Listen: Melaz - "Jazzy Trip 3" Compilation

Sonic crate digger and avid blogger Melaz Cosmo has consistently compiles smoothed out, obscure, super slept-on tracks from instrumental collections from around the globe and packages them in volumes of digital downloads. He always provides ill liner notes, giving all the info you need about the source material, and takes the time to design quality album covers and artwork to present his work as a labor of love. I am always quick to download his collections and rock the min my daily train rides across NYC. Dope selection as usual in the "Jazzy Trip 3" that just dropped. Plenty of brain food and chilled out hip hop grooves to zone out with.Check the free download below:

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://www.mediafire.com/?86k92ym88neq948

Listen: Illastrate - "The Henny Loggins Show" Remix Album

Proving that rap in Atlanta is not all trap, all the time, ATL producer Illastrate recently dropped a remix album of mostly underground vocals from tracks by Boog Brown, NAs, J-Live, Roc Marciano and many more. He mixes lots of instrumentation, some samples, scratches and other elements to re-invent the music with new vibes throughout the project. For those who enjoy beats, there is an instrumental version of the album as well (both versions linked below). Check it out below and help shine a light on some enthusiasts of the art form that are trying to make a name for themselves down south.

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://workingclassmusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/the-henny-loggins-show-season1

INSTRUMENTAL LINK
http://workingclassmusicgroup.bandcamp.com/album/the-henny-loggins-show-season1-instrumentals

Read: Adam Mansbach - "The Rage Is Back"

If you are like me, it takes me about 3 to 6 months to finish a book, as I typically read it on the train for 2 pages at a time and easily distracted by my iphone from following the story closely. However, every once in a while I pick up a book that I tear through quickly like a magazine article and the latest book from Adam Mansbach "The Rage is Back" was one of these books. He does an interesting job of twisting graffiti history, unique characters that mimic modern NYC politicos and vivd descriptions of tunnels and seedy environments that keeps me paying attention from chapter to chapter. Family and drama and an artists struggle should be familiar to all walks of life, so check it out.

To add to the experience, DJ J. Period released a mixtape in support of the book and you can rock it on it's own or in addition to help get the mood of the book. If you like anything other than comment sections on blogs or production credits on albums, try to use this book to expand your knowledge of the secretive life of graf writers in NYC.

MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD LINK
https://soundcloud.com/jperiod/rageisback 

Video: Ruby Ibarra - "Guess Who"

One of the busiest and most substantial female MC's you've never heard, Ruby Ibarra, keeps dropping gem after gem for tracks from her latest mixtape "Lost In Translation". She just dropped the video for the track "Guess Who" from the album and drops knowledge about the stresses of life from a female perspective (abusive relationships, self image issues, unwanted preganacy, etc) over a smooth track about the power of appreciating your self. Deep messages and concepts are a mainstay in Ruby 's music and if you are looking for a break from the dubstep, techno, party-life songs on the radio, help shine a light on some hip hop that will make you think.

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://www.datpiff.com/Ruby-Ibarra-Lost-In-Translation-mixtape.428501.html

Throwback: BT - "Love on Haight Street" ft. Rasco and 50 Grand

The story of the first time I heard this record is as bizarre as the collaboration itself. Upon the records original drop date, I was working at a record store in Madison, WI and working a shift with a co-worker who was heavy into house and techno music. I was pretty open minded to other peoples taste, even if I didn't rock it in my collection, so she picked this album by BT, a California-based electronic music producer and DJ, called "Movement in Still Life".  Though I clowned her about the cover looking like a flyer for a "Men Seeking Men" night club, the music was mostly uptempo, spacey electronic dance music that I was "hit or miss" about until the final track on the album changed everything for me about my pre-conceived notions of BT's work.

This track was called "Love on Haight Street", cleverly named after the infamous street in San Francisco. I noticed Rasco's voice immediately and remembered 50 Grand's voice from the the second DJ Honda album "II". Whatever BT did to the track with the spaced out vocals, throwback scratched samples from PB Wolf, and picking two dope verses from these underground standouts, it was a perfect blend at the time and I still rock it to this day. I'm not sure what happened to 50 Grand, but everybody on this song has yet to match the long-lasting vibe that I get from this song. Still dope, still slept-on and still deserves a real video ten years later.

Listen: Good Food - "C.R.U.M.B.S." Album

The "Slept-On Saturdays" series continues with beatmaker GoodFood and his recent instrumental album "C.R.U.M.B.S." Offering a free download of his recent output, GoodFood offers some interesting mixes of lo-fi samples, clean drums, and a throwback vibe that can get you through your day. Check it out below and support your local hip hop underdogs!

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://goodfoodmusic.bandcamp.com/album/c-r-u-m-b-s

Fine Art Friday: Ronald Ophuis

I recently came across the work of Ronald Ophius in Elephant Magazine and was moved by both the grim subject matter and the variety of his work. If you follow the Fine Art Friday posts at all, you will pick up on the fact that I am a huge fan of dark subject matter and art that makes the viewer uncomfortable. Harsh truths about the animal-like instincts of humans in times of conflict painted in gritty, splotchy paint will always keep my attention. Reminiscent of Leon Golub, David Becker, and Francis Bacon, you can check out more of his work on his Upstream website HERE.