DeM AtlaS | With A Smile

A new one from deM atlas (Joshua Turner), “With a Smile,” was produced by his pal Evan Slack and has a funky retro-soul sound to it and feel-good vibe. It includes a couple shout-outs to a girl named Lucy, which could be another “Peanuts” character reference from the rapper (whose first EP was titled “Charle Brwn”) or might be a nod to his Rhymesayer labelmates Atmosphere (who once famously had a thing for some unknown girl named Lucy Ford).



With a Smile” also is not attached to any formal release yet. However, the deM Man did just drop a new online EP, “DWNR,” and is working toward his full-length debut on Rhymesayers.

Produced By: Evan Slack

DWNR, deM atlaS's debut EP on Rhymesayers is available now via:
Physical | Fifth Element: bit.ly/DWNRFE
Digital | iTunes: bit.ly/DemDWNR
Stream | Spotify: bit.ly/DWNRsp

twitter.com/dematlas
facebook.com/dematlas
instagram.com/dematlas
rhymesayers.com/dematlas

AlphaTrion (RftA/WMD) | South Got Something To Say

A b-boy mix featuring new and old funk, all stuff I've been playing at battles for years. If you've ever asked me about a track, chances are it's on here.

Part of a DJ’s job is education, expose people to new music. To that end, I’ve provided a tracklist for everything I played in the mix, if you download it. However, rather than providing just the artist and title so you can plug it in YouTube, I’ve only provided hints. It could be the name of a Label, a studio, an engineer, a musician, re-editor, a place...you get the idea. You’ll have to do some googling. For newer artists I’ve made it pretty easy so you can get to their website or their label’s within probably one search, other stuff is gonna take some digging.

Along the way, hopefully you'll learn a lot more about the music of this culture than just a new url to bookmark. Thanks for your support.

Providing the mix for free, but if you dig it and want to support, there's a donate link above.

Artwork by A. Altenderfer (adamaltenderfer.com)

Enjoy,
-AlphaTrion

EDWARD ELECKTRO FT. JADE LATHAN & BEVLOVE | SONIC DISRUPTION

Sonic Disruption's release party last was weekend at the Rager Haus and if u couldn’t get your hands on a copy of the CD, worry no more because Eddie has uploaded the entire 12-track project on soundcloud for you.

Detroit got alot of goodness yall!

Corbin | Spooky Black | Produced by Shlohmo, D33J, Bobby Raps & Psymun | Worn

Spooky Black took to Twitter yesterday to announce the coming of his new song, and it turns out he's a man of his word. The "Without You" crooner has unveiled a new song featuring production by WeDidIt's Shlohmo and D33J as well as thestand4rd's Bobby Raps and Psymun, and the song is also under Spooky Black's birth name, Corbin. "Worn" is the first solo Spooky Black/Corbin song we've heard since the release of the Leaving EP back in summer, and may very well end up being the last new song we hear from him before the year ends. You can check out Spooky Black/Corbin's latest, "Worn," below.

J. Cole | Intro | Official Music Video

Pre-order J. Cole's new album '2014 Forest Hills Drive' on iTunes:

http://smarturl.it/ForestHillsDrive



Available everywhere December 9

http://www.dreamville.com/
http://www.jcolemusic.com/

Big Smoke Down Under | Vinyl Destination

DJ Jazzy Jeff gives some insight to being a world traveling performer. With the non stop shows, constant travel, and the desire to sleep in, DJ Ferno leaves the crew to rest and finds some time to explore the streets of Sydney.

Rocky Dawuni | African Thriller

"African Thriller" is the first single from the African star Rocky Dawuni's new album "Branches of the Same Tree," which will be released in March 2015 on Cumbancha.



BUY ON ITUNES:
http://bit.ly/1rYzTnJ

"African Thriller," sung in West African pidgin English, embodies Rocky Dawuni's unique "Afro-Roots" sound, a funky blend of soul, pop, Afrobeat and reggae grooves that have made him a household name in his native Ghana and earned him a wide following across the globe. Jeremy Sole, a DJ, producer and host on the taste-defining Los Angeles radio station KCRW, remixed the single version of "African Thriller". Sole has previously remixed tracks for Femi Kuti, David Bowie, Thievery Corporation, and Quantic, among others.

Shot in Los Angeles, the highly polished music video, directed by Glen Wilson, and choreographed by Kara Mack, offers an explosion of West African inspired dance moves, rich colors, and a celebratory atmosphere. Wilson, who directed Dawuni's earlier "African Reggae Fever" video, was inspired by one of his favorite documentaries, When We Were Kings, which documented the famous Ali/Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" bout that took place in Kinshasha, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) on October 30th, 1974. The video also references Afro Funke', Rocky's world renowned cross cultural dance club in Los Angeles, and offers visual tributes to Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti.

According to Rocky Dawuni, "'African Thriller' is a persona, a concept and a vision of what contemporary beauty and excitement will emerge from the confrontation and collision of cultures. The video hints at historical and cultural signposts in a metaphoric expression of how the dance floor is one of the ultimate and most colorful places for global unity, celebration and liberation."

Rocky Dawuni and his team are excited for this video to inspire others to "shake it till it go be hot, hot!" Rocky is asking fans to post their “African Thiller” inspired dance-videos to his Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/rockydawuni) and will soon be announcing an upcoming remix contest. Sign up for the email list for more details: http://eepurl.com/bKNe

Rocky Dawuni is a musician and humanitarian activist from Ghana, West Africa. Named one of Africa's Top 10 global stars by CNN, his recordings and thrilling live performances have attracted thousands to his concerts around the world at top festivals and prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Dawuni has collaborated and performed with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Bono, Jason Mraz, Janelle Monae and John Legend, among many others.

Dawuni's eloquence, cultural diplomacy and successful melding of music and activism have led him to become a passionate spokesperson for various global causes. He has joined forces with Product (RED), UNICEF, the Carter Center and the UN Foundation. In 2012, Dawuni was appointed the Tourism and Cultural Ambassador of Ghana and World Ambassador for the Musicians Union of Ghana. The same year, he was named a United Nations Foundation Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, alongside actress Julia Roberts and chef José Andrés.

Influenced by the soulful beats of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, the positive messages and deep grooves of Bob Marley and the infectious, sing-along anthems of Michael Franti, K'naan and Matisyahu, Rocky Dawuni's songs straddle the musical boundaries between Africa, the Caribbean and the US to create a universally appealing sound that unites generations and cultures.

CONNECT WITH ROCKY DAWUNI:
http://www.rockydawuni.com
http://www.facebook.com/rockydawuni
http://www.twitter.com/rockydawuni
http://www.youtube.com/rockydawunimusic

CONNECT WITH CUMBANCHA
http://www.cumbancha.com
http://shop.cumbancha.com/releases.html/
http://www.facebook.com/cumbancha

White Tiger Society (WTS) | Trailer

White Tiger Society | Trailer

YAK to the BAY All Styles Dance Battle 2014 | ART + SOUL Oakland

YAK to the BAY All Styles Dance Battle 2014 | ART + SOUL Oakland


Music: "TUT" by SoundSnobz
http://soundcloud.com/soundsnobz

More about the ART + SOUL Festival, happening every year in Downtown Oakland, California:
http://www.artandsouloakland.com

Dance battle hosted, deejayed and filmed by YAK
http://www.YAKFILMS.com

© YAK FILMS 2014

Shay Lia | prod.by KAYTRANADA | 3 months

website: www.3monthsexperience.com

Briddy | "Soul" (Live from The Federal in North Hollywood)

Briddy performs "Soul" off his album SOARM live at The Federal in North Hollywood California.

Soul x Ne-Yo | "Waving For Love III" | The Final Chapter

"Well then my "Waving For Love" series has come to an end, shot this a few months ago when i was stationed in Arizona for a month. Each time i do a series, i always try to top my last work and i believe that i have done just that with this final installment. Hope you all can relate to this piece in some way & fashion". Soul

Okay Acoustic: Liam Bailey | On My Mind

One of Okayplayer's artists to watch this year, soul and reggae singer Liam Bailey gave us an intimate acoustic performance of his recent release "On My Mind."



Producer: Allison Swank
Videographers: Jake Remington + Jay Sprogell
Editor: Jay Sprogell

Okayplayer
http://www.okayplayer.com
http://www.facebook.com/okayplayer
http://www.twitter.com/okayplayer

PARTYNEXTDOOR Announces New LP | Debuts Drake-Assisted Song

by Chris Thomas/HipHopWired



Unlike last year, summer 2014 is pretty wide open as far as album releases are concerned. Because the music game is chess, not checkers, OVO Sound all but saw July for the taking.

Following news of Majid Jordan’s upcoming A Place Like This EP, PARTYNEXTDOOR returns with the announcement of PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, the proper follow-up to his 2013 debut. The Mississauga-bred singer-songwriter and producer is a pretty elusive figure compared to OVO founder Drake. But the ambiguity has left fans to latch onto his music and nothing else, so expect them to clamor for PARTY’s new body of work.

Clocking in at 12 cuts, including the previously released songs, “Her Way” and “Muse.” PARTYNEXTDOOR TWO, due July 29, is available for pre-order via iTunes. Fans who do so will receive “Her Way” and a cut featuring Drizzy called “Recognize.”

Stream the song below. Find the artwork and tracklist there as well.



1. East Liberty
2. SLS
3. Sex on the Beach
4. Her Way
5. Belong to the City
6. Grown Woman
7. FWU
8. Recognize (Feat. Drake)
9. Options
10. Thirsty
11. Bout It
12. Muse

Georgia Anne Muldrow Releases “Ms. One” with MonoNeon

MonoNeon, a lefty known for playing a right-handed bass upside down, has brought his style to Georgia Anne Muldrow’s rap/experimental EP, Ms. One.

Muldrow, the daughter of musicians — her late father invented instruments for Eddie Harris — has put together a rap collection that still harkens back to a love of 70s jazz/soul/funk sounds. It’s the first full rap record for Muldrow, a multi-instrumentalist and free-form singer who has been putting out jazz/funk/R&B







Purchase the the first full rap Ep by Georgia Anne Muldrow here: www.someothaship.bandcamp.com/album/ms-one-rap-ep

SZA & JILL SCOTT | DIVINITY

Producer Om’Mas Keith (Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt) brings together soul sisters SZA and Jill Scott for one chill collaboration. TDE’s First Lady and the Philly songstress craft an effortless seven-and-a-half-minute track entitled “Divinity” with Keith at the boards.

Kevin Cool | The Time Is Right

Prod By. Phoniks
Cover Art By Phoniks

Follow Phoniks:
twitter.com/hookedonphonikz
www.facebook.com/phoniksbeats

Follow KevinCool:
twitter.com/CoolestSince92
www.facebook.com/DivineAtoms

Anushka | One More Time

Soulful electronic pop duo Anushka. Alongside the release of their debut album 'Broken Circuit', out today on Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings Enjoy!



‘Broken Circuit’ is out now on iTunes:
smarturl.it/anushkabrokencircuit

@anushkauk
www.facebook.com/AnushkaUK
www.anushkaofficial.com
twitter.com/AnushkaUK

Essay | Latinos and the Gentrification of Hip-Hop

By: Juan Vidal/VIBE



“Appreciate the art that came through Puerto Ricans and Blacks / Speakin’ the facts / the sound is much deeper than wax…” — Common, Like They Used to Say

People devote their lives to it. They believe in its power. And while it has always inspired hatred and backlash from those who don’t comprehend its essence, there’s no question that it’s long invoked a certain brand of fanaticism, too. In that way, you could say hip-hop is one of the most polarizing forms of art.

Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian fame is one of its biggest proponents. But he’s pretty pissed about how things have taken shape. He doesn’t mind speaking on it either, detailing his hang-ups with zeal and unwavering conviction. Jamar, whose music career reached its peak in the 90s, considers himself a purist—a living reminder of hip-hop’s long held traditional values. “I’m that voice of what hip-hop used to be,” he told Leon Neyfakh. His frustrations? The growing presence and acceptance of homosexuality in the music, rappers wearing skirts and chalking it up to self-expression, and, well, white rappers in general. “You know this is a black man’s thing.”

But is it?

While Lord Jamar’s claims can be easily dismissed as petty and antiquated, there’s no denying the resurgence of white rappers on the airwaves over the last decade or so. From the current commercial success of acts like Macklemore and Mac Miller, to the growing notoriety of Yelawolf and Machine Gun Kelly, the evidence of hip-hop’s gentrification is there. Many would consider that a good thing, a healthy progression. Jamar sees it as a “hijacking of the genre.” Then there is the anomaly that is Eminem. But he doesn’t really count. Lord Jamar likes Eminem.

*****

So, was hip-hop, which began as an outlet for creativity and even positive protest, something created by a single group of people? An art form with its roots in funk, rhythm, and soul, hip-hop has forever been understood to be black music. Yet, one cannot deny that Latinos have been there since day one—standing right alongside blacks in the struggle for a voice and a piece of the elusive American dream. That story, however, has in many ways been denied or forgotten. Early films like Wild Style and Beat Street do the work of documenting the unity between blacks and Hispanics from the jump. Breakers like Crazy Legs, Prince Markie Dee of Fat Boys fame, and Tito of the Fearless Four—all Latino—are examples of innovators who helped lay the groundwork. But if you listen to the radio or tune in to relevant music video outlets, you wouldn’t see the proof.

So where are the Latino rappers? Sure, there’s Pitbull, but, dear God, who else? Where is the new generation of Fat Joes and Big Puns?

Remember Chino XL?



Those of who grew up in hip-hop’s Golden Era long for the sensibility of trendsetters like The Beatnuts and Cypress Hill, the ones who represented and brought Latino flavor to the forefront. We can spot some traces today but they’re pretty scarce.

Kid Cudi is part Mexican but it’s hardly common knowledge. The same goes for Fabolous, who is half Dominican, and rapper/producer Swizz Beatz, born to a Puerto Rican mother. Joell Ortiz, the Boricua emcee and 1/4 of the supergroup Slaughterhouse, is among the most talented and lyrically gifted of any ethnicity. Where is his shine?

Tony Touch, an internationally revered DJ and the self-proclaimed “funky bilingual,” is a regular on the club circuit. With plenty of mixtapes, studio albums, and collaborative projects to speak of, he is unquestionably one of the best to ever mesh Spanish and English behind the mic. But despite his uncanny ability and the respect he garnered as an emcee, his focus has always been on the turntables and on bringing artists together on wax for the sole purpose of diversity.

Grammy-nominated producer Rey King, noted for his work with Latin pop and bachata sensation Leslie Grace, is an artist on the come-up. He talks about the overall Americanization of Latinos in the hip-hop industry. “The few Latinos that we have in rap today,” he tells me over the phone, “don’t even speak the language that is native to their parents. There are exceptions, but not many.” This lends to the fact that, out of the small number of Latinos in the spotlight, an even smaller amount are mixing Spanish into their lyrics. It says something about a language that—although it remains the second most spoken in the United States due to immigration and population growth—is being forsaken in many Latin-American households.

*****

Maybe the lack of Latinos in the genre is an issue with deeper roots than we understand. Perhaps industry executives just don’t understand how to put dollars behind a rapper of Latino descent. As it stands, marketing white rappers seems like a fairly easy undertaking, provided there is some talent. White rappers—permit the directness—seem safe, easily digestible for a wider audience. They don’t incite the fear of a Dr. Dre or a 50 Cent, who’ve made millions peddling what some might call violent and misogynistic music. And the truth is, no one expects the man who penned “Thrift Shop”, which Billboard recently recognized as the top-ranking rap song of all time, to be anything other than what he is: talented yes, but no doubt a dispenser of material on the level of comfort food.

There you have it. Pop-rap sells, gangster rap (a term this writer abhors) sells. White rappers sell, black rappers sell.

So where does the brown rapper fit into the mix? The one who is not quite white and not quite black? Consider the aforementioned Cypress Hill. Comprised of B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs, the group reached their pinnacle in the 90s. While they certainly cultivated an identity centered on smoking weed, the list of commendable feats is astonishing. Their accomplishments, from chart-topping sales to participating in tours like Woodstock and even headlining Lollapalooza, have cemented them as one of the most important entities in music history. Not only did songs like “Insane in the Brain” become mainstream hits, but Cypress Hill was also the first to have two albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 simultaneously. To this day, DJ Muggs unapologetically lighting up a joint during their 1993 SNL performance—a stunt that got them banned from the show­—is one of the most memorable moments to ever air on live television. Their penchant for provoking and eliciting reactions through their gritty tunes and charismatic personas is what set Cypress Hill apart. Now, decades removed from their most successful releases, they are still the highest selling Latin rap group of all time.

Leader of the now-defunct Rage Against the Machine, Zach de la Rocha—whose grandfather fought in the Mexican Revolution—paid homage while introducing them in Los Angeles. According to de la Rocha, Cypress Hill was responsible for “setting off a whole other path in hip-hop; bringing the experience of Latinos into the rhyme.”



*****

Though it can be tempting to dismiss Pit Bull as only minimally skilled and watered down, his allure is worth noting. His singles generate millions and, like it or not, practically dominate radio on a consistent basis. Get the bpm’s at or around 135, throw a catchy hook on that piece, and Pitbull—with his trademark Spanglish—will make you dance something stupid. But let’s give him his due. For all of his “Dale!” and “Mr. Worldwide!” he’s managed to strike a chord, exemplifying the young Cuban male in ways no one can bypass or deny. His “inexplicable appeal”, to quote GQ, has proven to be a “reflection of these dire times.” And while he doesn't reflect the thug mentality of Chicano rap legends like Kid Frost and Mellow Man Ace, his Latin Grammys and his partnership with P. Diddy on Bad Boy Latino would suggest that he’s here to stay. For at least a while.

The reality is this: Even with the success of Cypress Hill and Pitbull, there has never been a sizable representation of Latino’s in mainstream hip-hop. There has also never been a clear explanation as to why. It does seem to speak to a more complex matter: the way recording artists as a whole are marketed.

In order to appeal to a certain demographic, business strategies must be put into play. It’s the nature of things, and has been for a very long time. So Richard Valenzuela gets changed to Ritchie Valens and Peter Hernandez becomes Bruno Mars. Spin something the right way and you can control the results. Are you telling me that if Bruno Mars had remained Peter Hernandez he would be the pop sensation he is today? He’d be a star, naturally, but he’d likely have been pegged a Latino artist and wouldn’t enjoy the universal acclaim he does today. Nor would he have hits with the likes of Eminem, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg.

Throw some money behind something and you can achieve any desired outcome. Again, control: it’s precisely what the music industry is built upon. So where are the Latino emcees?

“Dale.”

Juan Vidal is a writer and cultural critic from Miami. He tweets at @itsjuanlove.

Lenzman ft. Martyna Baker | Anticipate

The new single from Lenzman's forthcoming LP 'Looking at the Stars'.