MP3: J Stalin (feat. Lil June) Produced by P-Lo – “Weirdo

Bay Area Rapper J Stalin Releases Single From Recently Released Album SID – Shining in Darkness

05.09.2014

Critical Praise:

“As the owner of Livewire Records, West Oakland rapper J Stalin provides a place for the growth of incredibly creative, meat-and-potatoes Bay Area hip-hop. The label hosts gritty rubbery street music that navigates crack dealing devastation and grounded partying tracks with equal aplomb, with artists that range from Stalin himself to MCs like Shady Nate and Philthy Rich among others.” – SPIN

“J Stalin pushes the envelope by vividly reiterating his Mob Bay Area persona and turmoil of his harsh upbringing.” – XXL

The Song:

Known for an unapologetic modus operandi, J Stalin keeps it pimpery and playerish on “Weirdo,  from his recently released SID: Shining in Darkness album. Over production from HBK Gang/The Invasion’s P-Lo, who presents his signature trunk-rattling lows, hand-claps, and catchy synth motifs, J Stalin and Lil June wax poetic about picking up bad ones and traipsing all over East Oakland with them.

“Weirdo” is the sixth single from J Stalin’s SID, which SPIN debuted week of release. Previous single releases from the album include “Fuk That,” which features Too Short and premiered on Complex, and “Another Quelo (Remix),” featuring Joey Fatts and first appearing on Noisey. In a review of the album, XXL says “J Stalin pushes the envelope by vividly reiterating his Mob Bay Area persona and turmoil of his harsh upbringing.” Recognizing that his release marks the Bay Area rapper’s 13th studio album, HipHopDX recently asked J Stalin to share his tips for cultivating a long and healthy career, which you can read here. 

Listen to “Weirdo” (feat. Lil June) (Prod. by P-Lo):  https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/04-weirdo

Purchase SID (Shining In Darkness):
iTunes: http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Shining-Darkness-J-Stalin/dp/B00I5NKPZ4/
Amazon: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

Stream SID (Shining In Darkness): https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/sets/j-stalin-sid-shining-in

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with J Stalin.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram

“Weirdo” feat Lil June, prod by P-Lo: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/04-weirdo

SID (Shining In Darkness): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

“Regal”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/regal-feat-problem-prod-by

“Stay Strapped”: http://youtu.be/XEQ1FhJaJBk

“Anotha Quelo” (Remix): https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/another-quelo-remix-feat-lil/s-lQKUd

“Fuk That”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/fuk-that-feat-too-short-prod/

MP3: Blanco, The Jacka & Messy Marv – “The Grassy Knoll” feat. Freeway

Bay Area Trio Releases Third Single from Collaborative EP, One Hunnid, Available on iTunes and for Free Download

05.07.2014

 The Song:

Following the Complex premiere of “9/11,” featuring YG, and the AllHipHop debut of “Change,” which features Nipsey Hussle, Bay Area rap vets Blanco, The Jacka, and Messy Marv released their collaborative One Hunnid EP, which was produced in-full by production duo Tha Bizness. Released on iTunes, and charting in the iTunes Top 100 Hip-Hop/R&B albums, the EP has since been made available for free download.

“The Grassy Knoll,” featuring Freeway, is the latest single release from the One Hunnid EP. Jazzy piano licks and old record scratches create a timbre that’s only further enhanced and colored by the smooth verses and catchy hooks. “The Grassy Knoll” actually ends up setting a melancholy tone criticizing society and taking an analytical approach to politics. One Hunnid follows a series of free re-releases of past albums, such as OBEY and Misfits which are collaborative projects with The Jacka,Jonestown with The Jacka and Messy Marv, and Raw with Nipsey Hussle. 

Listen to “The Grassy Knoll”: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/the-grassy-knoll-featuring

Purchase the One Hunnid EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

Download the One Hunnid EP: http://www.audiomack.com/album/audible-treats/one-hunnid

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Blanco.

Blanco Background:

Blanco (formerly Benny Blanco) is a rapper born in Berkeley, California but bred throughout the Bay Area. Fascinated by gangsta rap at an early age, Blanco began rhyming at 17. In 2004, he and his brother founded hip-hop label Guerilla Entertainment, which to date has released upwards of over 20 mixtapes and albums. As a member of rap trio The Yay Boyz with fellow label mates Taj-He-Spitz and Lil Hyfe, Blanco released Got Purp (Volumes 1 and 2), The Wizeguys, and full-length album Nosebleed Muzic. He has gone on to release several solo projects, including Blanco’s Way and American Pyscho, and more collaborative albums, including Jonestown with Messy Marv and Jacka, and his latest, Raw, with Nipsey Hussle. Blanco has also collaborated with Gucci Mane, Redman, Freeway, Freddie Gibbs and Styles P, and released projects with Araab Muzik and Yukmouth. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube  

“The Grassy Knoll”: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/the-grassy-knoll-featuring

Purchase One Hunnid EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

Stream One Hunnid EP: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/one-hunnid-blanco-the-jacka

“Change,” feat. Nipsey Hussle: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/change-blanco-the-jacka-messy

“9/11,” feat. YG: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/9-11-blanco-the-jacka-messy

OBEY: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/obey-blanco-the-jacka/

Misfits: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/blanco-the-jacka-misfits-1

“Punch Out”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-punch-out-feat-trae-tha

“Duck Hunt”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-the-jacka-duck-hunt-ft

Raw: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/sets/nipsey-hussle-blanco-raw-full

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/blanco

Video: The Outfit, TX – “Business Man” (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)

The Outfit, TX’s Mel Releases Video from Cognac Album, Premiere via The FADER

05.06.2014

Critical Praise for The Outfit, TX:

“The Outfit, TX is… mixing Texan traditions with a wide range of influences from New Wave to punk to vintage boom-bap.” – Noisey

“…the best thing in rap today that nobody is talking about yet.” – MTV Hive

“…positively perfect.” – Complex

“The Outfit, TX is one of the best rap groups in Texas.” – PassionWeiss

“This is definitely a song I’d like to hear blasting out of a car.” – EARMILK

“Restrained but intricate screw-meets-funk delivery.” – The FADER

The Video :

“I know you see me, I look important,” raps The Outfit, TX’s Mel on the chorus of “Business Man,” a song in which he also produced. Premiering with The FADER, who say Mel “has the kind of subtle but powerful swag exclusive to sensitive guys who’ve realized that girls love sensitive guys,” the video is the latest release from the Dallas trio’s Cognac/Four Corner Room album, which has been circulating since late last year. But don’t get it twisted, these guys’ music is as relevant as ever, having recently done feature interviews with Complex, Noisey, and NPR. Whether he’s at home with a gold grill in his mouth reading Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, on a cell phone while out to lunch in a USA Olympics track jacket, or carrying luggage down the street in an overcoat and tie, there’s no doubt that Mel looks important in “Business Man.”

Entirely produced, written, and engineered by Mel and Dorian, Cognac/Four Corner Room takes listeners deeper into the individual spirits of the two founding members of the triumvirate that is The Outfit, TX. Released in November, the double-album serves as the first two installments of their five-part “Texan Chronicles” series. Having recently released visuals for “Free Yourself” and “Hourglass,” SPIN named The Outfit, TX one of five artists to watch in May 2014.

Check out the The FADER premiere: http://www.thefader.com/2014/05/06/mel-looks-important-in-business-man/

Watch the video for “Business Man”: http://youtu.be/xAtDqsNxzic

Download Cognac/Four Corner Room here: http://coolyfooly.com/album/cognac-four-corner-room

Tracklisting for Cognac by Mel:

1. Bitter (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
2. Purple Diamond Tea (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
3. isyagonshakeit? (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
4. Business Man (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
5. Munky Muzik (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
6. Sweet (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
7. Drunk Driving (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
8. Drunk Sex (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
9. Right Brain Tipsy (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
10. Feeling (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
11. Ride On (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
12. Free Yourself (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
13. Dirty South Rydan (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
14. Voyage to Atlanta (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)

Tracklisting for Four Corner Room by Dorian:

1. Hourglass (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
2. Amazing ft. Mel  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
3. Lonely Soul  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
4. WAKE UP  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
5. The Pursuit ft. King Me?  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
6. M.A.R.S  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
7. Girl Blue  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
8. Odyssey of The Mind  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
9. Straight No Chaser ft. Jay Hawk  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
10. The Feel  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
11. Ride On (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
12. Everyone’s For Sale ft. King Me?  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
13.  Appealing (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
14. The Rise   (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with The Outfit, TX.

The Outfit, TX Background:

Born and raised in Dallas, producers and rappers Dorian, JayHawk, and Mel make up the hip-hop band The Outfit, TX. After forming while in school at  University of Houston in 2006, they returned to Dallas to continue to work on their patented brand of “Cooly Fooly Space Age Funk.” Individually, each has their own respective sound and together, they expertly blend their unabashed Southern credo of smooth synth bass, moogs, 808s and synthesizers. Their first official studio album, Starships and Rockets: Cooly Fooly Space Age Funk The Album is a perfect exhibition of that sound. Voted one of the “Best Underground Rap Tapes of 2012” by Houston Press Magazine, the album made waves among top tier press outlets and set the stage for their current project, their double-disk album Cognac/Four Corner Room, which exists as two solo projects, conjoined at the hip to represent the juxtaposed unity of of TOTX. Complex ranks it as one of the Top Ten Texas Rap Mixtapes of 2013.

TOTX has performed with the likes of J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, The Clipse, and Kendrick Lamar. They headlined their first sold out show at Warehouse Live in Houston, TX in March 2013, then hit the road, performing at several music festivals including A3C’s “Best in Texas” Showcase, and Spune’s Index Fest in Dallas, TX. The future holds much more for the three Southern gentlemen that comprise The Outfit,TX, who recently relocated back to Dallas from Houston. They might have put it best, describing their artistry as “one small step for Texas, one giant leap for Southern kind.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“Business Man”: http://youtu.be/xAtDqsNxzic

“Hourglass”: http://youtu.be/x0lDBxN4HJA

“Stalactight”: https://soundcloud.com/theoutfittx/stalactight

“Purple Diamond Tea”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjr7Zy-HyWI

“Free Yourself”: http://youtu.be/zDUUmTR_yzE

“Drunk Driving”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OoSjpk9chQ

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/the_outfit_tx/

MP3: Dizzy Wright – “Reunite For The Night”

Funk Volume Releases Second Official Single from Dizzy Wright’s State of Mind EP

05.06.2014

Critical Praise for Dizzy Wright:

Selected as one of XXL’s Freshmen Class of 2013

“Amazing.” –  MTV News

“Dizzy Wright is captivating the moment you hear him“ – Complex

The Song:

Raised in Vegas, one would expect a flashy flow and cocky demeanor from Funk Volume rapper Dizzy Wright, especially as the nephew of legendary Bone Thugs-n-Harmony emcee Lazyie Bone. Far from this, the esteemed Sin City emcee shows his gratitude and takes time to reflect on his accomplishments in “Reunite for The Night,” produced by Roc n Mayne, from Dizzy’s recently released State of Mind EP. In the track, the lyrics affirm implication of an ode in recognition to all those who have supported him. Dizzy spits in third person to get into the mindset of his supporters of family and friends, rapping, “It’s good to see you/Glad you in town/I ain’t seen you in a while/you be holding shit down/keep making the city proud.”

With a funky bassline and heavy cuts and stratches, this track sets a reminiscent tone yet still holds as a celebratory party anthem. Dizzy raps, “Live by the three M’s: maintain, Mary Jane, make art.” Throughout the track, he carefully explains the lives of family and friends and their impact on his success, while addressing the joy he experiences when going home and reuniting with them. With a chill vibe, Dizzy continues to display his appreciation throughout the collection of tracks on the EP.

With Rockie Fresh being the only featured artist on the entire EP, it is clear that this introspective story is being told exclusively through his eyes. Following his highly acclaimed Golden Age mixtape, State of Mind is noted as being a “quality offering from an MC that has tastes success and wants more” according to XXL. Dizzy explains “success is a state of mind, and in due time, you gon’ hear my best work.”

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Dizzy Wright.

Dizzy Wright Background:

Not many 21-year old rappers can say that they’ve been rapping for over a decade. Las Vegas, Nevada, Rapper Dizzy Wright began rapping at just 8 years old, in the group “DaFuture” with his brother and very close friend; his mother wrote his raps at the time. Dizzy broke through when he was discovered at the Sheikh Music “Rip the Mic” competition in 2010 and signed onto Funk Volume a few months later. In April 2012, Dizzy released his first Funk Volume album, SmokeOut Conversations, peaking at #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. He followed it up with a free mixtape, Free SmokeOut Conversations, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times, and helped propel Dizzy to his own national 30-city tour. In December 2012, Dizzy went on to release the first of four EPs, The First Agreement, which reached as high as #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart. In March of 2013, Dizzy gathered enough votes to be selected as the “People’s Choice” member of the XXL Freshman Class of 2013. Also in 2013, Dizzy released The Golden Age mixtape and followed it up with The Golden Age Tour. 

Funk Volume Background:

Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with over 62 million YouTube views, 415 thousand Facebook likes, consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | bandcamp

“State of Mind”: https://soundcloud.com/funk-volume/dizzy-wright-reunite-for-the-night-prod-by-roc-n-mayne?in=funk-volume/sets/dizzy-wright-state-of-mind-ep

“Everywhere I Go” Video: http://youtu.be/QKGy-CYIJPM

State of Mind: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/state-of-mind/id862583591

“Everywhere I Go”  http://youtu.be/94VZdOlkivk

“The Perspective” feat. Chel’le Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhzYuhtEvI

“No Writers Block, I Like To Rap” (Prod. By 6ix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZszHqbm74

“We Turned Out Alright” feat. Wyclef: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sa1izvqZpc

“World Peace”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P1zQ2oj5MM

The Golden Age: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dizzy-wright-the-golden-era-mixtape.88771.html

XXL 2013 Freshmen Story: http://www.xxlmag.com/2013-freshmen/dizzy-wright/

“First Agreement”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBgQzgngKZM

“Killem Wit Kindness”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMVfAAynx-M 

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/dizzy-wright/

News: Jarren Benton Named XXL Fan-Favorite Freshman for Class of 2014

Funk Volume is the Only Record Label to Have Artists Selected as Freshmen for Three Consecutive Years in the History of XXL’s Freshmen List

04.5.2014

Critical Praise for Jarren Benton:

“Benton has an extraordinarily nimble flow and sense of rhythm.” – HipHopDX

“…already creating his own lane and plans to turn a lot of heads.” – XXL

“As [My Grandmas Basement] unfolds, one thing becomes clear: [Jarren Benton] can handle himself just fine.” – Creative Loafing, 4/5 review

News:

Joining his labelmates Hopsin (Class of 2012,) Dizzy Wright (Class of 2013,) is Funk Volume‘s Atlanta/Decatur-based rapper Jarren Benton, making him the third XXL Freshmen from their roster and making Funk Volume the only label to have an artist named for three consecutive years. Even more impressive is the size of the label: Funk Volume has only four rappers, the fourth being SwizZz who has been quietly working on solo material for the past two years.

After releasing two successful mixtapes, Freebasing with Kevin Bacon and Huffin’ Glue with Hasselhoff,  a debut album, My Grandmas Basement, and a video that is fast-approaching 2 million views on YouTube, Jarren knows that the best way to people into believers is by touring. No stranger to touring, Jarren spends a lot of his energy connecting directly with fans by continuously hitting the road. Last year alone, Jarren toured for almost 40 dates with Rittz on the Life & Times Tour, toured Australia with Hopsin for one week, and spearheaded his first headlining tour, a 2o-date run named after his debut album, which debuted at #4 on the iTunes Hip-Hop Charts and #4 on Billboard Magazine’s Heatseekers Album chart.

The son of an indie record store manager, Jarren grew up studying the anything-goes showmanship of Prince, Marilyn Manson and Method Man and believes, “The essence of giving of a good show is not givin’ a fuck,” he says, while pointing to stage-diving, beer-chugging and more depending on the night’s particular vibe. This type of authenticity, balanced with intricate, golden ear-informed lyricism attracted attention from Erick Sermon (EPMD, Redman) to No I.D. (Common, Kanye West) in courting Jarren to potential major label deals over the course of his career. Funk Volume offered what Def Jam and the others weren’t and the decision to sign with the powerhouse indie label has paid off.

Says Jarren about being the People’s Choice winner for 2014, “After a lot of trials and tribulations, this honor shows the dedication, determination, and prayer I kept.” Continuing with a laugh he says, “Thank God I didn’t off myself whenI wanted to. Being on the cover is a huge blessing. I’ve still got a long ways to go.”

Jarren is currently working on his next project and is on a 70-date tour with Tech N9ne and Freddie Gibbs. Tickets available here: http://myfunkvolume.com/artist/jarren-benton/

Watch Jarren’s lastest video “Gimmie The Loot” video  here: http://youtu.be/4RQtj1MK-Fw

Stream Jarren’s latest album, My Grandmas Basement here.

Read interviews with Funk Volume’s Co-Founder Damien Ritter on Hypebot, HuffingtonPost, HipHopDX, and the LA Weekly

Purchase stream or download of Funk Volume’s documentary, Independent Living here

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Jarren Benton or getting a promo code to view the documentary.

Jarren Benton Background:

For an artist with serious mainstream aspirations, Decatur, Georgia’s Jarren Benton has spent his career going against the grain. One of Funk Volume’s premiere acts, Jarren admits, “I love the music I do now. I do it in the safe-mode.” That’s rather shocking for an artist whose last album, Freebasing With Kevin Bacon lived up to its name, at least in attitude and style, evident on single “Skitzo.” He continues, “I want to take it a lil’ further. I just haven’t had the balls to go all the way there yet, ‘cause I presently want to keep a foot in the mainstream too.” After two successful digital releases and a video with over one million YouTube plays, Jarren is currently promoting his Funk Volume debut album, My Grandmas Basement, which debuted at #4 on the iTunes Hip Hop Chart. In 2013, Jarren went on the My Grandma’s Basement Tour, his first ever headline U.S. tour and joined Rittz on his The Life And Times Tour. Benton is currently on tour with Tech N9ne on his Independent Grind Tour and was recently named a XXL Magazine Freshmen for 2014.

Funk Volume Background:

Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with nearly 60 million YouTube views, over 400,000 Facebook likes, consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Hypebot, Billboard, Huffington Post, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | facebook | twitter | youtube 

“Gimmie The Loot”: http://youtu.be/4RQtj1MK-Fw

“LIfe In The Jungle”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCChw0rXnmQ 

“We On” Ft. Dizzy Wright & Pounds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF_VXpUPOTk

“Go Off” Ft. Hopsin & SwizZz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQsPT4ejEpU

“Bully” Ft. Vinne Paz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZE-N1UqFMk

“Cadillacs & Chevys”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3wH81zTyJ

“The Basement Interview Pt.1″: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htDPCAe_v3s

“Razor Blades And Steak Knives”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFW3ffGjJBY

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/jarren-benton/

Video: Well$ – “Django”

Shot in Cape Town, The FADER Debuts “Django” Video from 19-Year Old Rapper Well$, whose MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher Mixtape will be Released May 19th

05.05.2014

Critical Praise for Well$:

“Well$’s work always hits hard, and is overwhelmingly personal.” – Complex

“WELL$ flows atop the audio grit with some clever rhymes contained by a confident delivery…[the track] leaves us with high expectations…” – Potholes in My Blog

“Charlotte-based rapper Well$ is redefining swag one music video at a time.” – OkayAfrica

“Sludgy riffs, dusty drums… it’s a discernible throwback to that ’90s New York aesthetic.” – MissInfo.tv

“Watching him rhyme while sitting on the couch next to his grandmother is not only a beautiful sight, but also shows how easily he has this rap thing down.” – Noisey/Vice

The Video:

“We wanted to show a deal go down between a government army and a rebel militia,” says 19-year old rapper Well$, who’s decked-out in army fatigues in his South Africa-filmed music video for “Django,” which premieres via The FADER. The video was shot in two locations: at a friend’s house in Cape Town and at a YMCA in Klein Constantia, another South African city on the outskirts of Cape Town that sits near the base/middle of Table Mountain known for its wineries. For Well$, whose parents are both from Congo, this trip to South Africa marked his very first time stepping foot in Africa. Inspired by his new surroundings, Well$ found himself in awe of the location shoot for this video. He explains, “This YMCA wasn’t your normal gym. We filmed a good portion of the video in a field on their property in the middle of the woods and there were animals watching us film for the entire two-day shoot. A baboon was out there chillin with us!”

Surrounded by AK-47-wielding uniformed members of both armies, two enslaved men are pitted to fight against each other to the death as everyone else places bets and watches for their side to win. Inspired by both Django and  Lord of War, Well$ explains that fight scene was actually not supposed to be to the death, but felt like it would make the video more realistic, “’cause in life you may not get that saving grace.”

“Django” is the fifth single from Well$’ MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape, which will be released for free download on May 19 via Immaculate Taste. Last week, HipHopDX revealed the mixtape’s cover art and tracklist. Speaking on the mixtape’s title, Well$ said, “It’s crazy, cause the ‘African booty scratcher’ came about when I was watching Boyz n The Hood. Watching that kid get made fun of made me think of my childhood and how bad I wanna shit on people from back then via my music. I wanted to make MTSYD undeniable.”

Watch “Django”: http://youtu.be/IxQH4VD9pSY

Check out The FADER premiere of “Django”: http://www.thefader.com/2014/05/05/conglose-rapper-well-gets-gritty-in-new-video-django/

Tracklisting for MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher:

1. “Temporary Forevers” / “xxMONOLOGUExx” Prod. Eric G & PGMW (Co-prod. THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB)
2. “Savoir-Faire” Prod. THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB
3. “Lil’ Tommy” Prod. Shurik’n (Co-prod. THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB)
4. “Black Swan” – Prod. DJ Shlohmo
5. “Cercle Vicieux (Vicious Circle)” feat. Makeda Iroquois Prod. Massology
6. “TNGHT” / “AFTRMDNGHT” Prod. DJ Dahi
7. “GastonTwo09ine” feat. Johnny Polygon / “Dreams Of An Insomniac” Prod. Noah Yisreal (Co-prod. THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB & Austin Celaya) & Atu
8. “Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl)” Prod. Austin Celaya & THE BL∆CK HE∆RTS CLUB)
9. “Assiatou’s Interlude” feat. Obi Asiama Prod. Juke Ellington
10. “A$$WATER (Circa ’94)” feat. SisterMarie Warner / “Leroy Shingu’s Interlude” Prod. Ruddy P & PRKR
11. “Faux Gold” feat. Mibbs Prod. JKid
12. “Django” Prod. Wonya
13. “Bienaime’s Interlude” Prod. Ryan Hemingsworth
14. “Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher” Prod. Larry Achiampong
15. “Holy $ins” / “The Inauguration” Prod. PGMW & John Beats

Complex premieres “Dreams Of An Insomniac”: http://www.complex.com/music/2014/04/wells-dreams-of-an-insomniac-premiere

The Huffington Post premieres “Lil’ Tommy”: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/wells-lil-tommy_n_5079338.html

Noisey premieres “Savoir-Faire” video: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/well-savoir-faire-premiere

HipHopDX premieres “Black Swan”: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/singles/id.26277/title.Well%24-Black+Swan

Well$ Background:

Like most kids in his native town of Charlotte, North Carolina, Leroy Shingu had a head filled with hip-hop dreams growing up, even trying his hand at freestyling when he was all of nine years old. But a trying background starkly different from the blissful suburban reality of his peers would compel the rapper better known as Well$ to turn that childhood fantasy into a promising career as a rapper. Quietly released in 2012, $ay La V, Well$’ debut EP rose steadily on the Bandcamp charts to peak at number 5 and eventually become the most downloaded album in the Charlotte area. This remarkable ascent as well as the video for the song “State of Ecstasy The Interlude Part 1″ hauled Well$ out of virtual anonymity, and shoved him onto high profile stage performances with artists such as G Eazy, Chris Webby, Johnny Polygon, and one of his idols, Pac Div.

Links:

bandcamp | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“Dreams Of An Insomniac”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/dreams-of-an-insomniac

“Lil’ Tommy”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/lil-tommy/

“Savoir-Faire”: http://youtu.be/bVVggr8eheY

“Black Swan”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/black-swan

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 2”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/state-of-ecstasy-pt-2

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 1”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smsGIANkDfA

Bio, pics, and more here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wells/

Video: Zion I – “Masters of Ceremony” 

Filmed at Exclusive YouTube Studios Headquarters, New Vid Features Substance Over Hype Dance Crew

05.08.2013

Critical Praise for Zion I:

“Zion keeps the revolutionary fire spirit lit in the minds of the people.”  – Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

“Producer AmpLive and emcee Zumbi want you to be moved not just by the music, but also by the message.” – HipHopDX

The Video:

Calling up the homies, finding a place to chill, laying down some cardboard, and popping a cassette tape in your boombox seems like something people would have done 20-30 years ago, but that’s exactly what rapper MC Zumbi and producer AMP Live had in mind for the latest Zion I visual for the the title track of their recent project, Masters of Ceremony. The good people at YouTube Studios, an exclusive $100 million dollar production space, invited Zion I and LA-based dance crew Substance Over Hype so they could film dancers popping, locking, doing cirque tricks with the cyr wheel and martial arts tricking over Amp Live’s production, heavy with Sister Nancy samples and low, cutting synths that slide between octaves. The track is from The Masters of Ceremony EP, the first of three free EP’s.

Composed of rapper MC Zumbi and producer AMP Live, Zion I wants to change the perception of hip hop by simultaneously infusing elements of spirituality and a mix of genres including trip hop, R&B and a bit of Latin flavor. Recently, the duo released part one and two of their three free EP series: The Masters of Ceremony EP and Libations EP. Following the sudden death of one of his closest friends, Zumbi turned his pain into the Libations project that broods with reflection and deep emotion. In creating The Masters of Ceremony, MC Zumbi says, “We took it back to ground zero in creating these songs. The sole purpose of the emcee is to energize, invigorate and guide the listener to a higher state of mind, whether that be reflection, relaxation or enlightenment.” Producer Amp Live adds, “For this first installment of the EP trilogy, we took it back to the simple essence of hard, straight banging beats and tight raps and these visuals of the dancers, with their bright colors and attention-grabbing movements complemented that perfectly.”

Check out the HipHopDX premiere here: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/videos/id.16278/title.zion-i-masters-of-ceremony-

Watch the “Masters of Ceremony” video: http://youtu.be/7oK85F2ApFM

Listen to Libations EP: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/libations-ep

Listen to The Master of Ceremonies EP here: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/the-masters-of-ceremony-ep

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Zion I.

Zion I’s Background:

Since 1999, Zion I has released seven critically acclaimed LPs, including Mind Over Matter (1998), Deep Water Slang (2000), True & Livin’ (2003), Break of Dawn (2004), The Take Over (2009), and Atomic Clock (2010). They also have two highly acclaimed albums under the name [Zion I and The Grouch with long time collaborator The Grouch, Hereos in the City of Dope and Hereos in the Healing of the Nation. Voted best Bay Area hip-hop group by the SF Weekly numerous times, Zion I have been featured in media outlets from XXL, The Source, Vibe, YRB, 944, Prefixmag.com, Popmatters, 7+7, SF Chronicle, and SF Bay Guardian.

Having opened for rap royalty including De La Soul, Rakim, and Run-D.M.C, this duo of genre-bender pride has made a name for itself on the Bay Area scene. Oakland’s MC Zumbi and DJ/producer Amp Live blend hip-hop and trip-hop beats with lyrics focused on a message of unity, hope, and spiritual awareness while successfully mixing spiritualism and hip-hop. Their debut album, Mind Over Matter, was released in May of 2000 and features collaborations with fellow Bay Area rappers Rasco, Planet Asia, and the Grouch. Although Zion I operates out of Berkeley, the group was originally formed in Atlanta, making their music difficult to classify as strictly West Coast hip-hop. Their musical style makes them even harder to define. With a style that borrows from hip-hop, trance, drum’n’bass, and reggae, Zion I’s style is equally mystical and mystifying.

Links:

official site|twitter|facebook|youtube|soundcloud

“Masters of Ceremony”: http://youtu.be/7oK85F2ApFM

Libations: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/libations-ep

Master of Ceremonies : https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/the-masters-of-ceremony-ep

Hella Fresh: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/hella-fresh-fest-mixtape

ShadowBoxing: The Remixes : https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/shadowboxing-the-remixes

News: Well$ Announces Mixtape Release Date and Reveals Cover Art

HipHopDX Announces May 19th Release Date for Forthcoming MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher Mixtape

04.29.2014

Critical Praise for Well$:

“Well$’s work always hits hard, and is overwhelmingly personal.” – Complex

“WELL$ flows atop the audio grit with some clever rhymes contained by a confident delivery…[the track] leaves us with high expectations…” – Potholes in My Blog

“Charlotte-based rapper Well$ is redefining swag one music video at a time.” – OkayAfrica

“Sludgy riffs, dusty drums… it’s a discernible throwback to that ’90s New York aesthetic.” – MissInfo.tv

“Watching him rhyme while sitting on the couch next to his grandmother is not only a beautiful sight, but also shows how easily he has this rap thing down.” – Noisey/Vice

The News:

The fans have spoken. After reaching 15,000 listens on his Complex-premiered track, “Dreams Of An Insomniac,” Well$ is more than happy to reveal, via HipHopDX, the cover art and release date for his forthcoming MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape. You can grab the mixtape next month on May 19th. For weeks on end, the young Charlotte rapper has been hard at work in the studio perfecting his sound and flow, exhibiting a level of composure and focus far beyond his 19 years of age. Patience breeds perfection, something Well$ discovered while working on his mixtape. Our patience will soon be rewarded with MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher, a sophisticated project named after the taunting that is not only quoted in one of his favorite movies, Boyz N the Hood, but the same taunting he experienced as the son of Congolese immigrants.

Well$’s single “Dreams Of An Insomniac” is part of a plethora of recent releases from the young lyricist. Just last week, he debuted the “Lil’ Tommy” single in an interview with the Huffington Post. His “Savoir-Faire” music video created quite a stir after appearing on Noisey, with people succumbing to the charms of his Jordan-wearing grandma and his preternatural talent.

Check out the HipHopDX Announcement: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.28524/title.well-mtsyd-the-revenge-of-the-african-booty-scratcher-release-date-cover-art

Tracklisting for MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher:

1. “Temporary Forevers” / “xxMONOLOGUExx” Prod. Eric G & PGMW (Co-prod. THE BLACK HE∆RTS CLUB)
2. “Savoir-Faire” Prod. THE BLACK HE∆RTS CLUB
3. “Lil’ Tommy” Prod. Shurik’n (Co-prod. THE BLACK HE∆RTS CLUB)
4. “Black Swan” – Prod. DJ Shlohmo
5. “Cercle Vicieux (Vicious Circle)” feat. Makeda Iroquois Prod. Massology
6. “TNGHT” / “AFTRMDNGHT” Prod. DJ Dahi
7. “GastonTwo09ine” feat. Johnny Polygon / “Dreams Of An Insomniac” prod. Noah Yisreal (Co-prod. Austin Celaya & THE BLACK HE∆RTS CLUB) & Atu
8. “Major Paine (Daddy’s Little Girl)” Prod. Austin Celaya & THE BLACK HE∆RTS CLUB)
9. “Assiatou’s Interlude” feat. Obi Asiama Prod. Juke Ellington
10. “A$$WATER (Circa ’94)” feat. SisterMarie Warner / “Leroy Shingu’s Interlude” Prod. Ruddy P & PRKR
11. “Faux Gold” feat. Mibbs
12. “Django” Prod. Wonya
13. “Bienaime’s Interlude” Prod. Ryan Hemingsworth
14. “Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher” Prod. Larry Achiampong
15. “Holy $ins” / “The Inauguration” Prod. PGMW & John Beats

Complex premieres “Dreams Of An Insomniac”: http://www.complex.com/music/2014/04/wells-dreams-of-an-insomniac-premiere

The Huffington Post premieres “Lil’ Tommy”: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/wells-lil-tommy_n_5079338.html

Noisey premieres “Savoir-Faire”: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/well-savoir-faire-premiere

HipHopDX premieres “Black Swan”: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/singles/id.26277/title.Well%24-Black+Swan

Well$ Background:

Like most kids in his native town of Charlotte, North Carolina, Leroy Shingu had a head filled with hip-hop dreams growing up, even trying his hand at freestyling when he was all of nine years old. But a trying background starkly different from the blissful suburban reality of his peers would compel the rapper better known as Well$ to turn that childhood fantasy into a promising career as a rapper. Quietly released in 2012, $ay La V, Well$’ debut EP rose steadily on the Bandcamp charts to peak at number 5 and eventually become the most downloaded album in the Charlotte area. This remarkable ascent as well as the video for the song “State of Ecstasy The Interlude Part 1″ hauled Well$ out of virtual anonymity, and shoved him onto high profile stage performances with artists such as G Eazy, Chris Webby, Johnny Polygon, and one of his idols, Pac Div.

Links:

bandcamp | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“Dreams Of An Insomniac”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/dreams-of-an-insomniac

“Lil’ Tommy”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/lil-tommy/

“Savoir-Faire”: http://youtu.be/bVVggr8eheY

“Black Swan”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/black-swan

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 2”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/state-of-ecstasy-pt-2

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 1”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smsGIANkDfA

Bio, pics, and more here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wells/

Video: J Stalin – “G.I. Joe”

HipHopDX Premieres Visual from SID (Shining In Darkness) Album, Now Available on iTunes

04.29.2014

Critical Praise for J Stalin:

“As the owner of Livewire Records, West Oakland rapper J Stalin provides a place for the growth of incredibly creative, meat-and-potatoes Bay Area hip-hop. The label hosts gritty rubbery street music that navigates crack dealing devastation and grounded partying tracks with equal aplomb, with artists that range from Stalin himself to MCs like Shady Nate and Philthy Rich among others.” – SPIN

“Shining In Darkness is easily considered one of J Stalin’s most cultivating yet.” – XXL

The Video:

Fresh off the SPIN premiere of his SID (Shining In Darkness) album, J Stalin releases new visuals for “G.I. Joe.” Debuted by HipHopDX, the video features J Stalin and his Livewire Records crew in an Audi and Porsche-filled parking lot, covered in darkness from the Oakland night sky and a film of thick, white smoke. Highlighting the signature mob music sound the Bay Area is known for, J Stalin raps into an overhead camera, “Since 16, I done had this cheddar fetish/It was something inside me that told me go get it.”

Stalin’s track record supports that claim. SID is his 14th studio album, adding to his collection of 14 mixtapes he’s released over the past 8 years. His entrepreneurial prowess is unmatched by many artists his age. You can find his career tips featured in his list on HipHopDX. The album contains an impressive lineup of features with fellow Bay Area rappers Too $hort, E-40, Joey Fatts, Shady Nate, Iamsu!, and more. In their review of the album, XXL says “Shining In Darkness is easily considered one of J. Stalin’s most cultivating yet.” The album is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

Watch “G.I. Joe”: http://youtu.be/bOvN6sPfiEQ

Purchase SID (Shining In Darkness) here:

iTunes: http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Shining-Darkness-J-Stalin/dp/B00I5NKPZ4/
Amazon: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

Check out the HipHopDX premiere: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/videos/id.16184/title.j-stalin-g-i-joe-

Read J Stalin’s 5 Tips for Sustaining His Career Over 13 Albums: http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/editorials/id.2376/title.j-stalin-s-5-tips-for-sustaining-his-career-over-13-albums

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with J Stalin.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram

“G.I. Joe”: http://youtu.be/bOvN6sPfiEQ

SID (Shining In Darkness): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

“Regal”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/regal-feat-problem-prod-by

“Stay Strapped”: http://youtu.be/XEQ1FhJaJBk

“Anotha Quelo” (Remix): https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/another-quelo-remix-feat-lil/s-lQKUd

“Fuk That”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/fuk-that-feat-too-short-prod/

Bio, pics, and more here: http://www.audibletreats.com/j-stalin/

Video: ProbCause – “Chicago Style”

Rapper Pays Homage to Hometown in First Visual from Forthcoming WAVES EP

04.25.2014

Critical Praise for ProbCause:

“The rising rapper […] has continue to dominate his own lane, especially with his new project The Recipe Volume 2. Prob will have you locked in.” – XXL

“…just one conversation with Grimm is enough to make you realize that he’s deeper than even his his most serious lyrics suggest.” – Chicagoist.com

“Prob has his hand in two different fields, which makes both his art and his music that more intriguing.” – FakeShoreDrive.com

“As this up-and-coming creative continues to walk the line between the subtly sinister and adventurous, his stock continues to increase.” – PotholesInMyBlog

The Video:

In the midst of a nationwide tour with electro-pop group Cherub, Chicago rapper ProbCause shares his latest visual, “Chicago Style.” Debuted by PotholesInMyBlog, the MC raps into the fluttering camera as the video also shows flashes of street art in his hometown’s South Side and Pelsin neighborhoods. Directed by APJ Films, additional b-roll highlights live performance clips from the tour, where ProbCause brings his energy to the stage with a drummer.

The song’s lyrics also pay some homage to the MC’s hometown, as ProbCause lyrics from fellow Chicagoan Twista’s “Adrenaline Rush,” rapping “so turn the bass kick up and bump, and let the rhythm hit off the trunk.” Two weeks ago, Noisey premiered the full audio version of the song, saying “he’s taken it upon himself to deliver a Chi anthem in ‘Chicago Style.'” Produced by Fortified Sounds and Drew Mantia, the full version includes an extended, House/Juke-influenced portion. From ProbCause’s forthcoming WAVES EP, which is set for a May 12 release, “Chicago Style” is the first official single, following a Hood Internet remix of “LSD,” which features Chance the Rapper and first appeared on SPIN.

Watch “Chicago Style”: http://youtu.be/-msZxXK6xXg

Check out the PotholesInMyBlog premiere: http://potholesinmyblog.com/potholes-premiere-probcause-chicago-style-video/

Listen to “Chicago Style” here: https://soundcloud.com/probcause/chicago-style

4/29/2014 Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
4/30/2014 Bryan, TX @ Grand Stafford Theater
5/1/2014 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
5/2/2014 Austin, TX @ Emo’s

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with ProbCause.

ProbCause Background:

We drew a line in the sand, and ProbCause crossed it. Over and over again. Eventually, we gave up on drawing lines and left that to him. Not only is ProbCause a prolific rapper, but a painter too. Between SXSW, North Coast, Costa Rica, and tour dates nation-wide, ProbCause is keeping busy. When he’s not on the road doing shows, he’s getting friendly with his paintbrush and inspiring fellow students at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. His sound jumps from hip hop, to electronic, to R & B, and then back to a classic boom-bap gritty rap sound. With stories that make you reminisce and a percussive delivery that highlights his versatile production, ProbCause is one of the most dynamic touring acts.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | soundcloud | bandcamp

“Chicago Style”: http://youtu.be/-msZxXK6xXg

“Chicago Style”: https://soundcloud.com/probcause/chicago-style

“LSD” (Hood Internet Remix): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/lsd-ft-chance-the-rapper-hood-internet-remix

“LSD” (feat. Chance the Rapper): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfwGplBrAKc

“Flex”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwjG7ZRTcNQ

“Muffhugger” (feat. ProbCause): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfwGplBrAKc

“LSD” (feat. Chance the Rapper): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/lsd

“Three Course Meal” (feat. Action Bronson and Chance the Rapper): https://soundcloud.com/probcause/probcause-three-course-meal

Bio, photos, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/probcause/

Podcast: Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 155

New Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 155 Features Dizzy Wright, The Outfit, TX, League of Extraordinary Gz, Tynethys, and Nooch

04.23.2014

The Podcast:

Our Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast showcases the latest hits from our publicity clients. Jumpstarting this week’s episode is record label Funk Volume’s Las Vegas-based star and XXL 2013 Freshman Dizzy Wright with his song “State of Mind.” Fresh off his recently released State of Mind EP, the track gives us an intimate look at what goes on in Dizzy’s head. Filled with fat snare hits and a relaxed string section, he raps his credo, “It’s all about your state of mind.” Following him is Washington D.C.’s newest young rapper Nooch with “Feel This” from his mixtape Rookie Season. With smooth lines and quips, Nooch manages to take what he’s learned about music and form his own sound rather than copying his influences directly. Next up is League of Extraordinary Gz, the Texas rap collective, and their track “Billie Jean.” The horn-rich, snare heavy track is from their debut album, #LeagueShit. After LOEGz, fellow Texas rap group The Outfit, TX hits us with “Hourglass,” a track from member Dorian’s Four Corner Room. The project is part of the highly acclaimed double album Cognac/ Four Corner Room, released by members Mel and Dorian respectively. Topping the podcast off is Sacramento multi-talent Tynethys, and his wavy track “Stress” featuring Illecism. The rapper/singer/producer addresses his loyal pot priorities on the Thyluxe track, as he sings “hey, hey, hey, smoke weed everyday.” Stay tuned for our next podcast.

Listen to the podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-155/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Links:

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 155 – Dizzy Wright, The Outfit, TX, League of Extraordinary Gz, Tynethys, and Nooch:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-155/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 154 – The Doppelgangaz, Hopsin, ProbCause, Well$, and Blanco:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-154/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 153 – Jarren Benton, Caleb James, J Stalin, Noelz Vedere, and Tynethys:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-153/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 152 – Dizzy Wright, Well$, Noelz Vedere, Nooch, and The Outfit, TX:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-152/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 151 –  Iamsu!, The Doppelgangaz, J Stalin, Booty Fade, and Tynethys:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-151/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

MP3: Nooch – “Just Do It” feat. Wale

NahRight Debuts Latest Single from 18-Year Old DMV Rapper’s Forthcoming Sophomore Slump Mixtape

04.24.2014

The Song:

“I’m all about a check, Nike-Just Do It,” proclaims Nooch, the 18-year old rising rap talent from D.C., on the chorus of his new single. Premiered by NahRight, the song, “Just Do It,” features local legend and Maybach Music Group rapper Wale. Acknowledging that Nooch is the son of prominent D.C. street rapper Boobe, Wale raps “me and Boobe in a Ghost,” before also shouting out Nooch, saying “tell Nooch come, bring the whole streets out.”

“Just Do It” is the second single from Nooch’s forthcoming mixtape, Sophomore Slump, which releases in May and is a follow-up to last year’s Rookie Season. The first single, “Too Many” featuring Fat Trel, debuted on The Source. From Rookie Season, Nooch’s “Feel This” video recently premiered on HotNewHipHop, while the video for “Suge Knight,” from his collaborative project with Cerda, first appeared on AllHipHop.

Listen to “Just Do It” featuring Wale: https://soundcloud.com/nooch69-1/just-do-it-ft-wale

Check out the NahRight premiere: http://nahright.com/news/2014/04/24/nooch-ft-wale-just-do-it/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Nooch.

Nooch’s Background:

A listen to 18-year-old DMV-native Nooch quickly reveals an artist who listens just as much as he speaks. A certified engineer, Nooch is equipped with an ear for music that goes beyond the usual trap-inspired tunes of his peers within and outside of the DMV. While many artists strive to create a singular sound by which they can define themselves, the 18-year-old rapper rejects that notion all together, hoping that each song is its own experience that simply adds to a greater one. Thus, differentiating is where Nooch excels most. He nods to the artists he looks up to while adding his own essence to each track. His versatility combined with his fan-first approach to making music sets him apart from the sounds of his region and radio.

Links:

twitter | instagram

“Just Do It” feat. Wale: https://soundcloud.com/nooch69-1/just-do-it-ft-wale

“Feel This” Video: http://youtu.be/5fi2vHoQ0g4

“I’m  A Stoner” Freestyle: http://youtu.be/j6FeMCsosLU

“Too Many” Feat. Fat Trel: https://soundcloud.com/nooch69-1/too-many-ft-fat-trel

“Suge Knight” Video: http://youtu.be/PB7a-Y0LyRg

Rookie Season Mixtape: http://indy.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/21994/oneway-nooch-rookie-season.html

“Gotta Go” Video: http://youtu.be/NyWbYZA6wPY

“Wit A N*gga” Video: http://youtu.be/7atmLbk-jQU

Video: Noelz Vedere – “Out Of Focus” (ft. Freddie Gibbs) 

 Noelz Vedere Unblurs Lines In Hard-Hitting New Visual Premiered by Noisey

04.23.2014

Critical Praise for Noelz Vedere:

“He raps with the strength of a thousand emcees. He steps to the mic and delivers his potent bars in a feverish, aggressive, cutting flow that drives the record more than the prodigious boardwork.” – DJBooth

“This is an awesome display of rapping right here.” – Kevin Nottingham

“Advanced song writing skill, sharp delivery presence, unorthodox rhyming and smooth melodics.” – Hypetrak

“…it’ll become quickly apparent that he fits in with the realm of recent rap studs coming out of the city (Chicago).” – Potholes In My Blog

“Noelz Vedere is ready to represent Chi-Town… This is a name to watch this year.” – Earmilk

“This right here is tough as hell… Noelz has our attention.” – OnSMASH

The Video:

“‘Out Of Focus‘ is one of those smoking songs that makes you feel like if you had to you could jump somebody in a really stoned haze for jacking your Rap Snacks,” says Noisey in their premiere of the latest video from Northside Chicago rapper Noelz Vedere. Featuring Freddie Gibbs and directed by Asa Davis, the visuals are blurred and vary between grayscale, blue, and red screens as the rappers display their highly opinionated attitudes, and swaggy, confident demeanors. With an initially grainy reel, fisheye lens zooming into focus, and brief blurred blue-hued images of braggadocio gestures, Vedere makes it clear that he’s an artist worth keeping on your radar.

In the video, Vedere is sporting a Michael Jordan White Sox jersey and Profound Aesthetics cap, showing his overt pride for his city. From his forthcoming Bittersweet Victory album, which is slated for a May 20 release, previous singles “Bittersweet” and “Blackout” debuted on HipHopDX and DJBooth, while the full audio version of “Out Of Focus” premiered on Earmilk.

Watch “Out Of Focus”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSpaypMWn98

Check out the Noisey premiere: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/noelz-vedere-freddie-gibbs-out-of-focus-video-premiere

Listen to “Out Of Focus”: https://soundcloud.com/noelzvedere/out-of-focus-ft-freddie-gibbs

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Noelz Vedere.

Noelz Vedere Background:

Chicago, Illinois has hip-hop’s spotlight for 2014. From a global superstar like Kanye West to emerging talents like Chance The Rapper, the crossroads between the East and the West has a colorful youth movement with new approaches to music-making. That is especially true of Noelz Vedere, a 24 year-old hip-hop artist from the rarely chronicled Northside of the city. “I literally have friends who own houses in the hundreds of thousands, and I have friends who are below the poverty line,” he explains, of his music’s place. “Me being in the middle, it exposes me to so many aspects of life. I can relate to what Chief Keef is saying, what Chance is talking about, and what Rockie Fresh is creating. There’s so much beauty in Chicago right now.”

The Windy City’s complexity plays well against Noelz’ upcoming studio debut, Bittersweet Victory. The album, featuring Freddie Gibbs and The Cool Kids’ Sir Michael Rocks, is heavy on both inspiration and aspiration. “My first project (Popular Kid) came out and I got a lot of local recognition, but at the same time it wasn’t where I wanted to be. There are still a lot of gatekeepers and doors with keys I’m trying to find. So I feel that I’m blossoming into my glory, but it’s still a bittersweet feeling.” In 2011, Noelz burst onto the scene in a way that was even shocking to him. A song he recorded with would-be Maybach Music Group artist Rockie Fresh and Kids These Days frontman Vic Mensa mysteriously leaked to the web, with sites large and small showing “King Me” to the court. “I had never gotten so much exposure in my life,” Noelz admits, as he rushed to feed the masses a body of work. Popular Kid, a reference to the overnight exposure, dropped quickly after. Vedere now says the hasty process made him adopt a slower, refined approach to his sophomore release.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram | youtube | soundcloud

“Out Of Focus” (ft. Freddie Gibbs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuRrhjBaVqI

“Out Of Focus” (ft. Freddie Gibbs): https://soundcloud.com/noelzvedere/out-of-focus-ft-freddie-gibbs

“Bittersweet”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmTN_lLWxo8

“King Me” (ft. Rockie Fresh & Vic Mensa) Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5ZI7g6DIFk

“High Class” (ft. Sir Michael Rocks): https://soundcloud.com/noelzvedere/high-class-feat-sir-michael

“Road to Popularity” Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRNMTgo8umY

“Fly Away”: https://soundcloud.com/noelzvedere/fly-away

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/noelz-vedere/

Album: Tynethys – Thyluxe 

Okayplayer Premieres Album from Sacramento Rapper/Singer/Producer/Main Attrakionz Collaborator

04.22.2014

 Critical Praise for Tynethys:

“…a new wave of pillowy-soft West Coast tunes.” – Pitchfork

“…proves that math is for losers and rap is awesome.” –Vice’s NOISEY

“…an airy, narcotic project that floats along and passes in a blur.” –The FADER 

“Tynethys, aka Nicky Samuel, carries on the mantle of where that ‘cloud rap’ hype is headed, mixing analogue tricks seen and heard on old televisions and VCRs that brings out the ghosts from yesterday’s machines for the new synth terrains of today’s sonic atmospheres and introspective verses” – Impose Mag

The Album:

Today, Okayplayer premieres the synth-blaring, 808-slapping, silky-smooth album, Thyluxe, from Sacramento talent and Main Attrakionz collaborator Tynethys. The album showcases his plethora of skills: rapping, singing, and producing. His dexterity breathes life into every track, creating a truly artistic vibe that persists throughout the entire album. The up-beat, electric feel is on full display in the singles “Humpday,” “Hiyah,” and “TFZ.” As Tynethys says himself, “I don’t even rap, I art.”

With ’80s synths and a variety of vocal pitch corrections, he renders his audience with an unusual yet uniquely vibrant sound, and addresses themes such as the fast life in “Foghty” and “Hiyah,” as well as his loyal pot priorities in tracks including “Stress” and “Trackstars“ where he sings “hey, hey, hey, smoke weed everyday.” With the exception of the Friendzone-produced track “TFZ,” the entire album was produced by Tynethys himself. Proving to be a triple threat, his vocal range is on display in “Make The Beat Play” and “Dreamer,” a further example of Thyluxe being a diverse compilation of ethereal tracks. The album is available for free download on Soundcloud.

Get Thyluxe for free: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/sets/thyluxe/

Check out the Okayplayer premiere: http://www.okayplayer.com/news/audio-premiere-tynethys-thyluxe-lp-stream-mp3.html

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Tynethys.

Tynethys Background:

To hear him tell it, Sacramento’s Tynethys’ (pronounced “Teen-theez”) musical style is like “selling crack in a Sub-Zero outfit.” For the MC/producer, Mortal Kombat is just one of his inspirations, along with rap heroes Mac Dre, Kid Cudi, and T-Nutty. Producing and writing his songs in the hours between midnight and sunrise, Tynethys is a jovial, pensive creator with a stoner’s laugh and street vernacular. Tyne’s style is a fuzzy free-form that speaks not only to his worldview from his bedroom, but many like him. With the forthcoming Thyluxe, a follow-up to last year’s Lost Angeles album, Tynethys believes he’s hitting his best stride. “I feel like it is the truest representation of me. I did it without trying too hard.” Besides his own work, Tynethys appeals to many collaborators. On October 22, he released a project with Oakland duo Main Attrakionz. “I really fucked with these dudes. They came to Sacramento, and I showed up at their hotel room,” recalls Tyne, who arrived with a portable studio. Having opened for Kendrick Lamar, Raekwon and Evidence, it’s only a matter of time until Tynethys transports his sound around the globe.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud | instagram

Thyluxe: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/sets/thyluxe/

“TFZ”: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/tfz-prod-by-friendzone

“Hiyah”:https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/hiyah/

“Humpday”: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/humpday/

“Loading”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuavRetoV74

“Strawberry Letter 316”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tSR0W2e7wA

Main Attrakionz x Tynethys Mixtape: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/sets/main-attrakionz-x-tynethys

“USB”: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/usb

“International”: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/international

“On1”: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/main-attrakionz-x-tynethys-x

“Kinfolk”: http://youtu.be/9JCmwKC4sf8

Lost Angeles: https://soundcloud.com/tynethys/sets/lost-angeles

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/tynethys/

Video: Dizzy Wright – “Everywhere I Go”

Funk Volume Releases First Video from Dizzy Wright’s State of Mind EP

04.22.2014

Critical Praise for Dizzy Wright:

Selected as one of XXL’s Freshmen Class of 2013

“Amazing.” –  MTV News

“Guess it’s fair to say we’ve been sleeping on Dizzy Wright.” – Complex

“Dizzy Wright is captivating the moment you hear him“ – Complex

The Video:

Tracklisting for State of Mind EP:

1. State of Mind
2. Everywhere I Go
3. Reunite For The Night
4. Too Real For This
5. Nuttin Bout Me
6. New Generation
7. Calm Down

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Dizzy Wright.

Dizzy Wright Background:

Not many 21-year old rappers can say that they’ve been rapping for over a decade. Las Vegas, Nevada, Rapper Dizzy Wright began rapping at just 8 years old, in the group “DaFuture” with his brother and very close friend; his mother wrote his raps at the time. Dizzy broke through when he was discovered at the Sheikh Music “Rip the Mic” competition in 2010 and signed onto Funk Volume a few months later. In April 2012, Dizzy released his first Funk Volume album, SmokeOut Conversations, peaking at #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. He followed it up with a free mixtape, Free SmokeOut Conversations, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times, and helped propel Dizzy to his own national 30-city tour. In December 2012, Dizzy went on to release the first of four EPs, The First Agreement, which reached as high as #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart. In March of 2013, Dizzy gathered enough votes to be selected as the “People’s Choice” member of the XXL Freshman Class of 2013. Also in 2013, Dizzy released The Golden Age mixtape and followed it up with The Golden Age Tour. 

Funk Volume Background:

Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with over 62 million YouTube views, 415 thousand Facebook likes, consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | bandcamp

“Everywhere I Go” Video: http://youtu.be/QKGy-CYIJPM

State of Mind: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/state-of-mind/id862583591

“Everywhere I Go”  http://youtu.be/94VZdOlkivk

“The Perspective” feat. Chel’le Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhzYuhtEvI

“No Writers Block, I Like To Rap” (Prod. By 6ix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZszHqbm74

“We Turned Out Alright” feat. Wyclef: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sa1izvqZpc

“World Peace”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P1zQ2oj5MM

The Golden Age: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dizzy-wright-the-golden-era-mixtape.88771.html

XXL 2013 Freshmen Story: http://www.xxlmag.com/2013-freshmen/dizzy-wright/

“First Agreement”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBgQzgngKZM

“Killem Wit Kindness”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMVfAAynx-M 

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/dizzy-wright/

Free EP: Blanco, The Jacka & Messy Marv – One Hunnid [Prod. By Tha Bizness]

YG, Nipsey Hussle, Freeway, Trae the Truth Feature On Bay Area Trio’s Collaborative EP

04.21.2014

 The EP:

After releasing their One Hunnid EP on iTunes last Tuesday, Bay Area rappers Blanco, The Jacka, and Messy Marv surprised fans with a free download of the album in celebration of every weed smoker’s favorite holiday, 4/20. The album charted in iTunes’ Top 100 Hip-Hop/R&B albums for the past week, and includes features from YG, Freeway, Nipsey Hussle, Mistah FAB, and Trae the Truth. The trio enlisted Grammy-winning production duo Tha Bizness, who handle the EP’s production in-full. Featuring Compton rapper YG, Complex premiered the EP’s lead single, “9/11,” in March, calling the song “a smooth cut that is meant to bump at high volumes.” The second single, “Change,” features Nipsey Hussle, and was debuted by AllHipHop this past weekend. Tracks like “The Grassy Knoll” set a melancholy tone criticizing society and taking an analytical approach to politics, while the gangsta-fied “I Am Not A Krook”  holds as a player’s  anthem.

Earlier this year, Blanco unleashed a flurry of releases. Starting with a series of free downloads of previously released albums, Blanco shared OBEY and Misfits, which are collaborative projects with The Jacka, Jonestown, which is with The Jacka and Messy Marv, and Raw, with Nipsey Hussle.

Purchase the One Hunnid EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

Stream the One Hunnid EP: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/one-hunnid-blanco-the-jacka

Download the One Hunnid EP: http://www.audiomack.com/album/audible-treats/one-hunnid

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Blanco.

Blanco Background:

Blanco (formerly Benny Blanco) is a rapper born in Berkeley, California but bred throughout the Bay Area. Fascinated by gangsta rap at an early age, Blanco began rhyming at 17. In 2004, he and his brother founded hip-hop label Guerilla Entertainment, which to date has released upwards of over 20 mixtapes and albums. As a member of rap trio The Yay Boyz with fellow label mates Taj-He-Spitz and Lil Hyfe, Blanco released Got Purp (Volumes 1 and 2), The Wizeguys, and full-length album Nosebleed Muzic. He has gone on to release several solo projects, including Blanco’s Way and American Pyscho, and more collaborative albums, including Jonestown with Messy Marv and Jacka, and his latest, Raw, with Nipsey Hussle. Blanco has also collaborated with Gucci Mane, Redman, Freeway, Freddie Gibbs and Styles P, and released projects with Araab Muzik and Yukmouth. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube  

Purchase One Hunnid EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

Stream One Hunnid EP: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/one-hunnid-blanco-the-jacka

“Change,” feat. Nipsey Hussle: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/change-blanco-the-jacka-messy

“9/11,” feat. YG: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/9-11-blanco-the-jacka-messy

OBEY: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/obey-blanco-the-jacka/

Misfits: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/blanco-the-jacka-misfits-1

“Punch Out”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-punch-out-feat-trae-tha

“Duck Hunt”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-the-jacka-duck-hunt-ft

Raw: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/sets/nipsey-hussle-blanco-raw-full

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/blanco

Album: J Stalin – SID (Shining In Darkness)

Bay Area Rapper J Stalin Releases His 14th Studio Album SID (Shining In Darkness) Album, Premieres via SPIN

04.22.2014

Critical Praise:

“As the owner of Livewire Records, West Oakland rapper J Stalin provides a place for the growth of incredibly creative, meat-and-potatoes Bay Area hip-hop. The label hosts gritty rubbery street music that navigates crack dealing devastation and grounded partying tracks with equal aplomb, with artists that range from Stalin himself to MCs like Shady Nate and Philthy Rich among others.” – SPIN

The Album:

Today, SPIN premieres SID (Shining In Darkness), the latest album from Bay Area powerhouse J Stalin. Emphasizing the signature mob music sound the Bay Area is known for, the album showcases an artist that has had plenty of experience in the industry. SID marks his 14th studio album, which doesn’t include the 14 mixtapes he’s released over the past 8 years via his own Livewire Records, showing prolific and entrepreneurial qualities not often seen in artists his age. The regular version of the album contains the single  “Stay Strapped,” which was premiered by XXL Magazine while the iTunes version contains four bonus songs, including “Regal,” featuring Problem, which was premiered by Southern Hospitality. 

SID (Shining In Darkness) boasts an impressive roll-call of fellow Bay Area magnets such as Too $hort, E-40, Joey Fatts, Shady Nate, Iamsu!, and more. To quote SPIN, “make sure to slowly make your way to the appropriately titled late-night creeper “Weirdo” and the dirty-minded quiet storm slapper “All These Girls.” SID is available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon.

Purchase SID (Shining In Darkness) here:

iTunes: http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Shining-Darkness-J-Stalin/dp/B00I5NKPZ4/
Amazon: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

Check out the SPIN  premiere here: http://www.spin.com/articles/stream-j-stalin-sid-shining-in-darkness-livewire/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with J Stalin.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | instagram

SID (Shining In Darkness): https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/s.i.d.-shining-in-darkness/id838606733

“Regal”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/regal-feat-problem-prod-by

“Stay Strapped”: http://youtu.be/XEQ1FhJaJBk

“Anotha Quelo” (Remix): https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/another-quelo-remix-feat-lil/s-lQKUd

“Fuk That”: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/fuk-that-feat-too-short-prod/

Free Album: A-Plus (Souls of Mischief) – Legrowlize It! Vol. II

Producer A-Plus of Souls of Mischief Releases Cannabis-Inspired Instrumental Album, Premiered by URB Magazine

                                                             04.21.2014

The Album:

Following up his highly acclaimed, marijuana-inspired Legrowlize It! instrumental album released in 2011, A-Plus (Hieroglyphics / Souls of Mischief / C7) is back with Legrowlize It! Vol. II, premiered by URB Magazine. With more audio Kush for your mind, body and soul presented by Arnette Eyewear, the album is another set of never before heard classic instrumentals from A-Plus’ personal vaults, made on an ASX-Pro in the late ’90’s and early ’00’s. Produced under the influence and inspired by marijuana and its culture, this is the perfect project to crank up and zone out to. The album is available for free download.

A founding member of Souls of Mischief and The Hieroglyphics, rapper and producer A-Plus has had an outstanding 2014 so far. He has released another free instrumental album, Think Tank, premiered by PotholesInMyBlog, in addition to his experimental dub-step/electronic album Molly’s Dirty Water premiered by Okayplayer. Get On Down also released a deluxe 20th anniversary edition of Souls of Mischief’s classic 93 ‘Til Infinity.

Stream and download Legrowize It! Vol. II: https://soundcloud.com/hieroaplus/sets/legrowlize-it-vol-ii

Check out the URB Magazine premiere: http://urb.com/2014/04/19/premiere-arnette-eyewear-presents-legrowlize-it-vol-2-by-a-plus/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with A-Plus.

Souls of Mischief Background:

Starting with their landmark debut 93 ‘Til Infinity, Oakland’s four-person rap group Souls of Mischief has blazed the trail for hip hop’s evolution. Members Tajai, A-Plus, Phesto, and Opio have left their mark sonically, lyrically, and stylistically on Kanye West, Just Blaze, Big Sean, Big K.R.I.T., P. Diddy, Vampire Weekend, John Mayer, and many more who have cited them as cultural icons and influencers. Souls is also credited as having pioneered the independent label movement when they started Hieroglyphic Imperium Records in 1997 following their departure with JIVE Records, creating the infrastructure blueprint for other succesful independent hip hop labels. Co-founders of the Hiero label also include emcees Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, and producer Domino. Souls also forged hip-hop’s relationship with the skate, surf, and snowboard communities after iconic skate brands included their music in their VHS videotapes in the mid-90s. The group’s creative output and legacy as a whole continues to thrive, and they show no sign of stopping.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube

Legrowize It! Vol. II: https://soundcloud.com/hieroaplus/sets/legrowlize-it-vol-ii

Think Tank: https://soundcloud.com/hieroglyphics-1/sets/a-plus-think-tank

Molly’s Dirty Water: https://soundcloud.com/hieroglyphics-1/sets/a-plus-aagee-mollys-dirt-water

“Blue Tear Drops”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l_Qg-hQFgk

“Won One”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EEqnTR0IMw

“Proper Aim”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W064ZFxJtR4

“’93 Till Infinity”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mt3vZHDiM8

Bio, pictures & streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/a-plus/

Free EP: Zion I –  Libations 

Indie Hip Hop Fusion Duo Zion I Release Second Introspectively Spiritual EP, Libations Premiered by URB

04.22.2013

Critical Praise for Zion I:

“Zion keeps the revolutionary fire spirit lit in the minds of the people.”  – Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

“Producer AmpLive and emcee Zumbi want you to be moved not just by the music, but also by the message.” – HipHopDX

The EP:

Combining Latin horns, showtime music, and samples of scratches from ’80s and ’90s rap are things that not even the most diverse artists risk doing, but indie hip hop fusion duo Zion I make it work in tracks like “Get Yours” from their second of three free EP’s, entitled Libations, which was premiered by URB. Promoting unity and upliftment, the duo unveil this project as a means to change the perception of hip hop by simultaneously infusing elements of spirituality and a mix of genres including trip hop, R&B and a bit of Latin flavor. With entrancing melodies and soul-infused synths in tracks like “Last Night” that are leaning more towards the R&B  side, and the medieval-regal sounding intro for “Lateef’s Song,” every track has a different flow and vibe. The EP is a taste of the group’s visual and experimental aesthetic.

Composed of rapper MC Zumbi and producer AMP Live, Libations holds as part two of their free EP trilogy. The duo previously released part one of the album, an EP entitled Master of Ceremonies. In creating the first part, MC Zumbi says, “We took it back to ground zero in creating these songs. The sole purpose of the emcee is to energize, invigorate and guide the listener to a higher state of mind, whether that be reflection, relaxation or enlightenment.” Switching gears, the duo explains that Libations is completely different. Zumbi explains, “This project was heavily influenced by one of my best friends passing away suddenly. His death put me in a mood to really analyze my life and how short this existence really can be. It opened my eyes and heart to both the ugliness and beauty of what we experience while alive.” Hence, Libations broods with reflection and deep emotion. “To me, libation is when you honor someone by pouring out your brew before you sip, its a sort of prayer.  On this EP, I poured out some liquor for my homie, as well as my family, and myself.” Aside from production by AMP Live, the EP also features production from Headnodic, and newcomer Featherload, as well as features with rappers Mr Lif, Sadat X, and Opio from Souls of Mischief.

Read URB’s premiere here: http://urb.com/2014/04/20/premiere-zion-i-libations-full-album-stream/

Stream and listen to Libations EP here: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/libations-ep

Listen to The Master of Ceremonies EP here: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/the-masters-of-ceremony-ep

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Zion I.

Zion I Background:

Since 1999, Zion I has released seven critically acclaimed LPs, including Mind Over Matter (1998), Deep Water Slang (2000), True & Livin’ (2003), Break of Dawn (2004), The Take Over (2009), and Atomic Clock (2010). They also have two highly acclaimed albums under the name [Zion I and The Grouch with long time collaborator The Grouch, Hereos in the City of Dope and Hereos in the Healing of the Nation. Voted best Bay Area hip-hop group by the SF Weekly numerous times, Zion I have been featured in media outlets from XXL, The Source, Vibe, YRB, 944, Prefixmag.com, Popmatters, 7+7, SF Chronicle, and SF Bay Guardian.

Having opened for rap royalty including De La Soul, Rakim, and Run-D.M.C, this duo of genre-bender pride has made a name for itself on the Bay Area scene. Oakland’s MC Zumbi and DJ/producer Amp Live blend hip-hop and trip-hop beats with lyrics focused on a message of unity, hope, and spiritual awareness while successfully mixing spiritualism and hip-hop. Their debut album, Mind Over Matter, was released in May of 2000 and features collaborations with fellow Bay Area rappers Rasco, Planet Asia, and the Grouch. Although Zion I operates out of Berkeley, the group was originally formed in Atlanta, making their music difficult to classify as strictly West Coast hip-hop. Their musical style makes them even harder to define. With a style that borrows from hip-hop, trance, drum’n’bass, and reggae, Zion I’s style is equally mystical and mystifying.

Ineffable Music Group Background:

Founded in 2006, Ineffable Music is a boutique management firm and record label with a roster featuring the likes of Hieroglyphics Imperium, Zion I, Pep Love, Collie Buddz, Los Rakas, Stick Figure, CunninLynguists, Amp Live, Crush Effect, Nima Fadavi, A1, Vokab company, and Wheeland Brothers. With a focus on cultivating the live experience through proper touring and effective branding, Ineffable Music has established a reputation for having an effective and no-nonsense approach to the business. On the creative side, “We are fans first and foremost” explains co-founder Thomas Cussins “but, we select who we work with based on personality and character just as much as music.”  The word “ineffable” is defined as: too great or intense to be expressed in words and propels the motto of striving for uncompromising quality.

Links:

official site|twitter|facebook|youtube|soundcloud

Libations: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/libations-ep

Master of Ceremonies : https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/the-masters-of-ceremony-ep

Hella Fresh: https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/hella-fresh-fest-mixtape

ShadowBoxing: The Remixes : https://soundcloud.com/therealzioni/sets/shadowboxing-the-remixes

MP3: Gene Noble – “Money Over Bullshit” 

VIBE Premieres Latest Loosie from Gene Noble Following Highly Acclaimed EP Rebirth of Gene 

04.17.2014

Critical Praise for  Gene Noble:

“…his well-traveled existence translates into some pretty heartfelt R&B songs.” – The FADER

“His new single, ‘Aware,’ is one of the smoothest R&B cuts out right now.” – Vice/Noisey

“…an upcoming r&b talent you’ll be hearing plenty from in 2014.” – Okayplayer

“It’s rare today to find someone who gives R&B classical justification, but the outspoken ‘rebirth’ of Los Angeles vocalist Gene Noble… puts soul back in the palm of our hands.” – EARMILK

“The unsigned singer…[turns] in an impressive vocal performance on his latest single” – DJ Booth

“The EP demonstrates and showcases an impressive vocal range that acts as, and accompanies, the instrumentals that are felt all the way through.” – theGrio

“It may not mean much to Gene Noble in the long run… But Gene Noble earned himself a new fan.” – Smoking Section 

The Song:

A Ride or Die. A Bonnie to your Clyde. A Ciara to your Future. After all that glitter’s gone, what everyone wants in life is a bae in crime who will be by your side, no matter what. Disappointed are the ones who discover that they’re with someone who cares more about the money than the relationship. With “Money Over Bullshit,” R&B singer/songwriter Gene Noble emphasizes the futility in putting too much emphasis on materialism and not enough into the connection and chemistry.

Premiered by VIBE, “Money Over Bullshit” builds from one voice to another, creating an obscure yet delicate sound, interrupted by a hard-hitting hi-hat in the bass. The message clear and simple: greed leads you nowhere.  As Gene Noble explains, “Too many young women are looking for a guy who has ‘already made it’ as opposed to sticking with someone who has endless potential. There’s something to be said for someone who is there when you have nothing.” Repeating the idea with subtle chimes in the bridge, Gene sings, “always wondering why/ they just can’t it right/ holding on so tight/ and they can’t breath inside.” He explains “The bridge is talking to all the people who wonder why they can’t get relationships right and feel the need to try and keep someone locked away out of fear they’ll cheat or whatever. It basically never works! It’s always a better look to be supportive and add to the situation in whatever way possible.” The lesson here is that the stepping stone to success is simply hard work and patience – things money can’t buy .

Following the release of his highly acclaimed EP Rebirth of Gene, backup singer/songwriter turned soul-melting solo artist, Gene Noble sets an edgy tone, while soothingly serenading ears with his newest loosie produced by Paperboy Fabe and Bus The Producer. Known for adding his personal style to classically-rooted R&B songs and covers including Lorde’s “Royals” and Christina Aguilera’s “Say Something- A Great Big World,” Gene Noble incorporates a uniquely assertive style to this particular song, saying “Shawty put money over bullshit/a lot of y’all don’t get it what I’m talking ’bout/ but you can breed the baller if you hold him down/but you still don’t get it.” With finesse, he soulfully elaborates on the point he makes in this exhorting yet refreshing track set with wondrous instrumentation.

Check out the VIBE premiere : http://www.vibe.com/article/premiere-gene-noble-money-over-bullshit

Listen to “Money Over Bullshit”:  https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/money-over-bullsh-t

Buy Rebirth Of Gene on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rebirth-of-gene/id815337976

Listen to Gene Noble’s Cover of Christina Aguilera’s “Say Something- A Great Big World” here: https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/say-something-a-great-big

Listen to Gene Noble’s Cover of Lorde’s “Royals” here: https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/lorde-royals-covered-by-gene

Tracklisting for Rebirth of Gene:

1. Vices (feat. Emilio Rojas)
2. Imagination
3. Hide Away
4. Twilight
5. Lies
6. All I Give a F**k About
7. Still Here
8. Aware
9. Wherever You Are
10. Lay You Down

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Gene Noble.

Gene Noble Background:

The not-so-quiet rumblings of an artist on the rise continue to intensify. At the center of the quake is new artist, Gene Noble. Putting it mildly, his vocal ability is relentless, powerful and emotional. “Life Music” is how Noble describes his music, “It’s the stuff that expresses the feelings, emotions and words in a way that we want to say but often times can’t.” As a young army brat, he traveled the world to wherever his father was stationed, and while Noble was living in Germany at the age of four, his father, also named Gene, lost his life saving the life of another man.

The memories of his father became more and more distant, and music became Noble’s sanctuary. He started playing piano at the age of 5 and wrote poetry before he ever sang. Noble soon gained an early love of jazz, gospel and legendary artist Prince. In school is where his love of rock, pop, and country came into play. His babysitter eventually introduced him to hip hop. After watching R&B artist D’Angelo perform on his Voodoo tour, Noble realized that he wanted to be an artist.

Over time Noble began to realize that he knew very little about his father Gene. In 2012, he realized that he had lived longer than his father had. It all hit him when a close friend was killed, leaving a young daughter behind. The loss was devastating. As he’d done in the past, Noble returned to his sanctuary, his music… the one place he could freely express his emotions and create his new EP, Rebirth of Gene.

Links:

twitter | facebook | youtube | instagram

“Money Over Bullshit”: https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/money-over-bullsh-t

“Imagination” video: http://youtu.be/lCxNrRoYmXk

“Imagination”: https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/imagination

“Aware”: https://soundcloud.com/gene-noble-1/aware/s-LTEdH

“Lies” video: http://youtu.be/2tO3WjctERo

“Still Here” video: http://youtu.be/7mnTySkHrd8

Bio, pictures, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/gene-noble/

Album: High Desert (ex-Shins) Releases Debut Album

New Duo High Desert Featuring Former Shins Member Marty Crandall Releases Self-Titled Album

04.16.2014

Critical Praise for High Desert:

“Hazy layers of 80’s-like synths and danceable rhythms combine with introspective lyrics and infectious dream-pop melodies for a very promising debut.” – Atlas and the Anchor

“Fuzz sound and bedroom synth will bring you in the middle of the 80′s.” – Some Candy Talkin’

“…brilliant.” – Sounds Better With Reverb

iTunes New & Notable Release

The Album:

Yesterday the new Albuquerque duo High Desert released their debut self-titled album. Featuring former Shins member Marty Crandall and producer/engineer Nick Noeding Jr., High Desert’s mix of electronic-pop and shoegaze is an amalgam of previous decades of sound while still feeling modern and fresh. Their combination of decades of production and songwriting skills proves to be highly effective in their first release. The self-titled project is available for purchase on iTunes and as a stream on Soundcloud.

Marty and Nick have had plenty of experience in other projects (The Shins, Flake Music, Sad Baby Wold, Yourself, Pollination), which has matured their sound as a whole. Some Candy Talkin’ remarked, “Fuzz sound and bedroom synth will bring you in the middle of the 80′s.” Atlas and the Anchor summed it up by saying,  “Hazy layers of 80’s-like synths and danceable rhythms combine with introspective lyrics and infectious dream-pop melodies for a very promising debut.”

Purchase High Desert on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/high-desert/id849770754

Stream High Desert here: https://soundcloud.com/akahighdesert/sets/highdesert

Please contact Gavin or Rory if interested in talking with High Desert.

Links:

tumblr | twitter | facebook | soundcloud

High Desert: https://soundcloud.com/akahighdesert/sets/highdesert

“Disappeared” Video: http://youtu.be/o9eF7Afje1s

“Disappeared”: https://soundcloud.com/akahighdesert/disappeared

Video: The Outfit, TX – “Hourglass” 

The Outfit, TX’s Dorian Releases Dark Video from Four Corner Room Album, Premiere via Noisey

04.15.2014

 Critical Praise for The Outfit, TX:

“The Outfit, TX is… mixing Texan traditions with a wide range of influences from New Wave to punk to vintage boom-bap.” – Noisey

“…the best thing in rap today that nobody is talking about yet.” – MTV Hive

“…positively perfect.” – Complex

“The Outfit, TX is one of the best rap groups in Texas.” – PassionWeiss

“This is definitely a song I’d like to hear blasting out of a car.” – EARMILK

“Restrained but intricate screw-meets-funk delivery.” – The FADER

The Video :

Premiered by Noisey, The Outfit, TX release their latest video, “Hourglass,” the opening track to Dorian‘s Four Corner Room album. As the Outfit, TX explain it, “the intro of the song represents time lapse, then arrival at an epiphany.” In a hazy, purple-shaded video, the Outfit, TX’s Mel, Dorian, and JayHawk wear ski masks as body doubles appear in symmetry while Dorian raps atop the dark, bass and percussion-heavy production. Bells ring and vocal ahh’s give the song an eerie, horror film feel. Says Noisey, “it’s a hypnotic, ominous cut that’s now been complemented by a video filled with a suitable dollop of creeping dread.”

In November, the group released a double album, Cognac/Four Corner Room, which serves as the first two installments of their five-part “Texan Chronicles” series. Cognac/Four Corner Room exists as two varying solo projects, conjoined at the hip to represent the juxtaposed unity that makes up TOTX (Cognac is a solo album by TOTX member Mel, while Four Corner Room is a solo album by TOTX member Dorian). Entirely produced, written, and engineered by Mel and Dorian, Cognac/Four Corner Room takes listeners deeper into the individual spirits of the two founding members of the triumvirate that is The Outfit, TX.

Check out the Noisey premiere: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/hourglass-dorian-outfit-tx

Watch the video for “Hourglass”: http://youtu.be/x0lDBxN4HJA

Download Cognac/Four Corner Room here: http://coolyfooly.com/album/cognac-four-corner-room

Tracklisting for Cognac by Mel:

1. Bitter (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
2. Purple Diamond Tea (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
3. isyagonshakeit? (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
4. Business Man (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
5. Munky Muzik (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
6. Sweet (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
7. Drunk Driving (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
8. Drunk Sex (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
9. Right Brain Tipsy (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
10. Feeling (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
11. Ride On (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
12. Free Yourself (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
13. Dirty South Rydan (Prod. by Mel of The Outfit, TX)
14. Voyage to Atlanta (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)

Tracklisting for Four Corner Room by Dorian:

1. Hourglass (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
2. Amazing ft. Mel  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
3. Lonely Soul  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
4. WAKE UP  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
5. The Pursuit ft. King Me?  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
6. M.A.R.S  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
7. Girl Blue  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
8. Odyssey of The Mind  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
9. Straight No Chaser ft. Jay Hawk  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
10. The Feel  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
11. Ride On (Prod. by The Outfit, TX)
12. Everyone’s For Sale ft. King Me?  (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
13.  Appealing (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)
14. The Rise   (Prod. by Dorian of The Outfit, TX)

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with The Outfit, TX.

The Outfit, TX Background:

Born and raised in Dallas, producers and rappers Dorian, JayHawk, and Mel make up the hip-hop band The Outfit, TX. After forming while in school at  University of Houston in 2006, they returned to Dallas to continue to work on their patented brand of “Cooly Fooly Space Age Funk.” Individually, each has their own respective sound and together, they expertly blend their unabashed Southern credo of smooth synth bass, moogs, 808s and synthesizers. Their first official studio album, Starships and Rockets: Cooly Fooly Space Age Funk The Album is a perfect exhibition of that sound. Voted one of the “Best Underground Rap Tapes of 2012” by Houston Press Magazine, the album made waves among top tier press outlets and set the stage for their current project, their double-disk album Cognac/Four Corner Room, which exists as two solo projects, conjoined at the hip to represent the juxtaposed unity of of TOTX. Complex ranks it as one of the Top Ten Texas Rap Mixtapes of 2013.

TOTX has performed with the likes of J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, The Clipse, and Kendrick Lamar. They headlined their first sold out show at Warehouse Live in Houston, TX in March 2013, then hit the road, performing at several music festivals including A3C’s “Best in Texas” Showcase, and Spune’s Index Fest in Dallas, TX. The future holds much more for the three Southern gentlemen that comprise The Outfit,TX, who recently relocated back to Dallas from Houston. They might have put it best, describing their artistry as “one small step for Texas, one giant leap for Southern kind.”

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“Hourglass”: http://youtu.be/x0lDBxN4HJA

“Stalactight”: https://soundcloud.com/theoutfittx/stalactight

“Purple Diamond Tea”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjr7Zy-HyWI

“Free Yourself”: http://youtu.be/zDUUmTR_yzE

“Drunk Driving”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OoSjpk9chQ

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/the_outfit_tx/

Hieroglyphics Co-Founder Casual Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary of Fear Itself with Tour & Remastered Instrumentals

Casual to Perform His Classic Album Fear Itself in its Entirety on National Tour

04.16.2014

News:

Hieroglyphics co-founder, who is considered to be one of your favorite rappers’ most respected rappers, Casual, is kicking off the 20 year celebration of his formidable and influential album Fear Itself by announcing a commemorative tour where he will perform the original album in its entirety. He is also releasing a digitally remastered version of the instrumentals. Respected and recognized as one of the most skilled and versatile rappers, his Fear Itself debut was responsible not only for introducing Casual’s dizzying rhyme styles to the world-at-large, but also for strengthening the foothold of his crew in an age when few equated lyrical hip-hop with the West Coast.

Fear Itself is also widely-recognized for its richly-layered and jazzy beats, many of which were produced by Casual himself. The sample selection and arrangement led to the album being cited as one of the “Top 20-plus Hip Hop Albums of All Time from a Beat Fanatics Perspective” in a 1995 column in Rap Pages, which was one of the few hip hop magazines with nationwide distribution during that pre-internet era. Even with a coveted 4-mic rating in The Source and a strong debut at #104 on Billboard’s Pop Album Charts, the label (Jive Records) never quite gave the album the boost it deserved to catapult Casual to the success many had predicted.  Still, Fear Itself quickly gained a cult status to a wide range of hip hop enthusiasts, and was later ranked at #15 of The Most Slept-On Albums of All-Time in The Source in 2011.  Casual’s lyrical stylings kept listeners on edge with his never-predictable internal rhyme schemes, and many eventually associated the album with a freestyle battle on KMEL’s “The Wake Up Show” against Saafir that is often mentioned among the most memorable battles in rap history.

Not long after finishing high school in 1992, Casual was able to showcase his already-polished talent to several label execs and A&Rs, and a bidding war ensued. Bypassing Elektra (where his co-hort Del Tha Funkee Homosapien was signed), he eventually chose Jive Records, which was not only where his Hiero crewmates Souls Of Mischief had signed, but was also home to Too $hort, KRS-ONE, and A Tribe Called Quest. The album was finished by February 1993, and the anticipation of the album would swell nationwide thanks to the lead single “That’s How It Is,” widely-traded freestyle recordings from Stretch and Bobbito’s WKCR radio show in New York, and his appearances both rapping and producing on Del’s No Need for Alarm and Souls of Mischief’s 93 Til Infinity albums. Despite a tepid promotional campaign by Jive and numerous delays, Fear Itself would finally be released in June 1994.

In commemoration of the anniversary, Casual, joined by the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew, will host an official celebration in San Francisco at Brick & Mortar, Saturday April 19. A tour throughout the U.S. performing the album will follow in May and June, with a European tour coming in Fall 2014.

Fear Itself 20 Year Anniversary Tour Dates:

April 20th – @Brooktrails Lodge – Willits, CA
April 26 – @19th Broadway – Fairfax, CA
May 2nd – @Chrome Lotus – Santa Rosa, CA
May 3rd – @The Back Bar – San Jose, CA
May 4th – @The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA
May 11th – @Crocodile Cafe – Seattle, WA
May 15th – @The Palace Lounge – Missoula, MT
May 17th – @Cervantes Masterpiece – Denver, CO
May 21st – @Pub Rock – Scottsdale, AZ
May 22nd – @Green Room – Flagstaff, AZ
May 23rd – @Plush – Tucson, AZ
June 13th – @Coopers – Nevada City, CA
August 9th – @Shambhala Music Festival – Salmo, Canada

Purchase Tickets here: http://www.hieroglyphics.com/events

Buy the Instrumental Album here: http://casual1.bandcamp.com/album/fear-itself-instrumentals

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Casual.

Casual Background:

Casual first made his mark at the 1992 Gavin Convention when he, Souls of Mischief, Pharaohe, Monche, and Kurious broke into a spontaneous cipher that left heads speechless. By the time he returned home, his answering machine was maxed-out with messages from different A&R’s. He ultimately signed to Jive Records in 1994 and released his critically acclaimed debut LP Fear Itself. Despite being under-promoted, the album sold well and was awarded a rare 4 mics score from The Source Magazine. However, Casual’s frustration at the lack of creative control and under-promotion led him to leave the label. Together, with Del The Funky Homosapien, Souls of Mischief, Pep Love, and Domino, Casual established one of the first and most successful indie hip-hop companies of all time, Hiero Imperium, in 1997. Now, Casual has returned to Fear Itself’s 20th anniversary, announcing a commemorative tour where he will perform the original album in its entirety.

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | instagram

Fear Itself – Remastered Instrumentals: http://casual1.bandcamp.com/album/fear-itself-instrumentals

Fear Itself: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fear-itself/id284047531

He Still Think He Raw: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/he-still-think-he-raw/id522952719

Respect Games or Expect Flames: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/respect-game-or-expect-flames/id549250970

He Think He #Rapgod: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/he-think-he-rapgod/id482833276

Bio, pictures & streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/hieroglyphics/

News: Dizzy Wright Releases State of Mind EP Today

Dizzy Wright and Funk Volume Release Highly-Anticipated State of Mind EP, Available on iTunes

04.15.2014

Critical Praise for Dizzy Wright:

Selected as one of XXL’s Freshmen Class of 2013

“Amazing.” –  MTV News

“Guess it’s fair to say we’ve been sleeping on Dizzy Wright.” – Complex

“Dizzy Wright is captivating the moment you hear him“ – Complex

The EP:

Tracklisting for State of Mind EP:

1. State of Mind
2. Everywhere I Go
3. Reunite For The Night
4. Too Real For This
5. Nuttin Bout Me
6. New Generation
7. Calm Down

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Dizzy Wright.

Dizzy Wright Background:

Not many 21-year old rappers can say that they’ve been rapping for over a decade. Las Vegas, Nevada, Rapper Dizzy Wright began rapping at just 8 years old, in the group “DaFuture” with his brother and very close friend; his mother wrote his raps at the time. Dizzy broke through when he was discovered at the Sheikh Music “Rip the Mic” competition in 2010 and signed onto Funk Volume a few months later. In April 2012, Dizzy released his first Funk Volume album, SmokeOut Conversations, peaking at #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. He followed it up with a free mixtape, Free SmokeOut Conversations, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times, and helped propel Dizzy to his own national 30-city tour. In December 2012, Dizzy went on to release the first of four EPs, The First Agreement, which reached as high as #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart. In March of 2013, Dizzy gathered enough votes to be selected as the “People’s Choice” member of the XXL Freshman Class of 2013. Also in 2013, Dizzy released The Golden Age mixtape and followed it up with The Golden Age Tour. 

Funk Volume Background:

Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with over 62 million YouTube views, 415 thousand Facebook likes, consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | bandcamp

State of Mind: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/state-of-mind/id862583591

“Everywhere I Go”  http://youtu.be/94VZdOlkivk

“The Perspective” feat. Chel’le Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhzYuhtEvI

“No Writers Block, I Like To Rap” (Prod. By 6ix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZszHqbm74

“We Turned Out Alright” feat. Wyclef: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sa1izvqZpc

“World Peace”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P1zQ2oj5MM

The Golden Age: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dizzy-wright-the-golden-era-mixtape.88771.html

XXL 2013 Freshmen Story: http://www.xxlmag.com/2013-freshmen/dizzy-wright/

“First Agreement”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBgQzgngKZM

“Killem Wit Kindness”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMVfAAynx-M 

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/dizzy-wright/

MP3: Blanco, The Jacka & Messy Marv – “Change” feat. Nipsey Hussle [Prod. By Tha Bizness]

AllHipHop Premieres Sceond Single from One Hunnid EP, due Tuesday, April 15

04.14.2014

 The Song:

In eve of their One Hunnid EP, which will be released on iTunes tomorrow, April 15th, Bay Area rapper trio Blanco, The Jacka, and Messy Marv release “Change,” featuring Nipsey Hussle. The second single from their forthcoming EP, “Change” premiered on AllHipHop over the weekend. “Money, guns, and drugs, that’s my motherf-ckin’ motto,” says Blanco in his opening verse. The Cali crew reflect on their lack of interest in changing their lifestyle, chanting “I just can’t stay sober” through the song’s chorus.

Just a few weeks ago, the EP’s first single, “9/11” featuring YG, was premiered via Complex, who called the song “a smooth cut that is meant to bump at high volumes.” In addition to YG and Nipsey Hussle, Freeway, Mistah FAB, and Trae the Truth will be joining Blanco, The Jacka, and Messy Marv on their One Hunnid EP, which is produced in-full by Bay Area duo Tha Bizness.

Listen to “Change” here:  https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/change-blanco-the-jacka-messy

Check out the AllHipHop premiere here: http://allhiphop.com/2014/04/12/blanco-the-jacka-messy-marv-ft-nipsey-hussle-change/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Blanco.

Blanco Background:

Blanco (formerly Benny Blanco) is a rapper born in Berkeley, California but bred throughout the Bay Area. Fascinated by gangsta rap at an early age, Blanco began rhyming at 17. In 2004, he and his brother founded hip-hop label Guerilla Entertainment, which to date has released upwards of over 20 mixtapes and albums. As a member of rap trio The Yay Boyz with fellow label mates Taj-He-Spitz and Lil Hyfe, Blanco released Got Purp (Volumes 1 and 2), The Wizeguys, and full-length album Nosebleed Muzic. He has gone on to release several solo projects, including Blanco’s Way and American Pyscho, and more collaborative albums, including Jonestown with Messy Marv and Jacka, and his latest, Raw, with Nipsey Hussle. Blanco has also collaborated with Gucci Mane, Redman, Freeway, Freddie Gibbs and Styles P, and released projects with Araab Muzik and Yukmouth. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube  

EP: Blanco, The Jacka & Messy Marv – One Hunnid [Prod. By Tha Bizness]

YG, Nipsey Hussle, Freeway, Trae the Truth Feature On Bay Area Trio’s Collaborative EP

04.15.2014

 The EP:

In recent weeks, prominent Bay Area rapper Blanco has unleashed a flurry of releases. Starting with a series of free downloads of previously released albums, Blanco shared OBEY and Misfits, which are collaborative projects with The Jacka, Jonestown, which is with The Jacka and Messy Marv, and Raw, with Nipsey Hussle.

All of this was done with one thing in mind – building a buzz for a forthcoming new release, the One Hunnid EP, which releases today on iTunes. Teaming up once again with fellow Bay rappers The Jacka and Messy Marv, the trio enlists Grammy-winning production duo Tha Bizness. Featuring Compton rapper YG, Complex premiered the EP’s lead single, “9/11,” in March, calling the song “a smooth cut that is meant to bump at high volumes.” The second single, “Change,” features Nipsey Hussle, and was debuted by AllHipHop this past weekend. Tracks like “The Grassy Knoll” set a melancholy tone criticizing society and taking an analytical approach to politics, while the gangsta-fied “I Am Not A Krook”  holds as a player’s  anthem.

Purchase the One Hunnid EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

Listen to or download “Change,” feat. Nipsey Hussle: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/change-blanco-the-jacka-messy

Listen to or download “9/11,” feat. YG: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/9-11-blanco-the-jacka-messy

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Blanco.

Blanco Background:

Blanco (formerly Benny Blanco) is a rapper born in Berkeley, California but bred throughout the Bay Area. Fascinated by gangsta rap at an early age, Blanco began rhyming at 17. In 2004, he and his brother founded hip-hop label Guerilla Entertainment, which to date has released upwards of over 20 mixtapes and albums. As a member of rap trio The Yay Boyz with fellow label mates Taj-He-Spitz and Lil Hyfe, Blanco released Got Purp (Volumes 1 and 2), The Wizeguys, and full-length album Nosebleed Muzic. He has gone on to release several solo projects, including Blanco’s Way and American Pyscho, and more collaborative albums, including Jonestown with Messy Marv and Jacka, and his latest, Raw, with Nipsey Hussle. Blanco has also collaborated with Gucci Mane, Redman, Freeway, Freddie Gibbs and Styles P, and released projects with Araab Muzik and Yukmouth. 

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube  

One Hunnid : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/one-hunnid/id845403974

“Change,” feat. Nipsey Hussle: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/change-blanco-the-jacka-messy

“9/11,” feat. YG: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/9-11-blanco-the-jacka-messy

OBEY: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/obey-blanco-the-jacka/

Misfits: https://soundcloud.com/iamguerrilla/sets/blanco-the-jacka-misfits-1

“Punch Out”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-punch-out-feat-trae-tha

“Duck Hunt”: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/blanco-the-jacka-duck-hunt-ft

Raw: https://soundcloud.com/empiredistribution/sets/nipsey-hussle-blanco-raw-full

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/blanco

MP3: Well$ – “Dreams Of An Insomniac”

Complex Premieres Latest Single From Forthcoming MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher Mixtape

04.11.2014

Critical Praise for Well$:

“Well$’s work always hits hard, and is overwhelmingly personal.” – Complex

“WELL$ flows atop the audio grit with some clever rhymes contained by a confident delivery…[the track] leaves us with high expectations…” – Potholes in My Blog

“Charlotte-based rapper Well$ is redefining swag one music video at a time.” – OkayAfrica

“Sludgy riffs, dusty drums… it’s a discernible throwback to that ’90s New York aesthetic.” – MissInfo.tv

“Watching him rhyme while sitting on the couch next to his grandmother is not only a beautiful sight, but also shows how easily he has this rap thing down.” – Noisey/Vice

The Song:

19-year old rap phenomenon Well$ has released another new single from his forthcoming MTSYD: The Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher mixtape. Premiered by Complex, “Dreams Of An Insomniac,” shares some of the personal hurdles he encountered as he was striving to turn an adolescence littered with petty crime into a career as a music artist. “I had no money, no job, no nothing – just some raps and a busted iPhone 4S,” he says. “I wasn’t feeling myself too much at the time. Although people would come to me and say you will make it you next, I felt like giving up.”

Produced by Atu, a looped vocal sample echoes “I know, I know you what like” in the background of the instrumental. “It’s mesmerizing,” says Complex, “the production alone will remind you of those late nights when you’re up at 3 a.m., laying in bed and your mind keeps racing, which is exactly what Well$ intended.” Speaking on how he came up with the titled of the song, Well$ adds, “It’s hella nights that I couldn’t sleep thinking of how to get on. And there are all these things that come to your mind when you’re alone with your thoughts, and that’s the only way a insomniac ‘dreams’… through his thoughts.”

“Dreams Of An Insomniac” is the latest in a flurry of recent releases from the Charlotte, NC lyricist. Just last week, he debuted the “Lil’ Tommy” single in an interview with the Huffington Post. His “Savoir-Faire” music video created quite a stir after appearing on Noisey, as the rapper stood by his grandmother who wore Jordan sneakers and bobbed her head along to her grandson’s braggadocios rhymes.

Listen to “Dreams Of An Insomniac”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/dreams-of-an-insomniac

Check out the Complex premiere: http://www.complex.com/music/2014/04/wells-dreams-of-an-insomniac-premiere

Read the Huffington Post’s feature story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/wells-lil-tommy_n_5079338.html

Well$ Background:

Like most kids in his native town of Charlotte, North Carolina, Leroy Shingu had a head filled with hip-hop dreams growing up, even trying his hand at freestyling when he was all of nine years old. But a trying background starkly different from the blissful suburban reality of his peers would compel the rapper better known as Well$ to turn that childhood fantasy into a promising career as a rapper. Quietly released in 2012, $ay La V, Well$’ debut EP rose steadily on the Bandcamp charts to peak at number 5 and eventually become the most downloaded album in the Charlotte area. This remarkable ascent as well as the video for the song “State of Ecstasy The Interlude Part 1″ hauled Well$ out of virtual anonymity, and shoved him onto high profile stage performances with artists such as G Eazy, Chris Webby, Johnny Polygon, and one of his idols, Pac Div.

Links:

bandcamp | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“Dreams Of An Insomniac”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/dreams-of-an-insomniac

“Lil’ Tommy”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/lil-tommy/

“Savoir-Faire”: http://youtu.be/bVVggr8eheY

“Black Swan”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/black-swan

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 2”: https://soundcloud.com/wells-music/state-of-ecstasy-pt-2

“State of Ecstasy Pt. 1”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smsGIANkDfA

Bio, pics, and more here: http://www.audibletreats.com/wells/

Podcast: Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 154

New Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 154 Features The Doppelgangaz, Hopsin, ProbCause, Well$, and Blanco

04.09.2014

The Podcast:

In this week’s episode of our Hip-Hop Podcast, Audible Treats showcases the most recent songs from our artists. Starting the episode off is the gritty, rugged duo that is The Doppelgangaz. Their track, “Live Rugged,” displays their old-school sound combined with witty, amusing lyrics. The two echo, “I live rugged, do what I want, do what I want / ’till I kick the bucket.” Next up we have young Charlotte rapper Well$ with his track, “Lil’ Tommy.” With incredible flow and delivery, he tells the story of a bold and highly unstable, troubled high school student with dreams of exacting revenge on the people who hurt him. Following him is Blanco, The Jacka, & Messy Marv with their song “9/11.” Featuring YG, they take turns spitting hard over funky guitars, a fat bass, and killer percussion. After Blanco we have Chicago rapper ProbCause with his stellar track “LSD,” featuring fellow windy-city rapper Chance The Rapper. Remixed by The Hood Internet, “LSD” is off ProbCause’s forthcoming EP, WAVES. Rounding out our podcast is Hopsin, the powerhouse behind the indie success Funk Volume. His track, “I Need Help,” is from his Knock Madness album. He has recently released an insane, demented video for “I Need Help,” further showing that he is an artist who regards visuals just as highly as his music. Stay tuned for our next podcast.

Listen to the podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-154/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Links:

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 154 – The Doppelgangaz, Hopsin, ProbCause, Well$, and Blanco:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-154/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 153 – Jarren Benton, Caleb James, J Stalin, Noelz Vedere, and Tynethys:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-153/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 152 – Dizzy Wright, Well$, Noelz Vedere, Nooch, and The Outfit, TX:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-152/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip-Hop Podcast 151 –  Iamsu!, The Doppelgangaz, J Stalin, Booty Fade, and Tynethys:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hip-hop-podcast-151/id111088410?i=161316854&mt=2

Audible Treats Hip Hop Podcast 150 –  Skipper, P-Lo, Unjust, Leikeli47, And Slick Talk:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/audible-treats-hip-hop-podcast/id111088410?mt=2

Video: Hopsin – “I Need Help”

Half-dead and Zombified Hopsin Releases Demented New Video From Knock Madness Album

04.08.2014

The Video:

As a former acting extra for drama series Cold Case, Gilmore Girls, and That’s So Raven, one might expect a more sensitive heartfelt video to convey the struggle of finding himself from actor-turned-rapper Hopsin, but with a carefully deranged demonic approach, he exhibits an excellent exorcist-like performance for the video for “I Need Help” from his recently released album Knock Madness. As someone who takes a 360° approach to creating his art and visuals, Hopsin takes sincere care to create exactly what he wants. He says ” I look like an idiot to grab attention,” while spitting hard bars and introspectively divulging details about his personal demons. Through it all, Hopsin conveys that he’s just like us – not only is he just another human, struggling trying to find his place in society without losing his mind but he demonstrates that we can be our own worst enemy. He says ” The world makes me feel like I lost myself… if  you got a solution for me you should probably holler at your boy if you know somebody.” Characterizing himself as a schizo mashup with a demonic-zombie-psycho to tell the tale, Hopsin spills his guts in this highly illustrative plea.

In his cry for help, a bloodied and bruised Hopsin is frantically on the run in the misty woods with hopes of escaping his murderers. While doing so, he helplessly stumbles upon his friends saying “They’re trying to kill me.. I don’t know, I woke up and came back from the dead.” The urgent beat is then introduced as he arrives at an abandoned cabin, where he quickly develops a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde complex. Coming to terms with his evil ways, Hopsin declares “I’m not the man I used to be,” visually playing into the notion that the cross over between good and evil has occurred, and that there is no turning back. With a heavy use of flickering lights, freeze framing and a throbbing bass-line, his insanity is supercharged and he challenges the thought that he can’t be helped. Hop is an artist who regards visuals just as high as his music, something that his 785,000 subscribers on YouTube know all too well. Says Hopsin,“I want people to know it’s a Hopsin video. A lot of things matter: Colors, cuts, wardrobe, and acting. Some rappers come out and look so fake instantly. You just gotta learn how to make yourself into something that there’s not a lot of things about you that people can knock.”

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/bIGRV9RPJiM

Purchase Knock Madness on CD with special 3D artwork, exclusively here: http://myfunkvolume.com/product/hopsin-knock-madness-cd

Purchase Knock Madness via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Knock-Madness-Hopsin/dp/B00G9ZZJHY

Purchase Knock Madness via iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/knock-madness/id739581815

Upcoming Canadian and European tour dates here: http://myfunkvolume.com/artist/hopsin/

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Hopsin.

Hopsin Background:

Panorama, California native Hopsin faced many obstacles and controversy to get to where he is now. Hopsin’s obstacles first began as a child, being placed in special education classes and forced to believe that he would never amount to anything, which caused him to drop out of school completely in 2004. By 2010, Hopsin unhappily signed to a former label that failed to reach his artistic and commercial expectations.  Surviving all obstacles and controversy, Hopsin is now not only a successful rapper but also a producer, editor, actor and director. He has amassed an incredible 785,00 YouTube subscribers and 2 million Facebook “Likes” over years of hard work and dedication. In addition, Hopsin is co-founder of indie power house Funk Volume. Funk Volume currently has 260,000 Youtube subscribers and 415,000 Facebook “Likes.”  Hopsin focuses on how to engage fans with both sharp lyricism and careful branding, and brings forth a unique attitude and charisma that makes hip hop unpredictable again. He released his sophomore album, Knock Madness, on November 26th, 2013 and is constantly on tour. He will be touring Canada and Europe soon – dates here: http://myfunkvolume.com/artist/hopsin/

Funk Volume Background:

There are few labels in hip-hop doing it quite like Funk Volume. Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with over 62 million YouTube views, 415,000 Facebook “Likes” consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | soundcloud

“I Need Help”: http://youtu.be/bIGRV9RPJiM

“Hop Is Back”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeQWPRtxn-s

“Ill Mind Of Hopsin 6”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuv2mvfO_mg

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/hopsin/

News: Dizzy Wright Releasing State of Mind EP on April 15th 

Dizzy Releases First Leak “Everywhere I Go” and Will Embark on State of Mind Tour Following Release of the Album 

04.08.2014

Critical Praise for Dizzy Wright:

Selected as one of XXL’s Freshmen Class of 2013

“Amazing.” –  MTV News

“Guess it’s fair to say we’ve been sleeping on Dizzy Wright.” – Complex

“Dizzy Wright is captivating the moment you hear him“ – Complex

The News/Song:

Tracklisting for State of Mind EP:

1. State of Mind
2. Everywhere I Go
3. Reunite For The Night
4. Too Real For This
5. Nuttin Bout Me
6. New Generation
7. Calm Down

Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in talking with Dizzy Wright.

Dizzy Wright Background:

Not many 21-year old rappers can say that they’ve been rapping for over a decade. Las Vegas, Nevada, Rapper Dizzy Wright began rapping at just 8 years old, in the group “DaFuture” with his brother and very close friend; his mother wrote his raps at the time. Dizzy broke through when he was discovered at the Sheikh Music “Rip the Mic” competition in 2010 and signed onto Funk Volume a few months later. In April 2012, Dizzy released his first Funk Volume album, SmokeOut Conversations, peaking at #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop charts. He followed it up with a free mixtape, Free SmokeOut Conversations, which has been downloaded over 200,000 times, and helped propel Dizzy to his own national 30-city tour. In December 2012, Dizzy went on to release the first of four EPs, The First Agreement, which reached as high as #2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart. In March of 2013, Dizzy gathered enough votes to be selected as the “People’s Choice” member of the XXL Freshman Class of 2013. Also in 2013, Dizzy released The Golden Age mixtape and followed it up with The Golden Age Tour. 

Funk Volume Background:

Funk Volume is a Los Angeles-based record label, marketing, and production company that been cited as a leader among independent rap labels with over 62 million YouTube views, 415 thousand Facebook likes, consistent Top 10 chart placements on Billboard and iTunes and high profile write-ups in media outlets such as Forbes, Billboard, SPIN, LA Weekly, and many more. Founded in 2008 by internationally recognized rap artist Hopsin and Stanford MBA grad Damien “Dame” Ritter, the label was created with one thing in mind: protecting the integrity of the artist’s vision. Currently home to rappers Hopsin, SwizZz, Dizzy Wright, and Jarren Benton and more recently, DJ’s and producers Hoppa, Kato, and Rikia, the label has quickly transformed into being a label to watch by fans and industry insiders alike. Funk Volume recently released their first documentary, Independent Living, which captures the artists’ swift rise during their 44-date national tour in 2012. The latest release from the Funk Volume label is marquee artist Hopsin’s Knock Madness. For more info: www.myfunkvolume.com

Links:

official site | twitter | facebook | youtube | bandcamp

“Everywhere I Go”  http://youtu.be/94VZdOlkivk

“The Perspective” feat. Chel’le Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhzYuhtEvI

“No Writers Block, I Like To Rap” (Prod. By 6ix): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDZszHqbm74

“We Turned Out Alright” feat. Wyclef: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sa1izvqZpc

“World Peace”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P1zQ2oj5MM

The Golden Age: http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dizzy-wright-the-golden-era-mixtape.88771.html

XXL 2013 Freshmen Story: http://www.xxlmag.com/2013-freshmen/dizzy-wright/

“First Agreement”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBgQzgngKZM

“Killem Wit Kindness”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMVfAAynx-M 

“Still Movin’”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho_i8Z8m6Wo

Bio, pictures and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/dizzy-wright/