Author Archives: Baseer Ahmad

[Hip-Hop] Mick Jenkins – Get Up Get Down (Prod. by Stefan Ponce & THEMpeople)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - July 20, 2015

MICK JENKINS
Get Up Get Down [Prod. by Stefan Ponce & ThemPeople]

Mick Jenkins broke through in a big way last year with the release of his widely acclaimed mixtape, The Water[s]. Keeping consistent with the aquatic themes, the Chitown native has finally announced his highly anticipated follow-up, titled Wave[s], will be dropping on August 21st. Along with the announcement comes the latest single from the project, “Get Up Get Down” which will follows previous releases like “P’s & Q’s” and “Alchemy“.

Urging listeners to “get up, get out, get down,” this fresh tune is a bit more laid-back and loose compared to Mick’s typical thought-provoking material, though a lot of that credit can be given to producer Stefan Ponce who’s best known for crafting hit records for the likes of Childish Gambino, Vic Mensa and Chance The Rapper. Along with Ponce, Wave[s] also boasts production from Kaytranada, THEMpeople, Lee Bannon and Mulatto, and includes features from Saba, Sean Deaux and The Mind. You can stream the new joint above and check out the tracklist below after the jump.

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Hip/Hop

[NEW] Tory Lanez x WeDidIt – Cruel Intentions EP

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 26, 2015

After weeks of eager anticipation, we finally have our hands on the latest project from Tory Lanez, as he teams up with the WeDidIt Collective for this brand new 5 track EP. As expected, most of the production is handled by heavyweights from the WeDidIt roster, including Shlohmo, RL Grime and D33J along with additional production from Baauer and frequent collaborator Play Picasso, who Tory once told us was his 40. At this point, we feel like we’ve said just about everything we can about Tory’s tremendous talent, but it still amazes us to see how much growth he’s shown in just the past couple of years. Cruel Intentions serves as an incredibly polished follow-up to last year’s Lost Cause mixtape, building on the same moody aesthetic that the Toronto native has established in much of his previous work. Tory’s ability to alternate seamlessly between rapping and singing has almost become second nature at this point, so it should be no surprise that he’s basically got the formula down to a science on Cruel Intentions.

Stream the full project below, and simply enter your email address at the following link to snag a FREE copy for yourself.

’Tory Lanez – Acting Like (Prod. by Shlohmo) – Tory Lanez’

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’Tory Lanez – In For It (Prod. by RL Grime) – Tory Lanez’

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’Tory Lanez – N.I.N.A (Prod. by Baauer) – Tory Lanez’

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’Tory Lanez – Fallback (Prod. by Play Picasso) – Tory Lanez’

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’Tory Lanez – Honda Civic (Prod. by D33J) – Tory Lanez’

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[Hip-Hop] The Game – 100 (Feat. Drake)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 25, 2015

THE GAME Feat. DRAKE
100

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As he gears up for the long awaited sequel to his classic debut album The Documentary, The Game attempts to take things 0 to “100” real quick on this brand new cut featuring Drake. All jokes aside, this soulful Cardo and Johnny Juliano produced joint actually has a chance to be a hit single for the West Coast emcee, whose star hasn’t really shined as bright as it once did when he first hit the scene ten years ago back in 2005. Let’s just hope he’s able to rekindle some of that magic on the album’s remaining tracks as well, because it will definitely take some work on his part to craft a worthy follow-up in The Documentary 2. There’s no set release date yet, but The Game definitely has us intrigued about what he has in store for the upcoming project.

Hip/Hop
Soul

[R&B] Blackbear – 〴⋋_⋌〵

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 20, 2015

bIackbear
〴⋋_⋌〵

Soundcloud

Looking up at the title of this new track by Blackbear, you might find yourself wondering, “How exactly do I pronounce that?” Well, the beauty of it is you don’t need to; all that’s required of you is your full, undivided attention. “〴⋋_⋌〵” is the singer’s first original material since the release of Deadroses back in February. We still bump that album from time to time, but it’s definitely refreshing to hear some new music from the L.A. native.
“〴⋋_⋌〵” features the pained crooner in prime form, experiencing a wave of emotions as he migrates through a vivid soundscape designed by Basecamp and GXNXVS.

As Shakespeare would ask, what’s in a name anyway? This latest effort by Blackbear proves that the only thing that matters about a song is how it makes you feel.

Soul

[R&B] Tory Lanez – Karrueche (Prod. Noah Breakfast)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 20, 2015

ToryLanez
Karrueche (Prod. Noah Breakfast)

Soundcloud

A week ahead of the release of his upcoming Cruel Intentions EP, Tory Lanez brings back his Fargo Fridays series with a brand new track named after Chris Brown‘s ex, “Karrueche”. The Toronto native is no stranger to dedicating his ballads to famous females, previously releasing an homage to Teyana Taylor that prompted a playful response from the GOOD Music songstress herself. Lanez makes reference to that previous tune as he goes into full R&B mode on this one, crooning over a breezy, carefree instrumental provided by Noah Breakfast, who previously worked on a handful of songs from last year’s excellent Lost Cause mixtape. We didn’t think it was possible, but after hearing this single, we’re even more stoked for his upcoming collaborative EP with WEDIDIT, set to drop next Friday. Stream the track above here, and make sure to check back here once the EP is available.

Soul

[R&B] TOTEM – Countdown (Remix) (Feat. Rome Fortune)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 20, 2015

(TOTEM)
countdown feat. Rome Fortune (Remix)

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Released earlier this year, TOTEM‘s “Countdown” is easily one of my personal favorites from his debut EP pride, an absolutely amazing project that flew under far too many people’s radars during a packed 2015. Nevertheless, the Atlanta native has given us a chance at redemption with this new remix of the standout track, featuring fellow hometown hero Rome Fortune. The pensive number has an irresistible charm about it that ensures you have no choice but to sing along by the second or third listen through–and trust us, there’s no way you’ll stop after just one play. With that being said, stream the track above and make sure to grab yourself a copy of the EP on iTunes if you haven’t already.

[Electronic] SD – Circles (Smoko Ono x Mr Carmack Remix)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - June 12, 2015

Smoko Ono x Mr Carmack x SD
CIRCLES (Official Remix)

Soundcloud

Chitown native SD had a breakout year in 2014 with the release of his hit street single, “Circles.” Today the track finally receives the remix treatment, with a refreshing new update courtesy of fellow Windy City resident Smoko Ono and Soulection’s Mr Carmack. Those three names alone should be enough to convince you to give this one a listen. This reinterpretation preserves much of the essence of the original, but it’s further amplified through an ethereal mix of synths that’ll have your head spinning in, well “Circles”. Stream the hypnotic tune above and be on the lookout for more from these promising producers in the near future.