A few days ago we wrote about the dope new Chilled Not Frozen EP from Chill Rob G and Bankrupt Europeans, but there’s also now a video for the single Tell ‘Em. It features fellow legend R.A. The Rugged Man, and you can watch it below. Let us know what you think.
Category: Legends
Filthy Brotherz – ‘Sick Trio’ feat. Kidd Creole
Furious Five legend Kidd Creole makes an appearance on this great new track from the Filthy Brotherz. No word about if this is from an upcoming album, but it sounds good, and its nice to hear the old school legend still doing it.
Oddisee – NPR Tiny Desk Concert
Oddisee has been further spreading the word from his excellent The Good Fight album with a performance for the NPR Tiny Desk Concert series. It’s nice and intimate, allowing the rather shy Oddisee to show everyone exactly what he does best. Watch below, and go get the album if you haven’t yet – its dope.
Watch here.
Chill Rob G – ‘Chilled Not Frozen’
Stone-cold legend Chill Rob G is back on this new four-track EP, produced by the brilliantly-named Bankrupt Europeans, on the equally brilliantly-named (and accurate) Nobody-Buys-Records label. Listen to Chilled Not Frozen below, which includes a guest spot from R.A. The Rugged Man.
Magnum Opus – ‘Mass Appeal’ by Gang Starr
Mass Appeal by Gang Starr is right up there in our top 3 favorite hip-hop songs of all time, possibly at number 1. It sent a tingle down our spine then to hear that the latest episode of the often-incredible Magnum Opus series from Complex is dedicated to the track. We get to hear from DJ Premier hinself, plus a host of others from his inner circle, each helping to paint a picture of how the classic joint got made, and its impact since. Shame we’ll never get to hear stories from the much-missed Guru. Watch below right now.
Planet Asia – ‘Presidential Suites’
The man that never seems to sleep, aka Planet Asia, is back with yet another new joint, from yet another new project. Presidential Suites is from upcoming mixtape Egyption Merchandise, and you can watch the video below. Worth a look if only for lots of scenes of PA pouring himself a juice drink. Baller.
Slept-on albums in retrospect: Raekwon’s – ‘Immobilarity’
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was always going to be difficult to top, even for one of the best artists amongst the nine men that made up the Wu-Tang Clan. By 1999, the world had already been blessed not just with Raekwon’s classic debut some four years previously, but also superior albums from Ghostface Killah, GZA, Old Dirty Bastard, Method Man and Cappadonna. The pressure on Rae to turn-in something as good as his debut must have been thick, even if no one dared to mention it.
When Immobilarity did drop, it was given something of a lukewarm reception from fans and critics alike. Listen again in 2015 however, and its actually a pretty good album, and arguably better than the genuinely disappointing proper sequel to the classic debut, 2009’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II.
What seemed to bug people most at the time was how little this seemed like the other Wu-Tang solo albums so far. There are no guest spots from Ghostface, and in fact Method Man and Masta Killa are the only two official clansmen to appear. And perhaps most noticeably of all, there are no beats by RZA.
Looking back, this was actually a good thing. A lack of guests gave Rae the space needed to focus, and write with enough confidence and weight to carry entire tracks on his own, the way that Ghost has always been able to.
Moving from RZA production also added some variety, away from the occasionally stale beats that he was sometimes guilty of making, even if the little-known producers on the album were usually just trying to ape his style. Its no coincidence that the nicest beat is the Pete Rock produced Sneakers, hinting for the first time just how good Rae sounded over beats from skilled beatmakers outside of RZA. By Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, the line-up of producers had become diverse enough to include everyone from Dr Dre to J Dilla, via Erick Sermon, Alchemist, Marley Marl and more.
Other standout tracks include Friday, My Favorite Dred and Live From NY, each of them filled with the same vivid imagery that helped maintain Rae’s reputation as one of the best storytellers in the game.
If you slept on this album in 2009, dust it off and have another listen. You’ll be surprised at how good it sounds.
Ayatollah & Drasar Monumental – ‘Box Cutter Brothers II’
Just weeks after getting the amazing Box Cutter Brothers album from Ayatollah and Drasar Monumental, there’s already a Part II. Judging from this dope trailer, its even more rugged beats and random sample chops, and you can’t ask for much more in life than that. Watch below, and then go support the release with a purchase.
First Division – ‘This Iz The Time’
Canada’s First Division have their debut album Overworked & Underpaid coming soon, and they’ve bagged themselves a beat by the one and only DJ Premier. It may be one of those Primo-by-numbers joints, but it still sounds dope. Listen below, and look out for that album when it drops.
Abstract Rude – ‘Walk Slower Daddy’
Abstract Rude quietly dropped his latest album Keep The Feel: A Legacy Of Hip-Hop Soul recently, with none of the fanfare it should have received. If you haven’t managed to check it out yet, watch the video for single Walk Slower Daddy below. Let us know what you think.