M.W.P. / OH NO / SMOOVTH - "Blood Diamonds"

M.W.P. is an up-and-coming producer for his lead single from his upcoming album hooks up with both Oh No and Smoovth of Tha Connection for a soulful single entitled "Blood Diamonds". Dope track; stay tuned for more info on M.W.P.'s upcoming project, sit back and enjoy the music.

[Album] EL GRANT - "The Beast Academy"

I know this dropped almost a week ago by now, but as I haven't been updating I feel this needs to be posted to make sure it won't fly over other peoples heads. I've been posting the singles leading up to New Yoprk freestyle champ  El Grant's's album, entirely produced by JOAT (Jack Of All Trades) who's boom bap/golden age-esque production forms a great chemistry with the quick witted emcee. It's not often that we get a 10 track album these days, but El Grant has wisely chose to strip the album of all fat, only leaving the swelling meat which he serves up with hip-hop totates and make it gravy. Check out the Rick Rubin influenced "Bases Load" with it's dirty rock-sampling hip-hop beat that allows El Grant to put on some true A-game. "Goldie Hawn" is another certified banger where two master lyricists clashses head to head and gives the listener a true journey through rap verbals of the higest order, all set to a beautifull soul joint. But in the end this is an album you listen to front-to-back each and every time, not only because it's short in length but also because it's extremely poignant all the way through. Enjoy this one as you stream it below, but if you dig it you can cop a digital download @ DJBooth for $7.99. TURN IT UP!

[EP] EL DA SENSEI - "Try Again"

Redefinition Records is getting bigger all the time, churning out quality release after quality release. El Da Sensei has been featured on some of the releases but it's first now that the once Artifacts member is actually signed as a full blown solo artist and the starting blast is an EP entitled "Try Again". Only featuring three cuts, the EP's running times strictly flies away and once you know it's over but oh what powerful joints the three tracks are and is a promise of good things to come. El Da Sensei flows right on spot on whatever beat he's given although the production range from straight up boom bap to atmospheric and reflective joints like the title track - but it's always straight up hip-hop, no question about that. 

The aforementioned joint is produced by one of the most underrated producers in the game, long-time DJ Spinna collaborator Joc Max, who does a wonderful job here with the low-key production, complete with cuts from Damu The Fudgemunk. "Smoke to Me" is another relatively laid back joint with El in fine form, inspired by the lesser known D-Smooth, whose blend of haunting piano samples, progressive drum and bass, and some minor changes throughout the beat. The final vocal track is produced by House Shoes, a Detroit legend yet another underrated producer, and here he really shines on what might very well be the best song on the entire 10" sigle. Shoes give Sensei some real true school shit that formally screams boom bap and is sure to have your nodding your head more than the previous two joints as it's simply irrestible. Redefinition has put up the entire EP for stream below (or at least the vocal tracks) - and you can order the physical from Redefinition's Web Shop. Don't sleep on this and pump that volume up!

[Mix Set] DIAMOND D - 45 Set in Japan, Okinawa

Diamond D is probably the most dangerous triple threat out there as he possesses crazy skills behind the boards, on the turntables and with the verses. In 2014 he is not only preparing his producer album "The Diam Piece LP" and just produced the entirety of BIGREC's very serious LP "DoomsDay", the D.I.T.C. legend is also taking his incredible 7" only DJ sets to hit the road for a world tour. The film you see above contains an entire 60 minutes set recorded in Japan, Okinawa a couple of months back that was kindly uploaded to YouTube by the host of the event (Okayama Piece Club Snap). Enjoy this musical journey that takes us through rough soul, funk, hip-hop, rock and then some. TURN IT UP!!

SHOW & AG - "South Bronx Shit" [Remix Ft. A-Bless, Majestic Gage & Tashane)

Show & AG went HARD last year with three excellent releases with "MugshotMusic" and the two prequels preceeding it. "South Bronx Shit" was also one of the most rugged and hence my favorite on the "Preloaded" street album, with Show's horn-driven boom blaster complimenting AG's flow representing his 'hood and DJ Premier's scratch extravaganca, so it's fitting we are getting a video for it; albeit a different one from the album version, This new remix features the younger generation of Bronx bombers that the DITC crew has taken under their wings (Majestic Gage, A-Bless & Tashane), and is a nice compliment to the original version. Even DJ Premier pops up in the video for more than a cameo. What can I say - TURN IT UP!

[Soul] DAYNE JORDAN x JAZZY JEFF - "Abour the Art"

It's been quite some time since I've updated, life got in the way (and just got back from an excellent Mobb Deep concert with my man Big Rob; review coming), so I thought I'd start a little easy with some updates of joints I've missed posting and tomorrow I'll start posting regularily again. First out is three Lost Tapes favorites (DJ Jazzy Jeff - production, ?uestlove - drums, James Poyser - keys) who together form like voltron to deliver one of this year's strongest R&B/soul cuts with quriky singer Dane Jordan (p/k/a Dosage) who delivers a stunning performance on some '70s oozing downbeat blues soul, yet with a definite hip-hop angel with the cuts, the rhymes, the beat and pretty much overall the insttrumental track. The cat is from Philly which explains his close relationship with Jeff, and hopefully we see more from this young singer (and especially with more legendary producers and instrumentalists holding it down behind him) so stay tuned. Until then, press play above, and if you're with a girl you got a great soundtrack for your home date, and if you're alone this is one of them joints that you put on and zoom out on.

BUCKSHOT & P-MONEY - "Just Money"

Duck Down and Bucktown legend Buckshot joins forces with New Zealand producer P-Money for a full-length project entitled "Backpack Travels". Judging by the new single "Just Money" (above, also featuring Raz Fresco) and the earlier "Flute". this is taking it back to the golden era with knocking beats, heavy bottom, tight cuts, well written rhymes and soul samples. The album is available on June 24, but just a few weeks ago P-Money dropped his own producer project "Gratitude" which beside Buckshot also features legends like M.O.P., Havoc, Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano, Talib Kweli, Skyzoo, and more. Check that out below or download via Bandcamp.

ILLA GHEE - "Salute the General" (Ft. Lil' Fame)

Brooklyn spitter and long-time Mobb Deep affiliate, and recently more strongly associated with Sean Price, is gearing up for the release of his new album "Social Graffiti". The album is chock full of dope guests and producers (DJ Skizz, Ayatollah, Large Pro, OC, Lil' Fame, JuJu, Guilty Simpson, Royal Flush, Steele, Sean Price, etc.) and is set for a late summer release. The lead single is definitely a promising start as Illa grabs DJ Skizz and Lil' Fame for some truly satisfying boom bap shit! Check the tracklist below:

01. "Social Graffiti (Intro)" [prod. William Giovanni]
02. "Salute The Genreal" (Ft. Lil' Fame) [prod. DJ Skizz]
03. "Speak To 'Em" (Ft. Sean Price) [prod. Crummie Beats]
04. "Murda Boys" [prod. Diallo]
05. "Rum Raisin" [prod. M. Stacks]
06. "Get Money" [prod. Vinyl Frontiers]
07. "Razor Blade Vomit" [prod. Amazing SB]
08. "Blurred Pupil" (Ft. Rell) [prod. Shawneci]
09. "James Worthy" [prod. George Black]
10. "Bruised Ego" (Ft. JuJu) [prod. Crummie Beats]
11. "No Mercy" (Ft. Guilty Simpson & Switch) [prod. Crummie Beats]
12, "B,O.D.Y. (Bars Over Dose Yours)" [prod. Crummie Beats]
13. "Hold Up" (Ft. Royal Flush) [prod. Crummie Beats]
14. "Takin' in a 3rd Person" [prod. Ayatollah]
15. "90" [prod. Large Professor]
16. "On The BKLYN Side" (Ft. OC & Steele) [prod. Shawneci]
17. "Open The Door" [prod. Team Demo]

[Comp] BLACK THOUGHT - "Deep in Thought"

From one aspect "The Tipping Point" is The Roots' coolest album because it plays out as a true solo album by Black Thought, produced and played by ?uestlove, Kamal, Knuckles, Kirk Douglas and the gang. Since that grand statement from Tariq Trotter (B.T. that is) it seems that Thought's role in The Roots been less and less prominent with each release. "Game Theory" and "Rising Down" was fine though it was the start of having guest emcees on every other song. "How I Got Over" and "Undun", then, featured lesser songs (both clocking in at barely 40 minutes) while continuing the trend of guests joining Tariq on the microphone. This was quite easy to forget though, considering that these albums were up there among the best albums of their respective release years. The Roots crew's latest "...'a-And Then You Shoot Your Cousin" finally hit stores less than a month ago and was by far one of my most anticipated projects of the year. It is a truly fine album indeed, not quite living up to my high expectations, but the amount of Black Thought apperances on here is not even acceptable if you ask me. In total the album is 33 minutes, made up of 11 tracks, three of which are short interludes or instrumentals, two are guest vocal tracks, and the remaining six rap joints ALL feature guests. And that is definitely way too little Black Thought for anybody's taste - there's no debate that Black Thought is top 5 dead or alive; something for example acknowledged by such a great lyricist like Big Punisher. Let's just hope that "&TYSYC" is a one-off and future Roots project will have Tariq back in a leading lyrical role, especially since every single verse off his on the album was absolute top notch. The ill photo art up top is borrowed from Useman-GFX's site. Great work, thx!

While I liked "&TYSYC" it has truly left something akin to a black hole that needs to be filled up with recent Black Thought verses. Luckily it's here The Lost Tapes comes in, and I tried to use a wide array of tracks featuring Tariq dating back to 2010 and stretching to as recent as the just released "They Want Hardcore". Since The Roots have released side projects not starring Black Thought I've also decided to include a few cuts from the John Legend, Elvis Costello, and J. Period/John Legend/The Roots tapes. I have a feeling some might have missed out on those and hearing them in a context of nothing but B.T. places them in a completely different setting - I especially love Karriem Riggin's remix of Cotello/Root's "Cinco Minutos Con Vos" (which amost play as a BT solo joint), as well as the J. Period's remix of "In The Ghetto"; I mean who can resist Rakim and Thought going at it on the same track? There's been a lot of Thought features around the last years and I have tried to boiled it down to the hottest and best representative of Black Thought's skills and over the finest beats. Hopefully the minimal role Trotter played in the latest Roots album means he's hard at work on a solo album himself which would be very welcome. A while back there were even rumours going around that Danger Mouse was in talks with Lex Records and BT to produce a full-length LP together... Now that would've been something right there! 

So here it is, the Black Thought heavy compliment record to The Roots dope "..and Then You Shoot Your Cousin", centered around 16 tracks handpicked by me and mostly focusing on hardcore bangers with a few joints more focused on the sweeter, soulful side of things. Every track on here was recorded between 2010 and 2013, save for the final joint "Workinonit". I wasn't gonna use it but I decided to go against the grain for a several reasons - any The Roots fan not having heard this gem NEED to do so this life; it was essential to have at least one joint with Black Thought totally spazzing out over a whole track; and last but not least, any compilation could use some rare J Dilla production ("Workinonit" was released together with Saigon for The Roots' 2006 "Game Theory" but was scrapped due to Dilla's untimtely passing). So there you have it - another Lost Tapes presentation of one of the greatest emcees to ever pick up a pad and a pen. GET BUSY TO THIS!!!

01. "Thought Process: Intro"
02. "Rage is Back"
03. "Cinco Minutos Con Vos" [Karriem Riggins Mix] (w. Elvis Costello)
04. "In The Ghetto" (w. The John Legend, Rakim & CL Smooth)
05. "Little Ghetto Boy" (w. The Roots & John Legend)
06. "Codes & Cab Fare" (w. Black Milk)
07. "Bird's Eye View" (Ft. Xzibit, Raekwon & Joey Bada$$)
08. "Riot" (Ft. Thurz)
09. "Art Imitates Life" (Ft. Talib Kweli & Rah Digga)
10. "Dillanor Rigby" (Ft. John Legend, Blu, Gerg Porn & Dice Raw)
11. "God Knows Wy" (Ft. Nneka)
12. "B.D.K." (Ft. The Game & Talib Kweli)
13. "In Tha Park" (Ft. Ghostface Killah)
14. "Masers Of Our Fate" (Ft. Raekwon)
15. "Too Long" (Ft. Saigon)
16. "Workinonit" [Demo] [BONUS}

BLACK THOUGHT - "Deep In Thought" 

TIMELESS TRUTH - "Trife"

Hardcore Queens spiter Timeless Truth been dropping a whole bundch of well-oiled hip-hop bangers over the last couple of years, releasing their fat but overlooked debut album "Rock-It-Science" last year (featuring production and cameos from from PF Cuttin, Large Pro, Sean Price, Roc Marciano, Acion Bronson, etc.) (cop it @ FatBeats). We are definitely fiending for more from this real-life brothers duo and with their upcoming "Dominican Diner", EP, entirely produced by Fafu, and the first single "Trife" is definitely promising!