I came across this joint almost a month ago, and it definitely left an impression. The synth heavy, haunting effects and palpitating bass- come courtesy of producers Musiq Korner. The triumph in Nipsey’s grown-man prose is supported well by June Summers‘ soulful hooks, and I feel something in the music that makes the difference between a good rapper and a great emcee – heart.

The song adds a new dimension to the hood-hop hydraulic sound and rhymes that dominate most of Nipseys mixtapes, convincing me that this South Central LA ambassador is an artist that might be marathon material, as opposed to the sprint characterized by most mixtape phenoms.

Download Nipsey’s recently released (Dec.21st) and quite crackin mixtape Marathon here.

Some of you may be up on this mix already, but for the rest of you I feel obligated to put you on to this here hot ish.

By the tasteful selection and mature vibe of the mix, its hard to believe that Greene is just 21 yrs old. The mix has all of the nostalgic warmth and soulful sonic foundation of the house and garage you fell in love with- but weaves in the creative blippage and vocal experimentation of the new school.

Overall it feels like a smooth but high energy contrast to the epic and raunchy booty tech sound that seems to be carrying the banner for house at the moment. Look out for Greene’s upcoming album “The Look” in just a few days on Jan 5th, released on NYC label LuckyMe also home to  LxNxM faves Lunice & Hudson Mohawke. Download the mix, check out the teaser for “The Look” the below, tracklist for mix after the jump.

LM007 – JACQUES GREENE – THE LOOK by Jacques Greene

Tracklist:

1. Jacques Greene – The Look (Koreless remix)
2. Ango – Love Me
3. Jacques Greene – Tell Me
4. Mood II Swing – Move Me
5. Machinedrum – DDD
6. Jacques Greene – Good Morning
7. Nu-Birth – Anytime
8. 24 Hour Experience – All Nighter
9. Ramadanman & Midland – Your Words Matter
10. James Fox – New Jack Swing
11. Sasse & James Flavour – The Right Way (Tony Lionni Rremix)
12. Jacques Greene – (Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want
13. Dubbel Dutch – Throwback
14. Aril Brikha – Groove La Chord
15. xxxy – Ordinary Things
16. Colours – Hold On (SE22 Mix)
17. Jacques Greene – Another Girl
18. Rick Ross ft. Drake & Chrisette Michele – Aston Martin Music

From everything I can gather, K’naan’s literally traveled around the world and back since the last time he performed in Seattle at the Moore Theater on ’09 with Matisyahu. You might have seen him at the World Cup performing like a megastar or on Jimmy Kimmel Live two nights ago. He’s a good representative for a world music star should be: he’s not just doing hip-hop or singing or rock or whatever but rather he’s found his own genre that resonates with music fans around the globe. Just like you always knew that he would.

Here’s the best news of the day regarding K’naan: we’ve got free tickets to give away to a couple of lucky readers here on the blog. Here’s what you need to do: drop a line in the comments or hit us up on Twitter saying that you’d like a pair of tickets (some way to get a hold of you is helpful) and we will pick the winners in the next 24 hours. Winners will be decided semi-randomly, but trying to win always helps! Okay Seattle? We’re about to hook you up with free tickets, so let us know you want some K’naan in your life!

Check out footage of K’naan on Jimmy Kimmel performing “Fatima” below the jump.

The first time heard Bocafloja get loose, it was on one of my favorite hip-hop joints of all time Chillaxing by 2mex – his intricate yet melodic wordplay en español definitely jumped out at me.  A renowned and respected emcee hailing from El Distrito Federal a.k.a. Mexico City, BocaFloja has rocked mics all over the world with unabashedly radical rhymes – backed by the skills and creativity to keep you listening.  He also regularly facilitates empowerment workshops for the barrio youth of the world through Hip Hop – gotta love that.

Here is a little south of the border/borderless mixtape flava for ya ear courtesy of Boca and his  co-conspirators from the QuilomboArte collective. Peep the collabo with Last Night’s Mixtape  fave Eternia.

Que Viva Hip Hop!

I was pleased to find out Kamau’s obvious love for the T-dot manifests through some amazing youth work with Toronto’s Remix Project, an“arts, cultural and life skills incubator serving vulnerable young people located right in the heart of Toronto”.  It’s dope that dude is so grounded in community, staying level headed even with the co-sign from Canadian heavyweights like K-os and Knaan.

Here’s a video with some beautiful footage of Toronto, off Kamau’s latest mixtape Love and Other Struggles: Volume 3, download the whole thang – and look out for an album from Kamau in the near future.  Over this contemplative banger,  Kamau’s flow evokes jazz horns – smooth, melancholy and urgent – all at the same time.

Since the mixtape is free, think about donating a little scratch toward the Remix Project or your local youth arts programs that are making space for future arts brilliance.

Que pasa?  here is another choice mix from the homie Dj Chorizo Funk, posted up a few days back – an “all vinyl” mix recorded live at Body Rock in Austin, Tejas.  For our seattle based folk- Chorizo will be en la cocina tonight at the dj100proof / DJ Sean Cee / DJ Darwin Birthday Bash! @ Nectar, FREE SHOW! Buen provecho.

As a prelude to the full course of the upcoming mixtape Khake and Khool Aid, Khingz blesses us with this summer mixtape Pho99, fresh and hot – add  lime,  plum sauce and Sriracha and your good to go, uyệt vời (great)!

Dam-Funk’s free unmastered mp3 download series continues.  In my opinion, this is the best track from the series so far.  The title/hook is pretty catchy too.

Download (via Stones Throw)

I had a chance to chat with the fellas real briefly and Oddisee told me to keep a look out for Odd Spring, his fourth and final installment of his seasonal free album series, scheduled to drop sometime this week.   Sure enough, it dropped yesterday.  (On sort of a side note, I gotta say, these Members Only parties are pretty dope.  It’s like something straight out of a high school kid’s underground hip hop fantasy:  rubbing elbows with rappers, hot girls, the homies, bluntsmoke, byob… shit, it’s kinda like my underground hip hop fantasy.)

I’m a big fan of the previous installments of the Odd [insert season here] series, and I would reccommend you check them out if you haven’t already.  They’re free and you can find them at Put Me On It, or you can follow the links on the player below to Oddisee’s Bandcamp page.  Not coincidentally, Oddisee is a blogger for PMOI.  Bet ya didn’t know the rapper/producer was also a blogger!  Ha!  Anyway, peep the Odd Spring below and don’t sleep on Diamond District when they come through your town.  That would be whack.  Trust me, I know.

The set made me feel alot of things, a few I’ll name here: merry go rounds, mexican ice cream trucks, miami sound machine, that movie batteries not included, kisses, a quechua disco, Herbie Hancock, dancing like a kid at a Chuck. E. Cheese animatronic show,  rainbows, Dilla. It was fun. These guys pride themselves on digging for dollar bin gems and transforming them into that new new. Javelin are signed to Luaka Bop the label of eccentric maestro David Byrne.  You can download the very fresh, very free mixtapes World Midi Classics Vol.2 or Andean Ocean Tape below. Still,  do yourself a favor and earn what! u aint up on this? points by copping the recently released, and thoroughly pleasing full length No Mas, here .

Here is vibrationz, a guaranteed summertime jam off of No Mas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB6Obk2fO64

Damn! Mix Master Mike calls in a dirty, dirty dubstep “combat strike”. The self proclaimed serial wax killer submits an onslaught of choice samples to his surgical scratching and mixing. Sure shot party-rock factor high. Face melt threat level – red. ‘Nuff  sed. Click here to download Napalm Rockets.