed, and while I do not know Wale’s actual reasons, each song makes sense to me too. Aside from the Chillin (Catch vs. 9th) remix, I think that every single beat on the tape is nice and on point. It is well produced and carries the lyrics throughout.
9/10

Lyrics: Wale’s lyrics are what make his music so enjoyable to me; his word play and metaphors are usually clever and impressive. If you listen to his music, you have probably realized that Wale is a huge sports fan; he references an incredible amount of sports and not just the most popular players. I have definitely caught references to NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, track and field, college sports and even ESPN commentators (*cough* Skip Bayless *cough*). I think Wale keeps up his lyricism and proves that he definitely has something to bring to the table in the hip-hop game. I will give an example of some of his lyrics that I personally loved, but there are great lines on each and every song. “The war’s in the form of poetry/ so its straight c4 from the thoughts I bring/ bang! epiphany/ these n****s is gimmicks to me/ I can eradicate a village if you give me a beat/ I’m that bomb when I hand write/ play me for a stepping stone, then, I land mine.” His ability to maintain the metaphor of poetry and words being weapons and war is incredible. He uses double meanings of words such as land mine (getting his own vs. an explosive landmine), all the while rhyming AA for 6 bars then BB for another 2. Not to mention they are not simple rhymes, ending the line with a multi-syllabic phrase many times throughout. And as if Wale’s ability wasn’t enough, this mixtape has more sick features than most people can get on an album. The co-signs from the likes of known greats such as: Freeway, Talib Kweli, Joe Budden, Black Thought, Jean Grae, Royce Da 5’9” and Bun B shows much respect for Wale. He also brings fellow young’uns: Skyzoo, Young Chris, Curren$y, K’naan and Big Sean. No matter what type of hip-hop you like, someone from that style is contributing to this mixtape somewhere.
10/10

Overall: On the song Tito Santana Wale subtitles the mixtape “N****s just be rappin’” and I can definitely attest to that. Wale just finished a tour throughout the US and he hasn’t even released an album yet! As I said earlier, for anyone who was afraid he was becoming too pop, this tape proves he can hang with anyone on the track. I did not go into as much detail on a song-by-song basis because I think that across the board, all of the tracks are great and they go very well with each other when it is played all the way through. This tape has many different types of songs and sounds, making Wale’s different influences very evident. There are pop-infused songs featuring artists like Mike Posner, Daniel Merriweather, Duffy and Yael Naim. But Wale travels with a band named UCB and the impact that growing up in the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) and listening to Go-Go has had on him can be heard on Night Life & Sweatin Out Weaves. Even with “soft” type songs, I think a level of credibility and expectations are met throughout the tape and should be enjoyed until we finally do have Attention Deficit (Wale’s soon to be released studio album). While the album is in no way perfect:
10/10.

Back to the Feature - downlo@d

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Magic Music

I've been considering posting a full length french Hip-Hop album for quite some time now. The only thing that was holding me back was that I was unsure as to how many people would actually be interested, as the language barrier can wear tiresome over multiple songs. However I really feel that Hocus Pocus's most recent album Place 54 is an extreme pleasure for any Hip-Hop head. Infused with the influences of American Hip-Hop and Jazz by way of French Pop and a splash of World music, Hocus Pocus creates a beautiful composition of songs. All Expressing his ideals and opinions on many issues including: the demise of "Pure" Hip-Hop, his Love/Hate relationship with France, the universality of music, his take on a simple train ride and the influence of tourists in developing countries. He even has a couple english language Hip-Hop features to guarantee your not completely lost. I hope you enjoy this album and I would really love some feedback from non-french speakers.

Downlo@d

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K'naan Live at Apple Store in downtown San Francisco

I was lucky enough to get to see K'naan perform live on 6/16. It was an incredible experience because the Apple Store does not hold a lot of people; so it was very intimate and was not the normal concert feel. K'naan performed with a basist, guitarist, two keyboardists, a congo drummer and another fellow Somalian on back up vocals. While he could have just done a few songs and called it a night, he played for over an hour at a free event! It had a very acoustic, very musical feel that made his songs seem less like rap and more like poetry on top of beautiful music. He was essentially doing spoken word poetry over nice background music and you could really feel where he was coming from. He performed unreleased songs/versions of songs along with new and old songs alike. If you get the chance to see K'naan, I would recommend it 100%.
Hit the jump for some pictures and more videos of the performance.

This post is just to give a new perspective at introducing an artist through his live performance as opposed to their recorded stuff. Feel free to ask any questions about the performance.

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Happy Birthday Tupac

In memory of Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 - September 13, 1996)

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Top 10 to Watch For - #6 Mickey Factz

The next 6 artists were, for the most part, incredibly difficult for me to rank. Depending on my mood most of them could shift to any position but I think that the order I am posting is how I feel most of the time. #6 is Mickey Factz hailing from the Bronx, New York.

He started writing raps at a very young age and tries to stay innovative as well as keeping tradition of where Hip Hop came from. The only way I can think to describe his music is by saying that Mickey Factz is roughly what you get if you combined Child Rebel Soldier together into one person. For those that don’t know, CRS is a super group made of Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Pharell Williams who have only put out one track but have much promise. Listening to a Mickey Factz mixtape is like listening to a compilation of those 3 guys, he brings many musical aspects from Kanye, such as soul samples. His lyrics are always on point and he brings a consciousness that definitely evokes thoughts of Lupe Fiasco. Finally, there are tracks where he “spazzes out” as if he was performing over a guitar based fusion beat off of the latest N.E.R.D. album. My personal favorite song by Mickey Factz is a lesser known one called Water featuring Lauryn Hill. I like the lyrics so much that I have been searching for them in a written form. He is just poetic as he compares love and his girlfriend to water and is able to keep it going throughout the whole song building beautiful imagery but without reusing comparisons or making it boring. If ever people doubt hip hop's connection to poetry or art, Water will be one of the first tracks I play for them to defend the point.

Mickey Factz currently has 5 free mixtapes out, as we wait for his debut album (I believe he is signed with ROC Nation right now). I will post links to all of them but I just want to make a little not about two of them. In the beginning of 2008, Mickey began a series titled “The Leak” in which he would release a new song every week, it caught the attention of all the blogs (around at the time) and built a huge buzz around him. He has created two mixtapes from those songs so far: The Leak Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. He has already given us plenty of great music but I know there is much more to come.

Flasback Vol. 1 - downlo@d

Heaven's Fallout - downlo@d

In Search of N.E.R.D. - downlo@d

The Leak Vol. 1: The Understanding

The Leak Vol. 2: The Inspiration - downlo@d

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Strange Journey Volume One

The Cunninlynguists have been releasing amazing music since their debut album Will Rap For Food and their latest installment doesn't dissapoint. Iv'e been bangin this album front to back (including the instrumentals which compromise the last 7 tracks) on a regular basis since i got it about a week ago. The concept behind the Strange Journey albums are the misadventures of 3 young men( Natti, Kno and Deacon). Volume One chronicles their short yet eventful time with an old stolen van and features Killer Mike, Khujo of Goodie Mob, Skinny DeVille and Fish Scales of Nappy Roots, Slug of Atmosphere, Tonedeff, PackFM, Substantial, Mac Lethal, Looptroop Rockers, Hilltop Hoods, and former group member Mr. SOS.
Strange Journey Volume Two drops this September and features Sean Price, Blue Sky Black Death, Bronze Nazareth, Poison Pen, Guilty Simpson and J-Zone!

Download

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Graffiti: Art of the People

Here's a piece from Mark Jenkins done last April in Malmö, Sweden. Click on the images to see bigger versions.

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Mos Def - The Ecstatic

So, the long awaited (at least by me) album The Ecstatic from Mos Def just dropped yesterday. It's a lot shorter than a lot of previous stuff, but a knockout like always. Mos Def, who recently called out H.O.V.A. and Weezy for their "Greatest Rapper in the World" self-titles, comes with one of his most political works yet (listen to "Auditorium"). In fact, the intro to the album starts us off thinking about the historic presidential shift we've seen this year. We also see that influence from his recent South America trip on "Casa Bey" and "No Hay Nada Mas". The work is strong in that it does a lot of different things, but is still able to maintain a unified sound. There's definitely something on here for everyone, and the one thing he doesn't have are those musical rants we've heard in the past from him, which have always come with mixed reviews from fans. So, if you've been a fan of even only one past work of his, I'd reccommend The Ecstatic. Continue Entry»

Top 10 to Watch For - #7 Bobby Ray (aka B.o.B.)

#7 artist to watch for is holding down the Dirty South, hailing from Atlanta Georgia. B.o.B. or Bobby Ray as he is known now is signed to T.I.’s record label and has done quite a few performances alongside the established rapper already. He is currently working on his first album which is to be titled The Adventures of Bobby Ray and should be due out in the fall of 2009. He has released 4 mixtapes, although I really only listen to one, have come out in the last two years giving people a great amount of good listens while waiting for the album.

He really got into Hip Hop in the 3rd grade and that is when he began to mess around making music. Making music was not just writing rhymes though, he also learned the program Fruity Loops and he was constantly making beats as well. At the age of 14, he sold one to Cliti who was a part of Slip-N-Slide Records at the height of their popularity. Bobby Ray is still making beats as well as rhymes, cause he produces most the stuff on his tapes.

Bobby Ray has a very interesting style in which his many different influences are very evident. Who the Fuck is B.o.B.?!? may not sound like your average hip-hop album but that is what I like about it. It doesn’t get boring between a jazz infused track to a straight classic hip hop beat and then Bobby Ray going off on some funk type isht. Probably my favorite song hands down on the mixtape is Lonely People in which his creativity is very apparent as he samples a Beatles song. Bobby Ray is going to bring big things to music because, in a place where many radio hits can sound similar and artists use formulas to gain hits, he brings innovation and originality. He is a part of what hip hop needs, and definitely a breath of fresh air.

I am putting links to two of Bobby Ray's mixtapes: Cloud 9 and Who the Fuck is B.o.B.!?. There are two other compilations that have some overlaps as well as new material so I combined the new songs from both mixtapes into one file and will post that link as well.

Who the Fuck is B.o.B.?!? - downlo@d

Cloud 9 - downlo@d

Other songs - downlo@d

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check this shit out

Pretty sick light photography by Nicki Carpenter. Click on the image to see a larger version.

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Top 10 to Watch For - #8 Big Sean

Big Sean is #8 on the Top 10 to W@tch for series, but I have already written an album review of his last mixtape where I go into detail about his flow, lyrics as well as beat choice. That coupled with the fact that it is Friday means this will be a very short blog post haha.

Big Sean was born in Cali but lived most of his young life in Detroit. Both places have a great hip hop scene so it is no surprise that he has found music and is damn good at making it. He has released two mixtapes so far and his debut album will be dropping this spring. He is signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. music label so he has access to features from Kanye, Pharell and many other great artists.

I will post a link to both of his mixtapes as well the link above to my review of UKNOWBIGSEAN. Something special that leaked today is one of the tracks off his album so imma give you guys that link too. Big Sean is a very impressive talent and I can’t wait to see what he does for years to come.


Family Famous the Mixtape - downlo@d

UKNOWBIGSEAN Finally Famous Vol. 2 - downlo@d

Glenwood feat. Kanye West - downlo@d

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Top 10 to Watch For - #9 Tyga

Coming in at number 9 is Tyga from Compton, California. His eligibility as a rapper to watch for is questionable since he already has an album out but I believe that his new style should count as restarting his career. Also before I start, I must admit that I have not listened to his first album, No Introduction, but I remember the single and it was not the most impressive.

Music runs in the family, Tyga is the cousin of Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes. Tyga actually got into the music business opening for Gym Class Heroes on a tour in 2007. His latest mixtape, Outraged & Underage is a very impressive exhibit of lyricism. He has developed his flow and word play that displays his maturation over the past years. Where he started out as a pop like singer/rapper with lines like “what a mess, but we cleanin’ the club/ice so bright make a fight scene in the club/ don’t test, cause there’s beams in the club…” and the song goes on. Now, while he is nowhere near the top, he has began to use off-rhymes and some inward rhyming as well as heard on the song Cali Love “I’m the one next to best does it/remove your ear plug-ins I never stutter/until now brother my city will now love me.” I am impressed with the strides he has taken and can’t wait to hear his future projects. He has a mixtape that is due any day now, called The Potential and an album dropping next quarter some time.

Whatever you hear his name on, I think it will be worth a listen because Tyga is bringing it on each and every track.


Outraged & Underage - downlo@d

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New WALE Video "Chillin"

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