Slum Village will soon be dropping their new album Yes, with, of course, beats from original member J Dilla amongst others. There will also be guest spots from Phife, Black Milk and De La Soul, but in the meantime, check out single Expressive, featuring BJ The Chicago Kid and Dilla’s younger bro, Illa J. Listen on the link below, and give us your thoughts.
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Cast your mind back to 2012, and you may remember a project by super-group LUV NY, which at any one time seemed to include everyone from A.G and Roc Marciano, to O.C. and Kool Keith. It seems to have been re-released, and this new bonus track has emerged, featuring A.G. and Lord Tariq, with a beat from Ray West. Its a bit dated, but worth a listen nonetheless.
Bishop Nehru has dropped a nice little EP, said to be made up of tracks that didn’t make his upcoming major label debut. Waist not, want not. Listen to all eight tracks from Nehruvia: The Nehruvian EP below, and let us know what you think.
Kool Keith has many different faces, most of them insanely brilliant. He has a political side too, as shown on new track Black Men (Unarmed). He’s joined by Wu-Tang Clan hero Inspectah Deck, and Bronx rapper Headkrack, and you can take a listen below. Scroll even further down for notes on the track from Keith.
Harder is the latest track from the In Progress album by Dayne Jordan and the Magnificent one himself, Jazzy Jeff. Its a laid back banger, and you can listen below.
DJ Honda has cooked up some incredible beats over the years, and we are pleased to report that he’s still making them today. Watch the video for new single Sapporo Times below, featuring B.I.G Joe on vocals, taken from new album Unfinished Connection.
Moka Only is back with new album Chicken Wingz, and has dropped single Freak Ya Heart Out, which features Yancey Boy Illa J. Listen below, then go cop that album.
We’ve previously posted the first couple of dope singles from the new Vursatyl album Crooked Straights, and as it turns out, De La Soul legend Maseo likes ’em too. He’s put together a mini-mix of the album’s highlights, which you can hear below. Look out for the full album coming soon on BBE.
The last seven days have seen a lot of quality hip-hop writing, covering a wide range of artists. Here’s our round-up of the best we’ve seen:
EPMD Interview by Phillip Mlynar
Bonafide magazine have been celebrating all things 90s rap in their latest issue, and have dug-out an old interview with EPMD from the archives, by former Hip-Hop Connection scribe Phillip Mlynar. Read in full here.
Is Wu-Tang Really Forever? by Paul Cantor
This short article from Cuepoint looks at what’s next for the Wu, and how frustrating life is for us fans who just want them to drop some decent music. Read in full here.
It Takes a Village: The Long Evolving Saga of Detroit’s Slum Village by Pete Tossiello
As J Dilla fans, we all know well the story of Slum Village, but this new long-form piece from Vice delves further into the full group history, including the many line-up changes, the sad demise of Baatin, and what the future holds for the current members. Read here.
The Beauty of Independence by Bryan Hahn
Mello Music Group has been ruling the independent hip-hop scene for a few years now, releasing an almost non-stop run of quality albums from artists like Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Rapper Big Pooh and more. In this interview, label head Michael Tolle explains the label’s history and key to success. Read here.
Action Bronson interview by Jonah Hill
This one plays out itself, with Bronsolino and actor Hill sharing just how much they love the work of the other. Its a mutual respect love-fest, but well worth a read. See here.
Oddisee interviews are rare, but when they happen, we’re always pleased to find out that he’s exactly what we imagine him to be: humble, laid back and insightful, just like his music. Truly one of the most creative rappers and producers of the last decade, if you haven’t yet copped new album The Good Fight, you need to click here right now. Watch the interview with Pete Rosenberg below.
