D.C. rapper Wale is currently on a national tour, playing colleges and nightclubs alike. As usual, he’s backed by go-go band UCB. Colin Munroe, the fledging singer that set blogs ablaze last year with his Colin Munroe is the Unsung Hero mixtape and contributions to Black Milk’s Tronic, will open. As for Wale, you can download a gang of mixtapes via his MySpace site.
The world is a ghetto:
Back on my free ish: U-N-I & Ro Blvd, A Love Supreme (okayplayer.com), Mr. Lif’s I Heard It Today megamix (myspace.com), yet another Charles Hamilton mixtape (2dopeboyz.com) … and another (2dopeboyz.com), Wale’s The Road To Attention Deficit (2dopeboyz.com)
Phil the Agony is best known for his membership in several West Coast crews, including Strong Arm Steady, Likwit Crew, Blacksmith and, back in the day, Madlib Invazion. But for Think Green, the L.A. vet will go solo, albeit with help from SAS’s Krondon and Mitchy Slick, Planet Asia and Blacksmith’s Jean Grae and Talib Kweli.
Think Green drops May 5 on Nature Sounds. A digital EP version will be available on Earth Day, April 22. Cue the bio segment:
With Think Green, Agony takes a different approach in his mission, not only to fans of hip-hop, but also to eco-minded individuals. On the album titled track Think Green Phil wastes no time in explaining why it’s important to think of our surroundings as he states “ I print my album on recycled paper so you ain’t gotta cut the rainforest, for me to sing the chorus… †The Economy rides with the environment as the silver-throat emcee creates, in his words, an “environmentally conscious hip-hop album” for 2009. Think Green’s commercial packing holds true to Phil’s vision, with a minimalist 100% recycled, eco-friendly CD sleeve. Phil has even partnered up with the National Global Releaf Program to have a tree planted for every copy of Think Green that is purchased.
Veteran glitch-hop producer Travis Stewart, a.k.a. Machinedrum, will issue his new album Want to 1 2? Set for release on April 14 via Normrex, it features collaborations with blog rap stars (Theophilus London, Mickey Factz), champion turntablist Ie.merg, and assorted NY hipsters (fashion model/singer Sarah Ruba and performance artist Natalie Weiss).
For the hiphopdontstop dudes who know more about blog rap than Machinedrum, here’s a primer:
Bridging the gap between extremeties. Travis Stewart has produced/composed several albums under various aliases since 1999 (Syndrone, tstewart, Neonblack, h8 among many other names) and has covered an incredible variety of styles .
Under the name Machinedrum, his most well known project, his debut album “Now You Know” was released early 2001 on the influential Miami based Merck Records and gained the attention and praise of musicians, fans and critics world wide. It was heralded as the “standard to which the next wave of imitators aspires” by Pitchfork. Since then he has toured around the world performing in places like the Sydney Opera House of Australia, Star Pinez in Tokyo, Bush Music Hall in London, and the Nokia Theater in Times Square.
Now with 9 albums under his belt Travis is a force to be reckoned with. His next album as Machinedrum titled “Want to 1 2?” will be released on the New York City based label Normrex in 2009 and focuses on changing the face of what we now know as Pop by fusing current pop music standards and trends with his extensive knowledge of experimental production techniques.
The Want to 1 2 sound could be described as a combination of the pop songwriting skills of Timbaland, the huge club sound of Daft Punk and the crafty experimentation of Aphex Twin. Travis has remixed a wide variety of artists like Johnny Cash, Solange, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Mochipet, Edit and more.
Lifesavas will go on a brief West Coast tour this month. No word on a new album, though.
And by the way, what’s up with Quannum artists (DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born, etc.) taking a gazillion years to finish albums? Hip hop is a science, but it ain’t rocket science. Just saying.
(April 14 update: The rest of the tour has been canceled.)
Immortal Technique reports on his MySpace blog that he just returned from Afghanistan, where he is building a new school. “This wasn’t done with any corporate funding, everything down to the plane tickets and other travel expenses came from me personally not any donations. The funds we raised through the shows and the people’s donations (including my own) were all reserved for the acquiring of the property, food, clothes appliances, beds for the children, medical supplies, and the infrastructure of the school. This was done with your help, those of you who took part in the support of “The 3rd World†and came to the benefit shows,” he writes in a blog post.
Future plans include continued recording on the long-awaited Middle Passage and, yes, some spot dates across the Eastern seaboard.
Fiery Chicago battle rapper Qwel is fulfilling a handful of spot dates around the country. DJ Dallas Jackson is helping out on the ones and twos.
Detroit linguist Finale will embark on a series of spot dates next month, many of them with fellow Motortown MC Invincible. No word on when they’ll launch a national tour — or better yet, a collaborative album — but it needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Hotly tipped Los Angeles producer Nosaj Thing is the latest wizard to emerge from the West Coast’s current beat movement. His debut album, Drift, drops June 9 on Alpha Pup Records.
Here’s a chunk of expository text from the bio posted on his MySpace page:
L.A.-based producer Nosaj Thing (Jason Chung) is a sound innovator. His electronic sound scapes and wild beat tectonics play like vignettes that affect the listener’s mind as deeply as he hits their soul. Without a doubt, Nosaj Thing is among L.A.’s finest musical modulators.
Jason’s early work came awkwardly but not at all haphazardly. At age 13, he took his first computer from his father, an archaic PC that struggled even with word documents. In the hands of Nosaj Thing, it became an Intel Celeron home studio. With a “donated” copy of Reason, a demo version of Ableton Live and a computer mouse (he couldn’t afford a MIDI controller), Nosaj Thing began making music. He built his first productions note for note on the electronic staff of his Frankenstein studio. When your focus is strong, all you really need is a machine that works.
In high school, Jason picked up a day job at a local music store, focusing his efforts on the arduous task of saving up for his first Mac. But Destiny had become fond of Nosaj Thing’s resolve. In a contest, Jason won a favored producer tool: his own honest copy of Logic Pro. Wild circumstances? Perhaps. But he’s still using it, winning beat battles, remix contests, gigging and DJing within his network of like-minded musical vigilantes. Now 22, Nosaj Thing creates nothing less than the sound mastery of beat driven, experimental electronics from a gifted noise constructor.
In May, Mike (Myka 9), Aaron (Abstract Rude) and Eddie (Aceyalone) will head on tour together. The trio will perform material together as Haiku D’Etat and solo. Each has a new album out: Myka 9’s 1969 dropped in January, Abstract Rude’s Rejuvenation hits stores on May 5 and Aceyalone’s Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones comes out tomorrow. Rising L.A. emcee Nocando opens, and DJ Drez will back the crew up.
Remember, there’s no crying in hip hop:
Hollywood Holt, the Chicago rapper with a name like a cowboy, has a modest buzz from last year’s tour with Kid Cudi, a deal with Chocolate Industries and the iTunes single “Hollywood.” He’s building on that with a few spot dates then a pop-tastic tour with Lady Sovereign and Chester French.
Ras G, who runs a record label and store in Los Angeles called Poo-Bah Records, will be the next artist to release an album on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint.
Ras G has already dropped two albums, including last fall’s Ghetto Sci-Fi. His new Brotha From Anotha Planet will be issued via Brainfeeder (with help from Alpha Pup) on April 14 April 7. Though it’s a digital release, don’t be surprised if it appears as a limited-edition CD (or even vinyl) in the near future.
What’s next for the label? On the new Brainfeeder website, Flying Lotus wrote, “Lorn’s album is in the mail … Dr. Strangeloop’s EP has been delivered … the FLYamSAM EP is about to be mastered … and SAMIYAM is finally bringing us his soon-to-be-classic LP.”
In late 2007, Jneiro Jarel and Khujo Goodie announced they were recording together under the guise Willie Isz; they subsequently leaked several well-circulated tracks on the Internet. Now comes the full length.
Georgiavania is a notable departure for Jarel, best known for his pioneering beat production under a variety of pseudonyms, including Dr Who Dat (through which he dropped the digital album Beyond Tomorrow earlier this year). Meanwhile, it reintroduces Khujo to rap fans who mostly associate him with the great Southern rap group Goodie Mob.The title Georgiavania is a hybrid of Jarel’s hometown Pennsylvania and Khujo’s native Georgia.
Willie Isz’s Georgiavania drops in June on Lex Records. The above image, illustrated by James Jarvis is from the promo sampler; it’s unclear if it will be used for the album. (May 15 update: The new release date is June 16 has been changed again to June 30.)
Scott Herren has unveiled the final installment in his spring trilogy of albums. Ironically, however, it has gone on sale before the two previously-announced projects by Prefuse 73 and Diamond Watch Wrists.
Savath y Savalas’ fourth album, La Llama is already on sale in digital form at Stones Throw’s website. The CD and vinyl versions hit retailers on May 19. La Llama features the return of former girlfriend Eva Puyuelo Muns, the vocalist who inspired the group’s second and most popular album Aprop’at. Electronic beatmaker Roberto Carlos Lange (Rom, Epstein), the third and newest member of what now appears to be a trio, co-wrote most of the songs with Herren.
Chuck D., the legendary front man for Public Enemy, recently told Allhiphop.com that he wants to see more women involved in hip hop. “In ‘09, my fighting the power is for women in Hip-Hop, especially groups, producers, songwriters, and label heads,†he said.
But if his ears were pointed towards the underground, rather than the hip hop-arazzi malaise of the mainstream, then he would notice that there are more female emcees than ever. Then again, the fact that few of these women – with the notable exception of Jean Grae – have had much impact on the tabloid-obsessed rap world speaks volumes to their overall position among fans, who continue to view women as mindless dime pieces, half naked “video models†only meant to brighten an otherwise ordinary day on the blogs.
For now, though, let’s not get into sexism, a brain-dead horse which doesn’t seem to die. Instead, let’s celebrate Women’s History Month with ten or so ladies who are getting it done in spite of that. Real femcees stand up!
Tash from the recently reformed Alkaholiks has finished his second solo album (and first since 1999). Control Freek features guest shots from B-Real from Cypress Hill, Khujo Goodie from Goodie Mob/Willie Isz, Tony Touch, Knocturnal and old Likwit Crew friends J-Ro and King T. Production comes courtesy of Oh No, E-Swift, Thayod Ausar and others. Amalgam Digital will release a digital version of Control Freek on May 5; the CD version drops on May 19. (Update: The release date has been changed to June 30.)
All the news that’s fit to forget:
Free-for-all: Themselves, theFrEEhoudini (anticon.com), DJ Mere’s The Myx Label Mixtape (sharebee.com), King Most’s megamix of Finale’s A Pipe Dream And A Promise (download)
After he wraps up his current tour next month, K’naan will open a few dates in the South on Snoop Doggy Dogg’s tour. No word on if they’ll perform a duet together.
Yesterday, Digable Planets announced that they were canceling an upcoming tour scheduled to begin this week. The reason? According to a MySpace bulletin, it’s because Ladybug decided to leave the group. No word yet on how this will affect Common Market, who were scheduled to open Digable Planets’ dates.
The full text of the bulletin is below. Warning…it’s written in all caps.
