What I'm Watching: Diamond District (yU, Oddisee, Uptown XO) - "First Step"

Diamond District is back with the visuals to their first and dope out the gate single to the album "March On Washington". This album is going to be bananas.

DC's Holy Trinity is back with their first visuals from the new album "March On Washington." yU, Oddisee & Uptown XO enlist director Jay Brown for the visual narrative on "First Step." Starting with XO we see the DC emcee light up the opening verse putting spirit back in the music before passing the torch on to his brethren. yU then spits cold bars with the linguistic dexterity of a seasoned veteran, all the while casually grinding an African chew stick. Meanwhile, the video lays out the metaphor of three emcees on separate paths coming together to form one group. In the last scene the track's producer and final lyricist, Oddisee, takes the helm of his ship: "Man, it's just the way it go, if I want it, say it so." Get ready for the new album coming October 14th.

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Diamond District (yU, Oddisee, Uptown XO) - "Lost Cause"

The latest heat from "March On Washington", releasing on October 14th. Maaaaaaaaaaan, I can't wait.



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The 1978ers (yU & Slimkat) - "One-Nine-7-T-8"

New track off "People of Today" dropping November 11th. Get ready!



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Diamond District - "First Step"

Finally! Diamond District is back. Oddisee, yU, and Uptown XO come out swinging on this hard hitting track off "March On Washington". Can't say enough great things about the production Oddisee brings to the table. Add XO and yU to the mix and you get an explosive sound that reverberates from the states to overseas. Nothing short of dope on this single. Check it.

From the upcoming return of Diamond District "March On Washington" October 14th. Diamond District is yU, Oddisee, and Uptown XO. Produced by Oddisee.

When Diamond District dropped In the Ruff on Mello Music Group in 2009, the gritty drums and grimy raps combined as elementally as hydrogen and oxygen. The D.C. Voltron of Oddisee, yU, and X.O. dusted off and revitalized a sound once consigned to the catacombs.

Hailed as an instance classic, its impact reverberated throughout the underground and mainstream. The Washington D.C. City Paper called it the city’s best album in many years. During an era when lyricism was deemed too intellectual and samples too dated,Diamond District overturned conventional logic. They preserved the raw and made it righteous.

A half-decade later, the holy trinity has returned with March on Washington. The truths remain timeless. Wisdom over rhythm. Slang turned into testament.



Preorder: Diamond District - "March On Washington"

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yU - "Never Burning Out"

From the upcoming EP from Drew Dave, peep the new yU cut, Never Burning Out. Enjoy. Chea!

Download: Allen Poe - "Pocket Full of Ohms"

Allen Poe has definitely come a long way from a few of the singles he'd hit me up with back in the day. I can hear the growth in this album and the hard work. For a free album, you're pretty much getting a bargain and a half because I could easily see myself coppin' this joint for some bucks. Good music here.

Pocket Full Of Ohms, clearly a play on UGK's classic Pocket Full of Stones, is a record that attempts to account for my coming of age in what many consider hip hop's golden age (the 90's) and how hip hop influenced me, not as an artist, but as a man.

This record features production by J57, Nemo Achida, Foreign Allegiance, Brock Berrigan, Cody Jordan, Lofidel and ILL CLINTON among others. Featured artists include Von Pea, yU, Sheisty Khrist, Emma Shaheen, Basement Up and others.

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Def Dee - "Numb Again" feat. yU & Hassaan Mackey

Def Dee provides us with music that seems like it's exactly what your speakers were missing.

Today, Def Dee is excited to share Numb Again (feat. yU & Hassaan Mackey) the first track off of his upcoming spring release, 33 an'a third. The album is a remix compilation with a twist. Dee took unreleased verses from his MMG brethren, along with some classic verses, and started remixing. Then he called in the spittas to fill in the blanks with entirely new bars. The results speak for themselves. Numb Again features an unreleased yU verse that was originally for his group The 1978ers. After Dee remixed it, he called up the gravel voiced Rochester MC Hassaan Mackey to lay an all new verse down. The result: numb.

Def Dee: Twitter  Facebook

Mello Music Group:  Twitter Facebook

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yU "Dreams" feat. Danedra Rowell

I really dig this joint. Hit play and enjoy. Chea!

The A-side of the next installment in Mello Music Group’s 7” Series comes from Diamond District/1978er producer/emcee yU.

Enlisting Danedra Rowell on vocals, yU eschews the new age boom-bap that got him noticed for something closer to all of our heartstrings. Featuring no rapped bars, “Dreams” is a bittersweet ballad that is less literal than emotive. It captures that late-night, pensive feeling us music heads are very familiar with.  yU is able to craft a sound that is universal and hyper-local, breaking new ground for himself musically.

Peeling back yet another layer of sound from his extensive pallet, yU is proving his versatility as a musician. 

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What I'm Watching: Uptown XO (of Diamond District) "Errybody"

From his The Color Gray mixtape due out in October, XO of Diamond District drops the visuals for the AB The Pro produced banger Errbody. The Color Gray comes ahead of his album Colour de Grey due out in January. XO is also working with Oddisee and yU for their sophomore Diamond District project. Big things coming. In the meantime, enjoy this vid. Chea!

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yU "I Believe (Oddisee Remix)"

"Continuing to rep for the DMV individually and as a unit, yU and Oddisee embody the relentless dedication and grind they reference so often..."

Both dudes are so dope. Enjoy the music. Chea!



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Mello Muve (Exclusive) - "Right Now" feat. Oddisee, Gensu Dean, Apollo Brown, & yU

"Right Now" is dope on all levels and Mello Music Group is doing a great job putting out fire. Here they add fuel to the fire with the assistance of Oddisee, yU, Gensu Dean, and Apollo Brown.



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yU "Time Machine" Feat. Bilal Salaam & Danedra Rowell

I remember watching an interview with yU where he was talking about this track and how he basically used old photos as his inspiration for pulling the cut together. I thought that was dope. Imagine the story you could write based on the memories you recall from old photo albums. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case, it's worth a solid track. Enjoy the latest single off of the DMV emcee's new project, The Earn. Chea!



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What I'm Watching: An Interview with Diamond District

Another Diamond District album in the works from Oddisee, X.O., and yU. I can not wait. Check out the interview to find out more.

After their performance at The Black Cat in D.C., the hip-hop powerhouse known as Diamond District sat down with us to talk about where they've been, what they've been up to, and what you can expect from their next album, "March on Washington".

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yU - "If U Down"

yU is a dope emcee from the DMV and also a member of Diamond District. He is about to drop a new project that I'm buying without the need to listen. I've heard enough to know dude can flow and over great production. Check it.

yU released the first single from The EARN titled "If U Down" The track debuted this afternoon on Al Lindstrom with an Interview discussing yU's musical progression and the business of making records. The EARN hits stores everywhere December 13th. Enjoy the song!

 

Read the Interview w/ yU @ Al Lindstrom

http://allindstrom.com/2011/11/interview-mellomusicgroup-yuthe78er-discuss-the-earn/

Pre-Order The EARN

yU - The EARN

http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/the-earn/id476747412

 

yU - The Earn (Limited Edition Money Green Vinyl)

http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/yu-the-earn/MMG021LP/

 

yU - The Earn (deluxe 6 panel digipak cd)

http://www.undergroundhiphop.com/yu-the-earn/MMG021CD/

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What I'm Watching - Uptown XO - "Tol' You So" featuring Diamond District + Download "Uptown XO - Monumental 2" (Free)

What happens when you get these same cats together flowing over beats like this?! You should already know the answer to that, that's what you get. This track met the repeat button about 5 times as I was posting this. Come to find out, XO released the album with this track a few days ago for FREE?!?! Yeah. I jumped on that. So do yourself a favor and get it. Now!!! Haha.

Side note: I keep telling heads how ill Oddisee is but some still ain't listening. "Had the bank tellers looking like strippers / countin' 500 in 5s so yeah I had to tip her..."



Get the whole album for free!



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Surock "Blasphemy" feat. Pro'Verb, K-Beta, yU (of Diamond District), Lyriciss, & RAtheMC

Considered some of the DMV's elite, Surock rounded up the five to be featured on what was going to be a bonus cut on his Suck My Disk beat tape but apparently time didn't allow for it's inclusion. Yesterday both RAtheMC and the homie Lyriciss hit me up with the track. This jawn is serious. Video soon come. Enjoy the track in the meantime. Chea!

  Surock ft. Pro'Verb, K-Beta, yU, Lyriciss, & RAtheMC - Blasphemy by The Mad Bloggers

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