Blu, MED & Madlib ft. Like & Phonte | Finer Things

Stream "Finer Things" the second single off upcoming MED, Blu, & Madlib joint album "Bad Neighbor" slated to drop on October 3O.

Pre-order Bad Neighbor on Rappcats.

Oddisee and Phonte's | Requiem | New Music

Mello Music Group is currently preparing their annual compilation project, and today, they debut the first single, "Requiem," from Oddisee and Phonte. Over some funky production from Oddisee himself, the conscious track focuses on the recent struggles of society, particularly the killing of unarmed black men by police, as they mention, "Anything from candy to cigarettes can get a n***a killed," which is reference to the death of Eric Garner.

The album, titled Persona, is currently available for pre-order on iTunes and on the Mello Music Group Website before its release on March 10, and is set to also feature appearances from Ras Kass, Rapper Big Pooh, Kool Keith, Apollo Brown, and more. The stream of "Requiem" and full the tracklist can be found below.



01. Requiem (feat. Oddisee & Phonte) [prod. Oddisee]
02. Homicide (feat. yU) [prod. Nottz]
03. PNT (feat. Ras Kass) [prod. Apollo Brown]
04. Celebrity Reduction Prayer (feat. Open Mike Eagle) [prod. Oddisee]
05. You First (feat. Rapper Big Pooh & Quelle Chris) [prod. Oh No]
06. Sometimes I Feel (feat. Kool Keith) [prod. L'Orange]
07. The Run (feat. Red Pill & Oh No) [prod. Oh No]
08. Troubles (feat. Masta Ace) [prod. Apollo Brown]
09. Word To The Wise (feat. Oddisee) [prod. Oddisee]
10. Dark Comedy Late Show (feat. Open Mike Eagle) [prod. Exile]
11. Circles Around Circles (feat. Gift of Gab) [prod. L'Orange]
12. Lose The Ground (feat. yU) [prod. Tall Black Guy]
13. House Rag (feat. Quelle Chris) [prod. I, Ced]
14. Darlin' (feat. Red Pill) [prod. Blockhead]
15. No Future (feat. Rapper Big Pooh) [prod. Apollo Brown]
16. All I See Is You (feat. Quelle Chris & Bilal Salaam) [prod. Quelle Chris]

If the soul of hip-hop belongs to the culture, the skeleton belongs to the independent label. From Sugar Hill to Def Jam, Tommy Boy to Rawkus, Fondle Em to Def Jux, the genre’s best music has been birthed by imprints that brazenly defy the status quo, those who champion fearless artists and always prize quality over commerce.

For the last eight years, Mello Music Group has lived by that ethos. If you’re reading these words, you’re inevitably well aware of its ascendance and growing legacy. But more importantly, you know the artists—those singular voices channeling the spirits of the past and spitting premonitions of the future. Boom-bap at its best: evolving and expanding the art form, capturing stories of the struggle, upholding the tradition, and keeping the crooked honest.

Persona unveils the murderer’s row that is the Mello roster of 2015. Oddisee, Apollo Brown, yU, L'Orange, Red Pill, Open Mike Eagle, Rapper Big Pooh, Quelle Chris. The stars of the present teamed with timeless innovators like Phonte (Little Brother), Blockhead, Ras Kass, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Oh No, Masta Ace, and Bilal Salaam. The result is something that binds current greats with the pioneers who paved the asphalt. It’s both a historical moment and hard as hell.

If most compilations are nothing more than a loosely thrown together collection of songs, Persona boasts meticulous focus. These aren’t spare tracks, they’re potent messages and poisonous darts. “Requiem” finds Phonte and Oddisee indicting American racism and Xenophobia with fury and precision. On “Homicide,” yU and Nottz leave blood dripping all over the canvas. There’s “Reductionist Prayer,” where Open Mike Eagle lampoons fundamentalists and religious zealots over Oddisee’s warm Stevie Wonder keyboards.

But there’s ultimately no need to do the track-by-track breakdown. This is an anthology in the most traditional well-curated sense. Turn here if you want to find the best hip-hop artists of their generation in raw and unfiltered form. The bars are brimstone; the beats force your neck to swivel. Through all the discontent, rays of hope begin to emerge. If you remember the feeling you got when you first heard Soundbombing, stop searching. The slang has changed, the style remains indelible, the latest personas have emerged. The new sound is here.

Producers: Oddisee, Nottz, Apollo Brown, Oh No, L'Orange, Exile, Tall Black Guy, I, Ced, Blockhead, Quelle Chris

Featuring: Phonte, Oddisee, yU, Ras Kass, Open Mike Eagle, Rapper Big Pooh, Quelle Chris, Oh No, Kool Keith, Red Pill, Masta Ace, Gift of Gab, Bilal Salaam

Executive Produced by Michael Tolle
Mello Music Group Copyright 2015

www.youtube.com/MelloMusicGroup
www.facebook.com/MelloMusicGroup360
www.twitter.com/MelloMusicGroup

Zo! | We Are On The Move | ft. Eric Roberson & Phonte

Directed by Kenneth Price
From the album ManMade, in stores now on +FE Music

Rapsody | Jedi Code (ft. Phonte & Jay Electronica)(Prod. by 9th Wonder)

From Rapsody's upcoming mixtape, 'She Got Game', dropping later today.



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