Yeezy season is officially upon us. If you need any proof, look no further than Kanye’s performance at last week’s BRIT Awards. After tearing the house down in the UK, fans were clamoring to get their hands on Ye’s new surprise team-up with Theophilus London & Allan Kingdom. Well, the wait is finally over, as we now have our hands on the CDQ version of the new track.
“All Day” is already the fourth single we’ve heard from Ye’s upcoming album, So Help Me God, following “Only One,” “FourFiveSeconds” and “Wolves.” Though we thought we had some kind of idea of what direction the album was heading in sonically, this latest single throws a wrench in all of our expectations. But then again, Kanye is not known as one to follow expectations. We guess the only way to truly find out is when the album drops later this year. Chances are it’s coming sooner than you think.
Remaining releatively quiet on the music front, minus a couple remixes, NY artist Theophilus London returns today with a brand new EP for our listening enjoyment. The project, titled Lovers Holiday II, comes just in time for Valentine’s Day and is a continuation from his 2011 EP Lovers Holiday. Carrying the same vibe from the previous collection, fans get a brief taste into the inner workings of the producer/rapper/singer/fashionisto. Featuring 6 new tracks of original material and help from Kanye West, Leon Ware, Blood Orange, and The Force MDS, this is definitely worth the wait and listen. You can grab a free download HERE.
French producer Brodinski and Brooklyn emcee Theophilus London set out to take over the dance floor with their latest single “Gimme Back the Night.” Not to be confused with the groovy “Take Back the Night,” this new track drips with a seductive techno rhythm and dark undertones. Playing back some spoken-word sound bites and synth beats, this fusion of electro, rap, and dance is sure to become a night club anthem. This haunting, yet infectious track will be physically released Sept 16th and featured on Brodinski’s upcoming full length on Bromance Records.
This week hasn’t been very kind to me folks. From nagging injuries to a nasty lingering cold, I’ve spent most of my week resigned indoors as I try to recover. Despite all of those hurdles though, I’ve managed to push through to bring you all the tenth edition of the Hip-Hop Dojo. Last week was all about introducing you guys to new artists, and while we do have a few fresh names around here again, you should be familiar with a majority of the lot. I won’t be able to elaborate on every track today, but I would like to point out some of the standout material from this week’s collection. We just hope this playlist can serve as a nice break from the Arrested Development marathon we all know you’re currently having.
We start things of with New Jersey native MoRuf, a recent college graduate who decided to celebrate by crafting a song about it. Looking forward to the road ahead, Mo hopes to dodge some stormy weather as he seeks the clear path towards success. Next up to the plate is DevineCarama who hopes to enlighten his listeners through his lyrics and his flow. Da YoungFellaz hope to take us on a trip to “New Rich City” with their latest effort. This marks the second straight week that the duo has been featured in the Dojo, and we hope that streak continues going forward. Our fourth selection reminds us of a lesson Bay Area emcee A-1 taught us a few weeks back. On “Funeral Season” Statik and crew provide us with a few more details about the spike in violence that occurs during the hot summer months. BunB and Hit-Boy in particular come through with some surprisingly stellar verses.
A good chunk of this week’s compilation comes to us from Chicago. In fact, two of the best works lyrically are featured back to back: the first one being F.Stokes‘ “1954” and the second being Psalm One‘s “Queen Until.” We also can’t ignore our newest piece from the SAVEMONEY clique. The ensemble provides us with bars for days as they absolutely tear through the seven minute remix of Giftz’s “Nino.” Another phenomenal number comes to us from Waldo who “Finally” makes his Hip-Hop Dojo premiere. The Michigan emcee certainly impresses on the mic as he spits over a lush, atmospheric instrumental from Sango. Our final offering from Chitown comes courtesy of Julian Malone, who preps us for the release of his upcoming Diff.Rnt mixtape with the first single, “Tokyo.”
Tate Tucker‘s “Fire” wins the title of smoothest track of the week, but Bas‘ “Lit” might be a close second. Featuring a sample of Miguel‘s “Do You” and an excellent guest verse from J. Cole, “Lit” definitely stands out as one of the top tracks to drop this week (seriously, I can’t emphasize enough how clutch that Cole feature is). Interpolating the chorus of the Fresh Princeclassic, Blu wants to remind us exactly what time it is (even if it might not feel that way in certain parts of the country) on “Summer Time.”
Now I don’t normally feature freestyles on here, but there’s something about Drake‘s “5 AM In Toronto” that brings the best out of every emcee that touches it. A few weeks ago we shared JoellOrtiz‘s rendition of “5 AM In Brooklyn,” and today we bring you Voli‘s “5 AM.” The Jersey representative definitely brings his A-game as he steps up to the mic on this one. When you first press play on Lecrae‘s “Round of Applause” it might sound like your average trap banger, but if you pay close attention to the lyrics, you’ll realize the true message behind the song. The track is all about emerging from the stereotypes that many of these rappers fall victim to, and proving that it’s possible to be successful through hard work and education. That provides a perfect segue to our next selection, as Goodie Mob attempts to provide us with “Special Education” of their own. Featuring the vocal stylings of Janelle Monáe, the newest single from the legendary quartet is sure to make your headphones explode with its whirring, hard-hitting instrumental. The track also proves that Cee Lo can still rap his ass off, as he completely demolishes the beat with his tremendous wordplay.
Snow Tha Product is the only artist to be featured twice this week, and for good reason. If you don’t know about Snow yet, it’s still not too late to jump on her bandwagon. The Mexican-American emcee absolutely bodies tracks with her rapid-fire flow, proving she can hold her own on both “On. Now” featuring Trae Tha Truth and “Cali Luv,” a record produced by The Cataracs that includes a sample of Tupac‘s classic “California Love.” The next selection I’d like to highlight is from Travi$ Scott. Kanye’s latest protégé recently released his Owl Pharoahmixtape, and this particular track was too good to pass up. “Dance on the Moon” has a very KidCudi-esque vibe to it, mostly thanks to TheophilusLondon‘s vocals on the chorus. The final track on our playlist might be the most upbeat (and the most random) of them all. Featuring the unlikely pairing of 2 Chainz and Macklemore, Clinton Sparks brings us an energetic number all about chasing paper and having a generally good time.All in all, it’s a perfect way to wrap things up.
We hope you guys enjoyed our tenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all of your submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com.
(As a bonus, I wanted to direction your attention to a fun little video I’ve included below. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will always have a special place in the hearts of all hip-hop fans, so I feel it’s my duty to alert you of any mini-reunions of the show’s cast.)
Always trying something new and experimenting with a different sound, NY native Theophilus London takes listeners on a chill journey with the new smooth track titled “Rio”. The Thomas Brenneck produced track shows off Mr.London’s singing skills as he flows over a old-school, tropical instrumental provided by the Menahan Street Band. This is definitely a beautiful summer jam that pays homage to the Brazilian vacation city. Be sure to check out the single below and get your copy when it becomes available on iTunes 4/16.
Malaysian beauty and soulful singer Yuna made her debut onto the music scene with her critically acclaimed self-titled US album. One of the stand-out charted … Continue reading »
It isnt uncommon for friends in the industry to collab and make some genre-crossing music. From Talib Kweli and Res (Idlewarship) to Kanye and Jay, the pairing of talented artists usually turns out to be an even better collaboration. Following suit is newcomer to the game, Brooklyn rapper Theophilus London and his long-time friend James BoykinsIII. The duo, titled Paris 96, make their debut with a new, smooth single “Afternoon”. The Xaphoon Jones produced seductive tune blends the intricate hip-hop/electro style of the Brooklyn emcee with the smooth, alternative vocals of Boykins over a hazy electronic groove. Fans of their previous works “Life of a Lover” and “Cold Pillow” should definitely check out this new cut and expect to hear more when their yet untitled EP drops in April.
