[Mixtape] Doc Da MindBenda: "Welcome To The Grindhouse"
You might not have heard of the Grindhouse yet, but you've most likely have heard music from the Grindhouse. The house that Doc Da Minbenda built has seen a vast majority of Chicago's best emcees come through and record at the studio, building up a highly-respected reputation and relationships that go way beyond the music. Inspired by RZA, Doc spent almost two years crafting a true local opus by gathering both legendary and up-and-coming acts, supplying them with hot instrumentals and putting it all together for a true showcase of all the talent brewing in the city. Akbar, Pugs Atomz, Psalm One, Griff, GLC, Treated Crew, SaveMoney, ProbCause, Legion Of Dudes, Martin $ky, Pavy, Onis and many more are featured in Welcome To The Grindhouse, available for free download below.
[Album] C. Rich: "Certified Organic"
Back in July, we brought you the video for C. Rich's "Let It Go," the first promotional material ahead of his next project, Certified Organic. After years of planning, we're happy to bring you C. Rich's best album to date, Certified Organic. Teaming up with Derek "DC" Cannon, C. Rich's Certified Organic represents a shift away from the crowded Chicago hip hop scene with his R&B vocals. However, joining him are Chicago rappers Vic Spencer and Pavy as the two sole featured artists on the album.
I've known the crooner for over 12 years, and I can say with confidence that C. Rich has been working up to this moment as long as I've known him. I used to joke around and call his music "R&B sex music" as a testament to his smooth voice (with a slight reference to some of the sex songs off of 2010's Rich Beyond Measures), but Certified Organic features growth in both C. Rich's voice and lyrics.
An extra layer to C. Rich's music acumen is his ability to actually write music. "Blue Dream," my favorite off of the album, features a full band consisting of a horn section (trumpet and sax), drums, and an echoed guitar playing ska chords. It's in these stripped down, live-recorded instruments that the Certified Organic name truly comes to light. While the first half of the album features some admittedly well-produced tracks, with the newly-remixed version of "Let It Go" standing out, "Blue Dream" and "Come Back" are the highlights of the album for both the live instrumentation, but also the "departure" from the overproduced sound that has come to represent R&B.
If this is your first experience with C. Rich, I can guarantee it won't be your last. (Album art hand painted by Anthony Williams.)
Pavy: "Amnesia"
Another dope project you should be looking out for is Pavy's Theory Of Defiance: Reloaded´, which is a follow-up to his original Theory Of Defiance. People that have previewed the project have had very positive things to say about it and Pavy's latest single "Amnesia" shows why you should be excited. Produced by Rel Elite.