New music from Boston-via-Maine artist, Miles From Nothing, featuring 1/3 of CZARFACE. Produced by K-Twist. Video Filmed & Edited by John Greene of Greene Films.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present Esoteric’s and Stu Bangas new music video “Wonder Why” from their album Machete Mode. The video is directed by Pio Dibenedetto and shows a different side Esoteric, “My idea for the video was just to showcase an average day in the life of what I do with my son Xavier…”The song is produced by Stu Bangas giving Esoteric a chance “To throw a curveball like that on Machete Mode, so when Stu sent the beat over, I knew it was a good opportunity to touch on something different….and then make a video for it.”

After the Great Response to the song “The Danger” off of Machete Mode, we chose to enlist some help from our friends Sean Price and Chino XL for a remix to the OG. The new version contains the same beat, crazy verses from Price and Chino as well as a new verse from Esoteric. The B Side of the vinyl includes the Instrumental to “The Danger”.

M.B.D.R presents Esoteric & Stu Bangas new music “State of War” featuring Celph Titled from their newly released album “Machete Mode”. The music video which was shot in a retro style arcade in NJ, which features games from the late 80s to mid 90s. The arcade is a resting place for these classic games and quarters easily found there way into the waiting machines. The video was shot by Jason Rose & R.M.L on a Cannon 5D Mark III & a Cannon 60D. The video was directed & edited by R.M.L in Avid. Song is produced by Stu Bangas. Support independent music and share this video with everyone.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present Esoteric & Stu Bangas latest video “Steel Chairs” off their new album Machete Mode. The video edited by J5 is a homage to professional wrestling much like the title of the song.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present Esoteric & Stu Bangas new video “Ease Up” from their upcoming album “Machete Mode’ due out on M.B.D.R. on 11/26/2013. The video was shot by J. Rose, directed and edited by R.M.L. Song is produced by Stu Bangas. Rap Battle host is Celph Titled. Video was filmed in Quakertown, PA with a live audience.

There is no time to rest with 11/26 rapidly approaching, which is the release date for Esoteric & Stu Bangas new album Machete Mode releasing from Man Bites Dog Records. Stu looks on as a concerned trainer making sure that Eso keeps up with his strict training regiment.

Man Bites Dog Records is proud to present the first video off of Esoteric & Stu Bangas much anticipated project Machete Mode. This song, like the album is produced by Stu Bangas. Esoteric enlisted the help of his fellow A.O.T.P. members Vinnie Paz, Celph Titled & Apathy to round out the track. The video is directed & edited by R.M.L. & shot by Jason Rose.”Machete Mode” title by J5. Completely shot around the great city of Philadelphia and in the studios of Found Sound Recordings, the video pays homage to the grittiness of the production.

Coming off the success of the Czarface album Esoteric teams up with frequent collaborator Stu Bangas for their forthcoming release “Machete Mode” set to drop November 26th via Man Bites Dog Records.
For the project, the crew enlists a handful of guests including Vinnie Paz, Joell Ortiz, Madchild, Apathy, Celph Titled, Ill Bill, and many more.

Tracklist

1. I Attack
2. Repercussions ft. Ill Bill
3. Rafters
4. The Danger ft. Celph Titled, Apathy, & Vinnie Paz
5. Never Be
6. Ease Up ft. Planetary, Reef The Lost Cauze, & Blacastan
7. Wonder Why
8. Save Ya Breath ft. Joell Ortiz & Hindsyte
9. State of War ft. Celph Titled
10. Steel Chairs
11. Bounty Hunters ft. Madchild of Swollen Members
12. Blood on the Flowers ft. Spit Gemz
13. S.T.M.F.
14. Pharaoh Status (Bonus Cut)

As long as they’ve been putting it down in the game, it’s hard to believe there’s never been a Demigodz full-length LP before. We did see a little heard EP back in 2002, courtesy of Ill Boogie Records, which would lay the foundations for this very album. Ten years later, Apathy, Celph Titled, Esoteric, Ryu, Blacastan, and Motive come together and form like Voltron on their first official album, KILLmatic.

What’s interesting on this reverse-Wu-Tang approach is that the Godz built their careers first as individual acts, then came together a decade later to record their debut album. This might have actually been the best approach, as the crew has had a bit of a revolving door roster, with names like L-Fudge, Louis Logic, and Rise seemingly disappearing. Still, the core of the group remains the same, stronger than ever before, as each core member has matured into a polished, seasoned emcee.

The who-gives-a-fuck mentality of KILLmatic comes through in both it’s brazen lyrical content and it’s flagrant sample selection. The lyrical content is a contest of jabs, designed to shock the listener and instigate friendly competition within the crew. While longtime fans will snicker, rather than gasp, at their barbs, this is sure to offend your mom, your little brother, and your local pastor, while Big L and Big Pun smile from beyond the grave.

But back to those samples. We won’t blow up their spot here, but the album opens with the previously released “Demigodz Is Back”, which informally compares them to America’s favorite fictional boxer, boldly sampling his theme song without regard for clearances. The same can be said for the dead-bent “Dead In The Middle”, which borrows a classic line from Pun for it’s hook, as well as another famous theme song from an animated gang and their dog, who we’ve always assumed smoke just about as much as the Godz. These familiar samples give the average listener something to grasp ahold of, while the crew tears the mics to shreds each time.

The 80′s cartoon influence goes well beyond that however, rearing it’s head later in the album as well. “Tomax & Xamot” is a brilliant lyrical tribute to everything Hasbro, while “Captain Caveman” is a hilarious collaboration with R.A. The Rugged Man, who still might be a little sour about Ice Cube’s “Cave Bitch” record. The latter’s sample works so well, we couldn’t believe it took this long for someone to build a track around it. And the influence of Cube and company extends further onto “Raiders Cap”, which finds each Apathy, Ryu, Motive, Celph Titled working as some kind of Bizarro World, millennial N.W.A.

With the exception of one Premier track (“Worst Nightmare”, which shows ever-improvement from the Gang Starr legend) and a closer from Marco Polo (“Audi 5000″), most of the album’s production is handled in house, or by the group’s usual collaborators (Snowgoons, Scoop Deville). Playing solidly throughout, this formula shows the “hot producer checklist” isn’t needed.

As hip-hop music continues to deteriorate into something only used to sell bottles (whether it be champagne or soda), it’s nice to see a crew of dudes like Demigodz still holding it down after a decade plus in the game, especially when many of the cats that came up in their era have more or less hung up their mics. While it may have taken longer than we would have liked for this LP to come to fruition, timeless hip-hop has no expiration date. Peace to the Godz.

In order of appearance: Apathy, Ryu, Blacastan, Esoteric, Motive, Celph Titled. Cuts by DJ Premier.
Directed & edited by “Open” Mike & Greg LaRose. KILLmatic in stores now.

On 3-5-2013, the Demigodz (Apathy, Celph Titled, Ryu of Styles Of Beyond, Esoteric, Motive, Blacastan) will release there first official full-length LP, KILLMatic, and it will feature appearances from RA The Rugged Man, Termanology, Panchi (of NYG’z), Planetary (of Outerspace), Scoop Deville & Eternia with production from DJ Premier, Marco Polo, The Snowgoons, Apathy, Teddy Roxpin, Chumzilla, Skammadix & Will C.

While it’s a frozen tundra over much of the east coast, Demigodz (Apathy, Celph Titled, Ryu, Esoteric, Blacastan & Motive) take you back to the “Summer Of Sam” and go in over a Snowgoons production.

When soon-to-be-renowned Boston hip-hop duo 7L & Esoteric collaborated with the Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck on the title track to 7LES’s debut EP Speaking Real Words in 1999, the timing was perfect. The upstart duo was building a serious buzz on the East Coast and beyond, while Deck was still winning praise for his gold-selling solo disc Uncontrolled Substance. As flashy pop-oriented rap was pumped on commercial radio stations, their natural chemistry and sympatico skills shone as a beacon to real hip-hop fans, a base of listeners who were soon asking about their next musical summit.

14 years later, the hunger for sharp lyrics and head-snapping beats hasn’t dissipated. In the face of the ever-worsening status quo of watered-down and vapid radio rap songs, the call for something real has only gotten stronger, and once again the time is right for a call to action – for someone or something to come in and send wack rappers running for the hills in fear. Enter CZARFACE, the upcoming full-length album from Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric, to be released on indie stalwart Brick Records on February 19, 2013.

With both lyricists in prizefighting form, CZARFACE is a showcase for lyrical finesse, superior rhyme skills and teacher-approved sharing skills. To wit: a track like the single “Cement 3′s,” where Deck and Eso trade incisive, rewind-worthy verses over a hypnotic head-thump beat from 7L, while Roc Marciano delivers the final verbal body blows. Unsurprisingly, respect for real hip-hop runs deep, and CZARFACE brings an army with it—consider the star-studded guest list which includes Action Bronson, Vinnie Paz, Oh No, Mr. MFN eXquire and Deck’s fellow Wu-Tang Clansmen Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna.

Aside from one track blessed by the almighty DJ Premier, production on CZARFACE belongs exclusively to DJ 7L, who provides the musical backbone which holds the album together. His ability to craft a hip-hop sound that’s current and exciting with a classic feel left Deck impressed: “This is one of the first albums I’ve heard in a while that gives you so many different feels. You hear the ‘80s hip-hop style, ‘80s R&B and rock combined with what’s going on now. That’s creating something new, in my opinion.”

As Deck states, summing it all up: “When you see our face, you see the face of hip-hop, you see the face of music in this form. People do what they do—there’s techno rap and all kinds of rap out there. But this is that speaking-real-words rap. Go ahead and dissect everything we’re saying, you’ll get plenty out of it.”

Esoteric speaks with The Bee Shine about his next LP, which will be a collaborative album with the Rebel INS, and will feature production from 7L and DJ Premier.
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