Music | What I've Been Listening To

They always say "hard work pays off" and I'm hoping that this coming week is testimony to that! I've got quite a few things in the pipeline so once they've all been finalised I'll let you know. Tuesday saw me interview Shane Eli (remember my Put You On post about him?) and I'm hoping to have that up by this week! He's a real charming dude and the interview was superb (thanks for the Starbucks Shane!) so definitely be on the look out for him and his coming release I Can Do Better in a few weeks time. I also interviewed upcoming singer/songwriter Tarik Adams, another great artist from across the pond with a mixtape due in summer so that should be an exciting post too. Accompanying me on my iPod this busy week were more JAMLA signees and New York foodies. Have a peep below to see what they were and I hope your coming week is as productive and fun as mine!

Love.

Big Remo - Entrapment

Now I have been playing this record for a long while now and I honestly believe it's faultless! Big Remo, another Jamla artist, continues to prove why 9th Wonder's label is one on the hottest hip-hop collectives around. This North Carolina native shows lyrical flair on his tracks reminiscent of a Nas/Scarface type, atypical of the usual southern styles of rap. Citing Slick Rick as one of his biggest influences, Remo truly takes a passionate and vivid approach to storytelling and that coupled with the soulful beats from 9th Wonder, Entrapment is definitely a beacon of light shining from the southern-eastern state of NC. 

Go f/ 9thmatic
Mo Heat (Quiet Nights)
Entrapment

9th Wonder - God's Stepson

I love mash-ups! With Jaydiohead emerging as one of my favourites (a compilation of Jay-Z tunes with an indie sound) 9th Wonder's God's Stepson serves as a fine competitor for that number one spot. Released in 2003, this record is a remixing of Nas' sixth studio album God's Son. While the production on that album was mostly handled by Salaam Remi and The Alchemist and used a fusion of styles including funk and jazz, 9th Wonder steers this album in a new direction giving it a fresh and soulful sound. Sampling artists like Curtis Mayfield, Roberta Flack and Phyllis Hyman (if you don't know, you better ask somebody!) this mash-up cements 9th as one of the most prolific and well rounded producers in hip-hop. If you like Nas and those classic sounds of Little Brother and Slum Village, this one's for you! 

Thugz Mansion
Revolutionary Warfare
Get Down

Action Bronson - Bon Appetit... Bitch!!!!!

If you've never heard of Action Bronson, today will be the day you meet him. This rapper/chef (yes chef, you know those guys who cook for a living? See here) from Queens, NY who brings back the mid 90's hip-hop sound that will forever be missed. Weirdly, it always seems to be the bigger dudes that hip-hop favours the most (Big Pun, Biggie, The Fat Boys, Fat Joe... ok, you get it) and Action Bronson comfortably continues that pattern. With a voice that could easily be mistaken for Wu-Tang's Ghostface Killah, Bronson uses clever imagery (usually involving food) to convey the usual street shit that rappers talk about (coke, hoes and whatever else) - but don't let that fool you. His lyrical composition propels him ahead of his contemporaries and I personally think Bon Appetit..... Bitch!!!!! is a doper than dope record. And lemme just say, rapping over Jay-Z's Can I Live joint off Reasonable Doubt will always earn you at least 10,000+ brownie points from me as Bronsenelli shows on Marijuana Bronson. Dope. Geddit?

Shiraz
Marijuana Bronson
Amuse Bouche

Petition | Get Rapsody On XXL's Freshmen Cover

So a while after this year's XXL Freshmen Cover was announced, 9th Wonder tweeted something about his artist Rapsody being featured on next year's cover. If you've been reading my posts you'll know that I co-sign Rapsody completely and agreed that she should be featured on next year's list. Well, 9th replied and said:

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID!

Read the mission statement below and hopefully this time next year, I'll be blogging about Rapsody on the Freshman cover! LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN - share, tweet, Facebook, blog - anything! Just spread the word!

"Ever since XXL started their Freshmen list in 2008, a female has never been featured on the cover. 2012 will be the year that changes. Rapsody, JAMLA (9th Wonder's music label) signee and original member of North Carolina hip-hop collective Kooley High since 2006, certainly deserves a spot on the cover. Influenced by hip-hop greats such as MC Lyte, Bahamadia, Jay-Z and Queen Latifah, Rapsody isn't just a dope female rapper, she's a dope rapper, period - who 9th Wonder calls "one of the most gifted MCs" he's ever worked with. Her first release, mixtape Return of The B-Girl displays Rapsody's finesse and knack for intelligent rhymes and her raspy but feminine flow. We believe she deserves to be on the cover and hopefully you agree with us too. Make it happen XXL!"

SIGN THE PETITION HERE!