Ghostface (center) with Wu-Tang Clan at Coachella (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Ghostface Killah will headline a FREE show (with RSVP) at The DL on April 24 (95 Delancey in Manhattan), part of a celebration of new MMA site Fightland. RSVP is still open.

The show is one of two NYC dates for the Wu-Tang MC, who will also play Gramercy Theater on May 13 (tickets) as part of a tour in celebration of his new LP Twelve Reasons to Die, a collaboration with Adrian Younge (stream it). All dates are listed, along with the giallo-inspired video for "Rise of the Ghostface Killah."

Continue reading "Ghostface Killah adds free show before Gramercy Theater appearance"

Cee Lo at Lollapalooza 2011 (more by David Andrako)

Cee Lo Green will be heading to Brooklyn this spring to headline the "Electric Soul Circus," which goes down on May 31 at Barclays Center. In addition to headlining, he'll also be performing with his rap group, Goodie Mob, and Busta Rhymes is on the bill too. Other acts performing include Sklyar Grey, Wordspit & the Illest, Lauriana Mae & the Pains, and Alexandra & the Starlight Band. Tickets for the show go on sale today (4/19) at noon.

Last summer, we mentioned that Goodie Mob are planning a new album called Age Against the Machine, and it's recently been announced that that album will be released on June 18. You can stream Goodie Mob's reunion single, "FIght to Win," along with a video of Cee Lo's performance on Ellen from Wednesday night (4/17), below.

Continue reading "Cee Lo, Goodie Mob, Busta Rhymes & more playing 'Electric Soul Circus' at Barclays Center"

by Andrew Sacher

Though the attention being paid to futuristic R&B has been more prevalent than ever in the past two years, it's also been interesting to look back on the ways the sound did exist in years prior. And even more exciting to see some of those artists making comebacks. Miguel's Kaleidoscope Dream was one of last year's better albums, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't tempt me to dust off my copy of FutureSex/LoveSounds. And only a few months after doing that? Boom: The 20/20 Experience. Another thing I went back to last year was Cassie's only album -- her 2006 self titled debut -- specifically it's opening track/huge hit, "Me & U." The thick bass and airy vocals of that track are way more similar to the post-Weeknd world of R&B than I remembered, and it more than holds up.

Cassie had been dropping some singles here and there since her '06 album, but almost seven years later, there was still no sign of another full length release. However, like JT did in March, Cassie ended her lengthy absence last week with the release of her free mixtape, RockaByeBaby. It might be "just a mixtape" (whatever that really means at this point anyway), but RockaByeBaby serves as a worthy followup to Cassie, and as a whole release, it might even be better. The album is stacked with guest appearances (Jeremih, Pusha T, Fabolous, Meek Mill, Too $hort, and others) and the producers are no slackers here either (Mike Will Made It, Young Chop, and more), but it's not over-saturated with guests. Even the verses from some of the weaker rappers (Wiz Khalifa) work pretty well here. And some of the samples used are noticeably big songs (Kendrick Lamar's "m.A.A.d City," Tyga's "Do My Dance"), which can be a turnoff, but she uses them well.

Overall, the thing really feels like an album. Too often with mixtapes I find myself filtering through 20-something songs for the 10 good ones, but RockaByeBaby has no fat to trim. Its 13 tracks (12, not including the intro) clock in at 37 minutes, and they're all strong. The collaboration with Jeremih, "Sound of Love," is an early standout, with both singers bouncing off of each other really nicely. A little surprisingly, Fabolous' guest verse on "I Love It" is actually one of the most memorable moments of the album. And the chorus of "Paradise" (with its "pair of dice" pun) is one you'll find yourself humming after the album ends.

Download RockaByeBaby for free over at DatPiff and stream it in its entirety below...

Continue reading "listen to Cassie's comeback mixtape, 'RockaByeBaby'"

Slum Village, the group which once counted the late J Dilla as a member, are set to to release a new album, Evolution, this June, and they'll be kicking off an international tour this week in support of it. That tour hits NYC on April 30 at Santos Party House. The show is looking pretty solid, with music by Mick Boogie and DJ Martin, and performances by Tanya Morgan and Skyzoo, in addition to The Action Figures, Citi Lightz, and Singapore Kane. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All dates are listed below.

In related news, two previously unreleased J Dilla songs have surfaced on a new 12": "Trucks" (which prominently samples Gary Numan's "Cars") and "Anthem." Both feature Dilla rapping, in addition to producing. Stream them below.

Continue reading "Slum Village touring, J Dilla has a "new" single (dates/stream)"

Tyler, The Creator @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (more by Jason Bergman)

Odd Future's most popular character, Tyler, The Creator, who recently dropped his new album Wolf and played Music Hall of Williamsburg on the first leg of the LP-supporting tour, will return to NYC for another show SOON, but not one where he'll be playing music. Tickets go on sale at noon for a live coversation between critic Elliot Wilson and Tyler. It happens at Highline Ballroom on Tuesday, April 23rd (10:30pm doors).

From there Tyler will head to Arizona to kick off the 2nd leg of his "Wolf" tour which includes three big shows in Texas with Earl Sweatshirt where they're being billed as "Earl Wolf". All dates are listed in the poster below...

Continue reading "Tyler, the Creator talking to Elliot Wilson in NYC before continuing 'Wolf' tour (tix on sale today)"

A$AP Rocky at Public Assembly in February (more by Dylan Johnson)

As mentioned, the Jay-Z curated Budweiser Made In America festival is returning to Philly from August 31 - September 1 at Benjamin Franklin Parkway with a lineup of Beyonce, Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Black Hippy (aka Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock), Miguel, Solange, Phoenix, Drake, A$AP Rocky, The Gaslight Anthem, AlunaGeorge, Public Enemy, and more. Tickets for the festival are on Facebook Presale now. Password is "AMERICA."

Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky, who plays that festival, is on a tour with Rihanna now which hits the NYC area on April 28 at Prudential Center (tickets) and May 4 and 5 at Barclays Center (sold out). As mentioned, he was supposed to stop in NYC for his own late show at Highline Ballroom after the Prudential Center show, but his Highline show has been cancelled. No word yet on how to obtain refunds if you've purchased tickets.

UPDATE: A$AP Rocky & Rihanna's show in Houston tonight is also cancelled, though that is probably a coincidence.

Updated A$AP Rocky dates are listed, along with the Made In America flyer, below...

Continue reading "Made In America Fest tickets on sale; A$AP Rocky on tour with Rihanna, cancels Highline Ballroom show"

by Andrew Sacher

Pictureplane at BrooklynVegan SXSW showcase 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Pictureplane is going on a US tour this spring with Crystal Castles, but first will be in New Haven, CT at Toad's Place tonight (4/12) for a show with Mykki Blanco, Beat Culture and Oberhofer (who has upcoming NYC shows).

After returning home from that tour, he'll play show at Santos Party House on May 16 with another rapper, Antwon, whose album End of Earth features some production by Pictureplane. Tickets for what should be a pretty great show are on sale now. All tour dates are listed below.

Pictureplane also just released a new track, "Pure War." In his words, "the song is really about waging a war. a pure war against the war that is waged on us everyday.
reclaiming yourself." It's one of the heaviest tracks Pictureplane has ever done, with dark, booming synths that will translate really well on the dancefloor. And while tracks like "Real Is A Feeling" have already proved Pictureplane as a strong vocalist, there's a newfound conviction in his vocals in this song that arguably tops anything he's done to date.

The track will apear on the video game soundtrack for Injustice: Gods Among Us, along with tracks from Killer Mike (listen below), Minus the Bear (listen below), Depeche Mode, The Faint, and others.

All Pictureplane dates are listed, along with all song streams below...

Continue reading "listen to Pictureplane's new song "Pure War," see him with Antwon after Crystal Castles tour (and in New Haven tonight)"

photos by Ryan Muir

Le1f / Prince Rama @ the Whitney Museum - 4/7/13

NYC rapper Le1f plays locally a lot, and this past weekend (Sunday, 4/7) he did a more unconventional show in the city than usual at The Whitney Museum for the music portion of their Blues for Smoke exhibition. Known for eccentric costumes/outfits, Le1f did this one in some sort of silvery body paint, and used a dimly lit couch as a prop. Also at that show, Dapwell brought out guests for his 'Chillin Island' radio show, and Prince Rama did a live set with some trippy projections and a motorcycle. Pictures from that show are in this post.

Le1f has other shows coming up in the area, including the previously discussed Red Bull Music Academy show at Glasslands on May 7 with Mykki Blanco (who played The Whitney two days before LE1f), Laurel Halo, Venus X, Spank DJs, and more. That show has since sold out.

Before that, he plays two college shows this weekend. TONIGHT (4/12), he'll be at Barnard College for a WBAR & Columbia Music Festival show with Children of the Night (who also play a Red Bull show), Morri$ and Earnest Blount. Tonight's show is free, all ages, and open to the public. Doors are at 5 PM. The next day, he plays SUNY Purchase Culture Shock with White Lung, METZ, Marnie Stern, Shigeto, Iceage, Iggy Azelea, and more. But that festival, which is only open to students and their guests, will be even tighter on security this year, because it's being held indoors.

Also speaking of WBAR, as discussed, their annual free WBAR-B-Q goes down on April 27 with Waxahatchee (who plays Glasslands the same day), Twin Sister, Roomrunner (who open for Pissed Jeans on 4/13), Swearin' (who have plenty of other shows), Speedy Ortiz, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, and more.

More pictures from the Whitney below...

Continue reading "Le1f played the Whitney Museum w/ Prince Rama & Dapwell's 'Chillin Island' (pics), playing more shows, Barnard tonight"

Providence, RI rapper Sage Francis is putting the finishes touches on his new studio album, which will be his first since 2010's Li(f)e. But he's not waiting for that to be done to play a few shows, including one in NYC at Knitting Factory on May 24. Tickets are on sale now.

That show is doubling as a record release show for Prolyphic, whose album with Buddy Peace, Working Man, comes out April 30 on Francis' Strange Famous label. You can check out the video for "Drug Dealer" below that features Sage as a very Walter White type character. The Knit show also has fellow members of the Strange Famous roster, B. Dolan and Metermaids.

Sage has a handful of other dates and all are listed below.

Continue reading "Sage Francis finishing up new album, playing shows (dates)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Musician Don Blackman has passed on, reports Fact, after losing his battle with cancer:

Don Blackman (September 1, 1953 - April 11, 2013[1]) was an American jazz-funk pianist, singer, songwriter, producer born in Queens, New York.
Blackman's neighbor as a child was Charles McPherson, and while still a teenager he played in McPherson's ensemble with Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. At the beginning of the 1970s, he played with Parliament/Funkadelic, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Roy Ayers, before becoming a member of Lenny White's group Twennynine, for whom he penned songs such as "Peanut Butter" and "Morning Sunrise". He released his self-titled debut solo album in 1982 on Arista Records, including the songs "Holding You, Loving You", "Heart's Desire" and "Since You've Been Away So Long" that became minor hits in Europe.

R.I.P. Mr. Blackman. Stream two of his classics below.

Continue reading "Don Blackman, R.I.P."