Monthly Archive: October 2008

I'm Convinced that the West is Back

10.30.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall, 

I am really digging the music that is coming out of California right now.  I mean, for real, is there any other region that is pumping out more hot, new music by dope new artists?  Besides the midwestern acts like Kid CuDi and The Cool Kids, I can honestly say that my opinion is that the best new hip hop is coming from the Left Coast.  Pretty fortuitous that I happen to live in the heart of SoCal...

Anyways, I heard a track called Miss Memory a while back by a cat named Convinced.  The track is really sick, and so is most of the other music from this cat repping the 818 (just outside of Los Angeles).  He just released an album entitled Refreshing, which you can download here.  The album features production by Convinced, J-Trax, and J-Keys and is available for free download so go get it...  I actually just saw the video for Miss Memory for the first time over on another dope blog called 2dopeboyz.  

I haven't had a chance to listen to the album yet, but I absolutely love the tracks I have heard from Convinced.  He released a mixtape entitiled The Refreshing Freestyle Countdown that you can grab here.  Peep the vid for Miss Memory below and you'll get a good idea of this cat's dope, soulful vibe.  I also am really feeling the track My Hero that features Convinced's son on the track - so so cool!  A New Love is another great track with a soul - I really dig this kid's storytelling ability and his smooth tone is very cool...  Judge for yourself...

Miss Memory Video


My Hero

A New Love

Peace yall, 
-Breeze
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Meet Esso - the Anti-Backpacker

10.30.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall, 

So, I am a fan of all different types of Hip Hop.  I LOVE the Southern smoke, especially the stuff that has been billowing out of South Florida for a while now...  I love the conscious stuff and was turned on to Common before he was Common (he used to go by Common Sense).  What I'm trying to get at is that I find value and can be entertained by all different flavors of hip hop - Style counts for a lot but it can not come totally at the expense of Substance...

Harlem rapper Esso is admittedly "ignorant" and has recorded and released tracks entitled Anti-Backpack and Young & Ignorant.  I will say tho, that homey's spit is pretty dope.  He doesn't get too deep when it comes to subject matter and sticks pretty close to the norm.  He talks about chicks, bottles, clubs, fly clothes, and most of the other stuff that characterizes the "Swagger Rappers."  He even goes as far as to say:

"We both know, the words don't matter, 
If the flow's cold"

While I don't agree with the dude, he does make a valid point.  How many songs have you really dug even though they aren't really about anything.  If the delivery and production of a song are fly, then the track will appeal to the lowest common denominator of music fans... and there are a lot of cats that fall into the LCD category...

Anyways, I think dude is pretty cool.  His flow is pretty cool and somewhat varied.  I think his throaty, smokey tone is his best asset.  I do dig the track Living Doll and think it applies to a lot of girls in my hometown in South Florida, as well as my current town in Hollywood...  Just an interesting story, dude played baseball at University of Michigan and then at Howard University and had his sights set on the MLB before he got the music bug...  Pretty talented cat...

Listen below and go cop his mixtape trilogy at dude's MySpace.  He is clever enough to make fans enter in their email addresses in order to get the tapes... Now he can spam, I mean holler at, his fans forever....  Other emcees and managers should take notes...

Anti-Backpack

Living Doll
Young & Ignorant

Peace yall, 
-Breeze
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What? Another Ivy League Rapper? And He's Good?

10.29.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall,

I am a big believer in the value of education... Period.  Even though a lot of cats (myself included) go through college trying to find the easiest classes with a light workload that will allow them to chase tail every night of the week, I still think that experience is incredibly valuable.  My ass was taking classes like The History of the Blues and The History of Rock 'N Roll, which weren't as hard as, say Organic Chemistry, but the subject matter really interested me and I paid attention.  Is there really an value in a student taking a class, like Corporate Finance, when he is sleeping through the lecture or texting the chick he met last night instead of paying attention?  That said, I know that school is not a hustle that works for everyone - there just aren't that many cats who are both scholastically inclined and talented enough to do what The Kidz in the Hall did.  But, there is at least one other emcee who is well on his way to replicating that path - meet Homeboy Sandman. 

Dude is a 28 year-old rapper from the Queens are of New York.  My homey has been in my ear for weeks to profile Sandman in the blog, but I am hard-headed.  Finally, I cracked the MAC and headed to the usual spots, MySpace, imeem, and YouTube.  What I discovered was more exciting than I ever would have thought!  Sandman is insanely talented as an emcee - in his own words, his music is "flows so crazy they'd be dope if I had no lyrics combined with lyrics so crazy that'd be dope if I had no flows."  As you may gather from the quote, dude definitely resides outside of the walls of the preverbial "box" and his perspective is captivating to say the least.  Even cooler, Sandman is a graduate of the Ivy League's University of Pennsylvania, which is also the alma matter of Naledge and Double-O from The Kidz in the Hall.  Homeboy also completed a NYC Teaching Fellowship, and even went through a couple of years of Law School - No small feat.  Trust me, I have homey's doing the Law School thing... It sucks!

I think it is awesome that emcees are starting to showcase their intellect and education instead of dumbing the music down so that it appeals to the lowest common denominator.  As the music industry continues to move towards a market comprised entirely of niches, this strategy makes a lot of sense (even though it may not be an explicit strategy).  There is definitely an audience of hip hop listeners who want to listen to dope music that actually says something.  I dig the track Everyday Love and dude's flow on his iTunes Song is pretty insane.  Sandman put out a free mixtape called There is No Spoon - head on over to Fresh Baked Goodness to read about the concept behind the album's name.  It is really fly and interesting, and gives an idea of why this cat is special - I don't want to steal anyone's thunder so head over here to get your read on... 

You can pick up There is No Spoon here for free.  And check the video of a live performance of the track Lightening Bolt followed by a super fly freestyle over some old school Guns and Roses. 

What do yall think about Homeboy Sandman? 

Everyday Love

iTunes Song


 

Lightning Bolt Live at the Knitting Factory, New York


Peace,
-Breeze
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Detroit's Dark Drink - Black Milk

10.28.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall, 

With the economy crumbling, all of the automobile manufacturers are having an incredibly tough time, especially the shitty American car manufacturers.  Motor City has been hurting for some time now, and the situation is only getting worse.  But, I heard something recently that has reassured me that not everything coming out of Detroit is a piece of shit...  Meet Black Milk.

Black Milk, aka Curtis Cross, is a 25 year old emcee and producer who is signed to Fat Beats Records and just released his third album entitled Tronic.  His sound is super duper dope - He combines smooth synths and soulful melodies with big dirty drums and funk elements to push the Detroit sound forward.  Dude made his name as a producer for stud acts like J Dilla, Canibus, and Lloyd Banks, and his 2007 album, Popular Demand, was very well-received...  I really like the funk and electronica elements of Black's sound and really dig his willingness to explore as evidenced by the track on Tronic featuring Canadian songman Colin Munroe.  Colin is a dope dude, and recorded a sick remix of Kanye's Flashing Lights - peep it below... 

Black got some crazy love on MySpace with a full-album streaming premier on the site before it officially released on October 28th, and I am hearing more people talking about Black Milk's Tronic...  Dude also recently put out a mixtape called Caltroit with Cali's own Bishop Lamont.  Listen to the Tronic album below, and peep the videos to get hip...

Tronic
Black Milk - Tronic (2008)

Cool Interview with Black Milk - get to know homey...

And here is a vid of homey in the studio working on Tronic

I Want Those Flashing Lights by Colin Munroe

Peace yall, 
-Breeze  
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Maybach Music, Masspike Miles, and MyCypher.com

10.28.08 // By Breeze // , , ,
Sup yall, 

So, I have been running around the City of Angels hustling to promote the MyCypher.com Lyrical Debate being held on Sunday, November 2nd at The Bungalow Club - Come thru!  It's gonna be a dope party...
 
But, I'm around Fairfax and Melrose today politicking with the cats who run the fly boutique sneaker and apparel shops around there trying to get them to come out on Sunday.  I'm talking to the manager of one store and some dude comes up to ask about a shoe size.  I turn around to see the Miami's own Rick Ross standing there holding a fresh pair of Air Force 2's...  Being from Florida's Bottom as well, I introduce myself to The Boss...  We chopped it up for a bit, and dude was unsure if he is going to still be out here, but I invited homey to the Debate...  So there it is - Potential celebrity guest....  

But, anyways, homey was giving away boxes of a free mixtape called Maybach Music 2...  I hopped in the ride, threw it in, and listened to a bit...  In addition, the mixtape came with a DVD that I will check out later on, but I thought that was worth mentioning.  I love this South Florida stuff, and this record neither disappointed or surprised...  except for introducing me to a cat I haven't heard of...   Masspike Miles, real name Miles Wheeler, is a singer from the tough Roxbury section of Boston who was in an R&B group called Perfect Gentlemen on Warner Bros Records when he was a youngster.  Head over to his MySpace, too.  I dig dude - he has that street R&B thing poppin a la Lloyd or TQ used to back in the day.  There is a dope track on the tape called Pullin Down Your Underwear that is a perfect example of what I mean.  I know it can be lame, but I dig this stuff...  TQ's debut album was dope, but got totally slept on...  Anyways, peep some videos and listen below.  Also, check out Ross' site here - It shares a title with Ross' next album, Deeper Than Rap and I think you can download the mixtape there for free.

Get It Together featuring Rick Ross


It's a Wrap

Peace yall, 
-Breeze
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Double Vision: Wax and Herbal T

10.28.08 // By Breeze // , ,

Sup yall,

I wrote about Wax a few days ago, but I wanted to revisit homey and introduce his twin brother, Herbal T.  These dudes look exactly the same except for the hair, and are both equally as dope musically.  Apparently, Herbal T lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil currently, so we are going to start exploring how we can link up when we are down there for the Hutuz Festival in November.  Peep the vids below to get to know the fellas a bit better...


This is Herbal T live from Brasil...  Check the line...

"My way of thinking's outsida the box, Like the opposite of Jack."  DOPE Line!  Get it?


The brothers back to spittin' in the ride...

Peace yall, 

-Breeze

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Blu and Exile at The Mint

10.27.08 // By Breeze // , , ,
Sup yall,

There has been a ton of talk around the blogosphere and in a few Hip Hop publications about this emcee from Los Angeles named Blu.  Well, I hit The Mint on Pico, which is an old school jazz club from LA's hey day...  Really dope spot - Intimate and very authentic... whatever that means...

Anyways, the show was great and Blu played about eight or ten tracks from Below the Heavens, which he recorded with Exile.  Exile is dope also, he got off on the MPC a few times.  There is a video below of him getting loose on the MPC whie Blu freestyles.  These cats have a definite chemistry and they are really sick...  I am thinking about getting on The Big Blu Bus yall...  Check the vids below...

Simply Amazin' (Steel Blazin') Live
 

Exile cutting up the MPC and Blu dropping lines

Peace yall,
-Breeze
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Prepster Hop

10.27.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall,

So XXL just put out an issue that profiles the rookies in the Hip Hop game that they expect to really make noise.  I have my opinions on a few of their picks, and actually am really feeling most of 'em and have already profiled them here (but, Ill write more on that in a bit)...  One face that really stands out of the crowd is lighter than most of the others.  I have been hearing a lot about Asher Roth as I cruise around the blogosphere and hip hop sites, but I haven't taken the time to really dig into his tunes.  Well, the XXL article motivated me to do so, and I am glad that I took a listen! 

Dude is a white cat from Philly who has relocated to the ATL. He is signed to Steve Rifkind's SRC Records, which is a subsidiary of Universal.  Everyone from Andre 3000 to Jay-Z have cosigned kid's talents and I have heard rumors that all of the other majors have shelved their white hip hoppers because of Asher's pending release...  Peep his MySpace for info: Dude is a beast on the web!

Dude is insanely talented despite refusing to admit that he is indeed a rapper.  His flow takes many forms and he can spit super-fast, Twista-style rhymes or more deliberate, poignant verses.  His subject matter is very representative of his generation, and often deals with the standard chicks, weed, beers, and other pleasures of undergrad college life - Damn, I miss those days!!!  On the other hand, dude definitely knows what is going on and cares what happens to our country.  The video below is a rhyme also featured on his The Greenhouse Effect mixtape hosted by DJ Drama and Cannon that serves to prove that point.  Get the tape for free here...  Shit is dope as hell!!!  The is only one thing about homey's spit that I can almost beef about, his tone is similar to the nasal, well-pronounced flow that seems to have become standard for white emcee's since Em first came on the scene and popularized it.  I mean, I'm definitely not hating, but I would like to see some Caucasian emcees get outside of "the Eminem box."

My early favorite tracks are Roth Boys (peep the vid below), I Love College, and The Lounge.  On The Lounge Asher poses the question of what is a rapper supposed to be, talk about, look like, do, dress like, etc, etc...  I think it is a great track, both musically and content-wise, and think that this question is a great one as the focus of hip hop has drifted a bit from the music to the fashion, money, cars, chicks, etc...

DJ Drama intro's Asher on BET's Rap City


Roth Boys


I Love College


 

The Lounge


And for good measure, Asher kills A Milli.  I've said before that I love how this track blew up because now you have a nice baseline for evaluating emcees, since EVERYONE spit on it!

And for good measure, here is Asher killing Weezy's A Milli...  Again, love that this track blew up... It provides a great baseline for evaluating emcees...  Asher tears it up...


What's the word?
Peace,
-Breeze 
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BET Awards Show - Cyphers Abound

10.24.08 // By Breeze // ,
Sup Yall,

So, last night was the BET Hip Hop Awards.  I always dig this awards show because there are so many performances, and none of them are the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cirus....  However, the dopest part of the show for me were the three interlude's that were filmed featuring established, up-and-coming, and global Hip Hop talent...  They got a ton of emcees to spit in a cypher, and the shit was "cooler than a polar bear's toenails!"

The first cypher featured Hurricane Chris, K'Naan, Bun B, and the legend Q Tip...  In my opinion, Chris was pretty whack...  K'Naan was pretty dope, and Bun was okay.  I think the best spit in this cypher was definitely Tip's...  The vids are a threat to be pulled off of YouTube and BET hasn't figured out how to offer an embed option on their video player...  But, you can always go over to BET's website to watch all of the cyphers in high quality here...



The second cypher included Willy Northpole, Hime, Blaq Poet, and the kid Cory Gunz...  No doubt about it, Cory rips this to shreds!  Northpole was dope too, and Hime's Japanese spit was really cool.  I have heard over and over that no one can touch Peter's son on the freestyle tip, but this was just bananas!  This kid is insanely talented and I'm sure he will start making noise pretty soon...


The third cypher featured four emcees that are working the mainstream today, and I must say, they were all pretty dope.  It included Ace Hood, Juelz Santana, Fabolous, and Jadakiss...  Like I said, all of their flows were pretty entertaining - I always love seeing the commercial cats in a more real setting, on some more authentic Hip Hop shit...  I would give this one to Kiss, although I am pretty proud of kid from my hometown state - Ace Hood really surprised me with his spit...  And, of course, Fab always is going to deliver some crazy punchlines...  Dope cypher all the way through in my opinion...



What do yall think?
Peace,
-Breeze




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Theophilus London - Sounds Interesting So Far...

10.20.08 // By Breeze //
Sup yall,

There is a lot of heat being generated in NYC these days.  The City is pumping out talented emcees regularly - consider 88-Keys, Mickey Factz, and now THEOPHILUS LONDON.  This Brooklyn spitter is as cool as the name he goes by - Plus, he only uses capital letters in his art as well... Not sure if I get it??   I really enjoy his production, which samples heavily from all genres, including the house/dance space on the jam SAND CASTLES (which is the first of the joints that I heard from dude), and 80's.  He just released a mixtape titles JAM! that you can grab on his MySpace.  The theme of the tape is recurring samples of the old school Michael Jackson track by the same name...  This dude has very diverse musical tastes.  Peep the video below to hear the story behind the mixtape mixed by Machine Drum.  I really dig the track DIE FOR YOU and the heavy Prince  sample... homey's flow is really insightful and heartfelt.  His lyrics are the focus of his rhymes, in true New York fashion, and he is a great storyteller. 

My favorite track is called DEPARTURE... I'm a sucker for a soul track and I absolutely love the production and samples on the track!  Theo's flow is very deliberate and clear and there is a very emotional element to his voice.  I absolutely love the laid back vibe of this song in much of the same way that I love Kanye's track from Graduation called Everything I Am.  I just really dig any emcee that can connect and convey as much emotion through his lyrics alone, with no bells and whistles.  Words can be incredibly powerful! 

Anyways, enough of my dribble...  Listen to the tracks below (The Blues is super fly, too) and holler back...  Yall feeling Theo??

DIE FOR YOU


SAND CASTLES


 DEPARTURE


THE BLUES


And peep the video...  Dude has some really cool ideas and opinions.  He is trying to do something pretty cool and seems like a really smooth, intelligent cat...  His musical influences are pretty crazy varied - I love that shit!!!

Peace,
-Breeze
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Obviously He's HOT - Meet Wax

10.17.08 // By Breeze //

Sup y'all,

Last week, my boy Kareem from Man Up Management hit me up.  We had to talk about an event that MyCypher is holding on the 2nd of November.  We are having a political debate in the form of a freestyle battle and are calling it a Lyrical Debate.  The purpose of the event is to encourage Hip Hoppers to get to the polls and vote on the 4th.  We don't care who you vote for (well, I kinda do, but I will keep that to myself)...  Just GO VOTE!  Anyways, Reem manages the homey Nobody Famous and we were talking about Famous headlining the Lyrical Debate.  During the course of that conversation, Reem mentioned a new artist that he was working on signing to his company.  He said, "Go to Youtube and search for 'wax and herbal t.'"  I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but after we got off the call, I followed the directions I was given.  Well, to say the least, I was very pleasantly surprised with what I found. 

Wax is a beast on Youtube, constantly updating his channel with new video clips, many of which are him spitting in his car as he drives.  Dude is originally from Baltimore and now lives in SoCal.  Apparantly, dude is signed to an Indie label called AGP Records - in 2006, they put out an album from him and Herbal T called Grizzly Season on iTunes.  Go cop that here. 

I don't know too much about homeboy, but the videos I have seen were enough to convince me!  Wax will open for Nobody Famous at the MyCypher.com Lyrical Debate on November 2nd, and frankly, I can't wait to see how this all goes down.  I am planning to sit down with all parties this week and am actually pretty excited to find out more about Wax and Herbal T.  As soon as I know more, I will post another entry about dude.  But, in the meantime, check the video below for The Adventures of Larry and Tina...  This track tells a great story of a couple who definitely encountered their fair share of issues and demons.  It is from the upcoming album entitled Liquid Courage from Wax and EOM.  Also, peep the freestyle that Wax spit for the VIBE Verses contest that ran a while back (VIBE Magazine was accepting submissions from MC's for a contest - the winner was determined by fan feedback and was won by an artist called Miss Nana).  While homegirl is really talented, I would be really curious to know how Wax did in this contest...  I suspect that he was pretty well received. 

I think most of the videos on his YOUtube channel are freestyles, which if true, is really impressive.  This dude is super talented!

The Adventures of Larry and Tina



Wax spittin over The Cool Kids track Mikey Rocks




Wax's freestyle submission for the VIBE Verses Contest - Dope!!!




I'll Forget You
I love that dude plays the guitar... and sings!  Over the acoustic guitar, this twangy number  is super cool...  and, dude is hilarious on top of all that.  It definitely helps to be charismatic, have a personality, and be multi-talented to get on in today's game...

And, he spits over the guitar... Jukebox


What do y'all think about Wax?

Peace,
-Breeze
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Hip Hop's 2008 Rookie of the Year?: Blu

10.17.08 // By Breeze //
Sup y'all,

I recently came across a video that XXL put up on the web to promote a campaign they are running which highlights the new Hip Hop talent of the year.  The video was of an emcee named Blu, real name: Johnson Barnes, who is from San Pedro, CA and has been getting mad love all over the blogosphere and Hip Hop trades.  Kid is involved with different artists and has released a few projects relatively recently, including Johnson and Jonson (with Mainframe), C.R.A.C. (with Ta'raach), in addition to his debut album produced by DJ Exile, entitled Below the Heavens. 

In addition, Blu is giving away track after track to fans via his MySpace - Homey definitely understands how the game is changing as everything moves to digital.  With new music so readily available, and often times for free, I think that artists today need to put out as much quality new material as possible.  Mixtapes and giveaway tracks are the BEST promotion for a major release - just look at Lil' Wayne as an example.  Now, I do think that this can be a tricky...  If the material that an artist gives away is whack, then the album is going to be seriously compromised.  But, I don't think that the old record industry idea that scarcity of material fuels the demand for new music.  Music consumers today have an attention span that is too short for this old paradigm to hold true.  In other words, if you try to play the game like that today (in Hip Hop - I think that it still applies somewhat to other genres), people will forget about you.  The fight today is to always be on top of the minds of your fans, and to do everything possible to create a one-to-one relationship with them.  Fans today want more than just music - they want access... to feel like they are a part of the creative process.  And, that is exactly what Blu delivers by constantly offering up new tracks.  I'm sure the feedback he gets from every giveaway helps to shape the direction of his music and its message going forward.  If it doesn't, then it should...

Now that I have gone on a completely tangentially related rant, back to Blu...  I really enjoy what I have heard from him thus far!  I haven't really gotten to dig in too deep, but I think that Johnson and Jonson is really dope (check it below), and am really dig his crisp delivery and wit.  Exile's production on Heavens is thorough all the way thru, and Blu's conscious flow is full of internal rhyme and tricky wordplay...

"And I don't pack stadiums yet, I still rock 'em.
And they still spell my name fucked up on they flyers. 
It's B-L-U, and if you see the E drop 'em. 
Its like they droppin E from the beats E's droppin.
Gotcha peeps eavesdroppin' and the world keeps watchin 'em."

Check out the features on Heavens from Miguel Jontel who is also from San Pedro and also profiled here...  Homey's stuff is great so I won't even hit y'all with tracks - give the albums a run through listen and start with Heavens...  I'm sure we will all hear more from Blu in the very near future - Be on the lookout!

Blu Collar Workers


Blu & Mainframe - Johnson & Jonson

Blue & Exile - Below the Heavens


What do y'all think?


Peace,
-Breeze
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"I Aspire to Inspire" - Meet Miguel

10.16.08 // By Breeze //
Sup y'all, 

As I suspect is the same for many other music-thirsty members of my generation, and definitely is the case for the young bucks, or Millennials, my musical tastes cross most genre borders.  We all grew up loving Nirvana and Snoop Dogg at the same time, so it makes total sense to see young, new artists who are pushing the envelope like they are...  We are the internet generation- the first generation that experienced and consumed music digitally - that is really crazy! Napster, Kazaa, Limewire. We are the first generation of kids to whom those are household names.  What that means is that we are the first generation for whom music is easily, and readily, attainable... and usually for FREE.  So, I said all of that B.S. as a segway into introducing Miguel. I first heard dude on theexactly.net's mixtape called Your New Favorite Mixtape - go get it on the site - and he got me.  

Now, dude's MySpace classifies his music as "Alternative/Funk/Soul" but that doesn't even give you half a clue as to his influences... Best bet, go cop his Mischief mixtape for free here and judge for yourself.  My favorite track is Strawberry Amazing and I totally dig All Night Long, but the tape is dope as hell and I can't wait for dude to drop.  He is signed to Jive Records and his album is expected to be coming soon...  He sounds like a new wave blending of Raphael Saadiq and Prince, with the pop sensibility of a Chris Brown sprinkled on top... But this kid from San Pedro, CA is influenced by every genre you can imagine - Peep the videos below to get hipped...





Sure Thing
Strawberry Amazing

All Night Long

Peace y'all, 
-Breeze
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Get your ass to Spaceland next Monday to see Kenan Bell for FREE!

10.14.08 // By Breeze // ,
If yall haven't heard about Kenan Bell yet, just wait...  It's only a matter of time before this bipster act blows up!  I honestly believe that this cat will be huge - his music contains elements from all genres including, but not limited to, hip hop, alternative, emo, classic rock n roll, electronica, etc, etc, etc... But, it really doesn't matter - Dope music is dope music... and homeboy is DOPE!!!  Kenan Bell performs with a live band that is both equally as eclectic and insanely talented as he is...  I caught his live show last night at Spaceland in Silver Lake.  He has a residency there for the month of October and is playing every Monday night for FREE!!!  Do your self a favor and get your ass there for one of the two remaining shows during his residency. 

Dude's flow is very clear and well articulated.  That, coupled with his nasaly, higher-pitched delivery, is sometimes reminiscent of (dare I say...) Eminem, but his subject matter is all his own...

"Don't know what I'm on, but still I got a deal.
Mom said finish college. I said, son, I got bills.
Can't quit my day job, though I got skills."

I love all of the tracks I have heard! Homey is signed to Indie imprint Cutlass Recordings and recently put out his Good Day EP on iTunes.  It's only $4 bucks, so just fucking pay for it, eh?  Anyways, my favorite track so far is Save Your Life, but I dig ALL of the tracks.  Peep some show footage below...  I mean, I really can't find a track that I don't want to talk about, so just open your ears and minds...

Good Day EP


Aww Yea (I think that is the track name) Live


Save Your Life Live


What's the word???
Peace yall,
-Breeze 

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Young Soul

10.14.08 // By Breeze //
So I remember the first time that I heard this cat, and his spit really stuck with me after only one verse... as a feature... on another artists' mixtape.  Yea, homey is dope.  Chris Young is a nineteen-year old emcee from San Diego, CA.  Dude has been at this for a while evidenced by the video below that features a track written and recorded when dude was 16- bananas...  I really envy anyone who knows so clearly what they want to do at such a young age.  When I was 16, you couldn't tell me that I wasn't gonna play in the NBA...  Well, things change...  

But, for real, dude is bananas...  Im gonna just let the music speak for itself.  And, please check his myspace here... I really, really dig Ms Mulatto, which is also featured on the homey Jesse Lee's CremeDeLaCreme Mixtape- listen below...  Also, homey is down with my man Nobody Famous who is up to big things himself (Can't wait for his Volume 3 Mixtape!) and there is vid from the Tube here as well.  Chris is featured on his VLOG...  Last thing, this dude will be around and you will hear of him... SOON...  And, please listen to The Sincere Dedication. Shit is really, really fly...Get hip, y'all...

CremeDeLaCreme


Ms Mulatto

The Sincere Dedication

Nobody Famous VLOG

Can't Label Me (2005)


Peace y'all, 

-Breeze
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Nobody Famous Shuts Down his Hometown

10.13.08 // By Breeze // , , ,
Sup Y'all, 

So, the homey Nobody Famous made a trip to the ATL, his hometown, a few weeks ago to participate in the Atlantis Music Conference and ATLast showcase at the Apache Cafe.  Below is a video that he shot during the trip, and it includes a studio session with Bohagon and Tragedy- Y'all need to know that Famous' production game is very Kobe Bryant.  The video is dope as hell and was shot by James Nation of Hit Maker Films- Shout out to James and Famous' manager 'Reem.  Keep doing work fellas!!!
Peep the video below...


Peace, 
-Breeze
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More of the New School: Meet TiRon

10.13.08 // By Breeze //

Sup y'all,

I have been crazy busy lately and haven't been as free to roam around the interweb looking and listening...  BUT, my boy pushed an email to me a while back that really got me hyped.  He just wanted to put me up on this blog that also serves to highlight up-and-coming hip hop artists.  The blog is called DXNext and is a part of the larger website that is HipHopDX, and these cats are on their game!  Peep the blog here and get your game up, just like I had to...

So, I am browsing some of the posts on DXNext a few weeks back, noticing that they have highlighted a lot of the same artists that I have (great minds think alike), and a lot of artists who I haven't had the pleasure of being exposed to...  One in particular really caught my ear- TiRon is an Illinois-born, LA-raised emcee who is down with Pac Div, and just performed at Temple Bar in Santa Monica (If you aren't up on Temple Bar, dope ass live shows but it just closed.  Will be reopened under new ownership and name) that I didn't catch either. 

Anyways, dude's flow is very, very serious!  He is featured on the Pac Div track Paper (see below for the vid) and is putting in work on the Mixtape scene.  You can grab Your New Favorite Mixtape presented by The Exactly on his myspace here, so go scoop it...  TiRon's tone is mellow and very smooth.  He rhymes over some killer, mid-tempo beats that often have a really soulful feel and his wordplay is pretty tricky.  I really dig the track PICKY, which is one that all the fellas can relate to- the track talks about how picky we all are and how the grass always seems greener...  You should check out all of this cat's music, but another favorite of mine that I'll include is called Throwin' My Money.  Also, the track Wingman that DXNext mentions (the title should tell yall enough) is fucking hilarious...

PICKY


Throwin' My Money


Wingman


Pac Div- Paper feat. TiRon

What's the word on TiRon?  Peace y'all...

-Breeze

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I Hated Chemistry, but Proton is Super Fly...

10.12.08 // By Breeze //
Damn...  A duo from Atlanta that is of a lyrical capability that does not generally mark music from the region.  They experiment inside and outside the lines of the music they create and aren't afraid to draw on other genres to get outside of the box.  While this might sound like a description of one of the greatest Hip Hop acts of all time, I'm not talking about Dre and Big Boi of OutKast.  Instead, I'm referring to one of the most refreshing Hip Hop acts that I have come across in a good minute: Proton.  

These dudes, named Larry and Kamikazbi are generating some buzz on the underground hip hop blogs, and for good reason.  They recently dropped a mixtape called Red & Purple, Volume 1 which you can pick up for free at their MySpace.  Do yourself a favor and get hipped...  These cats are super fly lyrically and both have great timing and delivery.  According to the fellas themselves, "their sound is primarily based in hip hop music, but is diversified by electronic, rock, and alternative influences; fitting ingredients, considering their sole proclamation is not to bring 'real' hip hop back, but to push it forward."  This quote completely reinforces my theory that there is a desire for an emphasis on hip hop's past and thirst for authenticity in an artist, but at the same time, artists are pushing the genre forward in new ways... experimenting with new elements...

I haven't had a chance to thoroughly listen to Volume 1, but my early favorite is Laptop which is a sex track hidden under a blanket of internet metaphors.  The track is a great example of how these fellas don't take themselves too seriously...  Another dope example of this is the track Magazine Dreamz, which talks about how we all lust after the chicks in the magazines.  They are fly! Listen and watch below...




Laptop

Good Look

Magazine Dreamz

Peace yall, 
-Breeze
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Another LA Quality Product - Ayomari

10.12.08 // By Breeze //
Sup y'all, 

I first heard this cat on the track Quitter from TiRon and think his verse sort of stole the song...  Ayomari is an emcee from LA, who seems to be flying way farther below the radar than he should be.  I really dig this cats flow and love the few tracks I have heard him on.  He has been featured on a few tracks with TiRon, and the two seem to have a nice chemistry.

I'm really feeling the track Sydney, which is about reaching "the friend zone" with a chick that you are feeling... Something that every homey can relate to...  Ayomari's spit is self-assured and purposeful- he tells good stories from a relatable perspective.  He is also featured on the TiRon track Wingman which deals with another subject that all guys can relate to- jumping on a grenade to help your boy get laid...

Anyways, I haven't found a ton of info about dude around the web, but here are a few tracks to check out and of course, his MySpace link...  It seems strange today that an up-and-coming artist today doesn't have more of a digital footprint - Homey, holler at me if you read this and we will get your online game crackin...LOL...  What do y'all think about Ayomari?  

Quitter with TiRon

My Wingman & Me with TiRon

Sydney with TiRon

Day By Day featuring TiRon


Peace, 
-Breeze

    
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Mateo's Makin MySpace

10.11.08 // By Breeze // ,

Alright, so here is another cat that I have been really high on for over a year and a half who is starting to get some shine.  Mateo is a R&B/Soul artist from Cincy who has been putting in work in Los Angeles for the whole 2+ years that I have been here.  I have seen dude perform live a couple of times (he was all over Temple Bar and Hotel Café) and he is just as fire in person, maybe even more so. 


Dude's music is sooooo soulful and really connects with listeners- yall should see what his live show does to pretty women LOL...  On his debut EP, entitled Human, he displays the vocal prowess and strategic creativity of an artist who has a definite future in the biz... I fell in love with homey's music after hearing the title track (see below) and then couldn't stop listening to his intoxicating voice over insanely dope melodies.  He is signed now to newly minted MySpace Records, which makes perfect sense since this dude is and has been an absolute beast on MySpace, constantly updating his page with news, music, media, etc... 


He released a Makin My Space Mixtape that is available for free download on his page here and features tracks from Ye, Timbaland, and Polow Da Don so go pick that up.  Dude is gonna be HUGE if they package him right- authentic sound with crazy commercial and crossover appeal.    Interestingly enough, the first time I saw this dude live, I approached his manager about getting his music on iTunes through the indie label I was at at the time.  His people were all about it, but I could never get back in touch with them and it eventually fell off.  By the looks of it, dude is doing just fine and probably knew what he was doing all along the way...


What do y'all think about Mateo?  And before the tough guys get all brody, play Human for your lady and then re-evaluate...


Human


Get to Know Me- Live recording that will definitely end up as an album cut


Peace y'all...

-Breeze

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The Latchkey Kids: Team Blackout

10.10.08 // By Breeze //
I am a huge fan of Russell Simmons!  If you are a hip hop fan and don't know his story, please do yourself a favor and read the book Def Jam, Inc.  Get it here.  This book is one of the coolest things I have ever read, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the history and/or business of hip hop. 

That said, I don't really know that much about his little brother Joey, aka. Rev Run, outside of his music from Run D-M-C.  I know that the show on MTV is a huge hit, but don't think I have ever watched a whole episode.  If you watch the show, then you will already know about Team Blackout, the group of rappers including JoJo Simmons (Rev's son) and his boys Zach and Reggie.  Now you have to know that these cats have the craziest access to the dopest producers, arrangers, engineers, etc, etc, etc and that money is really not an object.  So it is no surprise that the production value of their tracks is high. 

To be honest with you, I kinda like some tracks- Billion Dollar Boyfriend, About U, etc.- and even though these boys grew up pampered, they don't make any excuses about it.  I don't know how much I care that dude can buy Vermont, but the tracks are good hip pop music.  Listen below and check out the video for J5 On 'Em which features a lil' cameo dance sequence from Rev's younger son, Diggy...

J5 On 'Em


Billion Dollar Boyfriend


About U


Peace Y'all...
-Breeze
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Reppin the 561 HARD- Meet Clete

10.10.08 // By Breeze //

Sup y'all,

I don't know if I have mentioned this (probably have about 500 times lol), but I am from Palm Beach County.  And, everyone knows that "there is no place like home."   While I think that South Florida is one of the craziest, most backward-ass places in the world, I love it and will keep reppin the 5-6-Ace until I'm not around...  I grew up playin ball with this cat (he was nasty- ended up hoopin at University of Louisiana at Lafayette) who would be rappin and freestyling all the time.  Well, one day I was watching MTV Jams and the I'm So Hood video, by DJ Khaled, and I noticed a very familiar face.  Turns out, dude has hustled his way all the way up to the edge of success, and by the looks of things, he could keep climbing.  Meet my homey Clete... MySpace Page


So, homey spits that really, really Southern shit that has been consistently coming out of Miami for a few years now.  He is kinda doin it already and has plans to only keep on pushin.  So, I've already mentioned that he is runnin with Khaled, he has a track with Pleasure P formerly of Pretty Ricky, and according to our conversation the other night, dude is plugged into Plies' camp as well.  Now, this is truly Southern Hip Hop, but Clete makes no apologies for that.  And to be honest with y'all, he shouldn't- this is what homey knows and his songs depict the things that he has seen and experienced throughout his life... 


Dude was recently signed to JIVE records, so it will be interesting to see how they position him.  And also, be on the lookout for his The Street Mixtape coming soon...


My favorite of the tracks that I have heard is called Right or Wrong, and deals with all of the people that Clete has lost along his life's road.  Can't find the track, but he posts it to Myspace from time to time...  Being as I knew a few of these people, I think I may be a bit biased, but you can hear the hurt in his tone...


What do y'all think?


Keep Takin It featuring Pleasure P

Bout My Money

Give Ya Da Business

Peace...
-Breeze
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Ebony & Ivory in Perfect Harmony - Meet Inverse

10.09.08 // By Breeze //
Sup Y'all,

So, I was floating around on MySpace a couple weeks ago and came across a duo that caught my eye, but more importantly, my ear!  Inverse is a Los Angeles area duo consisting of two cats, Tunji and Toby, who are as dope as they are different.  The name makes sense when you see the dudes... Toby is a whiteboy who looks a lil like the often-corny kids I went to school with at a small private university in Boston.  His spit, as well as Tunji's, on the other hand, is anything but corny...  These dudes are dope and have a definite message that they are trying to convey through their music...   Tracks entitled So Far and I Believe give an idea of these fellas' message - that while we have come along way in terms of knocking down social and other barriers, there is still "So far to go..."

These dudes are down with Little Brother and ?uestlove has given them his cosign as well (Peep the Video)



The line that really got my ass motivated to put my fingers to the keys for these fellas is from the track So Far (Listen Below) and goes...

"They try to judge, cuz we don't look like each other.
But, read a page before you judge a book by its cover."

Now that is a dope line... I don't care what you say...  These dudes are really fly and I encourage you to listen to and download all of the tracks on their MySpace for FREE...  Yea, that's right... Free99...  And listen to the dope tracks below...

So Far


Hip Hop Soul featuring Noah King


I Believe


Remember the Name


What's the word y'all?

Peace,
-Breeze

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Ivan Ives

10.08.08 // By Breeze //

So, I got my hands on this Mixtape and the name was so cool that I had to dig a bit deeper.  Ivan Ives is a cat from LA by way of Mother Russia and his Mixtape, entitled Eat POP and Die is super-duper dope!  This is what a Mixtape is supposed to be- all of the tracks are samples and only last about 2 or 3 minutes... enough to whet appetites of listeners just enough to have to check into this dude.  

download it for free on my page!

Ivan's flow is sick, and he sounds like he is an American emcee- no hint of any sort of Russian accent (which actually might be kinda cool), and his tone is reminiscent of a younger LL Cool J on some tracks.  Subject matter includes everything from the standard girls, parties, etc. all the way to more tangible issues.  The title Eat POP and Die is really interesting as all of the tracks on the Mixtape are pop tracks from varying eras.  The overall message, at least as I understand it, is that pop music is the product of the corporate, capitalist machine and listeners ought to be extremely weary of what they hear.  This is a cool perspective for an unsigned artist who releases all of his 4 full-length albums on his own imprint, No Threshold Records.  Ives addresses Eminem comparisons, dealing with the major label system "sharks and snakes," and the grind and hustle of an independent artist trying to break. 


Peep the track Victory below, and check dude's myspace here.  Dude has gotten his fair share of press too- check out some below...  And finally, if you are feeling homey, cop his Mixtape for free here.  What's the word on Ivan Ives???

Victory feat. Vast Aire


Named 1 of 40 Artists To Watch in Rolling Stone! theyre playing my stuff @ some stores now. cool.


Peace...

-Breeze

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U-N-I at The Knitting Factory

10.07.08 // By Breeze // , ,
Sup Y'all, 

I am super hyped about this duo from Inglewood called U-N-I (check out my earlier post on the fellas here).  I got wind that the fellas were opening for a group called Common Market at the Knitting Factory on October 4th, so I headed up to Hollywood Blvd to catch the show...  Here is video of the fellas, Y-O and Thurzday, performing their smash K.R.E.A.M. (Kicks Rule Everything Around Me) and another track called Love Supreme from theexactly.net mixtape called Your New Favorite Mixtape below...  These fellas are cool as hell and are definitely makin major moves...

K.R.E.A.M.

Love Supreme

Also, pick up the fellas new track called Stakes Is High here.  The track is a tribute by Y-O and Thurzday to De La Soul.  The boys also are featured on Mick Boogie's new The Honor Roll Mixtape- get it here.

Check out the MyCypher Channel at Blip.tv here

Peace y'all, 
-Breeze
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Charles Hamilton: Sonic Soul Spitter

10.07.08 // By Breeze //

So, I admit that I slept a bit on this dude.  I had been hearing, seeing, reading, whatever.... The name was familiar- but still I slept...  Then last Sunday night, September 21st, I was watching Entourage and heard a dope ass song being used in one of the transitions (where the fellas are rolling up to the house in Beverly Hills- I'm sort of a junkie on that show).  I looked it up and found that it was... Charles Hamilton.  Now, I was awake... 


Dude is bananas...  For Real... The song from the show was Brooklyn Girl, which is a melodic track that Hamilton's flow bounces around to produce a surefire crossover smash...  It's infectious.  And the rest of the Mixtape Outside In  (Get it Here) is super dope, too (Homey is pumping out tracks at a pretty solid pace)...  Dude grew up in Harlem but was born in Cleveland and lists Eminem as a major influence.  I know it's a huge, stupid comparison to make so early on, but I thought he sounded soooooort of like Em on a few tracks... Green Lantern has been Em's DJ before and is the name attached to this Mixtape project though DJ Skee is CH's DJ.  I mean, dude is versatile- He is his own artist... Still pretty dope to see Em's influence on the game showing itself in such a unique fashion. 


So, dude also produces...  His tracks have a ton of samples, he gets shit for it, too... But he makes insanely dope music!  Sampling is a part of Hip Hop, and has helped to fuel the creativity that makes Hip Hop so fresh. It dictates popular culture for the most part...


Anyways, check out the tracks, vids below, hit his website here and get hipped like I needed to...  Dude is putting out a mixtape every two weeks and givin em away...Oh, and check the INSANE cipher with Kanye and The Game... SICK!!!



 

Brooklyn Girl


Ambitions of Musicians


Peace y'all...

-Breeze

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Kid CuDi & Hollywood Holt KILL CineSpace

10.05.08 // By Breeze // , ,
Sup Y'all,

So I hit CineSpace in Hollywood for Dim Mak Tuesday on the night of September 30, 2008...  Shit was ILL...  Kid CuDi and Hollywood Holt both held it down on stage and I got the video to prove it...  If you don't know about either of these cats, peep my earlier posts here- Hollywood
and CuDi
Peep this accapella from Hollywood- He threw his shirt on his DJ, Million Dollar Maino's, equipment and it stopped working.  Instead, dude just ripped through a song- Dope as hell...


And here is footage of CuDi performing Day N Nite, which closed the show.  Everyone in the place was screaming for him to sing it by the end of the show, and he didn't disappoint. 


Peep more videos at the MyCypher TV channel on Blip.TV here...

Peace Y'all,

Breeze
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Crazy Eights: Meet Kanye's boy, 88-Keys

10.01.08 // By Breeze //

Sup y'all,

I was surfin around lookin for some new cuts and stumbled upon a track called Stand Up! (Viagra) which caught my attention from the name alone.  Then I noticed that the track features Kanye West, so I was that much more interested.  I listened to the track, by an artist named 88-Keys, and it was super duper fly!  With a little research, I tracked dude down on MySpace (www.myspace.com/88keys) and his shit is fucking bananas... Yea, that's right B-A-N-A-N-A-S!  

So, homey is from NYC and got into the game as a producer pretty early on.  He produced tracks for numerous acts, including Talib Kweli, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, Beanie Sigel, Musiq Soulchild, and many more...  Dude just released a Mixtape called Adam's Case Files, which features some pretty dope artists, including Kid Cudi, who I think is super dope...  This Mixtape is a precursor to his debut album which is set to drop on October 28, 2008 and is entitled The Death of Adam and being Executive Produced by 'Ye himself.  The concept for the album is really cool (read about it at here) and the Mixtape is a great lead in to the album...  Keys has also put out a series of viral videos (see sample below) to promote the album, all of which feature his boys including Q-Tip, Kid Cudi, and others. 

So, yall should check him out and go pickup the Mixtape for free here.  Dude is about to blow the roof off with his soulful beats and cool ass tone.  His wordplay is pretty clever and I just really dig the vibe of his music.  I'm really feeling the tracks Wasting My Minutes featuring Kid Cudi, and Cuddle Bums featuring Tanya Morgan.  Listen below and holler at your boy...


Viral Video #1 for The Death of Adam


Wasting My Minutes feat. Kid Cudi


Cuddle Bums feat. Tanya Morgan


Peace y'all, 

-Breeze

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