We consistently find that any track by Mac Miller is catchy, fun, and unique. Can’t really go wrong with this classic sample, so safe bet right there, but his vocals truly incite jubilation! Mac is definitely one to watch. A tour with Miller and Chiddy Bang would be just about more delicious/youthful/classy than a big mac, easy mac, or your mac.
This track off the immeasurably brilliant, Ready To Die, proves a belief we’ve upheld for a while: music is a source of connection. Biggie vulnerably confesses to all the crimes he knows he’s committed, things he may have done wrong, and even admits to the universal fear of belonging and being loved. You certainly don’t have to be a crack dealer to relate to the speculation of the world without you and his sentiment reaches far beyond the environs of Brookyln. It’s frighteningly typical to wonder about the attendance of your funeral, to think about your impact or lack thereof on all you know, so much so that Biggie has left us with this cathartic exploration of his inner demons.
Enjoy this sumptuous track right in time for holiday gluttony! This one evokes the immortal words of Z-trip, “You’re taking this shit too serious. It’s hip-hop man, it’s fuckin’ fun.” Lucky for us, Tribe took Z’s advice with this playful ditty.
Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Every time Az releases a new single we’re compelled to post it. This obsession is growing similar to our serious infatuation with Florence + The Machine! Could that partnership ever occur? What an apocalyptic thought: demure versus dirtyyy, but it would represent an epic, fantasy collaboration from our two fav artists atm!
Too much Liquorice (or jet lag) has prob inspired these odd ramblings.
Confession time: this song is the reason we were introduced to Lou Reed. Is that shameful or a modern way of discovering the most quintessential music? At least Tribe still fits into the classic shelf of our i-tunes library. This song truly initiated the word “kick” into our vocabulary. We kick it wearing kicks all the time now, but more importantly, this track most certainly paved the way for Obama’s key slogan with a slight alteration from 2nd to 1st person plural…can I kick it?
In honor of our girl, Azealia, making not only NME’s 2011 Coolest People In Music, but also the BBC Sound of 2012 list! In 212 she shows off her ability to naughtily rap over sick electro beats, but here, this track focuses on Azealia’s incredible ability to spit rhymes with remarkable speed.
Um, an edgy female rapper with a Derrida themed track..this might be the answer to the Lilwhy. Amplify Dot aka A.Dot aka Ashley Charles perfectly synthesizes a playful grime style with hip-hop some drum n bass, and inevitably a bit of dubstep (an appropriate amount) considering her British origins. Thank goodness we’ve found someone to silence Treyshawn- imagine the rap beef they could engage in? Picture the foul mouthed badasses A.Dot could produce with Tyler the Creator (both song and child)??? Her album Born Ready is tour de force of British hip-hop, totally fun like any polka.dot.
It’s obvious she was Born Ready, we’re thinking she was conceived prepared!
Recipe for this track: Combine one sample of Latino inspired Jazz circa 1940 (alternatively, a dangerous tango works) with a pinch of a grime beat straight outta the night club, Fabric. Stir carefully with playful young vocals, heat to (club) room temperature. Voila! Caution: may be spicy for those with bland taste.
We haven’t been this excited about hip-hop in quite some time. That’s because innovation seems to be going the way of the economy, the Congress, and the environment… Hopefully, Heimo Korth is a step in the right (or left, whichever way progress travels now) direction. While sampling has always been a standard part of the game, borrowing from a film is pretty unique. Rather than steal an iconic line or two like Kanye does, these boys rework fictional cinematic speeches, cultural standards, or musical moments (ingeniously).
The chorus of this track, if you can’t tell, is from the obnoxiously entertaining car sing-a-long in Step Brothers, but it doesn’t stop there. The intro to their Log Cabin Rap utilizes the silly ramblings of East Bound and Down’s absurd anti-hero, Kenny Powers. It may seem obvious, but the humor of recent college grads, Tim and Vince, comes through effectively and hilariously. Another favorite track, “I Shot Bambi’s Mom” transforms the classic childhood trauma into a misguided young man’s attempt to avoid being called a loser. T and V say that they recorded this work in a Log Cabin without Internet, phones, or cable and found inspiration in the arrogance of Kenny Powers and Step Brothers, and apparently Disney-ned horrors. Whatever works.
Their vocals are reminiscent of Chali 2na, a founding member of Jurassic 5, which suggests that these youngsters were raised on the classic Daisy (golden) Age of hip-hop. We highly recommend downloading the entire album here:
There could be an optional “feat. Otis Redding” on this track. What a fantastic homage. Wouldn’t expect less from this duo, except that complete with Otis, it becomes a trio.
