by Andrew Sacher

Black Hippy member Ab-Soul released his new album, Control System, this month via Top Dawg Entertainment. Along with Kendrick Lamar's Section.80 and Schoolboy Q's Habits & Contradictions, Control System continues to prove that the Black Hippy team are making some of the tightest indie hip hop around (you're up next, Jay Rock).

While Q is the group's party rapper and Kendrick's the one preaching mile-a-minute prophecies, Ab-Soul falls somewhere in the middle. He channels an abstract flow that traces back to Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030, and Aesop Rock (and plays on it with his own name, "Ab-Soul, abstract, asshole"). On "Pineal Gland," a song about DMT, a doubled-up chorus chants, "Enjoy your mind trip but don't trip on your mind/No man is safe is from the war going on outside," sounding straight off an early Aesop Rock record or Aquemini-era Outkast. In addition to the head-in-the-clouds stuff, Control System is also scattered with recollections of west coast gangsta rap, especially on "Illuminate," his track with Kendrick Lamar that features mock gun shots and the tragic reference, "If I ever go to Columbine and cop 30 nines and cock back and kill."

On the brighter side of his album, he's got a handful references to some of last year's most memorable tracks like Drake and the Weeknd's "Crew Love," ASAP Rocky's "Purple Swag," and of course inner-Black HIppy references like, "Bet I got some weed like Schoolboy Q." In addition to guest spots from Black Hippy members (who all appear on the album's final track), he's got appearances by Danny Brown (of course), BJ the Chicago Kid, Jhene Aiko, his girlfriend Alori Joh (who passed away this year, RIP), and more. You can stream the entire album and check out the videos for "Pineal Gland, "Empathy," and "Terrorists Threats," below. The album is available to purchase digitally on iTunes and physically at the TDE webstore.

Soulo just finished up a tour with Schoolboy Q which hit Chicago earlier this month. Both rappers were just announced for the Rock the Bells 2012 lineup which comes to the NYC-area on September 1-2 at PNC Banks Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. Meanwhile, you'll be able to catch Ab-Soul play his own show in NYC much sooner at SOB's on June 21. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Videos, streams, and a list of all dates are below.

Continue reading "Ab-Soul released 'Control System' (stream it), playing shows"

Schoolboy Q

Rapper Schoolboy Q is playing SOB's in NYC on 4/11, right before he kicks off a tour with fellow Black Hippy member Ab-Soul. That tour doesn't currently include any NYC dates, but it does hit New Haven, CT on 5/2. and Chicago where Q will return in July for Pitchfork Fest. All Schoolboy Q dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Schoolboy Q playing SOB's, Pitchfork Fest & other dates"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Kendrick Lamar - "Cartoon & Cereal [ft. Gunplay] (MP3)

ScHoolboy Q

ScHoolboy Q, who has been making tons of buzz lately, has a few upcoming shows, including one in NYC this week happening at Santos Party House on Thursday (2/23) with Kris Kasanova, Flatbush Zombies (who opened the A$AP Rocky show that Q guested at), and Nakim. The flier for this show is below.

If you haven't seen it yet, fellow Black Hippy collective member Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown (who Q recently joined on stage in LA) are both on the cover of the new issue of the FADER (pictured below) and Black Hippy and Danny Brown were both profiled in the issue. The Black Hippy piece, which you can read HERE, mentions that ScHoolboy Q came up with the idea for the group:

"[Black Hippy] was actually my idea because I was slacking in my music," adds Q. "I figured if I could be in a group I could just write one verse and I could be good." He admits to being intimidated when he first started coming to the studio but eventually the tenacity of his collaborators rubbed off on him. Now he raps effortlessly in elastic word blurs. And while he still habitually clowns everyone good-naturedly--On Lamar: "When I first heard Kendrick, I'm like this nigga a bitch, I don't like this nigga"; on the possibility of a Black Hippy full length: "That shit ain't never gonna come out."--their collective pride in his rapid improvement runs deeply. So much so, that they unanimously anoint him the most talented rapper in the group. Q, of course, concurs.

Kendrick Lamar also recently dropped a killer out-there track with Gunplay called "Cartoon & Cereal" which is way less elementary than its name implies. Download that above or stream it below.

Danny Brown, whose FADER profile piece you can read HERE, also has a Santos show coming up which happens on March 22. Tickets for that show are still available.

All dates, stream, and show flier, below...

Continue reading "Schoolboy Q playing Santos & other shows; Kendrick Lamar dropped a new song (MP3 & dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

Kendrick Lamar

After an EP and a mixtape, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar released his debut LP Section.80 last month via Top Dawg Entertainment. The album features contributions by fellow Black Hippy members and production by J. Cole on the epic closing track "HiiiPoWer." You can watch the video for that below.

Kendrick is also rumored to appear on Dr. Dre's Detox (if that ever actually comes out) and is on Game (formerly The Game)'s The R.E.D. Album, which after being delayed for about two years, was released today (8/23) via DGC/Interscope. He appears on the album's first full track, "The City," and absolutely kills it. Between Game's fury, Kendrick's breakneck lyrical flow, and Cool & Dre's production, the track is one of the album's highest points. Some other standout guests appear throughout the LP including Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne on "Martins vs. Goblins," Big Boi and E-40 on "Speakers on Blast", and Drake on "Good Girls Go Bad." You can stream those tracks below and order the album on Amazon.

Kendrick has a few shows coming up including one on August 31 at S.O.B.'s in NYC with Trav, Los, and Sim City. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

In related news, Smoke DZA is having an album release party for his upcoming LP Rolling Stoned on August 29 at S.O.B.'s with special guests Asap Rocky, Bun B, Va$htie and more. Tickets for the show are on sale now. You can catch DZA in NYC again when he returns as part of the Smokers Club Tour with Curren$y, Method Man, Big K.R.I.T, and others.

Speaking of J. Cole, his debut LP, Cole World: The Sideline Story is set to be released on September 27 via Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint. The video for the album's single, "Work Out," is below. He's set to kick off the 'Cole World: World Tour' on Tuesday (8/23) in Canada and continue touring internationally through mid-December. The tour hits NYC on October 25 at Best Buy Theatre. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale Friday (8/26) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/24) at 10 AM and an internet presale starting Thursday (8/25) at 10 AM.

All dates and videos below...

Continue reading "Kendrick Lamar, new Game, Smoke DZA & J.Cole -- new albums, dates, videos & stuff"