[Video] Angel Haze: "Battle Cry" (Feat. Sia)
Angel Haze continued promotion of her debut label project, Dirty Gold over the weekend with the release of her latest video, this one for the track "Battle Cry". The videos is a bit of a parallel for the young Detroit-born Universal signee, who flexed her artist muscle by threatening to release Dirty Gold herself via the Internet a la Danny Brown as a way to force the record company's hand in releasing the project. It worked, and Dirty Gold has been a pleasurable journey of new music from one of the more gifted lyrical rappers in terms of delivery. The video for "Battle Cry" is powerful to say the least, featuring a basic shot of Haze rapping and walking down a desert rode, flanked by images of what is supposed to be her past as she reflects on an upbringing in the strict Pentecostal Apostolic Church and the abuse she faced as a child, all set to her confidently handled bars that hit with resounding urgency amid the aesthetic that is built with the surrounding images. The video, which contains a message urging fans to ""are affected by any of the themes of this video" to donate to Child Helpline International, a nonprofit organization that supports and creates tools to communicate with children in need around the world." The visual fades to black with Haze gallantly raising her fist in one of the more powerful uses of the spoken word I've heard as of late. Check out the full video, streaming below.
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[Songs of the Day] 2/17/14 (Feat. Beyonce, Kanye West, PARTYNEXTDOOR & More)
There was a huge influx of new music over the weekend, and we're here to round it all up, organize it, and make it a little easier to sift through it all. Unless your head has been firmly buried in sand somewhere, you may have heard Beyonce dropped an unexpected album, the lead single of which ("Drunk In Love") has been burning up the radio waves and Internet. Everyone and their mother seemed to get on a remix of the Jay Z/Beyonce track as Diplo, Kanye West, T.I. & The Weeknd all highlighted a heavy dose of Bey. Weathering the "Drunk In Love" storm was Canadian product and OVO signne PARTYNEXTDOOR, who dropped off a new song in "Persian Rugs" and Trinidad Jame$, who celebrated Valentine's Day the way only he can, with a new record in "EtheREAL". Jeremih & Shlomo's latest track, "No More" got a remix from Boots and some EDM from Jr. Hi, who got Childish Gambino on "Trillion Girls" and Ellie Goulding who unveiled a new Skrillex track on her latest mix for BBC Radio 1. Kanye West made the list twice, with producer Hudson Mohawke leaking the original cut of "Bound 2" featuring Tyler, The Creator in Leeds over the weekend, Big Boi continued his series of "Mash-Up Mondays" with a new track in "Damaged World Mash-Up" which comes complete with animated visuals and Trash Talk & Flatbush Zombies got together for "97.92". From Honduras we got a fresh song in, "Ace" and The Trouble With Templeton showed up with "Soldiers". In other news, Treated Crew member Mic Terror teased his latest album, Fresh Prince of Darkness, with "Anti-Swag" featuring Taylor Bennett and The GTW of JODY fame dropped a dope little dance number in "Calling Cards". Check it all out, streaming below.
Track of the Day: The Weeknd: "Drunk In Love Remix"
Beyonce: “Drunk In Love Remix” (Feat. Jay Z & T.I.)
Beyonce: “Drunk In Love” (The Weeknd Remix)
Beyonce: “Drunk In Love” (Diplo Remix)
Beyonce: “Drunk In Love” (Kanye West Remix)
PARTYNEXTDOOR: “Persian Rugs”
Jeremih & Shlomo: “No More” (Boots Remix)
Trinidad James: “EtheREAL Love”
Jr Hi: “Trillion Girls” (Feat. Childish Gambino)
Ellie Goulding: “Goodnight Valentine Mix”
Honduras: “Ace”
The Trouble With Templeton: “Soldiers”
Trash Talk & Flatbush Zombies: “97.92”
Mic Terror: “Anti-Swag” (Feat. Taylor Bennett)
The GTW: “Calling Cards”
Kanye West: “Bound 1” (Prod. Hudson Mohawke)
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Big Boi: “Damaged World Mash-Up”
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[Video] Jay Dot Rain: "Grits N' Gravy"
I've been following Alabama-based artist Jay Dot Rain for awhile now, since featuring him on the site as one of our First Look features. The crafty, soul-filled MC brings a flavor from the south that we haven't heard in a minute, doign with boom-bap-like sounds and soul samples what A$AP Rocky did bringing trill music east a few years back. Teaming up with BeatBlockaz, Jay Dot has begun firmly establishing himself as an artist to know as 2014 lurches into full gear. Recently, we got a fresh video for his track "Grits N' Gravy", the first single off his upcoming project, Trap Jazz, due out next month. The video, shot & edited by LeXander Bryant of ORGNZD, follows Jay Dot and crew as they kick in Tuscaloosa and ruminate on all aspects of "Grits N' Gravy". Jay Dot's last video, for "How I Do" showed the same squad doing their thing in Times Square in NYC and here they bring it back home. Check out the latest from Jay Dot Rain, below.
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[Video] Psalm One: "A New Phaze" (Feat. The Hood Internet, Tanya Morgan and Fluffy)
Last week, Psalm One, aka 'Hologram Kizzie' dropped her album, Hug Life via Bandcamp and iTunes. This week, on the heels of a solid first week of sales for the largely independent artist out of Chicago, Psalm offers up the first video for the project for "A New Phaze" which has production from electronically-inclined production team The Hood Internet, as well as Cleveland hip-hop collective Tanya Morgan and right-hand woman Fluffy who all join her on the eclectically-fun track that sets the tone for the rest of what is to come from the project that firmly straddles several different genres and sounds that come together to provide a sampling of styles and endeavors that are hot right now. The video balances the different flavors on the project with what is largely a traditional hip-hop video that allows Psalm to take creative risks while staying rooted in the art-form that has brought her to prominence, while also touching on her community service and outreach endeavors. Psalm has always been at the forefront of what is happening in the middle of the map, evidenced by her firm link with the Minnesota-based DoomTree collective and Tanya Morgan feature here, and this video is a furtherance of that sentiment. Check out the video, streaming below.
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[Mixtape] Lil Herb: "Welcome to Fazoland"
The day has finally come for Chicago's own Lil Herb to step out on his own. After first hitting the scene early last year with fellow south side artist Lil Bibby on the strength of their joint project which produced nods from the likes of Drake, and a slew of record labels. After sharing the spotlight as a duo, Bibby stepped out at the end of November 2013 with his powerful solo offering in his singular debut project, Free Crack, which continued to push him as one of Chicago's must-see acts. Today, his counterpart gives us his latest, the highly anticipated Welcome To Fazoland, which aims to establish Lil Herb (G Herbo?) as the next in line to pop from the Second City. The project, hosted by Don Cannon and released today via DatPiff, is precisely what the rap world has been waiting for from Herb. Utilizing a distinctly calm tone to his voice, Herb glosses over the issues facing his community and city in a way that feels authentic without getting preachy, feels less like a report than a young man relaying what he sees around him. On "At The Light" he discusses the complex issue of simply sitting in his car at a stoplight, and the problems that seemingly innocuous, everyday action can bring by rhyming "Summertime I remember them nights/I know n**gas out for my life/Gotta look to my left and my right/I be damned I get left at the light" It's an impressive stepping out for a young artist eager to make a name for himself on the solo game the same way he got his buzz up with Bibby next to him last year. Welcome To Fazoland might be just the debut to get him to the next level. Check it out, available for stream and download below.
[Mixtape] #100Trill: "Muzik 2 Check Yo B*tch 2"
The Chicago duo, #100Trill is back with their latest project, Muzik 2 Check Yo Bitch 2 just in time for that special time of year. Treated Crew and LOD affiliates Mike Jaxx and Grade Aplus continue to push quality music at a fast pace, logging long hours at Kimball House Studios on the city's northwest side. M2CYB2 has been in the works for a minute, and the fourteen song tracklist (including bonus tracks) is the perfect soundtrack to a very certain kind of Valentine's Day. Grade Aplus proves that the more you do something the better you get, with a crisp delivery and varying flows that accent Jaxx's production well throughout. According to Grade, "This is the creation of 2 niggas who's big brother's raised them on Death Row Albums. We really just had fun, most of the album is just the normal shit we'd talk amongst each other, just set to a beat." The project also features a who's who in the Chicago scene, with St. Millie, ShowYouSuck, Gzus Piece and more making appearances. "I had fun working with a couple of producers as well as all of my favorite Chicago artists," said Jaxx. "This project solidifies me as a true artist, I feel. We just some playa ass out west niggas that love to talk shit and put art behind it." Check out the project below.
[Video] The O'My's: "Sweet Love"
The O'My's are easily one of the most soul-packed bunch in Chicago. Led by Maceo Haymes and Nick Hennessy, the band has seen its stock grow since releasing their latest album, A Humble Masterpiece late last year via RH and playing a host of high-energy sets around their hometown and beyond. Yesterday, playing on the "love is in the air" vibes of mid February, The O'My's crew dropped their latest visual for the song "Sweet Love" off their latest release. The video, directed by Dan Moraru, details what it's like when a friend of yours falls in love, worse yet, a roommate and what that means for everyone he was friends with. Check out the full video below.
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De La Soul Release Discography For Free
De La Soul celebrated Valentine's Day and the 25th anniversary of their seminal album, 3 Feet High and Rising, by releasing their entire library of music for free on their website today. Beginning at 11 a.m. EST, the full discography of one of the most iconic and progressive rap groups of all time for 25 hours. It's an unprecedented dumping of music by the NYC trio and a furtherance of major artist's use of the Internet to market their music and keep their names in the news cycle. In December of last year, Beyonce dropped her latest album, a 14-track 'visual' album by surprise on the web without any prior marketing or advertising around it. That project went on to shatter sales numbers for the year.
With this move, De La Soul really isn't tearing down too many borders (their discography is easily available via illegal torrent sites), although it could go a long way in re-introducing what many consider a 'golden age' of hip-hop music to a new generation. It's crazy that De La is celebrating a 25 year anniversary, and it would be a fitting homage to their first project if the re-release of their initial offering to fans causes a resurgence in younger listeners. Click here to pick it up for yourself.