From his Ocean Howell EP (in collabo with producer Olee), La’s newest video is simple, straightforward and unassuming — the exact opposite of dude’s raps. Find out why he’s one of Seattle’s best below.
DOWNLOAD: Toy In The Cereal Box – Saturday Morning Cartoon
Click album cover to download.
Saturday Morning Cartoon (Nitro Fresh and Jonnie Storm) reached far and wide for this remix album. 23 artists from 13 different countries contributed to Toy In The Cereal Box, a compilation assembled using vocal tracks from SMC’s debut, Cereal Box Superheroes, which you can grab here.
VIDEO: “Down” – The BreakLites
From the Tacoma party-rocking crew The BreakLites: “Down” is their latest clip from the forthcoming In The Trunk, due this summer.
VIDEO: “Outlandish” – FRCxBNE (Fearce Villain & BeanOne)
Dyme Def’s Fearce Vill and producer BeanOne are: FRCxBNE. “Fearce and Bean” kinda sounds like the hot new food joint in the South End. They should explore that collab after There Goes The Neighborhood drops.
SHOW (WIN TICKETS!): Boot Camp Clik at The Crocodile – TONIGHT, 4.2.12, 8:00 pm
The demographics of Brooklyn may be changing (sections of Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy barely resemble the ‘hoods of even five years ago when I first relocated out here from Seattle), but the hip-hop mind-state stays rooted in the Golden Era of bygone days. If it were up to geezers like me, everything rap would sound like the dusty hardcore of Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage.
Alas, time pushes forward like a Q45 Infinit on the BQE, so my brethren and I are relegated to beating young ‘uns over their heads (figuratively, of course) with the cracked jewel cases of seminal crews like Smif-N-Wessun, Heltah Skeltah, and OGC, groups who composed the larger Boot Camp Clik collective and who recorded on the still-in-effect Duck Down Records. (For one degree of Seatown separation, see: Blue Scholars’ OOF! EP.)
Reminisce over shit like Smif-N-Wessun’s “Bucktown” tonight at The Crocodile ON US! 206UP.COM has one pair of tickets to give away to a lucky reader. To enter, just send an email to 206upblog@gmail.com OR a Tweet to @206upBlog, with the phrase “Who got da props?!” in the subject line. We’ll draw one lucky name at random for the show.
NEW MUSIC: Detroit Revolution(s) – Clear Soul Forces
Click album cover to download.
I often reserve Fridays for posting music not related to my hometown of Seattle, WA. So here’s what’s got me bubbling today:
Detroit upstarts Clear Soul Forces released their official official debut album a couple of weeks ago. Detroit Revolution(s) is the quartet’s refined, polished full-length collection that best highlights the miraculous lyrical achievements of Wimpy, J-Roc, E-Fav, and Ilajade. I first caught wind of this crew here and then said more about ’em here.
CSF is light years ahead of other similarly-aged crews, at least from a technical skills standpoint. Their flows dip, dive, swerve, and veer with ease like a Ducati on the 520 bridge. Lyrical substance-wise, Detroit Revolution(s) elicits a mere “Meh.” Most of the tracks are reserved for rapping about rapping and getting their weight up in “the game.” But what a display of lyricism! If you’re looking for something fresh and shiny to rock to this weekend, I wouldn’t look any further than this.
REVIEW: De La Soul’s Plug 1 and Plug 2 Present…First Serve
De La Soul’s Plug 1 and Plug 2 Present…First Serve
Duck Down; 2012
Score (Potholes In My Blog scale): 4/5
DOWNLOAD: “Rocky IV” – Brainstorm
Click image to download.
The swag maestro of the Dyme Def camp Brainstorm with a new drop. Two new albums coming soon says Brain: Errythang Gang in August and The Celestine Prophecy 2 in October. Stay tuned YUK heads.
VIDEO: “Less Is More” – Thaddeus David (dir. by First Ladies Productions)
Latest clip from Thaddeus David, off that Maven ‘tape.
VIDEO: “Lemonade” – Fly Moon Royalty (dir. by The Note)
Sportn’ Life Records’ hip-hop/R&B/soul/electro/funk duo Fly Moon Royalty with their latest video, “Lemonade.” You can buy their self-titled album below and download the single for free.
A SEATTLE HIP-HOP BLOG 