Thursday, December 31, 2009

Best of the Midwest 2009: EPs

The homegrown trio from Minneapolis dropped a fourth-quarter EP that showcased many of the likable aspects of the group: relaxed beats, smooth, yet intricate, lyrics, and a fun, easygoing musical atmosphere. They might make it sound like creating music this enjoyable is an easy process — but if you thought that, you’d be wrong.

9. Guante & Big Cats!: Start A Fire EP

Guante’s lyrics may not fit into the “listen to it anytime anywhere” category, but it’s hard to ignore the skill he brings to the table. On the production side, Big Cats! emerged as 2009’s unheralded star. His patience in letting each song develop gradually, as seen in “The Calm,” allows each track to breathe before the fiery Guante tears it apart.

8. Chantz Erolin & Cory Grindberg: The Good Company EP

Tru Ruts scored with yet another excellent release in 2009, this time from some local youngsters. But don’t overlook Chantz and Cory Grindberg because they’re relatively new to the scene, their music boasts a maturity seldom seen by artists twice their age. These two should be making waves in the Twin Cities for years to come.

7. F. Stokes & Lazerbeak: Death of a Handsome Bride (Review)

We all know what Lazerbeak can do to an instrumental. This EP, however, was the F. Stokes show. The Chicago/Madison rapper has a — dare I say it? — Kanye-esque ability to unite gospel and blues, tragedy and triumph, in his lyrics. Put this over ‘Beak’s lava bangers, and you’ve got yourself one soulful duo. The two should be putting out a full-length sometime in 2010.

6. Atmosphere: Leak At Will EP

“You can catch up with the rest of my best of,” Slug declared on ”Smart Went Crazy,” off You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having. Slug, we’d love to do so, but it’s not easy when you keep making ‘Best Of’ lists on a seemingly annual basis. No surprise with this pick.

5. Brother Ali: The Truth Is Here EP

Ali’s warm up to Us was an underwhelming effort. This is a testament to the standards he’s created for himself when a poor performance still lands you the fifth best EP of 2009. “The Believer” was one of my most played songs of 2009, and there were a few other solid tracks on this EP. But, in all reality, everyone was waiting for the full-length.

4. The Tribe & Big Cats!: Supply & Demand EP

This was my sleeper release of 2009. The Tribe and Big Cats! put together am unhyped, little-supported EP that ended up being one of the more sincere, passionate projects of the year. Raise your glasses, everyone, to the Do-It-Yourself method.

3. Slum Village: Villa Manifesto EP

Things have never come easy for Slum Village; we all know about the tragic losses of J Dilla and Baatin (R.I.P.). The group just seems to keep things moving, however. And in spite of the ever-changing group dynamics, they just keep pumping out first-rate music.

2. Greenhouse: Electric Purgatory, Pt. 1

Despite changing their name, Blueprint and Illogic still kept their style intact for this EP. Both members’ slow but purposeful lyricism remains contemplative and firm, and Blueprint is still one of the most overlooked producers in hip-hop (maybe because he doesn’t exactly kick out material at a break-neck pace). In this case, consistency was rewarded with one of 2009’s most thorough releases.

1. Doomtree: False Hopes XV

With each release, every member of this group continues to evolve and improve. In particular, Mike Mictlan has never sounded better. Their uncompromising style has resulted in some of hip-hop’s most innovative music in recent years. Don’t sweat the technique, fella.

Best of the Midwest 2009: Mixtapes


Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But to be honest, I thought it was a pretty good compilation. Thanks again to all the artists/managers that helped me put this together. Flyover Land, Vol. 2 will be coming in early 2010.

Andrew put together a nice compilation featuring new, rare, and unreleased cuts from some of Chicago’s finest.

Franz Diego had a big year in 2010, putting out a solo LP, EP, and another EP with Illuminous 3. This particular mixtape highlighted his everyman appeal and lyrical dexterity — more than enough to land him a spot on the best 15 of 2009.

Trama more or less came and went quickly with this project. This was one of the few times I heard from him all year — but it was worth it.

G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean had one of the most heavily hyped mixtapes of 2009, and in some ways (but not others), it met expectations. But seriously, 30 tracks long? Not necessary, in my opinion.

Michigan gets a second crack at the best mixtapes of 2009, with Ann Arbor's Tree City collective making the cut. Rhyming exclusively over Black Milk’s Purple Tape, these guys put together one of the most enjoyable and overlooked mixtapes of the year.

Rhymefest caught quite a bit of flack in a review from The Onion for including blatantly homophobic lyrics in a couple of songs on this mixtape. I agreed with that criticism. For Rhymefest to truly embody the “conscious” rap he tends to champion, he needs to be more mindful of the material he releases. Those immature missteps aside, The Manual was actually a fairly good mixtape.

Chicago’s Add-2 only further convinced me of his status as one of Chicago’s most promising lyricists with the third installment in his mixtape series. Now it’s time for him to move on to that debut album…

The title of this release could not have captured Jess’s motives better. Rapping over old Just Blaze, new Dr. Dre, Drake’s “Best You Ever Had”, and a flipped “Eye Of The Tiger” sample, Big Jess really did do whatever the fuck he felt like. And it was fun.

I hadn’t heard of I.B.E. until I caught a glimpse of the video for “Make The Road By Walking” with Toki Wright, but quickly recognized his talent and passion. This local emcee — once we learn a little but more about who he is — will be a Twin Cities rapper to keep your eye on in 2010.

This mixtape got me licking my chops in anticipation of the group’s 2010 release, Land Of Make Believe. Double O had only continued to improve as a producer.

Manifest’s The Birds and the Beats played more like an album, which is probably why it was so much better than most mixtapes of 2009. M.anifest’s release was full of polyrhythm and soulful African influences, showing his musical roots. But it was the honesty and passion in his delivery that makes the listening to the mixtape so delightful.

Elzhi’s The Preface was the most lyrically astounding release of 2008. His tongue-twisting, rapid fire lyrical cadence never ceases to amaze. More of a compilation of old, unreleased, and remixed tracks than an official mixtape, Elzhi’s The Leftovers Unmixedtape was just as enjoyable. Now where is that ever-elusive Ellmatic?

When Fish Ride Bicycles seems to be stuck in release-date purgatory right now, but word is it’s terrific. While we were waiting for that to materialize, The Cool Kids snuck away with Don Cannon and created the loudest, most fun mixtape of 2009. I make sure to stick “Champions,” “Popcorn,” and/or the remix to “Pennies” on the playlist whenever I’m hosting a party.

I hate to say it, but Lupe Fiasco is so much better at rapping than most artists today that it really doesn’t seem fair. I have had this mixtape on constant repeat ever since it was released on Thanksgiving, and I’m still doing mental gymnastics to catch up with Lupe’s intricate lyricism. The crazy thing is, something tells me that Lupe put this entire tape together in a short matter of time: “You might think this deep as fuck/ But this is like my weaker stuff/ They ask, “Is this his day-to-day? / ‘Cause this is like a week to us.” It will undoubtedly be thrilling to see what Lupe cooked up for us with Lasers.

Guante & Big Cats!: 'An Unwelcome Guest' Presale Anouncement (Video)

Good thing I caught this video. I was about to include An Unwelcome Guest on my 'Best of 2009' list. Sorry Guante and Big Cats!, you have to wait another 365 days. You can, however, preorder the album right now at Strange Famous Records before it's official release on January 12, 2010.

Mike Swoop in the Lab (Video)

Mike Swoop will be hosting Last of the Record Buyers at Fifth Element on January 21, 2010. Look for his album, New Love, coming in early 2010, as well.

Toki Wright: "This Right Here" (Prod. Medium Zach)

Back from a little vacation, and ready to bring in 2010 in the Twin Cities. In the meantime, here's a Toki Wright track, produced by Medium Zach, that appeared on Big Quarters Direct back in June.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Brother Ali: "Blizzard Rap '09"

Brother Ali got trapped inside of his house due to the snow and, lo and behold, created a new track during that little episode. As he stated on Twitter, the track features him going over Kanye's "I'm So Appalled." I'm telling you, this Minnesota cold only makes you grind harder.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Franz Diego: "Hammer Bros."

Franz just hit my inbox with a little Christmas present. He raps during the outro of The Cool Kids' "Hammer Bros." Consider the track thoroughly bludgeoned.

The Cool Kids: 'Merry Christmas' (Mixtape)


Merry Christmas (and happy holidays) from The Cool Kids and Don Cannon. Tracklist and download link below.

Black Milk: "Keep Going"

Black Milk had one of the albums of the year in 2008 with Tronic, and now he's returning in 2010 with Album of the Year. He explained the album's interesting title in his vlog that I posted on Wednesday. "Keep Going" is Black Milk's self-produced lead single from the album. It's about everything you would expect: chopped samples, boastful lyrics, and insane drum work.

Lupe Fiasco: Interview with UGTV (Video)


GLC: "A Gangster's Nature ft. Cold Hard" (Music Video)

Kidz In The Hall: "We Gone" (Music Video)



Thursday, December 24, 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Black Milk Broadcast: 2010 Preview (Video)

Black Milk gives us a preview of what's to come in 2010. He claims he'll be putting out three albums: 1) the Random Axe project; 2) A collaborative album with Melanie Rutherford titled Searching for Sanity; and 3) his next solo LP, titled Album of the Year.

Kanye West: "Good Life" (Live)

Sorry about the multitude of consecutive posts, they just keep popping up on YouTube. From now on, I'll just compile them all in this post.

Kanye West Raps New Verse (Live)

From the same concert as the previous post. You know, Kanye can sound preachy when he talks about not needing fame and fortune. But, though I think he's a little addicted to the spotlight at times, I tend to believe him more often than not.

Kanye West: "I'm So Appalled" (Live)

Kanye make a surprise entrance at a Big Sean and Kid Cudi show in Los Angeles to perform "I'm So Appalled." He also announces that he's hitting the studio on January 1, presumably to start working on a new album.

Royce Da 5'9": "Psycho Flow"

Royce just released this first leak from his upcoming Bar Exam 3 mixtape via Twitter last night. Naturally, his flow in on point.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Illogic: "Graveyard" (Prod. Ill Poetic)

Via Illogic:
Hey, hope everyone is having a nice holiday experience. Just wanted to round out the end of the year with a lost Illogic song from the Diabolical Fun sessions: "Graveyard" (prod. by ill poetic) is an unreleased song that didn't make the final version of Illogic's Diabolical Fun (released earlier this year). The song originally closed out the album, but was cut because it just seemed a little too dark for the overall feel of the record (the song sounds like it looks outside). We figured we'd give something away for free for the holidays to remind people of Illogic's comeback LP as well as his current Greenhouse EP with Blueprint.
Illogic: "Graveyard" (Prod. Ill Poetic) // Instrumental

Slum Village: "Da Night" (Music Video)

P.O.S. to Headline "Every Never Is Now" Tour with Dessa

Exciting news today from the Doomtree camp. P.O.S. will be embarking on a nationwide tour, and will be bringing along Dessa, fresh off the release of her upcoming LP, A Badly Broken Code. No Minneapolis date, but I'd be willing to bet that a homecoming show will be tacked on at the end of the tour. No doubt I'll be at the Madison show on March. News via City Pages blog Gimme Noise.

(with Grieves, Dessa)
2/2/10 Lawrence KS Jackpot
2/4/10 Colorado Springs CO Black Sheep
2/5/10 Denver CO The Marquis Theatre
2/6/10 Salt Lake City UT Kilby Court
2/7/10 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge
2/8/10 Boise ID Knitting Factory
2/9/10 Missoula MT Badlander
2/11/10 Vancouver BC CANADA The Biltmore Cabaret
2/12/10 Seattle WA Nectar Lounge
2/13/10 Portland OR Berbati's Pan
2/14/10 Eugene OR WOW Hall
2/16/10 Reno NV Tonic Lounge
2/18/10 San Francisco CA Bottom Of The Hill
2/19/10 West Hollywood CA The Troubadour
2/20/10 San Diego CA The Loft - UCSD
2/21/10 Pomona CA The Glass House
2/22/10 Scottsdale AZ Chasers
2/23/10 Tucson AZ Club Congress
2/24/10 Albuquerque NM Launchpad

(with Dessa, Astonautalis)
2/26/10 Austin TX Red 7
2/27/10 Denton TX Hailey
2/28/10 New Orleans LA The Parish Room - HOB
3/2/10 Tallahassee FL Club Downunder
3/3/10 Orlando FL Backbooth
3/4/10 Atlanta GA The Masquerade
3/5/10 Chapel Hill NC Local 506
3/6/10 Washington DC DC9
3/7/10 Philadelphia PA First Unitarian Church
3/9/10 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
3/10/10 Cambridge MA Middle East Downstairs
3/11/10 Portland ME Space
3/12/10 Burlington VT Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
3/13/10 Montreal QC CANADA II motore
3/14/10 Toronto ON CANADA Sneaky Dee's
3/16/10 Pontiac MI The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom
3/17/10 Cleveland Heights OH Grog Shop
3/18/10 Chicago IL The Bottom Lounge
3/19/10 Madison WI High Noon Saloon
3/20/10 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall

Ro Spit, T3, Buff 1, One Be Lo, Marv Won, Phatboy Chef, Fat Ray, & Fatt Father: “Detroit Riots" (Prod. Black Milk)

Detroit comes out in full force for this posse cut. Spotted via Michigan Hip-Hop.

Jay-Z: "Young Forever" (Prod. Kanye West) (Music Video)

Monday, December 21, 2009

Abstract Rude and Toki Wright Live at Lutsen Ski Resort (Video)

What up, Duluth? Ab Rude and Toki Wright took the time to say hello before one of their shows a week or so ago. There's also performance footage of "Rejuvenation" and "More Fiya." Speaking of footage, I've still got some footage of Toki from when he stopped by UW-Madison, which I'll hopefully be posting soon.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Lupe Fiasco in New Nike Puppets Commercial (Video)

Lupe (as Blitzen) spits some raps at Kobe, LeBron, and Santa in the latest Nike puppets commercial. Shots fired.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean" (Music Video)

Freeway's first single off of The Stimulus Package gets recreated in moving picture form, directed by — who else? — Rik Cordero. If you preorder the album at Fifth Element, it will ship out on February 11, a whole five days before it's street release date.


DOWNLOAD -- Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean" (Right click + 'Save As' to download)

Mike Swoop: 'New Love' Album Announcement (Video)

Saint Paul's own Mike Swoop will be releasing his album, New Love, in early 2010. The album boasts guest spots from Toki Wright, Big Quarters, and Diametrix.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

St. Paul Slim: "Shut It Down" (Prod. Reggie Reg)

Just last night I posted "Finally," by St. Paul Slim. Now, I get to follow that up with the lead single from his upcoming LP, Bad Headed Samsun, which will be released in February of 2010. The should also be a music video for this track coming soon. Peace to Reggie Reg who sent this my way.

Brother Ali: "The Trap" (Live with The Roots)

Below is video of Brother Ali, backed up by the Legendary Roots Crew, performing "The Trap," from his Off The Record mixtape with BK-One. Of course, the original version of this track featured Ali rapping over The Roots' "In the Music" instrumental, from Game Theory. This song has a few of my favorite Ali quotables, although the list runs long. "If you ain't Einstein, you just a regular cat."

At about the 30-second mark, Black Thought appears to really appreciate and admire Ali's live performance (and the Destiny's Child punchline), noteworthy because Black Thought is one of hip-hop's best live emcees ever. Great moment in hip-hop right here.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

St. Paul Slim: "Finally"

I'm in the heart of finals week out here at UW-Madison, so, unfortunately, don't expect too many blog updates until Saturday, when my semester is over. However, here's a little treat that St. Paul Slim just released via Twitter.

On a completely unrelated note, this is my 1,301st post on Midwest Broadcast. I'm experiencing a strange mix of surprise, pride, and embarrassment for spending so much time on my computer right now.

Monday, December 14, 2009

MiC K!ng and Chum: "Snake Oil ft. Slug"

MiC K!ng and Chum are an emcee/producer duo from Philly, who recently released their sophomore LP, Flavor Ade. The album boasts guest appearnces from Slug (on this particular track) and Elzhi.

MiC K!ng and Chum: "Snake Oil ft. Slug" (Right click + 'Save As' to download)

Slum Village: "Money Right" (Prod. Madlib)

One of my most anticipated releases on December, Slum Village's Villa Manifesto EP, will be available starting tomorrow. Here's a Madlib-produced track off that project. I can't exactly say that anyone catches the beat all that well, but my expectations for the project remain relatively high.

Add-2: "Luxury" (Music Video)

Add-2's "Luxury," off of his Tale of Two's City, Vol. 3 mixtape, gets the video treatment.

Guante & Big Cats!: "Stockholm Syndrome" + "Yes, God is a DJ; No, Not a Good One" (LIve)

Culture Bully was able to capture some moments from the Guante & Big Cats! An Unwelcome Guest album release party a few days ago. Looks like it was a tremendous night. That album is one of the more ambitious and interesting releases of the year. On a related note, it's available right now through Strange Famous Records.


Lupe Fiasco: Interview with Jesse Maguire

(Via)
Lupe calls in to the radio show and talks about Enemy Of The State mixtape, being an underdog, solar midnight and how that happened, producing his own music, the climb on Mt. Kilimanjaro and being nervous about going to Africa, and more. Part 2 coming in a few days!

- Jessie Maguire

I.B.E.: "Make The Road By Walkin' ft. Toki Wright" (Music Video) + 'The Feel' (Mixtape)

Here's a track from I.B.E., which to the best of my knowledge, stands for Intelligent Black Enterprise. Nice video, though; DIY for the win.

Somehow, 2DopeBoyz got their hands on his latest mixtape, The Feel, which I've included below.



DOWNLOAD -- I.B.E.: The Feel (Mixtape)

F. Stokes in "Dopenhagen" (Video)

F. Stokes checks in from Copenhagen, Denmark, where he's doing a brief tour with the Dirty Disco Kidz.


Saturday, December 12, 2009

Dessa: "Dixon's Girl" + 'A Badly Broken Code' Preorder

Here is Dessa' fantastic lead single, "Dixon's Girl," from her upcoming solo LP, A Badly Broken Code. The album is available for preorder right now at Doomtree's website. If you order it, you not only will get the album by January 19, but also gain access to some exclusive and exciting bonus material:
Preorder Dessa's new full-length album, A Badly Broken Code, to get a signed copy of the disc delivered by January 19. Fans who pre-order will also get exclusive access to a live broadcast of Dessa's rehearsal for her CD release show. You'll be able to preview music from the album, listen to singers interpret the songs, and even send in your questions to Dessa and the other musicians.

A Badly Broken Code is the long-awaited full-length album from Dessa. The disc features production from Paper Tiger, Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter, MK Larada, and Big Jess. The fifteen songs emphasize Dessa’s wingspan as a singer, rapper, and lyricist—the tracks range from melancholy a cappella arrangements to vintage torch songs to infectious rap cuts.

Dessa: "Dixon's Girl"

Fifth Element's '12 Days of Hip-Hop' Holiday Sale


Today is the first day of the sale. All Doomtree products are 20% off, and everything else in the store, excluding tickets and clearance items will be 10% off. Also, Fifth Element just made a special announcement through Twitter... so hurry up!


The Cool Kids: "Pennies (Remix) ft. Bun B" (Live)

(Via)


Friday, December 11, 2009

Elzhi: The Leftovers Unmixedtape


Nice. Lots of gems on a new mixtape from one of rap's best. Via Elzhi.com:
The Leftovers UnMixedtape is exactly what it sounds like: A compilation of one of the game's most talented Emcee's unreleased and featured works. Whether it's a promo joint from a few months back (eLZhi and Black Milk - Deep), a feature from another artist's project (Danny Brown - Contra feat. eLZhi), or just a rare gem from years past (eLZhi and DJ Dez - Living), these Leftovers would have passed for a fresh cooked meal if you didn't know better. It's raw, uncut, unmastered, fresh from the studio and ready for your ears. No DJs, just eLZhi and his comrades, your speakers and you. Without the Leftovers UnMixedtape, most of these songs would never have seen the light of day, so consider this a gift, and come get your grub on.
You can hit the download link below, or feel free to hit up Elzhi.com if you want to purchase a physical copy of this tape. Now we just gotta get Elmatic.

The Cool Kids: "Bundle Up" (Live)

Here's a track, recorded by RubyHornet at a recent concert in Chicago, off The Cool Kids' upcoming debut LP, When Fish Ride Bicycles. Andrew at Fake Shore Drive has more footage from that night, including other songs from the new album.

Man Mantis: "Come Into My Parlor" (Video)

More goodies from Madison's Man Mantis.


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Lupe Fiasco: "Solar Midnite" (Music Video)

I don't care much for this song, nor do I care for this whole Twilight thing. I'll stay bumping Enemy of the State: A Love Story, thank you very much.

Brother Ali: Sound Pass Interview (Video)

Prior to his last Madison show for the Fresh Air Tour, Brother Ali did an interview for the Sound Pass series, put on by Mindpool Productions. Ali discusses hi start with Rhymesayers, his live shows and the connection between him and his fans. Plus there's some high quality concert footage spliced throughout the video. A very worthwhile interview, if you have a spare six minutes.

Toki Wright: "Do The Right Thing"

Rhymesayer Toki Wright put down a little something over Ludacris' "Do The Right Thing" instrumental for DJBooth.net's In The Booth, Vol. 3 mixtape.

Blueprint Video Blog, Episode 3

SPLASH!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Lupe Fiasco: Live at Cal State Northridge (Video)

Here's some very cool footage of Lupe performing at California State University, Northridge. He begins by doing a slow freestyle, transitions into a cover of "Nas Is Like," moves next into a rap over Jay-Z's "Run This Town," and closes out with "Go Go Gadget Flow." (Via)

Lupe, come to Madison please.

Kidz In The Hall: The Professional Leisure Tour (FreEP)

New EP from Kidz In The Hall. Good stuff. Duckdown's press release reads as follows:
This Holiday Season Kidz In The Hall are treating their fans to an early gift in the form of a free album entitled The Professional Leisure Tour presented by L-R-G. The 13 track freEP features all original music from the group which was mostly recorded last month on the road during Kidz In The Hall's National US Tour.

The Professional Leisure Tour is a prelude to Kidz In The Hall's next studio album, Land Of Make Believe, currently scheduled for a March 9th, 2010 release date. Today, "Jukebox," the lead single from Land Of Make Believe, is available at iTunes & all digital retail outlets
Kidz In The Hall: The Professional Leisure Tour (FreEP) (Via LRG)


Brother Ali: RubyHornet TV Interview (Video)

Brother Ali sat down with the folks at Ruby Hornet for a nice extended interview. Check it out below.

Kid Cudi: "Pursuit of Happiness ft. MGMT & Ratatat" (Music Video)

Though I wasn't a huge fan of much of Cudi's album, this song has continued to grow on me. Apparently Josh Hartnett (of Minnesota!) produced this video. Man on the Moon: The End of Day is in stores now.

Muja Messiah: "Tha Madness" (Live)

Muja came through the University of Wisconsin-Madison (go Badgers!) last Friday to perform with Illuminous 3 and Toki Wright. It would have been silly for me to not go. More footage from that night to come.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Jordan Looney: "Nothin' To Lose" (Live)

Jordan Looney performing in St. Paul on Thanksgiving night. This track was featured on his Nerd-Hop, Vol. 2 mixtape.

PREVIOUSLY - "Oh Really" (Live)

Rhymefest: "Give It To Me" (Music Video)

Off of El Che. Yeah, it's still out there. Via Nah Right.

Illuminous 3: 'Thrift Stores & L's' (EP)

Sorry for the delay, people. This is the first time I've had computer access since 9:00am today. Either, way this new EP from Illuminous 3 is something that you don't want to miss. Word is bond.



Heiruspecs: 'Home For The Holidays' (Concert Announcement)

I'm supposed to go up north with my family from December 26-31. Might have to postpone going up one day...

Analyrical: "Radio Waves"

As I've let you know before, Analyrical's debut album First Date will be available on December 15. Here's a third leak from that project, "Radio Waves," as well the official flyer for his release party, December 19 at the Downtime Bar & Cafe.

Illuminous 3: 'Thrift Stores & L's' Promo Video

Big Quarters + Riot Crew MPLS + Zip Disks Break (Video)

I wasn't really sure what to call this, but it's a video that was presented at Big Quarters' Zip Disks Break release party. Pretty fly stuff. Check out the Riot Crew Minneapolis website for more.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Junkyard Empire: "Rock El Imperio" Documentary Trailer (Video)

Junkyard Empire ventured to Havana, Cuba for 10 days in August. They played 6 shows, engaged in several panel discussions, and did interviews with Cuba state radio and the largest hiphop and culture magazine in South America called The Movement. The video below is the trailer for Rock El Imperio, a documentary covering that journey.

Mike Mictlan: "Prizefight" (Video) + 4 Remixes

This one's been a long time coming, but I can't say I'm let down. Great stuff. And I hear the Blowout last night was spectacular, as well. Don't sweat the technique, fellas, Doomtree's better.

At the Doomtree website, this video is also available to be viewed with your choice of 4 different audio tracks. Digitata, Medium Zach and Mux Mool, Julian Fairbanks, and Paper Tiger all made remixes. Finally, you can download each track at their site, or at the bottom of this post.



DOWNLOAD - Mike Mictlan: "Prizefight" (Remix Package)

Guante & Big Cats!: 'An Unwelcome Guest' Release Party (Promo)

Dessa: "Poor Atlas" (Music Video)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Brother Ali: Fresh Air Tour - Live in Louisville, KY (11/15/09)

Although Brother Ali's incredible Fresh Air Tour has since wrapped up, It's All The Way Live came through with a high quality recording of Ali's set at Uncle Pleasant's in Louisville, KY. I heard that a select few of my readers are Brother Ali fans, so I figured it's a good idea to repost (I also fixed a few labeling errors from the original). If you skipped the tour or it didn't come through your city, I'm terribly sorry, because you missed what was arguably the best show of the year. Thankfully, this can partially fill the empty void in your hip-hop heart.


Set list:
  1. Intro
  2. The Preacher
  3. Room With A View
  4. Truth Is Here
  5. Champion / Best@It
  6. Tight Rope
  7. House Keys
  8. The Travelers
  9. Uncle Sam Goddamn
  10. Bad Mufucka, Pt. II
  11. Beatbox Interlude
  12. BK-One Solo (Tema Do Canibal)
  13. Walking Away
  14. Rain Water
  15. Forest Whitiker
  16. Blah Blah Blah
  17. Self Taught
  18. Take Me Home
  19. 2nd Time Around (A Capella)
  20. The Freshest Kids ft. Toki Wright & Evidence

Paper Tiger: "Cloquet" (Limited Edition 7")

This will be available at the Doomtree blowout, this Saturday, December 5, at First Ave. Wish I could be there.

Jordan Looney: "Oh Really" (Live) + Nerd-Hop, Vol. 3 Announcement

Jordan Looney had a show in Saint Paul on Thanksgiving last week, and I was able to attend and shoot a little footage. First up is him tearing it down with "Oh Really," and a bonus announcement of Nerd-Hop, Vol. 3, which is in the works right now. More videos to come.


Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean" + The Stimulus Package Tracklist

Lots of rumored leaks from this album have made their way to the internet, but Rhymesayers just let loose of the first official lead single from Freeway and Jake One's collaborative album, The Stimulus Package. The album is due on February 16, 2010, but can be preordered starting right now at Fifth Element. Two lucky "preorderers" will receive a "Stimulus Check" for a $100 gift certificate at Fifth Element. Also, included at the end of the post is the album's tracklist. Everything looks good, with two letdowns. 1) Birdman? Really??? 2) Where's the Brother Ali guest spot? Can't win 'em all, I guess.

Freeway & Jake One: "Know What I Mean" (Right click + 'Save As' to download)

Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (Tracklist)
  1. Stimulus Intro ft. Beanie Sigel
  2. Throw Your Hands Up
  3. One Foot In
  4. She Makes Me Feel Alright
  5. Never Gonna Change
  6. One Thing ft. Raekwon
  7. Know What I Mean
  8. The Product
  9. Micraphone Killa ft. Young Chris
  10. Follow My Moves ft. Birdman
  11. Sho' Nuff ft. Bun B
  12. Freekin; The Beat ft. LaToiya Williams
  13. Money ft. Omilo Sparks & Mr. Porter
  14. Free People
  15. Stimulus Outro