[RH First Glance] Tay Walker: "Karma"
Tay Walker is a keyboardist/vocalist for the breakthrough experimental electronic group The Internet, who made waves last year with their album, Feel Good, which found its way onto almost every year-end list there was for 2013. Not one to be impressed with that success, Walker is preparing to branch out into his own solo work and today dropped the video for his first single, "Karma," due out on his debut album, 25 Hours a Day which is expected sometime this Spring. The project is rumored to have features from Mac Miller and Casey Veggies, and of course some production coming from The Internet compatriots, Syd The Kid and Harry Fraud. If "Karma" is any indication of what's ahead, Tay Walker may find himself on plenty of lists again this year. Check out the video, streaming below.
RatKing Announces Album With "Canal" Single
RatKing is an act I couldn't seem to hear enough about throughout last year. The New York trio took the indie music scene by storm in 2013, en route to playing Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Tx., and booking a set for this year's Coachella in Indio, California. The eclectic and begrudgingly different group, led by artist Wiki whose solo music was the first whiff anyone had of Ratking initially. Today, the crew announced the release date of their highly-anticipated debut project, So It Goes, due out on XL Recordings with production allegedly coming from the likes of Young Guru. April 8 appears to be the day the masses can expect a proper release from the group, but they offered up their latest single, "Canal" to hold listeners over for the time being. Take note, Ratking will be around for awhile.
[Video] SAVEMONEY: "Still Alive"(Feat.) Joey Purp & Kami de Chukwu
SaveMoney is very much still alive as members Kami De Chukwu & Joey Purp go bar-for-bar across the heavy-handed beat produced by Thelonious Martin and Stix to prove just that. The video was originally slated for a 2013 release, around the time the song hit, which was canceled after the production was shut down due to a robbery during the the time of the shooting. With schedules hard to line up with members on tour and in the studio, the SaveMoney squad re-assembled at my house on Thanksgiving Day to shoot the video alongside a celebration that was sandwiched between a pair of Chance The Rapper's sold out Riviera shows. SaveMoney made the video to prove they're "Still Alive", which Vic Mensa took to a new level by tattooing it across his abdomen. Check out the full video below, alongside the trailer for the upcoming SaveMoney episode of the 8-part Noisey "Chiraq" documentary, due out soon.
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Taylor Bennett: "Ballin"
Yesterday, Chicago's latest up and comer, Taylor Bennett, celebrated his 18th birthday with the Hypetrak premier of his latest track, "Ballin," due out on his anticipated 2014 project, Mainstream Music. The follow-up to last month's debut single "Heartbreaker," Bennett is proving that there is more to him than his older brother (Chance The Rapper).
He's a mile-a-minute on the haunting Saint The Good Boy beat, tossing together rhymes in rapid-fire succession while allowing listeners to digest his thought-provoking and insightful bars he's throwing at them. It's equal parts Twista and Lupe as he churns his way through the track. Check out the latest from Taylor Bennett from yourself, streaming below.
[Video] Killer Mike: "Ghetto Gospel"
Killer Mike spent much of the past year crisscrossing the country, eschewing his own form of hip-hop gospel. In fact, his performance and subsequent message he delivered during his Pitchfork set was one of the more poignant moments of festival season for me. The man behind one of 2013's hottest hip-hop releases in R.A.P. Music yesterday dropped the full video for his track, "Ghetto Gospel", directed by Carlos Haynes. It features Killer Mike doing what he does best, injecting a healthy dose of pure emotion and soul into whatever he's saying. Check out the latest from Killer Mike, here below.
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[Video] Jam Master Jay’s Son DJs a Jay Z-Inspired Mix On A Subway
If you've ever taken the subway, I'm willing to bet that you've encountered your fair share of street performers in your lifetime. You've probably seen solo acts and full-on bands with instruments to the resourceful performers who have taken ordinary buckets and transformed them into their own personal drum sets.
One things that I have not seen, though, is someone actually taking their act inside of a subway car... complete with a full turntable set. That's exactly what TJ Mizell did recently, giving the commuters of the New York transit something to listen to. The video shows the whole process that he went through to get the equipment on the train and the set he played, which was a Jay Z-inspired mix. I'm sure that was one ride these commuters will never forget.
[Via Dope Roots Music]
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Sidewalk Chalk: "Grocery List"
Sidewalk Chalk is a band that has been making noise for a minute, but really stepped things up lately. The 8-piece multi-genre act, who was selected as Chicago's "Most Outstanding Group" in 2012 by the Chicago Music Awards, has been preparing for the release of its next project, Leaves. They have been building some serious buzz, first with their lead single, "There She Goes" and yesterday with their follow-up single, "Grocery List", debuted on Revive Music.
Blending genres is a practice found today in disciplines from EDM to rock and everything in between, and for Sidewalk Chalk the mix of different styles and aesthetics continues to mesh together into one of the most refreshing sounds out today. Check out the latest from Sidewalk Chalk, streaming here below, and be sure to pick up Leaves, due out February 25.
If you're in New York City or Chicago, Sidewalk Chalk will be playing a pair of album release shows in both locales on February 21 and 22, respectively.
Pete Nice: An MC's Photo Album Circa 1986-1991
In the mid-'80's and early '90s, the rap world was a fun time because of the potential the music had, and if you were alive in the early days you have seen the evolution to what it has become today. For a person like myself, the once up and comers in the game have gone on to become legends and have heavily influenced the artists we listen to now. During that time frame, you were getting a glimpse of the impact rap music would have on the world and how it would stamp its mark on popular culture.
For those of you that weren't alive to see this evolution and for those that want to take a trip down memory lane, I thought I'd share some photos from Peter Nash AKA Prime Minister Pete Nice of the group 3rd Bass. The photos are a collection of random photos from his rap career when he was hanging with Gilbert Gottfried on video sets with the likes of LL Cool J, Eazy E, Run DMC, and a host of others. It's a cool collection of photos that takes you back to the early days and is filled with many of Prime Minister Pete Nice's memories.
[Via Deadspin]
