6.29.09: Michael Jackson - Tributes


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Photo courtesy AuditoryThreshold.com: Apollo Theater, Harlem, NY, 6.25.09

I spent this past weekend on "vacation" in New York City, where plans to further the completion of our Funkadelic Freestyles x Rappers I Know mixtape were significantly altered (that's a whole 'nother story). I arrived Friday evening, nearly 24 hours after a momentous celebration of life had commenced outside the Apollo Theater in Harlem. As I ventured onto the subway, I could feel the subtle pain and confusion collectively shared by various New Yorkers. The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had left this world the night before in a surprising and shocking manner. Yet despite the insensitive media coverage covering the airways, the typical MJ fan just wanted to hear one of his records - at least once or twice every hour. It was a soothing medicine, and a reminder that Michael had left behind an extremely deep catalog. Now, various (living) artists have (immediately) begun to pay tribute to their musical hero. Here's a somewhat comprehensive list of some of our favorites so far. Special thanks to fwmj, OKP, 2DopeBoyz, & Michigan Hip-Hop.



Posted by jben.ok

DOWNLOAD: Wale & 9th Wonder - Back To The Feature


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No more delays, postponements, or broken promises. Wale & 9th Wonder's long-awaited mixtape, presented by LRG, is finally here. Perhaps you should key in on the last word in the title - you'll understand why the guestlist is so packed. Featuring Royce Da 5'9", Kenn Starr, Tre of UCB, Mark Ronson, Young Chris, Bun B, Black Thought, Torae, Kingpin Slim, K'Naan, Jean Grae, and...(*whew* I ran out of breath) many more! Mixed by Boston's pride-and-joy, Nick Catchdubs. In the mighty words of DJ Jerome Baker III, let's gooooo!!!

Tracklist:
01. Wordplay (feat. Curren$y & Tre) [produced by 9th Wonder]
02. Cypher (feat. State Property) [produced by 9th Wonder]
03. Chillin [Catch vs 9th] (feat. Lady Gaga)
04. Tito Santana (feat. Joe Budden) [produced by 9th Wonder]
05. 5 Minutes (feat. Skyzoo) [produced by 9th Wonder]
06. Life's A Bitch (feat. Talib Kweli & Joell Ortiz) [produced by 9th Wonder]
07. Night Life (feat. Young Chris & Tre) [produced by Mikey Rocks]
08. Pat Your Weave (feat. UCB)
09. Hot Shyt (feat. Peedi Peedi, Black Thought, & Tuphace) [produced by Ritz]
10. Wonder Why (feat. Big Sean, Kenn Starr, & Mike Posner) [produced by 9th Wonder]
11. Pot of Gold (feat. Daniel Merriweather) [produced by Mark Ronson]
12. Sharp (feat. Torae & Kingpin Slim) [produced by 9th Wonder]
13. Warwick Avenue (feat. Duffy)
14 The Sun (feat. Memphis Bleek) [produced by 9th Wonder]
15. Rather Be [Vagina Is For Lovers] (feat. J. Cole & Curren$y) [produced by 9th Wonder]
16. Goodbye (feat. Jean Grae) [produced by 9th Wonder]
17. Say It Again (featuring Royce Da 5'9") [produced by 9th Wonder]
18. Talkin Shyt (feat. Bun B & Dre) [produced by Cool & Dre]
19. Nothing To Worry About (feat. Peter, Bjorn, & John)
20. Rhyme N Reason (feat. Tre) [produced by Warren G]
21. "Ce n'est Pas Bon" (feat. K'Naan) [produced by Mark Ronson]
22. New Soul (feat. Yael Naim) [produced by BKS]
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MP3: DJ Spinna - Lyrics Is Back (feat. Torae)



I figured I'd take full advantage of my day off from work by making my return to the blog, but who's gonna notice anyway?! If you're wondering why the first page is pretty "outdated," there's a reason! This August, we'll be taking part in a brand new venture involving a radio/web merger that might just blow your mind. I'm not really allowed to speak on it yet, but imagine the perfect combination of indie hip-hop, mainstream club joints, style, and DC cultural news. And before we even get to there, we'll be releasing our first official mixtape in July along with FWMJ's Rappers I Know featuring original material from folks like Oddisee, Che Grand, UCB, Random, Pro'Verb, Lyriciss, E-Major, and many more. The list looks small now...but you just wait! A thorough and more detailed press release will follow next week. 

Okay, totally forgot about the reason I made this post. DJ Spinna is the man responsible for all those wonderful tributes (especially his Stevie Wonder gigs). Torae is a NY emcee with a pitch-perfect cadence and has a new album (Double Barrel - cop now) in stores now with the producer Marco Polo. As of the moment, they're two of my favorite artists, so it was a no-brainer to post the first single off Spinna's new album, Sonic Smash (you can only HOPE that somehow there will be a Charles Hammy diss track on there). Pick it up in stores on June 30th and check for more features from Phonte, Elzhi, and Fresh Daily. 



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VIDEO/MP3: Wale - Chillin (feat. Lady Gaga) x Family Affair



Today in the life of DC's Wale was, well...interesting. Early this morning, some overly-ambitious bloggers leaked an unfinished version of the "Chillin" video, causing quite the ruckus on the internets. Then, Wale delivered on a promise: leaking "Family Affair," produced by Best Kept Secret and to be featured on both video director Rik Cordero's debut mixtape and Back To The Feature (Wale's next tape). The folks at elitaste surprised everyone with a speedy correction on the "Chillin" joint around 3pm EST, and now the video you see above is the official flick that will begin to air on MTVJams soon. All of these things happened on the day of the monumental home-coming show for his Attention: Deficit Tour at the 930 Club, which you should start walking to right...now (something like 80 tickets left). Wale also said the video for "Family Affair" will be dropping tomorrow. I won't speak on the blog bullies, but I will say: please stay in your own lane and your own business. Damn. (c) Hov



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MP3: X.O. - Crabs In A Barrel


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Produced by AB The Producer. This is the first official record X.O. has done with his new Studio 43 affiliation and the first leak off his new project with AB, Monumental. A few friends and I had a discussion a few weeks back concerning the 43 move - particularly whether or not Mr. Unknown Origin's gritty sound would be compromised - and all bets were going off the deep end. With this new joint, "Crabs In A Barrel," he proved us wrong. Download and enjoy.



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VIDEO: RODDYROD - This Time Around (feat. Carlitta Durand & Phonte)



Low Budget is STILL REAL! (c) Kenn Starr. The infamous DJ RODDYROD is back with the re-release of his album Cuba After Market (1.5), which was a favorite of mine last year after Muhsinah visited us in studio. The video was shot in DC by the homie Gadget of Digital Hustle Films and edited by RODDYROD's own collective, Humble Monarch. If you've got quick wits, you can catch appearances from Kev Brown, Muhsinah, J-$crilla, and K-Beta at the end of the video. Shouts to Kenny Fresh who premiered the joint, and according to him - Cuba After Market 1.5 is coming soon!



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VIDEO: FF Spring 09 Semester Finale - Cypher Pt. 1 & 2




If you missed out, no worries. May 12th was the date - merely a week ago - and we packed the studio with a plethora of musicians hailing from the DC metro area. I'll run down the list right quick: PHZ-Sicks, Jabari, Lyriciss, Judah, Wordsmith, Experience of Team Demolition, Kokayi, X.O., K-Beta, The Paxtons, Pro'Verb, AP,  Benji, Toney, AB The Producer, J-$crilla, E-Major, Eddie, DJ Impulse, Incwell; just to name a few (we also got Providence's Theo to call in!) Most importantly, we hosted our first live band in-studio - the best hip-hop band in DC, The ELs, featuring names like Zo! and Slimkat78. The Funkadelic Freestyles team was in full force, featuring Jay Promo, King Carter, DJ Jerome Baker III, Unkle Scooty, and myself. We signed off until August and again, I'd like to publicly thank all our listeners for their support. Please continue to spread the word about the best hip-hop college radio show on the airwaves: Funkadelic Freestyles. We'll be back in mid-August with the same time slot, Tuesday nights from 8-10pm EST. Down below, pick up the first two hours of the semester finale via podcast and check for parts 3 and 4 of the cypher footage on Tuesday. 



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CONCERT: Inner Loop Records - The Beatdown (Diamond District Edition)


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What ELSE are you gonna do this Friday night? The Funkadelic Freestyles team has one more gig before August - and it's this one. Featuring the new TNT crew: jben.ok as Marv Albert, Jay Promo as Doug Collins (or maybe Jeff Van Gundy), King Carter as Kenny Smith, and Unkle Scooty as Craig Sager. 
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5.12.09: FF 040 - The Spring 09 Semester Finale



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It's true - tonight is the semester finale of the radio show and our statement show. We've worked hard all semester to raise the bar for college radio and change the way people listen to radio in general. Some of you remember our memorable election night special; for others, you may have just started tuning in. I'm trying to make tonight even more legendary, and I'll need y'all help. Please tell your friends, your brother, your mother, your boo, whatever. We're all about reaching the masses tonight.

Per usual, I'll be holding it down at WRGW with Jay Promo, King Carter, Unkle Scooty, & DJ Jerome Baker III. Rome will be controlling the tables until 10:30pm, when Asheru and The ELs show up to take over the studio. Throughout the night, expect appearances from Southeast Slim, Judah, Overok, J-$crilla, K-Beta, X.O., Oddisee, Kokayi, Lyriciss, Pro'Verb, Wordsmith, and many more. Jabari, Theo, and most likely ten other special guests will call in. I've got a year-in-review highlight reel. I can't really tell you what else will happen, because I'm honestly not sure. Tune in for a unique experience! [Shouts to Overok for the flyer]


FF 040: The Spring 09 Semester Finale
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, King Carter, & Unkle Scooty
With DJ Jerome Baker III
And an especially long guest list
9:00pm-Midnight EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22
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VIDEO/PODCAST: FF SE - Tanya Morgan x Kenn Starr x Oddisee



Last Saturday evening, a very special event took place at our studios here at GWU in Washington, DC. I invited Von Pea, Donwill, & Ilyas of the rap group Tanya Morgan to join us for an impromptu interview while in town to promote their new album, Brooklynati. While TM was across town grabbing some mambo sauce, Kenn Starr and Oddisee made their own special guest appearances (Kenn Starr's first) and let loose with Jay Promo and King Carter on today's current hip-hop topics. Once TM showed up, we talked a little bit about how Brooklynati came together and then - I threw on De La Soul's (& Dilla's) "Much More" instrumental to egg on the rappers. Watch and learn aspiring artists - these guys know how to do it. Not only is the entire cypher captured on video (thanks to Gadget from Digital Hustle Films), you can hear the entire interview AND cypher on the podcast below. And head over to Real Mango Juice to check out the wonderful pictures Gabby took. Get ready for tomorrow night! FF Semester Finale is about to be in full effect...



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DOWNLOAD: Kid Hum x RTD - Offshore Drilling


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All the way back in 2008 *gasp* I posted a mixtape from the Colorado producer Kid Hum when he was still an unknown. Perhaps he may still be relatively unheard of in regards to the masses, but along with Rock The Dub's khal, he's hoping to change his small status. He's linked up with a plethora of talented emcees - including Braille, whose song "10 Years" is one of my favorite hip-hop records to date. Anyway, enjoy this free project and stay on the lookout for Kid Hum. Big shouts to khal. 



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MP3: PHZ-Sicks - She Was Fly (feat. Full Crate & Mar)


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Here's a brand new track from VA's PHZ-Sicks - "She Was Fly" - a song that was sent to me by the Amsterdam-based producer Full Crate back in February. There was a really dope video that went with it, but barely any vocals on the record itself...so the homie PHZ-Sicks felt inspired and did his thing! Congrats to PHZ-Sicks for winning a contest on EZ Street's website (pick up the song that won the contest below), and applaud this man - he's really stepped up his artistic abilities!



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5.9.09: FF SE - Tanya Morgan


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Last January, we welcomed 1/3 of Tanya Morgan (Donwill) in-studio for a special inauguration interview. Today, we've got the whole group. They'll be at Liv tonight for a free listening party (and free Red Stripe!), but first Donwill, Von Pea, and Ilyas will drop by GWU for a special edition (SE) interview regarding their new album Brooklynati. Jerome Baker III has to handle his J-O-B, so I'll be holding down the jams with Jay Promo, King Carter, and Akhil. And rumor is there will be a special appearance by Kenn Starr. Tune in today at 4:30pm EST or catch the podcast next week. Cop Brooklynati this Tuesday May 12th!


FF Special Edition
Hosted by jben.ok, Jay Promo, King Carter, & Akhil
With Unkle Scooty
And special guest Kenn Starr
4:30-6:00pm EST
WRGW Radio @ The George Washington University
LIVE on GWRADIO.COM and campus channel 22



Posted by jben.ok

VIDEO: Wale - ESPN First Take 5.7.09



If you woke up at 10am EST like I did this morning, you experienced quite the day. First, the pictures of Cassie's breasts popped up on the internetz, then Manny Ramirez got suspended for doping, and last but not least, Wale appeared on ESPN2's First Take. (Oh, and Relapse leaked. It's pretty good, too). I missed the 10am airing so I Tivo'ed the 12pm rebroadcast, but it was rudely interrupted by that Manny crap. Anyway, the video has finally emerged at elitaste, thanks to the assistant that keeps shit together, David. Peace!
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MP3: Tanya Morgan - Morgan Blu (feat. Blu)


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The good folks over at Audible Treats just sent along this exclusive off Tanya Morgan's new album Brooklynati - "Morgan Blu" feat California's new golden boy, your girl's favorite color Blu. The fellas of TM have earned some great praise lately, including features on MSNBC.com and in 215Mag. As far as this particular collaboration goes, Ilyas had this to say: 


"I used to write for Vapors Magazine and I had to interview Blu. I had just heard his album (Below The Heavens) while we were on tour and was blown away. Before and after the interview we chopped it up a bit on some personal shit. I holla'd at him later about the collab and he was down. At the time I had no idea that this collaboration would end up being on Brooklynati, but I'm certainly happy it is."


Von Pea is on the beat, and Tanya Morgan's Brooklynati is set to hit stores on May 12th. Check out a virtual tour of Brooklynati here, and don't forget to download TM's first single off the LP, "So Damn Down," below.
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