“Swerve…” is, by far, the most accessible (I hate that term) Shabazz Palaces track released thus far. I should qualify: by “accessible” I mean “danceable.” This one will tangle your brain and your body. Honorary SP member THEESatisfaction drops science in the track’s second half. The last 1:10 is a call for Black unity through movement and rhythm. Filthy. Seattle’s collective rap conscious sits in contemplative meditation until Black Up drops on June 28.
Seattle multimedia artist Mike Folden recently did a nice video profile on Scribes. I’ve never met dude, but he comes across as a thoughtful, intensely focused artist. Peep that above and download his latest full-length, What Was Lost, for free here. Scribes gets a great live look on June 10 when he opens for Pharoahe Monch at The Crocodile.
Click image to D/L the track.
“This a fly love song…” to weed. The first advanced drop from La’s third album, SEALAB 2012. The technically proficient Filipino MC gets better on every track he drops. Zelot on the guest vocals, Jester on the beat.
Click image to D/L the track.
A lot of nice MC’s are putting in work in the Pac NW these days, but very few sound like actual stars. Tacoma rhymer John Crown is one of those. To me he sounds a lot like Kanye West if Kanye could actually rap; or Freeway if Free had a voice that you could actually listen to for more than three songs at a time. On “Like This” he gets some help from Queens MC Action Bronson and a nice rugged joint by producer Mike Weed. “Like This” is off Crown’s forthcoming Coffee and Beats.
Click image to D/L the track.
Fresh off their debut album, Cereal Box Superheroes, Saturday Morning Cartoon and 206UP.COM bring you the exclusive premier of the crew’s new single, “Run & Tell Dat.”
Blending new and classic styles, this posse cut connects dots between Northwest hip-hop artists Jonnie Storm and Nitro Fresh of SMC and the venerable flows of veteran MC’s Silver Shadow D, Dee.aLe and DeRoxs. As Nitro himself tells it:
Silver Shadow D, Dee.aLe (DMS) and DeRoxs (Wolfpakk) are like brothers. As you can hear lyrics by Silv, they have been knowing each other for nearly 20 years. But, according to Silv, this song is actually the first song he had ever recorded with Dee.aLe. Jonnie had known these guys when he used to be known as Jon Doe, at the freestyle ciphers, shows, etc. I, personally, got a chance to first meet Silver Shadow D and Dee.aLe at RC tha Trackaholiq’s CD release party. I was mesmerized by their energy on stage, and immediately decided to work with them. I met DeRoxs about 2 years ago, at the show. I gave him my beat CD, and about a year later he contacted me, saying he wanted to work with me for his upcoming album. Now, his upcoming album “Checkmate” is due June/July 2011, produced by myself, Silver Shadow D, and few others. It was truly my pleasure to have all these veteran MCs on one of my tracks.
Catch Saturday Morning Cartoon at the Arts In Fusion show at Rendezvous this Friday (5.27.11) at 9:30 pm. Click the flyer below for more details and download the track below.
Click flyer for more info.
It’s rare these days that a track really gets to me. This one did, however. Big time. On my subway commute home this evening I finally found the time to check out Nostalgia, Ultra, Island Def Jam artist and Odd Future affiliate Frank Ocean’s free debut album (click here to get it).
I made it about halfway through the record before I found myself coming back to track #4, “we all try,” a sentimental ballad about forgiving the transgressions of oneself and others because, in the end, we are all imperfect and “trying.” This all sounds pretty corny on paper, but the track itself remarkably avoids the cliched platitudes of like-minded R&B ballads. It’s a testament to the artist’s song writing which lets in an (ahem) ocean of ideas (political, spiritual, interpersonal) but finds order among them in one simple idea: forgiveness.
“we all try” – Frank Ocean
Click image to D/L.
Here’s a new slice of funk from Tunk of Sore Losers (a crew that I won’t even pretend to be hip to), featuring Town-mover Thaddeus of State Of The Artist.
Click picture for D/L link.
From the playful hip-hop minds of Jonnie Storm and Nitro Fresh, the dudes who comprise Saturday Morning Cartoon, comes Cereal Box Superheroes, the crew’s debut album. Beginning today, SMC will leak one (or two) tracks per day for FREE. Each drop will only be available for 24 hours, so stay up on the group’s Bandcamp page (linked below) daily to make sure you get the whole album.
An upbeat and positive vibe is SMC’s general hustle, along with healthy use of the talk-box, which adds a nostalgic old-school futurism to the group’s sound. Get hip to SMC below.
Click album cover for D/L link.
Let this be said: ELmatic, Elzhi’s re-interpretation of Nas’ classic Illmatic, is good. In fact, it’s excellent (covers head for fear of the Rap Gods’ wrath). In hip-hop, the line between imitation as the sincerest form of flattery and straight-up biting is a hazy one. Is ELmatic an example of Elzhi’s hubris run amok, or a true honorific attempt at adulation? Whatever it is, we shouldn’t let the young ‘uns decide. The only worry hip-hop should have over this remake is that kids under the age of 18 will think it’s all original. Parents, educate your children.
Click here to read more of my ELmatic thoughts on SSG Music.
From his soon-to-drop The Good Eats Mixtape, area MC Yirim Seck goes in for the ladies over a lively beat. It’s been too long since we’ve heard from the rapper who (this blog has always contended) is one of the most naturally gifted MC’s in Seattle. More to come soon re: Good Eats. Keep it tuned to 206UP.COM.
“Rainy Days” – Yirim Seck (Click here to download the track.)
#LatePass. Below is a documentary short by Ijo Arts Media Group profiling the MC. This dropped Fall of 2010 but I just got hip to it recently.
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