Metal Lungies

Soundtrack to the no pants dance.

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via Rap Radar

Evidence’s stark, methodical bars lend themselves to slow, droning beats. So basically, Alchemist beats. As fate would have it, Ev and Alch are old chums, so Evidence’s sophomore album has five appearances from Alchemist behind the boards as well as one verse. The standouts for me are “James Hendrix (StepBrothers),” “Crash,” “Where You Come From?” and “Well Runs Dry.” On “Well Runs Dry,” Evidence (or maybe producer Sid Roams) has the wisdom to put Krondon of Strong Arm Steady on hook duty. Krondon’s uniquely, charred voice adds a note of harshness to a song about the fragility of success, which is tied to the economy with a series of news clips. You can listen to my picks below and the rest here.

Related: Evidence told LA Weekly that he and Alchemist will eventually make a StepBrothers album:

Well, [Alchemist and I] never announced that we were a group, we just started putting “Step Brothers” next to the music that we created and people demanded it, so I don’t know. We make music every day; we’ve been doing that since we were ditching high school together. There’s a lotta youth energy attached to that project. When we have enough songs done, and we have the time off together to promote it and give it a real campaign, that’s when it’ll come out. We’ll make time. Definitely.

Buoyant, fun single from Bootie Brown of The Pharcyde with an 80s vibe and lots of nonchalant wordplay.

Pop shots like a wild Iranian.

Hempstead isn’t that far from Great Neck. Can’t lose with Roc Marciano.

Meanwhile, L.A. electronic group Pollyn needs to do a Blak Roc type of album. Between Marci and Gibbs, they’re certainly connected to the right rappers.

K.R.I.T. has become a rallying point for artists who want to make woozy Southern bangers. “Money on the Floor” knocks accordingly.

Download: Big K.R.I.T – Money on the Floor (ft. 8Ball & MJG, 2 Chainz)

via AlLindstrom.com

Other recent K.R.I.T. tracks after the break

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Black nationalist ire applied to the present economy and recording industry. Otherwise known as hip-hop. “Murda Sketch” appears on Love for the Music Part 1.

Best song about a love triangle since “My Girl Gotta Girlfriend.” It might even be a little better.

Listen to Nights & Weekends here.

On the murkier side of things, listen to Zilla’s remix of “Ashes” by Emcee Unless below.

Gibbs and company rap in double time on this track from the forthcoming Big Bizness: Streets Edition mixtape. The Str8 Slammin’ Click might have more to offer than I thought.

Download: Freddie Gibbs – All Types (ft. Str8 Slammin’ Click)

via Fake Shore Drive

Untamed is a mild alternative to adlib-heavy Southern rap. They have more in common with Freddie Gibbs than Waka Flocka; that is, they can actually rap. Grab The 6 Day Equation below and don’t forget about Street Solid.

Filed under rappers who don’t look like rappers. Lushlife raps like he’s Inspectah Deck’s scrappy younger brother, but looks like a severe breed of hipster that would shock and confuse your dad the first time he dropped you off at NYU. On “The Romance of the Telescope,” Lushlife ignores the obvious route of his tie-dye, vegan beat (a dreamy sample of British synthpop group OMD) and raps about worldly things like dice games and basketball teams. “Cinder block rap,” he calls it. But listen closely and you’ll catch some deep musings in there, Instagram caption type shit.

Download: Lushlife – The Romance of the Telescope (ft. Andrew Cedermark)

via Brooklyn Vegan