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I've been on a BIG instrumental kick lately, for the past year and a half or so. I'm a beats first person. I haven't always been that way, in my younger years, I was all about lyrics. I could recite any of the first three Run DMC albums, LL's Bigger & Deffer, the Beasties Licensed To Ill. Somewhere along the way though, my fascination started with beats and the music. It might be because in the 80's, it was all about a drum machine and some 808, which I still love, but it's not the most intricate music ever. Beats started playing more of a roll in the actual music and I've been captivated ever since.
I think what appeals to me is I can throw an instrumental album while doing shit around the house, or at work, or in the car and I can just zone out to it. I have the tendency to get rather wrapped up in the beats though, tapping out drum patterns and humming bass lines. Great for just vibing out on a Sunday afternoon as well.
This year, the top five instrumental albums are some of my favorite projects of the year, all possibly taking a spot in my top projects of the year so far. After that though, the reason why I didn't listen to many instrumental joints before Dilla's Donuts kicks in, which means sometimes they were just beats, nothing more and nothing less. Nothing wrong with that, but these listed here today are more than just beats, they are an album. You get more bang for your buck. Any of these five could be thrown on at any time and get my head noddin'.
5. Batsauce - Spy Vs. Spy
If I had to make a list of my top five favorite current producers, Batsauce would rank right near the top on that list. After dropping 1971 and the EXCELLENT Gypsy Diaries, Bat came with the James Bond/Spy movies themed Spy Vs Spy. It's just like it sounds, music that inspires a motion picture of spies, whining dining, crashes, double crossing and love making. Batsauce executes the concept quite well and gives the project an added replay value to it. It's still got that typical Bat sound (he has a "sound", one that sounds dusty, yet funky). Bat continues to show why he should be the next "up and coming" producer (check the three beats he has on Mr. Lif's new album). The Bat to theSauce is only going to get better and better.
1. Cathedral 2. Priveledged Information 3. Danger Zones 4. Assassin 5. Surveillance 6. Code Breaker 7. Antagony 8. Hot Pursuit 9. Over-Ground 10. I Spy 11. Some Secret 12. Go Beyond 13. Far Away 14. Undercover Blues 15. Medically Unfit 16. The Picture 17. Lab Rats 18. Los Alamos 19. In The Cold 20. Code of Conduct 21. Surprise Attack 22. Rio 23. Interception 24. Spy Triptych
4. Diego Bernal - For Corners
Who would have thought it, a lawyer making INCREDIBLE beats. Coming from absolutely now where, this civil rights attorney has turned in the surprise album of the year, and I'm not just talking about instrumentals. The whole project For Corners by Austin, Texas native Diego Bernal, is phenomenal. I have this in my top 10 albums of the year so far, so that goes o show you what I think of the top three albums. I don't even remember how I ran across this project or where I found it, probably HHB or something, but from the very first track, Diego's Donut (RIP Dilla), you are hipped to something that you know is going to be special. I was hesitant at first seeing the title for the first song, thinking this would be another Dilla imitation, but far from it. You can sense that Diego was inspired by Dilla (who isn't in this day of age), but Diego does his own thing, with a latin swing. Dusty samples, horns and bass lines scatter the soundscape and turn this project into an INCREDIBLE piece of work. The best of all? It's free.....BUT you can purchase a hard copy (mine is coming this week) from Exponential Records
About: For Corners is the first full length album from Diego Bernal, a civil rights attorney and beatsmith, located in San Antonio, TX. For Corners is Diego Bernal's love letter to the music, cultures, era and people that nurtured him.
The music is dusty and layered with Latin soul, from the triumphant blasts of horns to the laid back groove of lowrider melodies. It is a call to return to the simplicity and integrity of hip-hop's best moment and an invitation to enjoy a slightly different kind of southern comfort. Not so much dirty south as directly south. The full album is a completely free download. Enjoy!
Tracklist: 01. Diego's Donut (RIP J. DIlla) 02. Armor All'd Out 03. Bring It On Home 04. Damn You 05. Dusty Sanchez 06. Father's Son 07. Fat Sal 08. Go Diego Go 09. I Have a Long... Resume (Interlude) 10. May Day 11. Momma's Boy 12. Money Cash Woes (Interlude) 13. MC Rakim Cool Kane and the DJ Furious Boyz Crew (1986) 14. On4 15. My Friend Wants to Know (Interlude) 16. The Pause Tape Trainer 17. Velcro Flow 18. Summer's Over (Interlude) 19. The Way It Was
Artist: Diego Bernal Album: For Corners (Digital) Label: Exponential Catalog: EXP-15 Release Date: February 24th, 2009
3. Exile - Radio
Exile is a producer that has steadily moved up my ranks of favorite producers for awhile now. I always dug his work with Aloe Blacc as Emanon and of course his contribution to this decade's classic Below The Heavens with Blu is something that legends are made of. My fondness for Radio comes in two parts, the first being the creativeness that went into it. Using stuff he found of the radio (read the CDs liner notes to get the full appreciation) is something that I'm pretty sure no one did before. The more I watch him do stuff like this, the more appreciation I have for what he created on Radio. Second, it's just good music.
Know the name Kid Hum, and know it well. This kid outta Denver (now residing on some tropical island out in the Pacific) dropped one of the most incredible instrumental albums I've heard in....well, a long ass while. This album got me through the slow months of January and February music wise. I would play it so much, I would wake up in the middle of the night with a beat going through my head from Kid Hum's Fossil Fuel project. I still play it on a weekly basis. There are just some catchy tunes going on, with a variety of sample sources (I'm not going to pretend I know all of them, but trust me, it's varied). I've been singing his praises since late last year when he first showed up on the scene with the Whygee & Sunkstate project Suicide Watch. The three track stretch of "Prayer", "Church", and "Bells" haunted my subconscious like nothing since Donuts. I think Kid Hum has a fan base that is just waiting to discover him. The album was turned into a vocal project, which is nice and all, but I still find myself going back to the instrumentals more often than not.
ROCK THE DUB PRESENTS... "OFFSHORE DRILLING"
FT. CYRANO AKA CY YUNG, WHYGEE, PREZZURE, SUNKEN STATE, BROWN BAG ALL STARS, JUNCLASSIC, JOULZ IL, HELLZ YEA!, L. CHANES, PUGZ ATOMZ, PRIMERIDIAN, AWDAZCATE, BRAILLE, and BLUEFACE
1. CY YUNG "AUDOBON" 2. WHYGEE "KLONOPINS" 3. PREZZURE "NEVER SAY NEVER" 4. SUNKEN STATE "GINGIVITIS" 5. BROWN BAG ALL STARS "DISAPPOINTMENT" 6. JUNCLASSIC "ANGST" 7. JOULZ IL "FUEL (MY MICROPHONE)" 8. HELLZ YEA! "RTD ANTHEM" 9. L. CHANES "CHURCH" 10. PUGZ ATOMZ FT. PRIMERIDIAN & AWDAZCATE "THE RIDE" 11. BRAILLE "THINKING SHOES" 12. CY YUNG "CY DE B" 13. BLUE FACE (SKY 7TH & LOU SLEEFE) "50 YEARS" 14. BONUS TRACK: JUNCLASSIC "PASSPORT" 15. BONUS TRACK: SUNKEN STATE "CAVITIES"
1. Blueprint - Sign Language It was a tight race between the top four projects. Blueprint's edged the others out, simply because I still come home and play this to wind down after a long day at work, or during those "special" moments with M.J. if you know what I mean. When you only have six tracks on your project, there isn't much room for mistakes and on Sign Language, there are no mistakes, only great, emotion stirring tracks. I have always liked Blueprint, but this release caught me by somewhat surprise. I just wish there was a vinyl release for it, that's the only thing I can fault it for.
Wait? What? We are half way through the year? Ya gotta be shitting me.... Well crap, I guess that means I should get my shit together and do my "Half Way There" post that covers all my favorite releases as far as EPs, Instrumentals albums, and full fledged albums (I haven't decided if I'm going to waste my time with a mixtape category, I'm getting to really hate those things for the most part). It's an excuse to come up with some lists, what can I say? It'll be a week long thing, as I try to bang out a bunch of posts over the weekend so I can catch up with other shit that I need to do, questions, type out interviews, bios, and assorted other things. I never get caught up, it never stops.
Today, well kick out the top 10 EPs for the first half of the year. I love a good EP, something I can sit down and a half hour later, when my ADD has totally kicked in, I can move on to the next thing. In this age of shortened attention spans and the shuffle button on the iPod, not many of us can sit down with the same album over the hour and just listen to it. Yes, I do have my listening sessions each evening, but I usually end up doing something while I'm listening, whether it be surfing the net, organizing files on my computer or doing what I'm doing right now, working on the damn blog. Plus a lot of EPs can be found for free on the net. Myself personally, I'd rather listen five or six songs from an artists, than a cat rhyming over every classic hip hop beat, 10 songs that weren't going to make the album, for 25 songs on a mixtape that I will probably never listen to, so I appreciate the free EP as a marketing tool a lot more than the mixtapes in most cases.
When I started thinking about the EPs of the first half of 2009, I was kinda disappointed. I was thinking they were kind of slow, but when I sat down and pounded a list, I had a hard time. There were several EPs that I had to leave off that contain good music. Overall, it was a strong crop of EPs and like I said, most of these are free music, released by the artists to just keep their name out there. Without further ado, here is the "Top 10 EPs for the ADD Inflicted of 2009"
10. (TIE) ScholarMan - A Meeting With Andre Kostelanetz
Sounds Like: Hip-Hop meets classical music, which is what it is, ScholarMan rhyming over beats made from the music of the late Russian composer Andre Kotelanetz.
Summary: While my knowledge of classical music doesn't run all that deep, I do have some knowledge of it. My Freshman year in college, I had to take a Intro To Music class, which basically covered the history of music. They made us buy this 10 tape collection of different periods of music, and the way I got through it was to listen for stuff to sample for a hip hop beat in the whole thing. So basically, I've had a fondness for tracks that use the classical/orchestrated vibe, and that's all this EP is from WYDU favorite, ScholarMan. "A Meeting With Andre Kotelanetz" was a brain child from ScholarMan after listening to a record from the late composer. The beats are nothing short of great, with lots of strings layered over hard drums. On the mic, you know what to expect from ScholarMan with his monotonous flow, which works quite well with this type of project.
Favorite Tracks:"Well Orchestrated", "Not Give Up"
Sounds Like: Straight up hip hop beats & rhymes. No gimmicks, no cutesy dance moves, just Serge kicking lyrics for days over solid beats.
Summary: Earlier this year, my man Gen Erik of Animal Farm let me know they were going to be in Boise to do a show. I told him I'd bring some cats and check it out. The day of the show, he emailed me saying he wasn't going to make it, but check it out anyway and he'd make sure we got on the guest list. He said half of Animal Farm would be along with fellow Focused Noise artists, Mic Crenshaw and Serge Severe. After waiting around for ever and putting up with a HORRIBLE turnout, we caught Serge's set and I was quite impressed with it. I'd already known about him through his Concrete Techniques LP from last year, but its good to catch acts live. Soon after, we ran a WYDU Spotlight on Serge, and with that, we posted up his free Orangutan Slang EP that shines some light on tracks that didn't make the Concrete Techniques project. Why not, I'm not totally sure, because there is some great tracks on this project. It has no gimmicks, just an MC rhyming over the beat, so for those of you that need flash with your hip hop, this isn't it. Those who just want rhymes and beats, this is what you seek.
Favorite Tracks:"Knock Knock", "Microphone Mandhandler", "Wit The Flow" (WHY OH WHY is this track so short?)
Sound Like: Throw some raw dinginess sound of Black Moon, toss in some numerous early 90's hip hop and add a dash of the 2000's in it and you have yourself some dirty, dusty hip hop for the 2000's.
Summary: Could it be that I show Whygee, Sunkenstate & Kid Hum a little "hometown" favoritism (I consider Denver my second home)? Nah, they deserve all the shine that I've given them over the last six plus months. I would put Whygee up against any MC from any hotbed of MCism and I'd put Kid Hum's beats against anyone elses out there as well. The Suicide Watch EP was shipped over to me by either Kid Hum or Whygee (I can't remember which one now) in late December, and after listening to it, I was very impressed the EP that they had crafted and the fact they were from Denver was an added bonus. The EP has steadily gained plays from me over the past six months, an opposite of what usually happens.
Sound Like: A new millennium, northwest version of Native Tongues. Yes, it's a big compairison, but they deserve it. Common Market are favorites of many of the underground blogs, such as WYDU. Producer Sabazi is quickly becoming one of the best underground producers east of the Pacific Ocean. The EP, Winter Ends, picks up where their full length album, Tobacco Road, left off with dope beats and thought provoking lyrics. Scion tackles everything from suicide to cheating death itself. Probably not your typical hip hop subject matter, but that's what draws me to their music. Coming in at five short and quick songs, Winter Ends still packs a punch and get you geeked up for the next release they plan on dropping.
Sounds Like: A white version of Breezly Brewin' over butter smooth beats
Summary: (Yes, it's a cheap rip off of last Friday's post, but you get the jest). Long time WYDU readers will recognize this Yonkers MC, Mouth Blocks. We did a WYDU Spotlight on him late last year and the dude's EP stayed in my rotation for a few months after that (which is no small feat). Well Mouth Blocks is back, with another EP, this time totally free. Produced by Evolve-One, the smooth mellow beats are perfect for the ruff, yet smooth flow of Mouth Blocks. Lyrically, he won't "wow" you, but he brings stuff to the table that most cats can relate to. The songs are all under three minutes, so those with the short attention spans can whip right through a song and the EP in no time flat. Cats that get down with rhymes about just trying to get through life will no doubt dig this little EP. It comes highly recommended by myself and WYDU...
Favorite Tracks: "Can't Deny Me", "How You Doin, My Friend"
Welcome! Sit down, have a glass of lemonade, and while you're at it, sample some of our fine rap music, aged underground in dusty electronic equipment according to a cherished week and a half old family recipe. Imported directly from our very own slum in Yonkers, New York, in conjunction with California's Evolve-One, this rap music meets the highest standards in excellency set forth by Local 108 Crossing Guard's Union. We're so confident that you'll enjoy Mouthblocks' free download of "It Takes One to Know One", that for a LIMITED TIME we're offering a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, if you enclose three fortune cookie fortunes in a S.A.S.E. addressed to yourself, and text 07734 07734 to Mouthblocks' disconnected cellphone. (offer only valid on Christmas day to residents of Puerto Rico)
Oh, yea, haters can suck an egg and critics get the di-dick. And if that makes me a jerk, well...
IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE
Kind Regards, Silvio ZwoechenkoHead of MarketingBaby Grey ProductionsYonkers, NY Download:It Takes One To Know One for Free: http://mouthblocks.com/
Sounds Like: "The Real Shit", with horns, classic hip hop production done by a mad Scott, Sci-Fi, and the MCs are part of the reason why you should always check for music you've never heard of before.
Summary: I get a lot of music in my inbox and I honestly try to listen to most of it. I love finding new music. Sci-Fi (who should be familiar to those that jam Tha Connection releases as he has done several songs with the NY crew) hit me up about a three man crew out of the States named Ill Poetix that he was doing the production for. The trio was is also on his Advantage Music Group label and wehn I checked out a myspace page link he gave me, the song "The Touch" was the first track I heard and I was immediately hooked. The thing is, it's not just that song though that is dope, all five tracks should be on a person's iPod, but you will be seeing "The Touch" high up on the year end list for my favorite songs. Comprising of MCs The 4th, 808 (Stop 1) and Ivisuai, the group is definitely a group that I will be waiting impatiently for new music from.
Favorite Tracks: "The Touch", "What Y'all Waitin' For"
Sounds Like: A combination of a lot of jazzy groups you've heard before and nothing like you've heard before. Upbeat, jazzy, and generally feel good music.
Summary: The new free EP from The Physics barely sneaked in under the deadline and I've been playing it almost daily since Tunji from Inverse sent it to me. Representing the great Northwest, a region I call home and always anxious to promote the great music coming out of the area, The Physics drop a fun, jazzy and catchy album (check "I Just Want To Beat" and tell me you weren't singing it afterwards). After doing some research, I noticed they had a full length release in '07 that completely got by me. If it's anything like High Society, it might be worth tracking down.
Click on the album cover to download High Society for free!!
Two years after the release of their critically lauded full length debut, Future Talk, Seattle-based hip hop group The Physics are back with June 2009’s release of High Society, an eight track EP of new material representing a natural progression both musically and personally. Steeped heavily in references to jazz and soul, Just D’Amato’s production (alongside Phee Dill & Dyalect) provides the smoothed-out backdrop against which lyricists Thig Natural and Monk Wordsmith (absent from Future Talk but a notable presence here) do their thing and do it with skill. Featuring guest appearances by beastly Seattle MCs Language Arts (“Back Track”) and Macklemore (“Good”) as well as one of the year’s most buzzed about local duos, the fresh-as-all-hell females of Thee Satisfaction (“Radio Head”), High Society dims the lights on the laidback aesthetic established in Future Talk and invites the listener to get real grown—and enjoy it. While this EP may feel like a main course, don’t get it twisted: it’s merely just a taste of what’s to come, a prelude to an additional as-yet-untitled release slated for later in the summer.
4. Brother Ali - The Truth Is Here
Sounds Like: Political, lyrical, assertive, underground, all over thick bass lines and catchy loops.
Summary: I'll admit that I'm not usually a Brother Ali fan. Yes, I like Ant's beats, and I think he is one heck of a lyricist, but his voice usually ends up grating on me before the end of an album. This time around though, I was impressed enough with everything else involved that it made his voice easier to get with. It's not even that it's an EP, it clocks in at nine songs, it's just good music all the way around, with "Palm The Joker", "Philistine David", "The Believers", and "Baby Don't Go" all getting extended plays from me this year.
Favorite Tracks:"Philistine David", "Palm The Joker"
Sounds Like: The Ventures meets Billy Joel meets Louis Logic (before he "became" Louis Dorley) Summary: No, it's not the new Louis Logic project. It's the Louis Dorley and Beatman & Rockin' project. When one reads the biography of their latest EP, Beaches Love Us, one has to kinda wonder how something that is a "live band that fuses 60s surf rock with balkan, afro beat and hip hop styles," will actually sound. The answer? Pretty damn good, if you have an open mind when listening to your music. It's something different and the fusion of the smorgasbord of musical flavors works really well. Coming in at a mere four songs, it's like a good carnival ride, just when the good part gets going, it's over. That's a good sign though, wanting more. True, you have to have an open mind when it comes to Louis' new direction, but for those of you that listen to more than hip hop or at least can respect other musical sounds, Beaches Love Us is a fun EP to listen to. You have to wonder what a whole album will be sounding like, hopefully we won't have to wait too long.
Favorite Tracks:"Black Widow", "Blast From The Past"
2. Has-Lo - You Can Live Thru Anything If Magic Made It
Sounds Like: The RZA had a son with a Ninja princess and gave him an MPC to play with
Summary: I'm not sure if I should call this an EP, a remix project (which it clearly is I supposed) or a mixtape. I will call it a damn good effort. We all knew Has-Lo could rap, and if you were into his music at all, you had heard his production, but did you really KNOW he could produce? Well, Has made sure you knew it after releasing his free EP, You Can Live Thru Anything If Magic Made It. Taking some hip hop classics, personal favorites and other goodies, Has made them his own by putting some of his dusty analoged funk on them. Tracks like Big Pun's "Leather Face", Ghost's"Love Session" and Nas' "Shootouts" all get bottom heavy, pounding drums boost from Hassy Davis. What's next? Time shall see......
01 Intro 02 Big Pun - Leather Face (has-lo remix) 03 O.C. - Time's Up (has-lo remix) 04 Royce Da 5' 9, Elzhi & Supastition - Best To Do It (has-lo remix) 05 Cormega - Montana Diaries (has-lo remix) 06 Interlude #1 07 Ghostface Killah - Love Session (has-lo remix) 08 Sean Price - Onion Head (has-lo remix) 09 Common - Chi City (has-lo remix) 10 Nas - Shootouts (has-lo remix) 11 Outro 12 (Bonus Track) Tree Woodz - Move the Crowd (has-lo remix)
1. Poorly Drawn People - Motion Not Emotion
Sounds Like: Jim Morrison came back to life and started a rap group Summary: Sometimes I worry if my personal interaction with artists sometimes skews my view of their music. Case in point with Poorly Drawn People, which is the group Storm Davis is a part of. Storm is an MC that I've had a good blogger/artist relationship over the past two years. I like dude cause he reminds me of my good friends and of someone that I would get a long with real well. So when PDP dropped Motion Not Emotion, I gave it a listen, and actually was planning on being harder on it than the average submission, just because I didn't want people to accuse me of favoritism (not that I give a rats ass what people think). After the first listen though, I knew that this was a good, nah it was a GREAT, release.
I hated to include this as an EP, although that's what the four man group of Storm Davis, Reason, Dox, and DJ Sterbyrock label it. The truth is, this is one of my favorite projects of any sorts this year. I've been blasting their music since running across Storm Davis' solo album, Kegstand Poetry for The Recovering Alcoholic, back in '07. We started talking and he let me know about the rest of his crew. From there, PDP's mixtape, Nothing Stays Gold, dropped in 2007 and last years Shoot For The Stars, Hit The Ceiling got major play on the iPod/car stereo, discman, computer and home stereo.
Well, they graduated from the mixtape scene to an EP, but it's got the flavor and cohesiveness of a full fledged album in the form of Motion Not Emotion. Coming in at tweleve songs, you get the typical PDP tongue in cheek humor, John Friesz name drops (props to whoever knows that name), missed women (and it's fuckin' annoying....listen to the song) and sound drops from "Better Off Dead", the classic 80's movie. They take everything you liked (or will like) about their mixtapes and put it all on one project. If you have heard them in the past, this needs to be heard. If you haven't heard of Poorly Drawn People, then you needs to hear this.....
Favorite Songs: Stress Filled Days, Might Blow Up, Ain't Hard To Make a Million Dollars, Stealer's Wheel, Better Off Dead, Motion Not Emotion
If you download it (and this is a totally legit download) and you like it, hit up them up and purchase a hard copy, you know those disc things that you can play in those disc thing players. Or just cop a shirt....either or.
01- Stress Filled Days [04:11] 02- Might Blow Up [03:50] 03- Aint Hard To Make a Million Dollars [04:25] 04- A Quarter Milli [00:38] 05- Sawbucks and Fins Ft ESH [04:33] 06- Stealers Wheel [03:30] 07- Elmer’s Lament Ft Labeless Illteligence [04:03] 08- Celebrity Rehab [03:39] 09- Way With Words [04:36] 10- Better Off Dead [03:42] 11- Static [04:20] 12- Motion Not Emotion [05:56]
The regular visitors will recognize the name: Kid Hum. Coming out of Denver, our paths actually never crossed since I had moved out of Denver, when we came across each other. It is unfortunate, but wouldn't have mattered after he moved out to the tropical paradise of Hawaii earlier this year. I'm been a big fan of his production after he slide me the Sunken State & Whygee EP late last year. I knew him as a radio DJ for Basmentalism crew and their weekly radio show and had no idea he was so nice behind the beats. Then he dropped the bomb with his Fossil Fuel release, which all I can say is "daaaayum".
That's kinda of where Kid Hum's new project picks up, Offshore Drilling, which uses instrumentals from Fossil Fuel and has some of the nicer underground dudes in the mix. The excellent site, Rock The Dub was instrumental in setting this project up and getting some WYDU fav's such as Pugs Atomz, Brown Bag All-Stars, and Cy Yung.
I'm only a few tracks into the project, but it's great to hear some the dope beats being rapped over. It might get some getting used to for me, since I'm so used to these being strictly instrumentals (I've listened to the project A LOT), but so far, I'm going to have to give Brown Bag All-Stars the high point so far, but so far nothing disappointing.
ROCK THE DUB PRESENTS... "OFFSHORE DRILLING"
FT. CYRANO AKA CY YUNG, WHYGEE, PREZZURE, SUNKEN STATE, BROWN BAG ALL STARS, JUNCLASSIC, JOULZ IL, HELLZ YEA!, L. CHANES, PUGZ ATOMZ, PRIMERIDIAN, AWDAZCATE, BRAILLE, and BLUEFACE
Over the past few months, I've featured several artists from my second home state, Colorado. Disktrakt, Whygee, and Kid Hum all have graced the site in the past six months. You can also add Colorado's version of Mick Boogie in the form of DJ Low Key to that list, as he has one large interview on this site (and another the chamber if I ever get the time to finish it). Needless to say, I'm always about supporting anything that comes out of the state when it comes to music. Not because I owe any favors, most of these cats I didn't meet up with until after I moved out of the state. I do it because it's damn good music and it deserves the shine.
The Colorado Rap Report dropped this collection of Colorado hip hop (I swear I thought about this very thing today at work). I haven't had a chance to listen to it, but I'm familiar with a good chunk of the artists that appear on it and all have my personal approval. So give it a whirl, see what that thin air does to lyrics and beats.
The Colorado Rap Report Presents: The Songs of The Colorado Rap Report
Today we are back with another Spotlight I was hoping to fit in over the weekend, but it didn't happen, so we are blessing a fine start of the work with (if you don't work a government job) with a spotlight on ANOTHER Denver artits, Kid Hum. As some of you know, I'm still hold Denver near and dear to my heart. I have a lot of friends from there and still keep an eye on what is coming out of Denver. This week we feature the former Basementalism DJ turned Hawaiian producer.
Last month, we featured Whygee out of the Denver area, who was apart of an EP entitled "Suicide Watch". The EP featured Whygee, fellow Denver MC, Sunken State and was produced by Kid Hum. Those of you familiar with the Denver scene will also know Kid Hum as DJ Dylon, one of the in-house DJ's for the weekly Basmentalism radio show. Kid Hum made some noise with his production featured on the Suicide Watch EP and released the instrumental album "Fossil Fuel", which is on the cusp of incredible with it's wide array of samples and sounds. If you don't take my word for it, just check Dart Adams "Late Passes" this past week on Poisonous Paragraphs. "Fossil Fuel" has been recieving more and more play time on my iPod the past three weeks or so, as certain songs get ingrained into my subconscious. It's a fine effort from Kid Hum, that will only get better with time.
WYDU: What's good man, can you drop the 411 on you and your background?
Kid Hum: No doubt. I go by Kid Hum aka DJ Dylon (Basementalism). I am a Music Listener, DJ, and Producer. I was born in Torrence, CA. Grew up in Arvada, CO, I now live in Honolulu, HI. I make beats on the MPC 1000.
W: You were a long time DJ for Denver/Boulder's own Basementalism show, which I've personally been a big fan of for quite awhile. How did you get down to become one of the DJs on the show? How did it help your career?
KH: Man, that's a great question, with a long answer. :-)
Short Answer: Basementalism is the foundation of Kid Hum.
Basically Basementalism showed me that you can really do anything you want to do in life, if you have a dream, God will give you everything you need to make that dream come true.
I started out listening to Basementalism in 2002, and in 2003 I started to record the Radio Show to Cassette Tape. It's a 3 Hour show, that's 3 different DJ's per hour. So that was two cassette tapes a week. I had a Toyota Camry with a cassette deck. And so I played them everywhere I went, and switched them up every week. I taped every show for the course of 2 years, and accumulated over 200 Tapes (100 Sets). Basementalism used to be really good about posting a thorough playlist of all 3 hours onto their website every week, and I would write down the playlist onto the insert for each Cassette Tape. Anyways, what I am trying to say is that I was a huge fan of the show, and I was learning about New Artists and New Songs every single day, studying the music being played by DJ's like DJ Thought, DJ Mung, DJ Destro, DJ Inka One, DJ Low Key, and many others. I had the playlists so I knew the names of the songs and the artists, and so from there I would do further research on my own.
I also directly learned HOW to DJ from listening to these guys. For me I never needed any visual learning aids, I learned how to mix two records from listening those tapes. DJ Thought is my close friend, but he taught me how to DJ before I ever knew what he looked like.
So one day when I got the email from Rachel @ Basementalism, it just blew my mind, she was asking me to come in and join the staff of Basementalism Radio. (Apparently I had been winning so many tickets, and calling in talking so much shit, that they thought I could be of service.)
From there I became the official playlist guy, and spent about a year doing that and just hanging out with all these Basementalism Crew. At the same time I was buying my own records, and just mixing records on my own turntables at home, for hours on end. I would just freestyle and think about blends, matching beats, counting; but mostly just the esoteric shit, like the dope feeling of taking one record, and having 200 others to mix it up with, and being able to make 200 new sound phenomena from that. You know?
Anyways I eventually put in a long stint as a resident DJ at Basementalism. I met everybody I know within the music scene in Colorado through the Radio Show, and I was even able to start up a Radio Promotions business on the side because of everything I learned at Basementalism. There is knowledge I obtained while at Basementalism I haven't even fucked with yet, shit that will be of great use to me in the future.
All my best friends are Basementalism Crew, we are like a social club that smokes blunts and scratches records.
W: Besides myself of course (haha), who was your favorite artist to talk to? Any crazy stories that went down at Basementalism that you care to share?
KH: Well one time I interviewed Percee P, live in the studio. There was a monsoon outside, and our loading dock flooded, which in turn caused the studio to flood. So hear we were in the midst of a radio station, electrical cords dangling from the fuckin ceiling, and standing in 6 inches of water. With Percee P looking at us like, "I don't wanna die, but I ain't gonna blow this interview off so you tell me". LOL.
Wesley Willis headbutted DJ Thought live in the studio, but that was before my time.
Interviewing Sol Messiah from The Nappy Roots, Exile from Emanon, Mikah 9, Jake One, those are all guys I consider to be Hendrixes in this shit. I grew up looking UP to those guys. I only did interviews for a short period of time though. All my peoples at Basmentalism have done their fair share of crazy interviews. Judgemental interviewed Pharoahe Monch once which was dope. C Rayz Walz is a trip, I would love to work with that guy sometime. DJ Low Key did some exclusive interviews for Basementalism, with Pete Rock, and one with Large Professor.
Shep the Hip Hop mom interviewed Slim Kid Tre from The Pharcyde back in the day, and they started talking about their mutual love for Mushrooms. She was a famous Denver Area High School teacher at the time. Classic.
Again, too many stories though, haha, I gotta stop here.
W: I discussed this same thing with Low Key when we spoke, but I'll ask you as well....Since you hail from Denver, what do you see the scene as? We both agreed that the area is more known for it's DJs, do you see that changing?
KH: If the DMC continues to avoid Denver, it will change, LOL, nah just kidding. But seriously there used to be a lot of battles in Colorado, and it was a scene unto itself. I might be mistaken but I am pretty sure I have seen the number of yearly DJ Battles taper off drastically. The dope battle DJ's need a forum to compete, and a reason to train.
On the other hand I can honestly say that the ark of the Rap covenant has appeared in Colorado. Maybe it appeared back in like 2005. But since 2006 I have seen nothing but great rappers recording great songs over great beats since 2006. Even before that is was very unique out here, but a lot of the rappers who I listen to in Colorado are those same guys from 2003, so it makes sense that as they evolve and get better, so does the entire scene.
But as of right now the majority of my favorite music is made in Colorado, Texas, or Georgia. Colorado is dope.
I had a vision, that somebody within the scene, who really loves the music, like me, needs to invest $50,000 dollars back into the scene. So that producers are getting paid by rappers, rappers are getting paid by producers, graf heads are getting paid to give brand recognition to everything, professionally. Clothing is being made, stickers are being made, everything is well funded. We need a stimulus package, :-)
W: How long have you been on the production tip? How is the transition from DJ to producer differ?
KH: I transitioned from DJ to Producer, and it was natural. It didn't take any effort. But I think part of that is because I really took to producing more. I have always loved DJ'ing as a Basmentalism DJ, for the radio, mixing new music, or rare music. I never have been able to put the effort into the Battle DJ regiment that most of my good friends are up on. I am good friends with DJ Cysko Rokwel, DJ Discord, DJ BMoney, DJ Vajra, Dj Thought, DJ Tense, so its crazy because I have always literally been just hanging out with DMC Champions, top notch battle DJ's.
So I think I took to producing more because Basementalism Crew and Crunk Brother Crew are so centered around these amazing Battle DJ's, and I didn't want to get overshadowed.
So I've been DJ'ing for a little over 6 years. And producing for 5 years.
I actually got into producing, because I was doing all the research for a kid I wanted to produce for me, because I wanted to be a rapper and he wanted to make beats. But he kind of faded away and didn't pursue it, and so while doing all this research for someone else, I ended up really digging the foundation for my own career.
W: Do you think you have a particular sound? How would you describe your beats to someone who hasn't heard your work?
KH: I would describe my sound as 4/4, cut and paste, layering sounds, the funk, bounce, chronic, 21st century, future, smiley face :-), songster, fossil fuel, suicide watch, basementalism, mpc 1000 music.
My sound is a conglomeration of all the sounds I enjoy. I have fallen in love with beats from every region of the world. I have fallen in love with all of Lee Scratch Perry's instrumental albums, which are really some of the first beat CD's. I have fallen in love with every song that I have sampled.
So my sound is particular, and unique, but at the same time it is just an homage to a bunch of other peoples music. It would be hard for me to act as if "Fossil Fuel" is not an homage to "Donuts", because it is. Anyone who loves "Donuts" as much as I do would pick up on that.
"Fossil Fuel" is that instrumental album for people that love comedy, movies, TV, and music all at the same time. The reason I like Madlib so much is that he has always made music that reflects his love of comedy, movies, TV, AND music, and so it makes sense that I would enjoy his album, and that I would want to make a similar album.
W: What tools of the trade are you using on your production tip?
KH: Just an MPC 1000. And Old Records, mostly bought at the Thrift Store. I Sample drums that are left open, whether from a Break or a Fill, whatever works.
If I expand, I would want to fuck with 808 Drum Kits, Bass Guitar, and basically learn more about productions methods that are used in the South by producers like Mr. Lee, Pimp C, Z-Ro, DJ Paul, etc...
W: I ask this of all producers, but what is your take on the software Vs. hardware debate?
KH: I record all my beats to Pro Tools. I used Pro Tools to lace "Fossil Fuel" with all of the skits from movies and television. So I think most people are going to integrate the two, even someone who loves hardware as much as I do.
I actually think kids that grew up playing computer games are more likely to use software for music, whereas kids that were big into Nintendo and consoles are more likely to use an MPC.
I know one reason I took Hip Hop so much is BECAUSE of the hardware, and because it was like a new video game to me. One with a purpose, lol.
W: Since we last spoke for Basementalism, you've moved to Hawaii. How is that scene treating you? Been busy chasing around hula girls and smoking the sticky icky?
KH: HAHA! No doubt. The girls are just right out here. Make me wanna dig up that old All 4 One and Boyz II Men collection I got. AND I SWEAAAR! Or if they are too young some Chris Brown, LOL.
The weed could be cheaper, hit me up! Where is that Maui?!
The truth is I don't like living anywhere, I want to tour until I am 60 years old. Then choose a place to live based on that. Rolling Stone where I lay my head is my home and all that, that is how I want to be. But right now I am in school, working on learning about Money, because I want to fund my artistic movement like Duke Ellington did.
W: You produced the very dope "Suicide Watch EP", we've already spoken to Whygee about it, but is your take on that EP? That was you first major project to reach the masses as a producer, right?
KH: Yeah that was the first time I put something out. And its because me and those guys all work the same way. We love that jazz, that spontaneous, and we finished that record in 3 days.
I Love that album. "Birds and Trees"? I was buggin out the whole time. I still bug out. It reached #28 on the CMJ Hip Hop Chart. Its been on the CMJ Hip Hop for 5 weeks now.
The greatest part about that album, is it marked the beginning of a friendship and a professional relationship with my two favorite rappers on the face of the planet, Sunken State and Whygee. Now I am producing music for two Rappers who I consider to be the very best. If I was a 13 year old kid, these guys would be my favorite Rappers. Its like working with some lost members of the 1993 version of The Wu Tang Clan or some shit. They are the perfect MC's.
W: You also released the Fossil Fuel instrumental album. What is the difference, if any, between making an strictly instrumental album or making a beat for someone to spit over?
KH: The instrumental album was me providing a backdrop for me to express myself. And the way I express myself is through quotes from movies, television, comedy routines, etc.
Those beats are actually going to all be re-released, with Rappers going in over them.
So I don't really make beats for instrumental albums, I just make beats for Rappers.
W: What was the whole concept behind the project?
KH: Basically it comes from the concept that DITC layed down, about Diggin in the Crates. Archaeology. So I thought about the records as Fossils. And I am refining these Fossils into Fuel. Which are the beats. So Fossil Fuel is just referring to making beats.
W: Myself, I can play "Church" over and over if I had to (and I have that damn sample "...in the name of the holy spirit" stuck in my head days at a time...thanks). Do you have a personal favorite from Fossil Fuel?
KH: HAHA! That's a clip from a Lee Scratch Perry documentary, where he is running around on the beach. Look that up on Youtube, any old footage from Jamaica of that dude is classic. "Church" has always been one of my favorite beats. I think going into the album it was probably "Imagine!" or "Church". A lot of people were offering me money for "Prayer".
It's funny because a lot of times I get the most props on beats that are straight loops. And I don't really feel much connection to those beats. But with "Imagine!" and "Church" and "I Don't Like you Either", and a ton of other beats, I really chopped the samples up, and played with them, and made my own thing out of them. So those beats are always real close to my heart.
I did a feature for T.R.O.Y. (Philaflava), where I provided links to the original samples for some of the beats on Fossil Fuel, people should check that out and see for themselves how a Kid Hum beat sounds compared to the original. http://philaflava.blogspot.com/2009/01/kid-hum-on-fossil-fuel-samples.html
W: What do you hope to accomplish as a producer? I mean, do you want to be Kanye like large, do you just want to be well respected, somewhere in the middle?
KH: I really like where Thes One is at. In terms of a following, financials, and respectability. I only say financials because I saw on a blog where he was breaking down their success in terms of record sales, and it was successful.
Somewhere between Dr. Dre and Thes One. Kanye, gets harassed by TMZ a lot, I don't know if I want to have to break a motherfuckers camera.
I want to be the driving force behind my own success.
W: If you could choose any 5 MCs to work with, whom would they be?
KH: Well first of all, I listen to Z-Ro more than anybody, but I like it when he goes in over his own beats. Z-Ro is probably my favorite rapper alive right now.
My ideal 5 would be, Wale, Eminem, 50 Cent, Chamillionaire, A-Wax.
But I gotta say that I'm currently working with the 3 MC's I want to produce for, that's Cyrano, Sunken State, Whygee. Those 3 guys are my favorite MC's on the planet, along with the rest I just mentioned.
I also want to work with Yonnas and Deca, who are both from Colorado. Those guys are DOPE!
W: What does the future hold for Kid Hum, besides Pina Coladas at hot Hawaiian chicks?
KH: Nah, that's about it. :-)
Nah, I am going to try to put more money behind what I do, and hopefully one day me and my good friends will all be on tour together. Once the world touring starts I'm set.
Stones Throw Records. They take pictures of their movement, and I have to admit, they are living the life as far as I can tell. The type of events they get down on, they type of venues they play, the ease at which they seemingly travel the world, the type of affiliations they secure. I would love to live like that.
W: Any lost words for the minions out there?
KH: I have released both The Suicide Watch EP, and Fossil Fuel digitally. You can buy the MP3 Albums at ITunes, Amazon, Lala, Shockhound, Rhapsody, and many others.
If you have a Zune hit me up and I will shoot you a free copy.
I am working on some albums with Cyrano and Sunken State right now, and also Mike Wird. They are all gonna be real nice for your ears. So stay in touch!
Also I am working on a CRAZY album right now with Rock The Dub (www.rockthedub.com), so stay tuned.
http://rapidshare.com/files/224286203/BATSAUCE_Spy_vs_Spy.rar
