Sometimes, when I receive a new song that features a lot of my favorite artists, I get over excited and build the song up so much that, no matter how good or bad the song is, it never entirely lives up to my expectations. See, that was the case here with this new song “Oil Spill.” However after a couple days of listening to it (in various states of mind), I’ve come to the conclusion that this song is much greater than I originally stamped it as. Dan Auerbachof The Black Keys mans the chorus like only he could, adding that perfect touch of the blues to the track that compliments each artist to perfection. Freddie Gibbs,Chuck Inglish(The Cool Kids),Chip tha Ripper, and the man Bun Bcombine their forces, ultimately culminating in gold. This is one of those “summer day ridin’ with the windows down” type of tracks that helps you momentarily forget about how much alcoholic poison you consumed the night before. You can find this gem on Freddie Gibbs’ upcoming album Str8 Killa dropping August 3rd. Enjoy:
Saw this leak off Rick Ross‘ upcoming album Teflon Don over at EM. Now I’m not the biggest Ross fan, but I must say, I’m starting to get excited for this album. Though, yes, it is mainly because it will be featuring a lot (14 total) of my favorite artists, but even the boss himself is beginning to impress me. Like on this song here–Ricky comes with one of the best verses I’ve heard from him in awhile. Jay-Zdelivers solidly as usual, and even John Legend gets involved, acting as the foundation of the track with his soulful voice. Album drops July 20th, be sure to keep your eyes pealed.
The other day I came across a video of Illinois born indie rocker Lissie covering Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness”. Now let it be known, there’s something about beautiful indie-rock girls covering hip-hop songs that appeals to me. Although I’ll admit most times I think I’m more fascinated with how they can make songs that are about gangs and packing guns sound so peaceful. Anyways, I had heard some covers of this song previous to Lissie’s but was never really impressed, especially because this is such an epic song on its own. The lyrics will speak for themself, but it’s difficult to match the energy created by not only Cudi but MGMT and Ratatat who were all featured on the track. After letting this live cover sink in for a bit, I think you’ll agree the song gets better and better as it goes, ultimately culminating in a passionate anthem that would make Cudder proud. Certainly the best attempt yet in capturing the brilliance of the original and if nothing else this girl is pretty fucking awesome. Check below out the video and also here’s the mp3 below:
The greatest thing about hip-hop collaborations is that we as fans get to witness the amount of respect shared between the two artists. In this case, these are two names we’ve been hearing constantly for the past decade–and their success as musicians has been documented just as extensively as their personal life issues. After “Swagger Like Us” where Wayne collaborated with Jay-Z, T.I. and Kanye, I felt it was only a matter of time until Eminem and Lil’ Wayne began working together. Then came “Drop the World”, where we got our first glimpse of the chemistry these two could potentially build upon. In the song “No Love”, off Eminem’s new album Recovery (which apparently has already leaked), the chemistry between the two I was just speaking about is becomes even more prominent. In my opinion, Wayne clearly does his thing but at this point, I think even he would be willing to admit that Eminem is on another planet right now. I’ll probably get some shit for this, but I think this might be one of his top 5 verses…ever. Some crazy production from Just Blaze samples the old Haddaway song “What Is Love”…Check it out below:
Regardless of your personal opinion on Kanye West, which usually ranges from egotistical dickhead to musical genius, you have to admit he’s doing something right. Though his experimentation with auto-tune was well a mistake in some (most) peoples (my) eyes, I bet if you told him that he would honestly care less..no matter if you think it’s good or not, his music always comes from the heart, and I’ve learned to respect that.
Well ladies and gentleman, I am proud to say that Mr. West is back in action–this time leaving the autotune behind and doing what most people (I) think he does best–RAP. ‘Power’ is the first single off of his upcoming album Good Ass Job and boy does it bang. Grabbing a high-energy sample from King Crimson and getting productional help from Symbolic 1, ‘Ye does exactly what he needed to do on this track to silence his haters. Check out the track below:
I’m not really sure what to make of Asher Roth at this point. When he first came to the scene, it was hard for me to really get into the guy–His style was pretty bizarre, his topics were completely unpredictable, and he certainly wasn’t the most intimidating figure in an industry that is all about testosterone. But over time I have learned to look past all of those things and get to the real bottomline–the dude can rap, and that’s all that matters. Check out his new video for “Muddy Swim Trunks”, made in support of his new mixtape Seared Foie Gras with Quince and Cranberry. There’s no denying that his skills have evolved over the year as a rapper. In Muddy Swim Trunks, his word choice is distinctively impressive and his delivery is razor sharp. It’s starting to sound like Asher is on a mission to prove that the success of “I Love College” isn’t going to be the pinnacle of his career. Check out the visuals and be sure to grab the whole mixtape below:
Like many people I’ve talked to, I was disappointed with Eminem‘s latest effort The Relapse. Granted, when Eminem drops an album people always expect it to top the one before, a tall task for somebody who has some of the most successful Hip-Hop albums of all time. Recently, however, it’s safe to say Em’s been on his shit. From his verses on Forever, Drop the World, and most recently B.o.B.’s Airplanes, it seems like the old pissed off Eminem that we all love is back in full force. Em goes in on Drake’s “Over” then switches to Lloyd Banks’ “Beamer,Benz,or Bentley”,putting every other remix and arguably the orginial of these songs to shame. Recovery drops June 22nd–let’s hope we get to hear more of this.
B.o.B.’s highly anticipated album The Adventures of Bobby Ray debuts April 27th and is set to have some big name features including T.I., Eminem, and Lupe. This album is a vital one for Bobby Ray Simmons who seeks to prove his stability in the hip-hop game and reveal his genius as a talented musician/rapper. It’s undeniable he has blown up this past year with the success of his mixtape’s B.o.B. vs Bobby Ray and May 25th but more importantly by gaining the respect of some of the most acclaimed in the industry. This leak off the album features Lupe and may not be the final version but nonetheless adds to the excitement of B.o.B.’s upcoming debut album. As I was about throw this post up the track with Eminem leaked. B.o.B. has two solid verses, Hayley Williams orchestrates the hook perfectly, and Eminem, well, see for yourself:
