While Donny works on his next album, here’s something to tide the fans over.

Donny Goines - Run This Town Freestyle

Joell Ortiz - Election Day Freestyle

via RR

Previously: Joell Ortiz - Back By Popular Demand Freestyle

It seems like Funkmaster Flex has a bit of a soft spot for Lil WayneIf you partake regurarly in the online constituent of the hip-hop culture, youd notice Hot 97s Funkmaster Flex steers clear of it. And not because he has a habit of saying the wrong thing(s), it seems like (imo) its just not his cup of tea. Think about it, when was the last time you saw Flex on your favorite blog?

Well, last week I had the pleasure in kicking it with Flex during a meet and greet/pow wow session for the revealing of his new customized Ford Taurus SHO. After touching on the differences between the automotive industry and the music industry, I thought it would be interesting to see where Flexs head was at in regards to the current state of hip-hop. Out of left field, Flex went in (insert HOT 97 explosion here).

I found Flexs perspective very intriguing. However, Ill tuck that in the holster and reveal it later this week. What I found even more interesting is Flexs positive and even remorseful rant towards Dwayne Carter.

Based on our conversation prior, I could see exactly where his Weezy commentary derived from. It just shocked me he was so open with his admission. And to be quite honest, I agree with him 86%. At times, as a culture, we do expect A LOT from Lil Wayne. -LowKey

It seems like Funkmaster Flex has a bit of a soft spot for Lil WayneIf you partake regurarly in the online constituent of the hip-hop culture, youd notice Hot 97s Funkmaster Flex steers clear of it. And not because he has a habit of saying the wrong thing(s), it seems like (imo) its just not his cup of tea. Think about it, when was the last time you saw Flex on your favorite blog?

Well, last week I had the pleasure in kicking it with Flex during a meet and greet/pow wow session for the revealing of his new customized Ford Taurus SHO. After touching on the differences between the automotive industry and the music industry, I thought it would be interesting to see where Flexs head was at in regards to the current state of hip-hop. Out of left field, Flex went in (insert HOT 97 explosion here).

I found Flexs perspective very intriguing. However, Ill tuck that in the holster and reveal it later this week. What I found even more interesting is Flexs positive and even remorseful rant towards Dwayne Carter.

Based on our conversation prior, I could see exactly where his Weezy commentary derived from. It just shocked me he was so open with his admission. And to be quite honest, I agree with him %86. At times, as a culture, we do expect A LOT from Lil Wayne. -LowKey

If you didn’t already know, Lunch Box Theory’s monthly Afrobeat parties are the hottest looks in the city and still continues to grow by leaps and bounds. DJ Underdog is spinning as always and it’s STILL a recession-friendly $1 cover charge!

And let’s not forget the Face Painting. Check it:

Selam
1524 U St NW
Wash, DC
Metro: Green/Yellow Lines

Continuing to forge ahead in creating the ultimate destination point event for the Hip hop, urban, alternative dance and EDM scenes, ALL KILLER! NO FILLER! returns on November 5th with a lineup dedicated to the premise of “all respect all” under the banner of dope performances and the hottest dance music in the universe.

$5 ALL NIGHT
21+

Click Through for the Lineups!

The amazing lineup is as follows:

XO (Studio 43) -

XO is an emcees emcee who has come to be one of the dominating forces of Washington, DC’s rising hip hop scene. As 1/3 of the Diamond District with Oddisee and YU, he’s on the tongues of national and international underground hip hop tastemakers with a stellar new album. As a solo act, his “Crabs in the Barrel” is an anthemic track that in many ways defines the “All Killer” concept. He’s going to leave every ear on November 5th just a bit more open, accepting and overwhelmed by the quality coming from DC.

James Nasty

If there was ever a man who’d be the first person to play club music on the moon, it would be this producer and DJ. A DC native, James Nasty is a believer in the healing effects of classic Baltimore club music. Having played the My Crew Be Unruly party this year w/ on again off again collaborator in the 1.21 Jiggawatt Soundsystem, Andrew Jaye, and having released a new EP of Baltimore Club tracks, “Good Times,” James is on the cusp of much bigger things. With a style reminiscent of legendary B-more selectors Rod Lee, Diamond K and KW Griff, he overwhelms partygoers with effusive glee through music. James just doesn’t stay in the club though, he drops the hottest in top 40 as well with equal talent and adeptness.

Andrew Jaye (12 LB Sound)

Andrew Jaye is a kingpin selector. With an encyclopedic knowledge of all music, dancing to Andrew Jaye is like dancing to the illest jukebox you’ve ever encountered. With James Nasty, he spun a set at My Crew Be Unruly in Baltimore this summer that made everyone in attendance believe that the four horsemen of the apocalypse were coming, and that club music would save the day. But he’s so much deeper than that. it will be a joy and pleasure to have him in attendance.

Adam Gonzo (Served/Tensday, Baltimore) -

He’s the Best DJ in a Club in Baltimore as judged by the Baltimore City Paper for 2008. He’s a former hip hop DJ who came to Baltimore and fell in love with club music. Besides that, he spins at his Served party monthly in Baltimore at the Wind Up Space, one of the better parties in a city known for knowing how to get down. His most recent mix, “Black Man in the White House,” (http://www.divshare.com/download/7623339-9e8) is an absolute joy to hear, and shows his distinctive soulful style quite well. Adam Gonzo will leave you in awe.

Phil Real (Lazuh Beam/University of Maryland – College Park) -

Phil Real is the future of the DC party scene. THE It selector, along with partner DJ Soohan at UMD, Phil Real has shown the talent and dedication to steadily improving his style and game and is set with this event to begin a stratospheric rise. With a populist style blending the hits of electro, hip hop, dubstep and whatever strikes his fancy, if you don’t catch his opening set, you’ll hate yourself for “not being there when” Phil has his coming out in the DMV.

HILARIOUS!

Download Mike Posner | One Foot Out The Door [Mixtape]

TRACKLISTING:
01 One Foot Out The Door
02 I Dont Trust Myself
03 Traveling Man (Snippet)
04 You Dont Have to Leave
05 Cooler Than Me (Gigamesh Remix)
06 Dont Trust Me (Benny Blanco Remix) ft Kid CuDI and 3OH!3
07 Kiss Me Thru the Phone ft. Saigon
08 Red Button
09 Bring Me Down ft. Big Sean and Freddie Gibbs
10 Mirrors Edge (Benzi Remix) ft. Bun B, GLC, & XV
11 Speed of Sound ft Big Sean
12 Close the Door ft Clinton Sparks

My favorite song off of BP3 hands down. Can’t wait to get to NYC next week.

GE-OLOGY Feat. Yukimi Nagano – Blues Alley

GE-OLOGY Feat. Yukimi Nagano – Longin’

I know I dont stand alone with my fascination with all things Little Dragon and their incredibly talented lead singer Yukimi Nagano. So when a friend put me on to this song she did with GE-OLOGY, I had to dig around and find out more. Of course the question at hand was how did I miss this?? So in case you did too let me put you on to this hotness real quick.

GE-OLOGY (aka G-YOUNG) is a producer/DJ/visual artist from Brooklyn NY. He is known for fusing hip hop, alternative and soul music into one incredible sound and he was once a part of a four-member group which included the late (and great) Tupac Shakur. Although GE-OLOGY has a plethora of hot tracks with many talented artists, for this post Im just gonna speak on his work with Yukimi; and once you hear the songs you will understand why.

They recorded two songs together called ‘Blues Alley’ and ‘Longin’ and they definitely fall under the alternative genre: think Portishead, Supreme Beings of Leisure or early Esthero… but totally Yukimi style – some ish that is pretty much indescribable but insanely dope. The two linked up prior to her being with Little Dragon, when she was just a new artist fronting a band call Koop (for you serious Yukimi fans youve gotta check them out too) and the results were amazing.

OK, so we all know this girl sounds good singing pretty much anything – from the oohhs to the ahhs she has proven that her range is broad and she can immaculately bring it on any track handed to her (a producers dream, one might add). But Im just gonna have to go there and say that I think Yukimi Nagano is one of the best alternative female vocalist out there right now (this coming from a die-hard Esthero fan). And rumors are circulating of a solo album in the works so, I mean??

But anyway, in the meantime check out these tracks in case you missed them.

If it were 1985, Ryan Leslie would be the biggest star in soul music. However, it’s 2009, and the man, while so completely in tune with what is needed in music, is not quite yet in lock step motion with mainstream urban listeners. With his second release of 2009, the 51 minute, 11 track summer love affair concept album Transition, the sensitive and overachieving crooner continues to direct a career that resurrects the craftsmanship and personal vision lacking in a solid percentage of American rhythm and blues. Ryan Leslie’s earlier release of the year, Ryan Leslie, is an amazing body of work. Leslie’s knowledge and appreciation of synths and melodies recalls the Minnesota sound heyday of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, as “Diamond Girl” and “Addiction” were instantaneous smashes if not for their lyrical content or guest cameos, but because of “R Les’” handling of crafting tracks that sound absolutely nothing like anything on urban radio. And that’s always been the point of his career, being a poised, primed, damn near perfect example of precisely what R & B could and should look and sound like. Perfecting his supposed perfection has been the lynchpin of his motivation, and his latest release succeeds in that aim.

Transition’s smash single is slated to be “You’re Not My Girl.” Mid tempo and radio ready, the song, seemingly culled from media rumblings over the last year about Leslie’s numerous romantic entanglements, has a backing track of 80s synths and harps creating a sliding groove that instantaneously pleases. If anything, the one concern about Leslie is that he’s seemingly perpetually all rhythm and no blues, all heart and no soul on his debut, which comes off as SO slickly produced and likable that you think the main is an automated soul machine, nearly too perfect for words. This concept even gets shrift on this album with perfect second single “Something That I Like” featuring Pusha T of The Clipse, a funky, bassline banger with those empty kickdrums that make this sound like it’s better suited for The Clipse forthcoming Til The Casket Drops, until you realize that the only thing Ryan Leslie is talking about is moving souls, and not pushing weight. As well on this album, Leslie actually raps as well, on tracks like “Nothing,” throwing 16 bars over a chorus, while not doing anything to advance his career in this realm, comes off like something done as mere creative exploration, art for art’s sake. The key to this album is that his development feels nearly effortless, as if even in the face of varying commercial norms, he’s self-assured of his own process here, taking a Minnesota by way of Detroit with hip hop visitations throughout tour to success.

But what separates this album and shows advancement in Leslie as an artist may be the piano and classic hip hop break filled love ballad “Guardian Angel.” The sparseness of the track, while not what Leslie is known for in the mainstream, really lets his emotional and lyrically evocative side free, as when he hits the chorus, with the lyrics “now I’m so overjoyed/girl you filled my void/and you’ve got a special place here/you put joy inside my tears,” Ryan Leslie lyrically and emotionally becomes a man as an artist on record. While likely not a single for release, it’s these moments on albums where an artist feels the desire to take a step away from the formula that defines their popularity, that often leads to the growth that certifies and forwards their career aspirations.

As a Harvard educated, overachieving singer/songwriter/producer who has label and production experience with all of the top stars in the game at such a very young age, Ryan Leslie likely should feel that there’s not much left for him to achieve as an artist except stardom. Finding the potent mix of his multitude of talents has become his cause celebre. In his career, which appears VERY bright indeed, we will be perpetually blessed with this musical genius attempting to blend his likes, interests, desires and feelings into phenomenal confections. While he often will miss, because his artistry is often too intricate, and anachronistic for average ears, he will, on occasion, because of his abundant talent encapsulate exactly what we want to hear, when we want to hear it.

Transition continues the path to self-realization and superstar wealth for Ryan Leslie. Unfortunately, as with all things, “the race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” – Ecclesiastes 9:11.

Photos by Senari. Please Support.

On one of the last nights of CMJ, hip-hop fans came together to celebrate the life of Roc Raida who died in September. This was a very dope look and a fitting tribute to the turntabalist bringing in The Beat Junkies, Z-Trip, . Check it:

Download: Zo! Just Visiting Too

Zo! – Perfect Angel Feat Yahzarah

If you were at any of The Foreign Exchange’s live shows, you would recognize Silver Spring Maryland’s ZO! manning the keys on their breakout performance. We all know that Zo has been on his grind for a while, working with such acts as Kev Brown and Phonte (with that 80s project.)

But now it’s Zo’s time to shine. His mixtape, Just Visiting Too is downright amazing and reads like a who’s who of upcoming talent. From the first track, “Perfect Angel” with another DMV native Yahzarah to the last, the D Brock collabo, The Highways of My Life. The other track that will constantly be on repeat. As a producer Zo has crafted light and low key melodies, filled with light touches of piano, and fortunately does not overpower the talent on the mic. It’s a fitting introduction to this future producer and we will most certainly be hearing more from him in the future. (via SoulCulture UK)

4k?????

*insert Dammmnnnn .gif here*

Off producer Illmind’s upcoming project.

Previously: D-Black ft. Skyzoo - The Come Up (prod. Illmind)

This **** is nice. Strange Journey: Vol 2 is in stores today.

CL emcee Natti trades verses with up-and-coming, buzz-heavy Gary, Indiana emcee Freddie Gibbs, imploring peasants and wack blog rappers alike to kiss the crown. Over a haunting organ track produced by Kno, CunninLynguists Imperial is the fourth and final leak from Strange Journey Volume Two, the second installment of this years double release from the trio.

Pardon me I had to laugh at that.

CunninLynguists feat. Freddie Gibbs - Imperial

Hit the jump for the Strange Journey tour dates and info on Volume 2.

Previously: CunninLynguists - To Be For Real | CunninLynguists - Strange Journey Vol. 2 (Artwork + Tracklist) | Cunninglynguists feat. E-40 & Evidence - Running Wild

Strange Journey Volume Two is available TODAY in retail stores as well as on iTunes, Amazon and many other fine digital carriers. Guests include E-40, Evidence,Sean Price, Tonedeff, Geologic of Blue Scholars, Substantial, PackFM, Poison Pen and more with production from J-Zone and Blue Sky Black Death.

Similar to Volume One, Strange Journey Volume Two is also almost entirely produced by Kno and features 70+ minutes of brand new music. The trio will be supporting the release by embarking on a 28 city tour starting November 10th.

STRANGE JOURNEY U.S. TOUR 2009
w/ Grieves & Budo, Looptroop Rockers, Tunji and DJ FlipFlop

11-10 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn
11-12 Orlando, FL AKA Lounge
11-14 New Orleans, LA Parish @ House of Blues
11-15 Dallas, TX - Prophet Bar
11-16 Austin, TX Emos Lounge
11-18 Scottsdale, AZ Chasers
11-20 Los Angeles Viper Room
11-21 Berkeley, CA Shattuck Down Low (w/ Pep Love)
11-22 Eugene, OR WOW Hall
11-23 Bellingham, WA - Nightlight Lounge
11-24 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
11-25 Seattle, WA Nuemos
11-27 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
11-28 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
11-29 Steamboat Springs, CO Ghost Ranch Saloon
11-30 Fort Collins Aggie Theater
12-01 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
12-02 Omaha, NE Waiting Room
12-03 Minneapolis First Ave. (w/ Unknown Prophets) [DOORS @ 5:30!]
12-04 Madison High Noon
12-05 Chicago, IL Subterranean
12-06 Gambier, OH Kenyon College
12-08 Rochester, NY Dub Underground
12-09 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
12-10 Boston, MA Paradise
12-11 NYC - Highline Ballroom