KON Sci of MindsOne presents the first single, “Dire Straits”, off his upcoming winter release on Soulspazm Records titled “And Beyond”. Following the critically acclaimed release of “Self Reliance” with his North Carolina based crew MindsOne, KON Sci of Washington DC ventures into the solo realm with a gritty boom bap self produced song “Dire Straits”. The single pays homage and respect to the forefathers who deeply influenced him. KON Sci credits the Gang Starr Foundation with much attention to respective artists DJ Premier, Guru, M.O.P, Jeru The Damaja, and Group Home, as a driving force behind his involvement in beatmaking and MCing. “Dire Straits” presents a mood that served as the catalyst for KON Sci’s undying passion for the Hip Hop culture in the mid 1990s to the present day. To cap off the force of “Dire Straits”, KON Sci and Soulspazm have released the video for the single as well. Stay tuned for the release of “And Beyond” on Soulspazm Records this winter.

Bandcamp (Free Download of “Dire Straits”) – www.MindsOne.Bandcamp.com

Substantial chats about his new album “Home Is Where The Art Is”, working with Oddisee and more.

In a mere two years, Big Krit has gone from virtual unknown to sought after veteran. When the Mississippi native burst on the scene in 2010 with his impressive mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, he did so without a national following and without really any known commodities backing him. Since then Krit has become an artist that’s known for head knocking soulful beats coupled with lyrics and story telling from the heart. Fans have been clamoring for Krits “official” debut for damn near two years and with Live From The Underground, Krit looks to finally give the fans what they’ve been asking for.

Live From The Underground was originally set to be released in September 2011, but was pushed back due to all to common “sample clearing difficulties”. After pushing back the album due to sample delays, K.R.I.T. essentially said “fuck it”, and released the mix tape 4evaNaDay. Almost a year later, we’ve finally seen the album that was promised. And while some of the singles including “I Got This” and “Money on The Floor”(feat. 8 Ball & MJG and 2Chainz) aren’t new, the rest of Live From The Underground bring a new chapter to the autobiography of the King Remembered In Time.

The guest list on Live From The Underground covers about half of the album and features some pretty dope artists, including 8 Ball & MJG, Bun B, Devin the Dude and of course Big Sant, to name a few. The fact that Krit was able to secure legendary blues guitarist B.B. King on the “Praying Man” is incredible, and perhaps shows the reach that the Mississippi emcee’s music has. The elements involved in the track, the funky guitar, the soulful chorus help to make this the defacto standout track on the album. The instrumental alone would be dope, but Krit ups the ante with incredible story telling and ties everything together.

Interestingly enough, even though Krit’s following has grown and Live From The Underground was released on a major, Krit still looks at himself as “underground”, as he tells us on the dope title track “Live from the Underground”. And though he sees it this way, the sound of Live From The Underground is seems more for the masses than just for the backpackers. And while this track is dope, the album ending “Live from the Underground (Reprise)” absolutely crushes it with it’s soulful melody and hypnotizing harmonica.

The endearing quality of Krit’s previous releases has always been in his ability to share himself with the listeners and he does so with the songs, addressing some of his demons with “Don’t Let Down” and “Hyrdoplaning”. Tracks such as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, “If I Fall” and “Porchlight” tell the story of a man looking back at the lessons from a father and doing his best to survive and juggle a relationship with his chosen career. Those tracks coupled with “Money on The Floor” and “What U Mean”, “Yeah Dats Me” and “I Got This”, show the money chasing, rain making side of Big Krit. All together, it shows a flawed, but complete man. Krit’s ability to show these parts of his personality make Live From The Underground a balanced album that isn’t preachy and at the same time isn’t completely focused on telling the listener how much of a pimp or how rich Krit is.

Live From The Underground didn’t wow me upon first listen. In fact, I hated it, as the album is a bit of a departure from Krit’s previous releases and the backpacker in me wouldn’t accept it. Upon further listen though, it may be his strongest release to date. Krit is a talented producer, but didn’t have to rely just on woofer busting instrumentals and drum kits with this release as lyrically, he goes in. And While Krit Wuz Here and Return Of 4eva featured more sample based production and a grittier sound, Live From The Underground is more polished. For those that heard 4evaNaDay and noticed the difference in sound, the transition began there and ends in Live From The Underground.

A listener can move through Big Krit’s releases album by album and see his growth as an artist. From Krit Wuz Here to Live From The Underground, Big Krit shows that he’s not just resting on his laurels, but looking to grow and improve himself with each and every release.

It’s been a minute since we heard from Houston, Texas emcee Chamillionaire. Following his 2007 album, Ultimate Victory, Chamillitary left Universal Records, and most recently has been on the mixtape circuit. His 2005 debut album The Sound of Revenge brought two commercially successful singles in “Turn It Up” and “Ridin” to the masses and even garnered him some hardware. “Ridin” won Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone the Grammy for “Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group”. Not bad for a previously “unknown” artist from Houston. The Sound of Revenge eventually sold 130,000 copies in its first week, and later went Platinum, selling more than 1.5 million copies.

Chamillionaire’s most recent release, Ammunition, is a tight EP that shows that Chamillionaire is indeed back. Ammunition stars off with a bang with the dope “Running Laps” and “Let’s Get That”, two strongly produced tracks that Chamilitary absolutely slays. The subsequent track “All Mine” is also well done. Three tracks into the EP, it’s evident that Chamillionaire has used his time away to improve his craft.

Ammunition is a great example of how sometimes, big things come in small packages. The hands down album banger is Chamillionaire’s impressive collabo with Saigon on the track “You Gon Learn”. Add a sick beat with two talented emcees and you’ve got a winner. Even the redux of “Let’s Get That”, featuring Houstonites Doughbeezy and Marcus Manchild shines. Of the 8 songs featured on Ammunition, the only real misstep comes in the form of the “On My Way” (Feat Lee Lonn), the obligatory, but unnecessary track for the ladies.

Simply put, Ammunition may be Chamillionaire’s best release since The Sound of Revenge and in the end it may be better due to how focused and to the point it is. With yet another strong release, Chamillionaire puts other emcees on notice that he still has plenty of ammo left in his barrel.

Coney Island emcee, Torae, has been building a steady fan base, gaining recognition through collaborations with DJ Premier, his ‘Barrel Brother’ Skyzoo, and of course, producer Marco Polo. Torae’s 2009 collaboration Double Barrel with producer Marco Polo was critically acclaimed and left fans wanting more from “Da Young Veteran”. With his long anticipated official debut For the Record, Torae looks to make a splash and give the fans what they’ve been craving.

In crafting his first solo LP, Torae enlisted a who’s who of producers including Khrysis, Marco Polo, !llmind, 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Diamond D, 9th Wonder, Nottz and DJ Premier. The all-star lineup backs up Torae well and gives the album a well rounded sound. Tracks such as “Do The Math” produced by Large Professor, “Shakedown” produced by 9th Wonder and “That Raw” produced by Pete Rock are the pure boom bap, east coast tracks that Torae absolutely murders. But the !llmind produced “What It Sound Like”, Marco Polo produced “You Ready” and the DJ Premier produced title track “For The Record” stand apart as the standout tracks on the album. The production, couple with Torae’s raw lyrical talent make the tracks pure joys to listen to.

Those looking for an album similar to Double Barrel are in for a bit of disappointment. While Torae does cover his bases on the boom bap, hardcore tip, he uses For The Record as a vehicle for a little therapy. While tracks such as “Imagine” and “Changes” discuss appreciating life and making changes in the wide scope of things, “Over You”, “Reflection” and “Panorama” are more specific to Torae’s life and find the emcee giving more of himself on record that he probably ever has.

Three things help to make Torae the artist he is; his raw talent, his ear for production and his honestly. The combination of the three make the album a winner. For the Record is not only a strong introduction to Torae as an individual, it’s out and out one of the best albums of 2011. Previously, Torae has been only been know for his collaborative releases, but with this LP, he not only steps out, but firmly puts both feet on the ground as a solo artist. For the record, it’s dope.
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Jedi Mind Tricks is a household name when it comes to indie hip-hop. The group has been a staple of the underground and at this point fans know exactly what to expect. Hard beats by Stoupe and violent rhymes by Vinny Paz and Jus Allah have made JMT a fan favorite, bringing the group an army of followers. Six LP’s deep in the game, Paz and Jus Allah bring us their seventh studio album, Violence Begets Violence, adding another brick to the JMT legacy.

Violence Begets Violence is a turning point for JMT as it marks the group’s first album without Stoupe on production. Stoupe has been the backbone of JMT since the beginning, and his departure is sad for fans of the group. With that said Paz and Jus recruited a nice group of producers and are able to successfully fill the void left by Stoupe’s absence. Tracks such as “Burning the Mirror” and “When Crows Descend Upon You”, “Imperial Tyranny” and “Design in Malice” are quintessential JMT tracks that make it hard to even notice that Stoupe is no longer banging the drums. It’s tough for a group to lose an original member and architect of many classic songs and still be able to soldier on, but on Violence Begets Violence, Paz and Stoupe are able to keep the wheels turning despite a pretty big loss.

As far as standout tracks go, “Chalice” is a bit of departure from the JMT sound that fans have come to know and love, but it doesn’t stop it from being flat out dope. The reggae infused track bumps and gets the head nodding almost immediately. Though the group tends to stay in its lane production wise, tracks like “Chalice” show versatility and though it’s not a huge departure from what they do, shows that if the group takes chances it can do greater things.

Lyrically, Paz and Jus don’t change their style one bit, but why would we expect anything different? The aggressive lyrics and kill-your-family delivery that the two emcees display are what fans of the group clamor for and they definitely deliver on that promise. As with most JMT releases, at times the lyrical content becomes repetitive, but at this point in their career, the group is really not going to change, so listeners will either have to take them or leave them. With that said, Violence Begets Violence is an enjoyable listen. Seven albums deep, Paz and Jus still have the same energy and chemistry that they had on Violent By Design. Tracks such as “Weapons of Unholy War”, “Carnival of Souls”, “Willing a Destruction onto Humanity” and the lead single “Target Practice” just flat out bang. JMT’s brand of hardcore hip-hop is a pleasure to listen to for fans of hard drums and of the off the turnbuckle rhyme style. Violence Begets Violence is an instant neck-snapper and a nice addition to the JMT catalog.

Emcee Sean Boog and producer Khrysis, collectively known as The Away Team, have been making their bones on the underground hip-hop scene for about 10 years. Their 2005 debut album National Anthem and 2007 follow-up Training Day were welcome surprises, with Khrysis on the boards with the heat and Sean Boog on the mic dialing the temperature up with the fire. With their third studio album Scars and Stripes, the duo returns, this time with a slight change to the groups dynamic. With this release the duo sets to show their growth, transformation, and how they’ve earned their “Stripes”.

Upon first glance, Scars and Stripes projects the image of a highly political album. The cover of the album depicts a photo from the 1965 Watts Riot, a large-scale riot which lasted 6 days in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. As explained by the group in regards to the album cover and title; “During the Watts riots of 1965, racial tension was at an all-time high, due to Desegregation and Police Brutality. The riots were a direct reflection of an angered society. This, however, placed a “Scar” on American history. The riots, although violent and fatal, was a necessary turn of events in order to get where we are as a society today. We observe those monumental events in our country’s history and relate them to hip hop and the changes it has made worldwide.”

In a nutshell, Scars and Stripes relates to the “scars” that Khrysis and Boog have endured as a group, and as individuals. The album is highly introspective, with Boog providing the majority of the rhymes, and getting on his job on tracks such as “Drift” , “Bad News”, “Scars and Stripes” and “Road to Redemtion. Tracks such as and “Happenin’ Today”, while a little more sociopolitical are also enjoyable and are able to get the message across without coming across preachy. In listening to Scars and Stripes, it’s quite evident that Boog has improved as an emcee, both technically and in his writing.

Guest-wise, Scars and Stripes, is pretty heavy, but unlike a lot of other collabo heavy albums, is a success. The standout track, “What Is This” (feat. Evidence) finds Boog and Ev joining together to deliver a dope combination. Talib Kweli, and Rapsody join Boog on the decent “Set It Off”, but the biggest collaboration successes come in the form of “Hot Potato” (feat. Halo and Sundown) and the sick “Paid” (feat. Laws and Big Remo). The downside of the some of the guest appearances is that they seem to push the group into the background. Boog presence is minimized when surrounded by the guests.

As a producer, Khrysis has developed into one of indie hip hop’s most sought after beatsmiths. His sample based production, sprinkled with many works of original composition have put his name on many a liner note and on the tongues of fans, when discussing favorite producers. While he played the background on National Anthem and Training Day, Khrysis steps up on the emcee tip on this go-round. Though not a super emcee, Khrysis (the rapper) helps to break some of the monotony and contributes well to the album. Tracks such as “4 The People”, “Cheers” highlight him as an emcee, but don’t get it twisted, Khrysis still runs things on the production boards. His stout production makes the album and keeps the head nodding constantly.

Overall, Scars and Stripes stacks up to the duos previous releases and easily slides into a first place tie with National Anthem in the groups catalog. While 17 tracks is a little long, Scars and Stripes is worth the listen, as even local fans won’t be able to help cheering for The Away Team.

9th Wonder is many things to many people. Some recognize him the beatsmith behind one of the more successful hip-hop groups in recent memory, Little Brother. Others see him an underground producer that was able to crossover without changing what made him, him. 9th has crafted beats for everybody from the Cesar Comanche to Mary J. Blige, dropped classic collaborative albums with Buckshot and Murs, and brought us memorable remix albums, including the incredible God’s Stepson and Black Is Back. With his newest release, The Wonder Years, 9th brings us his fourth official solo release, following 2010′s 9th’s Opus: It’s a Wonderful World Music Group Vol.1 and Dream Merchant Vol. 1 and Vol 2. And with The Wonder Years, the catalog continues to grow.

Producer, beatmaker, DJ, professor and Grammy winner, Pat Douthit has come a long way.As it starts The Wonder Years, comes across as an autobiography of sorts as 9th discusses his legacy at the beginning of “Make It Big”, which later finds 9th chronically his development from 6th grade to Grammy award winner. While 9th is still new to the role of rapper, the track is cool and a nice journey through the producers career and serves also as a ‘producers revenge’ as fellow beatsmith Khrysis joins 9th on the track. The “original” Little Brother is featured on the track “Band Practice Pt. 2″, as emcees Phonte and Median fill their roles. As the story goes, Median was originally supposed to fill the spot eventually taken by Rapper Big Pooh and “Band Practice Pt. 2″ is a nice snapshot of what could have been.

9th Wonder’s production has become very recognizable in a hip-hop world where “recognition” can be a positive and a negative. In regards to 9th, “recognizable” has become almost pejorative especially when discussing his drums, with critics focusing on 9th’s patterns and drum samples. Critics need to do nothing but look at tracks such as “Enjoy (West Coastin’)” , “Hearing the Melody”, “Piranhas”, “One Night”, “Your Smile” and the standout “No Pretending” to eat their words. “No Pretending” features Raekwon at his best and had this critic craving a full 9th Wonder/Raekwon collaboration album.

Unfortunately, overall the rest of The Wonder Years doesn’t do a lot to blow listeners away. While the production is okay, there aren’t a lot tracks that are particularly memorable. Don’t get it twisted, the production is solid, but for who 9th is now, we as listeners expect more. Tracks such as “Loyalty” (feat. Masta Killa), “Now I’m Being Cool” (feat Mela Machinko & Median) don’t do much, while “Never Stop Loving You” (w/ Terrace Martin & Talib Kweli) and “That’s Love” (feat. Mac Miller & Heather Victoria) are somewhat disappointing. As the album winds down, it falls flat as “20 Feet Tall (Remix)” (feat Erykah Badu & Rapsody) does nothing to pick the listener up.

Overall, the The Wonder Years is a solid, but unspectacular release that in it’s strengths and weaknesses is similar to the 9th’s Opus: It’s a Wonderful World Music Group Vol.1 and The Dream Merchant releases. In a way, The Wonder Years have passed, but North Carolina’s most famous producer has built a legacy that still has fans reaching for their headphones.

New music video for Statik Selektah’s album title track “Population Control” featuring Sean Price & Termanology. Video was produced by Smokestack Recordings.

Rapper Lateb (pronounced Luh Teb) hails from Connecticut via Massachusetts and is currently in Massachusetts’ Walpole Penitentiary doing a 5-year bid. He and Stu Bangas (of Brutal Music) met 2-years ago and began working on “Live Brutal” (which will be released on 10-11-2011) together. The album’s production duties are handled primarily by Stu Bangas with assistance by Vanderslice (of Brutal Music), Snowgoons and Sicknature, and it features Reef the Lost Cauze, Esoteric, Copywrite, Chief Kamachi, Slaine and Lateb’s group Heddshotts.

Track Listing for Brutal Music And Stu Bangas Present:Lateb “Live Brutal”
01.) “The Life” prod. by Stu Bangas
02.) “Shut This Bitch Down” feat. Reef the Lost Cauze prod. by Vanderslice
03.) “Ski Masks” feat. Heddshotts prod. by Stu Bangas
04.) “Do What I Have To” prod. by Stu Bangas
05.) “Apollo Creed” feat. Slaine prod. by Stu Bangas
06.) “Nasty As I Wanna” prod. by Sicknature
07.) “Dust” feat. Copywrite prod. by Stu Bangas
08.) “Dope Fiend” feat. Esoteric prod. by Stu Bangas
09.) “Street Pharmacy” feat. Chief Kamachi prod. by Stu Bangas
10.) “Downfall Of A Hustler” prod. by Snowgoons

LISTEN: Lateb f Chief Kamachi Street Pharmacy

Lateb f/Chief Kamachi “Street Pharmacy” (Produced by Stu Bangas) (MP3)

New video from Math Hoffa featuring Johnny Blaze himself. Produced By J Glaze.

Last week, DJBooth.net and Event Electronics kicked off their 20/20 Series with Phonte‘s “Eternally”. Today, Exile steps into the Booth with entry #2, newly-leaked album cut “Klepto”. A soulfully-produced jam which finds Exile trash-talking his insufficiently dope rivals, the record can be found on new mixtape 4TRK MIND (due out October 4).

02_Exile_Klepto_4trk_Mind

Exile – “Klepto” (MP3)

Quan’s is back with his first official video, “Feel So Good,” which celebrates life and living it to the fullest! It also shows Quan displaying how vast his vocal range really is, meshing classic R&B riffs and solid verses over a Jake One production.

On October 25, 2011, JMT is set to drop its seventh studio album, “Violence Begets Violence”, through Vinnie Paz’s own imprint, Enemy Soil. Though JMT fans can expect more of the uncompromising, unrelenting brand of hardcore rap music that has become the group’s signature sound, “Violence Begets Violence,” marks a change (something the group has undeniably become accustomed to over the years) as longtime JMT producer, Stoupe, hands over production duties to a new wave of talented producers honed in on the JMT sound; but set on creating a fresh take on a classic formula.

Jedi Mind Tricks “Violence Begets Violence” LP Sampler

After releasing two stellar projects off the Raw Koncept imprint, “You Need This Music” and “Rawth EP”, Nottz is back in the lab hard at work, this time cooking up new material with his group D.M.P. (Durte Muzik Prahdukshun). The group is assembled of Virginia-based emcees Bigshot Manceeni, Cutlass Reid, Khizman, Starboy, Ivory Keyes, Boogie and Nottz himself.

Although currently producing for some of your favorite artists, Nottz is continuing to work hard with his group, D.M.P. The Virginia based group releases another song entitled, “We Ain’t Playin’”, which is produced by Nottz. D.M.P. is putting the finishing touches on their upcoming project.

D.M.P. “We Ain’t Playin” (Produced by Nottz)(MP3)