Audio Absinthe - Music » Hip Hop

ICEBIRD (RJD2 & AARON LIVINGSTON) – “Going And Going. And Going”

Spencer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:19:53 +0000

RJD2 is a master of style. Whether it’s hip hop, funk, classic rock, or whatever it is, he blends genres together with perfection to create his own signature style. With Icebird, his project with Aaron Livingston, the evidence of this signature style is matched by Livingston’s cool, carefree vocals. The result is music that I can’t get out of my head, songs that I find myself playing over and over. And over.

The Abandoned Lullaby (RJ’s Electrical Connections, October 2011)

De La Soul + Fela Kuti = FELA SOUL

Eric B — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:14:41 +0000

- Posted by Eric B -

I’m not a huge fan of mash-ups but when you combine one of my favorite hip hop artists of all time in De La Soul with one of the legendary pioneers of funk in Fela Kuti, you have a winner in my book. See for yourself by checking out producer Amerigo Gazaway’s project entitled “Fela Soul”. You can check out the link to download the mixtape here.

JESSE FUTERMAN

Spencer — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:42:37 +0000

Jesse Futerman released his Super Basement EP back in June. I just checked it out and I’m digging it. Very K&D. Check out the tracks above…

Super Basement EP (Jus’ Like Music, June 2011)

The Boom Boxx with NOSAJ THING, DE LA SOUL and DJ Z-TRIP

Eric B — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:29:15 +0000

The Boom Boxx With Nosaj Thing, De La Soul, and Dj Z-Trip – August 19, 2011

- Posted by Eric B -

Hip hop was definitely in the building at the Hollywood Palladium on Friday night when a couple of classic acts and an up and comer came to rock LA. Arriving half-way through Nosaj Thing’s set with low expectations, what I saw was a pleasant surprise and a fresh take on hip hop and turntableism as he wet the crowd’s appetite for my personal main event of the night, De La Soul. De La did not disappoint either as Posdnous, Dave, and Maceo came out and rocked the crowd as usual mixing up the tunes with classics (“Saturdays”, “Me Myself and I”) to newer, still funky tracks like “Days of Our Lives” and “Much More”. Highlight for me was the J Dilla tribute where they played tracks from Stakes Is High including my all-time De La favorite “The Bizness”. These three hip hop pioneers did a great job of getting the crowd ready for the headliner in Z-Trip. When Z-Trip hit the stage, he came out to a crowd foaming at the mouth waiting for some more hip hop and he came through and delivered the bad crap, in a good way. He slowly sucked the crowd in by spinning classic tracks from the golden era and clearly displaying his master of the turntables with moments of scratching that were able to put smiles on everyone. The Palladium may not have been sold out on this night, but what the crowd lacked in size, it made up for in energy and straight up love for hip hop. Z-Trip surprised everyone by bringing LL Cool J out for his swan song I would imagine, as he performed classic tracks from his catalog including “Doin It”, “Mama Said”, and “Rock the Bells”. LL and his ridiculously massive frame destroyed the crowd and by 1:30 when the lights came up, the crowd filtered out into the Hollywood night with their hip hop appetite satisfied, at least for one night.

Kasabian – “Days Are Forgotten (DJ Z-Trip Remix featuring LL Cool J)”

De La Soul – “Watch Out”

HEADNODIC – “Moving On Up” featuring LATYRX

Spencer — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 22:16:07 +0000

I used to love Latyrx. Consisting of emcees Lyrics Born and Lateef, Latyrx were at the top of a list of underground hip hop groups and artists that I loved back in the late 90′s. I thought they had more style than everyone else combined. Their distinctive voices and funky, percussive delivery matched poignant and, at times, humorous lyrics backed by vintage 90′s hip hop/electronic beats produced by DJ Shadow, Chief XL (Blackalicious), and Lyrics Born himself. For me, it was unbeatable. After years of virtual silence, Latyrx is finally back with a very funky Headnodic produced track. ”Moving On Up” really brings me back. It’s a lot of fun to see Latyrx back in action, in true form. I’ve really been enjoying this one.

Beastie Boys are back

Spencer — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:41:02 +0000

“Make Some Noise”

Beastie Boys are back with a brand new single from their upcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. “Make Some Noise” is also featured in the trailer for a 30 minute video they uploaded just this morning. The video, titled “Fight For Your Right – Revisited” features actors such as Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Jack Black, Elijah Wood, John C. Reily, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, among others. It looks hilarious and the single sounds a lot like the old school Beastie’s, circa Paul’s Boutique/Check Your Head. This is going to be good…

Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (Capitol, May 2011)

MAC MILLER – “Child Celebrity”

Spencer — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 22:25:36 +0000

It’s pretty difficult to screw up a song based around a sample of the Isley Brother’s “Ain’t I Been Good To You.” The song is oozing with sensual, soulful grooviness. While it might be easy to sound good over any beat sampling the classic Isley Bros tune, nineteen year old Mac Miller legimately sounds great on “Child Celebrity” which retains much of the sweet, smooth feeling of the original. Surprisingly, “Child Celebrity” was not included on Mac Miller’s mixtape, Best Day Ever, released earlier this month. If he left this awesome track off the mixtape, I’m very curious to check out what was included…

JAY ELECTRONICA – “Jazzmatazz feat. TONE TREASURE (Guru Tribute)”

Spencer — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:49:11 +0000

Jay Electronica is cool and smooth on this new track dedicated to Guru. A clever and thoughtful lyricist, Electronica’s effortless delivery is what really shines on this track. Very chill beat too…

DEAN AND RAVO

Spencer — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 23:34:18 +0000

My friend Annette sent me a link to check out a cool new act out of NY, Dean and Ravo. They make catchy, danceable hip hop tracks with fun beats and great lyrical delivery. These guys are good. Here’s the official bio for Dean and Ravo:

“East coast natives Tajiddin Morris (Dean) and John Siravo (Ravo) didn’t foresee their lifelong passions for music colliding into a partnership that is rapidly gaining people’s attention. Natural born athletes, the two met as members of the Boston College football team. From bash brothers to bandmates, it didn’t take these two long to realize their shared love for music. Recording songs together began in their dorm rooms, but the duo became an official collaboration post college when they moved to NYC. The Dean & Ravo sound is a cohesive balance between heart felt storytelling and feel-good music that just makes you want to dance. Dean’s unique voice and clever rhymes fuse with Ravo’s melodic prowess and vocal range, proving limitless music making potential. Dean & Ravo will most definitely take us from ‘A to B’ and beyond this year.”

Dean and Ravo – “End of the Week”

“Walkin Around”

Upcoming shows for NYers:

Jan 28 @ Eldridge Feb 4 @ The Lott

DIAMOND MESSAGES – “Liquid Summer”

Spencer — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 20:12:43 +0000

Anyone know why the Diamond Messages video for their track “Liquid Summer” uses the same footage that Summer Camp used for their “Round The Moon” video? Whatever the answer is, I love the song. It’s a chill, instrumental beat with a lot of warmth. If you like this one, definitely check out their track “Smoke & Mirrors.”

Smoke & Mirrors EP (Spontaneous Rhythm, November 2010)