Have A Nice Day!

 

I've got 4 and 20 songs for you today because... why not?  Lots of awesome tracks missed the cut, but there will definitely be more lists to come.  Click above to listen, and below to download.  Have a nice day!

Playlist Download

I'll throw in some Chiddy Bang too.  I feel like the vibe is right with this one.

Don't Worry, Be Happy 

Xaphoon Jones Mixtape Vol. 2

The second Xaphoon Jones mixtape just came out!

Don't be a fool, download it at illRoots.

If you missed the first one, it's alright, here it is.  It gave us the original remix to Darwin Deez's 'Bad Day' that was later reworked with some lines from Chiddy.  It also had the monstrously incredible tracks 'I Wanna Know Now' and 'Radar Detector'.  If you don't know who Xaphoon Jones is... then you need to get your act together buster.  He's the producer half of the Philly duo, Chiddy Bang.  You should know who they are by now or you're old.

Anyways, for as fresh as Chiddy's rhymes are, Xaphoon's beats are equally dope.  They've been pioneers for the college hip-hop sound, and with an album due out this year, they're certainly poised to make a bang in 2011.  Xaphoon was one of the earlier DJs to sample indie music artists for hip-hop beats, and since then it has become a rapidly rising trend.  Hipsters and hip-hop heads alike have set their differences aside to rave about this exciting new blend of genres.  I got really link-happy because I think the music really speaks for itself with this kid.  This is why it pays to stay on top of what music is new and cool; there are definitely some serious rising stars out there.

It's April Fool's Day, but Xaphoon, you crazy.

J*DaVeY

Back on track.  I just realized the last two artists I posted weren't big fans of the last letter 'e' in their stage names.  Enough of that crazEEnEss.

On the left we have Miss Jack Davey, her momma named her Briana Cartwright, and yes, she is rocking the undercut/mohawk hairdo.  I guess it's the style that all the cool, young ladies are rocking these days.  (haha just messing with ya Skrillex) (UPDATE: I wasn't the only one thinking it!  Look!)  The dude with her is Brook D'Leau, his momma named him Brook D'Leau.  Sometimes they do DJ sets together under the name Black Morris, but as a musical outfit they are J*DaVeY.  He is the producer and she is the vocalist.  That's where all the concrete definitions stop.  His beats are spacey, her voice is swinging, and she's got a sharp rap tongue too.  Their music infuses elements of hip-hop, R&B, electronica, rock, jazz, and basically everything else.

Here's a taste of their influences and the way they put their own spin on things:
Smells Like Teen Spirit (J*DaVeY Cover)

The song is recognizable, but they've definitely taken an iconic track and brought it into the new millennium.  It got support from Kurt Cobain's estate and from Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl.  This track is off their latest EP entitled Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes, which is available fo' free at their Bandcamp site.  SLTS is the only cover on there; some of the songs do interpolate other tunes, but in true J*DaVeY fashion.

Other artists often employ Miss Jack Davey for her vocal talents such as on this track by Grooveman Spot off his excellent album, Eternal Development.
Grooveman Spot - What We Do (ft. Miss Jack Davey)

This is probably one of the chillest tracks I have ever heard, and one of my personal favorites.  It would warrant its own post, but I can't find out anything about this guy.  I do know he also goes by DJ Kou-G.  All the sites I've found are in Japanese so I'm not getting too much other info out of those.  Oh well, just enjoy!

The Weeknd - House of Balloons (Mixtape)

Distractions.  Sometimes you're all ready to get focused on one task, but then things start to pop up and get in the way (I'm looking at you guys, Facebook and Twitter).  You get sidetracked.  I had a whole plan laid out for my posts for this week; it was beautiful.  When I'm prepping to write about an artist, I like to listen to a lot of their songs throughout the day so I can decide what to post and to try and catch any revealing personal information from their lyrics.  The lineup I had ready before, though, is on hold for now because I was listening to something else.  I'm sure basically everyone has had their weekday plans run off track by thoughts of the weekend, but this time it was The Weeknd that got me.

There's a bit of mystery surrounding what The Weeknd is exactly.  From what I've read, it seems it is a one man R&B/Soul act, probably by the name of Abel Tesfaye.  I'm pretty confident that there's a team of others, though, that handled production for this project.  I do know that The Weeknd (God! I keep typing the third e) is based out of Toronto.  He mentions being 20 years old, but his voice is strong and confident and complements the tight production well.  Neither side dominates; there are times for each to shine.

Here's the opening track:
The Weeknd - High For This by The_Weeknd

On my first listen, it sounded like a super smooth and seductive baby-making mixtape.  That was fine; I listened all the way through without skipping any tracks, which to me is a sign of a really good album.  After I found myself hitting repeat a few more times, however, I realized there was a little more going on here.  Sure, the common love song themes are there, but they're presented at a much more primal level.  I use 'love' in the sense of instinctive, possibly drugged up, urges.  It delivers the rawness that Jeremiah, Enrique, and Trey Songz and Drake only wish they knew how to express.  It's subtle, yet forceful.  This isn't your pump-up, pregame music, it's your after hours, make bad decisions but-who-cares music, and it's best listened to in the dark.

This is the closing track and one of my favorites:
The Weeknd - The Knowing by The_Weeknd

Make sure to download all nine tracks off House of Balloons.
Bring the 707 out...

Blu

I'd like to introduce you to Blu, stage name of Johnson Barnes.  He's a rapper out of L.A. who has been rising in the underground hip-hop world since he started putting out music several years ago.  There are many shades of Blu; he has collaborated with a variety of producers and has recently begun producing himself.  The beats he rhymes over offer a wide variety of styles and genres ranging from gospel to soul to television and movie samples.  He also often incorporates vocal samples that use the word 'blue'.

Whenever I've got to get down to business on something, or if someone even says these words this song starts playing in my head:

Blu & Exile - First Things First (ft. Miguel Jontel)

This joint is off of Blu's collabo with Exile, Below The Heavens.  It was his debut studio album and helped him to earn HipHopDX's honor for Rookie of the Year in 2007.

Notice his rapping style.  His delivery is more similar to talking, but he still maintains the aesthetics of skillful end and internal rhyming.  A big reason for the critical acclaim he has garnered is his lyrical content.  Unlike many rappers, he tones down the braggadocio in preference of more grounded, everyman raps.  He's a young guy, but he's seen a lot of the world; he had NBA aspirations and helped raise his eleven siblings so he's got plenty of experiences to keep his music honest and real.

Blu - Jazz (Tribute Remix)

Here's his version of A Tribe Called Quest's classic track Jazz (We've Got).  It's hard to touch a gem like the original, but Blu manages to add his own shine to it.  He even has a Nas sample in there to say "True in the game as long as blood is BLU in my veins".

Star Slinger - Mornin'

Aaand we're back.  Sorry about the extended commercial break.

It's absolutely gorgeous outside today, let's all vibe out with some sweet tunes.

Star Slinger - Mornin'

Darren Williams (no relation) is Star Slinger, a young British DJ/remixer who has been generating a lot of buzz lately thanks to his feel good music.  Apparently, Donald Glover described his music as 'booty LSD'.  He definitely makes things drop.  He likes to compose mixes while laying in bed or right after he wakes up which is an attitude I can certainly relate to. 

I like to picture his process as similar to cooking muffins or something else delicious.  He lays down these really fresh beats, and then samples old soul or R&B records and kneads them into the track.  Once everything starts to rise together you get the same sense of anticipation and excitement you get right before you take something out of the oven.  The whole kitchen smells great and you just know that first bite is going to be heaven.  The drop comes and everything melts together perfectly, just in your ears instead of your mouth.

Here's the sweet video to Mornin'

Stream or buy the whole album, Vol. 1, here.

Man, I just can't get over how awesome the weather is today.

Dumbfoundead & DJ Zo - Cut + Paste (Mixtape)

I'm still on the fence about battle rappers.  While I can respect what they do, sometimes the tactics they use don't sit well with me.  Battle rapping consists almost entirely of dissing and demeaning your opponent in order to earn a win.  They can be entertaining to watch, but all too often the participants resort to mundane racial attacks and rhyming words with 'duck'.  I haven't seen that many rappers that can actually battle, meaning they listen and consider what their opponent is saying and then flip it back on them.  It's pretty obvious that a lot of these guys just sit at home thinking of one liners and then spew them out come battle time.

People like Dumbfoundead are different, and rare.   He's a Korean-American who was born in Argentina and grew up in L.A.  When he battles, it's not all about yelling and offending.  Dumb prefers to embarrass whoever he's battling with clever rhymes and jokes, and he does so with a grin on his face too.  Watch him do it here.  The battle starts around 1:30.  Dumbfoundead goes second after Tantrum, who epitomizes what I don't like about many battle rappers.  Sure, Dumb plays the race card too, but his lines are way more meaningful and his flow is better too.  Freestyling is hard enough, but to do this off the dome is truly impressive.

After a few years in his local battle circuits, Dumb has started making studio music.  I've been trying to stay up on whatever he puts out and it's been fun watching him grow as an artist.  Take a listen to his latest efforts with DJ Zo:

Cut + Paste

His earlier songs felt awkward and forced, but he is definitely coming into his own.  The transition from battler to performer is never easy; the styles are too different.  I think he's realizing now that he doesn't have to concentrate on the super focused topical content of battle raps; he can expand to talk about whatever he wants.  I won't say it's the best mixtape ever, but it's fun and features some cool samples from people like Theophilus London and Lykke Li.  We should look forward to more gems from Dumbfoundead who is only turning 25 next week.

De La Soul - Oooh. (ft. Redman)

Party people, your dreams have now been fulfilled.  Get your ass up and let's get ill. - Redman

Enjoy!

I was watching a Youtube video and this song was playing in the background.  I knew right away it was De La Soul, but had to listen carefully to catch the lyrics so I could search for the name of the whole song.  I wasn't about to just start typing in 'oooh oooh oooh oooh'.  Well, turns out I should've because that's actually the name of this track!  Straightforward.  Succinct.  So De La, so Redman.

I just love the simple background instrumental.  Redman is such a big personality that he doesn't need much under him to really make a song groove.  The De La crew are legends in this rap game, renowned for their socially conscious lyrics and amazing production skills.  They've been together for longer than I've been alive, and their influence can be felt in the music of essentially every hip-hop musician performing today.  Their debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, is the perfect soundtrack for a walk on a bright, sunny day.  Go ahead, listen to any of the tracks and I guarantee you'll feel energized.  This song continues in that vein, which is why I like it so much.

Also, be sure to check out the MTV Cribs episode featuring Redman that I have featured under 'Fun Links' over on the right ------------->
We're witnessing a truly grounded individual who knows what he likes and never asks for more.  Not even for a doorbell.

Depressed Buttons - Ow!

A picture may say a thousand words, but I think music can be much more creative and expressive with just as few actual written words.  For instance, this song has one word strewn throughout it as the only lyric.  'Ow!' is usually an exclamation for pain, but this song proves my point.  It absolutely does not matter what 'ow' means or even that it was the word used at all.  In fact, on my first listen I didn't even realize that was a human voice making that sound because it fit so well with the rest of the instrumentals.

Depressed Buttons-Ow! by maddecent

This track does have something to say, however, and that is 'Get up and move yourself, fool!'.  Seriously, if you listen to this and don't want to start flailing around like this guy (or dressing like him), you should really find out what has you so depressed.

Oh and by the way, the name of the group that put this record out is not a reference to inanimate shirt-holder-togetherers going through a sad streak, think more along the lines of pushing down your keyboard buttons.  The tagline they've given themselves is 'We go weirder than hard' which I think is fantastically appropriate.  They release from the Mad Decent label which is run by producer Diplo, of Major Lazer fame.

Hoodie Allen - Dreams Up

Here's the latest release from Hoodie Allen off his upcoming mixtape, Leap Year.  Not only am I excited just because this track came out today, but also because it is still up to the high level of quality I've come to expect from Hoodie.

He samples Oh Land's White Nights for this joint.  His sample selection is so diverse, but always manages to sound great.  It sometimes takes you a second to catch his references and jokes because they come at you nonstop.  That's part of what makes it good music, though: every new listen exposes something that you may have missed before.

This kid works so hard.  As a UPenn graduate and current employee at Google, he's obviously one smart cookie.  I don't know too many Google workers, though, who have 5,000 Facebook friends, a huge fan following, and actually make efforts to interact with any and all of them personally.

Hoodie dreams up.  MLK had a dream.  I spent all winter break dreaming, but now it's back to school...

Dreams Up by HoodieAllen

Get it!

Go download the Pep Rally mixtape.
Go see him live.