I saw this single posted on K-Beta’s Twitter account and if K-Beta cosigns you that is good enough for me to take a listen to it. This is a track that would fall in the deep and meaningful category. It talks about spirituality in the context of religion. Producer IDK sets the tone with a very deliberate, slow-paced, yet soulful track allowing the listener to enjoy lyrics from T.E.F.L.O.N., Ancient Mind, and Praverb The Wyze. The hook is blessed by Mina Leon. Check the track below!
Artist: Passalacqua (Mister + Blaksmith)
Album: Self-Titled EP
Source: Bandcamp
Tracklisting:
Note:
This is a release that randomly hit my email the other day. I always have an assortment of releases to look at and review, but I got this in my inbox and decided at six tracks, the least I can do is give it a spin. I am glad that I did. Passalacqua is a dope record by any set of standards. They pack a lot of punch into these six tracks. The EP is the type of jam that you would play on a Sunday morning and relax. It’s jazzy and very harmonious.
Admittedly this video is a little weird for my taste, but I primarily wanted you to hear the music which I think is quite good. Dolls like that just kind of scare me. You’ve got to give a shout out to the Days Inn for the advo in the video haha.
At any rate, enough of my banter. This track is dope. I have yet to check The Doppelgangaz new album, Beats For Brothels, Vol. 1. But if the majority of the tracks sound like this, I may just have to scoop it up. You can check out some older material on their Bandcamp to get a feel for what they are doing. I will keep you posted.
Artist: Armageddon
Album: The Journal Vol.1: Rebirth
Source: SoFloEntertainment
Tracklisting:
1. Imma Get Mine
2. Get Yours
3. Dance With The Devil
4. Rap Therapy
5. Sending My Love
Note:
I listened to this EP before bed last night and literally I couldn’t go to sleep for hours because these five tracks had me so amped. These cuts from Armageddon are absolutely flawless. It’s the perfect EP. If you love that intelligent hip hop over those boom bap beats, you are going to love the return of Armageddon. I haven’t heard from this artist in what would seem like a decade. Usually when an artist resurfaces it is with mixed results, but Armageddon has bucked that trend with an awe inspiring effort.
Continue reading “Armageddon – The Journal Vol. 1: Rebirth (2011)”
Artist: Memphis Reigns
Album: Frog Hill Legend
Source: ColinLegend
Tracklisting:
Note:
I am not sure what it is about Memphis Reigns’ music that I crave. I think it initially dealt with the mystique. When Genelec and Memphis Reigns first released Scorpion Circles in 2002, it was heavily talked about but it was hard to find. I went about trying to hunt this album down and eventually scored it. It was worth every penny. Memphis Reigns then seemingly resigned himself to the shadows. I would hear a track here and there but there was no consistent wealth of music available. Then as the age of blogs emerged I suddenly found a slew of rare releases and collaborations.
I am a little slow on the uptake. I bought Matock’s album, 2707 about two weeks ago. I really liked it. I think it’s his best work to date and as I was perusing the web last night, this video popped up. It’s from late 2010 but I still think it’s worth the look. You can see this Chicago emcee has a lot of talent and really takes no shorts with his aggressive rhyme style. He has not pulled any punches in his career and this album is no different. Congrats to Matlock on his fine effort! You can click the appropriate links to visit his Twitter and purchase the album via Itunes.
Do I really have to promote this one? Evidentially so, because even with the production of Pete Rock you are still sleeping on the man Verbal Kent. That’s a damn shame. The man has a slew of dope albums and I am hoping his latest release, Save Yourself, will find a great following. It’s a good album with some great songs and this is one of them. Sleep not!
Yeah. I am putting you on to more singles than I thought I was going to, but lately there has been a rash of dope cuts that I thought you all might enjoy. This set of cuts comes from north of the border (at least from where I am at) by way of Muneshine. I know most of you have probably slept on dude but he’s been doing his thing for a while working with a lot of high caliber artists as both an emcee and a producer. This time he shines on the microphone backed by production from Vinyl Frontiers.
These tracks are saturated in hip hop. The vibe is very upbeat with horns backing the production on both cuts. I really like the mellow vibe that’s provoked by both tracks which is why I felt obligated to share them. Check out the cuts below and I believe these are tracks that are in advance of an EP that should be dropping on the Bandcamp site, February 2nd. Be on the lookout for that.
Creative Juices is one of the most respected names in independent hip hop yet blogs continually ignore their presence for the large part. Pathetic. These guys always put out quality music and this time is no exception. IDE and Alucard represent CJM, alongside Lord Lhus on the joint Stone Cutters. The chemistry on the mic is evident. The emcees drop sixteens on questioning creation and existence, enabling me to say they are truly “dropping science”. The production is that atypical grimey sort that IDE has been known for. For those unfamiliar with Creative Juices Music you need to hop on over to their website and see what they have been up to and where they are going. There are big things going on over there.
The second single featured over at their Bandcamp site is, Cross Hairs, which features Team Homi. And while some of the names may not be household yet by any means, you should know who Swave Sevah is. Swave Sevah battle tested and “hip-hop head” approved. Swave has one of the most distinct voices in the game and has paid many dues. His appearance alone was a co-sign that this joint would knock, as he states “my name ain’t involved unless it’s worth it“. This track is worth it indeed. Every emcee on this track brings some fire letting the masses know that Team Homi is not to be lightly regarded.
Also, if you have not done so already, make you cop Swave Sevah’s mixtape, Ong Bak.
Meanwhile , enjoy the tracks below, and download them at your leisure.
Oh yes! I had briefly forgotten about this cut. The Kennedy Curse is yet another sickly posse cut, this time from the artists that comprise Black Cloud Music. This song is just the thing to slap you out of that trance you have been in all day. Wake up! Acknowledge the fact that J. Bizness put together just a complete banger of a beat. Each of the emcees really deliver a hearty helping of dopeness, but Curtiss King really steals the show on here for me. The video is also visually where it needs to be to hold a viewer’s attention. I like the whole “lurking-in-the-shadows” concept.
This cut is a bonus cut from the Black Cloud Music Project – 12 Days On Cloud 9 which is a very fresh listen. Just click on the link and be downloaded.
