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Hiphop photography

lamont84 — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:16:08 +0000

So In Love With That ''Undun'' The Roots [Album] Oder/Itunes: #TheRoots @TheRoots #Undun [Amazin Work Again!!] Music Is My Savior....

Tha5elements — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:10:35 +0000

Order:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/undun/id478164170

Stream: The Roots – undun (Full Album Stream) #Tha5elements #Music #TheRoots

Tha5elements — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:35:43 +0000

Album Drops December 6th 2011

Press Here To Listen Album Stream

ListenThaNew: The Roots Ft Phonte & Dice Raw – One Time #Tha5elements #TheRoots #Music

Tha5elements — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:07:07 +0000

The Roots’ upcoming album “undun”

dropping December 6th.

Listen Track Click Here!

The Roots x Genius Collective - You Got Me (Free D/L)

geniuscollective — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 13:50:52 +0000

Genius Collective present their second free download as an introduction to the mighty seven piece Birmingham (UK) based Soul / Funk / Hip Hop band. The collective have a vast array of influences due to the groups wide spanning musical backgrounds, however! There are certain acts that all members agree are incredible, one group in particular being the Hip Hop giants The Roots. You Got Me, whether featuring Erykah Badu or Jill Scott’s live version is a truly incredible song, which Genius Collective wanted to pay tribute to, but do it GC style! Enjoy the track, please support / share / blog / love it!

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE TRACK HERE

Music: Top Ten Albums of 2010

jasonevans — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 01:34:06 +0000

This was a good year for music. I've been working on this list for some time. Narrowing it down to ten albums was hard! It leaves me wondering if I'll have time in the day to finish up a top twenty–alas, the Sam-man will nap for only so long. These releases received heavy rotation as soon as they were discovered in our house. And they appear in no particular order… I just couldn't decide! So, without further delay, here is my top ten albums of 2010:

Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz This is such a wonderful progression of Stevens' music. A truly creative effort that combines so many different elements that he's explored previously. Yet, here it works seamlessly on an epic scale. This album is a Kid A meets white album kind of release… in my opinion.

Buke & Gass – Riposte The duo that makes up Buke & Gass not only make interesting music, they make their own instruments. Arone Dyer has the pipes to be a strong pop singer (something the likes of Lady Gaga only wish they had the capacity for). Instead, she gives her gorgeous voice to this musical ingenuity that defies genres.

Sleigh Bells – Treats Early this year, I said this, "It's pop and noise all at the same time. Chaos and beauty simultaneously. I love it. The demos of this album were leaked earlier this year and my interest was piqued already. Not much is different here, except they are all available in one package on 'Treats.'" This first release of Sleigh Bells is a cacophony of smooth music.

M.I.A. – Maya M.I.A.'s most recent album was received with mixed reviews. She has been an innovative artist in the international hip-hop scene for some time. But here, she's straight up weird! The result is amazing. She reinterprets many of her influencing genres to make up a unique release that still has the quirky hooks she's known for.

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor To appreciate this release, one needs to see Local Natives live. Pulling off three part harmonies while rocking out is a gift. And it is well received here. Local Natives pull off what so many indie shoe gazers are only trying to. Indie rock meets Pet Sounds harmony.

Broken Bells – Broken Bells The collaboration of Danger Mouse and James Mercer of The Shins is beautiful. Danger Mouse appears to be a bit of a King Midas. And Mercer isn't so bad himself! His sad, yet soothing, voice and DM's crafting creates a wonderful production.

The Roots – How I Got Over I've quietly followed The Roots for over a decade. I'm not known for liking hip hop. But this seems to be my year of coming clean on my appreciation for the genre. The fact this is an actual band helped tremendously in diminishing my resistance on my first exposure. They've stood the test of time; improving their craft on almost every release. And How I Got Over is probably one of their best yet.

Fences – Fences This act is a lesson in not "judging a book by its cover." Christopher Mansfield, the singer/songwriter behind fences looks like he ought to be in Converge, not writing beautiful, folksy pop tunes. I hope to hear more from him. This album is quiet, catchy and just plan good! The production of Tegan & Sara's Sara Quinn certainly adds to his work.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More I'll be honest, this album makes me want to cry. But in a good way. This band crafts tunes that hearken back to another era. There are a lot of bands attempting that these days. Not all so well. These fellas pull it off. But I do wonder if they'll be able to do it again.

Janelle Monae – The Archandroid Monae picks up where MJ left off. She's a pop-meets-R&B conceptual genius. Her music is a constant tribute to R&B greats while remaining totally unique and creative. It's got to say something when a great such as Prince regularly invites her to his stage.

By the way, you can also check out 2009's top ten and twenty.

A 2010 twenty? Who knows!? The night is still young! Happy new year, friends!

Free Funky Music Friday - The Best of 2010: For Sale

Philip Clark — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:41:33 +0000

We’re going to take a little departure from “Free” Music Friday this week.

I’m sure you all are tired of hearing me rave about what a fantastic year for music 2010 was. But please indulge me this one last time, as I present to you my list of the Best of 2010 soulful albums that were for sale.

John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up!

Let me caveat this by saying: I’m not normally a John Legend fan. But this release with the legendary Roots crew defined, to me, what an “album” truly should be. Nothing over produced, tracked mostly live and with NO bleeding Auto-Tune. This entire release is a well thought-out, meticulously executed journey through some of the best protest music of the 20th century. John Legend’s vocals are truly inspired, and the combination of him with this — the greatest working band in the world — is timeless and noteworthy. These are not just songs. They’re moments. Their rendition of Bill Wither’s “I Can’t Write Left Handed” gives me chills. Easily Record of the Year, for me.

Boho Fau & Elevated Soul – Coffee House Swinger

Even though I actually purchased this record, the good news is that it’s now FREE at their BandCamp page! If you’re looking for some great hip-hop jazzy grooves under some mellow and cool lyrics, look no further. This 12-track homage to your local coffee house is truly dope. And the best part is that they’ve also included the entire album in instrumental form as well, giving you twice the bang for the buck.

Erykah Badu – New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh

What can you say about this record that hasn’t already been said? Although Erykah made us wait for a minute for this release, the end result paid off in kind. Even though this record is a little more sample-heavy than I’m accustomed to from Ms. Badu, it truly is a great body of work. Each track is bangin’ and memorable, and Erykah’s delivery is as crisp and soulful as ever.

Zo! – Sunstorm

This is the first of three major releases from the Foreign Exchanged camp this year, and in my opinion the strongest. Zo! is truly a virtuoso, and Sunstorm is proof in the pudding. Not only expertly produced and played, the songwriting on this release is top notch. Look for instant dance-floor classic “This Could Be The Night,” with guest appearances by Eric Roberson and Darien Brockington.

Electric Wire Hustle

This record came as a pleasant surprise to me. I hadn’t heard of this awesome trio from New Zealand, but once I started hearing their singles pop up on some of my favorite podcasts, I was hooked. Fronted by Mara TK, who channels his inner Marvin Gaye better than most, this release is permiated with heavy-hiitting lo-fi grooves.

The Foreign Exchange – Authenticity

The newest from the Grammy-nominated Foreign Exchange is a solid and consistent example of how powerful a hit-making force this collective is. Doubly pleasant is hearing the evolution from previous albums of Phonte Coleman; his journey from a simple rapper to a true vocalist. Even though this release my not have been as well received critically as Leave it All Behind, it was still one I returned to throughout the later part of the year.

DJ Center – Everything In Time

This scorcher was another release that I couldn’t stop listening to. The title “Everything in Time” refers to how much longer the project took DJ Center to complete than planned, but the final result was well worth it. Pay special attention to his remake of “You’ve Got The Love” with the amazing Gretchen Parlato on vocals.

Yahzarah – The Ballad of Purple Saint James

Yet another Foreign Exchange release (yes, they were busy this year), proving that there truly is no stopping this new soulful creative force. Not only is Yahzarah beautiful, but she can sing her ass off. There’s a lot of heat on this record. If you haven’t heard it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Leon King – The Digital Church

Another pleasant surprise that I stumbled upon. Even though this is only an EP, it’s well worth checking out. King is a fantastic composer, producer and vocalist. There is much groove to be had here.

Dorian Wright – Mind Full of Music

Even from the cover and title of this record, you can tell there’s going to be a lot of Stevie Wonder influence here. And Dorian Wright manages to pull it off in a way that’s truly original and surprisingly non-derivative. There’s some excellent writing and production here, and Dorian Wright’s voice is top notch. Highly recommended.

Suff Daddy – The Gin Diaries

I was drawn to this record by the single “5 O’Clock Stuff” featuring Miles Bonny (next entry). But I ended up really enjoying the entire record. Some really kicking grooves and production. It was great driving music in the car.

Miles Bonny – INcense and Wine

Miles Bonny is truly a blue-eyed soul brother. He comes from a very raw and honest place, both vocally and in his songwriting. This release is chock full of groove and soul. Keep an eye on this guy.

Aloe Blacc – Good Things

I’m not a fan of this Retro Chic thing that’s happening in Pop music right now. It comes off to me as gimick-y and unoriginal. But every once in a while it’s done right, and that’s what Aloe Blacc’s been able to accomplish. He’s got a great vocal delivery, and these songs are good enough to go head to head with some old school Stax stuff.

Prince – 20ten

Ok, granted, this was not a US release, and technically it wasn’t for sale. But I think it warrants recognition. If you were clever enough to pick up this record, you know that the Purple One is still at the top of his game. Heaters like “Sticky Like Glue” make this release a must-have for any die-hard fan of the funk.

Gregory Porter – Water

I know what you’re going to say. “Phil, this is a Jazz album.” Well, yes, it is. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that this guy has one of the most soulful voices I heard this year. With amazing songs like “1960 What?” and “Wisdom,” I couldn’t not include this on my Best Of list.

José James – Blackmagic

Again, another record that borders on Jazz. And again, José James has come to prominence as a fantastic new soulful voice. The sheer power of “Lay You Down” proves that this guy can run the gamut in many musical circles.

Richard Earnshaw – In Time

Songs from this record kept popping up on a lot of podcasts I listened to. Finally to the point where I just had to have the whole record. There’s some great soulful, housey grooves to be had on this record as well as fantastic performances by Roy Ayers and Carleen Anderson.

Angela Johnson – It’s Personal

Another powerhouse of a female vocalist. Great songs, great production, great performances. There’s a lot to love on this record. Check out her fantastic duet with Darien.

Ben l’Oncle Soul
Who’da thunk the French could belt out some killer soul? But it’s a fact, and you owe it to yourself to pick up this release.

Orgone – Cali Fever

California groovers Orgone hit with a solid batch of hard hitting grooves. Go get it!

AND A QUICK PLUG…

I also had a record come out this year. And since it’s my list, I’m just going to put it here and hope you support it by giving it a download. Happy New Year, Y’all!

Philip Clark – The Dreamchilde Suites: Act 1

Blogged with the Flock Browser

The Top Videos Of 2010 Posted By Rookie TV

rookie773 — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 00:18:19 +0000

Hey everybody! 2010 has finally come to an end, and let me tell you that I am glad to kick ol’ man new year to the curb. It was a really hard year, it was a blessed one, but very hard. I look forward to the new year to see what it has in store. Here is random a list of the best music video posts by Rookie TV for the past year. The videos themselves don’t have to come from 2010 but rather have been posted by one of us this year. This list is in no particular order what-so-ever so please don’t look for significance in placement.

This video caught me by surprise with it’s greatness not only on the production tip but artistically as well. C-Dub believes that they should have ventured into the life of the old man a bit more. I thought it was perfect.

Sean Boog is a guy with 9th Wonder’s label with an amazingly stable mixtape that you should check out called “Lightbeers Ahead Of You.” This is a joint off that very album called “Gettin’ Mine” Hotness!

This joint right here I slept on for a minute. Once I discovered it though I believe I watched this music video over a hundred times in a row. The music video totally matches the song and its very artistic as well. I can do without Rapsody’s wack ass verse but oh well.

It came out of nowhere posted on the wall and I was cracking up watching it. The video is simply hilarious from the very start with the one guy staring at the vixen LOL! But anyway, the song is madd nice as well, kudos to all involved on this one, oh and to ol’ girl in the white pants at [1:14] let’s jump this broom girl…I got the ring already for the ceremony. SHAWTY BRING IT BACK!!!

I have never been more proud to be a Chicagoan until now. Kanye West is a genius and this film is testament to that. Good stuff, bro. Read this, love this, spread this.

Yesterday I saw one of the best Obama spoofs ever made. It’s done remarkably well and very accurate at the same time. It’s already got a ton of hits but that doesn’t mean it can’t use a few more as well. Shout out to everyone who worked on this piece including the asshole editor that owes me money. Read this, love this, spread this.

Yo! People its Big DAVE and I got a real quick video you NEED to check out. This comes from a cat out of New Orleans named Dee-1. The song is called “Jay, 50, Weezy” and it is amazing. It says what people have been saying about the music industry and has been done to hip hop for a long time. It is very real and we need more music like it. Its an artist talking from a fan’s point of view. Its a point a view I’m sure a lot of people share. Check it out and enjoy. I love you, Hip Hop! I will never give up on you. (Its ironic how Jay Electronica and Dee-1 are both from the N.O. and are both dropping lyrically amazingly dope music. Keep it coming!) Peace and love people.

Forever loving people who speak from their heart and soul,

Big DAVE

This next video wasn’t made in 2010, but was posted by us in 2010. It features a few familiar faces to us like Little Brother and Mad Skillz, the animation my suck a bit but the song and the collab is tremendous!

J Pinder is a guy I slept on as far as mixtapes go. At barely eight tracks on his project Code Red you feel it MUST be a banger. It got my vote. Here is the hottest song on the album right here in music video from. Check it out and see if you don’t want to download that joint as well. Music video has a Groundhog’s Day the movie feeling to it, yet its very artistic in approach.

I remember seeing this joint on MTV this past year and saying WOW! Number one, these three guys on one track is nuts in itself but when you add that beat to it and the simply shot music video. BAM, a masterpiece!

When I saw this video a few days ago, I must say I was floored! I felt nothing I could create could even compete on ANY level with what I just saw and I sat and just watched in amazement. So much that for two days I didn’t even blog it because I couldn’t find the words. There really isn’t anything to say other than, I thank Kanye for making me a fan again. This album has been something Big DAVE and I have been talking about for a while now as him single-handedly bringing real hip hop back to the mainstream. I don’t doubt that for a minute! Read this, love this, spread this.

Kanye West- Power (Official Video)

Kanye West: ‘Power’ (Official Video), posted with vodpod

CLICK HERE TO SEE EXCLUSIVE KANYE WEST INTERVIEW AT ROLLING STONES MAG.

Over the summer I went to one of my good friend’s houses for a BBQ and it was the ish. His house was humongous, his kids were well mannered and made you proud, the elders were comfortable, and the women were beautiful. Funny thing though I couldn’t get this one song off my mind that I had seen earlier in the day. It’s by Freddie Gibbs and instantly I knew it would become my Anthem of the summer. One look at it and you will be able tell that even surrounded by so much positivity why I was chanting “Fuck The World” in my head

That music video deserves awards! It was done so well yet you see that done so few times that I sometimes feel that the vision I have for Rookie Films is gonna kill the game. Might just be me being cocky At any rate, if your video looks like this, it’s only a matter of time before it ends up on Graffic Audio. Im reppin’ (2:56) in the video to the death. Thanks for reading and continue to do so because we got tons more. Yet another gem from The Roots and Director Rik Cordero! Again, an honor to work with you man. The Roots truly are an amazing group an to me they are to hip hop what phonograph was to music. Enjoy this music video as we take a trip back in time. Hip Hop lives.

Over the summer I had the pleasure of working with the great Rik Cordero on the Kid Sister Music Video shoot. Shout out to my parents for taking me to the place we shot at and gave me the idea for it. I was a kid when they introduced me to that hot dog place and I’ve loved it ever since! Shout out to Psalm 1 for being cool as hell on that boring set I see you in the background too yo! I blogged about the behind the scenes a while back so search for that one if you still want to see more.

Duuuuuuude, eva wanted to hear Gucci, Soulja Boy, and Wacka Flocka on one damn track???? Yeah, I know, me niether but I just saw this cartoon thanks to one of my beat maker friends and I was dying with laughter. I feel it is my duty to share the laughs. Oh and I’m gonna hit this animator up about animating for us as well LMAO! I know it seems like we make fun of Soulja boy everyday but look at it this way, today we have company. Thanks a bunch Derek, this is truly a funny ass cartoon fit for a retard LOL.

I remember being a kid still in school and going to the Dr. Wax record store here in Chicago and buying a tape from a hip hop radio show made in New York. It was these two cats I had never heard of but the people they had on their show were phenoms. I mean the greats! Everyone from Biggie to Wu Tang Clan was on that tape and I loved it because most the cats were on there freestyling. Their names were Tech and Sway and they were disk jockeys on the World famous Wake Up Show. Here is the new Wake Up Show anthem for 2010 and this video is every bit of dope that I say it is. Watch now and thank me later, this is on the list of one of the dopest videos I have seen thus far this year. And just to think about the time that went into it. WHEW!

Also check out the site http://www.WhenArtImitatesLife.com where they take well know rappers and put them in famopuse works of art. GENIUS!! Check out this one with the Rza as George Washington and the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan. R.I.P ODB.

This music video is sick. I remember seeing it on MTV and not believing my eyes. They were actually playing REAL hip hop. I was overjoyed so this video makes the countdown.

Chicago’s Scheme had a very busy year dropping a ton of music and producing a nice amount of music videos as well. This particular music video is for a song called Respect the Art. I love the song and the music video. Shout out to my dude 21 Grams on the beat!

Music that is tight, and accompanied by a tight music video are far and few now-a-days. Usually you either get one or the other: a good song and a bad music video, or a terrible music video for a tight song. Every now and then the sun, moon and the stars align and you get a gem. Check out this video “Not You” by Kil Ripkin. This guy promotes like no other…why to use the internet my dude.

So what you think?

Lid Law of the Jrunk Unks sheds a little light on a subject that almost always ends relationships. Peep it, and see if you enjoy it like I did.

This joint is mad old, but again when I write blogs it’s usually video inspired and I had never seen the video until now. This is the perfect example of tight song meeting with a tight music video. Thanks for this one Tanya. This song made the hairs on my neck rise. I love real Hip Hop! Much respect to Jake One.

Click the pic to hear more tracks off the album White Van Music.

more about "Nottz “Cars”", posted with vodpod

Independent rap group Little Brother sadly disbanded in 2010, but not without dropping one last album entitled Curtain Call. This music video is the title track off the album and thus making the list for this year because of production value and the overall message in the music video.

more about "The Young Kingz Daily 2.0 » Blog Arch…", posted with vodpod

Looking on facebook I rarely see a video that makes me want to spread it immediately. I found one today by a cat named Mellow Man. This song right here is sickening to me. The beat is nuts and the guy is flowing on it perfectly. Kinda laid back, but riding the beat correctly. Check it out see if you like it as well.

Everything about this video from the title to the graphics, to the ending is sick! I can’t believe how simple, yet how hot it is at the same time. This is a GREAT example of how low budget doesn’t necessarily mean cheesy and poorly done. As far as the song? SICKNESS! The boy Torae never disappoints on the lyrics and delivery, Marco Polo on the beat? That guy aint made a wack beat in hit life and the scratching from the guest DJ Revolution was insane! Dope music inspires dope videos to be made. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, “You get what you pay for.” Congrats to Torae and Marco for not disappointing!

Remember the guys Ok GO that did that groundbreaking treadmill music video? Well the have got a new song with a new music video Check it out.

Now I have no idea how many takes that video took but that was just plain bananas!!! Thats all I wanted to say lol!

Erykah Badu shocked America with the following video. That’s right, she pushed the envelope and in my opinion proves why she has literally changed every man shes been with into a totally different dude from Chicago’s own Common to Andre 3000. This lady truly is talented and beautiful none the less. Her release New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ankh is here and is already being written about in tons of blogs…Rookie TV is no exception. Here’s a video from the album just recently dropped for her song, “Window Seat” I totally didn’t expect this at all from her but I’m glad she did it Truly comfortable with herself as a woman Erykah never ceases to amaze me! I really enjoyed being surprised with this video. This is artistry in it’s pure essence. All I gotta say is if I ever get to interview her, there will be no shortage of questions from this camera guy. Shortly after dropping this video it got banned, then got unbanned still later LOL! Erykah I speak for everyone when I say, “Keep blessing us with these gems.” , I speak for all men when I say, “DAMN!”

I saw this guy in Fake Shore Drive interview getting interviewed by Que Billa (that guy cracks me up.) Billa was talking about this dude had a video called Pop that Trunk and he said literally “I fucks with that track.” Well it’s commonplace to say you like something just because you are interviewing the maker of the music or video right in front of you but I saw a link for the video and I had to click it. This Video is one of the sickest and I’ve seen in a long time from an Independent artist. I give you Yelawolf in his song about the Bama and how a few wrong moves and you can end up n a shallow grave.

more about "Yelawolf – Pop The Trunk", posted with vodpod

Now although I did not condone his use of the “N” word in the song AT ALL i loved the beat, loved the hook, loved the way he was flowin’ and the video brought it all full circle for me. This video is sick! Good is good. This is a dope video. Period! This had to take the editor like a month to do. C-Dub please put this on Graffic Audio. Shout out to Crazy Al Cayne.

Back about a year ago Rookie Films along with Lyon Tamer Productions set out to shoot a music video for the 80s Babies. Now this was a tricky thing because there were alot of things we were working against with the shoot:

The weather
Tall Black Guy’s relocation
The Cold
Lack of budget

You name it we worked through it. I will say this, we didn’t do a bad job at all for some guys with little or nothing.

Another tight music video. I never thought I would get to see the Gorillaz in 3D but I will say I’m fairly impressed even though I have always loved their music. Shout out to Sean Doe for posting this. Read this, love this, spread this.

more about "The Vimeo HD Channel on Vimeo", posted with vodpod

The new Elzhi video is finally here after all the promos and hoopla. It was worth every bit of waiting we have been doing people. I wasn’t impressed at first because it seemed like the song surpassed the music video but I continued to watch and by the 2nd verse I was like, damn! Anyway thanks Chickee for the posting and Nic didn’t you say you were on set with them? How come I didn’t hear about this from you?

Remember this song is off the mixtape “The Leftovers” I would suggest you go download that bad boy, I blogged about it before. Don’t sleep.

more about "DJ Spinna -feat. Fresh Daily, P.SO, H…", posted with vodpod

Don’t know who Add2 is and want to know why he was worthy of a Kinga Pic? Check out this music video and you be the judge. I really like it myself.

more about "Add2 – Luxury – Dir. Da Visionaryz", posted with vodpod

Yo, I personally asked Tall Black Guy in this via chat if his beat was used in this song. He said no. I couldn’t believe it! Am I the only one thinking this sounds like something Tall Black Guy would have cut? Oh well, until next time. Love yall. Read this, love this, spread this. Kudos to Kinga, your the shit!

This my guy TiRon from Chicago, but relocated to Cali. Check out this video for the ladies LOL. This joint it Hilarious! I love when people do creative videos. Here we have an entire video shot with an iphone I imagine and it came out dope because of good shooting skills and superior editing. Peep it out and see if you agree. Don’t sleep.

Que Billa, also a Chicago native made a not so kid friendly song about Oral Sex of all things. I think the video was done very well, and as always I gotta show love to my Chicago people when they do it right.

Now, I will allow you to cleanse your palette with the image we are used to seeing as far as rappers go. THUGS! But this is actually a good video Shout out to Sadat X for hitting me on this one.

I know what your thinkin’ “Heres just another video Rookie TV is posting…I may click it and I may not.” This video has to be the funniest joint I have seen in 2010. Together with 3 dope verses a nice hook and a hard ass beat. Check this one out and have a laugh, on me. And remember, if you haven’t downloaded the Rookie TV Presents: The Wackest Mixtape EVER yet all you have to do is click on the poster to the right.

Last but not least is one of the last music videos I saw that impressed me personally. By now I guess you know Freddie Gibbs is a favorite of mine. In fact, he is my favorite artist of the year. Not usually a fan of Mikkey Halsted it was good to see him kill this track with my dude on a beat that No ID made. This is a masterpiece and you can tell it was done by a film maker.

Thanks for chillin’ with us as we have literally given you a piece of our mind for the entire year. It’s been one heck of a year and there were many ups and downs. Above all else, I want you to know that we will continue to push the envelope and we have much more coming out in 2011 to look forward to. Thank you for your time, and keep reading. Read this, love this, spread this.

life rewind: a 2010 soundtrack

note — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 05:43:18 +0000

since we’re about to hit 2011, i wanted to look back at some of the music that wore out my iphone/itunes in twenty-ten. only included songs that dropped this year and i put them in chronological order.

lupe fiasco – i’m beamin

they said my future is dark…see me now?
just look around…i’m beamin’ – wasalu

nas and damian marley – strong will continue

one of the tracks that leaked early from distant relatives. served as a prelude to the great things to come.

Download: 03-strong-will-continue1.mp3

usher – there goes my baby

wasn’t feeling raymond v raymond as a whole, but he deserves to win the grammy for this. best r&b track of the year.

erykah badu – window seat

the video and her booty got most of the buzz, but the song is pretty good in its own right.

b.o.b – letters from vietnam
heard the live version first at the steppin’ lasers show and was hooked.

Download: letters-from-vietnam.mp3

nas & damian marley – count your blessings
And give thanks to the master
That through all the disaster
We’re still here
Together after
So I count your blessings- damian

Download: 06-count-your-blessings.mp3

janelle monae – say you’ll go
weirdness aside, she’s extremely talented.

Download: 17-say-youll-go.mp3

kanye west- power f/ dwele

I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind, but couldn’t open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me
Taking my inner child, I’m fighting for it, custody
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me- kanye

Download: 03-power1.mp3

the roots – dear god 2.0 f/ monster of folk

black thought rips this as does jason goldwatch #videooftheyear.

eminem – no love f/ lil’ wayne

best track on em’s very solid recovery.

drake – fireworks f/ alicia keys

Money just changed everything, I wonder how life without it would go
From the concrete who knew that a flower would grow
Lookin’ down from the top and it’s crowded below
My fifteen minutes started an hour ago- aubrey

Download: 01-fireworks-f_-alicia-keys.mp3

cee-lo – f*** you (remix) f/ 50 cent

even with an expletive-laced hook, it’s a fun song that a lot of people can relate to. also some say fifty’s washed up, but he still goes in sometimes.

Download: fuck-you-remix-f_-50-cent.mp3

kanye – runaway f/ pusha t
a toast to ya for making it this far.

Download: 09-runaway-f_-pusha-t.mp3

maroon 5 – never gonna leave this bed (acoustic)
this maroon 5 album kinda snuck up on me, but glad i didn’t miss it. outside of a terrible alicia keys cover, quality music throughout.

Download: 15-never-gonna-leave-this-bed-acous.mp3

lupe – the show goes on
typical goodness from lupe. Love Always Shines Every time Remember 2 Smile coming in march (supposedly).

Download: the-show-goes-on.mp3

miguel – all i want is you f/ j. cole

for a good stretch, it seemed like hot 97 would only play some combo of drake, trey songz, nicki minaj and this song. miguel’s voice is on point and jermaine does his thing too.

kanye – dark fantasy

the intro track to mbdtf and the runaway movie was made hot by a couple musical geniuses and an urkel shoutout.

Download: 01-dark-fantasy.mp3

kanye – all of the lights
the original track listing for the song featured like 10 people (rihanna, alicia keys, elton john, etc.). while at the time i thought him using that much talent on one track was excessive, after hearing the song, i can’t help but appreciate how he weaves all of their voices/sounds together like a symphony conductor.

Download: 05-all-of-the-lights.mp3

kanye – lost in the world/who will survive in america f/ bon iver & gil scott-heron
yup, more yeezy. he had the freshest sounds all year so why not? on this one, he flips bon iver’s woods into something epic.

Download: lost-in-the-world-who-will-survive-in-america.mp3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PVhQPaFNY

music: september mixtape

jasonevans — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:48:55 +0000

I've decided to compile a monthly play list-or what we used to call in the good ol' days, a mixtape. Since I'm not really sure of a better way to provide that to you, I'm compiling it over at my last.fm account, where you can listen to samples and some full songs. So, here's this month's mixtape:

September '10: songs for going back to school, the onset of autumn and returning to routine.

These New Puritans ??? We Want War
Broken Bells ??? The Ghost Inside
Soul-Junk ??? Wax Presidential
Sleigh Bells ??? Kids
Museum ??? The Law
Arcade Fire ??? Ready to Start
M.I.A. ??? It Takes a Muscle
Janelle Mon??e ??? Tightrope (feat. Big Boi)
Deftones ??? Caress (Drive Like Jehu Cover)
The Roots ???Birthday Girl

If someone knows of a better tool to put this kind of thing together, please let me know w/ a note in the comments.

By the way, every music lover should read Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, or watch the movie. It captures well the beauty of a mixtape.

The Roots "The Fire" feat. John Legend

rookie773 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:07:26 +0000

Yet another gem from The Roots and Director Rik Cordero! Again, an honor to work with you man. The Roots truly are an amazing group an to me they are to hip hop what phonograph was to music. Enjoy this music video as we take a trip back in time. Hip Hop lives. Read this, spread this, love this.

Straight Outta Compton

jimmyshitbags — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:07:25 +0000

Here’s an awesome bit of video of the NWA boys tearing up a soundcheck for the Jimmy Kimmel late night talk show thingy with The Roots.

The Roots feat. John Legend - Hard Times (live)

L. Liz — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 02:10:06 +0000

I’m digging this here, smooth Jazz for the soul.

Free Funky Music Friday for June 25, 2010

Philip Clark — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:07:07 +0000

Here are this week’s soulful mixes, singles and podcasts. You can visit the hosting site of each by clicking on their corresponding image. Big-ups to all the great music blogs that host this content!

*MIX OF THE WEEK* Big Groove – Elegant Notes DOWNLOAD

*SINGLE OF THE WEEK* Late Pass #34: The Roots – Table Of Contents, Part 3 (1999) DOWNLOAD

*HONORABLE MENTION* The Hurst Selection – London to Atlanta DOWNLOAD

*RIP MICHAEL*

The Mixologists: Summer Of Michael Jackson Vol. 1 DOWNLOAD

Deejay Eric’s MJ Tribute mixx tape DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Soul Circle Radio Show Presents One Man Jazz (Soul.Scienz) DOWNLOAD

*HOT* DJ Markus Gramm – A Pug Named Fender DOWNLOAD

Truthseekers Radio – Universal Communique 6|19|10 DOWNLOAD

The Afternoon Delight w/Jaycee, on V-103 Atlanta
Tuesday June 22, 2010
Thursday June 24, 2010

Soulrific: Episode 82 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Extra Inches: The Music of Donny and Lalah Hathaway DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Label Love 001 DOWNLOAD

Ray Harris & The Fusion Experience DOWNLOAD

Continuum – A Journey Through Jazz
Episode 11: Summer Soul DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Cream of Beats – Bedroom Collection (2001 – 2006) DOWNLOAD

*HOT* The SoulFlower Starship VOL 3. Soul Illumination By Son of S.O.U.L DOWNLOAD

DJ K.E.L.W.I.N! presents: The Groove-Ade Mix DOWNLOAD

Dwele – Dodgin Your Phone (Feat.David Banner)
Dwele – How I Deal (Feat.Slum Village)

GPWW 6/14/10: Worldwide Family Mixtape – Eliphino Mix HOUR 1 HOUR 2

*HOT* Eavesdrop Podcast #40 DOWNLOAD

BSOTS 102 – Foundation Media Showcase (vol. 3) DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Nothin But Butter Vol. 5: Talking Tub DOWNLOAD

PLUS…

The Dreamchilde Suites continue! One new song a month. For free. Nod your head to that.

MAY’S FREE SONG-OF-THE-MONTH STILL AVAILABLE

November Rain

…and no, not the Guns & Roses song by the same name. In fact, I wrote this song long before I ever heard of that group. This song reflects the joy and loss of a romance that spans the better part of a year. If you like the mellow pop of Paul Davis, Robbie Dupri, Michael McDonald and Hall & Oates, you will dig this retro 80s homage. Preview it by pressing play on the music player on the bottom of the site or on the button below.

Buttons above not working? Visit http://philipclark.com or http://philipclark.com.bandcamp.com
Miss a download? You can get previous songs-of-the-month in our Store!
Still can’t get the free song? Email us.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

New Video: The Roots – Dear God 2.0

L. Liz — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:12:40 +0000

The world premiere video for The Roots’ “Dear God 2.0,” the first single from their album How I Got

Free Funky Music Friday for June 04, 2010

Philip Clark — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:32:46 +0000

Here are this week’s soulful mixes, singles and podcasts. You can visit the hosting site of each by clicking on their corresponding image.

*MIX OF THE WEEK* Brooklyn’s Finest – The Stuyvesants DOWNLOAD

*SINGLE OF THE WEEK* While They’re Here Yacth Rock Edition Doobie Brothers Tribute – Illastrate DOWNLOAD

*HONORABLE MENTION* Poadcastrumentals By Chief DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Flowink – Music From The Heart 4 (Guest DJ: Dirk Rumpff) DOWNLOAD

Friday Favecast – Talent DOWNLOAD

Chief – Tribute to Chick Corea DOWNLOAD

INnatesounds Radio 008 - INcense and Wine album feature by DJ Joc Max DOWNLOAD

The Afternoon Delight w/Jaycee, on V-103 Atlanta – June 1, 2010 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* DJ Markus Gramm – Eryzahnelle DOWNLOAD

BamaLoveSoul presents J-Finesse – Parts of the Whole EP DOWNLOAD

Soul Circle Radio Show Presents DJ Alfonso DOWNLOAD

Sober & DJ A1 – Automatic Mixtape DOWNLOAD

DJ K.O. – Living Out A State of Mind Vol. 7 DOWNLOAD

Lloyd Miller – Gol E Gandom DOWNLOAD

B. Bravo – Computa Love DOWNLOAD

DâM-FunK “IHopeUKnowImWatchingJune” DOWNLOAD

Ghostpoet – The Sound Of Strangers EP DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Seu Jorge & Almaz – “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” & “Cirandar”

*MUST HAVE* The Roots: The LNJF ‘Sandwiches’ DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Dwele – I Wish DOWNLOAD

Slum Village – Faster ft Colin Munroe DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Cee-Lo Green – “Georgia” DOWNLOAD

*HOT* salfordsoulfunkjazz’s Podcast – Soul Show 30th May 2010 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Deejay Eric’s June Mixx Tape 1 06 10 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* DJ K.E.L.W.I.N! presents: The Shaft Isaac Hayes Mix DOWNLOAD

Digital Dynasty R&B Vol. 1, Hosted By Mike Bivins DOWNLOAD

Soulgood volume 4 mixed by Keith Remington DOWNLOAD

Onra – The One ft. T3 of Slum Village DOWNLOAD

BSOTS 101 – Mr. Peabody Records and Marc Mac DOWNLOAD

Chillcast #218: More Love DOWNLOAD
Chillcast #219: Stone Cold Chillin’ DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Chocolate Soul presents “Sexy & Soulful” Vol. 3 DOWNLOAD

Universal Communique 05|29|10 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* B.Lewis “Mercury Backburner” DOWNLOAD

INnatesounds Radio 009 | Scrambled Ethics DOWNLOAD

*HOT* J*Davey //Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes DOWNLOAD

Soulbounce presents The Mixologists: Applejac DOWNLOAD

PLUS…

The Dreamchilde Suites continue! One new song a month. For free. Nod your head to that.

FREE SONG-OF-THE-MONTH FOR MAY

November Rain

…and no, not the Guns & Roses song by the same name. In fact, I wrote this song long before I ever heard of that group. This song reflects the joy and loss of a romance that spans the better part of a year. If you like the mellow pop of Paul Davis, Robbie Dupri, Michael McDonald and Hall & Oates, you will this this retro 80s homage. Preview it by pressing play on the music player on the bottom of the site or on the button below.

&amp;lt;a href=”http://philipclark.bandcamp.com/track/november-rain”&amp;gt;November Rain by Philip Clark&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Tags: freemusicfriday, podcast, mixtape, Brooklyn’sFinest, TheStuyvesants, Illastrate, Poadcastrumentals, Chief, DirkRumpff, J-Finesse, LloydMiller, Ghostpoet, SeuJorge, TheRoots, Dwele, Onra, J*Davey

The Roots Talk Run DMC Reunion

L. Liz — Sat, 22 May 2010 21:22:36 +0000

Jimmy Fallon 'Told' to Host the Emmy Awards

dinosossi — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:50:56 +0000

By Dino Sossi, AOL’s Popeater Blogger, Posted May 4th 2010 02:00PM

It seems that everything Jimmy Fallon has done over the past year has been brand spanking new to him. New talk show — ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.’ New house band for when the show started — The Roots. And now, he’s been asked to be the new host for the ‘Emmy Awards,’ reports E! Online. Well, maybe not asked.

“Hosting the Emmys has been a dream of mine ever since they told me I was doing it,” quipped Fallon. The 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled to air August 29 on NBC. The Peacock Network is home to Fallon’s late night talk show, and is also where he made his major television debut as a featured player on ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 1998. Hmmm, something sounds a little too coincidental.

But before you get conspiratorial about NBC, a past-time that has gained a lot of fans since the Conan O’Brien-Jay Leno ‘Tonight Show’ switcheroo, Fallon, 35, does have experience doing this type of gig. He’s previously hosted the MTV’s Movie Awards and Video Music Awards.

The 2010 Emmy Award nominations will be announced July 8.

Filed under:

Questlove of the Roots a Scholar?

rookie773 — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 05:44:32 +0000

I swear this is mad funny!

Scholar Questlove on Wu Tang

more about "Parks and Recreation is the Wu-Tang o…", posted with vodpod

Questlove of the Roots a Scholar?

rookie773 — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:16:37 +0000

I swear this is mad funny!

Scholar Questlove on Wu Tang

more about "Parks and Recreation is the Wu-Tang o…", posted with vodpod

The Regressive Progressives: Liberal Racism at its Ugliest

NorthernThoughts — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:05:11 +0000

If it isn’t Seth MacFarlane and the Family Guy, it is television personalities like Donny Deut

Free Funky Music Friday for January 15, 2010

Philip Clark — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:24:27 +0000

This was a CRAZY week for groovy mixtapes and podcasts, with OVER 24 HOURS OF FREE MUSIC! In addition to regular DJ mixes, we also saw 2 Prince mixes, unreleased material from Dwele and some great tributes to the late Teddy Pendergrass. Here are this week’s souful mixtapes and podcasts:

Teddy Pendergrass Tributes

DJ K.E.L.W.I.N! presents: The Sweet Thing Mix*** DOWNLOAD

Friday Favecast: Grown is Sexy DOWNLOAD

The Afternoon Delight w/Jaycee, on V-103 Atlanta: Rest in peace Teddy Pendergrass!!! DOWNLOAD

Spotlight: Dwele

*HOT* BamaLoveSoul.Com Presents Keep RIZEing to the Top: a Selection of Unreleased Dwele Songs DOWNLOAD

Dwele – Live Session at Maida Vale feat. Roy Hargrove 2003 (Download) DOWNLOAD

Spotlight: Prince

*HOT* DJ Diva Monday Mixtape: A Prince Purple Mix DOWNLOAD

The Afternoon Delight w/Jaycee, on V-103 Atlanta: Tuesday January 12, 2010 (a few purple classics) DOWNLOAD

And the rest, a whole mess of good music!

Late Night With The Roots: The Mixtape DOWNLOAD

Artist Spotlight: Darien Brockington DOWNLOAD

JayTeeDee presents Cuddle Buddy DOWNLOAD

A Deeper Groove»Mystic Brew (Side B) by Dena Sticky Flower DOWNLOAD

Eric Lau – “Warm It Up” [BTS Radio Mix] DOWNLOAD

*BIG* Fantastic*nt & PinBoard Presents: “Your Mum’s Outta Time ‘09 Misstapes” [MIXTAPE] DOWNLOAD PART 1 DOWNLOAD PART 2 DOWNLOAD PART 3

Truthseekers Radio: Universal Communique 01.09.10 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Soulrific: Episode 70 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* SoulMonique Radio Show 8 January 2010 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Son Of Soul Podcast 73 DOWNLOAD

nOvaJavaBlend #13 DOWNLOAD

*HOT* Keith Mac Presents The Soul Podcast: Episode 14 – The Art of Soul DOWNLOAD

*HOT* EJ Flavors: My Favorite Tracks of 2009 DOWNLOAD

DJ Markus Gramm: Friends Can Kiss DOWNLOAD

The Afternoon Delight w/Jaycee, on V-103 Atlanta: Monday January 11th, 2010 DOWNLOAD

Soular Grooves Podcasts — DJ SUN: all 45 mix done at Onion Creek DEC ’09..soul, funk, classics DOWNLOAD

The Right Side of Funky: Let’s Go Exploring! DOWNLOAD

PLUS, you can still download the NEW Groove 7 remix of my song “Granted” by Mr. Fresh of the Sunday Soundtrack for FREE at http://philipclark.com or http://philipclark.bandcamp.com!

Feel free to click on the images for the websites hosting these mixtapes. Thanks to all you podcasters for making these available!

Suggestions? Comments? Hit me here!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Rock the Bells 2009

thebeatsmakeher — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:27:57 +0000

Anyone who knows hip hop knows Rock the Bells. Produced by Guerilla Union , this summer festival brings out the best of the best in hip hop. Folks, this is THE must see show of the summer that will have cats talking all year. Don’t miss out – buy your tickets HERE

Heads up L.A.!! The Rock the Bells tour stops in San Bernardino Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at the San Manuel Amphitheater. Buy your tickets at The Basement in Sherman Oaks to avoid those BS surcharges. Tell Scott I sent ya! =)

Legendary Late Night: The Roots on Fallon

Krista Summitt — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:08:54 +0000

So we’re a week in to what is nirvana for any true Okayplayer (read: Roots fan) – The Legendary Roots Crew on TV.Every.Weeknight.Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The stars haven’t lined up for me like this since the Bears were in the Superbowl and Prince played the halftime show.

For those of us in the GrownFlow demographic, it’s doubly sweet, because we know The Roots align themselves with the best in the game. Translation: All guest spots will be killer. Trust.

Anyway, I purposely waited a week just knowing how any new venture goes. Plus, I didn’t want the OKPs to scream on me if I dared write anything critical out of the box. “They JUST started!” “Give them a chance!” (we are an impassioned group, we OKPs) Following are my margin notes after the first week:

One more time. The Roots. On TV. Every day.
It is “Michael Jordan playing Baseball for the White Sox” -painful to see “the Dalai Lama of rap/the Prime Minister Thought” limited to going “uh huh, yeah” during their interludes.
Oh yeah, call him “Black Thought” or at least “Thought” please, Jimmy. Tariq sounds like you’re his uncle or something.
?uestlove. Visionary. Precision. Skill. Humor. Love him.
But ?uesto, what is that little conjoined twin drum on the kick drum? And where’s the ?uesto self-portrait?
NBC: You will get a ratings bump from us ladies if you move Kamal downstairs. Have you seen this guy? Drop.dead.fine. – second only to Thought of course.
The look on the tuba player’s face when Serena Williams was playing beer pong with Jimmy was hilarious. I thought they were going to have to get oxygen for the guy. Seriously.
Hey move the tuba guy upstairs, and Kamal down. (sorry Tuba)
First week musical guests have been phenomenal. Luda, Santigold aka Santi White, Van Morrison.
Musical guest wish list: Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Outkast, Sam Sparrow, Bettye Lavette, Talib Kweli…lemme think on it some more.

More as it comes to me. –K

PS I miss Hub (former Roots bassist) now more than ever.

?uestlove x Travis Barker

jasonevans — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:33:00 +0000

ah, yeah!