So the Roots have a new album out, called How I Got Over.  The single off the album (by the same name) is a great track.  That bodes pretty well for the album as a whole (and you can check it out below).

The tracklist lists some solid acts, and a lot of recurring appearances by Dice Raw.  Raw is an artist I always thought was a steady member of the Roots Crew, but it seems like I was wrong.  Joanna Newsom may be the least likely guest star on this album, but she’s a pretty talented musician herself, so I have a feeling her skills won’t be put to waste. 

You can stream a lot of the songs off the album on the The Roots’ MySpace page, so go check it out!

Still, good work, whoever thought this one up.

Not bad!  Pitchfork’s been all over this album for quite some time now, and the hype has been building.  Part of what grabbed my attention is that these two decided to sample Amadou and Mariam’s Sabali for one of their tracks.  For those who don’t know, Sabali is a solidly-produced track by an incredibly talented Afro-pop duo from Mali.   But as yet, Amadou and Mariam aren’t exactly household names, so the use of one of their tracks from one is undoubtedly going to a pretty commercial-successful record is a great thing.

The sample is to be used on the track Patience, which you can check out over at The Fader.

If you want to buy the album, it should be out at a store near you.  It’s already up on Amazon and on iTunes.

The NYTimes wrote a fairly unremarkable piece on hip hop beefs in 2009.  The focus of the article was on some simmering beef between Joe Budden and half the Wu-Tang nation.  The story goes that Joe Budden wasn’t too happy when Method Man beat him on a poll by the defunct-and-reborn Vibe Magazine.  He made a couple of brash statements, and the Wu responded.

It seems like Raekwon took it the most personally, and tensions simmered between Joe and Rae, culminating in an alleged assault on Joe Budden.  Budden made the situation public by posting a little video diary online and talking about it.

The only thing I found interesting about the article was the focus on technology in modern hip hop beefs.  The author had this to say about the situation:

The supposed attack took place backstage at the Los Angeles date of the Rock the Bells tour, at which both Raekwon and Slaughterhouse were performing. According to Mr. Budden and Mickey Factz, another rapper in the room at the time, the incident was being filmed by a member of Raekwon’s camp, presumably so that Mr. Budden’s primary tool, the Internet, could later be used against him.

If so, it was a mark of modern savvy on the part of Raekwon, a product of the 1990s, an era in which hip-hop beefs were just as likely to play out behind closed doors as on records.

More importantly, I think, was this simple sentence.  It both castigates the Wu-Tang clan as being out of touch and seems to suggest that Joe Budden is somehow ahead of the game.

In going online with his gripes about the Vibe list, Mr. Budden was working from an updated playbook, one that most likely caught Raekwon and Method Man, used to the unchallenged public respect of their successors, off guard.

I find it hard to believe that anyone can see a video diary as being a remarkable use of technology that woudl catch anyone off guard, but I can see the author’s point.  It may be something that didn’t use to happen as much, in that beefs used to be made public through the odd-interview but primarily through disses at shows and tracks packed with insults.  Rappers didn’t use to jump on YouTube to complain about each other.

The article is worth a read.  Jon Caramanica makes some good points regarding Budden’s use of the internet to remain relevant, and has some insight to Raekwon’s behaviour.

As we mentioned previously, Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek have reunited as Reflection Eternal and released a new album titled Revolutions Per Minute.

I’ve been pretty critical of Kweli over the last couple of years, and that’s not exactly the fairest journalism around.  It’s likely I’m too tainted by the greatness from the Black Star or the first Reflection Eternal albums to truly appreciate his more contemporary work.

Still, I’ve got high hopes for this new album.  The great thing is that you can stream the album for free from Entertainment Weekly.  I don’t know how long the album will remain up online, so check it out as soon as you can.

As for the tracklist, while I’m not a fan of City Playgrounds, I do think Back Again is a bit more classic Kweli.  However, Strangers may run away with the album.  Either that or Just Begun.

The best part about this disc is the variety of styles the duo uses.  There’s some old gospel-sounding samples that sneak in (In this World), and a couple of tracks hit you with the traditional ballad hooks (Ballad of Black Gold).  A few of them hit you in the face with a hard beat (So Good), or are covered with a gritty phone filter (Get Loose).

I’m a big fan of this track, which is something that landed in my lap from one of the far reaches of the internet.  It’s totally possible that many of you out there have heard this, in which case feel free to throw some heat my way in the comments below.

Six emcees (by my count), organized by Skiggy Rapz.  Master Surreal, Pete Philly, The Proov, Skate the Great and Phreke.

Listen to it here:

Download audio file (11-Re_Mind-Feat.-Master-Surreal-Pe.mp3)

It’s got a very laid back and jazzy beat assembled by Skiggy, and the emcees each deliver a sophisticated verse that’s also unique.  The first verse is all about mother nature, and something in the way that it’s delivered hits the right spot.

Give it a listen.

Spinner magazine has Shad’s new album TSOL streaming in its full glory.

Check it out here.

It’s neat that each track has a little commentary by Shad himself talking about where each came from and what it was all about.

This album is going to be great when it lands at the end of May.  Of course it’s already leaked, but I strongly suggest you wait for the purchase.  But now you have a legal way to stream it and check it out ahead of time!

Plus, Shad’s touring as we speak and will be passing through your neck of the woods pretty soon.  I’m sure you want to know the new material before you see him live!

Check it out here.

“Oh the doctor don’t know, but New York is Killing me”. – Gil Scott-Heron

Nas’ verses are intriguing.  He focuses mainly on the fast-pace of NYC and the fact that the ladies of NY are “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”  Without a doubt, Gil owns this track and his performance is incredible.  But it’s nice to see his old-time style contrasted with Nas’ younger, faster flow.  It’s a collabo that works nicely.