Bloggerhouse Hip Hop

MIDIMarc and DJ Canyon Banyon are back at it again, with round three. This one, titled “Super Shootin’ The Breeze Instrumentals” has MIDI and Canyon dropping more audible treats for the streets, beyatches….

http://www.mediafire.com/?czjnkyjhtzo

I always think this type of shit is cool. Exile has one of the best releases so far this year with his Radio instrumental joint. If you haven’t read the liner notes for the release (then you should go buy it and read it), it talks about how each song was made. Dude freaked stuff right off the radio, it’s actually rather amazing.

This video is of Exile doing his thing live, right from the radio…..

In Love from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

A FREE Del album?! Yeah, it’s free alright. Crazy talk you would think, but no, it’s legit and everything. I’ll admit, I was somewhat disappointed with Del’s 11th Hour release from last year, but for free (and conscious free) I’ll welcome the man who brought me “I Wish My Brother George Was Here”, and “No Need For Alarm” with open arms. So no, I haven’t heard this yet, but here it is in all its glits and glamor…..

http://delthefunkyhomosapien.bandcamp.com/

Press Release…..

Less than a year after the release of his last album, Hieroglyphics member and co-founder Del the Funky Homosapien joins the ranks of Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails with the free release of his new album, Funk Man: The Stimulus Package via Funnyman Entertainment. Del is currently on a nationwide promotional tour for the album and will be playing in over 30 cities.

As an early adapter of technology and having the status and perspective only a veteran can possess, Del takes advantage of his unique position to adopt a still experimental distribution strategy with Funk Man’s release. Even with longevity, very few artists can hope to successfully launch a free full-length album. However with Del the Funky Homosapien’s solid fan base and sponsorship deals with Arnette, Skull Candy, Osiris Shoes, and Bandcamp.com, Funk Man’s release not only ensures support for the creative process, but also gives fans easy access to music they crave.

With a six year hiatus between Del’s prior two solo releases, fans and critics may be surprised by the release of Funk Man: The Stimulus Package, which is out only a year following Eleventh Hour (Def Jux/Hieroglyphics). Del attributes this timing as a reflection of his life. Having shed the negativity that plagued him in past years, he feels a sense of renewal, which has resulted in newfound creativity. Additionally, after working consistently with record labels in his previous projects, Del is reenergized by his ability to produce music independently.

Being without a record label shouldn’t be cause for alarm because Del, known for his intricate, honest, and humorous word-play, funky beats and artistic versatility, continues to deliver his signature style on Funk Man: The Stimulus Package. The high-energy album is comprised of raw lyrics, driving rhythms, and Del’s undeniable funkiness. Throughout Funk Man, Del challenges the listener to be genuine, especially when he says, “it’s okay to be who you are. You can be free. So what if people are taking about you, they’re going to be talking about you anyway and they probably want to be you. They wish they could by funky, let their hair grow out, be like you.” Del shows his commitment to this message and the funk in each track, from “Get It Right Now’s” sense of urgency, to “And They Thought That Was Hell’s” pop culture warning, and “Straight From the Big Bad West Coast’s” historical breakdown.

Funk Man: The Stimulus Package marks Del the Funky Homosapien’s 14th project as he has been in this hip-hop game for almost two decades. Starting at the tender age of 17 as protégé to his cousin, Ice Cube, Del quickly rose to the top of the underground hip hop scene with his albums, I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991) and No Need for Alarm (1993), both released through Elektra Records. Soon after parting ways with the label, Del joined the Hieroglyphics family, comprised of notable emcees Pep Love, the Souls of Mischief, Casual, and Domino. In 1998 the critically acclaimed album 3rd Eye Vision was the first to be released under the Hieroglyphics Imperium label and since then Del has had consistent success with his solo and joint efforts, including Deltron 3030 (2000), Gorillaz (2001), Full Circle (2003), and Eleventh Hour (2008) to name a few.

As a witness to the destructive technology, i.e. video games, that replaced the comic book industry thirty years ago and seeing the same trends within the music industry today, Del has taken a proactive approach with Funk Man, in his reluctance to rely on standard distribution models. Funk Man: The Stimulus Package is Del’s journey back to basics and the timely message coupled with the LP’s free release display’s his acute awareness of his fan’s needs and the music industry at large.

Tour Dates:
Wed-Apr-08 San Luis Obispo, CA SLO Brew
Thu-Apr-09 Pomona, CA Glass House
Fri-Apr-10 San Diego, CA Canes
Sat-Apr-11 Phoenix, AZ Marquee
Sun-Apr-12 Tucson, AZ Club Congress (Early Show)
Mon-Apr-13 Flagstaff, AZ Green Room
Tue-Apr-14 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
Thu-Apr-16 San Antonio, TX Warehouse Live
Fri-Apr-17 Dallas, TX Granada
Sat-Apr-18 Austin, TX Emo’s Outside
Mon-Apr-20 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
Wed-Apr-22 Athens, GA Georgia Theater Fri-Apr-24 Raleigh, NC
Lincoln Theater Sat-Apr-25 Poultney, VT Green Mountain College
Sun-Apr-26 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Tue-Apr-28 Boston, MA Middle East
Wed-Apr-29 New York, NY BB Kings
Thu-Apr-30 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock
Sun-May-03 Philadelphia, PA First Utilitarian Church
Tue-May-05 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
Wed-May-06 Columbus, OH Skullys (Late Show)
Thu-May-07 Lexington, KY Dame
Fri-May-08 Chicago, IL Reggies
Sat-May-09 Madison, WI High Noon
Mon-May-11 Columbia, MO Blue Note
Tue-May-12 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Thu-May-14 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
Fri-May-15 Denver, CO Bluebird
Sat-May-16 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
Mon-May-18 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge

While we wait for a couple more artists to get back at me with their answers for the spotlights, we’ll toss up a few freebies that found their way in my inbox this week……

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“This is Manic Mondays Volume 2 blended my Double Up Entertainment DJ Mixtape Assassin…the tape has all of my original songs from weeks 18 through 35…once again this is really an album because all of the material is original…I have 17 more weeks of Manic Mondays left…myself and my team will continue to bring you guys quality music weekly…this is my 3rd mixtape that has dropped in the month of April…I’m in grind mode…props to everyone who supports.”

-K. SPARKS

DOWNLOAD LINK
SHAREBEE
http://sharebee.com/d966d271

K. SPARKS LINKS
K. SPARKS MYSPACE: WWW.MYSPACE.COM/KSPARKSMUSIC
K. SPARKS TWITTER: WWW.TWITTER.COM/KSPARKSTV
K. SPARKS YOUTUBE: WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/ KSPARKSTHEFUTURE

_________________________________________________________

Guess whose back!!! Lefty a.k.a. the L.E.F.T. comes through with New York’s own DJ Concept to deliver the third addition to the “Gangland” street album series.
Gangland Vol. 3 shows why Lefty is officially the next artist to emerge out of the Bay Area. The piece is free…check it!

Download link:
http://www.thebashbros.com/filedownload/LEFTY_DJCONCEPT_GanglandVol3.zip

–
www.myspace.com/theleftemcee
www.myspace.com/thebashbrothers

I like things that are unique and original. Y-Love, who dropped last year’s This is Babylon is definitely unique and original. I’ll be the first to admit, his music isn’t for everyone, but if you have an open mind, I’m sure you will be able to appreciate what he is doing.

Y-Love & Describe are holding a remix contest for three songs off of their upcoming EP, The Change. I’m not a producer, but this would be a real challenge, but could be real dope.

As far as the song goes, “Change”, coming from someone that doesn’t have much knowledge of the Jewish faith beyond the Jewish caterer I bartended with for a half of year a couple of years ago, it’s something that isn’t like anything else out there. Yet it sounds like what you would think Kanye West would sound like if he was doing Jewish hip hop. And I don’t mean that in a negative way what so ever. A lot of it is in Hebrew, but just the engery of the music is incredible and you almost want to get up and shake your ass even if you don’t know what they are saying all the time.

Again, as I said, I know this isn’t going to be for everyone, but for cats that have an open mind, it’s worth a listen. And dont’ forget about the remix contest

Details——-

Shemspeed is giving you all the chance to remix from our files. Here is how it works; We give you the instrumentals and accapellas and you use whatever program you would like to make your own remixes from these files. We recommend Ableton (download a free trail here).

REMIX THE CHANGE EP SINGLES
listen at www.myspace.com/describeylove

and win one of three prizes.
(1st place chooses which prize he/she would like and so on)
in no particular order:

* Shemspeed Prize Pack (Shemspeed T-Shirt, Stickers and 10 Shemspeed albums)
* Bottle Service for you and your crew at one of NYC’s Premier Nightclubs. This includes 1 Complimentary Bottle of Vodka, and Table Service ($360 Value).
Sponsored by www.EventMastermind.com
*

click to download zip files

For Accapellas
(click for change)
(click for make it)
(click for yaaleli)

For Instrumentals
(click here for instrumental batch)

direct any questions and submissions to erez@shemspeed.com

To Pick up the first two singles; “CHANGE” & “MAKE IT”
off “THE CHANGE EP” on iTunes now. The full EP which will include remixes will be released May 12th.

The Contest will run throughout the Summer…..

*

GET THE “CHANGE” SINGLE ON ITUNES

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO “CHANGE”

“The Change EP” has a official release date and some surprises. The first is the Diwon remix of “Change” which you could check at myspace.com/diwon. The second is the newest song Yaalali which you could preview at myspace.com/describeylove and the third is that the famous director, Lenny Bass, who shot the “Change” music video has signed on to shoot “Make It”. All of this will be released May 12th along with a remix of “Make It” by Electro Morocco!

p.s. Pick up the first two singles; “CHANGE” & “MAKE IT” off “THE CHANGE EP” on iTunes now!

The face of hip hop has changed over the past few years. In the past, if you weren’t from NYC or LA, it was a struggle to get your music heard. Little by little, other regions started getting in the spotlight. Over the past few years though, the south has stolen that spotlight and shined it directly on themselves, as far as the mainstream goes. For that reason, the south in general probably gets hate it doesn’t deserve. Probably my current favorite hip hop group resides in the south (Cunninlynguists) and more and more southern artists continue to make noise on the underground scene as well.

One such artist hailing out of Virgina finds a nice balance of soulful melodies and his own southern flavor, Thad Reid. Thad’s been making a name for himself on the scene with an endless hustle and consistent flow of quality music for the masses, most of which is of the free variety. One of the more pleasant and down to earth cats I’ve had the pleasure to speak with in awhile, Thad discussed his past, the south and the hustle of making music in this over saturated day of age….

Cassie feat. Thad Reid – Must Be Love (Blue Collar Remix)

WYDU: What’s good Thad? Before we really jump into it, and for the sake of changing things up, name your top five musical influences…

Thad Reid: In no particular order I would have to say Snoop, Biggie, Redman, Nas and Jay-Z.

W: Aight, I get sick of asking “tell us a little about yourself” with the very first question of every interview, so that was needed. Since we got that out of the way, ummm….tell us a little about yourself….or better yet, some background on yourself.

TR: Well I’m from a small town in Southwestern Virginia about 45 minutes north of UVA. I was raised there and it was also there where I first discovered hip-hop. Unlike most artists, I didn’t start writing and performing music until I was about 17 and it was then when I actually gained enough confidence to start flowing in front of people. From there I formed a group named “EMP” with a couple of friends of mine, and we started recording and putting together songs.

After a couple years the group disbanded and I linked up with JJ Jenson, Doujah Raze and the rest of the Trilogy Records family in the DMV area. Those were probably my most important years because with them I started to learn a great deal about the music business by doing shows, radio promos, and just overall making records. They helped introduce me to a larger audience by putting me on a couple Doujah Raze records titled “The Breakoff” and “Virginia” respectively. After JJ and Doujah decided to move shop to NYC, I stayed behind and started working on mixtapes and what would essentially become my first solo project. Since then I have been working on establishing the Thad Reid brand and also developing as an artist so I can put out the best music I can.

W: Your music is a nice blend of the down south sound with the east
coast type of beats and music, how would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard you before?

TR: It’s funny because for the longest time I could never answer this question. If I had to describe it to someone, I would tell them that my music is an eclectic blend of unique songwriting and soulful melodic beats with a strong focus on content and wordplay. It’s basically my story told from a country boy perspective combined with a big city hustle.

W: It seems in this day of age of the ‘net, one could argue that the regional boundaries are even more blurred than they were, say 10-15 years ago. In some other circles though, one could argue that they are even more pronounced among the mainstream and the south’s dominance on the air waves, what is your take on that?

TR: That’s a good question because I could go either way with my answer. I think realistically the boundaries ARE blurred but some people have made it pronounced due to their bitterness towards the success of the south. Let’s just be honest. Mainstream Hip-Hop music has moved into an era where people just want to have fun, dance, and forget about all their problems. Right now, the majority of music that happens to capture that is coming from the south. High demand causes mainstream to play those records. And what does that come back to? Money.

From a business perspective, if I’m a label exec and I’m looking at the numbers, I’m going to go with a product that I think is going to be the most successful. From an artist and/or consumer perspective, I want to hear the best music available. It’s an f’d up conflict, but that’s the reality of it. If I’m an artist and I want quick money and short term success, I’m a give the label and essentially the people, what they want. If I want longevity, I’m a put out what I feel is the best music I can offer and not become a one hit wonder. Fortunately because of the internet, I have an outlet in which I can do that without the need of commercial radio. Even if I can’t get any spins in my home market, I still have the ability to reach someone out in California who appreciates the type of music that I do. Being bitter takes too much energy… just adapt with the times and utilize the technology to your advantage.

W: I’ve always found it interesting (in a good way) when an MC chooses to use his given name for his stage name, what is your reasoning behind that?

TR: When I first started out I went through a rolodex of stage names that I won’t even get into because they are pretty embarrassing. Then one day I was having a conversation with Doujah about it and he said, “Why don’t you just use your real name, I think that would sound better.” After thinking about it for a sec I realized that he had a point. Ever since then, the government is what I’ve been going with.

W: You seem to be on an endless grind as far as mixtapes and you give them away for free. How do you think that approach will help in the future? Is the fact you give away your music an acknowledgment to the over saturated hip hop playing field? Do you think you almost have to give away music for free to even have a chance to be heard?

TR: I think what you’ve stated pretty much sums it up. Because of the extremely over saturated hip hop playing field, no one has a lot of confidence in independent hip-hop artists. Just think about all the individuals you know or know through someone else that’s trying to “get in the game” and their music and/or presentation is terrible. Most people wouldn’t even download it much less buy it so I feel as if you have to establish some credibility with the fans that you can make consistent, quality music. In order for them to even consider giving you a chance, it has to be something where they feel like they’re not losing anything by listening. Once you gain loyal, confident fans who support you in what you do, it won’t be a problem for them to spend some money to come to a show, buy your album or even go see your acting debut at the movies. I would equate it to kind of like a Test Drive.

W: The grind you have demonstrated is among the most impressive I’ve seen on the net. With the business approach so drastically different now than what it was ten years ago, how do you go about tackling the issue of getting your name as a brand out there to the masses?

TR: I think the key is consistency, combined with an understanding of the business and being a step ahead of everyone else. Obviously the music model is moving towards more of a digital base, so I try to concentrate a good deal of my resources on that. Building relationships is a major part of this business and the internet gives me a platform to establish those without necessarily being in NYC or LA. The other great thing about it is that I can execute those things without the need of a major label or budget.

W: Your first album, Memorial Day, was a tribute to the tragic events that happened on Memorial Day, 2000. How has that night driven you to be who you are today?

TR: Musically, it has provided me with the drive it takes to keep moving forward. I told my man Demetric (RIP) that I was gonna make it happen just hours before he passed so that in itself serves as motivation. From a personal standpoint, it’s humbled me greatly. I used to run around town reckless thinking I was invincible but now when I see an accident on the side of the road it makes me cringe. It sounds cliché, but you can never take life for granted. You should always appreciate the ones who care about you the most because you really don’t know when your time or theirs will come.

W: How have you grown as an artist over time and from one project to the next?

TR: I think my songwriting and lyricism have seen immense growth since my first project but the main thing with me is that I’ve become comfortable in being who I am as an artist. I used to think that I had to rap hard or use hard beats in order to gain respect and show people that I was nice. I’ve never liked the “backpacker” label so I tried hard in letting people know that that was something I was not. Over time though I realized that there’s nothing wrong with creating your own lane and having meaningful content in your songs. There is a huge market for that and its becoming something that people are wanting more of these days.
W: The new project, Commonwealth Muzik, has a nice blend of new to the old sounds. What is your take on this project compared to some of your past work?

style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">TR: I personally think its my best work outside of “NBIS 2.7: Blue Collar Muzik”. I’m really loving the feel of this project as the production is all original sans one track. It definitely showcases my growth as a songwriter, lyricist, and really as an overall artist. To sum it up, it’s a chronicle of my life as an independent artist in VA. It’s Commonwealth Muzik baby!
W: What do you got going on in the upcoming future?

TR: Gotta slew of new material coming real soon. For all my house/trance/dance listeners, I have a big house remix of “The Reason” dropping officially in the next several days so look out for that. Also I’ll be dropping a new single AND video titled “Payday” that’s going to make a lot of noise this summer as well as some future collabs with some well known artists and my man Akshan.

W: Any last words for the future fans?

Just holla at me! You can get at me on a variety of social networks like www.twitter.com/thadreid, www.myspace.com/thadreid or www.imeem.com/thadreid to connect and listen to my music. Yes I do manage those sites and I’m always receptive to conversing with the fans. Make sure to get that “Commonwealth Muzik” and any of my previous material as they are readily available and free of charge. Thanks in advance for the support and continue to expect constant, consistent quality new material from Thad Reid in the near future.

Marco Polo & Torae discuss their ‘HOLD UP’ track featuring Masta Ace & Sean Price off the Double Barrel album in stores June 2nd.

For more info visit:
http://www.myspace.com/doublebarrel08
http://www.myspace.com/dayoungvet
http://www.myspace.com/marcopolobeats
http://www.duckdown.com

My introduction to Serge Severe’s music was through my correspondence with Animal Farm’s Gen. Erik. Due to my recent move back to the region known as the great northwest, I pay particular attention to any music coming out of Seattle and Portland (Oregon, fools), which is were today’s artist hails from. I’m all for coming out with some “new” shit, something that hasn’t been done before, but the further people seem to travel from the “tree trunk” of hip hop, the more the true essence of the music gets lost. Sometimes, I just want to hear some straight up boom-bap, in your face, analog, dusty drum hip hop. That’s exactly what Serge’s latest full-length LP, Concrete Techniques, is straight up hip hop. There is no guitars, auto-tune, or 80′s pop samples. It’s authentic hip hop in it’s truest form.

From Serge (In case you missed it the first time) -

We thought we’d offer some free music while we work on our upcoming releases, so Serge Severe came through with an EP entitled “Orangutan Slang”, which is a compilation of songs he made while recording “Concrete Techniques”. Download these gems for free and share this with everyone you know:

http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com/reviews/albums/2009/01/my-favorite-hip-hop-albums-of-2008#more-1096

http://www.rapreviews.com/year/08patrick.html

Buy Concrete Techniques Here:
http://www.amazon.com/Concrete-Techniques-Serge-Severe/dp/B001JFKWGC

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1930924&skuId=17460169&type=product

WYDU: What’s good man? How about dropping some background info for the cats that might not be familiar with you?

Serge Severe: Everything is cool in the P right now. I am looking forward to a busy May with shows in Seattle and a just confirmed show with Saigon in Portland. I have been at it for quite a while, roughly 10 years. I came up like most everyone else doing the freestyle thing, which developed into constant writing and recording. I started getting really serious about 5 years ago and here I am.

W: You are originally out of the Bay Area, how did you end up in Portland? How does the two scenes differ from each other?

SS: I was born in San Francisco and I moved up here a long time ago as a kid, so I was basically raised in the Portland area. I have a lot of family and people in the Bay I am close to, so I do frequent the Bay a lot. I did live there a couple years back and have done shows while living and touring th
ere. As far as them differing, the Bay is just bigger, more people, more going on, you know bigger city stuff.

W: How did you get to be affiliated with the Focused Noise family with Animal Farm and Mic Crenshaw?

SS: That came from doing shows consistently in town and getting to know each other. I actually had a monthly going on at a venue and Gen.erik (of Animal Farm) had the opposite weekend at the same spot. We decided to join forces on shows and the rest is history. Crenshaw is a Portland veteran and had been rocking with Gen.erik for years, so that’s how that all came together.

W: Being a part of Focused Noise, how does that help in your role of getting your music heard and picking up shows, since it seems like you guys do a lot of touring together?

SS: Yes, it definitely helps rolling with a team of guys who have been at it for years and are as hungry as you are. Focused Noise has helped tremendously with networking, shows, distribution of music and the overall business side of things. This past year has been really great being able to do shows with The Wu Tang Clan, Method Man & Redman, Dead Prez and many more!

W: Gen Erik did a “Top Five List” for his five worse shows that he performed at (http://www.wydublog.com/2009/04/5×5-day-two-on-road-gen-eriks-five.html) care to give some of the craziest, crappiest, zaniest shows that you’ve been apart of?

SS: Oh man! Where to start? I was a part of a few of Erik’s debacles and I co-sign those. Here is one off the top. We drove two hours to Eugene in 100 degree Summer Weather. We brought the equipment to provide the music and brought the one person that showed up, with us. The promoter literally started handing out flyers 1 hour before show time on the street, but it was a ghost town in the heat wave. The other artists were lying on a couch in the venue watching us, with a few people escaping the heat to go to the bathroom, passing by the stage. Fake promoter and no money= big waist of time. As a matter of fact that same promoter was demanded to go to the ATM in a later encounter.

W: At least you didn’t say the Boise show. You are known to be more of a “throwback” artist, in that you tend to stick with the Golden Age sound. What is hip hop to you and why is it important to keep that authentic boom bap sound alive?

SS: I don’t really think of myself as “throwback” artist, but I was heavily influenced by that late 80’s early 90’s Hip Hop, so I guess that’s what some would call it now. I feel that real Hip Hop will never ever die. All of those artists that came out back then were all different from the next. I feel like that has been lost to an extent. You couldn’t come out sounding like the next man or you would be called the f**k out! You couldn’t follow a little trend and be validated. That’s what Hip Hop is to me, being yourself and having the courage to do so.

W: How was your growth as an artist from your first album, Walk In My Shoes, to your second album, Concrete Techniques? What kind of different elements and ideas did you want to concentrate for the second album?

SS: I really wanted a whole album that could be played seamlessly and flowed together with its backgrounds and lyrics. That is why I worked with one producer, Universal Dj Sect, on the whole album. He has the same influences and interests of Hip Hop as I do, so it was really cohesive. The whole project was just bigger than anything I have ever done. I always want to progress with every thing I do in Hip Hop. Concrete Techniques, to me, is just a solid foundation of everything I want to do with Hip Hop.

W: The album (Concrete Techniques) seemed to get a lot of positive press, from the blogs, to Rapreviews, to Okayplayer. Are you content with the way it was recieved by the masses?

SS: The press has been really positive and feels good to witness, but even if they hated it I would still be putting out my music. It is nothing I can control, just something I have to do in order to stay sane.

W: Coming from the Northwest is a struggle in that the region doesn’t get a lot of shine. How do you tackle that problem in getting your music heard across the entire nation?

SS: You are right about it being a struggle. We have already been through California and went down to Austin, TX for SXSW in 09’. The internet of course is key too. I have sent a out a lot of press kits and cd’s for years.

W: You just dropped the free EP, Orangutan Slang, what does it consist of? The tracks seemed like they could compete with the tracks that did make Concrete Techniques, was their a particular concept you were going with that made those tracks not fit or some other reason?

SS: I recorded those tracks while doing the Concrete record. I knew I wanted to take 6 tracks and have something else to release for the future. On a lot of those tracks I felt like my wordplay was different, hence the “Orangutan Slang” name.

W: So what do you have going on in the future? What can we expect from the next album?

SS: I am recording another solo, so far with heavy production from Universal Dj Sect. I am always recording tracks. There will be some special announcements soon. Overall you can expect a more severe serge.

W: Any last words for the masses? an>

SS: Check out my album Concrete Techniques online everywhere. Also, if you see a whack emcee on stage, let them know that it’s unacceptable and it is their entire fault that they’re so bad.

W: Hahaha, that’s whats up. Thanks man, best of luck

SS: Thank you

Most of this week, we will be featuring some talent that I believe deserves to be heard. One of my favorite things doing this blog is pushing unheard/struggling artists. I take great pride in showing folks that hip hop is NOT dead, that there is still plenty of good music out there, you just have to get off your ass and look for it. Nothing frosts my wheaties faster than someone coming up to me, bitching about the state of hip hop when I ask them, “Have you heard MC So&So?”, and they replay back with, “Who? Nah man, I don’t listen to anyone that I haven’t heard of before.” What? Are you serious? To me, you have no right to bitch about the state of hip hop if you are not actively pursing and listening to new talent.

There is a bunch of junk out there, that’s the truth, but if you love this music enough, you’ll check some of these artists I’m posting up this week. I’m not saying all these artists are the “next shit”. But I want to expose people to artists that are trying to be heard. Some of their music might not even totally be my thing, but someone else out there might be all over it. If I can introduce people to new music, then my job as a “taste maker” (whatever the fuck that is), is complete. See, I could really give a rat’s ass about being the biggest and best blogger. Leave that to my man K-Nott, Illroots, 2 Dope Boyz and the rest of them. I’ve always been about having fun, helping promote good music and helping people find their lost treasures of yesterday. That’s why I do this, and that’s why I’ve always tried to be friendly to artists struggling to be heard.

This week, I’ll focus on some up&comers and other cats that have been out for a while, but are just looking to break through. Some might be on a “New Artist Spotlight” (generic name, I know) and some might be on an “Artist Spotlight”. Regardless, these cats just want to be heard, so I encourage to give these artists this week your ear and give them a listen. I know these spotlights are not always my most popular feature found on WYDU, and that’s because people are afraid to take a chance and listen to someone they haven’t heard before. I hope that changes. I know you can’t be listening to every new can’t you run across, that would be impossible, but hopefully, if you are a fan of WYDU and trust my judgment somewhat, you can find some time to check these artists out further.

Alright, so stepping down off my soap box, let’s get into day one’s artist…..

Thanks and enjoy
-Trav

Ease up there, I know you are thinking, “Trav must’ve split his wig, throwing up some Ringtone bullish,” well, no kiddies, not quite. For those of you, both young and old, that are up on your hip hop history, you will know the name, “Dr Butcher”, is one that carries a LOT of history with it. The producer/DJ out of Queens has been around since the early days, with LL Coool J, Mikey D and others coming up. He has worked with the legendary Paul C, The Beatnuts, Kool G Rap, and the X-Ecutioners (aka The X-Men before the lawsuits). Dude is steep in New York hip hop lore and history.

Needless to say, I was pretty pumped when I saw this little EP sitting in my inbox yesterday afternoon. I’ve been a long time fan of the good Dr’s work. The EP lived up to my expectations right off the bat, when the electric sounding “Timeless” jumped on the speakers. It’s got that hard edged guitar feel to it, almost bombsquadish in texture and sound. That’s all I needed to stay up later than I intended on giving the rest of the EP a listen. “Pick It Up, Pick It Up”, is another dark and brash feeling beat as the big bong of the drums and the twinking of keys gives a feeling of a horror flick, only sped up on acid or something. The lighter, “We Don’t Stop”, is a nice change of pace, although it’s still got a sharp edge to it as well. The beats remind of something that might have been seen on a sequel to Kool G Rap’s “4,5,6″ album. I’d suggest fans, new and old, give this a listen.