I am so glad to hear that Kray and Tone Tank (otherwise known as Iller Than Theirs) are back together making music. Iller Than Theirs was their self-titled debut that came out last year on Embedded Music, and ranked among my top 10 favorite albums of last year. Kray and Tone Tank totally compliment each others style and their flow is as smooth as tap water. Their self-titled release was only eleven tracks long but boy was that way more than enough for me to know that these guys were something special. My favorite track off the album was either a collaboration with one of my favorite emcees of all time Masta Ace called “The Same”, or a the lead track on the album “Razorbumps”. The beats that these guys have behind them totally fit the mood to. The thing I love about these guys rhyming is that we get a good sense of where they grew up as well as their views on life and the way things really are.
Well it looks like the apple definitely doesn’t fall too far from the tree. J Dilla’s little brother John “Illa J” Yancey will be putting out an album entitled Yancey Boys on Delicious Vinyl. This album will be comprised completely of Dilla beats from Delicious Vinyl’s vault that were never released. Now keep in mind that these are beats that were from roughly ’95 to ’98 when Dilla was doing remixes for Delicious Vinyl, so they are going to have more of an Ummah Era feel to them. I first found out about Illa J a little over a year ago when his Illa J EP fell into my lap (given to me by one of my friends). I remember hearing the EP and thinking “holy shit” this is straight fire. The EP was just seven short tracks long and totally made me think of Dilla when I heard it, just because Illa’s flow sounds so similar (although it’s better than Dilla’s) and the beats were just ridiculous.
I have to be quite honest, Illa J has some big shoes to fill but I think he is fully capable of holding his own. If he can keep the consistency that he had on his EP he will be an underground heavyweight. The album features guest appearances by: Guilty Simpson, (Detroit Heavyweight and formerly a frequent Dilla collaborator) Affion Crocket (whom you may remember from Nick Cannon’s Wylin Out) and “Frank Nitty” (of Frank N Dank).
Here is the official art work & tracklisting:
1. Timeless (Produced By: J. Dilla)
2. We Here (Produced By: J. Dilla)
3. R U Listenin’? (feat. Guilty Simpson) (Produced By: J. Dilla)
4. Alien Family by Frank Nitty (Produced By: J. Dilla)
5. Strugglin (Produced By: J. Dilla)
6. Showtime (Produced By: J. Dilla)
7. Swagger (Produced By: J. Dilla)
8. Mr. Shakes (Skit) aka Affion Crockett (Produced By: J. Dilla)
9. DFTF (feat. Affion Crockett) (Produced By: J. Dilla)
10. All Good (Produced By: J. Dilla)
11. Sounds Like Love (feat. Debi Nova) (Produced By: J. Dilla)
12. Everytime (Produced By: J. Dilla)
13. Illasoul (Produced By: J. Dilla)
14. Air Signs (Produced By: J. Dilla)
It appears as though Common’s new album will (hopefully and finally) be titled Universal Mind Control. To be honest I am not feeling the cover to this album at all. I really hope that Com makes something that is better than Finding Forever, I mean yeah it was a grammy winner and critics spoke highly of it but I didn’t consider it to be anywhere near the best of Common’s work. It hasn’t been since the album Be that I thought Common was on top of his game, and before that it was Like Water For Chocolate which is easily my favorite Common album. I think a big part of me not really being a huge fan of Common’s recent stuff is because there isn’t a whole lot of Dilla production. J Dilla really was the only producer that I think brought out the best in Common, don’t get me wrong he meshes well with Kanye, but you can’t match the chemistry of say a song like “So Far To Go” or “The Light”.
The album is tentatively dropping on December 9th on Kanye West’s “G.O.O.D.” (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music as well as Geffen Records.
Here is the Official Tracklisting:
01. Universal Mind Control
02. Punch Drunk Love (Feat. Kanye West)
03. Make My Day (Feat. Cee-Lo Green)
04. Sex 4 Sugar
05. Announcement (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
06. Gladiator
07. Changes
08. Inhale
09. What a World
10. Everywhere
I am really suprised this is the first time that I’ve actually heard anything about this (big up to Analecia and Carson for pointing me to this video). Apparently Fox Searchlight pictures is going to come out with a movie (Bio) about The Notorious B.I.G. (Aka Biggie Smalls, Big Pappa, Biggie) in 2009. I have to admit that I really don’t listen to a ton of Biggie, but I will at the same time admit that I do think he is one of the top lyricists of all time without question. The way that he rhymed influenced so many cats that go out there and do their thing now, the way he spit was like hearing a muder happen; it was totally vicious and you were never the same after you heard it. Ready to Dieis and will always be one of the greatest albums in Hip-Hop history. I personally can not wait to see this movie when it comes out in January of 2009.
I’m truly sorry that I haven’t put anything up yet on the Illadelph crew of Vinnie Paz, Stoupe & Jus Allah formerly known as Jedi Mind Tricks. Violent By Design came out back in 2000 and I didn’t hear the album until I was in 11th grade (which would be 2003) when one of my buddies put the album in his car cd player. I remember hearing the song “Retaliation” and being like this is what hip-hop isall about. Violent by Design changed my whole perspective on Hip-Hop music. I can honestly tell you that I wouldn’t listen to the music that I do if it wasn’t for this album. Hearing Vinnie and Jus destroy the beats that Stoupe put down was like karma being returned to me for listening to Juvenile all those years. JMT has released three albums since then and none of them have featured Jus Allah, for awhile there was rumors that Vinnie and Jus had creative differences. They announced in June (on their blog on MySpace) that Jus Allah, Vinnie and Stoupe were back in the studios “conjuring the viciousness of the Violent By Design days”, that thought alone gives me chills.
Jedi Mind tricks has been a very consistent group, but for the last three albums it just felt like something was missing. I can tell you that I am very excited to hear what JMT has in store for us on the next album. A History of Violence drops November 11th. Jedi Mind Tricks also has a DVD dropping called Divine Fire dropping soon that you need to check out to.
Johnson & Jonson is a group that is comprised of Los Angeles emcee Blu and up-and-coming producer Mainframe. The first thing that I really want you to understand is that this cat Blu can tear apart bars like a prisoner on steroids. I had mentioned in a post that if you hadn’t heard the Blu & Exile project Below the Heavens you needed to. I have no problem with making that statement, it was easily one of the top albums of last year, and I haven’t heard an emcee/DJ duo like that in a long time. The one thing that you need to understand is that Blu is one of those emcees that you totally build tracks around. Blu is so versatile and can rhyme to almost any beat that you provide him with. That’s what I liked about Below the Heavens, you got some of those hard ass hitting beats, and then there were the super soulful beats that were much more calm. Blu is another one of the cats that you really have to watch for, he (along with Evidence, and coincidentally Blu is on the new Evidence EP) is one of the hardest working guys in the game right now. He put out the critically acclaimed Below The Heavens last year, then he put out an album as part of the collective C.R.A.C. Knuckles with Detroit native Ta’Raach, and is now dropping the J&J album.
Right out of the gate Blu has the rhyme thing going on. “J & J” is a great track, and it shows that Blu’s flow has the bite of a pit bull. He rhymes over a beat with thrashing cymbals, bleepy synths and a wicked ass bass line with such ferocity that you would think his next meal depended on it. “Up All Night” is a perfect example of what I mean with Blu switching up his flow. On “J&J” Blu is rapping pretty fast, and then on “Up All Night” Mainframe totally slows down the beat and puts in a nice bass line with some basic drums, but as I said before it sounds like Blu was meant for the beat. I have to say that “Mama Told Me” is one of my favorite highlights of the album. It has a feel good horn driven beat and Blu reminisces on his childhood and the lessons that he learned as a child. The great thing about Blu is that he can bring you the punchlines, similes and metaphors, but he can also tell one hell of a story at the same time.
Another thing that I really have to get into is Mainframe. I hadn’t really heard of him until this project came out, and I’m glad I was exposed to his style. He is one producer who can really switch up a style and still make it sound really good. Mainframe will be one of those producers you really want to look for in the near future. We are talking about a guy that as of right now only has just over 2,000 hits on his MySpace, after this album blows up Mainframe will start getting some bigger projects.
Something I want to point out is that the majority of the tracks on this album are three minutes or less. That means that a lot of these tracks are pretty brief. Shakespear once said “Brevity is the soul of wit”, I think this album might be an exact representation of that quote. Blu & Mainframe tend to keep it brief but boy this album definitely makes its mark. After hearing Johnson & Jonson I know you are going to want to hear more from both of these artists. The album makes for a great listen and the humorous additions to the Johnson family are an added plus (Mainframe rhyming as Jon Johnson, Miguel Jontel as Tell Johnson, Co$$ as Troy Johnson and Bobo Lamb as Jack Johnson).
This is the first single off of the new Foreign Exchange album Leave It All Behind. I have been listening to this album on and off for a little while now, and the only conclusion that I can come to is that it’s definitely different. The last album Connected was a good mixture of Hip-Hop/R&B/Soul. Leave It All Behind is very Soul & R&B influenced with very little Hip-Hop. This album for the most part has Phonte singing, which is something that is definitely different for me but I really enjoy it. It’s nice to hear an artists almost out of his element (not doing what he usually does) and trying something that is a little different. From what I have heard this album is very good. I will have a review up soon enough for you guys to get to.
You can jump over to the Foreign Exchange site and get the Leave It All Behind Sampler to get a taste of what I am talking about.
Pete Rock, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey & Talib Kweli on Dilla Day 2008
So, if you know me, you know that I am a hugeJ Dilla fan/enthusiast. Many people would call me a “poser” Dilla fan because I haven’t been listening since the beginning (when I was like 5). I had listened to a little bit of Tribe, but never knew that Dilla was behind their later stuff. The first time I really actually realized Dilla production was on a Kweli mixtape, and I was completely mesmerized by the beat. I immediately got my hands on everything Dilla I could get and didn’t think twice about it. What Dilla did for my musical taste and outlook on life in general I will never be able to forget. He will always be my inspiration for anything that I do.
It came to my attention awhile ago that the Yancey family was in a huge limbo trying to pay all of Dilla’s outstanding hospital bills, and at the same time keep the “Dilla estate” alive. I just read a few weeks ago that Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey is suffering from the same tragic disease that took her genius son’s life. She needs all of the help she can get and all of you Dilla fans out there really have a chance to make a difference.
Please go over to the Giant Peach’s Website on MySpace and make a contribution. It doesn’t have to be a large amount of money, just do what you can. Every dollar makes a difference. If you don’t want to donate through PayPal, or just want to send a letter to Ma Dukes you can send your contributions to:
Maureen Yancey
8281 E. Brentwood
Detroit, MI 48234
First off let me say Holy Shit! Here we are less than one week away from the release and I have heard three singles off of Tronic. I am already thinking this will probably be top 5 contender for my personal favorite album of the year. For all of you out there on the Kanye West tip, you need to get off it and start listening to Black Milk. This guy is one of the best producer/emcees I’ve ever heard. His flow on Popular Demand was liquid smooth, but his rhymes and flow are starting to get vicious. I want everyone to mark my words when I say “Black Milk is the future of Hip-Hop and production”, he is going to be a household name soon enough. It’s just a matter of time until the D (and all of Michigan) blows up on the Hip-Hop scene, because they arguably have some of the best talent in the game right now (Elzhi, Buff1, One Be Lo, Royce Da 5’9″ ) and Black Milk will be the tip of that spearhead.
This beat has a sick ass sample and Black just tears the shit out of this beat like a piece of paper. Royce has his poignant (as always) flow and the two torch this track like a Philly blunt with a butane lighter. Before the track starts Black says “Everybody gather around and listen”, that’s exactly what everyone is going to be doing when they hear Black. His first line is “Let’s talk about the most under-estimated plus underrated city in this Hip-Hop game?”. I couldn’t say it much better myself, Detroit Hip-Hop is HIGHLY underrated and it’s a damn shame.
October 28th folks, that is the day that it will all change. Go and get Tronic this upcoming Tuesday, it is going to blow everyone away.
DJ Babu (of the Dilated Peoples) is releasing his new solo album Duck Season Vol. 3 on October 28th, and he was gracious enough to let us hear this masterpiece (featuring MF Doom and Sean Price) which is titled “The Unexpected”. I have to admit that I wasn’t really a big fan of Doom until recently (I haven’t heard anything that great since Madvillain or Danger Doom). He has been doing a lot of projects lately with some of my favorite producers (Dilla, Jake One, Babu), and I have been absolutely loving it. This track is one of them. There are two things that really make this track: 1.) Babu’s beat is absolutely intriguing, and has a great melody that you can just bob your head to. 2.) Doom and Sean Price compliment each other sowell on this track. Sean Price has a line in this track that made me laugh out loud in the middle of a parking lot with my headphones on (I think that people thought I was crazy): “I always throw sixes, return a Ike Turner I always throw bitches”.
This track is really good, and as you can expect Babu’s work on the ones and twos is incredible. Duck Season Vol. 3 promises to be a great addition to the Hip-Hop albums already out this year. There’s nothing better to me, than to see a producer coming out from behind the boards (working on other people’s music) and doing something for themselves.
If you want to see what a real DJ/Producer can do, go out and get Duck Season Vol. 3 on October 28th. Until then listen to the track.
DJ Babu
MIND INVERSION 