Poe Mack – Back At It (Music Video)
Shouts to the homie Poe, Van Gundy & Kris with Oktobervision for putting together this dope video. “Back At It” appears on Move Mountains, Poe’s critically acclaimed mixtape that was presented by kevinnottingham.com. So if you do’t have that, make sure you download it. Until then, check out the new video, leave a comment, spread the word, ENJOY….
Jozeemo – True Identity (Promo Video)
Joe Murdock aka Jozeemo sent me the link to this promo video for the intro to his upcoming album, True Identity. This joint is pure fire, so it’s a guarantee that the album will be full of more of the same. Until then, check for his mixtape, The Good Die Young, The Great Don’t, which I did the artwork for. That should be dropping soon…
K-Hill – The Declaration of an Independent (Video)
Shouts to the homie, K, & Depth of Sound for putting together a dope visual to go along with this banger of a track. I did the cover art to the single last month or so, & now the video is set to blast this joint off even further. Make sure you check it out, and be on the lookout for Motivational Speaker, due out soon…
Drique London – Red Chucks (Video)
Shouts to Drique London & Depth of Sound for collaborating on this hot new video. This is the first video from Drique’s upcoming project, The Manual, which is set to be released this Spring sometime. If you have been a fan of Drique’s laid back style in the past, then you will be equally as hyped about this one. Stay tuned to the site, cuz when The Manual drops, I will post links to it…
2 New Videos from Kooley High
Shoutouts to the homies Kooley High for dropping a couple new videos over the last few weeks. Visually, both of them are dope, and they are highlighting joints off their newly Fat Beats-endorsed album Eastern Standard Time. So if you are feeling these joints, make sure you go cop EST!
Sha Stimuli – Wake Up & Go (Music Video)
Shouts to the homies Sha Stimuli & RH Bless in connecting for the newest video from Sha’s extensive catalog. This joint plays out like a movie with it’s crazy visuals and storyline. Then factor in Sha’s crazy lyricism, and it’s a wrap. I had the privilege of meeting Sha down in Atlanta at the A3C Fest, and dude has one of the livest shows of any hip hop artist out right now. RH Bless, who is also a talented emcee on top of doing his video production thing, is peeps with my peoples ROCCA & X3M. So stay on the lookout for both of these titans, as they continue to do big things in 2011…
King Mez – Nightmares (prod. by Khrysis) – Video
Super shoutouts to King Mez for his new video, Nightmares. This joint is from his upcoming project, The King’s Khrysis, which is being produced by famed NC producer, Khrysis. They are releasing this EP this Sunday, which coincides with Mez’s appearance on MTV’s Sucka Free Sunday. You can also catch Mez in Chapel Hill’s stop of Poe Mack’s ShoeString Budget Tour(Sat. March 12). I will also be performing at the event, with a rack of dope NC artists. It’s shaping up to be a monster year for NC’s prodigy, so keep your eyes and ears open for King Mez…
Foreign Exchange – Authenticity (Video)
Shoutouts to NC alt-Soul group Foreign Exchange, for the release of one of the best conceptual videos I have seen all year. FE has been on a tear since their Grammy nomination last year, and this video further cements their place in the upper echelon of today’s R&B acts. If you missed their private show in Durham last night, then make sure you check out the video & purchase Authenticity on iTunes…
Skillz Premieres Short Film, Byron
Last night marked the debut of VA rapper, Skillz, into the realm of film making. It came in the form of a short film titled, Byron. In the Q&A session after the viewing, Skillz explained how the concept of the movie came from a chance encounter with a bum asking for change, who ended up knowing his late mother very well. He spoke on how you often automatically assume one thing about a person, but in all reality, people have many layers that you never know.
The short film focuses on Dee, a drug dealer who is torn between the streets, and the responsibilities of being a father. While hustling, he is approached by a well-to-do man looking to get high. At first he is hesitant to sell to him, but after a few tries, he caves in to the pressure. Once a devastating car accident threatens the well-being of Dee’s family, the film comes full circle in an ending that is sure to shock you as much as it did to the audience in attendance.
Skillz wrote Byron, as well as starred in it. He doesn’t play the main character, Dee, but instead, one of his sidekicks. As a whole, the cast did a great job making the characters believable and the scenes realistic. One of it’s strengths was how well the movie flowed(imagine that, coming from Skillz, haha).
Being someone who works with film, I was thoroughly impressed with the cinematography & editing of Byron. The scenes were were shot well, and the editing was cohesive. Skillz spoke about how learning different aspects of the production process were both fun and tedious, one being the audio. If there are any flaws in the production of the short film, it was the choppy background audio, which could easily be fixed.
I really enjoyed Byron & I think it’s a great introduction from Skillz into the film industry. The plot was creative & the production superb. Overall, I would recommend this to any film lover, while also commending the infamous VA ghostwriter…
Many local celebrities from the area were at the premiere, including Malice from the Clipse.
S. Gold – Lonely Girl (Video)
Shouts to my homie, Goldie aka S.Gold, on the release of the first official video from his album, The Forecast. I give him mad props for coming through with a dope concept for the video & executing it. & you know the song is super heavy. So give it a watch, leave a comment, and share it with your friends…
Reks – 25th Hour (Music Video/Download)
Wow. That’s all I could muster up when I finally heard this joint a couple nights ago. I had seen Reks name floating around for awhile, but I hadn’t taken time out to actually listen to his music. So when the homie Juan, of JMProductions, pulled it up, I was floored. Not only does this song epitomize the sound that most hip hop aficionados long for, but it was produced by the legend, DJ Premier himself. So make sure you check out the video & even download the song for FREE here…
elleMC – The Lurk
Shoutouts to elleMC, another West Coast spitter with a whole lotta spunk. My childhood friend, Roy Swice, met elle a little while back and almost immediately started raving about her to me. She’s a skater chick who started freestyling at parties, which eventually led to her penning songs and hitting the studio. With her new EP, she has been taking the Pacific NW by storm with her catchy songs like: White Girl Wasted, Takin’ My Time feat. PlainJames, & my personal favorite, Put A Spell On You.
elleMC is a great follow on twitter. So make sure you follow her after checking out the tunes. Some of her antics include popularizing the term “Blackout City” and giving it her own meaning: The state of mind when you black out all pettiness and grind; an imaginary city where her and her entourage (teamtwirl) live.
It’s the quirks like that that will easily turn you into a fan of elleMC’s movement. Her EP is available now at iTunes, so pick up a single or two, or buy the whole thing & support your favorite skater/rapper chick from the left coast…
Talib Kweli – I’m On One (Video)
Be sure to check out this new joint from Talib Kweli, produced by NC’s own, Khrysis. This is the first leak off of Kweli’s upcoming project, Gutter Rainbows, which is to be released next week.
I remember the first time I saw Kweli live. It was in Greenville, at the legendary Attic, and there was probably 50-75 people there. The year after that, he released Quality, & he was back in G-Vegas opening up for Fabolous in front of a couple thousand kids in Minges Basketball arena. What a difference a year makes. Haha…
Tab-One – Tell Us The Truth (Video)
Shouts to the homie Tab for this new video they put together during the blizzard couple weeks back. This joint came from his critically-acclaimed project, Tabloids, that came out in 09.” Make sure you peep the video, and check out http://www.kooleyhigh.com for more music & updates…
Chadillac – The Heat (Music Video)
Shoutouts to Chadillac & Kent over at Depth of Sound for this dope, new video. This might be the best video Kent has shot thus far with it’s dope visuals and crazy scenes. Make sure you get really stoned before you check this one, and get ready to go on a trip from DC back to NC while you watch this one. & shoutouts to my homie Dave F. for putting me on to Chadillac a few years back when he was first starting out. Support NC Hip Hop…
DJ Premier Recognizes MindsOne!
Shoutouts to my brothers, MindsOne, for being recognized by DJ Premier as having one of the best albums of 2010. Even though they didn’t make the top 25, being listed in the Honorable Mention list, with artists such as, Eminem, Reflection Eternal, Homeboy Sandman & others is truly a great accomplishment.
& did I mention that this was written by the super-legendary DJ Premier aka Preemo?!?! You can read the article here…
MindsOne – “Legion of Doom”
Shot & Edited by Big Hop
whoisBigHopdotcom 