Local Favorites: OxJonez - "True Story" LP

This post features a brief collection of songs by OxJonez, a Madison, WI duo of emcee OX and producer LuvJonez. Ox has released 3 albums since 2003, and has yet another on the horizon for 2007. This collection are tracks produced by LuvJonez, another Madison local who has had tracks featured on every Ox album since 2003. LuvJonez productions have increased per album and tend to be the backdrop of the more introspective cuts on the albums. This compilation features a re-packaged version of only the songs that feature LuvJonez productions, that have been or will be featured on Ox's projects.

As far as sound quality, all tracks have been mastered. Ox's voice and content sounds like early work by Scarface and Xzibit. Often introspective and aggressive at the same time, Ox always has a lot to say and though the delivery at times is rough, he always gets his point across.

Check it out on Bandcamp HERE

Local Favorites: Lucha Libre - "Plantando Bandera" LP

This post features 2 groups who have flourished here (in Madison, WI) but never recieved much exposure outside of the midwest: Lucha Libre and OX.

Lucha Libre is a hip-hop/reggaeton hybrid consisting of emcee/producer Da Ricanstrukta and emcee's NV1 and Mic Virus.

They disbanded after releasing their sophmore album, but their first album Plantando Bandera (2005) was the most outstanding of all of their work. There are few guest appearences on this album consisting of local Wisconsin emcee's, but the overall diversity of sound is a testament to their creativity. Bi-lingual rhymes, battle raps, revolutionary prose, dancehall and reggaeton riddims, and typical braggadoccio are abundant on this album along with professional sound quality. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

Lucha Libre - Plantando Bandera (2005) - DOWNLOAD LINK
http://www.mediafire.com/?tvuj5wz93e3233o

Local Favorites: Knotty Slayaz - "Lunatical Biography" (R.I.P.) 1995

The Knotty Slayaz was a hip hop group from Hopkinsville, KY circa 1994/1995. They released a cassette only demo and I was able to get a copy from the lead MC, Be Be (now RasOne of HPT). I grew up with him and we were always trading rap tapes but when he and his crew recorded this song, I wanted a copy for historical reasons. Not too long after they released this and started performing, one of the MC's, Rocky, passed away from a brain hemorage. The group stopped recording soon after and disbanded. They reformed around 1997 as HPT, but altered their sound towards a more club-friendly and popular audience.

Their demo, while rough and darker thematically, was charming for me because it was my friends doing what they loved. It may not be the dopest demo in the world to you, but it always brings back images of high school for me and the FlatLinerz, Gravediggaz era of hip hop. A moment in time. It is super lo-fi, but it is the only copy in existance outside my original cassette. Enjoy.

Knotty Slayaz - Lunatical Biography
http://www.mediafire.com/?a0gp8sjv6h7thnj