A few days ago, AG asked his Facebook friends and fans to reflect over what we think it is that make him such a great emcee who truly have managed to stand the test of time. My answer immediately came to me - "HEART and SOUL"; two important, but somewhat rare qualities, which I always felt separated rhyme legends like AG and GURU from the vast majority of emcees out there. Not, that there's not plenty of great rappers' in the game that possess both of these qualities to varying extent, but there's something about the two aforementioned masters whose voices and words truly get to you, who are with mere rhymes inviting you into their hearts, personalities and soul. Making their words come across as they are talking directly to the listener in just about every verse; part of it is the voice, part of it the knowledgeable and relatable lyrics, and another part is the cadence and calm deliveries. A's been one of my favorites for quite some time now, yet The Lost Tapes, who partly specializes in compilations of non-album tracks, have yet to present a mix of Anre The Giant. So here, it finally is, and what better title could I give it than just "Heart & Soul"?
Whether AG is working with Showbiz, Ray West, his D.I.T.C. brethren, or on his two first solo albums which featured production from a host of talented beatsmiths, his music is always interesting and very often touching; for example, the "Live Hard" EP remains some of the best writing I've heard on a hip-hop record in many years. If you don't got the physical copies of these many amazing records in your personal collections, it's high time you head over to UGHH, Fat Beats, HipHopVinyl, or Amazon and spend some dough. In usual order, this 19 track compilation does not feature any music found on any of the artist's retail albums, but will still work as a great introduction to AG's style and his music if you're not yet initiated, so download, press play, TURN IT UP! and enjoy... Although the tracklist below states that a lot of songs are guest apperances by AG, which of course is true, many of the tracks are pretty much solo joints as AG's rhyming over bom bap bangers lifted from albums by the likes of DJ Babu, Soul Supreme, and DJ Greyboy. I tried to stay clear of Showbiz productions on here, but included one very rare, unreleased joint with Show, A, and OC that was recorded a few years ago and only played once on DJ Premier's Live From HQ's show. Enough said, D.I.T.C. is definitely in the house!
01."Marvin Berri"
02. "Sunshine" (Ft. Sadat X & DJ Jab)
03. "True to Hip-Hop" (w. Aim)
04. "The Vinyl Athletes" (w. Muro)
05. "Straight Dirt" (Ft. Mykill Myers & Ghetto Dwellas)
06. "Inspiration" [Intermission]
07. "I'm A Beast"
08. "Alter Ego" (w. Sadat X, Alterbeats & Lion of Bordeaux)
09. "How it Should Sound" (D&D All-Stars w. AG, Ruck, & J. Grand)
10. "Rap Niggas" (w. Grand Agent & Old Man)
11. "Hold Your Weight" (w. DJ Greyboy)
12. "A Day in the Life -Original-" (w. RZA, Prince Paul & Automator)
13. "Little Big Man" [Intermission]
14. "Strategy" (w. Insight & Edo G)
15. "East West Connection" (w. DJ Babu)
16. "Original G'z" (w. JS-1, Craig G & Edo G)
17. "So Real" (w. Smiley The Ghetto Child & Ressa Exxel)
18. "We All" (Showbiz Ft. OC & AG)
19. "The Saturday Nite Agenda" (w. Soul Supreme)
Extra-P both provides this smooth remix and adds a new verse of his own to R&B singer Mayer Hawthorne's latest single "Her Favorite Song". Definitely got a pretty good groove, and Large came through with a nice 16 as always. Stream it via YouTube above for now, it's possibly that both versions of the song will be included on Hawthorne's album "Where Does This Door Go", out July 16.
There's no question that DJ Jazzy Jeff is not only one of the most legendary spinners in the game, but also one of the very best. Mr. Townes has posted his 1 hour plus DJ set that went down in LA's The Do-Over club roughly a month ago, and there's nothing but fire on here; Everything from hip-hop classics, to forgotten R&B jams, soul and funk bangers, the occassional pop groove, you name it. Jeff definitely know how to get the crowd going, and for this particular set he shares the stage with Skillz who perform his Master of Ceremony duties with grace, acting mainly as a hype man but spitting the occassional exclusive verse here and there! And like that wasn't enoughThe Do Over have also uploaded full DJ sets of DJ Rob Swift andDJ Rhettmatic for your enjoyment, so if you got a few hours free turn in, tune up, and prepare yourself for a musical journey!
Between 1993 and 1995 House Of Hitz was pumping out boom bap classics like there were no tomorrow, with main producers Marley Marl and K-DEF dropping hot singles and albums for everyone from LL Cool J, Lords Of The Underground, Intelligent Hoodlum, Da Youngsta's, Monie Love, Heavy D, and many more. In 1995 two limited 12" singles of previosuly unreleased songs from those sessions was released over the coming years. World Renown was the perfect House Of Hits duo as they brought that raw hip-hop, and the singles had some serious underground hit potential. '94's "How Nice I Am" quickly became a mixtape favorite, and the funky K-Def opus still remains a DJ favorite to this day. With a strong undergroun buzz, the track was soon followed by another 12" single, the smooth "Come Take A Ride". The doule-A side single featuring the best of both the East and the West's respective popular sounds of the day as Marley Marl's original mix oozed of traditional funky breakbeat magic, while the remix, provided by K-Def and Blackcat, was fittingly titled the West Coast Revibe and incorporated elements of moog synthesizers, heavy bass line and intense drum programming that was the perfect version you'd want to hear when cruising on a hot summer day.
Both singles were released on Warner Brothers Records, and due to the buzz surrounding them, the duo was around early 1995 given a one-album deal contract with the label. World Renown was a rhyming duo consisting of hip-hop royalty, at least when taking into account their family ties. The project which was self-titled, included interludes, and was given a Warner Bros. catalouge number (WB.4/2-45715). Unfortunately, as so many lost mid'-90s albums that border on classic material, the LP, despite being completed and given a few ads in various hip-hop magazines, "World Renown" remains shelved to this day and it's doubtful if that will ever change. New Jersey emcee Seven Shawn is the cousin of producer
K-Def, while emcee John Doe of New York had the same bloodties to Marley
Marl. Not suprisingly, the pair started recording their self-titled
album at The House Of Hitz, in th the good company of production
partners Marley, K-Def, and friend and newcomer Blackcat. At least for
some of the tracks the mixdown was handled by Frank Heller, with the
executive production asssigned to Marley Marl, Benny Medina, Peter Edge,
and Nicole Bernard. The album was completed, with Shawn, Doe and their
producers completing at least sixteen tracks.
Some songs have been harder to come by than expected, but thanks to those who ripped the second, even rarer promo LP (peace to my brothers over @ the T.R.O.Y. forums), I have here managed to collect all known songs recorded by the group around this time; adding both A-sides of the singles, using all exclusive tracks from both separate promos, fixed the sequence after my own liking, and even added a quite rare bonus track produced by 'Def to close out this fantastic boom bap set on a more sombre note. It's a true shame that this project never got an official release considering how many dope beats, rhymes and song structures are all over this; back in the mid-'90s Marley and K-Def worked brilliantly together and "World Renown: The Album" might have been the last full LP they worked on together as a production team. Hopefully, this project will once be picked up by a label like Traffic Records and given the proper release it rightfully deserves, fully mastered and with extensive linear notes though it's highly unlikely. But until that day, and if it ever comes, follow me back to the mid-'90s, turn up the volume and enjoy the talents of Seven Shawn, John Doe, Marley Marl, K-Def, and Blackat. I know I will!
01. "World Renown"
02. "How Nice I Am"
03. "Drama" (Intermission)
04. "Don't Trust Your Man" [Marley Mix]
05. "Roll With It"
06. "Shoowa"
07. "Long Jev"
08. ''EZ On The Tweeter"
09. "My Mello" (Interlude)
10. "MC's"
11. "Come Take A Ride"
12. "Butta Love"
13. "Easy Connect"
14. "Don't Trust Your Man" ['Def Mix]
15. "Mind Over Math"
16. "Supreme Math" (Outro)
17. "State Of Mind" [*]
Guess who's back? None other than Tim Dog is back in the hot seat, and this time it's not on a Dateline Special but on the brand new single "Falsified" featuring Kool Keith and The Loudmouf Choir. This was recorded in Oslo, Norway for producer Tommy Tee's forthcoming album "Bonds, Beats, & Beliefs 2", due out this fall.
"Timeless Re:Set" is the titlte of the latest slamming single from ATL spitter Yaminn Semali. You shoul hopefully remember Yamin and his chill take on authentic hip-hop from last year's self-titled debut LP and here he presents more of the same laid back vibe and powerful lyrics. The song "Timeless Re:Set" is actually a Semali produced remake of a Ski Beatz produced joint ("Timeless") from the album "Dragon Vol. 1" by LA-based spitter Sum. The album sees Sum wax lyrical over production by the likes of Ski Beatz, Blockhead, Needlz, Illastrate, and more.
Following "Heads Up", Uey the God once again grabs the unfairly unknown, but very talented, '80s Shaolin legend Scotty Wotty The Jackpot who along with Method Man creates another powerful single to get our mouth watering for "The Keynote Speaker". The singles, and in fact the majority of 'songs on U's last LP "Dopium", was A-grade stuff so if Uey manages to stay cleer of the pointless filler this could and should be the will be LP that finally solidifie Golden Arms as a real dope solo artist to count on!
German duo Genetikk (made up of Sikk & Kaurozo) released their debut album "DN.A." last week, and among the songs on their 20 track opus is "Packets in Den Boots" fraturing no lesser emcee than The RZA himself. Ove a pounding drum beat, background female vocals, and a somber piano loop this is fine hip-hop crossing the boarders, and especially The Abbot's performance is notworthy. Thanks to the WTCForLifeblogspot for this one!
Since I first started The Lost Tapes I got at least a gang of requeststs on making a compilation of the production work of Mr. Porter. I always declined since I like some of the D-12 beatsmith's work but the moments his Music has made my jaw drop can be counted on my five finger left hand. However, jazz pianist and producer Robert Glasper is among my faovirte non-hip hop artists around right now, creating absolute magic with his recent eclectic fusion LP:s "Black Radio" and its sister piece "Black Radio Recovered: The EP", the latter being one of the finest and most addictive releases of the year.
For "Porter Chopps Glasper". Porter takes the mission to create his own interpretations of Robert Glasper and his band's genre-fusion blend of black Music that stretches friom hip-hop, to gospel, from jazz and funk, to soul and african rhythms, from vocal R&B, to the spirit of Diola. I haven't had the pleasure of listening yet, but if it's as good as I hope, it should be a good introduction for fans of goth artistl
I remember reading about this posthumous Jay Dee release a month or o before it was released, and then totally forgot about it. I could neverf get some real clearance abut what "Lost Tapes" was really supposed to be, the promo ads mentioned something about unreleased house and Detroit techno music from Yancey. With a final proper relese of Frannk-N-Dank's "48 HRS", and the promise of the looooonng-shelved "Pay Jay (The Diary)", I totally forgot about this project. The 2xLP set is released by Mahogani Music with the backing of Ms. Yanceu (who also released the so-so LP "Rebirth Of Detroit". The fouir minute sampler is sounding promising, but I will certainnly not buy this without hearing the entire LP; the illest thing abou is that there's only q beat on here I truly recognize. "...His [Dilla's] connections to House music also run deep, and he worked with Moodymann, Andres, Amp Fiddler and more in his time." - Ms. Yancey. The 2xLP set is availale at retailers like UGHH, so if you're intersted... Hurry up and Biy!
A1. Im Bak Nickl
A2. Dilla Beats 2
A3. 73 Soundtrack
A4. Slow as Trick
A5. Monkies N Car
A6. Token Jazz Hour
A7. Videogame 1
A8. Aahhh
A9. Still Laffn
A10. Session 4
B1. Licking
B2. Here We Go Again
B3. 3 Round Da Corner
B4. Me2
B5. Get Dat Negga
B6. Havn Some Fun
B7. Holloween
B8. Clap 4 Me
B9. 9 No ? Please
B10. Go Get Em
Kevin Hansford, undoubtedly the finest producer to emerge out of Brick City, has released a crazy amount of fantastic 7" singles, EP:s, LP:s and mini albums since he signed with Damu and JNOTA's Redefinition Records. I aready bought several 'Def records this year, and now he's back again, albeit witjh a slightly diifferent project. "Looking For The Perfect Break" is not a new K-Def LP per se, but anyone familiar with the Jersey native knows that he's terrific both on the crossfader and digging for rare grooves. Here, he gets his chance to release a mixtape-ish album through Redefintiion Records; one that sees the producer/DJ dig through his vast record collection to create a terrific mix that is as seamless as its restless, featuring a wild bunch of rare grooves and the occassional classic. The forty minute set is pressed up on high-fidelity audio, with no shouts or stuff that can distact from the music. Furthermore its pressed on high quality vinyl with a color sleeve designed by none other than the legendary Joe Buck. Check out the complete A-sde below, and order your copy @ Redefinition for a price of 16.99 USD while it's still available.
Last year collaboration "R.A.P. Music" between ATL's rawest and New York's most twisted underground producer left a taste for more for both us, the listeners, and the duo themeself. Who can front on ten new tracks from this brilliant constellation as the pair has just released their "Run The Jewels". Guests on the album/EP include Big Boi, Prince Paul (who co-produced and appears as Chest Rockwell on "Twin Hype Back" and UK group Until The Ribbon Breaks. You know you wanna hear this, because this is F:n DOPE! All you gotta do is enter your e-mail below and it's all yours, no strings attached!
Following his two brilliant mixtapes/street albums, talented Elmira, NY spitter's been relatively quiet so I was thrilled to find a new single from the man in my inbox this morning. The single which is called "Guts & Glory" is a real Winner on all levels; great mic presence by Rome, soulful and heartfelt lyrics and a real smooth, laid-back beat (produced by Damien Cornwell), that's eleveated even further by the jazzy saxophone solos by Scott Mayo. Enjoy this one y'all!
Joey Bada$$ is continuing his reign over 2013's summer hip-hop with "Amethyst Rockstar", a collaboration with his homie Kirk Knight set over a smooth beat provided by none other than the Metal Fingered Villain. Together with the two previous singles "Word is Bond" and "95 Til' Infinity", this will appear on Joey's forthcoming full-length proejct ""Summer Knights" which should be pretty Bada$$ judging from what we've heard so far. Despite a few pushbacks, July 1 is the current date so let's hope the man stick to this one for the release.
The homie E-Blaze sent over this exclusive leak from "First Blood", the upcoming mixtape by Prospect, who used to be down with Terror Squad back when they were one of the rawest crews around. Both Prospect and producer E-Blaze brought out the big guns for this joint, which is called "I'm Not Hidin'", and shit's not even completely mixed down yet. The new project is presented by GrimTeam and will hopefully be available in just a few weeks. I got a feeling Prospect, who's been M.I.A. for a while, got a lot of ill shit to get off his chest and he's rounded up some very talented beatsmiths for the project so definitely keep your eyes and ears open. Stay tuned, and shouts to E-Blaze for letting The Lost Tapes have the premier of this one.
The clock has striken for Mela Machinko, and its more than due for the singer to step into the limelight; a girl that has worked with plenty of artists, but mostly Pharoahe Monch, as a back-up singer, hype man, and a studio vocalists. We first heard her on Monch classics like "Push", "We Must Be in Love" (w/ DiLLA), and Talib Kweli's "Hostile Gospel Pt. 1". I saw her perform once with Pharoahe Monch in Malmö a few years ago, and her stage presence and soulful voice was just extraordianry and brought so much to the music. So now in 2013, it's finally time for Machinko to step into her own and release a full-length solo album of her own, "Hov Said it Best". Released on June 25 via SoulSpazm Records and promoted by W.A.R. Media, this strong woman's 18-track opus puts her on the map as a talented solo artist over production provided by Preservation, Fatin, Eric G, and others that creates an original and interesting balance between smoky '70s soul, horn driven funk, accoustic jazz elements, and the boom bap hip-hop that she have her roots in through her many guest apperances with aritsts like Monch, KanYe West, Ghostface Killah, and Just Blaze (on the latter's remix of Nat King Cole's "Pick Up").
Today, "Hov Said it Best" lands in store, and if you have followed my blog posts about the respective singles that have been released so far you know that I have huge expectations on what to come from this LP. The title might have a few heads scratching their heads, but Mela is a Brooklyn girl who has been all over the world, partly on tour with her mentor, so when Hov said on "Where I'm From"; "Been to many places, bust I'm Brooklyn's Own!", he might as well have spoken about the singer herself. So it's a pretty cool title, we know that she got skills as a guest vocalist, and we know that the three preceding singles have all been very impressive. Still, the question remains... Can she hold down an entire album all by herself? Let's press play and found out..
Right from the short but powerful opening you instantly get a feeling you're in for something special. From the low-key bass, and horns that accompanies Mela's wailing on "Theme Song" as it's called, it's a powerful intro that lead right into the first song; "Allow Me". Mechinko's beautiful voice shines through over a rather laid-back joint that almost seamlessly blend vintage R&B/soul with hip-hop aesthetics. You got the high-pitched vocal sample, haunting strings, and a pounding bass line underlining some beautiful vocals from Machinko; DJ Boogie Blind gets busy behind the turntables which adds another welcome layer to the song as well. Mela's heavy influence of the music she grew up on, classic '70s soul, funk and '80s/'90s hip-hop keeps on shining with the cleverly titled "Good Groove" that kicks off with a classic breakbeat that most rap fanatics will recognize. However, the joint slows down between the impeccable hooks, adding an addictive vibrophone sample, and a heavy synthesizer bass line that is heard almost throughout. On songs like these, "Holday's End", and "Overdo It"is filled with soul oozing, headnoding music that reeks with horns, strings, keys, and turntale wizardry again provided by DJ Boogie Blind.
The eclectic mix of vintage hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk truly makes "Hov Said it Best" an extraordinary listen through the production of Preservation, Fatin, Eric. G, and Mr. Len. Speaking on hip-hop, the sampled
drum patterns leaves no question about this being as much an R&B
album as a funky soul project with a heavy emphazis on the hip-hop side of things. The result
is an LP that will be thoroughly enjoyed by conniseours of all types of black music,
withouting ever sounding forced or misplaced. Coupled with Mela's
incredible mic presence, well written lyrics and impeccably strong voice, there's no question that there's plenty of tracks on here that will remain and embraced as true classics ("I Got Monay", "And Then It Goes All Away...", Get That Cash & Run", "What You Want me to Do", etc.). As I
wrote in another post, this is the first new soul album I intend to purchase for full price some time soon, and after hearing the entire project front-to-back there's no question about this deserving a place on my shelf. A perfect record to throw on, whether you're alone or with your girl, and just zone out to. Though the production will grab you're ear from jump, what really make "Hov Said it Best"
one of the most interesting releases of the year is not only the
terrific soundscapes, but the way that Mela's voice, flow, delivery
and lyrics in conjunction with the music manages to create something
that's as truly unique as it is fascinating and awards several listens. If there's something to criticize about the actual music it is that the disc could contain a few more actual songs; despite being just 40 minutes, several skits (featuring a game show lead by Pharoahe Monch) are included, as well as two bonus remixes of the song "What You Want Me to Do". But no matter what, there's a great flow to the album and as good as every track being presented here are of high quality. This is 2013 soul straight out
the hip-hop dungeons.
Side Effectz's "Wunderbaum Music" LP is now finally available to order worldwide through their Bandcamp page for the cheap price of around 7 USD plus shipping from Europe. Last Weekend I went to the release party for this album, where I also picked up the LP, and let me tell you that both the show was pretty damn enormous; crazy crowd participation, the guys killing it on stage, etc. And as far as the actual vinyl, it both looks and sound fantastic. This still underrated trio is about to hit it relatively big soon I'm willing to bet on that so if you're feeling it grab a copy while you still can, because this could very well end up being a true and expensive rarity in a couple of years, much like LoopTroop's early 12":s, EP:s, etc. I had the pleasure of interviewing the guys as well, which should be up on The Lost Tapes in the next couple of days so stay tuned. Until this read my full review of the project below; it's actually one of my favorite releases of this year so far.
It's finally hear! After plenty of singles (both album tracks and exclusive joints), several gigs and apperances on radio stations, the Side Effectz's tro third official LP has landed, and its called "Wunderbaum Music". With 10 tracks, and clocking at almost exactly 30 minutes, there's clearly no room for filler here which they also completely stay clear off., You can tell that the trio has worked hard on making sure there's nothing but the absolute best and most fitting to offer their fanbase on here. Everything flows together like a true abum should, it's none of that BS collection of hit songs that's today's ADD riddled iTunes and Spotify kids crave, and despite three producers are involved in only nine songs (the first is an intro), the group never steer away from the sound that has become their traddemark. The difference is that that sound has never before been truly perfected and sounded so coherrent. Both El Juancan and Akopalips comes through with beats that are both intricate, engaging and "boom baptic". "Red", "Wunderbaum Music", "Stay True", "Sub Zero", "Innaspace" are some of the finest beats not only by Juancan, Akopalips, and El Campeon has ever made, but also some of the absolute finest hip-hop soundscapes to emerge from Sweden in a very, very long time.
The Boom Bap apostle himself, the group's emcee Linkan is on fire throughout here, he's made quite the remarkable growth as a rhymer since his debut on "AOTS: The Album"; the group's debut that, while good, at times felt more like a glorified demo tape. Linkan's flow is as exceptional as it is complex, constantly playing with different flows and cadences, utilizing double entendres, and multisyllables, only to in a heartbeat switch to a simpler rhyme scheme, sometime, as on album opener and title track, taking on a strong toasting influenced rhyme style. There's a few ad-libs that sounds out of place and should have been left on the cutting room floor and at a couple of times an experimental flow doesn't quite work, but these are minor stuff and everytime it happens, he jumps right back on track.
Linkan rhymes for the half-depressed everyday man, reminiscing about his days on the benches with the boys getting wasted, slaving at the factory, dissing the school system for being corrupt, etc. There are moments of joy shining through though, and when it does it often result in the album's finest moments. On "Red", over a somber Juancan production with a haunting bass melody and matching keys, Linkan takes a trip down memory lane, sharing with his listeners how he first caught the hip-hop bug. On "Focus", which because of its subject matter is an exceptional LP closer, our emcee dedicate the song to his long-time fiancee and the thankfulness he feel to her for giving birth to best joy of his life, a new born baby girl. It's a triumphant song, mainly because of Linkan's soulful performance, but also because Akopalips gives him a blending backdrop that really captures and elevate the subject matter. The aforementioned song features a singer by the name of Mariam, who is also the album's only guest (save for guestproducer Daniel El Camino). This is definitely a breath of fresh air in today's market where only a few great rappers, i.e. Roc Marciano and OC, does not surround themeselves with as many guest vocalists as the album has tracks. This is another strength of "Wunderbaum Music", even though I like previous guests such as Cap One, S.T.I.C.S., and Antone Mecca, it leaves no question who's running the show here and such a direct spotlight cast a very bright light on Linkan which this time leaves no little question that he's one of the absolute finest emcees Sweden have to over. "Wunderbaum Music" is a highly recommended listen; every song is nothing but quality, having you think that this is as high it gets, only to be followed by a song that invokes a feeling of hearing something even greater. Since Side Effectz's "A.O.T.S. The Album" in 2008. to 2011:s "The Wood Sessions", their third official album cuts back on anything that might remsemble filler material to create the AOTS crew's finest and most impressive project to date. It's a very smart move to settle for just nine songs and an intro, whereas more material almost certainly would have harmed the overall feeling of the album, despite any additional tracks unlikely being wack. In that vein, it's truly a record that really warrants a front-to-back listen, as each song leds to the next one until the final climax of "Kaddu" and "Focus". All in all, this is by far Linkan's strongest performance on any LP yet, El Juancan's beats are some of the fattest of his entire career (just check the beautiful hip-hop homage "Red" or the breakbeat driven throwback that is "Thunderkings" which apparantly was a beat originally made about 8 years ago). El Akopalip' contributions are the closest five tracks to what we heard on "The Wood Sessions", though there's no questions that he's evolved even further as a producer, and makes a great contrast to Juancan's beats. One thing is for sure, Sweden's hip-hop scene is more alive and kicking than it has been since the emergence of Loop Troop and The Latin Kings, and Side Effectz's and their "Wunderbaum Music" is a testament exactly to that. Take a listen below via their Bandcamp page, where you can also download the 10 tracks for a cheap dollar and order the vinyl almost as cheap. DON'T SLEEP!
The second video from Planet Asia and Gensu Dean's recent collaboration "Abrasions" is here. The choice fell on the album cut "Bar Mitzvah" in a video directed by Rasco (I'm wondering if this is Asia's old partner in Cali Agents? .... probably not). "Abrasions" is available as a great looking 2xLP set via Mello Music Group,order here.
I first heard, or should I say was blown away by, Johannesburg's The MILITIA when my man Dharmic X of The Culture Never Dies started sending me the early singles from this outstanding producers debut album "Timeless Classic" my way about a year ago. This was followed up by a collaboration EP with Curtessy called "Look What The Streets Made". Now this South African boom bap aposthle is back at it again; "Snow Drifts" is the first single from The MILITIA's upcoming colllaboration with Queen's emcee Blue Legacy on an extended play called "True Play". There's no specific date set yet, but is set for free download sometime in July.
'The X-Man's been in the game since the late '89, and he's showing no signs of running out of hot rhymes and interesting beats to spit them over anytime soon. Produced by Real McKoy, "I Know The Game" was first leaked to the net about a year ago but this is a little more official as the banger comes strapped with a good looking music video and a copyright note saying 2013 Loyalty Digital Corp. The X-Man's last LP packed a lot of heat, so I'm really looking forward to another release form the Nubian brother. Buy "I Know The Game" @ iTunes.
J. Cole can spit, no question about it! However, a little too often the Brooklyn emcee choose to spit over hollow and insipid beats, though when he picks a monster beat like the recent "Let Nas Down" from Cole's new LP ("Born Sinner")magic is bound to happen. For those of y'all who don't know the story, it all begun when J. Cole released his single "Work Out", which legendary Nasir did not take kindly to and was very vocal about. Since Nas had been considered one of Cole's absolute top emcees he had ever heard; he felt he had to write a song about the feeling of letting his idol down, resulting in the self-produced "Let Nas Down"; a very dope song indeed and possibly the LP:s finest moment.
Now, what's even more interesting however, is that the official remix is now availble, and it features a brand new verse by none other than Jones himself. The original beat stays intact, and considering how good this duo sounded on "Life is Good" you know you're in for a real treat here. Very wise choice on all parts indeed!
Sauce Money was a true beast on the microphone on Jigga's early records, barely breathing between bars on records like "Bring It On", "Face Off" and the remix for "Dead Or Alive". Despite a pretty dope album in 2000 called "Middle Finger U" that didn't make much noise neither on the charts or amongst the dedicated heads. However, the LP had banging joints from Marley Marl ("What The Fuck Was That") and DJ Premier ("Against The Grain"), proving that with the right production Sauce had a great album within him screaming to get out. Let's hope that a new album is in the works that will be just that. A new single that just leaked, "Just Nice", sound very promising with a hungry Sauce going IN over an agressive Team Demo beat, with none other than the legend himself, DJ Premier, taking on the turntables and crossfader. NICE!
eMC, Punch & Words, Dino 5... Brooklyn freestyle spitter Wordsworth has been holding it down for years. I saw him open up for Masta Ace a few years ago, and he defo had a nice stage presence but the real treats are found on his solo albums "Mirror, Mirror" (2004), and last year's brilliant "The Photo Album" which featured several stand out tracks and a myriad of interesting guests.
Words' third solo album has been given the title "The Blue Collar Recital" on PledgeMusicCom. The first single is the very promising "Living Life Check to Check" which can be seen above. The CD and digital album will be available everywhere on September 17, this year so keep your eyes and ears THE FUCK OPEN!
Remember the days of Group Home's "Livin' Proof"? One of the best produced albums of all time, but unfortunately filled with a lot of subpar rhymes from especially Melachi the Nutcracker, and to a lesser extent Lil' Dap that at least had a pretty damn tight voice. Add to that the street lyrics they spat around the surroundings, the young emcees and DJ Premier's finest body of work really meshed to create something truly special.
Since then, 'Dap has constantly evolved as an emcee, making remarkable guest apperances on Large Pro's "Main Source", ALC's "The Cutting Room Floor 2", and DJ Lord Ron's "Enviromental Shapes & Sounds of...", to name a few. He released his fat solo debut in 2008, "I.A. Dap". It seems the East New York spitter is gearing up for another solo release, and judging by the two singles so far, this is gonna be another heater.Followin last months highlty recommended 7" single, "Real MC's" B/W "Cash Flow" which you can pick up here. Check out "Pray For Me" below, produced by E. Smitty in ATL; Georgia. This is FAT, and if you still haven't picked the the previous, limited lead single you can still get it for a cheap price @ UGHH.
Big Twinz has one of the most distinctive and ruffest voice in hip-hop, and coupled with the hardcore street music he constantly bring out quality music worth listening to. He recently released another digital album called "Cop on the Grill"; with a project full of of that vintage QB stylee, there's even a joint with Big Noyd called "Hood On The Map" that's really knocking. Thanks to Robbie over @ UNKUT, we can hear a Soundcloud stream of the joint below.
Skilled emcee Bobby Capri is releasing "Instant Gratification"; a free 7-track EP presented via DatPiff. With all new material, this impressive tape features Capri going head to head with Sean Price, Jon Connor, Troy. Ave, and Apollo The Great. Definitively check this one out!
Slum Village's eight full-length album "Evolution" drops tomorrow; still a trio, but now featuring only T3 fom the original constellation, with Dilla's younger brother Illa J and producer Young "RJ" forming the trio. Judging from the LP sampler that dropped recently, it does not sound like one of SV's fnest Projects, but there's definitely some heat on there as well. The album drops tomorrow via digital retailers and on CD and 2xLP via sites likeUGHH; and the last single to be released before the official drop is the fittingly titled "Summer Breeze", produced by RJ.
If you're not to up on what the legendary trio of the spaced out hip-hop monster that is Deltron 30300 has been doing since their comeback over the last couple of years, or at least since they come back a couple of years back with a few scattered singles here and there. The 3030 1999 debut was a hip-hop album way ahead it's time - oth as far as production, samples and lyrics and flow goes, and all the recent leaks without a doubt is preparing to get us extremely heavy follow up to their one and only '99 self-titled debut as a unit that still stands as one of the finest concept albums of all time. With Del on fururistic, science fiction inspired vocals. producer Dan the Automator and the latter's extremely tight record telekenis with the mind boggling DJ Kid Koala, the crew is in full effect and most of the singles have been really Fan-Tas-Tic so far. Just check the latest single, which is said to be the lead single of from the project, "City Rising From the Ashes". The album, "Event II" as it is subtitled, is said to pick up right where the original left off - with that being said, I can't wait to see what this is all about, both the film, soundtrack, and more. Here's the lead and second truly official single from the group'ss second official street album which is called "City Rishing From The Ashes".
Side Effectz's "Wunderbaum Music" LP is now finally available to order worldwide through their Bandcamp page for the cheap price of around 7 USD plus shipping from Europe. Last Weekend I went to the release party for this album, where I also picked up the LP, and let me tell you that both the show was pretty damn enormous; crazy crowd participation, the guys killing it on stage, etc. And as far as the actual vinyl, it both looks and sound fantastic. This still underrated trio is about to hit it relatively big soon I'm willing to bet on that so if you're feeling it grab a copy while you still can, because this could very well end up being a true and expensive rarity in a couple of years, much like LoopTroop's early 12":s, EP:s, etc. I had the pleasure of interviewing the guys as well, which should be up on The Lost Tapes in the next couple of days so stay tuned. Until this read my full review of the project below; it's actually one of my favorite releases of this year so far.
It's finally hear! After plenty of singles (both album tracks and exclusive joints), several gigs and apperances on radio stations, the Side Effectz's tro third official LP has landed, and its called "Wunderbaum Music". With 10 tracks, and clocking at almost exactly 30 minutes, there's clearly no room for filler here which they also completely stay clear off., You can tell that the trio has worked hard on making sure there's nothing but the absolute best and most fitting to offer their fanbase on here. Everything flows together like a true abum should, it's none of that BS collection of hit songs that's today's ADD riddled iTunes and Spotify kids crave, and despite three producers are involved in only nine songs (the first is an intro), the group never steer away from the sound that has become their traddemark. The difference is that that sound has never before been truly perfected and sounded so coherrent. Both El Juancan and Akopalips comes through with beats that are both intricate, engaging and "boom baptic". "Red", "Wunderbaum Music", "Stay True", "Sub Zero", "Innaspace" are some of the finest beats not only by Juancan, Akopalips, and El Campeon has ever made, but also some of the absolute finest hip-hop soundscapes to emerge from Sweden in a very, very long time.
The Boom Bap apostle himself, the group's emcee Linkan is on fire throughout here, he's made quite the remarkable growth as a rhymer since his debut on "AOTS: The Album"; the group's debut that, while good, at times felt more like a glorified demo tape. Linkan's flow is as exceptional as it is complex, constantly playing with different flows and cadences, utilizing double entendres, and multisyllables, only to in a heartbeat switch to a simpler rhyme scheme, sometime, as on album opener and title track, taking on a strong toasting influenced rhyme style. There's a few ad-libs that sounds out of place and should have been left on the cutting room floor and at a couple of times an experimental flow doesn't quite work, but these are minor stuff and everytime it happens, he jumps right back on track.
Linkan rhymes for the half-depressed everyday man, reminiscing about his days on the benches with the boys getting wasted, slaving at the factory, dissing the school system for being corrupt, etc. There are moments of joy shining through though, and when it does it often result in the album's finest moments. On "Red", over a somber Juancan production with a haunting bass melody and matching keys, Linkan takes a trip down memory lane, sharing with his listeners how he first caught the hip-hop bug. On "Focus", which because of its subject matter is an exceptional LP closer, our emcee dedicate the song to his long-time fiancee and the thankfulness he feel to her for giving birth to best joy of his life, a new born baby girl. It's a triumphant song, mainly because of Linkan's soulful performance, but also because Akopalips gives him a blending backdrop that really captures and elevate the subject matter. The aforementioned song features a singer by the name of Mariam, who is also the album's only guest (save for guestproducer Daniel El Camino). This is definitely a breath of fresh air in today's market where only a few great rappers, i.e. Roc Marciano and OC, does not surround themeselves with as many guest vocalists as the album has tracks. This is another strength of "Wunderbaum Music", even though I like previous guests such as Cap One, S.T.I.C.S., and Antone Mecca, it leaves no question who's running the show here and such a direct spotlight cast a very bright light on Linkan which this time leaves no little question that he's one of the absolute finest emcees Sweden have to over. "Wunderbaum Music" is a highly recommended listen; every song is nothing but quality, having you think that this is as high it gets, only to be followed by a song that invokes a feeling of hearing something even greater. Since Side Effectz's "A.O.T.S. The Album" in 2008. to 2011:s "The Wood Sessions", their third official album cuts back on anything that might remsemble filler material to create the AOTS crew's finest and most impressive project to date. It's a very smart move to settle for just nine songs and an intro, whereas more material almost certainly would have harmed the overall feeling of the album, despite any additional tracks unlikely being wack. In that vein, it's truly a record that really warrants a front-to-back listen, as each song leds to the next one until the final climax of "Kaddu" and "Focus". All in all, this is by far Linkan's strongest performance on any LP yet, El Juancan's beats are some of the fattest of his entire career (just check the beautiful hip-hop homage "Red" or the breakbeat driven throwback that is "Thunderkings" which apparantly was a beat originally made about 8 years ago). El Akopalip' contributions are the closest five tracks to what we heard on "The Wood Sessions", though there's no questions that he's evolved even further as a producer, and makes a great contrast to Juancan's beats. One thing is for sure, Sweden's hip-hop scene is more alive and kicking than it has been since the emergence of Loop Troop and The Latin Kings, and Side Effectz's and their "Wunderbaum Music" is a testament exactly to that. Take a listen below via their Bandcamp page, where you can also download the 10 tracks for a cheap dollar and order the vinyl almost as cheap. DON'T SLEEP!
Mela Machinko takes another step towards the limelight with "I Got Monay", the third single from her upcominng Soulspazm debut. Like on the previous leaks, "Get That Cash & Run" and "What You Want Me to Do", Mela's microphone presence is as strong as her voice; perfectly suited for the driven soul and funk clash provided by fellow P. Monch regular Fatin. If the rest of the album is as dope as the joints we've heard so far, this will end up being the first new soul album I'm buying in a couple of years. Cameos from Pharoahe, Jean Grae, and Mr. Len, and production by Khrysis, Preservation, and Fatin aren't exacctly discouraging either! Check for "Hov Said it Best" in stores this Tuesday, orpre-order @ iTunes now (where you can also take a glance at the tracklist).
Here's a classic lil' treat I wanted to share with y'all, a live set by J Dilla on the crossfader which was recorded by the Swedish PBS channel P3. The event went down at Inkonst in Malmö on January 25, 2003 and is a rare piece of evidence of how ill Jay Dee was behind the turntables. Here the legendary producer plays nothing but banger after banger from his own extensive catalouge, with Dankery Harv as hype man. Maybe the illest thing about this is how it allows us a glimpse into what tracks Dilla himself considered some of his finest moments up to early 2003. Featured are joints like "Push", "Raise it Up", "Virvant Thing", "Let's Ride", "Step Up", "Take Them Clothes Off", "Look Of Love", "Stakes is High", Busta's "Wait Up", Kweli's "Step to the Side", "Runnin'", just to mention a few. With all the posthumous music coming out from the Dilla camp, wouldn't it be Fan-Tas-Tic to get a mastered CD of something like this, or a live vocal set by Jaylib?
I had this for a few years, but think I originally got it from BamaLoveSoul.com, so much thanks to the guys over there! You already know the deal... TURN IT UP!!!
Mello Music Group keeps bringing out interesting new artists into the spotlight, something they deserve huge credit for. Latest in line is Seattle producer Def Dee who signed a development deal with the label about a year ago which gave him access to their catalouge and connections with the roster. Dee's first release is now ready for the world; "33 and a Third" is a blend of a full-length LP and a compilation, cleverly created from fresh instrumentals, new songs and remixes with exclusive vocals. The first single to be liberated is called "All It Takes", featuring Hasaan Mackey, Buff1, and Magestic Legend; a fresh new take on the latter's joint of the same name from the album "The Great Escape". You can now pre-order the digital album @ iTunes.
The good peeps in Soundsci are gearing up for the release of their new LP barely a month from today. Teaming up with Ubiquity Records, the five man unit's fourth official release is called "Soundsational" and features 10 brand new records inspired by, and based around samples from, Mike James Kirkland's "Don't Sell Your Soul" album. Available on LP, CD, and digital on July 16, word is that pre-orders of the CD are already now starting to ship. Check out the promising first single "Understand the Message"from the project below, and head over to the official Bandcamp page and pre-order the album in the format of your choice; I know I'm getting the vinyl!
Prodigy was very wise in hooking up with Alchemist to produce his follow-up to the worse than mediocre "H.N.I.C. 3". While it doesn't quite live up to 2007:s "Return of the Mac", its still the best Mobb Deep record to drop since it. Above you see the video for the LP track "Dough Plidin'", definitely a certified banger.
Following the recent banger "Freddie Soprano" (scroll down if you've missed it before), Gangsta Gibbs is on fire as proven by the release of his latest video from his upcoming "ESGN" street album which drops in July. The track is called "Eastside Moonwalker" and sees a thorough performance by Gibbs over a real hardknock beat. These two recent joints really are promising great things for "ESGN"; I really hope it lives up to it!
If you can't get enough of Ugly Heroes and their recently released self-titled debut album, here's another FAT cut from the trio of Apollo Brown, Verbal Kent, and Red Pill that DID NOT make the retail LP. "Ugly" features the super talented DJ Eclipse tearing it up over Apollo's stellar production, with Verbal Kent and Red Pill going IN and overall this joint is as impressive as anything on the full album. The song is released via MMG's Bandcamp to celebrate the vinyl release of the album which is out now. The 2xLP set also features a bonus 45 featuring two exclusive joints, I'm not sure if "Ugly" is one of them too. Order directly from the label NOW!
MidaZ The Beast brings out another damn tasty remix from his brilliant street album"LOOPS"which was one of my personal favorites from last year. For the brand new remix of "Speech Impediment" he enlists Wordsworth for a guest verse, and you know MidaZ and Words is a comination worth listening to purely on the strength of their names and respective catalouges.
First off, to my regular readers, sorry about the complete lack of updates over the past week, I'm having some huge problems with my home computer at the moment which has disabled my chance to post from home. Hopefully the problem will soon be fixed, I got some good updates coming, including more compilations and interviews. Now I'm with the homie Big Rob, and about to catch up on a few tracks I might have missed out on, and possibly y'all too.
The first track I want to bring to your attention is another Wu-Tang Clan track, "The 4 Horsemen". Although not a Clan track per se, it's actually a joint from Mathematics' upcoming full-lengther "The Answer" which you'll find in stores and at online retailers on July 25, it got the vibe and enough spitters to warrant it as such if you ask me. So it's not the entire Clan spitting either, but with quality verses from Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon, which is defo enough for me considering how well they sound together over this heavy hitting Math beat. Stay tuned for more info on "The Answer", and Turn This One Up LOUD!!
Freddie Gibbs is undoubtedly one of the illest rappers doing it right now.. Unfortunately, he's not also picking the greatest beats, but when he let his furious street style loose on a hard hitting banger like on the ID Labs produced track "Freddie Soprano". You'll find this on Gangsta Gibbs new album, "ESGN", which drops July 9.
This kind of appeared out of nowhere; ruff, rugged, and raw, defining the boom bap just like i like it! Megadon is new to me, but the video is posted on Duck Down's YouTube channel and as it features two artists from that quality label I'm guessing he's one of their new artists - and the boy knows how to spit that's for sure. Second new joint I heard from Smif-N-Wessun today, and Tek N Steele still knows how to kill a hot beat, as does Ruste Juxx. The only thing dissapointing about "Canon" is that it bills Sadat X as a guest star, who I pretty much most look forward to hearing on here, yet he's limited to a effective, but very minor hook.
As I recently reported, The Legendary Roots Crew is set to release two full-length projects in 2013, but even as good as that sound, it's not the only thing hardcore fans of Philly's finest hip-hop outfit has to rejoice over. Too often overlooked Malik B., for a long time a member of the aforementioned unit, will flex his lyrical skills over New Jersey based producer Mr. Green's soundscapes for an entire LP to be released sometime this year. While the title and label has yet to be announced, however the lead single "Devil" is nothing short of brilliance from each and every perspective, and has now been given the visual treatment in a video directed by Kevin Lopez. I'm hyped!
DJ Statik Selektah is releasing his fifth "solo" album "Extended Play" via Duck Down/ShowOff, and quite fittingly five singles have been released so far. Some of these cuts is among the most interesting things I've heard from the star producer in quite some time (especially when discussing the albums released under his name), such as the absolute minblowing collaboration between Raekwon, Black Thought and Joey Bada$$ on "Bird's Eye's View", and the sinister, stomping "Camoflauge Dons" which pairs up Tek N Steele with The Flatbush Zombies which you can check out up top. Other previously released tracks are the unlikely pairing of Sean Price and true school's most hated Mac Miller in "21 & Over", the beautiful piano driven "Game Break" which includes a stupid welcome performance by Posdnous, who's joined by Termanology and Lecrea. Just as mellow, dope and even haunting is "Funeral Season" which features outstanding performances by Styles P, Bun B, and Statik on the crossfader... Oh yeah, Hit Boy makes an apperannce too. After hearing these five cuts I can say that I have a strong feeling that "Extened Play" is gonna be the illest Statik Selektah release since his very debut. To be honest I have been dissapointed in the majority of releases made under his own name since they have felt rushed and like a collection of pretty bland posse cuts. These joints instead sound passionate, are very well produced and are filled with a superb mix of artists. If the remaining cuts follows these footsteps, this could very well end up being one of the top albums of the year... June 18 is the date!
Some people might still not
know about E-Blaze, but that is rapidly changing. After immigrating to the US
from his native France around 2004, he quickly became one of the illest, yet
most underrated, underground producers lacing 12":s for Screwball's KL, and
Blaq Poet, which was soon followed by dope beats for Smiley The Ghetto Child,
Raze/Killah Priest, Big Noyd, and Infamous Mobb. His real breakthrough for
many, however, came when he officially linked up with the legendary D.I.T.C.
crew, being heavily involed in albums like Show & A's "Live
Hard", "Oasis" by OC & AG, the "The
Movement" compilation from D.I.T.C. Records, and so forth. One thing's
for sure, there's a lot of more good things to come from this good brother as
he has already managed to create his own sound and gained the attention of some
of the best emcees in the world, the Blastmaster KRS-One included. As far as I
know, The Lost Tapes is the first site to get an exclusive interview with
E-Blaze which is of course a definite read for any D.I.T.C. head. So first of
all I want to say thank you to E-Blaze for taking his time to thoroughly answer
my questions for this very informative interview. Read on and get enlightened!
claaa7: When did you first start
producing, and with what equipment?
E-Blaze: I started producing in 1991,I
co-founded and was a member of the crew called ”Tout Simplement Noir” (Simply
Black in English).We didn’t have any equipment at the time, we were making beats
on the spot in the studio. I was rhyming and I was mostly the only guy
from the crew who was interested in picking samples to make beats. As a young
kid I always loved listening to all kinds of music. My older brother was a bass
player and used to play all kinds of style of music
like soul,funk,rock,reggae,punk,carrabean, etc… At the time I was getting
familiar with the Akai S1000, the rack version, a midi controller was needed to
trigger the samples. When I left the click, I started working with a
friend who owned the legendary Akai S950, from there I tried to develop my
craft as a producer. In 1995, I bought my first sampler, the Ensoniq ASR 10 (Rack
version) which had just came out and it cost me an arm and a leg!! The ASR had a
very warm sound but the sequencer sucked big time! Anyway,I learned a lot with
this machine.
c7: I know you are originally from
France; when did you move to the US, and was the move made solely with the
focus on building a music career?
E-B: I moved officially to the US
in 2004. I came for the first time to NYC in 96’ and from there on I started to
come more often and stayed longer each time. On each trip I met some interesting
people - for example in '96, I came and stayed for 2 months and met Chubb Rock who I
almost sold a beat to for the album he was working on at the time. The deal
didn’t happen due to my inexperience in the business. On this trip I also met
and chilled with the Boot Camp Click at their office,the A&R played me
the first Heltah Skeltah album which was not even out yet. I spent the all
afternoon at their office, they played me unreleased stuff and the vibe was mad
cool. Another day, I saw a Biggie show with Junior Mafia in Harlem, the
stage was in the middle of the street…incredible!
That was just a part of my
first trip to New York, so you can imagine how I felt at the time. It was magic
for me. Hip Hop was everywhere, it was a part of everyday life as a culture and
not a gimmick. When you are walking in the street, there’s a car passing by, blasting the first Biggie album and the woman who is walking alongside you, who
looks like she can be your mother at the time, sings along and knows all the
lyrics by heart, you realize the importance of the culture. From that trip
alone, I knew it was just a question of time before I decide to move to the US.
c7: Did you ever produce for any
French cats, before moving to the US?
E-B: Yeah I produced for the
Mafia K1 fry, a well known crew from Paris suburbs. The famous rapper Rhoff
comes from that crew. I also worked with Koma from the crew Scred Connection, and
other guys who were very active in the Hip Hop scene. I’ve done a lot of work in
the underground.
c7: Once in the US you produced
for some of the great underground QB rappers, like Screwball, Littles and
Havoc, right? How did that happen?
E-B: For Screwball, first I met KL
in a music store, he came to sell some mixtapes. I approached him, we talked, I
gave him a beat CD and he called me the day after. From there, we started to work
together and he introduced me to his cousin Blaq Poet. We did a 12" with
KL (Kamakazee) featuring Blaq Poet. It came out in 2004 and had a huge success in
the underground scene.It got so big at the time,Marley Marl remixed the 2 songs
and played all the versions everytime on his radio show Future Flavas. Me and KL
continued to record some tracks,sometimes with Blaq Po as featuring,until
he saddenly died from an asthma attack in 2008.
With Littles, it’s a lil bit
different. If I remember correctly, I met him trough my people the Grim
Team, Chaze just started to work with him and we linked up in a studio
session. Littles has always been known to be a hustler and about his
business…he’s not really what you call an artist. He’s the first one who
introduced the CD/DVD package to the game. He did it for his 2003 street album/mixtape
called “The Feeding” I think. He never released an album or was signed to a
label, he was always putting out mixtapes. He picked up a couple of beats from me, recorded on some of them and just the song he did with Havoc from Mobb Deep
got released so far. I didn’t even know he was on the track until it came
out, Littles was always in and out of NYC making moves…I was not at the session
when he recorded that joint. The first time I heard it, I was surprised and
thought that was nice to have a platinum artist on my shit!
c7: Considering how tight you and KL obviously were, do you have any unreleased tracks with KL still in the vaults? What are the chances of us actually getting to hear those sessions?
E-B: Yeah
i have some KL unrealeased tracks.At the time of his death, we were
working on an album, we have some unfinished songs.I have verse for that
song, 2 verses for that one etc...and i've got some completed too.Like
everything else i need to find the time to sit down and focus on it.I
want to release an album with all theses songs - the unreleased, remix the
ones already out and add some nice featurings.The world needs to hear
this...this is his legacy and it gonna happen!!
c7: WOW man.. to me KL was such an underrated dude, and it's such a tragedy that his life was cut short, although I didn't know him personally his music spoke a lot to me so I really hope we get to hear this one day.
Moving on, my first introduction to your
music was with 2007:s “Magic” on Show & A’s “Live Hard” project.
From that point on you really got involved with the D.I.T.C. crew, and
especially with Show & A. How did that hook-up come about, and what was the experience like?
E-B: Working on the “Live Hard” EP was
great for me, it meant some Hip Hop legends were co-signing me as a
producer. For a European beatmaker,it means a lot. I first met Show, we hooked up
like KL, in a record store.We talked about music, I told him I was making
beats, he told me he was looking for producers since he had just opened his own
studio in DJ Premier’s joint HeadCQuarterz.I gave him a beat CD and we started
from there…That was back in early 2006. I started giving him tracks every week, one
day I played him one joint and he told me to hold it, he wanted to play it for
A.G. That became the song ”Magic” on the “Live Hard”EP. That was my first official
song on a D.I.T.C release.
c7: Of course, you then later produced
more than half of OC & AG’s collaborative LP, “Oasis”, crafting some of that album’s finest moments. Were those beats crafted specifically for O
& A or did they pick beats from a larger batch of pre-made beats?
E-B:For "Oasis",that was the same
kind of vibe. I was living in Canada at the time and sending beats [to Showbiz] almost
every week. When the idea of the album became a reality, OC & AG started to
listen to some beats from a lot of producers, including Evidence,DJ Statik Selectah, Alchemist, Ski Beatz, and more.They were looking for a special vibe at
the time, and I think they found in my music what they were looking
for. They picked one track from Statik though. I remember Show calling me one
week and telling me ”They want to use 3 of your joints for the album”, and "I was like
cool, I was just happy to be a part of it". 2 or 3 weeks later, he told me finally
they now want to use 5 tracks and in the end, as we know, they rocked over 8 of my
joints. That was a beautiful thing! For a European beat maker to be able to
produce eight tracks on an album by legendary American Hip Hop artists; we can say that doesn’t happen everyday. Even if it was not a commercial success by “industry standards”, it’s still a very nice Hip Hop album to this day!And I
insist on the term Hip-Hop, I don’t want to use the word Rap for a good
reason. It's 100% Hip-Hop from the cover, to the sound, the subject
matters, the D.I.T.C legacy, etc...
c7: One thing I wondered about the LP for some time regards the album closer "Pain". Some sources have claimed that this is actually a production made by long-time DI-associate Amed, yet the credit give you the sole prouction credit. What gives?
E-B:Let’s be clear on that one! Amed
produced the album closer ”Pain”, I’ve got nothing to do with that song. My man
Amed made that beat and he killed it! It’s just a misprint from the record
company, but sometimes things like that happen. Amed is a very talented producer
and he’s got some classics . c7: Since you moved to the States,
you worked with a large amount of legendary artists in a relatively short time,
which must feel incredible. Are there any artist that you are specifically proud to have worked with?
E-B: Have to say all of
them,because they are all part of my legacy.They all showed me love and
respect. It would be easy to talk just about the most famous ones but it doesn’t
work like that for me. Everybody had their own story,t heir own vibes, it was
always a learning experience. But if I had to choose one, it would be my man KL
because whatever I do or say, I will never be able to have another studio
session with him; never be able to exchange ideas with him about a verse or a
chorus, or maybe one day in Heaven you never know!
c7: There are a couple of songs
where you and Showbiz shared co-production credits; namely “Experience”
from the DITC compilation and “The Truth” from the Show/KRS album. How did
these songs come together from a studio session point and who did what for these two modern masterpieces?
E-B: This is an interesting
question. For “Experience”, me and Show were in the studio one day. He played me a
45 and told me he tried to flip it but was unable to do it the way he wanted. He
asked me if I wanted to try to do some with it,I was like “hell yeah”! The sample
was dope and as soon as I heard it, I already had an idea to chop it
crazy!! That's the way we work, sometimes we trade breaks, I can find a crazy
sample and I would give it to him because I didn’t have a vision for it, the
same for him.So at the end I made the beat with that 45, chopped the sample,put
the drums to it, gave it to Show and he took care of the arrangments and
structure of the joint.He put the spices on it!
For “The Truh”, it’s a lil bit
different. I was living in Canada at the time.Show told me he was working
on a project with KRS-One, he was supposed to produce an entire album for the
Blastmaster but asked me if I wanted to be a part of it…long story short,I
jumped on the occasion. KRS-One is part of the Hip-Hop history, his legacy can
never be challenged point blank!So I started to work on some beats with him in
mind. I knew I could make something hard, for him to spit to and deliver some
knowledge. I sent a couple of beats to Showbiz, they picked that track which
became”The Truth”.I was not in the studio with them but Show made a hell of a
job, he really took care of the production side. On that one I was more
like the beatmaker; I made the beat but he was at the studio session making sure
the song happened and come out crazy.A lot of people told me they like that
song, that means the combination worked well.
c7: Without a questionn, that was by far my favorite of that album. I would love to hear more work from you KRS-One and Show as a trio in the future, how crazy would that be haha!
A while ago there was talk
about a joint album between you and Showbiz called “Born Lords”. Is that still
going to happen, and if so how much of it have you recorded so far? E-B: The "Born Lords" album is in hiatus right now, we really never had a chance to sit down and focus on it. The idea of the LP came came about a couple of years ago. We started to work on concept, the cover, but we never finished due to the fact that we switched to other projects all the time. We lost focus. It still can happen, but we really need to take the time to work on it.
c7: What was it supposed to be?
E-B: The idea was to make an
instrumental album with different parts, like a mini series with a different
concept for each volume.
c7: Sounds like a real cool idea though, a little reminiscent of Madlib's "Beat Konducta" series. But wasn't Born Lords originally a
production duo of Showbiz and Lord Finesse back in the mid-‘90s that had a couple of productions on some B-sies. Is that group back with you as a new member?
E-B: I really don’t know, we
never talked about it that way, at the time we just wanted to release an album
with that name.It never was a question of to be or not to be a part of a
group. It was never that serious, it was just about putting out good music and
having fun with it.
c7: You recently released a free
digital mixtape of 20 instrumentals called "For Tha Luv Of It, Vol. 1". Any similar projects you’re planning to
release in the near future?
E-B: Yeah,I’m gonna release “For
the luv of it part 2” very soon. It was already supposed to be out by now, but my
graphic designer took a lifetime to finish the artwork.It’s the same guy who
took care of the first one;he’s my man, he’s very talented and I wanted to keep
the same team for the second part as well. On that one,you’ll find the instrumentals for the
Krs-One, the songs I produced for D-Flow (D.I.T.C.), Prospect (ex-Terror
Squad), D-Shade (Canadian MC) , some talented newcomers from
everywhere (France,Canada,Japan…) plussome exclusive beats. After that one I’m
gonna release an instrumental album with only exclusive beats, this one will be
for sale on iTunes and other digital platforms.
c7: Any other projects or productions that you are you currently working on? E-B: Right now on I'm working with Prospect (ex Terror Squad), we just finishe his mixtape which will be available soon for free download. It's a collection of work he recorded betweeen 2008 and now, basically. The mixtape is to let people know that he's still at it, on his grind and working. I shared the A&R duties on that one and produced two songs. We gonna start work on a new one from scratch with only new songs and little by little start to work on an album. I'm also working with my little bro Ressa Exxel, a French rapper who lives in Brooklyn. We just finished his EP "It's HIP HOP"; raw with no concessions. It's gonna be available for free download soon, and gonnna help build his buzz and let people know how nice he is on the mic for real!! We gonnna start to work on his albums too. I'm working with Show, we're trying to get some beats placements with different artists, and I should be involved with some of D.I.T.C. new projects as well. I'm sure I'm gonna work with D-Flow on some more stuff.. I'm involved in a couple of more things, and you should be able to find my work on releases from talented new artists from all around the world (US, France, Japan, Cnnada....).
c7: A lot to look forward in other words! Goo luck on all your projects and much future success to you fam. Again, much thanks for this interview and really taking your time with some really thorough and interesting answers. And keeep pumping out that dopeness for us man! E--B: Thanks for your support and
I’ll try to keep the music coming... Peace
* if you're not yet familiar with E-Blaze and want to check out more of his music, check out his official instrumental mixtape "For The Luv Of It Vol. 1", as well as my 20 track compilation "Born Lord Vol. 1". . And of course head over to iTunes and buy his tracks if you haven't these albums in your record collection already.
