Needles » rap

Mad Skillz – Up All Night

needles — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:47:37 +0000

Mad Skillz has been working on some new material lately that sounds like a refreshing return to form. “Up All Night” has been playing in my head continuously for nearly a week. I think it’s Chaka’s vocals making it sticky. Rik Marvel loops up Rufus’ “What Am I Missing” for the beat – simple, but it works well here, given the subject matter of the track. This is apparently slated to appear on his forthcoming Infamous Quotes which at this time is hard to tell whether it will be a full album or a mixtape. In the meantime, check out the new Skillz:

Mad Skillz – Up All Night | ???

Oddisee – Odd Winter [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:47:13 +0000

I posted Oddisee’s previous mixtape, Odd Summer, last August. With it’s groovy, laid-back, summery grooves, it didn’t disappoint. Oddisee came back a bit harder in January for the third in his Odd [season] series (how did he know it would be such an odd winter?). We had 3 feet of snow just two weeks ago here in DC, the town that nurtured Oddisee and the DMV crew. There are a few guest MCees on this effort, but it’s the instrumentals that are the standouts, as usual. Check out “Blizzard of ‘09″ below or download the whole mixtape yourself here from the Bandcamp website.

Oddisee – Blizzard of ‘09 | mixtape

Inspectah Deck – Dreamcatcher

needles — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:29:36 +0000

Let’s keep the Wu moving… I feel like I’m listening to a Nas + AZ track produced by L.E.S., but this is the Rebel INS. Maybe he was inspired by brethren Ghostface rhyming over all those non-looped R&B tracks, but Deck kills Anita Baker’s “Mystery” on his own right. Apparently it’s from a mixtape called Traveling at the Speed of Light while Standing Still that was supposed to drop back in September, but I never saw the mixtape. Or maybe he is still eating his pasta with the lobsta sauce…

Inspectah Deck – Dreamcatcher | mixtape

Wale – My Sweetie

needles — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:50:36 +0000

It has been nearly a month since my last post, and I’ve been through more “life changes” than I have room to shake a record at, so I’ll spare you the details. I have written about Wale before and will continue to put on blast new artists that are willing to reach outside of their comfort zone. The track is short, but sweet… After picking it up in August, I read that Wale wanted to make something that paid homage to the West African parties he used to go to as a kid. I’m not sure if this is going to find it’s way onto his upcoming album, Attention Deficit, but if it is a sign of his creative direction, the album is definitely going to be worth copping. Apple Juice Kid loops up Bunny Mack’s 1979 calypso single “Let Me Love You”, which was a hit in the UK and in New York’s post-disco scene. I encourage you to check out both Wale as well as Sierra Leone’s own Bunny Mack with the original:

Wale – My Sweetie | Allido / Interscope

Bunny Mack – Let Me Love You | Rokel

Pac Div – Church League Champions [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:10:21 +0000

My apologies for the hiatus; I have been bouncing around the country and making some moves, but I am now back in The Lab and ready with some fresh music. The sonic assault from southern Cali continues (what’s up New York? Brooklyn where we at??)… Pac Div has been dropping gems for a few years, but a few months ago dropped their very strong mixtape: Church League Champions. Of course, it’s full of sports metaphors, but lyrically they touch on a lot of issues and cover many styles. Pac Div also recently made an appearance on the wonderful L.A.U.S.D. compilation/mixtape that I posted on last month, along with fellow Cali rappers U-N-I, who I posted up the month before that. Apparently Pac Div is now signed to Motown / Universal, who will be putting out their full-length sometime this year. You can check up on Pac Div on their website, but be sure to download their mixtape here. In the meantime, here is a taste of one of the stronger cuts from the mixtape:

Pac Div – Whiplash | mixtape

de la Soul – Big Mouf

needles — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:49:45 +0000

Nike has been doing a series of mixtapes (Nike+ Original Run) aimed at runners for a few years now. Since 2006, The Crystal Method, Aesop Rock, LCD Soundsystem, Cassius and A-Trak have all done running mixes. Earlier this year, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of 3 Feet High and Rising, Nike tapped de la Soul for their 6th in this series, and de la’s first new music since the very solid The Grind Date. All the production is credited to Flosstradamus, but I really feel the influence (or work) of AOI-era de la and Supa Dave West beatcrafting. “Baby Phat”’s production comes to mind as soon as I hear “Big Mouf”. What do you think?

de la Soul – Big Mouf | Nike

50 Cent – Forever King [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:49:41 +0000

Why should I post a 50 Cent mixtape? Because his last two have been unlike anyone else’s out there. With Forever King, and Sincerely Yours before it, 50 subtly presents a theme that threads each mixtape into a cohesive and unique experience. I can’t help but admire the artistry of it. On Sincerely Yours he rapped straight ahead over classic 80s r&b cuts, kind of like how Ghostface Killah smothers those sweet-soul records. On this go-round, 50 goes over 90s r&b acts such as Intro, Case and Jeff Redd (save for the special Michael Jackson tribute). It’s not that the rhymes are ground-breaking; that’s not the point of this mixtape. Instead, they have a natural and easy-going flow to them, and dare I say it… swagger. I’m not talking about that swagger that everyone and their mom has been arguing over, but rather that classic, effortless delivery. It’s like Melle Mel playing the MC to Grandmaster Flash at Bronx Science in 1978, except that 50 Cent is playing hype-man to (himself?). You get the idea… You think 50 Cent has captured that fun “rock the party” vibe here? Check him out rhyming over an old Horace Brown track or download the whole mixtape here:

50 Cent – Forever King [mixtape] | mixtape

David Dallas – Big Time

needles — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:31:18 +0000

When I first heard this dude, I thought: “is this MIMS?” David Dallas has a similar voice, but is way more interesting lyrically and half a world away from New York. Most of the foreign (non-US) rap artists that have made it to our shores seem to be stuck in an early 80s-style on-beat flow and so never rise out of the underground scene. (Of course, we have our share of American stuck-in-the-80s flow artists – Chamillionaire comes to mind.) So here comes this cat from New Zealand with his Young MC delivery (he cites Young MC as an early influence) and humble charm. He also just released this video for the track on his website. His sound is young and early, but certainly has potential… and the production, especially the horns, sounds great. Check it out:

David Dallas – Big Time | Dirty

L.A.U.S.D. – Curly Tops and Nautica Jackets [mixtape]

needles — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:21:06 +0000

What I hope to be an increasingly popular trend, rap artists have increasingly been forming “super” groups. Of course, some, like Slaughterhouse, are more well-known than others, but usually, it’s a nice way to showcase and leave behind all the filler you get with 19 tracks can get from a solo artist. (Did it really take two years to make Loso’s Way, Fab?) The Los Angeles Unified Sound District (L.A.U.S.D.) consists of a grip of MCs and producers that include Diz Gibran, Blu, U-N-I, Pac Div and many others. The thread that ties them together here is the subject matter on this mixtape and the production: rhymes about mid-90s LA culture (post-Chronic era) over beats by Polyster, L4zy Lou and a few others. You can download the mixtape directly from their website here. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this “mixtape”. In the meantime I have included two of the tracks (the first one features Jack Davey from J*Davey on the guest vocals) I have in heavy rotation right now:

L.A.U.S.D. – iFeel (f/Blu, Jack Davey) | mixtape

L.A.U.S.D. – It’s Not Right (f/Smooth, Diz Gibran, El Prez, Polyster, Dnez, L.Iv) | mixtape

The Artifacts – Wrong Side of da Tracks [demo]

needles — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:23:46 +0000

Back in 1993, Tame One and El da Sensei burst onto the scene with their classic ode to graf-writing, “Wrong Side of da Tracks”. The beat hit hard, the rhymes were fresh and the imagery, especially in their video, was something that rap fans hadn’t seen before. At the same time, New Jeruz (New Jersey) was entering it’s own rap Golden Age with Redman, Naughty by Nature, Lords of the Underground, half of das EFX and The Fugees. A few years ago, I got my hands on this demo version of The Artifacts’ first single, probably recorded around 1992. The delivery is a little bit different, and their rhymes lay on top of a Quincy Jones “Ironside”-based beat. Listen for yourself to hear the difference from the T-Ray-produced studio track:

The Artifacts – Wrong Side of da Tracks | demo