Ali Boom Ba Yay!

Brand new Ali off his new EP The Truth Is Here, which just dropped today. Another crazy ANT beat, another ridiculously smooth track from the kid...

BROTHER ALI - REAL AS CAN BE

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

Stuff White People Like

New Mos Def.

MOS DEF - QUIET DOG

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)

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

True Hip-Hop Stories

THE JUICE CREW - SYMPHONY

Originally best known for his role in Boogie Down Productions with KRS-One in the late 80s, D-Nice has gone on to be one of the best multi-media hip-hop historians of our time. His new hip-hop documentary project True Hip-Hop Stories is hands down his best project to date. These vivdly filmed and well-scored short films are homages to the unique moments that shaped early hip-hop.



LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND - FUNKY CHILD

Two films on Masta Ace and Lords of the Underground have been released thus far, both of which chronicle the behind-the-scenes "making of" stories you would never get to hear otherwise. Plus there are some quotables like: "There's no one making Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop anymore...or as I put it, ACHH." I'm feeling that term...forget using the word "underground", Im going with ACHH from now on.

Stay up to date on D-Nice's photography and new True Hip-Hop Stories documentaries over at his blog.

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

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)

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

Renaissance Rap

For some reason Q-Tip hid the best track of his new album at the end of another track (Move), and now most people cannot fully enjoy this one on it's own. With a new video for Renaissance Rap directed by Rik Cordero based loosely on The Bourne Identity, there is no reason you shouldn't have this one by itself. We chopped it up and offer it as our entree this evening, since most other heads ain't got it on their skimpy ass menus.

*Note: My DivShare account is acting up so there is no player on mp3s for a day or two. Just download this straight.

Q-TIP - RENAISSANCE RAP

Trifecta

It's beyond easy for any of these three cats to make loud annoying bangers about cake and cars. So when Nas, Luda, and Jay take the high road and make an honest ode to hip-hop culture over a layered chunky beat, it's better than good. Nice surprise boys. Pretty classic, even on the second listen.

I don't do it for the chains and the flashing rocks,
I do it for hip-hop.
^ Not sure about that one, but I like the premise.

NAS, JAY-Z, LUDACRIS - I DO IT FOR HIP-HOP