As Stryfe (Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Website) gets ready to release his next project, Rare Form Vol. 1 in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be a good time to let the HHD audience get a closer look at a great talent coming out of Detroit. When I first heard Stryfe and Marc Byrd’s album, The Last Resorts, I was sold that this was a talent that we would be following for a long time to come. So enjoy the interview, enjoy the music, and tell a friend!
This interview has been a long time in coming. When I heard the 2-Man Cypher (Sleep and Cain) album, Queen City Bastards, I was made into an instant fan. The realism of that album, enhanced by the sheer skill of the emcees was nothing short of amazing. I am of the frame of mind that 2-Man Cypher is going to the top. How can they not? They have all the intangibles. Make sure you pass this interview along and cop that album at all costs. Also, check for their future music projects. It’s all next level material.
HHD has never done a Producer Of The Year accolade in our previous two years of existence but this award is warranted in 2013. No one is responsible for more ill beats in my iTunes collection from this past year than producer extraordinaire, Alterbeats (Twitter, Website, Facebook, YouTube). He has made bangers for some of my favorite artists along with crafting his album, Class Struggle. He is one of the hardest working producers in the game, and emcees know that if they need some heat, they can check in with this Parisian Producer. Be sure to check out Alterbeats’ projects and song credits. You can check many of them by checking this LINK. So please congratulate Alterbeats on this inaugural award on any of his social networks and be sure to check some of his favorite hand picked tracks below:
It’s time for another Producer’s Spotlight and this time we are going more domestic than imported. IMAKEMADBEATS is the first producer from the United States to be featured in this segment and we are really proud to showcase his talents on HHD. He’s worked with some incredibly talented artists but some of his best work can be featured on MidaZ the Beast’s new album, AU: Another Universe. Definitely make sure you check that release out if you have not already. You should also check out IMAKEMADBEATS’ Daylight/Nightlight EPs.
Hip Hop Dependency is designed to support artists that I believe in, and I can’t think of too many more artists that I support more than Big O. I am a fan of Big O because he brings that raw boom-bap unfiltered to headphones everywhere. He’s got a gritty flow and a hunger to rock these lines for the people which you just don’t hear anymore.
Today also marks the release of his new album Gravel Engravement which can be found online anywhere and everywhere they sell albums. And while I may have gotten the album title twisted in the interview below., I didn’t get this twisted: This album bangs!
So check the interview below and make sure you ride with the homie Big O and cop that album. If you like that head nod flavor, you are going to enjoy this.
Dee Metto’s music and sound go hand in hand with what we are promoting here on HHD. He creates banging beats that are rooted in that 1990s boom bap. There’s no soft material coming from this man’s studio in Switzerland. So it’s only natural that we feature the man’s work here and give this dope producer his due. Check him on Twitter, Facebook, and his Website.
I am way behind in giving credit to some of my favorite producers so I wanted to play a little catch up and introduce you all to another favorite producer of mine, Cool FD. I first bore witness to Cool FD’s skill level as a producer when he was concocting beats for the likes of Don Streat and Macabeats. At the time he was rocking under the pseudonym of, Keno Beats and just recently came up with the name change.
I think Cool FD is a breath of fresh air in this hip hop business. He is two parts boom bap and one part soul. Or maybe it’s two parts soul, and one part boom bap? I will let you decide. The point is that this is a producer you need to keep your ears pinned back for. As a matter of fact he has a project dropping with Don Streat on October 15th entitled Bare My Soul. If you want to hip him up, you can catch him on Twitter, Facebook, or his Blog. Make sure you check the tracks below!
Born and raised in Orleans, FRANCE in 1984, Cool FD (fka Keno Beats) is the type of producer that is truly passionate about Hip Hop culture. He is motivated by his faith in positivity and always looking for new ways to improve his beat skills and knowledge of the music business. His beats are an unseen chemistry between soulful and street boom bap, that permits Cool FD to work with talented emcees from all around the planet.
Today is the day that Uncommon Nasa delivers his latest album, Land Of The Way It Is. It’s only fitting that we shine the spotlight on the man, his career, and his music. He has been a steady contributor for independent hip hop since 2004. He, and his roster of artists at Uncommon Records, continue to push the limits and boundaries of hip hop. He features and fosters a blend of unique sounds and ideas with the vintage boom bap rhythms that he grew up with. He is a trailblazer among his peers because there are few who are willing to deviate from the norm and try something different. Nasa does this on a frequent basis Graciously, Nasa agreed to sit down and answer some question from the HHD camp and here is that end result:
Today HHD is bringing you it’s initial offering of it’s Producer’s Spotlight. The idea is a product of how unheralded and under appreciated the producer has become in today’s hip hop world. Artists crank out albums so quickly these days that it’s hard to sink your teeth into an individual project and give credit where it’s due.
I chose DJ Low Cut (Twitter, Facebook) as my first entry because he has been prolific over the course of the last year or two. He has so much dope material out there that his name deserves that recognition and his product deserves to be listened to and appreciated. He also just recently dropped and EP with one of my favorite emcees, Nutso, called In The Cut.
This is not done in interview format but rather I am asking producers to provide a bio and some of their favorite cuts of which they handled the beats.
HHD is really proud to bring you this artist spotlight from Goldini Bagwell. I have been following his work since the early inception of the Sandpeople. His superlative skill, creative knack, and unique wordplay made him an easy choice for this month’s selection. His recent release, Secondhand Smoke, produced by Pmpee just dropped and was reviewed here a few weeks ago made the timing even more perfect. It’s a great read, so without boring you to death with my introduction…
Hip Hop Dependency 