As the release date of Musab’s The Slicks Box continues to draw nearer with each passing day (Editor’s Note: “AT Obvious/Unecessary Statement of the Day Award for Poor Journalism goes to…), positive reviews continue to pour in for the Rhymesayer turned Hiero Imperium. Says Music Emissions, “The record is top notch;” and thus, a rating of 4.5/5 for our resident pimp by day. While reviewer Bryan Rutherford attempts to decipher the album for even the slightest trace of beef with Slug and Ant, he is overwhelmingly positive in regards to both the lyrics and “killer production.”
Since Mr. Rutherford has already done your thinking for you, prepare your wallet! Or, you know, just listen to a few tracks and form your own opinion. Either works for us.
Soul/Funk/Hip-Hop/everything-else-you-can-get-down-to artists G & D are taking the stage at Washington DC’s Can A Sista Rock A Mic Festival next week. The fest is dedicated to getting more female MC’s and producers up, and we definitely approve. Georgia and Dudley take the stage for the opener Wednesday, August 8th, at the Rock and Roll Hotel on H St. If you’re in the area, check it out - the festival’s also going to feature performances by MC Lyte and Bahamadia, as well as other hot happenings.
Ian M. is one extremely dedicated journalist, sticking it out until 4:15 am to get an interview with Tajai (Souls of Mischeif) for The Smoking Section. Tajai discusses today’s lack of hip hop groups, maintaining his “youthful perspective on life” and his feelings on sampling. He remains mum on details for the new album, but hints they’ve hired a hot producer. Ian’s interview style is refreshing, and his time-stamped recollection of his pursuit for the interview is the highlight of the article.
The official visual accompaniment to ‘What U Think,” the first single off of Knobody’s upcoming LP Tha Clean Up, is the definition of hood. From rapping into front door security cameras to featuring a toddler with enough handle to shake half the And1 Team, the newly-signed Hiero Imperium emcee has left no stone unturned. And, perhaps most importantly, the “What U Think” video offers copious amounts of limelight for the entire community, demonstrating that Knobody isn’t too quick to neglect his roots. The video can be viewed both on YouTube and on Knobody’s IMEEM page– just another small glimpse to tide us over until the release on Semptember 18th.
Around the water cooler here at Audible Treats, we love to discuss the latest dance routines on So You Think You Can Dance (or…at least the girls do). However, we felt that some of these routines could use a music upgrade - and so we present the remedy. It just so happens we’re working with Windimoto, a duo who produce some of the funkiest dance music we’ve ever heard. The marriage of particularly sexy dance routines with the Windimoto sound has created some highly entertaining videos on YouTube that are definitely worth checking out: Neil & Sara - Disco, Danny & Lacey - Samba, Anya & Danny - Hip Hop, Pasha & Sara - Jazz
Spyn Cycal caught up with 1/2 of the group Souls Of Mischief for an interview, after taking in their live performance at the Paradise Lounge in Boston. Watch as Tajai and Opio discuss the struggles of balancing business with creativity, cutting out the middle man and combating free downloads. Peppered with clips from the live set, Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview give an insight into the Hiero crew’s goals while showcasing some of the hottest independent hip hop. And if you Hiero fans are itching for more, a little birdie told me that Part 3 is coming soon…
It’s official, people. Two of hip-hop’s newest and most unique voices have teamed up to create what could be at once the most soulfully truthful and bizarrely innovative release of 2007. The Message Uni Versa encompasses elements of soul, funk and dusted hip-hop topped off with so much optimism and raring energy that it barely contains itself.
If you’ve yet to check out Georgia Anne Muldrow or Dudley Perkins as solo arists, best get on that before the G&D project drops. Between the two Stones Throw artists, there are four albums are to be found– two produced by Georgia and two produced by Madlib. Bring on the release date!
We’ve decided to mix things up a bit and bring you a whole new kind of sound with the introduction of duo Windimoto. Their first single, “Don’t Let Me Leave Alone” began as an instrumental dance track with an aggressive Latin drumbeat, a booming disco base line and thick, dramatic chords. Inspired by the vivacious beat and grooving bass line, newcomer Victor St. Clair wrote the lyrics and provided his soothing R&B vocals to take the song to the next level. The result is an infectious new track that you can enjoy while sipping a martini or when hitting the dance floor. Windimoto combines the music of Chicago (The Windy City) and Detroit (The Motor City) to create an eclectic mix of sound that will push the limits of what is considered dance music and appeal to all music lovers.
Our boy Musab is at it again with his newest track: “Kool Aid (Gettoe Juice).” The song is the antithesis of Nelly’s popularized Pimp Juice. While many rappers utilize the latter as an attractant, the intrinsic beverage Musab speaks of is a DEET-like emcee repellant. The irony here, of course, is that Musab - not Nelly - is a real live pimp by day.
“Kool Aid,” at face value, is a verbal critique and subsequent dismissal of today’s emerging rap trends: “Rap is like sex/ Most don’t know what they’re doing, but every Tom, Dick, and Harry think he the best.” With a catchy, scratchy, and soulful vocal sample alongside jagged, electric guitars courtesy of Led Zepplin, the production serves as the perfect assault to Musab’s battery.
Since MCs Tone Tank and Krayo emerged as Iller than Theirs, their humility has shone forth– “We’re not saying that we’re better than anybody… We’re just Iller.”
Now, there’s good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad. URB Magazine is looking for the best 1000 new artists. The good news? Iller Than Theirs happens to be both iller and, well, better (in Audible Treats’ estimation) than the other 999. So let’s get the boys from BK the recognition they deserve!
Voting couldn’t be easier. Hit up URB.com, click on the stars, and you’re done. And if you’ve yet to experience that which is Iller, roll over to MySpace or IMEEM for all the dirt.
Our boy Sab is a well-traveled dude - grew up in Minneapolis, lives in Las Vegas, and has seen countless in-betweens. Last I checked though, Augusta GA wasn’t technically in-between. Still, Rich McCracken over at Metro Spirit from Augusta listened to the record, and here’s some of what he had to say:
“This album contains some of the best rhymes and beats heard in a long time… check out Musab’s “The Slicks Box”"
You heard the man, get the record when it drops August 14th! And thanks to the wonders of the internets, it doesn’t matter if your city is a little out of the way - we bring the music to you!
Listen to “Baaang” and “Hat and Shoes” here! Like magic!
After you hit up the 2007 Teen Choice Awards website to vote for T-Pain in the Choice Music: Rap/Hip Hop Track category, mosey on over to the 106 & Park page. Here, you show even more love for T-Pain by voting him into the Top 10 Countdown. Take T-Pain to the top!
First of all, if you’re a hip-hop head without iTunes? Shame on you. Fresh out the Audible Treats / Iconocastic lab is the 16th installment of the Hip-Hop Podcast. In celebration of the oh-so-sweet 16, we’ve got new tracks from Iller Than Theirs, Knobody, Musab, Pedigree Chumps, and Bash Bros.
Also, if you remain un-hip to Iconocastic, make sure to check out some of our other goodies. From Hieroglyphics’ “Hierocast” to our Literature, Business, and Indie Rock Podcasts… we’ve got it all.
Help us out, we’re feeling lonely - add us as a friend on whatever social network you use. We already have profiles on iMeem, Facebook, and YouTube. If you’re using one we don’t have, or if you want to get us in on one that’s still so hip that nobody knows about it, give us an invite and we’ll friend you. Just send an email to info(@)audibletreats.com. It’s a perfect win-win situation - we get more friends to talk to on the computer when we should be working, and you seem cooler by proxy for having another really cool friend.
Thank goodness for our buddy Mac over at Mass Appeal Magazine - without him we might not have found this sick video by the Trunk Boiz called Scraper Bike. And apparently there’s a how-to vid in the works, so let’s just say we’re all pretty freakin excited. Already have your own scraper bike? Send us a pic at scraperscraper@audibletreats.com and we’ll pick our favs to publish in the next Audible Treats News Alert (and we’ll send you some sweet swag for your troubles). And for all you hyphy lovers, check out genre pioneers Federation with their hot single “College Girls.”
If there was any doubt as to the mass appeal of Iller Than Theirs‘ music, one needs to look no further than the home movie of some French guy in a red sweater.
Employing fur-clad eye candy, groovy dance moves, and a snowball fight, homeboy went all out to bring Iller Than Theirs‘ “To Be Ill” to life.
“To Be Ill,” a lyrical instruction manual on becoming a person of illness, has clearly had the desired effect on our French friend.
…(Audible Treats had nothing to do with any of this.)
Have your plans for Saturday night yet to manifest?
Has it been a minute since you last hit up a good, old fashioned, $3 beers hip-hop show?
If so, grab your date book, PDA, rhyme book, whatever, and pencil in Iller Than Theirs for 8PM at the legendary Southpaw in Brooklyn. Along with the Nuclear Family crew, MCs Tone Tank and Krayo will be performing tracks from their soon-to-drop debut LP.
It also shouldn’t go without mention that your $10 at the door is going towards the Iller Than Theirs music video. Support the Real, anyone?
Here’s a little bit of shameless advertising to start your day off right!
If you frequent YouTube, take a little time to stop by our channel. We have 40 of the best hip hop videos - giving you the perfect excuse to put off whatever you need to do today…or to just waste time at work.
At 752 subscribers and counting, we are on a mission to hit the 1,000 subscribers mark. You can help by adding Audible Treats as a friend and subscribing!
Emerging from the murky, preteen-infested realm of MySpace is Musab– everybody’s favorite pimp on the mic. Now equipped with a homepage boasting his own damn name after the “www.,” the former Rhymesayer is set to momentarily lay down the pink fur and release Slick’s Box in August on Hiero Imperium Records.
With downloadable music, a media center, and an events calendar, www.MusabMusic.com is the new and official home of Musab. So head on over, look around, listen to a track or two, and make sure not to sleep on the album come next month!
Also: if anyone knows where I can get that orange tie he’s rocking in the picture on the bottom right… really, hit me up. Please.
As the release date of Musab’s The Slicks Box continues to draw nearer with each passing day (Editor’s Note: “AT Obvious/Unecessary Statement of the Day Award for Poor Journalism goes to…), positive reviews continue to pour in for the Rhymesayer turned Hiero Imperium. Says Music Emissions, “The record is top notch;” and thus, a rating of 4.5/5 for our resident pimp by day. While reviewer Bryan Rutherford attempts to decipher the album for even the slightest trace of beef with Slug and Ant, he is overwhelmingly positive in regards to both the lyrics and “killer production.”
