Kidz in the Hall feat. Just Blaze & Colin Munroe – Take Over the World

New music from hip-hop duo Kidz in the Hall. They are about to come out with a new album, Land of Make Believe, due March 9th, but I’m feeling this new leak featuring Just Blaze and singer Colin Munroe. The Canadian singer, who also released his own Flashing Lights mix+cover a few years ago, is also coming out with a 2010 release, Don’t Think Less of Me as well. Check ‘em both out!

Colin Munroe - I Want Those Flashing Lights

Drake - Runaway Girl feat. Colin Munroe

Drake has had some of the best production I’ve heard from any mainstream hip-hop dude this decade, and he continues that streak with our homie Colin Munroe. Amazing. Nuff Said.

Colin Munroe feat. Jim Jones – Piano Lessons (REMIX)

The stellar Black Milk production and most mainstream radio accessible track yet released from the crooning Torontonian known as the “Unsung Hero,” “Piano Lessons,” an artfully crafted tale of Munroe’s musically stressful upbringing, stalled two months ago after not gaining MTV2 video access. Now, it gets a fresh can of paint in the form of Dipset member Jim Jones’ marijuana addled and muffled lyrics. The original version, featuring hood banger Joell Ortiz is phenomenal, but replacing him with the far more mainstream credible ex Cam’ron compatriot is a solid concept. Jones, who is now an urban A & R head at E1 (formerly)KOCH Records, seems to use this position to hop on the hottest internet underground tracks, historically giving MGMT’s Electric Feel, Asher Roth’s “I Love College,” Kid Cudi’s “Day n Nite,” and now this track love.

While sales for his Pray IV Reign album (featuring the ubiquitous Ron Browz produced “Pop Champagne”) have not been outstanding, it is a stroke of genius for the emcee to stay relevant by perpetually assaulting the internet (the new ‘streets’) with material, including this take on Munroe’s track, a hopeful attempt to cross onto urban and pop terrestrial radio.

Wale is embarking on his first nationwide tour and he’s taking his go-go band UCB and Couch Sessions favorite Colin Munroe along for the ride. The tour has already started, with dates in Richmond and Virginia Beach already covered unfortunately, but it’s a very good look at Wale spreads his go-go gospel all over the country.

I did wish that there was a DC date on this tour though. I understand that Wale and his people have the right idea going naitonwide, but a tour date in his home city would’ve popped off quite nicely, don’t you think?

April
10- Penn State- State College, PA 
20- Jake’s- Bloomington, IN 
21- The Hub- Peoria IL 
22- Abbey Pub- Chicago, IL 
24- The Grog Shop- Cleveland, OH 
25- St. Lawrence University- Canton, NY 
26- The Mod Club- Toronto, ON 
28- Yale University- New Haven, CT w/ N.E.R.D, Girl Talk
29- Neumos- Seattle, WA 

May
1- Empire Events Center- Sacramento, CA 
2- UC Riverside- Riverside, CA  w/ Common, Ben Lee
4- 4th and B- San Diego, CA 
5- Martini Ranch- Scottsdale, AZ 
8- Harper’s Ferry- Boston, MA 
9- Northampton High School- Northampton, MA 
16- Carleton College- Northfield, MN

Colin Munroe feat. 88-Keys – Last Cause

Colin Munroe feat. Young Buck – I’m Fine (Produced by K-Salaam & Beatnick)

After dropping a hot mixtape last year, the Toronto-based artist Colin Munroe (who has more street cred than you do), dropped two more hot tracks yesterday. First up, it’s a remix of Last Cause off the Unsung Hero Mixtape. The second track, I’m Fine featuring Young Buck, featuring my homies K-Salaam & Beatnick is probably one of my favorite Colin tracks so far, and will be featured on their Where The Streets Have No Name project in conjunction with Imeem.com and IllRoots.com.

In other Colin Munroe news, Marcus alerted in his post yesterday that MTV has rejected his video for Piano Sessions. SMH at MTV, a channel who is slowly falling into obscurity.

myspace.com/colinmunroe

Colin Munroe is my ish right now, and this video of him and Wale collaborating on their mixtape cut “Will I Stay,” in the studio. I don’t know what they might be rehearsing for, but I’m hoping is a tour of some sort. I’m enjoying the live version of this track even more than the studio one. I can’t wait to connect with both Wale and Colin at SXSW in March.

I’ve been diggin’ Colin Munroe for a hot minute now, and I’m glad the dude is not only getting major promotion, but now has some heavy hitters behind him. “Piano Lessons,” is off of Colin’s Unsung Hero mixtape which dropped last month.

Asher Roth – With Eminem’s on again/off again status apparently off again, the mantle for best white MC has been quite empty for a while now. Enter Asher Roth, the Atlanta via Pennsylvania MC has been the Internets greatest white hope this past year. Can he take the throne in ’09?

Brittnay Bosco – Being a Black female with left-field R&B aspirations is a tough road. Said road is littered with the remains of singers gone by: Imani Coppola, Jack Davey, Res–just to name a few. But I’m putting my hope in Ms. Bosco, that she will defy these trends in 2009. Can she make it? Only if you cop her ish next year!

Colin Munroe – Saying that Colin Munroe is going to blow up in 2009 is too easy. The dude’s got it all…catchy pop vocals, nice hooks, and the support from some of the largest players in the music industy. The dude is tailor made for pop stardom, yet he still gets love from the hip-hop community.It’s a win-win situation.

Kid Cudi – Even though I couldn’t stand “Day and Nite,” when I first heard it, I have to agree that it’s a certified banger, and the track is slowly lighting up dance floors worldwide as well as the TV show Entourage. Could Cudi break into the mainstream?

Wale – The Couch Sessions was profiling Wale way before Mark Ronson ever heard of this dude (I kid!!). We first brought you Wale in 2005 and since then it’s been a whirlwind of online publicity for the DC-area MC. With his impending 2009 release–with production talent such as Mark Ronson, Kanye West, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, and Travis Barker–Wale is carrying the torch for DC, and has the whole city on his shoulders.

Runners Up: Chester French, B.o.B., Tabbi Bonney, Idle Warship

Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero Mixtape (zip file)

The long awaited mixtape from Toronto artist Colin Munroe is finally here. Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero features collaborations with Wale, Mickey Factz, Joell Ortiz, Blaqstarr and Drake, with production from Black Milk & Dallas Austin behind the boards. Munroe is going to be a dude to watch in 2009, and this mixtape is one of the few projects that incorporate hip-hop, pop, and indie rock successfully. What do y’all think?

Colin is currently on tour with Proton, check the tour dates:

Dec 2 – The Boat – Toronto
Dec 3 – Viper Room -Los Angeles
Dec 4 – Studio @ Webster Hall w/ Proton, Izza Kizza & DJ Blaqstarr – New York
Dec 6 – Lenny’s w/ Proton & Spree Wilson – Atlanta
Dec 9 2008 – Highline Ballrooom w/ Wale, KiD CuDi & Mark Ronson (dj set) – New York

Colin Munroe – Will I Stay Remix feat Wale

I’ve been a fan of Toronto artist Colin Munroe for a hot minute, since he co-opted Kanye’s Flashing lights earlier this year. However, the dude is getting more brownie points from the hip-hop blogoshere by not only being associated with Dallas Austin and Black Milk behind the boards, but with DC native Wale as well.

The remix of WIll I Stay features Wale’s verse is featured on the upcoming mixtape Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero which also features Mickey Factz, Joell Ortiz, Blaqstarr and Skyzo and drops on December 1st. Colin is on tour with Proton featuring Izza Kizza, DJ Blaqstar, and Kid Cudi on select dates.

What do y’all think?

Tour Dates
11/22 M for Montreal Festival, Montreal
12/02 The Boat, Toronto w/ Proton
12/03 Viper Room, Los Angeles w/ Proton
12/04 Studio @ Webster Hall, New York w/ Proton, Izza Kizza & DJ Blaqstarr
12/06 Lenny’s, Atlanta w/ Proton & Spree Wilson
12/09 Highline Ballroom, New York w/ Wale, Kid Cudi & Mark Ronson (dj set)
12/12 Hanafins Pub, New London w/ Flowers & Kain

Colin Munroe – Will I Stay

Y’all might know Toronto musician Colin Munroe from his take on Kanye’s Flashing Lights that lit up the Internets a few months ago. Well, he’s back with a new video for Will I Stay off of his LP“Don’t Think Less of Me” which drops early 2009. “Will I Stay,” is a good take on soulful pop, and word is that there is a remix featuring DC’s own Wale as well as Dallas Austin on deck for the near future. I think that this dudes combination of indie rock, pop, and now hip-hop has a lot of solid crossover potential.

What I’m really buzzin’ about is his cover of Sunday Bloody Sunday, which could have fallen into a Karaoke-style rendition but ended up being one of the best arrangements of the track I’ve heard since Saul Williams did it last year.

Colin Munroe – Sunday Bloody Sunday

What do y’all think?

MySpace:

MP3: Colin Munroe – Flashing Lights

First, off, who is Colin Munroe? Google is failing me this time. (Lady Glock, can you inform a brotha?) Having that said, a pretty nice remix of Kanye’s “Flashing Lights” video. Like I said before, non-commissioned videos are taking over! (from Kanye West blog)

Update: More info from Colin’s people (and Lady Glock)–The dude is from Toronto and is collaborating with Dallas Austin for his debut CD, Don’t Think Less of Me, which should drop this year. Check out more tracks on his MySpace.