Last I read from his website, he's been working with Ludacris and the Disturbing The Peace family, and they'll be performing together at Miliwaukee on Feb. 13 (don't know if they will be playing more dates together).
help! ok, so i want to start checking out some of the stuff u guys are talking about on this thread. i listen to hiphop, but only the stuff that they play on the radio. could u please suggest some good underground hiphop songs to check out [and maybe just a short blurb of why- good message, beat, etc. i'm especially looking for artists whose songs make sense, not just random rapping- i think thats why a lot of people like eminem, because most of his songs are consistent about one topic and dont just jump around saying random stuff in each verse]. i've heard some names tossed around such as Mr. Lif, Tali Kweli, Mos Def, Jurrassic 5, the Roots, the list goes on and on. i'd like to familiarize myself with these artists and the underground music, but i just dont want to download random songs by them that really don't show what they're all about. thanks
Jurassic 5--Thin Line (it's about being stuck in the friend zone and what happens when you break out of it, great beat)
Couple of good songs off The Roots' Phrenology album, "Thought At Work" and "The Seed 2.0" with Cody Chesnutt. The former is an ode to old school rappers and the latter is about flirtation with different genres of music, a cheating husband as a metaphor for a black musician who's into rock (I think). I love the phrenetic pace on both songs, especially "Seed".
Mr. Lif's entire "I Phantom" is a concept album about one's identity and role in society. The best songs on there are "Return of the B-boy" (about a rapper finding his voice through his influences), "Live From the Plantation" (the drudgery of irrelevant office work) and "Status" (getting some cash and heading to the club.) Blackalicious' "Blazing Arrow" has an overall upbeat, positive vibe harkening back to the days of Tribe Called Quest/ De La Soul. "Nowhere Fast" and "Make You Feel That Way" is all about appreciating your life one day at a time, and "4000 Miles" with 2na of J5 is just a fantastic song. And you may have heard this one, but Mos Def's "Ms. Fat Booty" is a classic.
Personally my favorite track on I, Phantom is "Iron Helix" (basically about modern man's ability to tempt anyone that isn't following the herd...also a ridiculous beat). If you like stuff on the radio, Mr. Lif might be a bit too far out there at first. I'd recommend something by, say, Hieroglyphics first (maybe "Oakland Blackouts") or anything Mos Def has done. Speaking of him...when the hell is Blackstar Galactica supposed to come out? Ever?
The Coup Has anyone here listened to The Coup. I've only recently heard of them and I've been listening to their latest "Party Music" Its pretty good, anyone listen to their earlier albums?
Boy, the new Anti-pop cd (Anti-Pop Consortium vs Matthew Shipp) is, well, not their best. In case you don't know who Matthew Shipp is (and I really don't), just know he comes with piano and he's ready to get jazzy!, in a stale 80's and 90's jazz way. That being said, there is still some really good stuff on there, but it comes in moments, rather than in songs. I would only really recommend it to anti-pop completists. Daedelus' The Quiet Party seems to be the must-have purchase of the week at the local store (I'm still laughing at all the unsold copies of the Copywrite solo cd) but I'm not feeling it. More west-coast style 'experimental' hip-hop from the east coast that is mostly a meandering, unfocused mess. So has anyone heard why the 2nd Soul Position release hasn't come out? I thought it was supposed to be out in December. I also think the Blazing Arrow would be a good first foray into non-radio/mtv hip-hop for honkifulovemls or anyone else for that matter . I don't listen to is much as I used to only because I had a wreck to it, and I'm a superstitious fool.
resurrecting this thread... a while back [see page 12 of this thread] i asked for some of your suggestions regarding songs i might like that are not main stream. i've been meaning to thank you guys for your suggestions and also let you know what i've downloaded/like, but i've been pretty busy. but now that i'm on vacation, i'd like to fill you in. i downloaded J5's 'Thin Line'. it seems like a pretty good song- i think i first heard it on the coke commercial! also downloaded gang starr's 'skills'- man that song is great! i love the beat and the scratching, but the lyrics seem kinda seem more like something out of a mainstream hiphop song ['i'm the best, if you got beef, lets go at it', etc.], which is kind of a dissapointment. i've also downloaded dilated peoples' 'worst comes to worst' which i like. now the artist/songs i've REALLY enjoyed have come from this fellow who goes by the name of 'Talib Kweli'. i downloaded The Blast, which i like and i used to hear being played on the radio [though i didnt know it was by Kweli, or even what they were saying in the hook, until i downloaded it]. after hearing 'Get By' played on the radio once [its been getting more play time on the radio more recently, but i first heard it a while back in a 'Battle of The Songs- you call in and vote to see who wins- type deal'], i downloaded that. i've also downloaded 'Gun Music' [beat is awesome but i feel kinda guilty listening to it in a time of war], 'Definition' [love the beat, though i think i've played it to death], and 'Put It In The Air' [its got that nice cruisin'/feel good beat]. i love that line from 'Definition' when Kweli says, 'consider me the entity within the industry without a history of spittin' the epitome of stupidity'- now THAT is some smart crazy sh!t and smart hiphop! i really like this quote i found from him: 'Music should be felt first, and anything that it makes you think about should be followed after.' that i found from this interview: http://urban.mvremix.com/interviews/kweli.shtml sounds like we share the same opinion about music: it should sound good to you and then it should have a good message. i also downloaded Mos Def's 'Ms. Fat Booty.' although it doesnt really have a message like Kweli's songs, i enjoy the story telling and the beat is pretty good.
Glad you liked the suggestions and thanks for bumping the thread. A couple of things: - Apparently, Mos Def and Talib Kweli are recording another Black Star album. "What Is Beef" track they did on Chapelle's Show is quality - This site usually have mp3s of The Roots concerts but this month's Show Of The Month is Hip Hop 101, a radio documentary narrated by Chuck D that follows The Roots pre-breakout. - It pisses me off that in the past 3 months, I missed shows by The Roots, Talib Kweli, Gang Starr and Common.
Personally, I've been infatuated with this song since I first heard it, I've listened to it countless times. Talib Kweli starts off and drops a great verse, then (in my opinion) Mos Def blows him out of the water. A great song. You can check it out here. http://www.artofrhyme.com/audio/black_live.ram
The new Murs cd is definately worth a listen. It's a LOT more varied than your typical def jux release, as the common def jux producers (el-p, rjd2 and blockhead to a lesser extent) only account for 4 out of 17 tracks, and Murs has included some of his fellow west coasyers. Oh No, Ant,Tate The Example, Mr. Dibbs, Belief, Jizzm, Patchworks, and Mum's The Word round out the producers. Plus, what other album recently released has a Humpty Hump & Shock G appearance?
There are some dope shows in Boston this month. I saw Jurassic 5 on Saturday. Tickets were only $10, so that was cool. I'm seeing the Roots on Friday. The J5 show was awesome. A crappy emo band called OK Go opened for them, but they only played for about 45 minutes. J5 played a pretty long set. The mixed it up with stuff from PIN, QC, and the EP. They also did "It's like that" as a tribute to Jam Master Jay. Rahzel was at the show and went up on stage and did some dope stuff. It was a pretty sweet surprise that he was there. I can't wait to see the Roots this week. I'm psyched.
I've said it once, I'll say it again: if this is what Blackstar Galactica is going to be like, then we're on the verge of something huge. Amazon.com sent me an email about this, oddly enough. I'm now intrigued at hearing that it's quality.
Well, I don't blame you for doubting the authority of amazon.com's automated recommendation service. I wouldn't have bought it if I had not heard it first, as I hated Felt. Production wise, it's more conventional than your average def jux release, and stands out as such. While El-P brings his typical dystopian future-primitive production leanings, and RJD2 continues to hone his his abstract deconstructionist sampling techniques, this album is mostly reliant on a variety of equally creative, yet less imposing producers. Much of the lyrical content I would compare to a more straight-forward I Phantom, in that there are everyman overtones throughout the album. Murs also has the storytelling thing going for him on quite a few songs, mostly notably on Risky Business, where he shares the mic with Humpty Hump and Shock G. There's not a whole lot of lyrical abstraction, Murs is pretty insightful and usual says what he thinks pretty clearly. El-P drops his best verse (on The Dance) in a couple of years on this album, free of his usual pity party histrionics that made his full length unlistenable to me. Aesop rock also makes an appearance on this album, but don't let you think that this is a backpack only affair . . .
So has anyone heard Edan's Primitve Plus? I keep almost buying it, but chickening out, as I've never heard it, and I've gotten burned by a higher than usual number of disapointing purchases lately.
on Kweli's 'Gun Music' [from 'Quality'], does anyone know what the rest of this verse is [where the question mark is]: You know who killing it, ni**as saying they militant The only blood in the street is when the government spilling it You could have a hand gun or a cannon And you still (?) i got the lyrics from the Original Hiphop Lyrics Archive, but they didnt know what the rest of that verse is either. anyone?
I went to The Roots show in Boston on Friday. It was awesome. They are an incredible live act. They played a pretty long set. They had some guest musicians with them. I don't remember the guest percussionist's name. I think he was from Jamaica. The guest guitarists were Martin Luther and Kurt Douglas. Martin Luther sang on the Seed 2.0, You Got Me, Break You off, and others. Kurt Douglas played a really cool solo. He was doing really nasty stuff, like playing with his tongue. Everyone in the band did a solo. HUB's bass solo was simply amazing. It was the best bass solo I've ever seen. He made that thing sing. Scratch doesn't sound human. I have no idea how he makes those sounds. I briefly met ?uestlove on the street after the show when he was on his way to the tour bus. He walked out of a side door to the club and literally stepped right in front of me. I talked to him for a few seconds and shook his hand. It was a really awesome night.
hot off the Warp mailing list: BEANS & PREFUSE73: 2 fold Warp hip action from Beans and Prefuse73. 07.05. Atlanta - Echo Lounge 08.05. New Orleans - The Parish 09.05. Houston - Rhythm Room 10.05. Austin - Emo's 11.05. Dallas - Gypsy Tearoom And then Prefuse73 solo shows: WED 5/14 SAN DIEGO, CA Casbah THU 5/15 LOS ANGELES, CA Troubadour FRI 5/16 SAN FRANCISCO,CA Great American Music Hall SAT 5/17 PORTLAND, OR Plan B SUN 5/18 VANCOUVER, BC Commodore MON 5/19 SEATTLE, WA Chop Suey THU 5/22 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Ascot Room FRI 5/23 CHICAGO, IL Empty Bottle SAT 5/24 COLUMBUS, OH Wexner Center SUN 5/25 DETROIT, MI Majestic Theater MON 5/26 CLEVELAND, OH Grog Shop TUE 5/27 TORONTO, ON Lee's Palace WED 5/28 MONTREAL, PQ Cabaret Music Hall THU 5/29 NEW YORK, NY Bowery Ballroom FRI 5/30 BROOKLYN Southpaw SAT 5/31 BOSTON, MA Paradise SUN 6/1 PHILADELPHIA, PA Transit ... You all may or may not know Beans from Anti-Pop Consortium. Prefuse73 aka Savath & Savalas aka Delarosa & Asora is one of the wunderkids of the glitch-hop movement. This would be the place to go if you like your hip-hop with a heaping side of technology.
*BUMP* Wow, I got this on friday, and I was really really really impressed with this- There are some song samples here. I also got the RJD2 The Horror EP which includes some remixes you've already heard if you're keeping up with RJ/Def Jux, but overall, I like the new stuff on here a little better than his full length. I still need to watch the other cd that comes with it- It's got some def jux (did you hear that def jam made them change their official name to def juxtaposition- totally true story) live stuff on it. I also got some other stuff, (passed on the new Wildchild album, but I'm already thinking about going back and getting it after I leave work) but I'll save that for later in case someone actually posts here again. Anybody know where FulhamRev went?
I ordered this CD today: http://www.hiphopsite.com/SEARCH/?ITEM=0A4B0759-3C4D-4A59-B116-8CB61F0120A4 And this one: https://www.hiphopsite.com/SEARCH/?ITEM=20E99F31-CFDF-4E35-89D4-36B9D53B11AB Oh yes. RS
Spitkicker is a collective of like-minded artists that includes Talib Kweli, De La Soul, Pharoah Monch, and some others (Common? Biz Markie?) that I always forget. They have a Web site now: www.spitkicker.com . You should go there. RS
Anyone pickup the new Dj Shadow The Private Repress, its a 2003 Japanese/UK 14-track enhanced CD featuring remixes plus 2 CD-Rom videos - Walkie Talkie and Six Days, Here is a tracklisting: 1.Intro 2.Six Days(Soulwax Mix) 3.GDMFSOB(Unkle Uncensored) feat. Roots Manuva 4.Interlude 5.Walkie Talkie(Extended Radio Edit) 6.Six Days(Remix) 7.Disavowed 8.Interlude 9.Right Thing(Tokio Ghetto Tech Remix) 10.Mashin' On The Motorway(Radio Edit) 11.Right Thing(Z-Trip 'Get The Party Off Mix' In Three Parts) 12.Outro 13."Walkie Talkie"(video clip) 14."Six Days"(video clip) Its pretty good, alot of people share it on kazaa,winmx etc. Worth picking up for the DJ Shadow fan