Album: The Left - Gas Mask (2010)

BUY IT HERE!!

(Hip Hop fans: this is a MUST listen)

1. Change (01:29)
2. Gas Mask (03:21)
3. Frozen (Feat. Kool G Rap) (03:21)
4. Battle Axe (Feat. Mu) (02:57)
5. Binoculars (03:00)
6. How We Live (Feat. Hassaan Mackey) (04:06)
7. Chokehold (Feat. Paradime) (04:05)
8. The Funeral (03:01)
9. Statistics (Feat. Invincible) (03:43)
10. Real Detroit (Feat. Marvwon) (04:18)
11. The Melody (03:33)
12. Reporting Live (Feat. Guilty Simpson) (04:15)
13. Fooled for Thought (01:23)
14. Desperation (03:10)
15. Caged Birds (Feat. Finale) (04:12)
16. Homage (Feat. Frank West) (03:44)
17. Get in Where You Fit in (03:24)

So there are times that I write blog posts just because I want to share music with you, but this time it's different. I REALLY NEED TO SHARE THIS ALBUM WITH YOU. Like, god damn, you HAVE TO hear this. If you have been a true fan of hip hop for years and have been dissatisfied with the new music that comes out these days because it doesn't give you that feeling of early 90's hip hop, then this is what you've been waiting for. It's an instant classic in my mind and I do NOT use that term lightly. This album is easily in my top two albums of 2010 for several reasons, which I will go into below (I'll leave my other top album of this year for another post).

Ok, so here we have a new collaborative group called The Left made up up 3 members: Producer Apollo Brown, MC Journalist 103, and DJ Soko from Detroit's gritty underground. Their album Gas Mask, released about two weeks ago, is a cohesive project of supreme quality... all 17 tracks are phenomenal. I was excited at the beginning of every track to hear what was coming next. Usually, I'm skeptical when I listen to new songs because I listen to sooo much hip hop that I'm forced to discriminate right off the bat, but this feeling went out window as I was anxiously awaiting whatever was next. Right from the get-go my hip hop spidey sense was tingling.

The production throughout the entire album by Apollo Brown is nothing short of amazing and blends perfectly with Journalist 103's flow - both of which are raw, gritty, and as consistent as they are creative. The tracks are formed around chopped samples of soul vocals, horns, and BANGIN drums that span the range of emotions everywhere from the somber "Homage" to the triumphant "Get In Where You Fit In" to the pensive "Binoculars". In fact, Journalist 103 describes the production perfectly when he opens the track "Frozen" with the lyrics "From the time you stick the disc in, it's the same feeling that a heroin addict gets when he stick a syringe in. I put you in the deep nod, back and forth, constant. Once I get in your system, there's no way you can stop it". Need I say more?

The storytelling style and timbre of Journalist 103's voice makes every track compelling to listen to over Apollo Brown's beats. This isn't your typical braggadocio rap (except for track 4). This is rap filled with deep thoughts and visuals. For example, on, arguably my favorite song and appropriately titled, "Desperation", the lyrics paint the picture: "I got one hand clutching the nine, the other's clutching the microphone. Trying to make a clear choice between the right and wrong. Trying to stay in the zone with the right mind frame, but I keep getting distracted, my whole life's changed. I done went from being the best at it to being the last to even get mentioned it's pure madness. I can go to the lab and be productive or throw my hands up at the world and say fuck it. The rap game - hate it. Hip hop - I love it". Damn, I love the energy that spills out of every track and the emotion that Journalist 103 pours out over these fantastic beats. It makes me wish every album had such complexity and artistry... and that every MC had an appropriately titled pen name.

What many albums lack these days is a consistency in their sound and overall song quality. The reason being is that nowadays we live in a world where music is consumed by the song instead of by the album. Thus, there is no need for artists to continue creating great albums. It is clear that mp3's have caused the "death of the album" as we know it, but the nostalgia for a great album will still resonate with the generations that grew up with them. It is clear that those who continue to stay true to the art of making quality music will in the long run gain more true fans that are willing to support them. The only questions is, will they last long enough in this dog-eat-dog world to reap the benefits over the long term? I really hope that these guys last, so if you take my word for it and want to support these guys, please buy the album HERE! You just might need some good speakers instead of headphones to tackle this bad boy.

Another appropriate quote to leave you with (sticking with the drug addiction metaphor): "There's nothing like it when you get your hit for the first time, so take advantage son, it comes once in a lifetime"

Spread the word if you love it!

Album: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The VS. EP (2009)

Download HERE

(Do NOT miss this!!)

01. Vipassana
02. Crew Cuts
03. Life is Cinema
04. Otherside
05. Kings
06. Irish Celebration
07. The End

This new EP that dropped today is what I've been looking for in Hip Hop music for a few years now, ever since I started fantasizing about what elements would comprise my ideal hip hop album (more on that in a future post). To date, this EP is the closest manifestation I have come across. The concoction of a downright passionate, intelligent, self-reflective lyricist (Macklemore) mixed with a visionary producer willing to overstep boundaries (Ryan Lewis), throw in superb live instrumentation that hip hop as an art form is lacking in general (violin, trumpet, drums), and what you get in this project is a seamless bond between new sounds that excite and tantalize the hip hop senses. Is this what hip hop has been missing...? I think so. Is this a new branch sprouting off of hip hop's genealogical tree...? Only time will tell...

Macklemore (left) & Ryan Lewis (right)

Now about the Music. The music is an overall AMAZING experience (I'm learning that you can't write about how music sounds, so just take my word for it and listen to the 7 tracks already!).

Now about the EP. Two things make this project even more unique than what's stated above: 1) The brilliant concept behind the production on the EP and 2) The motivation behind the lyricist and his content. First, the production concept by Ryan Lewis was to blatantly sample extremely sonically appealing parts of songs from relevant contemporary bands (these artists include The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, Arcade Fire, Beirut, Antony and the Johnsons). Lewis's willingness to expand the concept of hip hop by appropriating unconventional contemporary rock samples shows a true passion for making music (especially because they cannot release this EP for sale due to copyright laws). In my opinion, blurring genre lines like this is necessary for hip hop's revival (meaning a true separation between shitty hip hop and good hip hop will emerge not only on a sonic level, but on a conceptual level as well).

The second unique quality of the project involves the motivations behind the lyricism. Most MC's lack what Macklemore has... a reason for making music. This man quite literally makes music to live. As he states in his song "Inhale Deep" on his first album The Language of My World "If I'm not making music, why the fuck am I existing?". Music has no doubt been the driving force recently that has helped save this talented man's life from personal struggles with drug addiction and severe depression (read this fascinating article to find out more). Now, through faith and music, Macklemore's spirit has risen once again to new heights of creativity. Not many MC's have that all important reason behind making their music like Macklemore does... and if you notice, all of his tracks have a topic of focus as opposed to many rappers who never have anything significant to speak at length on. If you only listen to one thing from my blog this year, make it this.

Previous posts on Macklemore:
1) Album: Macklemore - The Unplanned Mixtape (2009)
2) Album: Macklemore - The Language Of My World (2005)

Damn I wish I had been at the VS. EP release party!

"We put our glass to the sky and lift up. And live tonight cause you can't take it with ya. So raise a pint for the people that aren't with us. And live tonight cause you can't take it with ya" - Macklemore - Irish Celebration

Album: The Black Keys + Various Rappers - BlakRoc (2009)

Download HERE

Preview The Compilation Here

Tracklist

01. Coochie Ft. Ludacris & Ol' Dirty Bastard

02. On The Vista Ft. Mos Def
03. Hard Times Ft. NOE
04. Dollaz & Sense Ft. Pharoahe Monch & RZA
05. Why Can't I Forget Him Ft. Nicole Wray
06. Stay Off The Fuckin' Flowers Ft. Raekwon
07. Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) Ft. Jim Jones & Mos Def
08. Hope You're Happy Ft. Billy Danze (of M.O.P.), Nicole Wray, & Q-Tip
09. Tellin' Me Things Ft. RZA
10. What You Do To Me Ft. Billy Danze (of M.O.P.), Jim Jones & Nicole Wray
11. Done Did It Ft. Nicole Wray & NOE

Here it is! The BlakRoc album is finished and finally released on this lovely Black Friday. In case you missed what the BlakRoc project is rewind a bit and go back to my earlier blog post on it HERE.

Here is some pretty sweet behind the scenes footage on the making of the song 'What You Do To Me'. In the first video, The Black Keys do the beat dirty with chorus by Nikki Wray and rapping by Jim Jones. Does this not make you wish you were in the studio drinking wine and dancing with Nikki or smoking weed with Jim Jones blasting this sick beat on studio speakers?


Here is part 2 with Billy Danze (of M.O.P.) doing his verse. I love how excited he gets about the beat when he first hears it and immediately knows he has to be spitting on this track.


If you feel like supporting the arts/artists, buy you a real copy or a T-shirt HERE, but definitely don't miss this gem. I only wish it was longer...

Album: The Black Keys + Various Rappers - BlakRoc

This is by far the hottest rap collaboration of the last 5 years. Check out the preview trailer below to get excited for the album/collaborative project BlakRoc, to be released on Black Friday this year (Nov, 27). In a nutshell the concept is: Damon Dash (co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records) brings together famous rap/r&b artists [Billy Danze of M.O.P., Jim Jones, Nicole Wray, NOE, Ludacris, Mos Def, ODB, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, Raekwon, & RZA] to collaborate on making an album produced by the blues-rock duo The Black Keys. Sounds crazy? No, it sounds so good I CAN'T STOP LISTENING. Check it below.



Here is the first SINGLE off the album by Jim Jones featuring Mos Def.

Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)

Jim Jones surprised me on this one with some poetic lyrics and Mos Def killed the chorus, both building on the heavy Black Keys beat with an old timey feel. So raw...

"You told me pain only shows you where you're going
You get the laughter and that shows you where you been
And when you get the cash that only shows you how to sin
Like when you getting fast money and you blow it in the wind

Where we from success one in a million
We thought success was getting money in front the building
End of the summer we was counting up the killings
Like they killed baby boy, tried to run up in the building - now

Love, I bruised one of her rose petals
She was from the concrete, came up out the cold ghetto
But so gentle, but it appears like
On a clear light it could thunder storm, want some more?"

-->YES I DO.

11 tracks, 11 artists, . Let the countdown to Black Friday begin.

Pre-Order the album HERE
More videos of the studio sessions HERE

*I will post the album for download when it is released*

Filet-o-Mix 02 - Jay-Z - The BLACK[EST] Album

Download

1. Intro [Pete Rock – The Black Album (Pete Rock Remixes) – 1:48]
2. December 4th [9th Wonder – Black is Back – 4:14]
3. What More Can I Say [9th Wonder – Black is Back – 3:39]
4. Encore [Jay-Z – The Black Album – 4:15] *Produced by Kanye West*
5. Change Clothes [Hasan Insane - The Pink Album – 4:21]
6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder [Kno – Kno vs. HOV: The White Al-bu-lum - 3:33]
7. Threat [Jay-Z – The Black Album – 4:07] *Produced by 9th Wonder*
8. Moment of Clarity [Hasan Insane - The Pink Album – 4:31]
9. 99 Problems [DJ Roli Fingaz: Fire Blends Pt. 7: Best of Jay-Z – 2:14]
10. Public Service Announcement [Jay-Z – The Black Album – 2:53] *Produced by Just Blaze*
11. Justify [Bach Logic – The Red Album – 3:56]
12. Lucifer [Danger Mouse – The Purple Album – 3:08]
13. Allure [Jay-Z – S. Carter The Re-Mix – 5:49]
14. My First Song [Jay-Z – The Black Album – 4:44] *Produced by Aqua & Joe “3H” Weinberger*
15. No More To Say (Bonus) [Bach Logic – The Red Album - 2:27]

This Filet-o-Mix is a special one because it was created through the work of a team. With the help of my two junior year college roommates, Wes and Antoine, the three of us put together what we feel is the ultimate compilation of remixes of Jay-Z's The Black Album. But before we get too much into the mix, you first need some background on this classic album. This will give you an idea about why The Black Album spawned a unique proliferation of remix albums that spans almost every color in the visual spectrum.

Jay-Z released arguably one of his best CD’s, The Black Album, in 2003 and separately released an A Cappella version of the album later that year. This turned out to be a masterful decision on his part because it sparked a whole movement of producers (some famous / some not) who tried their hand at remixing the hell out of Jay-Z’s phenomenal lyrics…and remix they did. Even well respected producers such as Kno of the CunninLynguists and 9th Wonder, formerly of Little Brother, released their own remix albums (The White Al-bu-lum & Black is Back, respectively) creating beats specifically for the project. Other DJ’s made “mash-ups” out of Jay-Z’s work, which are combinations of other people’s beats with lyrics from The Black Album A Cappella. Two noteworthy mash-ups are The Silver Album remixed by Bazooka Joe using RJD2 beats and The Black Album Pete Rock Remixes mixed by Quo. Of course, the most famous mash-up to date (that ended up putting DJ Danger Mouse on the map) is The Grey Album, which mixed The White Album by The Beatles with Jay-Z’s The Black Album (hence Grey). What was planned to be Jay-Z’s final album before retiring from rap music turned out to be more than HOV could have even imagined.

Getting back to MY remix album. After I had downloaded approximately 10+ remix albums, I was finally ready to do what I do best and sort through all of these songs to bring you the best of each Jay-Z track and compile them all into what I have dubbed The BLACK[EST] Album.

This is a public service announcement sponsored by Mike Fileti and the good folks formerly at room 1512…

Contributions
Antoine: The Red Album (JPN Import)
Wes: The Pink Album & The Purple Album

Album: J Dilla - Jay Stay Paid (2009)

Here we go with another album from J Dilla (R.I.P.). For all those that may not know his legacy, this one of a kind producer passed away due to complications from the autoimmune disease Lupus in 2006. This most tragic death came at a time when Dilla really was just coming into his prime. He tirelessly worked on his masterpiece beat tape "Donuts" right up until his death, often struggling immensely to make his beats. The album was released on his 32nd birthday and he died 3 days later. To most hip hop heads, Jay Dee's beats represented the most creative and musically ingenious sounds that a hip hop producer could offer. This album gives us a sampling of some previously unreleased instrumentals as well as tracks featuring rappers such as Black Thought, Blu, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Raekwon, Doom, Havoc of Mobb Deep, and even his brother Illa J. I only with every track had a featured rapper because you can tell that these full length beats were meant to be rocked by the best of the best. Now cop this album if you're a fan of the head-nodding beats of Dilla, and if you're new to his work pick up the classic beat tape Donuts. You won't regret it. Promise.

Favorite tracks: Smoke, Pay Day, Coming Back, and KJay & We Out