I finally got around to listen to that new Nas album. Shit is dope! Many dope songs, and many dope rhymes. I’m sure most of you who read the blog have already heard it. Either way, here are a couple of my favorite tracks.

Nas - Sly Fox. The Lil Homie was targeted a lot last year by many people outside hte hip-hop community, but very frequently by a few punks on Fox. You know the names, no need to repeat. Nas lets them have it in this lyrical onslaught, talking about the horrible bullshit mess that Fox News is. If you don’t know, get acquainted now!

Nas - N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave And The Master). This is another dstrong track off the album. Probably the deepest. Not much I can say, just pay attention to what he says. Dope.

Talib Kweli and Little Brother - Getting My Grown Man On. Talib is finally working on a new album. Seems like he’s been forever, although he really hasn’t. This is one of the first few songs to be leaked out. It features the very dope Little Brother, and has a very smooth, laid back beat. Phonte does his thing on the chorus as usual.

Solange - God Given Name. I’ma say this now, Solange is dope! I didn’t think much of her when I first heard her, but now I’m starting to get blown away. I posted one of her singles a few weeks back, and this new one is just fire. Takes it on a way different angle then the other song. This one is a lot more mellow and soulful. Very nice!

Paul Johnson - She Got Me On (DJ Neoteric Edit). Here’s soem new classic house for your ass. Very smooth, and very catchy with DJ Neoteric providing a nice edit to jam to.

Pnau & Ladyhawke - Embrace (Fred Falke & Miami Horror Remix). I always end up posting tracks from people i have no idea about. This is one of those people. Yet I still couldn’t deny the dopeness. This is very smooth and has a nice upbeat feel to it. Can’t be mad at that.

Black Kids - Listen To Your Body Tonight. Last week I posted a remix for a Black Kids song i found on the interwebs. This week however, I finally got around to listening to their whole album, and it was pretty cool. There are a few really dope songs, and this is one of my faves. The kids are pretty cool, and no, they are not black. Check them out.

Bentley Ft. Kanye, Andre 3000 & Sa-Ra - Everyone. Sweet Jesus! This is the joint right now! Its so funky smooth and thick, with nice vocals by everyone on the track. Andre straight up kills it, and Kanye does well on the chorus. Plus, the video is on some fly, old school sexy type steez with nice choreography. This is very refreshing to see and hear. Word on the street is that Wrekonize had this beat a couple years back and did a dope song to it. I’ll see if I can come up with it.

Gym Class Heroes - Peace Sign/Index Down. The current kings if white girl music have returned with some new shit. Sounds like a lot of their other stuff, so its cool if you’re into it. But as usual, Busta Rhymes just murders the beat. Busta never gets old. Nice track.

Prodigy - Illuminati. Lots of people have been getting up on this political shit recently. Times are changing. Prodigy comes off correct on this song though, an old line of his. He takes his line and expands it into a whole song. The video is kinda funny to me though. A bit weird on the computer graphics tip, but original nonetheless.

For Round # 2 we’ve got to start off with a couple of my favorite joints featuring original samples from hip-hop productions.
These dudes along with DJ Muro from Japan were the first people I remember at the time putting together tapes of these sought after records, mixing didn’t really matter, it was all about the selection. That’s Kon & Amir
Their On Track series was consistently dope, and now they put out heavy compilations on BBE.
Here’s On Track Vol. 2, one of the tapes leftover from my collection that got lost in a moving van. I should have sued those basterds. Hit us back if you want Side B.

Download Side A

Next up is the originator of the original mixtapes, DJ Neil Armstrong. He really patented this formula and put the average listener onto tons of classics, pre-internet searching by including a tracklisting. Cheers Neil. He’s now the tour DJ for the Jiggaman and has a cool blog showing the day to day Roc-life antics. Local spot Culture Kings stocks most of his catalogue, holler at them to get up on it.
Here’s the tape/CD that started everything off.

ORIGINAL

With all this talk about hip-hop being dead and nobody being original, there are a few artists that really stand out. Kid Cudi is one of those artists. It seems like he came out of nowhere, but he’s been putting in work for a while. The thing about Cudi though is that he doesn’t limit himself to rapping over the same old hip-hop type beats. He’s put out some incredible songs over slow electro beats, and has collaborated on many other styles of music. Here are a couple new joints featuring the man himself.

Kid Cudi & Wale - Is There Any Love. Here he’s doign it big with anothe rup and coming rapper, Wale. This is some basic hip-hop shit, but they both kill it.

A-Trak & Kid Cudi - Me And My Sneakers. This song appeared on a special project A-Trak did for Nike. Beat is insane, and Cudi does his thing.

Lil Jon vs DiscoTech - Dat Baby Ft. Shawty Putt & Too Short (Danny Daze Remix). Here is a pretty funny song that came out recently by Lil Jon. We all know what Maury is about. So the fact that these dudes put together a rap about it is pretty damn ridiculous. The remix was put together by DJ Danny Daze, and it came out hard as fuck. Pause.

N.E.R.D. - Yeah You. Pharrell is one of those dudes who can put together songs very well. Bene doing it forever, and he did it again on the last N.E.R.D. album. I wasn’t a big fan of the single they put out, but this joint off the album is straight butter. Its got a thick bassline that changes many times throughout the track, and the hand claps accompanied by that rattler sounding thing add so much flavor tot his track.

Zap Mama - 1000 Ways (Jack Splash REMIX). I didn’t know who Zap Mama was when I first heard this, but I knew anything Jack Splash remixed had to be dope. It is very dope indeed. Its kind of a mix between boogie and electro shit. The lady singing sounds real interesting over this beat giving a half rap / half singing type performance. Ill shit.

Four Cornerz - Gonna Make It (Wideboys Remix). I posted a couple Wideboys tracks last week, but I wanted to post this other new one I just got. Shit is crazy. The beat is ridiculous, and the dude singing over this is perfect. Such a feel good jam.

Black Kids - I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend (Twelves Remix). Here is another crazy feel good jam. I’ve posted a few Twelves remixes before, but this one is on another level. The chords and changeups on this track are incredible, even giving the catchy chorus a thicker feel. Dance to this shit!

Santogold - Creator. This lady has been steadily growing her stock, and MTV noticed. They made her artist of the week last week, and gave her shine throughout. Here is a performance/video they made for ther song “Creator”. Dope!!!!

Lil Wayne - A Millie. This is some funny hsit right here. Wayne is a weird dude, and I kinda like him for that. He does what he feels, and what he feels usually is different from what everyone else feels. That why this video came out weird as fuck. I don’t get it. But yea, pretty cool nonetheless.

Wale - Artistic Integrity. This dude has been featured on thsi site many times, and here is his first video. This track came off his “Mixtape About Nothing”, which was released by 10DEEP. The video is soem real low budget shit, but the song is quality as fuck. Peep game!

Nas Ft. Busta Rhymes - Fried Chicken. The lil homie will be dropping his album real, real soon. Its already been leaked all over the interwebs, so you can check it out if you want already. Google that shit. For those that want to wait though, check out this song about fried chicken. Ill concept, and they pulled it off very nice. Killing it.

Busta Rhymes - I Got Bass. Busta is close to releasing his next album too. Besides the crazy single he already put out, this is the next song that leaked. Like always, Busta picks his beats nice.

Fatlip - Whats Up Fatlip (Breakbox Remix). This is an interesting remix by a person I don’t even know. Had a hard tiem trying to find him online, so if you do, let me know. He gives the original song a totally different feel. Much better in my opinion. Goes much better with the self-deprecating lyrics, and gives it that nostalgic feel.

Zo and Tigallo - Only Human. This is something I’ve been waiting to hear for a while. Phonte from Little Brother is finally making a full fledged R&B album. Working with a producer named Zo!, Phonte goes by the name of Tigallo and covers classic 80s jams. For this one, they redid Human League’s “I’m Only Human”. Classic shit!

Jason Fox - Like This. This is some new pop rap shit yo! This dude comes from Harlem, and this first joint I hear from him is pretty slick. Nice speed for the clubs, with a nice chorus. He doesn’t say nothing too special, so let’s see how long this guy sticks around> Good track though.

Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go (classixx remix). The dudes that go by the name of Clasixxx have been putting out some nice remixes and edits for a while. This is the most recent. Shit is banging! Smooth as a motherfucker, and nice vocals to match. THe breakdown towards the middle is dope as fuck too. Get your whiteboy dance on to this.

Vula - If U Want It (wideboys miami mix). Another group of dudes that have been killing the remix game are the Wideboys. I’ve posted some of their stuff here and there on my site. This is some newer shit. Its some really smooth house, with great vocals by Vula.

T2 - Heartbroken (wideboys remix). Here is another remix by the Wideboys. The original song was pretty big last year, but i was never able to find it online. This remix came out pretty nice though. Its a lot smoother and doesn’t hit as hard as the original. Still dope.

Wsup keyboarders, must give a shout out first to Vega for holding down this page consistently with new music and all that. Send him a holiday gift, it’s early enough.

To give some added flava, I’m going to start posting up some mixtapes and records, old and new. Remember to support your local record shops.

Now these aren’t really “mixtapes”, but they’re better then most rap albums out now..

God Son & Green Lantern cook up some hot fiyah, if you’re late then click here

50 & Co. go in on this summertime smasher over early 80s barbeque jams like “Risin to the Top” and “Before I let Go”. This is the 50 you need in your life. Sincerely Yours.

The last joint is from Cipha Sound’s new artist Daytona who re-makes all the classic Tribe joints with help from artists like Kweli, Joel Ortiz, Estelle and CNN. Making the 90s sound fresh again, all new sneaker and swagger rappers take note.
Tribe Called Fresssh

Expect to get wet tonight at Vagabond. 2 Live Crew will be in the building! I’m so serious.

The kings of filth, straight out of Miami, will be performing their raunchiest shit to celebrate Money $hot’s 1 year anniversary. Me So Horny… Hoochie Mama… Pop That Pussy… Get It Girl… jeez, the list goes on forever. Too many classics. You don’t even got to be into booty music to appreciate the ass shakign that will be going on throughout the club.

So go grab you tickets, and bring out your moms. Make sure she got on them daisy dukes though son!

Its been a good week for R&B. The Detroit soul master Dwele dropped his latest album, and it is straight fire! He took it back to what his first album sounded like. Smoother beats, and much more J Dilla inspired type beats. It is going to take me some time to digest the whole album, but here are a couple tracks that stood out at the moment.

The first featuring none of the than Slum Village, one of my favorite hip-hop groups. Straight butter song with nice lyrics. They always seem to blend well together, ever since “Tainted” came out. The second track is another smooth song, with nice rhode action throughout. This is classic Dwele, talking about feel good shit over a feel good beat.

Dwele - Brandi Ft. Slum Village.
Dwele - Free As A Bird.

Keeping it on the neo-soul tip, I present to you the homie Eric Lau. Coming out of London, this producer has uncanny abilities and making smooth ass R&B beats. Reminiscent of the big dude J Dilla, this guys bass lines and drum samples are perfect. A true genius is developing, and I got a couple of songs off his album.

Eric Lau - Confession Lounge Ft. Rahel. This song features a singer by the name of Rahel. Very sexy.

Eric Lau - Hope. Not sure who sings on this one, but the beat is mesmerizing. Feel good shit.

Georgia Anne Muldrow -Wrong Way. Here is an older song by one of Stone Throws finest ladies. Not only does she have a great voice, she produced all the beats on her album. This one is the best one by far. So thick with nicely layered drums.

Another artist that has caught my attention recently is Sam Sparro. He’s a funny ass white dude who makes funky ass electro. It ranges from faster dance type songs, to slower, funky R&B songs. The two following songs are the latter. Dope lyrics, and tight ass beats, this guy is delivering it right now.

Sam Sparro - Cottonmouth. This track is for all the potheads out there. You already know.

Sam Sparro - Clingwrap. And this one is for all the groupies that can’t give the homie space.

Lil Wayne - Shoot Me Down Ft. D. Smith. To top tings off, here is one of my favorites tracks off the Weezy album. Simply amazing. Wayne has some great range on his album, and this is something I never expected him to make. The beat is so eery, and the vocal supplied by D Smith are amazing.

Tonight there is going to be a fresh ass party at the Vagabond. Scion has teamed up with IHEARTCOMIX for a little mini tour promoting their new mix. Put otgether by IHEARTCOMIX CEO himself, Franki Chan, the mix CD is a various blend of funky, indie dance music. Check it out here.

Many dope DJs will be in attendance, including Franki Chan, Radiocl*t, and Drop The Lime. The thing is thoguh, to get in, you have to RSVP. So if you haven’t done it already, do it now over here. Check out the video flyer below.

Jamie Lidell - Another Day (LIVE). You know how I love live performances. Peeps this recent one on Conan’s show by Jamie Lidell. He’s been changing up his live shows a lot lately. He used to perform solo, straight killing it on the beatbox tip. But now he’s gotten a lot more soulful and performs with a band. Good shit overall, but check his sax player killing 2 horns at the same time around the 3:25 mark. Crazy!

Sharon Jones - Nobody But You. Here is another strong performance on Conan a few weeks ago by Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. First time I ever heard of Sharon Jones was back in 2005, on Conan’s show. So its nice to see them back on there killing it again. Surely one of hte best bands out there right now.

Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire. This song has been out for mad long already. Some typically “blog house” shit that has been lurking through the interwebs endlessly. Still a fresh song though. THe video came out pretty dope too.

Censor Bar Art. I have no idea who sings this song, but I do recognize Dizzee Rascal in towards the middle. Not sure why they got him to rap on this track, but overall the songs is fresh. But the video is fucking crazy! Really original. They never show any private parts, but it still might not be safe for work. Enjoy!

John Legend - Green Light Ft. Andre 3000. The king of R&B right now is returning with a new album soon. This is the first song to leak, and it is straight up fire! Andre 3000 drops a great verse as always, and John just does his thing well. There’s no piano playing on this one, which is always weird to hear John without. But still dope nonetheless.

Solange - I Decided. Here is another R&B banger from an artist I know nothing about. After finding out a bit, I can tell you that Solange is a pretty lady from Houston< Texas that makes fresh neo-soul music. She's got other dope songs including one featuring Lil Wayne. I’m definitely going to start checking out for her.

The Roots - Birthday Girl Ft. Fall Out Boy. Keeping the smooth tip going, here is a song that didn’t make The Roots last album. It was actually their first single, but didn’t end up making the album cause it was too “pop-ish”. Shit is really fresh though, and the video is superb. I posted it up before, so check it out if you haven’t. It has one of the cutest porn chics in the video, playing along to the lyrics of the song.

Danny Fernanded - Curious Ft. Juelz Santana. This is another R&B banger that is currently topping the charts right now. Seems like this guy came out of nowhere, and Juelz helped him with this track. The beat is smooth, and danceable as well. Lovely track.

T-Pain - Church (Bimbo Jones REMIX). I was on vacation this weekend in the Keys, and while in the car I heard the sample used for this song. Brought me back to how dope this remix was. Crazy bassline and heavy hitting guitar work done throughout the instrumental. They mixed it with one of T-Pain’s less known singles and created a dope club song.

Tittsworth - Broke Ass Nigga (DJ Assault Remix). The homie Tittsworth finally is releasing a vinyl single with a bunch of hits that have been leaking on the internet forever. This was one of those tracks. However, it got remixed by another heavyweight in the game, DJ Assault. Doesn’t sound like the original at all, and is actually pretty dope on its own.

Santogold - Creator (Scottie B REMIX). Another monster in the Bmore scene is the homie Scottie B. This guy has been doing it forever, and continues to frequently drop new remixes. This one is real basic, with some nice changeups for the chorus. Hot shit.

Vanilla Ice - Ninja Rap. Nothing to explain about this track. Just pure fire. If you don’t know this, where the fuck did you grow up?? Pay attention kiddies.

So yeah its been a minute since ive posted on here but i recently had the opportunity to visit the land of cheesesteaks and freeway look a likes….yup you guessed it Philly. The occasion, the highly anticipated Roots Picnic. The setting, a scorching 102 degree day at the Festival Pier. The artists, The Roots, Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & Dap Kings, J Davey, Cool Kids, Esperanza Spalding, Jazzy Jeff and the sounds of Diplo. Aside from the blistering heat and occasional issues with the mics (Sharon Jones), there were some standout performances.

The opener, Esperanza Spalding is the absolute truth! She’s an extremely talented singer that plays a variety of instruments. J Davey followed with a blazing set, accompanied by Questlove on the drums doing tracks off their mixtape, a cover of the classic Police track “S.O.S.” and the newest Questlove produced track “Turn the lights out”.

A barefoot Sharon Jones took the stage shortly after with the Dap Kings and stole the show in usual fashion by doing traditional west african dances, calling fans onstage and performing with an incredible level of intensity. The Cool Kids had a respectable performance and Diplo kept the crowd hype in the side tent. Gnarls Barkley was stellar even though the fans were not familiar with some of the newer songs off the album prompting Cee-Lo to ask, “damn do y’all have the album?? “.

The best part of the night came towards the end of the show when Black Thought brought Leonard Hubbard on stage and did the classic “Proceed”. Cehck the video above! Seeing the Roots perform is always good but seeing them perform tracks off Do You Want More?? IN PHILLY?? Classic. Best concert of the year up until now, well see how the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival and Rock the Bells compare. Shouts to my DC Empress crew!