#DillaLegacy: !llmind - "Happy B-Day Dilla" EP

"J Dilla, what more can I say about the man that hasn’t been said already. He’s one of the greatest. When I started messing with beat making in the late 90’s, he was the one producer I studied. I still study him, to this day. During a time period of about 5 years, I was in “beat-making-boot-camp”, or “5 beats a day for 3 summers” as Kanye would say. I trained my ear and was inspired by Dilla the whole time. This is a collection of 4 beats (out of thousands) that I made during that time period. I hope you enjoy! Rest in power J Dilla. Forever." ----!llmind

DOWNLOAD LINK

#DillaLegacy: Nottz x Pete Rock - "Turn It Up"

As part of my 3 day Dilla Legacy posts (birthday to deathday), I will post things relevant to the life and times of James DeWitt Yancey and his undeniable influence on Hip Hop music. Whether it is people he worked with, stories about his production, or people whose work he impacted, it will be all Dilla related content from Feb 7 - 10.

For my first post, I wanted to give props to Nottz and Pete Rock for the new video and track for "Turn It Up". Always one to check for anything these cats put out, I appreciate how they express their fondness for Dilla in the song (even using his famous quote as the title) and honor the less-appreciated art of the MC-Producer that Dilla, and other like him, helped popularize.

Stay tuned for more "Turn it up" indeed.

Video: Leftmind - "Digress"

Leftmind and the Beatlamper crew recently dropped a short debut album called "When It Rains" with a mix of lo-fi, throwback jazzy beats and honest lyrics. The lead single for the video above is entitled “Digress” and which is available as a free download on his Bandcamp page. I couldn't dig up to much info on the crew, but I appreciate their mellowed approach to hip hop and more creative vision for the video. Here's hoping for more noise for this crew.

 Check out more underground artists at Undergroundmusic.fm.

Video: HAWDWERK - "MasterMind"

CA and Blue Collar Werk representer HAWDWERK, recently dropped the video for his track "MasterMind"to help shine some light on his crew and the folks at Cov Original clothing. Building towards the release of his upcoming album "The Graveyard Shift", HAWDWERK shows off his more mellow style and honest lyrics about life struggles and keeping your mind right amongst the madness of everyday life and trying to make the music you love. Keep an eye out for more coming soon!

Download the single HERE 

Video: JRxPH7 ft. St. Joe Louis - "Never Enough"

Soulspazm beatmasters JR and PH7 continue to drop gems from their most recent album and the video for the "Never Enough" featuring St. Joe Louis helps promote their brand of chilled out, laid back and honest Hip Hop from all over the globe. They help shine a light on some of the more slept on crews in the underground and the standouts on the Soulspazm roster. Check "The Good Life" album out for a peak into their consistent range as tastemakers.

Video: Astro - "He Fell Off"

Even with a massive spotlight on him as part of the reality TV talent show crowd, the now 16 year old rapper Astro (Astronomical Kid) shined against full grown adults with his stage presence and star power. Though he didn't win the show, he made his mark early on and has recently been prepping his upcoming mixtape "Deadbeats and Lazy Lyrics" to help build his true school cred even more. I have to give him major props for not going the "techno dance" route with his new found fame and paying homage to the lyricists and beats from the Golden Era. Here's hoping he can keep carrying the torch for the true school in the years to come.

Listen: Steven Jus' Dreamin' - "Nursery Rhymes"

As part of my continued push to shine a light on super slept on talents of the world, I wanted to share some recent racks by fellow Brooklynite Steven Jus Dreamin. Though he seems to still be in the beginning stages of his career, he shows a good ear for beats (soulful) and keeps the lyrics honest and personal. You might not hear it rocking in the club, but this is music that can help you zone out and think about life. Hoping for more in the future and possible collaborations with LuvJonez Music in the future.

Listen: Penny Shaw - "Soul Food" Album

NY's own Penny Shaw recently dropped a dope little soulful EP entitled "Soul Food" with some throwback samples of soul and funk that compliment his flow and provide a nice backdrop to his stories. Some of the vibes on the album are an obvious nod to the Golden era of 90's hip hop and stand as a testament to the quality music and vibes from that era. If only more artists could make equally honest tunes, maybe the radio wouldn't sound like a nightclub 24-7.

FREE DOWNLOAD HERE
http://pennyforthought.com/album/soul-food

Fine Art Friday: Kelvin Okafor

UK based artist and illustrator Kelvin Okafor recently posted some "process drawings" of portraits he completed using only drawing pencils. As a proponent of the hyperreal movement within the arts, Kelvin is driven by the replication of extreme details and precision of portraiture. The end result is so much like a photograph, that it is hard to know what you are looking at and though I find the process drawings a bit more interesting, the results are fascinating at every stage. Check it out below and step your drawing game up! Check his videos for more proof on Youtube HERE.

Video: Green Tea - "Never Be The Blame" ft. Gods'illa

For a bit of a curveball from what I typically post, I wanted to share a nice little heat rock from vocalist Green Tea with a nice feature from rap group Gods'illa, who sound like a more positive version of Mobb Deep at times,  and produced by Kev Brown. It has a bit of a throwback, Mary J Blige 90's feel, but it's nice to see some "keepers of the hip hop flame" still making honest music in the days of techno, dub-step love songs.

Check out more work from Gods'illa on Bandcamp HERE

Download Green Tea's "Never Be the Blame" on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dosage-iii-the-time-to-b.e./id525731698