Categories
Archives
America's Most Blunted
Monthly Archives: April 2008
NYOil calls “Hood Treason”
Remember NYOil’s “Y’all Should All Get Lynched,” the YouTube video that mixed photos of 50 Cent, Three 6 Mafia, Ying Yang Twins and rap stars with images of black men and women being hanged? It was a searing indictment of … Continue reading
Decon unspools Fresh Rhymes and Videotape
This summer, Decon Media launches the Fresh Rhymes and Videotape tour. The multimedia company is long overdue for a showcase. It has created several dynamic projects over the years, from Common’s classic “1-9-9-9” video to Dilated Peoples’ The Release Party … Continue reading
J-Live introduces “Then What Happened”
New York-bred, Atlanta-based rapper J-Live a.k.a. Justice Allah is long overdue for a critical appraisal. He’s didn’t draw as much attention as his late-90s peers, even though he was part of the golden age of indie hip-hop, too. He’s recorded … Continue reading
Immortal Technique brings “The 3rd World”
June is shaping to be a terrific month for hip-hop, with new albums from Flying Lotus, Invincible, N.E.R.D., David Banner, (maybe) Killer Mike and, yes, Lil Wayne set for release. Now you can add Immortal Technique’s latest to the list. … Continue reading
Invincible pens “Shape Shifters”
Invincible, the Detroit battle MC who has beguiled her fans for nearly a decade, is finally releasing her debut album after years of false starts. It’s titled Shape Shifters, and she’ll issue it via her Emergence label on June 17. … Continue reading
Flying Lotus builds “Los Angeles”
On June 10, Flying Lotus will release Los Angeles, his second album and highly anticipated debut for Warp Records. “Los Angeles is a special place to me for obvious reasons, but for the majority of my life, I hated living … Continue reading
Time Machine says “Life is Expensive”
On June 10, Time Machine will release its second album, Life is Expensive on Glow in the Dark Records. (May 5 update: The release date has been pushed forward to May 20.) Jet Set Jay (also known as Jaysonic), Biscuit … Continue reading
Straight No Chaser evolves into Shook
A few months ago, I reported that long-running UK soul mag Straight No Chaser had folded after over a decade of publishing. Well, it appears that several of its editors have filled the void left by its demise by launching … Continue reading
Lyrics Born promotes “Everywhere At Once”
It’s the day before Lyrics Born’s first album since Later That Day, and dude is in overdrive promoting it. On a post on his website titled “They can’t stop us,” Lyrics Born writes: If you’re in the Bay on 4/22, … Continue reading
Cunninlynguists embark on West Coast tour
This Friday, Kentucky crew Cunninlynguists embarks on a brief West Coast and Canadian tour. Despite having perhaps the wackest name in the business, the group has thrived in recent years, thanks to spiritually-inflected albums like 2006’s A Piece of Strange … Continue reading
RZA rebounds with Bobby Digital, Achozen, tour
When we last heard about the RZA, dude was getting reamed by his Wu-Tang mates for supposedly ruining their reunion album, 8 Diagrams. Ghostface and Raekwon talked shit about him in the press, and U-God filed a lawsuit against Wu … Continue reading
MIA goes back on tour
On Thursday, M.I.A. launches a new leg of her ongoing tour in support of the excellent Kala. She’ll be supported by Toronto’s Holy Fuck, an LCD Soundsystem-style electronic band worth checking out. (See — I like some indie bands, too.) … Continue reading
Madlib visits Brazil, becomes Jackson Conti
Acclaimed photographer/filmmaker Brian “B+” Cross’ MySpace subscribers have been receiving mysterious bulletins lately. They read, “Madlib and Mamão are…Jackson Conti. Please repost.” The source of the mystery is a forthcoming album by Jackson Conti called Sujinho. It’s set for release … Continue reading
Raashan Ahmad pushes along with Akil the MC
I already told you that positive hip hop advocate Raashan Ahmad drops his debut, The Push, via Om Records on May 20. Before that happens, though, he’ll lay the groundwork for a successful release with a brief tour. His running … Continue reading
DJ Presto presents “State of the Art”
Los Angeles hip hop producer DJ Presto has corralled some impressive names for his second album. Set for release on June 17 via his Concrete Grooves imprint (with Fat Beats distribution), State of the Art features guest appearances from Fatlip, … Continue reading
Review: The Mighty Underdogs, “The Prelude EP”
The Mighty Underdogs, a Bay Area supergroup featuring Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truthspeaker, and Crown City Rockers producer Headnodic, preview their upcoming full-length with The Prelude EP. Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
Tagged Gift of Gab, Headnodic, Lateef the Truthspeaker, the Mighty Underdogs
Leave a comment
Vast Aire throws “Dueces Wild”
Fresh from his Mighty Joseph collabo with Karniege, Vast Aire isn’t waiting the requisite two years to drop another project. Instead, he’s following up with his first solo project since 2004’s Look Ma, No Hands. Vast Aire’s Dueces Wild is … Continue reading
Cyne makes plans for “Pretty Dark Things” and “Starship Utopia”
When we last heard from Cyne, the underrated Gainesville quartet was making plans to release Pretty Dark Things, in February. Well, it’s April, and the group’s third full-length album still hasn’t come out. Luckily, the group recently announced on its … Continue reading
Kidz in the Hall support Obama with “Change,” tour
As fellow Chicagoans, Kidz in the Hall have made a lot of noise about supporting Illinois senator Barack Obama. In December, they recorded a tribute track, “Work It Out,” to the prospective Democratic presidential nominee. Now they’ve made a new … Continue reading
Jay-Z leaves Def Jam, joins Live Nation
A New York Times story posted this evening (April 2) reports that Jay-Z is leaving Def Jam and joining forces with music industry behemoth Live Nation. According to the story, Jay-Z is on the verge of signing a $150 million … Continue reading