Planet Asia is a little too aggressive for such a smooth beat, but I’ll take it. Madlib is moving in on Pete Rock’s turf with those horns. Crack Belt Theatre is out now.
Grab the track at Tradition.
Sphere: Related ContentContinued from Part 1.
2010 was chock full of crazy shit. Teena Marie just died—as did Leslie Nielsen a few weeks back. LeBron made a deal with the devil’s advocate, Pat Riley. There were the Nashville floods no one heard about because of the BP oil spill. Of course, the economy continued to tank, with the politicians too busy circle-jerking each other to get anything of substance passed, besides a half-assed health bill. And even Tron disappointed, for having too much of “The Dude,” for chrissakes.
But there were some bright spots. Christopher Nolan continued to push the boundaries of film for the better. The World Cup justified AM drinking. And “The Dude” won an Oscar.
As always, the (good) music never stopped. The year will best be remembered for Kanye’s second-semester ubiquity, from his tweets to the leaks to his almost-masterpiece. Eminem solidified his comeback, with the only album (besides Taylor Swift) that sold well this year. Dame Dash continued his own resurrection, too, cleverly hopping on the Curren$y bandwagon. Janelle Monae finally released a full-length, which was arguably the year’s best. Big Boi proved his independence worthwhile. B.o.B. went pop, which is good for him, I guess. And Jay-Z rapped over a Pete Rock beat. God is good, sometimes.
Special thanks to Devin Chanda of Scheme Engine and The Smoking Section for blessing us with the introduction.
If you listened closely, you caught a lot of great music this year. If not, we’ve got you. We gathered our friends to tell us their five favorite beats of the year. DJ Eclipse got to pick six because he’s special. You can find part two here. Forming today’s musical brain trust we have…
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At long last, here’s the final, full, untagged version of Kanye’s Christmas posse cut and perhaps the final entry in the G.O.O.D. Fridays series. It warms my heart that Cam’ron sets aside some bars to wish his Jewish lawyers a happy Hanukkah.
Hit-Boy told Vibe, “I never really heard it as a Christmas song but when Kanye heard it, he said it sounded like some classic Christmas music.”
And if your Christmas experience is lacking beats and rhymes, check out this Christmas rap compilation put together by battlecatmeowstab212 of the Philaflava.com forums. Nothing like a little Ras Kass for when Billy’s unwrapping his new Stinky the Garbage Truck.
Sphere: Related ContentHere’s the album highlight from MURS & 9th Wonder’s otherwise lackluster Fornever. Murray updated Common’s classic allegorical record with references to hip-hop’s more recent missteps. Oops I just spoiled the allegory.
And where the hell is his album with Terrace Martin? “Time is Now” and “Doing Me” are undeniable bangers.
Sheek had to have some crossover joints on this album. What would be the point of a Def Jam deal otherwise? The Jeremih-assisted single isn’t the catastrophe you’d expect. Far from it, actually. Sheek’s long under-appreciated flow lends itself to this seductive record surprisingly well. I doubt Jadakiss and Styles P, who’ve led far more visible solo careers than their group-mate, could do it this smooth.
The video’s on the super-exclusive, bottle-popping, fine-woman-canoodling steez. Cameos include Styles P and Ghostface Killah (anyone else?).
BTW, Look for Sheek on the Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier album.
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The crowd at The Local 269, a shabby New York City bar on 269 Houston Street, could not have been less interested. The bartender scribbled on his notebook, two older men talked to a woman half their age, and a gaggle of NYU students crowded a booth by the stage. Midterms were distant enough that they could drink on a Sunday. When an ear-splitting free jazz session finally died down, three NYU students put down their drinks took the stage.
“I thought Dilla was just a rapper,” asked a friend of mine who was there by mere coincidence. I began to reply, but the opening riff from “Workinonit” drowned out my voice. Maybe it’s a good thing more hip-hop kids weren’t in the house — one of them would have replied to that statement with the business end of a broken bottle.
The Detroit hip-hop producer passed away on February 10, 2006, but his influence is inescapable in 2010. The fanatical zeal of the Dilla fanbase has resulted in an outpouring of tributes, but few like this.
Stray Phrases is a jazz trio consisting of Storm Siegel on drums, Dave Mainella on piano, and Evan Crane on bass. On Sunday October 17, 2010, they covered J Dilla’s classic instrumental album Donuts from beginning to end. Metal Lungies is proud to bring you a recording of the whole set.
Many thanks to Joshua Gross for the artwork.
More heat from the SNL Digital Short/Lonely Island crew.
Rule: you can sing this only if you hit it in the last 30 minutes. The new Lonely Island album is at the top of my 2011 list.
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Alabama hip-hop hit the ground running this year. The main success story is Yelawolf, who landed an Interscope deal and has everyone awaiting his next move. But there’s another Alabama rapper with a major label deal and he’s even more of a black sheep than Yela: Jackie Chain, a towering half white, half Korean with a golden brown mane of hair that hangs down to his collar. Did I mention his name is Jackie Chain?
As far as subject matter goes, his new tape falls in the Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa category (call it Lifestyle Rap) with a touch of Rawse-esque (Rawsian?) excess. But Bama production outfit Block Beattaz takes Who Da Mane to another level with futuristic Southern bangers that beg to be played loud. Hopefully his major label debut I ain’t Slept in Weeks will be bigger, louder, and just as weird.
Direct download here. Watch the video for “This is Not Enough” after the break.
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West Coast rapper/producer Mr. Brady tried to bridge the generational gap between old and new by uniting Diamond D and Blu for a song. Diamond D should stick to making albums 18 years ago. Blu holds it down, though. Labor of Love is out now.
via Audible Treats
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