This is the newest single off of Jake One’s Rhymesayers Entertainment masterpiece White Van Music. The track features Vitamin D, C Note, Ish & Maneak B. This track paints a pretty vivid picture of Jake’s hometown of Seattle. You also get a cameo from Sir Mix a Lot in the beginning that is one that you won’t forget (where has he been for like 15 years?).
Spotted @ Jake One’s Twitter
Me going nuts when Pharcyde dropped "Raise It Up" in tribute to Jay Dee
As you can see by the picture I look like I am in a great mood. That’s because I was outstandingly over-joyed all day on Saturday in Shakopee, MN at Soundset 2009. I really couldn’t have asked for much more the entire day. My camera died roughly an hour and a half into the show (thanks to Erik for the pictures as well as other people on Flickr) and I ended up looking like a lobster from sunburn, but it was all worth it to be at this show. Even though this show was on the first weekend of summer, I can guarantee that this show will be the highlight of my entire summer.
The first show of the day I went to was I Self Devine who I was not super familiar with, but knew some of his background. I have to admit that I was very impressed by his performance and I can’t wait until his new album drops on RSE later this year. He had a lot of energy on stage, which in my opinion is absolutely key when it comes to an all day Hip-Hop festival.
I Self Devine taking a quick breather during one of his songs
Blueprint was next, and boy was I in for one hell of a surprise. I am probably one of the biggest Soul Position fans there is, and when I found out Rjd2 wasn’t coming I was a little disappointed. Let me tell you that Rj not being there made no difference whatsoever. Blueprint went on stage at Soundset and completely ripped the microphone to shreds going through tracks like “1988” & “Tramp”. My favorite part of his set, though, was when he busted out “Drugs, Sex, Alcohol, Rock-N-Roll” from the Soul Position album Things Go Better With RJ & Al. After seeing Blueprint at Soundset, I look forward to seeing Print no matter who he performs with.
Print preaching to the crowd during his set
Print spitting his heart out on "1988"
"Drugs, Sex, Alcohol, Rock-N-Roll"
The next show I saw was Abstract Rude (who brought along Aceyalone & Myka 9) who I’ve been trying to get into lately. He put on a pretty good show, and when Aceyalone & Myka 9 hit the stage the energy really started to rise. These 3 guys together are a great group and it shows they are all highly influenced by each other when they are together.
Abstract Rude, Photo Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Haiku D'Etat, Photo Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Before this show, I had been waiting about 4 years to see Eyedea & Abilities. I missed them at last year’s Soundset and hand’t been able to make it to Minneapolis for a show when there was another opportunity. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to this show. The dynamic between these two is absolutely amazing and seeing them play classic cuts like “Star Destroyer”, “E&A Day”, as well as cuts off of the upcoming album By The Throat was nothing short of fantastic. It was also great seeing Eyedea give the stage to DJ Abilities so that he could display his amazing techniques on the wheels of steel.
Eyedea adressing the crowd
Eyedea spitting on Star Destroyer, Courtesy of Erik Burg
DJ Abilities tearing up the tables, Courtesy of Erik Burg
Immortal Technique is another guy that I was really looking forward to seeing live. I had heard so many good things from people that had seen him. I would have to say that Immortal Technique probably emitted the most energy out of anybody on stage the entire day of Soundset. Hearing Tech spit songs like “Point Of No Return”, “Industrial Revolution”, “Obnoxious” & other classics was incredible, not to mention that his speeches to the crowd made me (and probably others) feel like fucking some shit up. I feel like chances are, everytime this guy performs, everyone in the crowd walks away moved by his highly emotional & energetic performances. Immortal Technique is someone that everyone should see once in their life.
Immortal Technique Spitting "Point of No Return", Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Immortal Spitting "Obnoxious", Courtesy of Erik Burg
With the bar already set very high, the show kept moving. Hometown hero P.O.S. was next to perform on the mic and he put on a great show with local DJ Plain Ole Bill (who if I do say so myself, is a great DJ). He performed some of the great cuts off of his new album Never Better such as “Let It Rattle”, “Goodbye”, “Savion Glover” & “Optimist”. He also performed one of my favorite tracks off of Audition, “P.O.S. Is Ruining My Life” while telling the crowd to sing as loud as they could for his mother. The highlight of Stef’s set however (as Erik mentioned in his post) was “Low Light Low Life” when he brought out Dessa & Sims of Doomtree to bring their verses to life onstage.
P.O.S. performing "Savion Glover" Courtesy of Erik Burg
Plain Ole' Bill & P.O.S. rocking Soundset, Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Sims, Dessa & Stef, Courtesy of Erik Burg
Since I missed most of Sage Francis due to the fact that my face was already hotter than the sun from sunburn, El-P (with TMQ & Mr. Dibbs) was the next show that I was able to catch. I’ve seen El-P once before already and I knew that he was going to put on a great show for the crowd, but I had no idea it would be this good. He started out his set with my favorite track “Tasmanian Pain Coaster” off of his most recent album I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, which may have been the loudest performance of the day. He then continued through more of his catalogue: “Smithereens”, “Overly Dramatic Truth”, “Deep Space 9mm” & etc. At the end of his set he reminded us all of Camu Tao, who had passed away one year previously due to a fight with lung cancer. All I can say is Camu would have loved to have been there. The most amazing part, however, was when Mr. Dibbs took over on the turntables with his baby head routine that I had seen once previously. Dibbs stole the show with his turntable antics.
"Tasmanian Pain Coaster", Courtesy of Erik Burg
Mr. Dibbs & El-P, Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
El hyping the crowd with "Smithereens"
After El-P came Freeway & Jake One. I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from these guys, but I didn’t know it would be this good. Freeway went through some tracks from the Rocafella days as well as tracks he was featured on from Jake One’s White Van Music. They also decided to bust out some new material from their upcoming Rhymesayer’s release The Stimulus Package. Let me tell you right now, The Stimulus Package is an album you are not going to want to sleep on people. These two have some really fucking good chemistry.
Freeway getting ready to go onstage, Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Freeway on "Line em' Up", Courtesy of Erik Burg
We actually left this set a little bit early so we could catch Southern favorites, CunninLynguists. We got over to the Fifth Element Stage to catch Cunnin’, and immediately I get a message from Erik saying “DOOM is a no show”. I started laughing hysterically and blazed what seemed like my third or fourth joint of the day because I knew I was about to see one of the best shows of the entire day. I was right in every aspect because Kno, Natti & Deacon fucking tore up the Fifth Element stage. All three of them have so much energy with the stage, and at the same time they are so interactive with the crowd. They went through a diverse set from their catalog: “Old School”, “KKKY”, “The South” and more. I can tell you that I honestly didn’t want the show to end at all. I look forward to seeing these guys many times in the future.
Kno, Natti & Deacon rocking the crowd, Courtesy of Kyle Konczal
CunninLynguists going "Old School", Courtesy of Kyle Konczal
CunninLynguists bringing "The South" to Soundset, Courtesy of Kyle Konczal
After the CunninLynguists set, we were actually able to catch about half of the Brother Ali/BK One set because they got pushed up. I’ve seen Brother Ali a few times and I know that he puts on an amazing show. I was able to catch the tracks “Good Lord” & “Forest Whitiker” and Ali was on top form with these tracks. Ali is one of those guys that just has a persona about him, his aura just emanates off of the stage and everyone absorbs it. He really puts on a great show no matter when you see him.
Brother Ali & Slug performing "The Believers", Courtesy of Erik Burg
Brother Ali spitting "Good Lord", Courtesy of Erik Burg
While I was watching Brother Ali, I got a tweet from Rhymesayers that DOOM was in the house. I was a bit apprehensive at first because of all of the bullshit that this guy has pulled in the past. It literally took (the first) DOOM what seemed like 30 minutes to take the stage. I was literally getting pissed, but then I heard the “Benzie Box” beat and my head started to nod immediately. After the first track there was some typical bullshit going down on stage, making it look like DOOM had to leave the show. Just when you though it was over… the real DOOM took the stage and went through a decent amount of his catalog. “Gazillion Ear” in my opinion was definitely the highlight for me, nothing like hearing DOOM over a Dilla beat, especially live. I have to say though, I agree with my man Aaron & the homie Blueprint… DOOM’s show kinda blows, I’d rather hear him on an album. I understand that DOOM has a certain nostalgia about him and that’s what a lot of people love about him, I just don’t buy into it. PLEASE do not take this as me dissing DOOM, he makes incredible music, he’s just an average performer.
"Gazillion Ear", Courtesy of Erik Burg
SUPER!, Courtesy of Erik Burg
The Pharcyde was something that I was definitely looking forward to a great deal. They were insanely pivotal to the West Coast scene and they re-united for this show. I’m not up on their catalog as much as I should be, but they rocked the shit out of the main stage. I would say they were definitely one of the top acts of the day. It seemed like everyone in the crowd was feeling them. They started things off with the classic “Runnin'” and continued down the line with classics one every song they performed. They even broke down into the classic Slum Village track “Raise It Up” in memory of their late friend J Dilla. As mentioned in the top picture of my post, I went absolutely nuts because I fucking love Jay Dee.
The Pharcyde "Runnin" shit on the main stage
"RAISE IT UP!", Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
It seemed like the day was about over, but no Soundset would be complete without hometown favorites Slug & Ant. These two were arguably the crowds favorite, and I would put money on over half of the people being there just to see them. They went through your pretty typical array of Atmosphere songs, “Godlovesugly”, “Shoulda Known”, “Trying To Find a Balance”, “Sunshine” & etc. They finished with the fan-favorite-karaoke-jam “Always Coming Back Home To You” with the vast majority of the crowd singing along with Slug. These two really know how to put on a show for a hometown crowd with no disappointment what so ever.
Slug is "Trying to Find a Balance", Courtesy of Erik Burg
Ant on the wheels of steel, Courtesy of Erik Burg
Slug rocking the hometown crowd, Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhymesayers
Soundset 2009 is one of the best musical experiences I have ever had. It was everything I could have asked for and more. Rhymesayers Entertainment knows how to throw one hell of a Hip-Hop festival, and I can guarantee you I will be on tickets right away for the next Soundset. Make sure you watch out the rest of this year, Rhymesayers has some big things coming up and I know you won’t want to miss them. I know you are probably sick of me rambling on about this show so I will end the post now, hopefully you enjoyed reading about my experience half as much I enjoyed writing about it.
Soundset ’09. A weekend for the ages. From the collective hundreds of dollars we spent at Town Hall brewery the night before the show all the way to eating Culvers the day after with Sage Francis, Soundset was everything it promised to be. I came for the Doom and I got it (surprisingly), I lost count of the number of Atmosphere shirts I saw (god only knows what ticket sales would be like without them), I chilled backstage with some of the greatest in the game for two hours (sometimes I get lucky). I’m here now to share these moments with you through the pictures I gathered. Check for part 2 (videos) tomorrow!
(Atmosphere)
The mainstage at Soundset saw some ridiculous talent all day. For the second year in a row hometown demi-gods Atmosphere headlined it all, but I’m willing to argue that some of the lesser acts where much much better. Let’s start with I Self Devine. Not a terrible opening act at all. His message about what going on in Minneapolis was great: Poverty growing horizontal instead of vertical. That’s important and all, but his stage presence fell a bit short. Look for big things on album though in the future.
Next we have Blueprint, the man maybe more well known for his work as the rhyming half of Soul Position. For being stuck way too low on the setlist, Blueprint made sure he left the crowd surprised. His presence on stage was unreal, he had a way of making it look so easy, standing in place with a backpack on for a while, Blue seemed like he was merely talking. It was beautiful, and I think the crowd definitely had the same reaction, especially when he closed with “Drugs, Sex, Alcohol, Rock ‘N Roll.”
The trio of Abstract Rude, Aceyalone, and Myka 9 were next up on the beyond beautiful day at Canterbury Downs. I was really unfamiliar with all three, except for a Aceyalone track that was on a video game a few years ago, ha. They were all full of energy and seemed really excited to be on the main stage, but I felt like their music, and especially Myka 9 were not so hot. I have to say that I would have much rather seen Cunninlynguists or Blue Scholars in their spot, but nothing is perfect I suppose. Let’s keep going though….
Now the real talent began raining down. Eyedea & Abilities took the stage after those three left, and the crowd finally started to get into it. Thanks to Eyedea’s awesome persona and DJ Abilities stellar work on the tables, the show finally had the energy to match the hype. Abilities might really stole the show actually, with his 6 or 7 minute exhibit to all wanna-be DJs out there. The group is set to release their first album in 5 years next month and they played a few very good cuts off of it. A good start to a long day, for sure.
Immortal Technique. I feel like if I write anything bad about this guy that he’ll personally seek me out and do terrible things to my health. SO I’ll talk about some of the better things instead. The guys spits absolute fire, both lyrically and emotionally. The rants between songs and at the end of his set was both overly powerful and inspiring. Apparently he wants all of you to illegally download his albums, so thats cool I guess. He has a flow that matches a lot of what he brings to his records, aggression and precision, a deadly combination. Probably the most vocal off the cut of any artist there, maybe a good thing maybe a bad thing. Good stuff though.
We’re just heating up folks….
One of the biggest names on Rhymesayers lately has been P.O.S. His work with Doomtree and on his solo album is stellar, not to mention is punk band as well. He took to the stage as the first truly recognizable face to probably a majority of the crowd, initiating a spirit from the crowd that had yet to be seen. Armed with more than a DJ, POS rocked the guitar and MPC as well as the mic. It was awesome to see him interact with the crowd and give newer fans of Rhymesayers a chance to enjoy some of their best talent. Playing “Low Light Low Life” with a full cast was one of the best tracks all day at Soundset, and the only chance that a girl got to rock the mic on the main stage.
A little guy by the name of Sage Francis took to the stage next, note the pun, looking even more out of place than 20,000 white kids at a hip-hop festival, Sage dominated the crowd thanks to antics with buddy and partner in crime B. Dolan. The two brought some much needed respect from the east coast, specifically the booming Rhode Island scene, note the sarcasm. But his set absolutely rocked, Sage seemed like one of the few performers to actually enjoy himself up there, and the guys was super personable when I Got to chat with him backstage (more on that later).
Good to see Def Jux getting some love on the main stage again this year, El-P, the king of New York independent hip-hop thrashed his way through some of his best material on I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead and Fantastic Damage as well. Highlighted by “Tasmanian Pain Coaster” at the start, El-P seemed intent on blowing the crowd away with pure sound. His set was far and away the loudest of any artist, and the compliment of Mr. Dibbs on the decks was a sight beyond belief. Check for more on that tomorrow, including Mr. Dibb‘s entire 8 minute freestyle on the decks.
The most “mainstream” artists there was quite possibly Freeway, complimented equally by Jake One on the 1s and 2s. It’s safe to say that this set was the best good surprise of the day. Freeway’s style and flow was exponentially better than I thought it was going to be, exciting me for the entire Freeway and Jake One album coming out this summer called The Stimulus Package. All that could have been improved was if Jake One did some amazing DJ freestyle like we all know he could, but oh well.
Doom came next… or was suppose to at least. We got Brother Ali instead.
Not a bad trade I guess, but still, what the fuck Super Villain? The show must go on, and Brother Ali took over in the clutch. It was an amazing moment when the crowd started chanting “The truth is here, the truth is here” right before he came on, and Ali really seemed to fee off that intro. He had the biggest grin on his face nearly the entire set, playing tons of new and old stuff, but every track was one to sing along to. His set seemed the most polished vocally, Ali spit with such confidence and precision that it was jaw dropping and yet extremely upbeat. The essence of Minneapolis hip-hop, Brother Ali dominated a crowd antsy for what they didn’t see and anxious for the next Rhymesayers king to take the mic.
And then it happened… The moment We’ve (I’d) been waiting for… The MF Doom show pulled into town…
The man’s more of a show now than he is a straight performer, but it was still awesome to see him actually perform live. After the imposter Doom (side) that is, ha. Playing the classic “Hoe Cakes” to a crowd that seemed almost fed up with the antics and the hype. But I was
loving it, and it was at this point I made my break for it, for the big times, for backstage. Jumped the fence, took some video (check tomorrow for it), took some photos, and just bee lined straight for the other side of the stage. Amongst some of my heros I sought out Doom’s van that he just minutes ago rode in on. And there he was, the Villain, DOOM, MF Doom, Metal Fingers, Viktor Vaughn, you know the list goes on. So I snapped a great picture and sat down next to the legend. I hardly remember what I said, I think I just thanked him over and over, ha. Doom was well worth the wait, some people obviously weren’t fans, but I thought he was worth every verse of hype.
I was a bit skeptical of The Pharcyde in the 2 spot, but the newly reunited group of 4 MCs took to the stage with a fury and confidence not seen in years. Performing a playful set that featured the awesome “Passing Me By” and even a cover of “My Prerogative”, The Pharcyde definitely got and kept my attention their entire set. They even played the Gorillaz “Dirty Harry” for the part when Romye Robinson could come in and absolutely tear up the mic. That track put the biggest smile on my face I had nearly all day.
But the Night was closing in… and we all knew what that meant…
16 year old girls singing about hangovers and ugliness. Atmosphere. It’s year two for these guys as headliners, and it’s year two that the entire state seemed to go nuts for Minneapolis icons Slug and Ant. Backed by their full band, Atmosphere demanded every person’s attention as the sun fell behind the distant bluffs. From “God Loves Ugly” to the more recent Life Gives You Lemons material, their set was one that the crowd eager with anticipation all day was beyond ready to jam to. It was a safer bet to put money on them closing with “Sunshine” than it was to bet any horse at Canterbury all weekend, so their set was a little disappointing in a way too. I think I was just disgusted by the four suburban hispter/scenester/god awfully annoying girls in neon singing along as they walked out of the park. Atmosphere is on an entirely different level. Their fame, their popularity, their draw is so far beyond everyone at Soundset. It’s amazing to see and hear the crowd as they took the stage. As much as we might come to hate them after a while, Minneapolis hip-hop, Rhymesayers, and Soundset would cease to exist beyond half-baked ideas without them.
So there it is, a lengthy recap of Soundset ’09. Sorry if you missed it, and hope you loved it if you were there. I’ve got Part 2 (videos) coming tomorrow, but until then… ENJOY!
“Hey Homies!”
Thank you to the fine people over at HipHopDX we now finally have the unabridged list of Soundset performers. There are a few more that I was hoping for but as the Rolling Stones say, “You can’t always get what you want”. I’m still happy that I’m going to get to see a lot of great artists on May 24th. Go get your tickets now, and the folks at Mind Inversion will see you there. Follow me after the jump for the complete lineup. Continue reading
As if MF Doom (sorry DOOM) had to make it any more confusing, he added yet another moniker to the seemingly endless list of names. Born Like This is his first outing under the alias known as DOOM (yes, it has to be ALL CAPS). It’s always been hard for me to put a term on how I feel about MF Doom’s music, it’s great, but I just don’t know where I sit with it. If there’s one thing for sure, he never fails in making me laugh my ass of. DOOM is one of the funniest and quirkiest emcees I’ve ever heard, I love the way that he rhymes and the things he spits about.
With the information above being said lets start by saying that the production on this album is nothing short of amazing. With the majority of production being handled by DOOM himself (DOOM has always been a great fucking producer), the rest of the production is handled by Jake One, J Dilla & Thom Yorke (only on the iTunes purchase) . By the names already mentioned, you should have a pretty good idea that the beats on this album are going to be pretty close to off the charts. Continue reading
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Rhymesayers has been all over the map the last two years, and putting on a showcase at South by Southwest seems like the perfect thing to do. I’ve been loving the material that all of these artists (besides Abstract Rude, he’s got a new one coming) have dropped in the last year. I love hearing Brother Ali talk about the live show that an artist can bring to the stage. To me he is pretty much the epitome of a sick ass live show. It sounds like Jake One & Freeway are going to be putting out some jaw dropping material this summer with The Stimulus Package. The chemistry that those two displayed on Jake One’s White Van Music was ridiculous, and I can’t imagine what an entire album is going to sound like. Make sure you check the video because Rhymesayers Entertainment is going to be doing some huge things this year.
Spotted at HipHop DX
Top 10 Hip-Hop albums of 2008 (in order from 1-10)
I really want to start off this post for the people that said that there wasn’t anything that special in Hip-Hop this year… My question to you is where the hell were you when these albums dropped?
Black Milk – Tronic: It’s been one hell of a year for Black Milk. He produced and featured on an album with Fat Ray, He produced the great majority of Elzhi’s debut album The Preface, put out a mixtape with Bishop Lamont entitled Caltroit and put out his newest album Tronic. It’s really nice to hear a cat like Black Milk, he is putting the D back on the map and giving the city some recognition like it deserves. This guy has some of the best production around right now and may be one of the best producing emcees I’ve ever heard. The thing that makes this album different from his freshman outing Popular Demand, is that Black really elevates his rhyme skill on this album and it makes for one hell of a showing. This album also features the best front to back production you will hear all year.
Evidence – The Layover EP: When you work as hard as Evidence does, you are bound to turn some heads no matter what the issue. This guy has been working his ass off the last two years, he released The Weatherman LP (one of the top 3 of last year) last year and the LAyover Mixtape as well as the LAyover EP this year. All of the aforementioned material is leading up to the release of his second studio album Cats & Dogs. EV has been putting out some of the most consistent Hip-Hop that heads have heard for a long time. Putting out two albums of straight fire material is getting him the name that he deserves. I can honestly say that out of all of the albums that are on this list, to me this album has the most replay value attached to it. 10 straight bangers for your Hip-Hop loving soul.
Jake One – White Van Music: I wasn’t really familiar with Jake One before I heard White Van Music. I didn’t really know who he was, although I had heard some of the beats that he had done in the past for artists (at the time I had no idea it was him), I hadn’t heard a good collection of his material. The thing that is great about this album is that for the first time in his career, Jake is making beats for his own album and not a project for someone else. All of the artists that are on this album (for the greater majority) fit the beat that is provided. Some of the standouts are Black Milk, Royce Da 5’9″, MF Doom, Elzhi, Brother Ali & there really are many others. This is a great example of a producer doing an album with emcees that he thinks fit the build for his beats. Jake doesn’t rap, but if he did he would have some of the sickest beats in awhile to rap over.
Elzhi – The Preface: The funny thing about this album is that most people don’t know who Elzhi is, but when they realize who he’s affiliated with it’s a different story. Elzhi has been a member of the Detroit collective Slum Village since 2001 (when Jay Dee left), and has put out a few mixtapes in the interim but nothing more than that. The Preface is almost entirely produced by Black Milk (so you know the beats are top notch) and features some great heavyweights from the Detroit scene (Royce Da 5’9″, Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, Fat Ray and others). Not only does it have great production and great guest appearances, but it shows how versatile and brutal Elzhi is when he is in the booth. El uses simple words in a complex matter and the outcome is utter bewilderment. Elzhi is quickly on his way to becoming one of the best emcees of his time.
eMC – The Show: This album came out towards the beginning of this year, and right away I knew that it was going to hold true for the rest of the year and stay on my top 10 list. Of course, that probably could be the assumption when you have Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth and Stricklin all on one album, not to mention some of the best production in the game. These 4 emcees compliment themselves so well that it sounds like they are almost brothers. The Show follows the same structure that most Hip-Hop concept albums take (A Long Hot Summer, Disposable Arts) and to be honest it was hard for me to put it even this low, because this is one of the best concept albums I’ve ever heard.
The Roots – Rising Down: The Roots Crew has been a pivotal vessel for the Hip-Hop culture for 20 years now. Following the great (but gloomy) 2006 release Game Theory, The Roots took a step in the electronic direction that might not have been expected by a lot of their fans. The result is sheer genius. All of the beats on this album are high quality, and as usual Black Thought uses his “God emcee” skills and dishes us large slices of reality “Between the Greenhouse gases and Earth spinin’ off it’s axis/ got Mother Nature doin’ back flips/the natural disasters/it’s like 80 degrees in Alaska…”. This might be the most political album from The Roots to date, but it’s definitely another very solid outing from the Illadelph 5.
Pete Rock – NY’s Finest: There really isn’t a whole lot I can say about Pete Rock the guy is a Hip-Hop legend. He is easily one of the top producers of all time, and is recognized as the best (he was Dilla’s mentor). I heard a lot of people criticizing this album earlier this year and honestly I think it received some pretty harsh reviews. People were talking about how Pete’s rhymes and cadences were off, I really don’t know what the were talking about, please listen to “Till’ I Retire” (not to mention Till’ I Retire is one of the best beats this year) or “Best Kept Secret” and tell me that to my face. I may call you a complete Douche fearing that you know nothing about what you speak.
Buff1 – There’s Only One: This is the third Michigan native to make this list and to be honest it really doesn’t surprise me one bit. Buff1 is from Ann Arbor, Michigan and he is currently a member of the Athletic Mic League and There’s Only One is his second album. I found out about Buff1 this year when I stumbled upon Pure which was his solo album that dropped last year. Let me tell you something, this guy is something else, he can rhyme his ass off and he’s very catchy. The production on this album is handled for the most part by 14KT who is part of the Lab Techs (a highly underrated production collective) and Black Milk ads his production for a track on the album. I also want to point out that 14Kt is one hell of a producer and he can really cook up some phat ass beats.
Flying Lotus – Los Angeles: When you are being compared to the likes of J Dilla and Madlib, you have to assume that you are doing something right. Even though many would call Flying Lotus Electronica I am going to include him in Hip-Hop. Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison) is known for his hazy spaced out beats and the way in which he layers and produces his music. This is his second album and he has 3 or 4 EPs out at the current time. Fly Lo is going to be someone to watch for because frankly the music that he is making right now is already amazing. I can’t wait to see what kind of elevation this guy can take Hip-Hop and Electronica to in the next few years.
Q-Tip – The Renaissance: Chances are if you can withstand the test of time, you are going to be considered a legend and innovator by many people. Q-Tip was part of one of the most popular collectives in Hip-Hop history (A Tribe Called Quest), put out an acclaimed solo album (Amplified), had a solo project shelved… and now nine years after his first solo release comes his Sophomore album. A renaissance is defined as: a renewal of life, vigor, interest etc.; rebirth; revival. That is exactly what this album is all about as Q-Tip breathes a little bit of funk-disco groove into Hip-Hop’s soul with this record. Tip handles all of the production on the album by himself except for the track “Move” which is produced by the late great J Dilla.
Top 5 Non Hip-Hop Albums (In order from 1-5)
Most people that read this blog on a daily basis know that Hip-Hop is pretty much my heart and soul but I do love other types of music as well (just not on as big of a scale). Here is the highlights of this year.
Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend: Have you ever listened to an album that was just plain ole’ fun? That is what I think of when I listen to Vampire Weekend’s debut album. Vampire Weekend is formed in New York and I feel that they are bringing a great deal of flavor to the genres of rock and indie rock with their melodic upbeat music. Ringing in at just over 34 minutes long their debut album has the quality that most 70 minute albums don’t come anywhere close to. Songs like “A-Punk“, “Oxford Comma” and “Walcott” give meaning to happiness, and songs like “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” are so beautiful they almost make me cry. I can’t wait to hear more from these guys.
The Black Keys – Attack & Release:I found out about The Black Keys earlier this year. I had a good deal of people telling me that Attack & Release was where it’s at. To be honest I slept on this album really hard and the only conclusion I can come to after listening to these guys, they can tear shit up. The group is a duo from Akron, Ohio, that’s right just a drummer and guitar player. The Black Keys have a heavy blues sound and boy can they make some amazing music. It really can’t hurt if Dangermouse is doing all of the production on your album either. The thing that makes this album a little different from the rest of the Black Keys’ albums is that it almost parallels a Trip-Hop feel on some tracks.
Tv On The Radio – Dear Science: TV On The Radio has been tearing up the critics’ charts for the last few years, and this year is really no different. Dear Science is truly a masterpiece that can not easily be explained. There are many different feels on this album, but each one of them seem to work so well for these guys. After releasing an album like Return to Cookie Mountain most people would imagine that it would be too hard to release an album just as good or, even harder,a better album. “Golden Age” is the lead single on the album and it almost has more of a funk disco feel to it and then you have tracks like “Family Tree” (please note that the link is for the amazing viedo and the song is absolutely beautiful) that are very slow and sentimental.
Stephen Malkmus & Jicks – Real Emotional Trash: Stephen Malkmus was part of one of the biggest underground alternative collectives ever (Pavement). For that alone I will love every piece of music that this man makes because he is a fucking genius. He is with a new band now, and it’s a whole new bag of tricks. This is the fourth album that he has played on with them and this album is very solid. I have to say this is some of the heaviest guitar material I have heard Malkmus play on since Terror Twilight, and I also have to admit that his apparent “guitar god” ambitions are incredible. This might be some of the best guitar playing you will hear all year. If you don’t think that’s possible take a listen to “Dragonfly Pie” and be amazed.
Four Tet – Ringer EP: I have been in love with Keiran Hebdan’s (Four Tet) music ever since I heard Rounds for the first time. I then found out that Dilla did a remix of As Serious As Your Life, and though if Dilla thinks that this guy is good, he has to be. Ringer shows Hebdan departing from his cut and paste method of Jazz, Hip-Hop, Electronica and folk and going more towards a straight techno feel. This EP is just over thirty minutes in length and it’s definitely a treat to hear Four Tet doing something different.
Top 5 Mixtapes of the Year (In Order from 1-5)
In a year that has seen the economy at all time lows, who doesn’t like to see free mixtapes? Here are my favorite mixtapes of the year.
Jay Electronica – What the Fuck is a Jay Electronica?: I want to start off by saying that this guy needs to get a proper release out there because he is the future of emcees. This guy is one of the most venomous socially conscious emcees I’ve heard in a long time and he has some of the biggest talent I’ve seen. If you take a listen to “Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)” or “Renaissance Man” it will send shivers down your back when you realize how good this guy is. He utilizes samples of movie dialogue and even raps over movie scores. All of this culminates with the fact that Just Blaze is taking this guy’s back as well as Erykah Badu, he must be something special.
Elzhi – Europass: To be honest, in my opinion Europass may have been a little better than The Preface and that’s not taking anything away from The Preface. Europass is a mixtape that is laced with super hot beats (by Black Milk & DJ Dez) and Elzhi on his best lyrical tip. If this was an actual album release there is a chance that it may have had album of the year honors. You don’t usually get to see an emcee shine on a mixtape like this. This mixtape also featured my favorite track of the year “Fire”.
Evidence & DJ Skee – The LAyover Mixtape: Like I’ve consistently said Evidence is a hard working dude. He put this mixtape out before his EP came out this year and it’s 20 tracks long. Some of the tracks are from the LAyover EP but the majority of them are tracks featuring other artists, remixes and tracks over mixtape beats. The track “Letyourselfgo (Remix)” features Phonte of Little Brother and is absolutely insane. Phonte absolutely tears the beat apart and Evidence spits his lazy flow to create an instant classic. EV keeps putting out classic material and to think this was just some material to hold us over…
Black Milk – Elec: This is a good collection of music that featured Black Milk (production and rhyming) from his last release Popular Demand up until the release of Tronic. This has tracks from everywhere in the game: GZA, Elzhi, Bishop Lamont and many more. This mixtape shows just how diverse Black can be in his production for other artists as well. With all of the appearances on this mixtape it makes it really hard not to have in constant rotation.
Clipse – Road Till The Casket Drops: If there is one thing that I’ve learned from Terrance and Gene (Pusha T and Malice) Thornton, it’s that you can pretty much incorporate “baking pies” (cooking crack) into rhymes very easily. I mean shit, it makes me want to go into the kitchen and fuck with pots and pans every time I listen to these guys. They have some of the catchiest and funniest rhymes I’ve ever heard. Over the past two years all of their production has been incredible (Neptunes), and I can see why Pharrell signed these guys to Star Trek right away. Watch out for their new album When the Casket Drops which is coming out next year.
Top 5 Songs of 2008 (In order 1-5)
These tracks were pretty much on constant rotation throughout the year.
“Fire” (Original Song) – By Elzhi (from Europass)
“To Be Determined” – By Evidence (featuring Elzhi and Aloe Blacc) (From LAyover EP)
“The Matrix” – By Black Milk (featuring Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price & DJ Premier) (from Tronic)
“I Know The Secret” – By Buff1 (From There’s Only One)
“Motown 25” – By Elzhi (featuring Royce Da 5’9″) (from The Preface & Europass)
Album that I love this year that came out last year
Every year it seems like I end up finding out about an album that came out the previous year that I fall in love with. Here is this year’s album.
Evidence – The Weatherman LP: Unfortunately I didn’t find out about this album until January of this year. The Weatherman LP is one of the most solid albums I’ve heard in years, and this was just the beginning for Evidence (as a solo artist) (talk about one hell of a beginning). This album has some of the most impeccable front to back production I’ve heard as well and as usual EV kicks his lazy flow over some amazing head noddin’ beats. I can honestly say that this album might be one of my favorite albums of the last 3 or 4 years. This album did not leave my heavy rotation for the entire year, and to be honest I’ve probably listened to it a good 50 times this year (not being sarcastic) and I don’t see it getting old to me anytime in the near future.*
* Side Note: I listen to the track “Chase The Clouds Away” just about every day when I wake up, I feel as though it’s the only good way to start off my day.
Rookie of the Year
All of you must understand that out of the two candidates that I was considering neither of them are technically “rookies” to the game (I’m sorry I don’t really care for Wale) but this was based on debut album.
Elzhi: There really isn’t much that I can say besides what has already been stated. This guy is one hell of an emcee. Elzhi embodies what most emcees wish they could be. I am telling everyone that reads this blog that I wouldn’t be surprised if Elzhi makes everyone else’s top ten emcees list in 5 years or less. When you can take seemingly simple words and make them sound so complex and rhyme using the same scheme as well as internal rhyme, your shit is going to be crazy. Elzhi already has an entire album produced by Black Milk (who is already on top of the Hip-Hop game right now), who knows what the future holds for this flame thrower from the D. If you haven’t heard anything by Elzhi my advice to you is get either Europass or The Preface and put either one on constant repeat. After a nice session with either of these albums I think you are going to be looking at your favorite rapper much differently. Like I said before Elzhi really isn’t a rookie, but his debut album came out this year and that’s why I’m giving the honor to him. I really can’t think of anyone more deserving this year.
Producer of the Year
This award holds very true to me because I love production, I mean music wouldn’t be half of what it is without sound production right? I have to tell you this was a very tough decision for me, Dangermouse almost got the nod but someone else stole the spotlight this year as well…
Black Milk: What can I say positive about Black Milk? I could use pretty much any adjective you could think of that is a synonym for greatness. This guy is pumping out a signature sound that can’t be paralleled right now by anybody in the game. When you are doing your thing on the boards and getting comparisons to J Dilla, you know that you have to be doing something right. Releasing two highly critically acclaimed album is no easy task, unless you are Black Milk. On top of being one of the best producers in the game right now he is climbing his way up the latter with his elevated rhyming on Tronic. You could also make the claim that Black is one of the hardest working producers in the game right now, he released his solo debut last year, a new album this year, a collaboration with Bishop Lamont last year, a collaboration with Fat Ray this year… the list seems to go on and on. Please do yourself a favor and take a listen to Hip-Hop’s prodigal son.
Biggest Dissapointment of the Year
I know I am probably going to get crucified for this one, and you have to understand that I’m not saying this is a bad album at all it’s just nowhere near what I expected and for that reason alone it’s a huge dissapointment.
Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind: As I mentioned above I’m not saying that this is a bad album at all, but it’s nothing like what I was expecting. When I heard that Phonte and Nicolay were putting out another album I was ecstatic. Connected is one of the most refreshing albums that I have ever heard, and I might even one up my feelings on Connected and say that I like it more than any Little Brother album that was put out. Phonte and Nicolay have a rare chemistry that is seen, similar to a Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, they just mesh together perfectly. I just don’t really get into them doing more of a soul and R&B record, don’t get me wrong Te is a good singer and Nicolay’s beats are nasty as usual I just don’t see them as an R&B group.
Who Do You Want To Look For Next Year?
This is the cat you want to be looking for next year but also in the near future…
Jay Electronica: This guy is the future face of Hip-Hop. Erykah Badu said that she first thought that Jay was an alien the first time that she met him. Just go on the Internet and search Jay’s name and you will be able to find him spitting over numerous Dilla treats or over a movie sample or score. This guy has so much talent that I really don’t know if the world is ready for someone like Jay Electronica. He has a debut album due out sometime in the near future entitled Abracadabra: Let There Be Light that is going to change the way that people think about Hip-Hop. I have also heard wind of digital EPs with Guilty Simpson and 9th Wonder, but then again that’s all here say so I can’t get my hopes up. Jay Electronica is that cat that you don’t know about, but my god you sure as hell want to know who he is.
That’s all I have for this year. Please give me some feedback and let me know what you think. Are there categories I could put in next year? Do you disagree with what I have written? Let me know… PLEASE!
Alteez
This is the first video that has premiered off of Jake One‘s debut album White Van Music. As I’ve previously mentioned in earlier posts White Van Music is going to be a serious contender on a lot of top 10 lists this year, and “The Truth” is one of the best tracks on this album. Freeway and Brother Ali seem like they would be polar opposites and wouldn’t mesh together on the track, this however is clearly not the case. Watch the video and go out and get in the Van, you won’t be disappointed.
I was really dissapointed when I initially heard that this track was going to be an iTunes bonus. I had gotten the deluxe (2 cd edition) of White Van Music (on Rhymesayers Entertainment) and listened to the shit out of it (I loved it). I then heard that there was a track floating around with Pharoahe Monch on it and I wanted to have it. Okayplayer made a post about it yesterday and I had to have a listen. Pharoahe and Kardinal Offishall pass this track like desert, taking a huge bite whenever it’s their turn to devour the mic. If you like vicious, fast paced rhymes then you will love this track. Also notice the guitar loop Jake has going on in the background, that shit’s sick…
Jake One: “Hurt U” (Featuring Pharoahe Monch & Kardinal Offishall)
I was telling my friend Aaron the other day, there are very few times that I can listen to an album and be able to tell from the opening track that it’s going to be something special. The opening track I’m Comin’ on White Van Music is exactly that which features guest apprearances from Black Milk (one of my favorite artists right now) and Nottz (both of whom are producing emcees). This track hit me in the face like a baseball at ninety miles an hour from the first note, to the guitar riffs to the sped up vocal sample, this opening track is amazing. Not to mention that for a producer Black Milk spits fire that will torch any beat, he has a rhyme that really stands out to me on the song “The team’s here you see us we all comin/the axe flow I swing it like Paul Bunion.”
With the sleu of emcees Jake has on this album, it makes it pretty hard to pick out the favorites on this album but you know every track is going to be quality. I would have to say the Black Milk is a close favorite to two other songs. The Truth is track 3 on the album and it has Jake mixing the best of both worlds (main-stream and Underground Hip-Hop) with Brother Ali & Freeway on the same track. The Truth is another definite standout track on the album with heavy horn sounds and a great vocal sample in the background. Freeway comes out swinging on the microphone, and Ali comes out with his always thought provoking lyrics “The big music business I seldom get a mention/but the few that do zoom in respect me as a legend”. Oh Really is a track that puts De La Soul emcee Posdnous and Atmosphere‘s own Slug, and although it’s a pretty short track it’s a great one. I have to honestly say that Slug overpowers Posdnous on this track though with a huge metaphor comparing music to food and downloading music to safe sex. Kissin’ the Curb might be the grimiest beat on the entire album and it features artists Bishop Lamont & Busta Rhymes (coincidence that the grimiest cats are on the grimiest track?). The beat for Kissin’ the Curb reminds me of something that any of the producers from the Aftermath Crew (Dre, Shady, Mr. Porter) would do, which is also somewhat of a coincidence to me but this track really is great. Another one of my favorites on the album is called White Van and features super producer/emcee Alchemist, one of my favorite artists (producer/emcee as well) Evidence (also of Dilated Peoples) and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. White Van features a good emsemble of strings and guitar that makes for a great soundscape to rhyme over. I will give the most clever track on the album to Get ‘Er Done which features always interesting and legendary MF Doom. The opening rhyme on this song explains the entire album: “Make no mistake son it’s Jake One/He likes his beats well like I likes my steaks done”. Every beat on this album is top notch and every emcee on each beat accents the track perfectly. I saved the best track for last of course which is entitled Glow and it features my favorite emcee (at the moment) Elzhi from Detroit and Royce Da 5’9″ (also from Detroit). This might be the most lyrically engaging track on the album and one of the best beats as well. Elzhi decimates this track with his mind engaging lyrics and vicious animal-like flow: “Create an iller scene here’s what I really mean/I make the whole city glow like the video from Billie Jean”.
Overall I would say that Jake One has one of the most refreshing Hip-Hop albums I have heard so far this year. I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of any artists that are on the mainstream airwaves, but somehow Jake bridges the gap and makes it sound fantastic. With White Van Music Jake One really steps up his game as a “super-producer” and puts his name on the map. I am a huge fan of producers and I think it’s great to see them step from behind the boards and put out their own albums. You owe it to yourself to go pick up Jake One: White Van Music. If you love Hip-Hop then it would make sense to own one of the best Hip-Hop albums of 2008.
9/10
MIND INVERSION 