Masta Killa, Live
Gold Dust Media

Masta Killa has quietly carved out a fine solo career independent of his Wu-Tang Clan brothers, issuing modest gems like 2004’s No Said Date. On Live, the New York rapper “keeps it classical like Yo-Yo Ma” for a collection of live performances, delivering energetic solo highlights like “School” and “Silverbacks” as well as standout guest verses for “Duel of the Iron Mic” and “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’.” GZA, Inspectah Deck and others show up in support of this talented and highly underrated MC.

Since my post on DOOM’s Unexpected Guests last month, Gold Dust Media has changed the track listing considerably. Several cuts have been removed, including De La Soul’s memorable “Rock Co.Kane Flow” single. Others have been added, too, notably a previously-unreleased live version of “I Hear Voices” from the 2001 Operation: Doomsday reissue. And, as shown above, an impressive horticultural image of the Super Villain now adorns the cover. The release date is November 10.

Check after the jump for the new track listing and the earlier, pre-release one.

• 1. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. J Dilla & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 3. Scienz of Life, “Yikes!!!” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. KMD, “Sorcerers”
• 5. Vast Aire, “Da Supafriendz” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 7. “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 8. The Prof., “All Outta Ale” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House” (feat. DOOM)
• 10. The Prof., “Bell Of Doom” (feat. DOOM)
• 11. “My Favorite Ladies”
• 12. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (DOOM Remix)”
• 13. DOOM & Ghostface, “Angels”
• 14. J Dilla & DOOM, “Fire Wood Drumstykx”
• 15. DJ Babu, “The Unexpected” (feat. DOOM & Sean Price)
• 16. Hell Razah, “Project Jazz” (feat. Talib Kweli & Viktor Vaughn)
• 17. John Robinson, “Black Gold”
• Bonus Track: “I Hear Voices (Live)”

And here’s the original track listing:

• 1. De La Soul, “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. Jake One, “Get ‘Er Done” (feat. DOOM)
• 3. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. Dilla, Ghost & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 5. Jake One, “Trap Door” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. John Robinson, “Sorcerers” (feat. DOOM & Invizible Handz)
• 7. Vast Aire, “Da Superfriendz”
• 8. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. DOOM, “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 10. DOOM, “All Outta Ale”
• 11. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House”
• 12. DOOM, “Bells Of Doom”
• 13. DOOM, “My Favorite Ladies”
• 14. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (Remix)”

Tomorrow, October 13, Del the Funky Homosapien and Tame One pair up for Parallel Uni-verse. It’ll be released by Gold Dust Media, and is completely produced by Parallel Thought. And for anyone who felt that Del fell off with The Eleventh Hour, he comes back hard with this one (at least I think so).

Check the bio for more info:

Remember the old-school Marvel Team-Up comic book which paired, say, Spider-Man with Thor, Wolverine with the Human Torch, or the Hulk and Daredevil? In the spirit of those classic collaborations, Gold Dust announces Parallel Uni-Verses, a joint effort between Hieroglyphics founder Del The Funky Homosapien and original Artifacts emcee Tame One. Produced entirely by Parallel Thought, the album’s ten tracks return to a time when inventiveness, creativity, funky beats—and, above all, lyricism—ruled hip-hop. …

“I’ve known Tame for years,” Del says. “I always thought he was one of the dopest [MCs] out.” Del recalls first linking with Tame around 1993. “We both were kinda like party animals so that’s kinda how I got to liking his personality. He has a good sense of humor, so that’s probably the main reason I liked to be around him. We somewhat kept in touch throughout the years, back and forth, but I always would follow his career.”

“We just always remained cool,” Tame says of Del, adding, “I have ALWAYS been impressed by his wordplay and originality. Rap-wise, neither of us use words only because they rhyme; I believe we both utilize substance as opposed to nonsense.”

This project came about, Tame says, out of a need to “showcase how things used to be done, without the politics of the day, bling-bling aspirations, greed and egos corrupting the hip-hop art form.” An unselfish creative process governed the recording process, with both emcees and the Parallel Thought production team focused on using the best of today’s technology, while still keeping an old-school formula. “It was done very James Brownish, if you can dig that,” Del says. “James did everything by feel. If it felt right, then that’s what it was, and Tame is very much like that.”

For Tame, the entire album is a testament to what he calls a “grassroots” hip-hop aesthetic, which stands out over other contemporary rap releases “because of the sonic quality and clarity of the samples and our vocal performances.” Asked to name his favorite tracks on the album, Del says, “man, you asking the wrong person. I don’t play favorites. I like each joint for different reasons and they all have they place. I’ll let the public decide which ones they may favor, smell me?”

Parallel Uni-Verses is that rare rap album which transcends tired clichés and maintains traditional hip-hop values without seeming retro or passé. “Man, I ain’t even gonna be egotistical like that and try to say that we are trying to usher in some new revival of whatever,” Del says. However, he adds, “I’m a say this: we ARE the element that is missing, not [just] because I said so. That’s what’s up; we didn’t sell out for all the luxury and monetary gains. The original ways, we kept at and built upon those.”

Here’s the track listing:

• 1. “Intro (Magic)”
• 2. “Keep It Up”
• 3. “Flashback”
• 4. “The Franchise”
• 5. “Specifics”
• 6. “I’m A…”
• 7. “Before This”
• 8. “We Taking Over”
• 9. “Life Sucks”
• 10. “Teddy”
• 11. “Special”
• 12. “Gaining Ground”

Del the Funky Homosapien & Tame One, “Special”

Del the Funky Homosapien & Tame One, “I’m A…”

Bay Area hip hop band Crown City Rockers has finally finished its third album (the first was recorded as Mission:) and first in five years (!). Initially called 5 Gold Stars and set for release via RED Distribution, The Day After Tomorrow now drops via Gold Dust Media on September 29.

Why does it take these guys so long to make albums? Best known as a touring band, the quintet is probably best heard live, where Raashan Ahmad’s hype routines put a true-school spin on the classic Roots “organix” formula. Still, it would be nice to see them expand their studio craft as the Roots eventually did with Things Fall Apart

Quibbles, quibbles. Here’s a chunk from the press release:

CCR have built a reputation for their driving sound derived from live instruments fused with traditional hip-hop production, which makes their live shows particularly dynamic. Emcee Rashaan Ahmad commands the crowd in the tradition of the block party greats, with a tight backing group infusing funk energy into the bouncy hip-hop sound.

Though the group has remained intact, the album represents a reunion of sorts, as many of the contributors have been focusing on solo projects recently. Rashaan Ahamad’s solo album Push (2008) furthered his reputation as a party rocker par excellence, which he supported through tours with People Under The Stairs, Common Market, and others. Bassist/producer Headnodic recently helmed the boards for last year’s Mighty Underdogs project on Definitive Jux with emcees Gift of Gab and Lateef from the Quannum camp, and keyboardist Kat recently completed a solo project and is currently working with People Under The Stairs’ Thes One.

Here’s the track listing:

• 1. “Intro”
• 2. “Break”
• 3. “Soul”
• 4. “Kiss”
• 5. “Go On”
• 6. “Astroshocks”
• 7. “Go Away”
• 8. “Cruisin’”
• 9. “Let’s Love”
• 10. “Clap Your Hands”
• 11. “Make It Hotter”
• 12. “That’s Life”
• 13. “The Forever Song”

Download: “Astronote”

Download: “Soul”

Here’s a dope video of Crown City Rockers rehearsing the track “Soul”:

With the fall season fully underway, misanthropic rapper/producer DOOM is making a surprise contribution to the glut of new product. Set for release on October 27 via Lex Records Gold Dust Media, Unexpected Guests compiles several guest appearances, including his classic “Rock Co.Kane Flow” single with De La Soul, along with what appears to be a few new tracks – at least in regards to an official release.

The artwork above and the track listing below are tentative; both may change before Unexpected Guests is released. I’ll update this post if that happens.

(October 28 update: The track listing and artwork has been changed, and the release date has been moved back to November 10. Also, I made an error on the label; Gold Dust Media is releasing the compilation. You can view the changes here.)

• 1. De La Soul, “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (feat. DOOM)
• 2. Jake One, “Get ‘Er Done” (feat. DOOM)
• 3. Talib Kweli, “Fly That Knot” (feat. DOOM)
• 4. Dilla, Ghost & DOOM, “Sniper Elite”
• 5. Jake One, “Trap Door” (feat. DOOM)
• 6. John Robinson, “Sorcerers” (feat. DOOM & Invizible Handz)
• 7. Vast Aire, “Da Superfriendz”
• 8. Count Bass D, “Quite Buttery” (feat. DOOM)
• 9. DOOM, “?” (feat. Kurious)
• 10. DOOM, “All Outta Ale”
• 11. Masta Killa, “E.N.Y. House”
• 12. DOOM, “Bells Of Doom”
• 13. DOOM, “My Favorite Ladies”
• 14. Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck & GZA, “Street Corners (Remix)”

On June 23, influential producer DJ Muggs will present a new collection of Soul Assassins tracks via Gold Dust Media. Intermission features dozens of street rappers, from B-Real (Muggs’ partner in Cypress Hill) and Planet Asia (with whom he issued Pain Language last year) to Bun B, RZA, Prodigy, the Psycho Realm, La Coka Nostra, Evidence and many others.

Cue the press excerpt:

DJ Muggs is constantly in the labe; creating remixing and always making things happens as one of the most respected DJs in the game. He’s also put in more than his share of work as a producer with a resume that stretches from coast to coast. Muggs’ distinct love of west coast funk and heavy doses of hip hop have been responsible for multiplatinum sales and chart topping hits with Cypress Hill, House of Pain and many other artist.

In between being a part of one of the most successful hip hop groups to come from L.A., going on tour and discovering new talent, DJ Muggs has always found time to make music with his crew the Soul Assassins. As one of the founders of Soul Assassins, (a collective of artist, writers, musicians, producers, rappers, etc.) it wasn’t hard to assemble a stellar line up for their latest endeavor, Intermission.

• 1. “Gangsta Shit” (feat. Bun B & M1)
• 2. “Classical” (feat. Sick Jacken & Evidence)
• 3. “Gunshots” (feat. Chace Infinite & Alchemist)
• 4. “Do It” (feat. La Coka Nostra)
• 5. “Rep Yo Shit” (feat. Sick Jacken & Necro as P.C.P.)
• 6. “Good Evening LA” (feat. Self Scientific)
• 7. “Meet Your Maker” (feat. Reef the Lost Cause & Outerspace)
• 8. “Intermission” (feat. RZA, Rev. William Burk, Planet Asia & B-Real)
• 9. “Champions” (Remix) (feat. Prodigy & Big Twins)
• 10. “Let Go (My Life)” (feat. Fashawn)
• 11. “Like That Y’all” (feat. Planet Asia)
• 12. “World We’re In” (feat. Cynic)
• 13. “Call It Like I See It” (feat. Chace Infinite & Krondon)
• 14. “Matchbox” (feat. Dust)

“Classical” feat. Evidence & Sick Jacken

Tis’ the season for goofy, unexpected mashups — see N.A.S.A., the BPA and MSTRKRFT’s latest for proof. And with his new album, Loss 4 Wordz, former Roots member Scratch has added to the micro-trend. The track listing for his second album includes Kanye West, Damon Albarn from Gorillaz, Estelle, Talib Kweli, Musiq Soulchild and many other unexpected guests. Loss 4 Wordz drops May 25 on Gold Dust Media.

Here’s a bit from the bio:

Scratch, the world famous beat boxer and hip hop superstars is extremely excited about his new album, Loss 4 Wordz. For those that don’t know, Scratch is one of the most amazing DJs, producers, entertainers and of course, beat boxers in the world. Scratch is a Grammy Award winning artist who’s also known all over the world. He’s performed on stages with icons like Jay Z, James Brown, and Usher.

Loss 4 Wordz includes singers, rappers, and traditional instruments infused with Scratch’s beat boxing that will have everyone wondering where the beat boxing stops and the traditional instruments begin. All of the production was done by Scratch, creating everything from the crisp scratches, lush bass, melodic synth sounds by layering different vocal effects on top of each other for each track. “I wanted the tracks to be as simple as possible but also to sound full.” This philosophy is what raises the bar to new heights for beat boxing. It’s much more than the early days when beat boxing was a highlight or small component to rap music. With Loss 4 Wordz Scratch transforms beat boxing into rap music.

1. “Intro”
2. “Let’s Go” (feat. Peedi Crakk)
3. “Tonite” (feat. Musiq Soulchild)
4. “If Our Love Was A Song” (feat. Daniel Bedingfield)
5. “Ready To Go” (feat. Kanye West & Consequence)
6. “Get The F… Outta Here” (feat. M.O.P. & Showtime)
7. “Every Time” (feat. Rosie Wilson)
8. “Too Late” (feat. Damon Albarn & Talib Kweli)
9. “Midnight Hour” (feat. Gentleman)
10. “I’ll Be There For You” (feat. Jonas Myron)
11. “Fade Away” (feat. Jeymes Samuels)
12. “Girl I’m Gonna Make You” (feat. Arthur Baker)
13. “Find My Way” (feat. Elmore Judd)
14. “The Man” (feat. Estelle & Terri Walker)

Bay Area duo Zion-I has scheduled its fourth album, The Takeover, for January 27 on Gold Dust Media.

“Zion I has a reputation of being very spiritual and serious,” says MC Zion a.k.a. Zumbi in a press release. “I think The Takeover is a lot more fun than our past records. We still touch on serious subject matter, but this album shows the other sides of our personality.” Towards that end, Zion and producer Amplive have recruited Brother Ali, Devin the Dude and British rapper Ty for guest shots.

Amplive has built a reputation in recent years as an out-the-box remixer, reworking tracks by Jamie Lidell, Linkin Park and others for mixtapes (2006′s Beats, Remixes & Mashups) and online consumption. A planned Radiohead remix effort, Rainydayz Remixes, drew a lot of press when Radiohead threatened legal action against him. (It’s currently available via Amplive’s MySpace page and elsewhere.) However, it also earned Zion-I some of their first mainstream notice in years. Before then, Zion-I was acclaimed in the urban world — their 2003 album Deep Water Slang drew a Source award nomination for Best Independent Album — but mostly ignored in the pop press.

Buoyed by Amplive’s Radiohead remix controversy, Zion-I’s challenge will be to use that increased attention and make The Takeover a breakthrough release. “We try to make music that falls into a crack and fills a void for us as fans of music,” says Zion.

The track listing for The Takeover is below. The group is currently on tour with the Mighty Underdogs.

• 1. “The Taking”
• 2. “Geek To The Beat”
• 3. “Take Over”
• 4. “DJ DJ”
• 5. “Antenna”
• 6. “Caged Bird Part 1″ (feat. Brother Ali)
• 7. “In The Mornin’ (Caged Bird Part 2)”
• 8. “Radio”
• 9. “Gumbo”
• 10. “Country Baked Yams” (feat. Devin The Dude)
• 11. “Coastin’” (feat. K. Flay)
• 12. “Juicy Juice”
• 13. “Peppermint Patty”
• 14. “Bring In The Light”
• 15. “Legacy” (feat. Ty & Jennifer Johns)

And here are the tour dates:

• 10/30: Knitting Factory, Los Angeles, CA
• 10/31: Clubhouse, Tempe, AZ
• 11/01: Green Room, Flagstaff, AZ
• 11/02: Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM
• 11/05: Mohawk, Austin, TX
• 11/06: House of Blues, Dallas, TX
• 11/07: Mojo’s, Columbia, MO
• 11/08: Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
• 11/09: Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
• 11/11: Marquis Theater, Denver, CO
• 11/12: Black Sheep, Colorado Springs, CO
• 11/13: Abbey Theater, Durango, CO
• 11/14: Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
• 11/15: Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
• 11/17: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA
• 11/18: Satyricon, Portland, OR
• 11/19: Domino Room, Bend, OR
• 11/21: Underground, Reno, NV
• 11/22: Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA

10/30-11/22: w/The Mighty Underdogs

This fall, true school hip-hop vets People Under the Stairs will celebrate ten years in the rap game with a series of new projects.

First comes a greatest hits collection from Om Records, the San Francisco label which signed the group in 1999 (after the group dropped its self titled debut in 1998 on PUTS Records). Scheduled for release on July 22, The Om Years is a two-CD set with choice cuts from the group’s four albums as well as 12-inch B-sides and rarities.

Then, come September, Thes One and Double K will drop their sixth album, Fun DMC, on newly-formed label Gold Dust Media. To drum up interest, the crew is going on tour next month.

“We got our 6th album comin’ out in September of this year, and it’s chock full of all the musical dope you have come to love and expect from the P,” writes Thes One in a post on PUTS MySpace page. “We have listed a series of East coast dates to help get the word out about the album, and when it drops we will run up and down the west coast handling our business and rockin’ for you.”

Here’s the track listing for The Om Years and Fun DMC as well as the tour itinerary.

First, The Om Years:

Disc 1:

• 1. “Intro”
• 2. “San Francisco Knights”
• 3. “43 Labels I Like”
• 4. “Time to Rock Our Shit”
• 5. “The Cat”
• 6. “We’ll Be There”
• 7. “Youth Explosion”
• 8. “Code Check”
• 9. “Give Love a Chance”
• 10. “Jappy Jap”
• 11. “The Suite of a Beaver Pt. 1″
• 12. “O.S.T. (Original Soundtrack)”
• 13. “Empty Bottles of Water”
• 14. “The L.A. Song”
• 15. “Hang Loose”
• 16. “Acid Raindrops”
• 17. “The Breakdown”
• 18. “Montego Slay”
• 19. “Yield”
• 20. “Play It Again”

Disc 2:

• 1. “Invisible Blunt”
• 2. “I-15″
• 3. “Tour Guide”
• 4. Schooled in the Trade (instrumental)”
• 5. “Big Daddy Brown”
• 6. “Hang Loose Pt. 2″
• 7. “Sunroof (instrumental)”
• 8. “The Bomb Combo”
• 9. “Afternoon Connection”
• 10. “Out Da Club”
• 11. “We’ll Be There (10 Seconds Remix)”

Want more? Here’s the Fun DMC track list:

• 1. “The Swan Fever”
• 2. “Step Bacc”
• 3. “Up Yo Spine (Live At The Fishbucket pt. 3)”
• 4. “Ste. For Peter Pt.1 ‘The Fun’”
• 5. “Ste. For Peter Pt.2 ‘The Grind’”
• 6. “Anotha’ (BBQ)”
• 7. “The Ultimate 144″
• 8. “Letter 2 c/o Bronx”
• 9. “Party Enemy #1″
• 10. “Enjoy”
• 11. “Gamin’ on Ya”
• 12. “Critical Condition”
• 13. “The Wiz”
• 14. “People Riddum”
• 15. “California”
• 16. “Love’s Theme #1″
• 17. “A Baby”
• 18. “Same Beat (The Wesley Rap)”
• 19. “D”
• 20. “The Mike & Chris Story”

Finally, the tour dates:

• 8/03: 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
• 8/04: Sonar, Baltimore, MD
• 8/05: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
• 8/07: Theatre Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
• 8/08: Living Room, Providence, RI
• 8/10: Middle East, Cambridge, MA
• 8/11: Higher Ground, Burlington, VT
• 8/12: Studio JPR, Montreal, QC
• 8/13: El Mocambo, Toronto, ON
• 8/15: St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
• 8/16: Headliners, Toledo, OH
• 8/17: Peabody’s Down Under, Cleveland, OH
• 8/19: Pops Nite Club, St. Louis, MO
• 8/20: House Of Blues, Chicago, IL
• 8/21: Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
• 8/22: The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE

8/03-8/22: w/Flobots

www.putsonline.co.uk
www.myspace.com/peopleunderthestairs