Yak Ballz - Gas Galaxy (Album)

Underground impresario and former Fondle Em' Records all-star, Yak Ballz makes his return to the rap scene with a very generous offering of his latest album "Gas Galaxy", for free....

Originally this was slated to be released in 09' on Def Jux, but seeing as how that didn't happen, we get it now....

Here's Yak's thoughts:

So much has happened through the creation of this record. Happy to share it with you it’s entirety. Welcome to Gas Galaxy. I would like to thank Chapter 7 for making this possible. To Oliver Cartwright for the amazing art provided for individual tracks in the process. Special thanks to Lunice and Circuit Bored for the remixes.

Single: Skyzoo - Jansport Strings [One Time For Chi-Ali] (prod. by 9th Wonder)

When the young, brash Brooklynite known as Skyzoo links with the brainy and soulful producer/professor 9th Wonder the results usually have been resounding.. This case is no different...

Paying homage to both an iconic piece of gear in Janspot backpacks and a one time young, brash prodigy in his own right in Chi-Ali, Sky laces this one properly..

Sky explains the science behind this cut below:

"The idea behind Jansport Strings is not based on it being literal, but more so in the figurative sense. As a kid in NY, the strings on your Jansport bag were a sign of power and presence. Kids would steal the strings off of each other's bags and burn the tips to prevent getting robbed of them once they got them. The song is a 3 minute auto-bio of me as a kid in Brooklyn and seeing more than my friends and I had bargained for. In essence, my Jansport strings tied it all together, seeing what we all saw and what it made us. The ending is a clip from Video Music Box, the legendary NYC video show run by DJ Ralph McDaniels. This episode in particular was the debut of Chi-Ali's 'Age Ain't Nothin But A Number'. Seeing that video that day on this episode of VMB made me start rhyming. This clip was literally the moment that changed my life." -Skyzoo

Sky's new album "A Dream Deferred" is due out this October 2nd..

Video: Talib Kweli ft. Curren$y & Kendrick Lamar - Push Thru

Brand newness from Talib, Kendrick and Curren$y that absolutely takes you right into their home environs for the new visuals to their excellent collaboration track, "Push Thru".

Beautifully shot video, wonderful track produced by S1...

Directed by Scott Fleishman and Fredo Tovar.

DJ JS-1 - Demolition Mixtape

How'd I miss this man???

I'mma keep the description brief, seeing as I'm waaay late on getting this to ya'll (about a month). All you really need to know is that this is 3 hours worth of demos from some of the best names in Hip-Hop, ever, all served up by none other than DJ JS-1..

91 tracks from names that absolutely molded the scene in the 90s...


DJ JS-1 - Demolition Mixtape

Single: Mikkey Halsted ft. Pusha T - Momma In My Ear (prod. by Young Chop)

Perhaps the hardest, realest track you gon' hear all Summer...

Chi-Town's Mikkey Halsted jumps on a superlatively done up cut from producer Young Chop that is sure to induce hardcore mental visualizations..

Mikkey handles business and gives one of the better hardcore writers of the past 10 or so years, Pusha T, a run for his money..

Mikkey's "Castro Project" that is being executively produced by both No I.D. and Don Cannon drops soon..

Single: Lower Entrance ft. Raashan Ahmad - Take It Easy

All you production fiends who love new names that really smash their shit together well, Warsaw, Poland based production team, Lower Entrance is for you..

This is track A2 (see above) off their upcoming "Mass Production" EP, that features PHH favorite Raashan Ahamd...

Single: The Audible Doctor ft. Von Pea - F.U.B.U. (prod. by Marink)

One of BBAS' standout producers laces up a sterling track that he actually only rhymes on with Tanya Morgan's Von Pea... they destroy Marink's production with honest verses and deliver a message loud and clear.

Nevermind the association of the track title being with one of the most nonfuckwitable brands now, (FUBU had it's run and it's long over), listen to the subject matter man! This is an anthem for all the cats out there that still make real rap for the real heads.. and will continue to do so...

The Black Opera - Overture EP

The first rule of listening to Black Opera is that you don't ask too many questions about The Black Opera...

A brand new 7-track offering has found it's way to us.. it's comprised of joints we should already be familiar with...

Production on here is handled by some heavyweights... 14KT, Apollo Brown and DJ Rhettmatic all check in...

The Black Opera launched its first mission last year with Overture. The 7-track audio demonstration was the first glimpse of the secretive conglomerate of artists and musicians that act as counter-cultural operatives. Hidden in plain sight, Overture turned heads with production from 14KT, Apollo Brown, Rhettmatic, SlopFunkDust, J-Rell, and Nick Speed. Mello Music Group is providing the people with this introduction, Overture, free in an effort to recruit more people to the movement.

Single: Trinity (A.G. & Sadat X) ft. Janelle Collins - Sunshine (prod. by J Dilla)

When the owner and founder of Fat Beats is gettin ready to put out a record, maaaan, you better pay attention...

Said owner is DJ Jab, and yes, he's preparing to release what I'm sure will be a great, great record, titled "The Trinity Project",  that will feature names like Immortal Technique, Ill Bill, Slug, Grand Puba, Roc Marciano and many others..

Today's business however is this butter funk gem.. an unreleased J Dilla track that was purchased direct from Dilla's foundation... Over it, is none other than 90s stalwarts A.G. and Sadat X... those smooth vocals you hear are handled by Janelle Collins..

Nature - The Ashtray Effect

A cat that I spent a good amount of my time bumpin in High School, in his supposed hay day..

Nature, another piece of a very talented and vast Queensbridge picture that had for a lil' while, seemed to of moved on from rap, I'm happy to say has returned. Once upon a time this would be an emcee who I, a burgeoning young head, would easily throw into a convo abt slept-on emcees with a creative writing style. It does my mind well to hear he's once again frying the shit outta tracks.

"The Ashtray Effect" is a very strong reappearance for the former Firm member and is precisely what I've been waiting to hear from the man.. Co-hosted by Mickey Knox and Supersar Jay it contains a host of recent collabs, exclusive new tracks and a few classic cuts her and there..


Nature - The Ashtray Effect 

Single: Havoc - Separated (Real From The Fake)

Say it ain't really so... Say this man Hav ain't just make a straight scathing subliminal joint for Prodigy... and had Eddie Sancho mix the shit.. hahaha..

Welp, this shit has been going on for a minute.. I guess it culminates in this.. Your move P...

Single: The BenchWarmers Clique - London Fog

The South Florida duo known as The BenchWarmers (Joka Wild and Travesty) are back with a new and as per usual, dope single offering for all fans of all things authentic rap..

Taking a track from UK beatsmith Handbook, the two go to work crafting a straight up smooth effort. A perfect lil' tune to crank up while you peep the Olympics and one that'll give you a chance to turn Bob Costas' voice on mute.

Single: Murs X Fashawn - Slash Gordon (prod. by Beatnick & K-Salaam)

Wow... two words..well, names.. two names and one letter... "Murs" "X" "Fashawn" kids... Where did this come from??? Nevermind that.. I'm just gassed that they're doing it..

The project is going to be called "This Generation" and it drops on September 26th... this be the initial single and yeah.. your interests should be effin' piqued.. Effin' piqued!!

More details below! West West baby!

To promote the album, Murs and Fashawn will tour cross-country as members of the Rock the Bells lineup in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles this summer. Proud to be a part of such a prestigious event, Fashawn exclaims, “It will be a great stage show. You have two MCs that love performing. It will definitely be a very spontaneous set.”

Their live shows will cement the fact that there is no generational gap on This Generation. Despite their varying ages and life perspectives, Murs and Fashawn have come together to create an energetic, passionate, and thoughtful work that is sure to please music fans worldwide.

Nottz & D.M.P. - Live From Early Street

It's here... As promised, VA producer and sometimes emcee Nottz has officially gotten up with his homeboy's once again and recorded some new material for all of us D.M.P. Click fans that been down since "Nottz: DMP The Mixtape" ... 


"Live From Early Street" is the 21 track follow up that features Nottz, his beats, his crew and  guest features from Phonte and Joell Ortiz...


Nottz & D.M.P. - Live From Early Street

Video: Masta Killa - What You See/Cali Sun

New Masta Killa people!! AKA mandatory viewing...

Here the Wu clansmen debuts his new video for "What You See" and "Cali Sun", and it's refreshing to see how this man continues to grow, continues to do new things and take fresh approaches.. These joints just feel like Summer time partying don't they?

Directed by Jeff Pliskin... Masta Killa's new LP "Selling My Soul" comin soon!

Singles: Homeboy Sandman - Whatchu Want From Me? (prod. by Oddisee)

Ahhhhh man... this is just.. wow.. how is Oddisee not in your Top 10 Best producers yet, and how have you not went out and copped everything associated with Homeboy Sandman yet??

Here the two burgeoning superstars in the upper realms of the underground fuel each other's creativity and craft a classic type cut, "Whatchu Want From Me?"

Homeboy's upcoming LP "First Of A Living Breed" drops on September 18th!!

DJ Soko - The Preset Mix

If you're like me than you def. felt like one of the best new groups to spring forward last year was Detroit-based collective The Left, comprised of producer Apollo Brown (who is still housing shit) emcee Journalist 103 (who is nice with it) and DJ Soko (who can friggin' spin it).

I loved Apollo's solo releases as well as what he did with the group and as it turns out Soko actually put a lil' something together for one of the earlier, more slept-on one's that Apollo did...

"Nice little mini mix that I did for Mello Music Group around the time Apollo Brown's album The Reset had been released. It ended up not coming out until now. Apollo was making his waves as a new producer coming from Detroit so I made the intro to this mix a reflection of that going back from Motown leading up to Detroit hip hop and then to the rising of a new name in the Detroit hip hop community: Apollo Brown." -DJ Soko

Video: Ruste Juxx & The Arcitype - Rock To The Rhythm

New hardcore ish' for you hardcore lovers!

Boot Camp Clik'er Ruste Juxx preps his loyal following for his upcoming collab album with Beantown producer The Arcitype with this new video and single, "Rock To The Rhythm"...

Video is pretty straight forward.. love the scenes on the lowrider bike with Juxx just riding around and the scenes with Arcitype in the lab creating beats while smoking a cigar..

Juxx's and Arcitype's "V.I.C." is due out September 25th digitally and physically..

Single: Freddie Joachim - Binoculars

The always Jazzy and soulful production force known as Freddie Joachim slaps us in the face with a new instrumental fit for zoning out on the beach with... if you got a beach anyway..

While those blessed enough to enjoy this that way do so, I guess the rest of us can grab some binoculars and  get down...

Freddie's latest is indeed a great look.. peep it out.

Single: Ill Poetic - Autonomy

"Generation ADHD, Generation pay me, play me, Generation selfish.."


Some true words gettin kicked here.. some contending words for the youth.. maybe they oughta listen..

Cincinnati emcee Ill Poetic serves up a dandy here...