This DJ Vadim-produced track appears on Pugs Atomz’ new Rooftop album. Happy to see that the hardworking Chicago MC is finally getting some shine.
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Found: Blue Scholars, “HI-808”
Blue Scholars show love to President Obama’s home state. From the forthcoming Oof! EP.
Brother Ali on tour
In September, Brother Ali kicks off a three-month, 50-date (!) tour in support of his soon-to-be-released Us. Joining him will be trusty sideman Toki Wright (who just released his debut A Different Mirror), DJ BK One (who has an album coming out this fall) and Evidence from Dilated Peoples (who just signed with Rhymesayers).
RJD2 returns with box set, “The Colossus”
Today, RJD2 wrote a lengthy MySpace post updating fans on his career.
First, he announced that he has formed an independent label, RJ’s Electrical Connections, which will be distributed by the Orchard. (!K7 will handle distribution outside the States.) To commemorate the new venture, he’s releasing a box set that will include his first three albums (including his 2002 classic Deadringer) and several limited-edition EPs (including the Deadringer-era mixtape Your Face Or Your Kneecaps) as well as a new EP, The Tin Foil Hat. The collection, 2002-2010, is set for release on October 20.
Meanwhile, RJ has finished a new album, The Colossus. Once scheduled for this year, it will now drop in 2010. “I know I said before it would be out in 2009-you did know I meant FISCAL year, not CALENDAR YEAR, right?,” he writes. “You wouldn’t want me to rush this out all willy-nilly, would you? good, I didn’t think so.”
RJ’s Electrical Connections is a good move for an artist that has chafed under industry conventions. After leaving Definitive Jux in 2006, he signed with XL Recordings and released 2007’s The Third Hand. It earned tepid reviews. But while critics didn’t like the album — mostly finding fault with RJ’s unpolished vocals — he continued to tour successfully, filling theaters and playing several festivals. Much like Sound Tribe Sector 9, a mega-successful improvisational band that operates independently, RJ may be better off cultivating the sizable audience that appreciates his artistic evolution instead of chasing after trendy rap and indie-rock fans.
The Internet is a funny place
Earlier this year I tried to befriend several bloggers by sending them introductory emails. Most of them didn’t respond — nor, more importantly, add me to those valuable “friends” link sidebars. Instead, they added me to their cretinous mailing lists, so now I get flooded with emails asking me to “promote” their posts. Funny.
Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3”
By now, you’re probably used to blogs and websites (sometimes Plug One, more often sites bigger than this one) presenting track listings to major albums as “exclusives.” And in some cases they are “exclusives” — labels often issue choice morsels of hype to favored Internet players — though not quite on the level as, say, an important “exclusive” about the Abu Ghraib scandal.
But I digress. Jay-Z has pre-empted all that nonsense and posted the “exclusive” tracklisting to his forthcoming The Blueprint 3. It’s available on his website, www.jay-z.com. Roc Nation/Atlantic will issue The Blueprint 3 on September 11. (September 10 update:The release date was pushed forward to September 8.)
Clipse, Cool Kids on tour
Kid Koala presents The Slew
Canadian turntablist Kid Koala has formed a new musical project called the Slew with guitarist Dylan “Dynomite D” Frombach and Led Zeppelin copycat Wolfmother’s former rhythm section (Chris Ross and Myles Heskett). This isn’t the first time Kid Koala has dabbled with live instrumentation — knowledgeable heads will recall that he toured with Bullfrog several years ago, and the collaboration even yielded an album, 2001’s Bullfrog.
The Slew has completed a disc of material called 100%. For now, it will only be sold during a short tour that kicks off in Kid Koala’s native Vancouver next month. While I expect to see an retail release in the future (much like DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist’s Hard Sell mix), given the haphazard nature of the music industry nowadays I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s only a tour item, so it’s best if you buy one at one of the concerts.
However, you can be sure that Mr. Scratchratchatch will put on an amazing show. Catch him if you can. Jump to the bottom of the post for the itinerary, the 100% tracklisting and some teaser tracks. (September 15 update: You can download the album for free at Kid Koala’s website.)
Frank 151 37: The De La Soul issue
This may be the best Frank 151 issue I’ve seen to date. It celebrates the 20th anniversary of De La Soul’s seminal 3 Feet High Rising with 150 pages on everything De La, from interviews with onetime Native Tongues (including a prison interview with Chi Ali!) to a De La pop quiz, photos of classic flyers and advertisements, the works. Fans of the old Ego Trip magazine will appreciate this. And best of all, it’s free!
I tried looking on the Frank 151 website for a list of stores that carry it, but couldn’t find one. So you’ll have to just look out for it at your local record store, skate shop, limited-edition toys/T-shirts/caps outlet, hipster emporium, et cetera. It’s worth the search.
Found: Trailer for Peanut Butter Wolf’s “999” shows
In case you haven’t noticed, Plug One loves Stones Throw. This trailer is for Peanut Butter Wolf’s upcoming “999” shows in Los Angeles, where he’ll spin nine VJ sets at nine venues in nine different Los Angeles area codes during the first nine days of September. Very ambitious.
The Wrap Up: Wake and bake
The lost weekends:
- Kanye, Em, Cudi, various pop wanksters earn VMA noms (mtv.com)
- Beastie Boys’ MCA completes cancer surgery, begins recovery (rollingstone.com)
- More on Baatin’s passing (allhiphop.com)
- After prematurely calling Charles Hamilton the next-gen rapper to blow, The Fader hopes for better luck with Drake (thefader.com)
- Saigon preps Warning Shots 2 (allhiphop.com)
- Kid Cudi lands HBO gig (allhiphop.com)
- RIP Rashied Ali, former drummer for John Coltrane (nytimes.com)
- RIP archetypal guitarist Les Paul (mtv.com)
- Drake gives So Far Gone an official release, gets moved from Universal Republic to Universal Motown (billboard.com)
Make mine marvelous: Illmind’s Official Remix Album (audibletreats.com), Kam Moye’s (pictured above) Self Centered EP (rappersiknow.com), Luckyiam’s The Present (legendarymusic.net), Dr. Who Dat’s Can I Dub Your Tape? No!! (zshare.net)
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Trailer for Mary Anne Hobbs’ “Wild Angels”
More on Ms. Hobbs forthcoming Wild Angels compilation. The soundtrack is a megamix of the cuts on the album.
The Clonius’ “Between the Dots”
Austrian producer the Clonius is the latest contender in the glitch/bass/”wonky hip hop” sweepstakes. His debut, Between the Dots, comes on the heels of this summer’s solid Adroit Adventures EP. Ubiquity Records will release it on October 13.
Guests include Muhsinah (whose “One At A Time” collabo from Adroit Adventures is reprised here), Dorian Concept, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins. Much like Dorian Concept’s work, the Clonius adheres to the jazz-fusion end of the electronic/hip hop crossover, referencing broken beat heroes like Jazzanova and Herbert as well as the typical Prefuse and J Dilla sources.
Hudson Mohawke’s “Butter”
Warp Records has scheduled Hudson Mohawke’s debut album, Butter, for release on October 13 (October 12 in the UK). Dam-Funk makes an appearance, as do Nadsroic (from HudMo’s LuckyMe camp) and Olivier Daysoul. You can download a teaser MP3, “Rising 5,” from the Warp website.
Here’s a short explanation of Butter:
“The Butter idea, as well as just wanting to give the album a simple striking name, also came from my attempt at a sort of prog rock meets vintage soul meets sleazy R’n’B aesthetic – Isaac Hayes ‘hot buttered soul’. I really wanted the title to somehow emphasise the arrangements on the record, how I’ve tried to create songs as opposed to just computer driven arrangements, how the record flows. I think compared to some of my earlier production it’s smoother in some ways as well, like butter for the eardrums.â€
Mary Anne Hobbs’ “Wild Angels”
UK DJ, radio host and tastemaker Mary Anne Hobbs has a new compilation, Wild Angels, that venerated UK label Planet Mu will release on September 8. And unlike past comps like 2008’s Evangeline, you won’t have to worry about import prices — this will be released in the U.S., too.
Contributors include Mark Pritchard, Hudson Mohawke, Nosaj Thing, Take, Mike Slott, Untold and Mono/Poly. Check after the jump for the complete tracklisting as well as Hobbs’ September tour dates.
N.A.S.A. spot dates
Production duo N.A.S.A. is still pushing their album, The Sound of Apollo. Dates below.
N.A.S.A. (North America/South America), the global music collaboration whose debut album The Spirit of Apollo was released on Anti- earlier this year, will be touring the U.S. in August. Dubbed “N.A.S.A.’s Intergalactic Circus,” the August performances will include space monsters, Martian dancers and special musical guests that the group picked-up during their recent travels throughout the Universe.
Found: Trailer for Brother Ali’s “Us”
From Brother Ali’s Us, out September 22 via Rhymesayers.
Found: Slum Village’s “Actin’ Rich”
Color us amused and sad. Via Rappersiknow.com.