Single: Sean Born ft. Maffew Ragazino - Trust in Me (prod. by Dunc)

The DMV-repper known as Sean Born links with one of Brooklyn's best new hopes in Maffew Ragazino for a superbly produced cut (courtesy of fellow DMV'er Dunc of DTMD fame) that is is guaranteed to have the nostalgia pulsating within you...

Curly Castro - Fidel

Time to get hipper to a fresh face that is someone you def. need to check for, i.e. Brooklyn's own, Curly Castro...

His new tape/LP "Fidel" is 13 tracks deep and features production from Has-Lo, Small Pro, Blurry Drones and others as well as guest spots from Georgia Anne muldrow, Zilla Rocca and Ari Lourdes.


Curly Castro - Fidel

Single: Chuuwee - World Is Mine (prod by Beats4Clothes)

Chuuwee, the highly promising West Coast upstart who is just as talented as a certain Compton kid being labelled the "next Nas", drops a new track that features his talents over a Beats4Clothes track.

Look for Chuu and Beats4Clothes' new joint EP titles "Killa Califia" real soon..

Single: Joey Bada$$ - Unorthodox (prod. by DJ Premier)

Now we have the CDQ version! Posted the radio rip up yesterday, now we have the official Joey Bada$$ banger that features that timeless ass Premo production...

Single: Joey Bada$$ - Unorthodox (prod. by DJ Premier) [Radio Rip]

Ahhhh man.. I was already a Joey Bada$$ fan, but this pretty much cements his status to me.. anytime you get this man Premo to co-sign you, you're well on ya way, and old heads with staunch notions for the old school will accept you..

On a sidenote, I guess that Mountain Dew is gettin in the friggin' music game.. make of that what you will.. In any case, this is the Radio Rip of "Unorthodox"; Joey's new track, that features classic Premo production...

Green Lantern - Altitude Mix

So this is a bit unorthodox for Green, but yet, here it is; a 40 minute mix of what he describes as "beats, sounds, remixes, songs I made and like" ... So there it is.. Merry X-Mas kiddies..

22 cuts in all, among them are joints from Kendrick Lamar, Bro Safari, 2 Chainz, Carnage, Sidney Sampson, RL Grime and Dillon Francis among others..

Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era: PEEP: The Aprocalypse

So yeah, I been down awhile (yet again) but while so, I still have had the opportunity to peep a few things, and in all honesty, this one right here stands alone at the top in terms of dopeness...

Joey Badass links with his skilled crew, jumps in Micheal J. Fox's time machine and guns it to 1994 for "Peep The Apocolypse"; a 17-track compilation of some of their newer work that must be peeped.. MUST..

Excellent production and rhymes all over this..


Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era: PEEP: The Aprocalypse

Single: Nemo Achida - Hi end (intro)

"Climax Shit II" is the name of Nemo Achida's new EP that's coming on the 18th, here's a taste of what's to come..

Mr. Achida breaks us off the intro, "Hi end" that if any indication, will set up a fuzzy, sexually charged, yet smooth project filled with bangers..

Video: Mistah F.A.B. - Generation Lost

When it comes to the Bay area and parts surrounding Fabby is that guy you turn to for it all.. Introspection is the flavor of this tune as Fab takes some time to look at how this generation seems awfully wayward and as the title states, lost..

Wise words being spoken.. take a moment and listen..

Single: Zilla Rocca - The Q And The A (prod. by Small Professor)

Yo, real spit, this man Zilla Rocca outdid himself here.. this is thee consumant tribute record to none other than Newport New's own, The Question, Allen Iverson... aka the greatest scoring point guard of all time.. yeah, I said it..

Zilla cycles through no. 3's biography masterfully and recounts Allen's high's and lows with great tact and honesty.. this is a great, great record.. with Small Pro production to boot!

Zilla's upcoming "Party With Villians" EP should be on your radar NOW..

Trailer: Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City

In case you're livin' on a Mars colony these days, the kid out west that goes by the name of Kendrick is really garnering some wild praise from folks all over the country.

The Internet is goin nuts as they say and the reviews are lookin up too.. Go get it, if for nuthin else, that standout cut with MC Eiht..

14KT - A Friendly (Vocal) Game Of KT

If you keep up with ya past, dope, instrumental releases, than you'll remember 14KT dropping this collection of crazy ass beats not too long ago.. Fast forward to a few days ago and the former Athletic Mic League member, current The Lab Techs member, and Ypsilanti, MI native is back with a bit of a re-imagining to four of the cuts..

As he re-releases the "(Voca)l" version of "A Friendly Game Of KT" as a four track EP that features  not only himself going in on the mic ("AsWe (Continue)"), but Skyzoo, The Black Opera and Oddisee & Oliver Daysoul as well, you get to really enjoy a melding of styles over such a rich and inventive style of production that 14KT possess...

my only qualm is that all the instro's didn't get the same treatment.

Single: Chuuwee - The What! (prod. by Ohblive)

Sacramento's best, Chuuwee once again drops heavy heat here as he takes a subdued track from Ohblive and shreds it proper..

Next Tuesday Chuu will drop his log-awaited and much anticipated "Wild Style"  mixtape that I know will perk some ears out there.. homie is talented..

Single: Nocando - Where's The Money?

This is for the youngins... I know, I know, it can't all be boom bap, all day, 24/7... well, it really can, but I'll indulge some of you 1994 babies..

Here's a joint that I'm sure will be a hit in the (strippin) club soon.. West coast rhyme slinger Nocando drops "Where's The Money?" on ya heads..

"Jimmy The Burnout" comin soon..

Single: DJ Kay Slay ft. Kendrick Lamar, SchoolBoy Q & Jay Rock - Highway To Hell

Man, I don't think I've bumped a Kay Slay tape since 05'.. back then the Drama King could do no wrong and was launching the careers of many a promising new act... His LP's featured guest spots galore and the production was always the truth... Here in the 2012 it seems Slay is focusing more so on the satellite radio game and other things, but he still drops a new tape from time to time..

Slay's latest mixtape is called "Return Of The Gate Keeper" and as per usual it's got that hardcore flair to it that we've come to know and love from him.. One of the standout cuts featured on it displays the once again re-surging talent well out west with three of Cali's (L.A.'s) most active and gifted new emcees in Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock..

Apparently this is the original version of "Highway To Hell".. thus making it all the more exclusive, and you know we digs those..

The Lower Class - Wingfield

DO NOT sleep on these cats... don't do it.. you've stumbled upon a new group that truly is doing something fresh and highly dope.. You gettin ready to hear The Lower Class...

Leaning on producer imaGenius's inventive Jazz and soul-infused arrangements, Kartune and Pliny Science kick wildly astute, yet oh so loose rhymes that easily catch your ear and provide a sort of very nostalgic, mid 90's feel...

You won't be disappointed in these new cats.. straight outta San Marcos, Texas of all places...

RubyHornet.com & Soundscape Studios Presents.. Closed Sessions Vol.2

This has been a long time coming, but trust, it was worth the wait...

Closed Sessions Vol. 2 was recorded from May, 2010 through January, 2012 and features a collection of artists that help to shape Hip Hop music and culture during that time period.  Closed Sessions Vol. 2 presents Hip Hop fans with new music, as well as a candid look into the creative process of many talented artists. We’re happy to release this full album today as a free download.  Download the album below.  Enjoy it. Share it. Tell a friend to tell a friend.  And look for more releases from Closed Sessions coming soon.  If you’re in Chicago, come to our release party tonight at Reggie’s Rock Club on their rooftop deck. We’ll have free wings, DJs Manny Muscles and YungGroupon, plus some physical copies. 

Thank you to everyone that participated in this album and documentary series, and everyone that has supported it. Special thank you to Tony Shane.

RubyHornet.com & Soundscape Studios Presents.. Closed Sessions Vol.2

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.

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.