Music Blogs

If you're like me, today's hip-hop lacks a little something. Call it perspective, originality, depth. From the retro ‘80s styled productions of Cool & Dre (who worship Phil Collins and the soundtracks to St. Elmo's Fire and Top Gun, if you can believe that) to unavoidably boring new records by Three 6 Mafia, Chris Brown and David Banner, hip-hop originality is in low supply. These artist's producers all use the same Pro Tools plug-ins and Akai MPC beats; it's like they've met up at some LA club and vowed to keep their tracks as simple, conventional, formulaic and $$$$$$$$ cow friendly as possible. Gotta pay those bills and keep my empire liquid, right?

With that in mind, here's a vote for the hip-hop stars of tomorrow, to those guys working away in anonymity from coast to coast, perfecting their beats and honing their raps. The men on the street, pushing their mixtapes into your hand as you exit the club or record store. They're the future of hip-hop, a genre which in the future will represent society at large just like past masters--think Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Jay-Z, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys--did back in their day. Same as it ever was!

iD And Sleeper's With Fixed Hands: These Kansas ruffians use massive glitch styled beats and druggy atmospheres to create ethereal, cathedral like hip-hop.

iD and Sleeper
"Echo" (mp3)
from "With Fixed Hands"
(Circle Into Square Records)

More On This Album

iD and Sleeper
"Medicine" (mp3)
from "With Fixed Hands"
(Circle Into Square Records)

More On This Album

 

Return Of The DJ Vol. II: This various artist comp from 1997 features sixteen DJ tracks spanning the globe. Starring Mr. Dibbs, Z-Trip, Radar, Kid Koala, Ruthless, Roc Raida (X-Ecutioners), Kool DJ E.Q., and more. Sure it's old school, but these days, everything old is new again.

Z-Trip
"Rockstar" (mp3)
from "Return of the DJ Vol. II"
(Bomb Hip Hop)

More On This Album

DJ Jeff
"Change the Scratch" (mp3)
from "Return of the DJ Vol. II"
(Bomb Hip Hop)

More On This Album

 

Opio's Vulture's Wisdom Volume One: The new album from Souls Of Mischief/Hieroglyphics Pioneer Opio, featuring production by The Architect. Includes a remix of "Some Superfly S***" featuring Del The Funky Homosapien and Guilty Simpson. Typically nonsensical and hilarious.

Opio
"Stop the Press" (mp3)
from "Vulture's Wisdom Volume One"
(Hieroglyphics Imperium)

More On This Album

 

Snak's The Ripper: Seemingly inspired by The Simpsons, Good Times, Sly and the Family Stone and cereal box artwork, Snak's The Ripper bounds and busts like a party on wheels.

Snak
"What's Street?" (mp3)
from "The Ripper"
(Camobear/Low Pressure)

More On This Album

 

DJ NaNa's The World Inside My Head, Vol. 3: DJ NaNa, a member of the cutting edge of Toronto's music scene, tears through influences which include everything from hip-hop, soul and jazz to electronica, house, reggae and traditional African music. Sounds like car horns and industrial waste moving through some deserted city of the future.

"Born in Canada to Ghanaian parents, NaNa has developed into an evolving force which manifests into the tenacity that is displayed in his ground-breaking music. With influences extending from Jay Dee, Madlib, and Rza to Quincy Jones and Motown, NaNa's parent's encouragement of his involvement in early performances on TV variety shows and school productions led to his early encounters with hip-hop.

DJ Nana
"Motorcity Vibin'" (mp3)
from "The World Inside My Head, Vol. 3"
(URBNET Communications Inc.)

More On This Album

DJ Nana
"1chill - earF.O.R.C.E." (mp3)
from "The World Inside My Head, Vol. 3"
(URBNET Communications Inc.)

More On This Album