Audio: Apollo Brown & OC - The People’s Champ
The above track (available for free download on the player) is from Trophies, an album worth every penny of the £7.99 you can pay for it, here.
Audio: Masta Ace + DOOM - Slow Down
The first cut from their collaborative LP, due “this summer”, entitled MA DOOM: Son Of Yvonne.
Video: Snoop Dogg - Stoner’s Anthem
It’s almost as if Snoop is trying to tell us he blazes.
From the Stoners EP, out now on iTunes.
Exclusive: William Zoot Esq. - Me Oh My
The other half of Musikal and I bemoan the lack of postable UK hip hop on a regular. But this is, well, just great.
William Zoot Esq. hasn’t made music for public consumption for some time, but he’s back on a creative tip and we’re very grateful. An almost discordant beat and real, relatable lyrics delivered with a genuine flow.
Here’s hoping a friend of Musikal, William Zoot Esq. keeps his rekindlilation of music making up. We want an album, live performances and his part in a rebirth of what made UK hip hop unique.
Audio: Various Artists - Our Nest Vol.1
More quality hip-hop variations from the Earnest Endeavours camp following a brace of fantastic EPs from B. Bravo and the Darkhouse Fam.
Download direct from their Bandcamp for the price of an email.
Video: Ab-Soul - Pineal Gland
Kendrick Lamar’s fellow Top Dawg and Black Hippy goes hard on this, beautifully named, joint. Tae Beast on the production.
Free Download: Sean Born - 12/12 (Feat. Kaimbr + Toine + Hassaan Mackey)
More quality from Mello Music Group in the form of a solid piece of Kev Brown produced 90s hip hop, available to stream and download on the player above.
From Behind The Scale, available for download, here.
Audio: Oddisee - Hustle Off
Ahead of the Mello Music Group’s super-producer’s new album People Hear What They See (available for pre-order here and released on April 11th), Oddisee has allowed us this, for free download via the player above.
His words on the new record:
“This album is about influence, inspiration, perception & reality. Every song was written in an outside environment, so that I could observe the subjects that would become my subject matter. All too often in Hip Hop, reality is limited to that of the artists own, actual experiences. People Hear What They See is my attempt to liberate the MC from those constraints & allow reality to be penned other than my own. Listening to congressmen & lawyers converse on the steps of the supreme court inspired ‘American Greed’, Watching a couple argue over the phone in a bar inspired ‘Maybes’. By having a visual representation of my subject matter, my hopes are that the listener will see them through the worlds & melodies of my songs.”
If you heard Rock Creek Park you’ll know the new album will be an essential purchase.
Video: Sene - The Feel Reel
Another appetite whetter ahead of brooklyknight, which drops on April 24th.
Video: Wu-Tang Clan - Full ‘Paid Dues’ Festival Set
A veritable treat for you here; the full 50 minutes of Wu’s recent set at the Paid Dues festival in California.
Audio: Jay Electronica - Dear Moleskine
Jay_Electronica_Dear_Moleskine_(prod_Just_Blaze)-2dope.mp3
A couple of weeks after the ridiculously exciting and overdue news that Act II is finally complete (the above is the unconfirmed artwork for the album), comes this. Fans will have heard a 2 minute cut of this a couple of years back, but here’s the full version.
Click the link above to download, and twiddle your thumbs until Act II comes along. It’s been a long wait, but we’d be very surprised if wasn’t worth it.
Audio: Error Operator - earFOOD Recordings [Artist Mix Series]]
Quality mix of LA-focussed hip-hop-isms from earFOOD label boss Error Operator - a new name to us, but with a tracklist like this, we’re already intrigued…
Keep an eye out for Ear001 dropping digitally on May 21st, and check the tracklist after the jump.
Audio: Kanye West - Theraflu (Feat. DJ Khaled)
Débuting on Hot 97 last night, this comes ahead of the much hyped G.O.O.D. Music collaboration.
Audio: Bigg Juss - Advanced Lightbody Activation
You can’t really call Bigg Juss anything but the mid-90s New York mantra of “independent as fuck”. Having just posted about his former Company Flow partner El-P, today we’re treated to a cut from his sophomore solo artist album Machines That Make Civilization Fun.
Challenging as ever, Advanced Lightbody Activation is in your face, full of abstract lyricism (“in search of greener pastures for thy illustrious Gollum”), and a thrilling ride through one of hip-hop’s most imaginative minds.
Machines That Make Civilization Fun will be released via Laitdbac/Module/Mush on May 8th.
Audio: El-P - The Full Retard
Hip-hop visionary and former Co Flow MC launches the campaign for his first full length album in 5 years with The Full Retard, a club banger that sees the production master in full party mode (this being El-P, that’s not your average party mind).
Download on the player above, and keep an eye out the Cancer For Cure long player featuring Killer Mike, Danny Brown, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, and others on 22nd May.
