You know why I’m up & you know what I’ve followed…
Was this the first Hip-Hop election? If so, I think Hip-Hop won.
My highest respect and admiration goes out to those of you who stood in line for hours (yes, I’ve been moved and I saw the images of our cousins across the puddle) to unanimously express yourself through democracy. Understand that you did that for us too and I have heartfelt hopes this’ll be a beacon for my people in London and other UK cities, especially those from ethnic or disadvantaged backgrounds by psychologically encouraging them to stop f**kin’ giving in and really persevere in this country against both explicit and closet bigotry.
I only ever want things to be like the way we here love our music: Progressive.
And Fantasticunt couldn’t come up with a more customary manner for Your Mum’s offspring to celebrate than to give you one of the tightest joints, off now one of my favourite LPs of this decade (‘The Renaissance’ replay counts is THAT severe), by a most beloved artist… the ORIGINAL flip with epic intro from perhaps the greatest politician we’ve ever witnessed. Please don’t let us down Barack.
Another world exclusive (smugly gettin’ used to these).
In his own words, “Hip-Hop has evolved. I grew a beard for this shit.”
Rising London emcee Chima Anya (of duo GTA) shot me over his cocky bars-for-bar assault over a barnstorming Hud-Mo heater. Official son. Pure hot rocks.
And would you believe that by day Chima’s in the medical profession? Ha, the secret lives of rappers. Hol’ tight Doc, pimp nurses and push that penicillin.
2 dope joints just dropped over at 2 Dope Boyz and warranted immediate post (plus the end of the month mixtape to be unleashed in 7 days is already 30 stonkin’ tracks full and it’s giving me a selectah-migraine).
First ‘Beautiful Day’, then ‘Castlevania’ and now a third outstanding U-N-I jawn to drop, chaps are on a roll & I say bollocks to this daft notion of “All Hipster-Hop Is Homo” fabricated by e-thugs and aged puritans (you’re worse than Republicans). The jeans don’t make the music. Dope and whack in every sub-culture. But just listen to the snare they kick it with…
Honestly, I’ve never heard of these cats, but 1. That’s how the net viral spiral starts. 2. No traces of Mel B or Geri Halliwell rapping on it. 3. Great beat, cold rhymes n’ flows. 4. I sorta study film and have idle dreams of becoming a film-maker. So ya know. Fitting.
She really, really, delivered. The way Epps aerially veers between spiritualist vocalism, outer-body poetics, convulsing grooves and a paranormal beat cavity with boom-bap for a terrestrial heartbeat (with Apex, Amdex, Flying Lotus, S1, Muhsinah, Everett James, Nick Speed and Slugabed all behind the boards). Avant Garde Soul comes a step closer to it’s requiem for a future.
‘Floatin’ is already one of the top 5 songs of the year, if I find a single person contradicting that I’ll stab their brain with their nose-bone like Ballerina P. The rest of the album is now joining the higher tier of my (obsessive compulsive) mental ranking system.
It’s no secret why Lib runs with this girl- she’s on a higher plain.
“Passin’ clouds passin’ you passin’ me by,
Passionately we can be so high,
Heavens are over the sea,
Gravity can’t hold us down, baby…”
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK/S TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
1. Eppisode (Prod. by Slugabed) 2. The Awakening
3. OM (Prod. by Muhsinah)
4. Addicted (Prod. by Amdex)
5. Heaven (Prod. by S1) 6. Cosmik Dust (Prod. by Flying Lotus) 7. Floatin
8. Floatin (reprise) 9. Who Knows (Prod. by Nick Speed)
10. Mothership
11. 00:00
My favourite tracks highlighted in Bold Red above.
And the night doesn’t stop as we descend further into madness.
Ill rarity just dropped on me: mind-blowing Exile instrumental only available on a 2007 compilation floating off the coast of Barcelona(?)
Hard hats on, the atmosphere on this could scrape your scalps off. The fact I’m high and listening to this simultaneously doesn’t help either. THIS is a lesson in beat-building.
For the record, THIS was my favourite song of 2007 even from the moment I heard crap-quality YouTube live footage of it’s first performed unveiling late last Summer.
I said back then (and I paraphrase), it’s like etheral Pharcyde vibes + boyish Souls of Mischief flows: a perfect throwback to early Leftcoast and I fly away on it every time.
The remix is decent, bit late, but decent (mastered poorly though). Pharrell ego-trips it (though I like the “Neptune’s trident” quip). Q-Tip firmly belonged on this beat though, that’s relative.
Nonetheless the additional Jazz/Lounge reworking is the real gem here. Where’s badman Richard Cheese when you need him?
Adorable Miss. Asplund is one of my breakthrough artists of 2008 with her futuristic Soul debut ‘Plethora’ (shouts to my duke DJ Cavalry for puttin’ me on that earlier this year, and all the heads I had hooked on it consequential to that). Not sure why I have to keep repeating, “don’t sleep on the Swedes”.
The new single ‘Silverlake’ and it’s B-side ‘Snowfall’ are produced by Dorian Concept (with artwork from Piet Parra) exclusively for Nike’s AM90 launch campaign, and they’re both quite simply spellbinding. It excites me to hear artists challenging the status quo as Kissey does. It’s like the rebirth of Trip-Hop’s most intoxicating aspects.
Respects to Nike for having the balls (product placement pun intended) to put this ill sista on. It’s a wise move if they’re looking to tap into a market of progressive music-orientated fashionistas.
Drops today Oct 22nd as a limited 12″ vinyl, and digitally November 3rd.
Just been shot over this brand new exclusive J-Rawls joint from the forthcoming Liquid Crystals Project Vol. 2 (dropping in Europe this week, and the US in October).
I’m intensely diggin’ the fly, jazzy, reinterpretation of the classic Beatnuts bumper ‘Off The Books’. Rawls has a knack for honey-dripping melodies (evident on such early works as his production of Blackstar’s heartwarming ‘Brown Skin Lady’).
Props to Rah over at soulBEAUTIFUL, holdin’ it down for international Soul and Hip-Hop artists touring in the UK. Hit them up if you require intelligent distribution, promotion & event management in the UK. They handle Eric Roberson and Miles Bonney amongst others as clients and let’s be honest, SB’s got London’s Soul community locked. Plus they come recommended courtesy of… well, me.
…I think someone needs to give Wayne his vocoder back.
The vox effects fail to absorb like a genuine vocal would given the emotional anchor of what Kanye’s tryna convey; it makes me feel detached when really I want to become immersed in the subject in equal parts to the bass. (Sort the mastering out aswell).
Still, I await the shrill of 808 synths And further articulation of Heartbreak. December 16th.
[Download Link Deleted By Request from Copyright Holder]
I rarely do this, though if you wish to decipher the laments of a robot…
Lyrics: I’m not lovin’ you, the way I wanted to
What I had to do, had to run from you
I’m in love with you, but the vibe is wrong
And that haunted me, all the way home
So ya never know, never never know
Never know enough, til it’s over love
Til we lose control, system overload
Screamin no no no, no no
I ain’t lovin you, the way I wanted to
See I wanna move, but can’t escape from you
So I keep it low, keep a secret code
So everybody else dont have to know
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down x 3
You keep ya love locked down, you lose
I’m not lovin you, the way I wanted to
I can’t keep my cool, so I keep it true
I got somethin’ to lose, so I gotta move I can’t keep myself, and still keep you too
So I keep in mind, when I’m on my own
Somewhere far from home, In the danger zone
How many times did it take til I finally got through
you lose, you lose
I ain’t lovin you, the way I wanted to
See I had to go, see I had to go
No more wastein time, we cant wait for life
which is wastin time, wheres the finish line
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down x 3
You keep ya love locked down, you lose
I’m not lovin you, the way i wanted to
I met no one new, I got no one new
No I said im through, but got love for you
But im not lovin you, the way I wanted to
Gotta keep it goin, keep the lovin goin
Keep it on a roll, only god knows
If i be with you, baby im confused
You choose, you choose
I ain’t lovin you, the way I wanted to
Way I got to go, I dont need you
I been on this road, too many times before
I ain’t lovin you, the way I wanted to
So keep ya love locked down, ya love locked down
etc.
etc.
Keepin ya love locked down, you lose.
Saadiq’s truly grown into optimum genius with age. The new throwback project (‘The Way I See It’, dropping Tuesday next week!) is destined to meet the yearning of Soul’s devoted far and wide.
You realise this song (available here courtesy of Your Mum) was already an instant classical classic right?
And then Lord Hov jumped on it (carrying a couple o’ those ’96 flow syllables 21 seconds in too for sweet measure). Bam.
This just made me forget I was anxiously awaiting Kanye’s new single ‘Love Lockdown’ to drop any hour/night now.
For I’ve waited only 14 months since Kanye’s last effort, and yet 48 months (4 years) for some new material from Phonte & Nicolay. Yes, I goes & does me a bitta’ math still.
A mellow, ambient first number (featuring Your Mum’s beloved Muhsinah) signalling a broader downtempo direction for the duo’s forthcoming sophmore set ‘Leave It All Behind’ due October 14th. ‘Daykeeper’ very slightly reminds me of a stripped-down, sombre Gnarls Barkley cut; though it’s delicately hypnotic in a way that doesn’t feel forced. A song to give us company in the mornings.
The brand spanking (19 day old) single from my favourite British band of the last 5 years (‘Silent Alarm’ was an under-rated Indie classic) warrants a sporadic post.
I’ve always loved the climactic temprement of their song structures with ‘Mercury’ showing further advancement into 21st century New Wave as perhaps the precursor to a more experimental third album (‘Intimacy’ arriving late October). Here garage-rock riffs submit to a livid carnival of uber-Grime electronics making Kele’s brazen, banshee, rebel-cry knife both the stuttering arrangement, and listener. He’s still one of the most distinct, enlivening Indie-Rock vocalists this country’s produced in a long time, and no I’m not just saying that because I’m all pro-ethnic n’ shit, christ.
Pardon me for being in a Latoyah Jackson state of mind, I had hasty reservations about Dilla’s younger sibling from detecting a few too many clips and excerpts of little homie consistently name-dropping his elder (as if to propel off the fraternal factor more so than his own carvings and musicianship). Then compassion kicked in and I thought, 1. He’s young. 2. Blood is blood. 3. These are our heroes. And frankly I couldn’t give a damn as long as Illa honours the Yancey legacy by making-shit-thump and pushing envelopes for this culture. It’s his birthright, we expect nothing less.
Pressure, demands and all crosses-to-carry aside, I dug out the 21 year old beat-builder/emcee’s 2007 debut EP. And realistically, neither product or producer suck, at all. His rhythms reverberate in signature Detroit quintessence and he’s orally average but fairly entertaining (in the same sufficient way you cannot deny Jaylib or the majority of Dilla’s regional collaborators were/are on the mic), leaving mandatory boxes ticked and ears tickled. Thus far showing promise, I await baby pa’s progression.
And now, I make that demo circulate like Spacek with those Ben Franklins (a currency issue I never quite understood since Steve is from Clapham).
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
01. Hot
02. New Shit 03. I Ain’t Gonna Die 04. Raw Shit
05. Detroit 06. Me & My Brother (Produced By J Dilla)
07. Bonus Beats
Fantasticunt EP rating:
6.5 mums out of 10
[If this artist/group deserves your money, please to artist’s MySpace or iTunes]
Additional:
Illa J – We Here (Prod. by J-Dilla)
This leaked a couple days back and completely funked my noggin up. Instant classic! I’m already envisioning my two-step shuck out jig next Feb when J-Dilla Saved My Life at Cargo and all other tribute raves return to London town. Young-blood’s flowing and crooning (heavily improved from his ’07 EP) over an amazing brand new/technically old Jay Dee gem from the vaults From the- wait for it…. [quote from xlr8r.com new article]
In tribute to his late older brother, Detroit hip-hop legend J Dilla, up-and-coming producer John “Illa J” Yancey has dubbed his forthcoming debut album ‘Yancey Boys’.
As previously noted, the album features the younger Yancey [going] over beats made by his older brother that cover the years between 1995 and 1998 and were never used. After a recent move from Detroit to Los Angeles, Illa set to work recording the release, which he named after the studio in which it was made. The album is set to drop in November.
Cue myself crapping underwear. My people, you recognise that’s the period between ‘Labcabincalifornia’ and ‘The Love Movement’ right? Holy bludclart Mutty Ranks!
By the beard of zeus! This is actually the most gulliest shit I’ve heard, in hours. Pure molten lava, peg-rollin’, punk-whistlin’ anthem shit. Ill rhymes. Iller flows. Sonics have developed. I feel Chuck & Mikey are being severely overlooked for the sake of purism. Let’s keep it moving forward.
The first single from their forthcoming LP ‘When Fish Ride Bicycles’, out shortly.
I just sat laughing at the screen for 3 minutes. In the age of CGI, I forget how much mirth can be evoked from the primitive, semi-retarded movement of puppets.
Ye’s timing and foresight, as always, impeccable. The steel-panned, horn blaring, Olympic refix of the joint: mp3 just below.
Because everytime the first Hovi The God single from an impending LP drops, it’s an event.
“That bloke from Oasis said I couldn’t play guitar, somebody shoulda’ told him I’m a fucking Roc star”.
Take one part deep-frequency bassline a la ‘A Millie’, puncture it with a hard-as-gunshot drum, garnish with an 80s Rick Rubin/Run DMC style metal riff break, chop a madly infectious hook, and finally serve up drenched in S Dot audacity: what’s manifested is the mainstream rap single release of the year- diamonds in the damn air, it’s all over. And sceptics wonder why I call Kanye a genius and probably the most important Hip-Hop producer of this decade? Get the fuck outta here.
How many more anthems does Jigga need to cement his place as the greatest ARTIST in Hip-Hop music ever? He wields the most ridiculous catalogue out of any rapper in this culture’s history. I’ll jock Jay-Z to the moon and back as a standard.
Additional note: if Kanye is producing the majority if not all of Hov’s forthcoming ‘Blueprint 3’ as reports indicate (much to my own salivating all over my chin hairs), then I suggest the people brace themselves for what could be one of the Rap albums of the decade. I have faith.
Plump, punchy drum loops, piercing go-go brass-band chops & it switches to a mean arse buzz on the hook. Rochelle doesn’t demonstrate anything Amerie hadn’t already 3 years ago, but on production value alone I’ll declare this is enormous.
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
Commercial R n’ B sonics- for people who aren’t idiots. More please, Industry.
Their once swirled rumors of a Dilla-Doom collaboration project. I guess with the latter’s dispiriting demise, hopes were dashed and destinies deflated.
And then this dropped a few days ago… Metal Fingers spraying sick syllables like a fresh discharge of paint against Dilla’s Anti-American Graffiti backdrop.
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
As my heads are aware, the beat is a piece from the producer’s crowning instrumental opus ‘Donuts’ and this Doom lace was recorded during those very sessions in late 2005. Despite not being the most provocative rhythm from that set and failing to exceed the eerily demanding piano clunks of ‘Mash’ (the other Dilla Donut sprinkled with Doom raps to leak last year), neither the surrealist wordplay nor the morphed acoustics disappoint though overall I feel underwhelmed…
Come on, it’s my fucking man MF Doom and my fucking man J-Dilla; I guess the most I could ask for is a vivid rhythm I’m not already familiar with that feels like the unearthing of precious solitaire. I guess this denotes one as a fanatical Jay Dee fiend, but real talk, often I become silently plagued by the fact my ears may never be blessed with a brand new beat by this monarchial musician who was stolen from an art form that is in dire need of poise at his drum-pad pounding fingertips.
Still, a pleasure to hear from the recently truant MF; it’s been 4 year since the people tasted ‘Mm Food’ and I think the masked mic controller should postpone the dessert and deliver us solid, savoury goods once more.
How could I front on such a wildly aggressive, filthy-bass, banger? It (secretly) excites me to the same degree ‘Oh’ did when one was cavorting in the clubs and frolicking with those large rumps. Luda is a microphone barbarian, and I await the day he’s bestowed with the acclaim he’s rightfully earned over the last 8 years.
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
As for this lewd image above that mildly soils the civilized ethos of my site- do you see what you miss out on when you fail to purchase physical compact discs? Observe Ciara’s rather tremendous buttocks being (un)fortunately groped by 50 Cent for the ‘Curtis’ sleeve artwork. Yes. A call to all my brothers in arms, both Little Bow Wow and Fiddy have embraced Ciara’s love-chariot…
There is no justice.
Additional:
Ludacris – Big Ass House
This track leaked a month back. The choral Dirty South vibe it brims with is immense. Weather you reside ‘pon park bench or inside the confines of a box room at your Mother’s bungalow… bump and dream.
Despite Ciara being featured in the ‘Curtis’ sleeve-art in certain pictures, that above is not Ciara’s arse. Thank you to the Ciara YouTube Fan-Club (in the comments section) for protecting the citizens of the internet from becoming severely infected with grim misconceptions about their Queen. We’re safe again.
Allegedly this is the final Dilla tracks ever recorded with his vocals in either late ’05 or earliest ’06 and was for inclusion on the abdandoned ‘Operation Unknown’ project before his untimely passing. Let it not lie in the vaults; let the followers listen.
Respect to Nah Right for the uppin’ and indeed Sir Yancey his very self for possessing such a magnificent mind.
[IF YOU WANT THE ABOVE LINK TAKEN DOWN, E-MAIL US DIRECTLY ON ibootleggedyourmum@gmail.com & IT WILL BE DONE AS SOON AS REQUEST IS SEEN.]
So understated and laden with unsettling reverbs and sirens swathed in a low-frequency blanket that’s pricked with hand-claps. Beat’s colder than the T-1000 at the end of Terminator 2: Judgement Day when he gets drenched in liquid nitrogen from the ruptured truck/tank spillage and transforms into a prissy little pig-cop ice sculpture. Word to Robert Patrick.
…but then anything with Andre is momentous (and has been since Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens; I direct this subtle jibe at the sprouting 3 Stacks helmet-hoppers of late who’ve only just caught on… 15 years later). He is arguably the greatest Southern emcee in this culture’s history, and by far one of the most consistent.
The video which also features a speech impediment (Kan)Yeezy despite bare minimal track input is widespread in blogland, yet ’twas a mission finding the mp3 so this one’s for you inexpert net marauders. To the trained ear this sounds like a rip direct from the video, but at the least it’s pod-worthy. Hol’ tight till I cop that crystal 320kpb shit (audio-geek wank material).
Love the sophistifunk bounce on this joint; those Sa-Ra vintage synthesizers are on point aswell.
What I personally wouldn’t give to slide up Ice Cold to a booty-meat maiden in the club and spout “Shawty you killin’ me hard with them lady pants/ Simple elegance would be better when you dance/ Chest to the sun with a thoroughbred stance/ Ya galloped to the rhythms of a native drum chant…” Shucks. Only in Cupid Valentino’s universe.
Video: Everybody
Additional:
Che Grand feat. Andre 3000 – Airtight Ninja
The day’s most exotic drop featuring an ill sample from Cartoon Network’s Class of 3000 with rising emcee Che Grand and Andre 3K on the original hook…
I Bootlegged Your Mum 