M.anifest: "Rocking Steady" (Prod. Benzilla)

M.anifest sent this through a little bit ago. The Benzilla produced track will be featured on his Spring 2011 mixtape Freetape for Cheapskates, which is set to accompany his sophomore solo-LP, Coming To America: Immigrant Chronicles. Stream it below, or hit the download link.

M.anifest: "Rocking Steady" (Prod. Benzilla)

ToneKrusher Smith: "Big Bombs of Love"

New material from the Background Noise Crew! ToneKrusher Smith's album Big Bombs of Love is coming out January 18, 2011. He'll also be throwing an album release party on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at Cause Spirit and Sound Bar on Lake and Lyndale in Uptown Minneapolis.

ToneKrusher Smith: "Big Bombs of Love"

Knonam: "Vampire Style" (Music Video)

New material from Knonam, good to hear from him since it's been a while. He wrote, produced, and directed the video for this song all by himself. DIY, son!

Kanye West: "Monster ft. Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver" (Music Video - Rough Cut)

This is what appears to be the rough cut of Kanye's truly strange music video for "Monster". It features zombified and/or decapitated models, a sharply-dressed Jay-Z, not one but two of a rather psychotic-looking Nicki Minaj, and quite a bit more. I was hoping to see Justin Vernon make an appearance at the end for some unintentional comedy, but alas, he apparently couldn't make the video shoot. See it for yourself. Props to NYMag.

Update: As expected, though quicker than I saw coming, the YouTube video has already been blocked. Sorry! If you didn't catch it, you'll have to take my word for it, until the finished product gets released.

Update 2: I found a new YouTube link which works, but this will probably be the last one I re-post up, in the case of it getting shut down again.

Doomtree Live at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI (Video)

Here is some terrific footage of the Doomtree crew performing the end of their set in Madison, WI, the last stop of their Wings + Teeth tour before heading home to Minneapolis. Looked like a fantastic show.

Wake The City (Guante + See More Perspective): "Shotgun Soliloquy"

Wake The City is a blossoming collaborative project between Tru Ruts emcees Guante and See More Perspective. This song comes from See More Perspective's Boombox Emporium. It will be exciting to hear more from the duo soon.

Wake The City: "Shotgun Soliloquy"

Black Milk: The Man, The Music, The City (Video)

Here's an intereting portrait of Black Milk and the interrelationship between his music and his hometown of Detroit. Props due to Nah Right.

Toki Wright: "Black and Blue"

Toki Wright recently got to perform at an event titled "Lush Life: Interpretations of the American Jazz Canon". There he performed a reinterpretation of "Black and Blue", and classic Fats Waller song, with the help of Sean McPhearson of Heiruspecs.

Toki Wright: "Black and Blue"

Kanye West: "Christmas in Harlem ft. Teyana Taylor, Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Pusha T, Big Sean, & Cyhi the Prynce)

One last Christmas post, and it's quite fitting. I realized I never re-posted "Christmas in Harlem" once Kanye officially released it as a GOOD Friday track. It's likely the last song we get from Kanye West this year, and what a year it's been. Enough said. Merry Christmas.

Kanye West: "Christmas in Harlem ft. Teyana Taylor, Musiq Soulchild, Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Pusha T, Big Sean, & Cyhi the Prynce)

Lupe Fiasco: "The Show Goes On" (Music Video)

Official music video for Lupe Fiasco's "The Show Goes On". Lasers in stores on March 8, 2011.

Maria Isa: "Santa Papi"

Maria Isa gave the classic Christmas tune "Santa Baby" her own little twist, fresh for the holidays. Enjoy your Christmas, everyone.

Maria Isa: "Santa Papi"

Sims: "Burn It Down" + 'Bad Time Zoo' Album Preorder

I'm still playing catch up from my brief vacation, but here is one of the most exciting upcoming local projects, already on my shortlist for favorite records of 2011. Sims will be releasing his sophomore solo LP Bad Time Zoo, entirely produced by the esteemed Lazerbeak, in early February. Preorders are now available on the Doomtree website, both in normal and deluxe packages. The deluxe package comes with all kinds of goodies:

• Signed copy of the Bad Time Zoo CD
• Signed poster
• Two exclusive extra songs
• Password to a live, streaming webcast with Sims and friends. [Questions will be answered. Secrets will be shared.]
• Chance to win a mask worn in the Burn It Down music video
• Exclusive BTZ t-shirt (available only to the pre-ordering crowd)
• A Sims-brand box cutter to be used to cut the origami-style album art which folds into a dioramic mini zoo. [A blade! In the mail! Dangerous and fun!]
• The entire package arrives in a silk-screened box, rendering the recipient the coolest kid on the boulevard.

Preorders help support local and independent musicians, so jump on this opportunity now. Buy two, in fact! Also, check out the lead single from the project, "Burn It Down". If the rest of the album sounds this good, we're in for something special.

Muja Messiah: "Happy Holidays ft. Shionaes & Real Spit Ric" (Video)

I'd be remiss not to post this on Christmas Eve. I hope you're all having a nice holiday!

Blueprint: "Radio-Inactive" + 'Adventures in Couter-Culture' Announcement

Exciting news from Rhymesayers:

Critically acclaimed mc/producer and Soul Position frontman Blueprint, returns with his highly anticipated sophomore solo release Adventures in Counter-Culture. Experimenting with synths, keyboards, and drum machines, Adventures in Counter-Culture touches on Blueprint's cynicism with the world, his disdain for pop culture, the state of politics and an apathetic, uninspired society. The album encompasses every facet of music Blueprint knows. It blurs genre lines and connects his hip hop pedigree with his early days in the church choir, to the R&B bands he was a part of in high school, to his new found interest in rock and electronic music.

After a five year musical journey, Blueprint has emerged with his greatest effort to date. A culmination of self discovery and societal critique, Adventures in Counter-Culture is just that. The adventure begins March 1st, 2011.

Check out the video above, you can purchase the song on iTunes.

Blueprint: "Radio-Inactive" Explicit | Clean | Instrumental

Illuminous 3: "341's" (Prod. Medium Zach)

Fresh of posting Mavin MC's new solo track, I've also got this month's 'Illuminous Free' track from the local group. This time around, the got Medium Zach to produce a song for them. A good match, if you ask me.

Illuminous 3: "341's" (Prod. Medium Zach)

Mavin MC: "Puro"

Regular readers of Midwest Broadcast should be familiar with Mavin MC as one-third of the local group Illuminous 3. Mavin has been working on his debut solo album with producer King Karnov, and just hit me with the lead single from that album, titled Inner City Noise.

Mavin MC: "Puro"

Trey Lane: Naughty Or Nice (Mixtape)

Trey Lane just put together a new mixtape for the holiday season. Featured on the project are his takes on some of hip-hop's flavor of the moment, such as "Black and Yellow","I Just Wanna Party," and "Up All Night". He also was generous enough to include some unreleased material in there. Happy holidays!

Trey Lane: Naughty Or Nice (Mixtape)

The Grouch, Brother Ali, & Eligh: "How The Grouch Stole Christmas"

I have no idea why I never posted this track up. Oh yeah, probably because I haven't had Internet access at my new house until 2 days ago... Well, better late than never, and I'm still giving this to you with plenty of time to add it to your holiday party playlists.

The Grouch, Brother Ali, & Eligh: "How The Grouch Stole Christmas"

The Cool Kids: "Big Talk" (Music Video)

The Cool Kids got access to the United Center to record their latest music video. Props to Fake Shore Drive, where it was also reported that their much-delayed album, When Fish Ride Bicycles, should be released in January. Nice.

Brother Ali: 'We Have Signal' (Alabama Public Television Feature)

Doomtree: Interview in Madison, WI (Video)

Jordan Looney: "Pour Up (Defication Salivation Remix)"

Most Official: "Goodbye"

Here's a new track from Minneapolis transplant Most Official. Big props to Switchblade Comb, where I found this.

Most Official: "Goodbye"

The Tribe & Big Cats!: "Bangin' Ya Head ft. Planet Asia & Phil Da Agony"

The Tribe & Big Cats! are prepping their debut full-lenth, Forward Thinkers Movers Shakers, and Midwest Broadcast has the first official single from the album. "Bangin Ya Head" features Planet Asia and Phil Da Agony. Guests on the rest of the album include Toki Wright, Mally, Brandon Allday, and more. Should be a good one. Check out the tracklist and album art below.

The Tribe & Big Cats!: "Bangin' Ya Head ft. Planet Asia & Phil Da Agony"

Ill Poetic: "Autumn Addict"

Here's some new material from Ill Poetic, who has become prolific as of late. I posted his last track, "Gone", in early November. Ill Poetic also provided a little commentary about this track, here's what he had to say:

Autumn has always been my favorite season. Except for the reminder of a bleak-ass winter on the horizon (AKA in like five days), I always dug the stages of Fall. It’s always been a naturally nostalgic season for me. I’m assuming it’s like that for a lot of people. Not to get super-deep, but lately it feels like a season for remembering what your childhood was like, and the relationship you had with your parents as a kid versus the relationship you have with them now.

This verse is kind of an extension of the last line from the “Gone” song I sent out a few weeks ago. If “Gone” was the decision to get on the bus and bounce, this is what goes through your head on that bus ride. I’m a bus rider at heart, and a lot of my favorite verses come from bus rides. This is one of them.

Ill Poetic: "Autumn Addict"