Category Archives: Rap
February 20, 2013 Shad – I Get Down
I was fourteen when some friends in middle school put me on to Shad and I quickly became a huge fan. There aren’t many emcees out there who can rival his lyrical ability and even fewer create tracks with such thought provoking and generally positive messages. With a dazzling array of multi-syllabic rhymes, internal rhymes, and alliteration, Shad is kind of like a Canadian Elzhi. ‘I Get Down’ lives on his 2005 debut album When This Is Over and it is a masterpiece. Sonically it is on par with Eminem’s legendary verse on ‘Renegade,’ except it lasts for three verses. I met Shad after a show a couple years ago and he was about as down to Earth as they come. Grab this song on iTunes or download it here.
-Elmar
p.s A soundcloud for this song doesn’t seem to exist, but just download it or youtube it!
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February 18, 2013 J. Cole feat. Miguel – Power Trip
After dropping a FreEP a few days ago, Cole comes through with the lead single off his sophomore album, Born Sinner. J. Cole’s production is top notch as always and he grabs R&B’s latest star to undress the ladies with his vocals. ‘Power Trip’ has everything you look for in a single: ill production, a catchy hook, and captivating lyrics. I need to meet this woman who inspired Cole to write ‘Dreams’ (off The Warm Up) and this monster single. Hopefully this album will be the classic that everyone has been waiting for the Roc Nation signee to drop. Until then, enjoy the single!
-Elmar
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February 18, 2013 Tom Pepe (of Knowmads) – The River Runs Deep
“The River Runs Deep” is storytelling at its finest. Tom Pepe, part of the dope Seattle-based group Knowmads, delivers a tale of self-destruction, redemption, and the tragedy of wasted potential. Pepe expertly employs parallel rhyme schemes and a desperate flow to create one of the best tracks I’ve heard in recent years. This cut lives on his 2010 solo album CupaTea which, along with “The River Runs Deep,” is available here on iTunes. It can be difficult to keep up with all the quality music coming from Seattle these days, but if you missed this one a couple years ago here’s your chance to spend the best $0.99 of your life.
-Elmar
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August 30, 2012 A$AP Mob – Lords Never Worry
A couple commas richer and I’m still mobbin with my niggas brah….
The A$AP Mob official released their first collective mixtape earlier this week. Headed by the already budding frontman, A$AP Rocky, the collective gang, all members names beginning with the ASAP tag, have finally pitched together and put together a project, entitled Lords Never Worry. Tough. As the album art shows, this tape is flames. Highlighting the other group members, like ASAP Ferg, ASAP Ant, ASAP Twelvy and other key players in the rap game today, like Danny Brown, Flatbush Zombies and Fat Trel, this mixtape brings the same spaced-out Houston-influenced feel of Rocky’s LiveLoveASAP, but adds more of a sharper thug influence, cause you know this time, the whole gang is rollin through. The crowned victor of this tape, in my opinion, has to be ASAP Ferg. The game has been buzzin’ for a while that this dude is the next in the crew to blow and now I really believe that shit. Ferg shows off his deep voice and swag on “Bangin on Waxx” and his own solo songs “Persian Wine”, “Work” and “Choppas on Deck”, totting melodies and triple time bars. Overall, this mixtape is pretty street and its not for everyone, but if you are trying to feel like a G and be trill as fuck, knock this shit in your headphones, in your car, or your next visit to the strip club. Stream it Below and Download it over at livemixtape.com. Enjoy! – D. Gold
Tags: ASAP Mob, Lords Never Worry, Rap, trill
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May 12, 2012 Ab Soul – Control System
Soulo Taught Me…
Ab Soul is the next artist from the Top Dawg Entertainment group, Black Hippie, to blow up. Featuring the budding star Kendrick Lamar, the new-comer Schoolboy Q, and the fierce Jay Rock, Black Hippie’s last member, crowned the group’s “Genius”, Ab Soul is the last member to take the spotlight. With a few mixtapes and last year’s debut album, Longterm Mentality, under his belt, Ab Soul is back for his sophmore album, Control System, for more spaced-out drug-inspired conspiracy theories and ghetto philosophies. Soulo goes from trippin on DMT on “Pineal Gland” to talks of all the gangs in the world unifying against the government on “Terrorist Treats”, making his subject matter far from boring. Dude can spit too and his lines are funny at times, poking fun at rap culture, like YOLO and Kanye’s “Yeezy taught me”, flipping it for himself on “Sopa” featuring Schoolboy Q. The production of the album is on point as well, really bassy with pretty spacey west-coast inspired beats. Given co-signs from Dre and Snoop, Ab Soul is the next to blow and this album might do it. This dude might go over some listeners head, but for the any fans of anything from the Black Hippie Crew or any darker old-school rap will dig this new album from Ab Soul. Take a listen to a few track below and STREAM THE WHOLE ALBUM on Spotify. – D. Gold
Hit the Jump for Ab-Soul tour dates with Schoolboy Q…
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Tags: Ab Soul, Ab Soul - Control System, Black Hippy, Hip-Hop, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Rap, Schoolboy Q
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February 13, 2012 French Montana
French Montana, the Moroccan-born New York City coke-rapper, has been getting more and more buzz recently in the rap scene. After years of releasing “street albums” (aka mixtapes) under the names, Coke Wave, Mac Wit Da Cheese, Coke Boys, and various other derivatives of the previous, French has switched labels from Akon’s Konvict Muzik to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records under Interscope. With this big change, French has been hitting up the features recently with most notably the Drake-Common diss track, “Stay Schemin”, off Rick Ross’s most recent mixtape, Rich Forever. French has also dropped 2 singles, one being a song called “Shot Caller”, produced by Harry Fraud, who provides the song with one of the nicest beats I’ve heard in a while. While French Montana has never been called anyone’s favorite rapper (sorry…) or truly applauded for his lyricism, his smooth flow and slurred vocals provides his music with an easy-going mobster don demeanor.
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Tags: French Montana, hiphop, Rap
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November 14, 2011 Lil B – I Got AIDS
Back with some Lil B bizarreness. This time around, the song is entitled “I Got AIDS”, off his latest 2pac inspired mixtape “BASEDGOD VELLI”. The song is labeled as an AIDS Awareness Song , by B himself, and he truly gets the message across. Say what you want about some of Lil B’s song, but this jaunt is an instant classic. Listen and Learn. Thanks BasedGod.
Tags: I Got AIDS, Lil B
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November 6, 2011 ASAP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
“Stone cold, rolling stone, I’m a stoned nigga
Write it on my tombstone, I was stoned nigga“
This young man from Harlem, NY goes by the name of ASAP Rocky. While he is not smoking blunts on the corner or smashing hoes, he’s recording the East Coast’s take on Houstons long standing “Trill”, chopped and skewed, southern hip-hop. No one likes to be labeled, but if you had to define ASAP, he’d be the musical child of DJ Screw and Wiz Khalifa with a dose of New York style lyricism. This guy hasn’t been on the rap scene for long, releasing his first mixtape LiveLoveA$AP, a week ago on Halloween, although he has already been gaining a lot of buzz on the nets after he self reported that he signed a $3 million dollar major deal. Days after that his mixtape dropped and like many, I copped the mixtape and found that ASAP’s music is actually pretty good.
With beats from Clams Casino, a rising producer who’s gained major popularity after producing beats for Lil’ B and Soulja Boy, ASAP music takes a spacey codeine flow style as the little man spits some funny, yet not very complex rhymes. Yet, the lyrics can be overlooked as a defect, as the songs do flow. Check out his video for his song “Purple Swag” below (Check out that “Fuck Swag” t-shirt …haha) and make sure to check out “Palace” and “Peso“. If you vibe with it, download the mixtape and enjoy. – D. Gold
Tags: ASAP Rocky, Everything is Purple, Rap
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June 30, 2011 Lil B – I’m Gay (I’m Happy) Album
If you haven’t heard already, Lil B, the infamously controversial rapper outta Berkley, California, released his new (even more controversially named) album, I’m Gay (I’m Happy), today on iTunes. After allegedly receiving death treats after announcing the name of the album a few months ago at his Coachella performance, the album has been released, with the newly amended addition “(I’m Happy)”, to please the haters and to clarify his message. After listening to most of it, I’m pleased to what I’ve heard so far. Brandon has definitely hooked himself up with some professional producers and definitely focused on his words and his delivery this time around. I recommend you check out the album. Just take a listen to this new song “I Hate Myself”, sampling the Goo Goo Dolls’ ‘Iris’. Thanks BasedGod. – D. Gold
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April 10, 2011 Childish Gambino – Break (All Of The Lights)
Donald Glover, you don’t have to call me “Childish”
Except for when I’m flirting with your half-Latino stylist
First of All, Gambino is a MasterMind. That being said, Childish Gambino is the rapper alias for the man, Donald Glover, the comedian, writer and actor from the likes of Derrick Comedy (see Bro Rape), 30 Rock, and Community. Yet, only somewhat recently has Donald being getting respect for his other passion, music. On top of a few earlier mixtapes, Glover has recently released a new EP, entitled EP, which has been gaining mad hype on the nets (hit the jump for the download link), with its song Freaks and Geeks. Below is a even newer song, where Childish reworks Kanye West’s classic All of the Lights and really just goes off. Being a comedian and writer, Glover can formulate some witty rhymes with funny cultural references and really make it all flow. Enjoy. – D. Gold
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Tags: Childish Gambino, Donald Glover, Rap
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