The fusion of hip-hop & jazz has caught my attention the last few years. Other than the U.S., Japan has pushed the boundaries of DJing farther than ever before, merging various genres with hip-hop, and have shown that hip-hop can expand beyond the borders of the U.S. Although, I must say, MCing is still (mostly) confined to the American dialect, but that’s beyond the scope of this article. A good example of Japan’s talent is producer & DJ Nujabes. Nujabes is a master at cutting classic jazz tracks, as well as including some of his own instrumentals, and mixing them with some profound American MCs. I think this is where Nujabes really pushes forward, he recognizes that MCs in Japan won’t be recognized wordwide, so he collaborates with talented American MCs. A good example of his work is Blessin’ it off of his first studio album, “Metaphorical Music”.
[audio:Blessinit.mp3|titles=Blessin’ it (Remix)](Download Link in Post)
I’ve been listening to Mattafix for a couple of years now, but Things Have Changed brings me back just a few months when I was studying abroad in London. Everyday after class I would wait at Bakers Street tube station (take a look), and listen to my playlist, which consisted of quite a few Mattafix songs, including Things Have Changed. Particularly, it brings memories of how “things have changed” over time – traveling from Minnesota to Arizona for college, and from Arizona to London (and all the little things in-between).
The song starts off with a rich set of instrumentals accompanied with what seems to be a vocal percussion. Preetesh Hirji begins with what may be some powerful and inspiring lyrics, but in all honesty, are hard to comprehend :). Marlon Roudette then takes over with his elegant & graceful vocals, but is often confused for a woman because of his high-pitched voice (I test people all the time). Mattafix has a couple hits, and I’ll definitely post more of ’em in the future, so make sure to sign up for my RSS feed, so you won’t miss out!
[audio:ThingsHaveChanged.mp3|titles=Things Have Changed](Download Link in Post)
AmpLive is an incredible DJ & producer from the duo Zion I. His futuristic, ambient beats have been sought by such acclaimed rappers Chali 2na & Del tha Funkee Homosapien. He’s also produced a remix of Radiohead’s “In Rainbows”… without approval from Radiohead : (oh well, it’s damn good). The other half of Zion I, Zumbi, is a cunning, street smart MC with a slight resemblance to Lil’ Wayne in vocals (more so in his later works).
[audio:One.mp3|titles=One](Download Link in Post)
I first caught glimpse of Hyperstory on a Facebook ad about a month back. The headline read something to the effect of “Like the Gorillaz Check out Hyperstory!” My first thought was “Ha! They are comparing themselves to Gorillaz Fools!”. They only had one song up on their site at the time, A Happening, so I gave it a listen to prove (in my mind) that they were wrong. But, fortunately, I was wrong…
[audio:AHappening.mp3|titles=A Happening](Download Link in Post)
When I was first introduced to Jedi Mind Tricks I thought it might be a part of nerdcore, however, it’s definitely not. Jedi Mind Tricks can best be described as having an east coast rap style with deep, prophetic lyrics. Vinnie Paz, lead MC & songwriter, pulls a lot of his inspiration from personal despairs, recent wars (Vietnam/Iraq), old theological books, and political/world issues. His delivery is gritty and raw, combine this with Stoupe’s hardcore trip hop instrumentals, and you get a group from phili that takes east coast rap to another level.
Just a little on the album…
[audio:NevaAntiquated.mp3,TheApostlesCreed.mp3,LastStraw.mp3,TheWindsofWar.mp3,SoulsfromtheStreet.mp3|titles=Neva Antiquated,The Apostle’s Creed,Last Straw (Onesoul Remix),The Winds of War,Souls from the Street]
Chali 2na is most notable for his role in the hip-hop group Jurassic 5 (J5). J5 got its start back in the late 90’s with its self-titled album, which became an instant hit in the underground music scene. I’ve been listening to J5 for some time now, and credit them for introducing me to (good) hip-hop. The group has a rhyme & flow that many try to emulate, but few pull off as well as J5.
J5 consists of a handful of talented MCs, but Chali 2na’s voice stands out above them all. 2na has one of the most widely known voices throughout the hip-hop community. It can best be described as a smooth, mellowed-out voice, yet he can flow faster than most MCs.
[audio:Linguistics.mp3|titles=Linguistics (DJ Dez Remix)](Download Link in Post)
Hailing from my hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mel Gibson and the Pants (MGP) are a band with a peculiar sound with an even more peculiar name. But don’t let the name throw you off, MGP is a midwest group with a quality sound. Though their music includes a midwest style, MGP comes up with a new flavor of hip-hop incorporating electro-rock, drum & bass, and of course hip-hop. With Riley Hartnet’s maginifecent guitar riffs and Harold Sander’s (J.R.) thought provoking rhymes, MGP pulls off something never “seen” before.
[audio:VolatileMixture.mp3,TheSlipperySlopeofGivingUp.mp3,BeatitLoose.mp3|titles=Volatile Mixture,The Slippery Slope of Giving Up,Beat it Loose]
I was introduced to the Kottonmouth Kings from my friends in NorCal. Most of ’em listen to music from the Bay (with good reason), but occasionally expand their scope, e.g. Kottonmouth Kings. The Kottonmouth Kings bring in an interesting mix of hip-hop and punk rock with a heavy influence from mary jane (…why is that become a reoccurring theme on this blog…). They remind me of Swollen Members, and a little bit like Insane Clown Posse, but let’s never mention that again. Tangerine Sky is no doubt their most popular song, and from my experience, girls tend to love it (it’s rare to find hip-hop that women like, other than the mainstream). It has a memorable reggae style, which is used in a good amount of their music. If you like their style, give Sleepers a listen, also on Rollin’ Stoned.
[audio:TangerineSky.mp3|titles=Tangerine Sky](Download Link in Post)
I started listening to Frane about a year ago when I found his third album, Journey to the Planet of Birds, on a favorite forum of mine. After my fixation with the album died down, I decided to get my fix off of his other albums, so I gave Electric Garden of Delights a try.
I’d characterize Electric Garden as a mind-altering, drug-influenced arrangement, a lot like his other albums. But unlike his other albums, this album is set in a blissful garden, enchanted with exotic creatures and psychotropic plants. It’s an appealing album, but I’m not sure if it can hold up to his other works.
[audio:IntheGarden.mp3,IamDreaming.mp3,GreenBudsintheSpringtime.mp3,ThoughtSeeds.mp3,TheImpossibleDream.mp3,HiWithoutU.mp3,BonusBananaFunk.mp3|titles=In the Garden,I am Dreaming,Green Buds in the Springtime,Thought Seeds,The Impossible Dream,Hi Without U,Bonus Banana Funk]
A hip-hop classic from the Bay Area, Latyrx’s Lady Don’t Tek No brings us back to the talented, yet contrasted sounds of Lateef the Truth Speaker and Lyrics Born. With Lyrics Born’s soulful bass and Lateef’s higher-pitched cuts, the duo still pulls off a fluid sound. But above this addictive, funkified sound, the lyrics compare to none.
The song talks about that particular woman we’ve all come across at some point in time that’s “got the smile, style, and finesse”. You know, the girl with the “razor sharp wit, that just won’t quit”… alright, i’ll stop stealing their lines. In other words, she’s the sassy little bitch you can’t get enough of… just listen to ’em, they’ve got a way with words that I, apparently, don’t. :
[audio:LadyDontTekNo.mp3|titles=Lady Don’t Tek No](Download Link in Post)