De La Soul “Vocabulary Skills”, Stream New Mixtape Entirely Produced by J Dilla

We recently highlighted how one of the best rap groups of all time in De La Soul had big plans in the works for 2014. With three projects being set for release this year, De La Soul has officially unveiled one-third of the equation in their Smell The D.A.I.S.Y. mixtape, which is filled with an entire set of previously unheard J Dilla beats. De La Soul and J Dilla had deep history together with their Native Tongues connection, so it is great to get the chance to hear the legendary trio rock over Dilla production in 2014. One of the more raw cuts off the project is the track “Vocabulary Skills” which pays homage to the classic lines by Nas. The group put out the song in preperation for the highly anticipated mixtape and we can now listen to the full project! The track has a all too familiar Dilla knock to it and the rhymes of De La Soul sound sharp as ever.

Vince Staples “Nate” (ft. James Fauntleroy) Music Video, Stream ‘Shyne Coldchain II’ Mixtape

Vince Staples is one of our favorite rising artists from the West Coast and we have been awaiting his latest project ever since we heard his standout Stolen Youth EP. Well that moment has arrived with the release of mixtape Shyne Coldchain II and we now have visuals for arguably its best song “Nate”, featuring some exceptional vocals from James Fauntleroy. “Nate” is a personal record from Vince Staples that gets into his early childhood and how he idolized his father for all of the wrong reasons. The music video portrays a sad day in the life for a young Vince Staples who has to experience some troubling events at home. “Nate” shows the artistic growth Staples has already developed so young in his promising career and the visuals for the song further enhance its quality. If you have not heard of Vince Staples, you should go ahead and take a listen to this strong body of work. 

Future Releases “Good Morning”, Discusses How The Song Heavily Inspired Beyonce’s “Drunk In Love”

It is well known that rapper/singer Future has a knack for making catchy hooks and melodies, which is a big reason why the Atlanta artist has reached such a high level of prominence in the past few years. During a performance at SXSW a few weeks back, Future decided to perform an unreleased track titled “Good Morning” that sounded extremely similar to Beyonce’s smash hit “Drunk In Love”. Well it turns out that Future had a heavy hand in the creation of the track as “Good Morning” seems to be a reference track that Beyonce used for her monster single. Producer Detail is responsible for both songs, so it seem that “Good Morning” got pushed to the side for Future once the music world took notice when Beyonce dropped her ‘secret’ album late last year. While “Good Morning” may have become a successful single for Future, there is no doubt that the song reached its full potential with Beyonce and Future should be happy with those royalty checks. Future discussed the origins of “Good Morning” in multiple interview’s upon the release of the song and he gives us an insightful look into the making of the record, which will not appear on his upcoming album Honest. 

King Los Rips Apart His Freestyle On Sway In The Morning, Releases ‘Zero Gravity II’ Mixtape

King Los is an artist who has been critically acclaimed for his steady collection of mixtapes he has put out over the years, but the Baltimore rapper has yet to release a cohesive studio album. Known for his exceptional skills as a freestyle emcee, King Los put his talent on display recently on the Sway In The Morning show in the ‘5 Fingers Of Death’, which forces rappers to rhyme over 5 different (and usually out-of-left-field) beats. Not once losing his focus or train of thought, King Los slaughtered the microphone as he provided the listeners with one of the better ‘5 Fingers Of Death’ freestyles we have heard in recent memory. Beyond his hard-hitting and strong lyrical raps, King Los also discussed his relationship with Diddy/Bad Boy Records as well as his latest mixtape Zero Gravity 2. There is no doubt that King Los has what it takes to be a premier artist in hip-hop, and we hope he finds the right situation that will allow him to put together a well-crafted album.

Young Scooter “Disfunction” (ft. Future, Young Thug & Juicy J)

Young Scooter is another rapper out of Atlanta who has gained notoriety in recent years after putting out several successful mixtapes. That trend should continue after the release of his latest track “Disfunction”, which features a star-studded lineup of influential Southern hip-hop artists. With auto-tune master Future on the hook and verses from Memphis legend Juicy J as well as up-and-comer Young Thug, Young Scooter pretty much hit the jackpot in gathering this grouping of guest appearances. And when you put that line-up over a spacey synth-heavy banger courtesy of Metro Boomin and 808 Mafia, “Disfunction” proves itself as a certified street-anthem. There might not be a lot of lyrical complexity from these artists on the track, but that does not take away from the strength of “Disfunction” as a quality, big-time collaboration. 

RATKING “So Sick Stories” (ft. King Krule) Music Video From Upcoming Debut Album ‘So It Goes’

We only recently stumbled upon the work of NY hip-hop group RATKING, and so far we have been intrigued by the experimental yet grimy style of the trio. Another artist who has showcased a similar kind of youthful, hardcore energy is King Krule, who’s music can fall under a number of genres including punk, hip-hop, and jazz. Therefore, it makes sense that a collaboration would occur for this group of uniquely talented emcees and RATKING has unveiled the music video for the track titled “So Sick Stories”, a single from the group’s upcoming debut album So It Goes. The song is a vivid depiction of inner city life and each emcee sounds at home over the ruggedly atmospheric production provided by Sporting Life. King Krule does a superb job on the chorus as he effortlessly switches between crooning and rapping his lyrics that bring the track to life. “So Sick Stories” is definitely different and not for all audiences, but we love hearing genuine hip-hop that strays from the norm. RATKING and King Krule absolutely represent that sentiment and we hope they continue to creatively push boundaries with their music.

Crooked I “Not For The Weak Minded” (ft. Snow Tha Product)

Even though he has not received a good amount of national attention, Crooked I remains as one of the fiercest emcees in the rap game with his aggressive flow and top notch lyrical ability being a strong one-two punch. The Slaughterhouse member has not lost a step and provides an exclusive gem to the latest mixtape of DJ Whoo Kid, DJ Skee, and DJ MLK. While many of the songs from the SXEW Volume 2 project had already been released, “Not For The Weak Minded” is a unheard collaboration between Crooked I and female rapper/singer Snow Tha Product. Crooked I’s performance is impressive to say the least as he raps with ultimate confidence over the minimalist production, which allows his jam-packed verses to shine. Snow Tha Product does her thing as well and the fact she isn’t blown out of the water in comparison to Crooked I is an accomplish within itself. 

Hit-Boy “Alert” (ft. Nipsey Hussle) Music Video

Although producer Hit-Boy and rapper Nipsey Hussle represent two different era’s, but they are both a product of West Coast hip-hop. With the sudden resurgence of Nipsey and Hit-Boy being a rapper/producer extraordinaire who has achieved a great amount of success early in his career, it is only right that the two came together for a collaboration. We weren’t sure how we felt about “Alert” when the song first dropped (mainly due to the bad sound quality rip), but after some time with the record it has certainly grown on us. I mean when Hit-Boy’s first lines are “You aint felt this shit since The Chronic”, that alone is an attention grabber as the HS87 boss raps effortlessly over his bumping production. Nipsey Hussle comes through with a solid feature verse and with that “Alert” becomes a true Cali banger. The music video for “Alert” was recently released and it features these two West Coast artists in their element alongside some fine company/cars. The celebratory surroundings of the visuals reflect the up-start style of “Alert” and we still can’t get this catchy beat out of our heads.

The Underachievers Release New Single “Incandescent” Off Upcoming Album

The Underachievers quickly became one of our favorite rap duos’ last year after releasing two great mixtapes in Indigoism and Lords Of Flatbush. It is not fair to stick them in the “conscious rap” box, but AK and Issa Gold have a knack for effectively spreading third-eye fueled knowledge within their rhymes. However, nothing about their style is corny or preachy, making The Underachievers a group worthy of much acclaim and deserving of attention in the NY rap scene as well as around the world. The duo have been prepping the release of their debut album slated to be released this year (titled The Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium) and we now have the first single from the project. “Incandescent” is more reminiscent of The Underachievers’ material on Lords Of Flatbush since it has a more hard-hitting, aggressive style. Both AK and Issa Gold sound fierce over the production provided by Ryan Hemsworth, who usually creates “cloud rap” beats yet successfully ventures outside of his comfort zone on this track. It will be interesting to see how The Underachievers approach this album and we hope the duos’ thought-provoking lyrics continue to be utilized with menacing, psychedelic production.

Nitty Scott, MC “Apex” (ft. Ab-Soul)

It is often the case that female emcees get easily overshadowed, especially in a age where artists like Lauryn Hill, Eve, and Missy Elliott are way past their prime. However, there are plenty of XX chromosome rappers still releasing quality music and Nitty Scott, MC is one of them. The rising Brooklyn emcee shows off her lyrical prowess on her latest single titled “Apex” and she is appropriately joined by TDE member Ab-Soul on the track. Both artists provide mind-bending verses over the addicting production courtesy of Yuri Beats. It is hard to match Ab-Soul when it comes to advanced wordplay, but Nitty Scott, MC rhymes alongside Soulo with confidence and she does not let herself become an afterthought on her own song. The lyrics are given the proper platform to shine and then the beat behind the chorus incorporates strong synths/strings as “Apex” develops its full makeup. “Apex” will appear on Nitty Scott, MC’s upcoming project called Art Of Chill and this track is definitely a strong first offering.