[Album] SKYZOO & TORAE - "Barrell Brothers"

Skyzoo and Torae finally gets together for an official album which is especially exciting as these two cats represent a younger generation of really talented East Coast emcees and they both broke into the industry around the same time. From what I've heard so far the album, "Barrell Brothers", is structured around Sky and Tor spitting seriously ill shit, building off each other's energy, over high powered boom bap bangers supplied by the likes of DJ Premier, Oh No, Black Milk, !llmind and Khrysis. The entire album steams for free @ DJBooth (where you can also purchase the downlaod) while the CD now ships from UGHH and other retailers.

EDIT - Be sure to also check out "Got It From Here", a bonus track for iTunes and the forthcoming vinyl release produced by Apollo Brown. Actually one of the strongest cuts of the project for me.

MIDAZ THE BEAST - "The New #52" (Vol. 17, 18, 19)

Since I haven't been updated The Lost Tapes as much as I would have preferred this last month, two relatively new exclusives from L.T. favorite MidaZ The Beast's "The New #52" series (the weekly music serial released by MidaZ and his camp once every week together with complete single artworked designed by talented comic book artist Gift Revolver) slipped under the radar. As I often say, better late than never, so be sure to check out the latest madness from The BEAST. First out is "Gotta Get Over" (which you'll find uptop) where you find MidaZ going in HARD over the dark funk (complete with sinister strings, a chopped hard bop sax, vocal stabs, a pounding bass line, and even a broken accoustic piano while our man goes deep - might just be one of my favorites from the series yet!

Second cut is a more laid-back, bass heavy "Grown Fol Music" where MidaZ takes a lyrical journey between battle type lyrics and the occassional more spiritual and/or introspective lyric. The constant bass line and the drum programming (the latter which is very, very low in the sonic image. The electric bass and the ocassional rhodes however is what truly makes this track a long with impressive verses by guest emfcee Kinetic 9 of Killarmy fame and of course MidaZ himself. Powerful song for real, and not suprisingly produced by IMAKEMADBEATS,

The most recent "New #52" track is a HARDCORE posse cut produced by AJ of Dynaite Bruh's, and started out as a Sha Stimuli track featuring Wordsworth (the finished song also features D'Augustine). I absolutely love rugged and raw posse cuts of this nature, uncompromising and hard hitting so I might even go out on a limb and say that this is the sickest yet out of all the "New #52" releases. To check out all entires in the series so far, CLICK HERE.

SHABAAM SAHDEEQ - "That Dope" (Ft. Wais P & Sha Stimuli)

Shabaam Sahdeeq killed it every time he appeared on a single or track back in the Rawkus era, which I recently celebrated on the compilation "FUCK Rawkus". Following that he had a few years and dropped a few projects that clearly didn't make his skills any justice at all. The last few years however, with very momemorable guest apperances on records by DJ Spinna, Lewis Parker, and DJ Skizz to name a few. The latter is also the producer behind "The Dope", the first single from Sahdeeq's just announced fifth official album; to be titled "Keepers Of The Lost Art". Looking at the tracklist (see below), this definitely looks CRAZY, good to see a lot of Lewis Parker, DJ Skizz, DJ Spinna and I'm especially hyped about the features from Tragedy and REKS. The album drops on April 22, according to iTunes.

01. Keepers Of The Lost Art (prod. by Res Nullius) 
02. Conceited Confidence (prod. by Ran Reed) 
03. Playing Games (prod. by Lewis Parker) 
04. Speak Truth (feat. Reks & Kamala) [prod. by DJ Ready Cee] 
05. Walk With the Light (prod. by Lewis Parker) 
06. That Dope (feat. Wais P & Sha Stimuli) [prod. by DJ Skizz] 
07. Hardbody & Heavy (feat. Half A Brick, EastKoast & DJ Dister) [prod. by Lewis Parker] 
08. Tranquilo (prod. by Harry Fraud) 
09. Grown Man Hustle (feat. Eric Rico) [prod. by Lewis Parker] 
10. The Come Back Kid (feat. Skyzoo and F.T.) [prod. By DJ Skizz] 
11. Seasons Change (prod. by Lewis Parker) 
12. City of Fame (feat. Mic Handz) [prod. by Teike van Baden] 
13. He Who Dares (feat. Lewis Parker) [prod. by Lewis Parker] 
14. Fall In Line (prod. by DJ Wonder) 
15. O.G. Certified (feat. Tragedy Khadafi & DJ Ready Cee) [prod. by Lewis Parker] 
16. Done It All (feat. Bekay) [prod. by DJ Dister] 
17. Relax (Remix) [prod. by DJ Dister] 
18. Energon 2 (feat. Spit Gemz & DJ Dister) [prod. by One Take] 
19. Honor Me Now (Remix) [prod. by Science of Vinyl Villains] 
20. U Don’t Want None (feat. General DV) [prod. by AlterBeats] 
Bonus Tracks (Digital Only): 
21. Cut From a Different Cloth (feat. Hakim) [prod. by Donald Robinson Cole the 3rd]
22. Do You (prod. by DJ Spinna) 
23. Motion Picture (prod. by DJ Spinna)

[Album] WILLIE THE KID x BRONZE NAZARETH - "The Living Daylights"

Willie The Kid and Bronze Nazareth has definitely been on their respective grinds these past few years, so the news that they were working on a full-length collaboration came as a real pleasant suprise to many. The resulting "The Living Daylights" is now available, and is something you without question will want to hear ASAP as it features Willie's typical hustle and grind lyrics over Bronze's Shaolin Soul chops, with guest spots from heavy hitters such as Roc Marciano, Sean Price, LA The Darkman, Sha Stimuli and Boldy James. Luckily, Noisey.com has got the go-ahead to premier the entire album as a free stream throught their Audiomack account, though the project of course is available for purchase @ iTunes as well. SICK!!

[Album] AWKWORD - "World View"

NYC emcee Awkword released a very interesting project late this Sunday; unfortunately it hit the net after I had gone to bed due to the dime difference over here, and since I haven't been on The Lost Tapes since then really I haven't been able at all to make any new updates. But better late than never, here's Awkword's anticipated concept album "World View" which featues Awkword and several A-list underground spitters going in over production collected from all over the world. Really interesting stuff, and especially when some of the producers include ATG, Numsonics, Domingo, DJ Fafu, The White Shadows, Tranzformers and many more, while guests include, but not limited to, Chaundon, Sean Price, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Punchline, Beretta 9, Jasiri X, Chino XL, Sha Stimuli, REKS, C-Rayz Walz, Dug Infinite, Mista Lawgne (!), ILLBILL, Slug, and Joell Ortiz. Despite featuring several producers "World View" clearly has a cohessive soun, and comes off as an homage to the Golden Age of true hip-hop. Be sure to check this one out, not least because it's a free digital project, sponsored by the always great DJBooth. TURN IT UP!!

WILLIE THE KID Ft. Sean Price & Sha Stimuli - "Delirium"

Willie The Kid has really stepped out of his brother's shadow this last year with a string of knocking releases, most recently the highly rewind-worthy "Masterpiece Theater" EP with producer The Alchemist. Now, only a few months later The Kid is back with a full-length album, completely produced by critically acclaimed Wisemen member Bronze Nazareth. We've heard two tracks before that all sound pretty promising, but the latest single that was just premiered by Complex.com is in fact the fattest yet. Entitled "Delirium", the song features Willie lyrically sparring with no lesser spitters than Sean Price and Sha Stimuli over a vintage soul-chop-heavy Bronze Nazareth beat. Check out the single and the tracklist below (with links to the two previous singles for anyone who might've missed on 'em the first time). "The Living Daylights" will be available January 2014...

01. "Intro"
02. "Avalon" (Ft. Roc Marciano)
03. "The Guilt"
04. "Ain't Nothing" (Ft. Boldy James)
05. "Fucking Blades" (Ft. La The Darkman)
06. "Bless My Food" (Ft. Tekh Togo)
07. "Sweet Sorrow"
08. "Delirium" (Ft. Sean Price & Sha Stimuli)
09. "The Blitz" (Ft. S-Class Sonny)
10. "Coming From"
11. "Breakfast In France"
Bonus Tracks
12. "Ice Cold Guiness" (Ft. La The Darkman)
13. "Wu Babies" (Ft. Young Dirty Bastard & Sun God)

[Album] SHA STIMULI - "The Present"

Sha Stimuli is probably one of the most active emcees when it comes to dropping music this year. Starting in January of this year, he dropped the first installment in "The Rent Tape" series with "The Calling" mixtape. Since then, Sha has released a new free tape on a monthly based, and wisely he's save the best for last - "The Present" is a collaboration with production duo Dynamite Bruhz and is full of banging beats and intellectual rhymes. Guest features are many and heavy; how about J-Live, Reks, Torae, MidaZ The Beast, Wordsworth, Skyzoo, Planet Asia, Boog Brown, Rapper Big Pooh, Buff1, and more. Don't sleep on this one guys!

Sha Stimuli x Skyzoo x Torae - "Rapping Papers"

Three of the best emcees from the graduation class of 2009 joins forces for this bumping posse cut called "Rapping Papers". In case you have missed out on this, Sha Stimuli have released indidividual tracks as "The Rent Series" on a regular basic throughout the years, and this heavy htting collabo with two of NY's most interesting emcees at the moment closes out the series. In case you missed the Sha series, don't disspear as the full collection will be available for free on Monnday, December 24 via Bandcamp. Other features include J-Live, Planet Asia, Reks, Jamal Bufford, Playboy Tre and many more. Production and turntable work are provided by The Dynamite Bruhz, and three time Scrabble Jam champion DJ Presyce, respectively. Stay tuned for a link right here on The Lost Tapes on December 24.