DOWNLOAD MP3 ZZWard-CryinWolfftKendrickLamar.mp3 Summary: If you liked BlakRoc you’ll love this bluesy song. About Artist: This is the first song of ZZ Ward that I’ve discovered but I’m downloading some of her mixtapes and past projects as we speak. Apparntly she did a cover of a Childish Gambino song and has worked with Pete Rock in the studio? I don’t know enough at the moment but I would say looking into more of her stuff is a must! Kendrick Lamar is like my favorite rapper right now. From LA etc etc just look at past posts of mine by Kendrick Lamar. About Song: Is off her debut album which dropped yesterday called Till The Casket Drops (too soon after the Clipse’s album IMO). I’m about to listen to the album now but she seems very ‘Adele’ or ‘Lana Del Rey’ to me so far. Favorite Part: I really really like the bluesyness, which is also why I LOVED BlakRoc. I like when it breaks down with the claps, I love ZZ Wards voice and harmonies, and of course Kendrick’s verse specifically this part
“Don’t forget about us, don’t forget about trust Don’t forget about the kinkiness of playin with the cuffs on the bedspring penetrate the loud screams echoin the hallways is a must”(2:30-2:40)
DOWNLOAD MP3 TalibKweliZTrip-CongregationftBlackThoughtAbSoul.mp3 Summary: This track is the 2nd track I’m posting from an awesome mixtape called Attack The Block. Download Attack the Block Mixtape. While I like this song I’m putting up this post to represent the whole mixtape which I highly recommend. About Artist: Talib Kweli is an established very well respected artist in the game who is a member of Madlib and one half of Black Star with Mos Def. Z-Trip is a DJ who really blazed the trail of many mashup artists behind him. While not well known outside of the Hip Hop community he is respected as a DJ on the very top of his game. Black thought is of course one of the founding members and lyrical base for the The Roots. Ab-Soul really holds his own in this one but he is known mainly for being part of Kendrick Lamar’s rap group Black Hippy and part of the Top Dawg Entertainment crew. About Song: This song is just one of the tracks off of this phenomenal mixtape. Favorite Part:
I like the church inspired track but I also love the lyrics
Check out the Lyrics on Rap Genius
You really have to look at every line because unlike some ‘Hip Hop’ these verses have meaning. Other: Congregation Lyrics on Rap Genius Download Official Attack the Block Mixtape Talib Kweli Wikipedia Z-Trip Wikipedia Black Thought Wikipedia Ab-Soul Wikipedia
DOWNLOAD MP3 KendrickLamar-BackseatFreestyleprodbyHitBoy.mp3 Summary: Another instant classic brought to you by Kendrick Lamar. Look out for “Good Kid, Mad City” dropping Monday October 22nd (AND HE’S GONNA BE ON TUCSON THAT DAY!) About Artist: The new prince of the west coast, Kendrick Lamar is carrying the torch for LA with all the style, grit, lyricism and originality that LA has been known for. While is legacy is still in the making Kendrick has all the makings of a king. His authenticity and pure talent vaults him into discussions of ‘best rapper alive’ and he shines as a beacon that Hip Hop is still alive! About Song: This song is a track that was just recently released here on soundcloud. It is one of the tracks off of Kendrick’s first commerical album Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. The first single off of the album Recipe I really really like but it never blew up on the radio (my guess because it had the word Weed in the chorus). Following that single was Swimming Pools (Drank) which I do hear on the radio a lot. Anyway, back to this song, it ir produced by Hit-Boy which, coincidentadnly, produced another jam that I was totoally into and posted on here a couple days ago Higher. Favorite Part:
Well first off the track is dope! The f-ing bell-chime things and the arrindindin arrindindin get me hyped!
Lay on Kendricks flow over that and it just goes hard!
Kendrick doesn’t go off lyrically like he somtimes does but check out the Rap Genius link below because there are some crazy references.
DOWNLOAD MP3 TheGame-WouldntGetFarftKanyeWestWoodyRemix.mp3 Summary: This song is a Woody’s Produce Remix of a Game song off of Doctor’s Advocate. About Artist: Original artists are the LA West Coast rapper Game and Kanye West. However this remix is done by someone known as Woody’s Produce (check out the link to his site below in the other section). I don’t know anyting about hime except he’s done an exceptional remix project called Woody x Kanye West: Remixed About Song: This song is off of a mixtape I really reall like called Woody x Kanye West: Remixed which is a collection of Kanye West remixes by Woody’s Produce. Favorite Part: I really like how the music that Woody’s Produce brought to the track fits so well with the rap. You’d be hard pressed to tell this was a remix if you’d never heard the original.
My favorite lyrics of the song are below (1:35) “Now ask yourself this question, umm
Would you be with Jay-Z if he wasn’t C-E-O
Would you be with F-A-B-O if he drove a Neo
Would you ride with Ne-Yo, if he was in a Geo”
(1:35-1:45)
I also really really like the end of the song (3:15) where a computer reads the words that the Game says in the outro of the original.
DOWNLOAD MP3 TalibKweliZTrip-AttacktheBlock.mp3 Summary: This track is the intro track to an awesome mixtape byt the same name. Download Attack the Block Mixtape. While I like this song I’m putting up this post to represent the whole mixtape which I highly recommend. About Artist: Talib Kweli is an established very well respected artist in the game who is a member of Madlib and one half of Black Star with Mos Def. Z-Trip is a DJ who really blazed the trail of many mashup artists behind him. While not well known outside of the Hip Hop community he is respected as a DJ on the very top of his game. About Song: This song is the intro off of the a mixtape by the same name and while I like this song you should download the mixtape. The beginning of the song plays a clip of british movie call Attack the Block about an alien invasion (awesome indie movie that I was lucky to see at my local independent movie theater). The song samples Dead Prez’s Hip Hop. Favorite Part: I love the quote from the movie at the very begining and of course Dead Prez’s Hip Hop is a great beat but to really appreciate this track you gotta just download the mixtape cause the songs are mixed together with great skill (Z-Trip’s skill I presume).
DOWNLOAD MP3 TheDream-HigherftPushaTMaseCocaine80s.mp3 Summary: You know I’m a big Kanye fan so there had to be something from G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer up here. This track is all about the production especially the outro. About Artist: There are a bunch of artists involved in this track so I won’t go into all their bios (you can Google them your damn self) but they are all a part of Kanye West’s music crew GOOD Music which is the collective that put out the album that this track is on Cruel Summer. About Song: This song features the Dream on the hook, Pusha-T on the first verse, Ma$e on the second verse, and Cocaine 80s with the outro. Favorite Part: Like I said I put this song up here not because of the rapping but because of the production specifically the outro.
While the beat on the track is great throughout skip ahead to 3:43 where the outro starts to hear the part that I love so much. You really should listen to the outro on headphones to get the ful effect of all the meticulous production work that went into it.
DOWNLOAD MP3 MacMiller-OnarollprodbyPharrell.mp3 Summary: I do not condone the misogynist lyrics (a disclaimer that should be on at least half of the songs on this site), especially the lyrics that objectifies women. Anyhow, the Pharrell beat is super catchy and Mac Miller’s flow works real well over it. About Artist: Mac Miller a new generation back-pack-type rapper. Born in 1992 Mac Miller is a youngin in the game but has already found success in the mixtape world with tapes like K.I.D.S. and High Light. He raps about smokin weeds and the usual stuff. He is similar to Asher Roth (they’re both white) but I think Asher is a little more lyrical and Mac Miller is a little more about is image and party music. The track was produced by legendary producer Pharrell who is already cemented as one of the best hip hop producers ever (also a member of The Neptunes, N.E.R.D. and Child Rebel Soldier). About Song: This song is apparently off of an upcoming collab EP between Mac Miller and Pharrell which should be pretty exciting since I’m a huge Pharrell fan. Favorite Part: Well obviously the strength of this song is in the beat. I love the halloween/dracula kinda feel of it. While I don’t like the content of Mac Miller’s lyrics his flow works on the the track and I like how it sounds when he says “Big ‘ol butt” in the chorus.
DOWNLOAD MP3 SelahSue-PleaseftCeeLoGreen.mp3 Summary: Soulful duet with the wonderful voice of Cee-Lo Green and Amy Winehouse sound-a-like Selah Sue About Artist: Selah Sue is a Belgium musician who found crossover American success with her song Raggamuffin as well This World (which I also like). Cee-Lo Green on the other hand is one of my favorite musicians. I guy who brings soul to everything he does he is quite famous as a solo artist at this point but has also put out music as part of Goodie Mob and Gnarls Barkley. Cee-Lo Green probably reached his pop popularity with his song Fuck You but he’s also had wild creativity and lasting integrity in the songs he puts out. About Song: This song is off of Selah Sue debut 2011 self titled album. Favorite Part: I do like the sound of Selah Sue’s voice on this song but Cee-Lo’s magical voice is what really draws me to this song. Of course I’m a sucker for vocal harmonies so the duet factor doesn’t hurt either.
DOWNLOAD MP3 LupeFiasco-StrangeFruitionftCaseyBenjamin.mp3 Summary: Based on the song Strange Fruit popularized by Billie Holiday. Lupe really lets his lyricism shine while blending message AND emotion About Artist: Lupe Fiasco is well established lyrical mastermind who was only focused more and more on his message as his careers gone one. About Song: Lupe moved away from his lyrical basis in his last album Lasers but Food and Liquor 2 brings the best of both worlds with the message and amazing lyricsl skill. I also have to say that the production of the track is really well done the hook plays an integral part to making the song work and the lyrics on the hook could not sound more haunting. Favorite Part: First just look at the chorus “Made in pain, the strangest things you ever seen Oh, look at how they swing, would you look at how they swing? They ain’t dead though No I ain’t die y’all I cut myself down Admire my fall”
DOWNLOAD MP3 TiRon-BernieMacftAyomariAbSoul.mp3 Summary: This one is hard for me describe. All I can say is that the sample in the track is cool and the rap has style. About Artist: First I have to say that another TiRon & Ayomari track was featured on gregshiphop.com back in August 2009 with 3 Drink Minimum. I still don’t know much about TiRon and Ayomari except that they are a duo out of cali and this will be the second song of there’s that I just love. Ab-Soul on the other hand is part of Kendrick Lamar’s collective Black Hippy. About Song: This song is off of a mixtape for charity titled “The Cafeteria Line presents HNGRY” (<-check out the site!). Favorite Part: First I’ll pay good money to anyone who can tell me what is being sampled in this track. I’m also crazy about the integrity of the rap. Something about the verses are just so solid. The song just works for me I don’t know what else to say.
DOWNLOAD MP3 I20-LittleBoyftLudacrisTwista.mp3 Summary: This song is basically a cover/remix of Saigon’s What the Lovers Do. This song is off of Saigon’s 2012 mixtape Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave. About Artist: I-20 signed with Ludacris in the 2000s. He was featured on some Ludacris songs and found some success but never really took off. Ludacris is of course one of long time kings of the south who just keeps on keepin on. Twista, known for his super fast lyrical delivery (aka rapping fast) and is another veteran at this point (Check out that classic Slow Jamz with Twista and Kanye) About Song: This song is off of a recent I-20 mixtape put out by 2dopeboyz.com in spring 2012. Favorite Part: The track is so great and I-20 and Ludacris sound great on it but Twista’s verse is just fiiiiire.
DOWNLOAD MP3 Saigon-WomenAreTheNewDogs.mp3 Summary: This song is basically a cover/remix of Saigon’s What the Lovers Do. This song is off of Saigon’s 2012 mixtape Warning Shots 3: One Foot In The Grave. About Artist: Saigon has had a troubled on again off again career. Once extremely hyped conflict between his jail hardened personality and his label pretty much ended was could have been a huge career. Still much respected Saigon has also done some side acting gigs as he continues to put out music. His biggest project to date was The Greatest Story Never Told, which this song samples heavily. The chorus is sung by Jovan Dais though I don’t know who he is. Favorite Part: Despite the fact that “I think it’s [NOT] safe to say women are the new dogs”, I really like the hook. Also despite the bad wording it’s nice to hear a song about women gettin theirs.
DOWNLOAD MP3 GiftOfGab-Protocol.mp3 Summary: This is a fun upbeat creative flow summer song. About Artist: Gift of Gab is half of Blackalicious who always comes out with positive quality fun stuff. If you like this song you should check out Blackalicious and other posts by both Gab and Blackalicious on this blog. Favorite Part: I really like the hook but of course Gift of Gab’s flow is awesome throughout.
DOWNLOAD MP3 BigKRIT-PorchlightftAnthonyHamilton.mp3 Summary: This is a sweet R&B song song from Big K.RI.T.’s debit album Live from the Underground About Artist: K.R.I.T. is a southern rapper who gained popularity after hist critically acclaimed 2010 mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here. K.R.I.T. was then named one of XXL’s freshman of the year in 2011 with his second acclaimed mixtape Return of 4Eva. Later 2011 Live from the Underground was Released. Of course the hook is sung by Anthony Hamilton who is a staple of contemporary R&B/Soul singing (I’m a big fan of that sweet sweet voice) Favorite Part: I just like the smooth vibe of this song
