Bandini

Black Milk Previews Black Sabbath Verse (Video)

Duck Down Music unveils their (cool) "Verse Unheard" concept, with label artists and affiliates showing fans acapella verses from upcoming projects. Random Axe (my personal favorite D.D. album of the last five years) member Black Milk previewed "Black Sabbath" from his anticipated No Poison No Paradise. Time will tell if... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Video

Evidence Performs LetYourSelfGo & I Don’t Need Love (Video)

After the Dilated Peoples kicked it together at last weekend's Rock The Bells in San Bernardino, California, Evidence performed something old and something new for The Closed Sessions in this concert video. Ev hit 'em with "LetYourSelfGo," from The Weatherman LP (my personal favorite Evidence LP) and "I Don't Need... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Video

Boldy James – Moochie

Alchemist has done amazing things for blooming careers. From Infamous Mobb's Special Edition album back in '02, to Action Bronson's Rare Chandeliers last year, to his ongoing efforts for Willie The Kid, Domo Genesis, Mayhem Lauren and others. Al has been at work with Decon label-mate Boldy James for over... Read more

September 12, 2013 Audio

MC Lyte To Be Honored With BET’s I Am Hip Hop Award

With the upcoming 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards filming at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center on September 28, Billboard revealed today that MC Lyte will be receiving a lifetime honor award. The Brooklyn native who helped make First Priority Records (along with affiliates Audio Two) a destination label in... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Preservation – SePtember 1200 (Barry White Tribute Mixtape)

Preservation is a producer/DJ closely associated with Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def. The touring-mate of the former Rawkus Records standout offered up The REcstatic earlier this year, a fully-remixed version of Mos' 2009 Downtown Records album (which along with Madlib and Oh No, Preservation produced). After doing that acclaimed re-working... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Jabee – Ghetto Broke

Jabee is the latest commissioner of Blu production on his single "Ghetto Broke / Betty Boop," from the "two-song album" The Adventures Of Mudbone: The Cartoon. This is from the same NWC clique that brought us ANTHM and RaelBlz. Not sure if Blu did the scratches on this, but the... Read more

September 12, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Nas – Performs You Wouldn’t Understand (Video)

Arsenio Hall's return to late-night is still holding down Hip-Hop. The same week he interviewed Ice Cube, Arsenio gave some stage time to Nas to perform "You Wouldn't Understand." Rather than use the spot to unveil new music, I personally think it's great to see Nasty Nas still actively working... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Video

MC Shan – Another One To Get Jealous Of (Lost Marley Marl Remix)

MC Shan has one of the coolest Hip-Hop voices of all-time, in my opinion. Maybe that's why so many producers and DJs love to scratch his vocals. The person who helped set off "The Bridge" wars released an oft-overlooked 1987 LP, Down By Law. Within the Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. Records... Read more

September 12, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Cam’ron – Duckin’ Onetime

Killa Cam has this way of rocking over straight '70s instrumentals and making them fly. "Silky" from Crime Pays was among my favorite songs on that comeback LP (that so many people seemed to miss). From his new Ghetto Heaven, Vol. 1 mixtape (with its hilarious marionette artwork that makes... Read more

September 11, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Oddisee – After Thoughts (Video)

Oddisee has been a joy to watch and listen to for over a decade. Since the Halftooth Records days, this DMV native has been versatile in making his own albums as a vocal artist, instrumental projects, and a ton of hitters for other artists along the way. His upcoming The... Read more

September 11, 2013 Fresh, Video

RJD2 – Her Majesty’s Socialist Request (Candy Panther Remix) ft J-Live

Nearly a decade removed from his Def Jux tenure, RJD2 carefully and creatively plans his Hip-Hop moments. The Columbus veteran producer/DJ perhaps best known for crafting the "Mad Men" theme (let's not forget, it was an Aceyalone beat first) linked back up with J-Live for "Her Majesty's Socialist Request." This... Read more

September 11, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Astro – Starvin Like Marvin For A Cool J Song (Mixtape)

Brooklyn's Astro aka Astronomical Kid names his latest mixtape after an iconic Radio-era LL Cool J line. How cool, and fitting for a young MC with so much knowledge and influence from the glory years of Hip-Hop—especially on the New York front. The 14 song effort is Astro's second tape... Read more

September 10, 2013 Fresh, Mixes

Stat Quo – Michael

A few weeks ago, I was in Wilmington, North Carolina walking down some blocks, thinking, wondering, postulating, if Michael Jordan had ever walked the same steps (in his hometown). I'm sure the answer is undoubtedly yes. One of the greatest athletes, pillars of inspiration, and internationally-recognized celebrities (and his legendary... Read more

September 10, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Buddy – You Good ft DJ Quik & Suga Free

DJ Quik and Suga Free maintain a longtime collaborative history. One has to love how these two are on-again, off-again, musically and professionally. Heads always want to see Suga and Quik together, 'cause the music is a force like no other. The Pomona pimp and the Compton conductor link up... Read more

September 10, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Troy Ave – New York City ft Raekwon, N.O.R.E. & Prodigy

Anybody who's followed Troy Ave's movement knows that he is a 2010s contemporary of the '95 era in his city. While all three guests predate 1995 in various works, albums and appearances, the theme of "New York" captures the city's essence (to the street underbelly) that may have been lost... Read more

September 10, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Freeway & The Jacka – Combine The Coasts (Video)

State Property alum Freeway and Mob Figaz alum The Jacka are partnering for a whole LP together, Highway Robbery. The November Bay-Philly connection is said to feature Cormega, Freddie Gibbs, Trae Tha Truth and even some production from Freezer's Seattle homie Jake One. These two have worked together a fair... Read more

September 10, 2013 Fresh, Video

Kanye West Performs “Bound 2” With The Roots & Charlie Wilson (Video)

In trademark Kanye West fashion, the impresario stopped by NBC Studios last night for an impromptu appearance on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." There, he linked up with former Larry Gold Studios homies and OkayPlayer glory-days conglomerates The Roots to perform my personal favorite song from Yeezus (for the very... Read more

September 10, 2013 Fresh, Video

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – White Walls ft. ScHoolboy Q & Hollis (Video)

Seattle Hip-Hop has been about cars since Sir Mix-A-Lot's "My Hooptie." Interestingly enough, on the car (read: Cadillac) anthem from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' The Heist, the duo went really Guns & Roses on the video treatment and enlisted a number of Rap peers, including the "Swass" O.G. This is... Read more

September 9, 2013 Fresh, Video

Eddie Murphy – Red Light ft Snoop Lion (Video)

Eddie Murphy's return to music caught us by storm last week with the "Red Light" audio. Quickly, Eddie and Snoop Lion make it a two-piece with the visuals to the Reggae-inspired track that is surprising everybody. We know that longtime Game musical affiliates 1500 Or Nothin are the backing-back to... Read more

September 9, 2013 Fresh, Video

Rapsody – Lonely Thoughts ft Big K.R.I.T. & Chance The Rapper

As if "Jedi Code" wasn't enough, Rapsody hits us off with another show-stopping collaboration from She Got Game. That project is going retail on September 17, as Rap leads off, then passing the mic from Mississippi to Chi-town, courtesy of Big K.R.I.T. and Chance The Rapper. I heard "Mixtape Of... Read more

September 9, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Ol’ Dirty Bastard Hologram Performs With Wu-Tang Clan (Video)

Following Eazy-E's hologram appearance alongside Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on Saturday, Ol' Dirty Bastard's digital performance was in sync with Wu-Tang Clan yesterday. Video was captured of a seven-minute part of the performance. RZA's introduction is priceless, as O.D.B. appears for "Shame On A Nigga," a solo breakdown interlude part, and "Shimmy... Read more

September 9, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Elvis Costello & The Roots – Wise Up Ghost (Album Stream)

I've been a big fan of Elvis Costello since before I even heard The Roots. My uncle's cassette collection put me onto the cool melodies and whimsical songwriting of the Brit Punk/New Wave alum. When it was first announced that these two veteran acts, I was excited (but unsure) of... Read more

September 9, 2013 Fresh

Professor P & DJ Akilles – Killing Time ft A.G. (Video)

Uppsala, Sweden Hip-Hop duo Professor P & DJ Akilles have been an acclaimed duo dating back to 2006. They have a new six-song EP, Brews & Good News featuring Blu and A.G. The latter, of Showbiz & A.G. fame, appears on "Killing Time." This visual is a cool homage to... Read more

September 9, 2013 Fresh, Video

Miguel – Can’t Sleep Together

Miguel lives up to his Twitter handle; this guy's unlimited. From the 2013 Adult Swim series, the RCA Records star melts the pot of genres for this charged track about angst, lust, love and all that good stuff. Miguel's work on the synths is second to none, lately. This is... Read more

September 9, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Foreign Exchange – Call It Home (Video)

Following the two-sided single late last month, Phonte and Nicolay drop the visuals to "Call It Home." F.E. again succeeds at another visual essay that matches the song beautifully—without the need to star the musicians. Love In Flying Colors blossoms on September 24. Related: Foreign Exchange – Call It Home... Read more

September 8, 2013 Fresh, Video

Vado – Fast Lane ft Raekwon (Video)

Vado and Raekwon channel Kool G Rap and Nas for "Fast Lane." The lyrics from this Slime Flu 4 mixtape are just as lush and illustrious over signature 1995 Buckwild production. These two sound really great together. Rae is so versatile, as is Vado. Certain songs are untouchable, but this... Read more

September 8, 2013 Fresh, Video

AXEL F. – Sofa Coins

Within the Stones Throw Records family, MED and J. Rocc's talents have sometimes felt over-shadowed. MED's Classic album two years ago was a stellar indie offering, while Heads seemingly forget that J. Rocc was the third member of Jaylib. Off the label, the two have formed the new duo AXEL... Read more

September 8, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Eazy-E Hologram Performs With Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Video)

Rock The Bells-related footage of the Eric "Eazy-E" Wright digital projection yesterday (September 7) in San Bernardino, California rocking alongside Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone and Flesh-N-Bone. Eazy and Ruthless Records business partner Jerry Heller signed the Cleveland, Ohio quintet in the early '90s to make platinum... Read more

September 8, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Souls Of Mischief’s 93 ’til Infinity 20 Years Later (Food For Thought)

By: Bandini My biggest gripe with the cliché-use of the word “classic” is the freshness in which it’s pulled out. In order to be a classic, you must endure the tendency to forget, overlook, and turn the page. The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Baritz is classic—with its long lines, razor-sharp edges... Read more

September 7, 2013 Featured-homepage, Food for Thought, Fresh

Pusha T – My Name Is My Name Documentary Pt. I & II (Video)

Pusha Ton goes down to Kingston, Jamaica with his homie (Complex's Editor-in-Chief) Noah Callahan-Bever on behalf of Mass Appeal, which NCB led for many years. Approaching My Name Is My Name, the two discuss the album, the Clipse years, and those run-ins with the law that made Pusha and Re-Up... Read more

September 6, 2013 Fresh, Video

Curren$y & Young Roddy – Bales (Mixtape)

Move over Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith, Spitta is Quarterbacking the Jets with his second mixtape in as many months. Bales, is a joint effort by Curren$y (as Spitta Andretti) with Jet Life's Young Roddy, boasts a ton of Harry Fraud production (Cigarette Boats fans rejoice), along with a Juvenile... Read more

September 6, 2013 Fresh, Mixes

DJ Woody – Hip-Hop At 40 Preview (Video)

For fans of Style Wars, Wild Style, and just the story that us Heads are living out, this is incredibly cool. DJ Woody makes another visual mash-up dedicated to Hip-Hop's 40th birthday last month. Within the quick-cuts of this two-minute preview are Godfather DJ Kool Herc, Roxanne Shante and Brand... Read more

September 6, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail Tour Announced Immediately After Kanye West’s Yeezus Tour

Haven't Kanye West and Jay Z's timing on things (as related to each other) been curious in 2013? As if Jay Z's sneak-attack of Magna Carta Holy Grail just days after Kanye's own surprise-styled release of Yeezus wasn't enough, the same thing appears to have happened today with touring. Just... Read more

September 6, 2013 Fresh

Brother Ali – Left In The Deck (Free Album)

Brother Ali's had a lot of opportunities at his disposal over the last decade. His 2003 album Shadows On The Sun was said to be made with four-track beats by Ant (of Atmosphere), and it goes down in history as one of my favorite albums of the 2000s. Revealing, vulnerable,... Read more

September 5, 2013 Fresh, Mixes

Dom Kennedy – South Central Love (Video)

What's a 5.0 Mustang drop, if you can't roll in it with your love beside you? Dom Kennedy pays homage to his own version of the "around the way girl." We can dig it. Related: Dom Kennedy – Erica Pt. 1... Read more

September 5, 2013 Fresh, Video

Damu The Fudgemunk – Fades ‘Em Gone

The DMV is a great a place to dig for records (and we're not just talking about Biz Markie's second crib full of wax). A hot-bed for dusty loops, it's little surprise that the region has spawned Oddissee, Nick Tha 1da, and Damu The Fudgemunk. The latter is a name... Read more

September 5, 2013 Audio, Fresh

50 Cent – Warning You ft Skylar Grey

Please don't be fooled by Skylar Grey's Recovery-esque smooth singing to open up the track (it supposedly came from an Eminem session)... the beat breaks and 50 Cent kicks things off talking about his JMJ Records era. "Warning You" does just that. Perhaps Fif's upcoming album (following a four-year break... Read more

September 5, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Sign A Petition To Rename A Brooklyn Street After Biggie Smalls

Fresh off of renaming a Brooklyn park after the Beastie Boys' MCA, Hip-Hop fans are fighting that good fight to honor another late B.K. icon. Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls) grew up on Fulton Street, between St. James and Cambridge Place in Clinton Hill—you've probably heard... Read more

September 5, 2013 Fresh, Throwback

Drake – Nothing Was The Same (Album Artwork + Tracklist)

It's worthy Thursday morning conversation to see what Drake is working with on his third studio album, Nothing Was The Same. Drizzy went to his OVO site to unveil the tracklist to September 24's LP. Longtime Young Money producer/artist Detail's making quite a rise this year, and the debates years... Read more

September 5, 2013 Fresh

Ransom – It’s Ransom ft Styles P

For the last five years, Ransom's name has come up a lot in lyrical circles. I'm personally excited that his October 1 album The Proposal will hopefully be an album we can collectively point to as evidence. This simply-titled song certainly grabbed my ears, as emotional, sincere Rap, with a... Read more

September 5, 2013 Audio, Fresh

R.A. The Rugged Man – The Dangerous 3 ft Brother Ali & Masta Ace (Video)

Truly, this is my favorite collaboration so far of 2013. While R.A. The Rugged Man's story has always inspired me (and I'm a fan of his journalism), his released works rarely moved me. However, Legends Never Die is truly a grabbing album this year, and this song is my favorite... Read more

September 4, 2013 Fresh, Video

Big Boi – Thom Pettie ft Killer Mike & Little Dragon (Video)

Big Boi's 2012 album Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors was seemingly lost in the 4th quarter shuffle. While Sir Lucious Leftfoot: Son Of Chico Dusty cannot be topped in my humble opinion, I applaud Daddy Fat Sax for always pushing his musical boundaries. Admittedly, Big Boi is the one who... Read more

September 4, 2013 Fresh, Video

Souls Of Mischief & Gummy Soul – 93 Still (Mixtape)

With permission (and some acapellas) from the heralded Oakland collective Souls Of Mischief (on tour now), Gummy Soul's Wally Clark was able to re-craft his own spin on the famed 1993 Jive Records album—93 Still. The original (read: classic) released 20 years ago this month. In a statement, Wally said,... Read more

September 4, 2013 Fresh, Mixes

Willie D Vs. Grandmaster Melle Mel Boxing Match (Video)

To anybody who's ever learned everything about this early '90s (1992?) short-lived rapper boxing league, finding some footage is priceless. This is some two-plus minutes "Yo! MTV Raps" b-roll footage of Geto Boys O.G. Willie D fighting Grandmaster Melle Mel (of Furious Five fame). It goes without saying, these men... Read more

September 4, 2013 Throwback

Sean Price – Rumblestick ft Killah Priest (Video)

It's hard to believe it's been 10 months since Mic Tyson released. Sean Price and Duck Down keep promoting the Brownsville bully's best-selling solo work of his career—with new music. Two mid-'90s alums link up in this Heltah Skeltah-meets-Sunz Of Man connection. Simple and effective... with an album worth checking... Read more

September 3, 2013 Fresh, Video

Lil Wayne – You Song ft Chance The Rapper

Lil Wayne & DJ Drama's Dedication 5 happened. As time shows, Lil Wayne helped guys like 2 Chainz, Curren$y and Drake break mainstream. Chance The Rapper has been one of 2013's dominating new voices, but this Lil Wayne "You Song" (I know, I read that twice too) collaboration may launch... Read more

September 3, 2013 Audio, Fresh

King Mez – New Vinyl

The Interstate 95 circuit comes alive in this King Mez and Oddisee collaboration. North Carolina and Washington D.C. rooted (respectively), with New York addresses. This is believed to stem from LLTK2 (Long Live The King 2). As for the contents of the song, more related to automobile interiors than 12"... Read more

September 3, 2013 Audio, Fresh

REKS – Flags (Video)

Although Labor Day is rather different in meaning than Memorial Day or 4th of July, the flags were out in full-force yesterday in my travels. One of the best Massachusetts MCs post-Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs got a bit patriotic himself with "Flags." In true REKS fashion, the song looks... Read more

September 3, 2013 Fresh, Video

AZ – Jodeci Back ft Farrah Burns

AZ Tha Visualiza gives a nod to Drake on "Jodeci Back." A glittery AZ verse about fast cars, sex, and lost friends—pretty much what you expect from this man for the last 20 years, a product of "the Jodeci era." This one's from Last Of A Dying Breed II, a... Read more

September 3, 2013 Audio, Fresh

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Deeper

The Freddie Gibbs & Madlib recording-road gets a bit twistier, as the pair announces the Deeper EP. Pinata (f/k/a Cocaine Pinata) is still coming, but in true [Mad] Beat Konducta style, expect more EPs, more singles, and more vinyl for those of us that are still droppin' plates like bad... Read more

September 3, 2013 Audio, Fresh