THE ROOTS - "Rising Down" (Ft. STYLES P & MOS DEF) [Alt. Mix]

As any fan of this blog knows I'm very big on lost sessions, demos and alternative versions from dope artists (hence the name). I finished ?uestlove's biography "Mo' Meta Blues" yesterday so naturally I've been on a Roots kick lately. From the moment I heard them I've been a huge fan of albums like "Illadelph Halflife" and "Things Fall Apart" but lately I've come to feel like The Roots is one of those bands that really have gotten even better with time. Almost every single one of their albums shows a growth and a new direction and especially Black Thought has really evolved into one of the greatest emcees of all time if you ask me. His always been an incredibly talented lyricist with an unbelivable flow but what I really appreciate with the records post-"Tipping Point" is the emphasis on meaningful lyrics. One of my favorite The Roots joints has to be the album opener and title track to their 2008 opus "Rising Down". Not only is it a genius collaboration between Styles P, Mos Def and Black Thought, who all offer different perspectives on what we are doing to the world, the production is some of the hardest shit the band has ever laid down. Check out the original version of the song that features a different beat than what eventually ended up on the LP.

[download] 

[Album] MOS DEF x PRESERVATION - "The [RE]ECSTATIC"

The summer is fantastic over here, and so far May and June has by far been the most incredible months in 2013 hip-hop so far, and there's stil a lot of ´heavy releases stil on the horizon. This is a real geam; I always tried to spread the word on producer Preservation since I heard him on projects like "Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture", Afu-Ra's "Dynamine", his work on Lord Jamar's solo outing and of course Mos Def's "Tru3 Magic" and "The Eccstatic".

"The Ecstatic" was to me one of the most played albums of 2009, super original, clever storytelling built on Mos' unique cadence and some of the best underground producers in the game (Madlib, Oh No, Preservation, Mr. Oizo, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and even J Dilla). So imagine my pleasure to find out that Preservation has remixed the entire album, mixed and mastered as  Jan Fairchild, as "The [RE]ecstatic". While it doesn't match the original album, it's a noble effort and actually sounds fresh as hell. Also included are an exclusive joint called "Black Fantastic", produced by heavyweight underground producer and frequent Mos Def collaborator Minnesota. That "The [RE]ecstatic" is a free project does of course not hurt either, so hurry up and download this while you still can. All you have to do is enter your name and e-mail adress and start downloading, you don't even have to wait to get a confirmation mail. BANG YOUR HEAD to this!!'

YASIIN BEY - "THE [RE]ECSTATIC" @ MON DIEU MUSIC

Mos Def x Preservation - "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" Remix

I still haven't got used to calling Mos Def Yasiin Bey, and since 2009's "The Ecstatic" was released under the Mos moniker I'ma post this under the former Rawkus' king's original name. "The Ecstatic" was one of my most played albums of that year, and Preservation's several contributions were all off the hook, so it's pleasant enws that he is remixing the entire album which will be released as The REcstatic. Word is that the newly interpreted LP will land sometime during next month, but if you want to kow what to expect check out the first single bwlow; "Quiet Dog Bite Hard" (which was actually laced by Preservation in its original form). I have a hard time imagining this will be as terrific as the OG CD/LP but this bangs pretty hard nontheless, and I'm looking forward to hearing what Preservation got in store for this project.

MOS DEF - "The Light is Not Afraid Of The Dark"

Okayplayer just released the full version of the dope Kanye West produced "The Light is Not Afraid of the Dark" that was premiered in a live recording some week ago. The guy of course by Yasiin Bey now, but this is not a new song but rather recorded around 2005 for his "True Magic" album. I don't know why this was cut as it's knocks pretty damn hard, and would have done a favor to Mos' most overlooked release. Crazy shouts to OKP for this lost tape!