Two thirds of Little Brother reunite, but is the beat too grating? You decide:
This mixtape by North Carolina rapper Rapsody is getting mad love on Twitter. With production by 9th Wonder and Khrysis (among others), and blazing guest appearances by Phonte, Mac Miller, Jean Grae, MURS and Raekwon (!), Thank H.E.R. Now may be one of the finest free albums I’ve heard in a long time.
Rapsody, a relative newcomer, is absolutely brilliant on the mic, dropping intricate and emotional rhymes on a range of tracks – from smoothed out, down tempo jams to minimalist, East Coast boom bap. Such easy versatility is rare among young rappers. Combined with Rapsody’s evident passion for her music, it’s impressive to behold. And the guest spots, all of which are solid, make every verse worth listening to.
Beat wise, the mixtape is blistering. Ninth comes correct, as usual, but so do the other producers. Nearly every track is well crafted, with the exception of “Out Tha Trunk”, which has an errant snare in the hook. But that’s a minor critique; the album otherwise glides smoothly across a nice mix of East Coast and 9th Wonder-ish beats, giving it a professional polish sorely lacking on most mixtapes.
Overall, Thank H.E.R. Now is a seriously impressive effort, and definitely worth a download. And if you don’t trust me, believe Tribe’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who co-signed it on Twitter. Here’s further proof:
Rapsody – Star Warz ft. Murs and Sundown (Thank H.E.R. Now)
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Courtesy of Okayplayer.com, a new mixtape by a emcee named Torae is available for free.
It’s okay if you’ve never heard of him before, I hadn’t either until the Okayplayer article came up. So I checked out his MySpace and Torae’s actually pretty dope.
Here’s a couple of tracks for you to test before downloading the album.
Here’s a bit of a love track, titled Tayler Made
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And here’s Uncomfortable
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So go grab the mixtape over at Sharebee (via Okayplayer).
He’s got a pretty interesting style, and I can’t quite place who he reminds me of. That’s probably a good thing, becuase it makes him seem a bit more original. Sgtill, tight rhymes and backing by some of the best underground producers in the business (9th Wonder, Madlib, and others) mean this mixtape is going to be a total success.
Check it out.
Okayplayer.com has hooked everyone up by giving away a free download of Murs & 9th Wonder’s new album, titled Sweet Lord.
You can download it here:http://www.mursand9thwonder.com/9thWonderMursSweetLord.zip
And here’s the tracklist, in case you’re curious.
1. The Intro
2. Are You Ready?
3. Nina Ross
4. Free
5. And I Love It
6. Pusshhhhhh
7. It’s For Real
8. Marry Me
9. Love The Way
10. Murs Inatra
While I haven’t had a chance to listen to it just yet, I have some pretty high hopes for it!
So check it out.
Atmosphere, your girl’s favourite hip-hop group, released their latest ablum, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, last week.
I’ve had mixed feelings about Atmosphere since I first heard tracks like “Modern Man’s Hustle” and “A Heave And A Ho” (does anyone know where to find this?). On one hand, Ant is a talented beatmaker and Slug is a dope lyricist. On the other hand, however, the common criticism levelled at the Minnesota duo – that they spend too much making introspective “emo rap” – is often true, especially on Lemons. The album is good, overall, but descends for long streches into dreary stories about tragic characters (“she got a condition of the heart, a heart condition” Slug raps on “Dreamer”) and lost love backed by competent but uninspiring beats. It’s like Atmosphere recorded the album on autopilot: recycling the same formula they’ve used for the past decade or so. But check out some of Lemons’ better tracks and decide for yourself:
Atmosphere – Waitress (When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, 2008)
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Atmosphere – Puppets (When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, 2008)
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If you’re feelin’ these tracks, download the album here then buy it here (or at your local independent record store) and support dope hip-hop!
Also new is Buckshot & 9th Wonder’s second album The Formula. Although I haven’t listened to it in its entirety, most reviews agree it’s better than their first collaboration, Chemistry, which suffered from lacklustre production and weak rhymes. Fortunately, the two cats appear to have regrouped and produced something worth the combined anticipation their two names generate. Check out “Go All Out,” courtesty of All Up In Your Earhole.
Buckshot & 9th Wonder – Go All Out ft. Carlitta Durand (The Formula, 2008)
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Download the album here then buy it here
I also managed to finally get my hands on J Dilla’s Jay Love Japan. Upon first hearing about this album’s existence I foolishly assumed it would feature Dilla chopping up rare Japanese funk and soul samples (how dope would that be?). Apparently, the album’s title is actually a satirical take on underground rappers who claim they’re huge in Japan or Europe.
Fortunately, my initial disappointment quickly receded after I started listening to Japan, which is chock-full of pure Dilla goodness. If you’re jonesing for those crunchy, distinct Jay Dee drums and brilliantly chopped soul samples layered over sub-woofer destroying bass lines you absolutely need to own this album. In fact, it may even be better than the Ruff Draft EP. Either way, it reminds you how absolutely tragic the Detroit producer’s passing was.
R.I.P. Dilla
J Dilla – Red Light ft. J*Davey (Jay Love Japan, 2006?)
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J Dilla – Lucy ft. Bo Bo Lamb (Jay Love Japan, 2006?)
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J Dilla – Say It! ft. Ta’Raach & DJ Exile (Jay Love Japan, 2006?)
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Buy Jay Love Japan here.
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