Archive for the ‘Instrumental’ tag
One of the brightest lights of the seemingly ever-bubbling Los Angeles hip hop scene is producer Swiff D. Though his main claim to national fame is his ongoing involvement with everyone’s favorite fresh hop ambassadors (that would be Pac Div), his resume is padded with production credits ranging from a who’s who of LA names to stylistic outliers like Jadakiss and Method Man.
But enough about the past! To celebrate the new year that is upon us, Mr. D is giving away his latest installment of instrumental bounce, aka the easy-t0-digest LaDDers. The FreEP comes with 15 tracks, the longest of which tops out at just over two and a half minutes, and many not cracking the 120 second mark. It’s a taste test sampler that will whet the appetites of mc’s looking for writing music, producers who are looking for inspiration, and fans who just enjoy good music in the chambers.
Full tracklist below the jump (be forewarned, it’s out of order from the list below…).
Seeing as how I just got back from a little travel of my own, I figure why not post a lil something about this bangin new instrumental album from Amir “Oddisee” Mohamed, the producer/brains behind Diamond District, titled Traveling Man. The album follows a simple concept: each beat is inspired by a different city that Oddisee has traveled to or lived in. Since he’s based out of Washington D.C. the album starts with a track called “Goodbye DC,” is followed by 24 tracks that bear the names of different worldwide cities, and ends with a beat simply labeled “DC.” As you follow Oddisee on his musical journey around the world, you will not be disappointed. Every track is dope and has its own unique flavor, which is spiced by the soul of each city that inspired it.
One of my favorite tracks on the album, “Khartoum,” stands out not just because it’s an ill beat, but because Khartoum is a special place for Oddisee. His father is Sudanese and he spent many a summers in Khartoum, where he found musical inspiration in the guitarists, poets and singers in his family. Nowadays, Oddisee is a renowned musical artist in his own right, and he carries on the legacy of his family and people back in Sudan through his work in the world of hip hop. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.
Stream five of the tracks below and follow the links in the player to purchase Traveling Man.
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Noted otherterrestials Thee Satisfaction have been making waves for just over a year now. After dropping the Snow Motion EP, the duo toured up and down the West Coast, and ventured out East to the Big Apple. They’ve also graced a number of tracks by some of Seattle’s finest, highlighted by some damn classics with the Cloud Nice camp.
Stas, one half of said duo, just pushed a little something our way that we’re definitely feeling. It’s a beat tape/instrumental compilation (depending on your mood) by her alter ego, Neon Warwick, and using nothing but Stevie Wonder samples. And it’s called Neon Warwick/Wonders: Why We Celebrate Colonialism. It’s got that very notable Thee Sat sound, which means familiar riffs bump up against unfamiliar rhythm patterns, synths pop up in unexpected places, and it sounds its finest when played on major-bass-friendly speakers.
I’m just waiting for some brave mc to put some verses over these beats, especially Greens Soaking in the Sink. Anybody up for it?
