444trumpets Ft. KILLAH PRIEST - "Galaxy Release"

444trumpets is a new artist on the block who's new single "Galaxy Release" is a tight joint that also features a vintage guest verse from Killah Priest. Check it out above, and head over to 444trumpet's Soundcloud if you want to hear more of his stuff.

[2014 in Review] O.C. - "Ray's Café"

The Diggin' in the Crates crew has really been going strong this year, with exceptional albums and EP:s from Diamond D, OC, AG, Buckwild (w. Meyhem Lauren), Lord Finesse (instrumental double album), and even a D.I.T.C. remix project of classics. Several of this are among my favorites of the year and one of them is without a doubt OC's mini album with Ray West, called "Ray's Café". It's somewhat of a concept album in the sense that it metaphorically takes place within a fictional jazz club called "Ray's Café" where OC is the headliner for the evening, playing the smoky night club with his mix of jazz and hip-hop. It's quite different from OC's earlier projects, considering how laid back Ray West's production is, yet the chemistry between the seasoned veteran emcee and the relatively new beat maestro is extraordinary. 

Since I heard his debut with "Word... Life" OC has been very close to the top of my list of my favorite emcees and aside from some sidesteps he has managed to stay there with incredible projects like "Jewelz" (1997), "Starchild" (2005), "Oasis" w. AG (2009) and more recently "Trophies" with Apollo Brown (2012). "Ray's Café" is another real gem from the D.I.T.C. emcee, and Ray West's sophisticated jazz sampling production brings out the best in OC in the creation of the grown man rap displayed here. This is music for grown men made by grown men - over accoustic bass lines, accoustic piano lines and keyboard melodies, and ocassional guitars and heavy drum programming, OC invites listeners into his everyday life. With that unmistakable cadence, and top flow OC speaks on having barbecues and parties with his close friend, seeing a hot chick on the subway and dividing with himself about tyring to get that number, how thanful he is he made it this far, and so on. If you've followed OC's career like I've had, you'll definitely feel like you know him and the way his mind works at this point and "Ray's Café" is another crown achievement that is a must for any fan of O, Ray West and the D.I.T.C. crew. Speaking of Ray West, I think this is his finest production yet, considering that every song is exceptionally ill and extremely coherrent.

Originally released on CD, cassette and digital, the record was released on CD a few month later now including five additional songs from the same sessions, making it feature a total of 14 songs and a running time of about 35 minutes. While most of the bonus tracks doesn't necessarily live up to the high standards set by the original tracks, there are some absolutely fantastic joints here that add to the concept in a great way. "Just Cause" is actually one of my favorite songs on the entire CD, with a addictive one-bar guitar loop and a double time flow by OC that's stops between each verse to make room for a beautful sampled female hook. Why this wasn't on the original release is beyond me. "After House" is a smooth, laid back joint where OC reflects on the "After Hours" after a long night, and is built around a deep guitar sample; I'd say this is worthy of the original version as well. "Learn Lessons" is produced by NYC-based electronic musicna Phil Moffa rather than West and it sticks out like a sore thumb as it has more of a club sound to it - throwing this on in a jazz club would definitely turn the crowd off. OC rhymes good as well but the track itself is plain weak, luckily it clocks in in least than two minutes. The final cut on the so calld "After Hours" version is the smoothest, most laid back cut on the entire record. "My Hearts in the Street" is a beautiful closing to a great album that plays great from front-to-back with the exception of the aforementioned "Learn Lessons". Just like OC did on "Trophies", working exclusively Apollo Brown (an album that also made my top LP:s of 2014), it's evident that O works best when recording an entire album worth of music with one producer exclusively. Omar Credle truly hasn't lost a step and Ray West is getting better with every new release he drops. Last but not least, if you don¨t mind purchasing a CD I strongly recommend copping the deluxe edition which I personally count as OC¨s new album, rather than the EP it¨s advertized as. TURN IT UP!

[EP] ROME CEE - "Glimpse"

You know that we here at The Lost Tapes are big fan of Maryland emcee Rome Cee. Constantly coming out with terrific material, and more often than not, always given away for free. This is a greatt way to build up a fanbase before his official retail debut finally drops, and you can count me in supporting. Cee's latest project is called "Glimpse" and features six tracks and a bonus songs, and is an excellent showcase of Rome's talents both in picking beats and going IN in the microphone booth. Don't sleep on this!

ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD - "CPR" (Ft. Merna/Ayah, JaPoet & David Luke)

Ali Shaheed Muhammad more or less never dissapoints, from his days in A Tribe Called Quest, to his outside remixes and his productions, and his soul days in Lucy Pearl he's easily one of the  most interesting DJ:s and producers in al of hip-hop. I'm not sure if he's working on a new project or if this is just a loose single but his new single "CPR" is a real ill hip-hop song both from a lyrical and musical standpoint. Ali himself opens the song while Tenesee's JaPoet, Georgia's David Luke and beautiful voiced singer Merna (previously known as Ayah) whose album "The Calling" (don't sleep on this great soul/R&B album) was entirely produced by Ali Shaheed. The track is not only a strong piece of music but is also a response to the bubling tension between the black young americans and the police.

MIKKEY HALSTEDT - "Web We Wave" / "Salom Croquettes"

Chicago is coming out with more and more real emcees and producers, cats like Vince Staples and Mikkey Halstedt is really representing that real Chi-Town hip-hop with a venegance. Halstedt is working on his debut album "Bulletproof Dreams" which is slated for a March 4 release and will be overseen by No ID, so you know the quality is there. So far two singles have been released, the earlier one is called "Salmon Croquettes", produced by No ID, that was originally released early 2014. I had made a post on it when it droped but it turns out that I had forgotten to add the song so I'm additing it here within as well. The new single is a real true school banger produced by Da Internz with cuts by DJ Alo, entitled "Web We Wave" (posted up top, while the No ID joint is available below). This album should be serious; also don't sleep on his "CASTRO" mixtape featuring loads of No ID beats and 

[2014 in Review] NEHRUVIANDOOM - "Nehruviandoom"

Despite being a huge fan of MF DOOM I can't say I had that high hopes for his collaboration with Nehru Bishop. I wasn't all that familiar with Bishop and the few tracks I had heard didn't exactly kill me. However it was to be released on LEX Records, a record label that always has treated hip-hop records with respect, letting the artists have complete creative control. And with both Nas and MF co-signing this young kid Bishop Nehru, who I believe is only 19 years old on this album, he can't be that bad right? Either way you know I had to check it out as soon as it dropped and I was definitely pleasantly suprised. While Bishop is no virtuos lyricist he's got a pretty cool voice and he's a good writer, touching upon topics that a lot of young people easily can relate too, including young love, loneliness, street stories, maintaining and putting your best in whatever you do.. There's of course also a couple of more typical braggadocio type battle rhhymes which are also welcome, but mainly this is a thematic record focusing on the lifes and times of Bishop Nehru set over the one-of-a-kind soundscapes of Metal Fingerz. Listening to this, there's no question that the combination between DOOM and Bishop are actually a brilliant combination, and there's no song on here I would skip.  DOOM himself has a bunch of verses as well, about three or four that are all classic Metal Fingerz ish, and one of the most interesting things of all is the inclusion of a new Madvillain joint if you will. Madlib produces the final song "Disastrous" where both NehruvianDOOM members goes in.

"NehruvianDOOM" starts off in typical DOOM fashion with a low-key beat with a muffled guitar and bass melody, a hypnotic female vocal sample and tight drum programming. Over this the Villain places his classic audio excerpts of weirdness from various films and TV-shows that all together really sets off the piece lovely. An audio excerpt on meditation segues right into the first single, "OM", which is classic DOOM all the way. Contrasting the laidback intro it's a powerhouse performance by both MF and Bishop set over a high-energy beat based around two different keyboard samples (one of them being an electric organ). Another of my favorite joints is the jazz-infused "Mean The Most" where Bishop gives a beautiful dedication to that special girl while MF DOOM prepares an extraordinary beat that's heavily influenced by jazz music, yet done in such a way as only the Villain can. With a heavy bass and a repeating trombone hook, various percussive instruments and smacking drums, With an addictive beat like this Bishop is given a perfect platform to express his love - "I still think about being with a being of your caliber/ You hold your own down/ My queen with a gold crown/ Your leaving the whole town astounded". The jazz element is strong on this mini album, and no one does jazzy hip-hop like DOOM because he uses the sampled instruments in such an unorthodox and unexpected way. There's a number of small musical interludes tying the songs together (man I love that), including the outro to "Casket" which features booming drum programming underlining a hypnotic accoustic jazz piano sampled from a classic early number by Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. As a vocal album this is probably one of the most interesting pieces of DOOM productions I've heard in several years - there's so many different sounds and combinations of instruments that it never get the least repetitive despite the sound always being 100 percent Metal Fingerz. The music in itself is experimental, crafting beats from a wide range of different and rare sources, but the pairing of NehruvianDOOM is quite epxerimental in itself as Bishop isn't the type of emcee you'd expect to hear an entire album together with MF with. But that's the beauty of it, Bishop's style is realatively scaled down, simple or rather straight forward if you willl while the beats are way out there, and it's exactly that contrast that makes it work so beautifully, 

I'm not that familiar with the "Special Hebs" series and I'm not sure whether or not the production on this is all new beats or lifted from the aforementioned volumes, but to my ears everything on here are brand new beats. Clocking in at just over thirty minutes I've found this to be an extremely rewind worthy LP and the chemistry displayed between the emcee and producer makes me fiend for another project from these two gentlemen. It's by no means a perfect record though, I have a feeling that Bishop is not fully molded as an emcee but he got a dope voice and plenty of sick, if simple, lines. Another thing that bugs me is with such a short running time and a total track number of 9 songs, iTunes customers actually get an extra song. That track, "They Say Bishy Bish", is hardly a throwaway  cut either although it's not as strong as the rest of the material but it would be a decent bonus cut to have on the physical copies as well. Overall the debut offering from NehruvianDOOM is an interesting album , that though not mindblowing is a great front-to-back listen created by two different artists with a great chemistry.

CAPONE-N-NOREAGA w. TRAGEDY & RAEKWON - "Foul 120"

Capone-N-Noreaga reunite with Tragedy Khadafi and Raekwon, their main collaborators from "The War Report" volume one and two, respectively. As expected Tragedy absolutely murders this beautiful hardcore beat, but they all came correct. Not sure who produced this but this beat got me HYPE! "Foul 120" is lifted from N.O.R.E.'s new EP "Militainment Presents DRINKS" which also features cameos from Busta Rhymes, Styles P, Mack Wilds, Troy Ave, Chinx Drugs and a bunch of singers and/or rappers that I've never hard of. Production is handled by The Alchemist, Scram Jones, Jahlil, SPK, etc. Check out "Foul 120" below, thanks to WTCFoLife Blog, and cop the nine track EP @ iTunes. You can also stream the project for free @ Spotify.

[Revisited] CALL O' DA WILD - "Straight Out The Wilderness"

Back by popular demand! I've been getting crazy requests for a reupload of the Call O' Da Wild compilation that me and the homie Pattch82 put together back in 2011. There's not any additional songs or different sequencing on here as I always felt that it flows just like an album and features each and every song ever released under the name of Call O' Da Wild, along with both sides from Barron Ricks only 12" single. Since its been a while since it was originally posted I'm sure a lot of Lost Tapes readers missed it the first time around and this is definitely one compilation/album that fans of Cypress Hill, DJ Muggs and Soul Assassins do not want to miss out on. The reason I couldn't upload it before was that I had lost all of the songs and been on a hunt for a while to find the best versions of each songs, striving for 320 kbps though some are between 192 and 256 kbps as well. The only tracks I couldn't find in better than 128 kbps are the two songs from the singles "Andrews Ave." / "Urban Wilderness", but I'm on the hunt and as soon as I find them I'll update it. This compilation flows fantastiic and plays just like the Call O'Wild album  that DJ Muggs was supposed to executive produce but never materialized. Overall it sounds a whole lot clearer and better than the 2011 version that I uploaded so Merry Christmas all the Soul Assassins heads!

For those not in the know Call O' Da Wild was a Harlem duo consisting of emcees Barron Ricks and Angelo Campioni that DJ Muggs took under his wing in the mid-'90s and made them part of the Soul Assassins crew. Signed to the SONY label in '96/'97 after a series of soundtrack apperances and a trio of 12" singles, the plan was for Call to be the first group to record an album overseen and mainly produced by DJ Muggs outside of Cypress Hill. If you check out the booklet for Cypress' "Unreleased  & Revamped" EP (which features the Call O' Da Wild collaboration "Intellectual Dons") you can actually see an ad fo their album with the text saying coming soon. As evident by this collection of all their released songs prove that they made extremely gritty, hardcore and dark music, and by the time '97 or '98 came around when the LP was planned for release, its very likely that a major record label like SONY got cold feet due to artists like Pappa Diddy Pop dominating the airwaves. However the relationship between the producer and the group eventually had soured as well. "Call O' Da Wild broke up right after their album was finished for SONY, and they thought their were superstars before they record was even out... I have the DAT tape in a storage somewhere", the super producer/DJ told the Los Angeles Time in an article published in 1998. It's a real shame though considering how fantastic these tracks sound together; I'm glad we at least got forty minutes of these guys getting busy over hardcore beats mainly by Muggs, with some additional input by The Alchemist, Jerome Foster and Knobody/Sean C. Barron Ricks did however appear on several songs on Cypress Hill's "IV", including the hit single "Tequila Sunrise" so it's possible that the main beef was with Campioni.

All songs execurtive produced by DJ Muggs for Soul Assassins Music. All songs produced by DJ Muggs except track #1, "Sometimes the Neighborhood", produced by Jerome Foster and Sean Matthews, track #4, "Harlem River Drive", produced by The Alchemist, and track #6 produced by Sean C & Knobody. All songs are from either Call O'Da Wilds singles, the soundtracks for "Gravesend" ("Ninth Symphony") and "Bad Boys" ("Clouds of Smoke"), respecitvely. "New York Undercover" and "Runnin' Wild" are lifted from the first DJ Muggs' "Soull Assassins" compilation (though the latter only appeared on certain versions of the LP). Last but not least, the songs "Harlem River Drive" and "Rags to Riches" was first released on a solo single by Barron Ricks, released in early ¨98. So what you're waiting for'? Even if you had the original download the sound quality is much greater here so press play and TURN IT UP all my Soul Assassins. Peeace to Pattch82 once again too, as well as Supreemo for the artowrk.

01. "Sometimes the Neighborhood"

02. "Rurterrain"

03. "Intellectual Dons" (Ft. B-Real)

04. "Harlem River Drkv 

 05."Andrew¨s Ave."

06. "Clouds Of Smoke" (Ftl Wayne-O)

07. "Ragsto Riches" (Ft. Cypress Hill & Self Scientific')

08. "Urban Wilderness"

09. "New York Undercoverr"

10. "Ninth Symphony" (Ft. Cypress Hill)

11. "Runnin¨Wild (Outro)"

CALL O' DA WILD - "STRAIGHT OUT THE WILDERNESS"

AUDIBLE DOCTOR / GUILTY SIMPSON - "Leave Me Alone" [Remix]

You might know that Audible Doctor is one of my current favorite producers, and his seasoned theme EP:s still stand as one off the finest pieces of music released in the last couple of years. A month back The Good Ol¨Doc dropped another EP for the fans, consisting of eight soulful but hardhitting joints packing that unmistakable Audibe sound. Called "Can't Keep The People Waiting" the mni album  is made up of eight strongs, featuring Audible getting busy on both mic and boards with heavyweights Bumpy Knuckles, John Robinson, Consequence, Hasaan Mackey, Astro and Guilty Simpson provide a breath of fresh air with their guest verses. Since I totally forgot to post this when it first hit, I posted the free stream below for y'all (don't sleep), and you can also purchase the digital EP or a limited CD pressing (w. also includes instrumentals) @ The Official Audible Store. But the more acute reason for posting this now is that Oddisee just unleashed a popping new remix of  "Leave Me Alone", the Guilty Simpson blessed cut and it¨s just as dope as the original!

[Snippet Reel / Singles] JOEY BADA$$ - "B.4.DA.$$"

MusicHeadz got a hold of an advance copy of Joey Bada$$ highly anticipated official debut album "B.4.Da.$$" and got the permission to post an almost nine minute snippet reel of the project. The LP is completed and is scheduled for a January 20, '15 release date. Though early report stated that producers would include DJ Premier, BJ The Chicago Kid, J Dilla, Statik Selektah, Lee Bannon and more. The thireen track album is being released in January, is mads up of 15 tracks, and while nor all of rhe announced producers will appear you are going to hear Joey going in over beats by Dj Premier, The Roots/J Dilla, and Statik Seltakh. Now a eight minute snippet reel is here to hold us over to the release of the album, which sounds very good. Check it out below a long with thte single released up until now.

JOEY BADASS - "B.4.DA.$$" [SNIPPET REEL]
01. "Save The Children"
02. "Greenbax" (Introlude)
03. ""Paper Trails" [prod. by DJ Premier]
04. ""Peace Of Mind"
05. ""Big Dusty"
06. ""Hazeus View"
07. ""Like Me" (Ft. BJ Chicago Kid)" [p5oe. by J Dilla & The Roots)
08. ""Belly Of ThBeast" (Ft. Chronix)
09. "No .99" [prod. by Statik Selektah]
10. "Christ Conscious"
11. "On & On" (Ft. Maverick Sabre &  Deymond Lewis)
12. "Escape 130" 
13. "Black Beetles"
14. "OCM"
15. "Curry Chcken" [rpdo. Statik Selektah]

[Album] SMOOVTH & GIALLO POINT - "Portrait Of A Pimp"

Since they first burst on to the scene in the mid-2010s Tha Connnection have become synonymous with some of the illest, hardcore New York hip-hop in the modern era. With albums like "Connected 101" and "Strive" they really solidifed themeselves as a force to be reckoned with. I'm not sure if the duo is still active, but its two members, Hus and Smoovth, are definitely still going strong. Hus Kingpin has dropped incredible projects such as "The Cognac Tape" and only a few days ago we got the free new mixtape "Pop Up Shop" with Rozewood, a slamming tape that will definitely satisfy fans of both Hus as a solo artist and Tha Connection followers. Considering that Hus releases a whole lot of shit every year, maybe the release of Smoovth's new project with producer Giallo Point called "Portrait Of A Pimp" is even more interesting. Released on  December 1, I had totally missed out on this, but better late than never because this is SLAMMING! Turns out that this will actually be pressed up on gatefold cover vinyl as well, albeit in a limited edition of only 200 copies. The 2xLP set wiill only be available straight from Rykz Music. You can pre-order the album now for £25 and will ship out on its release date February 25. Stream the project below andd make sure you bang your head to this!

[2014 in review] #5 - FLYING LOTUS - "You're Dead"

I can't understand those people who basically only listen to strictly hip-hop music. Music as a whole is my number one love, and though hip-hop is by far my favorite genre but how someone can be musically satisfied by only listening to rap music is for me absolutely mind boggling when there's so much great music from a wide range of genres out there - jazz in all it's incarnations, blues, rock, heavy metal and industrial, and even some classical music. As a true music lover I am mad happy that we got artists like Flying Lotus and the artists on his Brainfeeder label pushing the boundaries of modern electronic music by taking a page from the past and moving forward into new terrority. As for FlyLo I've had my eyes on him since his "Cosmogramma" album in 2010, but it was when  the grandson of legendary jazz pianist Alice Coltrane dropped his tripped out "Until the Quiet Comes" in 2012 that I truly fell in love with his music. After letting the 2xLP set live on my turntables and on my Android phone for a long time, I was soon after starting to fiending for new music by the DMT fanatic. For me the release of the follow-up to "Quiet", beautifully titled "You're Dead". FlyLo has more than repated that same feat of greatness  again, without repeating himself. "Until the Quiet Comes" is pretty close to a perfect album, and i strongly feel that this new LP is it's sister album as it shares many similarities yet it's evolved and features a lot of new tracks. 

Now in 2014, Steven Ellison, also known a Flying Lotus, returns with his sixth album, tenth if we're counting Extended Plays, "You're Dead" on October 7, via Warp Records. While "Until The Quiet Comes" was a laid back, psychadelic journey into the mind with high free jazz, jazz fusion and electronic hip-hop overtones, "You're Dead" pretty much continues where its predecessesor left off. The 20 track collection plays out more like a suite than the type of albums we are used to hear these days, be they instrumental or not. Many of the songs are only one or two minutes and throughout the whole 40 minutes LP almost every feeling is represented in the most beautiful way - whether it be straight up disonant hardcore shit (the powerful "Tesla"), laid-back  music of extreme longing like one of my personal favorites "Coronus, The Terminator", heavy free jazz bangers ("Cold Dead"), the percussion and Rhodes brilliance of "Moment of Hesitation". Pointing out each song is definitely pointless as the entire album revels in front-to-back brilliance and personally I would say that this is FlyLo's finest full-length album to date. One of the main reasons for this, is that FlyLo is here taking his production to the next level - while previous albums has mainly been mainly sample based, "You're Dead" is a mixture of Lotus' sample wizardry and a host of live musicians that he has invited to the sessions. The 19/20 tracks suite (depending on which version you have) clearly has a sonic thread running throuhgout them, wihtout ever coming off as monotone. The jazz elements are way more pronounced here than on the previous FlyLo albums - so much that in fact this is the first album of his that I would feel comfortable putting in my jazz album collection. He has here gathered the usual suspects like bassist/vocalist Thundercat, sweet voiced Nikki Randa, string conductor Miguel Atwood-Fergusson, but there's also a host of legendary jazz artists adding color to the album. All these artists appeared on the previous LP as well, though not to the same extent, but on "You're Dead", Ellison takes the jazz and hip-hop approach a step further. One of my all time-favorite artists of all time, pianist/keyboardist Herbie Hancock adds his magical Rhodes touch on the hauntingly beautiful "Tesla" and "Madness Of Hesitation". while jazz guiartist/bassist and keyboardist Jeff Lynn add some color to "Stirring" to great effect. These legendary artists appears simultaneously in FlyLo's world with rising stars like superb sax player Kamsai Washington who really add a lot of jazz texture to standouts such as "Moment Of Hesitation", "Cold World", "Turkey Dog Come", and "Moment of Hesitation". 

Production is absolutely flawless throughout, the way Flying Lotus uses samples and live instruments of abstract melodies, disonant studio trickery, distorted vocals, melodic basslines, Rhodes, agressive saxophones and of course the slamming drums. As I stated before this abum really defies labeling, but might be closest to free jazz, jazz fusion or experimental electronic music. But hip-hop heads will definitely not be dissapointed either, as FlyLo creates some abstract but very dope hip-hop joints. The  first single "Never Catch Me" featuring an outstanding verse from Kendrick Lamar, while Lotus' Quasimoto like alter-ego Captain Murphy gets busy on a couple of tracks and even Snoop Dogg makes an apperance on the absolutely brilliant "Dead Man's Tetris". Whatever you do don't sleep on this album!

HELL RAZAH - "Gates Of Hell" / "Patriot Act: The Mixtape"

This was actually released a couple of weeks back but I haven't gotten around to listen to it until now and totally forgot to post about it. Strictly a digital release, Hell Razah's latest album is entitled "Gates of Hell" and packs a mean punch of fourteen tracks of straight, uncut dope. There's a lot of vintage soul samples, bumping rhythm tracks, high pitched vocal hooks, and a whole lot of knowledge delivered in Razah's usual clear cut vocab. With a guest apperance by Sadat X on "Contribution X" a long with strong cuts such as "Falling Down", "Dead Poets", "Godflesh" (the single streaming above) and "The Crucifixion" this is a suprisingly strong album that I strongly recommended. Clocking it at just over thirty minutes, it's a short but powerful listen filled with clever rhymes with an important message.  I wonder whether this is newly recorded music or if this was recorded before Razah's medical problems. Either way he sounds on fire all the way through - on first listen I'd say this is one of his strongest projects yet, most definitely. Unfortunately no stream is available, but it's definitely worth the purchase from iTunes.

01. "Spiritualized" [Intro]

02. "Ghost of Malcolm X"

03. "Dead Poets"

04. "Godflesh"

05. "Cold Wind" [Interlude]

06. "Section 8"

07. "Falling Down"

08. "Unconditional Love"

09. "Angel Of Death"

10. "Purple Haze"

11. "Lamb Of God"

12. "Halos [Remix]"

13. "The Crucifixion"

14. "Gates Of Hell" [Outro]

For those who might have missed it Heaven Razah also recently dropped a free mixtape in anticipation of "Gates Of Hell". Called "Patriot Act" the DJ Fiyaa hosted mix is made up of sixteen hard hitting tracks that are mostly either previously unreleased or brand new. Big up to Razah for keeping real music alive. Tune in, turn it on and TURN IT UP!!

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SADAT X - "What Up Kid"

While Sadat X has released a string of solo albums that aren't exactly masterpieces, each of his albums always continues at the very least a handful of gems (there's of course some real dope LP:s in his catalouges as well, such as "Wild Cowboys", "Experience and Education", the entire Brand Nubian catalouge, etc., and I actually really enjoyed the majority of "Love, Hell or Right"). He has been working on his "Never Left" album for quite some time, which so far has resulted in the slamming single/video for "On Fire" featuring Cormega, and a few other singles. You can stream/purchase the four singles released so far as well as pre-order the album for its January 25, 2015 release @ Loyalty Digital's Bandcamp. This includes the just released "What Up Kid", produced by Matt Velez. The tracklist also reveals guest features from Black Rob, King Tee, Dres of Black Sheep, Craig, Skyzoo and more. I'm hopeful!

BLACK MOON - "Go To War"

This is some fantastic news right here! I unfortunately missed the chance to see Black Moon live earlier this December, but at least they are forming that raw energy again and are bringing out new music for us dedicated fans. DJ Evil Dee, Buckshot and 5 Ft. joins forces once again and their new single "Go To War" is bound to satisfy each and every long-time follower of the hardcore New York Boot Camp trio. As if that wasn't enough DJ Evil Dee, obviously really embracing the Christmas spirit, is letting loose a download of the free mixtape "Broadcasting Live", featuring exclusive and new music by the likes of Heather B, Dysfukhional Familee, Nutso, Makeeba Mooncycle, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Finsta Bundy, Rock Mecca and many more. Download or stream both for free below and TURN THIS SHIT UP!!! DUCK DOWN!

PHAROAHE MONCH - "In The Zone"

Pharoahe Monch and Marco Polo has done some amazing music in the past, especially on Monch's incredible virtuos showcase "P.T.S.D.". Now the duo lets loose of this previously unreleased collaboration via Soundcloud. "In The Zone" was originally recorded exclusively for the video game "Saints Row: The Third" but has never been made available in full before. Enjoy!

TRAGEDY KHADAFI - "Stand Up"

Wow so it turns out that one of the most legendary, illest emcees alive just released a new album, straight out of nowhere. I'm talking about QB's own Tragedy Khadafi who's new LP "Pre Magnus Opus" just hit iTunes and features ten new killer kuts, featuring guests such as Lil' Fame, Illa Ghee, Royal Flush, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Starvin B, Meyhem Lauren and more. The track "Stand Up", seen above, originally appeared on Marco Polo's "Newport Authority 2" and is a remix of the Adrian Younge/Delphonics cut of the same name... and it still goes HARD! The entire album is also up for free streaming for all you Spotify users out there so go ahead and bang this right now...

[2014 Review] GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "36 Seasons"

There's no question in my mind anymore that Ghostface Killah isn't one of the absolutely greatest emcees alive. The criteria for that for me is a guy who has a rhyme style that has inspired loads of others emcees styles, is mad charismatic, has something that sets him apart like being a great storyteller, is great at picking beats, has a flow and delivery out of this world annd last but definitely not least their catalouge. Ghost without a doubt fills all that criteria without a doubt, and with each album he has released I'm constantly amazed that he managed to do it again. Sure there were "Bulletproof Wallets", but if you listen to the "original" version of that album you'll realize it's pretty much a lost classic. 

On December 9, The Masked Assassin returned with his tenth solo album (not counting Wu-Tang Clan, Theodore Unit projects, etc - damn this guy is hardworking), "36 Seasons". It is somewhat of a spiritual successor to his colaboration with Adrian Younge ("12 Reasons to Die") which I labeled as the best album of 2013 with its immaculate production that mixed the vibes spagetthi western soundtracks by Ennio Morricone and vintage RZA productions with a well-crafted story from Ghost that ran throughout the whole album. And just like that album, "36 Seasons", got a lot of similarities right off the bat. Tony Starks brings out another strong concept album with a sonic tour de force of ghetto life, set over nothing but live instrumentation. There's a lot of differences between the two albums as well though, but in a way it does feel like a spiritual successor. And what's even iller is that this will be sort of a unconnected trilogy as Ghost is currently working with the great jazz trio BadBadNotGood in the creation of an album called "Sour Soul", set for early 2015. It's easy to see that the once masked Wu-Tang member is willing to take a lot more risk once he went independent and left Def Jam.

"36 Seasons" is a very pleasant suprise, and one of Ghost's most coherrent projects in many years, and the main reasons for that is the story that runs throughout the entire album as well as the soulful backdrops produced and performed by the superb The Revelations. The live band, consisting of bassist Josh Werner, Wes Mingus on guitar, Borahm Lee on keys, drummer Gintas Janusonis, and vocalists Tre Williams and Rell, has already made contributions to two Wu-Tang compilations ("Legendary Weapons", "Chamber Music"), a remix album by Cormega, and several projects under their own name. I think their work with Ghostface here might be their finest and most refined work yet. As Starks always been a soulman, creating incredible hip-hop from classics by the likes of Delphonics, The Sylvers, Willie Hutch, and Otis Redding, The Revelations has long been terrific at playing soul with a hip-hop vibe, as evident by songs like their rendition of "I Forgot to be Your Lover" on "The Man With The Iron Fists" and their solo projects with Tre Williams and Rell. For Ghost they cook up a batch of tracks that packs plenty of that '70s soul shit, yet always infused with a raw hip-hop beat - agressive guitar, Rhodes, hard drums, and melodic basslines forms the center of this experience on a strictly musical level. The main thing is that it always sounds like a Ghostface record, even on the two songs that our main artist isn't even featured, and having worked with The Wu before The Revelations has really found their way into the Wu sound.

The story as plotted out here by GFK is the variation of a quite simple ghetto story that's been told many times before in both movies and on rap songs, but there's a bunch of interesting twists and turns in the story that keeps the listener on his toes throughout. Every guest apperance is focused and has a meaning, and every guest emcee and singer fills a purpose in playing a role in the story. I'm not gonna break down the entire narrative, but a quick overlook reveals that Ghostface plays a former hood star that's been on iron vacation for nine years and come backs to his neighborhood only to find that a new boss, played by Kool G Rap, has taken over the block and is involved in a lot of foul play like selling drugs to kids. Ghost's childhood friend, played by AZ, is now a crooked cop playing both sides of the fence, who still looks out for Starks. Other supporting players include Pharoahe Monch as somewhat of a mad scientist, Shawn Wigs and NEMS as members of Ghost and G Rap's posses, respectively, and singer Rell. In other words it's very much put together like a movie, both with the cinematic score, the main star, a supporting cast, a action-packed narrative and even the romantic interlude of the incredible The Revelations solo track "It's A Thin Line" that chills things down for a moment.

Ghost has always been revered as one of the greatest story tellers of rap, so it's extremely interesting to see him take on an entire concept album based on one idea, and he does so with energy and verses that always comes off as gripping. However as he is constantly tied to follow the narrative, you miss the old Starks that dropped verses filled with more slang than is humanily comprehensible. He's constantly solid though, although the best verses on the album undoubtedly belong to AZ who not only has the most interesting role but attacks it with such raw intensity, mad flows and unbelivably well written verses. Whenever "Doe Or Die II" finally drops, the rap game should definitely take cover. Talking about specific songs seems redudant as this undoubtedly is a project you listen to from start to finnish, but I do want to mention the agressive opening track "The Battlefield" which sets up the story by introducing each of its three major players - having AZ, Kool G Rap and Ghostface Killah on a concept track.. And on a ridiciously raw beat nontheless? Forget about it!

Undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year, and Ghostface continues to be the reigning champ of hip-hop catalouges. Salute!

[2014 Review] HAVOC - "Thirteen" / MOBB DEEP - "The Infamous Mobb Deep"

As much as I loved Mobb Deep back in the mid-to-late '90s, especially Havoc's production work and their gritty street rhymes. But then "Infamy" hit, and I was pretty much appaled, something that continued with much of their work on the following Mobb albums; generic rhymes, delivered in a lazy fashion over subpar beats. And their solo albums and guest apperances/productions had the occassional glimpse of greatness. Havoc's solo debut album "The Kush" in 2007 was a rushed affair that really didn't make anything for anyone, while Prodigy's "H.N.I.C. 3" stands as one of the worst albums ever released by a great artist if you ask me. Hav's 2013 album "13" was actually a pretty solid effort though, but I can't say I really have played it too much. However, it turns out the Mobb wasn't ready to be counted out just yet.

Earlier in 2014, Mobb Deep reunited for "The Infamous Mobb Deep" a thirteen track album that by far is the best Mobb album for years. Havoc produced or co-produced about half the joints on it, including stand-outs like "Taking You Off Here", "Murderer" and "Legendary" why peeps like !llmind, Alchemist, Karyanda, and Beat Butcha does a great job on capturing an updated version of that vintage Mobb Deep sound. P and Hav still hasn't recovered fully as the immense lyricists they were one but there's plenty of ill one lines and derpressing QB thug rhymes. It's definitely the duo's illest album since "Murda Muzik" and a pleasant suprise to all of us 41:st side heads that had lost faith in the Mobb as a group. Especially the first half of the first disc is absolutely blazing; the aforementioned "Taking You Off Here" sets the album off lovely with a nice drum and bass combo by Hav underlined by a hypnotic organ grinder provided by !llmind that makes the QB legends murder rhhymes sounds fantastic. "Get Down" features that classic Mobb sound with progressive rhythm and a dusty, sample provided by Havoc that will definitely be a treat to heads who's been following the group for a long time. "Dirt" and "Timeless", produced by !llmind and Beat Butcher, continues the dusty sound slightly reminiscent of "Murda Muzik", and especiallly on the former Havoc comes through with a strong verse. Shame the version with Ghostface wasn't made in time for the album though, because that's on some other shit. Following some more low-key, almost R&B-flavored cuts the hardcore shit returns with "Murdera", "Check The Credits", "Gimme All That" (which with it's hypnotic keyboard sample and pounding drums might be the ultimate standout on the album), and The Alchemist produced "Legendary" which reeds listeners in with the magnificent dark strings and overall grimey sounds, almost reminiscent of a lost "Hell On Earth" cut. All in all Mobb Deep proved in 2014 that they can still put out a pretty damn great album, and for a long time fan that's been dissapointed in most of their recent releases this was nothing short of a revelation. That it cames packed with a bonus CD featuring fourteen tracks from the original "The Infamous..." '94/'95 sessions, before Q-Tip became involved with the album. This is the real treat of the LP, especially the impeccable prevously unreleased version of "Eye For An Eye". While I haven't copped this one yet, it's definitely will find its way into my collection sooner or later.

As a sister album, Havoc's "Thirteen: Reloaded" was perhaps an even more pleasant suprise to me, probably because Havoc's beats between 1994 and 2000 was some of the illest shit I've ever heard. I didn't have much hope for this album, and it even took some time for me to check it out after it was leaked... but man I was blown away by this album! Hav's rhymes on here are not his best, and not anything mindblowing, but he always had a good voice and with beats like this his lyrics doesn't take away from the overall context of the music. While lyrically it's standard thugged out Hav rhymes, the production on "Thirteen Reloaded" is absolutely amazing hardcore QB shit straight through and truly carries the album. I was impressed by the first two singles released "Dirt Calls" and "What I Rep" which showcased a hard hitting yet very simple approach, old school style, that really worked well and had my head nodding like crazy. Turns out that these two joints were far from the strongest joints on the album, as Havoc constantly proves that he's still one of the best producers around and has entered his second coming. Take joints like the hardhitting "Not Yours", and the Mobb Deep collaboration "Uncut Raw", the soulful exercises in "Don't Take it Personal" and "Listen to the Man", the breakbeat funk of "What's Your Problem", and the laid back beauty that is the Cormega collaboration "Fallen Soldiers" which by far is one of the strongest songs on an album filled with strong songs. There's also some tight bonus songs such as "Tear Shit Up" with Mysonne and the majestic yet dark "Champion Winner". In other words Havoc has for the first time in about 15 years released an album that is truly a great front-to-back listen - at least from a production standpoint.

[2014 Review] WU-TANG CLAN - "A Better Tomorrow"

Wu-Tang Clan and D.I.T.C. are my absolute favorite crews, or even artists,so a new group album from either is big news for me. While the Wu's seventh and probably final album has been the object of a lot of harsh critiscm from plenty of hip-hop fans, the press has been a lot kinder to it (jsut like with the shighly underrated "8 Diagrams"). Hip hop fans main complaint about the new project seems to be as simple as they don't think it sounds like a Wu album, mainly focusing on positivity in the lyrics, while complaining about RZA's production sounding "too soft" compared to earlier work. On a personal level I don't find that either of those complaints applies at all to the album for me. In fact, compared to "8 Diagrams" much of this sounds a whole lot more like vintage Wu-Tang music, yet it's also something totally different. A new chamber if you will... One thing that I really dig is that the majority of the Clan sound really on the same page here, unlike on their previous release where I got the impression that RZA had recorded lyrics, changed around beats and used their voices as another instrument without their "consent" if you will. The production is a lot more soulful, incorporating a lot of live instrumentation, but as always RZA refuses to repeat himself as every Clan album so far has sounded very different from one another.

Now don't get me wrong, this sure as hell ain't the perfection found on the first six Wu-Tang Clan solos, Ghost's "Supreme Clientele" and "The W" (not to mention "Wu Forever" and "36 Chambers"). But those are like some of the best albums ever recorded, so i don't know how you could expect them represing that feat again. But for me who grew up on The Wu, there words through the years almost working as a home education, I think it's nothing short of a blessing to hear a new Wu-Tang Clan album featuring (mostly) energized performances and certain displays of that classic chemistry over new RZA beats  21 years after their debut. Most of our beloved emcees does not sound as hungry here, but they bring a certain energy to the table and some well written verses that's right up there with some of their best in recent years. Especially GZA, who appears on six of the LP:s fifteen tracks stands out as absolutely captivating whenever he drops; check his verse on "Necklace" for something really astounding. Reminding us why he's considered The Genius, he often takes the approach of his announced "Dark Matters" projects where he writes from a perspective of hard science, and it's often very impressive. What's so great about The Wu is that nine talented rhymers with different styles and different approaches to writing come together like voltron which always makes for a fascinating listen. There's however a bunch of questionable, or straight up corny lyrics here and there ("Might not have nailed here/ but I can tell you how spooing felt" by Meth on the otherwise excellent 'Felt' might be the most mindblowing example). There's plenty of great verses from other generals as well, Raekwon who only appears on a handful of tracks straight up kills it, Inspectah Deck and Ghostface's performances on "Miracle" is unbelivable and Masta Killa and U-God rips whatever track they are put on. Another thing that's very welcome is the amount of members appearing on the majority of the songs, a step up from the many duo and trio tracks on the previous group effort.

As with any Wu album, the lyrical beastery is of course only half the story though. I'm a big fan of the group's three first albums as well as "8 Diagrams" so the majority of RZA's production steez for his Wu brethren has always been superb to me, yet always also different. It's like with the chambers they like to talk about - this is by far a very different approach from The RZA than what he utilized on "8D". Gone are the slow moving, dark psychadelically creeping atmosphere, in turn of an album that takes it back to a time in hip-hop when beats would have you amped without being too hardcore. Masta Killa compared the production to a New Birth record, and in a way "A Better Tomorrow" sees the group coming full circle. While on "Enter The Wu-Tang" RZA went hard with the Stax catalouge, creating some extremely memorable tracks from the classic Soul label. For "A Better Tomorrow" he actually invited some of the original artists to play and/or put their input on tracks, and much of it definitely has a murky '70s and '60s blaxploatation vibe to them. It's obvious that RZA's been heavily influenced by the "Chamber Music" and "Legendary Weapons" albums put out a couple of years back that was filled with live instrumentation played in such a way that it sounded like sampled records. One of RZA's strongest feats as an album producer (to me the best that ever was no matter how many wack albums he would end turning in) has always been his ear for sequencing and making sure you get a full listening experience. This one could works well both at an afterparty or experienced in a good set of headphones at home. And he isn't above letting other people contribute as long as it's dope. On "Iron Flag" they had outside producers like Nick Fury Loftin and The Trackmasters, both decent songs, but they didn't have anything to do on a Wu-Tang Clan album. The other producers invited to work on this are more in the line of what the Wu is about. The greatest suprise is the return of 4th Disciple, perhaps one of the most underrated producers of all time, who hasn't worked with the Wu since '99. His input here results in two of the albums best records, the heartfelt "Miracle" (one of my personal favorites along with "Never Let Go", two tracks which both seems to be real love it or hate it record) and the vintage grime of "Necklace". Let's hope this means 4th will be working on future solo projects from the Clan.

In conclusion, I need to stress that this is an album that has its fair share of flaws, yet at the time it is also my most played LP, and I pretty much always give it the front-to-back spin. When talking flaws there's some song concepts that just don't work for me; the most obvious example being "Preacher's Daughter", which despite great storytelling comes off as clichéd and uninteresting. The same can be said about "Wu-Tang Reunion" which is a decent song, but should be left as a B-side or promotional single - not to mention it's been out for over years, literally unchanged. Also while most of the beats are right up my alley I can't stand a large amounts of the R&B hooks. RZA's misconception seems to be that if you're a "real musician" you need to have a hook and a singer on there (read the "Wu-Manual" if you don't know what that "real musician" quote are about). Still I stongly recommend this album - I think it's one that will be a lot more apperciated once the smoke has settled. You can order your copy from juno.co.uk and many other sites.

[EPK Promo] ADRIAN YOUNGE - "The Black Dynamite Soundtrack"

Adrain Younge has quickly became one of the best producers in the game, constantly creating new masterpieces for artists such as Ghostface Killah, Adrian Younge, The Delphonics, Souls Of Mischief and his own italian-psych influenced Venice Dawn as well as loose tracks for Wu-Tang Clan and Prodigy.. Younge has worked on the low-key for many years bt it was with the soundtrack to the brilliant blaxploatation Giindhouse spoof "Black Dynamite", released in 2009 and featuring Michael Jaa White, Arsenio Hall, Tommy Davisson and Phillyis Applegate. 

A multi-talented instrumentalist in the tradition of D'Angelo, playing most of the instruments on the album eand putting it throughout to studio magic, xcept for drums by Younge, Waterson, Quentin Oden, electric guitars by Younge, E. Fratti,  Jeremy Jeffers, fuzz guitars by Michael Walt and Loren Oden on vibes. The Venice Dawn band in full effect, bringing a real early '70s cinematic blaxploatiation project. Now that sounds like Younge didn't do much, but he played plenty of instrumentals on each song, plus digging and recreating joints. He has also released several albums and EP:s, remixes and guest features and is quickly becoming one of the best producers of 2014, if not the best, period. But it all started with "Black Dynamite - The Soundtrack" and if you havenn't heard it's a real gem on every level.

"Black Dynamtie: The Sounstrack" was originally released in 2009 through Wax Poetics Records but has recenlty been reissued on beautiful 2xLP picture disc and CD by Younge's own Linear Labs (who also released that Souls Of Miscief album). You can order the album @ LinearLabsMusic.com, but be sure to check out the original EPK, behind-the-scenes of the album and the video for "Shot Me In The Heart" - fantastic stuff all around.

KENN STARR x BLACK MILK - "The Definition"

Kenn Starr, the Virgina native that's a close friend of Oddisee and Kev Brown, just released this slamming Black Milk produced single entirled "The Definition". The song is lifted from Mello Music Group / Low Budget signee Kenn Starr upcoming January album "Square One" (January 27 to be exact), and judging by the guests, producers and this single this should be a pretty hot ass album. Check out "The Definition" below, which features the beautiful voice of Melanie Ruthford. Vintage Black Milk sound here - crazy!

[Album] HUS KINGPIN & ROZEWOOD - "Pop Up Shop"

If you're a fan of The Lost Tapes you know what a huge fan I am of Hus Kingpin and his work, both a solo artist, or his earlier work with The Connection and now more recently with Rozewood; another terrific street emcee emboding the grittiness of his neighborhood. It's amazing that these guys keep pumping out free album after free album and they are all more or less real dope. Now they are back with another free tape, entitled "Pop Up Shop", that will definitely make fans satisfied. With production by Alchemist, The RZA (!), Bluez Brothers, and more this should be a sure shot. Though it's not a free release per se, it's a digital album that will be yours for only 8 bucks (click here), so what are you waiting for -  TURN IT UP!!

M-DOT Ft. Method Man, Shine, Dominique & Kathy Gunn - "Shine"

Another track that was released a few days ago but definitely a strong cut worth posting, especially as it features Method Man who's been really on fire on much of his recent material. Here emcee M-Dot lines up with Tical, Shine, Dominuqe and Kathy Green for this strong posse cut called "Shine". If you haven't heard it yet, DON'T SLEEP!

[Video] N.B.S. - "Seven"

N.B.S. is an up-and-coming underground act hailing from Boston and consisting of cousins E Flush and Vee Knuckles. I am not familiar with these guys before, but their single "Seven" is really sick, with ill verses set over some true school ish - a concept you really can't go wrong with when it's done right as here. Now the duo is releasing their new EP "Swizzvets" which features performances by KRS-One, Blaq Poet, Milk, Onyx's Sonny Seeza, I Bilal Firm and R. Muhammad. The two latter appears on the first heavy hitting single from "Swizzvets", with production from JakeBeatz. Watch out for these guys because this is DOPE! If you like what you hear, cop a copy of the album from iTunes for only $8.99. Stay tuned for more info and more music from these guys!

[EP] FASHAWN x THE ALCHEMIST - "Fashionably Late"

Entirely produced by the great Alchemist, the somewhat underrated Grizzly emcee Fashawn has released a very strong new free EP featuring seven tracks that showcases a great MC/producer constellation over its short running time. This is a must hear for any fan of either man's work and is even stronger than "The Antidote" (scroll down a bit for a download/stream), with the artists both putting in their best performances possibly. It's interesting that many of these free EP:s released these days stand as projects just as good as retail releases. This was released three days ago, but since I haven't updated in a while (sorry about that, life keeps getting in the way haha) this was suffering from my readers. Well, as I often say, better late than never as this is definitely something you want to check out. Hope for a 12" EP too, would be a great look (especially as some of ALC's collaborations originally available as free downloads later has found their way to vinyl). I also think it's somewhat beautiful posting this a few days to late - it's still "Fashionably Late" though! Enjoy, and TURN IT UP!!

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PRHYME - "PRhyme Time"

FILA, DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9... Dat sound GOOD right there! "PRhyme" is out now on wax, CD and digital so go cop that.

FASHAWN Ft. EVIDENCE - "Dreams" [prod. by ALCHEMIST]

I'm a big fan of Fashawn's earlier work up and until his debut album, though I feel that he has kind of strayed from that path a bit too much for my personal liking lately. With his upcoming EP "FASH-ionably" (December 19) there's a good chance I and those like me will not be the least dissapointed as he has hooked up with Alchemist for the entirety of the projects production. The first single "Dreams" also features Evidence and is nothing but a certified banger. 

On a side note - this is the second time Fashawn and ALC has linked up for an entire project as the 11 song prelude to "Boy Meets World" did just that in 2011. Check out "The Antidote" below while we await the new EP.

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BUMPY KNUCKLES x PETE ROCK - "Rayon"

Now THIS is what I'm talking about! It's a well known fact that Bumpy Knuckles has an incredible amount of unreleased material in his vaults, including collections with some of the illest producers around. We've already got the D.I.T.C. produced verison of "Crazy Like A Foxxx", "Music From The Man" with Jesse West and of course "The KolexXxion" with DJ Premier.

Foxxx's follow up to his classic "Industry Shakedown"; "Konexion" was originally supposed to be entirely produced by Pete Rock until he decided he wanted to go for a new sound. This means a lot of joints between these two legends have been kept in the vaults for the longest, so hopefully the release of the single "Rayon" means we will get to hear this collection sooner or later.

[EP] PLANET ASIA - "Zapco Exp EP"

Planet Asia takes it back to the '80s with his new free project "Zapco Exp EP" featuring five old school flavored cuts. The 808s are definitely kicking on this!

WU-BLOCK - "Wu Block Bizness"

Well this came out of nowhere, but I'm not hating. Sheek Louch and The Ghostfaced Killer is back at it again as Wu Block, and is releasing a project on Nautre Sounds called "Hidden Gems" on January 20. Whether this is unreleased music from the original "Wu Block" sessions or entirely new music remains left to be seen but til' then you can bump"Wu Block Bizness" up top. Here's what the note on Nature Sounds:

"The new Wu Block album "Hidden Gems" boasts 15 previously-unreleased tracks from Ghost and Sheek. "Hidden Gems" also contains a number of guest apperances from both camps, including Jadakiss, GZA, Masta Killa, Styles P, Cappadonna, Killah Priest, and more."

[Video] GHOSTFACE KILLAH - "Love Don't Live Here No More"

It's always a good thing when artists puts some effort into their actual music videos, and Ghostface usually don't hold back as we remember from his "12 Reasons" videos. His new stunningly good album is of course called "36 Seasons" and for the first single Tony Starks goes with the Kandance Spring assisted "Love Don't Live Here No More". Michael K. Williams getting busy too! "36 Seasons" is out now, cop it @ UGHH or your retailer of choice.

NATE DOGG - "Leave It Alone" [prod. by Dr. Dre]

Hittman, the co-star of Dr. Dre's magnum opus "2001", uploaded this terrific gem of an unreleased Nate Dogg song to his Soundcloud the other day. The track is called "Leave it Alone" and was produced by The Good Doctor and definitely has that classic late-'90s/early-'00s Dre sound.

NATE DOGG - "LEAVE IT ALONE"

[Video] DIAMOND D Ft. STEP BROTHERS - "It's Magic"

It's definitely magic when Diamond D joins forces with Alchemist and Evidence for the third single from his celebrated "The Diam Piece" album. If you haven't grabbed it yet, head over to iTunes, HHV or UGHH. And for the record I think I never got around to posting the video for the Pete Rock assisted "Only Way 2 Go" from the same album before, so that's what you see below.

[Video] FLIP Ft. AG - "Dreaming"

Smooth new single from Austrian producer Flip who joins up with the legendary Andre The Giant for "Dreaming". The song is lifted from Flip's "Reflections" which drops on Ill Adrenaline Records February 17. Other lyricists featured on the LP include eLzhi, Phat Kat, EDO G, Killah Priest, Guilty Simpson, Kev Brown, LMNO and Tragic Allies.

[ALBUM] E-BLAZE - "For The Luv Of It Vol. 3"

D.I.T.C. affiliate Eric Blaze is back in time for the Christmas holday with yet another installment in his great "For The Luv Of It" series. This time he's wrapped up twelve songs for our enjoynment, just ready to download and consume. SO enjoy ya'll, and don't forget to TURN IT UP!

01. "Intro"
02. "Boos"

03. "World"

04. "Raw"

05. "Jen"

06. "Synth"

07. "Mary"

08. "Drama"

09. "Sanl"

10. "James"

11. "Chapps"

12. "Trois"

E. BLAZE - "FOR THE LUV OF IT VOL. 3"

[ALBUM] DIAMOND DISTRICT - "March On Washington: Redux"

2014 was finally the year that Diamond District, the Washington trio consisting of XO, yU and producer/emcee Oddisee, Their album "March On Washington" was right on time giving the current status of what the hell is going on with the US (and here in Europe as well).  Welll-received by fans and critics alike, it was great to hear the trio going in again and much needed. And it was only yesterday that they released their remix album titled "Redux" to iTunes. The remix project features big names like Large Professor, Diamond D, Nottz, OhNO, Black Milk, DJ Skizz and more. Sounds very interesting, stream it or purchase it below. TURN IT UP!