Podcast: Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 169
The legendary Souls of Mischief kick off the new edition of the Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast (Best Hip-Hop of 2014 Edition). On the Complex premiered, “There Is Only Now,” the Oakland OGs partner with Snoop Dogg for the first time, trading bars about a near fatal accident that almost happened at the peak of the group’s success. This was a great year for the Oakland natives as they covered the San Francisco Bay Guardian, partnered with Adrian Younge for the concept album There Is Only Now and saw 22,000 attendees come to their annual Hiero Day block party. Following Souls of Mischief is the equally talented, veteran Detroit MC, Black Milk. On “What It’s Worth,” off the New York Times premiered album, If There’s a Hell Below, Black Milk raps about his future goals, while thanking the fans that have gotten him to this point in his career. As Consequence of Sound stated, “Nine years removed from his debut, he’s making some of the best music of his career,” which is a perfect summation of what makes “What It’s Worth” so special.
Funk Volume rapper/producer Hopsin recently retired from rap and moved to Australia. However, fans can still enjoy his often divisive, but thought provoking music all the same. On “Ill Mind of Hopsin 7,”he grapples with religion and his place within it. With bars like, “You gave me the bible and expect me not to analyze it?/ I’m frustrated and you provoked it, I’m not reading that motherfucking book because a human wrote it,” the song portrays what made Hopsin such a captivating character in the first place. Continuing on, when you talk about originators of the new Bay are movement, Iamsu! is one of the architects. Whether he was a featured artist or producing, Iamsu! had a great year. It all culminated with the release of Sincerely Yours, and the standout track “Only That Real,” featuring 2Chainz and Sage the Gemini. Premiered by Esquire, “Only That Real” is an infectious ode as Iamsu! melodically raps, “I’ma throw this money, I’ma make it back.” If Iamsu! has more records like “Only That Real” in the stash, he should have no problem doing just that.
Jarren Benton, the XXL 2014 Freshmen class member and newest member of Funk Volume, proved himself worthy of the title this year. Rapping over a Notorious B.I.G. sample could make any MC cower in fear, on “Gimmie the Loot” Benton is up to the task. “‘Abrasive’ is also a fitting adjective to describe Benton’s rapid-fire bars, which brim with aggressive trash-talk and out-the-box braggadocio,” claims DJ Booth. Benton should have no problem taking 2015 by storm if he keeps delivering bangers like “Gimmie the Loot” to the people. Sir Michael Rocks of The Cool Kids fame dropped his debut solo album Banco in 2014. Banco saw Rocks prove to fans and detractors alike that he could thoroughly shine outside of the confines of a group. One of the album’s standout tracks, “Bussin'” premiered via Noisey and was described as a “perfect soundtrack for adding a little human sacrifice to your summer BBQs.” Add Iamsu! and Casey Veggies to the mix and you have a classic summertime anthem on your hands.
Chris Brown’s “Drunk Texting,” T.I.’s “Stay,” four songs off Ariana Grande’s album My Everything, it’s an understatement to say producer Tommy Brown has put in work this year. Arguably his biggest hit of the bunch was “New National Anthem” which was featured on T.I.’s Paperwork album. On “New National Anthem,” T.I. and Skylar Grey team up for a song that addresses the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, police brutality, racism, and guns in the United States. Described as “powerful” by Time Magazine and “revolutionary” by MTV, the track has established itself as an anthem for political injustices. Tinashe’s “2 On” and Chris Brown’s “Loyal,” were also among the biggest songs of the summer. What each have in common is the fact that they were anchored by songwriter Bobby Brackins. On his own single, “Hot Box,” Brackins gets to flex his skill over a smokey pop track with Mila J and G-Eazy. If you’re looking for a little piece of summer in the midst of winter, “Hot Box” is a go-to track.
Wara from the NBHD has gone from the streets of Atlanta to features in the New York Times and Pitchfork all in a matter of months. His latest project, Kidnapped, was adored by critics and hip-hop heads alike. If you missed out on Atlanta’s grittiest rookie then there is no better place to start than “Slangin.'” From the entertaining video to the raw lyrics, Wara proved that in a city filled with auto-tune strip club anthems and trap-induced flows that there is still room for an MC to give an unfiltered view into street life. 19-year-old Charlotte rapper Well$’s MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher is a eery in its prophetic nature. With “Django,” Well$ presents a radical, nuanced portrayal of race and class in the current 2014 climate. When Well$ spits, “I am the reason that they live in fear,” it’s simultaneously a brag, an indictment, and a portrayal of what it is to be considered lesser based on the color of your skin. There’s a reason Well$ has been receiving praise from the likes of The Huffington Post and The FADER, and the rising North Carolina MC showcases it here.
Caleb James a founding member of the SaveMoney collective along with Vic Mensa and Chance the Rapper, ran with the spotlight on his city this year with the track “Honesty and Loyalty.” Debuted via MissInfo, who states that the track, “showcases his natural ability to bridge rap and R&B into an accessible product.” It’s not easy to standout in a city with larger than life figures likes Kanye and Keef, but James showed with his new track that he might be able to surmount that obstacle in due time. Dallas rap trio The Outfit, TX are putting independent Texas-based rap on the map, with Complex ranking its latest double-album, Cognac / Four Corner Room, as one of the Top Ten Texas Rap Mixtapes of 2013. Defined by their self-proclaimed “Cooly Fooly Space Age Funk” sound, the group’s “Purple Diamond Tea” employs a funked-out, mellow Southern sound as Mel raps about the pride for his hometown. The video premiered on VICE/Noisey and was directed by David King, who portrays Mel as cool, calm and collected, while also fiercely enthused to rap about his city. The track and video present the perfect soundtrack for wide-open street cruising: “This is how it feel when you ridin’ in the South. Dizzy Wright’s “Reunite for the Night” is the perfect turn up anthem for a homecoming party with your crew. “Wright paints a lyrical picture of the perfect house party,” states DJ Booth in their review of the 2013 XXL Freshmen’s track. The video features the rapper rompin’ with his crew at a house party full of women, red cups, and DJ Hoppa. The track was produced by Roc N Mayne and released on the his latest EP, State Of Mind, which dropped via Funk Volume earlier this year. The track reignited the initial success of the EP, which XXL described as “a quality offering from an MC that has tasted success and wants more.”This concludes the podcast for this week, stay tuned for future releases.
Listen to Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 169: https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/sets/audible-treats-the-best-of-hip
Download the Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 169: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast/id111088410?mt=2#
AT Best Hip-Hop Singles 2014: http://open.spotify.com/user/audibletreats/playlist/7xshF6b5VMlYZ4y8u8vhYo
AT Best Hip-Hop Albums 2014: http://open.spotify.com/user/audibletreats/playlist/6DRAWR5hVz3BFEVdeLJqyH
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/65207343″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]Subscribe to the Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcasts:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast/id111088410?mt=2
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 169 (The Best Hip-Hop of 2014 Edition) –
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/sets/audible-treats-the-best-of-hip
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 168 – C-Money, Marc E. Bassy, Jahzel, Chris Miles, and Lyrics Born:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-168/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-168
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 167 – Lyrics Born, Jahzel, Devin Miles, Wara From The NBHD, and C-Money:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-167/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-167
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 166 – C-Money, Devin Miles, Kilz, Black Milk, and THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-166/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-166
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 165 – Wara From The NBHD, Beeda Weeda, Kilz, Jahzel, and Devin Miles:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-165/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-165
Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 164 – Sir Michael Rocks, Wara From The NBHD, Devin Miles, Jahzel, and Luke-O x Pyrex Pre$$:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-164/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2
https://soundcloud.com/audibletreats/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast-164