Benz and a Backpack

“You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far,” and I imagine nobody in the first thirty years of hip-hop did. Radio play? Yup. Magazines? Okay. Grammys? Probably. But fellowships at Harvard?

If anyone deserves a fellowship at an elite institution it’s 9th Wonder, who is one of the premier educators and practitioners of hip-hop. 9th has been teaching a soul sampling course at Duke University, and over the course of his career he has approached his music with an unparalleled level of intelligence and devotion. That devotion will be on display in The Harvard Fellowship, a film directed by Kenneth Price (who collaborated with 9th on The Wonder Years) that will document 9th’s year at Harvard, and hopefully dispel with the idea that “hip-hop” and “entertainment” are synonymous.

“The Harvard Fellow follows one of hip-hop’s most dynamic artists, 9th Wonder through a year of lecturing and research at Harvard University. While at Harvard, 9th will have an office on campus, teach a class on the history of hip-hop, complete a research project and further explore hip-hop’s history and culture in an academic setting.”

The research component to the project is especially interesting. 9th will spend the year unearthing and cataloguing the samples that make up his 10 favorite albums. For more information on The Harvard Fellow, visit the project’s website, and be sure to make even a nominal donation to The Harvard Fellow’s Kickstarter, because after all, money only grows on trees after you get a degree from Harvard.

Tweet This Post

Today’s a big day. To celebrate the release of Monumental (Duck Down Records), Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun leaked another single off the album, “(I’m A) Stand Up Guy,” featuring none other than Black Rob. Stream the song below, read the KevNott review of Monumental here, and order the album now! Hit the skip for more on Curren$y’s Weekend At Burnie’s, Big Sean’s Finally Famous, and Wu Tang’s Legendary Weapons.

Pete Rock and Smif N Wessun “(I’m a) Stand Up Guy” feat. Black Rob by duckdown

Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

On April 14, Canadian label Wandering Worx released rapper/producer Moka Only’s Aiport 5 album, kicking off with the lead single “Grab Grab Grab” (watch the video here). Here, they present the official “Grab” remix courtesy of fellow Canadian and WW artist Rel!g!on, who most recently produced two tracks for Planet Asia’s forthcoming WW full-length Black Belt Theatre which features Talib Kweli, Raekwon, Paul Wall and more. Rel!g!on is also the president of WW, a film production company as well as a record label. WW is home to Moka Only, Planet Asia, Gold Chain Military emcee TriState, Pittsburgh’s Jasiri X and emcee/producer DaiN.

GRAB GRAB GRAB REMIX – MOKA ONLY FEAT SHINA VISHAK PROD BY REL!G!ON by Wandering Worx

Download: Moka Only – Grab Grab Grab (Rel!g!on Remix)

Tweet This Post

North Carolina emcee and Jamla Records recording artist Rapsody has hooked up with DJBooth.net to bring fans her sophomore solo release, the Thank H.E.R. Now street album.

The follow-up to late-2010’s Return of the B-Girl, the project finds the Kooley High member offering listeners insight into her story and her intimate experiences over the course of 20 brand new tracks. Included are Booth-approved leaks “Black Diamonds,” “Top Five,” “Out Tha Trunk,” “Extra Extra,” “Blankin’ Out” and “Lemme Think.”

Joining Rapsody on the guest tip throughout the project are Phonte, Mac Miller, Jean Grae, MURS, Raekwon, Estelle, Big K.R.I.T., and Marsha Ambrosius. In addition to mentor 9th Wonder, beats come courtesy of The Soul Council, Vitamin D, Nottz and more!

“Top Five” – Rapsody ft. King Mez & Laws (prod. by Amp) by JamlaArmy

***NEW*** “Black Diamonds” – Rapsody ft. Raekwon (prod. by 9th Wonder) by JamlaArmy

Rapsody-Lemme Think-Prod.By 9th Wonder by JamlaArmy

As you might guess from the roster, the production on Thank H.E.R. Now is on point. Throw in Rapsody’s soulful, southern drawl (and a host of dope features) and this here is an absolute winner. Tracklist and D/L after the jump!
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

With the Random Axe album due out in five days, Ruby Hornet’s Sean CK caught up with Da God for an honest, funny, and at times off-putting interview. Among other things, P Body talks about Guilty Simpson and Black Milk, the differences between Detroit and Brooklyn, and how P’s forthcoming album might just be the most ignorant album in hip-hop’s (relatively) short history.

Ruby Hornet: Can you describe the relationship between cats from Brownsville, and then Midwest folk from Detroit etc. There seems to be a relatable vibe between the two.

Sean Price: Man, ya’ll Detroit and ya’ll Chicago nigg*s, ya’ll are crazy. We ain’t like that out here. We get it poppin out here, but not like that. Ya’ll nigg*s are crazy! Having big automatic weapons an shi*t. We might have a pistol, you feel me, maybe a nine, at the biggest maybe a mac or a tech, ya’ll nigg*s be having Ar-15′s, you know what I mean, Big Johnny Rambo sh*ts in the back of ya’ll rides, we don’t do that out here. We got a bunch of fu*kin projects and a bunch of windows, so when you pull out an AK, yo ass is getting told on. Someone is telling on you. we can’t do all that. Nigg*s get it in, don’t get it twisted, but it ain’t like that. We put it in with small caliber weapons, compared to the sh*t ya’ll be doing.
Read more.

Tweet This Post

The year of Duck Down continues. Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun have joined forces to record an entire album together entitled Monumental. The album will be released June 28th, 2011 on Duck Down Music. Monumental will be entirely produced by Pete Rock with features from Raekwon, Bun B, Pharoahe Monch, Styles P, Memphis Bleek, Hurricane G, Sean Price & Buckshot. Album teaser directed by Day Dream Film Works.

Tweet This Post

In case you haven’t been keeping up, here is the full compilation, with a track list and D/L after the jump. The artwork has all been from celebrated hip-hop photographer Mike Schreiber, who recently dropped a collection of his favorite hip-hop pictures called True Hip-Hop (available via Amazon.com). Each of his pictures captures some fundamental element of hip-hop: Biz’s playfulness, Nas’ cerebral disposition, Mos’ introverted artistry, Meth’s larger-than-life persona. The release of Mike’s anthology in 2010 is just one of the reasons it was such a wonderful year for hip-hop. Here’s to an even better 2011!

Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 5]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 4]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 3]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 2]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 1]
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

Juan Deuce #2 through Roc Marciano, with representatives from the DMV, Detroit, and T Dot. Includes R&B crooner Miguel, a re-established Lloyd Banks, plus Johnny Blaze, Tony Starks, and Lex Diamonds.

Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 3]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 2]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 1]
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

Elzhi through Juan Deucington, plus Gil Scott-Heron, Ghostdini and The Genius, Muldrow and Monae; Jump-Off Joey’s Mood Muzik 4, French Montana’s Mac & Cheese 2, and Cole’s Friday Night Lights.

Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 2]
Previously: Dizzy’s Best Singles Of 2010 [Part 1]
Read the rest of this entry →

Tweet This Post

Henry Mancini is probably most well-known as the composer behind The Pink Panther theme song, for which he won three separate Grammys in 1964. His other notable works include music for Blake Edwards’ late-50′s TV show Peter Gunn, the score for Edwards’ 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the score for Edwards’ 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses. His music has been sampled by everyone from Grandmaster Flash in 1986 to MF Grimm in 2006.

Bear with me here: in his interview with Nardwuar, J. Cole explained that he and his boy CED used to rhyme for days over Pete Rock’s “The Game,” a beat from The Chocolate Boy Wonder’s ’98 solo debut Soul Survivor that featured Ghostface, Raekwon, and Prodigy. For “The Game,” Pete Rock sampled the theme song from the 1974 film The Girl From Petrovka, starring Goldie Hawn and Hal Holbrook. Who scored The Girl From Petrovka theme song? Henry Mancini. Marley Marl pulled from the same Mancini tune for his collaboration with KRS-One in 2007 called “Rising To The Top.” Mancini’s versatility and fluidity between genres made him one of the most prolific composers of all time, and a prime source for contemporary sample-based producers.

Henry Mancini – Theme From ‘The Girl From Petrovka’ by BenzAndABackpack5

Tweet This Post

MoneyCashShoms alerted me to a situation that took place at the end of last summer when Das Racist’s Victor Vazquez challenged Farley Katz, an in-house cartoonist at The New Yorker, to a cartoon-off! The reason? Vazquez was unhappy with Katz’s commentary on American Fast Food culture, which referenced the Das Racist joint “Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell.” Katz accepted the challenge, and the rest is history. And even though Katz and TNY did not hold true to their promise– that if they lost they’d become a magazine dedicated to rap and jewels (haha)– the fact that the cartoon-off happened is worthy of recognition in and of itself. What’s that age-old adage– it’s not where you end up that matters, but how you get there? Yeah. Something like that.

It’s been a minute, but this go-round of Mixtape Monday has a little bit of everything: Das Racist for the deconstructivists, must-listen Nas for the purists, Smokers Club representatives for the weed heads, Aloe Blacc for the musical connoisseurs, TrapDub (or ‘ThugStep’) for the party-goers, Gucci for the anti-lyricists, and the 2010 BET Cyphers for those who haven’t heard em yet. Bewler!

Benz And A Backpack Presents…Mixtape Monday – Vol. 22 by BenzAndABackpack4

Download: Benz And A Backpack Presents…Mixtape Monday Vol. 22

Tweet This Post

On Saturday Kanye released this song “Lord, Lord, Lord” which features Mos Def, Swizz Beats, Raekwon and Charlie Wilson on the hook. The beat was made by up and coming producer Avenue. Avenue is one third of the production team The Individualz. They have been working with and producing for Swizz Beats and his label Full Surface Records for the last few years.  They handled songs like Drake’s “Fancy“, Maino’s “Million Bucks“, T.I.’s “Swing Ya Rags”, Swizz Beatz’ & Drag-On’s “School Of Hard Knocks” and also worked with artists like Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Cassidy, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Lil’ Wayne (just to name a few). With this new placement under his belt, Avenue is more then ready to make his presence known in the rap game.

Kanye West ft. Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon, & Charlie Wilson – Lord, Lord, Lord [prod. by Avenue]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Download: Kanye West ft. Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Raekwon, & Charlie Wilson – Lord, Lord, Lord [prod. by Avenue]

Tweet This Post