Hus Kingpin shares the mic with perhaps the most “in demand” emcee when it comes to guest appearances. Everyone wants a Marciano feature. ..and here the two develop that Boss Material as a result of the collabo. DJ Kryptonite is on the production. The combination on this track reminds me of a Ghostface and Raekwon collabo. C’mon, tell me you don’t hear that connection with this material. This track is just a forerunner for The Cognac Tape which is slated to drop on September 17th.
AWKWORD decides to take a look back at a failed relationship and how he’s changed from that time. I like the direction that he took here. He broke away from the boom-bap and political material and crafted something personal. He’s done that before but it’s been a minute. Just in case you forgot, he’s got many a style, and you may hear them all if he drops the album World View.
It really is good to see these guys back doing the art. I thought they were supposed to drop an album soon after they dropped the mixtape, Fancy Anthrax. That never transpired and I was wondering what happened to the crew. It’s good to hear new music. This song is uplifting to me. It makes me feel good about hip hop. Each emcee has a unique style and approach giving flavor. And I have to give props where props are due. A bad hook can ruin some dope verses, but the woman, Keva Soullily killed it.
You can download the Bodega Brovas new EP, Believe In Bodega, at their website.
I just posted this single a few days ago, and yes I was late on it. Now the video is here and I am right on time. Mr. Live and Earl Blaize liven up the part on this sleepy subway ride in the NYC. This looks like a fun video to have shot, and the birthday hats added sublime flavor. Don’t sleep on Mr. Live…he is dishing up something proper come September.
MadKem is dwelling in the darkness right now. And lets face it, when an artist goes into a dark place, some of the best music gets made. This joint is soulful, and the way MadKem handles the chorus makes it even more so. His forthcoming album. La Vie en Bleu is dropping really soon, and as goes with all Elementality music, I certainly think you should look to copping that.
JMega The God drops something in the same vain as 2Pac’s Death Around The Corner. Death is coming for us for us all…so be ready if someone tries to take it from you forcefully. Purpose of Tragic Allies is the man responsible for the beat. I am presuming that this is a single off of JMega’s forthcoming album, Niggaz Iz Kingz. As an aside, if you have not heard JMega and Junior Makhno’s album, Blood & Thunder, you need to check it.
B-1 got laced by Large Professor with some vintage hip hop production, and evidently he knew exactly what to do with that…he rips it. B-1 has, not just a good flow, but a great flow. He’s putting these young kids on notice with a skill set like this. Good show. The fact that this track comes from the vaults of 1997 is pretty impressive when considering how well it plays over 15 years later. It still sounds fresher than the majority of the sounds coming out at this moment.
According to the Ill Adrenaline press release that accompanied this track, B-1 is working on a new album due out next year and this single (not related to his album) is available at iTunes right now.
In order to love other people, you have to love yourself. It sounds emo coming from me, but when you let Tek, El Gant, and Sha Stimuli tell it over this Drawzilla production, it has a fresh appeal. This is a single for El Gant and Tek’s collaborative project, Gibson Glover.
Neek The Exotic is going to be dropping his new album, Hustle Don’t Stop, on August 20th. I probably would have let this pass me by if Alterbeats, the track’s producer, didn’t shoot me a link on Twitter to check it out. It’s really a dope piece of work. The production is a creeper with it’s combination of dusty horns and eerie horror music vibe. All the emcees bring something nice to the mic, and more importantly use the term “ratchet” as it was originally referred to back in the day. The video direction is also done well. I like how the lighting remains dark as the camera approaches each emcee during their verse. I am going to get my ears peeled for this upcoming project.
Artist: Alpha Faktiom
Album: Truth, Lies, & Audiotape
Tracklisting:
Note:
I really had to mention this EP to you guys as I find myself bumping this release as much as anything else in 2013. I have featured some of Alpha Faktion’s material here before but that in itself does not do this project justice. In many ways, Truth, Lies, & Audiotape is very reminiscent of NonPhixion’s first album, The Future Is Now. Members, Azwun, Kraze, and DJ Enyoutee really have concocted a phenomenal release for hip hop fans of all walks and, at the same time, give the same people food for thought.
On the first two tracks, Truth, Lies, & Audiotape and Man Against Machine, you have Alpha Faktion rebuking the systematic indoctrination by the government and the media against the masses. It is also on these initial songs that you can hear a chemistry that has been building over a significant amount of time. On, Bodybagz, the team seemingly have no problem just dropping a track that bangs, just for the sake of making it bang. And yes, that joint definitely will ring some bells. But right after that they come back and show the ability to show sincere introspection on the cut, Reflection Of Self. They can tackled many a topic but on each cut they bring a straight boom bap sound and sharp lyricism. They are not taking any shortcuts or easy way outs. Alpha Faktion brings the same mentality to whatever track that they are on.
This album should make hip hop purists release a shout of joy and I encourage you to go to their bandcamp and purchase this release to show your support for their art.
Hip Hop Dependency 