Benz and a Backpack

On Friday, DJBooth.net premiered Doss The Artist’s newest single “Higher,” a bonus track off Doss’ #9Lives tape due out next week. Peep the write up below, then head to DJBooth to listen!

Whether you’re dreaming of a long evening of “Rhythm and Dancing” or something a little more intimate—or both, for that matter—there’s no understating the importance of music for keeping the vibe going. For those looking to push their nocturnal activities to a Higher plateau of intensity, Doss the Artist‘s latest Booth feature may be just what the doctor ordered. Making its world premiere right here on our front page, the Motown rhymesayer’s latest mixtape leak finds beatsmith Hir-O flipping a sample from German Eurodance duo La Bouche’s 1994 smash, Sweet Dreams, into an exhilarating synth backdrop for Doss’ lyrical snapshots of the fast life. In a flow alternately laid-back and hyperkinetic, the emcee talks up his whip game (His Lac’s rocking “25-inch rims.”), his effortless way with women and his knack for getting said women into said whip. Are you going to be throwing this record on when you hit the town this weekend. Readers who answer in the affirmative won’t want to miss the rest of the scorching new material to be found on Doss’ #9Lives tape, due out January 27.

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Not knowing the news that Jay-Z and Beyonce officially had their baby delivered on January 7th, can only be excused if you suddenly succumb to one of those rare three day comas. This was the news EVERYONE was waiting for! And it happened. Blue Ivy Carter (girl), is now a part of the world. And in true capitalizing, entrepreneurial form, Jay-Z got his new baby in the studio to start working on her debut album: “I’ll Never Be Poor”. Well…not actually. An audio recording of Blue, crying moments after her birth, was used at the end of Jay-Z’s most recent celebratory, “I’m a daddy now!”, track produced by Pharrell featuring, Blue Ivy Carter (B.I.C.). Click the skip to listen and download the song! 
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Krill Pill (Juan Deuce) from Ricky Shabazz on Vimeo.

In February, Ricky Shabazz and the Boom Bap Boys will be releasing their second annual mixtape of exclusive tracks from some of your favorite underground hip-hop acts. This time around, the tape is sponsored by 2dopeboyz and will be released digitally and physically for free. Tracklist/Artwork/Release Date will be announced soon but in the meantime, enjoy the first of many videos we will be putting out leading up to the release.

Additionally, this marks the very first in “Ricky’s Wontime” series in conjunction with Three/21 Media. The idea of the series is to achieve a thought provoking and entertaining one-shot music video. There are no restrictions, as long as the entire thing has no cuts and lasts the entirety of the song. Subscribe to Three/21 Media’s YouTube to follow the series in full.

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Gangrene (Oh No + Alchemist) starts the year off right and gives us another taste of their upcoming album. The release of Vodka & Ayahuasca is a mere three weeks away and if this is any indication of what to expect, y’all need to strap in. The title track has some of the cleanest and meanest production I’ve heard in a long time and you know the album is gonna have some tight features. If you follow the Alchemist (@Alanthechemist) on twitter, you might have seen him hint that Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, and Evidence will make an appearance at their upcoming show at The Terrace in Pasadena, CA. So if you happen to be out west, be sure to hit that up!

Hit the skip to stream/download the track. Album drops the 24th!

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Originally meant to be a surprise appearance on a video for #TheHazEP, “Take Five Pt. II” got swept up in the fervent anticipation of Doss’s upcoming project #86MilesTall. That anticipation has manifested into the gems now known as #9Lives, which can be followed at DossTheArtist.com and various blogs around the web. #QuestionMark and #360 proudly present Haz Bey’s directorial debut: Doss The Artist’s final installation of #9Lives, ushering in his latest achievement #86MilesTall. 

Hit the skip to download “Take Five Pt. II,” a lyrical gem supported by a funky Onra beat. Keep tabs on Doss via Twitter or Tumblr, and be on the lookout for the official release of #9Lives this Friday!
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Couple cats from Finland have been cooking up some tight boom bap this year under the name The Boomjacks. I don’t know what these dudes get into over the holidays, but I’d like to. The duo does some trippy sampling, some serious bass slapping, and seals the deal with some gritty snares and hi-hats. So if you need something to distract you from your hangover, this should do the trick.

Stream/cop after the skip! Happy New Year! Read the rest of this entry →

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The third and final installment of the House of Balloons mix tape series is finally here. The Weeknd has become immensely popular since dropping his first tape back in March. Each one is an experience; they instantly evoke a feeling of euphoria and it’s easy to lose track of time giving any of them a play through. There’s a certain duality to the music. Abel’s polished crooning and crude tales of lust and substance abuse excite you while gloomy atmospheric production and down-tempo 808′s hypnotize you.  Even the tracks that extend past seven minutes can leave you feeling left short. That’s not to say he doesn’t deliver. You just might find yourself fiending for more. Also-not to sound like an Enzyte commercial here-but, if you want to heat things up, the series is also a fairly potent aphrodisiac. Or as Juicy J puts it, “The Weeknd’s music makes the ladie’s panties get wet.”

Echoes Of Silence is an impressive end to the series; it’s still the same sensual pill-popping songster reflecting on his encounters with females, but it also brings something new to the table. EOS is a bit more personal then the previous two, we’ve been introduced to the XO life already, this time around we’re getting to know Abel. He channels the late King of Pop to sing about an encounter with a particularly cruel groupie on “D.D“. On “XO” we find him reasoning with a girl repenting her escapades with the XO gang; he tells her, “just don’t blame it on me…cause all we ever do is love.” The XO life isn’t for everyone, but you don’t have to be addicted to anything to relate to this tape. There’s something oddly comforting about the fact that he has “been alone for almost all [his] life.”

So, If you haven’t already, I strongly urge you to give these tapes a listen sooner rather than later.

Stream/Download Echoes of Silence + Thursday + House of Balloons after the skip! enjoy.

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In the spirit of the holidays: I’d just like to take this time to thank everyone that has visited Benz and a Backpack over the past couple of months. Thanks to those that have visited this site to read and spread the articles and information on hip hop music and culture that myself and the rest of the BAABP team strive so hard to provide you with week in and week out. Your support is much appreciated and is what keeps us going. So once again, thank you! (Que the collective audience “Awwwwww”).

So since my mood is so merry, cheery and holiday…e…I figured I should give you all a little “holiday music” inspired mix from one of my favourite DJ’s/music minds in the game, Mr. Bird Peterson. For those who are unfamiliar with Bird, in short, the man is a genius. He’s a favourite of the MAD DECENT blog (http://maddecent.com/blog) and Diplo is one of his biggest cosigners. Bird also conceptualized and recorded 2 absolutely incredible mixes under the title “Drankenstein”. The “Drankenstein” mixes combine the best of slow dirty south sizzurp sipping lyrics from some of the third coasts biggest names (8Ball & MJG, UGK, TI, Slim Thug etc) with the uptempo energy of trance music: An unlikely, yet truly symbiotic musical combination. Listen to a sample track from one of the “Drankenstein” mixes, and listen/download Bird Petersons Holiday Spectacular after the jump!

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DropxLife released three new tracks earlier today via his Twitter. Those of you familiar with his fellow XO group-member, The Weeknd, may have already heard the AllxLegends mixtape, which showcased the artist’s  knack for crafting atypical instrumentals with a wide-range of samples. If you were to magnify the most intimate breaks from DJ Shadow‘s Entroducing…, shrink down and spend some time exploring, you’d find something like a DropxLife instrumental.

The other two tracks and download links after the skip. Read the rest of this entry →

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I am incredibly proud to present to you Week 8 of Doss The Artist’s #9Lives Series, this week in the form of “New Gundam,” a biting track showcasing another of Doss’ many lyrical styles. With a brusque approach, Doss snaps vivid pictures with his pen over a highly digitized soundscape from Hir-O, inspired by the Japanese anime series Gundam.  Follow Doss on Twitter (@DossTheArtist) and Tumblr (theartistgrows.tumblr.com) to keep tabs on 9Lives!

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give me my flowers while i can smell them, the follow up to Blu & Exile’s classic album Below The Heavens, was made available for streaming and download this morning. If you’re familiar with Blu or Exile, no more needs to be said. For those of you who’re unfamiliar, if you’re a fan of high-quality, musical production and thoughtful raps, give me my flowers while i can smell them is something you should cop. “I want my love back, my lust, my trust back/and keep this freedom I don’t want to rap.”

Stream/Buy after the jump!
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At this point Stalley is a household name, and if you’ve been rocking with us for more than a few months you know Falside and Apollo The Great are two of our favorite artists out now. All three share some striking similarities: they’re young but their demeanors and music reflect a level of maturity and awareness that most artists take years to develop. “Stay Charged” is a bonafide gem. Falside crafts a punchy, horn-centric track with deep kicks and snapping snares, perfect for both Stalley’s thoughtfulness and Apollo’s venom. The track is off Leedz X DJBooth’s upcoming mixtape The Write Off Vol. 3 dropping December 19th.

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