Hip Hop and Breakz

RIP to Lou Reed the man that influenced almost 50 years of Rock Music.   "One chord is fine," he once said, alluding to his bare-bones guitar style. "Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz."

Homework Volume 1: Birthday Beats by DJ Harry Love My man DJ Harry Love has been producing classic Hip-Hop joints for a number of years now featuring some of the UK's finest lyricists; Verb T, Ransom Badbonez and Jehst to name a few.  He has just released a new compilation via Bandcamp called Homeworkwork Volume 1:Birthday Beats.  It os ten tracks long and can be bought from Bandcamp for as little as £3 although listening to it will surely prompt you to make a more generous donation.  Its a dope little project with some interesting beats and rhymes.  Hopefully the first in a series of compilations from one of London's finest.  Pick that shit up y'all.

This is latest video from R.A. the Rugged Man's dope album Legends never Die.  This is a nice joint with a piano loop and guest verses from Brother Ali and Masta Ace.

The first joint from Madlib's Rock Konducta LP due to drop in December.  The track is called Black Widows and the album will be released on Stones Throw as per usual. Madlib will also be appearing across Europe in October and November Oct 19: Madlib on Boilerroom.tv Oct 29: Madlib in Budapest @ Trafó House of Contemporary Arts Oct 31: Madlib in Brussels @ Europalia Festival Nov 2: Madlib in Manchester @ Warehouse Project Nov 11: Madlib in Glasgow @ SWG3 Warehouse Always worth seeing Madlib live if you can so I would recommend catching a show.  Unfortunately no London show.

After a long delay the Kool G Rap and Necro album, Once upon a Crime is almost ready to drop. This is the first video from what promises to be one of the best underground albums of the year.

Back in the 1997 when Eminem was first introduced to Royce da 5'9 Slim Shady decided this was a lyricist with who he could make some serious Hip-Hop and he was right.  He went onto work with Eminem on The Slim Shady LP but what most hardcore hip hop fans were waiting for was Royce to step to the mic on his own.  We heard him on the Grand Theft Auto III soundtrack on the track "I'm the King" which was produced by The Alchemist and it was a dope track.  A nice beat which allowed Royce to show off his skills.  However its impact was small when you compare it to his next single "Boom".  This 12" was released in 2000 and was destined to be a big club banger.  DJ Premier produced it and he did a superb job.  The track starts off with a clock ticking and then jumps into a fantastic strings sample before being joined by some signature Premier drums.  Royce kills it lyrically just check out this first verse I'm the verbal-spit Smith Wesson I unload ...