Tag Archives: Rap
March 18, 2013 Chance the Rapper – Acid Rain
Chance the Rapper is a 19 year old phenom hailing from Chicago. Despite residing in a city with a deep pool of talent, Chance managed to gain local, and then national attention with his first project, 10 Day. 10 Day was the result of a ten day suspension from school and it is well worth your time. ‘Acid Rain’ is the first single off his upcoming tape Acid Rap, which drops April 30th. ‘Acid Rain’ features a mellow beat which highlights Chance’s creative lyrics. He’s a deep thinker with a distinct voice, and he seems destined for stardom. Give the young man a listen.
-Elmar
Tags: Chance the Rapper, Rap, Single
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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 $0.99 of your life.
-Elmar
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February 11, 2013 Pacewon & Mr. Green – Children Sing
“Children Sing” is a standout track off Pacewon and Mr. Green’s debut album, The Only Color That Matters is Green. Released in 2008, the album is produced in its entirety by Mr. Green while Pacewon delivers the flows. For “Children Sing” Mr. Green samples a Jewish children’s choir, and chops it up resulting in a unique beat which is sure to get your head nodding. Pacewon does the beat justice using his gritty voice to paint a picture of his life on the streets of New Jersey and the hook perfectly captures the song’s hopeful vibe. Check out the whole album here.
-Elmar
Tags: Pacewon and Mr. Green, Rap
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August 30, 2012 A$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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April 12, 2012 Odd Couple Feat Skyzoo – Speak It Vivid
Usually I leave the rap/hip-hop posts to D. Gold, but I just couldn’t resist on this one. Chicago producers Odd Couple recently released this rap masterpiece “Speak It Vivid” featuring NYC rapper Skyzoo. The beats got some sick old school vibes to it that blend perfectly with Skyzoo’s smooth rap flow. And I just can’t get over those organ chords that ride through that chorus. And the best part: this is just the first taste. Odd Couple are set to release an EP Separated At Birth very soon. I’ll be sure to keep you updated on that one. In the meantime, enjoy.
-M. Kauf
Tags: Odd Couple, Rap, Skyzoo
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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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January 16, 2012 Schoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
Schoolboy Q has just released his sophomore rap album, Habits & Contradictions. His first album, Setbacks, was released a year ago and was fairly successful, but yet, I, personally, only sort-of knew his name, being one of the rappers in the group, Black Hippy, with Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. Listening to his new album, its easy to see the comparison to Kendrick Lamar in flow and vocals. Yet, his choice in beats is very different from that of Kendrick’s album, Section 80. With some obscure and some well-known samples, along with heavy bass and electronic vibes, similar to the Weeknd, Schoolboy Q has a unique approach to rap. In addition, with features from A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, and Curren$y, Schoolboy Q is well connected to game and knows who can spit and on what track. My favorite tracks are “Hands on the Wheel”, sampling Kid Cudi’s popular “Pursuit of Happiness” and featuring an incredible verse from A$AP Rocky and “There He Go“, a fun song showing off Schoolboy’s flow with the beat sampling indie band Menomena’s “Wet and Rusting.” The album is very well put together and Schoolboy is rapper to look out for. Listen to the songs below and if you like, support the artist by purchasing the album on iTunes.
Schoolboy Q – Hands on the Wheel
Schoolboy Q – There He Go
Tags: Kendrick Lamar, Rap, Schoolboy Q
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