100's - IVRY

Today I stumbled upon an up and coming rapper from Berkeley, CA that is single-handedly pumping funk back into west coast hip-hop. He follows along the path that OutKast blazed in the 90's and picks up where they left off by putting a fresh spin on an old school sound. Let me be the first to introduce to you 100s and his latest release, called IVRY.

This mixtape is so good because of the way 100s can switch between his soul/funk vibe and making some harder rap songs that make you wanna say "uhhhhhhh!" It is nice to have that variety, especially when he is able to do both ends of the spectrum so well. For example, the first song off the tape, Inglish Outro, goes hard. It is a solid statement song that lets you know that he isn't here to fuck around. 100s means business.



On the flip side, there are tracks like Fuckin Around that channel the likes of OutKast mixed with old school Mac Dre. The funky beat and the vocal layering in the chorus make this an ultimate throwback tune. I feel like I'm cruising around The City (my Bay Area natives know what I mean) in my scraper straight mackin! Get right to Fuckin Around below.



Another amazing track from IVRY is Slide On Ya. This is the lead single off of the release, and rightfully so. The beat is impeccable, the verses from 100s are smooth and the chorus ties the whole thing together in a cool way that is slightly reminiscent of Kendrick Lamar. Check out Slide On Ya below.



The last song that is definitely worth mentioning is the fan favorite, Ten Freaky Hoes. This track is like 90's anthem Mambo No. 5 if it were written by Too $hort. It is a list of descriptions depicting some of his sexual encounters with various women. Needless to say, it is an entertaining listen. Check it out for yourself below.


If I could post every song from this release, I would. They are all excellent. The best part: it is up for free download! Make sure you follow him on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with all of his music.

Enjoy! <3

Coachella Spotlight #4: Chance The Rapper

If you have not heard of Chicago's Chance The Rapper by now, you most definitely will in 2014. Besides OutKast, his set is one of the most highly anticipated hip-hop performances of Coachella this year.

Chance topped what seemed like every single top 10 list for mixtapes released in 2013. There was nothing but the highest praise for his Acid Rap mixtape last year. His unique sound and productions, which he has self-dubbed as acid rap, first grabbed the attention of Childish Gambino, who gave him his first major break by using him as the opening act on his tour back in 2012. Since then Chance has seen tremendous growth in his music and his fan base. Here is one of my favorite tracks of his, featuring Childish Gambino!


The very first song I ever fell in love with of Chance's was Acid Rain. I loved the laid back, minimal beat that really allows his storytelling ability to shine through. His personal stories and experiences he shares also bring a nice emotional side to the song as well. Check it below!



Since Acid Rap, he has been featured in tracks with major artists like Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne and James Blake just to name a few. Despite so much attention lately, he has turned down record contracts from major labels, including an offer from Kendrick Lamar's TDE label. I respect his commitment and passion for the music and not about cashing in on early success. Here is another really cool track he did as a hidden track on his Mixtape with Nosaj Thing called Paranoia. I love the combo of EDM and hip-hop coming together for this track that was later featured on Adidas' "Songs From Scratch" series.



You can download Acid Rap for free on Datpiff, so make sure you take advantage of that! Also, if you dig him, Like him on Facebook! I cannot wait to check him out live at Coachella. It is sure to be memorable!

Happy Coachella! <3

Top 10 of 2013: A$AP Rocky - Long.Live.A$AP

It was hard for me to pick a favorite hip hop album of the year. There were a couple contenders: like Pusha T (Who I have already told you my thoughts on last month) or Chance The Rapper with Acid Rap. But, after thinking about the diversity of songs that each rapper had on their album, I had to give it to A$AP Rocky's debut, Long.Live.A$AP.

The very first thing that stands out to me about this album are the features. It has some of the biggest rap names in the game sprinkled all throughout. The radio hit, Fuckin Problems, features 3 of the biggest names in 2013: 2 Chainz, Drake & Kendrick Lamar. He also attempts to blend genres and leave his comfort zone by bringing on the likes of Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine and Skrillex. Check out what I mean in I Come Apart.

This song has so many good tracks on it that it is hard to pick which ones I want to highlight. However, there is one song that was a big influence on picking this as the only hip hop album to feature on this list. 1Train is almost like a cypher of sorts, as it features a bunch of heavy hitters all over the same, repetitive beat. Kendrick Lamar kills it, like always. Joey Badass, Yelawolf and Danny Brown also lay down bad ass verses. Check out this gem of a track below.

Then there is classic A$AP tracks on the album, like Goldie. This is quintessential A$AP Rocky, just casually spitting over a hard, simplistic beat about what makes him better than the rest. I love this track, as it's perfect for just cruising around town. Check it out below

Check out the rest of the album on my Best of 2013 Spotify Playlist or follow him on Facebook!

Enjoy! <3

Pusha T - My Name Is My Name

Pusha T released his latest LP last month, My Name Is My Name, and to be honest, it flew under my radar until a few days ago. Yes, I am ashamed to say that, but hey.. better late than never! I believe Pusha T is one of the most underrated hip hop artists in the game today. His lyricism is among the best and his delivery is on point as always. He has been releasing music for over 11 years, and he has carefully crafted his sound, style and image over the years and it has all culminated in this strong performance.

MNIMN is Pusha's sophomore release on Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music label and it features the likes of 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown, The-Dream, Pharrell, Rick Ross, and the list goes on.

Now let's get to the music! After a couple thorough listens of the album, the standout track to me would be Nosetalgia featuring the gifted Kendrick Lamar. Over a simple beat made up of 3 different guitar notes and some simple percussion, the lyricism is the best part of this track. Pusha and Kendrick each lay down amazing verses. Take a listen below to see what I mean.





In an depth interview/conversation between Pusha T and NPR, King Push explains that his favorite track on the album is S.N.I.T.C.H. featuring Pharrell. The song tells the story of a real experience Pusha T dealt with when a friend of his called him from jail to tell him he won't ever be calling Pusha again because he will be going into witness protection after he cooperates with the police. The acronym stands for "Sorry Nigga, I'm Tryna Come Home." It is a unique perspective that most rappers won't portray in their music. He explained how the track came to fruition when he told Pharrell about what happened and he responded "There's a song there. That story needs to be told." Take a listen below



If you want to check out the album, it is for sale on iTunes or you can listen to it on Spotify. Other mentionable tracks include: Sweet Serenade, Numbers On The Boards and Who I Am. To keep up with Pusha T, check out any of the following links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Enjoy! <3