Benz and a Backpack

**WARNING: IF YOU HAVE ANY AVERSIONS TOWARDS VISUALS OF: HOMOSEXUAL MEN AND EXTRA THICK – SUPER THICK WOMEN AGGRESSIVELY BOOTY DANCING IN THE STREETS AND OUTSIDE CLUBS, SCENES OF GHETTO LIVING, GRAVEYARDS, DOGS OFF LEASH AND DIPLO DANCING LIKE A WHITE GUY, LOOK AWAY NOW!!** 

Almost a month ago, Diplo, released the audio for, “Express Yourself” feat. Nicky Da B. An inspired homage to the vibrant New Orleans Booty Bounce music scene, Express Yourself, was an audio typhoon of calculated musical confusion.  Since the release of that single, a single that will appear on an EP of the same name due out sometime in May, I’ve been dying for some visuals to the record. I have a very active imagination, and when I listen to music, I often imagine what the music video would look like for whatever song it is I am listening to at the time. When I listened to, Express Yourself, I definitely envisioned a lot of booty shaking and “I dropped a contact” style dance positions , maybe a peppering of flashing lights and some obligatory shady club scenes, but the treatment that was created for, Express Yourself, by Director, Lil Internet, was something decidedly more interesting and original. Hit the skip the watch EXPRESS YOURSELF feat. NICKY DA B.
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New Island Beatz Vol. 1 is the freshman effort from Providence artist/producer New Island, featuring warm vocal samples (and an in-the-flesh singer on “Finally”) and soulful music massaged into well-crafted, digital soundscapes. Think 9th Wonder meets Flying Lotus, combining straight forward hip-hop backdrops with highly conceptual electronic music.

The album stands alone as an engaging, well-rounded musical effort, but several tracks cry out for proper treatment from the right rapper. That said, the tape ebbs and flows like the Providence River– a wondrous, naturally beautiful stretch of water that winds through one of America’s oldest industrial cities. Download via BandCamp!

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Two days ago, the good people from the Mad Decent blog tweeted about the release of, Drankenstein 3. For those who may not know and are potentially asking themselves, “what exactly is a, “Drankenstein?“ allow me to inform: “Drankenstein”, is the name of a CD series mixed, produced and released by musical visionary, Bird Peterson (A man who you may remember from other Benz and a Backpack posts like “The Bird Peterson Holiday Spectacular“). “And what does a, “Drankenstein”, sound like?” you ask…Well, the Drankenstein mixes are a combination of Trance music and Dirty South hip-hop. No, I was not trying to type “Trap” music. Drankenstein mixes are the best of Trance meets the best of Dirty South. Unlikely combination? Yes. Successful combination? Ab-so-fucking-lute-ly. Proof? Alright. Below is a sample from, “Drankenstein 2″, which mixes the 90′s trance smash-hit by, Darude, “Sandstorm”, and Bun B‘s booty shaking anthem, “Pop it for Pimp” featuring Webbie and Juvenile. Click the skip below the video to stream and download all three Drankenstein mixes! Also read my two cents on the new mix: Drankenstein 3.

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Big K.R.I.T. has, without a doubt, become one of my favourite artists in all of music. I say “artist” and not simply just “rapper”, because Big K.R.I.T. has proven himself to be a musical force on a host of different levels. He writes his own rhymes, produces all his own beats, arranges most of the instrumental accompaniment for his songs, can sing his own hooks and, after seeing him in concert when he came to, Toronto, last summer, the man can most certainly perform too. Big K.R.I.T. is rare and special talent that more people need to be exposed to. And I feel like after the strength of his last 2 mixtapes (mixtapes that listened more like actual albums that could have been sold online and in stores for 10 bucks a pop), K.R.I.T. Wuz Here and Return of 4Eva, and after I’m sure will be another undoubtedly acclaimed release in, 4Eva NA Day, Big K.R.I.T. should finally receive the mass appeal and appreciation he so unquestionably deserves. Listen to the first song released off, 4Eva NA Day, below, Boobie Miles, and click the skip for the link to download Big K.R.I.T.’s mixtape masterpiece, 4Eva NA Day!! 
Big K.R.I.T. – Boobie Miles (Prod. By Big K.R.I.T.) by BIGKRIT

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Here is the second leak from Juan Deuce‘s upcoming Ricky Shabazz and the Boom Bap Boys presented mixtape “No Sweat“. This time around Juan enlists Providence wordsmith and Brooklyn representative Romen Rok. Release date TBA. Please share, post, spread, and enjoy this certified head-nodder produced by Falside.

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This video is too good to ignore. With amorous visual overtones carefully crafted by director Dr. Woo, Jesse croons a story everyone, male or female, can relate to: mustering the courage to approach someone whose beauty you admire. Machinedrum carves the perfect space for Jesse– a pulsing backdrop with splashes of tremolo-soaked chords– sonically somewhere between Kavinsky, SBTRKT and Little Dragon, but well suited for The Romantic Movement Jesse spearheads.

Jesse’s forthcoming album, Love Apparatus, is due out in the very near future.

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I don’t pop pills anymore (12 days sober thank you very much), but when I did, this song was my anthem. Now, as some of you are probably aware, XXL just dropped their 2012 Freshman cover and Schoolboy Q and Ab Soul were not on it. I’m not gonna speak on it personally, but if you haven’t heard Habits & Contradictions already, I suggest you give it a listen. Compare that to anything Iggy Azalea has done and then tell me who you think deserved the spot more.

Fake, extremely political covers aside….Hit the skip for the visuals for “Nightmare on Figg St.” (bad ass chicks salute!) Read the rest of this entry →

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I came across Shlohmo‘s “Marvin’s Room (Thru Tha Floor Remix)” a few months back and I’ve been hooked on his music ever since.

In a music scene perforated with an over-abundance of Choppas and Screwas, the LA native manages to stand out from the pack. I’ve found that a lot of those Chopped & Screwed tapes tend to undermine the integrity of the original work. Some are just sloppy, others unneccesary, the point being: A good one is hard to find. Shlohmo’s slowed down mixes, on the other hand, are meticulously littered with underwater synths, side-sticks, and 808′s and personally I can’t help but like them better then the original.  In fact, His Drake remix was so well received that the dude’s made a habit of it. Most recently he remixed Take Care‘s “Crew Love“:

If you’re diggin those, there’s the ever popular “I’m On One” remix; where he transposes slowed down and sped up verses.

The guy isn’t all Drake remixes however, far from it. Hit the skip for some more gab & goodies.

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I got to thinking about Odd Future the other day. I decided that they were about to take a bow out of the limelight. Shock value only lasts so long; to the masses atleast.

On the surface, that’s all the group is; Shocking. Dig a little deeper into OFWGKTA though and you actually find something substantial. You find a self-sustaining group of misfits who refuse to be boxed in. Imagine my suprise when I when I found out Hodgy let some other producers lace his stuff. It’s completely out of character, but because he let the best in the game do it (Juicy J, Thelonius Martin, Alchemist, Flying Lotus), it was well worth it.

For once, I hope you all can put aside the OFWGKTA reputation and enjoy this for what it is. Good music.

Hit the skip for the download link and the track list. Click the album artwork above to stream.  Read the rest of this entry →

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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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