Detroit bred lyricist Royce 5'9" just dropped a new mixtape, Growth & Patience: The Best of Royce Volume 1. Royce linked up with Trackstar The DJ to put together a collection of gems for this project. Growth & Patience contains tracks from his studio releases, featured appearances, and previous mixtapes. This mixtape is just a taste to warm you up for Royce releases his 2009 solo-LP, Street Hop (M.I.C./One Records). Growth & Patiences is available exclusively at The Smoking Section.
The Roots of Hip Hop
It’s true that many bend the truth and overlook where hip-hop culture has evolved from. The Roots of Hip Hop is a compilation of jewels from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. The album showcases the sounds of blues, rock & Roll, and spoken word that tells the story that built the music industry as we know it today.
Unfortunately we are going through a transitional period, watching all the legends die off and all the records they poured their souls into are being left in the hands of fanatics and in cardboard boxes in the back of shops. As the industry pushes singles that were structured for thirteen year old girls down the throats of the people, this is the time that people need to really start to remember, teach, and share the history that made music what it is today..
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Bigger & Better
In honor of the late Notorious BIG, we've been seeing a lot of things creeping out of the woodwork. A new movie and more importantly the official documentary, both to be released with in the next week or so. I'm sure that there are handfuls of mixtapes dropping as well, everybody wants to get there piece of the pie. But this mixtape, Bigger & Better, is the only one you should have in your collection. Bigger & Better is mixed by none other than DJ Graffiti and hosted by Talib Kweli. All songs performed by Notorious BIG and produced by Astronote. Trust us, this is nothing but truth. A raw hip-hop classic tribute to the one that made it all seem possible...and it's free.
The Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon DVD, the Official Notorious BIG Documentary is about to be released Gold Dust. This is the only Official Documentary. It's been put together by his people and features never seen before footage from behind the scenes, on tour, and in the studio. As well as interviews with Snoop Dogg, Jadakiss, DJ Enuff, D-Dot, Datwon Thomas & more. The Biggie Smalls: Rap Phenomenon DVD is out January 27th on Gold Dust.
Last week Ghostly International released Seeing Colors; Ghostly Influences, a collaboration between the founder of Ghostly, Sam Velenti IV (SV4) and Michna. Over the past few years Ghostly has continued to grow and become one of the worlds most innovative electronic music labels. Michna is one of Ghostly’s newest artists and possible one of their most promising as well. Download it for free right here.Read On & Download
FREELAND V'S DAFT PUNK
The Directors 'Gold' (Richard Farmer and Sinuhe Xavier) have just finished this video for Adam's Daft Punk/ OBAMA mash up. Adam Freeland is getting prepared to release a new full-length solo album later this year on Marine Parade Records.
Danté & Deck - The Fixtape
“The Fixtape” is a mix of dope tracks and remixes put together by internationally known Danté and Deck. The album features songs from Danté’s album Roaming Empire and some exclusive tracks featuring artists such as One be Lo ( from Binary Star), Aztek, and a few other Detroit based lyricists. Deck mixes in a few favorites such as a little bit of Ghostface Kilah, David Bowie, Jay-Z and Queen. Recently Dante has released a sequel, The Fixtape 2: Still broke. If you have not had a chance to check out the Fixtape you can download it from us and pass it along to a friend.
This is the type of shit that makes me remember that real hip-hop is still alive. The Lyricists, a hip-hop collective based out of Port Huron, MI., consisting of two emcees; Illtone and Rym-Benda, and their DJ; Haus Diesel. Produced by DJ Excel, Transmitting Live, is the first of three EP's set to be put into the over saturated shelves of hip-hop records. This is one group that should not be covered in dust for my kid's to dig out of a crate in the back of the shop. With classic beats, raw lyrical talents, and words straight from the heart this has to be just a preview of what is to come.
Check out The Lyricists at: www.myspace.com/thelyricists
Junk Science - "Running Shoes"
Brooklyn's Junk Science have hit the ground running in the race towards
their third full length, A Miraculous Kind of Machine, due later this
year on Definitive Jux Records. They're kicking things off with a series
of free downloads, starting with "Running Shoes," a celebratory "Obama
song that has nothing to do with politics," according to the group's
Baje One. He and partner Snafu wrote the track shortly after Barack
Obama's historic win and titled it "Running Shoes" because "it
represents two opposing but connected ideas. On one hand, running shoes
are empowering, they allow you to move, to get to new places, like
wings. On the other hand, running shoes could be what you use to escape
from reality: drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, etc." The juxtaposition of
the two ideas seemed to encapsulate perfectly what Baje One and Snafu
felt about that night: "this song is really about the crossroads, the
Ides, the night before something new. A song for the brief
intermission."
For more information and free downloads go to:
Definitive Jux
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