From Kanye West to Yeezus
Today is the day that Kanye West unleashes his newest work Yeezus to the masses. With six solo albums now under his belt, let's take a look at never before seen photos of Kanye from The Fader. The man behind the lens is photographer Jonathan Mannion who has shot many artist's in the past, ranging from Biggie to Drake. These photos were taken roughly 10 years ago before Kanye released his first album, The College Dropout. Even before he had an official album out, Kanye landed the cover, which in a sense crowned him as the next big thing. This would be his first magazine cover, and it certainly wouldn't be his last either. 10 years ago, all eyes were on a man named Kanye West, and now 10 years later, all eyes are on Yeezus. For more about the photos and the shoot from that day, check out The Fader here.
All photos by Jonathan Mannion
[Mixtape] SolarFive: "Say No More"
Last week, Pedro debuted SolarFive's single, "No Love," which featured Mick Jenkins and production by OnGaud. The song was a great first look at what SolarFive is capable of. Today, his full project, Say No More, drops on the masses. Featuring production by OnGaud, THEMPeople, Nick Arcade, Smoko Ono, Mojek, The Grimey Grinch, Peter CottonTale, and VP, SolarFive's debut is a gritty look at the Chicago rapper's life and the emotions he went through in 2012. Say No More also includes features by Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins, Dally Auston, VP, Speedy Calhoun, Peter Cottontale, Angel Davenport, Queen SheCago, Deja K. Taylor, and Sierra Channel Candia. Some personal favorite tracks include "DreamDay," "Misery," and "Elevator Music." Keep your eyes out for this rapper on the come up. (Also, props for repping Jugrnaut on the cover!)
You can stream and download Say No More below.
I, Solarfive, am a Chicago MC hailing from the SouthSide of Chicago. Say No More is the latest release from Chicago based Rhymer SolarFive. Say No More is a culmination of emotions that came from tragedy and triumph over the past year. This is a complete journey through the eyes of SolarFive. #SayNoMore
Impolite Society: Look of Hate (Remix) (Prod. by Nunca Duerma)
The quartet of Elee X, Khalfani, Sidewalk Kal, and Blakkass Westley don't hold punches with their music. If you've seen them live, you're already aware of their gritty, in-your-face style. Their latest drop, "Look of Hate (Remix)," is actually a remixed version of the song they perform on stage. Produced by fellow Kimball House Production artist, Nunca Duerma, the song is kind of like an anthem about failed relationships and bad girlfriends. We've all been there, right?
Check out the song below, as well as a statement written by Elee X. Caution: It's explicit and might make you want to punch things.
Salutations,
After a weekend of performances here in Chicago, I decided it was time to release a record of ours that had only been previewed at our shows until now. "Look of Hate" was actually concieved as a follow-up record to one of our first songs, "Look of Love," which has since been removed from the interwebs out of embarrassment, ha!
Initially, I didn't want to drop this joint because of the mixed feedback we've recieved post-performances, people either really fuck with it, or it scares the shit out of them, but ultimately I realized, that's exactly what I wanted to do! We more recently got our Kimball House Production homeboy Nunca Duerma to take the vocals and craft a beat around 'em and this is the end result.
So, without further ado, "Look of Hate."
[RH First Listen] Jarred A.G.: "Play Around"
Jarred A.G. has been quietly working for the past year and a half to amass a strong catalog of music, he has been eager to release. During that time we heard tracks come from him and the Fifth Dimension Collective, piquing our interest for the up-and-coming local emcee. Now he is on the verge of releasing his debut project, The Luxury Tax EP, and comes through with the debut track, "Play Around" featuring Savemoney's Dally Auston and produced by Jarred's younger brother Smoko Ono. The smooth production picks up on a dope sample, adding mellow synths and some snappy drums to create the perfectly laid back base to flow over. Read on to learn more about the track and to catch a preview of our upcoming First Look on A.G.
RubyHornet: When was the track recorded and can you speak on the inspiration behind it?
Jarred A.G.: Play Around was recorded a couple months ago at LPeezy studios. Shout outs to Papi Beatz. Smoko first played the beat for me about half a year ago and mentioned how he wanted me to work with his friend Dally, this MC has was producing for, (go cop The Wood). The beat itself reminded me of a lazy Sunday morning in bed and that was the atmosphere I was trying to create on the song. Fast forward a couple months later and Dally came through to the studio, and we went right to work. After we heard it, it was like damn, we gotta do some more work together.
RubyHornet: How would you describe the collaborations that go on with artists from other sets then?
Jarred A.G.: It’s always good vibes. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with a lot of talented artists who all share the same passion for music that I do. The chemistry between Dally and I is natural, and he’s easy to work with. Smoko really brought us together through the music and we’ve continued to collaborate since. We’ve got a couple more tracks on deck. I don’t see the collaborations slowing down anytime soon.
RubyHornet: Any other Savemoney x FDC collaborations we should know about?
Jarred A.G.: There are a couple things in the works with Dally, which y’all will hear in the coming months. Shit is crazy, but I don’t want to give too much away. Shout outs to Ibn Inglor, Benny Nice, and Black Ralphy’L for doing their thing with us too, you can expect to hear some work with them very soon.
[LP] Alexander Spit: A Breathtaking Trip To That Otherside
Today, Alexander Spit along with Decon, are here welcoming you to his demented, dark reality today. Listen to his album, A Breathtaking Trip To That Otherside in it's entirety right now, cop it on iTunes, and watch a live performance video/interview at the Red Bull Studios Los Angeles below. Shouts to Spit, a long-time RH-Favorite.
Alex Wiley: "Swish" (prod by Rozart)
"Closed Sessions, went to school and learned no lessons."
Alex Wiley is still putting the finishing touches on his solo debut, ClubWiley. While he continues to work on the record, he has been feeding the streets with new records and loose cuts. Today we get the recently recorded, “Swish”, which is produced by up and coming Chicago native, Rozart. Grab "Swish" below.
If you’re in Chicago this weekend, come by Jugrnaut on Saturday from 6pm-8pm for the ClubWiley listening party. We’ll be playing the records, and sharing info on the forthcoming release. ClubWiley will drop in early 2013 via Closed Sessions, and includes production and features from Stefan Ponce, Rozart, Hippie Sabotage, GLC, Chance The Rapper, Raekwon, Freddie Gibbs and more. See the flyer below.
Helluva Year: Chicago Hip Hop Artists That Ruled 2012
Looking back as we look ahead, it's hard to deny the year that was in Chicago Hip Hop 2012. Many artists took major strides, and the country finally heard what we'd been saying for years, "Chicago is the best place for Hip Hop music." I wanted to do some kind of 2012 wrap-up piece to compliment The Come Up article. The site being hacked threw a couple things off course, but I figured better late than never and present this article on artists that ruled the last 12 months.
In the next pages I offer a short synopsis on the groups and solo artists that made 2012 such a memorable one. There are many others that are deserving of these pages, but I'm only one man and it's getting late. If there's someone I missed, shout them out and post them in the comments.
Enjoy.
[Editorial] Top 5 Lili K Songs Of 2012
With a commanding yet smooth voice, Lili K caught our attention after hearing her lend vocals for Chance The Rapper’s “Prom Night” record back in April. Shortly after, she dropped “Come In” —a mellow collaboration with producer Thelonious Martin—and cemented herself as a pivotal artist to watch in 2012. Fast-forward to today, and Lili has released a couple of videos, a critically-acclaimed EP in Metal Petals, and she has become one of the most important up-and-coming artists in Chicago. 2013 will definitely be a break-out year for the songstress, and on the next page, you can look back at Lili’s incredible past 365 days and read about my five favorite joints from her.