Benz and a Backpack

Ricky Shabazz & the Boom Bap Boys and Juan Deuce present No Sweat. After the major success of his collaborative tape with Falside for The Mechanics EP, Juan recruited a team of slick producers to craft the music on No Sweat: Falside, J57 and Audible Doctor (of The Brown Bag All-Stars), The Doppelgangaz, Fonzi Wells, pJAYd, Fakts One (The Perceptionists), and ACB. Juan flexes over the diverse production, showcasing his growing lyrical muscles with a little help from fellow New Englanders Jon Hope, Romen Rok, and Dj Emoh Betta. Stream, download, share and enjoy! Note: Physical copies of No Sweat and Sweat Band Bundles will be available for purchase via Strange Famous Records later this month.

Tracklist after the skip!
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Lester Bangs do their best to combat obeatsity. Download for free from their BandCamp!

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I am very proud to present to you Week 7 of Doss The Artist’s #9Lives Series, this week in the shape of “Katie Couric,” a track inspired by the former CBS anchor’s interview with Sarah Palin. Doss’ go-to producer Hir-O deftly massages Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Places” into a mix anchored by steady drums, stretching the perfect canvas for Doss to paint remarkably contrasting lyricism. Follow Doss on Twitter (@DossTheArtist) and Tumblr (theartistgrows.tumblr.com) to keep tabs on 9Lives! Hit the skip to download. Artwork by Falside.

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Written on a Thursday, recorded on Friday afternoon at J57′s studio in Brooklyn and shot that same evening in Lower Manhattan, “China Town” is a testament to Doss The Artist’s relentless work ethic and impeccable flow. Over a zany pJAYd-produced track, Doss spits as if he were a painter during the Impressionism era, using broad and narrow strokes to paint a vivid picture of the world as he sees it. With New York City’s Chinatown as his backdrop and talented DD172 director Shruti Parekh behind the lens, Doss manages to crystalize a fleeting moment in time and lend weight to the legend of the Honda Odyssey.

Hit the skip to watch the video for “China Town” and download the fifth installment of 9Lives.

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Week 4 of Detroit emcee Doss The Artist’s #9Lives series brings about “Liquor Store,” a strongly worded, incisive track sure to induce a reaction as visceral as if you were watching The Departed. This week Doss was featured on MTVHive in a story that showcased his many styles on the mic, and “Liquor Store” proves his versatility even further.

Over a glitchy, bugged-out beat from pJAYd, Doss explores powerful themes in America’s traditions through the lens of his own personal experiences. He touches on institutional racism that begets income inequality (and all the accompanying ills of violence, incarceration and alcoholism) in the context of how he perceives his father’s legacy, his hometown, and his relationship to his country. Despite the weight of his words, hope shimmers brightly in “Liquor Store’s” final section as Doss elevates his message in a successful attempt to take his listeners higher. Keep tabs on Doss via Twitter, Tumblr, and BandCamp.

Doss The Artist: Doss The Artist – Liquor Store [prod. pJAYd]

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Week 3 of Doss The Artist’s 9Lives series comes in the form of “Cave,” a brooding song featuring production from the uber-talented Hir-O. The track begins with a simple Kid Cudi loop, but gains momentum as Doss spits purposeful words over Hir-O’s increasingly layered soundscape. To keep tabs on Doss, follow him on Twitter and Tumblr!

Download: Doss The Artist – Cave [prod. Hir-O]

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Whereas Week 1 showcased Doss and Greenlee on their bravado-filled tip, Week 2 of Doss The Artist’s 9Lives Series showcases Doss striking a more introspective tone over a straight forward and soulful Jackson 5-sampled beat from pJAYd. Navigating and combatting the forces in life that threaten to limit your success is both a monumental and imperative endeavor. Listen to Doss navigate those forces nimbly, amidst melodic samples and pulsing drums as well as words of wisdom from Samuel L and DeNiro in Jackie Brown.

Download: Doss The Artist – Never Can [prod. pJAYd]

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This is really that shit. Hard at work over the past several months, Doss The Artist unleashes “Shapeshift The Whip,” a street anthem and the first single off his upcoming mixtape 9Lives. “Shapeshift The Whip” knocks harder than Guns N Roses and boasts a verse and grungy choruses from Doss’ fellow Detroit emcee Greenlee as well as production from the immensely talented producer Hir-O. Here’s the scoop, straight from the good homie glassran:

“Acknowledging the great response on Computer B!ue, Doss The Artist is proud to announce his forthcoming installation entitled 9Lives. A weekly release series starting this Friday, October 14^th, 9Livespromises to highlight all the glittering facets of the Doss The Artist sound. The first track in the series, “Shapeshift The Whip,” features Detroit-based emcee Greenlee, along with particularly robust production from Hir-O (The Voyage Home). It is a seriously entertaining and fun street anthem with potent but infectious rhymes. The series is nine tracks deep with one song to be released per week. It is a warm up to the upcoming LP from Doss The Artist, entitled 86 Miles Tall.”

Download: Doss The Artist – Shapeshift The Whip [prod. Hir-O] | Alternate Link

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They’re saying we’re supposed to get 14-16 inches in Brooklyn, which I’m hyped about because I’ll either watch the wonderful snowfall with my fam from inside our warm house or experience it in full force at Owl’s Head Park (or upstate with DubSparks!). Either way, New Yorkers are in for it tonight, especially in light of the City’s strained relationship with Sanitation (don’t expect the snow to be cleared with speed- there’s a lot of overtime to be gotten). Double down with your peoples, warm drinks, and good movies, cause it’s gonna be a doozy!

A Bird In The Hand Beats – Snowfall by BenzAndABackpack5

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The homie Doss The Artist just dropped his newest mixtape called Computer Blue, a collection of intelligent tracks drenched in warmth and resonance as well skilled production and very thoughtful lyricism. Featuring guest spots by Dom Sirius, Anomaly, Haz Bey, LO5, PJayD, a Dilla beat and a Flying Lotus remix, the album thrives on the strength of Doss and Hir-O, the producer behind the majority of its tracks and the project as a whole. Detroit natives, they are both dexterous and poignant in their own rights, and the combination is even more holistic. In other words, the mixtape is bananas, and there is nothing else out now that sounds like it. Start with these tracks, then listen all the way through:

Doss The Artist ft. LO5 – gOing gOing gOne [prod. Hir-O)
"Nah it's not Chicago/no I ain't from Cleveland/I am from the city in the midwest where the sky is always evening"

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Doss The Artist - Lois Lane [prod. Hir-O]
The shaker and under-snare make for a syncopated pocket, perfect to display Doss’ versatility on the microphone as a vocalist. “Don’t hate me for flying/like you can’t blame Superman/for playing Clark Kent sometimes/I bet it drives the homie stupid/how you gonna be an ubermane/when you still have to save Lois Lane/how you gonna be Christ figure when ya/can’t let the green ice near ya”

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Doss The Artist – Princess Peach [prod. ACB]
The bass-heavy (as opposed to treble-heavy) beat puts Doss on his fantastical flow; he’ll be your freakin’ prince (blat!).

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Download: Doss The Artist – Computer Blue
OR
Download via Hir-O’s Bandcamp: Doss The Artist – Computer Blue

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Strongest Member On My Team from Sam Koplewicz on Vimeo.

Doss The Artist and PJayD present “Strongest Member On My Team (That’s The Queen),” the first single off Doss The Artist & Hir-O’s Computer Blue mixtape, to be released in the near future. Big ups to the shorties in the video, Lady Kharamel and Evey-E, and shouts to the director Sam Kop for the link!

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