Set to arrive on December 16, Ab-Soul’s fifth studio LP will feature Big Sean, Russ, Joey Bada$$, Jhené Aiko, SiR Punch, Zacari, Fre$h, Ambré, ALEMEDA and Lance Skiiiwalker. On the production side of things, he joins forces with Sounwave, DJ Premier, James Blake, Hit-Boy, Boi-1da, DJ Dahi, among others. Feel like he have rap album of the year potential here so excited to see what Soulo drops on us here.
Read moreWAKEN BACON - MORNING MELODIES PLAYLIST
good morning y’all
This playlist began this past Sunday morning when I woke up at 4:30am at my buddy’s farm in Escondido, CA. Something about this morning inspired me to take a hike and be present in the moment waiting for the sun to rise. All of my friends were asleep and it was just me in the dark out in the wilderness enjoying life and the calmness it can bring when you just let things come to you. These are the songs that I will forever tie to this morning sunrise and the weekend with friends out at the farm.
Read moreBEACH VIBES PLAYLIST
When I hit the beach I like to have everything in order. Got the beach towels laid out, the cooler full of snacks on point, the sunscreen on lock, the beach games in the backpack ready to go, and a chair or two to take it all in. But once all of this is in order, you definitely gotta have the music ready to go.
Read moreTHE MF DOOM PLAYLIST
I woke up this morning and saw an IG post from Quasimoto saying that today would have been MF DOOM’s 50th birthday. While DOOM is unfortunately no longer with us, his music will live forever.
Read moreJULY 4TH SPOTIFY SUMMER PLAYLIST
Alright…. pandemic hopefully behind us… it’s time to call up the homies, fire up the BBQ, spark up a j, crack a brew and cannonball into the pool. I know y’all need a soundtrack for the day but don’t trip… I got you. Before we get to the July 4th playlist, I wanted to share some good ole red, white, and blue pics.
Read moreFATHER’S DAY RAP PLAYLIST
Sup y’all! Short and sweet on this one. This is my first year celebrating Father’s Day so you know I had to build the rap playlist to support.
Read moreSLACKER ROCK
I never knew Slacker Rock was an actual music genre until I googled, “What genre is Mac DeMarco?” Then I saw the name Slacker Rock and it just fit his style perfectly. It also had my mind running of what else could be considered Slacker Rock and what other genres could mesh well with it. This blog will walk you through my thought process and then get you to my playlist at the very end. Down for the journey?
Read moreSUMMERTIME RAP PLAYLIST
We’ve all been holed up in our homes over the past year and change and now we’re all ready to let loose. Nah… Let loose sounds corny…. I think I can collectively say that we’re all down to rage. And living out here on the west coast, we need that laid back, tank top wearing, bucket hat rockin, type of vibe to get us where we need to go.
Read moreSMOOTH TUNES FOR A FINE AFTERNOON
I’m going to try to limit this to as few words as possible. I caught a vibe on this Spotify playlist. It started with Benny Sings and then I went down a rabbit hole from there. To sum this Spotify playlist up, I guess I’ll say it’s a blend of songs that you can play on a lazy afternoon while you’re made in the shade with a glass of lemonade. Genres include Neosoul, Electropop, Pop, Beach, Alternative, Indi, Psychedelic, Soul, Dance, and Electronic. I probably missed 2 or 12 genres but you get it. Enjoy!
Read moreTHE LITTLE BROTHER PLAYLIST
For those unaware, Little Brother began with 9th Wonder on the beats with Big Pooh and Phonte on the rhymes. Little Brother is a part of a bigger collective called the Justus League which includes 8 emcees, 5 producers, 1 DJ, and 1 consultant. They’re based in North Carolina and have been putting out dope music since the early 2000’s. To get you started on this playlist, we have to start with Little Brother’s album, The Listening which dropped in 2003. 9th was making his beats on a computer program called Fruity Loops and the hip hop purists back then shunned him for not using the normal equipment that producers use.
Read moreTHE STATIK SELEKTAH PLAYLIST
Statik Selektah is one of the best producers in the game and his beats have been playing in my headphones for the last 10 years. Statik signed a management deal with Roc Nation a few years ago so I’m happy getting what he deserves in the music industry. Statik just dropped an album with indie rap star KOTA the Friend called To Kill a Sunrise and the album is dope.
Read moreLIL WAYNE - I MISS MY DAWGS
Through this year of lockdown I’ve learned to better appreciate my family and friends because they are with me through the thick and the thin. I’ve seen family and friendship bonds grow stronger during this quarantine and I’m confident we’re going to come out of this as better people. During the past year, I’ve been putting together a playlist that pulls together all of my favorite rap songs that have a family and/or friendship theme.
Read moreEARLY MORNING COFFEE BEATS AND INSTRUMENTALS
Recently I’ve been waking up between 3am and 4am every morning while the rest of my family is asleep. This gives me time to catch up on my 9-5 when my coworkers are sleeping as well. I find that I’m most productive during these hours while the world isn’t awake yet. Because once the daily grind starts with that 9-5 it’s straight to Zoom calls back-to-back-to-back. It can suck the energy out of you. That’s why when I do have time to actually get work done, I need some beats to help me focus and be productive. This playlist is for others like me who need some background music while making your way through the day. Before I get to the playlist, I’d like to give a few producers some shine.
Read moreTHUNDERCAT - IT IS WHAT IT IS
Props go out to Thundercat on bringing home the Grammy last night for “Best Progressive R&B Album.” Thundercat has had a long career in the music business from his time with Suicidal Tendencies, his many collaborations with the game’s greats (Herbie Hancock, Mac Miller, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell, etc.), and his steady work on the Bass right alongside his partner in music, Flying Lotus.
Read moreBENNY THE BUTCHER AND HARRY FRAUD - THE PLUGS I MET 2 EP
Just read the news that Benny the Butcher and Harry Fraud have an EP coming out on March 19th. It will be the sequel of The Plugs I Met so you know it’s about to be major. Harry Fraud has been on a great run lately with Curren$y and Larry June and Benny’s album with Hit Boy, Burden of Proof , was fire and “3:30 in Houston” is an absolute banger. Dude was rapping from a wheelchair after he and his crew got shot up in a robbery attempt in a Walmart parking lot.
Read moreFRIDAY AFTERNOON HIP HOP VIBES
Recently the hip hop world has had MF Doom and Double K from the People Under the Stairs taken from us. To OG hip hop heads this is a very big deal. Both emcees were staples in Underground Hip Hop’s emergence from the late 90’s into the 2000’s. I know I speak for a lot of us when I say we’re numb from these 2 losses. But if it has done anything for me it has cemented the fact that I love hip hop now just as much as I did back then.
Read moreBIG SEAN - FINALLY FAMOUS
Big Sean dropped his new album Detroit 2 this week and I’m really digging it. To celebrate the release of his new album, I went back through his entire discography so I could build a Spotify playlist of his best tracks. I also wrote a blog that details Sean’s come up in the rap game out of Detroit with his Finally Famous mixtape series. Detroit has long been a hotbed for hip hop talent and Sean forever pays homage to the city he grew up in. He’s had legendary verses on some of rap’s biggest hits over the last 15 years and he stays in rotation with each strong release.
Read moreLIL WAYNE - NO CEILINGS
When I heard that Lil Wayne’s classic mixtape No Ceilings had dropped on Spotify it was time to celebrate. While Mixtape Weezy has MANY great mixtapes with bangers all over the place, No Ceilings holds a special place in my heart. When I think of Lil Wayne, I think of different homies of mine and the songs and albums we’ve spent so much time dissecting. This is an article highlighting Weezy but it’s also a flashback or different moments of time when Lil Wayne’s music served as my soundtrack.
Read moreTHE DMX VS. SNOOP PLAYLIST
With the DMX Vs. Snoop battle going down tonight on Apple Music and Instagram, it was only right that I went back in time to the 90’s and 00’s. Both DMX and Snoop played critical roles in my upbringing through their music and I have vivid memories for when they both first came on the scene. Rap was everything to my crew and it didn’t matter where you were from as long as you made dope music. And that’s exactly what DMX and Snoop did. They made timeless classics. Here is my story…
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