Only a talented troupe of rappers could become stronger after losing a few members. Even though they’re down two from their original three, Tanya Morgan is still very much a rap group and they’re welcoming all challengers on their You And What Army EP. Taking it back to where shell toes, a turntable and a mic was the only uniform to make you star, YAWA is a lyric-driven freshfest constructed in the lower Eastside of Brooklynati. Read the rest of this entry »

Von Pea’s debut opus, Pea’s Gotta Have It, came and went quietly but not for lack of quality. To brush you up on what you may have missed out on, Pea linked up with his Lessondary breathen, Elucid and Che Grand, for some edutaining literature in the 16 bar/rhyming couplet format. Toss in a beautifully shot black-and-white backdrop by Richard Louissant, school districts all across America are brought to life way past operating hours.

Not for nothing, Hip-Hop is alive and well in Brooklynati as well. If you like what you hear, head on over to Pea’s Bandcamp for the goods.

Hip-Hop is defined by a lot of things and the various meanings are always changing. But one thing our beloved culture will always classify as is “raw.” We’d all love to kick rhymes admist the glimmering big lights and bigger dollars but a crowded basement with sporadic ventalition still ranks as equally authentic. Read the rest of this entry »

With school back in session across the country, it’s officially headphone season. And Che Grand and DJ Lowkey are back to serve you with another dose of headnod crack in The Fixtape 2 (In It For The Drink Ticket). With production from Von Pea, Nottz, Illmind, Cook Classics and features from Jay Electronica, Peter Hadar and the entire Lessondary, a fixtape for the free is a the gift that keeps on giving. Read the rest of this entry »

All fans of Tanya Morgan–new and old–should find this particular snack wrap and steal with its free price tag. After giving out samples of cheesesteaks with extra mayo, ? of said group have baked a batch of The Roots’ outtake sets and added humor, wit and double entendres for the toppings. They’ve turned Hip-Hop into your neighborhood Jimmy John’s with this project. Read the rest of this entry »

Cover Art – Esperanza ATL

SMKA & the lovely Fadia Kader™ proudly present the official mixtape for “A3C Perfect Attendance” to give everyone a proper taste of what to look forward to come Thursday. Hit the link to listen/download the mixtape and get more info on the event. Read the rest of this entry »

October 1st to 3rd. A3C Festival, Atlanta, GA. Excited yet?

If not, here’s more reason to get hype.

Your beloved Section has partnered with SMKA Productions and the lovely Fadia Kader to bring you “A3C’s Perfect Attendance” showcase. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember the sense of euphoria you had when you first heard Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity?” It was like aural air conditioning complete with flying robots that served you lattes complete with a floating saucer. Now imagine all that futuristic fury harnessed into a more urban intonation without losing its chic. And there you have Jet Audio’s Stand Alone Complex.

Featuring a vast array of NYC artists (Mickey Factz, Outasight, Amanda Diva, Che Grand, etc.,) producer Jet Audio conducts his latest project like a maestro prepared to take the artform into the next millennium. Innovation awaits you. Read the rest of this entry »

Donny’s girl >>>

Seriously though: if you still haven’t downloaded The Breakfast Club, and you’re complaining about the lack of good music out there, your opinion is truly worthless.

Previously Posted — TSS Presents Smoking Sessions With Donny Goines | “Bring It Forward” – Review Of Donny Goines’ The Breakfast Club

In case the cinematic audio wasn’t enough, here’s the visual montage to one of the posse cuts off Mic Legacy’s Channel Zero: The LP.

Download — Channel Zero: The LP Starring Mic Legacy

Dedicated to Eli Matthew Ibanga R.I.P.

Fresh off last week’s release party, here’s Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. 3. Illmind showcases his music with a mix of mainstream and underground artists. In this volume he collaborates with mainstream artists like 50 Cent, Scarface, Young Buck, and Marsha from Floetry, and keeps the balance with underground artists and rising stars such as Termanology, Wale, D-Black, Skyzoo and Torae to name a few. Also included is an official remake of 88 Keys’ single “Stay Up!” featuring Alchemist, Evidence and 88 Keys himself on the rhymes. Master Shake from Adult Swim’s hit TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force also makes an appearance.

Hit the break. Read the rest of this entry »

The What: Illmind’s Blaps, Rhymes & Life III Release Party

The When: 10:00pm – 4:00am, Friday, June 26th, 2009

The Where: @ The Blue Seats in NYC, 157 Ludlow Street (between Stanton & Rivington)

On The Wheels: DJ Mpos of The Elite Camp

FREE with RSVP*, leave FULL NAME + Company/Affiliation to RSVP@Illmind.biz.
No dress code. Free swag given away!

The Skinny: In honor of his latest digital compilation Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. III, Hip-Hop, producer Illmind is holding an event on Friday June 26th, 2009 at The Blue Seats in New York’s Lower East Side!

This is the second installment of Illmind’s series of Read the rest of this entry »

It’s funny how the music universe aligns its stars to manifest various degrees of separation. Just this morning, I got my day started to Big Pun’s “Laughing At You” which samples 80′s rock band Simple Mind’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me). The composition was the theme song to the movie The Breakfast Club, whose chorus told me not to forget about Donny Goines brand new album today.

Picking up right where his debut Minute To Midnight left off, Donny recruits nearly half of industry to cook up the eggs and bacon for The Breakfast Club. Proceed for the flapjacks. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by Khalid StricklandPics by Sundiata Acree

I don’t know much about fantasy sports, but the goddess of the blogsphere, Hot-97’s Miss Info, has long been an All-Star on my Fantasy Wife team. When I heard she’d be hosting a mixtape release party for New Jersey-based producer Illmind, I quickly enlisted. Illmind makes some hard-ass beats and his new mixtape, Blaps, Rhymes and Life Vol.2 is full of heavyweights; 50 Cent, Kool G. Rap, Prodigy, LL Cool J, Skyzoo, Jean Grae, Heltah Skeltah and Brooklyn Academy are just some of the artists featured. That fact alone piqued my interest, but the lovely Info sweetened the deal.

The event was held at a cool spot called Grand Banks in Jersey City. I don’t want to sound like a hateful anti-Jersite but I’ve never been a big fan of the state, even though NYC is right next door. Jersey City ninjas can get wild (y’all saw how Ransom and Buddens were acting up), so I summoned two trusted goons for this trip. Thankfully, no one caught or delivered a buck-fifty Read the rest of this entry »

The release party went down, the fun has been had & I’m sure brother Khalid will be through with a rousing recap of the festivities. But for now, it’s on to the music as Illmind has finally released Blaps, Rhymes & Life Vol. 2. Hit the break for the tracklisting & download link. Read the rest of this entry »