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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

The Dig Up aka The Dirty Tape (Hosted by DJ Evil D) Official Anouncement

The Dirty Tape cassette art
"The Dig Up"...  I've been dropping subtle hints here and there, but was keeping it on the low as I was putting it together.  (along with other projects) 

To put it simple... "The Dig Up" is going to be a collection of unreleased tracks, collabs, remixes and tracks I've produced for other artists.  The legendary DJ Evil Dee from Black Moon will be hosting and I'll be on the mix. 

C'mon KICK IT!!!

I honestly haven't been a fan of the "mixtape" game and concept, but I figured that this would be a dope compromise to wet people's appetite as I finish up what I have on deck.  This project consists of tracks recorded from when I just finished "Basement Sessions" to what I'm currently working on.  (some released, some shelved, some originally for other projects and some are the original versions of tracks released on other releases.) 

Hence the title...

"The Dig Up" aka "The Dirty Tape" will be available on 4/22 and there will be a limited edition cassette pressing to follow. 

Featuring...

DJ Evil Dee (hosting)
Jonwayne (Spacebound)
Josh G (production)
Ace-One
Wizdom
Domingo (production)
AG (DITC)
Dl.Orion (production)
RA Scion
Dee Supreme (production)
Big Fletch
Po Safe (production)
Just Be
Heretic & S.O.S.
Vintage Dope (Luvva-J & Ryan Fresh)
Prince Po
Moka Only

Till then...


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Falling Down & DJ Spoolz - The R.I.P. EP

Today I was greeted with an email from DJ Spoolz about a project he dropped that I had no idea about.  Falling Down, producer for Killarmy and other Wu-Tang related projects, and DJ Spoolz, The Proforms, Ace-One etc., teamed up on a tribute instrumental EP titled "The R.I.P. EP".  This is not your average instrumental project, Falling Down lays down the instrumentals and DJ Spoolz layers in cuts from fallen artists like ODB, Biggie, Big L and Big Pun. 

The result... 10 joints of some seriously soulful Wu tinged beats with sharp cuts from Spoolz. Spoolz said they're currently debating re-releasing the project with emcees doing tributes over the instrumentals.  If that happens, I will be copping the joint, no doubt.  Regardless, this is a dope project worthy of a spin. 

Do the math...



@fallingdowntrax

@djspoolz


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

RA Scion & Vox Mod - Sharper Tool; Bigger Weapon

Last summer I randomly hit up RA with a batch of beats to see if he was interested in anything.  He had just released one of 2013's heavy rotation classics, "Adding to the Extra" with Todd Sykes, and wrote back saying he was currently working on a project that was going to be out in the fall that was blowing his mind.  I honestly was shocked that he was not only already working on another LP, but going to be releasing it shortly while I was still pumping "Adding to the Extra" in my car. 

November came and RA released "The Sickle & The Sword" with Rodney Hazard.  I wanted to go to the release party, but was unable and before I knew it... RA posted on Facebook that the two had parted ways due to what Q-tip coined as "Rule 4080".  Contracts, lawyers and all the bullshit in the middle made what RA referred to as the best project he worked on since "Tobacco Road", shelved, buried and pulled from all major online retailers.  In a last moment act of defiance, RA offered the entire project up for free from his website and honestly that's the only reason I was able to get my digital hands on it. 

It was rather bittersweet.  On one side, RA was getting more publicity and pulling a larger audience from the drama that unfolded, but on the other side his work was left in a pseudo limbo.  Should he abandon the project or move on?

RA decided to take the lemons life gave him and "paint that shit gold."  He took to social media and allowed people to remix the tracks to the album.  Quickly, he received submissions from numerous beatmakers, but  would he be able to construct a cohesive album that would rival "Sword"?  In the past, remix albums have had a tendency to fall flat compared to their source material as they fail to capture the true feeling and vibe of the original song or album.

The true art of a remix is to capture what was in the original song, make it your own and make it something new, refreshing or better.  When Pete Rock remixed "Shut 'Em Down", he was able to take an already dope Public Enemy song and turn it into a platform/statement that HE had arrived on the scene.

This obviously was something that was at the heart of RA's thinking when deciding what his next move was.  Traditionally working with one producer on each project, he needed to find an artist that was able to share his vision and rework "Sword" into a "Sharper Tool; Bigger Weapon."  Enter Vox Mod. 

Now... although you could technically call this album a remix, it's more a reworking.  This is something different... re-imagined, redeveloped and reshaped. 

Before I was going to sit down and write out my review on this album, I wanted to give it a proper listen.  So, for my morning commute I decided that I wanted to listen to "Sword" & "Weapon" side by side.  I left for work in the early morning as the original album painted the dark sound scape while I drove into the darkness.  It was a dope album... I'm not going to lie.  RA had a GOOD reason to think he made a great album because IT WAS and IS a great album.  But as it finished and "Weapon" started, dawn broke.  As the remaining miles of my daily journey were finally greeted with light, so was RA's album.  Vox Mod's production built a lighter, fuller sound that seemed to give it the soul it needed to carry RA's message.

As I sat there, in my last few minutes of my commute, pulling up to work, I thought of how that observation was the perfect metaphor for RA's experience with this album. Through the darkness of this experience, he was able to come out on the other side and greet the light with a re-imagined work.  It truly is a "Sharper Weapon; Bigger Tool."

)

"Sharper Weapon; Bigger Tool" will be available March 18th.
www.rascion.com

The Proforms - Look Out

The Proforms and Ace-One have really been clocking cats with the one two punches.  Ace on one week and The Proforms following the combo.  As Joe Harvey, Big Skitts, Ace & Spoolz prep for the release of their "Elroy Preston" EP on April 15th, they bring us their 2nd single, "Look Out". 

And we should do just that...

The horns blast the warning shots at the beginning of the track as the sirens chant, "look out".  The drums hit and Joe sets off the session as the crew joins in to trade bars.  Before we know it, we're ridding through the track as the 7"/45 doo wop vibe pumps nonstop. 

Classic groove... ill rhymes..."Get it IN... NO DOUBT."



Sunday, March 9, 2014

Revisionst History is now Available

The limited edition cassette pressing of "Revisionist History Vol. 1" is here.  Only 50 were pressed up.  Get the "book on tape" before they are gone!!!

Order here

featuring...

Prince Po (Organized Konfusion)
Wildchild (Loot Pack)
Pacewon (Outsidaz)
Rusty Redenbacher (Mudkids)
Moka Only
Luvva-J
Ryan Fresh
Ace-One
Verb Math
Fash-1

Monday, March 3, 2014

Pete Marriott -100 Proof (video)

To follow the release of Pete Marriott's - "#REALHIPHOP" LP, we've been blessed with a video for the single "100 Proof" (featuring Killah Trakz).

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Pete Marriott #REALHIPHOP is now Streaming

Pete Marriott's magnum opus "#REALHIPHOP" is streaming before it's release date on March 3rd.  On 1st listen I can easily say that the build up has been MORE than worth it.

Dark... brooding... beautiful... like the cover art.