Album of the Year in stores and online September 14 on Fat Beats/Decon.
01. 365
02. Welcome (Gotta Go)
03. Keep Going
04. Oh Girl f. AB
05. Deadly Medley f. Royce Da 5’9″ & Elzhi
06. Distortion f. Melanie Rutherford
07. Over Again f. Monica Blaire
08. Black and Brown f. Danny Brown
09. Round of Applause
10. Warning (Keep Bouncing)
11. Gospel Psychedelic Rock
12. Closed Chapter f. Mr. Porter
Trek Life and Oddisee continue to tease fans with another mixtape preceding the release of Trek Life’s sophomore album, Everything Changed Nothing. The mixtape, West Coast Beats, includes a concoction of snippets of instrumentals from the upcoming album, exclusive Oddisee beats, the first single, “So Supreme”, and an exclusive Oddisee-produced Trek Life track called “Get In Touch”, found only on this mixtape.
While Oddisee’s beats have a laid back California feel, he adds a strong synth that keeps reigns on the tracks and keeps them from becoming repetitive. The mixture of styles separates California music from its usual clichés by adding an urban feel. Oddisee says, “When I cruise LA and listen to those tracks I really feel like we accomplished what we set out to [do] with this album, giving a city theme music.”
The two full tracks on the mixtape, “Get In Touch,” and “So Supreme,” show how the blending of Oddisee’s beats back up Trek Life’s lyrical flow. Even though “Get In Touch” will not be on the full LP, it embraces the same theme as the album and is a good indication, along with “So Supreme” of the high quality of the music Trek Life and Oddisee have been making together.
Trek Life’s Everything Changed Nothing will be available at digital retailers on July 27th and physical retailers on August 10th via Mello Music Group.
As we get closer to the release of Eastern Standard Time, we’re finding it harder and harder to keep a lid on the music! Here’s two more tracks that didn’t make the cut for the project but still BANG like your landlord when the rent is past due.
Kooely High- Good or Bad (Prod. By Ka$h) Usershare
Kooley High- Want It Now (Prod By Foolery) Usershare
Tha UFO, one of the more creative and original emcees that I’ve come across in awhile, is getting set to drop his third LP in the Celebrity Experiment Series, “Queen of the Damned”. For those of you not familiar with Tha UFO, the cat spits from the heart and doesn’t hide his emotions or his past. This can lead to some downright emotional music as well as some “laugh out loud” funny shit. We’ll have more with Tha UFO in the future as he’ll be featured in an upcoming WYDU Artist Spotlight (long over due).
One of my favorite albums of 2008 was Pacewon & Mr. Green’s “The Only Color That Matters is Green”, as I have it listed at #11 on my favorite albums from that year. I’ll always give any former Outsidaz crew member a listen (where ya at Young Zee?) and Pacewon still holds his own on any mic you hand to him. Mr. Green was a fairly new name at the time the album dropped, but his track record since teaming up with Pacewon is nearly impeccable. The new album, “The Only Number That Matters Is One” is due to drop this fall and if this little trailer is indication of what’s to come, then real hip hop is still standing and still doing good….
Here’s the first taste of the upcoming Pacewon and Mr. Green album, “The Only Number That Matters is Won” coming this Fall on Raw Poetix Records / The Orchard.
These Dudes out of The Netherlands are pretty rad. Infusing a different style then what I normally hear in the states is pleasing to my ears. There’s a bio and a couple of my favorite tracks off the album below. for the whole album check out: http://frontporchpoets.bandcamp.com/
The Front Porch Poets are also looking to work with some artists from the US. So if any artists out there are looking to get a feature on track with a duo from The Netherlands hit these guys up. fppmanagement@gmail.com
Dave Redi and Mr. Ramble have teamed up as the Front Porch Poets (FPP) to produce their first debut album “For The Record”. Inspired by late 90′s hip hop with a touch of soul, it’s a refreshing album with the sounds of what hip hop is, used to be and always will be, it is an album that illustrates their vision of music, daily routines and just having fun with it. No clichés, no gimmicks, just pure music from the soul. Due for release in the spring of 2010, For The Record is definitely a sure shot for the ears. For more information feel free to check out: www.myspace.com/frontporchpoets www.frontporchpoets.hyves.nl www.twitter.com/frontporchpoets
The guys over at Uncommon Records are back at it again with another release. Lobotomy Music is one of those albums that remind you where NYC hip hop came from. When I first cycled through the tracks it instantly reminded me of a bunch of tracks off one of my personal favorite albums Sound Bombing 2. Coming out on June 29th by way of Uncommon Records, we were fortunate enough to get a chance to check it out before it drops. You can find my thoughts on the album below.
01 Poison Make Me Pretty
The album starts off with some hard grimey verses over beats that leave me feeling like I need to shower. The lyrics on this track are deep. With lines like “So hard when i had to pull the needle from his arm” this isn’t your typical happy flow track but more of a deeper release in my opinion.
02 Gods Waiting Room
The tempo picks up with the track with some classic scratches. Something I have always been a fan of but have not heard in music in a little while is when the beat starts to dismantle, removing the sounds till all thats left is a snare, kick and hi-hat. It was nice to hear that multiple times throughout this track. It really lets the lyrical and Emcee stand out.
03 Break Down the Walls (feat. Nasa)
The album build up is starting to become apparent now. This track has a little more meaty beat, while the lyrics still stay raw and grimey. The verses split between Short Fuze and Nasa come together very well.
04 Beautiful Anger
They always say a number 4 is going to be a hit track. Right off the bat the beat comes in with all sorts of accents. At about 40 seconds the track takes a 180 on the beat while the verse remains solid. lets just say that the track name Beautiful Anger is a perfect description.
05 Turn Off the Lights (feat. The Presence)
This track started off a little slower then I personally like. The first verse made up for it with a changed up flow that what was on the previous 4 tracks. The Lyrics on this track are straight forward clear and in your face.
06 Dont Feed the Machine
Click Play to Listen
Quite possibly my favorite on the album. The track starts with some guitars, whammy bars, with a swing to the drums. This beat is melodic and really draws you into each and every part of the track. It ends with the sweet sound of scratches and Johnny Cash.
Kicks, Snares and Saturday morning cartoons is what comes to mind when hearing this beat. There are plenty of tracks out there with multiple features in them, but in my opinion they usually fall short of being able to mesh together well. This track was successfully fused together with a short interlude in the middle separating emcees that sound very well together.
08 Berserker Fury (feat. Augury & Taiyamo Denku)
All I can think about when i hear Berserker is the line from the movie Clerks. According to the Wikitionary Berserker is One who fights as if in a rage; one who berserks. The verses in this track are well represented by the name. At about 2 minutes the lyrics kick into high gear and leave you pressing rewind to catch all that was said.
09 Doomsday Device (feat. Nasa)
This Beat = Crazy. Back and forth, forth and back then BAM snares and crashes. Then Short Fuze kills it with some high intensity lyrics. This has to be one of those beats that if you heard it without lyrics you would be asking yourself how someone could even attempt to rhyme over it.
10 Master Peace
Nasa and Short Fuze really did a great job on fitting beats and lyrics. This beat is substantially darker then the other on the album, but with what Short Fuze is talking about in his verses and how he lays them out its a beautiful darkness.
11 Gorgeous
This track starts out so clear and deep I would have liked to hear it in a Acapella Spoken Word format. Going back to what I said earlier about Short Fuze and Nasa being able to whole heartedly combine the right flow with the right beat is extremely audible in this closing track.
The Verdict
This album is exactly what it is described as in a quote from UncommonRecords.net:
Short Fuze’s solo debut was a long time in the making, it took a life time actually. “Lobotomy Music” is truly one man’s story navigating life’s ups and downs. It’s proof that every person’s story on Earth can be defined as “epic
This may not be your run of the mill party album, but it does invoke a lot of thought and deeper thinking that a lot of music put out nowadays lacks. Overall i’m impressed with Uncommon Records ability to provide a scope for an album and execute the plan perfectly.
Still riding the wave of praise from his critically acclaimed debut album The Salvation on Jamla/Duck Down Music, Skyzoo has joined forces with highly regarded producer/beat smith Illmind (G Unit, Boot Camp Click, Red Man, Little Brother) for what will be an exciting producer/MC album.
Dropping on Duck Down Music in the Fall, the full length LP, ‘Live from the Tape Deck,’ will see the Brooklyn-based duo of Skyzoo and Illmind doing what they do best — dropping hard-hitting beats over ‘rewind factor’ rhymes. “It’s not rocket science,” says Skyzoo. “There won’t be any deep undertones or personal records like The Salvation; just dope beats and rhymes that’s better than everything else out.” And with a history of dope collabo joints in the bag and a chemistry that can’t be replicated, these two creative forces plan to present raw hip hop with a unique, cohesive sound only they can produce.
“Back in the day, it was always like that,” stresses Skyzoo. “When you look at Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest and groups like that — you had one producer with one sound and one theme. That’s what we plan to bring with this project.” But don’t get it twisted; Live from the Tape Deck isn’t a throw back to that 90’s sound. Skyzoo explains, “The reason it’s called Live from the Tape Deck is because when labels made cassette tapes, it just so happens that was when records were dope. Once the option of buying a cassette in a store was gone, that’s when things changed and music got whack.”
Illmind elaborates, “You know it’s not going to be some typical shit — it’s going to be honest. Not throwback. Not boom bap. It’s going to be some 2010 shit with one of the best MC’s in the game.”
For all you beat fanatics out there, much like Dart & I, my man P.U.D.G.E. recently made available his new LP, “Don’t Touch My Drumset” via his BandCamp page. He’s had a release this year on the consistently dope All City label with the equally ridiculous Dibiase, (look out for “Smoke It Over” on this month’s Bloggerhouse mixtape) and has a forthcoming LP on Ramp Recordings as well, but this effort is filled to the rim with 18 bangers of pure headnodizm.
PS. Like it or not, with the implementation of the “futuristic sound” in Hip Hop, THIS along with the like of Leonard Dstroy, 14KT and the LabTechs, Illingsworth, etc., is what production is moving to (for a prime example of what I’m referring to, just peep our playlist for “Scrunchface Sundays” in the post below). So get with it or get left behind…
