YES! Clear your throats, wipe your eyes and unclog those eardrums and brace yourself. In case you missed it, Lauryn Hill recently signed a deal with Sony that should help her avoid prison time for tax evasion, of which she was accused about a year ago. According to the deal, she’ll found a new label called Observe Creation Music, and record five new songs, followed by a new album. The first of those new songs is this one, “Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix),” and if you thought she might cut down on some of her sharply critical take-no-shit attitude as a result of this whole thing, you’re really, really wrong. Over a deceptively delicate beat, Ms. Hill delivers an intense and brutal but stunningly poetic series of social critiques. Check it out.
Here’s an exclusive in-depth interview with Scarface backstage at Paid Dues. In part 2 Facemob talks to Nick Huff Barili about the current state of Hip Hop saying that he loves Kendrick Lamar but that older white executives that are in control of Hip Hop are not in touch with the streets and don’t care about the culture. Scarface goes on to say that he thinks its a conspiracy to make black people look stupid and brainwash a generation of hip hoppers with “this crud”.
Scarface’s advice to upcoming artists is to uphold the integrity of the craft and not to let the executives dictate our culture. Scarface references how Chuck Berry and Robert Johnson helped found rock and roll and blues but how now both those genres are predominately white and have forgotten their black roots. He goes on to point out that its hard to name many all black rock bands making music today.
As the conversation topic changes, Facemob talks about recording and touring with Tupac who used to open for him. Scarface says Pac would have rode on a lot of people out now like Mitt Romney and that Pac was going to politicize his fan base before he was killed. Part 2 of this interview ends with Facemob sharing a story of the last time he spent time with Pac which was when they recorded the track Smile.
This is a collaboration that Hip Hop heads are glad has come to fruition, DOOM finally laid down some of trademark flow down over one of Clams Casino’s impressionistic, otherworldly beats. The result: “Bookfiend,” the most interesting rap track you’ve heard in a while, which sounds, what with Clams‘ spaced-out instrumentals and DOOM’s rambling meditations, like a very postmodern future. We’re not sure if this is a sign of bigger collaborations to come – it showed up unannotated on Clams‘ soundcloud this morning – but stay tuned.
We first heard this track this afternoon and played it back to back for about 15 mins and had to share with our readers. For their new album, Evil Friends, Portugal. The Man recorded with Danger Mouse, and his signature sound with their signature slinky rock. In this trippy video for new single “Purple Yellow Red and Blue,” featuring Este and Danielle Haim on vocals, they attempt to represent all of the feelings you get from taking pills of those colors. Or maybe they’re just describing the video’s standout blanket.
This is one of those collaborations you see and question yourself “why didn’t they get together sooner?” but no worries, these two ladies have joined forces on Monae’s forthcoming album The Electric Lady. For now, you’ll get to listen to the first single “Q.U.E.E.N.
Just as the weather here in NYC begins to get in the 80′s, Brooklyn-native Theophilus London hits us with his newest single “Rio” backed by Brooklyn’s own Menahan Street Band. Produced by London & Menahan’s Thomas Brennek. ”Rio” is a soulful tune, showing more Theophilus’ continual growth and evolution.
“I went to Rio in 2010 to play a festival alongside Erykah Badu and Femi Kuti and it was incredible. The trip gave me so much energy and I met so many amazing people that it inspired me to make a song in Rio’s honor,” - Theophilus London
Theophilus will be performing “Rio” on the main stage at Coachella Saturday April 13th and April 20th.
The Jessie Ware has been flying left and right in front of our eyes for quite some time now and over the last few month’s, her voice has been easing its way into our playlist from her debut album, Devotion. Even still, with the record not being released in North America but Interscope is set to drop it on April 16th in addition to two new tracks with this being one of them, featuring A$AP Rocky. Listen Up!
Here’s the official release for Justin Timberlake’sThe 20/20 Experience 2nd single, where he’s taken the opportunity to share the surprisingly morose, two-part clip for “Mirrors,” directed by Floria Sigismondi. The video’s rife with mirrors, both literal and metaphorical, as it follows a series of love stories through good times and bad, then moves into a carnival fun house of mirrors where Justin himself gets personal. Check it out below.
The TDE camp is one of the few that gets our attention and it’s well deserved if you know anything about the flow and verbal assault that any of the four members deliver with their eyes closed. Now that the whole globe knows who Kendrick Lamar is, it’s time that Schoolboy Q takes helm at the TDE forefront and continues to let us all have faith in the better days to come in Hip Hop.
Showing approval and admiration for his brethren, this is the Kendrick Lamar approved first single from Schoolboy Q‘s new album, OxyMoron, produced by Drake’s go-to guy Boi-1da, here’s “Yay Yay”.
OxyMoron follows up Q’s acclaimed Habits & Contraditions from 2012, and it will be be the rapper’s first album out on a major label.
Not bad for a Friday huh! Let’s get it started with some new music from Matt Pond. Debuting this week is his latest video, “Love To Get Used”, directed by John Deeb and the first to set off a series of videos for the new album.
Matt Pond said, “True love can be both transcendent and torturous. Open, exposed, interrogated and consumed, ‘Love To Get Used’ runs down the road of dark passion, all the way through to rapturous release.” “Love To Get Used” is the lead single from Matt Pond’s album The Lives Inside The Lines In Your Hand out now.
