Good question. It’s one I’ve obsessed over for months, especially during the past few days. It haunts me as I write this, causing me to neglect my (slightly overdue) paid writing assignments.
It wasn’t meant to turn out this way. Plug One started back in September 2006. I intended it as a magazine-style website, with friends who would contribute features, reviews and the like. I wanted to celebrate progressive hip-hop — hence, the name Plug One (props to Posdnous). But the site was crippled by several early mistakes, including using Joomla as a CMS platform (even though I didn’t have any programming or design experience), relying too heavily on my friends for content (even though they weren’t being paid) and, yes, wasting too much time on “news” posts.
Ah, the news posts. It seems quaint now, but back in 2006 there was little news available online for indie-rap artists. It was during a time when “indie” was used as an epithet designating “backpack” rappers as less than. However, by early 2008, the blog scene rapidly changed. No longer dominated by super-opinionated types like Byron Crawford and OhWord.com obsessing over Lupe Fiasco’s Christ-like pose on Food & Liquor, the new kings were mega-post sites like NahRight.com and 2dopeboyz.com that chucked up news, MP3s, videos, and anything else they can get their hands on. They proved to be very good at it, sometimes generating up to 50 posts a day. And with fresh jolts of energy brought by the Cool Kids, Blu, Kid Cudi and Tanya Morgan, to name a few, fan fervor was finally returning to the indie-rap scene.
So you could say that Plug One missed its moment. The problem is, I never intended the site to be a commons area, a Drudge-like collection of search engine-baiting links. It was supposed to be a magazine, with the news posts serving as front-of-the-book style content. So why was I writing so many goddamn news posts?
It’s the reason why I woke up this morning and wanted to delete the whole damn thing. Rip it up and start over again.
Apologies for not posting for so long. Yes, an actual human writes and posts this information.
Here’s an item that should have went up two weeks ago — another run by Anticon co-founder Sole & the Skyrider Band. They’ll be accompanied by Fake Four Inc. owner Ceschi Ramos and Oldominion side project Dark Time Sunshine.
B. Dolan, Fallen House, Sunken City
Strange Famous Records
“I braced against the railing and looked into the sun like I was waiting for someone to burn a picture in my mind,” B. Dolan intones on “Leaving New York.” Having spent years as an understudy to Sage Francis, you’d think that Dolan would sound like that left-wing iconoclast, but on this track he sounds more like Sole, minus the lyrical jump-cuts and torrential run-on sentences. Dolan can’t match either’s technique, but he has a growling fortitude that borders on anger, and a poet’s knack for witty lines. “I’m cashing checks against the national debt/I can’t afford to live fraudulent,” he complains on “Economy of Words (Bail It Out).” Much like Francis, Dolan came to hip-hop via the spoken-word medium, albeit without the freestyle battle scars that made him a natural rap artist. There’s still some stiffness in Dolan’s delivery, and seems to be trying out other MCs styles, from the aforementioned Sole to Rob Sonic (on “Earthmovers”). Overall, however, Fallen House, Sunken City is a more successful attempt at agit-hop than the undigested spoken-word routines of Dolan’s debut, 2007’s The Failure. Considerable credit should be given to producer Alias, who flips some inspired fusion funk beats. The veteran beat maker sometimes outshines Dolan, but when the two blend seamlessly on the brutish and tragic Marvin Gaye tribute “Marvin,” their sparks burst into glorious flames.
Canadian rappers unite! Pioneering iconoclast K-os (pictured above) and Weezy-approved superstar-in-training Drake are heading out together for a tour of universities and, uh, “private locations.” I assume these “private locations” are RSVP-only affairs and frat-house parties booked by trust-fund idiots. You should be alright if you’ve got the hookup.
Sage Francis has scheduled a series of tour dates in support of his forthcoming album, Li(f)e, which drops May 11. B. Dolan, who just released Fallen House, Sunken City; and Free Moral Agents will join him.
2Mex (pictured right) is on the road again. This time, he’s not doing one of his stealth “house” tours, but playing small and mid-size clubs throughout the country. Now all we need is that Strange Famous album…maybe this year?
If you still haven’t seen Nosaj Thing live yet (*raises hand*), you can catch him opening for overrated British band the xx this month. If that tour isn’t coming through your town (*raises hand*), then you’ll just have to wait a little longer to see him.
I think this is the fourth video from A Strange Arrangement. This isn’t my favorite track on the album, and I think I liked the “Green Eyed Love” clip better. But check it out for yourself.
You’ve read about it on your favorite blogs and websites. You watched the crazy teaser videos that ripped off the Brad Pitt flick Seven. You downloaded the free MP3s. Now it’s time to wipe away the drool, because the Meth, Ghost & Rae collabo album is coming out.
Set for release via Def Jam on March 30, Wu Massacre is mostly a Wu affair, with production from RZA and Allah Mathematics and guest spots from Inspectah Deck, Streetlife (Remember “PLO Style?”) and Trife. Interestingly, the Rhythm Roots Allstars, who were the backing band on many of those Scion Live mini-tours from a few years ago, and even showed up on Ghost’s The Big Doe Rehab, contribute to a few tracks.
Rhymesayers road dog Brother Ali kicks off another North American tour next month in support of last year’s excellent US. L.A. upstart Fashawn lends support.
Publicity stuff:
This spring, acclaimed Minneapolis rapper Brother Ali will set out on his second extensive North American tour in support of his latest album, Us. The tour, called the “Breakin’ Dawn Tour”, also features one of the biggest new hip-hop acts to break in 2009, California-based MC, Fashawn. The trek starts on March 29th in Fargo, winding its way through Canada and hits new cities in the southern and eastern regions of America. An ambitious task yes but nothing new for the dedicated and laborious Rhymesayers wordsmith – a true testament to the dedication and reach of his fans who cannot get enough. His heavy sound and thought-provoking rhymes have created a high demand by listeners from the farthest reaches of the continent. Now even more fans will have a chance to see this legend live. Upon completion of these dates, Brother Ali will have played a total of 77 North American cities in support of Us, which Pitchfork called “the most deeply thought-provoking work of Brother Ali’s career”.
In April, Lupe Fiasco embarks on a monthlong tour of major markets in support of his forthcoming album, We Are Lasers. Or is it called Lasers now? I’m not sure.
B.O.B., the talented ATL artist who will finally (fingers crossed) see his debut album The Adventures of Bobby Ray come out via Atlantic on April 27, opens.
Flying Lotus is embarking on a brief buzz-building tour prior to the May 4 release of his third album, Cosmogramma. Dubstep scion Kode9 opens on most dates.
(February 26 update) Almost forgot to mention that FlyLo will support Thom Yorke & Atoms for Peace on a brief tour in April, too.
Akon’s Konvict label signs first African rap artist (hiphopdx.com)
Beastie Boys’ MCA celebrates success of film distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories (laweekly.com)
Travis Barker and A-Trak form new dance-rap-rock project (mtv.com)
Pitchfork.com editor proclaims greatness of Pitchfork.com (thedailyswarm.com)
Public Enemy’s proposed “fan-funded” album fails to ignite interest (billboard.biz)
Drake warns of shady concert promoters who rip off gullible Drake fans (allhiphop.com)
Donnis (pictured above with video hoe) signs with Atlantic Records (hiphopdx.com)
Jay-Z brags that he’s a FOB (Friend of Barack) (mtv.com)
Johnson & Johnson (a.k.a. Blu & Mainframe) launch new project, New World Color (okayplayer.com)
I woke up in a pine box: J-Live’s Do the Knowledge Vol. 1 (Late Pass) (jlive.bandcamp.com), Donwill’s Laura’s Tape (donwill.bandcamp.com), Exponential Records’ Kadohadacho (antipop.net), Reks’ In Between The Lines (mediafire.com), DJ Drama & B.O.B.’s May 25th (usershare.net), Joell Ortiz’ Defying the Predictable (onsmash.com), DJ Rhettmatic and Bobo from Cypress Hill’s Bobo Meets Rhettmatic (2dopeboyz.com)
This track dropped in spring 2009 under the title “Kids (MGMT remix),” but for obvious reasons it was retitled “Opposite of Adults.” Okayplayer.com uploaded an Onsmash.com embedded clip, but I did a little research and found an official version.
Taken from the Philadelphia duo’s Opposite of Adults EP, which drops via Parlophone on February 22 in the UK. No word on when it will be available in the U.S.
Remember DJ Spinna’s Sonic Smash from last summer? He finally completed a video for one of the tracks, “Get On Down.” New jacks Fresh Daily, P.SO and Homeboy Sandman provide raps.
Okay, some dudes front on Joell Ortiz. But the fact is he actually made a good album (The Bricks: Bodega Chronicles), and most rappers haven’t. So there.
This video is very sweet…it reminds me a lot of rap videos from back in the early 90s. Yes, it hit the Internets before Valentine’s Day, so give me a late pass, please.
Directed by Rik Cordero, and spotted via Okayplayer.com. Taken from Free Agent, which drops via E1 Music on April 20.
Hip hop DJ turned throwback soul loverman Mayer Hawthorne is headed back to the U.S. for another run of dates. The spring tour ends with an appearance at Coachella.
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