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Wow. New hip-hop that doesn't suck bear balls! Outkast reunite with Raekwon for something that's worthy of being referred to as the sequel to "Skew It On The Bar-B." Damn if Big Boi doesn't sound sixteen and hungry on the opening...
expand review verse. And you known Rae feasts on sinister crime beats like this (I would have pasted in some ridiculous Rae verse here, but the lyric sites haven't deciphered em yet... really, they have the other verses but not his). And Andre? Finally, people are starting to realize his top 10 status. Love the 12" vinyl here too with the instrumental and clean acapella. -the mgmnt
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One (left)foot in the new, one in the past, Big Boi takes a slumpy, funky old school Dungeon Fam sounding beat (with a helping of silky Dre synths) for "Sumthin's Gotta Give," where he and Ms. Blige pontificate on the sad ass...
expand review state of affairs in our great nation. Love Mary, but I'll admit the ultra smooth rnb hook makes for a strange companion to Big's style; still, if you can't feel this one in your gut, something's wrong. Includes dirty, clean, instrumental and acapella. -Van Hammersly
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Diplo's adopted Brazilian siblings are all grown up, and here's their first release on Domino to prove it! "Solta O Frango(1)" is a certified favela smash (got the ringtone on my cell) and if you missed out when we had the limited...
expand review tour 7", this is your chance to make right. If you've seen them live, you know this is the Bonde track that really tears it down - everyone chants along to that brainworm of a hook, Marina wrecks it on the verses and Afra from the Incredible Beatbox Band even provides some sick background effects for the head-nodders. And if you're wondering what they're saying in Portuguese over that heavy Playskool beat, "solta o frango" means "release the chicken" - you can connect the dots. Another live favorite, "Rap do CB(2)" is on the flip, along with the instrumental and acapella for "Solta O Frango." Nice full color artwork by Pedro's cousin. Recommended! -Chris Lemon-Red
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LAB EXCLUSIVO! While supplies last, all orders will receive a promo-only 7" of Bonde Do Role's new single, "Office Boy," featuring remixes from CSS and Architecture In Helsinki!
FINALLY ON VINYL! To say that Bonde Do Role's debut has been "long-awaited" would be...
expand review a huge understatement. It's been 2 years since we dropped their first EP on Mad Decent and the kids are all grown up now, migrated over to Domino and swapped out message board love for NME praise. The band probably recorded 40 demos for this album, but the final product is a streamlined beast with just 12 tracks, clocking in at 30 minutes. Really, when's the last time you heard an album where every track could be a single? The Diplo-produced "Solta O Frango(1)" and "Gasolina(2)" are here, and so's the new single, "Office Boy(3)" (stupid fun - "buh-buh-buh-buh-buh-boy"). But what you know about "Quero Te Amar(4)," with the heavy vocoder action and throwback Miami bass beat from the Lab's own Eggfooyoung? Or the evil metal opener/closer combo, "Danca do Zumbi(5)" and "Bondallica(6)," with Chernobyl from Comunidade Nin-Jitsu SHREDDING on those finger-tapping guitar solos? London production duo Radioclit even turn in a couple tracks: the kazoo-driven "Geremia(7)" and chopped-up electro-baile "Divine Gosa(8)." All this is to say nothing of the amazingly fun vocals that Marina, Pedro and Gorky provide. I read an article this morning comparing them to Brazil's Tropicalia artists of the 60s/70s, and while I don't know if that's totally on point (Marina would Manic Panic her hair before she put flowers in it), there's something important going on behind all this silliness. Do I even have to say... Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Com channeling Biggie and referencing a bunch of his classic shit over a smoothed-out Neptunes bongo soul beat? Sure, I'll bite. "Announcement(1)" doesn't really get the blood pumping, but as a summer jam I cannot front - it does the trick. Another...
expand review Pharrell production/guest spot on the flip, this time going with a Cybotron kind of electro vibe for "Universal Mind Control(2)." Includes dirty, clean and instrumental versions for both. -Van Hammersly
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Advance promo single from Common's upcoming Finding Forever album on Kayne's Good imprint. Kanye produces both tracks which immediately sound a bit more aggressive than we are accustomed to from this duo. Includes "The People(1)" and "The Game(2)" plus instrumental versions. -the mgmnt
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Import 12" from the lately ubiquitous Cool Kids featuring a pair of jernts from their Bake Sale EP. "Bassment Party(1)" has a great sparse electro throwback beat, but "Mikey Rocks(2)" makes things even more minimal, sounding like a skeletal Neptunes demo as...
expand review Mikey brags hard with lines like "I don't use bad grammar, so please excuse this / I'm just tryin' to let n***as know who I is." Plays at 45. -Van Hammersly
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Ok, this is Mad Decent's most loaded release to date. Not only did Diplo call in the Justice League of Remixers, but we stepped up our artwork game (so clean!) and the vinyl mixes sound really, really good. If you got Blaqstarr's...
expand review Supastarr EP, you know he's not your typical Bmore producer. No gimmick tracks here, just dark, crazy original production. "Shake It To The Ground(1)" has been begging for remixes from the start, with its minimal beat and 17-year old Rye Rye's crazy flow. Current remix king Switch and Santogold(2) team up for a fucking bonkers kuduro-flavored mix, which interpolates... well, you'll know when you hear it. Drop The Lime's remix(3) has been getting tons of play - I used to think this dude was all Kid606, but this is hot as hell and totally ready for the club. All this, plus a dirty, bassy mix from SF's Claude VonStroke(4). Comes packaged in the standard Mad Decent sleeve with sticker & artwork by Rory Them Finest. Only 2,000 copies produced. Ummm... recommended. -Larri Byrd
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New Mad Decent! Are you ready for this? Blaqstarr's style of Baltimore club is a little different from the gimmicky cut-and-paste joints that're dominating the Lab these days. I think Diplo called it "violent, futuristic soul music," and I can't say I...
expand review disagree. Right off the bat, "Supastarr(1)" has gotta be one of the most unique club tracks I've heard, with Blaqstarr's one-of-a-kind vocals riding over an ever-evolving beat that's punctuated with gunshots and Lil Jon shouts. Speaking of gunshots, the beat to "Tote It(2)" is made almost completely out of them, but it really feels like more of an interlude/DJ tool here, leading into the absolutely killer "Shake It To The Ground(3)." Rye Rye absolutely murders the minimal beat from Blaqstarr – I've heard people compare her voice to the girl from "Chicken Noodle Soup," but Rye Rye makes Young B sound like John Brown (hallelujah, holla back). Flip this thing over and you're greeted by our personal sleeper pick from the EP, "Check Me Out Like(4)." You also get "Rockstarrz(5)" (with secret guest vocals – the group he used to be in rhymes with "Dru Hill"), the hypnotic and awesome "Automatic Lover(6)" and a Rye Rye acapella from "Shake It To The Ground." DJs, take note: this will throw a little spice into your stagnant Bmore set, and Blaqstarr's minimal arrangements are perfect for mixing. Highly recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Real grown rnb styles with a cast of heavy hitters jumping on the sexytime beat from Felli Fel. Kanye bats lead-off, followed by So So Def's main munchkin JD and F-A-B-O, but it's Ne-Yo locking it down with the "I got more...
expand review money than your dude" hook. ("He showin' you the minor things / We showin' you the finer things / Let me show you what you been missing...") I know you're reading this and being like "but where can I mix it into Surkin?" but I'm gonna let you in on a secret... girls still like to hear some smooth rnb shit in the club! Includes dirty, clean and instrumental versions on both sides. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Part time producer / part time South Philly High School football star Dwizz drops his debut EP on Flamin' Hotz (who brought you Curtis Vodka, Emynd & Bo Bliz, Trouble & Bass). Dwizz's type of "party music" sounds like pitched-up Bmore with...
expand review bits of ghettotech and lots of energy - Philly's loving it. "Salt Pepper Ketchup & Hot Sauce(1)" - as in "whatchu want on your wings, gurl?" - is already a club anthem over there. (The beat's a hybrid of "Percolator," gunshots and paranoid electro-strings.) Dwizz gets a little more booty bass going on "Toot That(2)," which samples "Pop Lock & Drop It," but mis-steps a bit on "Feelin' So Horny." (Hey, the kid's in high school...) Couple more club-worthy cuts on the B-side: Dwizz chops up MIMS for "I'm Hot(3)," and his "Goodtimes(4)" remix can stand toe-to-toe with Tittsworth's "Jeffersons." Nice artwork and pic sleeve from Flamin' Hotz as always. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Clubby and simple Eve single from her latest, with patented Sean-a Paul guest appearance. On a side note, you hear about the woman who had seizures whenever she heard Sean Paul? Had to have a piece of her brain removed. Truly.
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