Kannon & Monk Present CLAVX (Mixtape)

Kannon and Monk are back with Volume 10 of their highly acclaimed hip hop series, Chillin Like A Villain.

DOWNLOAD/STREAM: BANDCAMP | AUDIOMACK | SOUNDCLOUD
*Downloading from Bandcamp or Audiomack has split tracks, Soundcloud is one long track.
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01. Sly5thAve ft. Lady L - Intro (Dont Kill My Vibe)
02. Schoolboy Q - Yay Yay
03. Mac Miller - Watching Movies
04. Kendrick Lamar ft. Jay Rock - Money Trees
05. Greg Grease - Black King Cole
06. Nickelus F - GotDamnMurdah!
07. Casey Veggies - Life$tyle
08. Vic Mensa - Orange Soda
09. Chance The Rapper - Acid Rain
10. City Lights - Fly Away
11. AEli ft. Casual Jamar - Suits And Ties
12. Warm Brew - Love Me Later
13. Anti-Lilly - Rose Colored Glasses
14. Joey Bada$$ ft. Pro Era - Sorry Bonita
15. Denitia & Sene - Casanova
16. Theophilus London ft. Menahan Street Band - Rio
17. David Dallas - Put It On The Line
18. Raashan Ahmad - Mbeguel (Love)
19. Substantial - Umoja
20. ANTHM - I Remember
21. The ILLZ - Weightless (Alamar)
22. Sene, ScienZe & Audible Doctor - Complex Individuals
23. Tyler The Creator ft. Coco O. & Erykah Badu - Treehome95
24. Earl Sweatshirt - Chum
25. Ab-Soul ft. JMSN - You're Gone (IAMNOBODI Remix)
26. Jerreau - Just Like You
27. I/O - Wasted My Time

Kannon Presents... The Best Of May 2013

Another month, Another collection of music. This was actually a good month for music. Lots of dope shit. Also, a ton of music came out this month that I still haven't gotten around to listening to yet, so I imagine next month will be dope as well haha. This month we heard the first single from Slaughterhouse's upcoming album. AZ returned to music. I turned in my late pass for that DJ Nu-Mark album, and some british dude named Bonobo. Raashan Ahmad proved he can still make dope music without Crown City Rockers. theWHOevers continue to make ridiculously good soul-infused hip hop. We got the first official single from the El-P/Killer Mike collective know as Run The Jewels. Black Hippy made the most listenable version of UOENO. I discovered M.I, Murph Watkins, and New Zealand DJ/producer P-Money. Oh, and Thaione Davis is still alive. Enjoy the free shit, I'll see yall again next month.

DOWNLOAD/STREAM: Best Of May 2013

01. Black Hippy - UOENO Remix
02. Chance The Rapper ft. Nosaj Thing - Paranoia
03. Tito Lopez ft. Trae Tha Truth & Jaamel - Diamonds & Whips
04. Slaughterhouse - Housegang
05. Nipsey Hussle - Smokin With My Stylist
06. Bonobo ft. Erykah Badu - Heaven For The Sinner
07. AZ - We Movin
08. M.I ft. OnCue - Write It Down
09. Murph Watkins ft. Nick Astro - Glory Box
10. Gilbere Forte ft. Active Child - Nolita
11. P-Money ft. MOP - The Hardest
12. theWHOevers - Roll Of The Dice
13. Thaione Davis - Hold Me Down
14. Run The Jewels - Get It
15. Raashan Ahmad ft. Homeboy Sandman - No No No
16. Dom O Briggs - Ol' Cuffin Ass
17. Scotty ft. Trinidad James - Conversations On That Brown
18. DJ Nu-Mark ft. J-Live, Erica Dee & M3 - Tonight
19. Wale ft. Sam Dew - Love/Hate Thing
20. Kidz In The Hall - Ridin' Clean


JAN | FEB | MARCH | APRIL

Kannon's Top 20 Hip Hop Albums Of 2012

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN. For the Milk Crate's top 20 Hip Hop albums of 2012. And don't worry, if you disagree with what I choose, I hate you too. So it's all good. ENJOY!

20. Wiz Khalifa - Taylor Allderdice
It was always interesting to me that the tape that made everyone start jumping on the Wiz Khalifa bandwagon (Kush & OJ) is the exact point I started to fall away. This is easily my favorite Khalifa project since Burn After Rolling.

19. Mac Miller - Macadelic
Mac Miller's career reminds me a lot of Asher Roth's. He drops a cool mixtape to garner some recognition (Greenhouse Effect / K.I.D.S.). Gets pigeon holed. Drops a subpar debut album (Asleep In The Bread Aisle / Blue Slide Park). And then puts out an amazing mixtape a few years later (Pabst & Jazz / Macadelic). There is no question that this is Mac's best, most cohesive body of work to date. And He may be making a non ironic fan out of me.

18. Game - Jesus Piece
Admittedly, I havent been a huge fan of Game over the years, but this album is hands down my favorite of his. It may be due to the amount of guest features, which almost makes this album feel like a compilation of random artist and Game just happens to be featured on every song. But either way, Game improved his beat selection, stopped name dropping, and stepped his content up. I've given this album a handful of spins already, and plan on doing so more.

17. Casey Veggies - Customized Greatly 3
Casey Veggies is improving with each project he drops. Flow, delivery, lyrics, beat selection, it all came together on this tape. "Roses" has become one of my favorite songs of this year, plus I got to chop & screw it for the CLAV9 tape. Dope mixtape from front to back, and I look forward to Mr. Veggies only getting better.

16. Fly.Union - Zenith
While this tape only had 10 songs on it, there was not a bad one in the bunch. Iye and Swiffa provide some awesome soundscapes, and combined with Jerreau, the three of them make great raps over the beats. I know that's not eloquently put together, and I dont care. It's just an awesome body of work, and if you haven't heard it yet, go get it, cause it's free.

15. T.I. - Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head
Tip returns to his roots with this one. And by "his roots," I mean, his King roots. It's a little bit commercial where it needs to be (Guns & Roses), but overall, its full of some great story telling, and that street grit that only T.I. can provide. No shitty pop songs featuring Rihanna that make me want to murder myself, either. And it's undeniable that T.I. should be one of the only rappers still allowed to use the word swagger.

14. Big K.R.I.T. - 4Eva Na Day
Arguably better than Krit's actual debut album, but I dont know anyone that would argue it. This was more of what we loved about Krit. That southern style, laid back beats, smooth flow, and none of this "WHAT YOU MEAN YOU AINT NASTY?" garbage that came included on his debut. I dont know who dropped the ball on Live From The Underground, but it just didn't hold up against this tape.

13. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Admittedly, I showed up late to this party. Like, really late. Like, I listened to this album for the first time 2 days ago. Then I listened to it again yesterday. And it moved up a couple more spots each time I looked over my list. Yes, some of El-P's beats are weird, but somehow Killer Mike just makes it work. Not only that, but his rugged style actually kind of shines over this production. I know a lot of people had talked about this album throughout the year, and the only thing I can say about it is that I wish I'd listened to it earlier.

12. Wale - Folarin
I wanted to wait until I listened to this tape before putting the finishing touches on my list. And like Asher Roth's Pabst & Jazz last year, it was a down to the wire entry that simply couldn't be left off my list. I actually really like the direction Wale has gone since joining up with MMG, and he continues to impress me with his latest offering.

11. Joey Badass - 1999
This time last year, I didn't know who Joey Bada$$ was. This time this year, he's got one of my favorite albums of the year. It's rare someone can do that out the gate. But Joey Bada$$ is a rare individual. His style is beyond his years, his content is street savvy, soulful and still relatable. This is one of those albums that you put on and just let play from front to back. And with a all of his original production coming from in house, I can only imagine big things for his Pro Era crew. Unless they turn out like the ASAP Mob. But that doesn't take away from Joey.

10. Cafeteria Line - HNGRY
Last year, TiRon and Ayomari had my sleeper album of the year. These kids are incredibly underrated and incredibly talented. This year, they teamed up with the rest of their crew for a compilation album that was amazing all the way through. While some songs definitely stuck out to me more than others, I dont think I wouldn't listen to any of the songs on the album. Which I can't say for the GOOD Music compilation. A well rounded crew of emcees, singers, producers and more, I only see this creative collective getting better with time. And hopefully more people will start to notice.

09. Big Boi - Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors
Another last minute pleasant surprise. I liked Big Boi's last solo album, but I love this one. He's always had an experimental style with Outkast, and seeing him finally kind of explore that on his solo record was amazing. I feel like his last album was supposed to be a "Hip Hop album," and this is more the album that he's always wanted to make. It has funk, soul, rock and jazz influences littered through the album, and most of the features are from bands and singers. And in my opinion, against that live funk sound, is when Big Boi is most in his element. And who doesn't smile like an idiot during "She Said Ok"????

08. Schoolboy Q - Habits & Contradictions
While I do recognize the talent from Schoolboy Q, his album last year just didn't hold up for me, and ultimately landed him the 21 position on my 2011 list, which resulted in no recognition haha. But this year, I went back a couple times during the year, and re-listened to Habits & Contradictions, and he's smoothed some of those problems out this go-around. And while I wasn't super into "Hands On The Wheel" like everyone else seemed to be, "There He Go" is one of my favorite songs of the year. I look forward to Q only getting better as he finds his style and niche a little more.

07. Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't
Rick Ross is one of those guys that everyone loves to hate. But really, most of your favorite rappers lie, Ross just got caught. That said, I honestly think that Rozay has only gotten better since his correctional past was outed. His last three or four projects have all been pretty above par. And while a lot of people would put his mixtape, "Rich Forever," above this one, I can't do it. This one has "Sixteen." This one has "Presidential." This one has "Diced Pineapples." This one has "So Sophisticated." And while Stalley is starting to lose me, I even really like "Ten Jesus Pieces." This was my go-to work out music for a good chunk of the year. And even now, where I have a little playlist put together, at least 6 songs from this album are on it. It just gets me PUMPED UP. ROZAY!

06. Ski Beatz - Twilight
This is one of those albums that you listen to all day every day for the first month that you have it. Ski Beatz re-captured something inside of himself for this album, because both of his first two 24 Hour Karate School projects were kinda meh, and this joint really blew me away. Maybe it was the lyricists featured throughout the project, Maybe Ski just found that spark that makes him great. Maybe it was a little of both. Probably both. But I can't even tell you how hard it was to only select one song from this album when I was selecting tracks for CLAV9. I wanted to just blend this album and put it out as CLAV9.

05. AEli - Reminiscing With Wine
First off, it's pronounced "Ay-EE-Lie." Like, "Ay Eli, lemme get a verse!" Which is exactly how he described it to me over twitter when I asked him how to pronounce his name haha. Second off, you probably don't know AEli. And that's fair. He's not big. He isn't gonna be on XXL's freshmen list next year, and he won't have a guest verse on Cruel Winter. I found him on Tumblr. And while that seems like nothing, he does have a pretty solid base of fans in the California (more specifically, LA) area. I toyed with the idea of leaving him off this list simply because he sings and raps, but if Drake can be on a hip hop list, so can he. And simply put, there are few albums this year that I listened to more. His beats are inventive (he produces), his voice is strangely haunting (he sings), and his verses are sharp and witty (he also raps). And in this DIY era, his album can't be overlooked for lack of promotion. It's one of my favorites, hands down.

04. Ab-Soul - Control System
Ab-Soul's latest body of work simply holds up. That's the best way for me to describe it. I can listen to it now, and it's just as good as it was the first time though. And Ab-Soul is another one who's impressed me in the past, but really just got it right on this album. From the beats, to the content, to polishing his delivery, it all just came together in this stellar body of work. And as the Top Dawg Under Dog, he consistently holds his own on tracks with Kendrick, Q and Rock, and this year even worked with Talib Kweli, Colin Munroe, Joe Budden, Twista and many more. He's quickly stepping out of the TDE shadows and getting himself some recognition as an incredible talent.

03. Oddisee - People Hear What They See
There are few times when I listen to an album for the first time, and my immediate reaction is, "This is the album of the year. I don't care that it's barely June, this is the album of the year." And coming off one of the best, most inventive EP's that Ive heard in a long time (Odd Renditions Vol. 1), Oddisee has re-won me over this year. I fell in love with Oddisee's production back in like 2003-4 when he was working with Half Tooth Records, but I hadn't heard a full album from him yet that really moved me. So, I kinda stopped watching for him. And this album changed all of that. I dont know if he just needed some time to make it right, but as this was his official, "debut" album, he did it right. Simply amazing.

02. Ro Ransom - Ransomnia
While I knew this was going to be pretty high up on my list this year, I'd forgotten how much I like it. As I was preparing to compile this list, I narrowed down about 40 albums and went back skimming through them for little reminders of which albums I considered to be great. And this album has crept back into regular rotation for me. Ro Ransom used to record under the name Nero (before that weird electro/dubstep group got popular), and while I did enjoy his earlier work, it still seemed a bit immature. He was, I believe 16 or something when his first tape came out. At only 19 now, he has already grown leaps and bounds. And I dare anyone to listen to this album only once. Not a bad song on it.

01. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid m.A.A.d City
As much as I didn't want to be "that guy" who puts Good Kid Maad City at number one, I just wouldnt have felt right not doing it. It was definitely my favorite album of the year. And I think a big part of that was just that Kendrick has been one of a few new emcees to build hype around his debut album, and exceed expectations. I had no idea that this was going to be a concept album (although the "short film" thing should have tipped me off), and not once did I get bored or feel anything was forced. One big argument I have heard about this was that while it was a great album, there aren't really any "singles" from it. Which just seems silly to me. Because I can genuinely enjoy bumping "Real," or "Money Trees" by themselves, just as much as I enjoy the album as a whole. And if we're being honest, this list is about Albums. And this is the best, most complete, cohesive hip hop album we've had in many years. And it would simply be a disservice to myself and to the hip hop community to not recognize it for what it is. An incredible, honest, gritty, number one album.

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetically):
Childish Gambino - Royalty
Curren$y - The Stoned Immaculate
Dom Kennedy - Yellow Album
Emilio Rojas - Breaking Point
G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist
Meek Mill - Dream Chasers 2
Nas - Life Is Good
Substantial - Home Is Where The Art Is
XV - Popular Culture


Kannon's Top 10 Non Hip Hop Albums of 2012:
01. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
02. Chet Faker - Thinking In Textures
03. Colin Munroe - Unsung Hero
04. Miguel - Kaleidoscope Dream
05. ZZ Ward - Til The Casket Drops
06. Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
07. Peter Anthony Red - The Projectionist
08. The XX - Coexist
09. Céu - Caravana Sereia Bloom
10. Sonnymoon - Sonnymoon

The Milk Crate Presents: The Dead Poet's Top Albums Of 2011

It's been an extremely busy year for me, one that has made me feel like a dude is getting too old for this shit...haha. I remember Kannon and I were trying to put one of these list together last year and I believe the year before. Both times, they for whatever reason didn't get finished. But I remember thinking that their wasn't really that many albums in those years, that I felt were going to be favorites of mine years down the Road. I really feel like this year was one of the better years in hip hop that I can remember. Some of the albums in the back of my list will probably surpass the others over time. It was a crazy year of really good project, and honestly there is still a lot that I haven't heard yet from 2011. So if there's something that wasn't on here that you feel I should've showed love to, feel free to let me know. But Remember bitches...this is my opinion. I don't want anyone emailing me some cry baby bullshit. Man up. Ok here we go.

20. Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R. (We Are Renegades): Pharoahe is one of those rare artist that can, seemingly, do no wrong. Everyone of his solo releases has been an end to end burner, thats a statement that I'll stand behind any day. W.A.R. was no exception, Pharoahe has a formula that works and he held to it.

19. Rittz - White Jesus: I find myself gravitating to anything DJ Burn One puts his stamp on. The guy's got an ear for talent that has yet to fail me. With that said, this time he came through with flying colors. Rittz, the yelawolf & burn one protege, pretty much came out of no where to deliver a rapid fire trunk rattling album. It comes off like a Dungeon Family meets 98 Three Six Mafia record, and I loved it.



18. Qwazaar & Batsauce - Bat Meets Blaine: If you've followed the Chicago Underground scene and/or Galapagos4, you for sure know of Qwazaar. If you haven't then, your doing yourself a huge disservice. Qwa is as well rounded as your going to get. Blessed with one of the best deliveries your ever going to hear, he effortlessly breezes over the boom bapish drum programming that Batsauce provides on; Bat Meets Blaine. This was the Duo's second release in 2011 and they came out about two months apart. Both projects were excellent, with this LP being the better of the two. Bat Meets Blaine to me was a great return to the sound that Qwazaar's group, Typical Cats left off with back with their first release in 2001.



17. Casual -The Hierophant: Casual's Hierophant kind of came out of no where for me. I've been a huge Casual fan over the years...but as time keeps spinning, you eventually stop checking for certain artist. Then Bam I get this in my inbox, and was pleasantly surprised at how well put together this album is (aside from the lol cover). Production and Emceeing was all on par with the old school hiero imperium sound that got me to purchase everything they released back in the day.



16. Kendrick Lamar - Section 80: I'm sure some will be tempted to throw out my entire list, with this placement, but fuck you it's my list. I've sort of always been on the fence with Kendrick Lamar. In one instance he'll do something incredible, then in another, he'll over stretch his boundaries in attempt to be different and it'll come off like an epic failure. In the case of this record, it is for sure my favorite album from him, and may have been liked a lot more, if he hadn't leaked the bulk of the heaters months prior to its release.

15. Freddie Gibbs - Cold Day in Hell: Gibbs is one consistent mother fucker. He also understands how to generate just the right amount of buzz for his record with out releasing all the highlight songs before his projects come out. In all honesty, leading up to the release of Cold Day in Hell, I had reached the point that I really wasn't looking forward to this record. The few songs that he had put out leading up to it, just weren't attention grabbing to me. I had all but accepted that his signing with Jeezyy would hurt his sound. I was thankfully way off in that assessment. Cold Day in Hell has it all, much like all of Gibbs projects.



14. Danny Brown - XXX: Off an initial listen, your probably going to either despise or swear by Danny Brown. I really haven't met anyone that has been luke warm with their opinion of the Motown spitter. So goes the story of win I first put on his "30" record from his XXX tape. The track knocked me on my ass. Prior to it, I really had been sleeping on Danny. Delving into the tape, I quickly found a unpolished/raw sound that seemingly had no father to the style.



13. Blu & Exile – Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them: Had this came out a bit earlier, I'd more than likely had placed it in a way better position. Truth be told, I was honestly expecting to hate this record. Blu has probably pissed me off more than any emcee in the last few years. He's shown that he's got the ability to be one of my favorite emcees, but then decided to take his sound in to directions that induce cringe heavy reactions. I'd all but given up on him when, he decided to let loose this, Exile produced record. It was originally recorded in 2009 and for whatever reason stayed in the vaults till now. The album is pretty remarkable. Exile and Blu have proven yet again that they are a duo that compliments each other perfectly.

12. DJ Quik - The Book of David: Book of David came out at about just the right time out here in So Cal. The weather was warm with just the right amount of ocean breeze, to make for optimal ride around conditions. All that was needed was a sound track to roll the windows down and just cruise around. DJ Quik has been one of the most underrated artist for the better part of 15 years. He just outright makes great records. The Book of David didn't deviate from what we've come to expect from a DJ Quik record...and it works, as usual.



11. Timbo King - From Babylon To T1mbuk2: Timbo's a throw back to what we all loved from the late 90's Wu Affiliate movement. Him and Hell Razah have always stayed on point and taken pride in everything that they've been apart of. So it should've been no surprise at how well this record was put together. Push play and your instantly back in 1998, a time for me that was at the apex of the Wu Affiliates putting in work.

10. Nacho Picasso - For the Glory: From out of no where came, Nacho Picasso's For the Glory. The bulk of the production was handled by Blue Sky Black Death, which most likely is what drew everyone into the record. But by the time the first track was finished, your left feeling like Nacho's wit, humor, and pen skills is equal to the stellar production. They also decided to do a video for pretty much every song, which added to the hype train. Honestly the hype this was getting was just. The album is pretty fucking awesome.



9. Curren$y & Alchemist - Covert Coup: I'm sure I wasn't the only one that scratched his head, when hearing that these two were gearing up to release a project together. I'm a fan of both, but bringing them together just seemed like a strange combination that hand the capability of being a huge fail. It never felt so good to be wrong. The two hit the ground running as soon as play was pushed and didn't let up to the last kick hit.

8. MakeShift - King Choosey: I had no clue who Makeshift was prior to hearing this album. He handled the bulk of the production by himself, which made for a really cohesive feel to the record. There were a couple over used samples that he flipped, but despite of that, this album was one of the most enjoyable projects that I've heard this past year. It had the feel of an early 90's west coast underground. Which goes to show why I personally enjoyed it so much. Be sure to check it out.



7. Black Milk & Danny Brown - Black and Brown: Again Danny Brown isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, But this is probably the most easily accessible he'll get. Black Milk crafted some dirty heat all over this album. Him and Danny Brown went in on everything they spit on. Some were complaining about how short the project was, I for one, felt it help compliment the record. Either way, to me, this was one of the best projects that was released this past year. It also points to the fact that Danny Brown is the emcee of the year. No one came close to putting in the work he did.



6. DTMD - Makin' Dollas: Right off the bat, I felt this would go down as my favorite album of the
year. It got played a slight bit less over the last month, which is the reason it didn't go down as that best record of the year for me. However, that's not to take anything away from it. The Maryland duo's sound is reminiscent of those good ole' slum village days from 2000. Which at times seems like way more than 12 years ago.



5. Killer Mike - PL3DGE: This release hit like a ton of bricks. Killer Mike has quietly been putting out awesome projects consistently for a long time. That trend not only continued, but he took it to another level with the release of The PL3DGE. The versatility of Mike Biga is what shined through with this project. And with him & El-P linking up to drop a full length in 2012, you can probably pen in Killer Mike to be in the Top 5 again next year.



4. Asap Rocky - LiveLoveAsap: The kid came from no where. He had a couple joints blow the fuck up the second they were released. The crazy thing is, that prior to Pesso's, Purple Swag, & Wassup very very few heads could say they knew that ASAP Rocky was in fact NOT Aesop Rock. The meteoric rise that this kid experienced was pretty amazing. I feel like it was even more incredible than the offwgkta movement, that seems to have finally died down. He had a lot of hype and a lot of pressure that no one could have blamed the kid if he had dropped a dud. But he took that pressure in stride and released one of the best albums of the year. 2012 should be a huge year for Asap Rocky.



3. KD - G Fluid: The homie Blast from SteadyBloggin' put me on to KD. The bulk of the production was handled by DJ Burn One. This record has easily got the most spins from me out of any album on this list. The country blues/soul feel on production is stellar. KD ties everything together and point blank created an incredible album. I look forward to hearing what he comes up with in the following year.



2. Big K.R.I.T. - ReturnOf4Eva: K.R.I.T.'s ability to create an album is something to marvel at. From top to bottom he is bogged down with the full workload and has yet to fumble. Take a moment to ponder that............The fucking kid produces everything, then comes up with those catchy hooks and verses. ReturnOf4Eva is a work of art. Soulful dirty south chops, interweaved with 808 kicks and snares, all over deep and dirty bass lines that often knock the books off my shelves. You'd be hard pressed finding a song you didn't enjoy on this. The first time I spun the record from back to back, there was a few songs that I liked a little less than the rest. I recently put the record back in rotation and find myself loving those "lesser tracks" now a lot more than the other ones. Its just one of those albums that you'll be able to cruise to ten years from now. I am very confident that this is going to be this generations ATLiens. Take that shit to the bank suckas.



1. Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown - Daily Bread: Before this came out, I was relatively unfamiliar with Hassaan Mackey. I gained interest in the project by being a huge Apollo Brown fan. I wasn't really expecting anything. Maybe a few bangers. Maybe a few duds. Maybe some cool features. I would've been happy with that. You push play on this, and your going to be blown away at how effortlessly the sound takes you back to the 90's. From the mpc swing like feel on the drums and chops to the laid back, yet gutter delivery that Hassaan is utilizing. To me this record is perfect. Not a song that I can't sit through and not a beat I wish went to a different emcee.



Honorable Mentions:

2chainz - TRUe REALigion
Action Bronson - Dr. Lecter
Marq Spekt & Kno - Machete Vision
Evidence - Cats and Dogs
Malcolm & Martin - Life doesn't frighten me
Chuuwee - Watching the Throne
Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire - Lost in Translation
A.Dd+ - WHEN PIGS FLY
Chuuwee x Jonathan Lowell - Be Cool
Open Mike Eagle - Rappers will Die of Natural Causes
Focus - Music of the Misinterpreted
Fabulous - The Soul Tape
CunninLynguists - Oneirology
Edo G - A Face In The Crowd
Hail Mary Mallon - Are You Gonna Eat That?




Non-Hip Hop:

Fathers Children - Who's Gonna Save The World
The Weeknd - House of Balloons, Thursday, Echoes of Silence
Willie Wright: Telling The Truth
Frank Ocean - Nostalgia Ultra
Eccentric Soul: The Nickel & Penny Labels
Stone Coal White: S/T
Boddie Recording Company: Cleveland, Ohio
Blood Orange - Coastal Grooves
The Dream - 1977


Instrumental Projects:

40 Winks - It's The Trip
Dirty Art Club - Heavy Starch
Apollo Brown - Clouds
Lee Bannon - BTB2 Circus Cuts Deluxe
Ricky Eat Acid - Haunt U Forever
Trebles and Blues - The Blue Note

The Milk Crate Presents: Kannon's Top Albums Of 2011

Another year gone by, another chance to celebrate the music that we've enjoyed. The format is simple: The Dead Poet and I will be posting our favorite 20 hip hop albums of the year 2011, in order, from #20 to #1. Told you it was simple. Poet wrote a bunch of stuff, and I didnt, so I'm gonna do some quick 1-2 sentence breakdowns while I write these out... Also, wtf @ the last 2 months spawning soooo much dope music? Anyways... Nick Jones has opinions, and these are them...

20. J. Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story
While not a bad album, I was in the majority of Cole fans who found this album to just be lacking a little bit in comparison to his past work. That joint with Missy was dope as shit though...

19. Jay Rock - Follow Me Home
This album has bounced around from like #14, to off my list entirely. But all in all, I couldnt bring myself to leave it off the list. What I liked about this album the most was it's diversity. It had some classic West Coast sounding joints, some soulful jazzy type shit, and even a radio friendly pop song with Chris Brown. Plus, "Hood Gone Love It" was my summer anthem this year...

18. Black Milk & Danny Brown - Black & Brown
This one took me some time to warm up to, but I cant deny that its a great body of work. Danny Brown in general has taken some warming up to, but if he can manage to continue making the type of music he created with Black Milk, I'll keep listening...

17. Curren$y & Alchemist - Covert Coup
I've been a huge Spitta fan for quite a while now, but once Pilot Talk 2 dropped I kinda started to lose interest. But Spitta linked up with Alchemist to produce that perfect sound for him. This is easily in my top 3 Curren$y projects ever...

16. Ab-Soul - Longterm Mentality
Honestly, I slept on Ab for a while. He just doesnt seem to outshine any of his Black Hippy brethren on their songs, and as a result has garnered the least amount of interest. But there's something about letting him just go off on a beat by himself for 3-4 minutes that seems to bring out the best in him. This album came out back in like April or something, and it took me until November to listen to it, but it was easily my sleeper of the year.

15. Dom Kennedy - From The West Side With Love Vol. 2
This album just has that feel good, chillin, party, barbecuing vibe to it from front to back. I had always liked Dom, but this was the first time I listened to an album of his, and then couldnt stop listening to it for like a month straight...

14. Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)
There is just something about these soulful beats and that flow of his that make me happy for the world of hip hop. Everything from reflective joints, political joints, to lyrical karate with Jean Grae and Royce Da 5'9"... This album is just awesome. Monch is just awesome.

13. CunninLynguists - Oneirology
CunninLynguists might just be one of the most consistent groups ever. I'm not convinced that theyve ever put out a bad album, and this one is no exception. And the acoustic version of "Looking Back"? SON. It still gives me chills. So good.

12. Asher Roth - Pabst & Jazz
Asher usually seems to be hit or miss with me. I absolutely hated that joint he released this year with Akon. But when "More Cowbell" came out, I'm pretty sure I played it 35 times a day, for a few weeks straight. Fortunately for Asher, he's dropped the label, and dropped a project that was "hit" all the way through.

11. Action Bronson & Statik Selektah - Well Done
I was late to the Action Bronson party. The first time I saw his name, it was in an article comparing him to Ghostface Killah, and from that moment, I couldnt get past the comparison. I grabbed the Well Done project with every intention to get around to it "eventually." Once I did, I played it 3 times all the way through. I was blown away by how dope it was. "Rainmaker" is my jammy jam...

10. ASAP Rocky - LiveLoveASAP
I'm actually listening to this right now, while I write these. Rocky was another one that took me a minute to get in to. I wanted to hate "Purple Swag" so much. But I was fortunate to come to terms with my interest in him the week before this project dropped, and I was glad I did. His style is crazy dope, and fresh. It's the perfect mesh of East Coast flow with Southern tendencies...

09. David Dallas - The Rose Tint
The newest signee to Duck Down records, David Dallas' American debut is dope as shit. His joint with Freddie Gibbs pulled me in, and that "Life Is..." joint sealed the deal. Crazy good album from front to back. Oh, and he's from New Zealand... I still dont know if thats helps or hinders...

08. The Roots - Undun
The Roots are my favorite hip hop act ever. Period. And this album is just more of a reason why. They so seamlessly weave through genres and styles within the same songs. And Dice Raw just might be one of the most slept on emcees in the game. My only complaint about this album was that it was a little short...

07. Big K.R.I.T. - Return Of 4eva
For some reason I keep forgetting how incredible this album is. I'm convinced that if Krit were around 8-9 years ago, he would have been in Dungeon Fam, and he would have been the biggest artist in the world. I'm thrilled to see him getting so much recognition amongst his peers, and can only hope the rest of the world gets familiar quickly.

06. Stalley - Lincoln Way Nights
This album came out in January, and still has just as much replay value to me as it did the day it came out. This is the only album I've ever heard where my favorite song changed every time I listened to it. From that "Assassin" joint, to "Monkey Ish," to "Sound of Silence." Stalley's whole style is cool. I'm excited to see more of him now that MMG picked him up...

05. Fly.Union - The Greater Than Club
Iye and Swiffa have produced some of my favorite beats this year on this album. And I dont mean to take away from their rapping, but Jerreau is the illest emcee in the crew by a long shot. His style is so simple, but intricate, and his lyrics so personal, it's just too hard to not love this album. I know it didnt get a lot of press, but it got a lot of spins from me...

04. Phonte - Charity Starts At Home
I dont think there is anyone I get more excited about in music right now. He is easily in my top 5 lyricists in music. And with his last few projects (Foreign Exchange, Zo! And Tigallo, etc) all being vocal albums, it was wonderful to hear him take to rapping again.

03. Wale - Ambition
I've only seen a couple other people's top albums lists, but I've been shocked at the fact that I havent seen this album on one yet. Say what you will about "Wale sold out," or whatever, but this album is crazy dope from front to back. I literally listened to this album, in its entirety, every day for 2 weeks when it came out. And if you really think Wale sold out, you havent heard "Chain Music" enough times yet...

02. Drake - Take Care
This album is the reason I stopped listening to the Wale album every day. Admittedly, the album starts out a little slow for me ("Shot For Me" is easily my least favorite song on the album), Drake is lyrically one of the illest in the game right now. From the gritty sounds on "Crew Love," to the raw honesty in "Look What You've Done." And 40 is on the top of his game right now too. And say what you will about singin' ass rappers, but Drake can hold his own in either court...

01. Kendrick Lamar - Section 80
I can't stop listening to Kendrick Lamar. I download every song that he's got so much as a guest spot on. His style is something so original and different from what everyone else is doing right now. And I dare anyone to listen to "ADHD" without chanting along with him during the hook. I coughed up my $8 at midnight on itunes the day this album came out. And I'm pretty much still listening to it at least once every other week. There is not a bad song on the album, and the variance of styles between songs like "Tammy's Song" and "Ronald Regan Era" are incredibly to witness, and executed with perfection. He's received co-signs from Dre, Snoop, Pharrell, RZA, and almost everyone that you respect in music. As much time as I took re-arranging this list of mine, Section 80 never moved from the #1 position...

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetically):
Big Sean - Finally Famous
Blu & Exile - Give Me My Flowers While I Can Smell Them
Chuuwee - Watching The Throne
Freddie Gibbs - Cold Day In Hell
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
Killer Mike - Pl3dge
Logic - Young Sinatra
MellowHype - BlackenedWhite
Murs & Ski Beatz - Love & Rockets Vol. 1
Nickelus F - Faces
Schoolboy Q - Setbacks


And just for fun, here are my top 5 non hip hop albums of the year:
05. James Blake - James Blake
04. Foster The People - Torches
03. The Weeknd - Balloon Trilogy (House Of Balloons / Thursday / Echoes Of Silence)
02. Florence And The Machine - Ceremonials
01. Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, ULTRA

Get Up On This (with Jensen Karp) Episode 15: with Paul Scheer

So, I've been listening to this podcast ever since Jensen decided to stab the Rosenthal's in the back, and walk away from the best podcast to ever exist, and start his own podcast. But today has been the first Tuesday that I havent been at work, and have been able to listen along live with the show. So I decided to take to twitter, and throw my 2 cents in a few times. So when you hear Jensen in this episode saying "MAN, THE MILK CRATE IS KILLING IT TODAY. YOU SHOULD JUST COME BE ON THE SHOW." Yeah, thats because I'm the illest...

Nov 8, 2011 - Comedian/writer Paul Scheer joins Jensen on his 32nd birthday to talk about NTSF, The League, Drake, The Best Show, making an Oprah picture a meme, X-Statix, Justin Bieber's Little Drummer Boy, The New Frontier, Kenna, BBC, InstantWatcher, how we're late on Billy Eichner & Ed Brubaker and many other things you'll need to know about.

DOWNLOAD via Smodcast (Right Click + Save)
Stream via Smodcast
Subscribe (and rate) via iTunes

MILK_CRATE_TUMBLRs

So, I'm the last of the gang to join up on the tumblr bandwagon, which also means that i miss out on my kickthekan name to some asshole who has 0 posts. But anyways, joint Monk, Dead Poet and I on tumblr as we post pictures, songs, videos and random shit that doesnt make its way onto the main blog here.

MONK's TUMBLR: http://3hree9ines.tumblr.com/
DEAD POET's TUMBLR: http://thedeadp0et.tumblr.com/
KAN DIGGY's TUMBLR: http://kandiggs.tumblr.com/

Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: Kannon #1

If you've read my #2-10, you'll know that I love Jazz. So it's only right that my favorite album of all time combines equal parts Hip Hop and Jazz. This is another album that I didn't discover until a few years after it had come out. This album came out in 1995, and I picked it up in the summer of 2001. I was 15, and had just gotten my first job. To give you some retrospect as to what other music I was listening to at the time, the day I picked up this album (on a complete whim), I also purchased Juvenile's Project English, and Trick Daddy's Thugs-R-Us...

01. The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!

I walked into Sam Goody during the summer of 2001. I had just gotten paid, and as a 15 year old audiophile, I had every intention of blowing my whole paycheck in that store. After making a few selections, I stumbled across a few albums by The Roots. At that point, I believe that "You Got Me" was the only song I'd heard by The Roots. But I liked it. Also, I knew who Rahzel was, because of his Making The Music album. And I knew that Rahzel was a close affiliate of The Roots. So, I decided to give them a shot. The only question I had now was; which album do I buy? After quickly looking over Do You Want More?!!!??!, Things Fall Apart, and Illadelph Halflife, I chose the album that only cost $9.99. It wasn't my best decision making process, but if turned out to be one of my best decisions regardless...


The Roots - Proceed


The Roots - Swept Away

I remember it took me a few days to actually get around to listening to the album, but once I did, I was amazed. The Roots were able to seamlessly blend jazz instrumentation with rugged lyricism. The live instrumentation allowed the songs to build, change, develop and follow the emotion of the emcee. From the mellow sing-songy intro, to the final seconds of "The Unlocking," The group is able to reinvent themselves a million times within the same album. From jazz, to raw hip hop, to bluesy melodies, to call-and-response skat, to ballady "Silent Treatment."


The Roots - Essaywhuman?!!!??!


The Roots - Silent Treatment

From the minute I listened to this album, I was a huge Roots fan. Ive given this album as a birthday present on more than one occasion. And since that summer in 2001, I've purchased every Roots album within the month that they were released. Aside from the musical progression within each song, Black Thought provides some of the most original schemes, and insightful lyrics in hip hop music. He is an immaculate story teller, but can still kill a braggadocios joint with the best of them. Through the years, The Roots have become one of my personal favorite groups. They consistently evolve their music, but never lose the soul elements that they started with; The live instrumentation, the jazzy mellow moods, and the conscious, raw lyricism. Though a few members have come and gone, the essence of the group remains, and has only gotten better. The Roots are hands down my favorite group in hip hop, and this was the album that started it all.


The Roots - Datskat


The Roots - Mellow My Man

High Point: The whole album. From front to back. This album is flawless.
Low Point: N/A

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Honorable Mentions include (alphabetically):
Aceyalone - A Book Of Human Language
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night
Cee-Lo Green - Cee-Lo Green And His Perfect Imperfections
Cool Calm Pete - Lost
CunninLynguists - Dirty Acres
Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots
Kendrick Lamar - O.D. (Overly Dedicated)
Lyrics Born - Later That Day
Mikah 9 - Citrus Sessions Vol. 1
Outkast - Aquemini
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Reflection Eternal - Train Of Thought
Tupac - All Eyez On Me
Zion I - Mind Over Matter

Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #2

This next pick is one of the albums in everyone's top 10. All my picks thus far are probably rarely going to come up in someone's top 30....let alone 10. But these have all been selections that have meant the most to me. This is probably the one album (aside from maybe my #6 pick) that are highly praised by the masses. I believe it was one of my older sisters boyfriends that left this TAPE at my house back in 93'. I was only 9-10 years old, and was a highly influenced kid. Praise the Hiff Hof god's that He hadn't left behind Snow's "infromer". I remember first being drawn in by the angry, curse laden delivery. There was no album or sound for that matter that at the time sounded alike it.....



#2 Wu - Tang Clan - Enter The 36 Chambers


BRING DA MOTHERFUCKIN' RUCKUS!!! A 10 year old mexican from a So Cal hood was immediately pulled in. A 9 man crew from Staten Island put together a masterpiece by outdated and budgeted means. Nearly 20 years later, that release hasn't grown tired or lost any of its initial allure. The crew may have faltered and let ego's undermine the clan...but their first effort still stands on its own untarnished and unscathed over time. Here was a group of emcees coming together and creating music that trampled across uncharted territory. They did it the way they wanted and stayed true to themselves. They forced the project down the mainstreams throats and dug out a niche in for themselves. It's rare to get an emcee that is as hungry as the wu tang clan fresh out of the gate....LET ALONE 9 of them all vying for the same jump off verse on a song.

Favorite Songs:











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Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #3

I've said a couple times in the past month while doing these write ups that I was a avid No Limit Records heads. I'll stand behind my love for a good deal of the albums that came out between 96-98. To me they had a about 15 albums in that span that are solidified classic joints. It would be hard press to find another non major that can make that claim. I remember for a good year and a half they'd put out a quality album EVERY WEEK. A huge feat, but I think when it was all said and done, that was also a huge part of their downfall. That along with a huge falling out with their distribution deal and of course multiple soldiers dying, convicted of crazy crimes, and just jumping ship. My #3 pick was only half on No Limit. He ran with C Loc and the Concentration Camp. They decided to link up with Master P in Jan of 1998 and put out a Co produced album....


#3 Young Bleed - My Balls & My Word



This album has not only stood the test of time for me and stayed with me throughout the 'phases' and styles that I've preferred. I feel it's gotten better over time...which says a lot because I loved it from the day it came out. The bluesy southern soundscapes paved the way from production like Dj Burn One, K.R.I.T., and Banner just as much as the Dungeon Fam did. The bulk of the production was handled jointly by underrated producer Happy Perez & The Beats Pound stable. The Continuity of each beat painted a PERFECT backdrop for Bleed's laid back delivery. This album won't blow you away lyrically....but it is a prime example of an artist coming together with his producers and making each song with the entire album in mind for the grand scheme of things. Every song is a great song from top to bottom. Music never overpowers the emcee....and the emcee's never over power the production. They compliment each other perfectly, More-so than any other album I've heard. And I'll stand by that statement in any circumstance.


Favorite Songs










Download Album

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Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #4

by That Bullet Proof Saint


#4 Dred Scott - Breakin' Combs (1994)


Back in 94, the older brother of a friend of mine dubbed me a mixtape. This was 94 suckas...he dubbed me a real mixtape. It was probably under an hour long and if I recall had pretty much all West Coast acts on it, except for LL's "Momma said Knock you Out". I remember rewinding the opening song over and over again. It was a sound I wasn't familiar with (I was only 9-10), especially since I wouldn't really discover Tribe and De La for another 5 years. "Back in the Day" was that opening song. The jazz sample with the west coast swing captivated me.



I ended up stealing the cassette from target or some store. The feeling I got listening to this album for me was one of awe and excitement. I was only about 9 or 10 years old...but I remember sitting in my room after school and intently listening to every musical note and lyric trying to decipher everything that was going happening on this record. The way Dred's style switched effortlessly throughout his debut album from almost a rapid fire Das Efx to a laid back Q Tip flow was something to marvel at. There's not much known about Dred. I know he was originally from New York before his Preforming parents (actor/dancers) moved him to the Los Angels area. It's almost as if he dropped a underrated classic and then just disappeared. 17 years later after this album dropped, I still get the same feeling when listening to this album. I still play this record pretty often. Which for me and my ADD, is saying something. It's a pretty unheard of album, which obviously to me is a DAMN SHAME. Every now and again I'll force it on someone, it's always cool to see someone listen to it for the first time, 17 years out of context....and yet still love it. Its an amazing feat that goes to show the true test of a classic. This album is just that. A damn Classic.

Favorite Songs








Download




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Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #5

by That Bullet Proof Saint

The day before my number five album was released (October 2000), I was up late at night and happened to catch a press kit video on a local hip hop show on my public access channel. The video grabbed my attention immediately and had me ditching school after lunch to go pick the album up.






#5 Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought


About a year before this album came out I had picked up the Blackstar album and loved it. I had no clue this was coming out and happened to catch that press kit video the night before. Like I mentioned in my previous pick, around this time I was hooked on No Limit Records and West Coast Gangster music. Within that hour long bus ride that it took for me to get home from purchasing this album I had already been mesmerized by what it was I was hearing. The soul that Hi Tek breathed into each beat on this album was like nothing I had heard before. For me it was likened to how back in 1992 when Dre dropped The Chronic and blew every producer out of the water. No one knew how Dre had produced something so intricate and clean. Hi Tek's layering on his samples and bass lines was so far ahead of its time that I feel confident in making that claim. I got to be honest here, I'm far from a Kweli fan NOW. He's pretty damn hit and miss with me. But sometimes two people can be in their prime and same mind state at the exact same time. Kweli complimented every song with out overpowering or taking away from anything. As I'm sure you can see by now, the beats is what grabbed my attention. This is the album that made me want to start making beats. This is the album that had me going over to my grandmothers house and listening to her record collection intently. I know this record from front to back. It's a corner stone for what my musical taste is today.


Favorite Songs










Purchase


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Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #6

I feel like I was born into a weird place as far as the hip hop time line goes. And with growing up in a Mexican house hold, on the west coast, that listened to nothing but Al Green and Roger Troutman kind of kept me out of the loop. I listened to what was immediately available, which isn't a bad thing. The death row and the click releases isn't a bad thing to grow up listening to. I was too young and living in the wrong place to have gotten into much east coast groups like Tribe & De La, aside from what made it to the radio out here. I didn't even get around to really delving into their catalogs until high school, around 1999 - 2000. So on one hand I've always felt that I was too young to be embedded in the movement of those guys when it was happening & also now I'm too much of an older head to really like much newer heads that are out now, aside from a few. My #6 pick is an album that came out in 1993. I hadn't heard it in its entirety, let alone owned it, until probably around 1999 - 2000. Some of the older boom bap heads may toss out every pick I make on this list because of this fact....but fuck em.




#6 De La Soul - Buhloone Mind State


To me, I feel the fact that I hadn't owned this album til around the millennium is a testament to how good this album is. I wasn't invested into any of the Native Tongue crew at all. Yet hearing this album 6 - 7 years after it's release still was able to influence me to be hooked on it. This is the release that awoken me to all the Native Tongue releases. I went out at started buying as much shit as I could find. At the time of this, I was heavily into No Limit Records, Chronic 2001 (yes I know it didn't come out in 2001), Kurupt, & Killarmy. This album brought on a welcome change of pace for what was blasting throw my piece of shit cd player that I had with me every day of high school. I guess it's a good thing I didn't get into the movement til it was already done. That made sure I wouldn't be one of them lame fuck non black dudes dressing in African Garbs with their medallions. Either way, this album changed my direction of the music I was listening too. I still to this day love a lot of street hop (hate that term) but this opened up something in me that got me listening to more conscious releases. And with it being around 1999 - 2001, it allowed me to start checking for the Blackstars, Reflection Eternal's, & Common's. This album brought on one of the more influential changes in my taste of music. To this day, I tend to gravitate more towards the 'laid back', soulful, and chilled out music. Buhloone Mind State is the exact instance that this change occurred.











Purchase: Buhloone Mind State

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Milk Crate's Top 10 Albums: That Bullet Proof Saint #7

If I had to pick a group or sound that I tend to gravitate towards, that sound would hands down be the dirty/soulful sound coming out of RZA's ASR and 4 track. But some where around 01 maybe 02, we all saw the drastic decline in the Wu. Some new generation cats came out that breathed some life into it (Bronze Nazareth), but overall The Clan & its affiliates were struggling to stay relevant. This brings me to my #7 pick for my personal top 10 favorite and most impactful albums. This is the most recent album that I have in my top 10. I'm confident in putting in here because of the sheer fact of it's replay value to me. So with out further ado.....







#7 BlueSkyBlackDeath & Hell Razah - Razah's Ladder


Hell Razah has always been one of the more underrated emcees. Even back in the Sunz of Man days I always felt like he was over looked for Priest. I'd always end up rewinding his verses on songs like "one step" and "tai chi". At the time of this release a lot of the affiliates that I grew up following had grown stagnant. It took two white boys from the west to awaken the giant (I do give a lot of credit to Bronze as well). Blue Sky Black Death, for me, kinda came out of no where. They found a way to not only mimic that old wu style of production but take it to the next level. On songs like "Halos" "Pray Together & "Most Merciful" showed just that, a sound scape reminiscent to the old sound, while still advancing the sound with inventive layering and instrumentation. Since it's release in 2007, I don't think there has been two months that goes by with out me listening to this record at least once from front to back. I'd even go as far as saying that I've probably listened to this album more than at least a couple of the records that will fill out the rest of my top 10.

Favorite Songs:









Download: Razah's Ladder | Purchase

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