Archive for the ‘Hip-Hop/Rap’ Category

Video: Riders Against the Storm (RAS) “In the Light”

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

This is a track from Speak the Truth, the second release from Riders Against the Storm (RAS), a husband and wife duo out of Providence, Rhode Island. Jonathan and Ghislaine say their musical goal is to “not only inform, but also to uplift and create spaces where atrocities against people of the African diaspora can begin to heal.” You can find out more about them at their MySpace page or download a copy of the CD here.


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Video: Armenoids “Transformator”

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Armenoids’s “Transformator” was the Underrated Song of the Day a few weeks ago. When I saw the video for the track, I thought I’d share it with you. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. It’s definitely an example of finding music in everything. :-)


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Video: Evian “Roller Babies”

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

This isn’t indie nor non-mainstream music nor is it an unknown artist (though I could convincingly argue that it is good music). I’m just sending this one your way to put a smile on your face. Share it with others and let’s see how many people we can make smile today. :-)

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PANTyRAiD – The Sauce

Monday, January 11th, 2010

PantyraidWith the exception of classical and jazz, many of you have told me you’re not big fans of instrumental music. And just as many are not particularly fond of hip hop. So, with today’s recommendation, I’m asking you to let me stretch your musical mind a bit by giving you instrumental and hip hop music at the same time. I promise it won’t hurt a bit. (If you’re already excited by the idea of electronica/hip hop-flavored instrumentals, I will simply say THIS IS THE SHHHH……..!!!!)

Welcome to PANTyRAiD…two DJs/producers/songwriters who describe themselves as makers of new music for “people to feel sexy. If it don’t drop panties, then it ain’t PANTyRAiD!” Well, it didn’t exactly make me feel sexy but it definitely got me excited. (Does that mean I have to put on panties so I can drop ‘em?) I’ve been blasting this one for a few months and continue to have a periodic “WTF” moment when they throw an interesting combination of hip hop beats and glitch my way. Before I did some background research on this LA/Brooklyn-based duo, I imagined them as a solo, funky musical genius sitting in a basement apartment, surrounded by electronic gadgetry, continuously looking for interesting ways to push the musical envelope. Well, that’s pretty who they are, except it’s two heads instead of one.

Pantyraid

Though their intention is to make your body shake and “panties drop”, there are times when you will want to sit back and listen closely…absorbing their creativity and experiencing a few “OH SH*T” moments of your own. They give it in abundance…and it’s easy to miss those special good music moments if you’re running with panties around your ankles.

The experimental and cross-genre nature of PANTyRAiD’s music is one of the things that makes them so special. And as this mashup of genres continues in electronica, you can expect more musical cream like PANTyRAiD to rise to the top as they give you more and more innovative concoctions. Hopefully, other genres will become more experimental in similar, if not more adventurous, ways. For now, take a listen to the delicious feast of beats PANTyRAiD has cooked up for you.

Beba
Headcase
Like That
One Mo

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Pantyraid - The Sauce - Beba
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Video: Madcon “Beggin’”

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009


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Madcon - Beggin' - Single - Beggin' Napster, LLC
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Madcon – So Dark the Con of Man

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

MadconIf you’re outside the box in the first place, you almost have no choice but to bring something different to the musical table. Well Madcon (short for “Mad Conspiracy”) is about as far outside the box as one can be. This Norwegian singing/rapping duo is comprised of Tshawe Baqwa (aka Kapricon; born in Germany of South African heritage) and Yosef Wolde-Mariam (aka Critical; born in Norway of Ethiopian and Eritrean heritage).

Madcon is extremely popular in Norway, where they are also stars of their own “behind-the-scenes” reality show. In addition to the show, Kapricon was also the winner of the Norwegian equivalent to Dancing with the Stars. After selling millions all over Europe, they are finally breaking into the North American and Asian markets.

So Dark the Con of Man is their second CD. In an age where sampling is the norm in hip-hop and rap, Madcon instead chose to do a remake of “Beggin’”, a lesser-known Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons song from the late 1960s. It is one of the best remakes I’ve heard in a long time and has been on my playlist for weeks…and won’t be leaving anytime soon. If only it lasted longer than three and a half minutes.

Beggin’
Back on the Road (feat. The Paperboys)
The Way We Do Thangs (feat. Timbuktu)
Suda Suda (feat. El Axel)

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Madcon - Beggin' - Single - Beggin' Napster, LLC

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K’naan – Troubadour

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

KnaanI struggle with the opposing forces of artistic expression and censorship, especially my own self-imposed censorship. That battle has made it difficult for me to enjoy many rap artists. As much as I enjoy the beats and the clever, insightful and sometimes humorous lyrics, I find it difficult to hear the “N” word. (I didn’t attend the funeral but I sent my well wishes.) It’s a word that’s never been a part of my lexicon nor used around me (despite growing up in Selma, Alabama) and, therefore, continues to jar me each time I hear performers use it. As a consumer, I generally avoid rap or, when I can’t resist a particular track or artist, I purchase the “clean” version of their music.

I mention this because I experienced that same struggle in my enjoyment of Somali-born poet/rapper K’naan’s CD Troubadour, the follow-up to his critically-acclaimed and international prize-winning debut The Dusty Foot Philosopher. Though his usage of the “N” word is not as gratuitous as many rappers, I still get that same feeling when I hear it. Despite that, it’s difficult to ignore the brilliance of K’naan’s music. Troubadour embodies the beautiful side of rap…social protest, spotlighting injustice, contemplations of the world from various perspectives and expressions of love. So, if I’m going to “keep it real” in my belief in uncensored artistic expression, I’ll make the effort to come to terms with how K’naan chooses to express his art, because his art is quite beautiful.

Plus, it’s hard to ignore an artist who brings such an interesting history to his music. He learned his early English mostly from records sent to him by his father, who left Somalia during the civil war to work in NYC. At the age of 20, K’naan delivered a spoken word piece to the United Nations criticizing their insufficient aids efforts to Somalia. He toured with Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour. And, finally, any friend of the Chubbster (who appears on “ABCs”) is alright with me.

By the way, there’s so much variety on this CD that it nearly drove me insane. I kept changing my mind about which four tracks to select. I finally gave up. There’s just too much good stuff on this CD.

ABCs (feat. Chubb Rock)
Dreamer
Wavin’ Flag
If Rap Gets Jealous (feat. Kirk Hammett)

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K'naan - Troubadour Napster, LLC

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Q-Tip – The Renaissance

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Q-TipIf you know hip-hop and rap, you know Q-Tip. As one of the founding members of A Tribe Called Quest, this pioneer has been raising the bar for a long time. Whether it’s on the producing, lyrical or performance level, there’s no one like Q-Tip. When others are rapping about bling bling, “bitches” and who has the biggest whatever, this instantly-recognizable voice has been raising awareness by shining spotlights on social issues and spitting rhymes of love, admiration and adoration for the women in his life (and sometimes just in his sightline). Much like other rappers who came later (Mos Def, Common, Talib Kweli, among others), Q-Tip is for the rap connoisseur instead of the simple-minded beat lovers.

Following the critical and commercial success of his first solo CD Amplified, Q-Tip has had one of the strangest solo musical careers…recording much but releasing little. His second CD, Kamaal the Abstract, was recorded in 2002 but never released. It’s been nine long years since we’ve heard a Q-Tip CD. If you’re familiar with Amplified, you’ll be happy with this CD since some of the tracks were recorded during that time, including one track by the late, great producer J Dilla.

In my opinion, hip-hop has become the ear candy music form of the last decade… primarily a few good beats and (sometimes) a few clever rhymes to satisfy you until the next set of beats comes along. There haven’t been many rap albums that I go back to from time to time to relive the experience of that first listen. Q-tip is one of the few artists who has that special place in my musical heart. Whether working solo or with A Tribe Called Quest, the quality of his work has been superior. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait so long for the next release.

Official
We Fight/We Love (feat. Raphael Saadiq)
Manwomanboogie (feat. Amanda Diva)
Life Is Better (feat. Norah Jones)

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Q-Tip - The Renaissance Napster, LLC

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