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Monthly Archives: December 2008
Skillz’ “2008 Wrap Up”
Since 2003 2002, Virginia indie-rap pioneer Skillz has dropped a free MP3 that wraps up all of the past year’s goings-on in lyrical fashion. Today brings a new installment to the series. Download it after the break.
New Casual Sax video
From the upcoming album. Peace to Ryan and Pancho. Sven Barth & Induce are: Casual Sax – Whorer Core from induce on Vimeo.
The Plug One 50 2008: Top 30 Singles
Here are my picks for the top 30 singles of 2008. This list doesn’t have as much sturm und drang as my top 20 albums. However, I arbitrarily created some rules to make it interesting. I tried to make a … Continue reading
The Plug One 50 2008: Top 20 Albums
For the first two years of Plug One’s existence, I offered a somewhat exhaustive list of all the great hip-hop albums that had been released. In 2006, I made a list of the 40 best albums, and in 2007 I … Continue reading
2008: Producers still in the spotlight
By Max Herman In the past decade, producers have become much less of an enigma in hip-hop. Gone are the days when beatsmiths comfortably lamped in the shadows and the only thing fans knew about them was maybe their discography. … Continue reading
Holiday fare from Plug One
Okay, so I didn’t bring the lovin’ that I promised on Christmas Day. But hopefully these MP3 collections will make up for it. First up, there’s a folder of Lil Wayne “A Milli” remixes. Think you’ve heard every “A Milli” … Continue reading
Poo-Bah Records follows the reindeer
Just in time for Christmas, Poo-Bah Records has assembled Follow the Reindeer, a mixtape full of tweaked-out holiday fare. Participants include label guru Ras G, underrated L.A. producer Take, Plug Research artist Matthew David and others. Check below for the … Continue reading
The Wrap Up: RIAA’s coming to get ya
Tis’ the season for slow news cycles: RIAA pledges to stop suing MP3 traders, plans to cut off their Internet access instead (online.wsj.com) Scarface becomes latest rapper to claim “retirement” (sohh.com) Quannum and Reebok team up for Darfur benefit (quannum.com) … Continue reading
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Review: Common, “Universal Mind Control”
Common Universal Mind Control Geffen Universal Mind Control may be the worst album of Common’s career, but it’s not for the reasons you’d think. It’s not bad because Common plays with the electro-funk sound that has overtaken dance clubs. There’s … Continue reading
Myka 9 in “1969”
Myka 9, former member of the influential crew Freestyle Fellowship, has a new album called 1969. It’s set for release on January 13 via Fake Four Inc. Myka 9 (or Mikah Nine, Myka Nine, etc.) is an elusive and eccentric … Continue reading
Late Pass: Buck 65’s “Dirtbike”
Earlier this year, between August and October, Buck 65 issued a trilogy of works called Dirtbike directly to the Internet. Why am I only writing about this now? Because I know and hear about a lot of music, but I … Continue reading
New Myuzyk compilation features 2tall, Buddy Peace
British netlabel Myuzyk has released a new compilation called Twisting the Frame. Here’s a brief description: In the making and delayed for over two years, this collection of free thinking progressions and mutations of hip hop is here at last. … Continue reading
Filastine launches “Dirty Bomb”
On February 1, Barcelona, Spain producer Filastine will make drop his second album Dirty Bomb via DJ/Rupture’s Soot Records. Much like DJ/rupture, Filastine’s musical style incorporates various sounds — dub, breakbeat, dancehall, ambient electronics and hip-hop — into an exotic, … Continue reading
P.O.S. tours with Doomtree
P.O.S. has announced the first of what will undoubtedly be many tours in 2009. The concerts, in support of his upcoming album Never Better, take place in February and feature several comrades from his Doomtree crew, including Sims, Mictlan, Lazerbeak … Continue reading
Odd Couple: Busy P and Murs
Here’s an incongruous pairing: Ed Banger Records producer Busy P and Murs the Living Legend together on “To Protect and Entertain.” Murs’ punchy raps and Busy P’s patented electro-funk beats makes for a oddly appealing and funky mix. Meanwhile, Murs … Continue reading
Warp loves labels
From today, December 15 until December 24, Warp Records is offering a free download via its MP3 site, Bleep.com. Titled Bleep Loves…Labels, the 11 track collection features contributions from new signee Hudson Mohawke, 4 Hero side project Visioneers, rising downtempo … Continue reading
The Wrap Up: Hamiltonization week
Last week’s hip-hop news bits, both relevant and irrelevant: Charles Hamilton concludes The Hamiltonization Factor (iamnotcharleshamilton.com), but not without some controversy (smokingsection.uproxx.com) Busy week for Hamilton: Interscope pays him to aid Soulja Boy’s quixotic marketing campaign (2dopeboyz.com) (charleshamilton.blogspot.com) Busta Rhymes … Continue reading
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Mr. Lif heads on tour
I’ve been scratching my head over Mr. Lif’s forthcoming album I Heard It Today. It was apparently supposed to come out on January 20, the day of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, but has apparently been pushed back — to which … Continue reading
Souls of Mischief on Ice Cold tour
Souls of Mischief will kick off the new year with the appropriately named Ice Cold tour. To commemorate the adventure, they’ve released a new song, “Tour Stories,” as part of a zip file of MP3s called, you guessed it, “Ice … Continue reading
Grandmaster Flash’s “The Bridge”
Next year Grandmaster Flash will issue his first album of original material since The Source in 1988. The Bridge: Concept of a Culture arrives March 3 via Flash’s Adrenaline City imprint and Strut Records/!K7. Guest appearances on The Bridge include … Continue reading