[Songs of the Day] 2/11/14 (Feat. Wiz Khalifa, Klaxons, The Black Lips and more)
Tuesday got a healthy dose of new music, and we have all of it gathered here for you once again for our 'songs of the day'. Starting things off is the honky-tonk sounds of Denny & The Jets with "Mexican Coke" and Klaxons with their heavy-handed dream pop arrangement in "Children of the Sun". Vic Mensa capitalized on a successful tour with Disclosure by releasing a freestyle over the UK duo's track "When A Fire Starts to Burn" off their album, Settle, and fellow Chicagoans Roman Flowrs and Donnie Trumpet teamed up over a Cam Osteen-produced beat in the soulful "Lake Shore Drive" and theWHOevers round out the middle of the map, offering up a J Dilla tribute in "Sooner or Later". Lil Boosie teases his post-prison plans, getting together with Boston George and Future on "Rich Off Lean" while Mr. Carmack gives listeners a new groove in his instrumental, "Free Baby" and Kelis returns with a new song in "Rumble". Yumi Zouma's “A Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers” gets a remix from Wild Nothings, Harry Fraud remixes JOYWAVE's "Tongues" and we get new tracks from The Black Lips, Beverly, Wiz Khalifa and a talented newcomer in Barney Bones. Check it all out, streaming below.
Track of the Day: Bevery: "Honey Do"
Denny & The Jets: “Mexican Coke”
Roman Flowrs: “Lake Shore Drive” (Feat. Donnie Trumpet) (Prod. by Cam Osteen)
Vic Mensa: "When A Fire Starts To Burn Freestyle"
Klaxons: “Children of the Sun”
theWHOevers: “Sooner or Later” (J Dilla Tribute)
Mr. Carmack: “Free Baby”
Boston George: “Rich Off Lean” (Feat. Lil Boosie & Future)
Kelis: “Rumble”
JOYWAVE: “Tongues” (Harry Fraud Remix):
Yumi Zouma: “A Long Walk Home For Parted Lovers” (Wild Nothing remix)
Beverly: “Honey Do”
Barney Bones: “Crash N’ Burn”
The Black Lips: “Justice After All”
Wiz Khalifa: “We Dem Boys”
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Vic Mensa & Chance The Rapper: "Suitcase"
Photo by Bryan Lamb
It's been one hell of a year for Save Money artists Vic Mensa & Chance The Rapper. Both dropped projects that vaulted each to the forefront of the hip-hop world with individually unique approaches to the art form that have captivated listeners across the country. Last night, the pair dropped a loosie single titled "Suitcase", appropriate given the amount of time each has spent one the road and traveling throughout 2013. The funky beat from Cam Osteen paces the backdrop for Chance's deliberate word play and Vic's silky smooth bars that are reminiscent of the off-kilter futuristic projection theme from his September 30 release Innanetape. On "Suitcase", he rhymes: "What if I was a newlywed, with a newborn of two weeks, and my flight to the UK crashed in the Yukon, and I woke up on a distant beach, with a peach in my mouth, sand in my hair and no shoes on-where am I?" Chance picks things up, singing the chorus of "Hit The Road Jack" in his nasally, whispering voice. As the most recent track since the longtime friends got together on "Tweakin'" off Innanaetape, it provides a solid platform from which each shows what they do best. Chance has gotten well-acquainted with his suitcase over the past two months while out on his headlining "Social Experiment" tour, and Vic will pack his bags soon for a tour with Disclosure, "Suitcase" may be a very fitting theme song. Check it out below.
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[RH Interview] Nate Fox
Photo by Bryan Lamb
A year ago, Nate Fox was living in Pittsburgh, working on a construction site. That all changed on April 30 when Chance The Rapper released his critically-acclaimed project, Acid Rap, featuring production from Fox. The past four months have taken him far from that manual labor life, traveling the country and then the world on the strength of his production and the success of Chance's latest release. To say it has been a long road is not an overstatement, after ten years plugging away in his native Pittsburgh and later Cleveland, Fox caught the ear of Chancellor with his beat for the Acid Rap single "Juice" with its quirky, bouncing, up-tempo beat. The rest is quickly becoming history as Fox and a talented team of producers including Peter CottonTale and Cam Osteen head back out on the road with Chance for his headlining Social Experiment tour. I got the opportunity to catch Fox while he was in Chicago preparing for the tour and had a chance to catch him for a few minutes between a salad and a session. Read about the crazy path his life has taken in 2013 and what lays ahead, below.
Jake: So I know you've had a crazy summer since Acid Rap dropped at the end of April, what's life been like?
Nate Fox: It's been a lot different, a lot different. Like, I don't feel any different but what I've been doing has definitely been different. It feels like a lot longer than what it's been just because its been so much compacted into such a short amount of time. You know, I was doing the construction thing. When Acid Rap dropped I was working construction in the middle of Pittsburgh, not even Pittsburgh but the middle of Pennsylvania, in the sticks. I think I left to go to LA to meet with labels and stuff in like June. And so from June until now, its been like a whirlwind of shit, like I just signed my pub deal with Disney like two or three weeks ago. I just got my check today, it came Fed Ex'ed to Pat (Corcoran)'s house today, but the ironic part is its Columbus Day and the banks are closed so I couldn't even do anything with it. So it was like ten years of waiting just to wait one more day (laughs).
Jake: Still, it always feels good to get that first check.
Nate Fox: Yeah, to get that first real check. I've gotten paid off music a whole bunch, but never to the point where I was like 'maybe I should start looking at places' you know what I mean?
[Album] Roman Flowrs: "#OneHellOfaPromo"
It seems like we've been getting weekly updates from Chicago product Roman Flowrs as he prepared his latest release, #OneHellOfaPromo. Well, the day has finally come and the album is here and living up to the lofty expectations that singles like "No More", "Holographic Card" and "Rock With Me" set for it when they dropped throughout the summer. The talented lyricist paired himself with some of the top production in the Windy City, employing the help of the ever talented Cam Osteen of J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, fresh off Innanetape, as well as Donnie Trumpet (Nico Segal), Sango, Dart and more. The project was recorded at Classick Studios on Chicago's west side, which is quickly becoming a hotbed of activity for up and coming hip-hop artists in the Midwest. Take some time out of your day to enjoy #OneHellOfaPromo, available for free download below.
Roman Flowrs: "No More" (Feat. Thomas Davinci and AJ Peace)
Roman Flowrs has been making a name for himself over the past few weeks with well-timed releases like th elead single off his upcoming #OneHellofaPromo project due out next week, October 8. Today, Flowrs drops the second single off the tape, "No More" featuring Thomas Davinci and AJ Peace. Check out the song below, as well as the impressive tracklisting for #OneHellOfAPromo which includes a who's who of Chicago artists like Nico Segal, Cam Osteen, The Gift and more.
Tracklisting:
1 Hello tomorrow (prod by Evil Needle)
2 Lake Shore Drive f/ Donnie Trumpet (prod by Cam for J.U.S.T.I.C.E League)
3 Roun Town (prod by SANGO)
4 Flex Season II (prod by IAMNONODI)
5 All for you f/ TaylorAre(prod by Roman Flowrs)
6 Summer of 06 (prod by The Gift)
7 Local $elebrity f/ Wonda (prod by SANGO)
8 Dom Hennessy (prod by Betty Ford Boys)
9 Rose Petals (prod by Uyama Hiroto)
10 Into the light (prod by Saux & ESTA) f/ Thomas Davinci & TaylorAre
11 No more f/ Thomas Davinci & AJ Peace (prod by Sivey)
12 King pin f/ Dart (prod by Patrick Pryor)
13 Next year's pool party (prod by Roman Flowrs)
14 Beginnings (prod by Luminaire)
[Album] Vic Mensa: "Innanetape"
Download INNANETAPE here --> Vic Mensa: "INNANETAPE"
Talk about a long wait. Today, Chicago's own Vic Mensa released the long overdue follow up to his 2009 solo debut mixtape, Straight Up EP, with the most highly-anticipated release since Chance The Rapper's Acid Rap in April. To step back into the solo spotlight, the Save Money member and former Kids These Days frontman gives us Innanetape, a truly different, at times experimental hip hop release from one of the most fully-formed artists in Chicago. Four years ago, Straight Up Ep served as the spark that lit the wick, leading to the eventual explosion of talent we've seen coming from the Second City over the past few years. At a raucous listening party sponsored by IllRoots and Adidas this past weekend at Lacuna Artist Lofts on the city's southwest side, Mensa performed much of the tape to eager fans, seeming to relish in the moment of limbo before the tape became publicly available. Executive produced by Peter CottonTale and Cam Osteen, it is a multi-genre project with features from Chance The Rapper, BJ The Chicago Kid, Rockie Fresh, Joey Purp and Tundercat that should appeal to a wide range of listeners. If tracks like "Diditb4", "Orange Soda" and "Lovely Day" are any inkling to what is in store, those fans shouldn't be disappointed. Mensa is widely credited with helping open the door for Chicago artists, and it's one he now walks through himself-with the potential to be one of the biggest stars to emerge from his hometown. With a city that has a history including Twista, Common and Kanye, that's saying something. Give Innanetape a listen below and keep it posted to RH all week for my continuing coverage on the release.
http://youtu.be/BewDnzmyZ5E
[Mixtape] Lil Wayne: "Dedication 5"
For the better part of a decade, Weezy's Dedication mixtape series has served as a platform from which to premier the latest Lil Wayne to the masses and is often credited with shaping the mixtape culture of today. On his latest offering, Wayne does it again in true Weezy fashion. The release date of the tape was pushed back as Wayne waited on a last minute track from Chance The Rapper produced by Peter CottonTale, Cam Osteen of J.U.S.T.I.C.E League and Nate Fox, "You Song". A late night call last Wednesday sent the production trio, along with Chance, to Classick Studios in Chicago where they shaped the song in an all-night session before sending it off later that week. Chance is truly blowing up, along with some superbly talented producers out of the Midwest. Check out the mixtape below and keep it locked on RubyHornet for exclusive content on "You".