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New Music: Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero Mixtape

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

Tags: Black Milk, Blaqstarr, Colin Munroe, Dallas Austin, Drake, Joell Ortiz, Mickey Factz, Wale

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Interview: Mickey Factz

myspace.com/itzmickey

Is Mickey Factz the Internets most hated rapper? A quick Google search would likely confirm so. However, there is more than this Bronx-based MC than the so-called hipster-hop label that people try to put on him. In fact, contrary to popular belief, Factz is a monster on the mic, and is bringing beats and lyrics that bring hip-hop forward. His weekly Leak series as well as his mixtapes have gotten Factz Internet buzz, which he has parlayed into profles in such magazines as Fader and Urb. Facts is steady on his grind in ‘08. Check his weekly Leak series and the MySpace.

So how did you get started in the NY Hip-Hop Game?

Well, you know, I got started in late 2005. I put out some records, and they didn’t get the attention they were supposed to get. I put out this mixtape called Kings of The Bronx with my boy J’von Bishop and that got on Mixtape Mondays on MTV….got a couple other placements but not until I started to do things by myself did things really start taking off for me. 2007 was like a fastbreak for me, thats when I put out Flashback and Heavens Fallout. This year, it was the alley oop and right now I’m one of the artists at the forefront of the new movement in New York City. Next year is gonna be the slam dunk. I’m gonna take over everything next year.

The first time I heard you, you were rapping over that song from the Geico commercial [Royskopp - Remind Me]. And you rap over instrumentals that wouldn’t be considered traditional hip-hop. Is that he music that you’re checkin’ or is that something that you use to distance yourself from the crowd?

Well, I think it would be from both scenarios. I just got bored with music. When I was doing Flashback, the original Flashback had over 40-50 songs. I was did about 50 old school tracks. And it just sounded dated. It sounded soooo dated. It was ridiculous how dated it sounded. So I had my boy Precize, do most of the tracks over for Flashback. And as he was doing it, I was saying to myself “yo, this is some other shit!” And then we did the geico record and I was like”yo, this is amazing.” And after that record we did the Fallout Boy Record. And then after the Fallout Boy Record we did the Mark Ronson record “Stop Me.” “After we did “Stop Me,” that’s when I started looking for different types of records on my own. Man I found everything! It was a whole new world of music and I was like “Wow! Shit, this is dope!” After that it was about finding different sounds and different types of music.

Word.

That really rejuvenated me. I didn’t know what I was going to do after Flashback Volume 1 and Heavens Fallout literally rejuvenated me. It took me to that next level of music and it inspired me. And its not just sampling other music, now Precize [producer] is making music that he wouldn’t normally make, and I’m rapping about things I wouldn’t normally rap about. You know what I mean??

Yeah, that’s cool man. I actually got tired of hip-hop a few years ago and the music you’re rapping over is stuff that I’m actually checking right now.

It’s just something that rejuvenates your ears, and the fact that people hate on it, is funny to me.

So what do you think about the haters and that “hipster-hop” label? Acts like SOUL Purpose are going at The Cool Kids and message board hate?

I love it. As long as nobody disrespects me on a record I love it. If I really have to show ‘em then I’ll let ‘em know: Listen, I grew up in the Bronx baby! Battelin’ is what we do for fun. That’s all we do is battle. We battle 8 people at a time, you know what I mean? So I’m waitin’ for the heat. I revel in it. So if you want to talk about Mickey Factz in the chatrooms and the boards and on the blogs…I take that and put it into my music and I’m literally goin’ at whoever talks about me. It would be inadvertently goin’ at you but trust me, its goin’ there, and its goin’ at you. I’m just waiting for a rapper to do it so I can show em that ether was started in the Bronx. Ether was created in the Bronx.

But do you consider yourself “hipster-hop?” Are you down with the Cool Kids and these new artists?

Nah. I don’t even think they’re a part of that group. I’m definitely not a part of that group either. I grew up in the Bronx. The first time I ever seen a hipster was in 2007. It was early 2007 when I started going on shows with The Cool Kids. Before that I ain’t never see a hipster. I’m not hipster rap. I’m not hipster-hop. Its just
Global Music, ya know? Global music. Especially with the music that I’m going to be putting out. It’s so left people ain’t going to be expecting it.

Its sad, you know what I’m sayin’? People are trying to classify me as something that I’m not trying to be classified as. I look at it as uber hip-hop or progressive hip-hop. Uber music…global music. That’s
what it is. It’s stuff for the world…..it’s not just for the hipsters. Its stuff for the dudes on the Block. It’s for the girl that doesn’t have a parent trying to make it through school. I’m making original music.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Heaven's Fallout, Mickey Factz

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Random Ish Radio 025: Badu Remixed, Jay Electronica, Res, Other Treats

Another collection of delectable treats for your iPod.

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Tracklisting

Adele - Chasing Pavements (Various Productions Remix)
While Label (London, UK)

Cadence Weapon - Sharks
from Chasing Kayfabe (Edmonton, CA)

Jay Electronica - Victory Is In My Clutches
from What Tha F*ck Is A Jay Electronica (New Orleans, LA)

Bobby Creekwater - OJ Simpson
from Anthem 2 Da Streets Mixtape - Atlanta, GA

Mickey Factz (feat Travis of Gym Class Heroes) - Overdose on Life
Unknown (New York, NY)

Elzhi - Save Ya
Unknown (Detroit, MI)

Erykah Badu - Honey (DJ Day Remix)
from New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (Dallas, TX)

Fleetwood Black (Res + Graph Nobel) - Sometimes
White Label (Toronto, CA)

Jessica Tonder feat Proton - The Bee (Remix)
White Label (Miami, FL)

Kelli Scarr - Are You That Somebody (Acoustic)
Live at Pianos NYC (Los Angeles, CA)

Tags: Adele, Badu, Bobby Creekwater, Cadence Weapon, Fleetwood Black, Jay Electronica, Jessica Tonder, Kelli Scarr, Mickey Factz, Podcast, res

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New Music: Mickey Factz

Mickey Factz - Don’t Be Light (feat. The Neptunes)

Mickey Factz - Automatic

I know that it’s not really “new music,” but I’m not really sold on this Mickey Factz kid…..yet. While other rappers try to run away from the newly crowned “hipster-hop” label, Factz seems to revel in it. That’s not a bad thing per se, but I always thought that Factz was style over substance. That this whole rapping over Roykopp tracks was a crutch. But that was really only after hearing one song. So I gave him another chance, and damn, Mickey might well be the truth.

Ian has been calling him the Best Unsigned MC out of New York for a year now and I’m staring to believe it. With a flow that might remind people of Lupe and/or Kidz in the Hall, Factz is about to be front and center in this new “Hipster-Hop” movement.

Factz is currently leaking one track a week at his MySpace.

myspace.com/itzmickey

Tags: Mickey Factz

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