K-DEF's Signature 7 Series

As I've reported earlier, the Slice-Of-Spice label and Lord Finesse are releasing a series of seven 7" inch singles called The Signature 7 Series, all featuring one previously unreleased song in both vocal and instrumental versions. It now appears thar the impeccable K-DEF has got the same deal with the label worked out. No release dates has yet been given but according to S.O.S. pre-orders will be taken soon. Three of the songs that will be released has been made available as snippets for preview; the song "Long Gev" is a track 'Def produced for World Renown's unreleased debut album around '94 . The two others are performed by artists that I'm not previously familiar with but they are both equipped with that grooving K-Def funk that gets you right in the mood. Peep the snippets below and stay tuned for more information about the series.

Willie The Kid - "Waste Not, Want Not"

Check out the video for "Waste Not, Want Not", The Alchemist produced heatrock from Willie The Kid's sick ass mixtape "The Cure II" that dropped a couple of months ago. This has to be one of my favorite WTK songs yet, the kid got skills and knows how to pick a nasty beat to display it over!

[EP] Brother Ali - "The Bite Marked Heart"

Rhymesayers' Brother Ali bangs out his new EP called "The Bite Marked Heart" free of chargee for all his fans. With usual suspects ANT (tracks 3 and 4) and Jake One (all others) behind the boards you can bet safely on this being worth your time. Can't hate on a Phonte / Ali collabo either, right!?

01. "Shine On" (Ft. Nikki Jean)
02. "Electric Energy"
03. "I Can't Wait"
04. "I'll Be Around" (Ft. Phonte & Stokley Williams)
05. "Years"
06. "Haunted House" (Ft. Aby Wolf)
07. "The Bite Marked Heart"

BROTHER ALI - "THE BITE MARKED HEART"

Planet Asia's new crew preps LP with Alchemist

Besides getting ready to release his new solo album "Black Belt Theater", Planet Asia has been in the studio working with producer The Alchemist on an LP featuring The Durag Dynasty Clique. The crew is a trio of emcees led by Asia which also features TriState and Killer Ben. In a recent interview with HipHopDX Planet Asia spoke about the album, praising its production as some of ALC's finest work as well as assuring to deliver "the best albums of 2012". He also compares it to Group Home's classic '95 debut "Living Proof" which is promising to say the least. Check out the full article @ DX and peep the Alchemist produced "Over Your Head" (from 2006's "The Medicine") for a taste of what these two hip-hop veterans can cook up together. I'm absolutely hyped for this one!

PLANET ASIA x ALC - "OVER YOUR HEAD" (Ft. Black Thought) 

Dillon / Diamond D - "Take Japan"

Emcee Dillon who I don't know the first thing about delivers a hot single called "Take Japan" from a free project titled "Dillon Ain't Playin'". This new song is produced by none other than D.I.T.C. legend Diamond D which always guarantee greatness and that is no exception if you ask me. Diamond remains as one of the most underrated producers in my opinion considering I hold him as a top 5 producer based on past works and he rarely dissapoints as far as beats goes even to this day. You can now free of charge or buy  "Dillon Ain't Playin'" which also features production from, amongst others, Supa Dave West and collaborations with Boog Brown and Willie Evans Jr.

Lord Finesse / DJ Spinna - "S.K.I.T.S."

Turn up the volume on this nasty meeting between two A-team producers as the one and only DJ Spinna puts his spin on Lord Finesse's '94 classic "S.K.I.T.S." ("Shorties Kaught Up in the System" that is) resulting in a funky remix. According to 'Ness current label Slice-Of-Spice this will be a bonus joint on their "Lord Finesse's Signature Sevens" set (which is a series of exclusive 7" records) which will be going on pre-sale next week. This Spinna mix might very well have been made for the long-awaited "Funky Techician" project although "S.K.I.T.S." was a soundtrack and 12" joint released a few years after that masterpiece of an album.

 

Damu the Fudgemunk / Raw Poetic - "Streamline"

Redefinition Records keeps cementing their position as one of the leading labes for pure underground hip-hop. The latest forthcoming project out the camp is a Damu the Fudgemunk 16-tracks album with Panacea emcee Raw Poetic (who made a marvellous recent apperance on K-Def's "Night Shift"). The LP will serve as the follow-up to a previous collaboration between the two known as "Kilawatt V.1" (the new project is instead titled "Killawatt V.1.5") The first single which you can hear below and is sure to get you hyped goes by the name of "Streamline". February 28th is the release date so be on the lookout. For more info and to place orders head over to The Redefinition site.

"Dilla Bot Vs. The Hybrid" [Alt. Mix]

The Pete Rock / Ma Dukes overseen "Jay Stay Paid" that was released in 2009 is still getting the occassional front-to-back play at my place. In fact it's a beat tape that any serious Dilla head should have in their collection and is easily one of the best and most well executed posthumous albums I've ever heard. During its 60 minutes running time I was introudced to Danny Brown for the first time who mangaed to impress me on the song called "Dilla Bot Vs. The Hybrid". Now Nature Sounds lets loose of the original, or at least an alternative, version of the joint featuring different verses from Brown. Worth checking out y'all!

Imagine That / Shyheim / Block McCloud

Duo Imagine That (Mike Love and eNVy) drops their fat new single, "Why Try", featuring Shyheim and Block McCloud and a severely ill self-produced backdrop. This song is set to appear on Imagine That's upcoming drop "Fried Liquor", coming soon. For more music from the group check out ImagineThatMusic.com.

"We hooked up with Block after my cousin Arkitech mixed the Brooklyn Academy album. We sent him this beat from us and he happened to be in the studio with Shyheim, then boom. Got this track rolling."

IMAGINE THAT / SHYHEIM / BLOCK MCCLOUD - "WHY TRY"

Union / Roc Marciano - "Preset Mars"

Union is a duo consisting of OJ and Gold, two producers hailing from Paris. They are currently signed to Fat Beats and has just released their full-length album "Analogtronics" on both wax, CD and digital format. A dope LP that might fly over alot of people's heads considering they are not a well known act. To compliment the soulful soundscapes created by OJ and Gold are a host of guest features made up of some of todays illest rhymeslingers - Talib Kweli, Roc Marciano, MF DOOM, eLzhi, Big Pooh, Moka Only and Guilty Simpson. The joint with Strong Island O.G. Marciano is called "Preset Mars" is short but very effective as the new single from the album, check it out. To order your copy of "Analogtronics", head over to UGHH.

UNION / ROC MARCIANO - "PRESET MARS"