Artistic Manifesto

Elbee Thrie - Possessed (Video)

2012-02-25T11:10:00.000-05:00

This might be the illest I've seen in a minute. Elbee Thrie definitely has a flow more reminiscent of the 1990's than the present, and that combined with his slick, organic production has him drawing comparisions to A Tribe Called Quest left and right. I won't go that far yet, but I will say that if you just listen to the track, it does not sound like something made in this modern age. I'm not sure what Elbee is gonna evolve into yet, but I'm definitely gonna be watching to find out.

Rapsody - The Black Mamba (FreeP)

2012-02-24T14:54:00.000-05:00

Rapsody, a.k.a. Rap Diddy, a.k.a. The Queen of JAMLA records is back with a quickstrike release. Potent lyrics, with production by 9th Wonder, Eric G, & Khrysis? A 90's R&B sample? A basketball-themed project? All dope- if only it wasn't a tribute to the most hated player in the game. Despite this, I'll still vouch for this project off of the lyrical potency that this talented emcee brings to the table on every track.

Previously: Rapsody Interview With Artistic Manifesto

Click "read more" for the tracklist and purchase link.

PURCHASE

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Husfriend

2012-02-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Madlib provides the most crispety & crunchety treat next to a Butterfinger in the form of this instrumental, which Georgia Anne Muldrow slowly seduces into submission. Is a "Husfriend" like a combination of a husband and a friend? That's the impression I get from the chorus, which proclaims that Everything I want is here, all is perfectly clear. It seems Ms. Muldrow is celebrating the discovery of her ideal mate. Did she really whisper "Swag" on the chorus though? Yea, we heard you...

Era Hardaway - SlightlyHyped (Mixtape)

2012-02-23T11:19:00.000-05:00

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://erayoucrazy.bandcamp.com/album/slightlyhyped"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;SlightlyHyped by Era Hardaway&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

We are very proud to bring you the latest release from young and talented emcee Era Hardaway, entitled Slightly Hyped. The suspense has been built through the release of his weekly #Hardaway16's, and now the final product is upon us. Hardaway is a member of the label Lost Artistry, which intends to bring back a lot of the missing elements in music that have been lost over the years. Era does so in dominant fashion, providing excellent delivery and wordplay, which is supplemented by Lost Artistry guest features and almost entirely original production. If this is slight, then I can't wait to hear the all-out storm.

Click "read more" to see the track list and download.

DOWNLOAD

Cane - Kelly Kapowski (Video)

2012-02-22T19:54:00.000-05:00

Cane donates his intense, laser-like flow to remix the infamous "Rack City." One of the best emcees out when it comes to technique and wordplay, and he even managed to make "Saved by the Bell" relevant again.

Mikey J & The UK Allstars - Rock The Mic (Video)

2012-02-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Let's step outside of the usual. Recently in my 2012 Hip--Hop Wishlist, I mentioned my desire to see more talented female emcees of impact in the game. The first answer to my prayers came all the way from the United Kingdom. Producer Mikey J provided an edgy beat to be rhymed over, and six hungry emcees did more than their part. Major props to Amplify Dot, Baby Blue, Lioness, RoxXxan, Mz. Bratt, Lady Leshurr, and SoulCulture.

Click "read more" to download the audio.

DOWNLOAD

J. Cole - Grew Up Fast

2012-02-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

What do you get when you mix David Ruffin, a Dream Villain, and 2 Million Twitter Followers? A new track reminiscent of them Warm Up days. Here's Jermaine doing what he does best, being himself.

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Cris Cab ft. Wyclef & Mavado - Rihanna's Gun (Video)

2012-02-21T19:06:00.000-05:00

She just shot a man down. Hear it from his perspective. An interesting conceptual song from Miami singer Cris Cab, who is quickly becoming a name to know in the reggae community. The song is bursting with energy from start to finish. The beat seems to switch between genres throughout, providing for an entertaining listen that is bound to be repeated.

Kid Cudi - Dose of Dopeness

2012-02-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

"You make songs about some new dances, I make songs about the black man's advancement."

I really dig the combination of Dot Da Genius production and Cudder vocals. His quirky tracks are a perfect mix for hip-hop's oddball singer. This will not be on the upcoming WZRD album, but it gives another reminder of just how dope it should be.

Spacek – Countdown feat Black Thought, Bahamadia, & Slum Village

2012-02-20T12:39:00.000-05:00

First of all, much respect to the folks over at Bama Love Soul for uncovering this treasure from over ten years ago.

"When Spacek's Eve hit the scene in 2000 it signaled a sonic shift on the music scene. The A side featured not only Spacek's electronic, sexy ode but also Jay Dee's boom bap remix that had Jeep's booming sensitivity with Spacek and SV crooning, "I want you, I need you!" The B side got essentially no burn but included a Nwachukwu remix of Eve plus Countdown which featured Black Thought, Bahamadia, & Slum Village sans a Jay Dee verse. Countdown is a posse cut over a more electronic beat than probably any of those involved had rhymed over before. I'd completely forgotten about this. "

Well$ - An Awfully Rude Introduction

2012-02-19T18:31:00.000-05:00

Some lightwork off of young emcee Well$'s debut project, entitled "Say La V."

Origins: The Beatles

2012-02-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Didn’t see this coming, did you? Well you gon’ learn today. I bet a considerable portion of those reading these words haven’t really listened to a Beatles song in years, if ever. An original one, at least. But the boys from Liverpool, England might have more of a foothold in your iPod than you thought.

Twist and Shout (1963)

Salt N Pepa - Twist and Shout (1988)

This would be the most obvious of the samples on this list. The 1980's superstars' rendition of the classic was loved by some and hated by others. Regardless, it brought a song from decades earlier into the minds of many hwo likely wouldn't have heard it otherwise. They didn't sound too bad on the harmony, either.

Do You Want To Know A Secret (1963)

The RZA - You'll Never Know ft. Cilvaringz (2003)

The RZA gave the Beatles an emotional reconstruction with this record off of Birth of A Prince. The short loop taken for the Wu-Tang spitter's song, came from the opening moments of a generally serene and happy Beatles hit. But listen to the RZA's kidnapping of it and tell me you don't feel that the Beatles aren't hiding a much deeper and darker secret.

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

J. Dilla - Sleeping Like A Dog (2005)

This isn't necesarily one of J.D.'s better known instrumentals- it came off of a Beat CD through Stone's Throw in 2005. But Dilla's never come with anything less than excellence. I gotta marvel at how he smoothly transformed the raucous, upbeat original to the jazzy masterpiece that we can listen to now. Two beautiful and extremely pieces.

Can't Buy Me Love (1964)

DJ Jazzy Jeff - $ CAn't Buy Me Love ft. Biz Markie (2007)

What Biz lacks in singing ability he makes up for with sheer gusto, in this modern tribute to the 1964 classic off of the movie "A Hard Day's Night." Over Jazzy Jeff, Biz adds another level of detail to the original, as his verses specifiy the reasons for the importance of avoiding money-hungry women.

Lady Madonna (1968)

Sublime - What I Got (1996)

The original was a Fats Domino impression that covered the stressful life of a young mother. The remake is a ska-influenced ode to life on the West Coast for a group of young, broke college age kids in the late 90's. The one common thread? That beautiful melody.

Colin Munroe ft. Pusha T - The Fight of My Life

2012-02-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Pusha always had a buzz, around him, and rightfully so. Still, you gotta love the crossover appeal that G.O.O.D. Music has given him. I get the feeling that the radio's gonna tear this song up. A lot of anthemic potential.

Click "read more" to download.

DOWNLOAD

My 2012 Hip-Hop Wishlist

2012-02-17T19:35:00.000-05:00

I am a lover of music at my core. I recognize that the music industry is constantly changing back and forth to meet the demands of consumers. But there are certain things I feel are necessary changes to the current landscape. This is by no means my attempt to be a hip-hop elitist, or a music snob. Instead, they are my thoughts on what I’d like to see more of from the hip-hop genre in future years. Some of these might stretch your thought process, some you might agree with upon first glance, and some might just seem totally off to you. But at the very least, I hope my points inspire a little bit of thought and discussion. What y’all got?

The Return of the Vintage Atlanta Rapper

Atlanta has been a hotbed of talent ever since the days of The Dungeon Family’s emergence on the scene. Power shifted from the West Coast and New York down to Georgia with the emergence of these unique acts. You had ‘kast rappin about Cadillacs and ATLiens, Goodie Mob knockin’ cats out of windows. Bow. Then entered Ludacris with his delightfully outrageous, “Word of Mouf” lyricism. All from the city where the playas play. A buzz was steadily growing, because Atlanta not only had unique emcees, but they could plain flow too. Stood toe to toe with anyone from New York or elsewhere, and had the fame to match. And then, times changed.

Lil Jon was probably the biggest name out of Atlanta in the early 2000’s. Outkast had what is hopefully a temporary Hollywood Divorce. Ludacris matured, and seemed uncomfortably tame. And now, it seems like Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka are at the forefront of the new class of Atlanta icons. Given, they do appeal to a given market. I get it. But you can’t tell me for a second that they can match the sophistication, brilliance, and talent of Atlanta’s glorious past. There are emcees with a lot less publicity who are more in the vein of Atlanta’s past of creativity and intellectualism. But they lack the star power to have any sort of impact on the scene. Is it too much to hope for the emergence of some new-age Dungeon Family, a coalition of dope southern emcees?

Empowerment of the Female Emcee

Females have been chronically underrepresented throughout the history of hip-hop. Some argue that hip-hop is inherently more masculine. I disagree. In my opinion, it’s been shaped that way by people with certain agendas. Hip-hop is, at its core, spoken word over a beat. The other characteristics that are sometimes associated with it- patriarchy, violence, boastfulness, and vulgarity, for example – have all become prevalent due to the influence of certain artists and figures with power in the industry. I think that the male-female balance will always be skewed, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some of the talented rising females out there such as Rapsody and Azaelia Banks get some of the burn currently being directed at males with less talent. (I’ve lost all remaining hope for Nicki Minaj after her performance at the Grammys) Females such as Trina, Lil’ Kim, and Shawnna gained some popularity and recognition in the years past, but mainly as sex symbols or the token female of their clique. And honestly, I don’t think underground powerhouses such as Jean Grae and Bahamadia will ever venture out of their current small circles. We’ll be waiting for forever and a day if we expect Ms. Lauryn to return to her golden day glory. Let’s just say I really really hope Missy Elliott’s comeback is as powerful as it has potential to be.

Emphasis On Live Instrumentation

To truly understand the value of this, I recommend that everyone with two ears and a nose attend a Roots concert. I’ve seen a number of concerts, hip-hop and otherwise. But this was easily the best I’ve ever seen. Because an instrumental can’t compare to a cohesive group of talented, creative musicians. Think of it this way. When you see an emcee perform, he is the only variable in the entire performance. Everything else is already set to a certain degree. The beat, the bass, the tempo. Now examine groups like The Roots or The Beast. You have a whole stage full of variables that create organic, live music that can grow and change much more fluidly than the conventional track. That live sound carries through into recordings to give a refreshing quality you can’t ignore.

Artist Maturity

Ok. Of course having an ego of sorts is important for many emcees, whose style often bursts with hyperbolic proclamations of greatness and past glory, alluding to what they did before their career started. However, there’s a difference between confidence and egoism. Or just seeking to gain a buzz. HOV’s gotten this right as of late. You always hear of occasional shots taken at him by any given artist. But how many do you hear him respond to? I’ll wait. No other genre has a similar trend towards conflict to this extent. And it seems that every time a beef pops off, one or both of the artists involved takes a reputation hit. 50 vs. Ja Rule. Jay-Z vs. Nas. Nowadays, Consequence vs. Pusha T and Common vs. Drake. The Common beef deserves a separate discussion to itself. If you’re as mature, heavy in the game, and well respected as Common, why would you ever start or instigate an issue with a little kid? A singer at that. Yeah, Common murked him in the end, but what was the benefit? What did he have to prove? But I digress…

Decreasing Importance of Cliques

This is probably a tough one for some. But let me explain my viewpoint. Yes, it is important to encourage collaboration amongst like-minded rappers. And groupings such as Black Hippy, G.O.O.D. Music, and JAMLA, just to name a few, have no doubt produced some awesome results. By no means do I not want to continue to hear the awesome work they have in store. But (and there’s always a but), for every dope categorization and grouping we have, you have another extremely dope emcee who is not within one of these large subgroups, and struggles to get collaborations and get exposure like he should. Hopefully some of these associations of artists become more open to outside artistry and influence, so that more talent is allowed to shine through the red tape. And to think, I haven’t even mentioned stifling associations such as Maybach Music and Young Money. I’ve been a Wale fan since his first tape, but his current steez is totally divergent from his origins, and consequentially alienates a large portion of his old fans. This is just one example of an artists’ style lost to a larger entity. Let’s not even mention the plethora of artists lost somewhere in the poisonous melting pot known as Young Money. Cuz let’s face it, if your name isn’t Wayne, Nicki, or Drake, you may as well be Shyne.

FreshNerd - The Whitney Houston Beat Tape

2012-02-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

There have been many a tribute to the late great Ms. Houston. While this was released over a year ago, it can serve as one of the most unique. London-based producer FreshNerd has transformed the classic sounds of the music icon into a potential palette for another artist to express themselves over.

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Dorsh - Je t'aime

2012-02-16T16:06:00.000-05:00

It's almost the weekend, and Lord knows we can all use some relaxing tunes to kick back to after another hectic week. Fear not, Dorsh is here with his genre-bending new single. Look for hsi album, Neopolitan, to drop on May 1st.

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Busta Rhymes ft. Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown - Why Stop Now (Remix)

2012-02-16T07:32:00.001-05:00

I'll be transparent and say that 85% of the reason I'm posting this song is because Missy "Misdemeanor" is on it. I'm more than happy to see her coming back as of late, and she killed her verse. I feel like the song hit a climax when she jumped in after Busta. Besides that, there's not much new in this song. Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown maintain the status quo with another star-studded remix. The title pretty much says it all. Why stop now?

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Dumbfoundead - Love Everyday (Mixtape)

2012-02-15T13:43:00.000-05:00

West Coast underground mainstay Dumbfoundead is back with more of his trademark melody-infused hip-hop. This was made for Valentine's Day, but it's good music, point blank and the title lets you know that it's good for the whole 365.

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Trademark - Everybody Has A Mixtape (Mixtape)

2012-02-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

I don't care how late I am, this just has to be exposed. I have personally met this brother, and happened across a track of his a few months ago. Blown away. By the production, the lyricism, the overall package. Yeah, Trademark has the vibe of a polished, seasoned, hungry veteran as opposed to that of a fresh-faced newcomer.

Click "read more" to download.

DOWNLOAD

Ed Sheeran X Yelawolf - Slumdon Bridge

2012-02-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

An unexpected, but fitting collaboration in my book. 'Bama meets London in the form of emcee Yelawolf and British songwriter Sheeran. I was surprised that British glamour could mix with Alabama grime, but the diverse production holds the partnership between the two talented artists together. "You Don't Know" has already been on smash in the United Kingdon, and I hope it gets the American exposure it deserves. The entire product is only four tracks, but best believe they'll be in my iPod for months to come. Powerful stuff.

Click "read more" for the full tracklist and download link.

01 London Bridge

02 You Don’t Know (For Fuck’s Sake)

03 Faces

04 Tone

DOWNLOAD

Era Hardaway ft. Virtuoso TheGOD - Slab

2012-02-13T20:22:00.001-05:00

To put things bluntly, Era Hardaway "spits some of the hottest verses and gives some of the coldest shoulders." The emcee, hailing from just South of the Nation's Capitol, continues his release of weekly tracks to build up anticipation for his project, SlightlyHyped, which drops in 10 days. In this particular track produced by Virtuoso TheGOD, Era pays tribute to Houston screw.

Click "read more" for the download link.

DOWNLOAD

Durand Bernarr - Dear Outkast... Sincerely, Erykah

2012-02-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. It seems to be the week of soulful Outkast covers over here, as I just ran across my second one in three days. Cleveland native Durand Bernarr is a background singer for Ms. Badu herself, but with this release he leaves us looking for his individual releases as well. But hey, all stars start somewhere, right?

Brother Ali - The Bite Marked Heart (EP)

2012-02-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

Hip-hop's best underground rhyme-sayin, controversy lovin', racially ambiguous Kris Kringle interpretor is back in fine fashion with his latest mixtape release. Known for his political overtones and the overal realness of his message, Brother Ali is always one to impress. Not to mention, the Michigan native accomplishes all his feats of artistry while dealing with the difficulties of being legally blind. What's your story?

Click "read more" to listen & download.

DOWNLOAD

Muhsinah - Somebody In My World

2012-02-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Jump into the mesmerizing brilliance of grammy-nominated, Washington D.C. native Muhsinah. She's been developing her own sound since the beginning of her forays into original music at the age of eleven, and I can't wait to hear how she continues to develop.

Childish Gambino - Heartbeat (Video)

2012-02-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

A very symbolic video with multiple interpretations. To me, it seems that the car represents the relationship between Donald and the woman. At the beginning, he is driving and therefore in control. However, he eventually loses control, as he jumps into the backseat and allows himself to act on his emotions. This allows her to take control, and leave him broken-hearted as she goes back home.