Some things in life are awful: sitting in traffic when your stomach is on the other side of right, having wet socks, or hearing a bad album from a good rapper—-i.e. Ludacris’ Battle Of The Sexes.
There was a lot of hype around this project because it was going to be the first of its kind—a collaboration album between a male and female emcee. Not groundbreaking, but something fresh. However, Shawnna left DTP and has almost disappeared from the LP. And Battle Of The Sexes turned into the battle of who Luda could find to pull off what he intended. In doing so, his plans backfired and the album turned into a disastrous compilation. Luda sticks to his usual formula but the beats are second-rate and the lyrics are just the same. And Luda missed the mark by having very few cameos that represented the female energy that he needed to make this project work.
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568 views | Posted in Music Reviews
Black History Month has ended, but why not have a continuous celebration, even beyond February? A Detroit emcee and Michigan State University journalism graduate, Jahshua “JYoung The General” Smith has spearheaded Black History Year –a series of songs aimed at educating black history in a contemporary, but yet entertaining approach throughout the entire year. JYoung teams up with hip-hop music producer, Nick Speed and clothing line and sponsor, Dangerous Negro Apparel, to promote black history in sets of 365 days instead of 28. Today, JYoung releases the first installment of Black History Year.
The result is Black History Year, named after a t-shirt campaign by Florida-based clothing line Dangerous Negro Apparel. The first installation begins with “The Meeting (Malcolm Vs. Martin),” a song with Lansing emcee James “P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.” Gardin simulates a face-to-face conversation between black history’s two most storied leaders over a dusty, percussive soundbed. What follows are songs about Kenneth Clark’s “doll study” that investigated self-hate and promoted desegregation, odes to black comedians and the jazzy speakeasies of the 1920s, and poet Phillis Wheatley. The EP ends with “Haitian Fight Song 2010.” The empowering anthem uses a gripping mix of chants, pianos, guitar plucks and poignant lyrics to tell the story of Haiti’s struggle for independence and continued perseverance through tough times.
Future installments will tackle other historically black issues such as gentrification, the Black Panthers, the AIDS epidemic and more.
Cover, tracklist, and links after the cut.
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98 views | Posted in Hot Download
Some people wear anger well: Gordon Ramsay, Naomi Campbell, and the colorful Kanye West. They’ve mastered the art of being mad while some tend to sound more like complainers who are bitter—and that is how Canibus comes off on his latest effort, Melatonin Magik.
In his defense, he may have reason to be angry. Canibus is a gifted manipulator of words who seemed to have a career as promising as LL Cool J’s circa 1985. But his career didn’t exactly take off and he’s been misunderstood more than Mike Tyson. These issues along with his grievances with the music industry, journalists, and other rappers have only added more salt to his wounds. Now with his ninth album, he is letting it all out—no holds barred.
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467 views | Posted in Music Reviews
Very few artists have been able to maintain a career filled with success and adoration from fans and critics alike while avoiding tabloid scrutiny. But that is exactly what the majestic Sade has done with her stellar career that spans over two decades. Throughout her career, she’s always kept an aura of mystery—giving just enough to keep us craving more of her seductive voice that can sometimes be nirvana on acid. But Sade, who always moves at her own pace, has finally dropped her long awaited sixth studio album, Soldier of Love after a ten-year hiatus. And with this offering, Ms. Adu brings forth an album that is dramatic, bold and unlike anything we’d expect.
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787 views | Posted in Music Reviews
It’s extremely unfair to place emcees in boxes based on the projects they put out. Some of them lean towards certain genres but this kind of thinking makes rappers appear one sided when majority of them have many layers. And Louwop, a Toronto native, is one of those types that have more than one floor to expose. So placing him in the militant, conscious or “true hip hopper” box isn’t going to happen around these parts. Plain and simple, he is an emcee with a clear-cut story that you should peep out.
The Great Escape, Louwop’s first full-length album, is one of those projects that provides your hip hop spirit with a little bit of everything. He doesn’t just focus on one specific genre within the culture—he goes after all of them and pulls it off well.
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482 views | Posted in Music Reviews
Being a triple threat for an artist is a requirement as opposed to a unique gift that some have. Rather you are a recording artist, actor, or fashion guru, you must have three solid talents to survive the entertainment landscape. Some pull it off flawlessly (Mos Def) while others do more damage (50 Cent…have you seen his acting skills or lack thereof?) Nevertheless, when a new “triple threat” comes out, we are eager to praise them for being inhumanly talented or slam them for being greedy with fame.
Enter Idris Elba.
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658 views | Posted in Coming Soon, First Listen
Mos Def is many things. He is an MC, thespian, boogeyman and revolutionary. But one thing he is not is adherent to the pigeonhole that is placed upon him. When we tell him to go up, he turns upside down. We can ask him to go left but he will go backwards. And when he is told what he should do, he rebels and well, does what the f%#$ he wants to do.
So what does this mean? It means Mos Def will never remake Black On Both Sides. That doesn’t take away from his brilliance nor does it mean that he’s lost that aptitude that keeps us wanting more. It boils down to a simple concept; Mos Def is an artist that is going to reside where his music and craft take him. And as heartless as it sounds, he isn’t going to change his mantra for the sake of satisfying you, me or anyone else. BOBS was released exactly ten years ago and that is where Mos Def leaves that album. He is about forward progression and nothing is going to prevent that; not even this dichotomy we call Hip Hop.
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2,472 views | Posted in Music Reviews
There are few truisms in life but one that withstands is the ideology that there is nothing new under the sun. After all, history repeats itself constantly, some of us have déjà vu and we all share a common ground if we manage to dig deep enough. So hearing the typical story of an artist making it big no longer impresses us but sometimes we come across one that manages to spark an interest.
Kero One’s rise to fame is as distinctive as the musical sound he’s created. As a resident of the bay area, Kero’s determination and ability is a true tell tale of turning your dreams into a reality. This emcee, producer, web designer and DJ used his personal credit card and his own recording equipment to put together his first project that he marketed and distributed across the world. The record became an instant hit in Japan and Kero was on his way to conquering the music world. He went on to release his impressive debut, Windmills of the Soul in which he handled all the business as well as artistically constructing the album.
Now, after the success of his debut, he has dropped his equally impressive sophomore release Early Believers to astounding reviews. KevinNottingham.com was granted the opportunity to speak to this jack of all trades who filled us in on his new album, record label and why he would work at Whole Foods if he weren’t doing music.
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670 views | Posted in Artist Spotlight, Interviews
For whatever reason, Southern Hip Hop gets a bad rap. No pun intended but the media and heads often times place these artists in one box and tuck them away not to be removed. But on the contrary: the Southern region is just as significant as any other coast. And judging by their album Summer Sessions, H.I.S.D. is off to an impressive start adding to that legacy.
Composed of eight artists that are as artistically inclined as they are talented, H.I.S.D. is a hub of remarkable emcees, visual artists and producers. Hailing from Houston, this super group has released a follow up to their phenomenal debut The District with one of the best albums of the year.
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1,057 views | Posted in Music Reviews
With the country in a recession and odd named diseases plaguing our mental state, most people navigate towards music for a peaceful retreat. And some artists provide a ticket to that destination but it seems as though second-rate music is taking over causing folks to be at their wits end. But lucky for us, Tanya Morgan (Ilyas, Donwill and Von Pea) offers up a safe haven for citizens to relocate by way of Brooklynati.
But don’t misunderstand; Brooklynati is not your average concept album. Not only does it hold remarkable production and lyrics that transform into appealing stories; it is a virtual city full of Hip Hop purists that enjoy the simple yet finer things in life. Providing its residents with cultural diversity, beautiful landscapes and opportunity for growth, TM’s world proves to be one of the most promising.
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1,642 views | Posted in Music Reviews
One inevitable factor that music lovers hear when a new artist comes out is the concept that they can easily be distinguished amongst their peers. However, most of us have seen this ideal prove to be false. With upcoming emcees running towards the latest fads like Snoop running to a blunt, we are left to wonder if novelty is dead. But every now and again, we are lucky enough to get one artist that manages to live up to the mystique of being one of a kind.
Baron Von Alias is that rare breed of artist that comes along and creates fads instead of following suit. Born in the early 1800’s, he was so ahead of his time, he blew into the present day armed with a pen, pad and his vision of what he would bring to Hip Hop before we knew it existed.
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473 views | Posted in Music Reviews
We all know who Jadakiss is. We know his story, his lyrical skill and we can recognize his signature laugh as it blares through our speakers. We’ve heard the tales of his tenure with Bad Boy, his constant feuding with everyone from 50 Cent to Bill O’Reilly but what remains a mystery, is the fact that he can’t drop a solid album.
Unless you have selective hearing, you can’t deny that Jadakiss has a unique voice that is as sharp as a machete and as crisp as a starch filled shirt. His flow can even be charismatic and intriguing but it still fails to add a classic to his list of accomplishments. You could hear the effort Jadakiss brought forth on Kiss Tha Game Goodbye and Kiss Of Death, but they both still fell short and he seemed to head down the same path with his latest project, The Last Kiss.
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976 views | Posted in Music Reviews
If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past ten years, than you are savvy enough to know that Verbal Kent is a dope emcee. If you keep your ear to the streets like any good Hip Hop head than you also know that Kaz One is a great producer. So when these two met at an emcee battle back in 2001 in Chicago, the cards were instantly aligned to bring forth a team that would compliment each other musically. The past eight years have allowed these two to truly understand how to bring out the best in each other and create an album that would aid in the resurgence of the culture they both grew up on.
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349 views | Posted in Music Reviews
There is no doubt: the music industry is fickle. It’s filled with labels that come and go, artists who are hot one minute and cold the next and fads that orbit like a revolving door. But some entities within this crazy business manage to stand the test of time.
Young Capone first hit the scene when he was seventeen signing a major deal with So So Def. This emcee and producer learned from industry veteran Jermaine Dupri and went on to produce tracks for Shawty Redd while dropping two singles, “What It Iz” and I’m Hot.” Although his tenure at So So Def was a good one, he parted ways with the label and stepped away from the scene. Now, after a brief hiatus, Young C has returned stronger, wiser and hungrier than ever.
Serving as the CEO to his own label, Trotti Entertainment, Young C is working diligently to drop his new album, Small Things To A Giant and prove that his love and respect for his music is indisputable. KevinNottingham.com had the opportunity to politic with Young Capone and get the 411 on his new album, what happened with So So Def and how he is gearing up to conquer the music scene and the Internet.
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202 views | Posted in Artist Spotlight, Interviews
There is nothing like getting your hands on one of those albums that takes you back to the days of falling asleep with your headphones blasting in your ears. Or hearing a track that instantaneously created the head nod we all have mastered because it spoke volumes beyond just beats and lyrics. Those are the kind of moments hip hop heads long for. So when Quite Nyce & Raydar Ellis‘ album Champ Vs. The League came under my radar, nostalgia reared its head like Redman around a bunch of plus size women.
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618 views | Posted in Music Reviews
