by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Murs & 9th Wonder - "3:16 Part 2" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: One Be Lo - "The Pigs" featuring Mike Posner (MP3)

Some great upcoming hip hop shows in the coming weeks, starting with Murs who is back with producer 9th Wonder for a new album, Murs 9th Wonder Fornever. Check out the first track from the album, "3:16 Part 2" above. Fornever is due on April 13th, and one week later, the "Bad Man" will kick off a US tour in Arizona that has him crashlanding at Highline Ballroom on May 19th. Tickets are on sale.

DJ Hi-Tek has done beats for the entire G-Unit crew, so in that light, I guess it makes sense that the thematically different Hi-Tek project (with Talib Kweli) Reflection Eternal would play the "This is 50" (Cent) event at Nokia Theater. Although for the life of me, I cant figure out why Reflection Eternal would support Lloyd Banks. Ah, nepotism. Tickets for April 29th at Nokia Theater with Banks and Reflection Eternal are on sale.

One day before the "This is 50" event, One Be Lo will step back into his old role as a member of Binary Star for a show at Knitting Factory (4/28) with DJ Abilities, Pigeon John, Donny Goines, and Nyle. Tickets are on sale. One Be Lo is scheduled to drop his new solo album B.A.B.Y. on MYX later this year, which features appearances from Royce Da 5'9, Freeway, Zion I, Phonte, Jean Grae, and more. Check out a track from the upcoming LP above.

Though Before The Casket Drops has, um, dropped, Clipse is still on the road promoting the record, laying down dates in NYC at Highline Ballroom (5/6, tickets) and Baruch College earlier that same day. Ninjasonik is on board to get the party started. Full tour dates are below.

Finally, a few hip hop greats from the 90s are scheduled to play NYC in the coming weeks. Naughty by Nature and Black Sheep will team up for a show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 5/21 (tickets still on sale). Cypress Hill could easily play a room much much larger than SOBs, but look for them at the venue on 4/15 (tickets still avail) and the blastmaster KRS-ONE on 4/20 (tickets). Wait... shouldn't those dates be reversed?

Tour dates and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Murs, Clipse, Cypress Hill & other upcoming hip hop shows"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - "Us" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Freeway - "Freezer's Back" (Freestyle, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Freeway - "Know What I Mean" (MP3)

Brother Ali

Brother Ali, whose new album Us was released late last year (title track above), has been added to the Freeway & Jake One shows at the Trocadero on 2/15 and at Highline Ballroom on 2/16. Highline tickets are still available. The shows are in celebration of Freeway/Jake One's new LP, The Stimulus Package.

Brother Ali, Freeway, Jake One, and a good portion of the Rhymesayers crew will also play a benefit for Haiti in Minneapolis on 2/9. Following those shows, and the Stimulus release parties, Brother Ali will jet out to Europe for a string of dates with BK-One.

All dates, the "Us" video,and a Jake One video featuring Freeway and Brother Ali, below...

Continue reading "Brother Ali added to Freeway shows - 2010 Tour Dates"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Freeway - Know What I Mean (MP3)

On Feb 9th, Rhymesayers will band together a gang of notable MCs on their home turf (Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue) in honor of Rhymesayers Presents: A Benefit For Haiti. Along for the ride are Brother Ali, Sage Francis, Freeway, I Self Devine and others, with the entire event hosted by head Rhymesayer himself, Slug. Tickets are on sale.

Freeway is also on board for another charitable look at Haiti. He is one of a few notable MCs who have joined on for HipHopDX Presents... Hip Hop Helps Haiti. The mixtape features tracks from MCs like Raekwon, Skyzoo, JR Writer, Ras Kass and many others. The mixtape is free, but it's host Hip Hop DX, is accepting charitable donations towards the devastation in Haiti. Give and give big people. Cop that mixtape here.

Exactly one week after that Haiti benefit in Minneapolis (2/16), Freeway & Jake One will tear down Highline Ballroom in NYC with Joell Ortiz. Tickets are on sale. The show is one of three dates that Freeway has around the release date of his new album with Jake One, The Stimulus Package - out 2/16 on Rhymesayers. Cover art and an MP3 from the album above.

All Freeway tour dates and a few videos, including the new-ish video for the same song linked above, below....

Continue reading "new Freeway & Jake One album - MP3, video, tour dates & a Rhymesayers Haiti benefit in Minneapolis"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Eyedea & Abilities - "This Story" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Freeway - The Beat Made Me Do It (Mediafire, Zipped MP3)

Themselves are on the road with someone else, namely Rhymesayers duo Eyedea & Abilities. The pair are currently getting ready to spend Thanksgiving day somewhere between DC (11/25) and Brooklyn, and are scheduled to take on Knitting Factory in NYC on 11/27. Tickets are on sale. E&A are touring off of their recent LP, By The Throat, their first in five years. Dig on "This Story" from that LP above, along with videos for "Smile" and "Junk" below.

In other Rhymesayers news, Slug of Atmosphere & Murs have issued their latest ode to female actresses, FELT 3. This time, their muse is the queen of White Men Can't Jump and Do The Right Thing, Rosie Perez:

B-List actresses be warned and flattered because FELT is back! Slug (Atmosphere) and Murs (Living Legends) reunite for their third release from moniker FELT. These MCs teamed up with The Grouch (Living Legends) in 2002 to release FELT's debut album A Tribute to Christina Ricci. Collaborating with producer Ant (Atmosphere) in 2005 resulted in their second coming A Tribute to Lisa Bonet. With the fresh addition of Aesop Rock (Def Jux) on production and unwavering love for those forgotten actresses who warmed their hearts, Slug and Murs are pleased to present FELT 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez...

That LP is out now on Rhymesayers Entertainment, along with the new Freeway mixtape The Beat Made Me Do It featuring Don Cannon (cannon, cannon, cannon) on the wheels and Jake One on the pads. Download that above. Freeway will issue The Stimulus Package via Rhymesayers Entertainment on Feb 16, 2010. Freeway was once a frequent collaborator with Jay-Z who is set to play the Izod Center and Nassau Coliseum this spring.

Videos & dates below...

Continue reading "Eyedea & Abilities touring w/ Themselves (dates), Murs & Atmosphere (FELT) release an ode to Rosie Perez"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Metermaids - Nightlife in Illinoise Mixtape (Zipped MP3s)
DOWNLOAD: Hezekiah - Cure For THe Common $oul Mixtape (ZShare Link)

Styles P and Black Thought (The Roots) @ BHHF (more here)

Though daily tickets are now sold out, you can still buy tickets for both nights of The Rock The Block Fest going down at Southpaw on August 6th & 7th. The curiously Thursday-Friday festival scheduled the mighty Styles P (my favorite performer at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest) for Aug 6th, with State Property mainstay and recent Cash Money signee Freeway filling the slot for Aug 7th. Metermaids and NSR as well as Hezekiah and Kimberly Nicole get the assist for days one and two respectively.

The Metermaids released their Nightlife in Illinoise mixtape in the tail end of last year (download that above), featuring material sampled from Sufjan Stevens's Illinoise LP mixed with their Nightlife LP. The crew recently released the Live At Arlene's Grocery EP in the pay-what-you-want format and are scheduled to play Arlene's Grocery again on July 23rd with Prayers For Atheists.

Illadelphian and Roots cohort Hezekiah released his Cure For The Common $oul Mixtape (downloadable above). Featuring appearances by Freeway, Reef The Lost Cauze (Army Of The Pharoahs), and many others, Hezekiah rhymes and remixes tracks by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Will I Am, Zap Mama, and many others.

The Roots are scheduled to take on Highline Ballroom for the umpteenth time on July 8th (tonight), tickets are still available.

Styles P tour dates as well as a live video of "Come Through" at BHHF 2009 below...

Continue reading "Rock The Block hip hop fest @ Southpaw in August (Styles P, Freeway, Metermaids & more) "

photos by Leia Jospe

Clipse's Pusha T & Wale

Wednesday night, in downtown Manhattan, Mark Ronson's Allido Records and Hot 97 hosted a show featuring Colin Munroe, Wale, and Kid CuDi at the Highline Ballroom. Hot 97 on air-personalities Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg took on hosting duties, lightening up the tense air between the sardine can-packed concertgoers....

...GOOD Music's latest signee and Kanye's new wonderboy, Kid Cudi, hit the stage next. Fresh off the plane from Australia, Mr. Solo Dolo definitely had all eyes on him. After killing mixtape bangers like "Down and Out" and "Man on the Moon," CuDi had one more surprise in store for the thirsty fans, as hometown hero Jim Jones joined the emcee for a performance of breakthrough single "Day 'n' Night," whipping the crowd to a fever pitch.

As Jay-Z and Leonardo DiCaprio entered the VIP room, Wale and his UCB band crept onstage. "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E." quickly re-energized the crowd, and Hov seemed thoroughly impressed as his goons deflected the attentions of male groupies. The lovely Chrisette Michele made her cameo as the DC heavy hitter rocked his Roots guest spot on the track "Rising Up". One half of the Clipse, Pusha T, also made an appearance for his verse on "Back in the Go-Go". The hipsters could barely contain themselves. In true Roc-A-Fella form, though, the night ended with Freeway and Young Chris storming the stage and making a convincing case for the dynasty to which they lay claim." [DJ Booth]

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Wale, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Chrisette Michele, Mark Ronson, Jim Jones & others @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - pics"