Physical Graffiti + DJ Priority = DOWNLOAD THIS!!!

I wasn't familiar with this chick Physical Graffiti until my dude DJ Priority dropped this joint Hamlet Complex from her debut album Thought Kryminal on Twitter. PLEASE peep that isht below...

Physical Graffiti "Hamlet Complex" produced by DJ Priority (Clean) by djpriority

Jesus wept, this is my joint...  I think I have played this for at least an hour straight before sitting down to write this. This particular song is produced by DJ Priority, and it's transcendantly good! This took me back to Yo! MTV Raps! People complain about hip hop so much, but they really just need to turn of the corporate controlled radio and video channels and put their ear to the effing streets!

In this video, the artist talks about how she raised the bread to press the record and geeks out opening the first box of ceedees. You think some drug dealer on BET cares this much about getting their music out? Yeah, me neither... I don't complain that much about wack stuff as long as the underground keeps hooking me up with that fire.  Click here to support street-level hip hop by copping the album Thought Kryminal on the artist's website!

holla!

-samax.

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9 minute Preview... rhymes with "Wonder Bats"

I'm sure this is coming down soon, so enjoy it while you can...


I'm still not clear if this series is meant to take place centuries after the eighties series, or if it is a pure reboot. I like the idea that the Sword of Omens is assembling a team similar to the original one to face the threat of a resurrected Mumm-Ra. If they did that, they get bonus points. The new series debuts July 29th on Cartoon Network.

holla!

-samax.

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Really, Common? Really?!

I have never been a huge fan of Chicago emcee Common, but I have always given him his props for growing up in hip hop. Starting out as a pretty typical rap dude rapping about typical rap things, Common evolved right before our eyes into a conscious musician with an ear for spiritual, lyrical and musical experimentation. So much so, that he became almost synonymous with conscious rap, and the hinge between the serious lyricists in hip hop and the newly resurgent spoken word poetry movement. I mean, the President actually invited him to perform at a poetry jam at the White House. That is my mental context for listening to Ghetto Dreams, the collabo song Common dropped with Nas last week.  As my longtime readers know, I love it when Nas gets into his deep pro-black, celebratory/revolutionary vibe (as he did on say, One Mic or Black Republican), and that's what I would expect him to do beside Common over a track by No ID. Well, that's not exactly what happened...

Common's verse starts (in what strikes me as very un-Commonly):
"I want a bitch that look good and cook good/
Cinderella fancy, but she still look hood..."
Sigh... This was not starting off well for me.  I decided to listen to the whole thing, though. Maybe Common was going to rap in the place of different characters or something, showing that different people in the hood had different dreams and aspirations, including this character? Nope. He goes on in the second verse about this great woman whose "ass is like a weapon and it's hard to conceal it" with "a baby in one arm, in the other is a skillet"... "my ghetto housewife watch reality shows"..?

Okay. So much for Common... maybe Nas is gonna pick it up for me? Not really. He goes on to brag about how he got "powerful women playing the roles of submission/ lawyers on leashes, congresswomen inflicting pain on 'em..." For some reason, Nas and Common took this opportunity of having two heavyweight emcees on a nice track and used it to endorse the tired and cliched connection between hip hop and a misogynistic, male chauvinist worldview. So disappointing. If you been reading this blog for very long, you may have noticed that I rarely take the time to mention anything I don't like, much less spend time writing a whole post about it. And I'm not the type of dude who hates on thug rappers and pimp types. I've seen it all in my time and as long as there is balance and sincerity, I don't hate the player nor the game. To paraphrase Special Ed. I never lose cause I never play. What bothers me is the degree to which conscious dudes who definitely know better give in to supposed pressure and start making bullshit in some half-hearted attempt to get paper. I don't blame Nas for this record. He does this kinda shit all the time, and the song titles let you know that if you don't wanna hear that shit, you should skip it. I'm insulted by a song called Ghetto Dreams that essentially says dudes in the hood are looking for a "bad bitch" to cook, clean, raise babies and that's it? Come on, guys... way to dumb it down...

Maybe some of my readers will want Ghetto Dreams on their hard drive. As for me, I will definitely pass.  If you want it, click here to cop it free, but keep that to yourself. I listened to it several times trying to see if there was some depth to the record that I was missing (there wasn't), and that was more than enough to last a lifetime. I don't want the backwards thinking contained therein growing on me... let alone my wife or daughter.
Or (for that matter) yours.

-samax.

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No Cake, but Cookies will do!

So everyone who has any sense is waiting feverishly for Cake or Death, the long-awaited album from Jean Grae. This isn't it, but her Cookies or Comas mixtape with DJ Drama will work for me for the time being. Here's some youTubery and a download link...

so yeah... You know Cookies or Comas is dope already, so go ahead and and click here to see cop that... you're welcome.  
Cake or Death is coming in August... maybe. hopefully...
holla!

-samax. 

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Start the Day off Right w/ DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah

Good morning, party people! Here's some of that smooth isht from the mighty DJ Jazzy Jeff and vocalista Ayah to get your Friday (and weekend) off to a good start...


I never heard of Ayah before, but Jazzy Jeff is in that "name you can trust" category, so I had to peep this. To download this song Notorious, click here.This is the first shot off their upcoming album Back For More which drops on July 12th, if the notes of this youTube video can be believed. so anyways, while I'm talking about Jazzy Jeff:
THROWBAAAAACK!!!

Have a nice day!
holla!
samax.  
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start the day off Right w/ some hip hop violin...

One of my Facebook friends posted this yesterday, and I've been rocking hip hop violin joints since, via the magic of the youTube...


of course, the pioneers of this isht for me is the two man team Black Violin, who I first discovered a few years ago...

here's a few joints from them


and here's that chick Miri Ben-Ari with Styles P

So yeah... have a great day!
holla!
samax.  
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I need to check this out!

This movie Summer Wars looks hard...


Here's the sales pitch:
From the visionary directory of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2007 Japanese Academy Award winner, Best Animated Feature) comes the story of an ordinary family going to extraordinary lengths to avert the impending cyber apocalypse!

I need to check this out! I have read some good reviews of it, but haven't caught it yet myself...
It seems to press some of the same buttons as the Satoshi Kon mindbender Paprika (which I really liked), but with a lighter touch. I'm sure some of you have seen Summer Wars already, so feel free to speak up. Just try not to give away too much!
holla!
-samax

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start the day off Right w/ Nasty Nas

Nas apparently has a new album in the pipe. Here's the first single.


Yeah, this is Nasty, the first single off Nasir's upcoming album Life Is Good, which is currently slated for September.
holla!

samax.

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start the day off Right w/Akua Naru

This chick got the world rapped up in her locks, fam! Listen...

Do yourself a favor and quit complaining about hip hop. There is a lotta stuff out there that you don't like. There always was. But there's a lotta fly stuff out there too, and if you don't stop crying about the proliferation of wack stuff, you will sleep on people doing it right, like your girl Akua Naru.

My internet compatriot Sarafina put me on to Akua's facebook page last night, and it took me about 90 seconds to become a fan of her throaty flow. So, being the man I am, I went and snagged some youTubery for her video The Backflip, the first single from her album The Journey Aflame, which you can stream via the miracle of bandcamp.

I'm not gonna say that "Akua is just what hip hop needs" because besides the fact that it is a totally cliche and corny thing to say, I don't believe hip hop is missing anything.  It's totally disrespectful to all the dope female emcees out there rapping the paint off the walls (Bahamadia, Jean Grae, Staahr, Boog Brown, and the Vicious Cycle chicks, just to name a few...) to crown every new chick you come across that make your head nod a little, but it is totally fair to say that Akua appears to be cut from the right cloth. Despite what your favorite music television show or channel might try to tell you, the tapestry women have woven in the world of hip hop is a beautiful and significant one. Suffice to say that Akua is adding a nice thread to the culture...

Having said all that, if you think that this New Haven, CT native is just what YOU needed...
You're pro'lly not alone...

holla!

-samax.

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NEW VIDEO- "Rap Money" By the Co-Op

MoNey Stax and The Rapture, known collectively as Conscience Operations (or The Co-Op for those who don't like the big words) are here with the video for their new single, Rap Money...


I first became aware of Stax as half of the mighty female rap duo Vicious Cycle (along side the incomparable Neeky Devero), and met her husband (known in hip hop circles as The Rapture) at a friend's birthday party before I knew he could rhyme. Both of them have the chops when it comes to rhyming and getting their proverbial grind on to turn raps to riches, and they're flexing a bit of both in this video. This song is a brief autobio of their marriage, which is grounded in their love for hip hop. But you'll only know that if you listen to the words, cause this doesn't sound like no love song! These two are all about the bangers, and the beats and rhymes of Rap Money are committed to a producing a screw-faced head nod, while the content just might warm your heart if you let it! Brilliant...

Anyways, Rap Money will be on The Co-Op's self-titled EP which is due to drop in September 2011, but you can download the track free right now, 'cause I guess they're feeling generous.

holla!

-samax.

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start the day off Right w/ Open Mike Eagle

Peace fam... Here's some fire from your man Open Mike Eagle.


Fans of Cali's underground rap scene probably already know of this Project Blowed affiliate, but his profile was raised some last year with the release of his critically acclaimed joint Unapologetic Art Rap, and he's preparing to add to his subterranean fame with his new record Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes, which is due out June 14th.  The combination of the multi-layered beat, P.O.S. on the hook and Mike's way with words makes an ill joint that's pleasing to the ear and brain...
Anyways, have a nice day!

samax.

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start the Day off RIGHT w/Jake One, Freeway & Brother Ali

I been banging the mess out of this song The Truth by Jake One f/Freeway and Brother Ali at work for the last few days...


This song was my first exposure to Brother Ali. I looked into him a while back at the behest of my friend and Philly resident Jamar, and was blown away. Freeway smashes his verse over a raw beat by the mighty Jake One, but the reason I couldn't stop playing this joint this week is Ali's honest yet rugged rumination on his hood upbringing that anchors the track:
"Hungry pacin' in a bus station with my nuts hangin, but I never sold base, muthaf*ck Reagan..."
Chills, son! Anyways, click here to peep my previous post for more Ali-centric youTubery, and have a great day!
holla!

samax.

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start the day off Right w/ the mighty Bavu Blakes & D-Madness

If you been reading awhile, you know I'm a big fan of Bavu Blakes, and I became a fan of Bavu the old-fashioned way: by seeing him perform admirably on stage with a live band. Here's a recent performance he did at the Austin Music People Launch Party...


D-Madness is a freaking problem on drums and keys simultaneously, and Bavu gives a nice performance too. The sound isn't great at first, but they get it all figured out in time for Smiley Faces and Southern Man to ring true. If this is your first time rocking with Mr. Blakes, click here for more BavuTube activity.
holla!
-samax

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Album (p)Review -Playdough "Hotdoggin'"

I went to the release party for Playdough's new album Hotdoggin on Friday night after sleeping all day and all I brought you was this bandcamp widget (yes you can listen free, cheapskates!)

Oh, and here's a youTube vid of the single My Cadillac for your playlists, just in case your job blocks bandcamp (like mine does!):

the smiley-faced, hard-touring rap dude came home to Dallas and rocked out with the locals Friday night at the Green Elephant and I finally got my 4XL teeshirt with the design I made (above). I also copped the record and have been listening to it non-stop...

Although Hotdoggin comes 5 years after his previous solo studio record Don't Drink the Water dropped in 2006, it doesn't feel self-conscious or overworked, which is always the worry when an artist spends a long time putting together new material. I wasn't worried. Playdough has been a constant presence in the music players of his loyal fanbase in that time. Besides the fact that his records age well that so we find ourselves still enjoying them like they are new whenever we dust 'em off, Playdough has dropped a number of unofficial mixtapes and records (his Aussie tour record Goodonya, and the extra dope Writer Dye mixtape come to mind), guest spots, and mixtape one-offs, while also riding longside frequent collaborator Freddie Bruno as rap duo Phonetic Composition, and as part of the mighty Deepspace 5 collective. I said all that to say, Playdough has established himself as a name I could trust.

So anyways, Playdough is really in touch with his own musical tastes and is clearly feeling himself on this record.  He strikes a satisfying balance between crowd-pleasing catchy music choices and abstract wordplay that rap nerds can get into. He has some funky stuff happening on the album production-wise, with a mix of beats from Dallas all-stars like Freddie, PicnicTyme, Blaze Won, DJ Sean P and Sivion (and other underground luminaries like For Beats Sake, Beat Rabbi and DJ Bombay). In case you didn't know, he also produced a few tracks under production alter-ego Harry Krum too...

The first song that jumped out to me as a potential repeater is track 5 The Business, which sports shout-outs to David Blaine, Lord of the Rings, Tex Avery and Zombieland in the same verse (he performed this song at the release party... see the Ustream vid above). Of course, upon repeated listens, his ode to his wife Singleminded Female (track11), Franks & Beans (track 8, featuring Gift of Gab), and I Got It Like (track 13) are equally brilliant. Beat nerds will feel Elizabeth Shue (track4), which was produced by emerging Dallas-based button-pusher PicnicTyme. (the title track is playing in my ear as I type this... it doesn't suck either).
So my official recommendation is that you should cop it. It won't be long before my daughter is mangling some of these hooks in her two year old patwa to her daycare classmates... 'cause I believe in spreading hip hop anyway I can!

holla!

-samax.

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start the day off RIGHT w/Xzibit

If you're one of my Facebook friends (or maybe a nosy co-worker), you may already know I was bumping the hell out of Xzibit's classic video for his equally classic banger What U See is What U Get all damn day at work yesterday...


This video is a freaking problem! Besides the fact that Xzibit spits like a volcano on this track, this video does a great job of approximating the way that good rappers create mental collages with words... My Facebook bredren were chiming in about how dope this piece was back in the day, and we pretty much all agreed that we lost it when X stagedives after the last verse... One cat was like "I remember I saw this video for the first time - I jumped up, ran to the store and bought all his albums.." and I believe it, because this joint definitely makes me think I need to cop  40 Dayz & 40 Nightz the classic album this came off of... but anyways, I figured I'd drop this here, since most of y'all probably need to wake up...

holla!

samax.

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Buffalo Speedway trailer

Peep this trailer for Yehudi Mercado's Buffalo Speedway...

dope, right? To peep more preview pages from Buffalo Speedway (and read my spoiler-free review), just click here.

holla!

samax.

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start the day off Right w/ the mighty Pharoahe Monch!

I got a back log of records I need to write something about, but I can't stop listening to W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) the new album by the mighty Pharoahe Monch! My favorite song right now is the hip hop gospel underground rap anthem Let My People Go...


don't get all squirmy... I'm not here trying to convince you to buy Pharoahe's album... If you don't already want it (especially after getting a listen to the whole thing on youTube), chances are my slobbering won't change that. Long-time readers already know I gave Pharoahe Rapper and Album of the Year for his work on his last album Desire. Dude just does the kinds of stuff I wanna hear. This song was just the first thing I wanted to listen to this morning, and I figured I wasn't alone in that...
have a great day!

holla!

samax.

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start the Day off RIGHT w/LOTUG

classic material


Here's Funky Child off classic album Here Come the Lords by the mighty Lords of the Underground.
have a nice day!

TGIF...

In honor of making it through my first week at the new Jay Oh, and for all my fellow nine-to-fivers...


technically, I'm a 8:30 to fiver, but who's counting? Here's an unknown classic by Dem Southernfolkz, TGIF which features Dallas/NYC transplant Headkrack off their album, The Message. dope...
have a great day!

holla!

samax.

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Start the day off Right w/ Eyedea & Abilities

Happy monday! Well, as happy as possible? Anyways, here's Smile by Eyedea & Abilities... hope it helps...


This video is from their 2009 album By The Throat. Well, I got work to do myself!

samax.

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