New drop off of 9th Wonder‘s upcoming album, The Wonder Years, which will feature Murs, Kendrick Lamar, Fashawn, Talib Kweli, Blu, Erykah Badu, Mac Miller, and more all going in on his quality production. Look out for that 9/27. These two tracks feature Phonte, who I still think is one of the more underrated lyricists out there right now. He and 9th work so well together, glad their beef is behind them. Phonte’s album Charity Starts At Home is also out 9/27.

Me and 9th Wonder two of God’s instruments, and when we get together you can call it band practice

9th Wonder ft. Phonte & DJ Flash – Band Practice Pt. I
9th Wonder ft. Phonte & Median – Band Practice Pt. II

BONUS

9th’s contribution to the Mortal Kombat 9 soundtrack that was released earlier this year:
9th Wonder – Raiden’s Theme++

I think Pretty Lights Music has surpassed Fool’s Gold as my (electronic/dance) Record Label of choice. Their roster already boasts the likes of Break Science, Gramatik and Paper Diamond. They just just improved today by adding more fresh talent fusing the electro hip-hop sound we’ve come to know and love through Paul Basic and SuperVision. Below are the two tracks that were released for free via the PLM website. SuperVision’s EP, Telescopic, will be released on 9/27 and Paul Basic’s EP, The Mirror, comes out 9/20. Stay tuned!

Paul Basic – Daydream++

Basic takes Lupe Fiasco’s “Daydream” and re-works it into an electronic medley of delight. I’ve listened to this at least 10 times already. Head over to his Soundcloud for more tunes.

SuperVision – Arcane

More of a relaxed beat that’d make a great pair with a smoke. Acoustic guitar leading into a thumping hip-hop beat and bassline.

Who are these OFWGKTA hooligans? Why are they seamlessly taking over and making their way to mainstream media? Why do they throw up on shit? If these questions have rung in your head, check out this video of a Day in Ladera w/ Odd Future. Them in their element, no gimmicks just hoodrat shit with friends.

[P&P]

Steven Zhu‘s bringing some promising electro talent out of LA/San Francisco. He already showcases a genuinely polished and versatile sound in his Original Mixes at a fairly young age. You’ll see what I mean when you listen to the tracks below — he goes from gritty basslines and wobs in “Accusations” to a relaxed trance sound in “Making Amends.” It seems like he’s still working to find his general niche, but whatever he hones in on seems like it’ll be good. He’s got a knack for quality Progressive House in his remixes as well. I personally prefer the glitchy electro but I guess that’s my personal preference in general. I’d love to hear what he can do with some vocal samples thrown onto his original tracks as well as remixing some lesser known songs. For now, peep some of his work below and keep an eye out!

ZHU – Accusations
ZHU – Discorat
ZHU – Making Amends
John Legend – Rolling in the Deep (ZHU Remix)

I discovered hip-hop at a young age, stuffing my face with the Marshall Mathers LP (I had the Discovery Channel and had no idea what a woman’s clitoris was) and The Blueprint 2, much to my mother’s dismay. But unlucky for the 10 year old me, I never discovered Nas’ Illmatic. Fast-forward 5 years and I found myself starting to do my hip-hop homework, getting Illmatic and being struck with what would soon become my favorite album. It’s easy for any lay listener to enjoy Illmatic — the unreal production draws influences from all over, transforming the beats into candy for the ears. On top of that, Nas’ words stick to the rhythm like a suction cup, delivering raw bar after raw bar. It wasn’t till recently that a conversation about a class a friend of mine was taking (Hip Hop Culture) led me into looking deeper into the album for more than the surface level that I enjoyed it at.

The textbook for that course was “Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas’ Illmatic,” and was co-written by the professor Sohail Daulatzai and Michael Eric Dyson with features from a lot of different other figures with interesting points of view to share. I just finished reading it, and my appreciation for hip-hop’s greatest album has skyrocketed. Dyson & Daulatzai succeed in providing a background of all sorts to introduce a listener to Nas’ relentless rhymes depicting the Queensbridge Projects. In it comes historical information, cultural issues, and an overall context to fully appreciate the work of art that is Illmatic. Although at times the writing can get a bit redundant and overly academic, it’s still a great read for anyone interested in understanding the impact of Nas’ official introduction to the world. The end also showcases some interviews from Nas around the time of release. Check a couple of the interview excerpts below. Buy it here or holler at a player if you wanna borrow it.

+jangbar

(more…)

The times they are-a-changin’. Last we really heard of Lil’ Wayne, he was fresh off the release of No Ceilings, a tape that even his naysayers couldn’t help but respect. That, Tha Carter III, and his seemingly endless features had him sittin pretty atop the rap game as a bonafide superstar. Now, after a year hiatus at Rikers Jail in NY, we see Wayne as a shell of his former self. The Martian has lost his alien qualities (for the time being) and is fighting it out with the rest of the earthling artists. Even with “How to Love,” “She Will,” and all of “Sorry 4 the Wait” being shitty (I’m pretty sure he spent 2 hrs making that tape), I still reserved judgment until the album came out. It’s time to accept that Weezy F. has lost what separated him from the pack. Going back to writing seems to have taken his old style and dumbed it down. It’s to the point his signature chuckle after punchlines just seems arrogant because they’re not clever and get repetitive. So much happened in the time he was gone in terms of artists on the rise and new releases that it’s almost like he’s now struggling to stay relevant. After this kind of vacation, one would expect he’d come back with something that matched the quality and commercial viability of Tha Carter III, but this album ends up sounding like a forgettable mixtape. And to top it off, the jab at Jay-Z makes him look foolish and bitter while Watch the Throne is on its way to Platinum. Maybe we’ll see a resurgence like Kanye post-808s, but I’m not holding my breath. Who knows, maybe the reaction to this album will get him focused and back to the state of mind that produced the heat we were accustomed to before. In the meantime, I’m gonna go listen to Da Drought 3.

Tracklist

1. “Intro”
2. “Blunt Blowin’”
3. “MegaMan”
4. “6 Foot 7 Foot” feat. Cory Gunz
5. “Nightmares of the Bottom”
6. “She Will” feat. Drake
7. “How to Hate” feat. T-Pain
8. “Interlude” feat. Tech N9ne
9. “John” feat. Rick Ross
10. “Abortion”
11. “So Special” feat. John Legend
12. “How to Love”
13. “President Carter”
14. “It’s Good” feat. Drake and Jadakiss
15. “Outro” feat. Bun B, Nas, Shyne, & Busta Rhymes

12fv

Got a bunch of tracks I wanna share with yall, across genres as we like to do over here. Strap in, these’ll take you on a moodcoaster.

(Hip Hop)

First up is Asher Roth‘s Ampersand, a laid back tune that Mr. Roth dropped to go with the rainy weather that’s currently taking over the East Coast. He does it dirty with his usual alliteration over a mellow beat. Always love the random track releases from Asher, look out for his album soon.

Asher Roth – Ampersand (prod. by Blended Babies)

(Electro)

Next is another Pretty Lights mashup, this time with Led Zeppelin. I really don’t see myself ever not enjoying a Pretty Lights song. Here he mixes his head bangin’ beats with a gritty electric guitar. Anyone know what Led Zeppelin song this is mixed with?

Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin

(House/Electro)

Mau5trap spoiled us the last couple days, with the official release of Deadmau5’s “Where Are My Keys” and a new distorted, thumping electro banger from Feed Me. This track isn’t as glitchy as what we’ve heard from Feed Me before, more tolerant to the listener who can’t handle the usual grime. Very melodic and he’s still got the crispest hard electro sound I’ve heard from any artist.

Feed Me – Cott’s Face

(Hip Hop)

Epic released another track yesterday off his upcoming EP, Third Shift. This one features Jhene Aiko, and has more of an R&B vibe than his other stuff. I love focused songwriting and this definitely demonstrates that. The concept behind his mixtape is very interesting – more on that soon when the tape is released.

Epic – Love Changes (ft. Jhene Aiko)

(Hip Hop)

Finally, we have a new track from Mac Miller, who may be the most popular artist in hip-hop right now. This is a short 2 minute jam produced by Clams Casino, but it bangs. Definitely a heavier beat than Mac usually works with, but he goes in as he usually does. This one won’t be featured on Blue Slide Park.

Mac Miller – Cold Feet