LISTEN: The Jazz/Hip Hop/Soul Sampling Magic of France's ProleteR

Toulouse, France's ProleteR, a self-described "swing-hop producer," has created something quite impressive with his latest release, the Feeding the Lions EP. Jazz, hip hop, soul, and, yes, swing, all melt together to brew something that sounds as if downtempo music became obsessed with decades old jazz and soul records. There's an understated cool and subtle grit sewn throughout the upbeat samples from those older generations, giving Feeding the Lions a classically modern, accomplished character that's undoubtedly debonair but quietly ready to get wild, as well (as the cover art above might suggest). Check out some jams below. It's all I've been listening to at work recently.





If you dug those, check out/pick up the entire Feeding the Lions EP below.

LISTEN: The New Zealand Soul of Ladi6

New Zealand's critically-acclaimed Ladi6 recently released their third album, Automatic, and it's one of the best modern R&B/hip-hop infused albums I've heard all year. With an underlying ethereal chill that's as striking as the snowcapped Alps that rise high into the New Zealand skyline, this trio conjures up the perfect amount of soul to lift their mix of seductive '90s R&B and groove-heavy hip-hop above many of their contemporaries -- and the pop hooks don't hurt either. In the crack between summer heat and winter's bite, you'll find the vibe of Ladi6.

Check out two standout tracks from Automatic below.

Killer Mike and El-P Make Run the Jewels, Offer Up LP for Free Download

With new albums from Kanye West and Jay-Z dropping recently, there are a lot of hip hop releases that, unfortunately, will most likely get overshadowed because of the storm of hype that sets over the industry. Personally, having listened to a number of tracks from both Yeezus and Magna Carta Holy Grail, I feel like the hype is a bit unwarranted. I'm not saying there aren't elements of each that are solid, but, overall, they're not quite the standouts people are making them out to be -- especially when you consider what Ye and Jay have already released. There's no denying either MC's skills on the mic and leadership in the studio, but I guess I was expecting more from each release.

LISTEN: Death Grips - "No Love" + No Love Deep Web

Yeah, this post is about a week late, but life rolls on.

Earlier this year, experimental Sacramento hip hop group Death Grips promised the release of two brand new full-length albums before the end of the year. The excellent The Money Store saw release back in April, but up until last week, there had yet to be a definitive date for the follow-up and companion piece. Apparently, the band's label, Epic, said that they would released this second album sometime in 2013. So, not surprisingly, Death Grips (MC Stefan Burnett, producer Andy Morin, and producer/drummer Zach Hill) released No Love Deep Web last Monday for free download through their official website. Shortly thereafter, their site was taken down, which Death Grips, like the rest of us, believed to be the work of Epic. Of course major labels aren't too big on their artists giving away new albums for free on the Internet, but, as it just so happens, it seems the site was taken down due to the explicit nature of the album's cover (an erect penis with the album title written on it).

In Case You Missed It, Spin This New Hour-Long Flying Lotus Mix

It's Monday. Oh man, it's MONDAY. Well, we can all sit here and say, "Well might as well just hang my head down at a 45 degree angle all day, because, otherwise, Monday is just going to slap me in the face." Well, sure it's Monday, but you could escape for a little while, away from the walls of your cubicle, with experimental producer and DJ Flying Lotus' latest Lovers Melt mix. It's full of old school soul and spirit, and plays out like a trip to world where pain, love, and beauty all coexist like welcomed complements of one another. And maybe, once you learn you can download it for free direct from the source, you'll forget it's still Monday.

DOWNLOAD: Flying Lotus - Lovers Melt III (via Brainfeeder)

(Alt Link)

Neutral Milk Hotel/Hip Hop Mash-Up Mixtape? Download It.

You know that classic Neutral Milk Hotel album In An Aeroplane Over the Sea? Well, now it's a lot more hip hop thanks to UK producer/DJ Psycosis. If you haven't already heard it, here is Neutral Bling Hotel's In My G4 Over Da Sea -- yes indeed. Jay-Z and Jeff Magnum? Yep. It doesn't always fit together seamlessly, but it's fun and a good time.

DOWNLOAD: Bandcamp / Mediafire

WATCH: A Full Beastie Boys Concert In Glasgow From 1999

As we all know by now, Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys passed away yesterday at the age of 47. I'm working on a piece for next week, but I wanted to share this video that features the group's entire set from a 1999 concert in Glasgow. Enjoy.

R.I.P. MCA.

Listen to the New Death Grips Album...If You Haven't Already

There isn't really anything you should be listening to outside of what you want to listen to, but I highly recommend listening to Death Grips' new album The Money Store right now. We've already heard "Get Got" and "Blackjack," and now we can hear the album in its entirety before its release. It's officially out April 24th via Epic, but if you're lucky enough you'll be able to snag it on Record Store Day, which just so happens to be this Saturday. This album is one of our most highly anticipated releases of 2012, at least for me. Death Grips' debut, Exmilitary, was my #3 album of 2011.

INTERVIEW: Watch An Exclusive Interview with D1n.ONLY

Back in December, I shared a track from Orlando hip hop artist D1n.ONLY called "Somebody Talk To 'Em" from his new mixtape Coming To An Ear Near U. I was struck by the production as well as the message -- not to mention his skill on the mic. Curious, I checked out the rest of the mixtape, which was just as strong. I had a lot of respect for D1's honesty, determination, and passion for his craft, which translated to a raw but sharp flow. Florida rapper Mouce stepped up and offered to produce an exclusive video interview with D1, so I sent over some questions to talk about everything from his influences to what's next.

LISTEN: Falcons

Among the many great 2011 releases I didn’t manage to cover before 2012 appeared was Falcons’ mini-LP Indian Summer. It’s a seven-song collection of instrumental music that’s built upon hip-hop style beats. And while seven tracks of extended beats might seem like something that might require central points of rhyming or singing, you end up realizing that vocals, or lyrics of any kind, would be more of a distraction than anything -- detracting from the strength of the music as it currently exists. This Oakland/Vancouver duo finds a happy median between hip-hop, world, and IDM, and they certainly succeed in their mission to mix characteristics from a variety of genres into one exciting new sound. Whether it’s the salsa/latin samples that define “The Trot” or the sound clips in “Anaconda” from the film of the same name (yes, the film starring Ice Cube and J. Lo) that establish a fittingly ominous mood, Indian Summer is not only eclectic, it's unique and cohesive.

LISTEN + DOWNLOAD: Big Baby Gandhi's NO 1 2 LOOK UP 2

You already know that we (tip of the hat to you, Quinn) make mixtapes. Well, other people (big ol' blogs like Stereogum) do too. To quote those folks, "This was an incredible month for free hip hop MP3s..."

I'm excited about one release in particular, and that's NO 1 2 LOOK UP 2 from Big Baby Gandhi. It's rap a la Das Racist (literally, their label released it), so the record is purely for you stream-of-consciousness fans who thrive on wordsmithyness and odd song titles. Some of the beats share the same incessant drone that made Das Racist brief kings in the indie-hop world (see "Turbo"), and others offer a bit more variation, like the excellent single "Blue Magic".

I wish I had more words in the old bank-o-profundity, but hey, just get listening. You can download NO 1 2 LOOK UP 2 straight from the artist's .tumblr, here. 

LISTEN: Lushlife Shares "Big Sur" From New LP

One of my favorite releases of last year was Philly MC Lushlife's fantastic mixtape No More Golden Days. As an introduction to his music, it made a pretty long-lasting impression and got me excited for what was next. Well, what's next is the release of his new LP, Plateau Vision, featuring guest spots from Styles P, Heems, Andrew Cedermark, Shad, and others. From that comes "Big Sur," which you can spin below.

LISTEN: The Lower Class - Flight of Ideas

San Marcos, TX hip hop group The Lower Class is a well mixed drink of the finest brands of hip hop -- from Jurassic 5 to A Tribe Called Quest. They balance, or rather back, bravado with smart rhymes that might just leave you scratching your head as they run circles around you with their wordplay. It says a lot about their palette of inspiration and wit when they manage to reference everything from Johnny Cash to Pokemon to mathematics and physics with purpose -- almost as if they're giving you a research paper's worth of support for their declarations and theories. And on their debut LP, Flight of Ideas, The Lower Class' s astute rhymes are all the more effective and thought-provoking thanks to their eclectic production on each of the 11 tracks: elements of jazz, soul, classical, electropop, nerdcore...it's all here.

If you want clever, fun, deep, soulful, eclectic, and memorable hip hop, look no further. Flight of Ideas is easily one of the most eclectic and dynamic hip hop releases I've heard recently.

WATCH: D1n.ONLY - "Somebody Talk To 'Em"

Continuing on with my 2011 hip hop obsession -- specifically in regards to production -- I want to share with you a video for "Somebody Talk To 'Em," a track off of Orlando-based rapper D1n.ONLY's latest mixtape Coming To An Ear Near U. It's a compelling story instilled with a ton of soul -- literally, with samples of some soul/R&B. Instead of an over accentuated sense of bravado or glorifying violence, D1n.ONLY raps honestly, passionately about staying true to yourself and rising above the overarching influence of the streets. Unless I'm missing something, it really seems to be an affirmation that being cool is all about being you, not trying to run in line with what someone else thinks is cool and right.

Catch the video, hear some more tracks, and download the mixtape below.

LISTEN & DOWNLOAD: Lushlife (Feat. Cities Aviv) - "She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist" + 'No More Golden Days' Mixtape

If there's one thing I can say about 2011 and music, it would have to be that this was the year I got into -- or rather fell in love with -- hip hop. Yes, it was always there, but it was never something I really bothered to check into. Of the many albums/mixtapes I had the chance to check out this year, Philly rapper Lushlife's No More Golden Days mixtape was a highlight for me. Sharing this release with you all is just a bit overdue.

Download ASAP Rocky's Great 'LiveLoveASAP' Mixtape, Marvel at Clams Casino's Production

Lately, I feel like the only thing I've been listening to is hip hop -- and, really, it's the only thing that's been exciting me in music at the moment. Over the past few years, I've become increasingly interested in the genre, mostly due to its adventurous, and occasionally experimental, production. The latest rapper to catch my ear is Harlem native ASAP Rocky (or A$AP Rocky).

LISTEN: Delusionists - "The Low"

Delusionists - "The Low"


It goes without saying that there's a lot of great music that goes undiscovered, especially on the internet. Take for example a song like "The Low" from the Delusionists' Prolusion Plus LP. Delusionists are a London-based hip hop trio, but outside of the accent, you'd think that this was some East Coast hip hop, specifically '90s-era New York. And while the idea of new music mining the past for a convincing, fresh sound seems like a step backwards -- something bound to falter in some way -- Delusionists prove to be a confident, forward-thinking group that's wise, conscious of both intellect and aesthetics. It's been said that the word "RAP" stands for "rhythm and poetry," something that stimulates both mind and body to move.

REVIEW: Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
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Up until the past few months, Seattle hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces had been shrouded in a fair amount of mystery. Their initial, official promotional photo featured a man with what looked like a black hole – or a galaxy – for a face, seated in a sci-fi, CGI-generated planetary landscape. The image happened to be rather apropos when it came to representing the project. Following 2009’s self-released Of Light and Shabazz Palaces EPs, interest in the group only skyrocketed. While it’s not strictly a solo project per se, there is a particular individual who’s at the forefront of Shabazz Palaces ascent and music: Palaceer Lazaro (aka Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler of 90’s rap group Digable Planets). The latter fact will certainly be used to give context to Shabazz Palaces, but, honestly, there is nothing quite like this out there right now – Black Up, the debut album, proves it.

Hear the New Beastie Boys Album Right Now!

All the way back in 2009, the Beastie Boys were set to release their eighth studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 1. Unfortunately, as the group was gearing up to promote the album, Adam "MCA" Yauch was diagnosed with cancer following the discovery of a cancerous tumor in his parotid gland and a lymph node. They decided to indefinitely delay the release so that Yauch could take the time to receive treatment. From then, the Beastie Boys camp was quiet until late 2010 when it was announced that Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 would be released in the Spring of 2011, on time. Pt. 2 features the same tracklist as Pt. 1 sans one track. The group still has yet to announce a release date for the material that now lies with Pt. 1.

So, Yauch is cancer-free and the Beastie Boys are back, better than ever. Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 is coming out on May 3rd through Capitol, but you won't have to wait that long to give it a spin. In case you happened to miss the live stream from center court at Madison Square Garden this past weekend, you can hear the whole thing below (in better quality). This is the Boys' response to the leak that's apparently been making its way around the web.

2 Reasons to Celebrate:
1. Yauch is cancer-free.
2. This album is really good.

VIDEO: Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers"

As most of you know, hip hop collective Odd Future (or OFWGKTA...or Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) is, well, the most buzzed about thing in the music industry right now. And like most buzzed about acts, there really seems to be no gray area: you either like them or you dislike them. Like most buzzed about acts, hype can really ruin an act's reception simply because everyone is talking about them; there's a big expectation on the table. Hype has you approach the act in question with the impression that the music is going to be something that's absolutely amazing.

When I first heard about Odd Future, it was some time before I ever heard a second of their music. It was their debut TV performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a number of weeks ago that was my first real introduction to this apparent musical phenomenon. First impression? Really not that impressed. I didn't understand the hype at all. I had heard that their lyrics dealt with topics like rape, drugs, sex, and a whole sleu of other things that I'll pass on mentioning. I figured people, and the industry, had taken notice due to the shock factor, unforgiving lyrics, and the punk attitude with which Odd Future performed.