Fresh off the press today is a nice little package of instrumental, vibey beats from a London-based gentleman by the name of BUG.
Our man BUG is a bit of a triple threat by the sound of things, possessing skills as a keyboardist, song writer and producer. He puts all three to good use on his brand spanking new single, released earlier this week by Jus Like Music Records.
Combining the best of hip hop and soul, BUG has created a solid two-track package, featuring cuts entitled ‘Cosmic Lab’ and ‘20 Winks’. Early feedback for the release has been very positive, with the likes of Ty, Eric Lau, Ohmega Watts and Kidkanevil all giving BUG’s beats their seal of approval. Fine company, indeed.
According to the Jus Like Music Records gang, BUG combines “the smooth richness of the Dam-Funk vibe, the solid construction of a Dilla beat, the electronic wizardry of Flying Lotus and the soulful melodies of Lonnie Liston Smith's jazz.” This works for me... I like all these geezers (I reckon Lonnie Liston Smith would love being called a geezer), so I guess the fact that I’m feeling this is a bit of a no brainer really, isn’t it?
If BUG sounds like your cup of tea, you can listen to the whole package below, and download it for free here. And if you like what you hear, why not be a good Samaritan and spread the word? Good on ya. To find out a bit more about BUG, visit his website – bugmusic.net.
Back in 2008, Jose James had a fair few people going bananas after the release of his debut album, The Dreamer, on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings.
Jose's smooth jazz vocals and soulful back drops - many of which he produced himself - led to The Dreamer weaving it's way into a fair few 'best of' lists for the '0-8.
Now, JJ is back to do it all over again with his recently released new album, Blackmagic. This time around, he's enlisted the likes of Flying Lotus to help on the musical front - and this is where 'Code' comes in.
As Blackmagic's opening track, 'Code' sees FlyLo creating a little black magic himself, keeping things slow, smoky and sultry while creating a heavenly beat based on a heavy dose of keyboard vibes. Jose reads the track to perfection too, riding the rhythmic waves beautifully with his semi-chanted vocals. Tres bien.
Six or so years ago, left coast M.C. and Living Legends member Murs joined forces with producer wunderkind 9th Wonder (who was gaining a feverish following thanks to his work with Little Brother and Jay-Z amongst others) to work on an album, Murs 3:16.
The concept was simple; Murs would look after the rhymes, while 9th would handle the beats; few, however, would have predicted that the duo would be able to create one of the better hip hop albums of the last decade - which is exactly what Murs 3:16 is.
Murs and 9th went on to make a handful of albums together. Now they're back with another one, named Fornever, which is due for release on March 30.
During the recording process, the pair put their heads together to create '3:16 Part 2', a smooth, head-nod inducing follow on from the classic title track off their first album. 9th in particular really impresses here, creating a soulful yet powerful beat which is a real return to form.
'3:16 Part 2' will apparently not be featured on Fornever, but you can download it here for free. If they can afford to cut stuff like this, I'm certainly looking forward to hearing what did make the grade.
If you had to select your dream Wu-Team of M.C.s, who would you pick? For me, it's pretty simple*. Raekown. Method Man. Ghostface (Sorry, U-God). Simples!
If you picked the same top three as I did, you'll be happy to hear (if you haven't already... this is old news for hip hop internet geeks) that Meth, Ghost and Rae are joining forces and putting out an album on Def Jam in a month of so.
The small-scale posse album, entitled Wu-Massacre, is apparently in the can, so to help build a buzz before it drops (on 30 March at this stage), the boys have drafted in Wu DJ Mathematics to put together a label-sanctioned mix tape - the rather menacingly named Avenging Eagles.
Avenging Eagles features a bunch of quality material from the trio, and some Wu-Tang rarities which range from classic (Wu's first radio appearance) to slightly odd (unless you've always wanted to have the Wu-Tang St. Ides commercial on your iPod).
All in all, there's 48 tracks of Wu for you to digest - perfect to get you in the mood for the real Wu-Massacre deal.
*It actually wasn't as clear cut as I make out... GZA would be an able replacement should any of the above come down with illness or injury. Liquid Swords = one of the top three Wu-Tang albums, ever.
The Nextmen have just thrown a little off cut from their latest LP, Join The Dots, out into cyberspace. The tune in question is 'A Mean Speaker' featuring regular collaborator Dynamite MC, and will be familiar to most.
Ya see, 'A Mean Speaker' is an alternate version of 'So Many Girls', the Toots & The Maytals-sampling ode to the fine lay-dees of the world.
The lyrics are the point of difference here, with Dyna swapping the slick tales of women wooed for some party-friendly odds and ends. The beat remains unchanged from the 'So Many Girls' version - and that's a good thing, 'cause it's a stormer. Big tune, indeed.
UK hip hop don and all round good guy Ty is back with some new music after an almost four year break between albums.
The good news is that this sizable time between musical drinks is soon set to end, with Ty currently putting the finishing touches on his fourth album, Special Kind Of Fool, set for release by BBE on 19 April.
The bad news? I'm just winding you up... there is now bad news. Hooray for silly jokes!
The first release from Special Kind Of Fool is a track called 'Emotions', and as you'd expect from Ty, it's all class. Featuring helping hands from Sarina Leah & Shaun Escoffery, 'Emotions' is an uptempo, keyboard/synth joint which will move hips on discerning dancefloors.
You can listen to 'Emotions' below:
For a bit of a round up on what Ty's been up to as of late, check out the clip below:
I try to not get too carried away about releases that are still a wee way off, but sometimes, that doesn't quite work out. Case in point? Okay... I'll admit that I'm having a bit of a tough time keeping a lid on my excitement levels for the upcoming release from Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part 2: The Return of the Ankh.
The tracks for Erykah's first LP in a couple of years have been winding their way onto the net over the last month or two.
'Jump Up In The Air (And Stay There)' (which probably won't make Ankh's final cut) and 'Window Seat' have been doing the rounds of course - you can check them both out here - and are sounding mighty fine, as does the latest leaky-leak; namely, a preview of a cut entitled 'Out Of Mind Just In Time Part 1: Undercover Over-Lover'.
'Out Of Mind' is a stripped back to the core number, with Erykah getting all jazzy-like, crooning in her inimitable style while being backed only by some well-tinkled ivories. If this cut and 'Window Seat' are anything to go by, The Return of the Ankh is going to have a definite Baduizm feel to it. This makes me happy. Yes it does.
You can check out the snippet of 'Out Of Mind Just In Time Part 1: Undercover Over-Lover' below.
As a Grumpy Old Man With A Beard, there are a few things in this world that irritate me. Examples? People who say 'LOL' deserve to die a slow and painful death (typing it is barely acceptable, but saying it? Come on now); I'm not a patient queuer (when I first typed that, it came out 'queer' - that would have started some rumours); or how about Ashley and Cheryl Cole? 'Nuff said.
Hip hop, of course, is not safe from my surly tirades. But when it comes to this genre that I know and love, there's one thing that well and truly rubs me up the wrong way. "It must be the rampant consumerism that hip hop promotes", I hear you say. Nope. "Okay... so it must be the violence". Not really. "Right, so it's the violence, then". Uh-uh. While I'm not a great fan of any of the above, I am, as a rational human being, a believer in freedom of expression. Do you for the most part, I say.
So, what is it about hip hop that's annoyed me the most over the last few years? Quite simply, it's the fascination that the fans and media have with finding a saviour for what many describe as a dying art form (hip hop, that is). This isn't a new scenario, of course; the predictions surrounding hip hop's demise have been flowing thick and fast since well before Nas started banging on about hip hop being dead.
In a truthful, yet slightly hypocritical admission, I'm sure I've bought into the hype surrounding these artists before. But my hate of people hitching their wagon to the next redeemer has intensified over the last few thanks to the proliferation (look it up) of blogs and web sites devoted to hip hop, and the hyperbolic praise that they (and a good portion of print media outlets) shower on any rapper with semi-decent command of the English language and some semblance of lyrical rhythm and timing.
How many times have you heard this scenario? M.C. [insert name here], the hottest young talent out of [insert city/project.housing estate/suburb here] is the best thing since sliced bread, and the undoubted saviour of hip hop. I must admit that I've become a bit desensitised to it all now. Unfortunately, this has led me to turn a blind eye towards the talents of the latest anointed one, Jay Electronica, until a few months back.
Jay's story is an interesting one. Originally from Magnolia Projects in New Orleans, he's drifted between many of America's major cities, and has even spent a bit of time sleeping rough. While Jay's name has been bubbling across cyberspace for a wee while now, I never really paid too much attention - I knew him only as the guy who produced an intro on a Nas album, and who had a baby with Erykah Badu.
Eventually, it became impossible to avoid the hype, as the steady rumbling surrounding Mr Electronica's name grew ever louder. But even with everyone from Nas and Q-Tip though to Diddy praising Jay's talents, I still needed to be slapped in the face by something from Jay before I would really pay any attention.
That broadside came in the form of 'Exhibit C' - in my humble opinion, the best damn hip hop song to come out in years, and easily the best song of 2009 for me. Backed by a smoking hot beat from Just Blaze, Jay drops gem after gem, boasting that he's "eating wack rappers alive/shitting out chains".
It's not just big talk, though; maybe it's the fact that Jay is a little older than other-up-and comers (he's in his mid-30s); or perhaps it was the sleeping rough that gave him a different perspective on life. It's hard to put your finger on it, but he just seems to come across as a little more worldly than his peers. Listen to the lyrics on 'Exhibit C' for proof... seriously, it's goose bump material. You can check it below:
It doesn't stop there. Check 'Transformations (Exhibit A)', 'Eternal Sunshine', or 'Abracadabra' for more goodness. If you want a little piece of Electronica for yourself, some enterprising soul has pieced together a mix tape of Jay's music entitled ElectroChemicals (there's no album proper as yet), showcasing his catalogue to date. It's not all great, but there's more than a few highlights to help you get familiar. You can download ElectroChemicals by Jay Electronica here.
Jay breezed through London a few days back to perform a couple of sell-out shows at the Jazz Cafe. He backed up the hype by displaying great stage presence, dropping some blistering rhymes (often acapella) that display a clear social conscience (listen out for some very frank views on the New Orleans flooding, for example). Every word was delivered with crystal clear diction too, no doubt aided by the bottle of Jack Daniels which was being passed around on stage.
The JD probably helped facilitate a bit of banter with the crowd too. Jay chopped it up with all in attendance, covering everything from sports (he's happy the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl although there are "more important things" going on in the world, and has recently been converted from following Chelsea to becoming an Arsenal fan thanks to the efforts of Gilles Peterson) through to playing out someone who yelled out that they loved his 'wife' Badu (they're not married, in case you were wondering).
My usual disclaimer for all show footage that I post up applies here; crappy quality, crappy sound (although there are some rather fancy pixelization effects at the end, if I do say so myself), but it's better than nothing:
So, is Jay Electronica the saviour that hip hop fans are searching for? Well, you'll know my thoughts on 'saviours' after my earlier rant. But does he warrant the hype he's currently enjoying? No question. And after seeing him on stage, I can't help but think that the best is yet to come.
Following on from last week's opening salvo in Stussy's three-part J-Dilla documentary, today we have part deux (you didn't know I get down all multi lingual-like, did you now? Oui, oui).
The second section focuses on Dilla's journey from his home town of Detroit to the City of Angels. So, what led to Dilla - well know for repping the 'D' everywhere he went - following a path often travelled by Detroit musicians by packing up and moving out West?
According to long-time friend House Shoes, a flood at Dilla's home might have been one of the final driving forces behind the move. Other reasons may include everything from escaping the Detroit weather to it simply being time for a change; but Peanut Butter Wolf contends that it was Dilla's bond with Madlib which played a major part in the move, with the two beat 'aliens' speaking each other's language.
Enough from me, though... watch below, and remember to check for the final piece in the puzzle next week.
It's funny how the universe works, innit? (I still can't say that with any conviction, curse my non-English bones).
Here I was earlier today thinking that it's a been a good month or two since I've tucked into a Nextmen mix. Then, low and behold, what wings it's way through cyberspace? Nothing less then a new offering from Nextmeners Brad and Dom (for those who were hoping it was the prospectus for the Cash Money oil company, please leave your name tag at reception on the way out).
You know what to do... pour yourself a nice glass of pinot, straighten your cravat, and sink your teeth into the Meditation Mix - a 55-odd minute melange packed full with listening goodness, starting out nice and easy with some dancehall, reggae (including a quality version of 'Tainted Love'), and tasty hip hop from the likes of Method Man & Redman and Foreign Beggars.
As the mix progresses, the boys throw in steady servings of dubstep, disco, and UK funky (I don't know if that's what the kids still call it, but I don't really care).
And of course, there's the prerequisite bootlegs and blends which you've become accustomed to, all adding up to create a mix that's good enough to feast on (all these eating references have nothing to do with mediation, do they? Kind of missed the boat on that theme, didn't I? Ah well...)
Following the love in of sultry sounds that washed over Valentines Day yesterday, I've decided to break from the mushy stuff and switch up a pace a little with a tidy little drum and bass mix from the mighty Marc Mac - better known as one half of legendary future music duo 4Hero alongside partner in crime Dego.
For those that don't know, 4Hero made a name for themselves as drum and bass pioneers - namely as the driving forces behind the Reinforced Records movement - before moving on to make blinding beats and pieces of all descriptions.
The boys have gone back to their roots with their latest endeavour, though; namely, an installment of BBE's super supreme series The Kings Of..., joining with Brazilian D&B don DJ Marky to split a two-disc ode to drum and bass squarely down the middle.
In order to promote The Kings Of Drum & Bass, Marc has kindly laid down a solid half hour mix which, according to BBE, includes remixes of tracks which will appear on the compilation, along side some other assorted bits and pieces (such as a super slippery mix of Dwele's 'I Think I Love You').
No track listing available, but you can listen to and/or download the mix below:
As a little bonus, check out an old school mix from MM here. If you like what you hear on either mix, remember to cop The Kings Of Drum & Bass in all good stores, online or physical, from 16 February.
Update:
As you can no doubt see, the Soul of Drum + Bass mix has been taken down by BBE for some reason... but the old school mix is still available, as is a mix from Marky, which you can find below. Ah well... not all bad!
With the festival of St. Valentine upon us, I've taken a short break from romancing to post up some musical luuuurve.
Part one of the love in comes from J-Live, who has been busily slaving away behind the turntables to create his second mix tape in the last few weeks (following on from last month's 2009 wrap up, Do The Knowledge Volume 1).
In order to help set the mood for sexy times between you and your lady/man friend, J has hand crafted Chocolate Covered Samples, a mix of sultry soul and red light R&B featuring music from the likes of Minnie Ripperton, Marvin Gaye, Al Green and Barry White. Hell, with song titles like 'Intimate Friends' all up in the mix, you can tell that this is a compilation concocted with copulation in mind.
For those who prefer a hip hop love in, how about some new music from our man Wio-K? The Canadian MC recently sent through a new cut, entitled 'Menkeepers (Remix)', featuring regular partner in crime Grimace Love.
Backed by a typically smooth beat from Relic, 'Menkeepers' is an ode to Wio and/or Grimace's special someone. Perfect for some Valentines mushiness, but with a hip hop twist for the tough guys out there. You can listen to and/or download 'Menkeepers (Remix)' below:
It seems like we've been waiting for Erykah Badu to cough up the second installment of her New Amerykah trilogy for an age, now, doesn't it?
What was the original premise? Three albums in 12 months? It looked like a long shot at the time, but considering it's been almost two years since the release of the blindingly good New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), I think that we, the fans, are entitled to feel a little short changed (listen to me, all moan, moan, moan...). But things are looking up, as the oft-delayed New Amerykah Part ll:Return of the Ankh has finally been rescheduled after a series of false starts, and will drop on 30 March.
The first leak, 'Jump Up In The Air (Stay There)' featuring soon to be jailbird Lil' Wayne and Bilal (as well as some fancy mirror work in the track's video, which you can watch below) led us to believe that, just maybe, we might see Return of the Ankh in 2010:
Things are definintely looking even better on the Ankh release front now that Spine Magazine have posted up 'Window Seat', which is being touted as the album's first single. Based on a jazzy bass line, 'Window Seat' is a mighty mellow, soulful offering, produced by Badu along with James Poyser, and featuring ?uestlove on drums.
It sets the scene for what Badu says will be a more 'live' sounding album than the first installment of the New Amerykah series, saying that: "With Part One, I was standing at an apex, looking at what was going on around me politically, socially, and economically. With Part Two, I'm hovering over me, looking at what's going on inside of me."
Return of the Ankh features contributions from 9th Wonder, James Poyser, jazz bassist Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, and J Dilla (four years on and the beats aren't stopping), with Badu saying that "there's a strong undercurrent of bottom, a rumbling to these songs that feels good to me. It feels like a hug."
Cuts from Distant Relatives, the long-promised joint album from Nasir Jones (ya know... Nas) and Damien Marley, are starting to bubble to the surface, with the crew at Nah Right posting a new ditty named 'Strong Will Continue' earlier today.
Now, I'm the first to admit that the beat for 'Strong Will Continue' isn't the greatest thing I've ever heard; paced by rock guitars and church choir choruses, it unfortunately sails very close to being the sort of pedestrian cut that will quickly fade from your memory after a few listens.
So, why post this, I hear you ask? Well, it's the Nas' second verse that really saves the day here.
Even the average beat gets scared off by the ferocity of Nas' rhymes, trailing off into the distance as he gains momentum while addressing the last year's trials and tribulations. Fans of the 'Nasty' Nas will appreciate this verse...
This week marks the fourth anniversary of the passing of James 'J-Dilla' Yancey.
While it's fair to say that teary tributes to the respected producer are a dime a dozen at this time of year (as they have been around past anniversaries), the crew at Stussy have unveiled a more fitting way of paying respect where it's due by producing a three part documentary series about Dilla’s life in Los Angeles.
Part 1, which has recently gone live on the Stussy website and covers the Jaylib project amongst other topics, features interviews with those that new Dilla best, including DJ Houseshoes, Frank Nitty, Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Rhettmatic and J.Rocc of the Beat Junkies.
You can watch part 1 below:
Part 2, which is entitled Detroit to Los Angeles, will be released next Wednesday, and part 3 (Donuts) on the Wednesday after that.
On Saturday, Stussy will be celebrating what they have coined as 'Dilla Day' by releasing a limited edition J Dilla x Stussy x Stones Throw t-shirt featuring Dilla at work on his MPC from his book Behind The Beat, and also by hosting special events at some of their North American stores. Visit the Stussy website for more details.
Okay, I admit that I've not been as conscientious as you, my faithful reader/s have come to expect over the last half year. My excuse? Honeymooning on a beach in New Zealand. Beat that!
But worry not, 'cause I'm back, fresh off the plane from 27 hours of long haul good times, and right back into it. Have you missed me? Alright, easy now... you don't need to be that honest.
Now that I'm back in London, and watching different parts of my body turn rather unnatural shades of blue and purple as I re-acclimatise to the winter weather (hold that mental picture close to your hearts, my friends... urgh), you can expect a lot of posts from me over the coming week as I try to beat the post holiday blues with a big stick.
First cab off the rank for today is another little gem from the Red Bull Music Academy archives (following on from the DJ Premier archive piece from late last year). This time around, it's the one and only Bun B taking his turn on the Red Bull couch.
In the brief edit below, you can listen to Bun touch on a number of topics, including taking his small home town of Port Arthur, Texas to the World alongside his UGK brother Pimp C (R.I.P.), the UGK musical process, choppin' and screwin', and his thoughts on topping the charts:
Also, for you London folk, the 2010 RBMA is taking place in our fair city as we speak. Visit the dedicated RBMA London 2010 website to get the low down on a ton of events that are taking place across LDN over the next month (looking forward to checking out Chairman Mao at Plastic People myself, amongst others). Get involved!
Fresh off the press today is a nice little package of instrumental, vibey beats from a London-based gentleman by the name of BUG.
