(LOL @ the Michael Eric Dyson shout…love that dude, pause)
The homies Tunji and Greg The Dude put together this video to introduce y’all to Krondon, Phil The Agony, and Mitchy Slick, collectively known as Strong Arm Steady. You really should already be up on ’em, but if you aren’t, this will get you the basic info. Be on the lookout for Arms & Hammers dropping later this year on Talib’s Blacksmith Music label. If you checked the last episode of Sound Session, you heard the lead single “Can’t Let It Go,” which is a perfect summertime West Best Coast joint. If you missed it, it’s your lucky day:
I’ve been meaning to make this post ever since Euro 2008 started and I watched my Swedish brethren (I was this close to having a Swedish first name, apparently “Torsten”…whew) play like bitches and fail to advance past the 1st round. A little bit before that, The Fader featured a great article on indie-pop’s next big thing, Swedish singer Lykke Li (pronounced “lickee lee”). I’d heard bits and pieces of her music before (shout to The Exactly for being one of the first hip-hop sites to feature her), but that article inspired me to check her out in full. She released her debut album earlier this year, Youth Novels, and as expected, she’s dope as hell. Y’all need to get familiar.
Sweden’s been a surprising hot spot for quality pop music over the years (this was my jam back in middle school, I ain’t ashamed), thanks in part to a refreshing respect the Swedes have for the genre. In essence, it’s a lot less disposable over there than we treat it here, and Lykke displays that in her music. While the on the surface, it embodies that traditional playful pop vibe, there’s also a deeper emotional level in the way she sings about heartbreak and disappointment. She’s not outwardly sexy like our stars aim to be, but there’s something sultry about her style and her voice when she sings lines like “…and for you I keep my legs apart/and forget about my tainted heart.” Damn…and that’s just on the single, “Little Bit.” Perhaps it’s the Scandinavian blond thing, but I feel like her stuff sounds like what Scarlett Johansson wishes she could make (when she’s not covering Tom Waits). Anyway, peep her first two videos and download the mp3’s:
Hit the jump to watch some other ridiculously cool performances and download a ton of bonus tracks/remixes. I’ll toss in a few of my favorite cuts off Youth Novels too. I don’t want to post the whole thing, but if you want to check it out, shoot me an email and you might get a present back in return. DJHyphen@gmail.com.
(did I see John Legend making 2 quick cameos in there?)
Now this is the kind of single we need on the airwaves. Saw this on OnSmash and was gonna hold off on posting because it’s got an awful hiss in the audio, but I figured I’d forget if I waited a few days. Besides, it’s dope as hell to see this kind of message coming from top tier artists. See Luda, that’s how you do it. Although, I did have to chuckle at Mary as the community organizer, but it’s still cool. You know she couldn’t wait to rhyme “drama” with “Obama” too…that’s right in her wheelhouse.
Here’s the mp3, without Drama’s completely unnecessary intro, for y’all if you need it:
I haven’t done one of these Throwback posts in a minute, but I saw The Smoking Section post up Boo & Gotti’s album from 2003, Perfect Timing, and it reminded me of this song. The album was definitely slept on when it dropped…and for good reason. That said, “Think” was my jam for a minute. The lyrics are pretty trite and forgettable, but that was Boo & Gotti’s whole M.O.. The beat is great though, courtesy of Jazze Pha, and it even features the fat man on the hook. This was back when he was just mildly annoying, as opposed to his almost Khaled-esque level of buffoonery these days. Check this out if you remember the start of the chipmunk sample renaissance. I’m still a sucker for sped up vocal samples…
The best rapper alive (well, maybe that’s Andre…eff a Weezy) performs two songs off his Euro Pass mixtape, “Motown 25” and “That’s That One.” “Motown 25” might be my favorite song of the year, although part of that is due to Royce’s verse that isn’t in the above performance. As a bonus, here’s a new Elzhi track off his upcoming album, The Preface, swiped from the Dopehouse:
Damn, 4 videos from an underground album? I ain’t mad at that at all. New visuals for two Shawn Jackson tracks, both featuring Ty from Ty & Kory. Mp3 below for “Go There With You” courtesy of Universoul Productions, videos for both swiped from 2 Dope Boyz. Peep “Soopafly” after the jump.
Posted in Artists, Joints on July 24th, 2008 by Hyphen
As I mentioned when I posted M.anifest’s “Babylon Breakdown” video, M.anifest, Krukid, and the homey Budo are putting together a dope project called A.R.M. (African Rebel Movement / Africans Representing the Motherland). See, M.anifest‘s representing Ghana (shout to the Black Stars), Krukid reps for Uganda, and Budo…well, that’s the 206 connection. They’ve decided to leak a few tracks from their upcoming album and the joints are fire. Check ’em out below:
Murs and 9th Wonder made this EP two years ago and never released it, so with Murs For President dropping September 30th, they decided to use it for a nice promotional tool. Download and donate on their site if you’re so inclined. Nothing’s gonna top Murs 3:16 (The 9th Edition), but this will hold me over until the LP.
The latest from Cee-Lo & Dangermouse’s The Odd Couple. Gross, dope, and pretty accurate all in one. The broccoli was clownin’. Here’s the mp3 if you need it:
One more post before I pass the hell out. I’ve been a big fan of Kardi’s for damn near a decade now (I think “U R Ghetto” was the first joint I heard back in like ’99), and it was an honor to kick it with him at the station for a few hours. During our interview, he mentioned the video for “Set It Off” was going to leak today, and sure enough, here it is. Good stuff. Download the mp3 below if you need it and be sure to cop Not 4 Sale on September 9th. Also watch for the video and audio of that interview coming soon.
