Benz and a Backpack

Love her or hater her, Nicki Minaj has officially reached heavyweight status in, not just the Rap game, but the entire world of music as well. Hot off her provocative, blasphemous, maniacal, unholy, egregious and sinful smart performance at the Grammys from a couple weeks ago, Nicki is locked and loaded and ready to dish some of that new hot fire. “Roman Reloaded”, featuring, Lil Wayne, and produced by, RICOBEATS, is the title track off Nicki’s forthcoming album, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded”.  If you like, Nicki the rapper, then this song will sit well with you. “Roman Reloaded” is dripping with that QB, “Imma hurt yo feelings”, swag. But if you prefer the more, Roman lunatic side of, Nicki, then you might wanna pass on this one. Click the skip to Stream/Download after the jump! 

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Cole world is back, er’body! J.Cole is coming off his first Grammy nomination for, “Cole World: The Sideline Story”, in the, “Best New Artist”, category. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that, that nomination will be the first of many more coming in J.Coles scintillating future in music. And what better way to keep the good vibes rolling, than to release new music for your hungry, and rapidly expanding, fan base.

I’ve noticed a new trend (no pun intended) on twitter with many rappers: It’s the idea that once an artist has reached a certain amount of followers they will release a new project or something exciting for their fans to get behind and support, as a token of the artists appreciation of their followers adoration. J.Cole recently hit 2 millions followers on his twitter account and decided, as a way to say “thanks”, that he would release his newest song, “Grew Up Fast”, produced by, Canei Finch. Canei Finch digs through the crates for this one and chops up a classic from the late 60′s for J.Cole to flex on. Sip on the silky smooth, David Ruffin, sampled track, “The Double Cross”, below, and hit the skip to stream, “Grew Up Fast”, and find the link to download after the jump!

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The musical maven is back again, ladies and gentleman, with yet another decidedly Diplo  take on a musical genre indigenous to a specific region. For his latest mildly adjusted musical makeover, the sartorial music savant tackles the uptempo booty bouncing club music of New Orleans locally established, enthusiastic and proudly underground, “Bounce Music” scene.

When Diplo has a premonition about a musical genres potential for mass appeal or commercial success, he’s certainly earned the right, by now, to expect people to be hanging on his every subsequent, and eccentrically inventive idea, on how to make said genre infinitely more popular than it is. Whether it’s been B-More Club Music, Dub Step or Moombahton, Diplo has proven he has been blessed with a truly opportunistic ear that few others in the music industry can compete with. And with his latest venture into, New Orleans Bounce Music, the aforementioned notion of Diplo’s undeniably acute sense of embracing what will be hot next, right now, is on display once again.

Below is a video of Diplo making some preliminary discoveries of the Bounce Music scene on a trip to, New Orleans. I suggest watching the video before you hit the skip under the video to listen to and download his new song, “Express Yourself”. Watching this video will shed a small portion of light on Diplo’s genius and thirst for musical discovery.

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Last night in Miami, Drake‘s, “Club Paradise” tour, kicked off with co-headliners Kendrick Lamar and ASAP Rocky. A couple hours before the tours first show, Kendrick Lamar released a new song, “Cartoons & Cereal” feat. Gunplay. Needless to say, releasing his newest song before what was probably the most promoted tour date on the tours schedule, a tour featuring two of the hottest and biggest Emcees in the game, was a VERY smart and calculated move on Kendricks part to receive easy social media buzz and promotion.

In 2011, Kendrick Lamar proved himself deserving of being heralded one of hip-hop’s “next up”. “Section. 80″ was, in my opinion, one of the best, and most surprising albums of 2011. The critical and industry acclaim that Kendrick received from that album helped propel him onto the records of numerous hip-hop big names in the form of guest appearances (most notably, Kendrick appeared on, The Game’s, The RED Album, and on, Drake’s, Take Care).

Hit the skip to listen to download CARTOONS & CEREAL FEAT. GUNPLAY and to get my thoughts on the record.

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Fresh off the release of The Mechanics EP, his collaborative tape with super duper producer Falside, Providence’s rugged rally capper Juan Deuce unleashes “Freeze,” the first single off his upcoming mixtape No Sweat presented by Ricky Shabazz and the Boom Bap Boys. “Freeze” features Deuce flexing his sinewy lyrical muscles over a hypnotic, bass-heavy cut from up and coming beatsmith, Fonzi Wells. Preparing No Sweat nicely, “Freeze“ sets the table for what promises to be a very strong showing from Juan Deuce and Ricky. Stream below, download after the jump!

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Bradford native, Hashfinger has been steadily releasing beat tapes for quite awhile now, but this by far is the smoothest.  The Feb. 12 EP hosts some super gritty boom bap entwined with the most powerful brass these ears have ever come across. Runs just over 20 minutes, so pop it in the tape deck, or usb port for your morning/evening commute and enjoy.

His label Sinoptic Music, also reps a handful of other interesting producers and emcees from around the West Yorkshire area, so if you like this, there’s plenty more to come by.

Hit the skip for the download link. It’s free. Read the rest of this entry →

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A few things about that Dilla documentary really stuck with me. He mentioned that when he would do something unique and cool, other cats would bite his style. It seemed to upset him. He said instead of copying someones style, you should “Do You.” Which brings me to this dude Knxwledge.  The Philly beatmaker/producer has been cooking up some beautiful messes that escape my descriptive talents. It seems like the dude releases a new EP or beat tape every week; each one different then the last. The dude is all about the “Do You” way of life. Recently he’s been putting his creative spin on some of my favorite verses, but this Kendrick Lamar verse is new to me. (Update: The verse is a Toca Tuesday freestyle and the record being flipped is a Leroy Hutson album [shouts to Potholes in my Blog])

The last thing I wanna mention is something ?uestlove said in the documentary. He said Dilla taught him that you can “keep it sloppy” as long as you “keep it funky.” This is definitely some funky ish right here dun.

Hit the skip for a couple other Knxwledge projects I’ve neglected to share on here, including the tribute to J. Dilla he dropped yesterday. Click the album artwork to stream. Read the rest of this entry →

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Call it anti-recession rap: a couple of artists content with their discontent exploring the depths of their Johnny Walker Red-scented underemployment. It’s The Monty Brogan EP, and it’s the latest project from Providence-based indie rap stalwarts Reason and Dirty Hank. It also marks the first official collaboration between Reason (best known for his work with Poorly Drawn People and his solo albums, Landlords & Lullabies and Gemini Slang) and Dirty Hank (the man responsible for a run of stellar releases, including The Class Act Mixtape and The Guide To Giving Up EP).

The 9-track release, a free download available through Poorly Drawn Recordings, finds the dubious duo at their raunchiest, musing about breakups, alcohol dependency, and squatters’ rights. Production duties are handled by Falside (fresh off his collaboration with Juan Deuce, The Mechanics EP) and Mad Plaid, one of Rhode Island’s premier, up-and-coming beatmakers. Songs include lead single “Say Disease,” as well as “Not That Hip” and “Perfect Day To Die.”

The Monty Brogan EP is available through Bandcamp at the link above . For now, it’s a free download. But the safe bet is to grab it quickly, because Congress can only pass so many unemployment-benefit extensions and Brooklyn Lager isn’t getting any cheaper. Stream below, download after the jump!

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After four months of hard work and dedication, I am incredibly proud to present Detroit emcee Doss The Artist’s (@DossTheArtist) album #9Lives. Complete with 10 captivating tracks, 9Lives showcases the many sides of Doss’ lyrical brilliance: he’s fun, charming, caustic, poetic, contemplative, desensitized, thoughtful, boastful, and provocative all on the same tape. With production from Hir-O (Detroit), pJAYd (Brooklyn), and ACB (Kansas City), Doss gleams atop a myriad of engaging musical backdrops, proving beyond question that quality trumps quantity every time. Keep tabs on Doss via Twitter (@DossTheArtist) or Tumblr (theartistgrows.tumblr.com)!

Download: Doss The Artist – 9Lives (Album) || Alternate

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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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