Rap Round Table, Week Ending 10/29/2010

"VOTE" by Theresa Thompson

Music Analysis & Reporting:

Bloggerhouse Presents: 300 Slept On Tracks From The Last Decade (Dart’s Picks 21-40) by Dart Adams

Bloggerhouse presents: 300 Slept-On Tracks From The Last Decade (Eric’s Picks 21-30) by Eric C.

Bloggerhouse presents: 300 Slept-On Tracks From The Last Decade (Trav’s Picks 21-30) by Travis

Top 10 Things I Want To See From The 'Pete Rock Vs. DJ Premier' Album by Amir Said

Stretch & Bobbito 20th Anniversary Show on WKCR (10/22/10) by Jeff Weiss

The Evolution of Mood Muzik by J. Tinsley

A People’s History of Hip-Hop: The Diplomats–Native Tongues by Abe Beame

AllTime8: This Is The (Slept-On) Remix by Danj!

The Return of The Knux - “Medusa (Let’s Get Stoned”) by Jeff Weiss

De La Soul and The Specter Of Downward Mobility by Thun

Change and Uncertainty: Ghostface & Nas by Thun

The Total Package by Danj!

Where’s J. Cole? Why Dates Don’t Matter by Adam Fleischer

Revelations Spoken Through Rap by Jeff Weiss

Is Co$$ the most underrated rapper in Los Angeles? by Jeff Weiss

Court Order Shuts Down LimeWire's File-Sharing Software by Jacob Ganz

Every Grain of Sand by John Dickerson

Lou Donaldson Quartet: Live At The Village Vanguard

Album Reviews:

The Left - Gas Mask by Eric C.

Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli by David Drake

Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli by J. Tinsley

El Da Sensei & The Returners - GT2: Nu World by Fred Castano

The Foreign Exchange - Authenticity by Tal Rosenberg

Roots Manuva meets Wrongtom - Duppy Writer by Andrew Martin

Pimp C - The Naked Soul of Sweet Jones by Tom Breihan

Ice Cube - I Am The West by Ryan J.

Lil B - Rain in England by Daniel Levin Becker

Various Artists - Stomp The Yard: Homecoming (Soundtrack) by Max

Dam-Funk - Adolescent Funk by Rob Hatch-Miller

Flying Lotus - Pattern + Grid World by Ben Yaster

Witness - The Everafter LP by Ali Elabbady

Saroos - See Me Not by Arika Dean

Warpaint - The Fool by Lorrie Edmonds

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz by Brian Hodge

Belleruche - 270 Stories by Erik Stabile

Profiles & Interviews:

Big L's Brother Talks New 'Return of The Devil's Son' LP, Roc-A-Fella Recruitment & Mase by Mikey Fresh

Inside Danny Brown’s “The Hybrid”: An Interview with Crown Nation and Mosel by Aaron Matthews

TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Waka Flocka Flame by TC

TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Skyzoo & !llmind by TC

Non-Rapper Dudes: Alexander Richter Interview by Robbie

Metallungies Hollers @ Daedelus, Interview by knobbzXL

I’d Rather Stick with Peace and Unity: An Interview with Shinsight Trio by Zach Cole

The Vulture Transcript: Judd Apatow on the Books That Made Him Change the Way He Wrote by David Haglund

Obituary:

R.I.P. Gregory Isaacs by Sach O

Politics:

Mexi-juana by John Gravois

Can a Name Change for Rhode Island Heal Old Wounds? by Michael E. Ross

What Angela Davis Thinks Of Her Face On T-Shirts by Irin Carmon

Literature:

Mark Twain's Amazing Embargo by Craig Fehrman

WTF/LOL:

L.A. Reid Believes: F#ck the Middlemen by Shyne

The real reason T.I. is going back to jail by Byron Crawford

Conan O'Brien Comes Clean by Mark Binelli

What Was the Hipster? by Mark Greif

Shit I Don’t Trust Pt. 1: Doctors by Amanda Bassa

My Larry David moment(Hip Hop edition) by Humanity Critic

Yankees Fans Already Desperate to Find Next Year’s Ringers by Matt Taibbi

Rap Round Table, Week Ending 10/22/2010

"rip eyedea" by BLACKSHEEPONEY

Music Analysis & Reporting:

The /b/ Boys: Odd Future and the Swag Generation by Sean Fennessey

Bloggerhouse Presents: 300 Slept On Tracks from the Last Decade (Dart's Picks 1-20) by Dart Adams

Bloggerhouse Presents: 300 Slept On Tracks from the Last Decade (Trav's 11-20) by Travis

Kanye West's album art: Banned in the U.S.A.? Perhaps 'banned' isn't the right word by Todd Martens

Kanye West's 'taking offense' with Pop & Hiss writer 'Kriss Lee' by Chris “Kriss” Lee

Party and Bullshit: Yelawolf Walks the Line by Jeff Weiss

8 Free Releases You Might Have Missed in 2010 by Jason G.

DanjLovesThe80sToo: Krush Groovin' by Danj!

Portrait of the Rapper as a Young Marketer: How K'naan Delivered on Coca-Cola's $300 Million Bet by Rick Tetzeli

G.I. Thuggin' by Joey

Freddie Gibbs – “Learn To Duck” by J. Tinsley

The Unkut Guide to Vertically-Challenged Rappers by Robbie

Ice Cube loses the beef with 'new' West Coast rappers by Jeff Weiss

How Far We Done Fell: Masta Ace and Juelz Santana by Thun

Rapper Saigon Joins Ranks Of Beatmakers by Amir Said

Elvis Presley to receive the hip-hop remix treatment on a new album by Jeff Weiss

7 Video Game Beats That Should Be Rap Songs by C. Paicely

Get Your Mind Right: It Was Written (Unfortunately) by Brian Sims

Dr. Dre protege Dawaun Parker releases first single by Jeff Weiss

Ralph Lauren and Dipset: A Love Affair by L.A.S

15 Rap Bangers Inspired By Sade Samples by Elan Mancini

Introduction to 'Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae' by Cameron Crowe

Taylor Swift Is Angry, Darn It by Jon Caramanica

Ether:

Lupe Fiasco Rages Against MTV

Album Reviews:

Hell Razah - Heaven Razah by Francisco McCurry

Nottz - You Need This Music by Adam Figman

Danny Brown - The Hybrid by Martin Douglas

7L & Esoteric - 1212 by Sean Ryon

Canibus - C of Tranquility by Amanda Bassa

Canibus - C of Tranquility by Andrew Schweizer

Canibus - C of Tranquility by Rizoh

Lil Wayne - I Am Not a Human Being by TC

Ice Cube - I Am the West by Ian Cohen

Aloe Blacc - Good Things by Zach Cole

Teebs - Ardour by Jake O'Connell

Eric Lau - Makin' Sound by Zach Cole

El Da Sensei & The Returners - GT2: Nu World by A.L. Dre

Kno - Death Is Silent by Michael Sheehan

The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream by Jennifer Kelly

King Sunny Ade - Baba Mo Tunde by Kevin Macneil Brown

Pigeon John - Dragon Slayer by Kevin S. Gary

Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern by Brian Hodge

The Gaslamp Killer - Death Gate EP by Tal Rosenberg

Kae Sun - Lion on a Leash by Marcus Moore

Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown by Margaret Wappler

Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli by Craig Jenkins

Profiles & Interviews:

The State of Jay-Z's Empire by John Jurgensen

Ice Cube: Ghost In The Machine by Omar Burgess

DJ Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Remember Legendary Big L/Jay-Z Freestyle by jkennedy

Lloyd Banks: Second Round K.O. by Haaron Hines

Who Is Kanye West Cover Artist George Condo? by Gil Kaufman

Obituary:

Rest In Peace Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen by Rhymesayers

Remembering Micheal “eyedea” Larsen by Rhymesayers & Friends

RIP Eyedea by Blockhead

Remembering rapper Michael 'Eyedea' Larsen by Jeff Weiss

R.I.P Eyedea (1981-2010) by Jeff Weiss

Between the Lines: Remembering Eyedea by Andres Vasquez

In Memory of Eyedea by Ali Elabbady

A Letter to the Fans and Friends of Eyedea by Copywrite

Politics:

Rap Star Running for Alderman by Duaa Eldeib

Veteran Suicides Outnumber US Military Deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan by Nadia Prupis

CNN Cares About Black People by Maurice Garland

My Feud With O'Donnell by Meghan McCain

In Defense of Meghan McCain by Mona Gable

WTF/LOL:

Hip-Hop’s 50 Greatest Animated GIFs by Insanul Ahmed

Let’s Have a Toast to Standing in Line by Amanda Bassa

Hip-Hop Galactus by Khal

A child’s stomach just growled, did you hear it? by Byron Crawford

Mic Check: The 10 Best Sh*t Talkers In Wrestling History by David D.

Just my thoughts on Jay-Z and Beyonce’s children by Byron Crawford

Save The Race: 10 Women Who Should Never Reproduce by Beware

The 25 Greatest Mike Tyson Quotes by Rizoh

More from the Forward-Glancing Knicks Yearbook by Joey

5 Reasons Brandy Has Been Celibate by Jerry Barrow

Better in Bed: Sarah Palin vs. Christine O’Donnell? by Alec

History

I worked 'til 10:30 PM today yesterday so naturally, by the end of the day, I'd be exhausted. Right now it's 3:00 AM. I'm really exhausted. My eyes feel like heavy grocery bags. But I managed to stay up to witness history. Stretch and Bobbito. My first time listening live. It was quite an experience. Shouts to everybody who listened to the show on my Justin.tv stream. Shouts to everybody who listened, period. Where do we go from here?

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Cover #1)

...to which Guru, may he rest in peace, responded:

Cats be buyin' up SoundScans to beef up sales/
N****s wanna crossover, wanna be upscale/
Fuck that, that ain't hip hop, it's something else/
You're better off back on the Ave. doin' something else/

John Coltrane's My Favorite Things at 50

I've found you've got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.
~ John Coltrane, 1926-1967

Today marks the 50th anniversary of John Coltrane's initial session for his landmark album My Favorite Things. Featuring McCoy Tyner on piano, Elvin Jones on drums and Steve Davis on bass, Coltrane's newly-formed quintet recorded the album at Atlantic Studios in New York, between the 21st and 26th of October, 1961. I wonder if they rested on the seventh day. Much like Miles Davis' opus Kind of Blue, Coltrane's My Favorite Things demonstrated a drift from bebop, opting towards a new style known as modal jazz. Modal jazz differs from bop, the predominant jazz form of the 1950s, which is typified by the harmony being driven by inter-related chord progressions amongst band members. Modal jazz, then considered "avant garde", forms a more complex sense of unity (or disunity, depending on how you see/hear it), by means of modal diversity and a series of various chords. Free jazz, if you will.


My Favorite Things is perhaps best known for its title track, which predates Julie Andrews' popular rendition of the song by half a decade. "My Favorite Things" was written by composer Richard Rodgers and originally performed by Mary Martin in the 1959 musical The Sound of Music - brought to the big screen by director Robert Wise and the aforementioned Andrews in 1965. Spanning nearly fourteen minutes in length, Coltrane's recording of "My Favorite Things" transformed the original, introducing modal playing and eastern influences (listen to Coltrane make his saxophone flutter), which would later be a fixture of the jazz genius' repertoire and experimental efforts in the '60s. As I've been reading into My Favorite Things for the past two days or so, I've come across this excellent essay by Scott Anderson, in which he breaks down four diverse performances of the album's title track. It's worth a read if musical theory interests you. In celebration of this important date, Southern California's KJazz radio channel (KKJZ, 88.1 FM) will be highlighting the record, beginning at 9:30 PM. Tune in... and turn it up!!

"Yes there's a conspiracy, to get the cops off"

Two days from today, October 22nd, is the National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation.

Getting this clip out far and wide is a part of kicking off wider debate and understanding about the role of the brutal police in this society, and the reality that far from being the misdeeds of a "few bad apples," police brutality and the lockdown of millions of Black and other oppressed people is about keeping a whole oppressive system in place. This should spur the activity and participation in this needed day of protest to say NO to police brutality, and to introduce people to the leader of a movement for revolution to bring about a radically different system.

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #83

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #82

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #81

Yeah, So I'm Gonna Need to Catch Up on Glee...

In the words of 'Lonzo from Training Day: "It's like that?" In the words of Bone, also from Training Day: "It's like that." And finally, in the words of Dave Chappelle: "It's like that, son!" Props to GQ Magazine. If this blond/brunette tandem is anything like Britta and Annie (word to Funk Doc), I'm in. I've got my finger on the mute button though.

In Stores Today: October 19, 2010

Bob Dylan - The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Vol. 9)

This one's only for the Dylan freaks (I dare y'all to purchase the $100+ vinyl box set). If hearing sparse, stripped-down Bob Dylan tracks sends a thrill up your leg, you're gonna wanna give this a listen. I'm particularly fond of Demos' version of "Blowin' in the Wind", channeling the rural soul of folk patriarch Woody Guthrie. I also enjoyed "The Times They Are A-Changin'", devoid of those memorable guitar pluckings, instead played out as a slow piano ballad. Like I said, this one's for the Dylan fans. For the kind of folks who'd buy his book(s) of lyrics.


Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown

I don't know much about these guys other than their monster single "Use Somebody", which invaded airwaves and even hip hop freestyles and remixes. Kings of Leon kinda remind me of a more pop-ish incarnation of the Black Keys (they're great), which isn't too far-fetched since the two bands have been on tour together up until just recently. Upon first listen, I notice that Come Around Sundown can't seem to muster up a track to go toe to toe with the pop levity of "Use Somebody", but that's fine. "Pyro" comes closes, but no cigar. Bottom line: If alt. rock/pop is your thing, this record is worth your time.


Lil Scrappy - Prince of the South 2

#iFux'd with Lil Scrappy back in high school, when he was responsible for (or at least an accomplice to) trunk rattlers like "Head Bussa", "No Problem", "What You Gon' Do", "Knuck If You Buck" and more. You know, the heyday of commercialized crunk, an era I've held a bit of nostalgia for lately. Accordingly, I've kept a casual lookout for new Lil Scrappy whenever it slides by. I also #Fux'd with Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live, his 2006 debut. Prince of the South 2 is an indie-ish release (distributed by Real Talk Entertainment, via Fontana) without a smash hit-like track in sight. Worth a listen only if you cared enough to read... this... paragraph... 'til... the... ver... y... end. Congratulations!


Mt. Desolation - Mt. Desolation

Mt. Desolation is a super-group of sorts, featuring members from various bands, including Keane, The Killers, Noah & The Whale, The Staves, The Long Winters and Mumford & Sons. The culmination of this impressive collaborative shindig is enjoyable, though far from earth-shattering. This is nice cruise music, with tracks like "Departure", "Midnight Ghost" and "Bridal Gown" serving as highlights. Give those three a preview/spin before making your call.


Pastor Troy - Best of Pastor Troy 1

Eh... (cont'd)


Pastor Troy - Best of Pastor Troy 2

...and meh.


Radio Citizen - Hope and Despair

Oh my Lord! #iFuxwit this album HEAVY! Radio Citizen is guided by German producer Niko Schabel, an artist who got to the letter 'G' in the dictionary and crossed out the entry for "genre." Hope and Despair, a follow-up to 2006's Berlin Serengeti, finds Schabel and Co. tackling dub reggae, soul and various jazz stylings with seamless and marvelous results. The bass on this album will absolutely floor you. Again, #iFuxwitit. Buy this.


Shakira - Sale El Sol

Not my cup of tea (or maté), but to each his/her own. Show me a video of Shakira belly dancing though and I might just change my tune.


Teebs - Ardour

If you #Fuxwit Flying Lotus - which you should - then you're gonna wanna give his homie (and roomie... really) a listen. Teebs and Flying Lotus may come from similar electro-schools of thought, but their methods are different. FlyLo's style is laden with keys and overbearing synths. Teebs offers an almost transcendental alternative, pulsing with sounds reminiscent of wind chimes, laid atop Eastern rhythms and other tranquil textures. This is beautiful music. h/t to Jeff Weiss.


Von Pea - Pea's Gotta Have It

The Brooklyn-bred Tanya Morgan emcee goes for dolo over a series of smooth and highly-bumpable beats. #iFuxwitit.

Willow Smith - Whip My Hair (Official Video)

Rap Round Table, Week Ending 10/15/2010

"the sweet balance of vinyl" by ssilence

Ether:

Open Letter To Def Jam by Shyne

Music Analysis & Reporting:

300 Slept-On Tracks From The Last Decade (Eric’s Picks 1-10) by Eric

300 Slept-On Tracks From The Last Decade (Trav’s Picks # 1-10) by Travis

300 Slept-On Tracks From The Last Decade (Eric’s Picks #11-20) by Eric

The Hip-Hop Heritage Society by Angus Batey

Where Are All The Hip-Hop Greatest Hits Collections? by Jacob Ganz

What Was That? An Exhibition? We Need Emotional Content. Now Try Again! © Bruce Lee by Dart Adams

How Eminem Won & Lost At The Same Time by Robbie

How Can U Mention Who's One The Best, Without Mentioning Lord Finesse? by Brandan E.

Shyne Wants Out Of Def Jam, "L.A. Reid Don't Care About Hip-Hop" by Cyrus Langhorne

If You Don’t Know Me By Now… Pea’s Gotta Have It by Von Pea

How Lupe got a release date by Byron Crawford

Sa'id's Mental Memoir: "When I'm Famous" by Amir Said

4 Reasons Why Fans Are File-Sharing Your Music (And Why They Can't Be Changed) by Kyle Bylin

T.I. didn’t really save anybody by Byron Crawford

New rap rule: Be better than Bieber by Blockhead

L.A. transplant Freddie Gibbs drops 'The Ghetto Remix' featuring Rek and Sean Price by Jeff Weiss

Souled On Samples: The Wonder Steady Edition by Scholar

2 Busy Saying Yeah - Ninety-Now: East Coast Indie Raps Pt. 1 by DJ Matthew Africa

Chain Snatching, Jerking Your Jewels by Amanda Bassa (check out her new website!)

Vado, Slime Flu and Celebrations by Jeff Weiss

50 Cent: The new Tyler Perry? by Byron Crawford

8 Rap Clichés to Avoid Like the Plague by Alex Delarge

Was The Firm Really A Flop? by Brandan E.

Curren$y - ”Michael Knight” by Jeff Weiss

BeatTips Editor's Re-Up: Time-Stretching Samples by Amir Said

Eminem: 10 Things '60 Minutes' Forgot To Ask by Chris Yuscavage

Converse To Musicians: Strike Up The Brand… by Dallas Penn

Rap mogul busted for living the 'high' life: feds by John Doyle & Doug Auer

Album Reviews:

What’s New In Dart’s iPod #23 AKA The Neverending Story by Dart Adams

Shad - T.S.O.L. (U.S. Version) by William E. Ketchum III

Flying Lotus - Pattern + Grid World by Nicholas Candiotto

Ski Beatz - 24 Hour Karate School by Ryan Monk

Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II (Gold Edition) by Max

Von Pea - Pea's Gotta Have It by The Company Man

K-Rino - Annihilation of the Evil Machine by Mitchell Hanna

Lil Wayne - I Am Not a Human Being by Jeff Weiss

Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love by Benjamin Ewing

Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love by Douglas Wolk

Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans by Luke Gibson

Cut Chemist - Sound of the Police by Nate Patrin

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz by Ryan Dombal

Mark Ronson - Record Collection by Stephen M. Deusner

Amiri - The Recipe by Ali Elabbady

Morrissey - Bona Drag [20th Anniversary Edition] by Scott Plagenhoef

Zola Jesus - Valusia EP by Zach Kelly

Profiles & Interviews:

AZ Remembers His Classic Debut, “Doe or Die,” 15 Years Later by Adam Fleischer

Tragedy Khadafi – The Unkut Interview, Part 2 by Robbie

Insane Clown Posse: And God created controversy by Jon Ronson

Question in the Form of An Answer: Elzhi by Aaron Matthews

Question in the Form of An Answer: Black Milk by Jonah Bromwich

Shyne: The Redemption by Paul W. Arnold

Underground Report: El Da Sensei & Q-Unique by Sean Ryon

We Just Inherently Do Things Differently: An Interview With The Niceguys by Zach Cole

The Far East Movement go platinum, discuss alternative pop and G6's by Jeff Weiss

Terry Kennedy, “Skateboarding Was a Hobby… Then I Got Shot.” by Amber McKynzie

Malcolm Gladwell's Elusive Roots by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Obituary:

Remembering Solomon Burke: The genius and effect of 'Cry to Me' by Randall Roberts

R.I.P. General Johnson by Jacob Ganz

Politics:

Policy at Its Worst by Bob Herbert

The Greatest Political Ad Ever (Or At Least Since a Week Ago)

Progressive politicians are often characterized by their p/wussiness. Alan Grayson is one of the few exceptions. Exhibit A? This ad right here. Grayson channels the intro from The Sopranos to go in on his opponent, Republican Daniel Webster. I like it. In fact I'm gonna have to quote a video game I played way too much as a kid: It's super effective! Let's hope so. Get out the vote!

Dick Shit

I can't stop watching.

EPMD - The Big Payback | Insomniacs Club

GO!

In Stores Today: October 12, 2010

Damn! A whole bunch of records are dropping today, many of which are worth your time. If you're not a cheap-ass then some of them are also worth your money, too. I haven't listened to all the albums hitting shelves today (yeah, I'm a music p1r@t3, but I have my limits), so I'll just drop a couple pennies on the ones I have heard.


7L & Esoteric - 1212

Back in '08, this Boston-based duo dropped the excellent Esoteric Vs. Japan (Pterodactyl Takes Japan!) which I bumped consistently. This is their first album since then and takes a more traditional hip hop route, which is also a good thing. The record features the likes of Ill Bill, Sadat X, Inspectah Deck, Evidence, Alchemist, Celph Titled and more. You know, the good guys. Solid hip hop. Worth a listen.


9th Prince - One Man Army

As much of a Wu-fan as I am, I've never gone gaga over the affiliates emcees - with exception to the Sunz of Man and a couple others. I listened to this record in its entirety and only noticed a handful of highlights. I'd only recommend it to WTC fans though, really. There IS a RZA-assisted track on it too, if that's something that interests you.


Atmosphere - To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's

Slug and Co. serve up an offering of honest, blue collar raps on this record. The release is meant to hold down Atmosphere fans until their album comes out. I'll be waiting. In the meantime, this is a solidly bumpable LP.


Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love

Not hip hop, but I don't care. #iFuxwit Belle and Sebastian. As with many of their albums, Write About Love might sound a bit, um, off at first. But it'll grow on you. It's no Boy with the Arab Strap, that's for sure. But I recommend it regardless.


The Burnerz - Zumbi & The Are Present: The Burnerz

Honestly, I haven't heard this record yet, but that'll change today. Despite their stylistic departure from the b-boy glory that was 2005's True & Livin', I still check for anything that Amp Live and MC Zion a.k.a. Baba Zumbi put out, whether it's on the solo or duo tip. For this go-round, Zumbi chops it up with Houston producer The Are, you know, they guy that flipped those amazing Michael Jackson beats a few years back. Yeah, well, he's a beast on the boards. I've only heard the snippets of this album so far, but I like what I've heard. I'll be checking for this today.


Cali Swag District - The Kickback

Not interested. Home state pride be damned!


Chiddy Bang - The Preview

Will a Q-Tip feature be enough to inspire some interest in this project? Barely. If hipster-ish/pop-ish (amazing that those two are kinda synonymous now) hip hop is your thing, jump into this. Otherwise, keep it moving.


El Da Sensei & The Returners - GT2: Nu World

This album's been floating all over the web for two months already, so I've had a fair amount of time to give it multiple spins. It's bangin'! The Artifacts emcee's skills need no introduction - unless you've been sleeping, in which case shame on you(!) - and The Returners have continued to prove great partners with the Jersey spitter. Featured rhymeslingers on the record include Treach, Sean Price, Rakaa, Tiye Phoenix and Akrobatik. This is solid, fundamental hip hop. Support!


Far East Movement - Free Wired

I don't #Fuxwitit. At all. Like, at all. If you're into mindless synth-pop though, this'll be your new favorite album. I'll pass though.


Foreign Exchange - Authenticity

The thing you gotta understand about Phonte is that his singing won't blow you out of your chair. Conversely, his vocals will settle you into your chair. And that's not a bad thing at all, really. The Foreign Exchange are experts at making smooth, electro-soul music that amazingly strays from sounding too lounge-y, too passé or too corny. I'm giving this one the #iFuxwitit stamp of approval. Great music for the months of Fall.


GLC - Love Life & Loyalty

Haven't heard it yet but I'm interested. Upon listening to snippets from the album, I notice styles from both the East and South sides of Chicago. The album features Chi-Town contributors like Bump J, Twista and The Legendary Traxster, including Bun B and John Legend.


Kno - Death Is Silent

As I was telling Craig Jenkins of Potholes in My Blog, this album made me consider offing myself. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a bit, but fuck me if this album isn't staggeringly emo. That's fine by me though. I mean, I'm not into the whole "I have black hair and I cut myself" scene, but at the same time I appreciate emcees who let their heart drip blood on the pad, like 'Pac (who happens to be sampled on album highlight "If You Cry"). Tracks like "Petite De Mort", "When I Was Young" and others display both amazing penmanship and beatsmanship (great non-word). I highly recommend this for a listen.


Nottz - You Need This Music

No, seriously, you need this music. The latest from Nottz serves well as a companion to Black Milk's like-minded Album of the Year LP. Quality hip hop handled by one of the genres most underappreciated beatsmiths.


Pigeon John - Dragon Slayer

Pigeon John's latest is a non-threatening record with simple beats and heartfelt lyrics. If that floats your boat, give it a spin.


Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

Don't be surprised if some rap cats sample something from this record. Matter fact, listen to it now so you can stay ahead of the curve. Recommended for open-minded hip hoppers... and everyone else.


Vado & DJ Drama - Slime Flu

Vado sounds like a cross between .40 Cal and J.R. Writer, which sucks because I haven't heard anything by those guys in half a decade. I was never much of a Dipset dick-rider, though I did understand and somewhat appreciate "the movement." All the Diplomats have such distinct personalities, whereas Vado just kinda... is. He hasn't really proven himself to me in that regard. Slime Flu features some solid mixtape-quality joints though, so maybe that's a start.


Various Artists - Smooth Jazz Tribute to Kanye West

Yeah, I'm gonna pass on this one 'cause smooth jazz ain't my cup of tea. I'm all about bebop and hard bop. Interesting concept though. Still kinda worth a listen if you're curious how these guys interpreted some of 'Ye's hits.