Video: Mic Stewart - "Im Not From Brooklyn"

Though at first glance, he looks likes a hipster from Williamsburg or a dazed street performer, Philly bred emcee Mic Stewart flexes his lyrical skills on the track "Im Not From Brooklyn" and shows that you can't judge a book by its cover. The video does a good job of showing people passing judgment and learning to appreciate what he's doing. He tells a quick story about what inspires him and pays homage to BK emcee Mos Def with a "booka, booka, booka" chant in the hook. If youre impressed with his flow, he happens to be the Red Bull National Freestyle Champ from 2012, so that shows that he is well-tested. Hopefully, we get to see more from Mic Stewart and his playful style in the years to come. Check out more of his work at the links below.

DOWNLOAD LINK
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/peaceworld/id622774765

Fine Art Friday: Avraham Eilat - "Landscapes of Void"

While thumbing through an older issue of Carrier Pigeon magazine, I came across the work of Avraham Eilat and wanted to share his work for any fans of the Fine Art Friday series on my site. Though his resume is more academic than most artists work that I post here, I am always impressed with how some artists can create work from war torn nations and put a fresh spin on it without having to shock or trumpet the message. Eilat was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel and currently lives in Ein Hod and splits time in his studio in Pyramida and in Ein Hod,Israel, Dusseldorf, Germany and Paris, France. This series is called "Landscapes of Void" and focuses on abandoned battlegrounds and other plots of land where tragedy or conflict has ended. Not for everyone, but I like the concept behind it.

ARTIST WEBSITE
http://www.eilatart.com/works_fs.html

Listen: DJ Caesar X Koncept X J57 X Mike Maven - "Mathematics" freestyle

SHADE45s DJ Caesar recently teamed up with J57 (Brown Bag Allstars), Mike Maven (Young Pandas) and Koncept for an overhaul of Mos Def's iconic track "Mathematics" as a preview for the upcoming mixtape "Reliving the 90s". Though it is hard not to hear Mos automatically in my mind over this beat, Caesar and the crew each re-interpret the original verses with their own take of the "mathematics" of 2013 and give it a worthy update. Clever rhymes, hard times and a true school spirit over one of DJ Premier's best cuts of all time.

FREE DOWNLOAD
http://j57bbas.bandcamp.com/track/mathematics-freestyle

Video: DJ Dister X AG - "Stop Frontin"

It will always be disappointing to me how quick America is to ignore the talent in their own background. AG, of famed group Showbiz and AG, linked up with London's DJ Dister for a feature on Dister's album "Roll Wit Dis". The results are a throwback vibe with eerie piano keys and a slow rolling boom bap beat. Complete the with scratched chorus and grimey video, DJ Dister pays homage to the 90's sound and one of the heroes of hip hops Golden Era with this track. The video reminds me of the Shook Ones video from way back when, but the sound and AG's flow remind us all when people didn't rely on special effects to make music. Check it out and see how other countries appreciate our music more than we do.

Listen: Nicholas Cheung - "I AM" album

I recently came across the work of Nicholas Cheung, who just dropped the short EP titled "I AM" on Cult Classic Records. Though the cover made me think it might be indy rock, I was surprised by a mellow mix of jazzy, contemporary production that walks the line between pop, trap and jazzy hip hop of older times. Some of the tracks sound like they are worthy of BIG KRIT and some sound like Drake instrumentals, while still others sound like the work of Foreign Exchange. The mix can be a bit jarring, but the fully instrumental approach shows his range as a producer and talent for sound. It is a bit of a curveball from what I typically rock to, but the more I listen, the more I like the different directions. Check it out and support an up and coming producer from overseas.

DOWNLOAD LINK
http://cultclassicrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-am

Throwback: Naughty By Nature - "Everything's Gonna Be Alright"

Though I did not grow up in the mean streets of New Jersey or New York, I did grow up without a dad and suffered through hard times as a broke kid who had to start working for money at age 10 for anything I wanted. While I knew I wasn't the only one in the world, the first time I heard this track, before it had a video, I started to realize that it was OK to be angry and that the struggle I faced was more universal than I thought growing up in the south. Treach is still one of my favorite emcee's to this day because of this track and almost the entire first NBN album. His verses spoke to me more so than any other artist I had heard at the time. His mix of trash talk, humor and creativity was impressive to my young, dumb ears. The track managed to keep an upbeat vibe to a sad but common tale about dead bat dads and life decisions we all face at one time or another.