Metal Lungies

Off one of my favorite albums of the year, DJ Quik and Kurupt’s BlaQKout. Drinking, smoking and camels!

The Music Mix via Nah Right

Peep “Cream In Ya Panties” and “9x’s Outta 10” as well.

This is some gorgeous throwback soul perfect for your next BBQ. Video is on point too; ladies love cool Mayer. A Strange Arrangement drops in September.

This song is actually a cover of a song by Detroit group New Holidays. O-Dub at Soul Sides has the scoop.

DOWNLOAD: Mayer Hawthorne & the County – Maybe So, Maybe No

Tour dates for Mayer Hawthorne and the County after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

He cut his Jewfro and now looks uncannily like a cat I went to high school with; he’s on some business school ish! Edan talks about the possibility of live-in studio albums and an animated film with Mr. Lif. His new album comes out in November.

Via GRANDGOOD by way of Senor Kaos (who did a great job with the interview)

A wonderfully heartfelt dedication. Baatin, RIP.

Includes what will likely be the last bit of footage ever filmed over Baatin. It’s hard to believe 2/3rds of the original SV lineup is gone.

How will Drake’s peers respond to his injury? Ayyy.

Slaughterhouse is a super group comprised of four highly respected lyricists with spotty solo careers. As the name of the group suggests, SH’s shtick is killing shit; vicious, snarling verses with an emphasis on wordplay. Even Joe Budden, who has never impressed me much, delivers monster verses. I suppose you have to when you’re in the same room as Crooked I, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5’9.

Playing off each other’s ferocity and their respective reputations as the most dangerous MCs in the game, the Slaughterhouse boys destroy more than a few triumphant tracks. I’m especially fond of “Lyrical Murderers” and “Microphone” which are amply sinister, “The One,” which is a decidedly un-corny party anthem and “Cuckoo,” which sounds like the world is ending.

But anyone who used to listen to D Block mixtapes can attest to the fact that being verbally assaulted gets tiring. Everyone loves a lyrical beatdown here and there, but you have to switch it up on your album. This is why track 11 (“Salute”) is a mournful plea for recognition instead of another evisceration of the listener. And that’s where Slaughterhouse falls apart. Budden asking God to answer his prayers on “Pray (It’s a Shame)” is a feeble attempt at poignancy and the final two Mr. Porter and Filthy Rockwell-produced tracks are equally uninteresting and generic.

Slaughterhouse is weak toward the end, but exemplary when it’s loud and mean (the majority of the album).

Download: Slaughterhouse – Sound Off (produced by Streetrunner)

Download: Slaughterhouse – Microphone (produced by Alchemist)

Download: Slaughterhouse – The One (ft. The New Royales) (produced by DJ Khalil)

And here’s the excellent video for "The One," directed by Rik Cordero. Smacks of "Cherchez La Ghost."

After a 2 year hiatus it time to brush off The Rapper Infirmary category (we aren’t really comprehensive around these parts)! Talk about bad luck, Drake has to be the first rapper to suffer a serious injury only to re-injure himself months later (we wonder if he jinxed himself saying he wasn’t going to let the injury stop him only days before the tour started?). Hopefully dude bounces back soon. It would be truly gully if he continues the tour in a Wheelchair after he gets the knee surgery, it’s not like it would be foreign to him.

Now there’s an Earth-shattering lineup. The late great J Dilla successfully duplicates the Wu-Tang sound, albeit with a Detroit twist. Since Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is one of my favorite albums of all time, I’m extremely skeptical of anything off the album’s purported sequel. So far, “New Wu” and “House of Flying Daggers” have been more than adequate. “Criminology 2” – not so much.

Download: Raekwon – House of Flying Daggers (ft. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man) (produced by J Dilla)

via Xclusives Zone

Also, check out Rae performing a medley of Cuban Linx… classics with a live band at Peter Rosenberg’s Noisemakers event (video + audio).

Download: Raekwon – Live w/The Cypher @ Noisemakers

via All The Way Live

Yes, this song is actually an ad for Blueline Kennels, a breeder of pitbulls in Southern California. Also, the last four minutes of the video are an extended dance break with shots of dogs. So gangster.

dubcnn.com via 2dopeboyz

It’s been a few months too many since our last amazing Ron Artest video footage. Thankfully, since we last mentioned him Ron has not only picked up a new team, he’s picked up video blogging..IN CHINA. It’s not enough that he’s in China, but he also has an attractive sidekick named Shin Shin joining in on the fun. Shin Shin was curious about the infamous Detroit Brawl, and Ron was willing to explain/demonstrate in the middle of something that looks to be a zoo or a park. Please watch this. Shoutout to the homie who makes a cameo at the 1:33 mark!

Bonus: if you missed this somehow, Ron did an epic Michael Jackson tribute.

Ron Artest- Michael Michael