Devon - "Mi Sawng Phiti Ciques"

Check this song out. 'Nuff said.

Devon - "Mi Sawng Phiti Ciques"

Contemporary Favourites - 9. Novel - 808s and Mixtapes - 2008

When I first went to fact-check Novel's Wiki after downloading 808s and Mixtapes, I was surprised the mixtape was my first encounter with his music. Having worked as a writer, producer, and performer with a number of high-profile artists (Talib Kweli, Lauryn Hill), Novel is something like what MF Doom is to undergound art-hop - an under-the-radar artist with as much, if not more, talent than his commercially successful counterparts, despite being recognized as such by the former. Novel is an artist's artist, the type of musician who receives credit from other musicians, but for whatever reason, fails to resonate entirely in the mainstream. 

808s and Mixtapes however, demonstrates Novel's potential to change this. 808AM is a mixtape centered around 808s and Heartbreak's instrumentals, chopping and juxtaposing them as necessary to create a final product that is distant enough from 808AH to create an entirely unique and personal expression of 2008 in the life of Novel.

"Intro-spective," the opener, addresses violence at the individual, and governmental level, while acting as one of the greatest Mixtape welcome verses of the year:

"They say a bullet shine like a ray of light, especially in a battlefield where it breaks night. The AK got a young kid in its sight. Love is war and religion is a way of life - it's fucked up. You could lose a ligament, everybody join in it's a big event. Get your rocket launchers and hand grenades, maybe there's another country we can invade. For instance, what's the government's intent? The poor stay poor, the rich gon get rich, life's a bitch, so you might as well get bent, life long - fuck it Im gonna get my ten cents. And so I go hard, this is for all of those who'd think I'd fail until almost lost my leeway. Fuck what he say, I'ma do me - Welcome to the mixtape."

This passage is probably the album's best lyrically, but Novel's melodic sensibility is really what defines the tape. "Hard 2 Stay Afloat" pairs exceptional melodies and harmonies with the reworked synth and percussion parts of "Coldest Winter," as is seen on "Amazin'" and "Music," borrowing from "Amazin'" and "Flashing Lights" respectively, without biting too hard.

For those more drawn to the album's hip-hop offerings, the more interestingly placed songs deliver on this front. "Welcome to Heartbreak" features Spree Wilson whose verse twists the track in a way that allows the use of the instrumental in its album form. "Wild West" and "Southern Boy" mediate between the hip-hop and R&B aspects of the album, completing each perfectly. And the odd, yet appropriate, "Lost+" may rely heavily on the Coldplay chorus, but none-the-less is pleasing and original. 

The album's strongest track is found at it's end, "I Can Be President" featuring Joell Ortiz. This song is locked in a three-way-tie for my favourite 2008 election track, with "My President is Black ft. Jay-Z" and "Black President." Ortiz' verse is amazing, and the best melodies and harmonies come into play here. If you hear only one track off this mixtape, make it the instrumentally excellent "I Can Be President" which features the best pairing of guitar and orchestra in recent hip-hop memory.

Note to Novel: Where is your debut?!

Novel - 808s and Mixtapes - 2008

01. Intro-spective (feat. Adelle)
02. Welcome To Heartbreak Freestyle (feat. Spree Wilson)
03. Hard 2 Stay Afloat
04. Southern Boy (feat. Ced Hughes)
05. Wild West (Breakbeat Version)
06. Amazin (Remix)
07. Lost! (Remix)
08. The Fighters (Remix) (feat. Joell Ortiz)
09. I Can Be President (feat. Joell Ortiz)
10. Music (feat. Ced Hughes)

Contemporary Favourites - 10. T-Pain - 2008

First off, I'll have to repeat this - I'm serious.

The criticism that's often directed towards T-Pain, and the use of auto-tune in general is completely unnecessary. The truth is, not only are T-Pain, Kanye, and Lil' Wayne using it to mask their sense of vocal pitch. It's arguable that, with only a handful of exceptions, every artist with a CD released in the last decade has relied on the use of auto-tune in some way. T-Pain stands out simply due to his excessive use of the technology, not to make minor adjustments, but to create his entire vocal sound. 

It's tough to deny that as robotic as its products turn out, auto-tune sounds good. It's sound serves a greater purpose than correction - auto-tune creates an appeal on the basis of simply sounding perfect. In this sense, auto-tuning software becomes an instrument in and of itself, which is essentially why, to me, it's okay for T-Pain to continue his undisguised use of it. 

This raises another important point - T-Pain is not only the singer behind his processed vocals, but also the composer and producer responsible for making the artistic choice to use Melodyne (a common auto-tuning software) in the ways he does. His lyrical content may lack depth entirely, and he may be a sub-par singer in the real world, but on the whole, T-Pain doesn't put his name on garbage. Just the opposite. Almost every single that rocked his name to the right of the "ft." ended up in heavy rotation. In my opinion, this was well deserved.

I would post a specific T-Pain album here, but neither of his best can really capture his ability as a producer, writer, or performer. His best work is scattered across many records, the majority of which aren't his. Still, on the basis of these, I would conclude that T-Pain has earned his status as one of the most recognizable names in current Hip-Hop and R&B. 

T-Pain Playlist

1. Therapy ft. Kanye West

2. Go Hard ft. DJ Khaled, Kanye West

3. I'm In Love With A Stripper

4. Bartender ft. Akon

5. Show U How ft. Teddy Pain, Teddy Penderazdoun

6. Chopped N Skrewed ft. Ludacris

7. Can't Believe It ft. Lil' Wayne

8. Got Money ft. Lil' Wayne

9. I'm A Flirt ft. R. Kelly, T.I.

10. Freeze ft. Chris Brown

11. Buy U A Drank ft. Yung Joc

12. Ringleader Man

13. Know What I'm Doin ft. Rick Ross, Birdman, Lil' Wayne

14. One More Drink ft. Ludacris

15. The Boss ft. Rick Ross

16. Good Life ft. Kanye

Shugo Tokumaru - "Parachute"

This song has been on repeat a bit much for me lately, so I thought I would post. I think Shugo Tokumaru is crazy. 

The Fray - Heartless (Kanye West Cover)

I don't like The Fray, but their singer does a pretty exceptional job of adapting "Heartless" to their band's sound. This will hopefully do the good of proving that even if you're unable to appreciate the auto-tuned vocals of 808s and Heartbreak, Kanye's songwriting is still as remarkable as ever. I'm especially into the synths reverberating in the background of the Fray's adaptation. Enjoy.

The Fray - Heartless (Kanye West Cover)

via. Kanye Universe City

Mavado - Inna Di Car Back

It's been a while, but guess who's back.

I haven't really gotten into dancehall music until now, but since I heard this track, I'm interested. 

David Constantine Brooks, better known by his stage name Mavado is a Jamaican dancehall artist, raised in "Cuba," a micro-ghetto of Kingson, Jamaica.

Mavado - Inna Di Car Back

via. P&P

The Very Best: 7. Shad-The Old Prince-2007

Not Only is Shad one of the only Canadian hip-hop artist I am not completely ashamed to represent, hes turning out to be amoung my favorite artists ever. Shad is a hard working MC from London, Ontario. Being from the same hometown, I have been following Shad's career from the begining. I know that he was truely talented from the first time I saw him perform at his senior year assembly in highschool (which happened to be the same school as Oriol's! ). It has been fun to watch his career grow and finally see him gaining some of the recognition he deserves. I still find it hard to believe just how good The Old Prince really is. This is some serious hip-hop shit people! Shads surpases his strong 2005 debut; When This Is Over in every way. His flow is great, he's on top of his game lyricly and the album features some slick production thanks to some more up and coming Canadian Talent. You can't help but get down to this record. Among my favorite tracks are I Hear You Had A Voice Like An Angel, Brother Watching, Get Up and I Dont Like To. I you haven't already, get up on this...

Shad: The Old Prince-2007

1. Intro: Quest For Glory
2. I Don't Like To
3. What We All Want
4. Brother Watching
5. Now A Daze
6. The Old Prince Still Lives At Home
7. Out Of Love PT.2
8. The Last Three Years Introlude
9. I Heard You had A Voice Like An Angel
10. Compromise
11. Exile
12. Get Up
13. Outro
    

The Grammys 2009: "Swagger Like Us"

So, this was sick. 3:04 sums it up.

Digitalism: Hands On Idealism EP-2008

Digitalism are an electro duo from Germany. I got pretty into to their 2007 album; Idealism. I just recently discovered that a remixes EP was released late last year. My favorite track is by far #3: Apollo Gize ( Fred Falke Remix ). Enjoy!

Digitalism: Hands On Idealism EP-2008

1. Home Zone (Proxy Remix)
2. Apollo Gize (Breakbot Hypnotoad Extended Remix)
3. Apollo Gize (Fred Falke Remix)
4. The Pulse (Derdiedas Remix)
5. Echoes (Siriusmo Remix)

Review: The 2009 Grammys

A few points on tonight's Grammys:

• Jay-Z and Coldplay's live version of Lost+ was unbelievable. I can only imagine how dope it must be for the two of them to chill out and write music together.

• Blink 182's appearance takes the prize for the night's biggest letdown (At least I already knew Katy Perry was going to suck). Tom was clearly less than enthused about being there, and despite them explicitly stating so, a Blink comeback just doesn't seem right after tonight.

• Kanye West has 1 stance when performing live: crouched over with his arm back.

• "Swagger Like Us" - Holy shit. Where do I begin. The four of them, the tuxedos, M.I.A. on her baby's due date. This performance was pure magic. The only let down was the song's best verse, lyrically, by T.I.. If he stopped yelling the words people might actually realize how good they are. K, J and Wayne however, performed theirs dead on. Best moment: Wayne's "I know it's us cause we the only thing to talk about." - I'll post a youTube link once they surface.

•   JT is the man. Dave Grohl is the man. Paul McCartney... tonight, not so much.

• "15 Step" was of epic proportions. Thom Yorke was a lot less reserved than he usually is. The only drawback - how jealous I am of the members of the college band they played with.

Contemporary Favourites - 11. John Legend - Get Lifted - 2004

Despite its general focus on infidelity and deceit, something about 2004s Get Lifted is extremely uplifting. Maybe it's the Kanye West instrumentals, or Legend's powerfully smooth vocals that give this album its instant appeal. Regardless, the album is well deserving of its platinum sales, critical acclaim, and 2006 Grammy award (a little late, no?). 

The offbeat rim shots and pressing drive of "Number One" are reminiscent of College Dropout era Kanye, if you need to be reassured that this isn't just an R&B record. The song leaves no question of Legend's vocal ability though, or lyrical talent for that matter. "Used to Love You," the albums first official single displays just how cohesive the record's sound is with its use of choral sections, and an anxious, repeated 'ratatat' snares. This goes without mentioning the simple, yet undeniably catchy, piano and guitar parts that define much of the record.

Though John Legend has followed Get Lifted with two solid albums, neither packs the punch this record does, which I suspect has something to do with West's decreased involvement. If for no other reason, this record is deserving of praise for its longevity - it never gets old. I'm going on 5 years. Enjoy.

John Legend - Get Lifted - 2004

1. Prelude

2. Let's Get Lifted

3. Used to Love U

4. Alright

5. She Don't Have to Know

6. Number One (feat. Kanye West)

7. I Can Change (feat. Snoop Dogg)

8. Ordinary People

9. Stay With You

10. Let's Get Lifted Again

11. So High

12. Refuge (When It's Cold Outside)

13. It Don't Have to Change

14. Life it Up

Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance

Thanks to my friend Devo for introducing me to this. This video is wild.

Tokin' Black Guy - Turn My Music High

There's a lot of speculation right now as to whether this is Kanye West, or one of his G.O.O.D. Music counterparts. I think it's Kanye, pulling a Lil' Wayne, but actually pulling it off. 

I dig. Ya dig?

Tokin' Black Guy - Turn My Music High

Via. PMA.

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala - 2007

This one has been in heavy rotation again recently - especially "Sipping on the Sweet Nectar." 

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala - 2007

Sipping On The Sweet Nectar - Jens Lekman

T-Wayne - Snap Your Fingas

A little bland to be honest. At least it's far from rock.

Twayne - Snap Your Fingas

via. On221.

Contemporary Favourites - 12. Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lava Lamp - 2008 + Brooklyn Girl

The online buzz surrounding Charles suggests 2009 will be his year. Here are some of the stories MF featured on Charles over the last few months:

http://moneyfolder.blogspot.com/2008/12/this-is-starting-to-look-like-hamilton.html

http://moneyfolder.blogspot.com/2008/12/charles-hamilton-pink-lava-lamp-2008.html

The Pink Lava Lamp is Charles pre-Major Label album that features a raw and diverse account of Sonic's crazy and unstable mind. As an added bonus, he's pretty much got the perfect voice for a young, up-and-coming hip-hop artist.

Charles Hamilton - The Pink Lava Lamp - 2008

01. MUSIC
02. LOSER
03. SHE’S SO HIGH
04. VOICES
05. BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
06. LET ME LIVE (feat. Bagdad)
07. BRIGHTER DAYS
08. THE COOKOUT
09. SAT(T)ELITE
10. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST (feat. Yung Nate)
11. COME BACK TO YOU
12. LATTE
13. SHININ’
14. I’LL BE AROUND (Outro)
15. WRITING IN THE SKY (Bonus)

If you're having trouble feeling Charles' material, look no further than this:

Brooklyn Girls - Charles Hamilton

Contemporary Favourites: 13. The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale - 2008

"The Cool Kids are a hip hop duo from Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan. The duo consists of Antoine "Mikey Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll.

Since "Mikey Rocks" and "88" mp3s first hit the internets in '06, The Cool Kids' immediately attracted my attention on the basis of their nerdy, old-school sound. I always found their sound reminiscent of Pusha T and Malice's Hell Hath No Fury, with their use of heavy yet minimalistic beat arrangements, and slow, cool, and collected verses. However, I came to realize that their cocaine references didn't just draw on Clipse for inspiration. Instead, their layering of coke selling with verses about their love for BMXs and action figures ensures The Bake Sale isn't diluted by limited lyrical content.

That being said, the overall ambience of the record can become slightly repetitive. With little in the way of tempo variation, and their frequent use of slowed vocal samples, Reed and Ingersoll do little to explore a wider variety of innovative track sounds. Still, the formula they stick with works, and despite tracks that sound similar, each is consistent in quality.

As The Cool Kids become more comfortable in their own shoes while dealing with their newfound mainstream exposure, I'll be fine with these tracks for now while I wait on their upcoming full-length, When Fish Ride Bicycles.

The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale EP - 2008

1. What Up Man
2. One Two
3. Mikey Rocks
4. 88
5. What It Is
6. Black Mags
7. A Little Bit Cooler
8. Gold And A Pager
9. Bassment Party
10. Jingling

PS. Had to include this 9thWonder remix of their latest single (for aMountain Dew promotion... wonder how many cases they got?), "Delivery Man."

 The Cool Kids - Delivery Man "

- Money Folder, Wednesdsay, December 10th, 2008

Shugo Tokumaru - Exit - 2008

Shugo Tokumaru is a singer/songriwter and multi-instrumentalist from Japan who incorporates elements of pop, folk, and electronic into his music. His latest album, Exit, was released internationally by Almost Gold on September 8th, 2008.

Shugo Tokumaru - Exit - 2008

The Subs - Subculture - 2008

The Subs are a punk-trance trio from Belgium.

The Subs - Subculture - 2009

1. Music is the new religion 

2. Kiss my trance 

3. Papillon 

4. My punk 

5. Albatross 

6. In cold blood 

7. Breathe 

8. F*ck that sh*t 

9. From dusk till down

Lil' Wayne and Katie Couric - Grammy Special

I may have been remarking earlier this week on the deteriorating quality of Wayne's musical output, but this video is a testament to the Weezy that preceded his current alter ego.

Wayne doesn't do much to convince fans he's a professional bowler, but maaan... he is real. I suggest watching this start to finish.

The Very Best: 8. Murs - 3:16: The 9th Edition - 2004

3:16 is the second full-length album released by Los Angeles-based indie rapper; Murs. Playing out at just a whopping 35 minutes, this short but sweet collection of 9th Wonder-produced jams is full of honest,witty lyrics, dirty beats and rawness. The title track still makes me want to slam my head like a motherfucker every time I hear the 1st verse kick in! I'm not the only one who likes 3:16. Many consider it to still be Murs' best work and the album received an average score of 85 our of 100 on Metacritic.com. Much like his Felt collaborator Slug (a.k.a. Atmosphere), Murs shares the gift of being able to tell incredible stories through his lyrics. Tracks like "Freak These Tales and "Walk Like A Man" make me feel as though I am experiencing what he is talking about first hand. "Trevor and Them" makes for a good laugh as Murs tells the story of a friend who tries to use his car as a getaway after holding up a mini mart and ends up leaving the stolen cash in his passenger seat. Funny Shit. Murs is a real emcee. His honest, no-bullshit rymes make for a very accesible hip-hop album. Mix that with top notch production from one of the industry's finest and you have one of the hottest MC/Producer collaborations that I'm sure will stand the test of time as one of the better rap albums ever made.



Murs: 3:16: The 9th Edition-2004

1. Intro
2. Bad Man!
3. 3:16
4. The Pain
5. Trevor An' Them
6. Freak These Tales
7. H.U.S.T.L.E
8. Walk Like a Man
9. And this is for....

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You - 2009

Lily Allen's new record, It's Not Me It's You, is a display of Allen's bravery in continuing to make pop music at a time when only obscurity seems to earn critical approval. At times the album can sound typical, but Allen's focus on writing story-lines, paired with her honest and literal delivery makes the music hard not to be intrigued by. 

The themes of the lead single, "The Fear," may have been stirring for a number of decades now, but now seems all too perfect of a time for her to point out the 'ignorance is bliss' outlook of Americanized culture. I'll leave you with these excerpts, and the link below.

"I want lots of clothes and fuckloads of diamonds. I heard people die while they're trying to find them."

"But it doesn't matter 'cause I'm packing plastic, and that's what makes my life so fucking fantastic."

"And I am a weapon of massive consumption. But it's not my fault, that's how I'm programmed to function."

Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

1. Everyone's at It

2. The Fear

3. Not Fair

4. 22

5. I Could Say

6. Back to the Start

7. Never Gonna Happen

8. Fuck You

9. Who'd Have Known

10. Chinese

11. Him

12. He Wasn't There

Contemporary Favourites: 14. Black Milk - Tronic - 2008

Black Milk’s only been around for 5 years or so, but already he’s released his OK Computer (or Kid A, depending on what kind of person you are): 2008’s Tronic.

Curtis Cross, or Black Milk, boasts a steady flow of releases since ’04, a deal with Fat Beats Records (an affiliate of Koch, the biggest independent label in America), and collaborations with Dilla, DJ Premier, and Pharoahe Monch. While taking in the unreal beats on Tronic, it’s hard to believe the guy is only in his mid twenties and has already accomplished so much.

While I don’t have my own, my counterpart Alex is the proud owner of a microKorg synth, part of the reason catching on to this album was such an immediate thing. The catchy, distinct sound of this synth is more recognizable here than on any other hip-hop record in recent memory. Layers upon layers of its sounds can be heard compiled into the unique and instantly likable instrumentals that define Tronic.

“Give The Drummer Sum,” Tronic’s first and only single thus far, showcases this the least, but still earns a spot as one of the album’s best moments. With a minimalist beat reminiscent of a more raw and processed version of Hugo and Pharrell, the Quasimotoesque vocal sample is layered perfectly over the snare-heavy instrumental. The organ sample makes its mark on the song, again minimal, and strikingly similar to the one on the opening track off Hell Hath No Fury. P4K notes one of the track’s stronger points, when the beat drops out from under to accompany Milk’s punch line, “Let the organ take a stab at it.”  To quote Ian Cohen, “He practically lives inside the beats.” Jokes like these prove these songs to be just a manifestation of the inner workings of Cross’ beat-oriented mind.

The best way to sum up the album as a whole is as follows: every beat is ill. What more could one want or expect from one who is at his core, a producer. Milk’s verses are good too though, but alongside his instrumentals, it’s difficult to direct your attention to anything but the beats.

“Tronic Summer,” for example, is just an instrumental, but is the best of all the album’s offerings. While just over 2 minutes in length, the microKorg shines through like no other on this summer jam. The layers of mK are paired with the laid back groove of a consistent, 4/4 drum line to create the most chilled out beat that practically emits UV rays. If you listen to one track off Tronic, make it this one.

Having been released just months ago, it would be overly bold to try and lump this in with The Very Best section of Black History Month. Still, were we doing this feature in a couple of years time, Black Milk’s Tronic could easily be looked back upon as one of the greatest hip-hop achievements of 2008.

Black Milk - Tronic - 2008

1. Long Story Short ft. Dwele
2. Bounce
3. Give the Drummer Sum
4. Without U ft. Colin Munroe
5. Hold it Down
6. Losen Out ft. Royce 5′9
7. Hell Yeah
8. Repin for U ft. AB
9. Overdose
10. The Matrix ft. Pharoahe Monch, Dj Premier
11. Try
12. Tronic Summer
13. Bond 4 Life (Music) ft. Melanie Rutherford
14. Elec (Outro)

Black History Month: 2Pac - Changes + Hit 'Em Up

2Pac's "Changes" seems so appropriate in light of the recent change in the American administration.

"And though it seems heaven sent, we ain't ready to have a black president..."

10 years later, we're ready. 

The Weezy Conspiracy - Prom Queen, Hot Revolver, Amazing Love

Who would have thought that just 7 months after the release of 2008's biggest-selling album, Weezy's The Carter III, he'd be proudly putting his name on this garbage.

I'm usually not one to jump to early conclusions, especially on tracks this obscure. Sometimes avant-garde songs I'm repulsed by on first listen end up having more longevity than most. I suspect that no such thing will happen with this new Wayne shit. At least not these three cuts.

It's been a long and hard realization that I've had to come to but....Wayne sucks! These are, bar none, the worst tracks he's ever released, and I'm including SQ volumes 1 to a million. Furthermore, I see no conceivable way Wayne will be able to spin this to make April's Rebirth a success. This trash material, though, has made me contemplate the idea of an emerging Wayne conspiracy... 

Now if I didn't just lose you... call me crazy, but I think Wayne knows how bad these songs are. Anybody with an auditory capacity this side of Helen Keller can figure out that these songs have little or no artistic merit whatsoever. 

Remember the initial leak of "Hot Revolver," when Gangsta Grillz, or some other faceless member of Young Money wheezes, "I don't think y'all understand the magnitude of this song," followed by a blatant chuckle? Rebirth (if it ever comes into existence) is just a part of what I term "Weezy's experiment": to test his ability to put his name on material devoid of any quality, and still convince his followers it's worth their time. 

In the slew of pop music over the past year, Lil' Wayne almost seemed like a staple to any Hip-Hop or R&B single that broke the surface. It was almost like having Weezy on your track guaranteed the song's success, regardless of it's actual value. Some might interpret the "experiment" I mentioned earlier as Wayne's attempt at self-indulgent amusement, but I will have to counter this stance - this is Weezy's backlash. "Haters" thought Wayne was lacking in talent? That his name on a track freed it from any obligation to have substance? Now Wayne is taking his opportunity to prove these people wrong, and reaffirm the talent he displayed on the material prior to this point.

As for Rebirth, I have a strange feeling it won't make it on to the shelves. For one, I don't think a major label will back it (Young Money is a Universal subsidiary). Secondly, I think Wayne himself knows how shallow the songs he's released really are. If Wayne wants to follow in Kanye's footsteps and reinvent his entire sound/career, he'll have to look for a better way to do so. Nobody wants Weezy's take on System of a Down.

Lil' Wayne - Prom Queen

Lil' Wayne - Hot Revolver (Initial Leak)

Lil' Wayne - Amazing Love