Chill Bump - Five Minute Breather

Chill Bump are a hip-hop duo from France.  Producer Bankal cooks up some delicious beats, using a variety of original instrumentation and some clever samples as his ingredients, while MC Miscellaneous spits his spitfire lines over them.  His rhymes run the gamut from serious and political, to humorous and laid-back.

Coming from scratch and battle rap backgrounds, these guys are well rooted in the elements of hip-hop.  Their music provides an interesting case study in the international reach of hip-hop.  Miscellaneous raps in English for Chill Bump, and they have clearly drawn influences from American rap legends.  They often mention growing up listening to rap, so for them it has been a life long love affair.  As I said, they cover a wide variety of themes in their songs, themes that are consistent for pretty much any upbringing.  It seems that effective expression can take whatever form you need it to, regardless of nationality or language.

Chill out and Bump...Chill Bump:


Download 'Five Minute Breather' from their Hidden Strings EP here, and be sure to grab the rest of their releases on their Bandcamp as well.  They had a busy 2012 so I'm excited to see what they've got in store for this year.

Nujabes & J Dilla

On February 7th, 1974 the world was blessed with the birth of two men who would go on to help redefine the boundaries of hip-hop production and inspire fans around the world.  Detroit based J Dilla brought neo-soul stylings to the forefront of hip-hop during the late 90's.  Meanwhile, Nujabes was incorporating classical and jazz music into his productions from Japan.  James Yancey battled lupus and ultimately succumbed to his disease in 2006.  A few years later, in 2010, a car crash claimed the life of Seba Jun.

Both DJ's were true crate diggers; they made an art form out of selecting the perfect records for their tracks.  Even before their untimely deaths, they were gathering support and acclaim from across the hip-hop community for their works.  Their productions were well respected by both fans and fellow artists, and they were recognized for their progressiveness and creativity.

We have a fascination with dead icons, especially those that are gone too soon.  What's great about artists is that they leave behind a physical embodiment of their person within their works.  The emotions, feelings, and souls of J Dilla and Nujabes are captured in their music; forever accessible to us.  Even with their passing, their gifts and talents are preserved in the medium they loved.

Rest In Beats and Happy Birthday to you both.

A couple of my favorites:

Chester Watson - Phantom (Mixtape)

This kid is someone you need to know.  Chester Watson is a young rapper from Florida by way of St. Louis.  I wanna clear the air about a few points first: Yes, he is 15 years old, and yes, his age, flow, and voice force impulsive comparisons to Earl Sweatshirt but we have to get over that.  Of course older artists influence new generations of musicians, but it's borderline insulting to up-and-comers to have to live as The Next ____.  That's why I really don't like drawing comparisons; it's a lazy way of describing someone.  These are artists, and artists take their crafts very seriously.  I'm sure Watson hasn't spent his brief rap career solely attempting to emulate Earl.  In fact, based on his sample selection, he's got a pretty well refined ear for beats.  He uses samples from movies like Aladdin and The Wizard Of Oz, production from established veterans like MF Doom, MF Grimm, and Chuck Inglish, as well as his own self-produced beats.

His Nu Age crew may be very green, but there's no lack of talent here.  Phantom is packed with smooth flows, clever rhymes, and the occasional instrumental track which give a refreshing change of pace to the mixtape.  Highlights include the opener 'Phantom', 'Infamous', 'Slut Muffins', 'Ancient', 'Magic' (instrumental), and 'Pollution'.  I'm sure you'll find your own favorites, though.  Chester was born after the golden age of conscious rap, and it seems that some of his idols are nearly three times his age, but this is one of the strongest hip-hop releases I've heard in a long time.  Seriously, get on board with him.

Listen/Download:

Download Mixtape

Justin Timberlake - SexyBack (ft. Timbaland) (Urban Noize Remix)

Justin Timberlake returned to the spotlight with his single, Suit & Tie, a couple weeks ago.  It's a pretty good song, but the lyrics will inevitably become the caption under every selfie taken by idiots who dress up this year.  Anyways, in anticipation of that release, the production duo Urban Noize put out their take on Justin's 2006 hit, SexyBack.  Timbaland's original spacey chords and thumping bass are replaced by a more light hearted, funky beat that was inspired by old Marvin Gaye records.

Listen/Download:

I've been meaning to post these guys for a while now because all of their remixes are solid efforts.  I first heard them mashing Kanye's Forever verse with a children's choir singing Creep.  It sounds like a weird combo, but Urban Noize made it work.  They also seem to have a fascination with Lana Del Rey as they released an entire EP of LDR & Jay-Z mixes.  Find all of those and more on their Soundcloud.

Misun - Harlot

Misun is a D.C. area band who, if I'm not MISUNderstanding things, are named after their vocalist, Misun Wojcik (it's actually pronounced 'me-sun').  She is supported by producers William DeVon and Nacey.  They started putting out music as a trio this past year, and 'Harlot' is their first release of 2013.  It's catchy.  I'm a sucker for those choppy guitar strokes, but what is most impressive about this group is their musical versatility.  Their other tracks range from dance music to pop to indie, all with hints of music from decades past.  Misun deftly varies her vocal stylings accordingly, sounding like an R&B crooner on one track and then an alt rocker on the next.

I'm hoping they continue to keep their sounds fresh and different.  I'd hate to see them settle into one musical niche when they have such a talent for variety.

Listen/Download:

I also highly recommend checking out their Soundcloud page for the rest of their free releases and their debut EP, The Sea.  It's a fitting name for their self dubbed 'aquawave' music genre.

Bestfriends - Just Goodbye

Hey guys, what's up?  Soundcloud recently changed their setup and I'm not sure I like it better.  First off, they changed the Download button to a downward facing arrow next to the Share button, which makes it harder for me to CTRL+F my way through an artist's page for the free downloads.  It adds like two seconds, ugh.  In addition, they added a feature in the individual pages of songs; instead of playing the song once through and stopping, Soundcloud now continues to play another song that it thinks is similar.  I was unsure if I liked this addition since I often open a page to hear one song and then I'd like to get back to whatever I was playing in my library.  Now, I have to close or go back to that tab to stop the continuous play.  Again, that's like multiple seconds of work.  Anyways I've decided that I'll learn to deal with it because that's exactly how I discovered this gem.  I had some other random song playing, and then Soundcloud played this next.  It was totally unrelated, but I've had it on repeat for a while now.

Bestfriends is comprised of Nick Scalise and Gregory Shanahan, two acquaintances who are presumably very close.  They're based out of Chicago and have only been playing together as Bestfriends for a little over a year by this time.  Of the few articles I did find which mentioned them, nearly all of them referred to how 'sexy' their music is.  I can't say that was the first thought in my head, but I can see the fun, free spirited appeal of their songs, so that may be a turn on.  Regardless, it's worth a listen because you'll be head nodding and vibing out immediately, and reaching for repeat once it's over.

Download 'Just Goodbye' from their Soundcloud and maybe let it keep playing and see what you discover.

24

24 from pushupyalighter on 8tracks Radio.

It's a new year, and today, I'm another year older.  I hope you enjoyed my year end recap of favorites.  I've got a new collection of songs to share with you.  This list began by me lumping together all the great songs I forgot about from 2012; there were several really strong tracks that I either overlooked for my favorites list, or I wasn't sure what to say about.  That's the thing with music, sometimes it moves you in ways that are beyond words to describe.  In the end, I filled out the list with some older favorites, and some songs that came out toward the end of the year that simply hadn't had a chance to impress upon me until now.  In a way, this playlist serves as a teaser tape because I'm planning to write full posts for some of the artists that I haven't featured before.  I've also included old PUYL favorites such as Frank and Kendrick and RAC and Star Slinger because their music is so good.

My approach to creating this mix was very similar to my view on this birthday.  I excitedly gathered forgotten favorites and then matched them with newer sounds that also excite me.  I'm at an age where I'm not as eager to add one more candle to my cake.  It's much more meaningful now for me to look back and remember where I've been and what I've had.  Those experiences along with the anticipation of the future combine to give me a more complete appreciation for this milestone in my life.

As a side note, I want to make a point of sharing cool music on a consistent basis.  My policy for this blog is that I only post free downloads and give some background as to why you should be interested.  That rule doesn't have to apply to Twitter, however.  It's a known fact that there are no rules on Twitter.  So give me a follow, and I'll make an effort to post videos, news, and streams that I find during my daily music browsing.

Stream the playlist by clicking the picture, get the download link below, and continue reading for the full tracklist.

Download: 24

PUYL Favorite Song: AlunaGeorge - Watching Over You

British duo AlunaGeorge are going to be one of the breakout groups of 2013; don't believe me, just watch.  They may not have spent much time naming themselves, but their brilliance shines through in their music.  Singer Aluna Francis and producer George Reid combine to form this type of post-dub pop music with hearty doses of 90's R&B.  Add in dripping codeine-hop influences and you've got a stew going that might describe AlunaGeorge.  Only they have the actual recipe.

I had this song on repeat a lot this year.  A lot.  I think what struck me most was the apparent simplicity but the underlying complexity.  At face value, the plinking pianos and Aluna's rolling voice in the chorus are soothing and pleasing, giving the track a lot of repeat value.  Under all that, though, is some serious bass and Aluna does a fantastic job of changing her pitch and tone throughout the song.  George's synths and drum kicks pair with the vocals perfectly to complete the package.

This wraps up my Push Up Ya Lighter Favorites for 2012, but it certainly wasn't an exhaustive list.  I've already got posts planned to start off 2013, and I'm excited to hear and to share new music in the new year.

Download: AlunaGeorge - Watching Over You

PUYL Favorite Song: The Hood Internet - These Things Are Nice (ft. Kid Static, Slow Witch & Kleenex Girl Wonder)

The Hot Dog Internet

The Hood Internet became Internet famous several years ago for their mashups.  They now have an extensive catalog of creations, most of which pair hip-hop and indie music.  Their appeal comes from how natural their remixes sound; many of them seem like they are studio recordings.  In 2012, they released their first album of original productions, FEAT.  Maybe it's because I've gotten used to their style and sound, or maybe it's because rappers and indie acts ARE starting to collaborate in studio, but their album feels a lot like their mixes.  And it's a good thing.  Essentially, they just inserted themselves into an earlier step of the creative process.  Instead of mashing up existing songs, they worked with rappers, singers, and bands to assemble the vocal and instrumental pieces of new songs.

This track is a cover of Kleenex Girl Wonder's 2010 song, These Things Are Nice... (note the ellipsis).  The guys from The Hood Internet felt that the verses and chorus fit perfectly into a rap and sing format so they had Kid Static rap and Slow Witch cover the singing.  The title offers the first part of the chorus, but the rest of the lyrics question the point in continuing on when things are just 'nice'.  Over grandiose production, everybody joins together in belting the chorus by the end of the song.  It provokes some interesting thoughts, making it a great album closer.

Download: The Hood Internet - These Things Are Nice (ft. Kid Static, Slow Witch & Kleenex Girl Wonder)

PUYL Favorite Song: Kendrick Lamar - Westside, Right On Time (ft. Young Jeezy)

As with Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar didn't let the fact that he had a stellar album coming out hinder him from releasing additional quality music this year.  One day in August, two Kendrick tracks surfaced: the first had him featured alongside Frank on a Mann song, and the second was his own featuring Young Jeezy.  Of course, I was much more excited to hear two of the year's brightest stars collaborate rather than a song featuring a not so young trap rapper.  To my surprise, it turns out that the latter is actually far better.  Granted, it is Kendrick that carries the song, but he raps out of his mind.

Canei Finch flipped How Love Hurts by The Sylvers to give the beat an old school feel.  This was probably a nod to past hip-hop artists before Kendrick proceeds to declare his arrival and the arrival of all the young rappers today.  He acknowledges both coasts, east and west.  This is a new era in hip-hop because the new artists have grown up on it, but they aren't reflecting their influences and idols in terms of rivalries and beefs.  There seems to be mutual respect among the various crews from around the country such as TDE, OF, A$AP Mob, and Beast Coast.  I think this probably stems from the common understanding of what it takes to rise in today's music climate, and the transparency of artists' methods.  These guys see what their peers are doing every day thanks to the Internet.  Back in the day, long lasting and violent beefs could erupt from a few underhanded slights in a song.  Now, it's just comical and pathetic when rappers try to start calling out each other and creating enemies.  

It's worth saying again, Kendrick is a technical master when it comes to spitting bars.  He winds his way through the song, weaving in alliteration and internal rhymes while fitting those words into ever shifting rhyme schemes.  It's impressive to say the least.  Let's take a look at all the interesting wordplay in his last verse:

1. All I ever wanted was a dollar bill and hundreds
2. And my teacher as my woman, when she smiled I stick my tongue in
3. Plus some cartoons and some cereal, Snoop Doggy on my stereo
4. Some British Knights or LA Gears with glowing lights or Perry Ellis jacket
5. I would love a swapmeet full of Chevrolets in candy paint
6. That's wet with Tammy on the bumper, can I hump her? Poppa tell me yes
7. A DPGC concert and a DJ Quik song on cassette
8. Twenty years later, "Hi hater, I'm the fucking best"

First off, he adds an 'h' sound before 'ever' in Line 1 to match with the subsequent 'hundreds'.  He pronounces 'wanted', 'hundreds', 'woman', and 'tongue in' so that they all rhyme.  In Line 3 he exaggerates the syllables and closes the vowels so that 'cereal' rhymes with 'stereo'.

For Lines 4-6 the rhyme scheme follows A, A, B, C, B, C, D, D, C.  Seriously?  The rhymes (some of which he created) are 'Knights' to 'lights', '-cket' to 'candy', 'ChevroLETS' to 'wet' and 'yes', and 'bumper' to 'hump her'.  Also, he sets up a comparison between 'British' and 'LA' which reemphasizes his global appeal.

Lines 7-8 match the sounds of 'DPGC' and 'DJ Quik'.  'Song on cassette' rhymes with 'I'm the fucking best'. and he throws in the internal 'later' to 'hater' rhyme for good measure.  Genius.

Download: Kendrick Lamar - Westside, Right On Time (ft. Young Jeezy)