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Hip-Hop, Mixtapes, Music News, New Music

Baltimore is Having the Best Year Ever

Diablo - Round My Hood

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Baltimore gets a lot of crap from people in DC, but the city as a whole is blowin’ up. First, there’s The Wire, one of the best shows on television, bringing the plights of inner-city B-more into homes around the world. Then, there’s Baltimore club, which is blowin’ up this year, thanks much in part to hipsters (but they are making the best music in 2006, so you can’t really front on them at all). You know that you’ve blown up when you have Baltimore Club parties in London and Stockhom.

In DC, we should be jealous. No one cares about go-go north of Laurel.

Of course, the New York Times, in their quest for hipness, has gotten on the train and written their own article about Baltimore. And non-Baltimore club hip-hop is set to blow up. I’ve been feelin’ Baltimore Club ever since I heard “There’s Some Ho’s In This House,” when I was living in North Carolina, but I’m definitely going to check Baltimore hip-hop. Diablo, who’s mentioned in the article is gonna be on the names of all the New York hipters now. I’m feelin’ his tracks but don’t know much about him. This particular track is from the Hampsterdam to Hollywood mixtape. If you don’t know about Hampsterdam, then you havn’t been watching The Wire.

Speaking of The Wire, my bad for not posting about The Wire screening and Q-and-A session with David Chase (series creator/producer) tonight in DC. Unfortunately at this point all the RSVP’s are taken, but they have a wait list that I suggest you get on. I’m pissed because I haven’t finished watching season 3 on DVD, so watching an episode from Season 4 is going to mess me up, but the Q-and-A will make up for that.

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Mixtapes

DJ Ragz - Jazz Hop

I don’t know what it is, but recently I’ve been finding some random music on my iPod. I guess having 30GB of capacity can do that sometimes. But still, I almost feel like the dude in Memento when it comes to these things.

DJ Ragz latest mixtape, Jazz Hop is the current example of this. It started playing when my iPod was on shuffle. I can’t find it on any of my computer hard drives, and I don’t remember any friends sending it to me via email. So I listened to the first few seconds to try to figure it out. The mixtape starts out with shout outs from such DC-area dudes line Storm The Unpredictable, DJ Dirty Hands, and Tamu. I’m like wait a minute….this cat is from DC? (Okay, so Northern VA, but he gets a pass.)

The mix is old school hip-hop, with even older school R&B, and jazz. I’m talking George Duke, Marlena Shaw (anything with California Soul is a winner IMO), mixed with Gang Starr, Main Source, Tha Alkaholiks, and Dj Shadow. As with any good disc jockey, Ragz makes it all work together, and the result is seamlessly blended into one of the most chill mixtapes that I have ever had in my possession.

Again, I don’t know how I got this thing. I’m sure that it’s not by legal means. But this thing is worth a purchase at $10 (shipping included). Tracklisting after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »

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Mixtapes

Free Music: Dangerdoom Occult Hymn EP

Dangerdoom Occult Hymn EP (Zip File)

Adult Swim dropped a couple new Dangerdoom MP3s for the past few weeks now, but now they’ve been so nice to actually give us the Occult Hymn EP in its entirety.

The only problem with this release is that they compressed the tracks to 62kb so it’s not CD quality. But I can’tcomplain. It’s free.

Tracklist:

1. Skit 1
2. El Chupa Nibre (Remix)
3. Perfect Hair II
4. Korndogs
5. Skit 2
6. Sofa King Remix
7. Space Ho’s (Madlib Version)

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Hip-Hop, Mixtapes, Negroclash!

Sa-Ra: The Mixtape

SA-RA Mixtape (Listen at Giant Step)

Whether you think that SA-RA is the best thing since iced coffee or a wack-ass Parliament imitation, their new mixtape is pretty fly. It’s got the Pharell remix that has been floating around the internets, as well as remixes of Roots Manuva and 50 Cent. The second half contains some mighty jazz and soul rarities, and of course the mixtape begins with a blessing from everyone favorite Jesus, Kanye West.

Hopefully this will hold y’all over until the full length Sa-Ra album drops. Um….when is that supposed to be released again? Until then, peep this, and check out the Second Time Around single with Thrilla featuring J Dee (RIP).

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Hip-Hop, House/Electronic, Mixtapes, New Music

The Grand Incredible

COP THIS!!!

Y’all know my taste in music is exquisite and it only gets stronger with this latest pickup. So Monday night I went to the Sunglasses Is a Must Tour featuring DJs A-Trak, Cosmo Baker, DJ Ayres and DJ Tittsworth. First of all, where were you? Did you know it was going down?

Anyhow the show was excellent, but the highlight of the night was coppin the Love Break cd from Cosmo Baker. Basically this is a samplers heaven. Illmatic 60s and 70s soul, never heard before jawns (the OG sample to Madvillians “Fancy Clown”) and other treats that will make your parents close their eyes, throw their heads back, and think about the summer of ‘74.

When its all said and done cop this NOW (firing up the MPC/SP 303 is your call).

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Mixtapes, Negroclash!

AbsolutKravitz or Miss Hipstah’s Teeny-Bopper Moment of Zen

So I love Lenny Kravitz. Always have, since I was about 13 and my mom bought me his music because she thought he was a nice Jewish singer. Which is still up for debate.

At any rate, Lenny got together with Absolut Vodka to create an ad campaign called…AbsolutKravitz. For the campaign, he wrote a song entitled “Breathe” which was later remixed by the likes of Chromeo, Eric Roberson, and Jazzanova. All in all there are 12 tracks (the original and 11 remixes). If you go to the website, you can download them all…FOR FREE!

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