Digital Drop

SNDCLSH - THIEVES

2013-05-04T01:06:00.004-04:00

SNDCLSH the duo of DJ Lupe Fiasco and DJ Sky Gellatly recently dropped their second single "THIEVES" which features production from SNDCLSH and DJ Kue. Lupe harmonizes well and delivers vocally, with great production and a catchy hook don't be surprised if this is all over the radio.

Harry Fraud - Yacht Lash ft Earl Sweatshirt & RiFF RAFF

2013-05-04T00:45:00.000-04:00

Harry Fraud tabs Earl Sweatshirt and RiFF RAFF two unlikely features, but a genius combination for "Yacht Lash" from his upcoming Scion Presented EP High Tide. Kudos to Scion for supporting great music with these EP, first Danny's Bruiser Brigade EP and now this. Unfortunately this is clean, for obvious reasons, no word on if a dirty version will be released don't expect it though as I think Danny's never received one.

[Video] Chuck Inglish - Drops

2013-05-04T00:39:00.000-04:00

Mount Clemens finest Chuck Inglish is back with his next single "Drops", which features that signature knock and bass that his production is known for. This takes me back to the first time I heard Black Mags, I almost expected Mikey to pop up on some random guest shit too. Look for his solo debut Convertibles sometime this August.

SpaceGhostPurrp - Fuck Lames

2013-05-04T00:34:00.000-04:00

SpaceGhostPurrp is back on his dark and grimy shit with "Fuck Lames", which sounds like it could be a left over from his BLVCKLVND RADIO 66.6 days. No word on where this track is from or if it'll even be featured on a project. Hopefully his next project will be more along the lines of this, with that original phonk sound more so than his recent "semi-conscious" raps.

ScHoolBoy Q - She Like

2013-05-04T00:19:00.000-04:00

Pretty dope track from Q off the 2013 XXL Freshmen mixtape.

[Video] Blu - Vanity

2013-05-04T00:11:00.000-04:00

The ever so enigmatic artist known as Blu is back with a video and it either has absolutely has nothing to do with the song or it fits it perfectly depending on your point of view. Either way the actual music is dope and classic Blu, good rhymes and dope samples.

[Video] Mac Miller - SDS

2013-05-04T00:07:00.002-04:00

After his highly successful debut Blue Slide Park, Mac Miller is back with his latest single "SDS" from his upcoming album Watching Movies with the Sound Off due out June18th. With a video that matches the creatively odd production from Flying Lotus, Mac spits some of his best lyrical wise that I've heard from him in a while. I was initially a Mac fan way back when his KIDS mixtape dropped but after hearing Best Day Ever and Blue Slide Park he lost me. This however is the Mac that I liked way back in 2010 and while most of his new fans seem to think this is to weird (judging by the Youtube comments) I can only hope that the album will have more tracks like this.

[EP] Mann - L.I.S.A.

2013-05-03T23:55:00.000-04:00

West L.A. rapper Mann recently released his latest EP L.I.S.A., which just so happens to be one of the best indie releases of the year. Admittedly I was draw to this project because of the cover but I stayed for the music. Mann definitely has his own sound, especially for an California artist, he isn't on that TDE, OF, Bay Area production wave, which is always refreshing. Lyrically L.I.S.A. is strong but the highlight for me was the production. With only seven tracks L.I.S.A. may seem short but the actual length of the tracks prolong the listen, which was my only problem with the project itself. A few tracks could've benefited from being a bit shorter but all in all everything sounds great.

Stream below or download here

[Video] Earl Sweatshirt At Coachella

2013-04-14T21:39:00.000-04:00

Earl Sweatshirt made his Coachella debut in a rather awkward fashion this weekend. While Earl's performance was good the crowd seemed lackadaisical, which is ironic considering that is the same criticism Earl often receives, but he worked through it to put on a nice performance. Mid way through Domo Genesis and Vince Staples show up for their respective tracks from Earl's upcoming album Doris. I was definitely feeling the new material, especially "Hive" which features Vince Staples who absolutely bodies his verse. Of course Tyler, The Creator came out and along with Earl performed some OF classics, this would've truly been a memorable Coachella debut if it weren't for the crowd props to Tyler for calling them out on it though. Anyway it's a enjoyable set for any OF fan and a definite must watch for the new Doris tracks.

Aceology - ZEUS 2.1 Beta (prod. KINGNEV$UPREME)

2013-04-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

Ace Gawd is back with his latest track "ZEUS", backed by ill production from KINGNEV$UPREME, this might be the best yet that I've heard from him lyrically. This is from the potentially upcoming Trillzburry Dopeboy EP, Ace does promise that the final version will be mastered for a much cleaner sound. Be sure to grab Ace's latest projects B$ RADIOVol.II/TOA$T TO THA GOD$ and PVLMTREE$ & PROMETHVZINE VOL.1.

[Video] Mike G - Los Angeles ft Jack Mushroom

2013-04-14T21:19:00.000-04:00

Mike G links up with fellow Californian Jack Mushroom for this smooth cut and ode to their hometown of Los Angeles.

[Video] rMell - INVITATION

2013-04-14T21:06:00.002-04:00

Here's your invitation, NEOGEO.

[Video] BLVCK$PVCE - RN$

2013-04-14T20:56:00.000-04:00

Directed by Helena Banks of Kreative Khaos

The trill duo of Aceology and Corrupt Alskade a.k.a. BLVCK$PVCE come together for "RN$" from Ace's Red Eye Poetry, backed by some dope visuals provided by Helena Banks who perfectly captures the tracks' vibe.

[EP] Surp - God .

2013-03-22T22:17:00.002-04:00

The enigmatic wordspitter known as Surp is back with his latest work God ., keeping up with his tradition of being non-traditional, the project is half instrumental with the other half being actual rap tracks. Most artist couldn't do this, most wouldn't do this but Surp isn't like most. As always Surp impresses lyrically but what is most impressive about the project is the atmosphere that it gives off. The otherworldly ambience is created through a combination of the odd instrumentals, lyrics and the voice clips featured on the project. I can guarantee that you haven't heard anything thing like this so far this year, it definitely holds the title of most unique project of 2013.

God . by Surp .

ScHoolBoy Q - Yay Yay (Prod. Boi-1da & The Maven Boys)

2013-03-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

TDE's wild man ScHoolBoy Q has been relatively quiet since dropping his critically acclaimed project Habits & Contradictions last year. Today however, Q returns with the first single "Yay Yay" off his upcoming major debut album Oxymoron . The single is what we've come to expect from Q, lyricism with a gangster twist and hard knocking production, this time around supplied by Boi-1da and The Maven Boys. Q said seeing Kendrick's success with good kid, m.A.A.d city has inspired and motivated him to create his best project yet, we'll see if that's true when Oxymoron drops later this year.

[Mixtape Review] Steezy Grizzlies - Green

2013-03-21T21:46:00.001-04:00

Right from the very start of Green, the latest project from Steezy Grizzlies, it's apparent that Steezy is on a different plane than that of his previous works. Beginning with "Yawns" Steezy drops some real lines "In this rap circle, everyone wants to be rMell or Trill. That's why it's kinda hard to tell, who is original still" something which is quite true. Rap has become a carbon copy genre, with every rapper wanting to be someone else or sound like something else. This introspectiveness is what sets Steezy apart, not only is he aware of his own faults, he is willing to point them out. That is one of the reasons why the intro to Green is so great, it's Steezy finally being himself and not caring about pleasing fans or the opinion of others.

Next is the high energy "SNB Anthem II" featuring Rashad Stark with excellent production from Plue Starfox. It's simply Steezy and Rashad having fun and rapping well, the former is something that I noticed over the course of my listen. I get the sense that Steezy had fun during the recording process of Green, something that I didn't get from past projects.

Green does well to show off Steezy's versatility from his softer side, "Paradise Falls" and "My B.R.I.A. (Simp Song II)" which are definite highlights of the project with the former featuring not only a dope verse from Grammy Family's rMell but also production, which samples Yuji Ohno's "Love Theme" from Lupin III. To his more "street" side with "Gangsta Minded Gohan" and the Johny Locus assisted "dmGOTHAM" both featuring some braggadocious rhymes. Lastly, "Neega The 2nd." with the lyrical monster Surp God who drops a show stealing verse but Steezy holds his own against Surp and avoids being outclassed. Steezy closes out the tape with the last two tracks featuring his SNB family, although I wish he would've ended it with a solo track, the whole SNB does well and shows off their individual talents which I suppose was the purpose.

All together Green is the best project from Steezy Grizzlies by far, it is more polished and feels more organic than his previous drops. The only thing I can say negative about it was that it was too short but that doesn't take away from the project itself, plus I believe it was intended to be short in duration. Steezy has shown that he can hold his own against some of the best in his area with his last three projects, hopefully an album is in the works. I think that is the last step in his evolution as an artist, I'd like to see what he could do over a full length 45-55 minute project. However, until that time, just enjoy Green.

Standout Tracks: Yawns, Paradise Falls, My B.R.I.A. (Simp Song II), dmGOTHAM, & Neega The 2nd.

FINAL VERDICT

+ Steezy's best work yet

+ Great production

+ Good features

+ Versatile sound

- Unnecessary interludes

- Short track length

8.5/10

[Album] Matt McGhee - AWARD

2013-03-21T20:11:00.000-04:00

AWARD (Always Working At Reaching Destiny) by Matt McGhee dropped back in February and while I loafed on a review for it, I definitely did listen and I suggest you do so also. I won't write an entire review for it (sorry Matt) but I will share Dave Caldwell's of Back2Pluto excellent review. Dave pretty much sums up my exact sentiments on the album with his review and does it more well than I possibly could've. While I won't be writing a review, I do however want to share this album with you. It is one of the best, if not the best, indie projects to drop this year and it deserves all the shine and praise it gets. Without further ado AWARD...

[Mixtape Review] Chick Gaynor - LORD $LUG

2013-03-06T03:51:00.000-05:00

After a few singles and an EP, Chick Gaynor returns with his first project of the new year LORD $LUG, the follow up to his album ORIGAMI. It's been a while since a project has had me this conflicted on my opinion of it. LORD $LUG is a good project but it is definitely a step back when compared to ORIGAMI, but ORIGAMI shined mainly due to the improvement over Chick's first mixtape Whatever. In no means is LORD $LUG a bad project but it does have its faults, one thing it is lacking is the cohesiveness that ORIGAMI benefited from. It feels much more like an EP comprised of material that Chick has been working on for the past months than a true project. It is almost more comparable to his Slug Gawd: The Lost Memoirs in that sense.

Chick has always been an artist who has shown improvement with each project and while LORD $LUG doesn't improve on too much from Chick's previous works it does enough. One thing that it has over his past projects is replayability, I've listened to it a lot in the weeks since its release and I've yet to tire of it. Whatever and ORIGAMI both lack in this, mainly due in part to production choices. The production featured on LORD $LUG is definitely more upbeat when compared to the melodic melancholy production on ORIGAMI. Thanks to producers such as Louseph Bruise Em', rMell, High Class Filth, Suede Moccasins and Nomad. Although at the same time Chick doesn't stray to far off from the sound that made him, he more or less fine tuned it. Tracks such as "Alexa Chung" show off Chick's humor and his ability to spit over more uptempo production. While "#BushMOB" shows off Chick's more menacing side, as he and Mike of Doom take turns trading bars while sending shots at fellow rappers. As I said earlier, while LORD $LUG does lack the cohesiveness that ORIGAMI had, it does well to show off Chick's versatility as an artist as he tackles various production styles.

Lyrically LORD $LUG is strong, featuring some of his best verses, Chick retains the improvement in lyrics and flow that he showed in past projects. Chick keeps the feature count low this time around, only Mike of Doom and Nomad make appearances with both bringing their own unique talents to their respective tracks. Chick has always had an ability to be personal in his raps and that makes him much more relatable and it truly shows on this tape. The project ends with the excellent "Lama Sabacthani" as Chick laments over the Nomad produced track about his griefs, it is truly moving and in my opinion the best track on LORD $LUG, a definite highlight.

Overall, LORD $LUG is another great project from Chick Gaynor who continues to improve and hone his sound with each project. It'll be interesting to see what he does for his next project but I have no doubts that it'll be his best yet.

Standout Tracks: #BushMOB, Edward Nygma, Alexa Chung, Psalm 27 & Lama Sabacthani

FINAL VERDICT

+ Some of Chick's best work yet

+ High replay value

+ Strong production

+ Digital Booklet featuring lyrics and excellent design

- Lacks cohesiveness

- Short duration

8/10

Stream below or download here

Plue Starfox - A D A Wong

2013-02-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

Back when I last spoke to Plue for our The Rap Up interview series, Starfox spoke on "slowly becoming an ill ass rapper" it seems he has been working on it. With "A D A Wong" Starfox makes his rap debut and an impressive one at that, over his own production (of course), he drops various anime and video game lines/references with anyone else it would be forced or corny but if you follow Plue's music it's only natural.

Chance The Rapper - Acid Rain

2013-02-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

Something heartfelt from Chano, I'll let the song speak for itself. Acid Rap due out in April.

[Video] Akoko - Thee Hipókolypse ft SIR E.U THE GREAT

2013-02-24T17:49:00.000-05:00

D.C. duo Akoko link up with one of the DMV's finest SIR E.U for "Thee Hipókolypse", with dope production from Plue Starfox and nice visuals. Starting it off, Sugg Savage drops her verse with a smooth flow, while the homie E.U comes through with his trademark impromptu style and Sloane Amelia breezes through the track with a frenetic combination of sharp flow and lyricism. Look for Akoko's upcoming project CAT•A•RAPS to be released soon.

Che' - Germz (Cover Your Mouth) (prod. by FoolBoy)

2013-02-13T04:03:00.001-05:00

Michigan emcee Che' is truly one of the best in the state right now, definitely the best female I've heard spit and with her latest track "Germz (Cover Your Mouth)" she proves so, with witty wordplay and a sharp flow. I've heard a few tracks from her in the past but this is definitely her best work so far. I'm not sure if she plans to release a project but I would love to hear one from her.

[Video] SIR E.U - THE THIRD ONE

2013-02-13T03:41:00.000-05:00

Directed by Helena Bank$ of Kreative Khaos

Watch. Listen. Greatness. FXCK 2 3/23/12.

Manuel Fresco - Poison

2013-02-13T03:28:00.000-05:00

After his excellent drops "Lunar" and "Clarity" from last week, Manuel Fresco is back with his latest work "Poison". Featuring samples from both Juicy J and Bell Biv Devoe, this is definitely the best I've heard from Fresco. That combination alone makes this a must listen but the fact that Fresco found a way to combine the two and do it well is impressive. Hopefully we'll get a EP from Fresco sometime in the future but for now just enjoy.

[EP] Louseph Bruise Em' - SHANGRILA

2013-02-13T03:10:00.002-05:00

Producer Gawd, Louseph Bruise Em' is back with SHANGRILA another instrumental EP and if his words hold truth his last. Lou stated on Twitter that he will start focusing on rapping and producing together, hopefully this is a sign that his album A W H O L E will drop soon. Back to the tape though, it is Lou once again expanding his sound and experimenting successfully I might add. Most impressively flipping Annie Lennox's "No More I Love You's" recently used in Nicki Minaj's "Your Love". I've literally run out of ways to describe Lou and his skills, so just listen and form your own opinion. Be sure to check out his other instrumental tapes TRIP and Como Sea and look for his album A W H O L E to drop sometime this year. As always, good shit Lou.

Stream below and/or download.