The piano driven track plays more like a mission statement than a song. And Macklemore is as personal and honest as ever, and Ryan Lewis adds a brilliant instrument-based beat. I'm assuming this along with "Can't Hold Us" "Wings" and hopefully "My Oh My" will appear on the duo's upcoming album, which they hope will be released before the year's end. Obviously it will be one of the best albums of 2011 if it does get a Q4 release.
Macklemore & Ryan recently announced a new tour and again they will be hitting up The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor once again. The last time Macklemore was in Ann Arbor, he put on the most incredible show I've ever seen, without a DJ because RyLew was in Ireland.
The good folks at Duck Down Records have been putting out quality releases all year. And now here's your chance to get 5 quality albums (and a bonus poster and flash drive full of digital versions of the music) for only $55. Get your copy here.
Duck Down Season Pass
Order the Duck Down Season Pass & for only $55 you'll receive 5 of the latest Duck Down albums + a custom Duck Down Running Man logo 2GB zip drive.
Fans that purchase the season pass will receive a download link one week in advance for 9th Wonder & Buckshot's album, The Solution, in stores everywhere October 25th. The download link will also contain digital album artwork + 9th Wonder & Buckshot videos from the album. You will also receive an artist signed 11 x 17 Season Pass poster.
Included in this deluxe package is:
Pharoahe Monch 'W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)' - CD
Random Axe - CD
Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun 'Monumental' - CD
Black Rob 'Game Tested, Streets Approved' - CD
9th Wonder & Buckshot 'The Solution' (Out October 25th) - MP3 Download
Custom Duck Down Zip Drive (2GB)
Here are some samples of the music they've released this year:
After months of filming, editing, and raising money on Kickstarter, the boys Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have finally released their music video for their up-coming album's lead-single, "Wings."It is currently on the front page of XXL's website which is impressive, and hopefully will get them more exposure. This video is as powerful as the song, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis continue to impress me more and more. Word is they are about to released a new track from their album soon.
Finally after a long wait after the leaked snippet and a brief delay (presumably due to Common switching labels) the Nas-Common collaboration has been released by Common himself. Common sounds hungry again, and his upcoming album, The Believer, The Dreamer hopefully will be another come back album from the Chicago emcee.
Nas runs away with this track in some Eminem "Renegade"fashion, wow combine this with "Nasty" Nas sounds hungier than ever.
Here's the second single off of Grieves & Budo's up-coming Rhymesayers debut, Together/Apart. This is a pretty awesome video to go with a great song that I've been waiting for an official release for a long time. June 21st is the release date. The first official day of summer is sure to be a damn good one.
Bon Iver's first single off of their up-coming Self-Titled LP. Just as I had hoped, this song (and judging by the album cover, the rest of the album) has a beautiful summer vibe to it. Make you go out and support on June 21 when their long awaited sophomore album is released.
Here's the 2nd single off of the Fleet Foxes highly anticipated sophomore effort, Helplessness Blues. The Seattle-based band's follow up to their highly acclaimed self-titled debut is set to be released May 3.
The 'Lynguists fifth full-length album, Oneirology will be released next Tuesday (March 22), but Kno, Deac, and Natti decided to unleash the effort a week early. So far I've listened to the album probably close to ten times on the bandcamp, as I await the physical release. It really is among their best work. It's unbelievable how much they can evolve their sound in a matter of months. This record sounds nothing like Deacon's side-gig, N***az Wit Altitude or Kno's solo opus,Death is Silent both of which were released less than 6 months ago.
Like their 3rd offering, A Piece of Strange, Oneirology is a concept record that revolves around fantasy, death, and dreams. I haven't really been able to closely examine the narrative yet because I haven't really listened to it all that carefully because I've been playing it mostly while doing homework over my laptop speakers, which definitely does not do the album justice (don't worry I just ordered a new pair of headphones specifically for this album).
CunninLynguists recently released this live acoustic version of one of the album's many standout cuts, "Looking Back." This is a great performance with Natti and Deacon trading verses, Anna Wise singing the chorus, Kno on the drums, and (presumably) Willie Eames on guitar. I would LOVE to see them do the whole album in this format, in an MTV Unplugged-type setting.
2009 was a huge year for the Minnesota-based indie rap label with many releases finishing in my personal top records of that year. Last year the label had a handful of interesting releases, but 2011 is definitely gearing up to be the year of the Rhymesayer.
The first RSE release will be the Columbus emcee, Blueprint. "So Alive" is the third video/single released from the up-coming album, Adventures in Counter Culture. "So Alive" along with his other singles "Keep Bouncing" and "Radio-Inactive" are increasingly building hype around his album which will examine American Popular Culture.
The second RSE release of 2011 is also probably the most anticipated one - Atmosphere's first longplay in almost exactly 3 years, The Family Sign. The album is expected to continue the live instrumentation from guitarist Nate Collis and Key-man Erick Anderson, which were very prominent on last year's double EP release as well as the group's 2008 LP. On this track Slug tells a story about taking a loved one for granted. Another great concept for the music video features a dog being neglected by its family until it runs away, then the video concludes with a "Missing Dog" poster.
Grieves had a pretty big 2010: signing with RSE, Re-released his excellent 2008 album 88 Keys & Counting, and releasing a great EP on the RSE. 2011 is to be an even bigger year for the Seattle-based rapper, as he plans on releasing his first LP on Rhymesayers, Together/Apart. His rockstar looks and complex lyricism filled with vivid imagery reminiscent of a young Slug, will once again be complimented by Budo's guitar licks, piano loops and horns. Together/Apart is expected to see a June release.
Other Rhymesayers who are expecting to see a 2011 release include: Evidence's long awaited RSE debut Cats & Dogs Freeway is also expected to see another release following his collaboration LP with Jake-One The Seattle beatsmith, Jake-One is expected to release his follow up to his 2008 double-disc, White Van Music .
Here's the first single off of Atmosphere's The Family Sign, which is the group's first album in 3 years. The Nate Collis guitar-driven track features Slug airing out his grievances with a love gone awry. The album, due in less than 2 months now, is supposed to be the group's most personal and mature effort to date, with tracks about love, family, and death.
Tracklisting:
01 My Key 02 The Last to Say 03 Became 04 Just For Show 05 She’s Enough 06 Bad Bad Daddy 07 Millenium Dodo 08 Who I’ll Never Be 09 I Don’t Need Brighter Days 10 Ain’t Nobody 11. Your Name Here 12. If You Can Save Me Now 13. Something So 14. My Notes
Ohio emcee, Stalley released his latest mixtape project last week titled, Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music). The bearded emcee made a lot of buzz in 2010 appearing on tracks with Curren$y and Ski Beatz. With his aggressive flow and distinctive voice over Columbus beatsmith Rashad's production, makes Intelligent Trunk Music one of the best mixtapes released in the last few years.
Stand out tracks include an ode to the late/great Pimp C on "Monkey Ish," "Tell Montez I Love Her," "Hard," and several others. This mixtape is full of bass heavy, hard-hitting beats and Stalley's sharp word play. A lot of the mixtape's lyrical content revolves around bass and autmobiles, which are popular in mainstream hip hop, but Stalley is able to rap about these things with the type of lyricism and creativity that is rarely heard on the radio.
Stalley has a bright future ahead of him. He is Ohio's BEST up-and-coming emcee (sorry Cudi, Chip, MGK, and others) because he has mainstream tendencies mixed with a unique voice and style that gives me flashbacks of early 2000s Freeway (or maybe it's because of the beard).
Below s the music video for his first single off the mixtape, "Slapp."
So I posted the live version of this song about a year ago (it was called "Nikes" back then), and have since been eagerly awaiting the studio version of the song. It wasnt an easy wait. Reading twitter posts and facebook updates about the track made me extremely eager to hear the final product of the song. Finally it came out last week, and to my surprise vastly exceeded my expectations (usually when I fall in love with a live version of a song before I hear a studio version, I end up preferring the original live version of the song, ie: Nas & Damian Marley's "Africa Must Wake Up").
The children's choir straight gives me chills, and Macklemore delivers his rhymes in that same passionate-conversational tone that has made him one of my favorite up and coming emcees as the live performance. And Ryan Lewis does a brilliant job of not overpowering Macklemore's verses with a lush instrumental, rather a sparse backdrop to compliment the originally a capella piece, that beautifully builds to the aforementioned chorus sung by a children's choir.
But anyway the reason I'm ranting on about this brilliant track is that Mack and Ryan are trying to film a video and they are asking for our support. I only have $27 in my bank account (it's hard out here for a pimp), but i still managed to send $5 of it to support great music, and I encourage all of my BRL Loyalists to do the same.
Watch the video below for more details, or just to see them speak and give some interesting commentary on the track itself.
Just in time for Halloween, producer/emcee Kno one-third of the underground hip hop sensation, the CunninLynguists, releases his aphotic debut solo album, “Death is Silent.”
Anyone who has ever heard a CunninLynguists project knows about the extremely high quality of production that has made Kno and the ‘Lynguists hip hop’s best kept secret for about a decade. “Death is Silent” is no exception, as the dark soundscape is layered with eerie vocal samples, neck-snapping drums, and a wide array of sounds from electric guitar to strings.
While folks will come for the flawless production, they will stay for Kno’s dense lyricism jam packed with witty word play and double entendres. Kno, who has appeared on only four verses in the last four CunninLynguists projects, experiments with several deliveries and more flows on his 12 verses on the record than many rappers will use in their entire careers.
On one of the album’s many stand-out tracks, “La Petite Mort” (which is French for the little death, which is a metaphor for an orgasm) Kno cleverly uses many allusions to both death and sex when speaking to a woman, which includes the brilliant quadruple entendre, “Getting off at your final destination.”
Throughout the record Kno talks about various aspects of death, the most thought provoking being “Spread Your Wings.” On the track Kno speaks about his regrets on an abortion, “So we agreed that it’s a woman’s preference, but if she loved me she would’ve second guessed it.”
Death is Silent is an extremely somber record where Kno touches on a lot of deep personal topics, but “Graveyard” is one of the few light-hearted moments. Kno kicks some battle raps filled with braggadocio and witty punch lines that would make Lil Wayne look like a light weight, with lines like: “I Vincent Van Gogh hard in the paint.”
On “I Wish I Was Dead” Kno trades verses with QN5 labelmate, Tonedeff, who is one of the most technically sound rappers I’ve ever heard. The two rappers tell Slick Rick-esque stories about how they die.
The phenomenal vocal sample on “When I Was Young” will evoke several nostalgic emotions, and is one of the most heart wrenching tracks on the album. Kno, along with fellow ‘Lynguist, Natti and QN5 labelmate Substantial, reminisce on their childhood. Kno’s verse features one of his strongest flows on the record:
“Living in the present like a puppy in a box, ‘The Best I Ever Had’ was my stomach tied in knots/Hopin that my pops copped me some folded socks and brand new draws, thanks Santa Claus, aw.”
The album closes with the two most optimistic tracks on the album, “Not at the End” and “The New Day (Death Has No Meaning).” On the former Kno sings on the hook, “So even when I feel down, I keep looking ahead because I’m here now.”And the latter being an instrumental track which features scratched vocals of a Nas lyric, “There’s one life to live, so live it the best you can.”
“Death is Silent” is not your typical hip hop album; it’s not even a typical CunninLynguists album. In a strong year for hip hop, don’t be surprised to see Kno at the top of the list for album of the year. This is an album that may not be heard by most, but the people who get the pleasure of hearing it, will instantly connect with it.
Back in the summer Cee-Lo did a cover of Band of Horses "No One's Gonna Love You" which will appear on his album The Lady Killer, which is in stores now. Here's the song's awesome video:
Now Band of Horses has decided to return the favor by covering one of my favorite Cee-Lo songs (which unfortunately will not appear on his album). They did an excellent job of putting their own twist on the track, and keeping the soul vibe of of the original. Here's a live performance:
Here's what the band had to say about the project:
Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses recalls the genesis of the "Georgia" single: "This began as a very random idea I had on my dad's patio after we watched our beloved Georgia Bulldog football team get robbed of a win at the hands of the referees and LSU last year. I knew I wanted to pay homage to my favorite team in song but didn't have any idea how to begin. Once I heard Cee Lo's 'Georgia,' I was immediately smitten and figured that's as good as any tribute to any state I've ever heard. It wasn't until I heard his cover of our song though that it occurred to me: Duh, we should return the favor. Incorporating the Redcoat marching band was just the icing on the cake! This song is so nostalgic to me as my parents grew up in Atlanta and have so many family members in the great state of Georgia. It's always been a second home of sorts. We've played some great shows there as well, including our run of annual New Year's Eve shows in Atlanta from 2007-2009."
Lupe Fiasco's punk-rock inspired side-project, Japanese Cartoon has finally released their debut album on-line for free. It's been about a year and half since I first heard "Heirplanes" which became a staple among my friends and I at the Rodge during my freshman year. While this project is long overdue, it certainly doesn't disappoint. "Gasp" is fantastic.
Lupe's fake-british accent singing will have to tide fans over for a while, as his completed (since early april) album, Lazers is sitting on the shelves at Atlantic Records (fuck you Atlantic for screwing up Lupe's career and turning B.o.B. is a corny pop star) with no release date in sight.
There isn't much that Marshall Bruce Mathers III (better known as Eminem or Slim Shady) hasn't accomplished during his 11-year career.
He has three #1 singles, 11 Grammy Awards, an Oscar and is the top-selling artist from 2000-09. But one thing Mr. Mathers has yet to accomplish is to release a flawless, classic album. He was close with his first couple of offerings, but in order to be recognized as one of the greatest artists of all-time, he needs to release a perfect album.
"Recovery," Eminem's sixth major-label album, starts off with the Just Blaze-produced "Cold Wind Blows" and features Shady up to his old tricks. He is vulgar, he is crude, but he certainly is entertaining. On the DJ Khalil-laced "Talkin' 2 Myself," Mathers speaks on the five years he was away from music (between the two disappointing releases, "Encore" (2004) and "Relapse" (2009), and how he almost took shots at some of rap's elite.
Mathers also speaks on his previous album, "Relapse," and its lukewarm reception. He admits on the lead single, "Not Afraid," that his last album was "ehh" and that he "ran those accents into the ground." On "Cinderella Man" he even goes as far to say that his "last CD's in the trash."
"Recovery" certainly is a more honest effort than the pseudo-horror album, "Relapse." Tracks like "Going Through Changes," "You're Never Over" and "25 to Life" show Marshall at his most vulnerable. On "Changes" and "Never Over" he talks about the tragic death of his best friend and fellow rapper, Proof. DJ Khalil provides the hauntingly beautiful backdrop to "25 to Life," in which Shady speaks about his relationship with hip-hop saying, "You screaming as I walk out that I'll be missed / But when you spoke of people who meant the most to you, you left me off your list."
"25 to Life" flows smoothly into the sole Dr. Dre beat "So Bad," which is one of Dre's best productions released in the past few years. "Seduction" sounds different than anything Mathers has done before, but it certainly works. On "No Love," he trades verses with Lil Wayne over a Just Blaze production, which samples Haddaway's "What is Love?" On paper, this track sounds like an accident waiting to happen, but it was surprisingly executed to perfection, as both emcees bring their A-game, not to be outdone by the other.
One of the biggest surprises "Recovery" has to offer is the future chart-topper and Rihanna-assisted "Love the Way You Lie." The song touches on the topic of domestic abuse, which is something completely unexpected from a man who has been notorious for making songs about killing his ex-wife and mother.
"Recovery" showcases a more sober, a more honest, and even a more mature side of Mathers. This record shows Eminem finally trying to do something different, and no longer following the formula he set with his previous albums (ie: 20 tracks, skits, cheesy first single, etc.). Without question this is the record he should've returned from his hiatus with instead of "Relapse." While "Recovery" definitely is not his "Sgt. Peppers" or "Exile on Main St", it is a giant step in the right direction.
On Nov. 17, ?uestlove and The Roots shocked the hip-hop world when they announced that they were going to retire from touring and work full-time as the house band for Jimmy Fallon's Late Night Talk Show. This was only a few months after they released their rumored final album, "Rising Down." It seemed like Jimmy Fallon was about to put an end to hip hop's greatest band.
"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" aired its first episode on March 2 and showcased Black Thought (Vocals), ?uestlove (Drummer) and company. Shortly after that, ?uestlove announced on his Twitter account that The legendary Roots crew would indeed release their ninth studio album (third album on Def Jam Records), "How I Got Over."
After several delays, "How I Got Over" finally hit the shelves. The group's latest effort showcases a much more optimistic sound than their previous two records, which had bleak, political subject material. "How I Got Over" features the Philadelphia band's triumph, directly influenced by the end of the Bush Administration and the election of Barack Obama.
The piano driven opener, "Walk Alone" is a very different sound from the synth-driven "Rising Down." "Dear God 2.0" features a sample from Jim James and Monsters of Folk, and Black Thought delivers some of the most introspective lyrics of his career. In the song, Black Thought asks, "Why is the world ugly when it's made in your image and why is living life such a fight to the finish?" The title track and first single from the album has a much different feel to it than any of their previous efforts, as Black Thought sings two verses on the songs.
On "Now or Never," Thought declares that he is "thinking of making a change, finally breaking the chains" and that he's "ready for the next chapter and page." The positive inspiration messages continue with songs like "The Day" and "The Fire," in which John Legend makes a guest appearance and sings, "You don't say good luck, you say don't give up."
"How I Got Over" is unquestionably in the top tier of Roots records over their storied 17-year career. The album consists of flawless sequencing and transitions making the 14-track album sound like one piece of musical brilliance. The Legendary Roots Crew has successfully made it from hip-hop to 30 Rock, without missing a beat along the way. Through all the label problems, the lack of mainstream attention and poor record sales, with a little help from Jimmy Fallon, The Roots have finally "Made it Over."
