• via ejones732 •

Murs & 9th Wonder are recording a 4th LP
together entitled Fornever, and “Fornever The Movie”
chronicles the recording process. Murs featured some of
the sessions on ustream and this one is shaping up
to be their best. Keep your eyes and
ears open for this one.

∆

Nein, bei den fünf weißen Burschen von La Coka Nostra handelt es sich nicht um die gecastete Gewinnertruppe der White Rapper Show. Vielmehr ist das Projekt eine vorübergehende Reunion des House-of-Pain-Trios Danny Boy, Everlast und DJ Lethal, zu dem sich außerdem noch Ill Bill von Non Phixion und Slaine von Special Teamz gesellen. Ein staubtrockenes Hardcore-Konglomerat, das unlängst den Anspruch hegt, eine neue HipHop-Supergroup zu sein. Schon das CD-Cover ist mit Knarren und Totenkopf derart bedrohlich gestaltet, dass man es sich am liebsten als Backpatch auf seine Rocker-Kutte aufbügeln möchte. Eröffnet wird A Brand You Can Trust dann auch nicht ganz überraschend mit einem Gitarrenriff, auf das Everlast kratzbürstenartig seine markante Membran zum Einsatz bringt. Den letzten Schliff verpasst dem Ganzen Sen Dog von Cypress Hill und so ist das Blut mit Bloody Sunday bereits gut in Wallung geraten. Dass das auch weiterhin so bleibt, dafür sorgen die meist treibenden Produktionen, die größtenteils von Limp-Bizkit-Mitglied DJ Lethal stammen. Eine kleine Verschnaufpause gibt es zwischenzeitlich nur durch das Leierkasten-Sample von Bang Bang, auf dem Snoop Dogg als reimender Gast auftritt. The Stain setzt wieder verstärkt auf Gitarrenklänge und Everlast kann sich hier als flexible Komponente innerhalb der Familia präsentieren, indem er zwischen rauchigen Gesangsparts und harten Raps switcht. Zu den stärkeren Tracks des Albums gehört I’m An American, wobei mit B-Real gleich der zweite Rapper vom befreundeten Cypress Hill gastiert. Inhaltlich ist der Einfluss des Straßenlebens in Lateinamerika und Los Angeles kaum zu überhören, weshalb LKN des Öfteren Tony Montana würdigen und stets Drogen und Gewalt thematisieren. Hinter aller Aggressivität bergen die Titel durchaus auch Gesellschaftskritik, zum Beispiel wenn Immortal Technique sich für Nuclear Medicinemen in die endlos lange Featureliste einträgt. Zu den Highlights der brachialen Scheibe zählt definitiv der von Alchemist gezimmerte Beat Choose your Side, auf dem Everlast raptechnisch zwar schwächelt, Ill Bill und Bun B von den Underground Kingz aber kompromisslos in die Presche springen. Ein Album das zwar nicht vom allergrößten Schlag ist, allerdings den Status von La Coka Nostra als Supergroup manifestiert.

Andreas Margara (21. September 2009)

The Psycho Realm – The Psycho Realm

Jahr: 1997

Label: Columbia/Ruffhouse

NEW ADDITION TO CYPRESS HILL FAMILY verkündete der große Sticker auf der Hülle dieses 97er Albums. Die Geschichte dazu:  B-Real von Cypress Hill war dermaßen begeistert von Psycho Realm aus dem Pico-Union-Viertel von LA, dass er mitmachen wollte. Weil die Brüder Big Duke und Sick Jacken aber eine strikte No-Feature-Politik vertraten, was ihre Musik anging, machte man ihn kurzerhand zum vollwertigen Mitglied der Gruppe. So profitierten alle Beteiligten: die Brüder konnten ihr Debüt bei der Sony -Tochter Columbia rausbringen und bekamen so Zugang zu einem breiteren Publikum, und B-Real konnte auf einem der besten Rap-Alben der späten 90er mitwirken.

Die selbst produzierten Beats passen wie maßgeschneidert zu den nasalen Raps von Jacken und B-Real und der rauhen Stimme Dukes, textlich wird eindeutig die düstere Schiene gefahren. Der perfekte Sound um im Cabrio mit  dicken Jacken durch LA zu cruisen, wenn der nukleare Winter die Sonne verdunkelt hat. Von alltäglicher Straßengewalt und globaler Vernichtung, von Hass und Liebe, Leben, Verrat und Tod handeln die Geschichten. Einzelne Empfehlungen erübrigen sich bei diesem Album, es ist mehr als eine Art von Gesamtwerk zu betrachten, ohne Ausfälle. Krönender Abschluss: die episch angelegte La-Conecta-Saga, verteilt auf die letzten beiden Nummern, inklusive genialem Friends-of-Distinction-Sample (…you got me going in circles…), ist wie Kino für die Ohren.

1999, kurz vor der Veröffentlichung des zweiten Albums A War Story Book I, wurde Big Duke in LA niedergeschossen und ist seitdem vom Hals abwärts gelähmt. Dennoch erschien 2003 das vorerst letzte Album der Crew, A War Story Book II; das enthaltene Material von Big Duke war bereits vor dem tragischen Zwischenfall aufgenommen worden. Meiner Meinung nach sind alle drei Alben absolutes Pflichtprogramm. Ebenfalls sehr zu empfehlen sind die Projekte Sick Symphoniez, Street Platoon sowie das Soloalbum Sick Jackens mit DJ Muggs, The Mask and the Assassin. Die Gasmaske bleibt auch nach der goldenen Zeit ein Garant für gute Musik.

Taking their name from the official moniker of The Mafia, La Coka Nostra is an (almost) all-white hip-hop group, formed officially in 2006, and consisting of all of House of Pain, plus Ill Bill, Slaine and Big Left. Affiliates include DJ Muggs, Q-Unique, Sick Jacken, DJ Mek, Cynic and Sicknature.

Despite being pretty active for 3 years, A Brand You Can Trust is the group’s “debut” album proper, although they have been making some noise on the myspace/video/mixtape/bootleg scene:

Click here to download 2 LCN bootleg “albums”

Click here to buy their 2009 digital-only EP 100% Pure Coka

Click here to buy Ill Bill’s Black Metal, which features the group extensively

Click here to download the 2007 Necro/Ill Bill mixtape collaboration Blood Brothers

Click here to download a 2008 Psycho+Logical-Records label sampler, featuring close affiliates and labelmates of the group

All things said and done, LCN have been pretty generous with their music, having made a great number of their tracks available via their myspace and other free, legit channels.

So anyway, with the preamble over, let’s get to A Brand You Can Trust…

With most of the production handled by DJ Lethal, the beats carry that rap/rock feel, and are as integral to the album as the lyrics.  Also just let me say that aside from the guest appearances, I have real difficulty telling these cats apart most of the time, but it hardly matters.

The album opens with “Bloody Sunday” and gets straight up on that Cypress Hill connection, as it features Big Left and Sen Dog.  It’s aight, my head is nodding, the flows are nice and I’m even feeling the guitars.  It’s littered with references to the apparent state of contemporary hip-hop, with lines like “hip-hop is hanging from a noose like Saddam Hussein“.  “Get You By” is better, as a pretty hopeless and desparing track, though the hook is far to reminiscent of the awful “nu metal” scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s.  Big Snoop Dogg flips the script on “Bang Bang” though, and injects a much-needed element of straight gangsterism.  Props to the beat too, as it’s much more hip-hop, not a single guitar to be heard.  “The Stain”, an ode to a fucked-up relationship, is passable, and is a relatively mellow, soulful oasis amidst such a rowdy album.

“I’m An American”, with B-Real, is very much a lead track from the album, having been converted into an official video around 8 or 9 months ago, and being featured on 100% Pure Coka.  For good reason, it’s helped over these past few months to build up the group’s reputation, it really is pretty solid and the beat is on point.  Speaking of beats, the production for “Brujeria” is tight – incredibly simplistic, yet an apt backdrop to the impressive flows spat over this track, getting on the Spanish tip.

“Once Upon A Time” is fairly skippable, as is “Cousin Of Death”.  On a 15-track album, ain’t no space for filler like this.  Fortunately, though, the day is saved by another standout guest appearance, this time from the rather unlikely collaborator Bun B on “Choose Your Side”.  Though Bun sounds a little bored, he’s spitting truth, and this track works really well, complemented perfectly by the arabesque production.  The strength of the production is upheld for “Hardcore Chemical”, yet although the quick-fire flow of the lyrics is engaging in itself, I am finding myself quickly bored by “solo” LCN, sans guest appearances.

“Soldiers Story” and “Gun In Your Mouth” are pretty skippable, yet the apocalyptic nightmare that is “Nuclear Medicineman” fares slightly better, but only slightly, and that’s pretty much due to Immortal Technique’s appearance, though even he sounds bored and phones in a pretty standard verse.  “That’s Coke” is a standout with its infectious production, despite the fact that the coke puns have by now run very much dry, and the impressive “Fuck Tony Montana” rounds the album off well, though the track is about 2-3 years old now.

All in all, it’s a slightly above average album.  There are some standouts that I’m likely to play again (“Bang Bang”, “I’m An American”, “Choose Your Side”, “That’s Coke” and “Fuck Tony Montana”), yet the funny co-incidence is that the best tracks are also those that feature guest appearances.  I’m also slightly niggled by the fact that at least 3 of these tracks (“I’m An American”, “That’s Coke” and “Fuck Tony Montana”) have been knocking around for quite some time now, and are hardly “new”.  On what is a relatively short album (by today’s standards), that’s just lazy.  I’m all for short albums, they feature heavily in my favourite albums of all time, yet there is still filler here.

Also, pretty much everything about the group, their production and their lyrical themes is highly same-ish.  Unsurprisingly, the drug game and horrorcore-lite-cum-gangsterism absolutely dominates the album.

I’m giving A Brand You Can Trust a not-too-bad 6.5/10

Nuclear Medicinemen is on La Coka Nostra’s debut album A Brand You Can Trust which dropped today.(7/14/09)  This one features Ill Bill on the chorus with verses from Slaine, Everlast, Q-Unique and Immortal Technique, enjoy.Download/Stream–>http://www.zshare.net/audio/62660141d382cbfd/

Sick Jacken- Stray Bullets is out now nation wide along with all digital stores. Show support to this classic artist. Album is jam packed with legends in the game Including Undeground Legends B-Real, Planet Asia, Cynic Immortal Technique, The Concrete Saints Killah Priest of Wu Tang, Tommer, 2 Mex Evidence, Young Sic, Murs and Super Natural. Don’t let this release pass you by. You can hear snippets by clicking below. You can find itune link by click here

Jaime- UKMG

As always Sick Jacken stay’s busy in the studio. This time you can find him on the new Soul Assassins cd along with B-Real, RZA, La Coka, Bum B, Self Scientific, Alchemist, Necro, Cynic, Planet Asia, Prodigy, Evidence, and more. The reviews on this cd have been coming out strong and as you can tell it looks and sound sick. Clik on both images to get more info..

Jaime~ UKMG

Soul Assassins’ Intermission is yet another album you will find me picking up when it drops on June 23rd. “Let Go (My Life)” is the newest single off of the new Soul Assassins album Intermission, and it features the up and coming West Coast Killer Fashawn. As you may recall my boy Ryan had posted the video for the first single “Classical” with Sick Jacken & Evidence. By the two tracks that I’ve heard already it sounds like this album is going to be pretty damn good. Follow me after the jump for the download of “Let Go (My Life)”, the video for “Classical” and the tracklisting for Intermission.

Download: Soul Assassins, “Let Go (My Life)” (Feat. Fashawn)

Tracklisting:

1. Gangsta Shit – Bun B & M1
2. Classical – Sick Jacken & Evidence
3. Gunshots – Chace Infinite &; Alchemist
4. Do It – La Coka Nostra
5. Rep Yo Shit – P.C.P (Sick Jacken & Necro)
6. Good Evening LA- Self Scientific
7. Meet Your Maker – Reef The Lost Cause & Outer Space
8. Intermission – RZA, Rev.William Burk, Planet Asia, B-Real
9. Champions ( Remix) – Prodigy & Big Twins
10. Let Go (My Life) – Fashawn
11. Like That Y’All – Planet Asia
12. World We’Re In – Cynic
13. Call It Like I See It – Chace Infinite & Krondon
14. Matchbox – Dust
15 Figure It Out – Young De feat. Xzibit & Mykestro (Bonus Track)

Your Mondays don’t have to be all bad! I’m working the late shift at Mind Inversion to sort through the noteworthy music videos that hit the web last week (..well, the ones we haven’t already acknowledged so far, anyway..) so that you don’t have to. Grab a beverage, kick back, and ease your way into your work week with these fresh new nuggets of modern music video goodness.

VIDEO: Metric, “Sick Muse” (from Fantasies, available now)

VIDEO: Bat For Lashes, “Pearls Dream” (from Two Suns, available now)

VIDEO: Moby, “Pale Horses” (from Wait For Me, available 6/30)

Mainpage readers, click the “read more” link! I’ve got more new music videos from Rancid, Children, Grizzly Bear, Peter Bjorn and John, Ill Bill (feat. Immortal Technique & Max Cavalera of Soulfly/Sepultura/Cavalera Conspiracy), Scream Hello, Crystal, God Forbid, and Soul Assassins (feat. Evidence & Sick Jacken) posted for your viewing pleasure after you make the jump. Go ahead – click it; it’s easy…

VIDEO: Rancid, “Last One to Die” (from Let the Dominoes Fall, available 6/2)

VIDEO: Children, “Power Spirit” (from Hard Times Hanging at the End of the World, available now)

VIDEO: Grizzly Bear, “Two Weeks” (from Veckatimest, available now)

VIDEO: Peter Bjorn and John, “It Don’t Move Me” (from Living Thing, available now)

VIDEO: Earth Crisis, “To Ashes” (from To the Death, available now)

VIDEO: Ill Bill “War is My Destiny  (feat. Immortal Technique and Max Cavalera)” (from The Hour of Reprisal, availablenow)

VIDEO: Crystal, “Initiative!” (from Initiative! EP, available now)

VIDEO: Scream Hello, “Goodbye New Brunswick” (from …The Rest Of, available summer 2009)

VIDEO: God Forbid, “War of Attrition” (from Earthsblood, available now)

VIDEO: Soul Assassins “Classical (feat. Evidence and Sick Jacken)” (from Intermission, available 6/23)

Et toujours pour Soul Assassins, Evidence et Sick Jacken ont taffés ensemble et le résultat était le fameux Classical dont voici le clip.

Sick Jacken and CEO of Urban Kings exchange hand shakes to release 4 classics albums on UKMG. First release is Sick Jacken Stray Bullets set to release nation wide and all major digital stores 06/30/09. Following with Book 1 and Book 2 along with the terror tapes. Release dates have not yet been set but will be reveled as the time passes. This is just another big move for Urban Kings Music Group. As mention our goal is to work with dedicated artist and mature talent. Polished artist’s as Sick Jacken is the prime example to what the industries now requires in order to survive. Sick Jacken Street Team alone with Urban Kings marketing will for sure start to change the game and trend to what the industry has turn into. A collective of hard working entrepreneurs with out corporate help now in days is the key. Well many company’s start to go under not only in the music industry label but in corporate american more and more entrepreneur come to rise. The streets feed us and we feed the streets and no corporate giant or school will teach you this. The only way to get this perfected is time and understanding character over image and just plain good music is long term success.

Urban Kings Staff

Click here for tour dates
Here are some of the past tour dates and up coming…

Necro/Psycho Realm 2008 Canadian Tour

Jan 8 Quebec City

Jan 9 Montreal

Jan 10 Toronto

Necro/Psycho Realm 2008 Canadian Tour

Jan 8 Quebec City

Jan 9 Montreal

Jan 10 Toronto

Jan 11 Detroit, MI

Jan 12 Chicago, IL

Jan 15 St Paul, MN

Necro/Psycho Realm 2008 Canadian Tour

Jan 8 Quebec City

Jan 9 Montreal

Jan 10 Toronto

Jan 11 Detroit, MI

Jan 12 Chicago, IL

Jan 15 St Paul, MN

Jan 16 Winnipeg

Jan 17 Saskatoon

Jan 18 Edmonton

Jan 19 Cagary

Jan 21 Seattle, WA

Psycho Mexican Tour 2008

Thu May 22 Hermosillo

Sat May 24 Monterrey

May 30 P.V.

Sat May 31 La Paz

Fri Jun 6 Mazatlan

Sat Jun 7 Mexico City

Sat Jun 14 Tijuana

Psycho/Taiwan Tour July 16-23rd, 2008

July 18 Kao-Shiung

July 19 Tai-Pei

July 23 Tai-Chung

Rock The Bells 2009

-Chicago @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Saturday, June 27

-Washington, D.C. @ Merriweather Post Pavillion

Sunday, July 12

-Boston @ The Comcast Center

Saturday, July 18

-New York @ Jones Beach Amphitheatre

Sunday, July 19

-LA @ San Manuel (Glen Helen) Amphitheatre

Saturday, August 8

-San Francisco @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

Sunday, August 9

B Real/Psycho Realm European Tour August 2009

August 10th Glasgow/UK TBD

August 11th Manchester/UK TBD

August 12th Wolverhampton/UK TBD

August 13th Sardinia/Italy

August 14th Puglia/Italy

August 15th Copenhagen/Denamrk

August 16th Parnu/Estonia

August 17th

August 18th

August 19th Sofia/Bulgaria 30k

August 20th Zurich/Switzerland “Psycho Realm show”

August 21st Orpund/Switzerland “Royal Arena Festival”

August 22nd Prague/Czech Republic “Hip-Hop Kemp” TBD

August 23rd Graz/Austria

August 24th

August 25th

August 26th

August 27th Tilburg/The Netherlands TBD

August 28th Amsterdam/The Netherlands

August 29th Marseille/France TBD

August 30th Paris/France

South America/MURS Tour September 2009 (Dates TBA)

South America will be the first 1-2 weeks in September

MURS will be for the remainder of September thru mid October

Sick Jacken of the Psycho Realm and Soul Assassins coming with a new collab project! Sick Jacken – Stray Bullets

01. Live From The Caves Feat. Donnie Castro & Cynic
02. The Sickside Feat. B-Real
03. Praying Mantis (Goodlife Remix) Feat. DJ Muggs
04. The Fall Of Us Feat. Black N Brown Underground & Cynic
05. Ceremonial Slang Feat. DJ FM & Planet Asia
06. Out Here (Remix) Feat. The Concrete Saints
07. Death Frees Every Soul Feat. DJ Muggs vs. Planet Asia
08. The Society Of Psychos Feat. The Society Of Invisibles
09. Sick Life Feat. Snowgoons, Cynic & Bacardi Riam
10. Hollywood Drive-By (Remix) Feat. Immortal Technique & B-Real
11. Trial And Adversity Feat. Cynic & The Concrete Saints
12. Angles And Demons (Remix) Feat. DJ FM & Killah Priest
13. Metal Rain Feat. Cynic
14. Black And Brown Army Feat. DJ Babu & Chace Infinite
15. Sinister Feat. Swollen Members
16. Death Or Retirement Feat. Toomer, 2Mex & B-Real
17. Born In L.A. Feat. Evidence & Chace Infinite
18. Life, Luv, And Pain Feat. Young Sicc
19. Paid Dues Feat. Murs & Supernatural