Thought this would be a good time to bring up the November ballot for the legalization of marijuana in Cali (CuDi seems to be a big pothead). As a pothead myself (well, former), I’ve struggled with justifying the legalization, but I figure what it comes down to is education before illegalization (not the other way around). America needs to start leading by example, as we once did – except for that whole prohibition thing… and slavery… and health-care… but other than that we kill… I don’t mean literally; fuck, I’m digging myself a hole. You know what I mean!
The reason I chose Up Up & Away wasn’t just because I wanted to talk about marijuana, it’s also because of why CuDi seems to be doing hip-hop right. I’m not into most mainstream hip-hop, but CuDi has one sick flow. It reminds me of a drumline: quick, snappy and on key. I don’t have as much appreciation for the rest of Man on the Moon: The End of Day, but some of his latest singles are equally as impressive as this.
If you’re looking for more stoner music then check out my article on beats to blaze.
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A friend suggested I check out Emancipator’s Soon It Will Be Cold Enough a few months back, but I put it on the back-burner until recently. While browsing my feeds, I came across a song from the album that really hit the spot. Emancipator or Douglas Appling’s chilled-back, trip hop beats are steadily growing on me. I may not be an expert on the trip hop scene, but producers like this are moving me in the right direction.
The song that I mentioned above, as you probably figured out, is First Snow. Like a lot of the music I listen to, this song isn’t just for listening fun but seems to have a deeper meaning (yes, even without words). Another aspect I like about Appling’s music is how he switches up the tone in the middle of the track – a good example is at 3:00 in First Snow – similar to what DJ Frane does. I also found out, when researching the album, that it was mastered by Nujabes, a music legend for his jazzy/hip hop instrumentals. (R.I.P. Nujabes)
Alright, I’m off to listen to his latest album – Safe in the Steep Cliffs. Look this over and give me some input. What do you think the future for trip hop is?
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Lately I’ve rehashed a couple songs that I’d mentioned before, but only because they’re incredible tracks – “There U R” being among the most incredible of them all. I’ve been a long time fan of Restoring Poetry in Music, and I thought for my 100th post I’d feature a track from, if not my favorite, one of my favorite hip hop albums to date, Pyramids in Moscow.
“There U R” is a relaxing meditation on rekindling that love from long ago with Raw Poetic’s smooth & sincere lyrics. Backup vocals are done by Patrick Fritz, and really put a nice touch on an already heartwarming track. P-Fritz also supports my claim, which I’ve spoken about many times on this blog, that mixing a singer’s voice into a rap song can bring a whole ‘nother element to the piece. Basically, rap + singing = good!
Give it a listen and let me know how you think the two play off each other. Also, if you like this song then definitely check out “Sleep Walkers“, it’s my favorite song by RPM (followed closely by “There U R”).
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This man is the master of marijuana music. With three full albums on beats to blaze to, a stoner will never go hungry for a good tune to tune out to (that’s fun to say). I’ve featured Frane’s music countless times, and I still can’t get enough of it. Although, each album contains a wondrous story composed of an eclectic set of beats, his final album, Journey to the Planet of Birds, left me awestruck. How this man can pull together such varying beats to create a stunning soundscape is beyond me, but I like it!
I wanted to show off “Nectar for Isis” not because it’s my favorite track, but I think it’s an overall good display of Frane’s talent. The hypnotic vocals slapped on top of a downtempo, trip-hop beat is an eargasm in its own right, but Frane slides in, ever so delicately, a classic piano solo, which tops it off nicely. One thing Frane loves to do is change up the beat in the middle of the piece. The second half of this track was featured in a post I did on Some Cool Ass Ringtones. There’s a few different ringtones to choose from, so if your in need check it out (I’m actually using one myself).
DJ Frane is one of the main reasons we started this site up. Anything he comes out with amazes us each time. If ya wanna here more about him subscribe to our Facebook Page, so you’ll get the updates sent right to ya (and so we know you like us). Enjoy!
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I decided for this very special occasion that I’d feature some of my favorite beats to blaze to. First, I’ll start out with my “Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs to Blaze to”, which isn’t meant be a definitive list, but rather just my personal favorites. Now, the original list featured over 40 songs and included genres other than hip hop: classic rock, reggae and electronica, but I decided to cut it down to a top ten hip hop list. If this proves to be a success then i’ll create more from the other genres. I also decided to include some of the best albums to blaze to. So sit back, “tune in, turn on & drop out”…
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I was real excited for Bonobo’s new release, Black Sands, but I had one concern – I just discovered Pretty Lights about two days before I got a chance to listen to this, and was completely fanatical about my new find. I really thought they would overshadow Bonobo’s new album ’cause of the addiction I have with new artists (I thrive on novelty). Well, gladly, I was wrong. Bonobo has created one solid album. He’s changed up his sound on some tracks, and I love what he’s come up with…
Bonobo is known for his downtempo, trip-hop style with a lot of classic instrumentals, but in “Kiara” he takes some of these elements into a more hip-hop inspired piece. This is absolutely my favorite track off his new release, and it’s definitely a long time keeper. It’s a perfect beat to bump to in the ride.
Check it out and tell me what you think. The more y’all comment the more i’ll post!
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Just around this time last year I came across a DJ that would change my life forever! Alright, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but it’s true. He was one of the main reasons I started this site. In fact, he was the first feature on it. This DJ I am referring to is none other than DJ Frane. Unlike most artists I’ve come across, when I started listening to Frane I couldn’t stop; each song after another was a rich & robust set of samples ranging from hip-hop to rock. I had heard of trip-hop before, but to me this is what defined the genre. After I was familiar with his music, I wondered when (or if) I would ever come across another DJ as gifted & prolific as him. Well, that day has come… I present to you: Derek Vincent Smith’s Pretty Lights…
Scanning over some blogs a friend of mine suggested, I discovered Pretty Lights on a clever & comically titled blog, Aurgasm. I was looking through the site’s hip-hop section when I came across this beaut. It was actually the first post of theirs that I listened to the samples they provided, and let’s just say I’m glad I did. Pretty Lights currently has three LP’s and one EP out, and I have listened to each album… twice! A lot of ‘em caught my ear, but only a handful really blew me away, though that number is growing on the daily.
The feature I decided to go with, “Solamente”, was actually not my first choice, but I have a reason for saving the best for later (not gonna explain myself, though). “Solamente” is a comforting dreamscape of a song with a nasty bassline. It, along with the rest of Pretty Light’s works, are freely available on their website, PrettyLightsMusic.com. Check it out, it’s a gorgeous site and there’s free music!
One other thing, if you really want to figure out my next posting of Pretty Light’s, i’ll give you two clues: it’s on the same album & features a beautiful, female R&B voice. If you post it in the comments section, i’ll give you mad props. Enjoy!
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