De La Soul Release Discography For Free
De La Soul celebrated Valentine's Day and the 25th anniversary of their seminal album, 3 Feet High and Rising, by releasing their entire library of music for free on their website today. Beginning at 11 a.m. EST, the full discography of one of the most iconic and progressive rap groups of all time for 25 hours. It's an unprecedented dumping of music by the NYC trio and a furtherance of major artist's use of the Internet to market their music and keep their names in the news cycle. In December of last year, Beyonce dropped her latest album, a 14-track 'visual' album by surprise on the web without any prior marketing or advertising around it. That project went on to shatter sales numbers for the year.
With this move, De La Soul really isn't tearing down too many borders (their discography is easily available via illegal torrent sites), although it could go a long way in re-introducing what many consider a 'golden age' of hip-hop music to a new generation. It's crazy that De La is celebrating a 25 year anniversary, and it would be a fitting homage to their first project if the re-release of their initial offering to fans causes a resurgence in younger listeners. Click here to pick it up for yourself.
[Mixtape] ABGOHARD & Slater: "Rich Yung Pimp"
Lately, we have been hearing a lot of good coming out of the New York City collective "Inner City Kids" (ICK), and just before the weekend the world got the latest from the group's newest MC in ABGOHARD, who teamed up with Slater for a fresh new project in Rich Yung Pimp. The project is an interesting play between a pair of talented up and coming artists on the rise in a burgeoning east coast/New York City scene. Featuring production from the likes of Suicideyear, $1 Bin, Marlee B, Ryan Hemsworth, Rich Yung Pimps is as eclectic as it's title is stereotypical. The pair of artists are at the forefront of the next wave of New York City hip-hop that has emanated from what many have called a renaissance in the NYC scene. The project is boom-bap-ish, with more developed sensibilities, taking a step forward while keeping another firmly rooted in the sounds that curated the scene on the right side of the country in generations before them. It's a rap project, with both Slater and ABGOHARD handling crafty rhyme schemes with ease while ruminating over the ins and outs of the world around their heads. Check out the latest from ABGOHARD and Slater, Rich Yung Pimp, available for stream/download below.
[RH First Look] Justin Rose
Justin Rose does a little bit of everything. The 23 year old from New York City started off rapping before gravitating to what he calls the "addicting" process of crafting beats. I met him this past year at SXSW while hanging out at the Illmore after-party, wondering how I was still awake. Since then we have kept in touch as Rose has spread his forward-thinking production across his scene and city, linking up with the likes of NYC up and comer Kris Kasanova which garnered him a track on Peter Rosenberg's curated mixtape earlier this Summer, as well as doing in-house production for Nakim. When I met him on the front end of 2013 there were still a lot of question marks around both of our futures. Nearly a year later, Rose has found himself bouncing around the vibrant and bubbling New York scene that have many bloggers across the country learning how to spell the word 'Renaissance'. The growth and uprise of that scene in New York is due in large part to progressive, hungry and cross-platform artists like Rose who are eager to find a way to push the music and culture forward without apology. I was able to catch up with Rose over the phone recently as he was leaving the studio from working on his debut project, RoseWaVve Vol.1. to talk about what the year has been like, what he's been up to and where things are headed for the young crafter. In exchange, he sent over this video for his track, "PARTY4ME", which we are premiering here on Ruby Hornet. Give the video a watch below and get to know Justin Rose.
[Video] A$AP Rocky: "Fashion Killa"
Photo By: Virgil Solis
The video for A$AP Rocky's "Fashion Killa" off last year's LongLiveA$AP finally got a video yesterday. The visual, released via BET, features none other than Rihanna herself as she and Rocky spend a night on the town trying on clothes, walking and generally being "fashion killers." A$AP Ferg also pops up for a quick few bars from his Trap Lord track "Murda Something". Check out the video below from Dailymotion.