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Video: Skyzoo, “First Generation Rich” (Prod. By Jahlil Beats)

Posted in Album Update, Media, Video with tags , , , , , on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 by Tim Althaus

These last few weeks have been amazing because Skyzoo has been releasing a tidal wave of material for the masses. In a post that I put up a couple weeks ago, I mentioned that Sky was supposed to be dropping a mixtape entitled Theo Vs. JJ: Dreams Vs. Reality. I was apprehensive as to whether or not it was going to come out because A Dream Deferred is right around the corner. After I got home from classes yesterday, I decided to go through my usual routine of checking my social media outlets, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Skyzoo dropped a new video for the track “First Generation Rich” – which will be featured on Theo Vs. JJ: Dreams Vs. Reality.

Jahlil Beats (of Roc Nation) lays down a melodically mellow masterpiece that enables Skyzoo to carve out his lane and conduct his craft. In all reality, there was no reason to doubt whether or not Skyzoo was going to put out Theo Vs. JJ because I don’t think he’s capable of disappointing his fans. Based on the quality of The Great Debater, Skzyoo very well could be releasing two album-quality projects in back-to-back months – clearly nothing to complain about.

Make sure you download Theo Vs. JJ: Dreams Vs. Reality when it drops later this week; rest assured, there will definitely be a post here at Mind Inversion.

Here’s what Skyzoo had to say about the concept behind “First Generation Rich”:

“The inspiration for “First Generation Rich” came from me watching an Oprah Winfrey special on the Miami Heat’s recent title win, and she asked Dwyane Wade about his life now, as opposed to when he was a kid in Chicago. He went on to talk about being the first one in his family to have any type of “real money”. In doing so, he used a slogan: “first generation rich”. Oprah acknowledged said slogan, thus signaling that she’d known of/used the term as well when describing what that new found life turns into, and just like that it hit me. FGR. First Generation Rich. The idea of being the first one in your family, the first generation on your side, to make it.”

“Produced by Roc Nation’s Jahlil Beats, the track said everything I needed it to before I even began to write to it. The idea behind the Theo Vs. JJ mixtape was to show the vast differences between highs and lows, living to win and winning to live, fortune and misfortune. FGR. So, shout out to #FGR and everyone who’s felt that feeling within them, this one’s for us.”

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Album Update: P.O.S., We Don’t Even Live Here

Posted in Album Update, Media, Video with tags , , , , , , , , on Thursday, August 16, 2012 by Tim Althaus

Good music keeps oozing from the pores of the Hip-Hop Heavyweights over at Rhymesayers Entertainment. Aesop Rock just released another stellar album last month; Brother Ali is releasing his new album in September, and now it has been announced that P.O.S. will release his fourth studio album – We Don’t Even Live Here – on October 23rd.

According to the press release I read, We Don’t Even Live Here will favor more futuristic beats influenced by the Euro club scene. Even though P.O.S. is going to keep his Hip-Hop roots grounded by collaborating with regular names like Cecil Otter, Lazerbeak, Mike Mictlan and Sims, We Don’t Even Live Here will feature beats from artists like Boyz Noise & Housemeister – DJs who make dance-oriented music. Fans can also expect to hear Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) lending his vocals to the album.

This will be Stef’s first album since he released the masterpiece Never Better back in 2009; three years is a long wait, so I’m definitely stoked to hear some new solo material is coming out. I’ve been a huge fan of everything he’s done so far, and I think that his strategy to shake things up could pay off big dividends.

Recently, Stef performed a live version of the lead single from We Don’t Even Live Here – “Bumper” – for Pitchfork City of Music, and if it’s any indication of what the album’s going to sound like, then listeners are in for a very interesting and intense ride. I know I can’t wait to buy my ticket.

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Brother Ali is “Mourning in America”

Posted in Audio, Media with tags , , , on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 by Tim Althaus

Holy heat rock Batman! Brother Ali & Jake One have dropped an atomic bomb on my ears! A while back, I posted the first single off of Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color – “Stop The Press”. I wasn’t really too keen on the beat that Jake One had cooked up for “Stop The Press”, but “Mourning in America” is a much different story; Mr. Uno builds an emphatic ensemble that allows Brother Ali to vent about his views on war and violence in America, and to be quite frank, Ali’s not afraid to speak out:

“Overseas we can mutilate and mangle /Let me give you an example what our troops are coming back to /Cold cities where the youth are getting strangled /The community in peril and our future looking narrow/Your school already failed you /The boys in blue will nail you they salute you with a barrel /The streets are a certified dead zone /Decorated with chalk lines and headstones”

Every time I hear a new song from this album, it gets better and better; my anticipation for this album is off the charts, so September 18th can’t come soon enough. I – much like many of Ali’s fans – was nervous when I heard that Ant wasn’t going to have any production credits to his name on this album, but I think that this album is going to end up far better than I could have ever anticipated.

You can pre-order the album through Fifth Element.

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Album Update: Murs & Fashawn, This Generation

Posted in Album Update, Audio, Media with tags , , , , , , on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 by Tim Althaus

I was on Facebook today, and I randomly scrolled over the album cover because I thought it was just a track; sometimes I don’t know what I would do without Facebook because it seems like I always stumble across new music material via my news feed. I was completely oblivious to this, but apparently Murs & Fashawn are teaming up to release a full-length album produced entirely by Beatnick & K-Salaam. The project will be released on Duck Down Records, and it will hit stores on September 25th.

Whether you realize it or not, Murs is an O.G. and a legend in the West Coast Hip-Hop game; he’s collaborated with the best of them, and he gets mad respect from cats all across the nation. He even teamed up with Guerilla Union to start the Paid Dues concert series – which is a big deal in the Hip-Hop community.

Fashawn is one of the best emcees from the Left Coast, and I’ve been itching to hear a proper release from Fashawn since he dropped Boy Meets World – his classic debut album. He’s dropped a few mixtapes in the interim, but I’m glad to see that he’s dropping another official studio album. I’m hoping – even though it may be a little ambitious – that Fash will drop his Sophomore album The Ecology sometime this year; any time that Fashawn and Exile team up, it’s an instant recipe for greatness.

You can peep the album’s lead single (“Flash Gordan”) and tracklisting down below.

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Skyzoo, “Jansport Strings (One Time For Chi-Ali)” (Prod. By 9th Wonder)

Posted in Album Update, Audio, Media with tags , , , , , , on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 by Tim Althaus

I feel like the lord is constantly answering my prayers pertaining to this album. I just put up a post the other day about Sky finishing his upcoming album A Dream Deferred, and today he dropped the lead single – “Jansport Strings”. 9th Wonder lays down a laid back beat full of jovial horns, and as expected, Skyzoo spits cryptographic rhymes about growing up with his friends in Brooklyn and “earning his Jansport Strings”.

Skyzoo provided some insight into the meaning of this track:

“The idea behind Jansport Strings is not based on it being literal, but more so in the figurative sense. As a kid in NY, the strings on your Jansport bag were a sign of power and presence. Kids would steal the strings off of each other’s bags and burn the tips to prevent getting robbed of them once they got them.”

“The song is a 3 minute auto-bio of me as a kid in Brooklyn and seeing more than my friends and I had bargained for. In essence, my Jansport strings tied it all together, seeing what we all saw and what it made us. The ending is a clip from Video Music Box, the legendary NYC video show run by DJ Ralph McDaniels. This episode in particular was the debut of Chi-Ali’s ‘Age Ain’t Nothin But A Number’. Seeing that video that day on this episode of VMB made me start rhyming. This clip was literally the moment that changed my life”.

It was also announced today that A Dream Deferred will be dropping on October 2nd via Duck Down Music and Skyzoo’s new label imprint The Faculty ; I’m so happy that it’s only a couple months away. I’ve been waiting on this album since Live From The Tape Deck dropped, and even though that was only two years ago, it seems like far more than that. If Sky’s previous work is any indication of listeners can expect, then A Dream Deferred will change the way that we interpret lyrics… again.

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Kaleem & Mastermind iDV (Feat. Slug) (Prod. By DJ Sidereel), “Northern Lights”

Posted in Audio, Local Love, Media with tags , , , , on Monday, July 30, 2012 by Tim Althaus

It still seems kind of weird to see Slug on Twitter, but following him definitely has its privileges; he’s funny, and he definitely shows mad support for other artists. Earlier today, Mr. Daley posted this track, and even though I’ve never heard of these two cats (I probably would if I lived in Minneapolis), I’m feeling it a great deal. Some of you listening may recognize the piano melody on this track from Fun’s hit “We Are Young”; I absolutely love the sample flip that DJ Sidereel came up with, and I think it’s the perfect feel for these cats to bust some catchy lines over.

Those who know me are aware that I love local music, and tracks like this are the perfect example. Minneapolis is such a magnificent city that is filled with unlimited musical potential, and it’s incredible to see just how deep the city’s talent runs. This is the type of stuff that Terry was talking about in his post about compassion in Hip-Hop; I know for a fact he would love to see that Slug is reaching out a helping hand to some local up-and-comers from the 612. I look forward to hearing more material from Kaleem & Mastermind iDV.

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Video: Elzhi, “Blue Widow”

Posted in Media, Video with tags , , on Monday, July 30, 2012 by Tim Althaus

I’ve been living without the internet the past few days, and needless to say, it’s been rough. I logged on to Facebook today, and this video is one of the first things I saw. Usually I don’t bother with posting videos because of the redundancy, but if it’s something really dope I tend to; Elzhi is definitely the definition of dope. You might recall that I posted this track a few weeks back, and now “Blue Widow” is getting the visual treatment.

The video was directed by Donovan Glover, and although the concept is pretty simple, it’s extremely effective; actually, I don’t think the word whack is in Elzhi’s dictionary, and we all know that his vocabulary is pretty expansive.

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Introducing: Click Track

Posted in Local Love, Mind Inversion Exclusive, Video with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on Thursday, July 19, 2012 by TSN

For some time I had been anticipating a video from a local band, Click Track.  Straight out of La Crosse, WI.  Now that I have seen and heard, I realize this band hails with edgy creativity and promising tune.

I had no idea at how the video would go or how the new song would sound.  I was exposed to the above.  I am greatly surprised at the catchiness of the song and the quality of the video, I felt it necessary to share with you, my friends at Mindinversion.net.

Local Love presents Click Track.

Click Track Facebook Page

Click Track Reverbnation

These are some place to check out more songs, tour dates, and news on Click Track.

Click Track frontman Ryan Conrad and drummer Nick Elstad have hit it right with Dangerous Children.  They have been writing songs and creating music for sometime, playing venues in La Crosse, and elsewhere in the Midwest.  Bars, like The Cavalier, places intimate and very up close and personal.  I have known Conrad to have been writing and creating music, at least, for the past 10 years, in various acts (One point I even had the pleasure of being in a band with Conrad).  Seen em’ (Click Track) live a few times and they put on a high energy, professionally done show, with some fun.  The live show is intense and memorable, and their sound is original, at times haunting.

The song Dangerous Children is pleasantly catchy and the video is done well.  It has a hint of low-budget underground artsy film, but it remains highly effective and the songwriting speaks to quality.  I can appreciate a sense of art in production, with the progression and listenability of big league acts.  A song I can relate to and listen to many times before coming to a conclusion.

For a bit Conrad had been telling me to give his music a listen, I have known him forever and decided to.  I had not expected it to sound so new, so crisp, and so realistic.  I was happily enthusiastic.  I was intrigued, the Dangerous Children video showcases Click Track and the city of La Crosse, and a library, these are 3 positives in my book.

La Crosse is a city with a lot of musical acts, but at times, sadly, with little progression and distinguishability within the ranks and genres.

However, that is not entirely true, thanks to Click Track.

If anything Click Track is a testament that the music scene in La Crosse is changing for the better-their video speaks to said change.  Click Track is a breakthrough Indie rock band coming out of La Crosse, something I consider great, and they are pointed in the right direction.  They deserve a listen, and for the creative video they deserve a share.

Okay, so they have a megaphone, they wear suits, and they are from La Crosse, WI.  Need I say more?

The retro feel of the video, and the simple yet catchy sound have me inspired, Click Track.  As Click Track shows, there is clear potential in the Midwest for indie garage rock.

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Blu & Exile, “A Man”

Posted in Audio, Media with tags , , , , , on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 by Tim Althaus

I knew that Blu & Exile were working on new material, but damn. This track is straight up beautiful, and I know I say this a lot, but this is probably one of the best tracks I’ve heard this year. “A Man” comes from the six track EP Maybe One Day (The link I included for Maybe One Day is to the Fat Beats physical copy, digital is available via iTunes); this excellent EP serves as a predecessor for Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them which will be dropping on September 4th.

As many might recall, Blu & Exile dropped the classic albumBelow The Heavens back in 2007, and by the sounds of “A Man”, they are sticking to their formula and living up to expectations. From the first few punches of Exile’s MPC, it’s obvious that this beat is going be what we’ve come to expect from Mr. Manfredi: unequivocal organ chops and beautiful soul vocals arranged in the perfect order. Exile is one of those producers that keeps evolving, and he’s quickly climbing the ladder to legendary status.

I had been hearing a lot of rumors about Blu lately, and I didn’t really know what to expect from him; I was blown away by his ability to tackle a topic as touchy as religion:

“I wonder/who do you believe in?/I know it ain’t me/I hope it ain’t a priest or who you seen on TV/I hope it ain’t you pappa partner he only raised you/and I know it ain’t your mom even though that’s who you came through/I’m askin’.. who you pray to?”

You can pre-order Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them here.

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Elzhi Is On That “Blue Widow”

Posted in Audio, Media with tags , , , , on Monday, July 9, 2012 by Tim Althaus

This was certainly a splendid way to end my work day. I got a text from my buddy at work, and I only read one thing: “new Elzhi track”; my eyes lit up with joy. Elzhi is my favorite rapper, and I’m guessing he’s your favorite emcee’s favorite emcee. Every adjective that I could use to describe this man is a synonym for greatness; he’s by far one of the most consistent emcees on the planet. I’ve been listening to Elmatic religiously ever since it came out, and I knew he was in the process of working on new material, but I didn’t know we were going to get it so soon.

According to a few things that I’ve read, Elzhi will be heading out on a worldwide tour, and he will be releasing his sophomore outing this fall (tentatively titled The Weather Report?). I’m really not sure if this is going to be on the new album, but I can honestly say it’s what I’ve come to expect from El: an uptempo beat that fits his witty wordplay and fast paced delivery. I don’t know who produced it, but I’m really digging the beat.*

According to the Facebook fan page, the cut is produced by none other than Detroit Heavyweight, DJ Dez

Just an example of what you can expect to hear:

“They know about how I light em’ up and blow em’ out/like a blizzy in the Benzy/getting Lewinskied and Lohan/like Lindsay/ I cause a frenzy as long as the world spins me…around/you know I stay gunnin’ for the thrown lickin’ rounds at the crown/you dumbfound/all of these bums is thumbs down”

If you’re lucky enough to be in one of these cities listed for the tour (which I’m not, of course), I highly suggest you go.

July 12 Ottawa, ON @ Ritual
July 13 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
July 14 Toronto, ON @ Soundclash Festival
July 16 Philly, PA @ Silk City
July 17 Boston, MA @ Middle East
July 18 Providence, RI @ Fete
July 19 New York, NY @ SOB’s
July 20 Pittsburgh, PA @ 720 Café
July 21 Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s
July 24 Kalamazoo, MI @ Poppa Pete’s
July 25 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
July 26 Chicago, IL @ Sub-T
July 27 St. Louis, MO @ Lola
July 28 Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s
August 1 Phoenix, AZ @ Chaser’s
August 2 Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club
August 3 Oakland, CA @ New Parish
August 7 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
August 8 Vancouver, BC @ Republic
August 14 Warsaw, Poland @ Miasto Cypel
August 15 London, UK @ Cargo
August 17 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic @ Hip-Hop Kemp Festival
August 18 Biel, Switzerland @ Royal Arena Festival

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