Fool’s Gold’s dynamic duo Telephoned have put together a new mixtape, Keep Their Heads Ringin, just in time for their opening slot on Chromeo’s US tour (which kicked off this week with performances in DC and Philly and across North America for the rest of the summer). Keep Their Heads Ringin gives listeners a perfect taste of the new sounds Maggie and producer Sammy Bananas have woven into their repertoire of party starting not-quite-cover songs.

Download: Telephoned ‘Keep Their Heads Ringin’ Mixtape

If you have your ears close to the streets and know what’s going on in the world of Hip Hop, you might be familiar with the buzz that’s growing with this young fella repping Mississippi. As a fan of the smooth, Woodgrain Cadillac Pimpin’ sound, Big K.R.I.T. fits the bill.

This mixtape is an “un-official” best of Big K.R.I.T. mixtape put together by the good people at Rap Mullet and Trapper John MD. Congrats to K.R.I.T. on receiving a deal at Def Jam most recently and landing some pretty large features on various singles.For those aware and unaware of his music, this is a good mixtape to set you on your way.

Download: Big K.R.I.T. – Woodgrain Soul

Chromeo is getting ready to release their third album, Business Casual, on September 14th via Atlantic Records. The band’s North American tour, presented by Green Label Sound, kicks off next Monday, July 26th in Washington, DC at the 9:30 Club. Listen to the band’s first single, “Don’t Turn The Lights On” below and is available for purchase on iTunes.

There’s something about independents whether its film or musicians that touches my soul. More importantly it’s the struggle and drive of letting their world hear their stories that sparks my interest. One of my female comrades passed the acoustic version of Lite’s Golden over to me and his wordplay was that immediately deserves placement on Limité Magazine.

Golden is off Out to Lunch which I highly suggests you download and let it marinate through your cerebellum.

Download: Lite Coolroy’s Out To Lunch
www.coolroysays.com

This summer just keeps coming with more goodness than we can endure (maybe) but to add to the madness is M.I.A.’s 3rd album, /\/\ /\ Y /\, follows the internationally critically acclaimed records Arular (2005) and Kala (2007). Like its predecessors /\/\ /\ Y /\ deftly mixes politics, social consciousness, and inimitable genre blending. Perhaps as much a political statement as a musical one, the new album scathingly takes on our ever-increasing dependence on the digital world.

Influences on the sound of /\/\ /\ Y /\ include dubstep, electro, punk, and pop but the end result is not so easy to define. With songs geared towards the dance floor (“XXXO”, “Teqkilla”), the rock club (“Born Free”), or towards a quiet moment alone (“It Iz What Iz”), /\/\ /\ Y /\ covers a lot of ground, but is held together by the controversial and incomparable aesthetic of one Maya Arulpragasam. Avaiable to purchase here.

Who the hell said Hip Hop is dead? Well check this out and holler back at us. Lyrical icon Kool G Rap is preparing a new, untitled album and told AllHipHop.com it has been a long time since he’s been so excited about his music. “I haven’t been this passionate about s**tin a long time, so when someone asks me a question about it I got so much s**t to say, its not just recording a song, this is spilling my f**king guts out there,” the Corona Queens native told AllHipHop.com. He also said that this looming album would reveal parts of his storied life never told before.

Kool G Rap even alluded to losing the passion for Hip-Hop music, even though he is widely regarded as one of the best the genre has offered.

“This is G Rap being excited about even doing this s**t again. There’s been times in my life I lost interest, or even desire to do this s**t. But this, is me.” he said.

Kool G Rap began his career in the late 80’s and is credited with ushering in a new wave of lyricism to Hip-Hop with others like Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. He released seminal albums like Road to the Riches, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Live and Let Die along with DJ Polo. His last work was 2008’s Half a Klip.

Along with the heat, we look forward to BBQs, more beautiful women, spending time at the beach, relaxing with good friends and listening to the perfect tunes while doing so. Over this past 4th of July weekend, our friend Mick Boogie collaborated with legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff and recorded an ode to everyone’s favorite season, Summertime.

49 songs… expertly mixed, cut and transitioned by Mick and Jeff. The songs cover any and everything ‘summer’ related. From songs about summer to songs that just feel like the sunshine season, this multi-genre mix will be sure to make your already great summer even better!

Presented by Undrcrwn and Motivation, the tape features everyone from James Brown, Quincy Jones and The Roots to Jay-Z, The Fresh Prince and The Pharcyde, to Michael Jackson, Sublime and Bobby McFerrin. It’s a fun and eclectic listen… we promise!

Download: Mick Boogie & DJ Jazzy Jeff: Summertime

The guys are currently out with Passion Pit with headlining dates planned for July and August across North America (full dates below).

To embrace the spirit of the record and to have some fun on tour, the band is calling on their fans to participate in the Champ Championship: “Challenge us to something. Anything. Ping pong. Baking. Mario. Nerf guns. Hockey. Unicycling. Catching grapes in your mouth. You name it. When we come to your town on tour we’ll make it happen. This summer, it’s on.” Fans can enter their ideas at TokyoPoliceClub.com and winners will have access to tickets, merchandise, etc. as well as the chance to meet the band while competing in whatever activity they submitted.

‘Wait Up (Boots of Danger)’, recently remixed by Passion Pit and shaping up to be the single of the Summer, has also just received the treatment from Dom.  Check out his take on the tune as well as download the original version here.

Slowly making their way around the globe comes the 2nd mixtape from the “Pitch Perfect” collaboration from Nike Sportwear and The Fader blessing us with music from around the world leading up to this years World Cup, mixed by Europe’s very own Sinden.

“There are 47 countries in Europe—almost as many individual nations as there are states in the United States. It’s an imaginary umbrella covering a disparate continent. What’s the same about Galicia and Amsterdam? Prague and Oslo? Europe has mountain ranges and crazy beaches, consistent sun and perpetual fog. And while it may have a long entangled history, a plethora of exports, specialties and pastimes, what it is now known for is a ravenous appetite for dance music. Every corner of Europe has its own breed of bass, its specific sliver of drum love—there is hardly a nook without its own signature beat. For our Pitch Perfect Europe mixtape, British selector and producer Sinden takes a survey of what’s newest and greatest, with a slant on Europe’s beloved house music. It may only represent a fraction of the continent’s offerings, but wherever you live, we promise it sounds extra fresh.”

Download: Nike Sportswear x The FADER’s Pitch Perfect Mixtape #2: Europe by Sinden

View the track listening after the jump (more…)

All eyes are on the World Cup taking place in Africa this summer and Nike and The Fader have been driving the internet nuts over the last week with their Pitch Perfect mixtapes. Here’s the first one for South America by Maga Bo.

As part one of Nike Sportswear and The FADER’s Pitch Perfect program, The Fader will be posting six mixtapes featuring music from six continents (sorry, Antarctica). Each mixtape will include brand new artwork by Siggi Eggertsson, eventually available as limited edition screen-printed posters. Stay tuned for mixtapes from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia and Africa over the next two weeks.

“South America is a land of beautiful extremes. It’s home to the highest waterfall, largest river, longest mountain range, driest desert and biggest rainforest on planet Earth. It is also home to some of the world’s fastest feet and broadest smiles, no doubt inspired by the music emanating from seemingly every square inch of its geography. As a member of DJ/production collective Dutty Artz, Maga Bo has taken it upon himself to see as much of this continent as possible, starting with his homebase of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. His travels have taken him not only around South America but every continent in the world, usually returning with a hard drive full of new collaborations and productions. His Pitch Perfect South America mixtape barely scratches the surface of all that this continent has to offer, but its an impressive start with jams from Guyana to Argentina, Brazil to Colombia. Take a listen and see how long you can sit still.”

Download: Nike Sportswear x The FADER’s Pitch Perfect Mixtape #1: South America by Maga Bo

View the track listing after the jump (more…)