It’s Sunday, and that means new J. Cole. Three new songs this week, one of em another Common beat (“Be”). These album arts are too sick… ALI BOOMBAYE! If my 2nd grade math teacher taught me correct we have 7 more of these coming. Woop.

“A ‘Ville nigga til the day of my casket/Put on for my city like my favorite jacket/Man you gon wear that every Goddamn night?/Know I paid for this shit, bitch you Goddamn right”

J. Cole – Roll Call
J. Cole – Bring Em In
J. Cole – Be (Freestyle)

Download | J. Cole – Any Given Sunday Vol. 2 (Hulkshare)

Two Watch the Throne trailers. Still no leak. They’re milking this.

(via illroots)

This. Is. Gold. Get yourselves ready for Watch the Throne, coming Monday.

Watching the Throne via The Madbury Club

The Jealous Guys are two guys from SF that are taking a refreshing approach to making good hip-hop. I came across them after reading their interview over at mostly junkfood. They’ve got a message that a listener can attach to, which is always a good start (At the end of the day we live what we live and that’s Life Insomniac, which is not sleeping on life.). I proceeded to download “The Love Mixtape,” and haven’t been able to stop listening to it since. First of all, “Brainwashed by London” is one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. That track is flaming hot cheetos addicting. The beat struck me as raw as “Yonkers” did when I first heard it.

Ayinde and BizYCasa both mention that the root of their music is writing, and it really shows. Their lyrics reflect a thoughtful effort into detailed writing, which is a nice change of pace from My Drink Is Purple/Barney. SWAG. The result is serious storytelling skills and tightly woven wordsmith-ism. (Out Here Creating Words/Webster’s. Swag). The Love Mixtape gives you the subject matter that you’d expect from a title like that – not simply 50 minutes of raw bars but rather a complete project. Their sound at a couple points reminded me of early Little Brother. They’re currently working on “Audio Book,” a 4 track EP that apparently will be accompanied by 4 videos as well. I’m all for visual representation, adds to the experience. D/L The Love Mixtape and check out the video for “Brainwashed by London” below!

Download | The Jealous Guys – The Love Mixtape (Mediafire)

Elle Varner seems to be new on the scene, and what better way to be put on the map than a song with Simba. I’m usually not really into R&B type joints but she’s got a damn good voice, and J. Cole drops the Cole World, No Snuggie(!!) line that was previously only appreciated by the twitterverse. Keep an eye out for her!

Elle Varner – Only Wanna Give It To You (ft. J. Cole)

Another 100k followers, another new song. Mac’s one step closer to a million fans and we get another track in celebration. Enjoy!

Mac Miller – The Miller Family Reunion (prod. Big Germ)

Here’s a previously unreleased one that surfaced last week, with production by M. Will. Guessing it was made around the time of “K.I.D.S.”

Mac Miller – Whateva (prod. M. Will)

I’ve started to realize how huge it is when a unique producer is paired with an MC and they share the same vision. Eddy B & Tim Gunter, two dudes from North Carolina, are the latest addition to the evidence. Eddy B, a UNC student, and Gunter, who goes to NC State, apparently met back in 2010 and have been producing hits since. Due to the nature of the duo, the Chiddy Bang comparisons are inevitable, but I think that’s too easy. Xaphoon Jones is a beast on the drum pad but I’ve really never been impresed with Chiddy (although there’s no way you can’t respect the World Record). Meanwhile, Eddy B’s got the wordplay and style to keep listeners interested, even when the subject matter goes towards continuous metaphors and braggadocio. I’m a firm believer that all that expands after some experience, age, and exposure, and they’ve already got a good amount of complete tracks that demonstrate focus. Plus, he’s got a slight southern drawl that adds a unique flavor to his flow.

Gunter puts his creative spin on the beats, mixing in synths and other electronic elements. And he’s definitely not afraid to showcase his diverse musical taste: through their Dear North Carolina, Welcome Back mixtape and Overseas EP, he’s managed to sample Sublime, STRFKR, Coldplay, The Doors, Nosaj Thing, Ellie Goulding, Len + more. Needless to say that’s a very interesting list for producing hip-hop tracks, and he accomplishes in making them work with the drums while Eddy B goes in. I’m guessing his experience creating mash-ups has helped with that. These two are definitely a pair to keep an eye on. For now, grab “Dear North Carolina,” & “Welcome Home” below!

Eddy B & Tim Gunter – A Love Affair
Eddy B & Tim Gunter – Super Mario Flow
Tim Gunter – Adderall (Gucci Gucci Remix)

Download | Eddy B & Tim Gunter – Overseas EP
Download | Eddy B & Tim Gunter – Dear North Carolina, Welcome Back (Mixtape)