Stevie Crooks: Gem Star [Razor Ramon Flow]

Seattle Hip Hop duo Shabazz Palaces

As a fan of Hip Hop who grew up in the 80s, it’s sometimes difficult to reconcile with what the genre has recently become. Few and far between are the artists who continually attempt to push the art form toward its next iteration. But they do still exist. Most recently, I’ve become enamored with the Seattle duo known as Shabazz Palaces. I think their label, Sub Pop, says it best when they say: ‘If Bedouins herded beats instead of goats and settled in Seattle instead of the Atlas Mountains, this would be their music’.

Mitchmatic: Why Don’t You Know?

Mitchmatic’s Why Don’t You Know? is syrupy sweet Canadian Hip Hop with a beat straight out of a 1940′s education video. Oh, and it sounds like he might be a stalker.

Mike Jaggerr: Cruise Control (ft. Big K.R.I.T.)

Mike Jaggerr. Hip Hop extraordinaire. The name is insanely similar to rock and roll legend, Mick Jagger, which leads to a bit of confusion with new fans. But, just like Mick, once you listen to a sample of Mike Jaggerr’s music, you’ll become an instant fan. His melodies are unique, his voice is alluring, and his rhymes are captivating. His new album, the Eleventh Hour, is brutally honest, romantic, and most of all, innovative.

Fast Forward: new single from female rapper UZOY

Female rap is often written off as some type of novelty thing in hip hop these days. Many of the women partaking either have some type of gimmick to them or just don’t really have the charisma to capture people’s attention for very long. Well, UZOY (pronounced Uzi, like the gun) might have something to say about that. A native of Houston, UZOY’s been building up a name for herself within the rap world for a while now and has opened up for a few big name rappers (Big Sean, Trae Tha Truth, Lupe Fiasco, Bun B). Read more

Awesome animated video for the band CHLLNGR

I just ran across this really cool music video from a band called CHLLNGR. The song is called Change and the video is co-directed by Chad Turner and Michael Todd. It’s an animated production that takes place somewhere within the solar system. There’s a guy in a spacecraft kind of hanging around and he’s suddenly attacked by a lady in a ship of her own. It’s very well done. I don’t much at all about CHLLNGR; the song sounds reggae inspired. I’ll have to hear some more of their work to know if this is a recurring theme or not.