Benz and a Backpack

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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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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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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Chicago-bred rapper/producer Omen is featured on my favorite track off  J. Cole’s  Any Given Sunday series so I was not surprised to see his mixtape getting some serious love today. For the most part, Afraid of Heights deals with the difficulties of making your passion a top priority. On “Answers” he takes on the enemy in the mirror and then on “Liberation”  he finds inner strength, rising above his uncertainty to announce “I do it for the dreamers.” Now, I’m just gonna be straight up: this dude is nice (and can fly; see artwork above). Not convinced? To sweeten the pot he got Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole as features. Omen also produced the entire mixtape himself, an impressive feat on it’s own, and if you listen carefully you’ll even notice a nod at Kanye, the self-proclaimed king of emcee/producing.

Hit the skip for the link, tracklist, the jaunt with Kendrick, and a video of Omen performing on his Fender Rhodes.

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Straight from Life+Times:

Brooklyn’s MeLo-X is what you might call a renaissance man. Although the term is tossed around loosely, the Flatbush native truly encompasses the aspects of what it should be. Whether it is capturing the sights and sounds of New York with his photography, cooking up a delicious vegetarian meal in the kitchen, or stirring up a cauldron of his eclectic music in the studio, MeLo-X handles them all with a certain je ne sais quoi that sets him apart from others who try to peg themselves as “true” artists. In the world of music, MeLo-X seamlessly transitions between genres. He’ll shred a mic alongside Kendrick Lamar, provide the sexy soundscapes for Jesse Boykins III and craft lush electronic remixes to Body Language’s “Work This City” all without it sounding forced. As he prepares his latest dish Royal Elegance, Life+Times sits down with MeLo to discuss his origins, the art of being creative and his relationships with KiD CuDi and Maxwell.

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This past week the homie Soul Khan graced the stage at the famed Arlene’s Grocery on the Lower East Side, and BarrelhouseBKLYN was in attendance to catch it on camera. Soul Khan rocks steady on the mic, and with a little help from talented singer/songwriter Akie Berniss on the chorus “Speeding Bullets” a bonafide winner. Hit the skip to see BarrelhouseBKLYN’s video of Kendrick Lamar tearing the stage down at Southpaw, and check out their website for the rest of their outstanding work.

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The homie J Dent turned me on to this video, a peek into a studio session with Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell Williams. In it, Pharrell astutely compliments Kendrick’s producer (and the in-house at Top Dawg Entertainment) Sounwave for his incredibly sophisticated work on Section 80 (which is available now). Pharrell then lauds Kendrick for his nimble delivery on “Rigamortus,” possibly the best and most inspiring track on the album. While all the other XXL Freshmen are holding a prop or making an expression with their face, Kendrick is in the center sitting calm as could be.

Kendrick Lamar – Rigamortus by BenzAndABackpack5

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Cali rap pioneer Murs recently spent a few weeks on the East Coast recording with Ski Beatz, the producer behind legendary tracks forJay-Z, Mos Def, Curren$y, Jay Electronica and many more. He’s now back on the West Coast, without his trademark dreadlocks, but with a new album: Love & Rockets, Volume 1: The Transformation, set to drop this fall on Dame Dash‘s DD172/BLUROC labels in conjunction with a sixty-day tour alongside Tabi Bonney, McKenzie Eddy, Sean O Connell and Dash. In this video clip (after the jump), Murs walks into Frank’s Chop Shop in NYC and emerges a few pounds lighter…
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Straight from Clutchamatic at MTVHive:

“MTV Hive just published an interview with Compton’s Kendrick Lamar. In it, he talks with Andrew Nosnitzky (Noz of Cocaine Blunts) on Section 80, the Reagan era, religion, and the secrecy behind Dr. Dre’s Detox. Here’s an excerpt.”

Are you tired about people asking about the Dr. Dre shout-out yet?

No, I’m not tired of it. It’s an accomplishment, I’m blessed for a West Coast legend that I always looked up to acknowledge my work. But what I don’t want people to misunderstand is that you’re hearing Kendrick Lamar’s name because Dr. Dre said it. This is something I’ve been building from the ground up since I was sixteen. I’ve been putting out music, and in order for him to even say my name he had to hear the music first, the same [way] everybody else did.

Do you have any Detox secrets you can reveal?

Aw, no, I can’t reveal no Detox secrets! He gon’ be mad at me. Just know the shit is classic. It’s fucking incredible.

Really? Because the singles haven’t inspired much hope.

Right yeah, I see the people saying that but they won’t be disappointed once they hear the album.

Read the rest of the interview over at MTVHive.com.

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Camden, New Jersey rapper Apollo The Great and producer YFame bring you visuals for “Be On Top,” a cut off Apollo’s recent album Apollo 21. If you’re in Brooklyn, catch Apollo tomorrow night at Southpaw with Kendrick Lamar, YC Tha Cynic, Nitty Scott MC, and more. Grab tickets here.

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Steve-Ography presents: Inside The Mind Of MeLo, a compilation of records that will allow new listeners to gain insight into who MeLo-X, the new Renaissance Man, is. It is also a reminder for current patrons as to why they’ve been on this musical journey towards discovery with the GodGod. Accordingly, the tape features a spectrum of MeLo’s music, including two songs for which MeLo has already released fantastic visuals: “The Highest” and “Xtra Drop.” Take some time and get familiar with MeLo. I promise it’ll be worth your while.

MeLo-X – Inside The Mind Of MeLo by BenzAndABackpack6

Download: Inside The Mind Of MeLo (Mixtape)

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DJ Webstar came through Providence on Thursday and I was lucky enough to sit down with him. Webstar is on top of his game right now; he’s been on a never-ending grind. You gotta show respect to someone who commits so fully to being successful that he barely sleeps. Plus, Webstar knows where his loyalties lie; he’s very connected to NYC artists (especially those from Harlem) and to his fans. Check back later in the week for full text and audio of the conversation.

For Mixtape Monday this week, we got new music from B.o.B. and Cormega, DJ Premier and Skyzoo, Sean P and MOP, plus a brand new track from the boy Element. With all the good music put out every week, it’s hard to take people seriously who say hip hop is dead. Listen:

(By the way, tune in to ESPN tonight at 8:30pm and watch the Brett Favre (and the Vikes) take on the team he’ll go into the Hall on (the Packers). If we’ve learned anything over the past week we learned that this. is. a. big. game.)

Joell Ortiz ft. Novel – Call Me
Novel shined bright on Slaughterhouse’s debut self-titled album, so it’s no surprise to see Joell calling on him once more.

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KRS-One and Buckshot ft. Talib Kweli – Oh Really
Two vets in the game combine with Talib to unleash brutal honesty and criticism directed at new age rappers who are ‘naturally whack / I’m naturally dope like coke before crack.’

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Element ft. Boozoo Bajou – Sign
A new joint from Toronto’s own Element, who matches an intelligent and buoyant flow to very strong production.

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B.o.B. – Paper Chase
Clutch: “If Outkast ever falls apart, B.o.B. will be there to pick up the pieces”

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