The Raz Simone narrative continues to build slowly, but already it’s a powerful one. The Seattle rapper and 300 label signee again forgoes the traditional Hot 97 route in favor of the raw “They’ll Speak”, yet another impassioned punch in the gut. This song is the emotional launch pad upon which his Cognitive Dissonance: Part One (street date March 6, 2014) will take flight.
Here’s a loosey from ILLFIGHTYOU’s UGLYFRANK. With lyrics to go and an instrumental that sounds like cartoons humping in the night, it pretty much defines the term “loosey” in the rap music context. ILLFIGHTYOU is already the next big thing on the deep rap blogs, and UGLYFRANK will be dishing for dolo soon with his forthcoming BOBBY HILL EP.
(Originally spotted here, but thanks to the We Are LTD management for the press.)
Nu Era with a fresh track concerning the femme fatale variety. “Marvelous” was produced by Andrew Savoie. Happy Valentine’s Day, I guess?
The official Dilla Day 2014 was a week ago in Detroit. The Northwest’s own Perry Porter paid his homage by rapping over three classic James Yancey tracks. Perry’s bars have often been better, but I contend that’s not really the point here: it’s just a pleasure to relive the genius that was J. Dilla.
This song is not about Morgan Freeman. It’s not even really about Captain Morgan Rum. It’s mostly about those idle times that wrought devil’s playground hands, told to you by Donte Peace and Nacho Picasso. It’s hella grimy in the best possible way. With someone called Maxtrax on the beat.
Moor Gang/Cloud Nice affiliate Steezie Nasa dropped a brand new seven-piece three days ago. The usual Moor suspects have their fingerprints all over this one: MackNed, Rob Skeetz, et al. And Caz Greez lends bars to one track, thereby closing the circle on two of the Town’s best rap collectives.
The dream is the nightmare is the beautiful revery. Chimurenga Renaissance drops knowledge on the B.A.D. (Black American Dream). Zimbabwean harmonies collide with Bomb Squad noize and Shabazz Palaces consciousness on “The B.A.D. Is So Good”. Chimurenga’s DNA is still being sequenced, but click here to find out what we’ve learned thus far.
The Bar’s Prometheus Brown and Bambu are featured on Power Struggle’s latest drop, “A Round For My Friends”. Nomi (frontman MC for PS) links fundamentally/organizationally with his Beatrock Music brethren. “Fight music ’til there’s nothing left to fight about,” raps Pro Brown. This is fist up, marching music.
Rhymesayers artist and current Seattle resident Grieves dropped a new single (“Shreds”) and announced Winter & The Wolves — his new album, due March 25 — is now available for pre-order at various online outlets. “Shreds” is an electro-tinged boom-bap effort, produced by B. Lewis. Grieves makes allusions to those who might do him wrong. Does he mean heads of religious institutions? Record labels? The amorphous and always disdainful “hater”? Who can be certain?
(h/t Potholes In My Blog.)
Mike Champoux raps and produces, probably more successfully at the latter than the former. Still, though, his passion for the art form is clear. “All I Need” is a love letter to music and an outtake from his upcoming album, Michael, due in April.
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