Celebrated Group Begin Their "Curtain Call" With First Single From Final Album, LeftBack
The Song:
Critically acclaimed rap duo Little Brother are back and ready to takeover speakers for the final time together with their new album, LeftBack. Dropping on April 20th via Hall of Justus, LeftBack will mark the end of an illustrious career by partners in rhyme Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh. The album features production from the likes of Khyrsis, Denaun Porter, J.Bizness and guest vocals from Torae, Truck North, Jozeemo, Chaundon, Median, and more. The send-off for the North Carolina hip-hop heavyweights begins with the release of "Curtain Call," the poetically titled first single from LeftBack. Rapper Big Pooh sets the tone for the album by declaring that "this is it, the last monologue / last act in the play, you could say the epilogue." A booming synth line, driving bass and staccato drum pattern intertwine to provide the backdrop for the occasion, while Phonte drives home the album's message by rapping "You know we don't quit / but when it's curtain call then that's all you gonna get." The song "basically sums up the history of our career as Little Brother," says the duo. "This is the last first single you will hear from Little Brother."
Fans can expect further announcements from Little Brother, including tour info and other interesting developments on LeftBack's road to the release.
Little Brother, the Durham, North Carolina group formed in part by Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh, released their debut album The Listening on ABB Records in 2003. They are now gearing up for the release of their fourth album, LeftBack, which will be the last of Little Brother’s illustrious career, available April 20th via Hall Of Justus. Continuing the tradition they set with the critically acclaimed third release GetBack, Big Pooh and Phonte have enlisted multiple producers for LeftBack, both from within and outside of the Justus League camp. The album features production from the likes of Khyrsis, Denaun Porter, J.Bizness and guest vocals from Torae, Truck North, Jozeemo, Chaundon, Median, and more.
As the release of TRUTHLiVE's free EP, The UnLearning approaches, the Cali-based MC/DJ/Producer is letting loose the fifth and final leak before the EP's release next week, and giving one final introduction by releasing the EP's title track, "The UnLearning." Featuring production by Vitamin D, who has worked with artists including 50 Cent and Redman, "The UnLearning," which also serves as the EP's lead track, bears a personal feeling, as TRUTHLiVE introduces himself to the world. Starting off with rhythmic and heavy drumbeats, a rolling bass line, and triumphant horns, TRUTHLiVE's voice soon takes command of the beat, as he raps about his dedication to the art form he loves. "It's my passion, no way that I can mask it/ My heart in every line, every track, every facet," raps the emcee, reinforcing the authenticity that he layers into every one of his songs. Recording the song in one take, what you see is what you get, and TRUTHLiVE was so happy with the natural feeling of the way the vocals came out, he decided to keep things just how they were. "I made some mistakes delivering with the lyrics compared to how they were written, but when I heard the playback, I actually liked the mistakes," explains TRUTHLiVE. "It has the feeling of a sincere, almost desperate plea."
TRUTHLiVE'sThe UnLearning EP will be available for free download next week, while his full-length album, Patience, produced entirely by Jake One, will be available April 20, 2010 via Interdependent Media.
Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with TRUTHLIVE.
The Background:
Evan "TRUTHLiVE" Phillips, owner and founder of Interdependent Media, has certainly made his mark in the music industry with his wide range of talents. As an emcee, DJ, entrepreneur, and artist, TRUTHLiVE has had his hands in everything from a very young age. After a traumatic adolescent period where his health was at risk, three heart surgeries proved the artist to be quite a fighter. He explains to his new listeners, "The name TRUTHLiVE doesn't mean that I'm proclaiming myself as the truth, end-all be-all; it's more of a reminder to myself on how to conduct my life and career." The MC best summates, "My music is my truth and my life." That meaningful music will arrive on April 20th in the form of Patience, TRUTHLiVE's debut release, courtesy of Bay Area label Interdependent Media.
About Interdependent Media:
Founded in 2006 in the Bay Area by Evan Phillips, Interdependent Media has built unique strengths in the development, production, and marketing of recorded music via new methods of marketing and promotion. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and emerging methods of marketing, iM has successfully created multi-faceted methods of raising awareness and interest in their projects. Industry veterans Ian "ID" Davis and Dominic Del Bene head operations at iM and are credited with discovering and/or developing artists such as 9th Wonder, Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, Blackalicious, Del the Funky Homosapien, the Hieroglyphics and more. In 2010, iM will be releasing multi-media projects from artists Donwill, TRUTHLiVE,Canibus, Von Pea, A-Plus, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.imculture.com
There is a pandemic sweeping our concerts and nightclubs. It doesn’t matter where you live, or what event you go to, you’ll see it. In fact, you may have been affected by it already. The problem - people thinking they’re too cool to have fun.
"Last Minute" is the new short film in HD from Dan-e-o's "Dilla Pickles" album/mixtape. Directed by Kev Major and edited by XCON of Late Night Shooters, the film stars Dan-e-o, Conwell, Melanie Leduc, Stacey Armstrong and the beautiful Jas Seron in a gripping story about love, lust, betrayal and revenge!
"Dilla Pickles" - the official 2 in 1 album/mixtape in tribute to legendary producer/rapper J Dilla - Dan-e-o's first-ever completely FREE digital download project is out now!
Oddisee Spends a Day in His Hometown With On Demand TV's The Stand
The Video:
Oddisee, of the celebrated group Diamond District, gives The Stand (Twitter.com/StandOnDemand) insight into the many facets of his life in interview. As an integral part of Oddisee's life, the rapper talks about the double meaning of his name setting the stage for his rhyming career from a young age and how his hometown of D.C. has shaped his music - hardcore hip-hop without the violence. However, this is one artist not to be restricted to a single genre. His love and passion for music keep tracks fresh as Oddisee prides himself on taking bits and pieces of many genres and incorporating them into his music. His motto, "Keep it fresh, keep it alive, and keep it relevant," has kept the emcee on the cutting edge of music without forgetting his hip-hop roots. Living in the political capital of the US has also shaped Oddisee as an activist, and has led him to constantly try to relay a message through his music. Oddisee closes the interview with, "You gotta stand for something or we'll fall for anything." With an excellent group effort in 2009 and an equally impressive solo project to kick off the new year, it's clear that Oddisee, at the very least, is standing up and being heard as a name to be recognized in music.
Oddisee's Traveling Man is available digitally via Mello Music Group.
Since producing and performing the hit track "Musik Lounge" for DJ Jazzy Jeff's Magnificent LP, Amir "Oddisee" Mohamed has pushed his involvement in the music industry into fifth gear. Taking advantage of working at A Touch of Jazz studios, Oddisee has incorporated the neo soul vibe of Philly into his eclectic and well-decorated resume. Coming from a diverse background, the half Sudanese, half African-American was blessed with musical talent from both sides of his family. Oddisee was influenced by the accomplished singers, guitarists, and poets on his Sudanese side, and on his American side, by the gospel singers, blue grass guitar players, and older cousins who gave him his first taste of hip-hop. Ironically, though, it was his Sudanese father that gave Oddisee the vinyl that fueled his passion for producing hip-hop music.
Since turning his focus towards hip-hop, Oddisee has worked with the likes of Gary Shider of Parliament and Funkadelic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Talib Kweli, J-Live, Little Brother, Freeway, Flying Lotus, and many other respected recording artists. Now signed with Mello Music Group, Oddisee continues to be one of the hardest working producer/emcees in hip-hop, preparing to release an instrumental project, a solo project, a second Diamond District album, full album production for Finale, Trek LIfe, and Stik Figa, and is executive producing a handful of other projects. With his incredibly distinctive and mesmerizing style, Oddisee covers just about every sect of hip-hop music, creating a sound that is appealing to all music lovers. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland, Oddisee and his "Low Budget" crew, including such hip hop artists and producers as Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, and his group Diamond District (XO and yU) have already managed to leave their mark on the hip-hop community and the D.C. metropolitan area.
About Mello Music Group:
Like Lao Tzu in hip-hop, Mello Music Group provides music for the soul, from the heart of American culture, opening the realm of the intelligent hip-hop experience through melodic evocations, beats that corroborate the truth, and voices that roar above the rising void and impose order on the terrible & triumphant moments of everyday life. This is the compelling sound of Mello Music Group. Industry newcomer Michael Tolle founded MMG in 2007 and is acting Director of Operations. MMG will be releasing projects from Oddisee, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Kenn Starr, Finale, Trek Life, Dudley Perkins, Sareem Poems, and YU in 2010. http://www.myspace.com/mellomusicgroup .
Black Sheep Announces Producer Remix Contest For Recently Released EP 03.03.2010
Rework Tracks Off The Prelude EP To Win Opportunity To Be Featured On Upcoming Prelude Remix EP, Free Verse From Dres
The Contest:
Following the success of his December 2009 EP, Dres of the legendary Queens, NY outfit Black Sheep will drop his long awaited full length LP, From The Black Pool Of Genius, on April 6th. To celebrate the release,Dres is proud to announce the official Prelude Remix Contest. With the contest, Dres is giving aspiring and established producers alike the opportunity to remix all five cuts off Dres' From The Black Pool Of Genius: The Prelude EP, with the best submission of each of the five tracks being selected by Dres to be released for the official Prelude Remix EP, which will be subsequently released via all major digital retailers.
After downloading a cappella versions of the songs - which can be found through http://whostheblacksheep.com - contestants will have four weeks to craft their respective remixes. All remixes must be sample-free. While producers can submit only one remix per track, they are allowed and encouraged to submit remixes for each track, making up to five possible remix submissions. In addition to each winner having their version included on the official Remix EP, Dres will also record one 16 bar verse for each of the winning producers on a beat of their choice, and each producer will win a free drum pack from Platinum Loops: the Hip-Hop Drums – Blazin Beats Volume 1 Sample Pack. Winning producers will also receive a signed copy of the From The Black Pool Of Genius: The Prelude EP. Think you have what it takes to catch the ear of legend?
To enter the contest, or for further information about the contest, including download links for the a capellas, rules, deadlines, and prizes, please see below or visit: http://whostheblacksheep.com .
Entry Date And Deadlines: • The contest opens 12:00am EST on March 2, 2010, and closes at 11:59pm EST on April 2, 2010. All entries must be received on or before 11:00pm EST on April 2, 2010. • The winning submissions will be announced on or before April 15, 2010.
To Enter: • Download the acapellas from http://www.remixcomps.com/Black-Sheep-Remix-Contest. Craft your sample-free remix around Dres' vocals and submit a 320kbps MP3 (44.1kHz constant bit rate, normal stereo) file of your remix along with your name and email address to BlackSheepRemix@gmail.com. • All remixes should be titled in the same format: "Name of Producer – Name of Track being remixed"
Judging: • All entries will be judged and selected exclusively by Dres. • Dres will announce the winning submissions for the Prelude Remix contest on Thursday, April 15, 2010.
Prizing: • Each winning producer will have his or her submission included on the official From The Black Pool Of Genius Prelude EP. • Each winning producer will receive a free 16 bar verse from Dres on a beat of their choice (all winners must submit the beat for collaboration within four weeks time of the contest close). • Each winning producer will win a free copy of Platinum Loops' Hip-Hop Drums - Blazin' Beats Vol. 1 Sample Pack. • Each winning producer will receive a free signed copy of Dres' From The Black Pool Of Genius: The Prelude EP.
It all began with a thundering baseline and an unmistakably classic phrase - "this or that." One of the most widely recognized songs in rap music history, the 1991 classic "The Choice is Yours" was hailed by VH1 in 2008 as one of the best rap songs of all time. The highly respected Queens emcee Dres, along with DJing partner-in-crime William "Mista Lawnge" McLean took the music industry by storm in the early 1990's as part of the groundbreaking collective Native Tongues. Penning such Billboard standouts as "Flavor of the Month" and "Strobelight Honey" for the duo's platinum-selling debut album A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing in 1992, Dres would continue to crank out the hits on the group's second release, Non Fiction. After a brief reunion with Mister Lawnge in 2000, Dres again set his sights on recording. He released the innovative online-only album 8WM/Novakane in 2007. Now he's back in the studio, writing the next chapter of his storied career. Dres' highly anticipated new project, From the Black Pool of Genius, out Spring 2010, promises to pair thought-provoking lyrics with astounding beats constructed by a corps of new and established beatmakers. They include Bean One, Showbiz, Tough Junkie, P. Locke, Urban Soul Music Group, and Willie Evans. He's also got an impressive line-up of guest stars, including De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Rhymefest, AZ, and Tough Junkie, among others. Leading up to the release of his next full-length, Black Sheep have released a precursor EP, From The Black Pool Of Genius: The Prelude, available now. From The Black Pool Of Genius will be available on April 6th.
GRAMMY AWARD WINNER RHYMEFEST SIGNS ON FOR "MIDWEST BLOCK STARZ" COMPILATION
Grammy Award winner Rhymefest will appear on Block Starz Music's upcoming "Midwest Block Starz" compilation scheduled for exclusive release at www.blockstarzmusic.com on April 28.
Rhymefest contributed the track "Say Wassup", featuring Phonte of Little Brother, to the project as part of a lead up to the release of his own long-awaited sophomore effort, "El Che", on May 18.
"Midwest Block Starz" is the third installment of Block Starz Music's critically-acclaimed compilation series and will highlight various independent Hip-Hop and R&B artists from the thirteen state region.
2009 Underground Music Awards' "Midwest Artist of the Year", Slick Watts, and 2009 Ohio Hip-Hop Awards' "Best Live Performer", Machine Gun Kelly, whose track "Alice In Wonderland" will be the first single and video released from the compilation, will also be featured on the "Midwest Block Starz" project alongside blazing contributions from new Block Starz Music artists Mike Schpitz (Chicago) and F.O.N.Z. (Louisville).
"We have a few surprises lined up as far as big name guest appearances," says Block Starz Music co-founder and president Bayer Mack. "But the purpose is to showcase exciting new independent talent."
We are a link to the marketplace for new independent talent and an oasis for bands that don't fit the status quo. We're entrepreneurs with a passion for making deals and championing our artists. We don't conform to the way things have always been done. We choose to find our own way. We're Block Starz Music and we got next.
A very close member of Keith Elam's family put up a ten minute video on YouTube entitled "Guru (Gangstarr) True Story Behind Hospital & Coma." We offer no opinion on it one way or the other - we are simply presenting it to you here for informational purposes. The author has included his contact info on the YouTube page HERE, and he can also be contacted on Twitter @JustinNElamRuff.
With a lack of female presence in Hip-Hop it was only a matter of time before a project was created to prove that the women of Hip-Hop are needed just as much as the males that dominate.
Bringing together artists and DJs from all over the globe for this series of mixtapes, the instigators in this never before done project are no strangers to the music industry.
Revered mixtape DJ, DJ Technics, stepped up and utilized his skills in finding and developing talent, securing an extremely strong line up for Volume One of We Got Lyrics Too. Technics is renowned for his weekly podcast HoodStarz that focuses on the unsigned and Independent talent, thus encouraging the unique cast he chose to feature on this undertaking. While partner, veteran promotions guru and New York native General, Taylor is on board to promote and market the end result.
General Taylor has been immersed in the business for over 15 years, promoting singles from the likes of 50 Cent, Drake, Kanye West while playing a fundamental role in breaking acts such as Keri Hilson and Lil Wayne. Having worked closely with major labels such as Interscope, Def Jam, Atlantic and Universal, he too recognized the lack of women behind the mic and set forth in establishing ‘FEMALES OF THE RAP GAME’ with DJ Technics
“You know it is easy to see why there aren’t too many ladies in the spotlight when you see how they get treated but I knew they were out there,” he explained. “So I set in motion a plan to bring all these performers together and give them a platform to showcase themselves and not only has the response been impressive, the tracks these girls are submitting are going to blow folks away.”
We Got Lyrics Too Volume One will be available for free download and will feature a variety of acts who will prove that the female MC is no longer to be considered a myth. Sponsored by numerous entertainment companies and online portals including premier digital music company Digiwaxx, this project will encourage a mass of opportunities for the femcees who have been selected to feature.
Hosted by DreaTraxx and mixed by DJ Mika from Japan, We Got Lyrics Too is a testament to all women who strive to maintain a presence behind the mic in the Hip-Hop world.
"Females have been under-represented from Day One," shared DJ Technics. "This series of tapes are going to show that the role of the female MC is not one to be taken for granted."
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Superheroes of hip-hop!
With a lack of female presence in Hip-Hop it was only a matter of time before a project was created to prove that the women of Hip-Hop are needed just as much as the males that dominate.
"Females have been under-represented from Day One," shared DJ Technics. "This series of tapes are going to show that the role of the female MC is not one to be taken for granted."