Charles Hamilton: The Blue Lava Lamp M/A/T/E (FreEP)
I knew Hammy was out there, but damn. He recorded this project in a studio with no clocks or mirrors in a two to three week period.
Many listeners, especially if they're familiar with the Brooklyn-boy, will likely wonder how this will compare to Charles Hamilton's Pink Lava Lamp. This is a good bit displaced (not physically though... it was recorded across the street from where Pink was done) from his debut digital album. Yeah, some of the rhymes are solid but most of these tracks will be lost amongst in the large amount of forgettable material in Hammy's catalog. That's the risk an artist takes when he or she puts out as much material as Charles does. That being said, it's worth a listen. Check out the tracklisting and cop the project below.
Trae The Truth: "Bad Don't Seem Wrong" ft. Lupe Fiasco
Trae's mixtape, Can't Ban Tha Truth, drops September 28 and Trae gives us a track to get us interested. The Houston-native brings Lupe on board for a dark story of a track. Download the track below.
XV: "Theme to Vizzy Zone"
Craving some more Vizzy? XV's been putting material out for a while (and a lot of it) and like any musician, he's out to prove he can survive in the industry. A short version of this track, less than 2-minutes, was on his mixtape and felt like a tease. XV dropped the full version of his take on Gloria Gaynor's classic last night. Download the full version of the Seven produced joint below.
Mayer Hawthorne: "No Strings" and Fall Tour Dates
Mayer Hawthorne and the County are about to go on the last tour for his A Strange Arrangement album. And as a bonus, we've got a new track from the very talented artist. The song is about exactly what you would expect from the title. What I did not expect was the more modern sound of the track. Not to worry, Mayer makes it work, delivering his distinct vocals and discussing familiar subject matter. Get the track and check out the tour dates below.
Santana: "Back in Black" ft. Nas
30 years after the original, which came out on a cassette tape (remember those?), we've got an unlikely collaboration from two legends. This is off of Santana's upcoming Guitar Heaven album that is scheduled to release September 21. This will be the first studio album from Santana since 2005. This song makes it clear that the guy can still shred and bringing Nas on this track may be indicative of an edge Santana might bring to the album. The energy on the cover of the classic ACDC track is high as Nas and Santana make it their own and yet simultaneously pay tribute to another great group of musicians. Download the track below.
Mike Golden & Friends: Trees EP 2 Trailer
The fine people over at illRoots put out some material from Mike Golden & Friends a little while back and I've been listening to it religiously since. Mike Golden & Friends have their second EP dropping at illRoots on September 21 and you can expect a link to them when it comes out. If the material on the EP is anything like what we've heard so far, you can expect quality music with incredibly catchy choruses. Watch the EP preview (which is a bit from the upcoming music video for "Bones") below. If you don't know who Mike Golden & Friends are, go here to check out all of his material so far.
Kanye Graces the Cover of XXL's October Issue
The Luis Vuitton Don will be on the cover of the next XXL issue and he's the author of his own article which should be more than interesting. In the article, he discusses his sometimes strained relationship with the public and his fans and events that have had a heavy effect on them (namely the 2009 VMAs). He goes on to mention how he used the studio after the VMAs as an escape and found himself. I'm looking forward to hearing more on this since his recent material has been very strong. Other features of the October issue will include bits on Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, Ye's G.O.O.D. music family, and more. The issue hits the shelves on September 28. Check the mag cover below.
The Niceguys: "The Good Shepherd"
Yves Saint is a talented rapper and one of the four members of the Niceguys. He didn't always know that he would be a lyricist though. However, he was fortunate enough to discover his gift. Now he's here with the rest of the Niceguys delivering a track on which he reaches out to listeners.
"The subtleties are important here. It's saying that as sheep, I will not pull the wool over your eyes, but still look at you as equals who's intelligence I will not insult."
Their album, The Show, will be out September 28 on 265 Pro/The Pi Group. Check out the jazzy track and the album track listing below.