If you were to say that Murs’ “‘67 Cutlass” needed a video, it probably wouldn’t fall in the most accurate of statements. The four-minute narrative holds up the tradition of vivid storytelling Hip-Hop is renown for and allows listeners to paint the scenery for themselves with each rhyming bar filling in the “then what happened next?” Read the rest of this entry »

End of the month so you know what it is. Crew Love, snitches! As we get ready to flip the calendar, we mark another month in the books by pointing out a few tracks that provided fuel for the working fire. In fact, the November Crew Love will be the last of 2011 (the year flew by, huh?) Read the rest of this entry »

From the metropolitan concrete universe of the East Coast to the utopia battlegrounds of the West Coast to the integrated cities boasted by the South, there’s plenty of love spread throughout the Hip-Hop community these days. Two denizens who aren’t strangers to sharing their respective spotlights – Murs and Ski Beatz – take their matters of the heart seriously on their first full length pairing, Love And Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation. Read the rest of this entry »

I know the melodrama that you speak of, Murs. This past summer, I had some asshole ex-girlfriend call me out of the clear blue to invite me out for some ice cream and when I responded back hours later to ask what the hell was that all about, she threatened to call the cops if I texted her again. (Yeah, I texted – not called – her back, f*ck her lol.) Read the rest of this entry »

So what if it’s currently autumn masking itself as winter? tabi Bonney is aiming to be an artist for the only season everybody can agree on with The Summer Years. Backed by exclusive production from his sensei, Ski Beatz, tabi has girls galore flocking to his video shoots and it’s plain to see that he’s about that life where shorts, sun and roller skates collide. Read the rest of this entry »

While not 100% versed in Murs catalog, I’m always impressed by it. Most rappers typically stick to their script and hold down one specific style of song, but this LA staple never refrains from genre jumping and makes sure to keep any instrumental he chooses lively as possibly. That same theory holds up on “Let’s Go!,” Read the rest of this entry »

Do you think that Common had any idea the trend he’d be setting when he penned “Used To Love H.E.R.” almost twenty years ago? Whether he did or didn’t, in exposing his undercover affection for Hip-Hop, the Chi-Town legend has paved the way for a countless amount of MCs to share their initiation to said labor of love. Read the rest of this entry »

The 9th Wonder of the world has recently been taking heat for his opinions regarding Watch The Throne’s quality but come September 27th, 2011, the producer will have the opportunity to prove he can do much better. It’s The Wonder Years, starring 9th Wonder, in his 137th full-length feature presentation that will surely be an ultimate dream for followers of his movement. Read the rest of this entry »

The B-Girl’s back but don’t expect any simplistic rhyme cadences from Rapsody. North Carolina’s lyrical Wonder Woman lives up to her name because she ensures that her bars won’t be taken in vain. And with that, some congratulations and a healthy round of applause are in order. This MC is spitting at the notion of the sophomore slump and saving it for the microphone so you can Thank H.E.R. Now. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever seen Murs live, then you’re well aware how key a role his signature dreads play in his performance. The flailing locks always served to amplify his flying kicks and added extreme emphasis to his headnods to the beat. And now after 10+ years, they are no more after a recent visit to Frank’s Chop Shop in which the rapper had his hair sheared. Read the rest of this entry »

As warmer winds begin to blow, Dee-1 creates a “Ridin’ By Myself,” for complimentary track geared towards the windows-down approach to spending the day alone with music. “Ridin’” invokes the same spirit the title imagines, full of low-end bounce built for riding and a playful delivery centered around Dee’s words accented by singer Syreeta Neal. Read the rest of this entry »

Murs and Terrace Martin are officially Melrose and their western conference got to this point by pounding the pavement in an assortment of crispy SB Dunks and Nike Air Max 360s. The only thing fresher than their footwork is Terrace Martin’s air conditioned bass grooves and Murs gliding across the track like his sneakers got blades on the bottom of them. Read the rest of this entry »

The term “New West” was being thrown around by almost every up & coming rapper from Californ-I-A roughly three years ago. Apparently, these much chagrined rap practitioners felt the need to separate themselves from their elder-statesman in order to carve own their own legacy, and for some – the move ended up working out just fine. For others, the nonalignment left talented MCs without a support system and nowhere to look when the going got tough. Read the rest of this entry »

I keep telling my friends something special is brewing out West. Schoolboy Q, who has been known to go half on demolishing a track alongside Kendrick Lamar, is out for self come tomorrow. Q is the next artist in line to utilize the power of the hashtag project title due to Twitter’s influence. #Setbacks will be released in all its glory soon enough, but no one ever said adding some last second anticipation ever hurt. Read the rest of this entry »

Those putting it down on the West Coast may not be grabbing the ears of every listener across the country, but regardless, the output is as strong as ever. The most impressive thing about the recent resurgence is the unity that stretches across all eras & subgenres that has never been so present as right now. Terrace Martin, whose faucet may be in dire need of repair, has three recent leaks that exemplify the new phase in the Golden State. Read the rest of this entry »