Droppin’ Knowledge: RodThaGreat Shares New EP Dark Nights of the Soul – Listen
Atlanta-based artist RodThaGreat has shared his new EP, Dark Nights of the Soul. Rod is a member of the TR4G3DY collective and is currently unsigned. According to Rod, the EP’s six tracks are about “a phase in spiritual/internal development and a yearn for the true meaning of life. In addition, it’s about realizing that the …
Droppin’ Knowledge: L.A. Salami Drops New Single – “The Cage”
British recording artist L.A. Salami has shared a new single from his forthcoming album, The Cause of Doubt & A Reason To Have Faith. The song, entitled “The Cage,” addresses inequities in the music industry and in the world beyond, and reflects prescient analysis of the current protests over racism, police brutality and equality now …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Listen – Heavy Roots from Junior Dread And Subatomic Sound System: Revolution 2 Freedom
Junior Dread and Subatomic Sound System have shared a new single, “Revolution 2 Freedom,” built from Subatomic’s “Shaolin Dub” riddim. Subatomic composed the tune while working on Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Super Ape Returns To Conquer, in 2017. Subatomic, a New York City based artist, built on the sounds of the legendary Upsetter and his Black …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Behind The Boards With Fat Albert Einstein
Hey, hey, hey! Fat Albert… Einstein in the house! For today’s edition of Behind The Boards, Backseat Mafia is joined by Fat Albert Einstein, the Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and all-around sound maven. Fat Al’s catalogue is wide and deep, featuring aural enticements that range from bass heavy dub sounds to high desert, soothing ambient …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Listen – Jay Cinema & Jacob Barlow Release EP Peace of Mind, Mind of Peace
Jay Cinema and Jacob Barlow share their wonderful new album, Peace of Mind, Mind of Peace. On this EP, Cinema, from Yonkers, New York, and Barlow, create dusty, lo-fi landscapes of profound beauty and longing. The lyrics are introspective, and Cinema spits over samples that crack and pop, his delivery intimate. Don’t know much about …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Nostalgia Ultra – O.C.’s Masterpiece, Word…Life (1994)
The Golden Age of hip hop produced many vital recordings. But Brooklyn’s Omar Credle hit a four-run home run with his debut, Word…Life. He uses words to dodge and weave, boast, flex, rip, harangue, criticize and philosophize, to drop science and to drop knowledge. If you don’t know this album, you better get yourself back …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Slim One Shares New Single “Mass Murdering,” With Blacastan & Madhattan
Italian producer and DJ Slim One has released a new single, “Mass Murdering,” which features rappers Blacastan and Madhattan. His new album, IL GENIO DEL MALE, drops July 3rd, and will be released by the underground hip hop label Frank’s Vinyl Records. The song is the artists’ response to police violence and protests now affecting …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Run The Jewels Release RTJ4 – Listen
Hip Hop stalwarts Run The Jewels have decided to release their fourth album, RTJ4, early. You can download the album and its liner notes for free from the RTJ website: https://runthejewels.com On their web site, El-P and Killer Mike noted that “the world is infested with bullshit, so here’s something raw to listen to while …
Droppin’ Knowledge: UK Emcee Black Josh Releases New Single “Wannit All”
Manchester rapper Black Josh shares a new single from his forthcoming album, Mannyfornia, which drops June 10th, on British label Blah Records. The song “Wannit All,” features Sleazy F Baby and was produced by Metrodome. Josh spits over a sputtering, minimalist beat, with an assist from Sleazy. The video looks like a home movie and …
Droppin’ Knowledge: Hip Hop As A Vehicle For Protest And Social Change
Since its creation, in the New York City borough of the Bronx, hip hop has always addressed topical concerns. The music that Public Enemy’s Chuck D called “Black America’s CNN” often addresses systemic problems in the United States, and has the ability to powerfully articulate the traumas perpetrated on the Black community on a daily …