In the early 2000s Roc-A-Fella Records stood as a powerhouse on the hip hop scene. While already popular and respected Jay-Z was just starting to rule hip hop with an iron fist by consistently dropping outstanding material each year. Damon Dash was seen as a modern day Berry Gordy with his somehow charismatic yet obnoxious personality and excellent business mind. Young producers Just Blaze and Kanye West carefully crafted the soulful soundtrack that would become synonymous with Roc’s sound and eventually hip hop in general. The record companies’ roster was choked full of immense talent including a hardcore rap duo and State Property affiliates from Philly named Young Gunz, which included the MCs Neef Buck and Young Chris. Although the group enjoyed some success with their Gold selling album “Tough Luv” and a radio hit with “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”, the emotional rhyme spitters never truly achieved the attention they deserved.
Dame and Jay eventually split and Young Gunz decided to stay with Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella records. However, through several false starts and a lackluster second release “Brothers from Another”, the group’s popularity waned in the mainstream and the powerhouse that is Roc-A-Fella eventually rested on shoulders of the headliners Jay-Z and Kanye. Young Chris now finds himself as a solo artist still signed to Roc-A-Fella as he readies a new album which is sure to be a stark and emotional account of the last few years. The new street single and video “Never Die” is an excellent example of how Chris’ Jay-Z-inspired flow and street tales culminate into an authentic street narrative. Using a soul sample, with a driving bass line complete with moaning, haunting vocals over the chorus, Chris attempts to claw his way back into the listeners’ consciousness.
Most of the mainstream music world got their first look at Memphis bred, Three Six Mafia when they euphorically stormed the stage to collect their “best song” Oscar. The group won the award for the track they composed for the film “Hustle and Flow” entitled “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp”. The mostly conservative crowd seemed stunned and amused as the hardened rappers with facial tattoos and teeth jewelry where nearly in tears as they clutched the golden statue and thanked God and their mothers. That night The Academy learned what Three Six loyalists and Hip Hop fans always knew about the group. Through all of the cryptic satanic imagery, the gangster posturing and the casual references to hard drug use, Three Six Mafia at its core has always been a group that is mosh pit inducing fun.
With a revolving door of artists who have left the crew and record label, the soul of the group still remains as DJ Paul and Juicy J. The duo have consistently produced the grimiest, hardcore neck shattering beats their side of the Mason Dixon since 1994. The inherent rawness of the music combined with the straightforwardness of the lyrics, which trades in complexity for starkness is more akin to early punk music then the soulful, melodic production hip hop has become. Their first single from the new album “Last 2 Walk” dropping later this summer entitled “Lollipop” (not to be confused with the Lil Wayne song) had some questioning their allegiance to uncompromising hardcore hip hop. However, the new leaked joint “I Got”, featuring the late Pimp C on the hook, finds Three Six Mafia back in their comfort zone spitting gritty rhymes over anathematic production which samples Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400”.
Listen to the track [HERE]
Although the late actor Charlton Heston took every opportunity to lambast and criticize Hip Hop music (most notably his scathing attack on Ice T’s “Cop Killer”) the screen veteran and many of his former lyrical adversaries shared an anomalous infatuation with firearms that would make the NRA proud. Artists ranging from Dr. Dre posing with a revolver on the now iconic Source magazine cover to Dead Prez’s first album “Let’s Get Free” with young children griping automatic weapons in the midst of a revolution have shown Hip Hop’s gun obsession in no ambiguous light. While it may be argued that the pistol references are a reflection of society and in some cases a call to arms for social change, there are very few modern hip hop songs (except maybe Pharoe Monch’s “Gun Draws”) that are solely dedicated to discuss the dangers of the deadly weapons. MC Mickey Factz successfully tackles the subject on his new joint “Machine Gun”.
Bronx born MC Mickey Factz is one of the leaders of the new school whose lyrical dexterity, precise wordplay and pin point flow has attempted to push modern hip hop past its rigid idea of what an MC should sound like. Although closer to the golden era swagger then some of his contemporaries his style is in no way stuck in the past as he has rhymed over unexpected loops containing Electronica, house and other off kilter drum patterns. However, Factz is not content to use the same subject matter as some of his peers who are correctly celebrated for their throw back to the 80s danceable hip hop tunes. Here, Factz gets cerebral and recounts a cautionary tale of violence and gun play over Trip Hop veteran Portishead’s rapid fire drum stabs. The beat, the lyrics and the subject matter is a welcome change of pace from all the hardened gun talk we have become desensitized to.
Listen to the track [HERE]
Much has changed since Fat Joe first came on the scene as a hard core, East Coast, boom bap enthusiast with the legendary “Digging in the Crates” (DITC) crew in the mid 90s. Since the rotund MC dropped his first album “Represent” in 1993 and more notably his seminal “Jealous Ones Envy” in 1995 hip hop has seen the death of its two largest icons in Tupac and Biggie, his crew member Big L as well as his friend and protégé Big Pun. Violence and death alone is enough to disillusion any hip hop enthusiast but changing styles and fickle fans tastes have pushed many artists into unwilling early retirement. Fat Joe has been able to stand as a shining example of perseverance in a culture that disposes of its artists on almost a daily basis. He has been able to collect different approaches to recording, flow patterns, beats and allegiances as often as he does sneakers in his massive collection.
Critically some have lambasted his later career as “trend jumping”, and as of late his record sales have dwindled significantly. But, the fact that people still care and that he’s still talked about speaks volumes. From his recent exchange of lyrical jabs with 50 cent and physical jabs with Papoose it doesn’t seem that he’s going anywhere soon. The latest remix of his song “Ain’t Sayin’ Nuthin” from his album “The Elephant in the Room” shows how he has persevered so long. Sonically the song is dramatic mesh of synthesizers, piano chimes and rapid fire drums. Joe wisely teams up with possibly the biggest mainstream forces on the west and south in Lil Wayne and The Game in an end to end brag fest with each artists attempting to outdo the other in a test of bravado and swagger.
Listen to the track [HERE]
Music producer, A-Trak, teamed up with Nike Plus to produce a music mix called “Running Man.” Running Man, part of the Original Run series, is a 45-minute mix that will be A-Trak’s first full-length production debut and feature vocals from other artists including Kid Cudi. Part of the mix entitled “Say Whoa” will be offered by Nike as A-Trak’s first official single.
Source: Pitchfork, High Snobiety
N*E*R*D has come back into the music spotlight in a major way recently by playing on the mammoth, Glow in the Dark Tour, and with the release of their latest album, ‘Seeing Sounds.’ They will be returning to the beautiful California sun by headlining the Hard Summer Music Festival on July 19th at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. The show will be headlined by N*E*R*D and will have a strong supporting cast featuring: MSTRKRFT, Spank Rock, Kid Sister, A-Trak, Steve Aoki and many more. Tickets are available at fine retailers all over Southern California including all 3 BLENDS locations, BTNC, and many other ticket outlets.
There is a certain word that is the reigning king of epithets in the lexicon of offensive language. It’s a word so complex and entrenched in a unique history that it can either be a polarizing term of endearment or a powder keg of repugnance depending on the surroundings, circumstances and who you ask. The word is such an uncomfortable and delicate subject that a meeting of the minds with the administration of HYPEBEAST had to occur to discuss if this video should even be shown here. I’m positive these were the thoughts that were floating around in the ambitious mind of Nas, who has courted controversy of the political breed since the beginning of his legendary career. Since Nas announced the title of his new album will be called “N***er” (self censoring) a tidal wave of controversy engulfed the project with civil rights activists up in arms and Hip Hop fans in a frenzy.
Although some of the mystique surrounding the album may have faded with the decision to change the album title to simply “Nas”, the constant conversation is sure to return once the viewing public gets an eyeful of the incendiary clip for the single “Be a N***er Too”. The seemingly omnipresent internet video director Rik Cordero, attempts to accomplish in a seven minute clip what Spike Lee does in an entire film in terms of powerful visuals. The video is a stark, brutal piece of cinematic imagery that juxtaposes between modern prejudice and slavery’s viral racism. The song was already floating around the net for a few weeks with all signs pointing to the fact that Nas is at his most poignant and poetic. He attempts to discuss how much the word has been overused and bastardized to a point that it has become a monolithic term that all races use to describe both endearment and ignorance. The message of the song is powerful enough, but the bone chilling ending of the video puts it all in perspective.
You may have noticed (or not) that there hasn’t been too many R&B artists featured on HYPEBEAST’s front page. Chalk it up to the rise of ultra machismo hard edged hip hop music as the urban soundtrack of choice making the heart aching crooner seem out of touch or, maybe it’s just unconscious journalistic bias (sorry). With some exceptions modern Rhythm and Blues has been the pelvic thrusting, ultra sexed, over produced singer with pseudo screw faced Hip Hop posturing. New millennium R&B has also given us the vapid, hollow regurgitations of old Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye styling minus the passion, which record labels dub “neo soul”. West London born singer Estelle is neither the Hip Hop poseur nor Soul revival act. However, she successfully pulls influence from both genres as she holds the titles of singer, songwriter, MC and producer with a vocal timbre that is more akin to a jazz vocalist.
Estelle’s second album “Shine” released earlier this spring, is filled with Hip Hop star power that compliments her vocal talents rather than over powers her ability. Most notably, her bubbly pop single with Kanye West “American Boy” introduced her to a new audience that her first album hadn’t. Her new single “No Substitute Lover” produced by a reenergized Wyclef Jean is along the same lines of that single which infuses rap undertones with infectious pop and live instruments. Lauryn Hill’s spirit is obviously present here as Estelle channels L-Boogie at her artistic “Miseducation” peak. One look at the cameo heavy video and one listen to the track gives the listener renewed confidence about the future of R&B.
As part of their ongoing Century Celebration, Converse brought together some major players in the music industry to create a new soundtrack called “My Drive Thru.” The collaborating artists includes Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D, Santogold, and Julian Casablancas. The track will be released on Tuesday, June 10th, and will be available for free download on converse.com and other authorized Converse websites. The three artists also collaborated on a music video that will be released during the summer.
Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 release “Born to Run” was an album that epitomized the times. The album’s poetic prose mixed with classic rock styling spoke of youthful independence and became the soundtrack of a generation. Swedish artist Rigas known for his abrasive yet danceable synth heavy electronic music has penned an updated version of The Boss’ classic entitled “Born Not to Run”. Despite what the title suggests the track is in no way a remake, but rather a modern take (with tongue planted firmly in cheek) of the overall feeling of the youth today.
The song deals specifically with the claustrophobia of youth, constant boredom and a pervasive dead end feeling. However, the robust synth, keyboard stabs and bass accents don’t allow the song to get bogged down in its own seriousness creating a contrast to the heavy lyrics with a danceable bass line. Rigas’ voice is a half yelled high pitched shriek that matches well with the track. The video depicts is a bleak black and white urban landscape. Rigas is draped head to toe in white as he nonchalantly runs through his verses (even checking his cell phone at one point). The video and his attitude match perfectly with the feeling and message of the song.
It’s easy to look at Chicago and Detroit bred hip hop duo The Cool Kids and see their penchant for dressing head to toe in old school gear, the occasional rope chain, skinny jeans and the latest sneakers displayed on HYPEBEAST daily and dismiss them as revival retro “hipster rap”. However, to do so is purely superficial and completely missing the sonic sophistication they have displayed as they have garnered a fanatic cult following in the underground rap scene. The duo piece together explosive bass booms, bone shattering, hard as nails snares and kicks with occasional light electro accents as if Rick Rubin was back in his NYU dorm room with modern equipment. Lyrically, the boys sound eerily like a teenage Eric Sermon and Parish Smith as they boast and brag their way through their verses that go from the purposely simple to borderline intricate as they explore their lyrical talent and attempt to get comfortable with their flow.
The Cool Kids’ “The Bake Sale EP” is out now on iTunes will be released in stores on June 10th. While die-hard fans have heard most of the tracks featured here, new listeners get a chance to hear what the group has in store. On the EP, the combination of sparse minimalist beats and golden era hardcore raps at first sound like you stumbled upon a forgotten release from 1988. But, the playful subject matter that reference custom bikes more than custom whips show a group more concerned with making their mark rather than just some kids who stumbled upon some old Run-DMC records and decided to form a tribute band. The track “What up Man” is probably the best example of the minimalist vibe that perfectly personifies the groups sound.
N*E*R*D’s third album, Seeing Sounds, is coming out with a nice surprise for all the fans out there. For the first 50 customers to purchase the CD at Colette, they will also receive an exclusive t-shirt. The tee features the graphic of a brain with NERD written across the top and the name of the album on the bottom. Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer!
Source: La MJC
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