What I'm Watching ... Reflection Eternal - "Ballad Of The Black Gold"

You already know that the Revolutions Per Minute album is dope as hell. If you don't, then fix that issue. Check out this video that is speaking on the issues of the oil industry and the oil spill that we Americans are now dealing with. Pretty dope visuals to go with the lyrics Talib is spitting.

Reflection Eternal "Ballad of the Black Gold" from Sam Ellison on Vimeo.

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What I'm Watching ... Zo! - "This Could Be The Night featuring Rapper Big Pooh"

Check out Zo! putting in work with this jam right here. Definitely feeling this. Can't wait for the album.

The official music video for the first single taken from Zo!'s upcoming album SunStorm, in stores July 27 on +FE Music. Directed by Matt Koza.

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J. Period x Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival

O and I were there last year when J. Period took the stage for what we thought would be a normal DJ set. We figured he'd spin a couple of records and get the crowd hyped. He did more than that as he bought out a gang of guest artists. Apparently it's J. Period's thing to get the crowd hyped with special guest at BHF. He's on the bill again this year and he's got a few surprises in store! I'm excited to see who will be rocking with J. Period this year. Chea!

Brooklyn Bodega & Mixtape King J.Period (MTV Top DJs / Official DJ Hero™) are pleased to announce another exciting edition of theJ.PERIOD LIVE MIXTAPE—an electrifying 30-minute DJ set featuring a TOP SECRET LINE-UP OF HIP HOP LEGENDS – live onstage for the 5th consecutive year at BROOKLYN HIP HOP FESTIVAL (SATURDAY, JULY 10, 2010)!

The “J.Period Live Mixtape” brings the excitement of a J.Period mixtape to the stage – LIVE! – and has become notorious for igniting the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival crowd into a frenzy year after year! Previous “J.Period Live Mixtape” surprise guests have included: Black Thought, Brand Nubian, Crooklyn Dodgers (Special Ed, Masta Ace + Buckshot), EPMD, Smif'n'Wessun, Chubb Rock, O.C., Crazy Legs (Rock Steady Crew) & more...

Fans never know who will take the stage next - some guests are planned and some are completely impromptu - but the result is always one of the highlights of the Festival. When Black Thought took the stage for the finale of 2009's Live Mixtape, the roar of the crowd was deafening... and his freestyle over “Brooklyn Go Hard” was unforgettable.

This year, J.Period has assembled another all-star cast of hip hop legends guaranteed to bring BHF fans to their feet...but the secret is under wraps until showtime!!! Hints? One guest will pay tribute to a fallen comrade... One guest will keep the Native Tongues alive... One guest will illustrate how a real MC controls the crowd... And the grand finale...? We ain’t sayin nothin. Any guesses?

Join Brooklyn Bodega, Saturday July 10, under the bridge in DUMBO Brooklyn, for an amazing lineup of hip hop, with headlining acts including: De La Soul, Boot Camp Clik, Money Makin Jam Boys and The “J.Period Live Mixtape.” It’s guaranteed to be another incredible year at Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 2010... Don’t miss it!!! 

Check the Black Thought "Brooklyn Go Hard" video from 2009


J.Period & Black Thought "Brooklyn Go Hard" (Live @ Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival 2009) from J.Period on Vimeo.

For more information about Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival: www.bkhiphopfestival.com
For tickets: www.bkhiphopfestival.com/ticket_prices.html


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Check It ... @LDrummonds "The Opposite of No"

I've heard the full project. Yeah, it's good ... mellow, smooth and dope! Check the first single from "Time and Space" from the homie Lance Drummonds.

It’s been a very long time coming with this album and I have learned so much. But today marks a first. The video below was shot during “The Fly Experience Volume II” @ BlVD and kudos to Char Loro for lovehard productions, who MASSACRED the editing and footage of the live performance. Shoutout to my band who continues to amaze and entertain. Shoutout to my co-writer Old Money, who helps me take songs to a new level. And Shoutout to anyone who posts this song or video, tells a friend about it and gets the word out that Lance Drummonds is someone to watch out for! But without further delay, May I present to you, “The Opposite of No,” the first single off of my debut album, “Time and Space.” May it take you on a journey and bring smoothness into your atmosphere.

Lance Drummonds - "The Opposite of No" by Lance Drummonds


ldmblog.com
Time and Space: The official debut album of Lance Drummonds (Facebook Group)

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Download ... On Repeat (My Top Tracks of 2010)

We find ourselves in July and it's been a pretty good year thus far musically. There's been a gang of outstanding tracks released so far. A lot of stuff flying under the radar too. I decided to put together a list of my top five, with a few honorable mentions. These are some tracks that have found themselves on repeat in the car, on my iPhone/iPod or at the house. These are jawns that I'm really digging.  Disclaimer: This is my list, not the end all be all list for the top 5 joints of the year. Hit up the comments with your top five.

I hope you enjoy.

Tracklist
1. Kanye West Feat. Dwele - Power
2. Shad - Yaa I Get It
3. Signif x HAZ SOLO - Unleashed (BIG Beard mix)
4. Jay Mills, RaTheMc, Emperess - Trouble
5. Big Boi - Shutterbug
6. Eternia and MoSS (feat. Tiye Phoenix & Jean Grae) - The BBQ (remix)
7. Rob Roy - White Shoes
8. Theophilus London - I Want You (Marvin Gaye Cover)
9. GhostWridah (feat. Mayday) - Still Not Famous
10. Miguel (feat. J. Cole) - All I Want Is You
11. The Roots (feat. Monsters Of Folk) - Dear God 2.0



Check my thought process and ranking ...

# 1 Power (Kanye West feat. Dwele) - The first time I heard Kanye's "Power", I thought two things, 1) He took the buzz from all of the Drake leaks and 2) Kanye is still a problem musically. I was almost late to work over this track when it dropped. I had just downloaded and ripped a copy to my iPod before I left the house and was sitting in the parking lot at work blasting it! I looked down at the clock and realized what time it was, let the track ride out to the end and punched in 6 minutes late. Good ass job, Kanye (pun intended).


# 2 Dear God 2.0 (The Roots feat. Monsters of Folk) - "How I Got Over" is one of the strongest albums released this year. But since folks don't support good music, the numbers won't support that claim. I know it though, in my heart, how strong this album is. "Dear God 2.0" supports my claim at the album's strength. Black Thought goes off on this track ... "They said he's busy hold the line please, call me crazy I thought maybe he could mind read ..." The sample is tough and Thought delivers lyrically.

# 3 Yaa I Get It (Shad) - The first time I heard this track is was via Shad's teaser video for the track. I usually hate video teasers for tracks. But this was serious. The beat hit and Shad rips through the first few lines, "Maybe I'm not big cause I don't blog or twitter ... dog I'm bitter..." and then he just lays into it on this track. A lot of folks sleep on the homie from north of the border but lyrically Shad is a beast. The dude is talented and his latest offering "TSOL" shows it.

# 4 Shutterbug (Big Boi) - This track is serious. The first time I heard it, I visualized what the video would look like. A few weeks later when the video dropped, it was basically what I had seen, give or take. Big Boi provides that ride slow in your Caddy music. After hearing "Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty" sans the Gucci track , I guess it's time to get a Cadillac for sure so I can dig the music appropriately.


# 5 The BBQ Remix (Eternia & MoSS feat. Tiye Phoenix and Jean Grae) - I like both versions of this track but for me it's Jean Grae who makes me favor this track more. Plus Eternia holds her own and Tiye Phoenix brings it. Both the original and remix get a lot of play but this one just a little bit more. By the way, Eternia & MoSS' "At Last" is a great album from front to back. Get that!

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

All I Want Is You (Miguel feat. J. Cole) - The first time I heard "All I Want Is You" I was in the middle of finalizing the tracks for episode # 2 of the podcast and this track made me rework the whole thing. Miguel's vocals and J. Cole's verses sold me. This track is definitely a winner this year.


Trouble (Jay Mills, RaTheMc, Emperess) - The first time I heard this joint from Jay Mills, RaTheMc and Emperess (three fierce emcees who just happen to be women) it was basically acapella at a live show (I peeped the tape). It immediately became a favorite. It took me a few weeks to track down the mp3. When I finally did, I blasted it. I shared it. I supported it. I'm hoping for a remix to this track with a few more dope ladies. This track is definitely trouble.

I Want You (Theophilus London) - When I first heard Theophilus London's "I Want You", I immediately thought that the track was a solid winner. Sampling Marvin Gaye could either be good or bad (horrible if you can't deliver). Theophilus delivers and lets the track simmer (copyright Michael Jackson) in just the right places.

White Shoes (Rob Roy) - "White Shoes" is off of Rob Roy's "King Warrior Magician Lover", which is technically a track from last year however Rob Roy just released the project this year for free download. The full project is dope and "White Shoes" is one of my favorites off of it. "White shoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooes ..."

Unleashed (Signif) - "Unleashed" was on Signif's "Beautifly Flawed" project and released this year on "The Transition Remixes" produced by Haz Solo. The first time I heard the newly produced track was at 6:15 in the morning as I was getting ready for work and it was brought to me by some dope visuals from the homie Darren Cole's Alphabang Productions camp. Yeah, "Unleashed" gets a lot of play.

Still Not Famous (GhostWridah feat. Mayday) - Still Not Famous gets the wild card selection. A new track that just hit my inbox a few days ago but has been getting steady plays since. I definitely dig this track a lot from the Miami emcee with a little help from Mayday. GhostWridah's "In Love With My Future" project is filled with some pretty solid tracks.


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Check It ... Misen Lync "Friendly Skies" feat. Speak Easy and Diva

This joint is off of Misen Lync's "Both Sides Of The Mirror" project. Video coming soon. Enjoy this track in the meantime!



www.IVtinsoldiers.com

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Preview It ... P.So The Earthtone King "Suicide by Jellyfish" {SNIPPETS}

Check it!

Indie hip-hop producer/emcee P.So the Earthtone King, who's heralded mixtape Earthtones won him critical acclaim in 2009, is back with his next release, Suicide by Jellyfish, set for release Tuesday, July 20th.

Locking himself in the studio for months, and enlisting the emcee talents of fellow AOK Collective member 8thW1, the artist formerly known as P.Casso has quietly crafted a left-of-center, avant-garde audio trip. The project essentially is, at it's core, hip-hop over indie rock, electro, remixes and mashups but where it differs is it's introspective tone in regards to the matters of the heart and personal internal issues. The title is derived from the suicide method Will Smith employs in the film "Seven Pounds". According to P.So, "Jellyfish is a metaphor for music, both beautiful and dangerous with a complex, changing form."

While the samples and P.So-produced remixes of Paul McCartney, Chester French, Coldplay, Bjork, Flying Lotus, MadLib, Billie Holiday lend the project a plethora of grooves, 8thW1 adds a conversational flow and intentionally direct diction which challenges the listeners' notion of hip-hop.

Suicide By Jellyfish drops in its entirety on Tuesday, July 20th but you can catch a preview with the snippets below. Enjoy!

www.myspace.com/picassosounds


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Download ... @UNDRCRWN + @MTVTN + @Mickbogie + @DjJazzyJeff215: "Summertime: The Mixtape”

Shoutout to the cats over at UNDRCRWN for this musical mixtape heat rock brought to you by some talented individuals. 49 tracks of dopeness just in time for this heat wave.

* 1. Summertime Intro
* 2. Kool & The Gang: Summer Madness (Live Version)
* 3. Kool & The Gang: Summer Madness
* 4. Quincy Jones: Summer In The City
* 5. Ahmad: Back In The Day
* 6. Ice Cube: It Was A Good Day
* 7. Roy Ayers f/ Mary J Blige: Everybody Loves The Sunshine
* 8. Pharcyde: Passin’ Me By (Ffej Remix)
* 9. Jay-Z f/ Babyface: Sunshine
* 10. Ramsey Lewis: Sun Goddess
* 11. A Tribe Called Quest: Find A Way (Ffej String Edit)
* 12: Bush Babies f/ Mos Def: The Love Song
* 13. Jodeci: Get On Up
* 14. The Commodores: High On Sunshine
* 15. J Dilla f/ Dwele : Think Twice
* 16. Erick Sermon f/ Marvin Gaye: Music (Mick’s Marvapella Edit)
* 17. Bernard Wright: Who Do You Love
* 18. LL Cool J: Loungin’
* 19. A Tribe Called Quest: Hot Sex
* 20. Main Source: Live At The BBQ
* 21. Nuyorican Soul: Nautilus
* 22. Pharcyde & Sublime: Summertime
* 23. Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff: Summertime Remix
* 24. Michael Jackson: I Can’t Help It
* 25. De La Soul: Breakdawn
* 26. Musiq: Just Friends
* 27. Carl Thomas: Summer Rain
* 28. Faze-O: Riding High
* 29. Dionne Warwick: Walk On By
* 30. Skee-Lo: I Wish
* 31. Black Moon: Who Got The Props
* 32. Frankie Beverly and Maze: Before I Let Go
* 33. Nu Shooz: I Can’t Wait
* 34. Montell Jordan: This Is How We Do It
* 35: The Roots f/ George Benson: Breezin’
* 36: Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff: Time To Chill
* 37. Biggie: Can’t You See
* 38. James Brown: The Payback
* 39. En Vogue: My Lovin’
* 40. Bobby McFerrin: Sunshine Of My Life
* 41. Fifth Dimension: Let The Sun Shine In
* 42. Mos Def: Sunshine
* 43. Nine: Whatcha Want
* 44. Otis Redding: Sittin’ On The Dock
* 45. 2Pac: I Get Around (Mick’s String Edit)
* 46. Zapp: Computer Love (Terry’s Mirage On The Water Mix)
* 47. Seals And Croft: Summer Breeze
* 48. Jay-Z: Dear Summer
* 49. Weldon Irvine: Morning Sunrise

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Check It ... King Reign feat Saukrates & Kardinal Offishall "Money" (Prod. Boi-1da)

Check the lead single from King Reign's "Reign Music" Vol. 2 featuring production from Pharoahe Monch, Boi-1da, Rich Kidd, & more. Enjoy.

twitter.com/purplereign999

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Download ... Intalek & Ritchcraft "Lives and Vibes"

Enjoy!

Intalek, a rapper from Virginia, U.S., collaborated with Ritchcraft, a producer from Halifax, N.S. Canada and created began to create what is now known as 'Lives and Vibes'. The two met on twitter, via Princess, and immediately began making tracks, and in under 2 months Lives and Vibes was completed.

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What I'm Watching ... Consequence & Styles P - "Don't Stand So Close"

I'm digging this track by these two veteran MCs. Video isn't bad either. Thoughts? Check it out.



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What I'm Watching ... Fonzworth Bentley - "Greener featuring Anthony Hamilton"

Fonzworth Bentley releases a new video, this time featuring soulful singer Anthony Hamilton. I still don't know how I feel about this song. Chorus hits though. Check it out.



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