We’re half way through the “Music that Got Me Blogging About Music” and it’s only up hill.. down hill.. get’s better from here. So far we’ve covered Midwest hip-hop, West Coast hip-hop, and now we’re going International!
In this portion we will be covering groups from abroad and, not surprisingly, are all from genre’s other than hip-hop (unlike the other sections). This portion was only going to have four artists covered, the final list (my top five) took the best one from here, but I decided to add one because a few of his songs were very influential in my current music tastes (like every other artist on here).
So check ’em out and drop some feedback in the comments below. Also, prepare for The Bay Area next week!!
Mattafix has always been hard for me to pin their sound. I’d say they’re a mesh of reggae & hip-hop instrumentals with rap and R&B vocals. Whatever you define ’em as, they’re something never heard before.
The duo recently splits ways, but I believe Marlon (vocals) is about to drop a few new tracks under the same name. Should be interesting to see how the sound has changed, I’ll keep ya updated.
[audio:Stranger-Forever.mp3|titles=Stranger Forever]
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TM Juke introduced me to the London electronic scene, more specifically the downtempo, trip hop styles. With his relaxing, nature themed beats, he’s always good for a chill out session – especially with the talented vocals he enlists <3 Alice Russell. [audio:Knee-Deep.mp3|titles=Knee Deep (feat. Alice Russell & Jim Oxborough)] Get MP3
Gorillaz are definitely well known enough not to point them out, but they’ve been such an influence to my musical tastes I just had to. How they’ve pushed rock in a different direction – into the electronic scene – has made ’em one of my top of all time.
Check out the video I made with “Kids With Guns” – fits too well with my doofus x-roomates ;) (uploading, it’ll be up soon)
[audio:Kids-With-Guns.mp3|titles=Kids With Guns]
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I may be crossing into Deckstream’s collaborations with some of the most talented MC’s today, but that’s not how I grew to know his music. He, like TM Juke, has teamed up with beautiful female vocals over the years and showed me the more feminine side of this male dominated industry.
Part 3 is comprised mostly of chilled out tunes and no one is more chilled out than Deckstream.
[audio:Can-You-Let-Me-Know.mp3|titles=Can You Let Me Know (feat. Lupe Fiasco)]
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My love for jazz is present through a good chunk of the music I listen to today. Whether it be jazz-rap or nu jazz, the soul in jazz is and will always be a part of me. But as much as it’s taken over my musical tastes, straight up jazz has fallen in the background for me.
Gota Yashiki, however, is one of the few artists featured on here that I can is pure jazz. He doesn’t take on too many other styles or vocalists, but what he’s done with jazz has definitely influenced my tastes – it’s still damn fresh and over thirteen years old.
[audio:All-Alone.mp3|titles=All Alone]
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