Disclosure: "Latch" (DJ Premier Remix)
It's fun watching acts come up. Disclosure has been on the elevator all year and today got a bit of a cherry on top of their dessert of a 2013 as the legendary DJ Premier dropped a remix to their track, "Latch" today. Premier adds his own unique sound to the single, infusing his eclectic taste of R&B-influenced aesthetics to achieve something that feels maybe a bit more full than the original, like a thick woman in snow pants. Anyway, anything Premier gets his hands on is certain to get the Midas treatment and turn to gold, and building on Disclosure's already distinct sound and structure he does just that here. Check out the remix to "Latch" here below, alongside another recent Disclosure remix to hit the web, this one by Kaytranda for the track "January".
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Kenna & RJD2: "Imitation is Suicide" (Chapter 3)
Kenna has been on a marathon of music over the past four months as he has worked on his Imiation is Suicide music series which saw the blossoming artist team up with several acts, including Childish Gambino, who he recorded the track "Relations" with. For the past couple weeks we have been teasing the third chapter in Kenna's series as he has worked with DJ-juggernaut RJD2. Today, they released their three-song EP that serves as the final installment of what has been one of the more interesting and open-minded series of music releases to come about recently. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance", Kenna set out to pull from a multitude of different mediums and genres to create his eclectic mix of sounds across 12 brand new, original tracks that act as a lead-up to his upcoming full-length album due out in 2014. One of the beautiful thing about the Internet and the world we live in today is that collaborations like these can happen so seamlessly, at the benefit of everyone who gets to listen. Take some time out of your day to groove along with D2 and Kenna, stream below.
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[Mixtape] Busta Rhymes and Q-Tip: "The Abstract and the Dragon"
Pretty much anyone who grew up in the '90s (actually who doesn't know this song) knows A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" featuring Busta Rhymes. It was one of the biggest hits to come out of the Native Tongues collective, and one of those songs that, no matter where you are, you have to sing along with Bust's line "RRRRAOWR, RRRRAOW, like a dungeon dragon". It's actually very interesting that Busta and Tip haven't done a project together before this.
As the trailer to the project showed us, these two icons came up together and are the bestests of friends. Their chemistry is undeniable and I really hope we get to see them tour together next year. Last week, MTV released Busta's "Thank You" track featuring Yeezus and Weezy that will be on Busta's E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2. Earlier this week, we got visuals for the track, and last night, the interwebs was treated to the full mixtape, The Abstract and the Dragon. Filled with the Abstract's production and classics, this is a must download for any head or any new music lover that hasn't heard some any of these classics. You can download and stream the mixtape below.
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[RH Premiere] Auggie the 9th: "#GAWS"
Auggie the 9th has been working on #GAWS for quite some time. Before last year's People's Court Complete was a glimmer in young Augustus' eye, the seeds were already planted for the LOD rapper to flip swag around. After an extended wait in which Auggie took his time to ensure the project was exactly the way he wanted, the day has come to enter the world of #GAWS. Take everything you might know about Auggie the 9th and throw it out the window - #GAWS is but a flash into his crowded mind full of anime, twerking asses, and homies on homies.
Every second, every rhyme, every beat was pored and obsessed over by a high top fade-sized fine toothed comb. Will you get lost amidst the Naruto, Tekken, Doug, Abe's Oddysee, and countless other references? Probably, but that's not to say you won't be entertained and dive right into #GAWS. For the rest of you that will catch on to all of these references, a hidden truth behind #GAWS is revealed: Underneath the hair, behind the jean jackets and the tattoos, is a geek exactly like you. In saying that, #GAWS is Auggie the 9th's most personal release to date.
As I previously said, #GAWS is unlike any hip hop album you've heard this year. The beats aren't of typical hip hop fare, mixing in experimental loops, keys, and drums. The album's influences are more in line with alternative hip hop and post-hardcore than traditional hip hop. Animuse's Savier's production serves as #GAWS' backbone with assistance from Na$im Williams, E.N.O.N., Clark Parker, Zip, and LOD cohort Nick Astro. The songs have an aggressive edge to them, whether due to a song's beats or Auggie's post-hardcore-esque yelps and snarls that's carried across the album's entirety. Auggie's not an aggressive rapper, per se, but the choice to scream certain lines just fits the proper tonal attitude he wants to convey. This may turn some people off, especially considering his previous twerk-heavy releases. However, that's not to say that there aren't a few booty bumpers on #GAWS, the best of which is hidden on the album's outro. Joining Auggie on the mic are LOD brothers Elee Eck$, Blakkass Westley, ShowYouSuck, and Cadillac Duke, Loona Dae, Franky4Fingaz, and our own angelic-voiced Brynn Bixby.
#GAWS as a whole isn't just a musical reflection of Auggie the 9th's current interests, but also a deeper introduction to his other artistic talents, demonstrated by the #GAWS cover collaborations with MattBoyWhite (JAWS-inspired cover), Stefan Klapko (Madvillainy-inspired cover), and The Kao (Akira-inspired cover). Auggie wants listeners to feel a closer connection to the things that interest him, and the "Choose Your Cover" element is a part of this.
I hope you enjoy #GAWS as much as we have. It's been in the works for a long, long time, and the wait has been completely worth it. Enough of the words and exposition - Ruby Hornet would like to formally present to you Auggie The 9th's #GAWS:
[Mixtape] Scheme & DJ Scend: "Pocket Full of Pesos"
Scheme and DJ Scend have kept hotness coming from Chicago for a minute now, and today return with their latest offering, Pocket Full of Pesos, the duo's first foray into an dual-language project that is as uniquely diverse as it is in its creative intonations and ability to pull from so many influences for the wordplay. Truly the essence of hip-hop, Scheme & DJ Scend took time to put together Pocket Full of Pesos, last dropping tracks and songs back in 2012, but the work is well worth the wait as each side of the pair is in their own workable place that comes together for one of the more impressive releases from Scheme & DJ Scend. Check out the full project below.
[RH Interview] Closed Session's Alex Fruchter
Photo by Andrew Zeiter
Alex Fruchter has long been a mainstay in the Chicago hip-hop market. First as a DJ under the moniker DJ RTC, then as the head of this very website which he and our current editor, Virgil Solis, built alongside Fruchter's budding Closed Sessions project that spawned Chicago's leading independent hip-hop label of the same name which, this past week, released the latest from ShowYouSuck, Dude Bro, available on iTunes. The release is the culmination of a lot for both the artist and the label, and I had a chance to ask Alex a few questions leading up to the latest release from Closed Sessions.
[RH Interview] ShowYouSuck is ready for all of the (neon-colored) lights
Photography by Virgil Solis
Following an endorsement from Red Bull Sound Select, a spot on the Sound Select's SXSW show, his mixtape trilogy coming to an end, and Dude Bro's release this week, the best way to summarize 2013 for the artist formerly known as the One Man Pizza Party is that he simply leveled up. With all of the pizza eaten and the boxes thrown out, ShowYouSuck is ready to put the slice back in the box and step into the neon-colored light.
Dude Bro isn't just another EP, it isn't just "the first official release following One Man Pizza Party," Dude Bro isn't even just a new beginning for ShowYouSuck. In fact, it's all of this, and more - a full frontal assault that doesn't just embody ShowYouSuck's music, but his entire existence. There was never really a boundary that separated "Clinton Sandifer" from "ShowYouSuck." Dude Bro, however, is the first step towards the delineation between the two. How and in what ways this will transpire is just as interesting as the new musical direction ShowYouSuck is following.
Read on as ShowYouSuck and I talk about the making of Dude Bro, what the EP represents for the rapper's future, and how specific clothing will define him. Make sure you also purchase Dude Bro on iTunes!
[Video] Eminem: "Rap God"
Eminem has shared today the official "Rap God" video from his recently released album, The Marshal Mathers LP II. The visual features Em --inspired by Max Headroom--taking in as much information as possible while completely spazzing out with bar after bar with no rest. The Marshal Mathers LP II is available now everywhere records are sold.
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