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Dragon Fli Empire (DFE), a Calagary, Canada dropped this album late last year (in Japan, early this year in the US), and although I spotlighted a few of the tracks from this album on another one of our blogs, I’ve only recently had the chance to peep the album in it’s entirety. I still stick to the notion of them sounding like old school acts of yore such as Large Pro, Dream Warriors and newer acts along the lines of Shad or Supa Koop & Outkome, but their sound (since I’ve peeped more of their material) is less laid back that I initially collected (think production along the lines of People Under The Stairs). Canada has been producing a lot of quality material as of late (or maybe I’m just now catching on), would def recommend this for anybody digging for som easy listening.

Dragon Fli Empire (abbreviated DFE) is a hip hop duo from Calgary, Canada, comprising Tarik Robinson, also known as Teekay (MC/producer), and Adam Hicks, also known as DJ Cosm (DJ/producer).

DFE’s first album, Conquest, was released in August 2004. It was followed by Invasion in 2005, Intermission EP in 2008 and Redefine in 2009. Their music is inspired by classic hip hop beats like those of Pete Rock, Large Professor and Prince Paul. They are known for their down-to-earth perspective, with insightful and comedic lyrics.

written by Breezilla \\ tags: 2008, 2008 Releases, BCC, Blackalicious, Boot Camp Click, Cadence Weapon, Calgary, Canada, Canadian Hip-Hop, Crown City Rockers, De La Soul, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Dragon Fli Empire, Dream Warriors, Grouprip, Import, Japanese Import, Josh Martinez, Large Pro, Large Professor, Lynn Olagundoye, Masta Ace, Moka Only, Mos Def, People Under The Stairs, Pete Rock, Rashan Ahmad, Shad, Supa Koop & Outkome, The Beatnuts, The Chicharones

One of my favorite releases from 2008. This album must not be slept on. I mean shit, just check the tracklist after the jump. This is a personal rip of mine.

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written by Chesbomb \\ tags: 2008, 9th Wonder, Analogic, Archrival, Ayatollah, Black Milk, Buckwild, Chaundon, Diamond D, DJ K.O., East, Edo G, Emilio Rojas, Eternia, Hip-Hop, Illmind, J. Siinastah, John Robinson, K-Hill, Kaze, Kenn Starr, M-Phazes, Masta Ace, Median, Phonte, Picture This, Royce Da 5'9'', Silent Knight, Skyzoo, SoulStice, Stricklin., Talib Kweli, Tiffany Paige, Torae, Wordsworth

Been super busy the last couple of days. The launch of 5MC’s hasn’t helped, and going back to work has been a big-time bummer. Here are a few requests that I got around to checking out during the holidays. I’ll be posting some sick discographies in the comin days so be on the lookout fam!

EMC-The_Show-2008-u*
Grieves-Irreversible-2007-F*D
Moka_Only-Airport_2-2008-F*D

Tracklist after the jump.

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written by TheDude \\ tags: 2007, 2008, eMC, Grieves, Grouprip, Hip-Hop, Masta Ace, Moka Only, Music, Punchline, Rap, Stricklin., Wordsworth

Real nice album outta the 12 man crew coming at ya from Ohio. Beats by A Piece of Strange as well as a Masta Ace feature. Dope!

Scribbling Idiots is JustMe, Cas Metah, Theory Hazit, Wonder Brown and Mouth Warren. Extended family includes MattmaN, Re:Flex, Motion Plus, Elias, Kaboose and Ruffian. What does that list mean to you? Well don’t be surprised if only a few of those names hit you and the larger balance passes over your head. Nevertheless make no mistake you shortly will know each member in their own right. Lets dissect shall we?

Theory Hazit, former Holy Culture Radio show host and DJ, Producer, Emcee has several indie releases under his belt including a famed Scribble Jam Beatdown championship and a highly acclaimed classic album under the Hip Hop IS Music label titled “Extra Credit”. Theo is a solid all-around artist and definitely holds his crew down and lends some of the top production to this the crews debut record “The Havenots”.

Aside from Theory there is also members making their solo mark with previous releases making noise such as JustMe, and Cas Metah who combined with solo projects also put out a collab project together. Additionally, the extended S.I. fam members Motion Plus, Elias, and Kaboose have solo albums out prior to this conglomerate release.

Having mentioned all of the prior accolades its pretty evident that the S.I. massive is not a group of newcomers to the music scene. Don’t expect a proving ground of untested lyricists and unpolished beats here. “The Havenots” is a solid release which comes equipped with sample heavy rifts of chopped strings, piano keys, funk, smooth bass lines, and dirty hard hitting drums reminiscent of Dilla, Hi-Tek, 9th Wonder, Premier, etc… Rhymes focus on subject matter from self introspective to braggadocios to spiritual enlightenment to life struggles and ailments of the indie music industry.

In a pleasant mix of dope beats and smooth rhyme schemes come a few surprises that make my highlight list slightly easier to note among an otherwise seemingly flawless track list. First off is the track “Is That You” featuring a sped up vocal sample, piano keys, bass drops and the soulful voice swinging a chorus like an old hymn calling out …”oh Lawwwwwd… its been so loooooonnng… since I’ve seen… yooooour face… is that you (is that you… is that you…)”. If you match this with a speedy flow and unique rhyme pattern not too often heard in hip-hop this makes a pretty unique track overall. Its unlikely combinations keep bringing me back to it.

“Almost Famous” is another dope track in the mix. The heady atmospheric samples and underwater bassline matched by a unique and deeply reverberating snare set the pace for a classic track. Enter the Scribbling Idiots to lace this dope soundscape with some weighty lyrics. I think this is my personal favorite track on the album.

A few more key highlights to mention are “Easily A Muse” which is like a Pete rock beat combining piano stabs, bass chops, and the right mix of attention to pattern and wordplay in the lyricism backed with nice dj turntablism. A bone-a-fide banger here.

“Alexithymia” is another dope track on my top list of highlights. This more classic jazzy cut hits hard on the clean drums and spacialy pleasant to the ear drums with the overhead sounds… Then enters the breakdowns which hit with the dramatic sax to slow it down for a sec. Lets not forget about the lyrics here. This dope track is a reflection of family and relationships. The sometimes ill relationships we have with those who are close enough to cut us deep and leave lasting impacts on our lives that affect our characters for the rest of our adult lives. The transparency of this cut is apparent.

LMNO of the famed Vizunaris crew makes an appearance on “Publicity Stunt Doubles”. Thats also a must check for track with more fresh beats, lyrics and turntable work.

For me to say that this classic album is riddled with problems or weaknesses would be so far from the truth that I couldn’t even begin to utter the words with self respect. ILLECT has a solid release here and a good find in the Scribbling Idiots. The crew has a good collective of talent and this album is one of my personal highlights of the year. Where it does find its weaker spots is so few are far between its almost worth not mentioning. However in being subjective a few things could have possibly been done different.

On the minor occasion you can find some of the samples being a little monotonous. Case in point is “Moonlighting” where the short stabs in the verse rifts get a little annoying and I found distracting from the verses themselves. Also some of the mixes use a nice spacial filter to separate some of the elements and make the beats more transparent but they at times compete with the central focus on the lyrics and vocal range on the mixes.

Look. If its not obvious to you yet… You need to just stop reading this review and go pick up a copy of this album. The S.I. crew may be a group of “Havenots” but what they do have is a classic album on their hands! Don’t sleep on this one! I’ll definitely be on the look-out for more material from these guys.

Oh yea, and I cannot forget to mention that in addition to the album you can also find a bonus INSTRUMENTALS version as well. For all the beat heads that love to just rock to instrumentals this is a delight worth its weight in gold!

For fans of: Mars ILL, Deepspace5, Theory Hazit, Cas Metah, JustMe, Cas Metah, Motion Plus, Kaboose, Elias, underground hip-hop

Tracklist after the jump. You can cop this CD here.

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written by TheDude \\ tags: A Piece of Strange, Cas Metah, Cunninlynguists, Deacon The Villain, Deepspace5, Elias, Grouprip, JustMe, Kaboose, Kno, LMNO, Mars ILL, Masta Ace, Mattman, Motion Plus, Mouth Warren, Music, Ohio, Rap, Re:Flex, Ruffian, Scribbling Idiots, Theory Hazit, UndergroundHip-Hop, Vintage, Wonder Brown

I’m usually not a fan of any emcees that rap with an accent,  which is why this is the first Australian-based release I’ve ever posted. I’m gonna download it when I get home and give it a chance primarily due to the Masta Ace feature. If he thinks they’re good enough to share rhymes with him then they must be good, right?

Label…………………….: Peepshow Entertainment
Genre…………………….: Hip-Hop
StoreDate…………………: 29/11/2008
Source……………………: CDDA
Grabber…………………..: Exact Audio Copy
Encoding Scheme……………: Lame 3.97 V2 VBR Joint-Stereo
Size……………………..: 71,3 MB
Total Playing Time…………: 53:50

Support The Artists, Buy Their Music…

written by TheDude \\ tags: 2008, Australia, DJ Ad-Fu, Grouprip, Hilltop Hood, Masta Ace, Maurice Greer Of Human Instinct, Vents

Nice remix project from DJ Mick and Davy Dave (Pilskills)  coming to ya all the way from Germany.

Davy Dave teams up with DJ Mick but this time mash-ups are not on the table… Well, not explicitly at least. What you get on this lushly packaged cd is 21 remixes (essentially) of hip hop classics – some obvious some a bit more obscure, all of them great though! Mixed into one flowing piece of music!

Tracklist after the jump. Buy the CD here.

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written by TheDude \\ tags: 2008, Beastie Boys, Black Sheep, Busta Rhymes, Canibus, Children Of The Corn, Common, Dizzee Rascal, Fugees, Gang Starr, Germany, Grouprip, Hip-Hop, Jay-Z, Jaylib, Large Professor, Lauryn Hill, Looptroop, Masta Ace, Mos Def, Music, O.C., People Under The Stairs, Pilskills, Rap, Redman, Remix, Royal Flush

Requested by my boy Ant, here low on the official mixtape series for the critically acclaimed anime series, Aaron McGruder’s The Boondocks. Anybody who’s seen a few episodes of the show has probably caught onto many of the social undertones and themes of the show (many which have carried over from McGruder’s comic strip by the same title), and his same anti-mainstream society motif shows up in the majority of the musical features on the tapes. Skyzoo, Talib Kweli, Tanya Morgan, Pacific Division, Jean Grae, Mos Def, Little Brother, Blu, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Tribe, Cunninlynguists, AZ, Rakim, Quasimoto, Bishop Lamonot and so many more. Do yourself a favor and at least peep one of these.

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written by Breezilla \\ tags: 9th Wonder, A Tribe Called Quest, A.G., Aeon, Akir, Amanda Diva, Asheru, AZ, Bishop Lamont, Black Lincolns, Black Milk, Blackberry Jones, Blacksheep, Blackstar, Bleu Collar, Blu, Boondocks, C.L. Smooth, Chaundon, Common, Cool Cee Brown, Cormega, Crunch Ex, Cunninlynguists, D-Sisive, Danger Doom, David Banner, Dead Prez, Diz Gibran, DJ Premier, DJ Spinna, DJ Unexpected, DJay Cas, Donte, Doujah Raze, Dres, Edo G, Emilio Rojas, Erykah Badu, Ghostface Killah, Gnarls Barkley, Hall of Fame, Hi-Tek, Hip-Hop, Homeskillet, Huyusheru, Illa J, Illmind, India.Arie, J Dilla, J'Davey, Ja$, Jaylib, Jean Grae, JJ The Genius, Joell Ortiz, Khrysis, Last Poets, Lauryn Hill, Little Brother, Maimouna Yousef, Main Flow, Masta Ace, Metaphor The Great, Method Man, MF Doom, Mick Boogie, Mood, Mos Def, Muneshine, Nicotine Beats, NY Oil, P.H.E.A.R., Pacific Division, Pharoahe Monch, Phene, Pugz Atomz, Quasimoto, Raekwon, Rakim, Rapper Big Pooh, Rashid Hadee, Sean Price, Sha Stimuli, Skyzoo, Stimula, Styles P, Sway, Talib Kweli, Tanya Morgan, The Kickdrums, The Procussions, The Roots, Tough Junkie, U-N-I, Von Pea, Witchdoctor, Xzibit

Real unique sounding hip-hop / reggae artist outta Sweden. His debut album from 2003 as well as his new one from earlier this year are both fresh to death. As always, don’t sleep people. Sample song for those doubters. A bit of info from his lastfm:

He has already worked with many acts within Swedish hiphop, and been on an almost constant tour throughout Sweden and Europe for the past two years. Swedish MC Chords has made himself quite an impressive reputation among Swedish hiphopers, with his strong punchlines and flowing rhymes.

Chords, or Jens Resch, which is his real name, was born in 1978 in Sweden. He grew up in the realtively small town called Lund, where music became a growing interest at an early age. Being only 14 years old, he started to write his own lyrics as he listened to beats and came up with rhymes to match them. He socialized with people like the wellknown Swedish producer Måns Asplund (Breakmecanix) and by the age of 16, Chords recorded his first songs in the studio.

He was only ten years old then, but was already being influenced and inspired by hiphopers like Run-D.M.C.. Nowdays, you’ll most likely hear old soul classics, hiphop and reagge coming out of his stereo. His passion for music has always been present, although he has both worked and studied other things along the way. He even worked extra at Juju Records, the record label he’s now signed to.

Formely with the duo Chords & Scissors, Chords is now working solo, with guestperformers from wellknown Swedish hiphop artists like Timbuktu and Looptroops Promoe. Chords 12” single, “Idiot Savant” was the first single from his debut album that came out in 2003, and the first release since being signed with Juju Records in 2001.

Tracklists after the jump. Some sick features on his first album, and I might like the second even better.

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written by TheDude \\ tags: 2003, 2006, 2008, Chords, Grouprip, Hip-Hop, Masta Ace, Promoe, Punchline, Rantoboko, Rap, Reggae, Sweden, Swedish, The Garden Around The Mansion, Things We Do For Things, Tonedeff

From start to finish, this really is an awesome album. I’m always a big fan of producer-driven albums, their natural ear makes them an obvious choice when it comes to putting together a nice LP. HMD is no different. Thanks to a couple of hip-hop veterans, One Pursuit comes together as one of the smoothest albums to come out in a while. The good folks over at hiphoplinguistics.com with a review:

Before listeners plunge into HMD’s highly anticipated debut album, “One Pursuit,” they are given an unmistakable warning in the opening track: “We go get these old records … because you can’t copy these on the keyboard … we want those sounds.” Indeed this is one pursuit that HMD accomplishes triumphantly. His album showcases a stunning juxtaposition of instruments rarely rivaled by mainstream producers.

The colorful range of beats on the album makes for a truly interactive listening experience. The opening track, for instance, features an electronica flutter and a unique synthesized loop that swells with the crisp snares. It is bold and vibrant, flowing with that ethereal spirit of optimism epitomized by HMD. But the next track, a frenetic adaptation of a classical violin piece reminiscent of 7L and Esoteric’s Murder-Death-Kill, quickly jolts listeners out of their complacency. While critics may point this out as HMD’s lack of sensibility for blending, it is actually effective in simulating a stream-of-consciousness rap, one close to the heart.

It is difficult to overplay HMD’s ear for sweet melodies. The One is cool and jazzy with an old-school feel, and the mysteriously titled Interlude Beat One features an intricate layering technique in which an electric guitar is accompanied by drums, snares, and cymbals – in that order.

“One Pursuit” features several works with celebrated guest stars like Reef the Lost Cause and Masta Ace, but Catastrofiks steals the show with “No Time.” Rapping over three different beats throughout the track — including a euphoric keyboard loop with a perfectly balanced drum exhibition in the back — the song talks of staying with your vision despite troubles in life.

HMD, for all his production genius, however, does not make the mistake of sacrificing substance for pizzazz. “One Pursuit” is a lyrical masterpiece that not only shares the artist’s own struggles, but also resonates with that universal theme of discovering a passion and living it. Hitting a string beat with Middle Eastern flavor in full stride, HMD engages listeners in a passionate storytelling:

Heart of a lion, it’s where I’ve been trying to keep my cool/
Teach my little niggas that the money is in the school/
But it’s cool if you travel your own route, I did it/
Do something with your life with mine I chose to spit it/

With steady production of witty one-liners (“Slaughtered the fakest across the coast/ for balling like the Lakers/ campaigned for green like Ralph Nader”) and even flashes of turntablism brilliance, HMD ensures his debut album will be talked about for quite a while.

Preview tracks along with the tracklist after the jump. Buy the full album here.

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written by TheDude \\ tags: 2007, Adam 12, Baby Blak, Catastrofiks, D-Rellz, Digs Darklighter, Grouprip, HMD, Jehst, Masta Ace, Micall Parknsun, One Pursuit, R.A. The Rugged Man, Reef the Lost Cauze, Sam Doom, Wordsworth

The dudes over at sphere of hiphop damn near gave this album a classic rating and looking at Theo’s past efforts I can certainly believe the hype. I haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet for myself but from what I know Theo (who’s a member of Scribbling Idiots… Braille, Omegha Watts, MotionPlus, Kaboose etc.) is capable of and from what works I’ve heard from producer Vintage, we might be calling this one of 08’s top 10 (for fans of Pharoahe Monch, Masta Ace, & Cunninlynguists). Check the review, d/l the album and if you like it, buy it here.

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written by admin \\ tags: Braille, Cunninlynguists, Kaboose, Masta Ace, MotionPlus, Omegha Watts, Pharoahe Monch, Scribbling Idiots, Theory Hazit, Vintage

Got asked for some Qn5 a while back so I present you with Asterisk 4 (2007), Baby Blue For Pink EP (2008), & Extended F@mm’sHappy Fuck You Songs (2002). Even better, no RapidShare links this time (that’s Extended F@mm in the pic for the curious).

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written by admin \\ tags: Archrival, Cashmere, Copywrite, Cunninlynguists, Deacon The Villain, Domingo, Elite, Extended F@mm, Fresh Daily, Immaculate, Kno, Leo D., Masta Ace, Mr. SOS, Okwerdz, PackFM, Poison Pen, QN5, Sean Price, Session, SunnyStylez, Supastition, Tanya Morgan, Tondeff

I guess I’ve been on a little bit of a Masta Ace binge lately. I had forgotten about how dope this dude was. Check out these two compilations from him. Volume 1 are a bunch of tracks from 1996-2000 and there are a couple B-sides thrown in as well. Volume 2 is different and features collaborations and mixtape tracks with the man himself. If you’re interested, click ahead

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written by admin \\ tags: Apocalypse, Buckshot, Guru, Hits U Missed, Masta Ace, Punchline

This album was majorly slept on when it originally dropped in 1994 and is still being slept on ’til this day. Of course 1994 was the year for classic hip-hop albums, so if you’re feeling that entire time period (especially for NY cats) this album is going to blow you away. I’ve posted 2 of my favorite tracks from the album, but you should def peep the grouprip I’ve posted as well. For fans of Black Moon, Masta Ace, D.I.T.C., and Kool G Rap. Word…life.

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written by admin \\ tags: 1994, Black Moon, Classic, D.I.T.C., Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, O.C.

1. Intro (2:54)
2. The I.N.C Ride (4:10)
3. Eastbound (5:22)
4. What’s Going On! (4:52)
5. The B-Side (4:14)
6. Sittin’ On Chrome (4:09)
7. People In My Hood (5:37)
8. Turn It Up (5:15)
9. U Can’t Find Me (4:13)
10. Ain’t NO Game (4:55)
11. Freestyle? (3:29)
12. Terror (5:19)
13. Da Answer (4:57)
14. 4 Da Mind (Ft The Cella Dwella (4:46)
15. Born To Roll (4:14)
16. The Phat Kat Ride (4:05)

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written by admin \\ tags: 1995, Hip-Hop, Masta Ace, Sittin On Chrome

I’m gonna begin by posting one of my favorite albums from last year. Statik Selektah presents Spell My Name Right (The Album) suprised me to say the least. I didn’t know what to expect when I first listened to the album last November. I didn’t really know anything about Statik Selektah besides the mixtapes I had of his. I knew he worked with Premier, but besides that I didn’t know much. After listening to the album, he instantly became one of my favorite producers. The production from Statik Selektah is amazing, and the guest list is just as good. Continue reading for more albums (Senim Silla & Masta Ace) and the download links of course.

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written by admin \\ tags: Binary Star, Hip-Hop, Masta Ace, Senim Silla, Statik Selektah