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

Skrillex - Recess (LP)

This week marks the first official full-length album release from one of EDM's most consistently intriguing artists. Skrillex has been changing and morphing his sound ever since his debut with Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites back in 2010. Recess seems to be the culmination of all the experimentation Sonny has been doing with his music over the past few years.

My initial thoughts on the album were that he seemed to be trying a little too hard to make this album avoid any kind of commercial sound. However, upon further listening, I believe this album is just Skrillex being Skrillex. It is very clear that he refuses to be pigeon-holed into one genre of music. Recess covers all the bases from bro-step to deep house, and does so with a strange continuity that only he could pull off. The first track, All Is Fair in Love and Brostep, is Skrillex's tip of the hat to all of his older dubstep fans that were hoping for an album full of dirty beats and gnarly drops. He couldn't leave them hanging. However, the title-track, Recess, is much more of the kind of stuff I was looking for out of this album. It's a solid moombahton track that is sure to get your blood flowing faster and faster with every decible louder it is played. Check it out below.

Another track I want to highlight is called Fuck That. This is definitely the most interesting track on the album to me. I call it deep-step, as it sounds like dubstep and deep house had relations out of wedlock and chose not to abort their illegitimate child. Skrillex uses the signature bass wobbles you can find in most deep house tracks, but does it over a mellow dubstep style beat. I really like the way it all came together though. Check it out below.



The last song I wanted to shed light on is the drum and bass inspired Coast Is Clear, featuring Chance The Rapper. I love that Skrillex reached out to this rising rap star and got him on a track. I love everything Chance does, so I knew this collaboration was bound to be amazing. It isn't a very ragey song, but thats why I love Skrillex. His music has no boundaries or limits. To him, all music fits under one roof, and everything is fair game. Check out this collab below and "dance like it hurts to stand still."



Other notable tracks on the album include: Stranger, Fire Away, Ease My Mind and the certified banger with my boy Alvin Risk, Try it Out.

The album is for sale on iTunes or Amazon and can also be heard on Spotify! Make sure you catch Skrillex and his various DJ cronies on his Mothership 2014 tour, coming to a city near you very soon.

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

Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (LP)

I know the album was leaked last week, but I wanted it to be official when I posted this. So... *drum roll* ...Childish Gambino just dropped his second full length album called Because the Internet today!!! WOOHOO!!!

It has been a long wait for all of his fans to hear the new tracks. After checking out the leak and listening to every song, I can easily say that his music only gets better with time. His lyrics are as clever as ever, the production is more interesting and unique (reminiscent of Frank Ocean's Orange album), and his features take the album even one more step up. The album features the likes of Chance The Rapper, Azealia Banks and Jhene Aiko all over Gambino's own productions. The album is really solid. I feel like most rap albums have the hits and the rest is mediocre, but not this one. You won't feel the need to skip songs at all, as each one is cool in it's own way. That's not to say it doesn't get a little weird at times.. because it does. However, his talent still shows through the weird intros and interludes he creates to maintain a specific mood from one song to the next.

You can listen to the album in it's entirety on Spotify above or hear my favorite tracks from the album on the Audible Twilight Spotify playlist! For the real fans, you can purchase the album on iTunes or on his website. Support the artists you love!

Enjoy! <3

Justin Timberlake - TKO (Remix Feat J.Cole, ASAP Rocky, Pusha T)

Holy Remix, Batman!!! When I saw this combo of rappers brought together to remix a song by Justin Timberlake... I didn't even have to listen to it before I downloaded it. These are three of the sickest rappers in the game right now. You already know how I feel about Pusha T and I have slowly become a huge A$AP Rocky fan. Although I have never been that into J. Cole... his verse is incredible too! OK.. Enough talk, get to listening!!

Enjoy! <3

G-Eazy - Far Alone Ft. Jay Ant

We just witnessed the world premiere of G-Eazy's first single off his upcoming debut album These Things Happen called 'Far Alone' featuring Jay Ant! I have been following G-Eazy since The Outsider' and I must say, I LOVE how far he has come since then. This new track is legit! His laidback west coast style really shows through on this single and, as a bay area resident during my youth as well, I love it! Mac Dre would be proud.

The new video is about his youth growing up in Berkeley, CA and the life he lead to get him where he is today. G-Eazy says “I’ve been rapping and making beats since I was young so it was important for me to incorporate the influence of the Bay Area into what my sound has evolved into. This project marks the next chapter to me; a lot of reflection on everything that got me here, for better or for worse.” Check out the video below!

I cannot wait to hear his full length debut! These Things Happen will drop in February 2014. 'Like' him on Facebook to keep up with any tour dates in your area or new music from this rising Bay Area star!

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE: Far Alone Feat. Jay Ant

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