Nickelus F - Vices (Mixtape)

Dope new tape from Sweet Petey. Do not sleep on this one.

DOWNLOAD: Nickelus F - Vices

01. Beast Of Burden
02. My Convo
03. Halfway Dead
04. Tanqueray
05. Some Shit (ft. Radio B)
06. GotDamnMurdah!
07. Painkillerz
08. Pem Pen (ft. Loochey Lovely)
09. The Boomerang Nunchucks
10. My 3rd Cuzzin
11. A Bird
12. Wide Awake
13. Jet Fuel (ft. Michael Millions)
14. Petey's Wingz
15. Number 15 (ft. Drake)

Kannon's Favorite Songs of January 2013

I've decided I'm gonna start doing these little playlists of my favorite songs of each month. Keep in mind, these songs weren't all released this month, they are just the songs that I've enjoyed most this month. Everything from hip hop to r&b to random ass emo shit like Brolin and Phantom. And this website Audiomack has just become my favorite thing in the world, You can actually stream each song individually, see which ones you like and then download if you want to. Awesome. Anyways, hit that shit and go crazy.

DOWNLOAD: The Best of January 2013

01. Joey Bada$$ - Unorthodox
02. Ro Ransom - No Fucks Given
03. Ab-Soul & JMSN - You're Gone
04. K'Naan - Simple
05. AEli ft. Casual Jamar - Suits & Ties
06. Flume ft. Chet Faker - Left Alone
07. Nickelus F - Halfway Dead
08. Silent Knight - Work In Progress
09. Talib Kweli ft. Black Thought & Rah Digga - Art Imitates Life
10. Esthero - Everything Is Expensive
11. T.I. ft. B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar & Kris Steffens - Memories Back Then
12. Casey Veggies - Life$tyle
13. Justin Timberlake ft. Jay-Z - Suit & Tie
14. Cocaine 80's ft. James Fauntleroy, Jhene Aiko & Common - Fly Ass Pisces
15. Rockie Fresh ft. Curren$y - Roll Up Right Now
16. Phantom - Kisses
17. Dag Savage ft. Aloe Blacc - When It Rains
18. Kid Ink ft. Wale & Meek Mill - Badass
19. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Slim Thug - Now And Then
20. Brolin - Another Year

Mallie - Splashy (ft. Cooley Sha)

The Cool Kids disbanded last year. Fret not, Mallie gots you covered with this 808 banger.

Casey Veggies - Life Changes (mixtape)

It seems my partner Kannon is slipping just as bad as I am, considering I beat him to posting this. Last year I attended a show out here in Santa Barbara to see Big K.R.I.T.. There were a few heads that opened for him that I had heard of for a long time but never really got into. The two main acts that I had been sleeping on were Tito Lopez and Casey Veggies. I ended up getting thrown out early and missed krit...but still enjoyed myself, largely due to this dude right here. This tape features Dom Kennedy, Phil Beaudreau, and BJ the Chicago Kid.

Download: Here

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A.Dd+ - Can't You See (Video)

Way back in march, of last year, the outlandishly underrated group A.Dd+ dropped the single Can't You See, with the promise of an upcoming album. The song has been a constant staple on my ipod for nearly a year, but that promised album has still yet to come. The Texas duo has an incredible amount of potential, so here's to hoping that this video is a sign that they're gearing up for a real push in 2013. Hit the jump for the video that doesnt seem to not auto-play...

AC & DJ Burn One - Steady Dabbin' (Mixtape)

It is my opinion that no producer is currently doing it as well as DJ Burn One and his 5 Points team. BUT, he's had the reputation of working with some less than stellar emcees. I've argued against that idea for some time now, but will not do so with this project. AC is decent, but he's not going to blow you away. So why post it? I believe this is some of Burn Ones finest laid back production to date...I won't go as far as saying that it's a damn shame that he wasted the soundscapes with AC...because there are quite a few dope cuts on here that AC compliments perfectly. Either way I won't front, the production is what I'm backing here. You should all give it a spin and see what you think.

Download Here

Scotty Ft. Curtis Williams - All The Hoes (Prod. By DJ Burn One)

So, as I'm sure you can tell I've been slipping lately. I won't play too much catch up...I'll just keep it moving and recent. Here's a Scotty ATL joint that will be featured on his and Burn One's F.A.I.T.H. project. It's been in heavy rotation at my pad for some time so figured I'd share it for those that have missed it.

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

Makeshift - Cali

Back in 2011 ,the City of Angels spitter, Makeshift released what I view to be one of the more underrated albums of the year, King Choosey. Fast forward to the present he's gearing up to release the follow up, Left Field which will be out real soon. In anticipation to that here goes a track that will NOT be featured on Left Field. If this was a cutting room floor type of track, than we're I'm going to assume Makeshift has some HEAT cooked up for us.

Super Helpful (Chuck Strangers, Lee Bannon, & Kwame) - Sumo

Over the Thanksgiving weekend producer Lee Bannon, rapper Kwame and Pro Era MC/producer Chuck Strangers were cooped up in a Brooklyn basement churning out records. The result was the birth of the trio's new group, Super Helpful. "SUMO." is the SH's first single off of their upcoming album slated to drop on January 1st, 2013. Producer Lee Bannon employs a few lights chords that help highlight two MC's off-kilter Brooklyn flows. Get your first dose of Super Helpful after the jump.

Bishop Nehru - Nehruvia (Mixtape)

Well, It appears that throw back steez is really catching on. Which for us old heads, is a welcomed trend. Joey Bada$$ is really the poster child for the movement as of right now, you had to figure it would catch on at some point. Enter 16 year old NY spitter Bishop Nehru. Nehruvia really goes the same direction that Joey went, but really your not going to hear many complaints of saturation of this nostalgic style from me. For such a young kid, that has obviously done his home work on the 90's NY hip hop it is breath of fresh air to hear a new material that brings back those early memories to us older heads...& hopefully gets the younger heads to dig into the older releases.  


01.The Music (Intro) [Prod by Skipless] 
02.Light Leak$ [Prod by Ghost McGrady] 
03.Fickle Mind$ [Prod by Ghost McGrady] 
04.Lemon Grass [Prod by MF DOOM] 
05.Misruled Order feat. Que Hampton [Prod by Ghost McGrady] 
06.Y.E.T [Prod by Madlib] 
07.Languages (Freestyle) [Prod by DJ Premier] 
08.Moon & Stars feat. Raz Fresco [Prod by Raz Fresco] 
09.Her Ballad (Dymeclin) [Prod by Zone] 
10.S.S.S (Split Society Syndrome) [Prod by Bishop Nehru] 
11.SweetLips [Prod by J Dilla] 
12.Welcome feat. Que Hampton [Prod by J Dilla]  

DOWNLOAD: Here

 

Nacho Picasso - Black Narcissus (Album)

Seattle work horse Nacho Picasso has been on a tear for the past year and some change. You're probably used to hearing him over Blue Sky Black Death production, but this time around you get to hear him over Raised By Wolves bangers. Its not a new pairing at all. Before Nacho was linked up with BSBD he was rocking over Raised by Wolves sound scapes. Black Narcissus is still the same Nacho you're used to, with witty banter and a laid back delivery, however if you were on the fence with him before this one may be a little more accessible for you.  


Download: Here

Captain Murphy - Duality

So there's been a few heads telling me about this mysterious Captain Murphy character that has been (with the help of adult swim) releasing a few songs here and there with a few Odd Future heads every now and again. The mystery is thick and the theories on who captain murphy is are running rampant. A lot of the key ones are Flying Lotus and Tyler the Creator. Although I'm pretty sure some of this production sounds a lot like Lee Bannon. I guess it really doesn't matter who the exact participants are, but this shit is really enjoyable. The Quasimoto/MF Doom feel of it all is a breath of fresh air.

2.7.5. CHRIS TRAVIS & ETHELWULF - PHUCK PHAKEZ (PROD. ALMIGHTY)

Some more Klvn work being put in. This time its Chris Travis & Ethelwulf over an Almighty banger. Check Ethelwulf going at pretty flacko again. This shit goes hard.

2.7.5. Denzel Curry - Dark & Violent (ft JK The Rapper & Nell)

Some more Klvn shit. Denzel Curry links up with JK and Nell to drop this single of his upcoming Nostalgic 64 project.