Shouts to the homies over at aFam for putting together these two monsters. This first joint features Focus & Kida over this soulful, yet powerful production. The remix, or “Second Perspective” features HOJ artists, Rapper Big Pooh & Chaundon. Both of these joints are equally as potent, and will keep you looking more from this quartet of artists. So download both of these joints for FREE here….now!
Whoa. After the last two days of UNC basketball, I think it’s about time everybody exhales(after inhaling, of course), and enjoys life for a little bit. & where else better to do that then in the heart of Tar Heel country, itself. Chapel Hill is the move tonight if you are looking for a good hip hop event. Some of the state’s finest emcees will be in the building to put on a show that will leave you gasping for air. King Mez, fresh off of his first MTV appearance and the release of The King’s Khrysis, will be holding it down. 9th Wonder, and Kooley High prized pupil, Rapsody will be doing her usual murderous microphone routine, Lazurus, Poe Mack, IllPo, and others will also be out repping for NC. Lastly, I will be there doing my usual 2 step on stage. So if you want to get out and celebrate tonight, do it in a smart manner….WITH US! Come tru. Jack Sprat. Show starts at 10p…
Flyer by me.
If you are in the Wilmington area, you need to come out to 16 Taps tonight for this international hip hop affair. The homie, Mandisi from Colour Culture hit me up awhile back about coming down to Port City to rock with them at their upcoming show. Being a major fan of ILM, I obviously jumped at the opportunity. Tonight is set to be crazy with Colour Culture, a crew of artists who come from various countries around the world, FineArts, who have ties to Philly, VA, and other spots, Roanoke VA’s Poe Mack, & yours truly(only god knows what area I am repping these daze, hahaha). The event is being hosted by AYPMedia’s The Original Mr. Neva Dedd, & you know how he brings out a good crowd. I am bringing the homie, H2OKZ down to rock with me, so on the whole, this is a show that you won’t want to miss. Shouts again to all my #910 people who are coming out tonight. Can’t wait to see everyone. 16 Taps, 11pm. Be there…
Humongous shoutout to Rapper Big Pooh & the rest of the HOJ family on the release of Fat Boy Fresh Vol.1 Mix. This joint is a prelude to the album, which drops early next month. Just quick glance at the tracklisting, guest features, and producers on this project virtually certifies it as a classic offering from the former Little Brother member. On top of that, this joint is hosted by the world famous, Statik Selektah, and mixed by Justus League DJ, DJ Flash, So make sure you support the official release when it drops in April, but until then you can download this joint for FREE here…
Cover artwork done by BIG HOP, son…
Super shoutout to J Reese on the release of his new instrumental project, In Da Streetz Vol. 1. In case you have smoked too many blunts, J Reese brought us one of this site’s first posts, when Herb Skee & I filmed him verbally unleashing on fellow producers at a showcase in November. Even though it was all in good fun, the video was classic and caused a bit of drama around the NC Hip Hop scene.
Now, Reese is back with this new collection of instrumentals for your listening pleasure. So make sure you check them out, give them a whole bunch of listens, download the ones you like, and record some new jams. Hopefully, Reese will fux with them, and not wyle out on you for doing so. Hahahaha. Get In Da Streetz Vol. 1 here for FREE…
Shoutouts to West Wonder on the release of his first major project as an emcee, which is appropriately named, First Appearance. This project hits hard from the jump with joints like “First Appearance” feat. Ty Bru, “My Life,” & “Running From Sin.” If you are a fan of the NC Hip Hop movement, then First Appearance is a must have in your collection. You can download it for FREE here….
And if you like the production on this project, and are looking for beats, hit up West on twitter. He has got that fire!
The homie Trick is back with this month’s book review. This time he looked at Lox & D-Block member, Styles P’s first foray into literature with his book, Invincible. Many of us know the Ghost as being an incredible song writer, but incase you were wondering about his literary chops, check out what Trick had to say about his debut…
When Hop told me I was going to be reviewing the book that Styles P had written, I think my response was something like “What the fuck could Styles possibly have to say that he needed to write a whole book to get it out?” I mean, don’t get me wrong, the Ghost has always been one of my favorite rappers, but even though his lyrics might go a little deeper than the average gangsta rap, he’s not somebody I would have seen as the author type. But Styles came correct with his debut novel Invincible.
As you’d probably expect, the story revolves around guns, money and murder. Jake, the main character, wakes up from a coma after being beaten close to death in jail, and wages a one man war against the powerful but mysterious crew that tried to take him out. Honestly, I had this book for like a month before reading it – I envisioned it being a literary version of the “State Property” movies – an unoriginal plot with a lot of holes, not put together all that well, and only mildly entertaining. But Invincible has a main character you can’t help but pull for, the story is told well and moves along quickly (not a lot of time wasted with details), and most of it is believable enough to keep you interested. The writing isn’t perfect – the writing style varies from over correct (lots of “you are” and “I am” in dialogue when it’s hard to see the characters not saying “you’re” or “I’m”) to using incorrect verb tense during the narrative; some of the plot twists are a little over the top; some of the characters could use a little more developing – but all in all it’s better than I expected. More “Paid in Full” than “State Property.” It won’t win any literary awards or go down as a classic piece of fiction, but Ii Styles writes another one, I’ll read it.Overall: 3 ½ out of 5 notepads
1 out of 5 notepads – stick to your day job “writer”
2 out of 5 notepads – if somebody gives it to you and your bored, read it
3 out of 5 notepads – if somebody gives it to you, read it even if you’re not bored
4 out of 5 notepads – worth a read, pick it up if you see it
5 out of 5 notepads – go to Barnes & Noble today, stuff this under your coat & walk out
Tune in next month, as Trick discusses Clipse member, Malice’s Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, & Naked…
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…
Big shoutouts to the homie, Ill Tactics, on the release of his second solo project, Mind For The Taking. If you are unfamiliar with Tactics, then you must be unfamiliar with his group, The Balance. The Balance, a full fledge live hip hop band, have been tearing up the Triangle’s scene for years now. I have been doing shows with them since around 2007, and everytime I hear them, they get more creative and more dynamic. Tactics new project is much of the same. If you like boom bap hip with lyrical flavor, this project is for you. So listen to it for free here, and while you are at it, buy a song or two. F it. Buy the whole project. It’s only $5!
Production by Lava Izzo, Tha Durhamotologist, ArkItekt, and L. Jones. Mastered by J. Memory of The Shape For Memory and All I Can See, Is. Props to Dhap for original album atwork, Reginald Dawson for reworking and coloring it, and Big Hop for graphics and text on the front and back cover.
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!
Tonight is shaping up to be a crazy night. Besides such VA/NC artists, Poe Mack, Bo Jankans, Lazurus, and more, you have Rapper Big Pooh of the legendary, Little Brother, that will be rocking the stage. You can’t put a value on the motivation that LB has provided any true school fan, especially artists from NC. At Awful Arthur’s this evening, Pooh will be joined by HOJ teammate, Chaundon. The show starts at 10pm, sharp, and if you are under 21, you need to be there by then, to assure that you can get in. DJ Van Gundy is on the wheels, so you can expect a lot of wit on his end. Hahaha. But if you are in a 100 mile radius of the 540 tonight, you have no excuse as to where else you should be. Come rock with us, and have a great time, listening to great music…
Flyer design by me, ho…
Major shoutouts to Mallz on the long awaited release of his new project, Service Entrance. This joint was actually recorded awhile ago, but it hadn’t seen the light of day until this week. There are no features on the project, but the list of producers who contributed beats is quite impressive. Service Entrance features production from Nick Tha 1da, Analogic, The Jake, and more. After a few listens, you will understand that Mallz is a true NC representer, in every fashion of the phrase, as he kills this project, track by track. So do yourself a favor, and download this joint for FREE here…
Artwork by me, sucka…
Shoutouts to KO Kid & DJ Ladro for coming through with this dope, new collection of songs for your listening pleasure. The cool thing about this project is that all the samples come from one of my favorite bands, favorite album, Chromeo. If you are unfamiliar with Chromeo, you desperately need to be educated. They are a 80’s sounding, dance-pop duo, who are known for their infectious tunes like Bonafide Lovin,’ among others.
Hosted by Terry Urban, this EP is something fresh. Here is some more info about it:
The idea behind this tape was really just to get something fun and easy out for people to vibe to. We’re working on our first full length album but it’s going to be a while before we’re finished so we wanted to keep people happy. We went with Chromeo because I love Chromeo and think their music is really, really dope. The idea wasn’t to make an EP that was “better” than Chromeo’s work, but rather just to add our own flavor to it. Hope everybody enjoys this!
Dear Raleigh Brethren & Brethrenesses,
Please do the right thing tonight & go support a great hip hop act. Tanya Morgan is comprised of two artists, Von Pea & DonWill. They are a much heralded, underground group that has toured the globe in pursuit of musical domination. Early in their career they frequently collaborated with HOJ artists, won the Myspace unsigned artist contest, and built a buzz with their dope lyrics and golden era vibe. Tonight, thanks to AWOL at GetDownSon Entertainment, they are performing at the Berkeley Cafe with a stack of other dope artists. I saw them live the last time they were in Raleigh, and it was one of the best shows of the year. So instead of doing the same old thing, going to the same old bar, and listening to the same old music, hit up the Berkeley Cafe on Martin St. & enjoy a great show…
Artwork by me. Who else?!?
Shoutouts to two NC legends, K-Hill & Dasan Ahanu, for teaming up on this new jam. If you are unfamiliar with Hill, then you are oblivious to NC Hip Hop. However, if Dasan Ahanu is a new name to you, you need to research this NC spoken word pioneer. This cat has been one of the main forces behind the triangle’s poetry scene for many moons, and his hardwork has been highly recognized. He has made several dope appearances on joints with NC artists, and this one is no different. Get enlightened, and stay tuned for the official release of K-Hill’s upcoming mixtape, Motivational Speaker. Until then, download The Declaration of an Independent here for FREE now…
This cat Charlie Sheen is off the charts right now. I haven’t really investigated it too much, but I keep hearing about his quotes, etc., and it seems to be fairly entertaining. In order to celebrate this recent splash of drug induced excitement, the homies at Sire Tees have released 3 special edition tees, based on the man himself. They are hilarious, and a brilliant idea. So hit up their site, cop a couple shirts, and kick back & watch this millionaire media disaster in action…
Download – Kida -“Charlie Sheen”
You knew someone was going to do it. I’m just glad that it was the homie, Kida, who did it first. He & Wyldfyre teamed up for this banger, so you know it was going to hit. But the Charlie Sheen twist takes it to the next level. Get that Charlie Sheen for FREE here…
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