WHOA!

Uptown Special

Fresh off Mark Ronson’s New York hip-hop scene of the '90s inspired album Uptown Special, this latest track Daffodils features Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Adding to the forthcoming album's' first single, Uptown Funk, which topped the UK charts earlier this year, becoming Mark Ronson's first ever UK Number One.

This track has grittier funky guitar sound, a psychedelic buzzsaw riff ripping through the middle while Parkers vocal sticks calmly to the beat.

Uptown Special is due for release January 19 via Columbia Records. Written and produced with Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Drake, Alicia Keys)

RUN THE JEWELS 2

Killer Mike and El-P present the duo’s second outing as Run the Jewels and it picks up exactly where its predecessor left off. And it’s every bit as immediate as the first too. Again it’s an all consuming tour de force.

This bonus track is off the hook...

You gotta put me on

Sunday morning and i’m in a Tribe Called Quest kinda a mood, after recently watching their documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest, the 2011 documentary directed by Michael Rapaport I’ve been listening to a lot of their old stuff. Bonita Applebum was such a major track back in 1990 I remember at the time thinking this was a sublime tune that cemented A Tribe Called Quest’s place in hip-hop royalty along with De La Soul.

The song contains samples of Mathar by The Dave Pike Set, Daylight by RAMP, Memory Band by Rotary Connection, and Fool yourself by Little Feat.

Bonita Applebum was the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm.

A popular Why remix was made, which heavily sampled the song Why by Carly Simon. Another remix was done in 1993, with a new beat and new lyrics. There is also a third remix titled Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix) that samples The Isley Brothers' Between the Sheets and also has new lyrics. Between the Sheets was briefly featured in the film Poetic Justice, which coincidentally stars Q-Tip.

Cop this, pop this, down with the shit

The stand-out track from ScHoolboy Q's third studio LP Oxymoron recruits his Black Hippy cohort the unstoppable Kendrick Lamar for Collard Greens. This shit is off the hook, the clattering beats and chopping rhymes from Kendrick to Q is absolutely stunning. Released as a single last year as an intro to Oxymoron which came out last month.

Oxymoron (Deluxe Version) is on iTunes Now.

Dystopian head-fuck

18-year-old New York rapper Orrin presents his new album Nocturnal - A fucked-up concept LP Orrin describes as - "my interpretation of the night and it's influence on the creation process. 'Nocturnal' describes a relationship which never reaches culmination" 

In this track - Sinking Atlantis - he reaches the stark point of choked desolation, his spoken poetic drawl wallows over the doom-laden beats and intricate percussion of dripping water, clicks and bleeps. Before this, opening track Shark Fin he meets this girl, in a haze of smoke and warped atmospherics, settting the nocturnal landscape for Orrin's laconic delivery. Blue Lights describes a moment when he sees this female yet again at a party, but through the commotion they don't communicate, merely observe. 

On Rain Orrin freestyles over The XX's Angels as he fantasies about traveling the world with this girl, completely consumed and intoxicated. Deeper, Insomnia and Counting Sheep writhe with texture and psychedelic meanderings, he's losing sleep, he can't stop thinking about this lady, his dreams warp into bleakness and hallucinations. Finally ending with Water, the distorted hiss and smoke, clipping beats and darkness of a stark reality - his acceptance of his own fate in this dystopian head-fuck.

Download the LP here. Audiomack - SoundCloud

Production from Motel XXX, BK Brown, E M P T, DAILON, muramic and Dpat.

Via:Dunn Deal PR

Well alright OK

Earl Sweatshirts landmark LP Doris continues to enthral, throwing up favourites every week. Right now it's all about the cinematic Centurion, one of three tracks with Vince Staples. The haunted rolling beats and intense movie samples backdrop Earls dramatic narration. Crazy shit!

Go buy - iTunes

Pussy and Patron make you feel alright

Balls deep, you dig?! Been listing to a lot of Kendrick Lamar lately, this one remains a killer track that gets a regular spin taken from an early EP and ending up on his fourth mixtape Overly Dedicated from 2010 featuring his Black Hippy cohort Ab-Soul and produced by King Blue (of Sore Losers). 

It contains a sample of OutKast's Vibrate and an interpolation of Rick James' Give It to Me Baby.

Class act.

These are the top 30 LPs that rock our world last year. 

1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
2. The Limiñanas - Costa Blanca
3. Kanye West - Yeezus
4. Footprintz - Escape Yourself
5. Matthew E. White - Big Inner
6. Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune
7. Saâda Bonaire - Saâda Bonaire
8. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
9. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
10. Bonobo - The North Borders
11. Devendra Banhart - Mala
12. Forest Swords - Engravings
13. Daniel Avery - Drone Logic
14. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts
15. Bill Callahan - Dream River
16. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
17. Washed Out - Paracosm
18. DJ Koze - Amygdala
19. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe
20. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
21. Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic
22. My Bloody Valentine - mbv
23. Taragana Pyjarama - Nothing Hype
24. Jon Hopkins - Immunity
25. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris
26. Darkside - Psychic
27. Deafheaven - Sunbather
28. M.I.A - Matangi
29. Proviant Audio - Drift Days & Disco Nights
30. Classixx - Hanging Garden

Something Strange Is Happening

You'd think Kanye West is just being a dick with all his talk of god like status and monster ego, but then he releases a record that magnificently lives up to the hype. On first airing the LP is cacophony of noise, uneasy screams and shouting, electronic power surges and daunting beats. On further listens the squawking crows and elephant yelps on Black Skinhead make sense, tracks like the Daft Punk and Hudson Mohawke produced I Am A God (feat.God) are positively captivating from the electro pulses to the wild horror screams and at the same time inviting controversy. As Lou Reed says in his Guardian review - 'People say this album is minimal. And yeah, it's minimal. But the parts are maximal'. A statement that sums up this capricious record. 

The Hudson Mohawke helmed Blood on the Leaves is a very powerful song that samples the sacred song about lynching, the poem Strange Fruit, written by Abel Meeropol and famously performed by Nina Simone. West samples the line Blood on the Leaves as the centre of the song as well as a few other poignant lines of Simone's masterpiece. Kayne's not overly political with this song but talks about past relationships, you can draw some parallels between the two though. 

New Slaves is breathtaking and stuns with maximum effect and Kanye just doesn't give a fuck, he spits out the words with pure raw emotion "I wear my heart on the sleeve, I know that we the new slaves, I see the blood on the leaves" (another reference to Strange Fruit) and setting the tone for the whole album with lines like "You see there's leaders and there's followers, But I'd rather be a dick than a swallower". Then at just under 3 minutes the track has 'a day in the life moment' when Frank Ocean explodes into a crescendo as the song reaches its soaring climax.

As with his last LP Kanye isn't scared to try new things and consistently pushes boundaries creating original music. Highly Recommended.

Don't miss out, buy it on iTunes now

I am a sinner who's probably gonna sin again

I was just pondering whether the Magna Carta... Holy Grail possesses a track as good as Jay-Z's recent collaborative remake on Kendrick Lamar's Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe. Obviously the original Kendrick version was a major upstanding tune from the excellent good kid, m.A.A.d city, but Jay-Z's addition definitely rises to the occasion adding an air of sophistication to Kendrick's raw vibe. As Jay raps "I've been on my vibe like 20 years straight" Kendricks reciprocates with "If Shawn's a black Beatle then I need a 10 second drum solo" LOL!

Magna Carta... Holy Grail

Jay-Z's certified Platinum album Magna Carta... Holy Grail charted this week with mixed reception, undoubtably releasing his new LP so close to his good friend Kanye West has opened up the inevitable debate of comparison. Since the idiosyncratic Kanye has gone for various obscure and experimental directions on Yeezus, Jay-Z's MCHG sounds more traditional in structure leaning heavily on Timbaland productions, so if Jay-Z is watching the throne - Kanye's sitting on it. Magna Carta Holy Grail does dish-up some killer tracks but there are a few not so great tracks. 

The collaborations are the songs that stand out F*ckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt (feat. Rick Ross) with it's slow moody electro beat is a brooding and dark chilled-out hip-hop film score with Ricks familiar drawl complementing Jay's lively style. Another highlight is the sublime contribution from Frank Ocean on Oceans, Frank is definitely on fire at the moment in the wake of the successful Channel Orange. His voice supports Jay-Z's delivery with class and style, it could have featured with the best tracks on Watch The Throne. This track Nickels and Dimes, which is of course an original song by the distinguished Gonjasufi and produced by Gaslamp Killer, taken from Gonjasufi's album MU.ZZ.LE, which was released last year. (Hear the original here on neoloop). Jay-Z doesn't change much of the original tune, rhyming effortlessly over it as if it was meant to be that way. Showing that Jay-Z has a good ear for an underground tune.

While Jay-Z is a powerhouse brand nowadays, bragging rights on Picasso Baby are reserved for making billions and trillions as opposed to making millions, few rap artists are in his league. So while Jay-Z sells his album to a phone company for an exclusive release, El-P and Killer Mike are giving one away for free. The whole game of releasing music is an entirely different landscape in 2013, anything goes I guess, but I can't help thinking no one has quite topped the radical shock return to a media-saturated world quite like Bowie did earlier this year. As for Magna Carta... Holy Grail it's already gone Platium.

Nickels and Dimes originally by Gonjasufi

Official site

Don't Kill My Vibe

Now we have had a good while to live with Kendrick Lamar's good kid, maad city LP I think it's right up there, still stands up as one of the LP's of the year and all the hype surrounding it's release was justified. This later version of Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe with Jay-Z is never far away from my speakers, brilliant driving tune.

Rockin', rollin', swaggin' to the max

My Killa tune from Harlem's A$AP Rocky's Long Live A$AP, right now is Fashion Killa. Invest in the rest without disapointment! Available now.

Nice lazy beats

Big Boi and Frank Ocean has been working on a remix of Pink Matter a song from Frank's killer LP Channel Orange that featured André 3000, and now featuring a new verse from Big Boi in other words, an OutKast reunion at last. Pretty good version, I think I may even like it better than the original album track.

Stellar cast produces a classic

One of the best hip hop albums to materialise this year is Compton's Kendrick Lamar's major label debut good kid, m.A.A.d city the follow-up to his highly acclaimed debut independent album Section.80 from last year. Star turns from Dr. Dre, Drake, Mary J. Blige, Jay Rock help make this LP a varied affair but it's the young Kendrick that shines the brightest on this Dr. Dre executively produced LP that sees a different producer for every track. But kendrick's style and talent cohesively holds it all together. 

Money Trees featuring fellow Black Hippy member Jay Rock makes great use of sampling Beach House's Silver Soul. The whole record has a well polished mixtape feel to it. With equally good samples from Janet Jackson's Anytime, Anyplace on Poetic Justice which features Drake. Dr. Dre's presence is felt on the massive album closer Compton, sounding like it was meant for Dre's last album 2001 sampling Formula IV's What's This World Coming To and a bit of Kool and the Gang's Summer Madness.

Bonus track version adds 3 great tracks including the single from earlier in the year The Recipe featuring Dre. The tracks that Lamar executes on his own hold the quality of a rapper far beyond his years, Backseat Freestyle is sure to be one of the tracks of the year, this track good kid co-written with Pharrell Williams is a slow nu-soulful head-nodder with Lamars effective raps gliding over Pharrell's jazz funk beats. A true classic album that is Highly Recommended.

Buy on iTunes

Iron Fists

RZA unleashes the opening track for his upcoming The Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack. 

The Baddest Man Alive is a collaboration between RZA and The Black Keys, and it's a badass slab of rock, up there with the best tracks from the Blakroc album, The Black Keys previous venture into Rock/Hip-Hop crossover.

Aside from The Black Keys, The Man With the Iron Fists soundtrack also features new compositions by Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, Pusha T, Raekwon, Wu-Tang Clan and Talib Kweli, as well as RZA collaboration Flatbush Zombies. The soundtrack hits officially on October 23rd, while the film lands in theaters at the start of November. 

The film stars Russell Crowe, Cung Le, Lucy Liu, Byron Mann, RZA, Rick Yune, David Bautista, and Jamie Chung. RZA‘s takes on his directorial debut.

Fly me to the Moon People

Feeling this track from Brooklyn-based DJ/producer Nickodemus' third long player Moon People. Best known for his collaboration with Quantic, the iTunes ad endorsed Mi Swing Es Tropical back in 2006. His 2005 debut album Endangered Species is still a favourite classic LP. This track Mirage features the velvet vocals of Swedish singer Kissey Asplund, a beautiful soulful groove for an easy going evening.

Buy on iTunes click here

Mellow Gold

Earlier this summer (4th July) Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino released a free mixtape called Royalty, featuring various collaborations. It was a well received piece of work by bloggers and critics alike. I singled out this track recently for a mixtape, produced and featuring Beck it reminds me of Mellow Gold era Beck when his singing/rapping style still had a very raw edge. The marching beats and piano loops sounding both retro and fresh and the fuzzy synths take over when the later half of the track relinquishes the vocals and transcends into an instrumental chill.

The 18-track album includes appearances of Bun B, RZA, Ghostface Killah and Danny Brown, among many others.

Essential Tracks: We Ain’t Them, R.I.P.

Break on through to the other side

The Gaslamp Killer's debut proper full-length album Breakthrough is upon us, released officially last week and it's a belter. My first pick is this brilliant sitar-hip-hop track featuring Amir Yaghmai, superb! William 'Gaslamp Killer' Benussen's usual cohort Gunjasufi naturally features on a couple of songs to great effect as well as few others including Computer Jay, Samiyam, Shigeto, Dimlite, Mophono and Daedelus. It's the left-field of the Californian psychedelic hip-hop scene and brings in all Gaslamp's worldly influences - Turkish Funk, Afro wig-outs, trippy hypnotics, scuzzy guitars, banging beats, retro soundtracks and seventies psychedelia. Looking forward to the Flying lotus' new stuff too now. Breakthrough is Highly Recommended!

BOOM!

DOOM and Jneiro Jarel’s joint project JJ DOOM came out this week. Titled Key To The Kuffs on August 21st. Featuring 15 new tracks, including collaborations with Damon Albarn and Portishead vocalist Beth Gibbons. Doom is at his upmost best and having resided in London of late you can hear the influence this has had. I'm just loving the late track, Wash Your Hands. Amazing Album, go get it. RECOMMENDED

Buy it on iTunes

Dark Night

Flying Lotus latest offering in the weekly Adult Swim Singles Series. Between Friends, which features Earl Sweatshirt and Captain Murphy. Has a very Doom vibe, lazy beats and dark slick raps.

FlyLo's new full-length, Until the Quiet Comes, is out October. Bring it on, can't wait.

Magnum Opus

Frank Ocean released his eagerly anticipated major label debut this week. channel ORANGE takes Ocean into the mainstream on his own merits, showcasing his unique silky electro-soul. Previous notable collaborations with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the excellent Watch the Throne put the spotlight on Ocean's superb Nostalgia-Ultra (Official Mixtape).

The New Orleans-born RnB singer was relatively unknown as a member of the Odd Future collective. So now with channel ORANGE Ocean has arrived in ultra-smooth style, following the epic Pyramids that materialised a few weeks ago Ocean has made an intriguing album that shifts in different directions with dazzling effect. Hip-Hop and Nu-Soul works synonymously with eccentric electro and psychedelic R’n’B grooves. This track Lost has hooked me in straight away, sounding like a young Prince. Ocean's innovative and adventurous approach to music hasn't sounded so good since the musical bravura of prime early-70s Stevie Wonder. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Yppah (pronounced ‘yippah’)

Yppah's third album has been a steady grower over the last few months, I first stumbled apron it's eclectic charms back in April and while it's certainly not an instant grabber, persistent listening bears many fruits. Predominately instrumental with the vocals blending in as instruments, often fast rhythm's have an air of tranquility, creating atmospheric sounds with an overwhelming sense of playfulness. Lead track Film Burn is spectacular, Anomie Belle's vocal meanders through delicate synths, broken beats and soaring strings like Endtroducing... era DJ Shadow combining with the Cocteau Twins. Happy to See you shines with chiming guitars and R. Mullen is overwhelming anthemic with a Stone Roses sense of groove. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, beautifully uplifting music to escape to during rainy days in London.

Love a moody cloud cover too...

Buy it on iTunes

One of SOLAAR's best

Getting my French Hip-Hop on today - Originally a single in 1993 Mc Solaar samples Bonnie and Clyde, the emphatic Serge Gainsborg's duet with  Brigitte Bardot. Gainsbourg released the original tune on two albums in 1968: Gainsbourg's album Initials B.B., and Gainsbourg and Bardot's album Bonnie and Clyde. 

MC Solaar is adapted from his old graffiti tags SOAR and SOLAAR which he used to spray on the walls of his local housing estate.

Following the success of his eponymous debut - Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempoin in his native France, Solaar shot to prominence on the back of his second album that Nouveau Western is taken from - Prose Combat was Solaar's breakthrough, spreading further afield gaining fans across Europe, Africa and and state side. This still sounds good, if a little retro. Serge, I'm sure would have been well into it.

Drones over BKLYN

Loving this tune from EL-P, taken off new album Cancer 4 Cure. Sounds fresh and old-skool at the same time. Drones over BKLYN bashes up organ synths and big bad beats. 

But it on iTunes click here.

Born Ready To Die

Terry Urban links up with DopeCouture to present Born Ready To Die, a mash up of Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die with Lana del Rey’s Born to Die.

Using the music from Lana’s Born To Die (remixed and resampled) and Lyrics from Biggie’s Ready To Die, it's fucking epic stuff, This track renamed Juicy Lolita is brilliant, I wouldn't have thought Biggie's Juicy would work without the Mtume backing tune Juicyfruit, however this sounds like the perfect Bond theme! Throughout this mixtape it all sounds so natural, Lana's strings and moody tones work perfectly with Big's gritty drawl.

A fitting tribute to the 15 year anniversary of Christopher Wallace’s death.

Check it out you can download full album by visiting mixstream.com

A Major Force

Major Lazer played Live at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire this week, it was a mental gig, Toddla T got the crowd nicely warmed-up with a few special guest including the delightful Shola Ama who stole the set. You might need somebody, Taboo and Take it back all sounding good with Toddla's beats. Major Lazor take the stage and dancehall mayhem erupts for the next hour and half. Hold the Line was a special moment, Diplo mixed up the unique Major Lazer sound with classic reggae and calypso, the highlight for me was Harry Belafonte's Day-O mashed with the epic Pon de Floor, the whole of the empire went absolutely mental. 

Also out this week is a new tune from Major Lazers forthcoming album due in 2 months time. Given away as a free download in exchange for your email here. Get Free features the lush vocals of Amber Coffman of the Dirty Projectors and sounds amazing, I've been playing it on repeat for the last few days. LOVE IT!

Look out for Major Lazer's forthcoming Dancehall album with Snoop Dogg too!

Ha, this song is quite cheesy but it makes me smile every time I here it. Frank Ocean is pretty hot property nowadays following his Nostalgia-Ultra mixtape from last year.  Freestyling over The Eagles Hotel California and Coldplay sounds like a bad idea till you hear it. Now Frank is writing and appearing on tunes for big time artist like Beyonce et all.

I love all the tracks he that features on Jay Z and Kanyes Watch the Throne album. If you haven't already download Nostalgia-Ultra mixtape get it now as it is a one of the best of last year with only The Weeknd scoring higher.

Odd Future cohort Frank Ocean is set to release lots of new stuff this year with a a full debut album in the works plus an appearance on Kanye West's forthcoming compilation album due in the spring.

This is just one of the freshest tracks to come out of 2011, New Yorker Azealia Banks self-released track has caused quite a stir since it surfaced in October, and not just because she's a filthy-mouthed lyricist dissing Nicki Minaj "I'ma ruin you, cunt" Banks genuinely is a multi-talented singer/rapper, on 212 she covers all basis delivering numerous styles with no seams. It's basically three different songs fused together featuring a filthy rap about cunnilingus over bouncing electro beats, before the beat drops out around the halfway point giving Banks a chance to show off her singing chops before it all goes mental in a mass of tweaked synths.

The 20-year-old Harlem rapper is hip-hop's most talked-about new sensation and has been at the centre of an intense industry buzz ever since the release of her first recording, Seventeen, three years ago. Now she's top of NME's recent Cool List. Time will tell if she becomes a huge star, she's over here in the UK in Feb on the NME tour with Two Door Cinema Club and Metronomy.

Check out her stuff on azealiabanksforever.com, Her place in MySpace

Moustachue également

This is a wicked tune, taken from the French band Deluxe's new EP called Polishing Peanuts. Easy does it, a cool laid-back hip hop beat with some old skool jazz flourishes and lush vocals. Yeah!

OUT NOW on Chineseman Records.

Desecration or genius?

An interesting version of Jamies xx's remake of Gil Scott-Heron's I'll Take Care of You. Being a massive fan of the original, I wasn't so sure on the first listen. Is it desecration or genius? Drake makes the song his own by adding new verses, and a guest slot from the global megastar Rihanna takes on Gil's chorus. He does keep some of Gil's original vocal in and out the background and Jamie's unique steel pans are still the best part of this track which Drake advisably keeps in tack under the supervision of Jamie Smith's production. 

The title track from Drakes new album, I still can't decide if it's sacrilegious but since Jamie xx had a hand in production and I keep listening to it I guess it all good. Doesn't quite cut it as a better version than the original it's just different in a good way.

Chinoiseries Beats

Onra's new long player due next month Chinoiseries Pt.2 follows 2006's LP Chinoiseries, which had over 30 tracks of loving put together beats and samples from old Chinese and Vietnamese vinyl records. Pt.2 follows on with more chopped up madness. Paris producer Onra (Real Name Arnaud Bernard) has made some wicked tunes, last years LP Long Distance is well worth investigating. A New Dynasty is taken from Chinoiseries Pt.2. Looking forward to hearing the full LP. Pre-order on iTunes click here.

Onra's Soundcloud click here.

ACTION ADVENTURE!

I can't get enough of Jeymes Samuel's The Bullitts, I've posted tunes previously by The Bullitts but this superb track is a defining moment in their growing catalogue. It first surfaced at the end of last year and the more you hear it the more you get mesmerised by it's charms. Featuring a narrative by KILL BILL star Lucy Liu who plays an ice-cold murderess called Amelia Sparks awaiting execution on death row and it also features a sublime rap from Jay Electronica…

Have you ever had that feeling like you been falling for weeks in a well? I was on the verge of dying like E.T. in the bald spot in the forest, right next to the speak and spell…

The full debut album THEY DIE BY DAWN & other short stories is finished and due to drop anytime soon. The album features some amazing artists including Tori Amos, Jay Electronica and Mos Def along with character cameos from Lucy Liu and Edris Elba. Release date TBC. The Bullitts played the Big Chill last month and according to Jeymes Samuel's twitter they will be doing some live dates soon.

Each release comes with unique movie inspired videos and cool film poster artwork, love this one...

Jay Electronica teams up with British collective The Bullitts  (AKA  Jeymes Samuel) in this French noir set short film titled, Run & Hide. ELISA LASOWSKI IN: FUIR ET SE CACHER (RUN & HIDE)

This comes off The Bullitts’ free EP, Mos Eisley. I'm loving everything the Bullitts are doing and this tune samples David Bowie to great effect. Love his old style film poster too...

A Major Choon!

Major Lazer gives The Beastie Boys a dancehall make-over with the usual quality results. In a combination that includes 3 Neoloop favourites The Beastie Boys, Sanigold and Major Lazer.

Lazer's pounding drums gives the track a new lease of life, and the original is already a major highlight from The Beasties latest long player, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. Get your dancehall on and groove to this banger.

Watch me dance now watch me dance!

Toddla T and Roots Manuva team up for big fat slice of funk. This is magic Manuva doing what he does best. This version is from Toddla T and is a straight-up dancefloor banger, Roots has also released his version of the same song which is tad more hip hop and adds further verses. Both versions are stella tunes.

Watch Me Dance is the first track to surface from Roots Manuva's forthcoming 17 track studio album 4everevolution. Due to drop in September. Big Dada say It covers just about every style from the Manuva canon and invents a few new ones, too.

Toddla's second album Watch Me Dance is release on Ninja Tune on August 22 and features previous collaborator Roots Manuva, fellow DJ, producer and remixer Skream, Ms Dynamite, Ross Orton, Wayne Marshall, Donaeo, Roisin Murphy and of course Shola Ama.

Following Santigold's all-star appearance on the Beastie Boys new album, here she releases a new track 3 years after her debut album. Go is produced by Switch, Santi and Q-Tip with guest vocal from Karen O. It's pretty full-on, relentless pounding beats and hey hey marching chants make up a dramatic comeback!

Outstanding new tune from The Beastie Boys new album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2.

Just can't get enough of this. Been listening to the new LP all week. Stay tuned a full review soon.

The Beastie Boys are back!

The first single from Beastie Boys new album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 is Make Some Noise. Their new album releases May 3rd 2011.

Classic tune, back to their retro sound that I loved on Paul's Boutique.

Some mixed up styles from the excellent Ana Tijoux, hip-hop with latin and french flavours. Ana raps in both French and Spanish, this tune 1977 (the year of her birth) is a stunning piece of raw unconventional music. A superb example of how hip-hip reaches all corners of the globe.

Anamaría Tijoux was born in Lille, France in 1977, daughter to Chilean parents living in political exile during Pinochet's dictatorship. She became famous in Latin America as the female MC of hip-hop group Makiza during the late nineties. Her latest LP 1977 was recorded between May and September 2009, the new album was produced by Hordatoj, Foex y Tee, of the label Potoco Discos, together with Habitación Del Pánico.

Official Site, Her place in MySpace, Buy it on iTunes

A stand-out track from Kano's new LP Method To The Madness, this is one of two collaborations with Hot Chip. The east Londoner's laid-back lyrical delivery coupled with the Chips' electro beats is an interesting mix that breaks new ground for crossing genres. Kano has clearly absorbed the influence of his recent hook up with the Gorillaz, each track on his new LP features a different collaboration, including Chase and Status and Boys Noize. With Roots Manuva's latest LP with Wrong Tom - UK hip-hop is sounding good in 2010.

But it on iTunes

Originally at hit Men without Hats way back in 1983, this version has been dug up from J Dilla archives, on a new EP Donut Shop, 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks consisting of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc – Safety Dance, Sycamore, Bars & Twists – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla's production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla's Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums. I like this track, sound dated but fresh.

Banging new dance hall EP from Major Lazer (a.k.a. American producer Diplo and British producer Switch) featuring brand new songs and remixes of tracks from the original 2009 release, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do. Even Thom Yorke contribute's a remix of Jump up. But I'm really feeling this track, K.L.A.M. remix of Can't Stop Now. Wack the bass up!

Not available on the UK iTunes yet, listen at the Major Lazer MySpace page.

Loving this new mash up of La Roux by Major Lazor (as recommended by @ablackcanvas) specially this track, giving it a real skanking. There is a complete album's worth of remakes available on the Mad Decent website, download the whole mixtape for free - Lazorproof.

The Major Lazer braintrust (Diplo & Switch) put this mixtape together for La Roux while working on new material in Jamaica. It features a bunch of JA-inspired blends, special remixes, dubplates and more, it's all crazy shit! Recommended!

Mad Decent website

Big tune! Some quality beats from the Big Boi, a real summer lover tune that sure to dominate the airwaves in the sunny season. OutKast's Big Boi is off the hook with this jitterbugging' warped funk. Even sing's a bit of Soul II Soul's Back To Life and adds a bit of talkbox vocals. Hip-Hop groove of the Summer so far!

Big Boi's place in MySpace, OutKast Official Site, Big Boi's Official Site, Big Boi on iTunes

One the most eagerly anticipated LP's of 2010 comes Flying Lotus AKA Steven Ellison's Cosmogramma. True to Flying Lotus style it's an intriguing, intricate and challenging as ever. Taking in jazz, hip-hop, soul glitch-pop and videogame sounds it's a captivating listen from start to finish. Tracks range from one minute long to five and half, but most tunes clock in around 2 to 3 minutes making the album as a whole feel like an eclectic mix of cuts. This is one album that will get played over and over while you discover something new with every spin. Guest spot from Thom York is very subtle on …And The World Laughs With You. Laura Darlington adds vocals to Table Tennis, which takes its beats from real time samples of bouncing ping-pong balls that sound obvious but amazing. I chose this track to post up first because I found this instantly incredible, mashing up so many different styles and effects - mesmerising!

Buy the LP now on iTunes, Official Site

Just heard the sad news that Malcolm McLaren has died of cancer today in New York, so tonights blog is a tribute to the man. Where do you start with Malcolm McLaren? Briefly managed the New York Dolls before setting up the Sex Pistols and dressed the whole punk scene in it's unique image together with Vivienne Westwood. In 1983 McLaren recruited various musicians, rappers, singers and DJs from New York and Los Angeles to create The World's Famous Supreme Team and released his first album Duck Rock, an album which mixed up influences from Africa and the Americas, bringing hip-hop to a wider audience in the UK. Two of the singles from the album Buffalo Gals (sampled 20 years later by Eminem) and Double Dutch became top-10 hits in the UK.  Malcolm continued his involvement with the crew, in 1984 they released this tune Hey DJ (Malcolm also had  a writing credit), now a great piece of old skool hip hop and I still dig it!

McLaren’s 1989 album Waltz Darling introduced vogueing to the world preceding Madonna's Vogue by two years. Ultimately Malcolm McLaren was a one-off — an impresario and entertainer. RIP

Forthcoming tune from Snoop's next album More Malice out March 23rd. A song about remembering where you come from and your family tree, produced by the main man Diplo and features Kid Cudi singing a chorus that hooks right into the inner sanctum of head, The Kid even adds in a few raps for good measure. Snoop always stays relevant, mixing with the right collaborators at the right time. All good.

Snoop's official site

After listening to the RJD2's new album (see post below) I thought you might like some of his older stuff, for the uninitiated. 1976 is a short classic track that I often drop in to DJ sets, a real feel good funk-a-thon! Always a big crowd pleaser and guaranteed to get the toes tapping and head nodding. If only it was longer. RJD2 is one of the most poignant underground hip-hop instrumentals of the modern era, this tune is taken from his 2nd album Since We Last Spoke (2004). 

Buy this album on iTunes

Like This? Try: DJ Shadow, Nickodemus, Jazzanova

RJD2 is back with his highly anticipated 4th solo album The Colossus this week. Mixing up his more recent vocal style offerings with his earlier sample based tunes, it's much more eclectic affair with various guest vocalists that include Aaron Livingston (The Roots), Phonte Coleman (Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange) and The Catalist. This track opens the album with some old skool funky guitar and plenty of brass horns rock along to the signature RJD2 drum sound, reminiscent of an old blaxploitation soundtrack. RJD2 AKA Ramble John "RJ" Krohn is from Eugene, Oregon, raised in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Like This? Try: DJ Shadow, Nickodemus, Jazzanova

Bands place in MySpace, RJD2's own record label, Buy RJD2 on iTunes

NYC Brooklyn's own Theophilus London is a pioneer in today's electro-fueled urban pop movement. Theophilus (Not from London thats his name) supported Miike Snow at the London Scala this week. And he smashed it! He has this crazy mix of soulful singing, rap and punk yells over old electronic beats and mashed up synths. Sounds mad and it is but in a good way, he won the crowned over by the end of his short set and left with a whole new bunch of fans. Hum Drum town is his first single release. Definitely one to watch, he's gonna be a star!

Bands place in MySpace

A last minute contender for album of the year, out this week. BlakRoc are basically The Black Keys with a load of guest rappers. It's hard to pull out one stand out track as this changes with every listen. Mos Def and Jim Jones feature on this tune, which I think really picks out the Black Keys style and could have appeared on Attack & Release without the rap. A superb album highly recommended.

Official site, Buy the album on iTunes

Time for a bit of in yer face booming dancehall. This tune sounds like Major Lazer partying with Basement Jaxx at an African street carnival. Recommended by @ablackcanvas. A real party banger, dropping in all the sirens and whistles jumping along to a thumping groove.

http://www.myspace.com/burakasomsistema

I keep hearing this tune in various bars and places, a slow blissed out vibe featuring the psychedelic harmonies of MGMT.

A happy leftfield tune with a wonky piano and strange guitar riffs on a broken drum machine beat produced by Ratatat. Being punted around as Kanye West's favourite new rapper, he collaborated on Kanye's last album and Kayne guests on Kid Cudi's new album Man On The Moon: The End Of Day released in September.

Buy the album on iTunes, Kid's place in MySpace

Hip Hop don't stop... Clap your hands!

Welcome back Mos Def. His new long player is The Ecstatic, I reckon this is as good as Black on both sides album from 1998 (his best album in my opinion). Another varied selection of beats and cultures. Mos Def packs in a barrage of musical styles, from the heavy influence of Bollywood to classical strings via the usual hip hop, funk and soul. If you liked Q-Tips The Renaissance from last year, you love this. Highly recommended!

His place in MySpace - myspace.com/mosdef

Buy it from iTunes

Kill Dem! Killa tune!

Been spinning Busta latest offering for the last couple of weeks, back to form Busta is cooking with gas! The perfect companion to Major Lazer's brilliant album for the summer.

Trevor Smith, better known as Busta Rhymes (born May 20, 1972)

Official site - bustarhymes.com

Buy it - iTunes

If you snooze you lose!

Listening to the DJ Vadim's latest album got me digging in the crate for some of his older stuff. I was reminded of this track when I watched Vadim support Ghostface Killa at the Scalla back in May this year.

One Self is an alias of DJ Vadim with MC Blu Rum 13 and the supurb Yarah Bravo (Vadim's Misses)

I hope Yarah releases an album of her own sometime soon.

Buy it on iTunes

This tune sounds like a funeral march through bombay in blistering heat, led by a mad clown on a squeeze box with a chains on his ankles. Joined along the way by some mexican pan pipers before ending up in a Bollywood movie.

DJ Vadim's album 'U Can't Lurn Imaginashun' has been out for a while now, a melting pot of hip hop beats, soulful vocals, sharp raps, reggae knowhow, wonky samples and skanking party grooves. Top draw!

Vadim is a prolific DJ and producer, born in Leningrad, USSR (now Saint Petersburg, Russia), raised in London and currently residing in both New York and Port-au-Prince, Haiti whose music combines hip hop, soul, reggae and electronica.

Official site - djvadim.com

Buy it on iTunes

Bar grooves and Mojito's!

I was out last night in very cool little bar in Soho and the DJ was spinning some great stuff, mainly on hip hop tip. This track went down a storm, a great party vibe from a class act. I've been hammering this album in the car for the last couple of months.

Q-Tip has definitely found his mojo on The Renaissance, his latest long player offering. This track also features vocals from Amanda Diva. 

Official site for Q-Tip - q-tipnetwork.ning.com

Official site for Amanda Diva - www.amandadiva.com

Buy it - iTunes

Infectious groove, can't fail to get your foot tapping this one!

Terry Hall is enjoying Rave reviews touring with the Specials at the moment, I was lucky enough to see them at Brixton Academy last month, definitely gig of the year for me! This tune is currently on the cover mount CD with Uncut magazine this month and it reminded me how good it was and what a great album it comes from.

On this tune Hall's voice is joined by Romany Rad, a group of Polish gypsy refugees living in the East End, the blind Algerian rapper Mohammed and Damon Albarn. The album is also on Albarns record label Honest Jons.

Buy it - honestjons.com