NEW MUSIC: High As The Stars: The Planet of Marz – Props!

Click album cover to download.

Click album cover to download.

Indianapolis native Props! is not a household name in the Seattle rap game. Yet. His new mixtape, High As The Stars: The Planet of Marz, seeks to change that. The well-executed, self-assured collection of tracks is a big step forward for the MC who has chosen to make Seattle — an unlikely but currently booming hotbed of hip-hop — his home base of musical operations.

HATS:TPOM features high-profile guest shots from Stalley and Wale, not to mention a vital Town co-sign from local legend Vitamin D who lends production on five tracks and guest bars on one. Props! himself proves to be a versatile MC with a well-spanned base of subject matter including standard boastful rap fare (“What Up”), the precariousness of liquor-induced feelings of grandeur (“Superstar”), and unpretentious love-talk (don’t miss the rapper’s visually striking music video for “The Taste of Heaven”).

In a time when everyone and their child’s tutor is trying to make a go of it in Seattle rap, there’s rarely a dubious moment when pressing play on something new that filters through the 206UP.COM inbox. Props!, however, finds that rare balance between sounding overtly contemporary and relevant, while staying rooted in strong MC fundamentals. High As The Stars makes for a promising look from a new man on the scene.

Audio Downloads

VIDEO: “Boobiewhos” – Th3rdz (feat. Sonny Bonoho)

Fucking slaps and riotous laughs in this clip by Th3rdz. Candidt is a special fool for this one. For your reference:

Boobiewhos

[boo b whos] Show IPA noun, verb, bobbiewhoing.  
noun
1. A person who plays you small until you blow up.
2. Catcher of the vapors.
3. Shallow person.
4. Bandwagoner.
5. Snake in the basket awaiting charming.

Video

SHOW: The Flavr Blue (with Avery Storm, Alisha Roney and DJ Sabzi) @ Cameo Gallery, Brooklyn

Click image for more info.

Click image for more info.

See, there are good reasons to treck to Williamsburg, Brooklyn on a Wednesday night! Music out of the 206 invades New York City for the next two evenings as electro/dance outfit The Flavr Blue (Hollis, Parker and Lace Cadence) play their first show in the Apple tonight at Cameo Gallery in post-hipsterville Williamsburg. Joining them are budding R&B singer Alisha Roney (who you will recognize from her two stellar turns on The Good Sin’s The Story of Love x Hate), singer Avery Storm, and Blue Scholars DJ/producer Sabzi. Sample a few tracks from TFB’s debut album Pisces, below.

Photo by Alex Crick.

Photo by Alex Crick.

And speaking of Blue Scholars…The currently touring duo will rock Bowery Ballroom for the second third year in a row tomorrow tonight with The Physics and Brothers From Another on deck as support. Grab tickets here or meet me outside for a falafel on the Bowery tomorrow before the show!

Live Coverage

NEW MUSIC: Food-$$-Booze-Xmas – OC Notes

Click album cover to download.

Click album cover to download.

Seattle virtuoso OC Notes dropped off this holiday-themed collection of tracks, Food-$$-Booze-Xmas. Enjoy it for the price of what-have-you below.

Audio Downloads

NEW MUSIC: “Numb Again” – Def Dee (feat. yU & Hassaan Mackey)

Click image to download.

Click image to download.

“Numb Again” is the first drop from 33 An’a Third, the upcoming Mello Music Group debut from Seattle producer Def Dee. 206UP.COM is really looking forward to this one ever since Def dropped Gravity (in conjunction with area MC La) and Cheap Heat (a beat tape that showed off his well-tuned ear for boom bap in the grand tradition of Premier and Dilla).

Audio Downloads

NEW MUSIC: “Gone” – Rockwell Powers & DJ Phinisey

Gone - Rockwell Powers & DJ Phinisey

South Sound makers Rockwell Powers and DJ Phinisey are back in the lab and working on a new project together. The pair’s Kings & Comics EP from two years back highlighted strong boom-bap fundamentals and, according to Rockwell, the upcoming release will show a different musical side.

Audio

VIDEO: “Light Skin” – Benadrill

Thanks to Luke and the rest of the Lakehouse Entertainment team for linking me to Benadrill‘s new video for “Light Skin”, a track off the MC’s The Burna Supremacy (stream below) which dropped back in June. I’m not always feeling what this crew puts out, but I do appreciate the fact they do the damn thing with no false pretenses.

Video

NEW MUSIC: “Remember” – Spekulation

Click image to download.

Click image to download.

Spekulation is working a new collection of tracks; Truth Be Told is due out in February 2013. “Remember” is the first leak from the upcoming EP and it features a Hall and Oates sample. Need I say more?

Audio Downloads