Brother Ali just released a soulful tune featuring guest vocals from Mint Condition’s Stokely Williams as the first single and title track from his new album “US”. The new album (released on September 22) will feature guest appearances from Freeway, Chuck D and Slaughterhouse’s Joell Ortiz . Beginning in September as well Brother Ali along with Evidence of Dilated Peoples will be embarking on a North America “Fresh Air” tour. See the tour dates HERE
In lieu of the release of their 12th full-length album, Popular Songs, New Jersey indie pioneers Yo La Tengo have created (through their record label, Matador Records) a series of videos to mark the preview of select tracks from the new CD.
Here’s the first video of the series (featuring a mesmerizing sky-high view of skywriting planes):
“Here To Fall” and “Periodically Triple or Double” are available for your listening pleasure below.
It was hip hop like this which ignited my curiousity in music. This unreleased track features two artists who always crafted hits while recording together; Tupac & Snoop Dogg come off shining in this funky-smooth jam.
Bay Area Natives Zion I are out with a new single and video “Coastin.” featuring K.Flay. Zion I continue to impress with their eclectic bay area style. The melody captures you with a hook sung by K.Flay portraying a sentiment on life one can identify with.
“When life brings trouble, you can fight or run or way. I have known struggle, we have likes watch me float away. im coastin, coastin on a dream, coastin this ones for you and me”
We’ve been here before but this time it actually looks like Rakim will soon release the long awaited album “The Seventh Seal.” Dubbed one of the greatest emcees to grace hip hop, it’s exciting to actually have a single from the mysterious album.
“Holy You Are” which features a sample from the great David Axelrod is classic throwback boom-bap tune to make heads realize what Hip Hop is supposed to sound like. No autotune, no electro sounding beat just straight hardcore Hip Hop.
With this reappearance of Rakim it is indeed shaping up to be great year for music.
Vinnie Paz from Jedi Mind Tricks unveils the first single from his upcoming solo album The Assassin’s Creed. “Drag You To Hell” produced by DJ Kwestion is not as rough and rugged as the usual tunes from Jedi Mind Tricks but it still has that Jedi flavor to it.
Didn’t hear about the incredible free Girl Talk show happening this Friday at the newly renovated Fox Theater in Pomona? Well grab all the information here.
The good folk at Squirt & M80 are looking for a cool East of L.A. reader that is willing to hit the show this Friday… what do they get? A pair of spots on the guestlist, access to the VIP meet & greet, a copy of Girl Talk’s new album and a Girl Talk t-shirt!
Step 2: Get your friends to retweet! Have them include atleast: http://twr.me/485 @eastofla @yourname
Competition ends 2pm PST tomorrow (7/22)!
How do We Choose?
For everyone who tweets I put your name up on a post-it, if you solicit a retweet with @yourname then you get an extra post-it. The more retweets from different beings gets you more entries. Then I post all them post-it’s on a wall and send a blind folded stoner to go pick one out. Basically more genuine Retweets the better chances of you getting picked!
Summer is a time when the new music is dropping everywhere and sometimes new tunes just slip by bloggers like myself. For example this new remix.
Mr J Medeiros has teamed up with Stro the 89 Key to release a remix to the track “Umpire State“. This remix was originally released about a month ago but heads are just now hearing about it.
“If you picked up “The Art of Broken Glass”, (which I hope you have- legally= means I eat) then you might have noticed a track called “Umpire State”. Well, this so happens to be a remix of that track with an entirely dfferen’t spin on it. I can dig it.” Mr J Medeiros
Something that slipped my notice as well is Mr. J released a 6 song EP entitled “The Art Of Broken Glass” back in April of this year. Two of tracks on EP I’ve already posted earlier The Measure and Love is All . Now here’s some more good music from Mr. J.
Uncle Speak & Applebird Records present: Christmas In July: A midsummer holiday freakout extrvaganza! This event will feature the entire family going nuts in downtown Riverside, CA on Friday July 24th. Expect some wildness, as Speak plans an entire scripted show & concert with all the Applebird family at the Back to the Grind coffee shop basement. It’ll be hot, sweaty and wildly entertaining, $5 gets you all the recklessness you can handle, goes from 8pm till Midnight.
For those of you not in Southern California, we’ll do a live uStream of the event here at East of L.A., put it on your calendars, Friday June 24th!
^^ Thanks to Mike Schmidt for pulling this one out the archives!
We’re very excited to say Binary Star is back in business working on new material and their 10th Anniversary Tour. East of L.A. Lifestyle Group will be working with the legendary duo on strategy & marketing alongside Subterraneous Records. Official press release & media to come, stay tuned! If you’re not on Binary Star’s first and only album, Masters of the Universe, it’s about time you educate yourself, it has an average of 5/5 star rating across 100+ iTunes reviews, and 4.5/5 on Amazon!
Originally released as Waterworld in 1999, Binary Star’s debut album is a beloved underground classic that continues to win praise from hip-hop connoisseurs around the world. Coming out of Michigan, Binary Star shine like a supernova, thanks to intricate wordplay from MCs Senim Silla and One Man Army (aka One Be Lo), supported by alternately hype and mellow production from in-house beatmakers the Trackezoids and Decompoze. The bass-propelled, KRS-sampling “New Hip Hop” is a great example of infinitely quotable bravado, “Indy 500″ plays like a manifesto for independent artists uninterested in watering down their style while begging for a record deal, and “Evolution of Man” fuses slinky guitars and chunky low-end with sultry spoken word and heartfelt romance raps. Also crucial is the triumphant, aptly-named “Conquistadors” and two-part incarceration blues of “I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings.” Though One Man Army has since dropped a few solid solo albums, there has never been a true follow-up to this, (though it was reissued in 2006), which only furthers its legendary status.
- Official iTunes Review of Masters of the Universe
Also East of L.A. will be working alongside One Be Lo (aka One.Man.Army of Binary Star) on his third full length album B.A.B.Y. (Being A Black Youth) dropping first quarter 2010. Here’s a nice little clip of a performance we recorded in Las Vegas last Thursday featuring some new lyrics from the One Man Army.
Brother Ali | Us ft. Stokley Williams
