Ritchcraft's 30 in 30 (Day 20: When It Comes)

And we're back on track. On day 20, with 10 more days to go in the 30 in 30 series, Ritchcraft delivers another one of my personal favorites. When It Comes is fresh. I definitely dig this joint. Anyway, check out my day 15 interview with Ritchcraft here. Also get the back story on Ritchcraft's 30 in 30 here. Enjoy day 20. Chea!

www.ritchslapped.com
twitter.com/Ritchcraft

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

What I'm Watching ... Theo Martins "Final Fantasy" Feat. STRFKR

Theo Martins is a cool guy that makes some really fresh music. I dig what Theo does musically and with this latest video, I dig what he does visually as well. Enjoy "Final Fantasy." Fresh. Chea!

twitter.com/theomartins

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Check It ... OnCue "It Usually Goes"

OnCue returns with new music off his upcoming project. When I sat down with OnCue back in December to interview him for my column Return of The Real over at RefinedHype.com, we talked about how he's found his sound and wants to continue to explore that and put out quality music. He's definitely pushing forward. Check out the CJ Luzi produced "It Usually Goes", with visuals put together by Justin Joslin Media. Fresh video. Dope song. Enjoy. Chea!

twitter.com/mynamecuey

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Ritchcraft's 30 in 30 (Day 19: Far Away)

A day late but it's all good. Ha! Check out my day 15 interview with Ritchcraft here. Also get the back story on Ritchcraft's 30 in 30 here. Enjoy day 19. Chea!

www.ritchslapped.com
twitter.com/Ritchcraft

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

@YCtheCynic Grows With Fall Fwd

I had the intro planned out. I was gonna explain Fall Fwd. Then everything changed. As of right now, the only thing I can think of to say to you is Fall Fwd is the truth. Ha!

Honestly, I could start and end this post with YC The Cynic’s Fall Fwd (released March 1st) is one of my favorite underground projects released this year, and you should immediately download it.

But I’ll expand on that.

First, let me take you back. I remember listening to YC the first time over a year ago. I had received emails from his camp leading up to the release of his last project, You’re Welcome. I thought the kid was cool. I thought You’re Welcome was fresh. I remember meeting YC last summer in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival and he just came-off as a guy who was trying to make quality music that folks would enjoy. On this simple mission, YC delivers.

And on Fall Fwd, he delivers more.

It’s Fall Fwd that ultimately tells the story of an emcee who has grown. Like I said, You’re Welcome was cool but Fall Fwd is great (who knows what the The Spectacle, YC’s next project, will bring).  Fall Fwd is lyrically and from a production standpoint a win for YC and ultimately his listeners.

Often a project will hit and it’s cool for a limited amount of time. Which is usually that first or second play. Let’s be honest, a 1000 + songs are released every second, every day. 1000 + new projects hit the Internet daily. Repeatability is what you’re ultimately trying to achieve when you release music. Having had Fall Fwd for weeks prior to the release, it’s still being played.

You can’t help but go back to tracks like Mr. Brown, The Clever, More and More, Hey There Young Man, Suicide, The Harder and the title track Fall Fwd, among others. With features from Soul Khan, Homeboy Sandman, Von Pea, C-Rayz Walz, Sene and others; plus production from J57, OTiS CLaPP, 2 Hungry Bros and more, you’d assume that YC would get lost in the mix. Wrong (Charlie Murphy voice). YC makes sure you know that Fall Fwd is his vision and he owns every track he’s on. The production and features just help YC paint incredible pictures lyrically on every track.

I could say more but now it’s time for you to listen to Fall Fwd and determine how you feel about the project.

His name is YC The Cynic, and he’s an emcee and apparently he strokes beats ever so gently. Ha! Enjoy Fall Fwd. Chea!

You can download for free or purchase via bandcamp. You make the choice.

twitter.com/ycthecynic

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Check It ... Shane Eli "When We Were Kings"

Gotdamn!!!!!! When the beat dropped and Shane Eli started to rhyme over this killer beat my head started to immediately nod. This track is so damn serious. Serious in the sense of rhyme and content. "When We Were Kings" is the third release off Shane's upcoming I Can Do Better project. I gotta thank Nathan over at RefinedHype/DJBooth for putting this joint in my inbox. This joint is definitely a winner. If you aren't rocking with this track, I'm not sure if there's hope for you musically. Ha! Enjoy. Chea!

  When We Were Kings by ThroatChopU 

www.shaneeli.com
twitter.com/shane_eli

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Check It ... e.d.g.e. "Confirmation" (Prod. by CientifiQ)

Time and time again Vancouver emcee e.d.g.e. delivers. A great ear for beats and incredible wordplay, he continues to push new music out leading up to the release of his next project, All Flow Everything. All Flow Everything is due to drop when it drops but in the meantime, enjoy the CientifiQ produced "Confirmation." Damn, this track is dope. Definitely one of my favorite tracks from e.d.g.e. Enjoy. Chea!

  Confirmation (prod. by CientifiQ) by ThroatChopU 

twitter.com/​edge1981
edge.bandcamp.com

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

2-Cent & Their Challenge To The Tom Joyner Morning Show

BACK STORY: El Williams, who manages TheSeKondElement, hit me up via email in regards to the group 2 Cent out of New Orleans. As their website elaborates, "2-Cent is a collaborative effort of creative, frustrated, and comedic twenty-somethings. They all posses the innate ability to convey humor and urgency toward issues that plague not only New Orleans, but America in general." Check out the full story after the jump.

Check It ... K. Raydio "Significant (Other) Part II"

I listen to a lot of Hip-Hop now but I was raised by soul music. I grew up in a house where Aretha, Luther, Gladys, Patti, Ray and others were my music teachers. And when I'm having a tough day, I return to soul music to mellow me out.

So, when the homie Man Mantis emailed me the latest K. Raydio project,  Significant (Other) Part II, I quickly hit play. Last year I fell in love with the voice of K. on Significant (Other). She's got that neo-soul thing going on and Man Mantis who produced all but one track ("Prayin'" produced by Charlie Kim) brings that voice alive over some dope production.

This is a solid project. Among my favorite cuts on the six track EP is "Protocol" and "I See You (Zone Out)."

So, since I'm feeling this project so much let's make a deal. If you dig it, pay it forward and share it with a friend. I'm afraid that too many people will sleep on Significant (Other) Part II. Doing that will be a mistake. Support good music. Chea!




Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Download ... Jinesis "My Thoughts Exactly the EP"

"This could be a mind fuck, but I like it..."

A few nights ago Bronx producer Jinesis emailed me the advance of his latest project, My Thoughts Exactly the EP. I hit play and just mellowed out to the smooth beats featuring spoken word poet Knickie D, used in some strategic placement on the EP. My Thoughts Exactly shows the work of a very talented producer. According to Jinesis it's a redux of some of his early work. On some occasions a beat moves you in a way that you don't even want vocals to touch the track. That's how I feel on a track like "Black Hornet." I vibe out to "Sun TreeZ" too. I'd like to definitely hear someone spit over "Stones". Overall, this is a solid project. So, sit back and hit play. Enjoy the beats of the talented Jinesis. Chea!

www.iamjinesis.com

Follow the madness: twitter.com/themadbloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Check It ... Pharoahe Monch - "Black Hand Side" feat Styles P. & Phonte

"A generation overly obsessed with mobsters / our revolutionaries more Grammys and Oscars / imposters...fake auras and weak Chakras / making a mockery of the music to be pop stars..." - Pharoahe Monch

I love it. Take a listen...

Pharoahe Monch "Black Hand Side" feat. Styles P & Phonte' by duckdown

Follow @PharoaheMonch

Follow the madness: twitter.com/TheMadBloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers

Check It ... Has-Lo - "Black Rose - GumShoe RMX"

The inbox provided us with this dopeness of a story in lyrical form by Has-Lo. Hit play and enjoy.

Has-Lo's "Black Rose - GumShoe Remix." The original version of "Black Rose" appeared on MMG's "Helpless Dreamer" and the remix is now provided by Culture I. "Black Rose" is an exercise in storytelling, and is basically a Noir detective story on wax, thus the "GumShoe Remix."

Follow the madness: twitter.com/TheMadBloggers_
Check out more from The Mad Bloggers