[Songs of the Day] 2/25/14 (Feat. Coldplay, Schoolboy Q & Lil Durk)
Tuesday was a bit lighter than Monday, but we have a solid collection of new tracks that hit the the world today. Coldplay offered up their latest track since Mylo Xyloto in their latest track, "Midnight" which premiered alongside a visual and 'The Voice' host Shakira released a powerful new song with her latest in "Empire". Sango featured Craig David and Omarion again on a reprise of his song in "Icebox 2.0", We Were Evergreens song "Daughters" got a remix from Aeroplane, 100 gave listeners "10 Freaky Hoes", rapper Le1f offered up the "Boom". Schoolboy Q continued promotion of his latest album Oxymoron with a cypher from The Purge/RapFix and Lil Durk gave fans a new one in "Live That Life". Check out all of the songs, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Sango: "Icebox 2.0"
We Were Evergreen: "Daughters" (Aeroplane Remix)
Sango: "Icebox 2.0" (Feat. Omarion & Craig David)
Schoolboy Q: "The Purge / Rapfix Cypher" (20syl Remix)
100: "Ten Freaky Hoes"
Lil Durk: "Live That Life"
Le1f: "Boom"
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Shakira: "Empire"
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Coldplay: "Midnight"
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[Video] Lili K & Peter CottonTale Perform "Highlight The Moon" at Truth Studios
It's been a minute since Lili K and Peter CottonTale got together to produce one of the my favorite jazz/soul albums of the past couple of years in Metal Petals, the 2012 release that established both artists as names to know, especially among the fertile and growing Chicago scene. The pair linked up while in Los Angeles at Truth Studios to re-hash one of the more sonically-rewarding track on the project in "Highlight The Moon" which gets a more down home, instrumental feel here with CottonTale on the keys. Lili shows off the voice we all know and love, while also demonstrating new tweaks in her vocals that make the latest version of "Highlight The Moon" ever more entrancing. The Milwaukee-born songstress has played in the background quite a bit as well, adding her vocals to tracks by Chance The Rapper and Vic Mensa on their latest projects Acid Rap and Innanetape, but here she continues to prove that she is a solo force behind the microphone. Lili and Peter are both back and forth from the coasts as they work on her follow-up to last year's My Favorite Things EP. Watch the full video, streaming below.
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[Album] Kid Cudi: "Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon"
Kid Cudi did his best Beyonce impression last night, releasing his latest project, Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon late last night unexpectedly by posting a message on his Twitter (tweets below). The project is the latest from Cudi since last April's Indicud, his first release since parting ways with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music imprint. The project, available now on iTunes, is a continuation of a new path for Cudi, whose WZRD album established a decidedly more ambiguous, experimental motif to the work he had done to that point. "In My Dreams", the hit off his 2009 breakout project Man On The Moon: The End of Day get s re-do on the latest project, which is a wavy feel throughout that has Cudi doing what Cudi does best: looking inward at both himself and the listener to create a sort of ethereal experience through which he is able to not only get across a message but exemplify a feeling and though as well. Check out he latest from Cudi here.
[Songs of the Day] 2/24/14 (Feat. Young Thug, Tyga, Big Boi & More)
Monday brought about a bunch of new songs from all corners of the music world. We gathered all the best releases from the weekend and today. Meek Demeo's track "Paper Birds" featuring Kendrick Lamar got a remix from Galimatias that takes the song up a notch higher than it already was, Young Money teased their upcoming collaboration album with "Senile" by Tyga, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. A Billion Young appropriately tapped Brian Fresco for his latest single, "Fresco" while Young Thug continued on a tear of singles, the most recent of which is "Ouch". Romeo Santos got with Nicki Minaj as well, tapping her for his hit "Animales" while Taylor Bennett got together with Loyale Soule to pay homage to a good friend in the soulful "Brother Man". A$AP Ant became the latest of the A$AP Mob to emerge on the public sphere, this time with his single, "Zaytoven" while Koda kept things moving in his latest, "Invitation to Love". Alex Wiley and Closed Sessions continued a powerful start to 2014 with another fresh new song in "Own Man" which pairs him with talented Chicagoan Mick Jenkins and Big Boi continued his "Mash-up Mondays" series with a collab with none other than Phantogram, which resulted in the ridiculously funky, "Objectum Shalamar". Also, Joell Ortiz reminds folks he still has "Bars". All this and more, below!
Track of the Day: Big Boi: "Objectum Shalamar" (Feat. Phantogram)
Meek DeMeo: “Paper Birds” (Feat. Kendrick Lamar) (Galimatias Remix)
Tyga: "Senile" (Feat. Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne)
A Billion Young: "Fresco" (Feat. Brian Fresco)
Young Thug: “Ouch”
Romeo Santos: “Animales” (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
Taylor Bennett: “Brother Man” (Feat. Loyale Soul)
A$AP Ant: “Zaytoven”
Koda: “Invitation To Love”
SEVEN1: “Hiigher” (Prod. By Retro Ren)
DebonairStatus: “GoIN” (Feat. Kami de Chukwu)
Alex Wiley: “Own Man” (Feat. Mick Jenkins)
Big Boi: "Objectum Shalamar" (Feat. Phantogram)
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Joell Ortiz: “Bars”
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[Album Stream] Major Lazer: "Apocalypse Soon"
Major Lazer has been teasing his latest project, Apocalypse Soon for a minute now, and over the weekend the moombahton king dropped a stream of the album on his Soundcloud. In the past couple of weeks, the side project of mega-producer Diplo offered up "Aerosol Can" with Pharrell and the revival of dancehall singer Sean Paul who seems to have been gone from the spotlight since MTV stopped broadcasting 'TRL'. The project is a continuation of the kind of back-side wobbling production that lead Major Lazer to host a 'twerk wall' at last year's Electric Zoo festival. Top to bottom, the project shows Diplo can launch a variety of bass-infused attacks under whatever moniker works. Check out the project, streaming below.
Chicago Acts to Look Out For in 2014
Photo by Bobby Reys
Chicago has been on lately. The Second City has always been known as a musical city and the current rate at which it has produced talent as of late is only adding to that legacy. As festival lineups roll out as we transition into Spring, it has become common to find a Chicago act, if not several, on the list. For this reason, we decided to put together a list of up and coming artists from Chicago that we expect to fully blossom throughout 2014. We added numbers, but there's no real order as far as rankings, just a collection of musical acts from the city that deserve a spotlight. Last year, Chance The Rapper, Chief Keef and a host of hip-hop artists dominated music headlines as a pipeline was established in the Midwest. There is plenty in the city that isn't rap music too though, and we made sure to highlight everyone. Take some time to flip through the next batch of stars to rise out of Chicago.
[Album Stream] Schoolboy Q: "Oxymoron"
All the hype has finally led to this: the highly-anticipated and talked about major debut for Schoolboy Q. With the release of his album, Oxymoron, tomorrow, Q follows a tough act from fellow TDE-signee Kendrick Lamar who set the bar with 2012's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. It's also the first substantial release we've had from him since 2011's lauded Habits & Contradictions. In the lead-up to the release, the L.A. native also dropped a visual for he song "Break The Bank" which features his four-year-old daughter Joy, who also helped him announce the release dates late last year. The soulful, piano-infused track sets the tone for that should prove to be one of the better hip-hop releases to reach the public in recent memory. Kendrick Lamar took over the rap game with his proper debut, it will be interesting to see if the public connects with Schoolboy Q the same way. Pick up the full project and listen to it streaming via iTunes
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[Songs of the Day] 2/21/14 (Feat. Young Thug, LIZ, James Blake & More)
Another day, another batch of songs, here's today's songs of the day for the 21st of February. Paper Diamond continued a steady stream of jams by releasing "Wylin" with LOUDPVCK to celebrate his Pro Partnership with Soundcloud. Chief Keef kept the tracks coming with "Save Me", newcomer LIZ showed up with "Say U Will", Young Thug gave us "Geek'd Up", while Milwaukee product Klassik offered up a remix of Thug's song "Danny Glover". Norwegian Maya Vik continued to produce beautiful music with her latest song, "Totally Right" and Chicago MC Highlife released "True Lies". Rounding out the day was Ty Dolla $igns star-studded remix of "Or Nah" produced by The Weeknd and featuring Wiz Khalifa and James Blake, operating under his DJ name Harmonimix, remixed Kendrick Lamar's anthem, "m.A.A.d City". Check out all of the track, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Paper Diamond & LOUDPVCK: “Wylin”
Paper Diamond & LOUDPVCK: “Wylin”
Chief Keef: “Save Me”
LIZ: “Say U Would”
Young Thug: “Geek’d Up”
Highlife: “True Lies”
Maya Vik: “Totally Right”
Young Thug: “Danny Glover Remix” (Feat. Klassik)
Ty Dolla $igns: “Or Nah” (Feat. Wiz Khalifa & The Weeknd)
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Kendrick Lamar: “m.A.A.d City” (James Blake Remix)
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