Lucki Eck$ - Alternative Trap (Mixtape)

16-year-old Lucki Eck$ hails from Chicago, and he just released his debut mixtape Alternative Trap.  A lot of other writers have been urging people to listen closely to what Lucki is saying.  They're right.  You do need to pay close attention to catch all the similes, metaphors, and so-called hashtag raps in his verses.  He rhymes slowly, but it's still easy to miss things.  What I found most impressive about Alternative Trap is the maturity and confidence the young MC displays.  Clearly, Lucki is beyond his years in terms of beat selection (who else in hip-hop is sampling Daughter?) and rapping, but there is another intangible that really struck me.  This tape feeds a craving I didn't know I had.  He has only appeared on a few songs before this release, and yet listening to it is like enjoying a solid sophomore effort from an established favorite artist.  I truly didn't know what to expect from a full length mixtape, and now I'm entirely amazed and wanting more.  Perhaps my uncertainty as to which lane he would carve out as "alternative trap" left me unprepared, but I like it better that way.  This one will definitely be on heavy repeat, and I hope to look back at this mixtape as an important point in hip-hop.

Listen/Download:

Joywave - Tongues (ft. KOPPS)

Here's another track from a couple months back, but I haven't been able to get enough of it recently.  Rochester, NY natives, Joywave, and their crazysexycreepy friends from KOPPS once again formed like Voltron and combined their creative powers for this piece of musical art.  As soon as the "boom-pops" hit, you'll be hooked.  Strangely enough, that part ends up seeming the most structured; it grabs you by the collar and starts running, but refuses to reveal where you're going.  Trust me, it's a fun ride.

Yes, of course, something this fresh and cool would deserve the remixical touch of RAC, but for once I prefer the raw original with its raucous drums and moments of a cappella.

Listen:


Visit the Joywave website to stream and download their entire 88888 mixtape for free.  The songs are wildly different from "Tongues" and one another, but I still recommend you 'kopps' it.  There are even a couple features from STS!

Miguel - Do You... (Cashmere Cat Remix)

Cashmere Cat released his remix of Miguel's "Do You..." about a month or so ago to instant acclaim.  What we lose from the original in stripped down lyrics is more than made up for by the Kitty Kitty's addition of an entirely reworked instrumental.  When I first heard this, the love-as-a-drug theme and Miguel's smooth singing made it seem like a perfect late night song.  However, I've seen this remix pop up on several summer playlists, so I guess your perspective of a song can change with your mood or interpretation.  Give credit to Cashmere Cat for creating a track with such emotive flexibility.

Listen/Download:

Do you like this song?? YEAH?! Well, me too.

xlsrebelsx - Sinnaman (ft. Blu)

"Sinnaman" is a new track from xlsrebelsx off his forthcoming "desire" EP which will be with us tomorrow, June 4th.  Since his real name is Anthony "L's" Cruz, I'm assuming that that name is pronounced as L's Rebels with some x's thrown in there for the cool factor (Just one x has been working out great for Alexsaurus...)  Cruz has crafted a unique sound that crosses crooning hip-hop and classic rock, with an occasional twinge of fuzzy blues music.  We also get a tinge of Blu music; I was delighted to hear the MC fit himself so nicely into this head-nodder.  My interest is piqued, and I can't wait to hear more from xlsrebelsx.

Listen/Download:

Memorial Day Weekend Mixtapes

Did you guys know that this past week was May Mixtape Week?  Yeah, neither did I.  Apparently it was, though, because a trio of some of the most creative young producers all decided to release free mixtapes just in time for the long weekend.  I'll keep this post short, and let the music speak for itself.

First up is Ryan Hemsworth, aka The Prince Of Polo Sweatpants, and his EP, Still Awake.  The Canadian producer has become one of the most sought after remixers for his skillful meshing of chilled out ambient music with hard hitting hip-hop beats.

Listen:

Download: Still Awake EP

You shouldn't be a stranger to Chuck Inglish by now.  With The Cool Kids project on hold for the time being, both Mikey and Chuck have stayed busy with their individual careers.  Chuck has specifically released weekend cookout music before, so the timing of the drop for Droptops isn't a huge surprise.

Listen/Download:

And finally, I've got The Jellyfish Mentality, which is the third full length release from production duo The Jet Age Of Tomorrow.  This piece is the most complete effort; it's a borderline album in which we get to hear how much JAOT have matured their sound in the past couple years.  Matt Martians and Hal Williams really impress on Jellyfish.  Along with plenty of their familiar instrumental interludes, they rounded up quite a few of their Odd Future and just plain odd friends for an appearance heavy mixtape that doesn't disappoint.

Listen:  

Download: The Jellyfish Mentality

ASTR - Operate

I came across this song the other day and knew right away it was monster.  ASTR has been a group for roughly a year, but this debut single will ultimately stand as a pivotal piece in their career.  "Operate" is the perfect amalgam of every significant sound and style in 2013.  Building off of gritty synths, we're aurally assaulted by heavy bass hits and an overlay of trap snare kicks.  The echo chamber effect on the female vocals make them seem to mesh right into the menacing instrumental.  The 2013-centric effect is topped off by the extended doctor/operate metaphor.  This is the pop music extension of all the dark, brooding R&B and hip-hop we've been growing to love in our bedrooms late at night.  They obviously knew that you're not allowed to name a band today without generous use of the CAPS lock and deleting letters.  And finally, true to form for every artist we get excited about in this information saturated age, ASTR has given us next to nothing about themselves.  We know they're a duo from New York, but so is... everyone.

Listen/Download:

Check out more of the noise they make on their Soundcloud page.  

Phoenix - Entertainment (Blood Orange Remix)

Phoenix is a pretty big deal.  When the first single from their new album, Bankrupt!, dropped, it was immediately passed around by all the blogs, and even the radio stations put it in rotation right away.  As with any major release, the denizens of the Internet were eager to mash and mold it into new remixes.  We've already heard mixes from several big names: Dinosaur Jr. and Grizzly Bear got their respective claws and paws on "Entertainment" and handed off some respectable versions.  The Dirty Projectors got their filthy mitts on it too, and produced a fine remix.  Also, Hot Natured couldn't be bothered not to turn in a heated up take on the track as well.  In fact, if you head over to the band's Soundcloud all you'll find is the original, the aforementioned remixes, and the stems, so Phoenix is clearly inviting all comers to take a stab at creating some entertainment out of "Entertainment".

My personal favorite came from Blood Orange or, Devonte Hynes.  Always the creative pioneer, his version includes assistance from Mutya Keisha Siobhan.  MKS were the three founding members of Sugababes, they all left, and have now regrouped as this current trio.  Perhaps they are trying to avoid being entirely replaced again by using a name that is painfully specific as to its members...

Anyways, the added female vocals at the beginning of the track are attention grabbing and refreshing.  Think of it like jumping into a pool.  It's shocking at first, but there's no turning back.  It only takes a couple seconds to get used to it, and from there on out you're splashing around and having a great time.

Listen/Download:

G Milla - Downtown EP

I saw a link to a G Milla video in some random retweet the other day, so I decided to check him out.  I had no idea who he was, and he seems to have a relatively small following.  For now.  I only follow a couple people that follow him on Twitter and one of them is Lil B who follows everyone, so that hardly counts.  A search for his name on The Hype Machine turned up nothing.  After some more extensive research (Googling his name) I found a few blogs that have been tracking his music for a while but nothing too informative about G Milla himself.

I do know that he's young.  He's 19 years old, maybe 20 by now, and he's from Toronto.  His Facebook bio paints a rather dark picture about his upbringing, and his music reflects that.  He raps about the drug/money/gangsta lifestyle over trap-ish beats that carry a strong air of lean-sipping cloud rap as well.  I found it interesting that under his hometown he put YYZ, which is the code for the international airport in Toronto.  It's almost as if he's claiming roots in the city, but won't go so far as to say it's a permanent home.  He's disconnected, yet attuned.  A transient type, but still grounded.  Based on what little I've heard, I'm intrigued to see how he develops.

Stream/Download:


This eight track EP is supposedly the first in a series of planned releases.  In addition, check his Soundcloud for more free downloads.  He's got some fully formed singles as well as some seemingly unfinished instrumental projects.

Pay attention to the samples.  Soon they'll be more familiar, but I'm way behind on all the artists I need to show you...

G Milla dropped off the video for "I'm High (Purple)" the other day.  This was my first taste.  Watch:

Steam (Mixtape)

Looking at my Gucci, it's about that time...for a new mixtape.

I've started to more diligently build playlists.  Whenever I encounter a song that fits a certain vibe, I pack it in a playlist.  Usually I end up grouping only a few together and then making new ones, but for this mix I thought I had a good start.  It was supposed to be a collection of chill, sitting-around songs, but the list I had couldn't hold a candle to what I wanted.  Eventually, I just picked up songs by certain artists who I wanted to include, so this mixtape essentially became a showcase of all the people I think are going to attract a lot of attention in the near future.  There are some old joints sprinkled in too, but for the most part, this is a glimpse at the new class of budding musicians in 2013.

Since I actively went looking for songs that felt right to me, a lot of these tracks aren't ones that I'm already burned out on, so I'm pretty excited myself about how it came together.  A couple things are different on this mix as compared to past playlists.  There are several instrumental tracks.  Normally, I don't feature those, but for zoning out I think they work well.  Also, I'm unabashedly promoting hip-hop.  There's still a good blend of genres, but the rappers on here are ones I'm very excited about; I picked songs and artists I truly enjoy right now.  I hope you enjoy yourself once you kick back and let STEAM float through the air.

Download: STEAM (Alternate Link)

Keep reading for the full tracklist and an 8tracks stream.

Gilbere Forte - Pray

Here's a 'strong' effort from Gilbere Forte (get it?).  This dude has been around the rap game for several years now.  I first heard his music when he appeared with Kanye on the Alors On Danse Remix.  You'll hear all the Ye influences in his music.  Incidentally, that version is on a Fall Mix I made in 2010 that'll probably never see the light of day...it's just too late.

For his new single, 'Pray', Forte hops on a Fiona Apple-sampling production by Raak.  This is a good introductory track to Forte because he begins with a verse that gives some background about himself.  He touches on where he's from (Michigan/Philly/burbs) and his career thus far.  Then he dives right on into his passion for luxury items and excess, but does so with plenty of creative puns and one-liners.  He drops a few more hints about himself and where he's headed, but even if you're not too invested in what he's talking about, it's a head-nodder nonetheless.  I've given it the repeat treatment quite a lot over the past couple weeks.  Check it out.

Stream:    

Download: Gilbere Forte - Pray

Watch the seizure inducing video after the jump.