-WJ

Kung Foo Grip has been steadily pushing out product and shutting down shows with an energetic live set that demonstrates their recordings well. Two younger gentlemen, Greg Cypher and Eff is H both hail from the Eastside and with their newest release have partnered with Giorgio MoMurda to give us five stellar songs.

Giorgio MoMurda first came to my ears via the Bay’s Main Attrakionz duo, a group that you wouldn’t be wrong in drawing a few comparisons to with KFG. The Kung Foo gang have never really come across as cloud rap enthusiasts, generally attacking their bars with a passion more akin to classic New York throwback veterans – something I’d say Seattle hiphop audiences generally desire from their hometown emcees.

Indigo Children: Tales From The Other Side is an exciting listen that should captivate your ears. Giorgio’s beats are incredibly lush and varied in style, never once relying on the same ideas, always trying to provide a soundscape fitting of the topics at hand. MoMurda laces deep bass hits with trap rap like steel drum rolls. He samples classic funk breaks and layers them under a certain level of auditory haze to transform the dusty vintage vibe into something from the future.

With these beautiful tracks behind them Cypher and H rap. Topics are wide open. Typical weed and struggle references are here, often with an equally heavy insight to how their minds process life. As not even twenty one year old’s you expect them to be a bit rowdy and ready to party, thus a full song dedicated to the joys of rolling, but they also find ways to strike a chord with quick asides hinting at conscious thought of the downfalls.

Like Main Attrakionz, Kung Foo Grip demonstrates an equally interesting desire to enjoy life and run away from a “regular” life as they do a hard understanding of reality that dictates what you need to survive. It may not be ground breaking or something brand new, but it is being delivered in an exciting manner that sounds good, feels good and most of all compels you to enjoy yourself.

Roll out to Moe Bar tonight for the usual antics and hit the jump for the tracklist and download link!

The Hump #14
Katy Perry “E.T. (Tim Ismag Remix)”
Baby Dubz & Decepticron “Loud Noises”
Karasho “It Aliens (Labrat Remix)”
Lokid “Fear of Heights (MSD VIP Remix)”
Rusko “Somebody To Love (Skream Remix)”
Groove Armada “Soundboy Rock (Cyrex Remix)”
Jarv Dee “Klingon”
Mach 5 ft. Danny Brown “Molly (On My Tongue)”
Calvin Valentine “Live Your Life”
Rihanna ft. Chris Brown “Birthday Cake (Remix)”
STS “Out Of Control”
Ital Tek “Up”
Kid Cedek “Sientelo (Decepticron Remix)”
Dillon Francis “IDGAFOS 2.0″
Diplo ft. Nicky B “Express Yourself”
Gotye ft. Kimbra “Somebody That I Used To Know (Mendez Remix)”
Joelito “Sickhead (Boyfriend Remix)”
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs “Garden (Calibre Remix/Sysmatic Remix)”
Dazed Dog “Murder Salsa”
Jabo “Taparte”
Casey Spooner “Cinnamon Toast (Modek Remix)”
Clockwork “Feel Good Spaceman (Hardwell vs. Gorillaz – Clockwork Edit)”
Adrian Lux “Fire (R3hab Remix)”
Adele “Set Fire To The Rain (Herwander & Scene Remix)”
Skylar Grey “Invisible (Kaskade Remix)”

Download here.

While Swerve might have you thinking he has abandoned those hiphop roots of his via the regular party antics that is the Hump mix, don’t doubt. Seattle Weekly’s hiphop DJ of the year is anything but sluffing on whats hot, both on the internet and in the streets and his monthly drop that coincides with Jet Set PDX is always a sure shot mix of new and old.

This month he kicks it off with the lead off jam from TxE’s newest release before traversing through established stars like Jeezy or Busta to STS and Rittz. He sneaks in a couple Big L jams to pay tribute along with the classic Dilla and Janet jump off. If that’s not enough be sure to stay tuned to the back end where he slides in an exclusive sneak peak at Fatal Lucciauno’s upcoming Sophomore release Respect. The track is “Better Than You” and features Grynch and Thaddeus David. Heat.

Hit the jump for the tracklist and download link.

DJ Swervewon “Jet Set PDX February”
TxE ft. Phil The Agony & Illmaculate “Higher”
Young Jeezy ft. Jay-Z, Andre 3000 & Drake “I Do (Remix)”
Busta Rhymes ft. Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown “Why Stop Now (Remix)”
STS ft. ASAP Ferg “Great Mood”
Truck North “Bring Me Back”
Raheem DeVaughn ft. Snoop Dogg “Be the One”
Brother Ali ft. Phonte & Stokley Williams “I’ll Be Around”
Curren$y ft. Trademark Da Skydiver, Fiend & Young Roddy “Conference Call”
AD ft. Big K.R.I.T & Che Blaq “Patience”
Killer Mike ft. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble “Big Beast”
D.I.T.C. “Da Enemy”
Big L “M.V.P. (Remix)”
Big L ft. 2Pac “Deadly Combination”
Big Sean “Two Can Win”
Janet Jackson “Got Til’ It’s Gone (Ummah’s Uptown Saturday Night Mix)”
Fatal Lucciauno ft. Grynch & Thaddeus David “Better Than You”
Parker & Lace Cadence “Blue Paper”
Redman ft. Ready Roc “Sourdeezal”
Rittz ft. Yelawolf “Sleep At Night”

Download here.

The Madbury Club.

If you aren’t familiar, Madbury began in 2010 by a handful of college aged East coasters with an ear for great music, an eye for beautiful design and layout, and a passion for presenting something different amongst the sea of knock off blogs. They’ve always tried to blend their tastes for all things into their site and deliver a message that is inspiring.

Recently they ditched their lives on the other side of the country and came out West, flying into the lovely city of LA and exploring Cali for two weeks. Perhaps it’s my own desire to run away that spurs my love for the tale. The spirit of adventure has been slowly building in my mind and a plan to excise the need is taking shape. I suppose I have the Club to thank for that, at least in part.

Hit up Madbury and read the six part Holy Coast feature. You won’t be disappointed and might even feel inspired. I’m constantly praising young kids who are making music these days, today I want to give it up to some young kids who are writing, shooting and documenting.

Hit the jump for the tracklist and download link.

The Hump #13
Daft Punk “Prime Time Of Your Life (Rico Tubbs & Will Power Remix)”
Krewella “One Minute”
The Weeknd “The Birds Part 1 (Red Mob Remix)”
Kanye West & Jay-Z “No Church For The Wild (QualoClub Remix)”
Cobra Krames “Listen To The Track Bitch”
Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Robin Da Hood Remix)”
Rihanna vs Bingo Players vs R3hab “Your Da One (TekOne Bootleg)”
Kaskade ft. Skylar Grey “Room For Happiness (Gregori Klosman Remix)”
The-Dream “Ghetto (FCZ Edit)”
Beef Theatre “President Evil (Dumme Jungs Remix – PockX Moombah Edit)”
Blaqstarr “All The Girls Around The World (Secret Sauce Remix)”
Too $hort “Where The Pretty Girls At (Pickster & Melo Moombahton Remix)”
BadNRad “Bad Girl (Kyle G & Digital T Remix)”
Vato Gonzalez “The Moombahstard”
Aesop Rock “Five Fingers (Evil Bastards Moombah Remix)”
Jay-Z “99 Problems (Gooffee Remix)”
Frank Ocean “Voodoo (B1urOne Remix)”
Drake ft. The Weeknd “Crew Love (eSenTRiK Remix)”
Dr. Dre “Still California (Wick-it Moombahton Remix)”
D WREK – It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Moombahswing)
Wiz Khalifa ft. Juicy J & Berner “G.F.U.”
RSK ft. Iggy Azalea “Drop It”
DJ Cam & Cameo “Love Junkie (Jay Dee Remix)”

Download here.

What better way to celebrate love than with Dam Funk laying down Prince grooves?! Dispatched by Wax Poetics, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary now and dropping off issue number 50 with the Purple one on the cover. If you read the magazine you already know and if you don’t check it out, you won’t get a better source of music writing and information from any other publication.

You already know what Dam does, bringing back funk and keeping life bright and happy. Prince is just the shit, and the purveyor of all things funky. Get into it and enjoy the day y’all!

So many thoughts flew through my mind when I saw this posted over at DGB. Is this album actually about to come out? T.I. on an El-P beat? Bun? Oh god I gotta listen right now.

And so I did. Many times in a row. T.I. sounds amazing, there is a swagger to his flow we have yet to hear. When does Bun ever not handle a cameo with ease? Trouble does the hook over this thunderous El Producto track. Stereogum noted the sample as from “Public Enemy No. 1″ which I’m pretty sure was from Fred Wesley and The JBs. Even in this day and age of electronics, a James Brown flip and some rugged drums is all you need for the perfect rap jam.

This past Thursday like we’ve been doing, Pomz and I strolled into the basement studios on SU’s campus and turned it up. We were honoring Dilla and how else do you pay tribute to a genius than by playing his cuts as loud as you can? I suggest you do the same with this show.

I mentioned yesterday how interesting it was to do a tribute show and go through the process of finding music from only one artist for the duration of the show. It was a lot of fun and as I say on the air, I can’t wait until next year to do this again and come up with a new set of selections. If you want two hours of Dilla beats and rhymes ride with us!

Huge shout out goes to Seattle’s Detroit Ambassador Jonathan Cunningham who came thru to enjoy the cuts and speak on his memories of growing up in the D as Dilla became who he is, Ma Dukes, and an assortment of other things related to the one and only Jay Dee. As always thanks for listening/downloading and tune in live next Thursday at www.ksubseattle.org from 6-8.

Hit the jump for the tracklist and download link.

TML Radio Vol. 14: The James Dewitt Yancey Edition
Brother Jack McDuff “Oblighetto”
Brother Jack McDuff “Oblighetto (J Dilla Remix)”
Jay Dee “Payback Is A Grandmother”
Jay Dee “In Space”
De La Soul “Stakes Is High”
Jay-Z ft. Nas “Success (J Dilla Remix)”
Ghostface Killah “Whip You With A Strap”
J Dilla “One For Ghost”
J Dilla “It’s A Mans Mans World”
J Dilla ft. Black Thought “Reality TV”
Busta Rhymes “It Ain’t Safe No More”
J Dilla “Bass In The D”
Jaylib ft. Frank N Dank “McNasty Filth”
The Pharcyde “Runnin”
J Dilla “Untitled #33”
Common “Cold Blooded”
J Dilla “Intro”
Slum Village “The Look of Love”
J Dilla “Make Em Nv”
Jaylib “The Red”
The Pharcyde “Drop”
Four Tet ft. Guilty Simpson “As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix)”
J Dilla “Old Donuts”
J Dilla “Raise It Up”
J Dilla “Stop”
J Dilla “The People”
Jaylib “Stars”
Lucy Pearl “Without You (Jay Dee Remix)”
J Dilla ft. J Rocc & Kareem Riggins “Body Movin”
Hi-Tek ft. J Dilla, Common, Nas, Busta Rhymes & Marsha Ambrosious “Music For Life”
De La Soul ft. B-Real “Peer Pressure”
Jay Dee “The Money”
Jay Dee “Ma Dukes”

Download here.

Will mentioned last week that both Lace and Parker are stepping out of their typical lanes for the Imagination EP, as well as Flavor Blue–oh, you still don’t know?–and that’s completely true, and all the more dope. It’s always refreshing to hear two extremely talented artists link up and stretch their talents into the stratosphere.

There is no reason to celebrate the man only one day or one month, his music lives on for a reason and that is to bump it. So turn up your system and listen to some J Dilla a little louder!

Tomorrow you will get to peep last nights radio show that was a tribute to the man. It was a fun exercise and something I’ve never done before. Pomz and I are already talking about doing it again next year. Before that though I found a pretty awesome piece of radio memorabilia of sorts that deserves to be heard by all.

Gilles Peterson has long been a radio man in London, his show Worldwide on Radio1 taught me alot about styles outside of hiphop and is the only radio show I’ve ever listened to with any regularity in my adult life. The man has a tremendous ear and his reach is serious. When I listened he had yearly conversations with Questlove and Shadow, Four Tet came in with Steve Reid and they played live. An assortment of up and coming young talent came through. Giles was the first person I’m aware of to give Flying Lotus some attention, bringing him into the studio to speak about Alice Coltrane upon her passing and the work they got to do together among other things. Basically the man knows his music.

In 2001 Gilles brought Dilla in to speak about the BBE record Welcome To Detroit. You will hear the man drop science about production techniques, give praise to some artists and discuss how his ideas translated into the sounds we know and love. A very intimate experience.

Shouts out to 92BPM for getting this out to the masses.