Bloggerhouse Hip Hop

Trek Life’s new conceptual, chorus-less single, “Due West,” “may be,” according to Trek, “the most important song on the album (Everything Changed Nothing.) I’ve always wanted to get into the History of Cali more and more since it seems like, from a rap perspective, Cali (LA specifically) only really goes as deep as the early 80′s.” Trek continues, saying “I talked to my family and the parents of my friends to hear the stories of their migration to LA and other areas and to get a good perspective on the black migration to Cali. You’ll find that most of us are first generation LA folks and of that we all really started in Central California and migrated North and South to the major cities.”

The grooving bass-line supports Oddisee’s classic wah-synths and trance-like horns as an unrelenting Rhodes piano solo escalates throughout Trek Life’s rhymes until the crescendo and sudden drop at the end; a testament to the musicality of the Diamond District producer. As for the lyrical content of the song, Trek remembers that “Oddisee actually presented the challenge after we had spent long hours on the road talking about the history of our areas and families. I came to the studio, he played the beat and presented the idea. I was 100% with it.”

LA Times’ Pop & Hiss blog recently premiered Trek Life’s “Due West.”

Peep the track HERE and read the feature HERE

Following the official release of his sophomore LP, Everything Changed Nothing, Trek Life serves up an inspiring aftertaste with new single, “Ready to Live.” A cathartic expression through rhyme, Trek uses the track, which serves as the album’s first song, to pay homage to loved ones lost and the infinite future to be found. “Life is hard man/ No life is easy/ No life is exactly what you make it/ Believe me,” professes the young emcee. Providing an unassuming quality to the LP, “Ready to Live” is a standout track that highlights Trek’s most genuine emotions and adept word painting abilities.
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NICK THA 1DA (Producer/Record Collector)

This week’s “Lookout” is on an amazing producer, and an all-around good dude out of Baltimore, Maryland named Nick Tha 1da. Considering himself a loop digger and a record collector first, he represents a dying breed in hip hop. He also helps represent the fast growing DMV hip hop scene along with other producers like Oddisee, Kev Brown, Zo, and yU. I met this cat back in early 2009 during the Red Bull Big Tune in Detroit, but I had already known about him and heard alot of his music when I was working on Finale’s album, “A Pipe Dream and a Promise”. Nick Tha 1da a.k.a. Ethnick, produced a couple well known tracks for Finale called “Jungle Music” and “Weekends” around that time.
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Riding the wave of critical acclaim off his Oddisee-produced sophomore album, Everything Changed Nothing, Trek Life continues to show the world his lyrical prowess on the Richard Wright remix, “The Switch Up 2.0,” produced by J.Bizness. “I got here, I learned to make something from less/ And I don’t front to be fresh, and I ain’t frontin’ for press/ Nah, that ain’t never my style, I just provide sound/ I make bigger moves; leave y’all to write it down/ I’m trying’ to see shows for more than four figures/ Go ahead, make the blogs, we’ll make SportsCenter,” rhymes Trek.
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Nearly four years have passed since the release of Trek Life’s acclaimed debut solo album Price I Paid. Since its inception Trek has garnered the respect and attention of the game’s hottest talent, including the likes of Aftermath recording artist Bishop Lamont, ?uestlove, and Jazzy Jeff.

Today, the young emcee puts his verbal prowess to the test of mass appeal once again with the official physical release of his sophomore album Everything Changed Nothing. Produced by Washington DC native Oddisee, the album marks a critical moment in the eyes of its creator. “This is an overwhelmingly important release for me,” notes Trek. “Sophomore albums are what make and break an artist for the rest of their career.” Already available through iTunes, the album is now up for grabs through a slew of digital retailers including bestbuy.com, amazon.com, and emusic.com. Additionally, Everything Changed Nothing is officially in brick and mortar stores today- the CD and vinyl can be bought in person at FYE, Amoeba, Fat Beats, and UGHH.

To celebrate the physical release, Mello Music is giving fans another taste of Trek’s latest musical brainchild with the Oddisee produced track “I’d Rather Be.” Passionate flows, a crooning chorus, and a growling west coast synthesizer unite the track in a harmonic marriage of sound that few current artists can attain. Audio after the jump…

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As a follow up to their previous EP, HelloGoodbye, Stik Figa & D/WILL bring us their latest project, Alive & Well. With their last release being themed as a suicide note to Stik Figa’s son, Alive and Well provides a much different perspective on life, yet equally thought provoking. The EP is filled with substantial lyrics, and serving as a true concept-related project, each song is significant to the overall message: Stik Figa & D/WILL are alive and well. Entirely produced by D/WILL, the beats on the EP show expansive variety, equipped with unique flips on soul samples and steady loops as a soundtrack to Stik Figa’s thoughts. “Alive and Well picks up right where the last one left off,” says D/WILL, continuing, “then it leads into a blast of soulful feel goodness!” Hit the jump for more on the EP as well as the Link…
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To celebrate the official album release of Concrete Steppin, E Reece shares a third leak with the track “Don’t Front” featuring fellow L.A. emcees El Prez and Tunji. This track, as well as the first single “Fly Hi” and “The Game” (produced by Oddisee), are just a sliver of great music that can be heard on Concrete Steppin, which is available now on iTunes and Amazon. Audio after the jump..
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In correlation with the digital release of his new album Evertyhing Changed Nothing, Trek Life is back to hit us with his second single from the album “As The World Turns”. The Oddisee produced track features the emcee proclaiming his intentions for the rap game with a sharp tongue over the DMV producer’s futuristic beat, matching airy instruments with heavy drums. When asked of his inspiration for the new single the California rapper says, “This song is completely based on emcee aspirations. It’s important for an emcee to state his intentions in his flows; you get the whole idea of what I set out to do when I rhyme on this song”. The song delivers the same message as the albums first single, but with a vibe that comes as a stark contrast to the aggressive sound of “So Supreme”. Trek had the full support of Oddisee on the track. “He was into the song lyrically line for line,” explains Trek. “It made the song that much better because you know that emcees of his caliber aren’t easily impressed.” Oddisee’s not the only one impressed.  Audio after the jump..
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Download the Mixtape West Coast Beats Here: http://oddisee.bandcamp.com/album/oddisee-west-coast-beats-hosted-by-trek-life

The Mixtape:

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.

With a critically acclaimed EP and a track licensed by media giant ESPN under his belt before the year hit its half-way mark, one might think Los Angeles emcee Trek Life might take a little downtime. Instead the stalwart rapper has chosen to increase the momentum. Recently announcing his upcoming LP Everything Changed Nothing, Trek Life is set to release a mixtape entitled Before Everything Changed prior to the album which launches later this month. The mix is blended by DJ Tommy Blak and hosted by Trek Life collaborator/producer J. Bizness.

The mixtape is a goldmine of rare Trek Life material, much of which features collaborations with a host of key indie artists and producers. When asked how the mixtape came into being, Trek explained, “This mixtape came about by Tommy Blak raiding my studio Hard Drive and finding a folder of tracks that I had done with other people over the last few years… he felt like he should put them together so that people could see what other stuff I had done since Price I’ve Paid.” Blak’s efforts have resulted in something very special for fans. Hit the jump for more and linkage…
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