"Blu's first full length LP, "Below The Heavens" pairs Blu with producer Exile on the Sound In Color imprint. His first single,"The Narrow Path" has rocked stages across the world, and fansare beginning to realize the impact of Blu's music. His deliveryflows flawlessly, while his content reflects the joy and painof working class youth everywhere.
Blu is definitely a leader in the new school of Los Angeles emcees.His presence is undeniable, while his music captivates audiencesregardless of race, class, and gender. Although many are stillunaware of Blu's work, "Below The Heavens" guarantees to take LAhip hop back to the place where Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5and The Pharcyde left off."
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Thursday, March 15, 2007
High Priest - Born Identity
Sound Ink are on fire at the moment, what with flamin’ hot new material from those Shadetek boyz and this, a brand spanking new full-length from none other than Antipop Consortium veteran High Priest. So, I hear you ask, what the hell does it sound like? Well it won’t shock you to hear I’m sure that it’s got more than a little leaning toward that Antipop sound of old, there are even a few moments on here that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ‘Tragic Epilogue’, but that’s no bad thing to these ears and Priest is fully on form here, spitting cynically and producing maniacally. Harnessing his well-publicised love for experimental electronics, classic hip-hop and modern commercial techniques what we end up with a doom-ridden record of skewed analogue beat-mangling and low-light beat poems. One part Neptunes, one part John Carpenter and one part Arto Lindsay, High Priest gives the avant garde a kick up the ass and something to actually move for, finally; at no point on the album do you ever get the feeling he’s meandering or experimenting for the sake of it, rather these are club bangers put through a different process. It’s so exciting to me to hear a hip-hop producer seemingly producing without worrying about the commercial implications or even worrying about the hip-hop scene itself – Antipop have always had this quality about them, but here High Priest sounds totally unguarded, totally free to realise his own unique vision. I think one of the best comparisons I could make would have to be fellow New Yorkers Dalek, who share a similar appreciation of the darker, more experimental side of hip-hop – but what High Priest manages to do above everything else is inject his compositions with funk. If you want to hear genuinely forward thinking hip-hop there’s nowhere else to go – recommended!
review by http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=30087
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Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Cappablack - Facades and Skeletons
Bringing the hip and the hop to Scape's electronic roundhouse, (aka iLLEVEN and Hashim B) are a walking masterclass in the ability to fuse experimental beats, marble-mouthed MCs and monochrome soundscapes into a delectable whole. Having put out a couple of releases from their Tokyo base, Cappablack soon became one of the most influential acts in the Japanese leftfield - catching the Scape eye through imaginative production styles and cylinder-busting tunes. Minting their sound to perfection on new record 'Facades and Skeletons', Cappablack open the show with the bragging rights of 'Counterattack Intro'; wherein Awol One gets chatty with steely intent over some bouncing bomb beats and fizzing scratches, before 'Slide Around' arrives in a fug of esoteric beats and chewy rhymes. Eschewing the often clinical beats that seem to accompany hip-hop released through more leftfield labels, Cappablack infuse their music with a rimy quality that conjures an atmosphere akin to a foggy morning in the city. With obvious highlights including the ratchet-snared 'New Tone' featuring Emirp, '5th Dimension' and it's anti-Bush overtones, and the furnace blast of warped dancehall that appears on 'Evil Clap', Cappablack have crafted an album that straddles numerous genres and owns them all. Back in black...
review from http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=24708
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Angelz Inc. - Army of Angelz
"Army of Angelz" has been a long time coming. This CD features all of the great talent combined in Angelz Inc.
"The music of this group can only be described as real, powerful, thought provoking, therapeutic and energetic for the misguided souls. Their music is simply interconnected with life itself. Angelz I.N.C. is deep and profound like the speaking waters of the ancient Nile River. This new group truly represents the roots and essence of hip-hop, and they will definitely revolutionize music for the new millennium. Although they are a new group. Angelz I.N.C.is not to be compared, for they are the calm and the storm. Young kids will aspire to be like them; teens will connect and relate to them; and adults will unlearn, relearn and accept them. The masses of the Earth must take note that "Class Is Now In Session" beacuse Angelz I.N.C. has now decended."
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Su'Dan - From gutter to glory
Chicago artist Su'Dan has been spittin rhymes and grindin since day one. He began grooming his skills on the streets of Chicago preparing for the day he would bless the world with his music. Realizing that he needed to learn more aspects of the game and become a seasoned artist he moved to California, where he sharpened his skills and got plenty of swagger from the West Coast streets. After some time in Killa Cali , his birth place of Chicago called him home. Making his way back to the CHI , he quickly started recording songs and building a reputation as a fierce take-no-prisoner emcee that definitely represented to the fullest. Su'Dan has big plans to make a serious impact on the game. With an EP produced by DJ Anomaly and Lee Chestafeel under his belt entitled " From The Gutter To Glory " and numerous mixtape appearances, he is fully locked and loaded to make his mark on the industry. 2006 started off with a bang for the Chi-town Go-getter . He recently finalized a record deal with independent record company SGE (www.stugee.com) , not to mention he is a part of an up-and-coming clothing company called Fokus (www.getfokus.com) and super group Windy Whooosh Rec , which consist of longtime friends and buisness partners Hood C'manche and Lumba Blackwood . With his deal in place and the support of a hot clothing company Su'Dan is ready and positioned to play ball with the big boys.
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Chicago rapper Su'Dan understands the image conjured by his stage name.
"If you know anything about the Sudan, you know it's just crazy. There's tribalism, genocide and political mayhem."
But, he adds, there's also a rich cultural history that needs to be understood.
Su'Dan isn't from the Sudan. He was born Charles Dion Bryant and raised in Evanston. He was schooled at San Diego City College in California, where he recorded a song titled "Jungles of Sudan," which compared life in American cities to life in the African nation. In the song, he talked about modern chaos attempting to swallow a thriving culture.
It's this dichotomy that Su'Dan the rapper tries to inject into his music as a solo artist and as a member of the trio Windy Whooosh Rec, which also includes rappers Lumba Blackwell and Hood C'Manche.
"Growing up in Chicago when gang-banging was out of control and then going away to college and getting a chance to see how much bigger the world is, that it where [my inspiration] all comes from," he says.
Su'Dan didn't start rapping until he was 19 years old. It was right before he left Chicago for San Diego. When he got to the West Coast, he continued rhyming. The early 1990s were a good time to be a fledgling MC in California -- even if that meant sometimes making the 120-mile trek north to Los Angeles.
"I used to go to Good Life Cafe and battle up there," he says. "I'd run into Pharcyde and Aceyalone. I used to see Xzibit all the time and Black Eyed Peas all the time because they'd be opening up for people."
Almost immediately after returning to Chicago in 1998, he reconnected with some old friends, including producers Lee Chestafeel and Anomaly and former Rubberoom member SPO. Both reunions would prove fortuitous.
When Chestafeel and Anomaly launched their label, they had no doubt who they wanted to sign.
"Su'Dan is a great artist -- that's why he is the first and only artist we have signed. Simply put, we are just fans of his music," offers Anomaly.
In addition to his work with Evanston-based SGE Records, which released his 2004 EP "From Gutter to Glory," SPO got Su'Dan involved with Fokus, a local sports apparel company for whom SPO and Su'Dan do promotions work.
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Chicago rapper Su'Dan understands the image conjured by his stage name.
"If you know anything about the Sudan, you know it's just crazy. There's tribalism, genocide and political mayhem."
But, he adds, there's also a rich cultural history that needs to be understood.
Su'Dan isn't from the Sudan. He was born Charles Dion Bryant and raised in Evanston. He was schooled at San Diego City College in California, where he recorded a song titled "Jungles of Sudan," which compared life in American cities to life in the African nation. In the song, he talked about modern chaos attempting to swallow a thriving culture.
It's this dichotomy that Su'Dan the rapper tries to inject into his music as a solo artist and as a member of the trio Windy Whooosh Rec, which also includes rappers Lumba Blackwell and Hood C'Manche.
"Growing up in Chicago when gang-banging was out of control and then going away to college and getting a chance to see how much bigger the world is, that it where [my inspiration] all comes from," he says.
Su'Dan didn't start rapping until he was 19 years old. It was right before he left Chicago for San Diego. When he got to the West Coast, he continued rhyming. The early 1990s were a good time to be a fledgling MC in California -- even if that meant sometimes making the 120-mile trek north to Los Angeles.
"I used to go to Good Life Cafe and battle up there," he says. "I'd run into Pharcyde and Aceyalone. I used to see Xzibit all the time and Black Eyed Peas all the time because they'd be opening up for people."
Almost immediately after returning to Chicago in 1998, he reconnected with some old friends, including producers Lee Chestafeel and Anomaly and former Rubberoom member SPO. Both reunions would prove fortuitous.
When Chestafeel and Anomaly launched their label, they had no doubt who they wanted to sign.
"Su'Dan is a great artist -- that's why he is the first and only artist we have signed. Simply put, we are just fans of his music," offers Anomaly.
In addition to his work with Evanston-based SGE Records, which released his 2004 EP "From Gutter to Glory," SPO got Su'Dan involved with Fokus, a local sports apparel company for whom SPO and Su'Dan do promotions work.
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Evidence - The Weatherman LP
Is "The Weatherman LP" the most anticipated album of 2007 that the mainstream doesn't know about? That may be an accurate description for the debut solo release from Evidence of Dilated Peoples. While always at the forefront of the group Dilated, Evidence has never fully spread his wings as a solo MC and let the listeners into his world, but he has now...and what a challenging and revealing time to do it. Jana Taylor, Evidence' mom, passed away in 2004 and the content of "The Weatherman LP" weighs heavily on her memory making for one of the most honest and heartfelt pieces of Hip-Hop you've heard in a long time."The Weatherman LP" begins with the familiar voice of Ev riding a serious head noddin' track on "I Know". The tension filled lead single "Mr. Slow Flow" is essentially a showcase for Evidence to highlight his intricate wordplay and the Jay-Z sampled hook makes for a solid banger. "LETYOURSELFGO" featuring The Alchemist & Phonte is one of those moments on an album where the listener will say to themselves "this is going to be a great album". The beat from Alchemist is flawless while the verses revolve around Cali love and being an MC. While many of the tracks stick to straight spittin', there are some great concept cuts such as the NY love track "Down In New York City" and "Line of Scrimmage" featuring Slug.
The LP's most honest and powerful moments shine through on two songs dedicated to the memory of Evidence' mother. "Chase The Clouds Away" and "I Still Love You" are essentially tribute songs however they showcase Evidence opening up about the difficult times that followed the passing of his mother as well as specific instances where he misses her presence (including a powerful verse surrounding his first Mother's Day without her). These are songs that anyone can relate to and are refreshing in a Hip-Hop world filled with gats and rims. Additional highlights on the album include "Born In L.A.", "Hot & Cold", "Things You Do" and the pounding "Believe In Me" featuring Res."The Weatherman LP" was worth the wait for Evidence and Dilated Peoples fans. The album is exactly what Hip-Hop should be; powerful, thought provoking and from the heart. The skies are lookin' very sunny for Evidence.
review from http://www.hhnlive.com/reviews/more/109
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The LP's most honest and powerful moments shine through on two songs dedicated to the memory of Evidence' mother. "Chase The Clouds Away" and "I Still Love You" are essentially tribute songs however they showcase Evidence opening up about the difficult times that followed the passing of his mother as well as specific instances where he misses her presence (including a powerful verse surrounding his first Mother's Day without her). These are songs that anyone can relate to and are refreshing in a Hip-Hop world filled with gats and rims. Additional highlights on the album include "Born In L.A.", "Hot & Cold", "Things You Do" and the pounding "Believe In Me" featuring Res."The Weatherman LP" was worth the wait for Evidence and Dilated Peoples fans. The album is exactly what Hip-Hop should be; powerful, thought provoking and from the heart. The skies are lookin' very sunny for Evidence.
review from http://www.hhnlive.com/reviews/more/109
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