THURZ

[Trap] Zooly Feat. Thurz – Same Shit

Posted by Sara Natkins - January 6, 2015

ZOOLY FT. THURZ
SAME SHIT

When it comes to EDM, a sub-genre that makes a heavy statement such as trap can be hard to combine with a vocalist. Though when the right combination of voice and production is finally found, the next obstacle is to achieve a balance that allows the production to stand out without overpowering the vocals. A perfect example of this balance is Zooly’s latest release, “Same Shit” featuring Thurz.
This twerky original from the Los Angeles artists is a slapper in every way, and it doesn’t waste any time in getting down to business. So after you’re done shaking your rump and getting crunk to “Same Shit,” go and download it for free.

Hip/Hop
Trap

[Event Review] Mad Decent Block Party – San Diego

Posted by Ivan Chung - September 22, 2014

(PC: Fixation Photography)

Last Sunday, following the recent heat wave that everybody would soon forget about, Mad Decent took their members and friends to sunny San Diego. The venue is located at Park Boulevard and Imperial Avenue near Petco Park and downtown SD. With only one giant stage put in the parking lot area, the artists definitely brought down the house with their high-energy performances and star power. Participating in this year’s lineup, we have artists like Cashmere Cat, Diplo, Flosstradamus, Laidback Luke, STRFKR, Thurz, TJR and Zeds Dead. It was a great mix of music, showing off their roster and connections with diversity.

With Kaytranada‘s set being cancelled due to personal reasons, STRFKR started off the one-day festival with some of their indie psych rock music to get the crowd in the mood. They put on a great show as people were just starting to roll into the venue and vibing their way into the crowd. Their mellow and enjoyable tunes are the epitome of a great band performing at a great festival.

Next up we have Thurz, a member of the underground hip-hop duo U-N-I. It was a smart choice for him to come on after an indie band. His high-energy performance definitely got the crowd going by playing some familiar rap songs and some of his own. At this point there was already a good amount of people in the audience, slowly and reluctantly making their way into the front of the stage even though the immense heat was getting onto everybody. Cashmere Cat, who was the next act, warmed up the crowd even more with his clever remixes of trap and hip hop tracks. His music covers a wide range of genres and sub-genres which take everybody on a fun and exciting joyride of both hype and chill music.

TJR was definitely the dark house of the festival. For those who weren’t familiar with who he is, the crowd referred him as “the mysterious bald guy who stole the show at Mad Decent”. The talented producer from Connecticut showcased his skillset with a variety of turn-up jams spanning the trap, house and funk genres. He incorporated funky drops and fast-paced trap beats into remixes of popular songs, which got the crowd pumped up like no other. His jaw-dropping performance definitely left the crowd in awe.

As the sun set and the heat gradually submerged into the horizon, the crowd was all warmed up and ready to get crazy. From the moment Laidback Luke got on stage, that’s when the real block party started. The Dutch DJ/producer got everybody on their feet and bobbing their head left and right with his incredible electro/deep house goodness. It is difficult as a house DJ to channel the right energy into a crowd at an open stage/venue, but Laidback Luke did just that. With lasers shining at your eyeballs, you just couldn’t help but dance your pants off to these hard-hitting house beats.

One amazing act following another, the artist introduced and welcomed Flosstradamus on stage. This is what the crowd came here to see, and what Floss were the best at doing. Needless to say, the Chicago-based duo delivered and killed it with style. The crowd was super loud and riled up, especially when they dropped a song like “Mosh Pit”, that there were a good amount of moshing going on throughout his set. To bring up the energy even more, the two hype men brought out special guest Waka Flocka, who gave his 110% at pumping up the stage with his anger and aggressiveness.

The headliner of the festival and Mad Decent’s frontman, Diplo, was undoubtedly the best act of the night. With so much energy and creativeness in his performance, Diplo always brings the most entertaining and trendiest electronic music to the stage. Mixing hip-hop with trap and electronica, the 35-year-old veteran never ceases to amaze everyone and never stops the innovation of his music. From taking off his shirt to bringing girls on stage for a twerk contest, Diplo sure knows what the crowd wants to hear and see. There was never a dull moment in the entire duration of Diplo’s set, and the crowd got about as loud and turnt up as they could be.

Amongst the shuffling pits, dance circles, exchange of kandies and fist pumping, the celebration never stopped for the Mad Decent crowd. Ending the night with a bang, Zeds Dead provided everyone with some hardcore drum & bass and dubstep. At this point, the lasers and lights were in full throttle. And with the heavy bass shaking the whole place down, you just couldn’t help but viciously headbang back and forth.

By assembling their roster and inviting friends and fellow artists to perform at their shows, Mad Decent has done it once again. With that said, our Ninja crew will be back for next year’s block party. We can’t wait to see what these talented performers have in store for us in the near future.

The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 14]

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - July 21, 2013

After way too many delays, I finally present to you the fourteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. These playlists keep getting larger and larger, which is really a good sign for the state of hip-hop, as it means there’s way too much quality material for me to even sort through on a weekly basis. Like a trooper though, I’ve powered through to bring you some of the best the game has to offer. We have quite the eclectic group here for you, with a few artists showing off their versatility by making repeat appearances throughout the playlist. Among them are returning veterans like Chance The Rapper, Hit-Boy, Alchemist, Action Bronson, and Domo Genesis as well as newcomer, Sean Dee. Hit-Boy in particular had a strong showing this week, tackling some recent singles from two of his favorite idols. For his first effort, Hit-Boy recruits Rockie Fresh to aid him with a remix of Jay-Z‘s “Somewhere In America.” While Jay’s line about Miley Cyrus had everyone in stitches, I have to say Rockie’s little jab at Amanda Bynes might actually be just as clever. On the second cut, Hit-Boy puts his own stamp on Kanye’s “New Slaves,” flashing his shiny “New Chains” for the whole world to see. It’ll be interesting to see what Hit-Boy has ahead of him now that he’s officially parted ways with G.O.O.D. Music.

Leading off this week’s lineup is one of my absolute favorite groups from the 90’s, Camp Lo, who team up with Pete Rock and Mac Miller for a fun little ode to the always alluring Megan Good. Alchemist came through this week as well, releasing a mini-EP in collaboration with streetwear company SSUR, featuring the likes of Freddie Gibbs, Domo Genesis, Action Bronson, Blu and more. If I had to base my decision on production alone, then the dreamy soundscape on Na$im Williams‘ “61 Lilies” would be a lock for the top honors this week. Luckily, each emcee that touches the record has the bars to match. Devin Miles reminds us of at least one reason why summertime happens to be the most beloved of all seasons through his latest single (hint: it has something to do with “Sundresses”). Bishop Nehru recently dropped off one of the most impressive mixtapes of the year with strictlyFLOWZ. We’ve only provided you with a small bite here, but we’d like to think that at only 16 years old, it’s pretty evident that Nehru has a bright future ahead of him.

With the feverish temperatures escalating throughout the country, it’s only appropriate that Ibn Inglor would come through with a furious “COLD STORM” to help rescue us from this blistering heat. If Cazzie Jetson sounds familiar to you at all, it’s probably because he constitutes 1/3 of TMN favorite, THEBLKHANDS. Cazzie brings that same focus and dedication to quality to his solo effort, “$eminole.” Jarred A.G. and Dally Auston continue to show off why Chicago is one of the preeminent cities for hip-hop at the moment, ruthlessly shredding apart this C-Sick produced number like the “Barbarians” they claim to be. Meanwhile, Da YoungFellaz display why they’ve been a constant staple on these pages over the last few weeks with yet another excellent single in “Presidential Rolex.”

Words cannot describe my excitement when I first discovered Atmosphere‘s new single, “Bob Seger.” While the title may seem odd at first, it has plenty to do with this exchange right here. I guess Slug draws his inspiration from Twitter now. With a rumored seventh studio album in the works, we’re hoping “Bob Seger” is just a taste of what’s to come from one of the most accomplished hip-hop acts of the last fifteen years. Speaking of accomplished underground artists, Tech N9ne surprises us with one of his most personal tracks to date, addressing much of the criticism he’s received towards his art, and how he handles it. It doesn’t hurt that he gets a fiery new verse from Kendrick Lamar too.

If you need any more convincing that MeLo-X is one of the illest emcees doing it right now, look no further than “Natural Vibez,” which is equal parts chill-out anthem and equal parts trunk rattler. In case you missed it, check out MeLo’s terrific GOD: HiFi project; it’s an absolutely must listen. Chance The Rapper isn’t quite done with the acid rap, teaming up with ProbCause to bring us a trippy new ode to “LSD.” It’s a well known fact that Space Jam is easily one of the greatest films ever made (anyone who tries to argue this just doesn’t understand modern cinema), so when I saw this single from Audio Push appealing to my nostalgia, I just had to press play. Sampling a portion of the classic theme song, the West Coast duo transforms the hyped up tune into a certified dance floor anthem.

We hope you guys enjoyed our fourteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Camp Lo & Pete Rock – Megan Good Ft.Mac Miller’