New Jersey rapper Angelo Mota saw success from blogs and fans all over social media with his brutally honest and expressive album from last year House Of Diamonds, and now the rapper has returned with his new song, "Namaste."
It's almost as if the game asked Mota if he was leaving any time soon, and Mota simply replied, "nah, Imma stay." No rumor on if the track will live on any upcoming project, but I'll keep you posted if any new information is released. You can listen to the dope new track below.
I guess everybody just needs a little More Life in their lives. And it's probably safe to say that Drake knew that. With all of the talks of Drake's newly dropped "playlist", the wonder on social media (mine included) was; why the fuck are you calling it a playlist? It's all new music, none of it has been previously released, and I'm sure some Drake stans would be writing OVO some angry letters had that been the case, but it was not. Chasing a vibe seemed to be the case, which Drake, as we know, is the king of. Regardless of the transparency of the project, there's still a lot of observations to be made about More Life, and while you should know this is NOT A REVIEW, I do have a couple of points of my own to make about the project. Check them out below.
Drake & Kanye's collaboration "Glow" is probably the best song on the project
Due to all of the bullshit that streaming services still cause, I could only put a Spotify link for the song. Anyways, Drake and Kanye truly "Glow" on their collaboration off of More Life. Kanye sounds like classic, pre-insanity, pre-Kardashian, pre-Steve Jobs-genius-level-wannabe Kanye, and he sounds like he's in the moment of the music more than thinking about how he needs to innovate. The wavy production is on point, and with Drake & 'Ye going back and forth with verses and their signature brands of singing over it, "Glow" almost sounds like it could have been recorded in So Far Gone era Drake and 808s & Heartbreaks era Kanye. Now all we need is a proper collaborative title for these 2; So Far Gone Into Heartbreak? So Far Gone In The 808s? Eh, we'll think of something.
Drake is still brooding over J-Lo and he really actually sampled her on "Teenage Forever"
This is actually a pretty decent song considering the circumstances in which it was recorded (supposedly). Drake is clearly singing about his short-lived romance with J-Lo, and although it sounds like he is somewhat hurt over it's end (or he's not hurt at all and he wants to troll people), it's almost hilarious to see him get involved with another A-list celeb and see some drama over it. Even if I'm being callous, this song is another example of why Drake's honesty and ability to put his life into music has fascinated me, but more importantly, kept him on top of the game for years now.
Every song with a feature sounds like the featured artist's song
This is another thing that has bothered me to no end over the last couple of Drake projects; when there's a vibe to be chased, Drake is Usain Bolt. His quest to stay on top looks more like panic and less like genuine craft and ability to mold his signature sound. Don't get me wrong, every project has their highpoints (on More Life they seem to be "Glow", "4422", "Can't Have Everything", and "Do Not Disturb"), but every project also seems to have that song or songs that sound like they should live on the featured artist's project; Young Thug steals Drake's glory on "Sacrifices", and "Ice Melts" practically sounds like it could have been a leftover of Jeffery. U.K. grime rapper Giggs also steals the spotlight briefly on two More Life records ("KMT" and "No Long Talk"). Is Drake trying to pull the Dr. Dre move and use his platform to bring up other artists, or is he using it to expand his brand and fan base? No matter what the reasoning may be, Drake is certainly reaping the benefits.
Altogether, More Life is a solid addition to Drake's discography and holds a bit of replay value. While the project could be classified as predominantly dancehall and contemporary hit radio music, Drake doesn't stray away from his signature brand of reminiscing and hindsight story telling rapping (though rarely at this point) while giving the world the business over the "right" beat. There's no type of "9 A.M. In Dallas", "5 A.M. In Toronto", or hungry rapping that we normally like to see from Drake, but there are moments on the album where he reestablishes his sound. This critique is me looking for the best in an overall solid, yet underwhelming album, yes, but just because our expectations aren't met, doesn't mean that the album isn't good and doesn't hold value in other markets, or situations. More Life seems more of an attempt at Drake living and trying to give you "more" of his "life", then giving the people more life themselves. Also, is it too late to ask what the hell is up with this ridiculous amount of slang that nobody has heard of before? Or is everybody just riding the wave and pretending like Drake has been doing this? Just sitting back and accepting it seems much easier than trying to understand, and I think More Life, though not completely, is a representation of that statement. Now go and "Madiba Raddim" yourselves, and try not to get too "Blem."
Tonight (March 23rd) Compton emcee Kendrick Lamar returned to the rap game in triumphant fashion. Kendrick first posted a cryptic Instagram picture (above) that fans could not quite crack (though one did), but then Kendrick dropped the fourth installment of his "The Heart" series, aptly titled "The Heart Part 4." Kendrick bodies the beat-switching track in true Kendrick form, and social media seems to think that Kendrick has his target set on Big Sean with some of the following lines;
"My fans can't wait for me to son ya punk ass, and crush ya whole little shit I'll Big Pun ya punk ass you a scared little bitch"
"Tip toeing around my name, nigga you lame And when I get at you homie don't tell me you were just playing"
While the lines are vague, rumors are that Kendrick is aiming at Big Sean. But wouldn't it make more sense to aim at Drake with the recent release of More Life? Though Kendrick doesn't need the promotion, he's definitely going at somebody's neck on his new release. What does this mean for his new album release coming? Oh yeah, Kendrick basically gives a release for that as well, on the last line; "Y'all got til April the 7th to get y'all shit together."
You can listen to the newly released song on Apple Music, which I unfortunately couldn't feature a link for.
On Wednesday nights from 2003-2005, I remember barging into my sister's room sometimes unannounced and sometimes invited; but either way I was going to watch the coolest and funniest show on television. Though I was too young at the time to realize the impact that David Khari Webber Chappelle would have on my life, every Wednesday night at 10:30, which was well past the time I should have been awake as a budding 10-11 year old, I stayed up and watched Chappelle's Show with a piqued interest. The hip (hop) music, the brain of a scholar (though he didn't attend college), and an unmatched comedic energy kept me zoned in every week to see what crazy antics Dave and friends were up to.
Then abruptly, and viciously, it stopped.
I tuned in to 3 more Dave-less episodes (during the monologues, at least) that became known as "The Lost Episodes" and it felt like there was a void in my life. With all 3 episodes airing a week apart, after each airing, I felt the countdown to oblivion piercing my heart like a dagger. The man who subconsciously taught me about racial equality, schooled me on real hip hop, introducing me to legendary hip hop acts like Black Star, Common, DMX, Erykah Badu and COUNTLESS others, and made me think more than any television show I've seen while touching on issues of the world and making me laugh at the same time... was gone. And I didn't understand why.
Fast forward to 2014; Dave's hiatus is painfully reminded by sprinkles and samples of appearances on late night television and the occasional music festival (though it's better to have a little bit of Dave than none at all), but then it's reported that one of the most thought provoking and lyrical emcees to ever touch a mic, Nas is headlining NYC's Radio City Music Hall music festival hosted by... Dave Chappelle?!?! It was not a dream. The wishes of Dave's return were still not entirely fulfilled, but an event of this magnitude gave the people, me especially, hope.
And then it came. In late 2016 rumors hit of 3 (!) brand new comedy specials coming exclusively to Netflix towards the end of the year, and not seeing them drop before the close of 2016 almost made my heart sink. Why was he toying with our emotions? Does he not know what he means to us, and comedy as a whole?! Oh he definitely does.
Regardless on if he knows or not, I wanted to use this platform as a way of thanking Dave for coming back and giving me, and a very large number of other people, life again. Thank you for (partly) introducing me to this beautiful mess we call hip hop, and thank you for being the most brilliant, hilarious, and thought provoking mind I've ever seen. In a world where everything seems to be a mess and there's never an end to the negativity, you make fun of how ridiculous everyone acts and it makes me smile almost more than anything else can. Even though I've made that little message clear in writing before on here, I couldn't say it enough times. Now while I'm off to go cry laughing at Dave's Netflix specials again, you can enjoy a recent interview (March 21st) Dave had with Jimmy Kimmel below.
(*I do not own any of these videos, or the rights to them*)
In an interview yesterday (February 28th) with Genius, Joey Bada$$ offended some more sensitive Tupac fans.
The Brooklyn rapper discussed his beliefs and influences of past political figures (mentioning names like Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes and more) and how they have influenced his music, but the quote that is pushing headlines everywhere is what he said about Tupac near the last half of the video; "Like, I already know I'm a better rapper than Tupac. That's just facts. One on one battle, I'll flame Pac." And here's my beliefs (brace yourselves, Pac fans); Joey's absolutely right.
In pure rapping and lyrical ability, Joey Bada$$ would best Tupac. But in all of the different aspects discussed in what makes the "greatest rapper of all time", I don't even think other rappers know what it takes to hold the title anymore. Sure, there's lyrical talent and abilities, but there's also influence, there's flow, there's hit making (which doesn't qualify for pure abilities, but still), and too many more aspects to count. So yes, from a lyrical standpoint, Joey Bada$$ has Pac's number. But from an influential standpoint, Joey Bada$$ - just like pretty much every other rapper on the planet, dead or alive - has a way to go to get to Tupac's level. Check out the short interview below. No release date has been given on Joey's upcoming album, AABA, only that it will release in 2017.
(*I do not own this video, or the rights to it*)
*Update*
In the 24 hours since posting, Joey has revealed the cover art, release date (set for an April 7th release), and track list for AABA, which we've learned stands for All-Amerikkkan Bad-Ass. Check out the cover art below, and check out Joey's promo video for the album here.
Slow down for what? Curren$y had dropped a whopping 12 projects in 2016, and in 2017 it seems he is looking to make even bigger power moves. With a rumored project with Freddie Gibbs on the way announced in early January, Curren$y has now taken to Instagram with Big K.R.I.T to joke and announce a new joint album, titled Lacs N Chevys.
Can you say dream collaboration? This one definitely should have been added to the list. With Big K.R.I.T not dropping a project since his late 2015 mixtape It's Better This Way, it'll be refreshing to hear some new stuff from the Mississippi emcee/producer, and who better to collaborate with than fellow low rider aficionado Curren$y? The title says it all! No release date has been announced, but you can enjoy the funny clip through the link below.
Another year blows by, and more "best of" lists are bound to happen. 2016 brought the people a lot of laughs, a lot of tears, and a lot of good music (but mostly a lot of tears, see Prince fans). A lot of top tier rappers proved why they are top tier rappers (unless you're a Drake fan), and a lot of not-so-top-tier rappers made their case as to why they should be considered top tier. Now if you're coming to the site thinking the list is going to include the Lil Yachty's, the D.R.A.M's and the Young Thug's, then you've come to the wrong place. For those that know me, I'm about more than just the hot-for-the-minute artists who do it without any certain goal or message to get across. I'm all about a good time and some hot beats (it seems I haven't had any time to acknowledge that Rae Sremmurd were practically knighted by Sir Paul McCartney himself with his Mannequin Challenge earlier this year) but this list is more than that. Now before I get slammed for any of the songs included in my list, I'm going to start by saying this is MY list, and nobody's views but my own. With that being said, here are my picks for the best single songs of 2016.
Big Gigantic - All Of Me (ft. Logic & Rozes)
If there is one song that I had simply played nonstop since it's release about 4 months ago, it has to be electronic production group Big Gigantic's "All Of Me" featuring Maryland spitter Logic and Philadelphia bred singer Rozes (who has collaborated with the Chainsmokers and also had an EP come out in February of 2016 by the name of Burn Wild), and appeared on Gigantic's Brighter Future album which released in late August of 2016. The beat sounds like something you would play to get that much needed musical pump up boost right before your game (or like most kids my age, right before that final exam you need to knock out of the park). The drums thump and pound so hard that if you had anything less than subs or some beats headphones, you wouldn't be doing this song justice. In fact, if you listened to this in your Wal-Mart ass Sony knock off headphones, then shame on you. I expect better from musical connoisseurs such as yourselves. Only kidding of course to the fans out there (I only do it because I love you).
Royce Da 5'9 - Tabernacle
Another emcee that really pushed the agenda this year lyrically, visually, and of course musically was one half of Bad Meets Evil, Royce Da 5'9. His entire Layers album (which was released in April of 2016) has made a case to be the best roll out and promo run of the year, and for good reason; it was a great album with no drama surrounding the music, or the man making it. "Tabernacle" proved to be one of the most unique and entertaining songs of the year, especially if you're a lyrical head and like the picture to be painted, such as myself. "Tabernacle" details the most important day in Royce's life, which includes his grandmother dying, his son being born, and also meeting Eminem for the first time, in vivid detail. Truly written like a writer, and rapped like an emcee, and who better to detail such a story than Royce Da 5'9.
In what is undoubtedly the most powerful song of 2016, Big K.R.I.T poured his heart and soul out in a verse on Kenneth Whalum's soulful message, "Might Not Be Okay". Shining light on police brutality and wrongful deaths that have occurred over the last couple of years, K.R.I.T turns a truly remorseful verse start into a fiery, angry protest to the point of view of a police officer. "Mommas' been cryin' and they gone keep cryin', black folk been dyin' and they gone keep dyin', police been firin' and they gone keep firin', the government been lyin and they gone keep lyin'" isonly the start to this incredibly powerful realization. This song isn't necessarily a favorite song of the year for me simply due to the circumstances of which it had been released (K.R.I.T discussed with Genius that he and Whalum had a discussion after the death of Alton Sterling), but the power of the song still holds weight and holds true, and I could never deny music with a message, or an attempt at peace.
Joe Budden - Idols
Now if you've heard the song then you know why "Idols" appears here on my list, if you get stuck on the fact that Joe Budden appears on the list, however, then you probably can't get past his Twitter antics enough to give his music a chance. Budden put out one of the more solid projects of 2016 in Rage & The Machine with his producer counterpart (who would be The Machine) AraabMuzik, and it shows a nice maturation process of Budden (which if you know Budden then you know maturing isn't exactly number one on his to-do list). Though it's hard to see Budden maturing, Rage & The Machine more so depicts Budden being his immature, yet reflective self as usual, and finally coming to terms with it. Now for the song itself; "Idols" sees Budden following the "Let Nas Down" narrative that J. Cole creates on his song in the beginning with paying homage to the many emcees that have brought Budden up (he even gives props to Jay-Z for TIDAL's launch and accomplishments), but in the second half of the song, he flips that on it's ear; Budden goes from being a student of the game to the teacher. Over spiritual "I've-found-Jesus" types of production and phenomenal sampling by AraabMuzik, Budden explains why he could never be an idol; or could he? If Budden ever had one, this would be his swan song; something to ride out in the sunset to while people finally realize what he really meant; in his lyrics, and what he's meant to hip hop.
Now there's a butt-ton of songs that I clearly could have featured and might have forgotten, but as I said earlier, this is MY personal list and strictly my picks. With that being said, I'd love to hear what the people think! Comment below, on my Google+ page, my Twitter, or on my Facebook page what songs you think I left out that could have made the best of the year list (I only included 5 to keep it short). A small point to this article was to stray away from the every day droll you hear in hip hop. The difference is... the different. Sometimes that may be trying something completely new, it could be staying with something that works, or it could be going all the way back to square 1 and starting from scratch. As a self proclaimed hip hop enthusiast, at this point I almost would rather hear something that sounded a little nostalgic as opposed to what's being put out now. Not because I don't like what's out now, but because sometimes taking a risk is okay. Here's to hoping 2017 brings out the big guns, and by guns I mean good, competitive rappers trying to make the best possible music.
With it being over a year and a half since Kendrick had dropped his critically acclaimed masterpiece of an album To Pimp A Butterfly, and today being another very special day in Kendrick's catalog (the 4 year anniversary of the release of Kendrick's major label debut Good Kid M.a.a.d City) producerRick Rubin sat down to have an in depth conversation with the Compton emcee, discussing an array of things varying from his upbringing and musical influences, to his current process of making music and his inspirations. Although there are countless gems to extract from this interview, I discuss some of the highlights below.
Kendrick had the beat for "Alright" for 6 months before he wrote to it (24:18)
Wait, WHAT?! Kendrick had the beat for "Alright" for 6 months before he even did the song?! Apparently Kendrick had held onto the Pharrell-produced instrumental for awhile before doing anything with it; "I was sitting on that record for I think 6 months. Between my guy Sam Taylor and Pharrell, (they asked) 'when you gone do it? when you gone do it? when you gone do it?' They was on me. I knew it was a great record, I was just trying to find the spacing and (how) to approach it. It sounds fun, but it's something else put inside of them chords that Pharrell laid down that makes it more of a statement." This statement not only proves why Kendrick is one of the most thought provoking emcees, but also that he cares about the music that he makes and the message that he is sending.
Rick Rubin commenting on To Pimp A Butterfly and Kendrick's music making process; It sounds like the connection your talking about is your connection to it more than other people's connection to it, but I think the thing that is infectious about it is that people feel your connection to it, and it's not even necessarily their connection to it, like a lot of people who heard your last record (To Pimp A Butterfly) might not have even been into jazz, but they hear your connection to it and then it inspires them to open up themselves to new music they might not have heard." (12:02)
Hearing these 2 talk about music this intricately and intimately are just more examples as to why they are the best of the best. To explore the realms of other genres inside of your own music in your comfort zone (as Rubin does with hip hop when he is primarily known as a rock producer and Kendrick with the jazz influence on TPAB) is incredible to see and truly shows the testament of longevity that both of these guys possess. Not many have the balls to take a complete "left turn" from one project to another, let alone have it be as successful as To Pimp A Butterfly was and is. Kendrick and Rick Rubin seem to see music as exploration of self just as much as they wish to make great music, and that's amazing to see and hear in conversations like this.
Kendrick has written full songs, and then made beats around the LYRICS, as opposed to lyrics being written after the beat has been made (19:56)
"A few times I've written full songs, and had to find the actual instrumentation to match it. That's fun because it not only gives me, but the producer the freedom to build around the lyrics, and certain words that get tossed out, a sound just might crack over top of that, and you know, the cadence." Here's a question for you up and coming rappers; How talented are you really? Can you write lyrics to your song first, then help the producer make the beat AROUND your lyrics, or even do it yourself? If you can do that, then your probably deserve to be in that chair right where Kendrick is sitting. More intricacies of music and song making discussed by some of the best to do it. If you make music and you're reading this, take notes ladies and gentlemen.
Kendrick did not plan for "Maad City" to be one of the biggest songs off of Good Kid Maad City (21:40)
"My first album Good Kid Maad City, this is me being fresh in the game, in my head I had songs that I knew would be big records, radio single, I'm playing the game. I'm creating these songs for the radio, just ear candy for people to enjoy, and in my mind I'm thinking that these are going to be the biggest records on the album, but it turns out that a song called 'Maad City' where I'm just rapping for maybe 40 bars or 30 bars turned out the be the biggest song on that project. And that threw me for a loop, but it also gave me insight clear enough to know that sometimes it's not about what you think is gonna happen or what you feel. People connect to things in strange ways, and at the end of the day you have to go with that feeling." A personal thing about that song ("Maad City") for me; when the album first dropped in 2012 and I was dissecting it, playing it back to back to back, top to bottom, "Maad City" was a clear stand out on the album. Not only because of the energy that the instrumental provides and the infectious hook, but because of the connection I knew that Kendrick had made with Dr. Dre, I thought 100% that Dre had produced the second part of that beat (where MC Eiht comes in), even though it turned out that frequent Kendrick and TDE collaborator producer Sounwave had produced the song along with THC and (another frequent Kendrick collaborator) Terrace Martin! Dre's sound was all over GKMC, and he didn't have 1 beat on the album, although he was executive producer.
Amazing interview with many jewels dropped, lessons learned, and light shed. Check out the whole interview below. Hip Hop Unlimited is not yet back in full swing, I just came across this amazing piece and had to give some thoughts on it. Stay tuned for the future though, because though HHU is at a slower halt, it does not mean I am stopped. More coming.
It's been a pretty crazy 2 years here at HHU, and it's even crazier to think that it's been that long. From album reviews to insane conspiracy theories, I like to think I'm not afraid to tackle any subject having to do with hip hop, or anything having to do with any one person or group of people involved in it. I love this here, it's what I do, and it's what I'm going to do, but sometimes to realize what needs to be done you have to take a step back and get some other things done before you can conquer the world of hip hop writing.
I can't thank my loyal readers enough for the support they've given me, through every crappy article and every decent one that I could only hope gets people conversing, you guys are my rock through everything, and know that I wouldn't be anything without you guys, literally. With every time you guys read or share something I've done, know that you've lifted me up in a very important way that not many other things I do can do for me anymore.
With all of this being said, I will be taking a short intermission from Hip Hop Unlimited, and will not be posting for an amount of time that I am unsure of at the moment. Life happens to all of us, and a couple of things have come up that I have to deal with. But not to worry, because life is just one big checklist of tackling obstacles, and this is just another obstacle that I'll conquer in time. And once time passes, I'll be back, because time waits for no man.
This is Geoffrey Guy signing out, but only for now. Don't get used to me being gone too quickly.
"Imma drop the album same day as Kanye, just to show the boys the man now like Wanya."
Yep, that's right, Born Sinner, arguably the album that put J. Cole on America's (and probably the world's) radar as one of the most competitive emcee's out dropped 3 years ago today. When Cole announced that he'd be dropping Born Sinner the same day that elite hip hop artist Kanye West would be dropping his album Yeezus, he put the hip hop world on notice, because that kind of confidence was something hip hop was missing at the time (and though Cole is confident in his rhymes, you wouldn't get that cocky vibe just from listening to the man talk in every day conversation). Anyways, Born Sinner was a solid effort that got mixed reviews from critics after it's release, but we're not here to focus on that. Here, I'd like to focus on some highlights of the album that make it so great, and maybe even drop some jewels that you might not have known.
Villuminati
"It's way darker this time" was the perfect sentence to start off this album, and "Villuminati" was not only a perfect way to continue Cole's 'Ville influenced song series, but also the perfect song to start off the much darker Born Sinner album. On "Villuminati" Cole was coming for the game's throat, and though he didn't mention anyone in particular (in terms of dissing), he certainly showcased why he deserves to be at the top with his superior punchlines, flow, and conscience mind.
Let NaS Down
One of Born Sinner's most stand out tracks is the venting track "Let NaS Down", where Cole explains being let down by himself in making a song that didn't impress his idol, Nas. You can tell just by the way he talks in explaining the song in the interview above that Cole worshipped Nas as a young aspiring emcee, and he was devastated by Nas' critiquing of his first single off of his first major label debut, (Cole World: The Sideline Story) "Work Out". Cole would not give up because of this though, and went on to add "Let NaS Down" onto Born Sinner, and even eventually earned Nas' approval by getting the legendary emcee to feature on a remix of the song.
Also, here are some exclusive facts about the album that maybe you didn't know before, credit goes to @OnlyHipHopFacts on Twitter.
Sigh. I'm not even sure what to say at this point. I think the memes have gotten the best of us, people. I mean using the crying face Jordan as a joke here and there, okay, but as a fucking album cover for your next project? To define your next album by putting the picture above as your album cover? It makes no sense to me.
If this is your first time seeing the above picture, then get used to seeing it, because this is the album cover for Schoolboy Q's forthcoming album Blank Face, which is due out on July 8th. Blank Face is preceded by it's first 2 singles, "Groovy Tony" and "THat Part" featuring Kanye West. I must say taking advantage of a meme that has taken over the entire internet can either be something that REALLYY hurts you, or REALLYY helps you, let's hope for Q's sake that it's the latter. Use the crying face Jordan for good Q, maybe something useful will come out of it. If only. Check out the music videos for Schoolboy's first 2 singles below.
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)
*Update*
Turns out Schoolboy Q was just trolling people with the announcement of the crying Jordan cover. You can see the real cover below.
Every now and then a legend will come through a leading podcast (seemingly more and more now as podcasts it seems are where the gems are hidden these days) and drop a few jewels that fans and fellow hip hop nerds have never heard before, and on The Drink Champs podcast, Talib Kweli came through and did just that.
Kweli stopped in to The Drink Champs podcast to talk about a few things, most notably first meeting Kanye West. "Kanye come through the door, I never seen this nigga, I never heard of this nigga. He said 'I'm here to meet Mos Def.' I said 'well guess what, he might not show up. But who are you?' He said 'Mos Def told me to meet him here, I got some beats.' I said 'play me the beats. I'm working on an album.'" And as you know, the rest is history. Check out the rest of the story in the interview below. It gets a tad annoying with N.O.R.E constantly interrupting Talib's story, but is mostly entertaining.
Yes, it's about that time for another edition of "Overlooked Audio". As you know (or may not, given the fact that I have to cover some of it), there is SOOO MUCH great hip hop out there for you to listen to, so much so that not every release gets it's proper shine or attention. But that's why you have me; the towering beacon that so surely and swiftly seeks out the best (and obviously most overlooked) rap songs that the internet has to offer, and below, I'll be listing the most overlooked songs that have released in the past 2 weeks.
Asher Roth ft. Michael Christmas & Larry June - Laundry
It's weird that Asher Roth is normally quite the hip hop hermit, because whenever he does drop something it seems to fly much further under the radar than it should have. On this Chuck Inglish-produced cut Asher Roth enlists Boston emcee Michael Christmas and Larry June to compare the freshness of ones self to, you guessed it; laundry.
Bishop Nehru - Love What You Do
If you've been paying attention to Hip Hop Unlimited for the past month or so, you would have noticed that Bishop Nehru has found his way onto my radar of up and comers that deserve your attention. His new song "Love What You Do" comes shortly after the release of his new mixtape Magic:19, which came out approximately 2 days ago, June 3rd, Hip Hop DX reports, although Bishop's SoundCloud says the tape has been out for 2 months. Either way, Bishop shows his range as a heartfelt emcee on "Love What You Do", and Magic:19 is definitely worth a listen for fans who enjoy lyricism and some banging beats.
De La Soul Ft. Snoop Dogg - Pain
In case you haven't heard, De La Soul is eyeing a comeback with their newest album and the Anonymous Nobody... set for release August 26th, and has released the first single featuring the one and only Snoop D-O-Double G! If you can't groove to this then there probably aren't many songs you can groove to; this song has "SOUL" written all over it, but not without the "De La" put in front of it.
Joey Purp - iiiDrops album
(*I do not own these songs, or the rights to them*)
Another hot up and comer that has caught my eye the past month or so has been Chicago emcee Joey Purp. His iiiDrops album has been in constant rotation in the past week, and his clever lyricism and in your face cadence is definitely one to catch your attention. He starts off his banging iiiDrops album with some "MORNING SEX" (above), and (in case you didn't think it got any better than morning sex) the album only gets better from there. iiiDrops boasts features from Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins and more, and will keep you banging your heads with some hip-hop-to-the-core instrumentals.
Joey Bada$$ - Devastated
Another song that's been released the past 2 weeks that I absolutely cannot stop playing is Joey Bada$$' new single, "Devastated". There's no word whether "Devastated" will live on an upcoming Joey LP or EP, though the iTunes link is given in the description under the song on YouTube. "Devastated" is great not just because it's a great song with an amazingly wavy beat, but because it's so far outside of Joey's normal lane that you can only wonder what Joey has in store for his next project with this song. Will he be straying away from the 90's nostalgic rap that he became known for? It seems like we might get to find out here in the near future.
So there's a few dope songs, and even a couple of projects that you might have overlooked in the past couple of weeks that are definitely worth a listen or two. As long as the unlimited hip hop keeps coming, I'll keep talking about it, unlimitedly!
This video; a powerful representation of African Americans showing deep anger and hurt with the events that have unfolded in America since the new millennium, since the 50s, since slavery, since; ever. I have to show respect to someone who is willing to put themselves out there in a world where political opinions can kill relationships, can shatter peoples' images, and (in extreme cases) can cost people their lives. But, me being the man who tries to understand both sides of the story, I have to ask; when the FUCK did David Banner become a political activist?
David Banner is known in the hip hop world as many things, but with the events that unfold in this video and the way he shows himself along with the other members of what seem to be a secret society he runs with in the video, he might be using more of his anger than his logic in this scenario.
The video for Banner's new "Black Fist" song violently depicts a group of black males alongside Banner punishing, torturing, and eventually killing a white police officer, which is dragged out for roughly 3 minutes. Now as I said before, I like to be the guy who tries his hardest to understand both sides of a story, and assuming Banner is angry about what has been eating at (not just black lives) different civilians and races all around the country for the past few years, then he wouldn't put himself in such a position to be picked apart by talk show hosts and bloggers everywhere that think their opinions matter in the slightest (wait a minute...).
I also watched a Vlad TV interview with Mr. Banner dating back to July 7th, 2015 (or so it's dated on YouTube). I couldn't help but laugh at what this man was saying, and passing off as "open-mindedness". Banner got to discussing how white people "own everything on this Earth" and how you "can't go anywhere to escape white supremacy". This quote got me especially riled up; "if you look at most hip hop blogs and most things that deal with hip hop, they're now used to crush the hip hop artists." HA. These so called "points" coming from a man (who also believes that labels are objectifying hip hop artists to use the derogatory details of their lives to exploit them) that made THIS.
Are you going to blame this song on the label David? Hmm? Did the label write/make you write this song? I'll first say that if you're not writing your own songs then you lose a lot of credibility in ANY part of the music industry, and probably deserve to be strung around like a puppet, and that goes for artists of ANY race, and also taking into account how many successful indie artists there are out there nowadays. But secondly, if you are writing your own songs, then later on complain about what the label is making you do (again, if you're going to complain about a label, then go indie), but have this song appear on an album of your "Greatest Hits" collection, then you should probably stay in your lane as an artist. If you aren't making the music that YOU want to make, then set the example, and make a change. Check out Banner's interview with Vlad TV below.
(*I do not own any of these songs, videos, interviews or the rights to them*)
We all know J. Cole to be the guy you hate to hate and love to love, and why wouldn't you? He's a competitive emcee, he makes amazing music with a strong message, he works to better his community (and ultimately the world), and most of all, he says what's on his mind. In one instance, the last example turned some heads, and it turned out to be quite the entertaining occurrence.
(The line I'm talking about starts at the 3:15 part, and explains Cole's tweet below) J. Cole - Cole Summer
So how did Tia and Tamera react? Check out the tweets going back and forth from Cole to Tia and Tamera both below, it gets better.
And then they hear the song. Tamera's reaction can be seen below.
Talk about a childhood crush turned into reality. How awesome would that be to have one of the Mowry sisters flirting with you on Twitter? Or to have Nia Long say that you're not too young for her? Cole is a product of another generation, and people of every age, era, and ethnicity accept him. Now somebody tell him to hit me with Tia or Tamera's number!
