Art by the homie Eric9

Not much to say that hasn’t already been said about this.

All fans of Mr. Yancey and his music should quite enjoy this. Anyone who isn’t familiar or appreciative of Dilla’s work, should definitely download this and get some knowledge. Rootzilla is a beast at mixing and blending, and he did Dilla’s work justice with this one.

A sequel is on the way and the tracklist is after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Words By Jesse H.

There’s something about Brooklyn.

After you’ve lived in New York City long enough to understand the subtle nuances of the subway system (knowing the color of the train you need and the actual letter of the train you need is a very pivotal difference), you begin to have a certain respect for the intrinsic cultural differences of each borough-especially as a Hip-Hop fan.

Staten heads don’t even refer to the island by it’s formal name, thanks to you know what crew. Harlem heads champion Cam’s street stubbornness. Queens residents rock hoodies and Timberlands in mid-summer and fiend for grimey ghetto-narratives. Bronx folk are the old heads who glower at the mention of Solja Boy and the latest dance trend. But there’s something interesting about Brooklyn. Brooklynites like their lyricists pure, their drum snaps crisp and their looped samples mid-tempo. And while Brooklyn fans arguably are the snobbiest (ask any Brooklyn resident, and they’ll tell you ad nauseum about how they “refined” the craft), the list of top-20 caliber emcees that call Brooklyn home is indisputably impressive. So what better place for an independent New York Hip-Hop festival to call home? All the requisite pure-Hip Hop characteristics were on display in excess at Brooklyn Bodega’s 5th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival.

The event got a righteous initiation on Friday with the kick-off party (salute to Noah from BB for organizing). Brooklyn Brewery supplied the booze, DJ’s spun throwback Read the rest of this entry »

It’s often forgotten that before they were “tastemakers,” DJ’s used to prove themselves by cutting up records & moving the crowd.

For a dosage of that original Hip-Hop, feast your eyes & ears on these two tracks from Rock Steady’s DJ JS-1′s upcoming album, No Sell Out. Both songs feature music that tap the veins of old-fashioned rap where the rapper dropped lyrical gems & the DJ was a featured part of the presentation, with cuts placed @ precisely the right times.

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Download — DJ JS-1 Feat. Large Professor – “Like This”

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Download — DJ JS-1 Feat. OC & Pharoahe Monch – “Ridiculous”

Below the break, an eight minute mix by DJ JS-1 of a few of his favorite verses from his new album, No Sell Out, in stores 6.23.09.

Generally what you hear from the final product of an album doesn’t represent the entire creation process. Scrapped songs and altered production ironically are the setbacks that constitute forward progress.

Still fresh with the aroma from the 4 Cigs caused by his debut album White Van Music, Jake One caught up with TSS to break down the origins of the album’s bonus track “Hurt U,” which features the efficacious pairing of Pharoahe Monch and Kardinal Offishall. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the last decade or so Detroit carved out a nice identity for itself among Hip-Hop cities. It’ll never have the history of New York or the aura of Los Angeles, but it’s cultivated a culture that breeds emcees and producers with a distinct sound; a mixture of Motown and steely grit that’s been the city’s lifeblood for many years. Enter producer/emcee Black Milk looking to expand upon his last album, Popular Demand, and follow the footsteps of the likes of J Dilla, Royce Da 5’9”, eLZhi and Guilty Simpson by building his presence on the national radar. With his latest offering, TRONIC, Black broadens his production range while remaining true to his Detroit roots. Read the rest of this entry »

Pharoahe breaks out a guerrilla-styled video for his remake of PE’s tune, originally featured on Desire.

Pic Property of AP News

“…And I skipped college.”

Well, that’s not exactly applicable any more since the rules change. As a result, many college have switched to the “one & done” professional development plan before becoming first-rounders.

The odds-on favorite became just that when Memphis’ Derrick Rose was selected first by his hometown Chicago Bulls. A record 10 underclassmen were drafted in the first round, as the likes of Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook, & Kevin Love filled out the top five picks. With everyone after Rose & Beasley viewed as options 3a – 3z, this draft is viewed more as one that will produce solid veterans instead of breakout stars like the past few drafts have. Read the rest of this entry »

Pharoahe & Mr. Porter have hooked up again for “Broken Heart.” I, for one, am glad to hear from Brother Pharoahe again so soon & hopefully it won’t take another nine years for him to put out an album. Here Monch proves once again why you can’t turn a hoe into a housewife. Over a great sample find from Mr. Porter, he spins a tale of lost love & heartbreak. The term “underrated” is thoroughly overused, but I will say that Mr. Porter rarely disappoints when he’s behind the boards.

Pharoahe Monch – Broken Heart (Prod. By Mr. Porter)

Lately I’ve been on this late 90′s euphoric trip down memory lane.

I’m usually diverse with my musical selections, but recently, taking it back to a time where rappers were big enough to be stars without outlandish side ventures has been sort of a therapeutic experience for me. I’m talking Jigga circa ’97-’98, The War Report, Ghetto D, Wu-Tang Forever. Non-fiction like Share My World and Beanie Sigel’s The Truth? You know it. I even dug up that first And1 basketball mixtape. The days of Maurice Malone and Motorola pagers may be an afterthought, but the music serves as a scrapbook to all those memories of yesterday’s past.

Let me tell you where this is going.

This just isn’t some disgruntled “I-miss-the-old-days” bullshit post.

Like the most of ya’ll, I not only find it refreshing to go back in time…I find it necessary.

Here’s why: One of the critically acclaimed LP’s that found it’s way in my rotation was Soundbombing II. Like the majority of Rawkus releases, this compilation was ignored by mainstream media and didn’t garner glossy accolades or recognition. But in the days where rappers didn’t tout first week record sales like some sort of claim to credibility, none of that mattered. Read the rest of this entry »

“Got A Crib Wit A Grammy & A Gat On The Shelf.”

A monsoon is a storm consisting of a strong wind accompanied with heavy rain that frequents Southern Asia in the summer & winter. For 4 minutes & 13 seconds Talib Kweli, Black Thought, & Pharoahe Monch stir up the lyrical counterpart on “Guerrila Monsoon Rap,” off of Kweli’s album Quality. Read the rest of this entry »