Personally, I haven't taken kindly to folks doing covers of Adele's "Rolling In The Deep." In my opinion what she did musically on the track was perfect. PERFECT.
I've heard a lot of covers, from amatuers to professionals and have been straight on all of them. All of them until this stripped down acappella version from John Legend. Is it better? Hell no, because Adele put her foot into "Rolling In The Deep". But what John does is dope. It would have been really fresh if John kept in Adele's background vocals or maybe added a choir to the background. Nonetheless, I dig it.
Over the last few days a gang of fresh videos from the likes of Big K.R.I.T., Stanza, Top $ Razand Relic have hit my inbox and the Internets! Four videos for four dope tracks from four fresh emcees. Shiiiiiiit. Enjoy them all after the jump. Chea!
The homie Chedo chops it up with Pharoahe Monch and Mac Miller in recent interviews for The Come Up Show. Chedo stays on his interview grind. Salute! Enjoy the interviews.
Check out these cuts by Cesar Luciano that came in the inbox. It sounds pretty good so I am posting it to get your point of view. Also, be on the lookout for his mixtape next month.
Cesar Luciano is a new artist who was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and spent his childhood in the Bronx, NY (Boogie Down) and now resides in Providence, Rhode Island.
Cesar will release his debut mixtape, The Great Depression, in April and the first leak from the project was “Someday” (I Made It).
Get your beats and bars together producers and emcees. Check out details below. Chea!
2K Sports and Duck Down Music announced today that the NBA® 2K12 producer and MC contests have officially begun. Aspiring producers and MCs will be able to enter the contest and submit their music for the upcoming NBA 2K12 soundtrack by uploading a sample-free beat or clean track.
"We're thrilled to partner with Duck Down Music again to find the best aspiring producers and MCs to create an original track for NBA 2K12," said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing, 2K Sports. "With over two thousand producers and MCs having entered last year, we expect to have an even greater number of participants as we continue to set the standard for game soundtracks matched with in-game innovations."
Last year, fans had the ability to cast their vote for the overall winner of both phases. After a combined 250,000 votes were cast, Bayroot productions and MC Young Automatik were chosen as the Grand Prize winners. Their song, "Go Hard or Go Home," made the soundtrack for NBA 2K11 and was used in the title's TV commercial, which ran during last year's NBA Finals. The Grand Prize winners also received an all-expense paid trip to New York City to perform their track live and on stage during Duck Down Music's CMJ showcase.
Phase 1: NBA 2K12 Producer Contest
Starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT on March 23, 2011, producers will have two weeks to create one sample-free instrumental. All submissions must be uploaded to a SoundCloud drop box located at www.duckdown.com/nba2K12, as well as NBA 2K and Duck Down Music's Facebook pages by 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2011. Producers are also encouraged to record video of their beat-making process, which can be included with their final submission.
Duck Down Music A&R and representatives from 2K Sports will select the top-10 instrumentals on April 6, 2011. On April 7, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. EDT, the top-10 selected instrumentals will be streamed online via a custom SoundCloud music player on NBA 2K and Duck Down Music's Facebook pages providing fans with the chance to vote for their favorite track by "liking" the one they feel is the best beat. Voting ends at 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 13, 2011.
The winner of the producer phase will be announced at 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 14, 2011.
Phase 2: NBA 2K12 MC Contest
Starting at 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 14, 2011, MCs will have two weeks to submit one clean (no cursing or references to drugs, sex, violence, gangs, money, etc.) track with their lyrics/chorus over the winning producer's instrumental. MCs are urged to record music that does not include obvious references to basketball and to be creative with their delivery and overall theme. All submissions must be uploaded to the SoundCloud drop box at www.duckdown.com/nba2K12 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 27, 2011.
At 12:00 p.m. EDT on April 29, 2011, after the top-10 songs are determined by Duck Down Music and 2K Sports, they will again be streamed online via a custom SoundCloud music player at NBA 2K and Duck Down Music's Facebook pages. Fans will then have the chance to cast their final vote for their favorite track by "liking" the one they feel is strongest candidate for NBA 2K12. Voting ends at 12:00 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2011.
The winner of the MC phase will be announced at 4:00 p.m. EDT on May 6, 2011.
The Grand Prize winners of the contest, which will consist of one producer and one MC, will have their song placed in the music soundtrack for NBA 2K12. In addition, each winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City, where they will have the special opportunity to perform the song live at Duck Down's CMJ Showcase in October 2011. The top-10 MCs and top-10 producers selected from each phase will also receive premium accounts at SoundCloud, valued at $700.
Savant is back with his Crash Course project with check point 6 and yet another pretty dope track presented by Donuts and Milk. I got to personally meet Savant when his tour made a stop in my state and put on a good performance in person. He's a good dude and a better MC. Check out his latest and make sure you click the link to play catch up on the course.
Check point 6 of 2011... #CrashCourse 9. Fresh off of the Abstract Music Group's Spring Tour 2011 of the United States' northeastern region, AMG's Savant (aka Stanstro) links with Donuts & Milk to bring you the latest addition to his Crash Course Leak Series, the 7 emcee posse cut "State Bar AZ Cypher". Laced, scratched and cut by Visions Of the Sun beatsmith Marvel76, and featuring bars from Visions Of the Sun emcees (Hexsagon, Fred Free & Casto), Random (aka MegaRan), Mr. Miranda and Medaforacle, the jawn serves as the definitive answer to the question: "What's Arizona's hip hop scene like"?
From the Sauce Fonda produced Intro to the last track touching on subjects of first class coach seats and taking a lady friend wherever in the world she may want to go, this album is a pretty good one. J.GOOD puts in work on the mic backed by cool production. This one got played through easily and enjoyably. He's giving this dope product away for a $1 or for free. What's one dollar?! Cheap and easy support. Check it out!
T.U.S member and Sacramento resident J.Good drops his long awaited debut project. Featuring the likes of Von Pea, L.E.G.A.C.Y, TiRon, El Prez, Ayomari & Keno. With production from Jansport J, Hannibal King, Nefarious and more. Twitter.com/jgoodtus
As much as artists jump on industry beats to try to get their name out with freestyles and such, I feel Chill Moody went a throwback and dope way by using a bunch of beats made famous by Nas himself. This joint actually hyped me up. Maybe it was because of the beats or him rhyming over them, or maybe it was both. Check for yourself.
West Philly emcee Chill Moody goes in over a medley of NAS beats provided by DJ Ambush.
Jinesis is a good dude. And he's a talented producer. He's been featured on the blog a few times (now twice today).
It seems as though Jinesis and I keep similar music hours. There have been countless times that I'll be sorting through my gmail late in the evening and Jinesis will hit me up with a "what's up." Often times the convos aren't even about his music. We'll talk other projects, sports and other random things.
When you know someone outside of their music, you have more of a connection to it I think. Sure there's a lot of music I enjoy that I don't have that personal connection to the artists. But the ones I do have that personal connect with I definitely want to see win. Jinesis is one of those people.
Anyway, I was talking with Jinesis earlier about something else when he hit me with this track. It's the first time I heard it in it's complete form. I heard a sampling of this track a few weeks back and thought it was dope. Yeah, it's still dope.
Jinesis writes of the track, "I sampled Skylar Grey's original demo of Love the Way You Lie.
Making her dulcet tones syrup-y and adding a crisp snare and stuttering kick drum for an interesting mood instrumental."
I've played this joint countless times since he sent it to me just over an hour ago. Jinesis is a dope producer. Folks, take notice. By the way, where's the homie e.d.g.e. at to rhyme over this track? Ha! Enjoy "Alright". Chea!
Check out the latest video from ScienZe off his Hall Pass project (which I'm still playing). ScienZe is dope and stays putting out quality music. Enjoy "History (Play By Play)." Chea!
I'm so terrible at keeping up with certain artists, or rather, doing my research when I have the "wait a minute, who is that guy?" moment. When I typed in his name to find a picture, "The River" came up and I'm thinking to myself, that song title sounds extremely familiar! And lo and behold, I've heard Noel's music before. Does he have an incredible voice? Yes. You guys know I hate cookie-cutter acts and I'm extra excited when I find the complete opposite of that.
"Beautiful" (another joint OC put me on to) is a song I can definitely appreciate for the women AND men. Let's be real. How many times to do we let a man get away with calling us names? I'm sure plenty. I can have a lot of respect for a song that brings that issue to the forefront. And we, as women, have to hold higher standards for ourselves. A man can't do anything we don't allow them to. The same goes for men. We sometimes call you guys out of your names too. Don't tolerate some crap that's utterly disrespectful. Point blank.
*steps down off soap box* Ha!
Noel Gourdin has that warm, soulful voice that you could listen to all day, even if he's singing the phone book. Suffice it to say, I'll be catching up on stuff this dude has put out so I can keep with the times.
But for now, enjoy "The River" (it'll jog your memory just in case) and another, "Beautiful" off 2008 album After My Time. Enjoy.
It must be something about those folks over in the U.K. I, personally, haven't come across an artist from the United Kingdom that I haven't fallen in love with. TMB posted a short article about Noisettes back in October 2010, but I'm just now getting up on them. So excuse me! #LatePass... Ha! Anyhow, thanks to fellow colleague OC for putting me on. Here is an acoustic version of Noisette's newest joint "Never Forget You" off their upcoming album Wild Young Hearts. Enjoy.
