J DILLA - "Bangin' Like A DILLA Instrumental"

OkayPayer premiered this really, really solid mixtape put together by Chocolate Sunday's resident DJ:s Manuvers, Sharpsound and Louie Arson. Titled "Bangin' Like a Dilla Instrumental" this expertly crafted mix blends some of the most legendary Jay Dee instrumentals for other people, to classic solo work and group settings, and rare beats "straight from the fucking cassette". It's amazing how fresh these beats still sound today and one thing that's pretty amazing with DiLLA beats is that they are usually just as interesting with or without vocals on top. Enjoy this shit but be sure to TURN IT UP!!! A LITTLE LOUDER!!

Also released via OkayPlayer is this rare studio footage of The Soulquarians in action (with Dilla on the drum set), jamming out a track that would eventually transform into "Aquarius" on Common's underrated "Electric Circus". Read more about the session @ OKP. Last but not least in this selection of DiLLA news, FatBeats and Ne'Astra Music Group are reissuing both the original Slum Village albums with JayDee on wax and cassette, so if you don't have those gems you better grab them both. Read more over @ FatBeats.com.

[Album] PRhyme - "PRhyme"

With nothing but bangers under their collaborative belt, DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" made a wise choice in forming PRhyme. Now we are able to hear the fruits of their labor as NPR has made the nine song album available for free preview streaming. All songs are composed around samples from Adrian Younge's catalouge and the result does not dissapoint as Premier hooks up some of his freshest beats in some time while Royce brings the verbal slaughter. CD and vinyl drops December 5, pre-order @ UGHH.

01. "PRhyme"
02. "Dat Sound Good" (Ft. AB Soul & Mac Miller)
03. "U Looz"
04. "You Should Know" (Ft. Dwele)
05. "Courtesy"
06. "Wishin'" (Ft. Common)
07. "To Me, To You" (Ft. Jay Electronica)
08. "Underground Kings" (Ft. Schoolboy Q & Killer Mike)
09. "Microphone Preem" (Ft. Slaughterhouse)

PRHYME - "PRHYME" @ NPR.ORG

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.

ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT / COMMON - "I Stand Alone"

Being a huge fan of both jazz, soul and hip-hop I am super excited by pianist/producer Robert Glasper and his Experiment band and their three "Black Radio" records released so far. This years "Black Radio 2" featured one of my favorite songs of the entire year, which was the heartfelt collaboration with Common, "I Stand Alone", which is now getting the video treatment. A perfect reason to revisit this beautiful song, but you should of course support Glasper and his movement @ Amazon or your store of choice. Directed by Robert Glasper and Brian Deka Paupaw.

COMMON Ft. Vince Staples & Jay Electronica - "Kingdom Remix"

Without a doubt one of the hottest tracks of the year gets a new lyrical touch up as Common invites the always anticipated Jay Electronica to join him and Vince Staples in "The Kingdom". Sicccccck!

MC LYTE Ft. COMMON - "Dear John"

Pioneeer and super skilled female legend MC Lyte is preparing her first album in no less than eleven years, following her 2003 project "Da Underground Heat Vol. 1" which she dropped under the alias Lystro. While that album wasn't mindblowing, I got hopes this could be her true return to form. The first single sees her reuniting with Common after they previously colllaborated on the all-time classic "A Film Called Pimp" that Jay Dee produced for Com's "Like Water For Chocolate" around '99. While the song isn't as heavy as that incredible joint, it's undoubtedly worthy of a few spins and Lyte and Com' goes very well together. The song also features ad-libs by 10 Beats and is produced by Loudbox. It will be interesting to see what she will be doing on the album, which still remains untitled.

COMMON - "City to City" (Target Bonus)

The Deluxe Edition of Common's "Nobody's Smiling" have been going pretty warm in my earphones these last few days, and my homie Ant a.k.a. ZiLLA blessed me with an extra joint from the album called "City to City". This funky banger is an exclusive to the Target edition only, and just like the rest of the project its produced by No I.D. I'm definitely feeling this more than a couple of the lesser tracks on the ordinary tracklist so I think it's only right y'all get to hear this.

[Album] COMMON & NO ID - "Nobody Smiling"

I gotta be honest in that I was slightly dissapointed on my first couple of listens of Common and No I.D.'s just released "Nobody Smiling". Mainly because it wasn't quite what I expected; you can tell that the lush arrangements of the production has heavily influenced Dion from working with Kanye West and vice versa, which is not a bad thing in my opinion. It's not a perfect album, but the more I listen to it the more I'm feeling it, the song "Rewind This" is one of Common's best songs in a long while, and "Kingdom", "The Neighborhood", "7 Deadly Sins", etc are simply brilliant music. It does need the three bonus tracks offered on the Deluxe Edition and I'm glad that at least they are not just iTunes bonus but are actually available in physical formats. You can stream the entire thing via Spotify below, and when you've finnished listening to the album be sure to check out this magnificent interactive video conversation of Lonnie and Dion discussing and breaking down the LP track by track - it's a real interesting watch. Cop the Deluxe Edition of "Nobody Smiling" at Amazon (interestingly enough both the regular CD and the Deluxe version shares the same price).

[Album] COMMON - "Nobody Smiling"

Damn, there's something seriously wrong here, I have written thsi article three times now and it just keeps dissapearing for some reason. So I'ma keep it short now, Common Sense has always been an emcee I held in the higest regard; his flow, his cadence and especially his lyrical theme - and the way he always uses one singular producer or production team for his LP.s - creating early classics with No I.D. such as "Like Water For Chocolate" (2000), "Electric Circus" (2002) [yeah I said it], his three debut albums produced by Nio I.D. and the KanYe West produced "Be" and Finding Forever" (2005/2007). Last but not least in 2012 he hooked up with No I.D. again on the excellent +"The Dreamer/The Believer" as well as some side projects like the Cocaine '80s mixtape featuring some of Chi-Town's finest from all apsects of music. His catalouge is steadily growing stronger, out of his 10 albums or so there is only one I don't care for - The Neptunes produced "Universa Mind Control"

Now he's back with another free mixtape in preparation for his upcoming full-length and it's another really good LP juding by the four singles we've hars so far. The new album is called "Nobody Smiling" and is a concept album on the rising violence and gun packing in Chicago cityy. The CD is released next Tueday while the vinyl drops via Def Jam @ UGHH. You can stream the album and pre-order the project. Until then get your freak on and ress play below and sith back, relax, and enjoy some words of wisdom from tge fanukt,

01. "The Neighborhood"
02. "No Fear"
03. "Diamondss"
04. "Blak Majik"
05. "Speak My Piece"
06. "Hustle Hard"
07. "Nobody's Smiling"
08. "Real"
09. "Kingdom"
10. "Rewind That"
DELUXE EDITION
11. "Out Of Bound"
12. "7 Deadly Sins"
13. "Young Hearts Run Free"

COMMON - "NOBODY SMILING"

COMMON - "The Neighborhood" (Ft. Cocaine '80s)

With the exception of one single album in a long and illustrious career Chi-Town's finest Common has released nothing but quality albums, and his new team-up with No I.D. in "Nobody Smiling" hardly seems to be an exception. It's a short album with only 10 songs and the two previous singles were both real slaming; not Com and No I.D. lets loose one of the joints from the deluxe bonus limited edition album featuring the producer's band Cocaine '80s and Lil' Herb. The song is called "The Neighborhood" and is another impressive cut, albeit not quite as strong as the previous two official singles - but it's far from bad, far, far from it. "Nobody Smiling" drops next Tuesdy, and I for one can't wait. Check out the single below and bang your head to this smooth jam.

[Tracklist] COMMON - "Nobody Smiling"

Common and his long-time producer No I.D. has revealed the tracklist, artwork and release date for their latest long player, entitled "Nobody Smiling". To be released on July 22 as a joint venture between Def Jam and ARTium Records the record sports a black-and-white photo of Common, contrasting the cheerful high-colour photo seen on "Be". Made up of only ten songs (with an additional three attached to the Deluxe Edition) the album is entirely produced by No I.D. and includes collaborations with Vince Staples, Big Sean, Cocaine 80s, Jhéne Aiko and a few others. Not included on the final tracklist are the previously released singles "Made in Black America" and "War"; however the hard hitting "Kingdom" is thankfully still apperaing.

EDIT - Be sure to check out the just released single "Speak My Piece", embeded at the bottom of this post.

01. "The Neighborhood" (Ft. Cocaine 80s & Lil' Herb)

02. "No Fear"

03. "Diamonds" (Ft. Big Sean)

04. "Blak Majik" (Ft. Jhéne Aiko)

05. "Speak My Piece"

06. "Hustle Harder"

07. "Nobody Smiling"

08. "Real" (Ft. Elijah Blake)

09. "Kingdom" (Ft. Vince Staples)

10. "Rewind That"

DELUXE EDITION

11. "Out On Bond" (Ft. Vince Staples)

12. "7 Deadly Signs"

13. "Young Hearts Run Free" (Ft. Cocaine 80s)

[Video] COMMON Ft. Vince Staples - "Kingdom"

Common just let loose of his beautifully looking Hype Williams directed video for his epic new single with producer No I.D. and guest emcee Vince Staples, "Kingdom". Com' really gets busy here and the arrangements and production is just mind-blowing - excellent joint.

COMMON Ft. Vince Staples - "Kingdom" [prod. NOID]

Common is back again with No I.D. on the board for the first single from their upcoming "Nobody Smile", and the result is absolutely stunning. Great, introspective lyrics, chunky beats, a beautiful gospel vocal loop and a nice guest apperance from Vince Staples. On a related note, check out Staples/NoID's excellent free mixtape "Shyne Coldchain II". I enjoyed "The Dreamer/The Believer" but despite some cuts being absolute mindblowers, I felt it didn't quite manage to live up to the legacy of Com's LP:s like his two by Dilla, his most previously recent NoID albums or "Be". However, the first single certainly bodes well for the rest of the project which should be out soon. 

COMMON - "Made In Black America" [prod. No I.D.]

It's great to have Common, one of my favorite emcees by the way, returning to Chicago and his original roots in working with super producer No I.D. In 2012 they released their first collaboration album in 15 years with "The Dreamer/The Believer" which featured pllenty of hot music, and now they are at it again, preparing a new LP to be called "Nobody Smiling". The first single, "War", was a real banger and now the second single is here and sounds just as promising! "Made in Black" also features a stellar performance by young talent Ab-Soul.

COMMON - "War" [prod. NO I.D.]

Save for the musical marvel that was Common's contribution to Robert Glasper's latest album ("I Stand Alone") not much of interest has come out of Chi-Town's finest since his full-length reunion with No I.D. on 2011's "The Dreamer/The Believer". Yesterday news stories based on an interview with Com' revealed that he's been hard at work on another LP with No I.D. set for release this year. Titled "Nobody's Smiling" the project is a call for action against the extreme violence and gun glorificiation that has plagued the the duo's hometown for the last years. 

Only 24 hours after the initial announcement and the first single is already here! Appropriately titled "War", this agressive cut sees Common constructing impeccable lyricism aimed at the heart of the problem and a hard, boom bap type of beat by No I.D. If this is what to expect from the LP, this will be truly brilliant. The Soundcloud link below offers listeners both a stream and free download so make sure to check this out!

Common / Sean Touré - "6th Sense Remix"

Baltimore producer Sean-Touré are back with another one of his trademark reimagination of some of hip-hop's most classic records. Here he takes on Common's "6th Sense" featuring Bilal and does a great job as always. Adding an imaginative piano loop and pounding drums, the real excellence comes once Toure adds the dramatic strings underneath the classic Com' Sense verses. This track continues producer Sean Touré's collaboration with Oakland film editor Todd "Big La" Kelly.

 

This is another installment in the ongoing "The Sean-Touré Remix Video Project" which has given us a brand new remix video from the two on a regular basis. From what I understand all of these remixes (and maybe a few more) will be released on October 29. These remixes are really something, but after these two remix albums I hope Touré goes back to making original music as that was the way that first made me take notice of him. Check out the previous remixes @ Kelley's Vimeo and stay tuned for the full release which you'll see hear for sure!

Robert Glasper Experiment Ft. Common - "I Stand Alone"

As my two biggest favorite genres are by far hip-hop, followed by jazz, the modern Blue note signee Robert Glasper is a virtuoso piano player, and producer with a big love for hip-hop that shined through extensively on last year's "Black Radio" and the "Black Radio Revisited (Remixes) EP". So I'm real eager to see what his upcoming "Black Radio II" will have in store for us devoted fans. "I Stand Alone" is the latest single from the actual album and features stellar performances by Common and guest vocalist Patrick Stump and is definitely worth several listens. You can pre-order the album, which drops early next month Stay tuned for more info but in the meantime let the soothing sounds of "I Stand Alone" take you on a journey below. 

[Mixtape] KARRIEM RIGGINS - "Music Kaleidoscope"

Producer, DJ, and live drummer Karriem Riggins was a close friend of J Dilla, played extensively with Eric Reed and Oscar Brown, and produces instrumental hip-hop for Stones Throw. Easily one of Detroit's finest modern musician and just as easily someone that more heads should be very aware of. I'm not going to write too much about him right now as I intend to drop a 20+ tracks compilation of his outside production work here on The Lost Tapes already tomorrow. So, see this is a little warm up for you all to get acquainted with the musical wonderchild that is Karriem Riggins...

"Music Kaleidoscope" was a limited promotional CD released in 2009 on an imprint called Jae.B Group. During its 50 minutes run we are acquainted with Riggins the DJ, Riggins the producer, Riggins the drummer and Riggins the jazz lover in a seamless mix. Press play on the Soundcloud player below (thanks to Furious.Styles for the original upload) and enter Karriem's grooving mix of classic jazz, fusion, funk, R&B, and new compositions. A definite sure shot while you're waiting for the "official" compilation to be brought forward tomorrow... Keep that head moving!

01. Soft Machine - "Sly Monkey"
02. Miroslav Vitous - "See You, November"
03. Donald Byrd - "Think Twice"
04. Karriem Riggins & George Duke - "Untitled"
05. Common - "Sex For Suga" [Karriem Riggins Remix]
06. Rhythm Heritage - "Three Days Of The Condor"
07. Karriem Riggins - "Soon"
08. Karriem Riggins - "If This World Were Mine"
09. Dizzy Gillespie - "Matrix"
10. The Moments - "Sho Nuff Boogie"
11. Bobby Timmons - "I Don't Know What Time It Is"
12. Wee Three - "Reflection"
13. Guillermo Klein - "De Sábados Prá Dominguinhos"
14. Karriem Riggins - "Chinese Arithmetic"
15. Karriem Riggins - "12's in 8's"
16. Karriem Riggins - "Pacman @ The Prom"
17. Karriem Riggins - "Trance Delight"
18. Karriem Riggins - "Better Days"
19. Nohelani Cypriano - "Lihue"
20. Johnny Hammond - "Quiet Storm"
21. Robertinho do Recife - "O Elefante"
22. Isaac Hayes - "Title Theme (Tough Guys)"
23. Karriem Riggins - "Harp Me"
24. Mike Oldfield - "Part One (Tubular Bells)"
25. Karriem Riggins - "Outro"

Yancey Boys Ft. Common - "Quicksand"

The Yancey Boys now consists of Illa J and Frank Nitt (of Frank-N-Dank), brother and frequent collaborator of J Dilla, respectively. Their forthcoming album, "Sunset Boulevard" is created around previously unreleased tracks from the great producer's deep vaults. Joining Frank Nitt and Illa J on the project is other Dilla associates such as Common, T3, Guilty Simpson, Posdnous and SlimKid3 as well as The Beat Junkies and Eric Robertson. “We’ve created an album that would make Dilla proud,” says Frank Nitt about the album. “But this isn’t a nostalgia trip: Dilla’s beats were so future-forward that they’re right on time in 2013, and we’ve assembled the best artists possible to represent that.” And it is truly amazing how fresh and knocking these old beats still sounds today as is clearly evident by the single "Quicksand", featuring Common and singer Dezi Page. Beautiful!

Support the cause and cop the single (strapped with the Beat Junkies assisted B-side "Fisherman") from iTunes. Stream supplied by Delicious Vinyl. 

COMMON / D'ANGELO - "Geto Heaven Part Two"

I first realized that some people might actually have missed out on this fantastic classic when my copy of "Like Water For Chocolate" started to wear out and I tried to download it. On every single download, "Geto Heaven Part Two" was replaced with this horrible club remix featuring Macy Gray, and of course the song that skipped on my CD was "G.H.P.T.". I can't understand how ?uestlove, Common and Derick Dudley could ever think it was a good idea in any way, shape, or form to throw in that remix on such a complete album as "Like Water..."; it totally breaks up the mood and it's not even remotely good on its own. To me, Com's first album after he moved to New York is his best album, and not only that but one of the bsst hip-hop albums ever released; Jay Dee's production on 11 of the albums 16 songs are all fantastic and the remaining tracks by D'Angelo, ?uestlove and James Poyser and the powerful outro by Karriem Riggins is such a wonerfully arranged front-to-back listen. To me, it's a better and more mature album than both "Resurrection" and "Be", though both of them are true masterpieces in my book as well. One of the album's strengths is the flow of the album, and how all the songs tie in to each other with the The Soulquarian's collective handling of the production and Common's renewed sense of awareness in his lyrics; something that had started on "One Day It'll Make Sense" but really came through with his move to New York where he met like-minded people like Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch. For the abovestated reasons, it's really mind boggling how the horrible Macy Gray version without any apologies takes a gigantic leap from everything the album represents.

The original version, instead featuring one of the geatest soul artists of the last 20 years in D'Angelo, is something completely different; strong, positively melancholic and passionately beautiful, created through perfect performances by everyone who participated in the sessions. Unlike the album's preceeding tracks, "Geto Heaven Pt. 2" is entirely created with live instrumentation; you got Brother ?uestlove on drums, D'Angelo on accoustic piano, James Poyser on Rhodes, Antonio Hart on flute and Pino Palladino on bass. In other words, The Soulquarian's truly coming together as a unit and working out a hauntingly beautiful, yet peaceful song. It was the perfect opening to the final act of Common's crown acheivement as an artist. Interestingly enough this wasn't even part of the original LP in its initial stages, which is pretty fantastic considering how much in the vein of it it definitely is, but rather recorded for D'Angelo's "Voodoo" album. Of course, those two albums were recorded simultaneously in Electric Ladyland studios with much of The Roots' "Things Fall Apart" and the majority of Erykah Badu's brilliant "Mama's Gun"; making a quartet of albums that are like sister albums to each other and are about equally good; true classics that everybody who loves soul and hip-hop should have in their collections,  The story, as told by ?uestlove, goes that when D'Angelo heard the original beat for "Chicken Grease", that The Soulquarians had just jammed out during a Common session he was more than willing to trade "Geto Heaven" for the initial Common track; and even throw in a wonderful guest vocal chorus to boost. You could almost say that "Like Water..." and "Voodoo" are reflections of each other; the hip-hop side, and the soul side (and Badu's "Mama's Gun" I always considered to be the female counterpart to D'Angelo's male perspective on "Voodoo"), so the pieces naturally just fit as good as they did. The Roots' "Things Fall Apart" definitely fit in in this equation as well, it's a rather new sound for The Roots heavily influenced by D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and of course Jay Dee who laced the funky as shit joint "Dynamite" and the hilarious B-aside only, "New Year's At Jay Dee's".  

So why am I posting a song from 2000 you might ask; the answer is simple - as I said I came to the realization that many people might not even have heard it since it seemed it was hard to download when I was hunting it down and this deserves to be heard by EVERYONE, much unlike THIS - "GHETO HEAVEN (T.S.O.I,P. REMIX)". That "Like Water..." is spinning on my turntable right now of course plays into the decision to post this now as well, so if you haven't heard the original version. you can check the YouTube video up top, and to download I ripped a quite nice 192 kbps rip of my CD (the one that sometimes skips). Luckily, I'm listening to the Mp3 now and it's not skipping at all, so enoy this straight up FANTASTIC track (produced by GOD according to the credits BTW). If you're gonna buy Common's New York debut with The Soulquarian's make sure to pick up a used copy, preferably on wax; maybe on Discogs to make sure that you get the original version of the LP. With that being said, that wack remix still doesn't alone manage to break an album as dope as "Like Water..."; you still got Jay Dee doing most of the production (which is it s lot more traditional and atmospheric  than his work on the madly overlooked "Electric Circus), and is full of fantastic beats, interludes, guests and of course amazing coallabos by The Roots, Slum Village, MC Lyte, DJ Premier, Bilal, Mista Sinista, Mos Def, Roy Hargrove, Femi Kuti, Cee-Lo, and Razhel.

COMMON Ft. D'ANGELO - "GHETTO HEAVEN PT. II"