Here comes Trouble, back with video numero cuatro from his December 17th mixtape. Not as testy as the “Questions” clip but there’s only so much dust-kicking that the game can stand per artist I guess. Read the rest of this entry »

Mi hermano Will @ Yours Tru.ly slipped the Block Beataz remix of “Hometown Hero” into the inbox but time wouldn’t permit sharing right then. Never too late though for a track that never gets old. Read the rest of this entry »

Do we really need to gush anymore about how much we love the talent gathered and integrity behind this project? Let’s be completely honest here. Biased? Of course we are. We love K.R.I.T. We love Grillade. We’ve worked with and share a huge amount of respect for Yours Tru.ly. Read the rest of this entry »

New record from the Grillade x Big K.R.I.T. collabo project that will be dropping soon and we featured video footage from last week. Of course, the track is free to listen to using Bandcamp but there’s an almost token donation if you want to buy the mp3. All of the proceeds will be going to the charity www.therootsofmusic.com. Read the rest of this entry »

Forget headphone endorsements and weekly song downloads, this is one trend that should continue in hip-hop. First, we saw Freddie singing the “County Blues” alongside Grillade (pronounced “gree-YAHD”) as part of their MC-meets-live-band type studio sessions presented by Yourstru.ly. Now, we’ve got Mississippi’s multi-tasker Big K.R.I.T. placing his credits in front of the San Fran six-piece, as they creatively coexist to re-imagine one of the more introspective songs from K.R.I.T Wuz Here, “Something.” Read the rest of this entry »

For the casual Yelawolf listener, it’s easy to forget that the Alabama MC’s career path first saw him attempt to ply his trade as a skateboarder in the liberal playground of Berkeley, California. Although the area is most notable for its numerous academics, it remains a town deeply divided between its university leanings and blue-collar surrounding areas. To showcase this, the film production group Yours Tru.ly follows Yela around his old stomping grounds as he recounts his time spent living homeless in the city until his ambitious departure. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: Alexander Richter

If you’ve ever rocked rhymes or orchestrated your own instrumentals, you’d know finding a live band to learn and reproduce your music is easier said than done. Which is why it’s all the more fresh when guys like Freddie Gibbs can hop on stage with psychedelic San Francisco group Grillade and rock his grown man anthem from the tape that made him famous. Read the rest of this entry »

There aren’t many more things to stay about Big K.R.I.T.’s groundbreaking 2010 project that haven’t already been documented. The brutal honesty and lyrical wizardy that defined K.R.I.T. Wuz Here was only overshadowed by the reality the Mississippi native produced the entire album himself. Read the rest of this entry »

In one of the more interesting and unexpected blunt sessions of the year, Yours Truly presents Freddie Gibbs rolling up with indie-rock newcomers Best Coast at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival. While this isn’t Freddie Gibbs’ first collaborative effort with lo-fi-leaning Californians, it certainly serves as the most introspective. Here are three things that I noticed from Gangsta Gibbs’ smoke break. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember getting my hair cut in Chicago back in the summer of ’08 and an old head in the shop was talking about the city. He mentioned the North side, South side and getting caught in the wrong part of the West side was not a predicament you wanted to find yourself in. One thing he spoke about in particular, however, was Gary, Indiana. The only thing separating Gary from Chicago was a state line and railroad tracks. Even with their close proximity, it was a totally different world over there. The economy of the city was in shambles and crime was so common most people didn’t blink twice when it occurred. Read the rest of this entry »

Constructing a verse is easy. Constructing one with meaning, passion, and longevity, however, is the trick. Every fan, critic, and casual listener of Hip-Hop has at least one or two 16s they can turn to reflect on in good times and receive guidance through in bad times. At its very core, it’s powerful. Relating to another person’s words and emotions as if they were your own was the reason music was created and the sole testament why it remains the language of the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Short of Hamlet holding a human skull and pondering the meaning of life, I’ve understood absolutely zippy Danish in my life. Until now. Read the rest of this entry »

Hip-Hop has been around long enough that no one is making it to the forefront without taking cues from those who have come before them. The smart ones are perceptive enough to pinpoint certain traits from multiple sources and assimilate them into their own style. Which is why asking someone nowadays who their influences are, simply isn’t enough.

We’ve teamed up with Yours Truly for the “3:16” video series in an effort to peel another layer off the onion of the emcee’s thought process. When told straight from the horses mouth, the verses they hold near and dear to their heart provide a wealth of information. A verse or two recited is like being in the huddle when the play’s being drawn up. A few vital pieces of information make you see the play in a whole new light.

For our second installment, all lights are on Fayettenam’s own J. Cole. Although he shouldn’t need an introduction around these parts, here are a few highlights off his resume: he’s assumed the role of the new and improved Memphis Bleek on Jay’s Roc redux, released two well-received mixtapes, warmed up audiences on Jigga’s BP3 tour & found a place on XXL’s latest freshman list. All before dropping a debut album. Taking a brief respite on his road to apparent stardom, this Tarheel upstart recites a trio of verses that have stuck with him over the years.

In part one, J. shares how Canibus’ “Buckingham Palace” transformed his own rhyme style, helping him rearrange his whole approach to rhyming.

In part two, Cole breaks down his affinity for Nas’ “Undying Love” and its influence on one of his first songs, “The Storm,” as well as his smash, “Lights Please.”

Thanks: Roc Nation x Columbia

Check out the previous 3:16 series installment featuring Pac Div.

As we keep building & blogging, there’s always a drive to develop a different approach in the way we engage artists. In some situations a Session works well, whereas Fifteen Minutes with an emcee can cover quite a bit of ground as well. Still, we want to keep the experience unique & Fresh, leaving the standard Q&A to other outlets while we continue to push the envelope.

With that in mind, we’ve joined forces with the brilliant minds at Yours Truly (http://yourstru.ly/) to create the “3:16″ Video Series. Since it’s primarily their brainchild, I asked Will of Yours Truly to give a few words for his take on the series. He says any emcee worth your time should be able to make his verses your favorite, just as any emcee worth his salt should have his favorite verses committed to memory.

“Playwrights have scenes, poets have stanzas, Holy men have verses, and emcees have 16’s,” he says.

And so our first subject in this project is the rhyme trio collectively known as Pac Div. With a quality “mixtape” (Church League Champions was better than quite a few releases with bar codes) under their belt and an energetic, well-choreographed stage performance, the Californians continue to climb the their way to success. For this occasion, Mibbs, BeYoung & Like each take a moment to recite a rhyme that’s etched in their memory banks and then share the reason why the lines or the artist who spoke them had such an impact on each member of the group. Read the rest of this entry »