[Compilation] RON ESTILL - "Made in Detroit"

To those who know me it is certainly no secret that next to New York, the Motor City Detroit is my favorite place when it comes to knocking out slamming music. Of course J Dilla continues to be one of my all time favorites as his many sounds simply were out of this world, but even after his tragic passing the hp-hop scene has continued thriving with countless superb producers and spitters. Many of the city's finest was given a platform to evolve through Jay Dee and has continued growing following his passing over to the other side. I'm talking cats like T3, eLzhi and the Slum Village crew, mega talented soul singer Dwéle, rough voiced hardcore spitter Guilty Simpson, my man Phat Kat, Taa'rach, Beej, the always underrated Karieem Riggins, Frank Nitty and his partner Dankery Harv, Finale, Big Tone and many others. Then you got the producers who keeps the sound of Motown hip-hop alive and proving that the sound of the city are iller than most. Black Milk especially, but you also got NameTag, Apollo Brown and Bronze Nazareth from the Michigan area that's all definitely doing their thing. With all of these talented cats repping the "D" it's not at all a stretch to say that Jay Dee definitely were the true Godfather of Detroit hip-hop.

Of course, there were also local musicians that inspired James Yancey a great deal - most importantly his mentor and teacher, Amp Fiddler, the talented multi-instrumentalist/singer who used to play with George Clinton and Funkadelic. Another important person in Jay Dee's career that mostly figured in the shadows were Ronald "Ron E." Estill, a Detroit resident who was an early manager of Slum Village as well as for Yancey's close friend Dwele. Estill is also a producer, specializing in deep soul remixes with a hip-hop touch and listening to his music there's no question that he was heavily influencced by Jay Dee's production style - it's very possible that they both inspired each other. They at times appeared with one remix of their own each on the same 12" (such as Lucy Pearl's "Without You") and a few songs that have been credited to Dilla in the internet age are actually Estill's work (LSK's "Hate Or Love" and Jamiroquai's "Black Capricorn Day" especially). An interesting fact is that Ron "E" Estill was the first producer to have an original James Yancey verse on his beat, with his remix of Tami Heart's "If It Wasn't For You". So while Estill is far from prolific when it comes to releasing music, the few remixes and songs he has released are pretty much all interesting stuff that should be heard by every fan of that true Detroit soul/hip-hop sound. Much of the songs found here are co-productions between Estill and Dwele, while the final cut by T-Love is actually something he did together with Dilla himself. As far as I know this is about every production released under the name Ronald "Ron E." Estill (he did drop a 12" or two under the name Soulfingerz in the early '90s, but those were more in the vein of house music). If you're into the more soulful late '90s excursions of James Yancey and Dwele I think you will be pleasantly suprised by how terrific these tracks are, so press play, kick off your shoes and lay back but don't forget to TURN IT UP!!!

01. Bahamadia - "One-4-Teen"
02. New Sector Movements - "The Sun" [Dwele's Motor City Remix]
03. Luct Pearl - "Without You" [Aphrodisiac Mix] (Ft. Phat Kat)
04. T-Love - "Swing Mandidly"
05. Tami Heart - "If It Wasn't For You" [Detroit Demolition Mix] (Ft. Slum Village)
06. Dwele - "Money Don't Mean A Thing"
07. Bahamadia - "Pep Talk"
08. New Sector Movements - "The Sun" [Dwelogy Remix]
09. Jamiroquai - "Black Capricorn Day" [Slum Village Remix]
10. LSK - "Hate Or Love" [Caffe Latte remix] (Ft. Slum Village)
11. T-Love - "Long Way Back" [co-produced by Jay Dee]

RON ESTILL - "MADE IN DETROIT"

[Album] SILENT SOMEONE - "I Have Company"

I'm a big fan of Silent Someone's 2012 album "Change" and its powerful grooves of laid back jazz and hard rhythms. Now the Bronx producer is back with his new project, "I Have Company", featuring a host of talented emcees from the States going in over Silent's raw hip-hop, complete with funk and jazz influences. Artists getting busy over these tracks include Akbar, Shaz Illyork, El Da Sensei, King Magnetic, John Robinson, Tame One, Emskee, Sadat X, and many more. Dave Dar appears on the single "El Greco" which you can see the new music video for up top. Released on Peasant Podium Music back in March of this year, you can stream the entire album for free or purchase the digital copy @ their Bandcamp page (also embeded below). Seems to be a digital release only for now, but well worth checking out.

BUMPY KNUCKLES x DJ WAYNE SKI - "Cake Remix"

The hardest voice in hip-hop is getting it in right now, just the other day he murdered the latest entry of Premier's "Bars in the Booth" series (which really made me want to go back and revisit "KolexXxion", one of the strongest albums this side of 2010). For a good while Bumpy Knuckles has also been working with DJ Wayne Ski on an album entitled "The Black Card LP" that is shaping up just lovely. We've already heard 6-7 singles (check them out here), and now Wayne and Foxxx lets loose of another ass kicking single in "Cake Remix". I really dig how Bumpy lately been using one producer for each project (DJ Premier, Jesse West, Statik Selektah and now Wayne Ski) and the results has been outstanding to say the least. I have huge hopes on this LP, stay tuned for more info.

[Album] J-FORCE Presents "Cadillac Respect"

When people think about The Future Flavas show they obviously  gonna think about the nr. #1 DJ:s Marley Marl and Pete Rock, and probably all of the incredible exclusive remixes and on-the-air songs that was played on air almost weekly. The Future Flavas remixes always stood for high quality, but the fact is that it wasn't Marley and Pete that was responsible for all these goodies though they often get that credit in the internet generation. Of course both of them put in a lot of work and created some still unreleased classics, but they also had lesser known but incredibly skilled beat wizards up there with them that was also responsible for some terrific remixes and exclusives. One of these guys were J-Force, who was down with Marley Marl for a long time, and released two now very rare self-released 12":s between 1995 and 1996 with "Bullseye" and "For All Thoze". Since then he has scored music for a lot of hip-hop films such as the "Beef" series, "Rock The Bells" and Bling" among others.

With his long brown hair, he looked almost more like a punk rock kid than a highly talented boom bap musician but looks can definitely deceive as both his work on Future Flavaz and his own records was more than proof off. Following him leaving Future Flavaz he kind of faded into the shadows, but as of last year the producing spitter has dug deep into his archives, releasing some previously unreleased solo tracks on a self-released 12" and even more exciting a 22 track remix compilation called "Cadillac Respect". It's the latter that I'm going to focus this post on, as it is an incredible listen that features several of his rare Future Flavas remixes that has never been released anywhere else, a long with some other exclusive mixes that is sure as hell going to make you respect this kid and his SP1200. There's also a few cuts featuring J. Force showing off his rhyme skills, and once again he's no joke on the microphone either, The remixes include revisits of classics by Kool G Rap, Inspectah Deck / Pete Rock / Kurupt, AZ, Nas, Ghostface, Nas/Prodigy, Black Moon, The UN, Mic Geronimo and more.

You can order a copy of "Cadillac Respect" a long with a T-Shirt @ Cadillac Respect.com where you can also read a whole lot more about J-Force, his past and his future endeavour. Below you can also stream the entire project for free, either via DatPiff or J-Force's official site mentioned above. You can also download the entire project for free via Hulkshare. Don't miss out on this sickness!

TRAGEDY KHADAFI - "Running"

The father of the modern Queensbridge style, the impeccable Tragedy Khadafi, has been working hard on his new album "Pre-Magnus Opus" which has now been pushed back to December 16. We previously heard the excellent Audible Doctor laced "Free Thinkers 2" and now the Intelligent Hoodlum lets loose of the second and equally strong single, called "Running". Whether it's beats, street shit or conscious lyrics you're looking for Trag definitely got you. I for one can't wait for this album, definite purchase. Stay tuned for more info and music. You can pre-order and peep the tracklist @ iTunes (nine tracks only, but as long as the quality is there it's all good, no question). QB!

[Video] FREDRO STARR x AUDIBLE DOCTOR - "Polo Wars"

Another smashing joint from Fredro Starr and Audible Doctor's 2013 collaboration, "Made in the Streets", which I awared the fourth best album in my yearly countdown last year. The whole album flows incredibly well, and "Polo Wars" is just one of a majority of rugged, street music with ill lyrics and soulful boom-bap beats that works like a charm. The project was originally released as a free digital LP only, but a while back the duo realized what they had on their hands and pressed up a batch of CD:s for us collectors. Be sure to grab your own copy over @ UGHH (scroll down on that link to peep the previous videos for "That New York" and "Everyday Hell").

[Demo] DIAMOND x SADAT X x KAMARI are The OMEN

Diamond D and Sadat X has an absolutely terrific track record dating back to their early beginnings at Jazzy Jay Studios that has lasted until to today. These guys many collaborations is definitely something I should make one of my Lost Tapes compilation on, but until then I thought I'd dig up this quite interesting demo project for a group called The Omen that was recorded in the early '00s. The trio consisted of Sadat X, female emcee Kamari and Diamond D on beats and rhymes. I remember hearing this some years ago and wasn't all that impressed by the majority of the tracks, but as time has passed I came to realize there's without a doubt some proper heat as well. 

The Omen was a very short lived group; in 2002 they released two double-A side singles on Fat Beats and Up Above Records; "Do It Now" / "Get On Up" and "It's Our World" / "Half Steppin'". "It's Our World" also appeared as an exclusive joint on DJ Rhettmatic's 2004 compilation album "Exclusive Collection". While neither Sadat X or Diamond has been outspoken about the project in interviews, my guess is that they were working on a full-length album that was close to being wrapped but when the 12" singles failed to make any noice, they put the project on the shelf where it has stayed. Luckily, at least this close to 30 minutes long demo tape leaked to the internet, giving fans a taste of what we could have expected from this LP if it had ever materialized. Of course, it's a far cry from the stronger material by the main artists and producer but it's an interesting listen for D.I.T.C. and Brand Nubian conniseours nontheless. At least half the songs bang pretty hard, and the final Godzilla sampling hardthumping banger of a monster really will get heads nodding with its on point lyrics and dark, beautiful production. Same goes for "Put It Down", the funky old school flirt "Just Can't Fuck With It Us", and so on. All songs from the 12":s are included beside the "It's Our World" joint, despite it being one of their strongest collabos if you ask me,

Who Kamari is I have absolutely no clue, since she seemed to completely dissapeared from the recording scene after The Omen failure. Most of the tracks appear in full, while some of the songs cuts off after about three minutes. There's also no track titles given for anything, but interestingly enough the first song (which might very well be the tapes strongest) is an extended version of "Put It Down" that also made it to Diamond's mixtape-type album "Grown Man Talk" in 2003 (that version cuts out Kamari's verse though).Like I said these demo never came with track titles but based that at least three of the single songs appear here, plus the "Put it Down" joint I tried to put down a tracklist below, using the hook for the titles on the remaining songs. Last but not least, thanks to YouTube's Classic Hip-Hop Visuals HD for the upload. Enjoy!

01. "Put It Down"

02. "Get On Up"

03. *unknown*

04. "What's The Fuss?"

05. "What The Fuck You Want?"

06. "Do It Now" 

07, "Half Steppin'"

08. "You Don't Want It"

GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "Homocide"

The singles from Ghostface's upcoming concept album "36 Seasons" are really shaping up, "Homocide" is like the fourth or fifth now and is another certified banger. The Revelations and Ghost sounds absolutely fantastic together, this is brilliant! The track features Theodore Unit member Shawn Wigs and spitter NEMS. The album is out on December 9, but already now you can hear two minutes snippets of all the songs via Juno.co.uk.

MF GRIMM & DRASAR MONUMENTAL - "Glaciers Of Icex"

You know we are HUGE fans of MF Grimm and Drasar Monumental over here at The Lost Tapes, and when they form like the unit that they truly are close to no other duo, artist or crew can come close. The chemistry on the first two installments of the "Good Morning Vietnam" trilogy both received best albums of the year in our yearly contdouwns (2011 and 2012) recently, and as I reported this Tuesday the final and third installment, subtitled "The Phoenix Program" was finally unveiled to the masses on wax and CD. Wer've heard the incredible six minutes sampler, and now comes the first official single to really make your neck hurt - a slamming joint entitled "Glaciers Of Icex".  Over a jazzy, laid back beat created through Drasar's multi-layered approach creating a chaotic soundbed of beauty that lets MF Grimm's well-thought out lyrics really shine. Absolutely beautiful joint, so be sure to TURN IT UP and head over to Vendetta Vinyl Vietnam ASAP to purchase your copy on CD or wax. If this is not one of the best albums of the year, I'd be very suprised, that's my word!

[EP] AUDIBLE DOCTOR - "Can't Keep The People Waiting"

You know we're huge fans of The Audible Doctor here at The Lost Tapes so I'm glad to annoucne that the BBS' finest is back with a brand new EP called "Kan't Ceep The People Waiting". If you digt the nostalgic soultastic boom bap of The Good Doctor's previous efforts, I can promise you won't be dssapointed in the eight songs presented here. Especiallly as it features excellent performances by Bumpy Knuckles, Hasaan Mackey, Consequence, Astro, John Robinson, Guilty Simpson, and  lott of good verses from our main emcee. Be sure not to sleep on this, because this one bangs HARD without losing the smooth soul elements. 

The digital release can be purchased for 7 USD via Audible's Bandcamp and you also get the option to test the project out beforehand by previewing the extended play in full. All songs produced by Audible Doctor, with hooks and background vocals on many songs by Davenport Grimes. Feelin' good about this one, for sure - Audible Doctor one of the most underrated producers around, that's my word!

BUMPY KNUCKLES / PREEMO - "Bars in the Booth #6"

DJ Premier continues to put his work in the legendary HeadQCuarterz studios (p/k/a D&D Studios) by inviting some of the best lyricists in New York to go in over one of his exclusive beats. We previously heard excellent sessions with Dres of Black Sheep, Papoose, Loaded Lux, AG and Jakk Frost, and now its hardcore emcee #1 Bumpy Knuckles going IN over a real '90s type of beats complete with a beautiful live jazz bass that sounds fantastic in between the excellent work between Foxxx and Preem. I saw these two perform "The Kolexxxion" album a couple of years back and it was absolutely mindblowing, and this takes me right back to the best joints on that LP. I really hope that this "Bars in the Booth" series keeps on coming; I would gladly buy a limited edition 12" mini-album with all these crazy sessions. We'll have to wait and see but until then, en-the-fuck-joy!

[Documentary] PHRYME - "Raiders Of The Lost Artk Pts. 1 & 2"

There's so much dope music coming out these last days of 2014. To be honest, I haven't really had to much money to buy records lately, but I am deifnitely going to buy Wu-Tang Clan's "A Better Tomorrow", Ghost's "36 Seasons", Royce Da 5'9" and DJ Premier's "PHryme" and MF Grimm/Drasar's "Good Morning Vietnam Pt. 2". Preem and Royce has always sounded like hip-hop gods together (just check my recent compilation if you missed out on it, that's been really going warm in my iPod since I made it). The album is coming closer every day, with the official release date being December 9, and a couple to three singles have been unleashed on the world so far and all of them have litreally blown my mind. Released on their own PRHYME label, the album is something between an extended play and an LP, as it's made up of nine tracks but as long as they are as incredible as the stuff we've heard so far this should undoubtedly be one of the year's best. 

We¨ve heard and seen the videos for the title song, "U Looz" and "Courtessy" so thats a third of the album there alreaddy, but to me stuff like that has never mattered. If it's a timeless classic which I hope it will it would¨t matter to include a two year old (case in point, 1992:s "Halftime" appeariong on "Illmatic" in the summer of '92). Interestingly enough, its also a sort-of-collaboration with Adrian Younge as all the samples used on the record comes from his catalouge. Complex.com has premiered a two-part documentary on the album (clocking it at around a total 20 minutes) documenting the process of the album with interview clips incorporated. Check 'em out above, and cick on the links in the second paragrapph to watch the music videos if you missed 'em before. Thanks to Complex for this great evening.

[Mixtape] DEBONAIR P Presents - "HYDRA BEATS" Megamix

For those really into the rawest underground hip-hop of the mid-'90s should be well aware of the Hydra labels/crews impeccable "Hydra Beats" 12" EP series that ran for a couple of years. The series featured several installments of pure, dark boom bap hip-hop at its finest with each record focusing on one or two of the finest underground producers associated with the label, which included excellent instrumental sets from Godfather Don, The Beatnuts, Ghetto Pro's, E-Boogie, A Kid Called Roots, Mike Heron, Nick Wiz, and a few others. As these are quite hard to come by this day, we should all be thankful that the great producer/remixer and DJ/collector Debonair P has put together a 79 minutes mix of some of the finest beats found on the majority of the volumes for our listening pleause. It's been floating around the net for a while but I never posted it before, and this is something you most def wan't to hear if you want to put on a screwface and nod your head HARD. A huge thanks goes out to Debonair for making this happen, we are all extremely grateful. Peep the tracklist below, and if you want these in your collection eBay and sites like that are your best choice. Check out the tracklist below and stream or download the entire mix up top. TURN IT UP!!

01. A Kid Called Roots - Ghetto Love
02. Godfather Don - Creepin
03. A Kid Called Roots - Brooklyn
04. The Beatnuts - Purse Snatcher
05. Godfather Don - As The World Burns
06. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Strictly Ammo
07. Godfather Don - Pure Elevation
08. Nick Wiz - Finally
09. Godfather Don - She'S Gone
10. A Kid Called Roots - Brian Leech
11. Godfather Don - Fist Full of Pastelles
12. A Kid Called Roots - Thug Tones
13. Godfather Don - Fuck It Up
14. E-Boogie - And You Don't Stop
15. A Kid Called Roots - Black Italians
16. Godfather Don - Talk About
17. The Unsociables - Queens Side
18. Godfather Don - Where I'm Coming From
19. A Kid Called Roots - West Bass
20. Godfather Don - One In Your Ass
21. Nick Wiz - Mind Crusher
22. Godfather Don - Buster
23. A Kid Called Roots - Choosen
24. Godfather Don - To the Bank
25. E-Boogie - Funky Piano
26. The Unsociables - Shotguns Loaded
27. A Kid Called Roots - Drop Top Ride
28. The Beatnuts - Highly Recognized
29. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - ???
30. The Beatnuts - Relax Yourself
31. Nick Wiz - For Da Mental
32. The Beatnuts - Gonna Fly
33. Godfather Don - Ream-embering Ivy
34. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Where The Cash At
35. The Beatnuts - Original
36. E-Boogie - Rock On
37. Godfather Don - Pay Back
38. The Beatnuts - Hip Smasher
39. E-Boogie - And Da Fat Lady Sings
40. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Joey & Ann
41. Godfather Don - Call Me A Cab
42. Nick Wiz - Starite
43. A Kid Called Roots - Mike Heron
44. E-Boogie - Da Muthafuckin Man
45. Nick Wiz - Four Elements
46. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Thinkin' Of Vic
47. Godfather Don - Executive Technology
48. Sean C - Keep It Reala
49. The Unsociables - Recognize
50. The Beatnuts - Crab Ni@@as
51. Godfather Don - Cream of Corina
52. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Sex
53. A Kid Called Roots - Don't Question It
54. Godfather Don - Depressed
55. The Unsociables - Forever
56. The Beatnuts - I Want It With You
57. Godfather Don - Dark Church
58. The Unsociables - On My Way
59. DJ Fusion - Sunday Diggin'
60. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - The Hutchison Joint
61. The Unsociables - RIP Lil Spunk
62. The Beatnuts - Jungle
63. DJ Fusion - Live
64. A Kid Called Roots - Spring Action
65. Nick Wiz - Over Drive
66. The Beatnuts - I Can’t Relate
67. DJ Fusion - Stolen Moments
68. Nick Wiz - Lockness
69. A Kid Called Roots - Matty C & Free
70. Godfather Don - Combustible
71. DJ Fusion - For Good & Forever
72. VIC (Ghetto Professionals) - Yeah
73. E-Boogie - Girl Sings
74. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Beefsteak With Rice & Beans
75. The Unsociables - 1 Time Lullabye
76. The Beatnuts - The Chase
77. Mike Heron (Ghetto Pros) - Ego Trippin
78. Godfather Don - Beep Lance
79. Sean C - Across 110th
80. Godfather Don - Unreliable

DURAG DYNASTY - "All Types Of Shit"

When Tri-State, Planet Asia and Killer Been hooked up with producer The Alchemist and formed the Durag Dynasty, releasing several incredible street singles, which was about to be followed up by the full-length album "360 Waves" I was absolutely flabbergasted. While the album was really ill it didn't quite live up to my ridiciiously high expectations but it was definitely a very stellar outing, both from a production and lyrical standpoint that took some time to grow. Now the trio is back with a new song, produced by OHNO, called "All Types Of Shit". Check it out up top, and it will be interesting to see if this is a first street single from a new album or if it's a song that didn't make the first LP. Either way, I can dig it!

DE LA SOUL Ft. CHUCK D - "The People"

De La Soul is such an incredible group; the trio has constantly been churning out quality music of the highest degree since 1989, have moved with the times and has managed to stay relevant while staying true to their roots - a true feat for sure. The latest single from the Strong Island trio is a beautiful joint with a lot of funk influence and a progressive beat that really brings out the beat and wittiest of the producing emcees. As if that wasn't enough they have invited another true hip-hop legend in the form of the immortal Chuck D which really brings his A-game here. 

Though the Soul has mostly released side projects, albeit good ones, such as the "Nike: Are You Runnin''" project and the concept album Pos and Dave released in 2012. But with singles like the unbelivable Wu-Tang homage "Get Away", the J Dilla mixtape ("Smell The D.A.I.S.Y.") and the announcement of another free EP produced by Pete Rock and DJ Premier to be followed by an official full-length album next year promises some extremely good things. I'm not sure which of these projects will appear on, but I believe it will be from the forthcoming album as it doesn't sond like a Preem or Soul Brother production. Either way its another strong offering from the gang so be sure to pump, pump it up and visit WeAreDeLaSoul.com to read more about the song and download the track gfor free.

JAGGED EDGE Ft. GHOSTFACE - "Getting Over You"

This kind of came out of leftfield, but this is definitely getting a post for two reasons. One, I'm super hyped about the kind-of-Wu-renaissancce as I'm sure you are aware of by now if you follow The Lost Tapes. Second, Ghost is one of my all time favorites and one of his main strengths for me is how he can make incredible R&B tracks and mindblowing hardcore crime narratives and some straight up nasty sex shit without ever sounding forced. "Getting Over You" is the new single by '90s R&B/soul group Jagged Edge, that features Ghostface going in with a strong verse over a vintage soul beat that would sound perfect on the underrated "Wizard Of Poetry". I just wish there would be another Ghost verse but it's definitely worth a spin, so check it out. Spotted @ the excellent WTCFoLife Blog, so props y'all!

[Album] BRONZE NAZARETH - "Food For Thought Vol. 3"

December is definitely shaping up to be one of the best Wu-Tang Clan related months in the years of music for several years. Whie I'm super hyped for the official Clan allbum "A Better Tomorrow" which drops on December 2; the album leaked yesterday in full and sounds as dope as I would've had hoped with real stellar verses and a good mix of the old and the new RZA/Wu sound. It really sounds great as a cohessive front-to-back listen. Then of course you got Ghostface's new concept album "36 Seasons" with impeccable live band The Revelations and producer Fizzy Womack, etc. is bound to be another powerful release, dropping the very same day on Tommy Boy nonteheless (kind of funny that both GFK and Wu dropped their respective new albums on the same date the last time around as well). 

Now official Wu-Elementz producer and Michigan emcee Bronze Nazareth returns with the third installment in his "Food For Thoughts", featuring Bronze's vintage soul heavy boom bap type sound that is sure to put the screwface oon a lot of the times. It's interesting to know that Bronze pretty much thought Apollo Brown everything he owned, even giving him his first equipment, and was part of the Wisemen at one point yet, despite the extreme similarities in their style, I don't think I've heard Brown shout on Bronze Nazareth on a record yet. "Thought For Food III" features Bronze's traditional hard hitting soulscapes over his ever improving lyricism and that ever growing flow and is definitely worth your time. Featuring cameos long time collaborations from peeps such as Willie The Kid, Wisemen and Lord Jesseiah. You can stream the entire album via Bronze's Bandcamp below, where you can also purchase your copy in CD or digital formats. Enjoy!

[Album] WU-TANG CLAN - "A Better Tomorrow"

YES, it is finally here - the first Wu-Tang Clan full-length album since 2007's "8 Diagrams" is now available to stream in full via Warner Music Germany's official YouTube channel. I wasn't sure we were ever going to hear another Clan album but it is very welcome and I've been a fan of most of the singles so far so this is about to be a damn interesting 60+ minutes. The majority of the songs are produced by The RZA; track #1 is co-produced by Rick Rubin, tracks 3 and and 7 are produced by Mathematics, while tracks 8 and 11 are produced by 4th Disciple. The production credits does not give credit to Adrian Younge for "Crushed Egos" but according to his Twitter account he did in fact produce the beat ... The song "Felt" goes hard, DAMN!

[Out Now] MF GRIMM & DRASAR MONUMENTAL - "GMV III: The Phoenix Program"

Hell yeah, this is what I've been waiting for! The legendary MF Grimm and the super skilled Drasar Monumental has prepared the final installment in the "Good Morning Vietnam" trilogy, and if you loved the two first albums like me you will definitely not be dissapointed this time around. Going all in with mindblowing beats and superbly crafted lyrics "The Phoenix Program" should find its way to any serious hip-hop collectors collection. Check out the sampler above and head over to Vendetta Vinyl Vietnam to purchase the album on CD and/or LP (click on the PayPal links in the post) (also don't sleep on the crazy mix by Drasar at the bottom of the page). For those of y'all who never catched the first two records, there's a nice package deal for all three albums on CD. DON'T SLEEP!!

WU-TANG CLAN - "A Better Tomorrow"

Yup, here goes the title track off Wu-Tang Clan's sixth full-length album, "A Better Tomorrow", which of course hits stores on the 3rd of December. I actually haven't listened to it yet as I haven't decided if I want to hear more singles from the LP or just wait til' the whole package is available. A little weird to have two songs with the "A Better Tomorrow" in their catalouges though but as long as the music is bumping it's all good, right.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH Ft. AZ - "Blood On The Streets" / "Double Cross"

As you should know Ghostface Killah is not only on the wall for Wu-Tang Clan's soon-to-be-here "A Better Tomorrow" but he's also coming out with his own solo album on December 3. "36 Seasons" is something like a spiritual follow-up to "12 Reasons to Die", not only because it's produced around a live band but also because the entire album forms a crime narrative and even comes with a comic book. The last two singles from the LP both features AZ who does a great job as usual; "Blood On the Streets" is also produced by one of my favorites, The 45 King. You can pre-order the physical album on CD or LP from Get On Down or Amazon.

APOLLO BROWN / RAS KASS Ft. SEAN PRICE - "Impossible Dreams"

Apollo Brown and Ras Kass' recent collaborative project definitely featured some top-notch moments of raw hip-hop with a message (how heavy is that "Deliver us From Evil"?) and it turns out there was at least one stunning moment left on the cutting room floor. "Impossible Dreams" features the impeccable Sean Price who is a great fit for both Ras and Apollo's styles. 

TOKYO CIGAR - "Private Revolution"

Producer, emcee and friend of The Lost Tapes, Mr. Tokyo Cigar is back with a smashing new single from his upcoming album "The Megaman Theory 3: Private Revolution". This might very well be Tokyo's finest lyrical performance yet if you ask me, and the apocalyptic soundscape really sets it off. Stream above or head over to iTunes to purchase the single.

[Album] HAVOC - "Thirteen Reloaded"

Legendary Mobb Deep emcee/producer Havoc is back with his new project, "13 Reloaded". Though it may sound like some expanded edition of 2013's "13" this is brand new album featuring nothing but new material and from what I've heard so far it is most likely Hav's finest solo offering yet. The beats are hard as nails, stripped down and packing a thick, dark atmosphere that will definitely cater to long time Mobb Deep fans. Guest apperances come from Prodigy, Cormega (on the excellent "Fallen Soldiers"), Sheek Louch, and Mysonne. Entirely produced by Havoc too; overall a real nice suprise! Stream the album below via HotNewHipHop.com and get your official copy from iTunes.

M.O.P. Ft. MAINO - "Welcome 2 Brooklyn"

It's been over three years since The Mash Out Posse last released an official album, so it's great to have the duo finally returning with a brand new project again. "Street Certified" consists of only nine songs, clocks in at around 32 minutes and is officially labeled as an EP. However their latest previous album, "Sparta" (with The Snowgoons), was just as short and about half as good so I'm a bit hesitant to call this an EP, but rather a mini album or something like that. We've heard the three singles and if you dug them, you are definitely in for a treat here. This is dark, hard, and agressive music for the streets with beats that'll make neck hurt - but as is always the case with Danze and Fame, there's a lot of humor thrown into the violent lyrics. Between the stripped down, funeral marsch hip-hop of "Broad Daylight", the vintage M.O.P. sound of "187" (complete with a mix and scratches by DJ Premier), and the somber piano and guest singer of "Hustle" there's enough variation on here to never get boring or repetitive. But most of all it's a true M.O.P. record, and Billy Danze and Lil' Fame once again proves why they are one of the most potent duos hip-hop has ever seen - and the answer is a mixture of impeccable chemistry, terrific voices and flows plus very well written lyrics. In other words a return to form after the somewhat lackluster Snowgoons collaboration in "Sparta", "Street Certified" (which is out now) comes highly recommended. Only downside is that it seems to be digital only, at leat for the time being. Take a listen to the opening song "Welcome 2 Brooklyn" up top, featuring a solid verse from Maino.

M.O.P. - "STREET CERTIFIED" @ iTUNES

RICK GONZALES Ft. KOOL G RAP - "Prayer For Perspective"

You might recognize the name Rick Gonzales but probably not from your record collection, but rather from his movie credits as he's an actor who has worked on films/series such as "War Of The Worlds", "Old School" and "The Shield". Turns out he can rhyme as well and is currently signed to Statik Selektah's ShowOff Records where he is preparing his debut album "Divine Journey". The first single is real promising, with a beautifully chopped soul sampling beat courtesy of Dan Freeman and a short but rugged verse from the one and only Kool G Rap. Also peep Rick Gonzales @ Soundcloud for more music, including collaborations with Prodigy, Rapsody, G. Rocka, Joell Ortiz, Blu, Nottz, Roc Marciano, AG Da Coroner and Realm Reality.

[Album] YOUR OLD DROOG - "The LP"

The whole Your Old Droog controversy was mad fun while it lasted, as in a lot of heads being sure it was Nasty Nas pulling a stunt. Of course that was not the case, but the similarities between Droog's flow, voice, choice of words and cadence and early Nas is nothing short of uncanny. Personally I think the similarities are a little too many but the "Your Old Droog" EP that dropped some time ago is undeniable a dope listen. Now the Russian born emcee is expanding that into an 18 tracks deep full-length project, which is available for pre-order @ iTunes (November 25 is the release date). Stream the album for free via NPR.

01. "Quiet Storm Interlude"
02. "Bad to the Bone"

03. "Nutty Bars"

04. "Loosey in the Store With Pennies (Extended Version)"

05. "Good Times"

06. "Droog's Anthem"

07. "Gunsmoke Cologne"

08. "U 47"

09. "You Know What Time it Is (Extended Version)"

10. "Bye Outro"

11. "Free Turkey"

12. "Loosey in the Store With Pennies (Remix)"

13. "On The News"

14. "Boofanickoregs"

15. "The '70s"

16. "48th Street"

17. "Senseless Killin'"

18. "Bad to the Bone (Remix)"

"YOUR OLD DROOG" @ NPR

[Video] CORMEGA - "Reflection"

One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums of the year get the visual treatment. I'm talking about "Reflection", the short but powerful acapella from Cormega's "Mega Philosophy" produced by Large Professor. Tons of knowledge being spoken in less than a minute right here. If you haven't picked up 'Mega's latest yet, stop sleeping and order your copy @ UGHH or HHV.

GHOSTFACE KILLAH Ft. Kool G Rap, AZ & Tre Williams - "The Battlefield"

Ghostface honestly pretty much never dissapoints - not only does he have talent out of this world, but he knows what his fans want to hear from him. As you should be well aware of The Masked Killer is releasing his new studio album "36 Seasons" on December 9, featuring live music by The Revelations and guests such as Kool G Rap, AZ, NEMS and Rell. The first single "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" set things off lovely, and now the second single is here - a pure hardcore jam featuring both G Rap and AZ as well as fantastic soul crooner Tre Williams. Peep "The Battlefield" above, get ready for December 9 (pre-order @ Amazon) and make sure to check out the recent Lost Tapes compilation "Still Killin' It" featuring the majority of Ghost apperances released the last couple of years. Man, this album is shaping up lovely!

[Video] JUSKWAM w. BAZOOKA JOE & PROSPEK - "Buss Nuff Shots"

DJ Bazooka Joe and Prospek more than proved their worth as highly talented producers of that real hip-hop sound with their 2013 release "The Bush League: Cold School". From that album comes the boom banging headnodder "Bust Nuff' ShotS", featuring Houston emcee Juskwan, complete with an addictive vocal loop and rock hard drums. The entire "The Bush League" album is available from The GPC Bandcamp, you can also stream the entire project below. 

PHIL Da AGONY & UGLY TONY - "Best Of The Best"

It's been quite some time since I heard some new ish from Tha Liks spitter Phil Da Agony, but I've always been a fan of his unique flow and voice patterns. Apparantly he has been working on a new EP with another rhymer called Ugly Tony which they are about to unleash on the world on December 1, via Rugged Records. The first single is called "Best Of The Best" and features a hard hitting electro sounding vibe that works well in the context of the two emcees styles. Check out the single up top and also peep the short snippet reel of "Antagonysm" below.

[Compilation] GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "Still Killin' It"

As any serious hip-hop fanatic has noticed by now, the end of 2014 will be a period of a true Wu renaissance if things goes down as planned. Not only are we getting the first Wu-Tang Clan album ("A Better Tomorrow") since 2007:s "8 Diagrams", we've also recently heard new mixtapes from Raekwon and Inspectah Deck, with several generals working on official solo albums - including GZA, Raekwon, Method Man and of course Ghostface Killah. The latter is preparing an LP called "36 Seasons", a collection of fourteen songs of Ghost weaving stories and fierce rhymes over soulful backdrops co-produced and performed by Wu-Tang favorites The Revelations ("Wu-Tang Chamber Music", "Legendary Weapons", "The Man With The Iron Fist: Soundtrack"). The project will be released on the relaunched Tommy Boy imprint on December 9, and also includes co-production from Fizzy Womack and The 45 King as well as lyrical contributions by Kool G Rap, AZ, Tre Williams, Rell and more. Yesterday we heard a six minutes sampler, mixed by DJ 7L, and judging from that "36 Seasons" should be another GFK sure shot.

Personally Ghostface has always held a special spot for me as an artist, all the way back when I was 12 and fell in love with hip-hop and Wu-Tang in particular, Ghost quickly became one of my top 3 emcees of all time and since then he has stayed there. It's pretty much impossible to say who the greatest of all time is, but I'd still go out and say that for me the holy trinity are Nas, Rakim, and Ghostface Killah. To me all three of them are so much more than your average rapper, they are artists in the truest sense of the word. The aforementioned trio's mic presence and writing  is simply out of this world - they got a myriad of flows with an enormous knack for playing with words and rhymes, have enormous longevity, are incredible influential in the hip-hop world, put on great live shows and especially in the case of Nas and GFK they have an almost endless catalouge of brilliant albums and guest features/unreleased joints. I've done a gang of compilations of Rakim and Nas on The Lost Tapes before, and though I've done a Wu comp or two, I have never actually specialized in one for GFK. And with two albums featuring him heavily just around the corner, what better way to celebarete that fact than with a compilation showcasing his more recent guest verses and solo/non-album singles released over the last couple of years or so. Entitled "Still Killin' It", the 20 tracks collection is a 70+ minutes excursion into the mind and the world of the Masked Assassin. As usual a lot of thought has gone into the sequencing so I strongly recommend giving this a thorough front-to-back listen. At least that's what I do until December 9 is here. 

Recorded between 2011 and 2014, the compilation showcases Ghost in a myriad of settings, from hardcore sounding hip-hop joints, solo tracks, back-to-back rhyming with some of the true greats, more R&B flavored joints, Ghost over live instrumentation, and more. Producers, performers and vocalists featured on "Still Killin' It" are producers, instrumentalists and guest vocalists including Killah Priest, RZA, eLzhi, Raekwon, Danny Brown, KanYe West/Pusha T, Kool G Rap, Flume, Childish Gambino, Inspectah Deck, 7L, Mobb Deep, Havoc, Killah Priest, Inspectah Deck, Snowgoons, True Master, Shyheim, Cormega, Mathematics, and even French Soulkast. An interesting thing is that I included  the three tracks from the 7" single that Ghost recently released with musicians and producers BadBadNotGood. This single was supposed to be a prequel to a full-length collaboration between the Wu General and the jazz trio to come out on February 16 via LEX and titled "Sour Soul". Let's hope this does not get lost in the shuffle now that the The Revelations proect is coming. However, it would be too dope to have three consecutive Ghost albums with different live bands (Adrian Younge/Venice Dawn, The Revelations, BadBadNotGood). We'll just have to wait and see, but luckily Dennis Coles is a very prolific guy so I doubt there will be any lack of sick Ghost verses while we wait, so here we go with (perhaps) the first volume of Ghostface Killah's "Still Killin' It". Tune In, Turn Up and Press play!

01. DOOMStarks - "Victory Lapz"
02. Ghostface Killah & BadBadNotGood - "Six Degrees"
03. Ghostface / Raekwon / Kool G Rap - "Rivers of Blood"
04. KanYe West / Pusha T / Ghostface Killah  "New God Flow"
05. Flume / Ghostface Killah - "Space Cadet"
06. Ghostface Killah - "Savagely Attack"
07. Czarface (INS / 7L / Esoteric) / Ghostface Killah - "Savageky Attack"
08. Mobb Deep / Ghostface Killah - "Dirt: Remix"
09. SoulKast / Ghostface Killah - "Worldwide"
10. Killah Priest / Ghostface Killah / Inspectah Deck- "Devotion to the Saints"
11. Aspectz / Ghostface Killah / Cody Coyiote - "What You Get Now"
12. Snowgoons / Ghsostface Kiillah / Pusha T / Swisha T - "The Cypher"
13. True Master / Ghostface Killah / Inspectah Deck - "Strong Arm"
14. Hanz On / Ghostface Killah / Inspectah Deck - "City Lights"
15. Josh Osho / Ghostface Killah - "Redemption Days" [RZA Remix]
16. J-Love / Cormega / Ghostface Killah - "Glorified Excellence"
17. Ghostface Killah / Inspectah Deck / Sheek Louch - "Bust Shots"
18. Ghostface / Inspectah Deck / Raekwon / Method Man - "4 Horsemen"
19. Ghostface Killah & BadBadNotGood - "Gunshowers"
20. Ghostface Killah & BadBadNotGood - "Tony's Rap" [Instrumental Outro]

GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "Still Killin' It"

SHUKO - "The Same" / "Heatwave" (Ft. CL Smooth & 20Cyl / Talib Kweli)

German born hip-hop producer Shuko has done a name for himself on the US hip-hop scene, crafting beats for Heltah Skeltah, Saigon, Talib Kweli, Ill Bill & Vinnie Paz, Jedi Mind Tricks, RA The Rugged Man, Hell Razah, and many more. His booming street sounding beats never goes wrong, and his instrumental projects like his recent five track EP "The Awakening" and the "Sleepless" album.

Now Shuko is preparing a new full-length, this time a vocal album featuring a host of talented rhymesayers called "For The Luv Of It" (January '15). The first double A-side single to emerge from the vaults is the powerful "The Same" featuring CL Smooth and 20Cyl of C2C. Undoubtedly a very powerful cut, and to hear one of the true greats in the form of CL is a true blessing, and even better is that he's sounding just as good as he's always had. On the flipside Talib Kweli takes on a more laid back beat especially concocted for the Brooklyn legend - "Heatwave". Its a nice track but to me it doesn't come close to the power of the CL Smooth joint which is just plain fire. You can check both songs below, but cop the digital single @ iTunes.

BLACK SHEEP - "Propogation"

Wow, I totally missed out on this, but this is F'n great right here. I've been a big fan of Dres and Mista Lawgne since they first burst onto the scene with their immaculate '91 debut album "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing", and though Lawgne has left the group, Dres is deifnitely one of the more slept on rhymeslingers the american hip-hop scene has to offer. Not all of Black Sheep's output has exactly been mindblowing, but there's plenty of hot material in that catalouge of theirs. Last year (or was it the year before) Dres album with Jairobi as evitaN went totally over heads heads, but now it seems that Dres The Black Sheep has signed a deal with Tommy Boy as they just have premiered a new single from the talented wordsmith called "Propagation". Pay attention to the lyrics on this one; as the press release says "this is not meant to get you moving, but to get you thinking". It will be interesting to see where this turns up!

ROME CEE - "Signs"

It's been a minute since we heard from Rome Cee  but  on the other hand, his last album "EarthSide" was more than enough to hold us over. Now the Boston rhymer has completed his new EP "Glimpse" which is set to be released on December 6. The EP consists of six songs, including the Tulev produced "Signs", which you can listen to and download for free now. Stay tuned for more info, and visit RomeCee.com for more info and music on this talented cat.

COMMON x MALIK YUSEF x KUMASI... - "Trouble in the Water"

The first new Common verse since his somewhat slept on latest project with No I.D., "Nobody Smiling", comes in the form of an apperance on a posse cut recorded for a compilation album called "Home". The upcoming album contains music set up  to raise awareness about the climate change and its risks, with the lead single "Trouble in the Water" and features verses from Common, Malik Yusef, Kumasi, Aaron Fresh, Choklate, and Laci Kay. Especially feeling the first 1:30 with Com' and hook. "Home" drops on December 2.