Mix Tape: DJ Drama & dead prez – Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz

Revolutionary duo dead prez have been sticking their middle finger up at the police, radio stations, and pretty much any sort of governmental or corporate organisation that crosses their path since the year dot.

In fact, the DP boys (a.k.a. stic.man and M1) - who made their name by letting the world know that "it's bigger than hip hop" - are so revolutionary that they refuse to capitalise their name. Take that, grammar police.

dead prez - 'Hip Hop':



Admittedly, the duo has been a little quiet over the last few years in terms of releases. But don't take this silence as a sign of them mellowing or becoming complacent. Because after taking one listen to their new mix tape, Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz, you'll hear that they're still beating their anti-establishment drum - and rather loudly, too.

Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz is a collaboration with mix tape heavy hitter DJ Drama (who is looking a little less heavy in the physical sense these days - I guess he has been through the wringer in the last few years, after all).

Drama's Gangsta Grillz releases remain a badge of honour for hip hoppers of all shapes and sizes. The prez certainly sound pretty enthused to be involved too, with the release doubling as the fourth installment of their Turn Off The Radio mix series.

From the opening track, stic and M waste no time at taking aim at their mainstream contemporaries, and don't let up their lyrical assault until the final track has run its course. Beats-wise, there's a bunch of cuts on here that you'll know, and some that you won't - but it's all a good listen.

Get behind the cause and get your listen on/or download below:


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New Music: Big Boi - 'Tangerine' (Feat. T.I.)

Big Boi continues to impress as he prepares to blast off with his new LP, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.

The latest cut to surface from Sir Lucious is a joint by the name of 'Tangerine', which sees Big drafting in his roller-skating ATL co-star and recently released jail bird Clifford 'T.I.' Harris (welcome home Cliff!).

Antwan and Cliff both put in stellar performances on 'Tangerine', trading tight, club-focused verses over a tambourine (not tangerine) tinged beat.

While we're on the subject of the beat, producer Knightheat deserves a special mention too. Hats off to him for successfully navigating the narrow path between ensuring there's enough low-slung bounce to make the track sound current, without alienating the Outkast fans of yesteryear (well, the less cynical ones anyway).

Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty hits shelves next week, and I for one am starting to get a touch excited. First 'Shutterbugg', and now this... I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it sounds like BB is back and ready to rumble.

You can listen to 'Tangerine' below:

New Music: Curren$y - 'The Day' (featuring Mos Def & Jay Electronica)

I've been hearing a lot about 'up and coming' artist Curren$y ever since he was touted as one of XXL magazine's 'Freshmen 10 of 2009'. But as it turns out, $ has been making his way in the hip hop world for a lot longer than many of his freshmen counterparts.

The New Orleans master of ceremonies (is that a dirty phrase these days?) already has stints on Louisiana powerhouse labels such as Master P's No Limit Records and Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment under his belt. But these partnerships proved to be unfruitful in terms of getting albums on shelves, so Curren$y decided to go it alone and take the mix tape route.

A slew of mixes and a couple of independent albums later, the ever-industrious Dame Dash started sniffing around, eventually signing Curren$y to spearhead the charge for the recently resurrected Roc-A-Fella imprint.

Dame and The Roc will release Curren$y's major label debut, Pilot Talk', next month, with the album's first single, 'King Kong', already enjoying a strong buzz. Now, 2Dopeboyz have unearthed a new track named 'The Day', featuring fellow Louisiana native Jay Electronica and the mighty Mos Def (who together make up a super group by the name of Centre Edge Territory).

'The Day' is a solid affair, with all three M.C.s trading lines over a heavy roller of a track, produced by Ski Beatz (speaking of which - what ever happened to 24 Hour Karate School, Ski?). You can listen to 'The Day' below, or head over to 2Dopeboyz to get your download on:



Pilot Talk is scheduled to drop on 13 July, with production mainly handled exclusively by Ski and guest shots from Wiz Khalifa and Devin The Dude.

Video: Jay-Z & Eminem chop it up with David Letterman

Hip hop heavyweights Jay-Z and Eminem recently announced plans to hold two joint stadium shows in their respective home towns - one at Yankee Stadium in New York, one at Comerica Park in Detroit.

So what better way to spread the word and sell some more tickets than by appearing on The David Letterman Show? Sean and Marshall rolled to New York City's Ed Sullivan Theatre earlier this week and got well involved, recording a live performance of some of their solo material.

They also performed their duet (that just doesn't sound right, does it?) 'Renegade', with happy-clappy luminaries such as Diddy in attendance (that also doesn't sound right). You can check the footage below:



Special shout out to the kids in the front row struggling to clap on beat. Very special. For those of you who aren't familiar, you can listen to the studio version of 'Renegade' below:



But that's not all, folks. Jay also took some time out to chat with Dave, discussing whether he'll be able to get LeBron James to sign to his New Jersey Nets basketball squad amongst other things:



Em also showed he's a good sport by taking part in the show's regular Top 10 countdown, offering his 'Top 10 Pieces Of Advice For The Kids'.

Marshall's Top 10 includes sage advice such as 'no one ever regretted getting a tattoo', 'don't get mixed up with drugs, gangs and oil executives', and 'remember the three magic words; please, thank you, and step off bitch'. Eminem is for the children:



Update: With pre-sales flying out the door, Em and Jay have decided to make a little extra pocket change and extend the tour to two shows in each city. Tickets are on sale from tomorrow.

New Music: Yungun - 'Sunshine'

It's another scorcher today. As the mercury continues to rise, shirts are being whipped off as quick as cool pints are being drunk, with pasty Brits wasting little time in exposing themselves to the sunshine (sunburn? who worries about sunburn in the Northern Hemisphere?).

Yesterday, I waxed lyrical about the sites and sounds of summer in North London (it was all true, by the way - seriously). But what better way is there to capture the vibe of a summer's day in the capital city than by letting one of the U.K.'s finest M.C.s tell it like he sees it?

Camden's own Yungun (a.k.a. Essa) is definitely feeling the summer vibe. So much so, in fact, that he's gone into the studio and managed to capture the essence of London in the warm month/s on his latest cut, 'Sunshine'.

YG expertly sums up what effect sun rays have on UK peeps on 'Sunshine', covering anything from rhymes about the tennis ("An Englishman winning in Wimbledon? You simpleton") through to talk of BBQs and chardonnay on Parliament Hill, or sunbathing in the middle of a traffic island.

Add in a polished backing track courtesy of D'Angelo - who spins Roy Ayers' classic 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' into a silky smooth jam - and you've got a song that sums up all that is right about this time of year, when the rough exterior of Londoners melts away.

As Yungun puts it, "they screw face all year/but now they bust the wide smiles/and become polite/Wonder why?/Must be the sunshine." Word. And long may it last.

You can listen to 'Sunshine' by Yungun below, or download it here.



If you want to catch Yungun and his full band live (accompanied by DJ Mr Thing and Devise), they're playing on Thursday, 1 July at the Udderbelly on the Southbank (supported by Benin City and Inua Ellams). Click here for tickets and details.

New Music: Wio-K - 'Close Reminder'

There's been a healthy dose of sunshine out here in Old Blighty this week. As a result, all sorts of vitamin D-inspired activities have been taking place around my ends in North London's prison belt.

Up the road, the neighbourhood boozer is heaving, with the regular clientele trading in their Umbro track pants and McKenzie hoods for Umbro shorts and throwback Italia '90 World Cup Paul Gascoigne shirts.

Down the road, local youfs (any of whom can easily double as a Lee Nelson look-alike) have started climbing onto the roof of a nearby housing estate, burning anything they can find underneath an old grocery shopping cart which now doubles as a BBQ, in an attempt to achieve that special flame-grilled taste.

Yep... it sure is a good time to be in England. All we need now is a little musical spice to add a final flourish to this balmy picture of the British summer time. For that, we can look across the ocean to our Commonwealth comrades in Canada - specifically, our man in Toronto, Wio-K.

Wio has been kind enough to send through a nice slice of what he calls "summer boom bap", in the form of a new track entitled 'Close Reminder'. So get your download on here or check out it below, and make sure to add it to your BBQ and boozing track listing.



For all those who feel like spitting a few rhymes in the sunshine, you can download the instrumental here. Must be off now... roof top bangers are being served fresh off the trolley grill down the road as we speak and I want to get my fill. Gotta love summer.

Digital delicacies from Skream and Kode9

I like dubstep and other assorted electronic shenanigans as much as any other disgruntled hip hop fan who yearns for fresh and creative music (gotta listen to something that pushes the boundaries a little more than Nicki Minaj, after all).

So with that in mind, today seems as like as good a day as any to post up a few recent freebies of the dark, dirty and electronic variety that have been floating about over the last week or so.

First up is a great little package from the king of Croyden, the mighty Skream, who rounded up a few unreleased tracks and remixes and threw them together to create a sweet little free-p entitled Freeizm (released a few days ago via Twitter).

There's four tracks on offer here, but the can't miss cuts from where I sit are the slinky 'Minimoool', and a blinding Skreamix of The Dead Weather's 'Cut Like A Buffalo'. You can check them out below, and/or download the whole Freeizm here.

'Minimool':



'Cut Like A Buffalo':



Freeizm sets the scene for Skream's new album, Outside The Box, which is due to be released on Tempa on August 9. Stay tuned for another installment of Freeizm before the LP sees the light of day.

Another dubstep pioneer who is keeping busy is Hyperdub main man Kode9, who recently answered the call to put together a mix for K7's long-running DJ-Kicks mix series.

Kode9's mix - which throws 31 tracks by artists ranging from Ikonika and Digital Mystikz through to J*Davey and the man himself - is available now from all good online and physical record stores.

In order to promote the mix, our man caught up with Jeff Weiss of the Los Angeles Times' excellent Pop & Hiss music blog recently to talk about wonky, funky and a bunch of other genres with equally silly names.

He was also nice enough to let them post up a free download of his 'You Don't Wash (Dub)', as remixed by Dutch master Martyn. Check it out below, or download it here.

'You Don't Wash (Dub)':

New Music: Aloe Blacc - 'Femme Fatale'

Earlier this year, rapper ternt sanga (that's rapper turned singer for those of you not down with the kids) Aloe Blacc scored an internet hit with his good time anthem 'I Need A Dollar', which his label Stone's Throw very nicely gave away as a free download.

Now, Aloe and co. have taken the same course of action with his latest single, 'Femme Fatale' - a cover of the classic Velvet Underground tune of the same name which serves as an antidote of sorts to those of you who gave 'Dollar' a repeated and prolonged thrashing (I definitely count myself in those ranks, oh yes I do).

Brooklyn's own Truth & Soul handle production (as they did on 'Dollar'), but employ a more understated tone to stay in step with the Velevet Underground original. They've still managed to stamp their trademark sound all over 'Femme Fatale' though, with swirling strings underpinning a solid guitar and horn section, matched nicely by Aloe's solid vocals.

'Femme Fatale' is the second single off Aloe's new album, Good Times, which is due for release later this year. You can listen below, or download here. Vinyl heads can also visit the Stone's Throw website to pick up 'Femme Fatale' on 7".

Aloe Blacc - Femme Fatale by stonesthrow

Under The Radar: Pariah - 'Detroit Falls'

Today's tune is a short and sweet somethin' somethin' by the name of 'Detroit Falls'. This warped little piece of electronic hip hop - put together by an outfit called Pariah - flew under my radar when it was released last year, but came roaring into view a month or two ago.

How's about I tell you what little I do know about the mysterious Pariah? Okay, here goes... apparently, he's a London-based producer that has been doing his thing since the mid 90's. He's also worked with lush drum and bass don LTJ Bukem (and allegedly turned down a deal with Bukem's Good Looking imprint).

Admittedly, some of the press that I've seen on Pariah is a little vague on exactly how many people are involved in the project - the most likely guess is that it's a one man band, helmed by a geezer named Arthur Cayzer.

Whatever the case, it appears that music isn't Pariah's bread and butter. An alternative career doing god knows what was reportedly the reason why the afore-mentioned deal was knocked on the head. But who really cares about the back story... 'Detroit Falls' is dope, and that's all that really matters, innit?

Pariah employ/s an almost dubstep-tempoed beat on 'Detroit Falls', utilising an old school R&B sample which is disected into a bunch of vocal stabs. Throw in a ton of effects for good measure, and it all adds up to create a cut-up slice of wonky soul that manages to maintain a sense of warmth, despite all the chopping and changing.

If you're into anything of the off-kilter hip hop persuasion (a'la Bullion or Flying Lotus, say), then this is for you. Listen or download below:



If you like what you hear, you can also check out Pariah's remix (at a sligtly more up-tempo clip) of The XX's 'Basic Space'. For more info on Pariah, check out MySpace.

Sunday Jazz: Gilles Peterson - The Deep End Mix (Mix Tape)

Sunday is a day of rest for most people. It certainly is for me, especially today, which sees me resting my weary head in Barcelona, and enjoying a healthy dose of sunshine to boot. The perfect antidote for the after effects of a damn good Sonar festival.

Music is an essential part of any Sunday recovery session of course, regardless of where you are in the world. And on a nice summer's day (at least from where I'm sitting), a spot of jazz seems like just the ticket.

Thankfully, I've been sitting on the perfect mix for this occasion - namely, The Deep End Mix, put together by future music guru Gilles Peterson. Good old Monsieur Peterson has dug through his crates to select some tasty jazz biscuits to act as a fitting musical accompaniment to your Sunday recuperation session. What a guy.

Gilles created this mix a couple of months back as a tribute to Steve Reid (pictured), a legendary drummer who worked with the likes of Miles Davis, James Brown, Quincy Jones and Fela Kuti, and more recently jammed with Four Tet. Unfortunately, Reid passed away earlier this year - you can read more about him, his music and his colourful life here.

The Deep End Mix features a ton of quality jazz cuts, taking in music from Max Roach, Roy Ayers and Mtume amongst others. It's a high-quality tribute and sound track to what is hopefully a high-quality day of doing very little for you and yours.

You can listen to and/or download The Deep End Mix by Gilles Peterson below, and read on for the full track listing:

The Deep End Mix by gillespeterson

The Deep End Mix by Gilles Peterson - track listing

01. Max Roach - Motherless Child (Atlantic)
02. Leroy Vinegar - Doing That Thing (Joy)
03. Stanley Wowell - Travelling Man (Arista)
04. Mary Lou Williams - Free Spirits (Steeplechase)
05. Music Inc - Wilpan's Walk (Strata East)
06. Bobby Jackson - Paul's Ark (Ninth Note)
07. Dewey Redman - For Eldon (Freedom)
08. Shintaro Quartet - Sweet And Sour Sound (Streetnoise)
09. Mtume - Yebo (Third Street)
10. Roy Ayers - Hey Uh - What You Say Come On (Polydor)
11. Ken McIntyre Sextet - Miss Priss (Steeplechase)
12. Trindade - Capoeira (Tapecar)
13. Cheik Tidiane Fall - Black Snow (Freebird)
14. Chico Freeman - Crossing The Sudan (Contemporary)
15. Christian Vander - Colchique Dans Les Pres (Palm)
16. Takeo Moriyama - Watarase (Denon)
17. Earl and Carl Grubbs - Two Wives (Muse)

Mix Tape: Funky DL - Back To Rap

UK producer and rap dude Funky DL has been making quality music for a minute, now. It seems like he's pretty prolific too, turning his hand to a bunch of different projects in recent years, including solo albums and producing for other artists.

One of Funky's recent musical ventures saw the former MOBO winner create a remix album by the name of Back To Frank, which involved him reconstructing Camden high priestess of booze Amy Winehouse's debut album, Frank.

By employing a bit of creative sampling, DL managed to freak the hell out of Frank, adding his own spin to Wino's original tracks, and throwing in some guest verses to create a fresh take on her tried and true material.

The next logical step is, of course, for Funky to take to Back To Black, Winehouse's wildly popular second LP. So being a logical, hadr-working type of fellow, Funky has kindly obliged - and this is where Back To Rap comes up.

Featuring guest appearances from UK M.C.s including Pyrelli, MCD and Dukus, Back To Black rather unsurprisingly adds some hip hop steel to Winehouse's soulful original compositions.

Check tunes like 'Owe Nothing To Me' featuring Sus and Dukus (which is beefed up by some tough drums courtesy of Jeru The Damaja's 'Ya Playin Yaself'), or 'And I Wake Up Alone', which adds a new swing to the track on which it is based. You can listen to these cuts below:

'Owe Nothing To Me':



'And I Wake Up Alone':



As an added bonus, this free download also includes a ton of material from all the artists involved, too. You can download Back To Rap and the bonus material here. For more information on Funky DL, and to keep up to date on the latest news about his new album (which is due to be released in July), visit FunkyDL.com.

New Music: M.I.A. - Steppin' Up

Here's one from the 'what the fuck?!' files. M.I.A. is back with a vengence and she's brought her power tools with her, getting all industrial on it for her new song, 'Steppin' Up'.

Boasting a backing track which features electric drills, blade saws and an assortment of pieces of heavy machinery, 'Steppin' Up' isn't what you'd call easy on the ears (unless you're a DIY fiend or a rep for Black & Decker).

It's an interesting listen though, and it doesn't take long before complex rhythms began to appear amongst the madness. Those of you looking for something smooth and sensual to listen to while having a candle-lit bubble bath should probably head somewhere else, though.

Okay, now that they're gone, all you edgy hangers-on can check out 'Steppin Up' below:



The hard-as-nails sound employed on 'Steppin' Up' sets the scene for M.I.A.'s new album, /\/\/\Y/\ (that's Maya - M.I.A's real name - in case you can't spot it) - a record which she recently told the Huffington Post was influenced by death threats to her son, Ikhyd.

Apparently, the threats came after M.I.A. criticised the actions of the government in her home land of Sri Lanka. Speaking to the Huffington Post, she said: "People would write on Twitter and YouTube, 'Your baby is going to die,' because I was talking about the Sri Lankan government and the issues that were going on there."

"I think the album is a mixture of all those things - babies, death, destruction and powerlessness."

/\/\/\Y/\ is set for release in the UK on 12 July. Tip of the hat to 2DopeBoyz for this one.

Video: Ice Cube performs 'Straight Outta Compton' with The Roots

It seems like a lot of water has passed under the bridge since O'Shea 'Ice Cube' Jackson started making a name for himself, cruising the blocks of South Central L.A. in a 6-4, shoulder to shoulder with his N.W.A. cronies Dr Dre, Eazy E, and MC Ren (okay, so allow me a little poetic license here).

But Cube - who is still making music that, unlike him, won't appear in a Disney film - wound back the clock recently when he appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

A few weeks back, the one and only Doughboy linked up with Fallon's house band, The Roots, prior to a scheduled appearance on LN (during which he broke off a short rendition of 'Today Was A Good Day'). But in order to get the live studio audience into the mood before the official cameras began rolling, O'Shea and the gang decided to run through the N.W.A. classic 'Straight Outta Compton'.

As you'd expect, Cube takes care of his own verses (which he slays, of course), while Black Thought of The Roots tackles Ren's rhymes. But the surprise package is The Roots' guitarist Captain Kirk, who shows his hidden talents by deputising for Eazy-E. How much did he nail Eazy's flow? Much, much... rather uncanny, actually.

You can check out video footage below, or download a copy here if you're that way inclined. Shouts to Dan-1 for the heads up.



'Today Was A Good Day':



'Straight Outta Compton (Original)':

Video: Mark Ronson - 'Bang Bang Bang' (Feat. Q-Tip)

More new material today from Mark Ronson and his band The Business INTL, who have just released a new video for the latest single off their upcoming album, Record Collection.

The tune that's getting the royal video treatment is 'Bang, Bang, Bang', a pop-friendly, up-tempo cut, complemented by heavy synths and an appearance from Q-Tip on rhyme duties and MNDR on the chorus.

'Bang Bang Bang' found its way into cyberspace a few weeks back, but truth be told, it didn't initially do it much for me. I've managed to cast my scepticism to the side, though - it's pretty hard to deny that this is a mighty catchy tune.

It's screaming out for a World Cup remix, too. I'm sure we can transplant 'blow you vuvuzelas' into that chorus, somehow. Someone get Freddie Maake on the phone.

For the 'Bang Bang Bang' video, Ronson, Tip and co. have employed an 80's Japanese talk show theme (all the rage right now, I hear). There's even a John McEnroe-esque tennis tantrum to round the whole thing out. It's all happening, alright - definitely worth a watch.

You can check it out below:

New Music: NickNack - 'Gathering Shadow'

Back in the early oo's, during my days as a remarkably poorly paid and remarkably surly record store worker (is there any other kind?), I used to enjoy pouring over release sheets on the hunt for obscure gems for my customers (okay... so I was mainly tracking down records for me - perks of the job and all that).

A relatively unknown label that turned out to be a decent source of solid beats and rhymes during that time was a small imprint by the name of Crowd Control records, based out of Texas.

One of the GC artists was a fella by the name of NickNack, who put out a solid EP or two featuring other Texas underground stalwarts like K-Otix, which used to get some solid air time from me.

As time moved on, I eventually consigned Nick and Crowd Control to a dusty filing cabinet somewhere in the far reaches of my brain. That was until last week, when by good fortune, an e-mail popped into my inbox from NickNack himself. Small world, eh?

Turns out that Crowd Control is still ticking along, and so is Nick (who runs the show at the label). His sound has changed a little from the straight-up hip hop he used to make back in the day (look at old man GOMWAB with this 'back when I was a lad' talk), with his new music sounding closer to classic DJ Shadow and early RJD2 rather than straight-up boom bap.

Nick has a new album coming out on 15 June, entitled Dearly Departed. According to the press blurb, Dearly Departed "can best be described as a combination of psych rock and funk," which results in a "soulful downtempo instrumental sound that is sure to move you whether you like hip hop, soul, rock or downtempo electronica." That ticks boxes for me.

You can check out and/or download a couple of advance cuts from Dearly Departed below ('Gathering Shadow' is the one for me):



While you're at it, you should also check out the Crowd Control mix section, which features a ton of mixes of all shapes and sizes from Nick. Definitely worth a dig.

Mix Tape: Fashawn - Ode to Illmatic

Tribute mix tapes can be a little hit and miss. For every solid effort (like, say, last year's Le Da Soul - 20 Years of De La Soul), there's one that just don't quite gel, despite some solid moments (a' la the Tribe tribute Eclectic Relaxation).

As a result, I must admit that I was a little sceptical after recently reading that Fashawn - an M.C. from Fresno, California who's star is on the rise, by all accounts - was planning on paying homage to Nas through the medium of a tribute mix.

But rather than re-hashing individual songs by the artist formerly known as Nasty, Fash decided to take a crack at our man's classic debut, Illmatic instead. Big shoes to fill there, young fella. It's a brave move to attempt to recreate any decent album after all, let alone one which is widely regarded as being amongst the best hip hop LPs ever made.

The lyrical assault that Nas delivered on Illmatic is pretty hard to top. Having beats from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor and Q-Tip certainly didn't hurt Nas' cause, either. So, how does Fashawn's Ode to Illmatic stack up against its inspiration?

Rather than trying to recreate the handiwork of the aforementioned Illmatic beatsmiths, Fash made the wise decision of nabbing Illmatic's beats as in their original form. That's a good move in my books - it's best not to water down a classic with some half-arsed rerub, after all.

That leaves the lyrics. First off, Fashawn is obviously not Nas - but he's not trying to be either. He can certainly handle a microphone though, and instead of attempting to mimic his idol, he wisely decided to put his own spin on things.

As Fash says in Ode to Illmatic's intro, "I wanted to pay homage to [Illmatic], I just didn't want to bite it and rip it like it's mine." And that's something he does well.

All your favourite Illmatic tracks are well represented, whether it's 'The World Is Yours', 'One Love', or 'Represent'. They're all pretty solid renditions too, but little touches like drafting in Talib Kweli to fill in for AZ on 'Life's A Bitch' and having Nas' tour DJ Green Lantern carry out hosting duties, really add to the occasion.

So does the dope DJ Qvali remix of 'Represent' (check it out below):



So, would I take Ode To Illmatic over the original? Let's not be stupid, now. But is this a good listen? Most definitely. You can download Ode To Illmatic by Fashawn (presented by XXL and Orisue) here.

New Music: Rah Digga - 'This Ain't No Little Kid Rap'

I might be a week late on this one, but it shouldn't be too much of a surprise to regular readers that a song titled 'This Ain't No Little Kid Rap' should find its way to the pages of A Grumpy Old Man With A Beard eventually.

Rah Digga - one of the fiercest females to grab a microphone, just in case you're not familiar - is the instigator of this broadside at 'kiddie' rappers - and despite being largely out of the spotlight for the best part of a decade, it's pretty clear that she's not joking around.

Okay, so at certain points in this song, Digga sounds a little like any self-respecting pensioner having a moan about things outside their comprehension ('texting' is hardly a new invention). But it's good to hear Dirty Harriet back on the scene and doing it, and doing it, and doing it well.

The beat for 'This Ain't No Little Kid Rap' certainly doesn't hinder Rah's cause either, with underrated studio wizard Nottz hooking up a simple concoction that knocks from beginning to end. This ain't one for tinny lap top speakers; listen on a big system to get the real picture - nothing like a 128kb file to let you hear the bass go boom!

You can listen to 'This Ain't No Little Kid Rap' below:



This cut will feature on Rah's new album, Classic, which will be entirely produced by Nottz. Watch out, now.

New Music: The Roots - 'The Fire'

The last track that I posted from The Roots' new album, How I Got Over, seemed to draw a little scorn from a vocal minority of the good readers of this here blog.

Based on some of the comments left about 'Doin' It Again', I'm not sure that the latest new Roots leak, 'The Fire', is going to do anything to win over the naysayers.

I'll admit that I'm not head over heels about this cut, but I'm not totally against it either. So what the hey - for the sake of debate, here it is!

According to OkayPlayer, 'The Fire' - which, like 'Doin' It Again', features an almost indistinguishable John Legend - was premiered back at the Winter Olympics in March, when The Roots performed the track at the opening ceremony.

You can listen to 'The Fire' below, or head over to OKP to download the cut (if it's on there, someone in the band must have given the green light, I guess?) and check out the final HIGO track listing:



Word is that there's a video in the words for this too, with Rik Cordero tapped to direct. How I Got Over is out on 22 June.

Mix Tape: The Nextmen - England Expects (World Cup Mix 2010)

There are some sports that suit black/urban music better than others. Basketball, for example, goes hand in hand with beats and rhymes. American Football has a place in the urban scene, too. But for my money, when it comes to hip hop and football of the variety that everyone outside of North America, something doesn't quite fit.

Sure, there have been some hip hopping football highlights. John Barnes dropping a hot 16 on 'World In Motion', England's World Cup song from way back when (1990 to be precise) certainly ranks up there from an old school/retro point of view. But for every decent football/hip-hop moment, there's a ton of others that just don't quite work.

Take Clint Dempsey, for example. The Fulham FC and USA midfielder, who raps under the name Deuce in his spare time, put together a hip hop video a few years back which features him and his mates looking tough while rapping on a football field. It also features clips of him running around cones and juggling footballs. Yep... nothing screams street cred like a good round of keepie uppies.

With the football World Cup in South Africa just around the corner, musical tributes are flowing in from across the globe. But who is capable of representing the black music corner and Mother England at the same time? I'll tell you who: The Nextmen.

The boys have created a mix especially for the occasion, entitled England Expects, which combines a bunch of beats with football commentary, interviews, and general crowd shenanigans.

Expect tunes from the likes of Big Boi, Damian Marley & Nas, De La Soul and Oddisee, spliced together with vocal snippets from football legends like Diego Maradonna, who basically admits that he punched the ball into the net against England back in '86, or an Arabic commentator bigging up everyone's favourite robot-dancing bean pole, Peter Crouch. A perfect pre-World Cup warm up.

As is par for the course with any set from The Nextmen, England Expects doesn't stay solely within the hip hop/funk/R&B boundaries. Expect some traditional Latin music and reggae, along with some more contemporary Latin tunes from the likes of Orishas and Los Hermanos Latinos. Oh, and we can't forget about Barnesy, of course - it wouldn't be a World Cup mix without the 'World In Motion'.

You can download England Expects by The Nextmen below:

The Nextmen - World Cup Mix 2010 - England Expects by The Nextmen

New Music: Yuk - 'Walking Time Bomb'

It's difficult to digest the sheer volume of new hip hop flying around the net these days. As a result, an act that I'm not familiar with has a few seconds to make an impression on me, more often than not.

During this time, I'll either be won over, or leave someone's hard work in the wake of a flurry of mouse clicks. Harsh but true, kids.

But occasionally, for some unknown reason, I loosen my grip on the mouse and let a song that doesn't grab me straight away ride out.

That's what I did today when a track called 'Walking Time Bomb' came to my attention on 2DopeBoyz. And I've come out the better for it, because said song is dope.

According to 2DB, 'Walking Time Bomb' is the work of Fearce and BeanOne of Dyme Def, who have joined forces to form Yuk.

I have never heard of either artist, nor of Yuk as a unit - no doubt as a result of too much quick clicking as explained above - so I can't regale you with any witty stories or interesting facts about them (aside of the fact that the pair are going to be making clothing under the Yuk name too).

Instead, why not take a moment out of your busy days and check out a nice, prime piece of hip hop, based on a driving, mid-tempo beat and boasting more brass than an episode of Treme. Music is for listening, after all.

You can listen to and/or download 'Walking Time Bomb' below:

Video: Ty is a Special Kind of Fool

I'll admit that the musical focus here at GOMWAB has been rather slanted towards the U.S of A recently. But don't take this American favouritism as a sign that it's all quiet on the UK front.

The fact is, I've been checking a slew of British material that hasn't yet reached these pages. Rest assured that this is due to the lack of hours in the day, rather than being a reflection of the musical quality.

But tonight, we set the record straight by turning the spotlight onto one particular album out of the Blighty Bunch that has really been burning up my speakers for the last month - namely, Ty's Special Kind of Fool.

I've always been a fan of T-Y's music. The great voice and delivery help. It also seems he's one of the most 'real' M.C.s out there. Just so we're clear, I don't use the word 'real' lightly. In fact, I avoid it where possible, especially in reference to a genre that is obsessed with reality, but mainly based on fiction.

'Real' suits Ty down to the ground, though; no unnecessary tough talk and grandiose street tales, here - just good, straight-up hip hop.

Special Kind of Fool shows him at his best, too. While I enjoyed Ty's last album, Closer, for my money this is streets ahead. Cuts like 'Wait', 'Something Big' and 'Little Star' showcase the sort of heart-felt rhymes that I can listen to all day, every day.

With Special Kind of Fool hitting the shelves last month, Ty hit the campaign trail to spread the good word about his handiwork.

Check out the interview below with Soul Culture TV, where Ty talks about his music addiction, saying that “I probably am not a father because of it, I probably am not married because of this: I am 100% addicted to making music. It’s my calling.”



If you haven't had a chance to check Special Kind of Fool yet, I suggest you sort it out quickly. Chop, chop... but in the mean time, check out album cuts 'Wait' and 'Something Big' below:

'Wait':



'Something Big':

Gig: A Tribe Called Quest and Snoop set to Rock The Bells

I've never been a huge fan of groups performing albums in their entirety. Something about it seems a touch forced in my mind. But the latest annoucement of hip hop acts performing their classic albums at this year's Rock The Bells festival in the States is enough to turn me into a believer.

The first line up announcement included hip hop heavyweights like the Wu-Tang Clan performing Enter The 36 Chambers, Rakim recreating Paid In Full, Slick Rick giving The Great Adventures Of... a dusting off, and KRS-One breathing life into Criminal Minded.

That should be enough for most true school/golden age/old man rap fans. But when you throw in A Tribe Called Quest performing Midnight Marauders and Snoop Dogg performing Doggy Style... well, it's time to start looking at flights and hotels. Oh, and Lauryn Hill might even turn up, depending on what sort of mood she's in. Could be fun.

Of course, as I'm overcome by excitement, I'll conveniently sweep my last experience with a 'classic album' show into a far corner of my mind.

A couple of years back, I spent my birthday watching the Genius/GZA make his way through Liquid Swords. Admittedly, It wasn't a bad show, but it seemed that GZA was getting a little bored with treading through the same old songs.

Whatever the case, he decided to turn to the bottle, and then proceeded to pour abuse on Souljah Boy. Not my idea of re-living the classics, but each to their own.

More details are available on the Rock The Bells website.

New Music: Big Boi feat. Andre 3000 and Sleepy Brown - 'Lookin' 4 Ya'

The semi-recent news that Big Boi had reached out to Outkast partner in rhyme Andre 3000 to feature on his solo LP, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: The Ballad of Chico Dusty, was sweet music to the ears of 'Kast fans the world over.

I for one am always happy to see 'Dre and Big on the same track. Anything that provides even the slightest chance of banishing Idlewild, the duo's rather forgettable last album, from the throne of 'last Outkast record ever' is cause to celebrate in my book.

So with that in mind, I have good news and bad news.

I'll start with the bad; it looks like Andre will in fact not be making an appearance on Sir Lucious. Unfortunately, 'Dre was the notable omission from the track listing which was released recently. Sounds like a bad dose of record company politricks.

The good news? The duo have in fact recorded some new music together. One such song is a tune named 'Lookin 4 Ya', which is produced by Boi-1da and also features Dungeon Family veteran Sleepy Brown. And whaddayaknow? It's hit the net. You can listen below, or download it here:



So, where did it come from? Speaking to GQ, Big Boi had this to say on whether a record company could block him and 'Dre releasing music together: "The fans thirst will be quenched. You know, I'm no stranger to that internet, baby. So you already know what time it is. The thirst of the fans will be quenched."

No questions for guessing where this leak came from, then. But is this going to erase the bad (or should I say non-existent) memories of Idlewild? Not really, but it's a start. Fingers crossed the labels can sort out their issues for an Outkast reunion sometime before 2020.

As for the rest of Sir Lucious, you can check the track listing below:

1. Feel Me (Intro)
2. Daddy Fat Sax
3. Turns Me On feat. Sleepy Brown & Joi
4. Follow Us feat. Vonnegutt
5. Shutterbugg feat. Cutty
6. General Patton
7. Tangerine feat. T.I. & Khujo Goodie
8. You Ain’t No DJ feat. Yelawolf
9. Hustle Blood feat. Jamie Foxx
10. Be Still feat. Janelle Monáe
11. Fo Yo Sorrows feat. George Clinton, Too Short & Sam Chris
12. Night Night feat. B.o.B & Joi
13. Shine Blockas feat. Gucci Mane
14. The Train Pt. 2 (Sir Lucious Left Foot Saves The Day) feat. Sam Chris
15. Back Up Plan

Eminem on Recovery, sub-par material and Slaughterhouse

When was the last time you saw Eminem do an off-the-cuff, straight to flip cam interview? Actually, I don't know if I've ever seen him do one.

BBC1's Zane Lowe managed to get a scoop yesterday though, corralling Slim in a BBC corridor and banging out a short and sweet interview before Em and his crew flew back home from their European promotional junket.

During the three minute chin wag, Em talks about the making of his new album, Recovery, saying that "It felt like a breath of fresh air to get so many different tracks, different sounds from everybody, and be able to make a record... and also to think outside of the box", while stating that he "felt like I got a chance to experiment (and) play around with different flows and things like that."

Em also talks about underground 'super-group' Slaughterhouse's impending signing with Shady Records, and how some of the material he has made over the last few years hasn't been up to scratch, saying that "there was a long period, a good 4, 5 year period, where I felt like I definitely gave the public some... a lot of sub-par material."

"There was a lot of work that I can look back on and be proud of, and there's also a lot of work that I can feel like 'what the fuck was I thinking when I did that?"

You can watch the video below (and check out ZaneLowe.Com for some more quality content while you're at it):



I think a lot of people will agree that Em's last record, Relapse, wasn't really up to scratch, but I'm looking forward to checking Recovery. If he's rhyming anything like he does on the recently leaked single 'Won't Back Down' (which you can listen to below), this could be good.

New Music: Eternia & MoSS - 'The BBQ' feat. Rah Digga and Rage

Eternia has been making a name for herself as a female M.C. who can definitely foot it with the boys over the last few months.

The Canadian rhyme spitter has thrown her self into tracks alongside real lyricist's lyricists, including Ras Kass and Joell Ortiz, and has come out all the better for it.

Now, Eternia is joining forces with a couple of legendary ladies of the hip hop world, calling in Rah Digga and The Lady of Rage to do their thing on a solid posse cut entitled 'The BBQ'.

Taking their lead from Nasty Nas, Large Professor and Akinyele, who joined forces to craft the classic 'Live At The BBQ' way back when, Eternia, Rah and Rage all do their thing over a tough MoSS beat, firing verbal jabs at this, that and the other.

'The BBQ' is the lead single from a limited edition vinyl EP paves the way for Eternia and MoSS' upcoming full-length, At Last, released at the end of this month.

The EP also features a remix of 'BBQ' which boasts appearances by Jean Grae & Tiye Phoenix - another pair of females who can rhyme the pants off a whole bunch of M.C.s (no pun intended). You can grab the vinyl from Fat Beats from 8 June.

You can download 'The BBQ' by Eternia and MoSS featuring Rah Digga and Rage here, or listen to it below:

Mix Tape: Mikki D - Sweet Sounz 10

In keeping with my recent commitment to serve up mix tapes on a more regular basis, I've got a sweet mix courtesy of the one and only Dublin don, Mikki Dee, who has just released the tenth installment of his Sweet Sounz series.

If you're not familiar with Mikki, he's been holding it down in his homeland of New Zealand, and his adopted home of Dublin, for as long as I can remember.

But while Mikki comes from an unmistakable hip hop background (he can rock a mic as easily as he can rock turntables, don't ya know), Sweet Sounz 10 gives our man a platform to display his skills across a range of genres.

Expect anything from funk and soul through to down beat, as well as some VIP dubplate reggae pressure from Mega Banton (a'la Sweet Sounz 9). And don't forget the hip hops - quality cuts from Jay Electronica ('Exhibit C'), Little Brother, J.Cole and Q-Tip ('Do You Dig U?) tick that box nicely.

Throw in a few tunes from Mikki's homeland - in the form of tasty bits and pieces from Julien Dyne, Ladi 6 and Fat Freddy's Drop (including a bonus verse from our man on the 1's and 2's) - and you've got another quality selection, which you can listen to or download below:

SWEET SOUNZ 10 by Mikki Dee

Check the tracklisting:

1) SweetSounz a Champion - Mega Banton
2) Pull The Catch - Fat Freddys Drop
3) Lights Please - J. Cole
4) Exhibit C - Jay Electronica
5) Tigallo for Dolo - Little Brother
6) Love - Erykah Badu
7) So Far - Ladi 6
8) Do You Dig U? - Kamaal The Abstract feat. Kurt Rosenwinkel & Gary Thomas
9) Jeedo Suave - Wajeed
10) Dancing Skulls - Delroy Wilson
11) The Spirit of Fela uis Alive & Well - Akoya Afrobeat
12) Spottie - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
13) High on Your Love - Kings Go Forth
14) Serious Drug - Wild Cookie
15) Layer - Julien Dyne ft Mara TK
16) Over like McGyver - Brian Deady ft Doujah Raze

New Music: The Roots - 'Doin' It Again'

Every time The Roots release a new album, I tend to get a little giddy. Outlandish claims of 'album of the year' and 'the best thing I've heard in an age' tend to flow from my gob with ease.

Cue the snide remarks about my white middle class back ground, or even a tendency to stick with the tried and true - but I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm still a big Roots fan, regardless of whether or not it's fashionable these days.

With their impending album, How I Got Over, soon to hit the shelves, new Roots material is slowly starting to surface. And once again, the numerous superlatives and mountain of hyperbole that reside inside me are struggling with all their might to be freed.

Let me take a few deep breaths and compose myself. Alright, here we go... Last week, the excellent 'Dear God 2.0' did the rounds. Now, you can feast on a (very) short and sweet cut by the name of 'Doin' It Again', featuring a barely distinguishable John Legend on the chorus.

I like what I'm hearing too, but while it's always good to hear Mr Legend (don't front), it's The Roots' front man Black Thought that is the star of this show, as he attacks a rather nice (read: not classic, but solid) backing track with real vigour.

You can listen to 'Doin' It Again' by The Roots featuring John Legend below: