New Music: Nas - 'Paper, Power & Pussy'

New music today from the Artist Formerly Known As Nasty, with the mighty Nas dropping a new track that sees him waxing lyrical on some of his priorities in life - namely, 'Paper, Power & Pussy'.

Queensbridge's finest has been on a bit of a tear recently. First off, there was his solid showing alongside Damian Marley on the Distant Relatives project.

Now he continues his fine run of lyrical form with this charmingly titled Billy Squier-sampling ditty, which Nas co-produces alongside regular partner in crime Salaam Remi.

'Paper, Power & Pussy' will feature on an upcoming mix tape by Nas' tour DJ Green Lantern (which might even be out now, if you're still interested in buying mix tapes), and features scratches from the Evil Genius (a.k.a. Green) himself.

You can listen to 'Paper, Power & Pussy' below, or head over to Nah Right to get your download on.

Video: Black Milk - Deadly Medley

I’ve been struggling to find anything positive to say about hip hop that’s been released over the last few weeks.

But just as the weekend rides in to save most of us from the Monday to Friday grind, Detroit production whizz Black Milk drops in to rescue me from my hip hop musical malaise.

Black’s impending LP, the humbly-titled Album Of The Year, is shaping up as a promising listen based on a few snippets I’ve heard.

The album’s first single, ‘Deadly Medley’ is a good example of what to expect, with Master Milk being joined by fellow Motor City representatives Royce Da 5’9″ and Elzhi of Slum Village... or rather formerly of Slum Village. I’ve given up trying to figure out what’s going on there.

‘Deadly Medley’ is pretty straight forward, really; an ill funk break cut, spliced and diced with skill by Black, and three M.C.s going for it (with Elzhi winning bragging rights in my book, despite on-point verses from his rhyming mates).

It’s as simple as that, really… but it’s this simplicity that makes the track a winner in my book. You can check out the video of ‘Deadly Medley’ by Black Milk featuring Royce Da 5’9″ and Elzhi below:



Originally spotted at Nah Right… shouts to Parks for the tip. Black Milk’s Album Of The Year is out on September 14 on Fat Beats/Decon.

Video: Now On - 'All You Ever Knew'

Back in 2008, Michigan trio Now On (which is made up of Mayer Hawthorne, IX Lives and Jackson Perry) dropped a solid yet slept on album by the name of Tomorrow Already.

One person who didn't sleep was French animation artist Cedric Berthier.

Our man Ced-B was so taken by Now On's song 'All You Ever Knew' - a soulful, off-kilter slice of spacey hip hop - that he decided to create a video for it. What a guy.

Watch below to be transported into Ceddie's cosmic world of doughy animation magic:



If you like 'All You Ever Knew', you can download it here. Alternatively, click here to purchase the Tomorrow Already LP. Shouts to Steph @ A-Sides Worldwide for the hook.

Live: A Tribe Called Quest @ Rock The Bells

After much soul searching last week, I finally decided to give in on making the pilgrimage to New York City to attend the Rock The Bells festival.

Now, thanks to video footage floating to the surface from the California leg of RTB which took place last weekend, I'm already questioning the wisdom of my decision.

While this year's line up is enough to make any aging b-boy or hip hop purist (that's a euphemism for 'nerd' if ever I wrote one) weep, it was the appearance by headliners A Tribe Called Quest that really had me considering an impromptu trip across the Atlantic.

I talked myself out of it. I blame getting old and 'responsible'.

But after watching Tip, Phife and Ali take the stage in the video below, I'm looking at last minute flights. Again. Watch below as Hot 97's Peter Rosenberg gives you a peek into backstage life, and a sweet slice of live action, including 'Stir It Up (Steve Biko)':

Upcoming Gig: RBMA Culture Clash @ Camden Roundhouse

The 2010 term of the Red Bull Music Academy saw a ton of musical talent descend on London earlier this year. Unsurprisingly, a ton of great gigs duly followed. But perhaps the most popular of them all was the bass bin-shaking sound clash spectacular, Culture Clash.

If you’re not familiar with the sound clash concept, here’s the run down. Take some of the U.K.’s (scratch that – the world’s) biggest and best sound systems, set them up in one space, and stand back as top-class DJs take turns at banging out tunes in an attempt to win over the masses, with crowd reaction being the key to deciding who will emerge victorious.

The first RBMA Culture Clash back in February saw Goldie and his Metalheadz mob take out the title. Now, the belt is back on the line, with the second instalment of Culture Clash locked and loaded for October 14 at the Camden Roundhouse. To get an idea of what to expect, check out the video of the first Culture Clash below:



The line up for Culture Clash part two is as heavy as you can get, with four revered crews from different branches of bass music lining up to do battle. Roots reggae, jungle, dub step… this is a bass music extravaganza. Read the line up and weep. And maybe buy ear plugs – it’s gonna get real loud:

• Goldie’s Metalheadz feat Andy C, Shy FX, Storm, MC GQ & MC Justyce
• Skream & Benga presents Joker & MC Nomad & Artwork
• Channel One Soundsystem feat Mikey Dread, Ras Kayleb & full crew
• Soul Jazz Records Sound System presents 100% Dynamite

And for the big cherry on top, the whole evening will be hosted by the legendary Don Letts. Nice. Check below for the full details, and stay tuned to A Grumpy Old Man With A Beard for ticket giveaways and special Culture Clash material as we draw closer to the gig.

Red Bull Music Academy Culture Clash
Venue: Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, Camden London, NW1 8EH
Date: Thursday 14 October 7pm-3am
Tickets: Limited early bird tickets £15, £18 advance, more on the door Box office: 0844 482 8008 / http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/ / http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
Sounds Of The Universe: 7 Broadwick Street, Soho W1F ODA / +44 (0) 207734 3430
Black Market Records: 25 D’Arblay Street. Soho W1F 8EJ / +44 (0) 207437 0478

For the full audio of the first Culture Clash tune in at http://www.rbmaradio.com/, and find out more about the Red Bull Music Academy at http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/.

New Music: Kanye West - 'Power' (Remix)

When Kanye West dropped 'Power' - the first single from his as yet untitled fifth LP - a few months back, feedback was a little mixed. But 'Ye is smarter than he acts. Or sounds.

Rather than throw in the towel, he let the track marinate a little, before striking back hard with a rather impressive video (it was good - it wasn't the second coming like some people made it out to be... but it was good).

Now that a lot of people out there are feeling a little more positive about 'Power', Kanye has decided to switch up on us once again and throw out a remix featuring his Big Brother Jay-Z.

Swizz Beatz also drops by to assist with the beat, changing things up a little by flipping Snap's 'I Got The Power' to give 'Power' a little flourish at the end (hold on, a remix with a different beat? Controversial). Listen below:



If you don't like the original version of 'Power', I'm guessing you still won't like this. But Kanye kind of has that effect on people. A powerful polariser. Which side of the fence do you sit on? Leave your love or hate below in the comments section.

New Music: Big K.R.I.T. - 'My Interpretation'

Current blog darling Big K.R.I.T. is back in the spotlight today, with a new tune - 'My Interpretation' - hitting cyber space thanks to the good folk at Potholes In My Blog.

The Potholers have scored a bit of a coup by corralling K.R.I.T. (if you're not familiar, you can school yourself here) to appear on their forthcoming compilation, Summer Sampler, which they are pulling together alongside their compadres at Prefix Magazine.

Big Krizzle comes to the party too, turning in a smoothed out, mid-tempo cut of the pseudo-motivational variety, which sounds right nice - you can listen below:



If you want to hear more from this compilation, head over to Potholes In My Blog to check out the spacey opening cut 'Blastoff', by Sonnymoon. Summer Sampler is due out shortly, and will feature 24 cuts of summery tunes. Get in quick though... the sun has almost run out over in London!

New Music: The Milk - '54/46'

New music today from The Milk, a band that’s starting to turn a few heads here in London Town. But if you’re not familiar, don’t feel bad. Here’s your chance to get in on the ground floor so you can tell your kids some “I remember when they were just starting out”-type stories.

Here’s the story so far. The Milk are four lads from Essex (Southend to be precise) who have been friends since they were wearing short pants. They started making music during their teens, starting out with making punk before realising that it was a bit of a dead end street.

The boys decided to take some time out to try different things (ranging from banking and building work to selling sexual stimulants to GPs) before reconvening as The Milk.

According to their bio, The Milk embraces “the classic Motown, Stax and Trojan records that had sound tracked their early lives. Yet the band’s plans for their album are anything but retro, instead incorporating elements of dance, hip-hop and dub into their sound.”

What better way to incorporate said genres into your act then call upon a geezer who knows a bit about them all – namely Brad Baloo, he of Nextmen fame. Baloo has been working with The Milk for the last six months, helping the group lay down the foundations for their first LP, which will flow from one track to the next, mix tape style.

This approach mirrors the one they take for their live shows (which are something to behold by all accounts), where The Milk keep the energy high by playing small snippets of all your favourite hip hop hits between their own songs.

Major labels are circling as we speak, but today you have the chance to take your own little piece of The Milk home with you. That’s right ya’ll, it’s time for another GOMWAB exclusive-clusive-clusive (I should host my own mix tapes).

The track on offer today is a stonking cover of ‘54/46 Was My Number’ by Toots & The Maytals’, which you can listen to below or download here:

The Milk - 54 46 by GOMWAB

If The Milk is your cup of tea (groan), you can catch them live on 2 September at Monto Water Rats in Kings Cross, London. Full details are available here. If you can't make that gig, they're also playing at the Brick Lane Festival later this month.

Update: Just noticed that the file has been compressed on Soundcloud. For all the DJs/punters that want the song at a higher bitrate, contact me directly via e-mail (using the contact details on the right hand navigation) and I can sort you out.

Who is this year's King of Bling?

2009 was a year of economic hardship for most of us. The global economy contracted; credit was crunched; newspapers predicted the demise of modern society and national banking systems as we knew them (they kind of got it right too - poor old Iceland).

After sailing well past the half way point of 2010, things don't seem to be quite so dire as they were last year, economically speaking.

We're still not out of the woods though, as educated boffins with horn-rimmed glasses and bad smoking jackets continue to float the prospect of a double dip recession (look it up... okay, read about it here).

But what better way is there to really find out the true state of the global economy than survey the earnings of hip hop's elite big spenders?

Well, there are a ton actually... the boffins will argue that research, further study, and expert analysis would be a good place to start. But they aren't any fun. So here we go - back for the 2-10, it's Forbes' Hip Hop Cash Kings list!

So, who was top dog this year? No surprises or prizes if you guessed Jay-Z. The Jigga Man continues to be hip hop's most bankable commodity, raking in USD $63 million to top the tables for a second year running - and making last year's earnings of $35 million seem paltry in comparison. The economy strikes back!

Coming in at number two once again, and matching last year's total of $30 million, is the one and only Diddy, who is apparently toying with the idea of changing his name yet again.

This time, the nom de plume for Mr Sean Combs might well be 'Ciroc Obama', thanks to his rather lucrative vodka joint venture with Diageo. Throw in some decent acting roles, and you can see why Diddy/Ciroc is smiling.

The top five is rounded out by Akon, Lil' Wayne, and Dr Dre, while a bunch of names you'd expect to see there or there abouts don't disappoint either (Snoop, Timbaland, Pharrel, Eminem etc).

There were a few surprises, though. The egomaniac everyone loves to hate, Kanye West, was ridiculed for his well-publicised outburst during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 Video Music Awards.

This probably contributed to his wallet taking a bit of a hit as he went to ground for a few months. Yeezy dropped from third place in 2009 to tenth place this year, but expect him to make his way back up the list next year.

Likewise, a jail stint for T.I. didn't seem to knock his Grand Hustle, with the southern king pin's successful record label helping to keep the lights on while he paid his debt to society. "And what about 50 Cent?" I hear you cry. A mighty drop, from $20 mil last year to a measly 8 million. Poor old fiddy.

Less of a surprise was the performance put in by the freshman of the year, Drake (real name Aubrey Hughes - ha!), whose debut album Thank Me Later appeared to be the only hip hop record that has sold over 100 copies this year.

But while all of these figures show that hip hop is still big business, and that the economic outlook for the big dogs is still rosey, here's a little factoid that puts it all into context.

In the words of Forbes, "Though Jay-Z earned more than Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West and 50 Cent combined, he's not even the richest musician in his own home - that honor goes to his wife, Beyoncé, who raked in $87 million over the past 12 months." Insert joke about who wears the pants in that household here.

You can visit the Forbes website to see the Top 20 Hip Hop Cash Kings for 2010, and to read all sorts of analysis (including a feature on Snoop Dogg entitled 'From Gangster To Businessman', and a look at some of the Cash Kings' houses - what is this, MTV Cribs?).

You can also check out a video below of Russel Simmons offering his two cents worth, or read more about last year's list here.

Video: King Midas Sound - 'Lost'

For some reason, King Midas Sound's impressive debut album, Waiting For You, is solely a winter album in my books. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it just seems to conjure up images of the cold months everytime I hear it.

Maybe it's the rather stark and foreboding musical backdrops provided by Kevin Martin (a.k.a. The Bug) Or perhaps it's the sweetly eerie vocals which singer Roger Robinson adds in to the mix. I don't know exactly. But something about this album gives me the chills.

Waiting For You received steady play in my household when it was released by electronic taste maker label Hyperdub late last year - unsurprisingly, around about the time that the snow of the Northern winter set in.

Unfortunately, an extended trip to the sun-drenched Southern Hemisphere over the New Year period consigned Waiting For You to the bottom of the musical pile. But it's back on the speakers now, thanks to a new video for album single 'Lost' hitting the web recently.

The unseasonally cool mornings and evenings that have reared their head here in Blighty this week make it seem like the right time to resurrect King Midas Sounds' handiwork, too. Gee, that's not half depressing.

You can check out the stylish visuals for 'Lost' below:



'Lost' will be released on vinyl 7" (Hyperdub's first 7", for all you anoraks out there) in the near future, and will be available from all the usual high quality vinyl emporiums.

New Music: Eru Dangerspiel - 'Candyfloss'

The mysterious Eru Dangerspiel has been creating his own special brand of soulful intergalactic funk way down there in the deep dark depths of New Zealand for the last few years.

But despite living in a small country which some people actually believe is inhabited by Hobbits (Middle Earth isn't real, people), the Wellington-based producer is a 'think big' kind of guy.

You need look no further than his recently released live CD/DVD Great News For The Modern Man for proof. Great News has enabled Captain Dangerspiel to unleash his creative vision on the world by documenting a sold out show which took place last year at Auckland's Town Hall.

It was a big night, by all accounts: thirty or so of New Zealand's top musicians; a choir; an overflowing costume budget; and Eru, acting as ring leader for the whole damn thing.

Read more about it here, or watch a clip below:



But while Eru is planning to reassemble New Zealand's musical Voltron for shows in Auckland and Wellington later this year, he's still busily cooking up creations in the studio. And today, he's offering up one of those there creations for free. Huzzah!

'Candyfloss' sees Mr Dangerspiel depart from his tendency to favour live instrumentation and arrangements in order to create what sounds like a more sample-based concoction. It still packs the necessary punch though, so get in there and get your download on:

Candyfloss by eru dangerspiel

If you want to read more about Eru and his musical majesty, visit Amplifier to check out audio and video clips, get info about the upcoming live shows, and read an interview with the man himself.

New Music: Dibiase - 'Lumberjack'

As I mentioned in my earlier post, the last few days have thrown up a few technological hurdles. This has led to me spending far too much time working on my computer screen tan while trying to make technology work for me rather than against me.

With that in mind, it seems more than a little fitting that the last act of my virus-riddled weekend is to post up a new single from Californian beat maestro Dibiase's aptly titled new album, Machines Hate Me.

Watts-bred Dibiase has been creating futuristic, wonky hip hop-flavoured beats and pieces for a minute now, and the track that's getting the posting treatment today - 'Lumberjack' - is no exception.

Picture a cut-and-paste job comprised of off-kilter drums and vocal stabs, chopped and rearranged to create a warped yet warm head nod-inducing track. Either that, or you can listen to it below and make up your own equally fluffy description:



If you like what you hear, why not head over to Dibiase's Soundcloud page to check out some more of his handiwork. Watch out for Machines Hate Me later this year. Death to computers.

Sunday Jazz: Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics - 'Electricone'

It's been a quiet few days here in the GOMWAB manor thanks to a computer riddled with viruses, trojan horses and all other sorts of technological fuckery that is well beyond my comprehension.

But fear not (because I'm sure you were all worried sick), because I'm back like crack. So without any further ado lets get on to clearing out the inbox of all the freshness that's been raining down the last few days.

Hang on. It seems there's been very little freshness in the inbox the last few days. Unless, or course, you find Lithuanian trance and Algerian ballads fresh. If you do, you're probably on the wrong site.

Luckily, sitting on the bench is a more than worthy free download of the unashamedly noodly jazz persuasion from the gang at Strut (which has been consigned to the 'should post' pile for the last 10 days).

Rather than me waffling on about the artists responsible for said cut - namely, jazz guru Lloyd Miller and his willing collaborators The Heliocentrics (who you might remember from an earlier post on Ethiojazz legend Mulatu Astake) - why not check out a two part video below which will give you all the info you need:





If worldy jazz is your thing, and you can spare a moment from the rampant beard-strokery that you obviously indulge in, you can download 'Electricone' from Lloyd Miller & The Heliocentrics self-titled album (which is out now) here.

New Music: Twista - 'The Heat' (Feat. Raekwon)

Twista is well known as being the crown prince of lightening-fast lyrics, carving out a rather lengthy career for himself by spitting rhymes a-mile-a-minute a' la the Micro Machine Man .

But while the Chicago native's trade-marked speedy delivery has it's time and place, it's nice to hear him deliver a more leisurely verse or two so you can actually decipher what he's saying. And that's exactly what he's done on his latest song, 'The Heat', a soulful number which has hit the web today.

Of course, lining up alongside Raekwon - a man who measures the pace of his rhymes as carefully as the product that makes up a large chunk of his lyrical subject matter - probably helps.

So too does the cracker of a slow-burning beat (complete with haunting vocal samples), as cooked up by Twista's fellow Windy City representer No I.D. and co-producer The Legendary Traxster. But whatever the reason for the change of pace is, I'm not mad at it.

I have to admit, I never thought I'd post a Twista cut on here. But the world is an unpredictable place, and a good tune is a good tune. So here goes...you can listen to 'The Heat' by Twista featuring Raewkon below:



'The Heat' will feature on DJ Haze's Still Countin' Money mix tape (hence the shouty tags at the beginning and the abrupt ending on this one). Shouts to 2DopeBoyz for this one.

Jay Electronica - Live At Colors, Nouveau Casino, Paris

Jay Electronica seems to have been in and around Europe for an age as of late, hitting the road in mid-July after answering a last minute call to appear at London's Love Box Festival, and seemingly staying on the road ever since.

Luckily, he managed to find his way back to London last night to perform at Cargo.

But instead of subjecting yourself to some shaky handy/flip-cam footage of the back of people's heads, why don't you hit play on the player below and listen to some pristine footage of Mr Elec tearing up Paris from a few days earlier?

Thanks to the folks at Red Bull Music Academy Radio, you can hear Jay work his way through cuts like 'Transformations (Exhibit A)', 'The Ghost Of Christopher Wallace', 'Dimethyltryptamine', and of course the exceptional 'Exhibit C'.

It's all off the sound desk too, so it sounds proper. Hal-le-lujah... this is a flip cam-free post.



Make sure to check out the Red Bull Music Academy Radio archives too, jam-packed with a ton of fresh shows from a ton of fresh artists.

Mix Tape: Mr Thing - Champion Nerd

There's something about collecting vinyl that brings the nerd gene to the fore-front.

Yep, the quest to find original breaks and beats which have been flipped by producers past and present can be an all-consuming one. I know this, because I am a record nerd - there's no two ways about it.

As such, I've gone through phases of digging in the crates, picking up dusty sides used by master beat makers.

I have no idea what I'll ever do with them, of course - my production experience is limited to two loops running simultaneously for three and a half minutes. But god damn it, I found them there records anyway! Three record nerd cheers for me!

One avid digger who does know what to do with his hard-earned vinyl finds is Mr Thing, one of the UK's best hip hop DJs and producers.

If you've had the pleasure of seeing Thing in the mix, you'll know that he can absolutely destroy any dance floor. But his latest mix tape, Champion Nerd, demonstrates his meticulous digging skills as well.

So what can you expect from Champion Nerd? A ton of original breaks of the funk, soul and reggae variety - including cuts used for songs by the like of Kanye West, J-Dilla, Common, Mos Def, Large Professor, Little Brother and Q-Tip amongst many others - all dug out of the vinyl archives and zigga-zigga-ed to perfection by Thing.

It's not all obvious stuff, mind. But it's all definitely top notch... perfect for you (okay, us) record geeks to sit around and play 'spot the sample' with. Don't front. If you're a hip hop record nerd, you know you're gonna do it.

As an added bonus, Thing has also thrown in a remake of an unreleased cut by Biz Markie and Cool Vee entitled 'Tribute To Scratching Part 2'. This has been re-built from scratch, folks. That's commitment to the cause. Check it out below:



You can download Champion Nerd by Mr Thing here.

Pharoahe Monch on Asthma, W.A.R and 'Oh No'

Stringing together a coherent verse without spluttering for breath is a tough task for most M.C.s. But imagine trying to do it when you're an Asthmatic; that adds a whole new degree of difficulty into the mix.

Admittedly, Asthma and verbal gymnastics aren't two things that you'd think would go hand-in-hand. But it can be done - just ask Pharoahe Monch, a chronic asthmatic who knows a thing or two about rhyming.

Mr Monch has suffered from the inflammatory disease since he was a kid. It continues to be a thorn in his side as an adult too, as he tells D-Nice for his True Hip Hop Stories video series, speaking on the effect that Asthma has had on his life, and saying that he'll address the topic in more detail on his new album W.A.R. by dropping rhymes like the one below:

"He said 'do not run too fast, stay off of the leaves'/ Do not play in the grass or climb the tress/ You can't breathe/ Let alone get stung by bees/ Lord Jesus, your chest might just freeze up/ 12 years old with a lung disease/ That almost took my life twice/ Bought me to my knees."

Tough break for a young kid, innit? You know it's serious too, because there's some rather sombre piano music playing in the background. Nothing says serious like sombre pianos.

The interview isn't exclusively designed to tug at the heart strings, though. Monch also takes the time to break down how Nate Dogg found his way on to Mos Def's 'Oh No', and to chew the phat about W.A.R. (which stands for 'We Are Renegades' - you can read more about it here). You can watch the whole video below:

Dante Ross goes one on one with DJ Muggs

Dante Ross is a man who has more than a few fantabulous tales of the hip hop persuasion up his sleeve. Today, he's back with another trip down memory lane for all you hip hop historians, corralling legendary producer DJ Muggs (of Cypress Hill fame) to reminisce about way back when as part of a nice little six-part video interview.

Part One sees Muggs talk about his first group The 7A3, how he learned to make albums by watching the producers involved in that project work their magic in the studio, and how Cypress Hill didn't catch fire until the b-side of their first single, 'How I Could Just Kill A Man', became a hit:



Part Two sees Muggs talk about the early L.A. rap scene, stories behind 'When The Shit Goes Down' s and 'Pigs', and hip hop mosh pits:



All in all, there are six of these clips, and I'm not inclined to summarise them all (the weekend calls, my friends). But rest assured that they're all worth a watch.

If you want to hear Muggs drop science on Cypress and a bunch of other West Coast stalwarts like NWA, Ice-T and the Rhyme Syndicate, and Ice Cube, you can watch parts three, four, five and six by following the links. Shout out to the H-Town Express for the heads up.

New Music: Roots Manuva - 'Butterfly Crab Walk (WrongTom Rework)

It's been a minute since we've heard from the mighty master of the Banana Klan, Roots Manuva.

But that will change shortly, with the pride of Stockwell preparing to release a new project entitled Duppy Writer, which will feature reworked tunes from his lengthy back catalogue.

In order to give said tunes a new lease of life, Mr Manuva has joined forces with a producer by the name of WrongTom, who caught Roots' attention after submitting a tasty remix of 'Buff Nuff', one of the singles from his last album, Slime & Reason.

Word on the street is that Tom has delivered the goods for Duppy Writer. Early accounts indicating that he's cooked up a batch of dub-heavy versions of classic Manuva tunes, which will be accompanied by a smattering of new material.

So, what's the inspiration behind Duppy Writer? According to NME, Tom "approached this project by imagining each song was an original version from a previous decade."

There's been no word on whether a 1920's/Charleston-themed remix will make the grade as yet (tongue in cheek, people), so you'll have to rely on a 70/80's-styled, reggae-tinged cut to get an idea on what to expect instead. You can listen to 'Butterfly Crab Walk' below, or download it here courtesy of Big Dada.



Duppy Writer will be released on 6 September through Big Dada.

Mix Tape: Fresh Daily - Mothership/Land

Brooklyn spitter Fresh Daily is back in the saddle today, picking up where he left off with last year's rather good Today Is Tomorrow mix tape by dropping a new tape of tastiness which goes by the name of Mothership/Land.

If you managed to check Today Is Tomorrow you'll know what to expect from Fresh; namely, witty word play over vibey beats.

But rather than let me try to describe what's really going on in terms of Mothership's true meaning, I'll let Fresh take centre stage. Deep breath...Here we go.

"This (mix tape) is an amalgam of many things. Us as a people, black people, the Diaspora, how we relate to each other in relationships & socially.

"All in all we’ve been built and programmed to have shoddy social/love relationships as a result of slavery and years of conditioning to break down our culture and heritage. They’ve failed. We’re WOKE with knowledge of self. We’re Young, Gifted and Black.

"Also just a personal dissertation & exploration on my relationships w/ lovers, friends & family. Also a celebration of women & the life cycle of sorts. We as men come out of a woman (our Mother) enter a woman again (our wives/lovers) and return to mother EARTH in death."

Phew. You get that? That's some extra-level deepness right there. So deep it's a little over my head at the minute (long day).

But if that's too much for you to digest, fear not. Fresh takes it down a peg for the dummies: "Plus it’s just a spaced-out, low-end mixtape composed of dope jams. The mothership is here to expand how you think and take you somewhere else via audio rhythms."

Here's one of those dope jams to get you in the mood:



I can get with this. If you think you can too, you can listen to and/or download Fresh Daily's Mothership/Land below:

Hip Hop's True Wine Connoisseur - Sadat X

In my mind, hip hop and wine don't really go together. Champagne? But of course. Wine? Hmmm... Not really.

Think about this for a second. Can you imagine Puffy passing Biggie a bottle of Dom Perignon back in the day, only for the Big Man to turn up his nose and say "Fuck that, Puff! I want a full-bodied Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy!" No. Not really.

But are my pre-conceived notions of what hip hoppers should like, and how they should act, on the money? Apparently not - and you need look no further than Sadat X for proof.

I certainly wouldn't have pictured the Brand Nubian veteran holding court in a New York City wine bar, sniffing, swilling and spitting high-end varietals (well, he doesn't actually spit... you get the idea though).

But as it turns out, Mr All For One knows a thing or two about sweet premium wine - and he's willing to share his knowledge with you, his fans, through his 'Wine Connoisseurs' video series.

Sadat - who is joined for this installment of W.C. by fellow MC R.A. The Rugged Man - clearly has a passion for fermented grapes. Unfortunately, this passion doesn't extend to geography (Auckland isn't an Australian city, cobber).

But what Sadat lacks in specifics, he makes up for with enthusiasm. Which in turn is undoubtedly helped by him getting a little pissed, too. You can watch Wine Connoisseurs with Sadat X and R.A. The Rugged Man below:

Video: Freddie Gibbs - Born 2 Roll (Mini-Documentary)

To most music fans, Gary, Indiana is best known as being the home of Michael Jackson and the extended Jackson clan. But this run-down industrial town situated smack-bang in the middle of the Mid-West U.S.' Rust Belt also boasts another musical star - the mercurial Freddie Gibbs.

Okay, so Gibbs has an awfully long way away before he reaches the star status that Michael and his siblings enjoy/ed. But he can definitely handle his own on the microphone. And he's got the critics on side, too. That's a good start.

Freddie isn't afraid to rep his home town to the fullest either, as he shows on 'Born 2 Roll', a mini documentary-slash-music video which shows Freddie in his natural environment - whether that's performing on stage, or talking about the hard-knock life that the residents of Gary deal with on a day-to-day basis.

The whole project is put together in a rather artistic fashion, and gives a good insight into the town that helped shape Freddie (who seems more than a little reminiscent of Tupac in terms of his looks and his music - which is definitely rather gangsta in outlook). You can watch 'Born 2 Roll' below:



If Freddie's your cup of tea, you can download his latest mix tape, Str8 Killa No Filla here, or check out his recently released Str8t Killa EP.

New Music: Mayer Hawthorne - 'I Need You' (Prod. by Nottz)

You'd be pretty hard-pressed to find a more underrated hip hop producer than Nottz.

The Virginia-based beat smith has been cooking up speaker-shaking joints for years now, without necessarily receiving the praise that is heaped onto some of his more well-known contemporaries.

But while Nottz has carved out a reputation as a true boom-bap-loving beast of the boards amongst those in the know, he's equally adept at creating beats that drip with soul. Case in point? 'I Need You', a recent collaboration with Mayer Hawthorne.

Let's let Mayer pick up the story from here: “I met Nottz at Nightlife's Dilla Tribute in L.A. and we just kept in contact. I had always been a fan of Nottz since the 90s. He sent me a bunch of beats and at first I had no idea what to do with any of them, but eventually it hit me.

"('I Need You') is a cover of a cat named Otis Leavill which is one of my all time fav soul sides, but relatively unknown 45. I don't think Nottz even knew it. I actually even made up some of the words because no one could make out what he said in the original. Ha!

"When Nottz sent me that batch - that particular beat stood out. It had the same chord progression as the Otis Leville, so I just went with it."

Mayer certainly did go with it. And I can attest - it's pretty bad (meaning good). You can listen to and/or download 'I Need You' by Mayer Hawthorne and Nottz below. For all the vinyl heads out there, be sure to check out the special laser-ecthed picture disc release here. too.

Mayer Hawthorne - I Need You by stonesthrow

New Music: J-Dilla - 'Donut Shop EP'

Dilla-ites rejoice! In order to thank the fans who got behind the recent J-Dilla release, Donut Shop, Stone's Throw, Serato and Dilla's estate have put together a nice little E.P. which they are giving away for free.

For those who aren't up to speed, Donut Shop is a two-disc vinyl set with six Dilla tracks on two sides, and two sides with Serato control tone (for use with Serato Scratch DJ software - if you don't know what that means, you're not the intended audience).

The six cuts on Donut Shop were comprised of three new-ish Dilla instrumentals (including a re-work of Men Without Hats 'Safety Dance'), as well as three classic Dilla instrumentals that have previously been graced by Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes. In short, it's all quality stuff. And now, you can have it for free. No Serato necessary.

You can download the Donut Shop EP here, and check the track listing below. For more information on the Serato/Donut Shop package, visit the Stone's Throw website.

Donut Shop Ep - Track Listing:

1. Safety Dance
2. Sycamore
3. Bars & Twists
4. History (Mos Def)
5. Move (Q-Tip)
6. You Can’t Hold A Torch (Busta Rhymes)

Mix Tape: Dam-Funk - The Future Sound Of Modern Funk

The ubiquitous Dam-Funk has been leading the charge for modern funk music for some time now. So who's going to argue when he releases a mix laying out The Future Sound Of Modern Funk as he sees it? Not me...

Dam released his blueprint for funk as we'll know it earlier this week, taking to the turntables to define the future sound of all things funky at the bequest of BBC Radio 1's forward-thinking musical champion, Mary-Anne Hobbs.

So, what is The Future Sound Of Modern Funk according to Dam? Well, throw in some up-front heat from the likes of Oddisee, Reggie B, Grooveman Spot, and Electric Wire Hustle, and some unreleased treats from Dam himself of course, and you'll see that things are looking rather rosy, actually.

Why not take a listen for yourself? You can stream Mary-Anne Hobbs' full show, which features Dam-Funk's The Future Sound Of Modern Funk mix here, or download the mix itself here. And check the track listing below.

The Future Sound Of Modern Funk track listing:

J1 – LiftOff [intro]
Devonwho – Slapshot
Reggie B – Khemitian Temple [Instrumental Version]
Teeko X. – BustAMOVE!GO!OFF
Chesca & Elliot York – Twilight Fades
B. Bravo – Two 2 Tango
AD Bourke – Cosmic Connection feat. Amalia
Distant Starr – Here We Go
Oddisee – Curl
Pudge – Jungle Funk [Jus Dance]
Subtitle x DâM-FunK – Experts
AD Bourke – One For Me
Grooveman Spot – Affection feat. Ahu
Teeko / Dibia$e / Devonwho – Young Funklords
Electric Wire Hustle – Unknown Instrumental aka Track 8
Computer Jay – Slipping!!
Fatima – Warm Eyes
Dam-Funk – The Funk Is 4 U/Outro [Unreleased]

Oh, and while we're on the subject of Mary-Anne Hobbs, hats off to her for giving artists like Dam and those who are represented on this mix a platform to strut their stuff. Unfortunately, Ms. Hobbs is leaving the BBC in September to pursue new challenges. Thanks for the tunes - and best of luck for university life!