Big Tone- Get It (single)

Big Tone drops a dope "get-ya-money" anthem that ranks right up their with the livest.  Just like his previous joints, the track showcases Tone's witty lyrics over some bumpin P-funk-sample driven production (handled by the man himself). Check it out below then head over to Bandcamp and buy a copy (here) to bump out in the ride.

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BrandUn DeShay- Chi-bUya (single)

Brand new heater from Brandun DeShay. Spacey-trap-type joint that's tailor-made for late night/early morning drifting on the highway. Crazy cool out sounds from the Chi-town wordsmith. Dig the sounds. 

From the forth-coming goldUnChild LP

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Midnight Runners- Outreach Zone (single)

More brilliant electro-funk from the one and only Midnight Runners combo.  The duo recently leaked a new instrumental entitled "Outreach Zone" which sports a leaner, more stripped down sound from the synth-funk masters. Even still, the Runners  still manage to bring their signature futuristic funk during the session as "Outreach Zone" is stacked with thick analog keys and drum machines, with occasional flashes of bright electronics flowing in and out the arrangement to keep things interesting. Dope work from one of my favorite groups on the scene. Dig the sounds.

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Moka Only- Coffee Shop Sporatics (single)

I'm up late on my night off....sipping on a cold beer...and I just happened to come across some new (or at least new to me) music from Moka Only.

That's what it's all about man.

Now, I won't pretend to be the most die-hard Moka Only fan out there, as I sleep on his full-length releases a little too much. Still, I've always had nothing but respect for dude and his music. In fact, I can't recall a single moment where I was checking out his music and didn't immediately start vibin' out. If you know the name then you know that his body of work is prolific and stands head-and-shoulder above most artists on the scene today. And on this track, entitled "Coffee Shop Sporatics", Moka gives his fans more of his signature flows and laid back, lo-fi production. Dope stuff from an artist that always delivers the goods.  

If you dig what you're hearing, make sure you check out his recently released Sex Money Moka album.

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Tigermoth- Flash Life (Demo) (single)

Tigermoth keeps the sounds amplified and electrified on his newly leaked "Flash Life (Demo)" instrumental. I'm diggin' the dope "wall-of-sound" vibe that I'm getting from this track. The amount of energy rising off of this track makes it kinda hard to believe that this is just a demo.  Hard as nails drums, fully-charged samples, and Tigermoth's thick synth-bass riffing make this cut an automatic addition to your summertime playlist. Dig the sounds.

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Polyrhythmics- Live from the Banana Stand (album)

Six unshakable deep-funk burners from the Polyrhythmics band out of Seattle! The album is a live set that the band recorded at the Banana Stand recording space in Portland, OR (which is also the label responsible for the album's digital release). The LP is an absolute winner from jump, as the band opens the set with the rousing afro-beat piece "Labrador". The group's funky horn section take center stage on this one, but the band's strong rhythm section keeps the groove airtight and extra funky. Other stand out cuts include the blaxploitation-esque vibes of "The Octogon"; the 70's cop flick stomp of "Le Hustle"; and the hazy psyche-music sounds of the track "The Mendo Mulcher".  Long time fans and new listeners who are always on the look out for heavy funk music should really enjoy Live from the Banana Stand as the Polyrhythmics definitely give up the funk from start to finish. Dope work!
For Fans of... Power Struggle by The Liberators | We Are The Fire Inside Your Mind: Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International Vol​.​2  by Paris DJ's Soundsystem| The Budos Bands III by Budos Band

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Space Captain- Easier (single)

I cannot believe that I missed this track when it first dropped in October of last year. The single is called "Easier" and it's a warm and jazzy treatise from a talented band out of Brooklyn called Space Captain.  Lead singer Maralisa has a sweet and soothing style that's pure magic when paired with the bands live sound. Brilliant work from a group that makes the art of creating jazzy-tinged soul music sound effortless.

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Sunniq & BNCH- Still in the Deal (album)

Producers Sunniq and BNCH do their part to keep the sound of raw, straight-from-the-crate hip hop alive on their newly released collaborative beat tape entitled Still in the Deal.  The beats on this collection are steeped in the tradition of matching sliced-up dusty grooves with hard hitting rhythms. Things start off strong with the album's title track, which is a high energy head-nodder filled with rapid-fire samples and lo-fi snares & kicks. The energy continues for the duration of the bumpin', but somewhat short, project with highlights such as the catchy "Caught in Love"; the airy sounding "Evening Waves"; and the deep-funk inspired "Step By Step". Still in the Deal showcases Sunniq & BNCH's sharp and focused production style and the duo's knack for making tightly laced instrumentals that mix hip hop and soul in equal parts. Classic boom bap tracks out of Kiev.
For Fans of... Progress 2 by Rob Viktum | Looking Up (The AREchives by The Are| Music 2 Write 2 by Architect

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Che Grand- Airtight (single)

Just stumbled across this brand new (or at least new to me) burner called "Airtight" from one of favorite emcees: Che Grand. Listen as Grand gets live over the "Dapper" instrumental that was originally featured on The Stuyvesant's Refined LP (which you can check out here). Dope work from Che Grand aka "Airtight Grizzy" as we patiently wait for that Grand LP to drop. Dig..

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Inner Sound- Concrete (album)

Here's a very cool set of sample-driven instrumentals, appropriately titled Concrete, from rising producer and beatmaker Inner Sound. While there's no denying the fact that Inner Sound's music draws heavily from the dusty, crate-diggin' sounds of 90's golden-era hip hop, the young beatmaker only uses this as starting point and makes sure to instill fluidity and movement into his productions. Even so, the album plays out like a beat tape in the truest sense of the word, as the tracks are relatively brief, waste little time getting down to the groove, and have a real raw, "straight-from-the-MPC" sort of feel to them, which adds to the projects overall off-the-cuff vibe. Standout cuts include: the gritty, meditative funk track "Visions", the jazzy, throwback vibes of "Didn't Hafta" and "Cemented", and the visceral, street level heater (and personal favorite) "Uh-huh, Cracks". I'm glad to see the tradition of sample-heavy beat-making is alive and kicking., and that producers like Inner Sound are not only carrying the torch but pushing the scene forward.
For Fans of... 12 Bit Soul by PNS | Summertime by Klim Beats | The Beat Tape vol 1 by DJ Babu

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Brasco Noir & Samurai Del- Oddblossom (album)

After showering fans with a steady flow of instrumental gems, producer Samurai Del  linked up with fellow Seattle resident Brasco Noir to release a new collaborative LP entitled Oddblossom.  After only a few tracks listeners will be struck by just how well these two mesh, as Del beats tend to induce the same sort of moody grooves that Brasco manages to instill with his rhymes. On the album's opening track, "Love That", Samurai Del uses soothing vocal samples and dusty drum chops to set a scene that's light and airy, but still feels like that eerie calm before an approaching storm. Added to this scene is Brasco Noir's rhymes, which are quick-witted and lively, yet deceptively aggressive in that "wait...did he just take a jab at me??" kind of way. On "Earthly Bodies" Del's production seems to transform from an easy-going (and almost folksy) downtempo number to an explosive boom bap track depending on what Brasco Noir's, and guest emcee Campana, lyrics call for at any given moment. For their part, both lyricists deliver a flurry of rapid-fire rhymes that manage to sound right at home on the somewhat somber-sounding track. Other standouts include "Ulterior Motives" and the wildly cinematic title track "Oddblossom" which kinda sounds like a unreleased B-side track from Prince Paul's Psychoanalysis: What is It?. Oddblossom is thought provoking, layered hip hop that may have a different tone than either artist's earlier releases, but definitely melds the best part of both of their sounds and creates something new and dope.
For Fans of... Owl by Qwel & Maker | Volume 3 by Maxilla Blue | Bat Meets Blaine by Qwazaar & Batsauce

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Hawk House- Chill Pill (Experiment 2) (official video)

I'm not gonna lie...until a few seconds ago, I knew nothing about the group Hawk House. To add even more honesty to the conversation, I have yet to hear more than one song from the trio. But this "Chill Pill (Experiment 2)" track and it's accompanying video are too dope to sit on while I catch up to the rest of the class. I don't have any reservations when it comes to signing off on these guys as I seriously doubt that this is a one-off piece of goodness amongst a sea of subpar output. This is a really dope video for a really dope track and there's really not much else to say. The single is from Hawk House's upcoming album A Handshake to the Brain, which you can pre-order on iTunes (here) right now.

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Teri Tobin- #Shine (single)

Here's a sweet bit of graceful soul music from singer/songwriter Teri Tobin. The single is called "#Shine" and it showcases Tobin's warm and refined vocals over a sunny arrangement constructed by producer Dominick White. Everything about this track is meant to uplift its listener and makes it hard to imagine that this song came about "...in the midst of a difficult time " in Teri's personal life. The song also serves as the lead single for Teri Tobin's soon-to-be-released album Truth Is, which should be available during the later part of this summer. But for now, here's some sophisticated soul for my fellow "grown folks music" lovers out there.

And if you dig what you're hearing, head over to any of the following links and buy your own copy of "#Shine" right now.

| Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes |

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JVNTG- Worryaboutme' (pt 1) (instrumental)

Brand new soulful trap-musik vibes from producer JVNTG. The instrumental is called "Worryboutme' (pt 1)"and it features a nice blend of trippy R&B vocal samples and hypnotic electronica over a solid bed of broken beat sequencing. I realize that sounds kinda frenzied to say the least, but I promise you JVNTG delivers a beat that's laid back and even a little jazzy in it's overall approach. Press play and dig the sounds.... and that cover art.. cotdamn!

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Outmind- Lean in My Cup (instrumental)

Listen, while I don't really endorse the sort of illicit drug usage that's referenced in Outmind's new instrumental "Lean in My Cup" I will cosign (people still say "cosign"...right?) the track for its overall dopeness levels. It starts off with some really stark, ominous sounding strings, but quickly moves into a bumpin trap-musik type vibe that's live as hell. Stripped down trunk music that's perfect for late night drives or just chillin' whenever the mood hits you.

And if you dig what you're hearing, head over to Outmind's Bandcamp page (here)and get a copy of his latest release, lofi_lord.ep.

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