Rare Nasty Nas

A creeping reggae beat that has that Thief's Theme energy, a 90s collabo revived in 09, another unreleased Nas single dropped like an anvil on your forehead by TFC.

Nas turns this beat into shredded cabbage.

NAS FT SPRAGGA BENZ - THIS IS THE WAY

Freshman Producer's of 2009 (So Far)

Here we have the two most impressive instrumental opuses of the new year.

First producer on deck is the highly slept on 14kt. Though he has been around for a long minute as a producer for the Athletic Mic League, his most recent magical album The Golden Hour is going to begin to turn heads immediately in his direction from this point on. Expect Jay Electronica and Big Pooh to have his beats sooner than later (source: Twitter). This entire album is a must have, with original sounds deeply influenced by Dilla himself and Flying Lotus.

14KT - REPRISE

14KT - LESS THAN ENOUGH

Secondly we have Exile, Blu's tour de force. This one off his new album Radio. You already know what it is Le Full Clipe, I will spare the plug.

EXILE - THE SOUND IS GOD

Blu Skies & Pearly Gates

Above: Blu's producer Exile flexes his skills on the MPC.

Below: Blu rocks over Exile's monstrous mainstream 2005 hit Pearly Gates, originally for Mobb Deep. Love this beat to death...

BLU - PEARLY GATES (PROD EXILE)

Soundbwoy Burial

Hov's new ode to Brooklyn gets yet another remake, this time with Smif N Wessuns 90s Brooklyn classic Sound Bwoy Bureill. Green Lantern gets it in.

I'm Jackie Robinson
Except when I run base, I dodge the pen.

JAY-Z - BROOKLYN WE GO HARD (SOUNDBWOY REMIX)

SMIF N WESSUN - SOUND BWOY BUREILL

Deuce Double Aught Nine

You probably dont know Mike Slott yet, because I barely do either, but let's make a simple introduction. He's Irish. He lives in NYC. He has a dope remix to Flying Lotus' classic Roberta Flack track. Check, check, and check.

He also has the track of the month here at TFC (so long as nothing drops in the next 12 hours and 10 minutes). CHECK! Bump it while you crack the bubbbbly in the double aught nine.

You rockin with a star tonight.

MIKE SLOTT FT DISTANTSTARR - BOXED IN

Mick Boogie: Adele 1988

Mick Boogie is firing on all cylinders right now (actually, now that we think about it, when the fuck wasn't he?). Fresh off the Coldplay & Jay-Z remix album Viva La Hova, Boogs is back with Adele: 1988, a hip-hop influenced reinterpretation of the Adele's most recent album 19. As Boogie puts it: "What would happen if the vocals and instruments of 19 were combined with the hip-hop sensibilities of the late 1980s, considered by many hip-hop's golden age?"

Well, the first track is a very positive sign of things to come. To come tomorrow. Adele: 1988 will be released this Wednesday, Dec. 17, for free on mickboogie.com. Must have.

ADELE FT NALEDGE - FIRST LOVE (REMOT REMIX)

Bonus:
KANYE - LOVE LOCKDOWN (MICK BOOGIE REMIX)

We One Be Lo

Last time I saw or heard from Binary Star, they performed way up in the quiet mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico. They trekked up to St John's College to perform some way old material for about 15 white Greek Philosophy students, and probably about two were hip-hop fans.

Since that basically says "Our touring career is handled by an 18 year-old A&R in North Dakota," I just figured they withered up and dried out after that. But no, DUKE, no. One Be Lo is back like he never left, knocking out a new track with a bumping beat courtesy of obscure producer Cadik out of Budapest.

Cadik's new album features guest appearences from Blu, Invincible, Finale, Elzhi, and Phat Kat.

ONE BE LO - ONE FOR YOU

Tour Stories

Souls Of Mischief are still kicking around the old bucket? Classic new music that sounds like late 90s material? Ya huh.

We stay relaxing though,
skiing in Jackson Hole,
eating baked Alaskan,
steaming a bag of 'dro.

^ How I want to spend the rest of this life.

SOULS OF MISCHIEF - TOUR STORIES

Ghosts of the Barbary Coast

Hell yes. Aes Rock is back with a vengeance lately. This time with a track for his boy Jeremy Fish's show out in San Francisco, which is inspired by the "history of hoodlums, harlots, and heroes of SF." The lyrics are supposed to mirror the subject of the show:

“A depiction of the post-goldrush slum that was S.F.’s Barbary Coast, and the violence, gangs, and prostitution that overran much of what is now Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach.”

It's pretty clear that Aesop has returned to the lush beats and looser approach that made him an icon originally. SF here I come, I need a change too.

AESOP ROCK - THE GHOSTS OF THE BARBARY COAST

It's The Duj

Full Clip favorite Dujeous is back on their New York shit. Since Election Day, they have been dropping one uncut track a week over at their blog, including this gem with the amazing Budos Band (apparently Joe from Duj is also a part of the Budos Band as well). Other unique collabos hitting Leak Street include one with The Shins, as well as another with Joe Cuba.

The tracks will keep piling up weekly until Inaguration Day, so stay tuned to their hustle.

DUJEOUS - MORE YOU FIND OUT (FT BUDOS BAND)

DUJEOUS - UPTOWN

Take This Ring

If Wale could just drop an album already instead of chasing the white dragon with Lindsay Lohan I could stop digging up old singles that make me look like some sort of Stan.

WALE - TAKE THIS RING

Talking Heads x Public Enemy?

Spike Jonze's brother has a new group called NASA, and a new album called Spirit of Apollo. This album is going to be weird, but weird in the best way possible. Just look at the lineup below (David Byrne, Seu Jorge, and Chuck D, are you kidding me?), and then consider the fact that there is another track that has already leaked featuring Kool Keith and Tom Waits. Tom even uses the phrase "ghetto booty."

NASA FT DAVID BYRNE, SEU JORGE, CHUCK D - MONEY

Your Lack Of Faith In The Force Is Disturbing

The most sacred sound in the history of humankind is Om. According to Buddhist & Hindu lore, it is the primordial sound that was present at the creation of the universe. It is the original sound that contains all other sounds, words, languages and mantras.

Om has been a staple of sound in human history, particularly in India, until now. In 2008 in America we roll with beats and rhymes like this as our Dharma. My favorite Tibetan monk diguised as a modern MC is prepping to completely shift what you thought hops:

JAY ELECTRONICA - ANNAKIN'S PRAYER

JAY ELECTRONICA - RETRO ELECTRO

Brooklyn: We Go Hard

First of all, yes we do.

Second of all, almost another MIA sample (Santogold on this one), another Jay banger, another one produced by Kanye. This one off of the new Notorious BIG documentary about to drop this month.

I Father, I Brooklyn Dodger them,
I jack, I rob, I sin. Amen.
Im Jacky Robinson,
Except when I run base I dodge the Pen.

^Why Hov has more pesos than Mexico.

JAY-Z - BROOKLYN WE GO HARD

The Break Room: Little Dragon

Previously The Break Room was designated for NYC & Brooklyn artists who didn't really fit into the hip-hop mold, but whom we thought deserved shine anyway.

This week is an exception to the rule, since the Swedish electro group Little Dragon found it's way into iTunes and just hasn't quite been able to turn itself off. Aside from Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano giving me a heart murmur every time she opens her mouth, there's a lot of amazing shit going on here in all directions. Sounds like: Macy Gray after giving up on sucking.

LITTLE DRAGON - CONSTANT SURPRISES

Black Friday Special: Nazz

Im too hungover to tell you anything except that this is hands down the best thing I have acquired in the last few months. Nas classics remixed with absolutely beautiful jazz compositions from the likes of Dilla, Benjamin Herman, The Roots, and J Rawls. This is really the direction Nas should be taking with his beat choices, more reminiscent of Illmatic than Untitled.

Sampling of the best tracks below, and you can cop the full album here, via GMJ himself. Happy Thanksgiving my fiends.

NAS - NY STATE OF MIND (BENJAMIN HERMAN REMIX)


NAS - KISSING (DILLA REMIX)

Honesty Box

Brand new Charles off his highly mediocre mixtape Intervention, which dropped today. If anything is becoming more clear, it's that the kid can knock a smooth beat and/or love song out of the park, I mean way out; but swings and misses at pretty much everything else.

Just stay in the batting cage Charlie, you'll be a starter soon. The fans and coaches notice hits like this.

CHARLES HAMILTON - HONESTY BOX

MVP

What southern dude you know on a Premier beat with a Nas sample that sounds like classic Gangstarr? As Lil Fame would say: Hotfiyyyyyyyahhhh!

LUDACRIS - MVP (PROD DJ PREMIER)

Tell me you dont want that shirt. ^

EDIT: In The Lab With The Alchemist

Edit: Kweli was eliminated from the official version of this for whatever reason, but here is the full version. This lineup was already crazy, but look at it now. DYNASTY.

It's good to see the old heads picking up new talent in the right places. Alchemist with the nice guitar loop, Cudi with the hook, Ev with the usual, Blu with the absolutely destroy everything in sight.

No preview available on this one, but you already know that this is a no brainer...

ALCHEMIST FT BLU, KID CUDI, EVIDENCE - THERAPY

ALCHEMIST FT BLU, KWELI, KID CUDI, EV - THERAPY

We Both Nice

Wildabeast and 6th Sense are one of my favorite new duos. Period. Their new album, Both Nice has been strategically shipped to me one track a week for the last month (smart business move my dudes), and is just flat out fresh.

While their sound is distinctly abstract, this isn't your typical half-assed underground hip-hop. It's precise music. 6th's production is above most of what is floating around the internet these days, and Wildabeast is, as expected, a monster on the mic (in a nicely subtle way). I don't know how these cats are going to catch on in a big way, but with tracks like this, they deserve it.

WILDABEAST & 6TH SENSE - A.M. SET