Marco Polo celebrates his 35th birthday with a remix of Little Dragon’s “Twice.” If you’re feeling froggy, check out longtime HHS scribe Andreas Hale’s piece on Little Dragon over at Cuepoint, while you’re at it.

Little Dragon’s Cryptic Slang

Brooklyn rhymer One Dae speaks on non believers and is here to prove that there is no excuse for not getting down. While the potent, grimy bars from Dae enter your ears as the hard hitting Marco Polo beat accompanies his message, the surreal video from director Steven Tapia is a true spectacle. Vibrant and off the wall with its use of everything from CNN parodies to Port-A-Potties and motion graphics, it’s a video that showcases Dae’s critical and humorous tone throughout the track. “Bang This” is the first single from One Dae’s latest project, Daes & Times, which is available on CD and digital download.. bang this today.

One more from Nature’s Seasons Changed: Winter Edition.

With his highly-anticipated fourth solo-LP, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Pharoahe Monch re-emerges with a new concept project which finds the ground-breaking emcee tackling PTSD; a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. Throughout the duration of the LP, Monch narrates as an independent artist weary from the war against the industry machine and through the struggle of the black male experience in America.

Pharoahe Monch has been at the forefront of lyrical innovation for two-decades now. Not only is he one of Hip-Hop’s preeminent lyricists, crafting intricate rhyme schemes and intelligent raps, but he is also an incisive political and social commentator, using Hip-Hop as a platform for political engagement.

‘Rapid Eye Movement’ featuring Black Thought of the Roots Crew, is a lyrical barrage worthy of these two titans, as Monch and Black Thought get lucid for a 4-minute exhibition of pure lyricism. “Rapid Eye Movement” is produced by Marco Polo. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) will be released on 4-15-14.

Much like his namesake’s explorations introduced the west to Asia, Marco Polo has introduced a lot of talented emcees to new listeners, while at the same time reintroduced legends of yesteryear to a new generation. When 2007 ended, Marco’s Port Authority stood as one of the finest albums of the year. 2009 was no different with Canada’s finest aural export teaming with Torae for Double Barrel. 2013 brought us a three peat for Marco with another top entry at year’s end: PA2: The Director’s Cut, a proper sequel to 2007’s Port Authority.

On PA2, Marco assumes the role of a fine movie director bringing an album laid out like a cinematic soundtrack. He’s joined by a who’s who of legends: Masta Ace, King Tee, MC Eiht ; the underground’s finest: Celph Titled, Gangrene, Supastition ; and even a few where-the-hell-have-you-beens: Last Emperor and Rah Digga. At eighteen tracks deep, there’s something for everyone here. Marco builds beats that accentuate each artist’s strengths, making each guest shine like a good director getting the best out of an actor. Speaking of actors, Michael Rappaport narrates the album as a fan introducing each track’s artists, which is an acquired taste depending on how one feels about that type of thing.

A reunited Organized Konfusion (remember when they did that about a decade ago?) kicks the album off proper, and although they don’t seem to utilize the groundbreaking rhyme styles and schemes they used in the early to mid-90s, it’s still a lovely thing to hear them together. Big Twins, Nature, and F.T. bring what one would expect on “Can’t Get Enough”, and with a beat that fits their grimy styles proper, the track shines. It’s followed by great performances on “Astonishing” by Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, O.C. & Tragedy on a high-energy track with lovely chorus cuts by DJ Revolution. Revolution pops up throughout the album, as he does on most of Marco’s projects, which for some may be the cherry on top of the sundae. Additionally, DJ Premier, DJ Linx, DJ Romes, and Shylow lay cuts on tracks, which show Marco doesn’t stray far from the tried-and-true formula of the emcee and deejay.

With so many highlights, it doesn’t mean The Directors Cut is Illmatic and flawless. Some may find so many tracks to be overwhelming, although who wouldn’t want more music for their money? “Wrong Girl” featuring Reach and Reggie B is awkward with its early-90’s chorus, and stands out on an album with no singing. Once you get past the chorus, it’s still a solid track, but takes a different, more-personal route on an album with Lil Fame, Blaq Poet, etc. As previously mentioned, Michael Rappaport may wear thin on repeat listens, but no one can question his love for the art when he was popping up on episodes of Rap City back in the mid-90s.

With a lot of glut on the market, so many rappers from the past disappointing, and many of the best fading away, Marco Polo should be viewed as a cornerstone of the last decade for classic hip-hop. He’s brought together a plethora of the best from the past thirty years, produced for present underground favorites and sleepers, and been able to make all of them sound at their best. A lesson to all those from previous generations, don’t come back with a desperate grab at the mainstream, call Marco to stay relevant.

From Marco Polo’s LP, PA2: The Director’s Cut available now via Soulspazm Records, with exclusive vinyl courtesy of Slice of Spice. The album features appearances from Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Posdnuos, Masta Ace, Kardinal Offishall, Styles P, Lil Fame, Alchemist, Oh No, MC Eiht, King Tee, Michael Rapport, Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, Rah Digga, Slaine, Ill Bill, Organized Konfusion, Doppelgangaz & many more.

Producer Marco Polo releases his new album, PA 2: The Director’s Cut, which features new collaborations with each Organized Konfusion, Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Posdnuos (of De La Soul), Masta Ace, Kardinal Offishal, Styles P, Alchemist, Oh No, Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, MC Eiht, King Tee, Slaine, and Ill Bill. Listen to the whole thing below.

This episode of Rhythm Roulette takes us to Brooklyn’s “The Thing” where we linked up with illustrious producer to the underground Marco Polo.

With the seasons changing on the East Coast, for the latest leak, “West Coast Love,” from his forthcoming LP, PA 2: The Director’s Cut, Marco Polo heads out west and connects with two left coast legends on “West Coast Love.” Not only does Marco display his versatility on “West Coast Love,” but he cooks up some premo G-Funk for MC Eiht (still riding the buzz from his sterling appearance, “m.A.A.d city,” on Kendrick Lamar’s debut LP and is currently readying his new LP on DJ Premier’s imprint) and the General of the Likwit Crew, King Tee.

A Dedication To Honor Guru’s Legacy. From Marco Polo’s upcoming album PA2: The Director’s Cut.

From Marco Polo’s October 24th release, PA 2: The Director’s Cut.

It’s been six years since Marco Polo took the hip-hop world by storm with his Rawkus/Soulspazm Records debut LP, Port Authority. This album not only established the Toronto, Canada native as one of the top emerging producers in his field, but also transformed Marco into a very sought-after collaborator as well. He has since gone on to release the collaborative project with Torae, Double Barrel, in 2009 and has also worked with acclaimed artists such as; Masta Ace, Special Teamz, Heltah Skeltah, Buckshot, KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Sean Price, Copywrite, Vinnie Paz and Large Professor.

After generating tremendous momentum this summer with his free LP, Newport Authority 2, Marco Polo returns to offer up the highly anticipated sequel, PA2: The Director’s Cut, which is the culmination of thousands of hours of creative energy, manpower, crate-digging, knob-twisting, Newport-smoking and coffee-bingeing, to create an impeccable infrastructure of music that will resonate with hip-hop fans across the world.

Fans have already heard glimpses of what MP has in store for PA2: The Director’s Cut, as his heartfelt dedication to Gang Starr’s Guru (“G.U.R.U.” featuring Talib Kweli & DJ Premier) not only went viral in a day, but also clearly resonated with the late MC’s friends and family as they offered up their support for the track. The LP’s most recent leak, “3-O-Clock” did what hip-hop fans have been impatiently waiting on for over fifteen years; reuniting Organized Konfusion (Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po) on the same track. Official music videos for these tracks will be released in the weeks leading up to the album. The “G.U.R.U.” video is a nostalgic tribute to the legendary lyricist, directed by Todd Angkasuwan, while “3-O-Clock”, directed by The Doppelgangaz, effectively captures the grimy and gritty New York vibe on this MP x OK collabo.

PA2: The Director’s Cut is not a “compilation” project. Rather, much like projects from the producers (Jay Dee, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, etc), that have influenced Marco, it’s a seamlessly blended piece of art featuring a who’s-who of the industry’s top MCs; each track crafted and specialized to fit each MC’s strengths. This is evident throughout PA2. On “West Coast Love” Marco displays his versatility, cooking up some premo G-Funk for West Coast legends MC Eiht and King Tee to spread their Cali love on. Further, “Astonishing” featuring Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, O.C. and Tragedy is like riding shotgun to “The Tunnel” in Doc Brown’s DeLoreon, and the shimmering “Strange Brew” with Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No) pushes the BPMs to maximum levels. The LP’s apt closing track, “Glory” (Finish Hard) featuring Masta Ace, A.G. and Posdnuos (of De La Soul) offers up a hilarious commentary from Ace on Marco’s tedious “work ethic” and ends with commentary from everyone’s favorite beer-drinking Canucks Bob and Doug McKenzie (of Strange Brew fame) who revisit their “Strange Brew” days.

For nearly 10 years, Marco’s mission has remained the same: to keep the masses moving and their heads bobbing, and PA2: The Director’s Cut is a shining testament to that. “I put together an album that I felt picked up where Port Authority left off but updated it for 2013. I’m proud to finally let this album out into the world. It’s a long-ass album and I don’t give a flying #!@*. At the end of the day I’m excited with the finished product; which took me five-plus years to create. DJ connoisseurs can also expect some of finest-quality cutting courtesy of DJ Revolution, DJ Premier, Shylow, DJ Linx & DJ Romes. Moving forward, I’m seriously looking forward to touring this record and smacking them MP pads live for all those inviting me to do so. Catch me traveling the world again soon backing my big bro Masta Ace, as well as rocking some solo production sets for the hip-hop heads.” Marco states.

Tracklisting and Credits for Marco Polo’s PA2: The Director’s Cut:

1.) “3-O-Clock” f/ Organized Konfusion (Pharoahe Monch & Prince Po)
2.) “Savages” f/ Slaine, Ill Bill & Celph Titled
3.) “Earrings Off” f/ Rah Digga
4.) “Can’t Get Enough” f/ Big Twin, Nature & F.T.
5.) “Astonishing f/ Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, O.C. & Tragedy
6.) “6 Trill” f/ Last Emperor
7.) “West Coast Love” f/ MC Eiht & King Tee
8.) “Wrong Girl” f/ Reach & Reggie B
9.) “Drunken Sleuth” f/ Invincible
10.) “Michael Rapaport Intermission”
11.) “Emergency Man” f/ Malcolm & Martin
12.) “Strange Brew” f/ Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No)
13.) “What They Say” f/ Kardinal Offishal, Lil Fame (of MOP) & Styles P
14.) “Parental Discretion” f/ Breezly Brewin (of The Juggaknots)
15.) “Underdogs” f/ Supastition & Shylow
16.) “R U Gonna Eat That” f/ The Doppelgangaz
17.) “Sucka Free” f/ Blaq Poet, Hannibal Stax & Panchi (of NYG’z)
18.) “G.U.R.U.” f/ Talib Kweli & DJ Premier
19.) “Glory” (Finish Hard) f/ Masta Ace, A.G., & Posdnuos (of De La Soul)

***All Tracks Produced By Marco Polo

The lead-single from Marco Polo’s forthcoming LP, PA2: The Director’s Cut, accomplishes what no one else has been able to pull off in over a decade–reunite Organized Konfusion. Since the duo disbanded in 1997, there has been no new OK material and every few years or so the usual “reunion rumors” emerge and then disappear.

Marco Polo’s forthcoming LP, PA2: The Director’s Cut will be released on 11-12-2013 via Soulspazm Records, with exclusive vinyl courtesy of Slice of Spice. The album features appearances from Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Posdnuos, Masta Ace, Kardinal Offishall, Styles P, Lil Fame, Alchemist, Oh No, MC Eiht, King Tee, Michael Rapport, Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, Rah Digga, Slaine, Ill Bill, Organized Konfusion, Doppelgangaz & many more.

From Marco Polo’s forthcoming LP, PA 2: The Director’s Cut. With this track, Marco Polo accomplishes what no one else has been able to pull off in over a decade–reunite Organized Konfusion. Since the duo disbanded in 1997, there has been no new OK material and every few years or so the usual “reunion rumors” emerge and then disappear.
Marco Polo’s forthcoming LP, PA 2: The Director’s Cut will be released on 11-12-2013 via SoulSpazm Records and features appearances from Talib Kweli, DJ Premier, Posdonous, Masta Ace, Kardinal Offishall, Styles P, Lil Fame, Alchemist, Oh No, MC Eiht, King Tee, Michael Rapport, Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, Rah Digga, Slaine, Ill Bill, Organized Konfusion, Dopplegangaz & many more.

This is the first leak from The Rub Remixed! Coming July 30, 2013:

The Rub’s first EP of original music was released in June, and the duo (DJ Eleven and DJ Ayres) enlisted a handful of their favorite producers to remix the four songs. Inspired by the legendary Brooklyn party, The Rub Remixed is extremely eclectic, from boom bap hip-hop to rave anthems to chill out vibes.

Marco Polo brings a 90s rap aesthetic to “Feel You,” enlisting Lil Fame from M.O.P. to add some Brooklyn grime to complement Misun’s smoky singing. German dancehall dons So Shifty (Mad Decent) lift the Natalie Storm feature “Dutty Gyal” to high energy carnival Soca levels, while XXXChange (T&A) keeps the electro feel of the original track but raves it out. Oakland’s Trackademiks (Fools Gold) smooths things out with his “Black & White” remix, delivering notes of 80s R&B and Bay slaps. Michna’s (Ghostly International) “At Night” remix is deep and lo-fi, like Afrika Bambaata scoring a Michael Mann film.

Go to The Rub website to download the original The Rub EP for free along with The Rub’s brand new mix for The Fader, and don’t miss their monthly bash at The Bell House, where they are celebrating their 11 year anniversary this summer.