Haphduzn & Dimitry Killstorm: "Brand New Nostalgia" (Music Video)

Back in March Haphduzn and Dimitry Killstorm released the song and video for "Lost in Translation," off their upcoming Whittier Alliance album. It was a fantastic piece of straightforward braggadocio that also served as a great introduction of Haphduzn if you hadn't heard of him before. Now, here is another song and video from that album, "Brand New Nostalgia." The track opts for a more analytical lane than "Lost in Translation." This song discusses the evolution and fusion of musical genres and our cyclical relationship with past trends. The lighthearted video also features cameos from tons of local musicians. Check it out above, and keep Whittier Alliance on your radar for summer releases.

Franz Diego: "Waggin on the Scene" (Lazerbeak Remix)

"Waggin on the Scene" was a bit of a stylistic change for Franz Diego, yet it made considerable noise on the local scene. The song more or less became the de facto anthem of the Wag movement, got plenty of spin at local shows (BK-One played the track at First Avenue during the Welcome to MN tour), and then spawned a ton of remixes. Those had all slowly faded away, until yesterday when Franz shared a remix done by Lazerbeak, who is a brand new father (congrats!). Lazerbeak's take on the track is supremely chilled-out. Stream it below. The original music video for "Waggin on the Scene" is above for comparison's sake.

Franz Diego: "Waggin on the Scene" (Lazerbeak Remix)

Jay-Z & Kanye West: "No Church in the Wild ft. Frank Ocean" (Music Video)

Jay-Z and Kanye unexpectedly release yet another video from last year's Watch the Throne. This video was directed by Romain Gavras, best known for M.I.A.'s videos for "Bad Girls" and "Born Free," but also my personal favorite, Justice's "Stress."

Soundset 2012 Recap (Canterbury Park, 5/27/12)

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah at Soundset 2012 / Photo by Nat Shepard

Every year Rhymesayers puts on Soundset they reaffirm my opinion that, all things considered, it’s the best hip-hop festival in the world and among the finest single-day music events you can attend. Financially speaking, few festivals can contend with the bang for the buck offered by Soundset. For $50 (tickets are even cheaper if you buy them early), you can see 8 hours of performances by an always stellar and diverse lineup. Granted, this is a lot of hip-hop to pack in a single day for even diehard fans, but the caliber of the performers makes it a consistently great experience.

This year’s lineup was probably their best yet. The 1-2 punch of the hugely popular Lupe Fiasco and Wu-Tang vets Ghostface Killah and Raekwon brought in big name talent that satisfied new and old heads alike. The mid-day lineup boasted Action Bronson, Danny Brown, Big K.R.I.T. and Kendrick Lamar, all artists with equal fan adoration and critical praise. Then, adding on the usual Rhymesayers artists and local acts (not to mention the DJ Tent, car show, and other attractions) made Soundset 2012 a fantastic deal. To see all this on separate occasions would cost around $200; Soundset brings it all to us in one day for significantly cheaper.

By now you probably know severe rain and wind, paired with a tornado warning, brought the festival to an abrupt close during Lupe Fiasco’s set. Atmosphere didn’t get to headline their own party, which was disappointing, but the fifth annual Soundset was still a resounding success.

Kristoff Krane: "Birthday Song" (Music Video)

Fresh of the release of Kristoff Krane's new album fanfaronade, here's a video for album cut "Birthday Song." The music video was filmed by Unique Techniques.

Aquafresh: "Spell-Breaker" (Music Video)

Aquafresh is putting out a new album on Long Doe Records titled Broken Celebrity. Check out the video for "Spell-Breaker" which was produced by Mike the Martyr and will be featured on that album.

eL.I.Be: Dreams (EP)

eL.I.Be is a Minneapolis rapper who I haven't posted on Midwest Broadcast before. However, recently I saw Truth Be Told tweet about the new EP from eL.I.Be, Dreams. It's a 9-song collection that serves as a good introduction to the emcee if you haven't listened to him before. It also features guest spots from the Wize Guyz, Truth Be Told, and more. Stream it below.

Get Cryphy: Soundset 2012 Mix

The Get Cryphy crew put together an excellent hour-long mix featuring a song from every single artist performing at Soundset 2012. I'll include the tracklist after the jump. This will definitely be getting bumped during the drive out to Canterbury tomorrow morning. Remember that Get Cryphy are DJing the official Soundset afterparty tomorrow night at First Ave. It'll be hosted by Brother Ali and MaLLy, and will surely feature tons of special guests. Don't miss it.

Tomorrow Genius: "Wealthy Thought$" (Music Video)

Tomorrow Genius will be performing on the Fifth Element stage at Soundset 2012 tomorrow.

Catch the Last of the Record Buyers Showcase at Soundset 2012

The performers on the main and Fifth Element stages may get most of the shine at Soundset, but a good option to get away from the big crowds and out of the sun is to hit the LRB tent to see some of the finest producers hip-hop has to offer drop science.

Kristoff Krane: fanfaronade (Album Stream and Download)

Kristoff Krane just put out his new album fanfaronade. The album features Kristoff's sharp lyricism, as well as plenty of high profile collaborations with the likes of Crescent Moon, Sage Francis, Buck 65, Illogic and more. The album can be streamed after the jump, and downloaded at Kristoff's Bandcamp site for free (or you can name your price). Head to the Triple Rock on Saturday night to catch Kristoff's album release party, which will not only likely be a great show, but has the potential to have many surprise guests.

Kristoff Krane
fanfaronade Album Release Party
Triple Rock Social Club
Saturday, May 26
Tickets

Doomtree: No Kings Tour (UK Recap)

Here's the last video documenting the adventures of Doomtree's European tour in support of Yelawolf.

KnoX: "Satchmo"

Knox dug up an instrumental from the old Big Quarters beat tape Zip Disks Break to put out a leak for fans to enjoy. He's got more official material in the works, though. His album Kingdom Kulture will be out in late summer and features some high profile guest appearances. More on that to come. In the meantime, catch Knox hopping o the Fifth Element stage at Soundset during the Long Doe set to perform "Breathe."

Audio Perm: Soundset Artist Profile (Video)

Catch Audio Perm rocking their high-energy live show on the Fifth Element stage at Soundset this Sunday.

Big Quarters: "New Plateau" (Music Video)

Here is the video for "New Plateau," off Big Quarters' latest album and one of 2011 strongest hip-hop releases, Party Like a Young Commie. The video opens with Slug's introduction for the group's performance during the First Ave stop of the Welcome to MN tour and continues with footage from the rest of their travels during that mini-tour.

Claire de Lune: "Save the Day ft. MaLLy & Truth Be Told" (Prod. Big Cats!)

Claire De Lune is a relatively new name in the local music scene but has already established herself as an in-demand collaborator. Past projects that the singer has contributed her talents to include MaLLy's The Last Great... (backup vocals on the hook of "Renaissance 2.0") and her acoustic rap EP with Guante, A Loud Heart (here's their song "The Illusion of Movement"). Claire De Lune is also a member of local trio The Chalice. If that wasn't enough to keep her busy, she's now releasing a solo EP, New Lion, on June 26. You can pre-order the EP at her Bandcamp site, and also stream the lead single "Save the Day," which features a verse from MaLLy, some singing from Truth Be Told and production from Big Cats!

Mastermind: "Hood Dreamin"

Mastermind has been building anticipation for his upcoming mixtape Mastermind is Denmark Vesey for months now in the form of preview videos and various leaks. Now we've finally got a song off the tape, "Hood Dreamin," and it definitely rewards our patience. The track finds Mastermind in fine form going in over a catchy as hell beat from Soul Tools' Reggie Reg. Check out the song below.

Lupe Fiasco: "Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)"

New single from Soundset 2012 performer Lupe Fiasco. Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album, Lupe's follow up to Lasers, should be in stores later this year. "Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)" is a re-creation of Pete Rock's all-time classic beat for "T.R.O.Y." and Pete Rock wasn't particularly happy about the decision (here's a select tweet, among numerous others). What are you thoughts on the song?

Initially spotted at Fake Shore Drive. Stream via Complex, after the jump.

Watch a KSTP News Feature on Doomtree and Minnesota Hip-Hop

KSTP channel 5 news may be a little late to the scene, but they recently aired some coverage about Doomtree's continually growing national and international presence. Shout out to Kevin Beacham who received plenty of airtime in the feature, too. Doomtree are one of the strongest presences in an incredibly talented and diverse local hip-hop community and deserve all the mainstream media attention that they've earned lately.

MaLLy: The Last Great... (Album Stream and Download)

Today marks the release of MaLLy & the Sundance Kid's debut album, The Last Great... It's been a long time coming. I first posted music from MaLLy when he hit me up with The Passion in July of 2009. Since then, he's given us the Free on the 15th series, multiple excellent music videos, and a steady stream of increasingly high profile concerts, culminating with his Soundset slot a year ago and his well-deserved opening spot on this year's Welcome to MN tour. Needless to say, however, the wait's been well worth it.

The Last Great... is a terrific album by two artists who are firing on all cylinders. If you need further convincing, I'll let the music speak for itself. All of The Last Great... is available for streaming and free download after the jump. Remember to support MaLLy by purchasing the physical album at any local record store (Electric Fetus, Fifth Element).

MaLLy with DJ Last Word
The Last Great... Album Release Party
Friday, May 18
7th Street Entry
with The Tribe & Big Cats, 925ve and DJ Jimmy 2 Times
Facebook RSVP

Kristoff Krane: Freestyle Live at the Triple Rock (Video)

Kristoff Krane performed at the Triple Rock back in February and just released this video of him freestyling about the crowd-requested topics of weed, adhesives, and René Descartes. More importantly, he's got a new album, fanfaronade, coming out for free download via Crushkill Recordings on May 22. The album can be preordered here if you want a physical copy.

Kristoff Krane
fanfaronade Album Release Party
Saturday, May 26
Triple Rock Social Club
Tickets

Ecid: "Surprise Yourself" (Music Video)

Earlier today Spinner premiered the latest video from Ecid's Werewolf Hologram album. This one is a spin on the film Memento and was directed by Adam Dunn — the third video of his that I've posted on Midwest Broadcast today.

Prof: "Myself" (Music Video)

Prof's latest video off of King Gampo is not what many have come to expect from the Minneapolis rapper. Free of the antics of his previous videos, "Myself" addresses more serious issues. Here is Prof's take on the video:

The video for "myself" is something far different than anything we have done before. I've always had a problem with people labeling me a "party rapper" after seeing my videos for the singles we put out. I do love to have a good time, but those are just the singles. If they would listen through whole albums, they would know I am more than that.

The video itself is very different. My previous video releases have been over the top, high production value, wild shit. This video is up-front and very personal. It's meant to ruin peoples' days. CHEERS.

"Myself" was produced by Cory Grindberg and the video was directed by Adam Dunn.

Danny Brown: Detroit State of Mind (Pitchfork.tv Documentary)

Via Pitchfork Media:

Pitchfork.tv on YouTube is proud to present "Detroit State of Mind", a documentary on Detroit rapper (and style icon/spiritual icon) Danny Brown. Filmed in February, the film features Brown in Detroit at home with his family, performing at Dilla Day, and (!) getting a haircut. Also: Listen for Brown doing Chief Keef's signature "Bang Bang!"

Listen to Metasota's Latest Songs in his MetaMay Series

Metasota has persistently stuck with his MetaMay series, and fought through various roadblocks to continue giving us one song per day for the entire month. I've done a poor job of posting his songs as they've been released, but you can hit the jump below to catch the six most recent songs in the series (previous songs can be found here and at Meta's Soundcloud). This latest batch of songs features production by Nicademus, Mike the Martyr, Bobby Raps and more, while Toki Wright, Lizzo and Greg Grease come through for some guest appearances.

The Level Heads: Current Affairs: The Alien Project (EP)

Here is the new EP from Lipset and Lokes, known together as The Level Heads. Current Affairs: The Alien Project is described by Lipset as a conceptual project where the group is abducted by aliens who forced us to write them an album about our planet. Stream or download the EP for free after the jump.

Toki Wright: "This One (Free Verse)" (Music Video)

Here is the second music video off Toki Wright's Faders mixtape, directed by Adam Dunn. Toki has now made Faders available for free download, so make sure to grab that if you don't have it yet.

Villa Rosa: "Food ft. Dodi Phy" (Music Video)

Greg Grease directed the newest video from Soundset 2012 performers Villa Rosa. The song and video for "Food" deconstructs elements of the production of fast food and the consequences of overconsumption. Blue Diamond Island is available right now.

Watch I Self Devine Explain Each Song on The Sound of Low Class Amerika (Video)

A few days ago City Pages/Gimme Noise posted this video of I Self Devine breaking down each song on his recent album, The Sound of Low Class Amerika. I Self is a particularly articulate speaker and his new album covers a wide range of societal topics that encourage and stimulate this type of thoughtful discussion. If you don't have the album yet, I strongly urge you to pick it up.

Doomtree: No Kings Tour Recap (Brussels, Amsterdam, Heidelberg)

Doomtree are currently taking their No Kings tour overseas to Europe. Check out this recap video of their shows in Brussels, Amsterdam, and Heidelberg, Germany. Down below you can catch the first video in their Europe recap, from a show in Italy, and it's worth it to watch solely so you can see Lazerbeak dancing at the very end.

Who's Playing Soundset 2012? (Video)

With Soundset less than 2 weeks away, here are a trio of festival-related videos to get you excited for the show. Up above is a recap of the lineup and down below you can watch videos related to the B-boy stage and custom car show. What performers or events are you most excited for at Soundset?

MaLLy: "Good One ft. K.Raydio" (Live at The Current)

MaLLy recently made a stop at The Current's studio to record a brief session, which included a song that we haven't yet heard from The Last Great... Check out the video of MaLLy, Last Word, and K.Raydio performing "Good One" above, and stream his whole session —which also includes "Cloud Culture" and "Shine" — with the music player below.

Trey Lane: "Here Goes Nothing" (Music Video)

Here is the newest video from Trey Lane. The song was produced by DJ Pain 1 and the video was shot by Carlos De Leon. Purchase the Here Goes Nothing EP on iTunes.

Sound of the City, Vol​.​9 (Compilation Mixtape)

Right on cue, here is this month's Sound of the City mixtape, courtesy of 4Seen Magazine and Big Ten Entertainment. This one features I Self Devine, Toki Wright, MaLLy, Metasota, Knox, Muja Messiah, Fly Henderson, Mike the Martyr, Emazin, and more. Stream it after the jump.

MaLLy Presents The Last Great... Ep. 2: "A Real Job" (Video)

Here is episode 2 of MaLLy's The Last Great... video series. This episode finds MaLLy disillusioned with his 9-5 lifestyle and being reminded of his real passion by the same character who saved his rhyme book from burning in Episode 1.

MaLLy's The Last Great... will be out on May 15 and is available for pre-order through Fifth Element.

MaLLy with DJ Last Word
The Last Great... Album Release Party
Friday, May 18
7th Street Entry
with The Tribe & Big Cats, 925ve and DJ Jimmy 2 Times
Facebook RSVP

Audio Perm Announces Permed Out Showcase #2 (Video)

This summer Audio Perm are upgrading venues for the second Permed Out Showcase. This one will be held on June 29 at The Cabooze and will feature MetaSota and Jason Anxious in addition to the entire AP crew. Below you can find some more words from AP's own Taylor Madrigal as well as the event flyer.

Audio Perm is taking over The Cabooze for the 2nd installment in their "Permed Out Showcase" series. The purpose of the series is to showcase the vocalists/m.c.'s who frequently collaborate with the group, and to bring more attention to them as solo artists. The emcees (80H20, Akrite, Bobby Raps, Chantz Erolin, Dylan LP, Ramiro X, Unfuh Qwittable, Yakub) are the driving force behind the live performance aspect of Audio Perm. The first Permed Out Showcase (Honey NE, 12/20/11) was sold out soon after doors opened, with lines out the door and around the block (Photos). Audio Perm decided a larger venue was needed for the next show, and found a more suitable home at The Cabooze.

Listen to the 5 Latest Songs in Metasota's MetaMay Series

When I last posted about MetaMay, we were only 2 songs deep in the series. Since then, Meta's blessed us with 5 new songs and shows no signs of relenting. In the latest batch, we've got production from Big Cats!, Tek, Cory Grindberg, and more. Additionally, the song from May 3rd, "Robb Stark," gives us the second local song of the year with a Game of Thrones reference (Guante & Big Cats! provided the first). Stream all the MetaMay songs below.

Last Of The Record Buyers: 'Collaboration's the Key' Compilation Album Announcement

Kevin Beacham and Brandon Allday are gearing up for Soundset 2012 in a big way with an exciting announcement about a limited-run Last of the Record Buyers compilation album. Read on for more information (via Facebook and YouTube) about Collaboration's the Key, which is now available for pre-order via Fifth Element or can be purchased at Soundset.

Last Of The Record Buyers is a producer based event created by Kevin Beacham (Fifth Element/Rhymesayers) and Brandon Allday (Big Quarters). After 5 years of hosting a series of production events at various locations including Scribble Jam, Soundset, Dinkytowner, Institute Of Production & Recording, and Fifth Element, they are now excited to announce their first compilation, Collaboration's the Key. Kevin and Brandon reached out to a wide range of Producers, MCs, and DJs to come out with 21 unique collaborations. In most all of the cases Kevin Beacham and Brandon Allday connected the artists together in an attempt to get people to work with artists they had never connected with, creating unique opportunities. The result is an impressive collection of songs ranging from boom-bap hip hop, conceptual wordplay, soulful r&b, human beatbox, abstract stylings, conscious thought, turntablism, human beatboxing, and more! Includes artist representation from Twin Cities, LA, Chicago, Sweden, South Africa, Oakland, Orlando, Madison, Brooklyn, Seattle, Philly, Atlanta, Columbus, and NYC!!! This CD is available exclusively thru Fifth Element (In-store and Online) and limited to just 500 Copies!!! Don't sleep...

On 5.26.12 Fifth Element will release a new exclusive CD!! It is a producer based compilation featuring a impressive line of Hip Hop from around the world; Big Quarters, Chief Kamachi, Masai Bey, Plain Ole Bill, Primecut, Open MIke Eagle, X: 144, Optiks, Bionik, K Raydio, GMO, Kool Akiem, MaLLy, Murdoc, Cecil Otter, I.B.E, Bionik, Illogic, Noam The Drummer, Mike Swoop, Mr Gene Poole, Midwest Konnect, Scheme, DJ SPS, Blockhead, Dispute One, I-20, O-D, Noam The Drummer, Katrah Quey, Longshot, Sean Anonymous, King Otto, Definition Baroque, DJ Pain 1, Bobby Raps, Julian Fairbanks, Silas Black, JEL, Midwest Konnect, Jbux, DJ Name, Swam (Sol. Of Sound), DJ Snuggles, Dimitry Killstorm, So-Leen, Greg Grease, DJ Todda, NoCanDo, Benzilla, Joshua Gunn, Illustrate, Kevin Beacham, and Jimmy2Times!

Preview Pitchfork.tv's Danny Brown Documentary "Detroit State of Mind"

This documentary will be out next week via Pitchfork.

Trama: "Run Laps" (Music Video)

Here is the latest cut off the Tramdilla mixtape to get a video. Trama directed and edited the video himself; it was shot by AbhiNav.

I Self Devine: "Exist To Remain" (Live in The Current Studios)

I purchased The Sound of Low Class Amerika at I Self Devine's album release party last Friday and the record has been on constant repeat ever since. It's a phenomenal piece of work and will positively be among my favorite albums of 2012. You can watch I Self perform "Exist to Remain" at The Current, and stream the entire studio session below.

Be sure to get out and cop The Sound of Low Class Amerika, you won't be disappointed.

MaLLy Presents The Last Great... Ep. 1: "Growing Up" (Video)

Here is the first of three video episodes leading up to the May 15 release of The Last Great... The video details a young man saving MaLLy from stopping pursuing his dreams of a career in rap.

The Last Great... can now be pre-ordered at Fifth Element, and tickets to his album release show are still available at all local ticket outlets (Fifth Element, Electric Fetus, the Depot). Album art and tracklist are included after the jump in case you haven't seen it yet.

MaLLy with DJ Last Word
The Last Great... Album Release Party
Friday, May 18
7th Street Entry
with The Tribe & Big Cats, 925ve and DJ Jimmy 2 Times
Facebook RSVP

Kanye West: "Lost in the World" (Music Video)

It's not a new G.O.O.D. Friday track, but we already got that earlier in the week. Out of nowhere, the closing track to Kanye's 2010 classic My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy gets a video. Check out the black and white video above, which was directed by Ruth Hogben. Thanks to Fake Shore Drive.

Brother Ali: "Not A Day Goes By" (Music Video)

Brother Ali and Jake One hooked up for yet another non-album cut to get fans even more excited for Mourning in America, Dreaming in Color. With the handful of songs that the two have released together so far, they've already demonstrated a chemistry that exceeds their catalog. This naturally sets the bar high for the proper LP, but I've got no reservations that they'll deliver an amazing album.

Tek & Franz Diego: "Shots Paul & Wag Town"

St. Paul's Tek and Minneapolis' Franz Diego came together to create an anthem for the Twin Cities that will definitely be getting many plays during the coming weeks and summer months. Download the song, which was produced by Bobby Raps and Jesse James, below or hit the jump for a YouTube stream.

Tek & Franz Diego: "Shots Paul & Wag Town"

Metasota: "Just Junior" + "P.I.G."

Local rapper Metasota has been tweeting for a while about an idea of his called MetaMay. The idea is simple: release one song per day for the entire month of May. Several rappers are known for being incredibly prolific, but this level of productivity is something that many local rappers have not attempted. It will be interesting to see how the month plays out. At the time I'm writing this post (late Wednesday night), Meta is already 2 songs deep in the series, and we're off to a good start. You can stream "Just Junior" and "P.I.G." (produced by Double Helix) below.

Chief Keef: "I Don't Like (Remix) ft. Kanye West, Pusha T, Jadakiss & Big Sean"

On Tuesday night Kanye released the G.O.O.D. Music remix to young Chicago upstart Chief Keef's song "I Don't Like." I understand that in Internet time, that means this post is light years too late, but I'm sharing it anyway because I'm happy to see the G.O.O.D. Friday releases continue (even if the song came on a Tuesday). Download or listen to the song at Kanye's website, or stream it below.

DOWNLOAD - Chief Keef: "I Don't Like (Remix) ft. Kanye West, Pusha T, Jadakiss & Big Sean"

K.Raydio: "Catchy Hook ft. JDante" (Music Video)

Local songstress K.Raydio really wasted no time following up on her video for "The Way It Goes," which came out last week. Here is the animated video for "Catchy Hook" which features a verse from JDante. The video was directed by the talented Adam Dunn.

Manny Phesto Rooftop Freestyle (Video)

Just the other day Audio Perm posted this video of local rapper Manny Phesto spitting some late-night rooftop freestyles. If you're feeling the raps, check out his Facebook page to learn more about Manny Phesto and check out more of his music.