17 June 2012

CunninLynguists - Oneirology 2CD [2011]


CD1

01 Predormitum (Prologue)
02 Darkness (Dream On) Ft Anna Wise
03 Phantasmata
04 Hard As They Come (Act I) Ft Freddie Gibbs
05 Murder (Act II) Ft Big K.R.I.T.
06 My Habit (I Havent Changed)
07 Get Ignorant
08 Shattered Dreams
09 Stars Shine Brightest (In The Darkest Of Night)
10 So As Not To Wake You (Interlude)
11 Enemies With Benefits Ft Tonedeff
12 Looking Back Ft Anna Wise
13 Dreams Ft Tunji and BJ The Chicago Kid
14 Hypnopomp (Epilogue) Ft Bianca Spriggs
15 Embers

CD2

01 Predormitum (Prologue) (Instrumental)
02 Darkness (Dream On) (Instrumental)
03 Hard As They Come (Act I) (Instrumental)
04 Murder (Act II) (Instrumental)
05 My Habit (I Havent Changed) (Instrumental)
06 Get Ignorant (Instrumental)
07 Shattered Dreams (Instrumental)
08 Stars Shine Brightest (In The Darkest Of Night) (Instrumental)
09 Enemies With Benefits (Instrumental)
10 Looking Back (Instrumental)
11 Dreams (Instrumental)
12 Embers (Instrumental)











Another banger from cunninlynguists, support the artist buy their music.
For Oneirology listeners, the cinematic special effects come in the form of Kno’s skillful production. Even for fans of lyricism, Kno’s beats sometimes overshadow the rhymes and his instrumentals sometimes drown the vocals out. Still, Kno creates a perfect ambiance for an album about dreams, using a mixture of dark, melancholy tones with whimsical pieces that work together to make this album worthy of listens on the strength of the production alone. He utilizes samples well, sequencing cuts almost seamlessly. For an example of this, listen to the first two songs, where Notorious B.I.G.’s vocals mix with the next song’s sample to complete a sentence that works with the theme. “It was all…It was all…Darkness.” Whether creating the perfect soundscape to spit over or showing off on an instrumental interlude, Kno is able to bring forth intriguing beats, as usual.

For an album with so much going for it, there are still some glaring issues here. Kno’s production, as addressed, sometimes takes over and drowns even his own rhymes out. At other points, it seems the album can get repetitive, stretching the concept out further than necessary. For instance, “Enemies with Benefits” seems like a throw-in and it almost hurts the emcees to have Tonedeff stealing the show on the track with that scene jacking verse. Sure, this may be nitpicking, but that may also be a testament to how high they’ve raised the bar for themselves.

In the end, Oneirology is an album that may serve as an alarm to those still unaware of Cunnin’s talent. This project combines creative sounds with inventive rhymes and stands as an example of how a great group can come together to craft a well-made album worthy of praise. Using their attention to detail on this release, they’ve managed to build on an already impressive catalog of music and it will not disappoint too many longtime supporters of the crew.

Kendrick Lamar - Kendrick Lamar EP (Bootleg) [2011]


1. Is It Love (ft Angela McCluskey)
2. Celebration
3. P & P (ft Ab Soul)
4. She Needs Me (ft Javonte)
5. I Am (Interlude)
6. Wanna Be Heard
7. I Do This (ft Jay Rock)
8. Uncle Bobby & Jason Keaton (ft Javonte)
9. Faith (ft BJ The Chicago Kid & Punch)
10. Trip
11. Vanity Slave
12. Far From Here (ft Schoolboy Q)
13. Thanksgiving (ft Big Pooh)
14. Let Me Be Me
15. Determined (ft Ash Riser)

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This is the Kendrick Lamar Experience : the beginning of the story, of the good kid, that just wants to rap.
http://twitter.com/#!/kendricklamar

Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting [2011]



1.Night Air
2.Street
3.Lady Luck
4.Shoulda
5.Middle
6.Spirits
7.Echoes
8.Spiral
9.TMRW
10.Secondbreath
11.Gravity
12.Waterfront









Incredible album, crunchy drums infused with raunchy synts/samples akin to noah 40. Don't sleep on this and support the artist who provide good material.

Stood next to Blake and The xx, Mirrorwriting sounds like Katy Perrycovering Walking on Sunshine: which is to say that he’s both much more accessible and a lot less gloomy than his contemporaries, even if his music is equally enigmatic and enchanting. There is still plenty of electronic smoke-and-mirrors activity on tracks like Gravity, but despite ultra-modern tricks he’s less sonic explorer than classic songwriter. Even the more experimental tracks like Shoulda follow a melodic verse-chorus-verse format, and although the shadows lengthen from the offset with lead single Night Air, Woon’s lyrics are largely simple stories of romantic woe instead of evocations of nebulous melancholy, delivered in richly quavering tones reminiscent of Ben Westbeech.

It’s a comparison that also suggests Woon’s timing might not be so far off, after all. Now that Westbeech is departing the jazz and blues of Welcome to the Best Years of Your Life for more upbeat house territory, there’s clearly a vacant space for another underground UK soulboy. Woon might be thinking about such vicissitudes of fortune when he sings "It ain’t something that you can synthesise" on Lady Luck, but when it comes to creating a new compound from the timeless spirit of the blues, he’s done exactly that.

Eric Roberson - Mister Nice Guy [2011]


1. Mr. Nice Guy
2. Strangers
3. Summertime Anthem feat. Chubb Rock
4. Beautiful Place feat. The Ones
5. Picture Perfect feat. Phonte
6. Fall
7. Shake Her Hand
8. The Magician
9. Love's Withdrawal feat. Omari Hardwick
10. How Would I Feel feat. Jean Baylor
11. Talking Reckless
12. At the Same Time
13. Male Ego feat. Hezekiah
14. Try Love
15. All For Me









Definitely one of the best soul music albums I've listened to, top notch stuff. Support the artist, buy their music.

There is little obvious about Eric Roberson on his eighth album, which delights given the anxiety that bleeds into far too many artists’ creative processes at this stage of a 17-plus year career. Everything on Mister Nice Guy feels true and sure, giving listeners a ride so smooth and easy that it’s over before you know it. While there are no “stop the presses” showstoppers, there are also no clunkers in an album of 15 consistently morsel delicious tracks, a monumental achievement in a man whose storied career has more than an enviable share. After repeated listens, it’s not a stretch to state that overall, pound for pound, this may be Erro’s most complete work to-date. Bravo! Highly recommended.
http://www.ericrobersonmusic.com/ 


The Streets - Computers And Blues [2011]



01. Outside Inside
02. Going Through Hell
03. met Robert Harvey
04. Roof of Your Car
05. Puzzled by People
06. Without a Blink
07. Blip on a Screen
08. Those That Don’t Know
09. Soldiers
10. We Can Never Be Friends
11. ABC
12. OMG
13. Trying to Kill M.E.
14. Trust Me
15. Lock the Locks








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Still, nothing on Computers and Blues rivals even the weakest moments of Skinner's first two albums, and it comes out at the same time of something much more encouraging: a mixtape called Cyberspace and Reds, which Skinner claims is all music he's made since he finished this album. Cyberspace and Reds dips deeper into British rap than Skinner has ever allowed himself to go, with old grime comrades like Wiley and Kano and Jammer stopping by to talk shit. It's fun, for a change of pace, and it offers no indication that Skinner's trying to make an important piece of work. If he can lighten up enough to make something like that, there could be hope for him yet.

Etta James - The Dreamer [2011]




01. Groove Me
02. Champagne & Wine
03. Dreamer
04. Welcome To The Jungle
05. Misty Blue
06. Boondocks
07. Cigarettes & Coffee
08. In The Evening
09. Too Tired
10. That's The Chance You Take
11. Let Me Down Easy









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There aren’t many artists who get to officially make a retirement statement. Most stars just gradually fade away, or sometimes go supernova in a suitably spectacular fashion. Perhaps David Bowie has retired. Or is he merely taking a Miles Davis-styled sabbatical? For health reasons, the veteran Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora has recently announced her final bow, and now the same situation has arrived with Etta James. This is a highly unusual circumstance in music, offering the opportunity to make a pre-meditated closing statement.

The production might be slick, but James relaxes into this framework, providing the necessary lived-in looseness. The songs get slower and slower, as James heads off into the golden distance. The closing Let Me Down Easy is a particular highlight. It's the longest song, with an extended climax that showers potent guitar-work around her lines, as the horns push steadily higher.

Slakah The Beatchild - Soul Movement Vol.1 [2009]


1. Intro 
2. Enjoy Ya Self 
3. Share (Feat. Drake & Hazel) 
4. Get Down Right (Feat. Divine Brown & D.O.)
5. What's This Feeling 
6. The Answer (Feat. Melanie Durrant)
7. Crate Love (By Your Side)(Feat. Ray Robinson & Divine Brown)
8. It's All Good (Feat. Jason Simmons)
9. A Way (Feat. Mystic & Miranda)
10. Feel The Music
11. B-Boy Beef 
12. I'll Be Alright (Feat. Ebrahim)
13. State Of The Game (Feat. Ayah)
14. Some Beats
15. Can U See It? (Feat. Tona)
16. Now A Daze (Feat. Shad)
17. Bad Meaning Good (Feat. Drake)
18. Butta Fat Vibes (Feat. D10)
19. Ain't Nothing Like HipHop




Support The artist, purchase their music to show gratitude to the art and receive more material in return.
Even if the Toronto-based producer/singer Slakah the Beatchild does little that people like Dwele and Jay Dee haven't done before, it's all in the execution. His debut album, Soul Movement, Vol. 1, is a warm, positive, forward-thinking, and often dreamy effort, prime for slinking around a tasteful loft or for chilling out without coming down. The old-school spirit is all over the album with the key track, "Enjoy Ya Self," dropping a steady stream of throwback references while "B-Boy Beef" declares "all my people lace up" before turning the story of an attention hogging breakdancer into a parable that illustrates how to win with humility. Friends like Ayah and Drake help Slakah with the vocals, and for every song that makes a pro-human, pro-unity statement, there's an acceptably empty set of lyrics designed to be elegant and tasteful background music. The hodge-podge called "Some Beats" could be source material for a number of underground hip-hop hits, but its odd placement three-quarters of the way through speaks to the album's biggest problem. Soul Movement, Vol. 1 comes off as Slakah's high grade vault simply turned over, so take the title to heart and approach as an attractive sampler of the neo-soul man's work, rather than a definitive, carefully constructed album. 

31 May 2012

Kev Brown - Random Joints [2012]


01 Listen
02 The Random Joint
03 No Time Ft. Bilal
04 The Versatility Joint Ft. DJ RBI
05 The Alternative Rock Joint
06 The Marvelous Joint Ft. Yu & DJ Marshall Law
07 The Hennessy Joint Ft. Kenn Starr Raheem Devaughn Eric Roberson Wayna
08 From My Porch Ft. Sean Born
09 Lord Help Me Ft. Eye-Q & Cy Young
10 Another Random Joint
11 Heaven Ft. Raheem Devaughn
12 Chillin’
13 The Random Joint (Instrumental)
14 No Time (Instrumental)
15 The Versatility Joint (Instrumental)
16 The Alternative Rock Joint (Instrumental)
17 The Marvelous Joint (Instrumental)
18 The Hennessy Joint (Instrumental)
19 From My Porch (Instrumental)
20 Lord Help Me (Instrumental)
21 Another Random Joint (Instrumental)
22 Heaven (Instrumental)
23 Paul’s MPC (Instrumental)
24 Beautiful Creep Music (Instrumental)
25 Stevie Thunda (Instrumental)
26 Won-Der-Ful (Instrumental)
27 Guitar Goodness (Instrumental)
28 Ron Burgundy Music (Instrumental)





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On April 10th, 2012, Kev Brown plans to release Random Joints, the first release on his new Low Budget Records label. An early/unmastered version of Random Joints first appeared back in 09, but fans around the globe have long asked for a proper vinyl/CD release and Kev is proud to answer the call with a product that will satisfy new and longtime fans alike. The album features a strong selection of tracks produced by the one and only Kev Brown, with appearances by many of Kev's longtime friends and collaborators such as Raheem Devaughn, yU, Ken Starr, Sean Born and more. Random Joints was mastered by K-Def and features artwork by the one and only Joe Buck, plus Kev decided to include some great bonus content. The deluxe vinyl version even includes a bonus 45 called "Beat Tape Joints Vol 1" and a download card that includes instrumental versions of all songs on the album.

Selah Sue - Selah Sue [2011]


1. This World
2. Peace of Mind
3. Raggamuffin
4. Crazy Vibes
5. Black Part Love
6. Mommy
7. Explanations
8. Please
9. Summertime
10. Crazy Sufferin Style
11. Fyah Fyah
12. Just Because I Do






Purchase the music, support the artist. Great soul music here, love the voice and esp track 4. Check it out.

Fresh from a support slot on Prince's European tour and an appearance on Cee Lo Green's The Lady Killer, Belgian singer/songwriter Selah Sue cemented her reputable soul credentials with her self-titled debut album. Influenced by the likes of M.I.A., Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badu, its 13 tracks, produced by the likes of Patrice, Farhot, and Me'Shell Ndegéocello, include the singles "This World," "Crazy Vibes," and "Raggamuffin," alongside the aforementioned duet with the Gnarls Barkley frontman, "Please."

29 May 2012

Kev Brown - Random Joints Instrumental [2012]


01. The Random Joint (Instrumental)
02. No Time (Instrumental)
03. The Versatility Joint (Instrumental)
04. The Alternative Rock Joint (Instrumental)
05. The Marvelous Joint (Instrumental)
06. The Hennessy Joint (Instrumental)
07. From My Porch (Instrumental)
08. Lord Help Me (Instrumental)
09. Another Random Joint (Instrumental)
10. Heaven (Instrumental)





Kev Brown's Random Joints, the first release on his new Low Budget Records label, a division of Redefinition. An early/unmastered version of Random Joints first appeared back in 09, but fans around the globe have long asked for a proper vinyl/CD release and Kev is proud to answer the call with a product that will satisfy new and longtime fans alike. The album features a strong selection of tracks produced by the one and only Kev Brown, with appearances by many of Kev's longtime friends and collaborators such as Raheem Devaughn, yU, Ken Starr, Sean Born and more. Random Joints was mastered by K-Def and features artwork by the one and only Joe Buck, plus Kev decided to include some great bonus content in the form of all instrumentals and bonus beats.

Kev Brown - Beat Tape Joints Vol.1 Vinyl [2012]



01 – Paul’s Mpc
02 – Beautiful Creep Music
03 – Stevie Thunda
04 – Won-Der-Ful
05 – Guitar Goodness
06 – Ron Burgundy Music





Bonus 7" that comes with the deluxe version of Random Joints. 

Oh No - Ohnomite [2012]


01 – Ohnomite Intro
02 – Real Serious feat. Evidence & Alchemist
03 – The Guns feat. Guilty Simpson, MED & Pok Dog
04 – Time feat. Roc C & Chino XL
05 – 3 Dollars feat. MF DOOM
06 – Lets Roll feat. Damani
07 – Stop (Interlude)
08 – Hallucinations feat. Prozack Turner
09 – Sound Off feat. Termanology & Ea$y Money
10 – The Escape (Interlude)
11 – Whoop Ass feat. Sticky Fingaz (Cuts by Dj Romes)
12 – Ohnomite Jazz
13 – The Hitmen feat. Roc Marciano
14 – Touch It feat. Frank Nitt
15 – You Don’t Know Me feat. Rapper Pooh & Phil da Agony
16 – Dues n Donts feat. Jose James & Phife Dawg
17 – Piano (Interlude)
18 – Runnin The Show feat. Erick Sermon
19 – Ohnomite Outro
20 – Life Games feat. LMNO
21 – Overload feat. Wildchild



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This time, Oh No (born Michael Jackson; younger brother of Madlib and son of singer Otis Jackson) was granted unprecedented access to the Rudy Ray Moore / Dolemite audio archives and given free rein to slice, dice, chop and sample his way through the classic-yet-absolutely-filthy catalog. He was able to use legendary material from The Human Tornado, Petey Wheatstraw, the Dolemite Soundtrack and more, plus a multitude of previously unreleased and alternate acapellas and instrumentals.


The end result is Ohnomite, a 19 track head-banging extravaganza of sloppy funk, dirty soul, and brainy lyricism, all aimed at one thing- making your head nod and your ass shake. Much like his 2009 all-Ethiopian endeavor Dr. No's Ethiopium, Oh No tackles this with an unmatched ferocity and proper admiration for the source material. He combines side-splitting vocal outtakes with the right amount of hard-hitting drum breaks and soul samples to concoct a mixture sure to appeal to both old and new schoolers alike. And when you add to that guests spots from the likes of MF Doom, Evidence, Phife Dawg, The Alchemist, Erick Sermon, Rapper Pooh, MED, Guilty Simpson, Roc Marciano, Sticky Fingaz, Chino XL, Roc C, Prozack Turner, Termanology, Frank Nitt and more, and you are left with a one of a kind album from a one of a kind musician. Ohnomite- 19 songs of pure whoop ass from Oh No and Dolemite!

Support the artist, purchase their music.

28 May 2012

14KT - A Friendly Game Of KT [2012]


01 – Pick Up Sticks
02 – Ain’t Really That Funny (Janet Flip)
03 – CN Colors
04 – Blindsided
05 – Blessed
06 – Lessons From IX Lives
07 – As We (Turn It Up)
08 – Rain Delay
09 – March Madness
10 – Another Age
11 – Grainy Guitar
12 – One 4 Black
13 – Where Else (One For Atcq)
14 – Width (Feat. Tony Ozier)




A Friendly Game of 14KT showcases music exploration at a candid level, and makes us privy to some endearing moments, both musically and verbally: “One 4 Black” remains an instrumental track, though the Black Milk-mimicked remix of 14KT’s “Black N Gold” (off of Nowalataz) was not meant to be so. The bass-heavy remix was to include lyrics from Black Milk, but 14KT admits in his liner notes that this, among other tracks on the project, was not completed as intended, mainly because he was busy and forgot to reach out to the emcee. The result feels comparable to a child not finishing his homework, but with a reallyinteresting story about why that is so.

In its final finished form, the album is a testament to free-spirited experimentation, and nothing is over-produced or examined too heavily. Speaking on this project as a whole 14KT said, “One day, I woke up and decided I wanted to make a project. I took a handful of arbitrary beats and put them in a folder.” From this, the listener gains the benefit of various influences and an unmethodical approach to a project that still sounds cohesive, with the assistance of good-humored samples reinforcing the interconnected game-like quality, and a childlike ingenuity.

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Elusive - Hip Hop For Hipsters [2012]


Tracklist:
0.1: Elusive – Intro-Sub Culture (3:43)
0.2: Elusive – You Are (3:49)
0.3: Elusive – Secrets Of Our Mind (2:40)
0.4: Elusive – All I Want (1:49)
0.5: Elusive – Together (2:46)
0.6: Elusive – Effortless Cool (1:28)
0.7: Elusive – Love Will Make You (3:0)
0.8: Elusive – Watching (3:20)
0.9: Elusive – Vintage Mainstream (2:21)
0.10: Elusive – Distinct Sensibility (2:31)
0.11: Elusive – Great Concentration (2:34)
0.12: Elusive – Are You Really Happy? (2:40)
0.13: Elusive – M.A.R.Y. (4:6)
0.14: Elusive – Hipster Clap (2:32)
0.15: Elusive – Only Way To Get Down (2:35)
0.16: Elusive – Good Loving (2:32)
0.17: Elusive – In Your Eyes (2:49)
0.18: Elusive – Spiritual Cleansing (2:43)
0.19: Elusive – Midnight Intellect (4:1)
0.20: Elusive – We Can (2:11)
0.21: Elusive – World On Wheels (3:23)
0.22: Elusive – Let Me Be (2:58)
0.23: Elusive – Oh Me (1:24)
0.24: Elusive – Outro-Don’t Say Good Bye (1:57)




Elusive is a Los Angeles-based producer who has been releasing records for years and has worked just about everybody in the California underground, from Gift of Gab to Planet Asia to Living Legends. I was particularly intrigued by the title of this collection, since everybody has a slightly different idea as to what a hipster is, and what they listen to. Naturally, I was curious as to how Elusive was going to address this.

This leads me to my biggest problem with the album – the title. After listening to it several times through, I still don’t think I understand why Elusive chose it, as there’s nothing particularly hipster about it. The beats are fine - lots of down tempo songs with well-placed soul samples that are quite enjoyable. It’s not necessarily a standout album, which I would attribute to a lack of melody and song development. There’s not a lot of information about Elusive or this album, so I’m not sure if this was originally designed to be an instrumental release. It plays like a collection of demo-beats that were planned to have someone rhyming over them. That said, the beats are still solid, if unremarkable.

If this album was presented as a collection of b-sides to tide over fans, there wouldn’t be any room to complain. It’s a decent assembly of down tempo instrumental hip hop that you can put on and chill out to. But given the title given to the collection, I have to say I’m disappointed. There are so many different ways that an album with this title could play out, whether it’s building songs off of hipster classics like Wire or addressing how most hipsters stop at Lil’ Wayne with their hip hop vocabulary. Unfortunately, we get none of this, and that’s why I find this album ultimately disappointing.

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