In NY? Get to A-1

The Belly of the Beat from Gasface on Vimeo.

Great film about an LES staple. Catch the story about John Frusciante from RHCP, classic!

Congrats to the Foreign Exchange Team!

The Foreign Exchange's Grammy nomination video from The Foreign Exchange on Vimeo.

Phonte & Nicolay released one of the best albums of this decade (that is somehow absent from all these lists popping up) and then flipped the script dropping Leave It All Behind late last year featuring no rhymes, just Tay singing that sweet soul.

While the Grammy voters are not known for their love of talented musicians or good music, somehow the FE guys got nominated this year and if ever there were some guys that deserve this kind of honor they are it. Catch up on the history thanks to this video they just dropped and then grab some of their music!

Guess I Got My Swagga Back

Words don't even capture this jam. Gnarly. Grimey. Heavy. That's a start. Many thanks to Astronomar for hipping me to this! I advise turning it up.

Fresh Espresso "Big or Small" Video!!!!!!!!!

I was in Seattle for the show the night before this. Actually I did my interview with Smoov that night too. Whatever... this video has already made the rounds on the SEA Hop blogs but it's too fresh not to get a post here too!

OFS Bitches.

Fela Kuti Sees Vinyl Availibe in US!

All I got to say is it's about time! While it's likely most people are vaguely familiar with at least the name, Fela Kuti is far from the widely known musician he should be.



Luckily I had a teacher who took this to heart and dedicated a couple weeks to Nigeria and Fela - the last class I took in college too! This gave me a much deeper interest in and desire for the music he made and put anything by the man at the top of my vinyl buying wish list. Little did I know his albums in the US were imports only.

That is until now. Knitting Factory Records will be reissuing all of his albums in the coming years as deluxe digipak's on CD and on vinyl as well. This is great news and will hopefully, along with the current broadway production about his life, help generate a revived interest in the man and his music.

Read the full story here. Via Fact Magazine.

New Dam Funk Mixtape

I had the pleasure to sit down with this man back in September. He is making some truly awesome music for the new generation to get funky with! If you haven't been peeping his Toeachizown EP series or the full length that just dropped you might want to get on it. In case you need some convincing here is a new mixtape he just released for free with Clae - apparently a super fresh shoe company!

Peep the tracklist and then check out the mix!

Download it here.

Album Covers in Action

I never did post this when it first premiered on the net, but it's so fresh that it still deserves some play. Jay-Z teams with Rhapsody to recreate his album covers in honor of the release of his latest effort, Blueprint 3 which you can catch my thoughts on over at the home base!

Wax Poetics: If You Don't Know, Now You Do!

If you love music get this magazine! The next issue will be a tribute to the King of Pop himself. Now you may be thinking, can there really be anymore said about the man? If Wax Po's past tribute issues (James Brown, J Dilla) are any indication, this should be something unlike that which has ever been seen.

Mayer Hawthorne! He's coming to town...

Could there really be a better place for Mayer Hawthorne to stand in front of? I think not! Delivering his own modern brand of Northern Soul and burning down stages across the country, if you are in PDX this Friday be sure to catch him at Jimmy Maks! And cop that album, A Strange Arrangement in stores now on Stones Throw records.


A great slow burner, sounds crisp and crackly on wax - LOVE IT!


The lead single, I regret not getting that heart shaped 12" now! Enjoy the tune and peep the Dam Funk cameo at 2:09 stealing Mr. Hawthorne's girl.

Macklemore is Back!

Many thanks to OFS for hipping me to this! Macklemore was one of the first Seattle artists I ever heard and The Language of My World still gets play to this day. Glad to see he is making new music again! Enjoy the above video and peep out this other leak all about The Town.

Funny Guys...

To go along with my review over at the home base I had to bring these videos back to the spotlight. If you ain't with these guys you fail.

How Fly Promo Video #1


How Fly Promo Video #2

Dam Funk/Animal Collective

While I continue to be consumed by the music coming from LA these days Dam Funk has struck an especially sensitive chord with the digger and lover of all thinks sytnthed to the funkiest in me! Not sure about Animal Collective, need to hear some more, but this remix is positivley great, even if Summer is coming to an end bang this for the final weeks we got!

And for all my PDX heads, be sure to check out The Fix (at the Someday Lounge) September 10th where he'll be playing!

Oh... did I mention the rumors of an interview over at the other TML... Stay tuned!

Blackface!!!!

I get sent many a promo email and rarely do I check em out but this one I did and so now I'm presenting to you Blackface. Something new and different for ya. Give a listen to their cut "Perfect Girl" and let me know what your thoughts are!

Blackface "Perfect Girl"

Free Music Seattle

If you are in Seattle this weekend (too bad I'm only there for a night) get down to the Pacific Industrial Center all weekend long for some free music and new cars! Santigold will be performing FREE Sunday night, can't go wrong with that. Plus local DJ's like Supreme LaRock, DV One, Sean Cee, Four Color Zack & Soul One will be holding it down. Don't miss it!



It's times like these that I miss the 2-0-6. But after Meeting of the Minds tonight I think big things are in store for the PDX Hip Hop!!

"It's Time To Build" - Truer words have never been spoken.

Celebrate!

Internet at the apartment has been really pathetic these days so I've been MIA for too long around here, but I figured on the 50th anniversary of maybe the greatest Jazz album of all time I had to put something up.

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you "So What" from the brillant Kind of Blue.



I don't want to get to in depth here but this album is the reason I'm a Jazz fan today - thanks Cedar for hipping me.

Oh So Fresh...

Fresh Espresso Rendevous Concert from Stephan Gray on Vimeo.

I know, I know I'm not in Seattle anymore. But damn these guys put on a live show and have delivered the first album of the year I can't take out of my CD player (seriously, it has followed me from my house to my car and right back inside since I got it). I've been telling anyone who will listen to check 'em out and above is a video that demonstrates better than I ever could what you are missing.

Fresh Espresso!!! Out for Stardom. Northwest stay rising in the '09.

Iame "Shows Over" X Show Tonight!

As one part of the Sandpeople crew (who recently delivered a stellar EP Long Stroy, Short) Iame is celebrating the release of his sophomore solo project I Am My Enemy tonight at Rotture. If you are a fan of Hip Hop you gotta be there! Josh Martinez will be hosting and Awol One will also be in attendance in support of his new release along with the Seattle fam Onry Ozzborn.

Bangin' local Hip Hop - Can't go wrong with that!

Northwest rising in the '09.

Lily Allen "22"

Spotted this over at the Dopehouse and knew I had to get it up here for all your enjoyment. I'm not overly familiar with Ms. Allen but this right here is gonna make me listen to anything I can get my hands on. And you should too!

Oh Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!! Ev on RSE?!

Had to toss this up! Evidence has been hard at work on the follow up to one of the dopest albums of the decade and now it has a home. Cats & Dogs is offically dropping on Rhymesayers. It's a gonna be a beautiful thing. Peep the above video for his typical webisode antics and watch for the Jake Uno shout out too! Congrats mayne.

Free Shit: Bean One & Game Soulo are DOPKWE

Bean has been blessin' the followers of his blog with some great unreleased music and while Seattle week rolls along at the homebase I figured I'd hit ya'll with this fresh little project - give it some plays and take a puff for me!

Dubstep: Music of the Future

Burial was who I have to thank for my introduction to the stunning genre of Dubstep and while I've dabbled here and there with others, mainly the big names i.e. Skream, Benga, etc., my exploration kinda ceased as I got lost in something else but it's always been in the back of my mind. With the recent discovery of a strong Northwest Dubstep movement that curiosity has been revitalized! On that note I give you a cool and quick documentary on the Bristol scene where it has grown and developed.

Part 1


Part 2


Thanks to Sonic Router for the heads up!

A companion to Seattle Week

I'm grinding out some things for the coming week over at the home base (read: Seattle Week - Watch for it) I figured I would toss up a couple vidoes from the OFS team. I'm finally hearing Mad Rad's album White Gold and am impressed - I was sleeping too long! Rock out to these tracks, turn them up LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!

"Super Dope!"


"My Product"


"Electric Sheep"


As long as I'm at it, here goes a short film by P Smoov of the crews time at Sasquatch this past year - great stuff. Glad to know the hate only fuels you to grind harder. Keep doing your thing guys!

Chali 2Na & Talib "Lock Shit Down

I never really thought Chali was all that dope in J5 but this is hot! Fish Outta Water is out now... maybe a review will be in order over at the home base?