Indie Shuffle » jay z

2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa – We Own It

Aaron Blum — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:21:07 +0000

Sounds like: Jay Z, Pusha T

Song: 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa - We Own It [download here]

What's so good?

While this new track may not be our typical “indie” post, here at Indie Shuffle we try to keep our horizons (and posts) broad. Sometimes there are exceptions for stepping out of our norm, and today, this track by 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa calls for an exception.

“We Own It” is an immediately catchy track that is riddled with various strings, piano notes, and an occasional whomp whomp that is surely to be the next mainstream blockbuster tune.

The track comes off the upcoming Fast & Furious 6 soundtrack, which is due out May 14, 2013. Other artists on the soundtrack include: Ludacris, Usher, T.I., Lil Wayne, and more.

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1. Original post: 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa – We Own It

2. Posted in: hip-hop, rap, jay z, Wiz Khalifa, pusha t

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Download: Jay-Z – 100$ Bill

Jason Grishkoff — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:52:01 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Kanye West

Song: Jay-Z - 100$ Bill [download here]

What's so good?

I know posting Jay-Z on an indie site is sacrilege and all, but I’m thoroughly impressed by this new track “100$ Bill.” Released as part of The Great Gatsby soundtrack, it follows up singles by Lana Del Rey, Sia and Florence + The Machine.

Without a doubt, this one’s got the most energy of the whole lot. Clean production, hectic percussion, and countless samples.

At this point I’m pretty excited about this movie! You can find details to download the album on iTunes here.

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1. Original post: Download: Jay-Z – 100$ Bill

2. Posted in: hip-hop, rap, kanye west, jay z

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

MGMT vs Jay-Z – This Life Forever Ft. Kylie Minogue (YesYou Edit)

Justin Lam — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:11:19 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Xaphoon Jones, Flight Facilities, The Hood Internet

Song: MGMT vs Jay-Z - This Life Forever Ft. Kylie Minogue (YesYou Edit) [download here]

What's so good?

I’m not entirely sure why, but I rarely enjoy listening to mashups. I mean, I respect the concept and the artistry that is involved, but I’ve never found a mashup that I really enjoyed. I always found them to be overly quirky and with very little substance.

Leave it up to Brisbane’s YesYou to change my mind on their very first mashup attempt. In between working on new material, the Aussie duo have dropped this absolutely chilled and captivating edit of MGMT’s “Congratulations” and Jay-Z’s “This Life Forever,” with some added vocals from Australia’s very own Kylie Minogue.

What’s so good about it? Well, I guess it’s the fact that it’s not a traditional mashup – and by traditional I mean they’re not just playing one track over another. They’ve manage to edit “Congratulations” ever so slightly to give it a real chillstep feel to it, which perfectly compliments Jay – Z’s smooth lyricism.

Enjoy a free download of it on YesYou’s SoundCloud page.

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1. Original post: MGMT vs Jay-Z – This Life Forever Ft. Kylie Minogue (YesYou Edit)

2. Posted in: female vocalist, chillout, mashup, mgmt, chillstep

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Kendrick Lamar – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix Ft. Jay-Z)

sweeneykovar — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:45:20 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Jay Electronica, Jay-Z, Andre 3000

Song: Kendrick Lamar - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe (Remix Ft. Jay-Z) [download here]

What's so good?

Even the most hating hater can’t knock Kendrick. From the most curmudgeon backpack-rockin’ ‘real hip-hop’ purist to the most jaded industry head, no one can deny that Compton’s Kendrick Lamar has at least somewhat infused some excitement into a music that, on a mainstream level, has been running on fumes for a bit.

Now, with a gold plaque, K.dot takes a victory lap with a Jay-Z guest appearance on the remix for one of his LP’s standouts, “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe.” Though Jigga stunts like only he can, boasting about hanging out in the White House like it’s a mall and sitting next to the former Secretary of State “smelling like dank,” the hallowed MC actually comes through sounding like a support for Kendrick’s energetic performance.

Kendrick closes his second verse telling cats “you never be Jay, never be Nas, never be Snoop nor Dre.” Kendrick has been so successful in large part because he has stuck to his own story, carving away at the legacy of Kendrick Lamar, carefully balancing respect for his roots and honest self-discovery through mainstream rap music. Like I said earlier, you can’t even hate.

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1. Original post: Kendrick Lamar – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix Ft. Jay-Z)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, kendrick lamar, jay z, jay electronica, hip-hop remix

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

2 Mello – An Encore in Time (Jay-Z vs. Chrono Trigger Mashup)

Sean O — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:29:02 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: The Hood Internet, The Two Friends, DJ Fergie Ferg

Song: 2 Mello - An Encore in Time (Jay-Z vs. Chrono Trigger Mashup) [download here]

What's so good?

I love a good mashup. I also happen to love Jay-Z and Chrono Trigger. I hadn’t heard of Kentucky producer 2 Mello before this week, but I love him now, too.

It’s not every day that someone crafts a great mashup. It’s even less often that a fun, creative release like Chrono Jigga drops. So for 2 Mello to come out of nowhere with such a polished effort that incorporates some many things I love, well, that just has me gushing.

“An Encore in Time” samples the acapella from Jay-Z’s popular track “Encore,” blending it with ”Corridors of Time,” an original composition created by Yasunori Mitsuda for the Super Nintendo game Chrono Trigger. 2 Mello does a great job on the production, and actually contributes additional chorus vocals to the track. A cool dude named Geoff Cannon handles the guitar work, which really adds to the depth of this awesome mashup.

Download Chrono Jigga for free via Scrub Club Records.

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1. Original post: 2 Mello – An Encore in Time (Jay-Z vs. Chrono Trigger Mashup)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, mashup, the hood internet, jay z, electronic mashup

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Skyzoo – Spike Lee Was My Hero (Ft. Talib Kweli)

Anu — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:17:26 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: TallBlackGuy, Jay Z, Menahan Street Band

Song: Skyzoo - Spike Lee Was My Hero (Ft. Talib Kweli) [download here]

What's so good?

If a song is essentially an audible story, then “Spike Lee Was My Hero” is a story within a story within a story. Clearly, I’m not doing a great job of explaining of this; Skyzoo does it better when he claims, “I’m making black films with my rap skills.”

It’s not only what he says, or how he says it (his talent is explicit), but it’s what you take away when the track is over — at the very least, a sense that you want this artist to succeed. According to his SoundCloud, the lyricist grew up down the street from The Notorious B.I.G. and watched him form his legacy. It’s obvious then, that “the greats” kept (and keep) the rapper motivated.

In “Spike Lee Was My Hero,” Skyzoo pays references to a host of the director’s films and scenes from his Brooklyn youth. Aside from his own skill, which trumps any negative past circumstance, and a verse from Talib Kweli, the track is held up by its powerful cinematic backdrop. The delivered emotion is reminiscent of Menahan Street Band‘s soulful sound. Production credit goes to Tall Black Guy, whose edit of Darondo’s “I Don’t Want To Leave” we posted earlier this month.

As if the track itself weren’t enough to spend time with, check out the video, dropped earlier this week with a cameo from Spike Lee. And hear the whole album, A Dream Deferred, released October 2012 on iTunes.

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1. Original post: Skyzoo – Spike Lee Was My Hero (Ft. Talib Kweli)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, soul, rap, jay z, brooklyn

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

The Beatles vs. Jay-Z – What More Can I Say (Danger Mouse Mashup)

Jason Grishkoff — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 21:16:13 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: The Beatles vs. Jay Z - What More Can I Say (Danger Mouse Mashup) [download here]

What's so good?

Remember The Grey Album? Yeah, Danger Mouse basically ushered in the rage of mashups with it. And virtually no one has lived up to the masterpiece that was his original.

For me, the smooshing together of Jay-Z’s The Black Album with The Beatles The White Album opened up the doorways of hip-hop: until then, I’d lived by the moniker “rap is crap.” How wrong I was!

This week, The High Society released a remastered version of the album. They’ll probably get in trouble, but who cares. This is golden.

You can download the full work here.

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1. Original post: The Beatles vs. Jay-Z – What More Can I Say (Danger Mouse Mashup)

2. Posted in: mashup, hip-hop remixes, danger mouse, jay z, the beatles

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

T.I. – Sorry ft. André 3000

sweeneykovar — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:10:21 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Outkast, Jay-Z, UGK

Song: T.I. - Sorry (Ft. Andre 3000) [download here]

What's so good?

If I was André 3000, I wouldn’t come back to rap. Why? With just a single verse, he can turn a good album great or render the rest of it laughable, exposing the Emperor’s proverbial nudity with just a few rhyming couplets. Rap, at least in its most commercial incarnation, doesn’t allow the kind of depth and nuance Andre brings.

Take this track, “Sorry,” from TI’s upcoming would-be comeback LP, Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head. After, like, 32 bars of what would in any other case be a solid performance by Atlanta’s Jay-Z, where he’s lamenting his faults while bragging of doing business with Saudis and flying to Dubai, 3000 immediately murks Tip’s whole everything pretty much from the jump. His melodies, his intelligence, his honesty and his sheer MC prowess overpower the track. He opens up about being “awkward” and running from fame, his son Seven and his general disenchantment with the world. André has the status and track record to command respect for such a personal and cerebral verse in an increasingly myopic (mainstream) landscape.

I don’t know if the current climate deserves André.

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1. Original post: T.I. – Sorry ft. André 3000

2. Posted in: hip-hop, jay z, Outkast, atlanta, andre 3000

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay-Z Ft. Adele – THRT (Urban Noize Mashup)

Jason Grishkoff — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:25:16 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Childish Gambino, Kanye West

Song: Jay-Z Ft. Adele - THRT (Urban Noize Mashup) [download here]

What's so good?

Adele recently created a stir by providing the lead single to the upcoming James Bond movie Skyfall. And, as I’m sure will come as a surprise to virtually no one, artists have already been looking for ways to cut, chop and remix her tunes.

Urban Noize are the first to grab our attention, layering Jay-Z’s “Threat” over an instrumental version of “Skyfall.” The net result is thoroughly mainstream (as far as participants can be considered), but I figured it’d be worth flagging for your listening pleasure.

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1. Original post: Jay-Z Ft. Adele – THRT (Urban Noize Mashup)

2. Posted in: mashup, Adele, jay z, Childish Gambino

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay Z & Notorious B.I.G. – Allure (Ratatat Remix)

Jason Grishkoff — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 18:00:26 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Jay Z & Notorious B.I.G. - Allure (Ratatat Remix) [download here]

What's so good?

In case you ever doubted Ratatat’s street cred, I need point you no further than their Remix Mixtapes Vol I & II. The first was released in 2004; the second in 2007. Together, they contain a collection of 28 hip-hop classics, intricately laid over 100% Ratatat original backings.

That last point is probably why I admire these so much. The electronic duo didn’t go out and sample a bunch of other songs to bring together shitty mashups. Nope, they straight up created their own, original content.

Respect.

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1. Original post: Jay Z & Notorious B.I.G. – Allure (Ratatat Remix)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, hip-hop remixes, indie rock hip-hop, ratatat, jay z

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Download: Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean – Clique (Prod. by Hit-Boy)

Jason Grishkoff — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 23:56:32 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: The Throne, Lupe Fiasco

Song: Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean - Clique (Prod. by Hit-Boy) [download here]

What's so good?

Wow, this is actually kinda easy to listen to. Kanye West, Jay-Z and Big Sean joining forces for “Clique,” as part of the GOOD Music awesomness.

Sure it’s not indie, but this ain’t the first time we’ve posted rap. Cruel Summer will be available in stores September 18th. So far, five tracks have been confirmed, including “Mercy” and “New God Flow.”

You can download this track here.

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1. Original post: Download: Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean – Clique (Prod. by Hit-Boy)

2. Posted in: rap, jay z, Big Sean, kanye, 2 chainz

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Brother Ali – 4th King

sweeneykovar — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:38:03 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Quelle, Atmosphere, Action Bronson, Jay-Z

Song: Brother Ali - 4th King [download here]

What's so good?

To me, this kind of track exemplifies what the mixtape freestyle (not an actual freestyle, more of a genre-within-a-genre) can allow space for.

My favorite instances of a rapper singing over another’s instrumental found the visiting MC starting off from where the original took the track. Whether it was flipping some of the original flows in a new direction or reinterpreting the song’s subject, the mixtape arena was a place where MCs could have fun without having to worry about appealing to anyone but their core audience.

Lately, as in the past few years, the freestyle has gotten lamer and less creative. You have to wade through many brainless rehashes of mediocre songs to find an inspired cut, which is exactly what Brother Ali’s “4th King” is.

Taking the instrumental from Rick Ross’ “3 Kings,” a lukewarm track off the rotund rhymer’s God Forgives, I Don’t album that features Jay-Z and Dr. Dre, Brother Ali uses his homie hook-up with the track’s producer Jake One to rap his ass off for nearly three minutes. Borrowing from some of the originals verse structure, Ali spits “the best verse on a song [he] ain’t even on,” involving the Occupy movement and his incessant independent grind.

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1. Original post: Brother Ali – 4th King

2. Posted in: hip-hop, underground hip hop, jay z, Quelle, dr. dre

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay-Z vs. Lana Del Rey – National Empire (Carlos Serrano Mix)

Jason Grishkoff — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:00:41 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Girl Talk, The Hood Internet

Song: Jay-Z vs. Lana Del Rey - National Empire (Carlos Serrano Mix) [download here]

What's so good?

In what appears to be a weekly routine, Carlos Serrano has another new mashup. Lana Del Rey’s “National Anthem” meets Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind” in this slow-paced single.

Again, I’ll be frank here: it’s nice to hear Jay-Z mixed together with a great Lana Del Rey track, but one listen to “Empire State Of Mind” on its own and you’ll realize that the original Jay-Z track was considerably more enjoyable to listen to. Lana Del Rey is great and all, but even I have to admit that Alicia Keys is pretty hard to one-up.

Still, hats off to Carlos for a pretty well-done track.

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1. Original post: Jay-Z vs. Lana Del Rey – National Empire (Carlos Serrano Mix)

2. Posted in: mashup, lana del rey, the hood internet, jay z

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Frank Ocean – Pyramids

sweeneykovar — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:36:51 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Odd Future, D'angelo, Jay-Z, Sa-Ra,

Song: Frank Ocean - Pyramids [download here]

What's so good?

Full disclosure: I have tried my damnest to not like Frank Ocean. I basically ignored Nostalgia, Ultra after the saccharine “Novocane.” I didn’t understand why this guy I initially viewed as D’angelo Lite was in the raucous Odd Future crew.

It was his bookend choruses on Watch The Throne that started to make me think I might have overlooked something. A few days ago, Frank Ocean debuted his single for his upcoming official LP, Channel Orange. “Pyramids” is a 9 minute song that begins pretty forgettably, in my humble opinion.

Exactly at 4:26, however, the entire song does a 180. With a rising keyboard swirl, Frank comes to life detailing the morning after his night with Cleopatra — her getting ready for work at The Pyramid, ostensibly a strip club. He plays a pimp, but as the song’s author is constantly toying with the polarity of the fast life: decadence and void, excess and barely getting by. His wood-grained vehicle looks clean, but he can’t keep gas in it. He feels like he’s on top of the world when Cleopatra calls his name, but he’s jobless. This is a really great song (the second half of it anyways).

Also, I find it pretty hilarious that the cover art for the single is adapted from possibly my favorite cartoon ever, The Simpsons.

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1. Original post: Frank Ocean – Pyramids

2. Posted in: hip-hop, soul, R&B, frank ocean, jay z

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay-Z vs. The Glitch Mob – 99 Days (Carlos Serrano Mix)

Jason Grishkoff — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:11:53 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Song: Jay-Z vs. The Glitch Mob - 99 Days (Carlos Serrano Mix) [download here]

What's so good?

Carlos Serrano comes back with another doozy, this time mashing together The Glitch Mob and Jay-Z.

The result is “99 Days,” an overlap of a song that we’re all-to familiar with (“99 Problems”) and The Glitch Mob’s “Fortune Days.”

While not as compelling as his Adele vs. Daft Punk mashup, I have a feeling that this one too will make some waves.

If you like this, be sure to follow Carlos Serrano on Facebook.

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1. Original post: Jay-Z vs. The Glitch Mob – 99 Days (Carlos Serrano Mix)

2. Posted in: mashup, jay z, the glitch mob, carlos serrano

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay Electronica – Dear Moleskine

sweeneykovar — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:07:22 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: Nas, Mos Def, Jay-Z

Song: Jay Electronica - Dear Moleskine [download here]

What's so good?

Jay Electronica works in mysterious ways. After a snippet of the track “Dear Moleskine” was leaked nearly three years ago, the full (?) version has finally made its way onto the interwebs this morning without much fanfare.

I could easily go into painstaking detail regarding the paradigm shift Jay Electronica has come to symbolize in music, but I’ll keep it short. Suffice to say that Jay Elect has the currency to alter the rap game in ways very few seasoned veterans (and virtually no other “newcomers”) do.

His lyricism is poignant, deliberate and skillful. His methods are unorthodox and his standards are unusually high for an MC in 2012.

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1. Original post: Jay Electronica – Dear Moleskine

2. Posted in: hip-hop, rap, jay z, jay electronica, roc nation

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Friday Five: It’s a Celebration Ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z + Lupe Fiasco

Sean O — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:00:19 +0000

My name is Sean O and I am gonna get you high today. Cause it’s Friday, you ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got shit to do.

Anyone using the Internet knows that Hurricane Kanye touched down Wednesday with “Theraflu,” which I hadn’t even gotten the proper artwork for before “Mercy” hit the airwaves Thursday evening. Waka Flocka West and company go hard in the paint, which isn’t how I like to go in the paint.

Instead, we’ve got a standout from last year’s G.O.O.D. Friday releases, a dope Lupe track in need of attention and one of my favorite cuts from STS’s ridiculously good GoldRush. Enjoy the dance tunes as well. Pyramid and The White Panda should be on every Friday playlist ever.

Say hey @Qwikster1. I want to know if it truly was a celebration.

1. Original post: Friday Five: It’s a Celebration Ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z + Lupe Fiasco

2. Posted in: Electronic, hip-hop, electronic hip-hop, friday five, kanye west

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Song: Adele x Deadamu5 - Psynapse Like You (The White Panda Mash-Up) [Downloa d]

Bonus track for the win.

Song: A$AP Rocky - Celebration [Downloa d]

“Grab a drink, grab a glass. After that I grab your ass.”

Song: Foxes - Youth (Pyramid Remix) [Downloa d]

“Don’t tell me our youth is running out. It’s only just begun.”

Song: Lupe Fiasco - Go to Sleep (Extended Version) [Downloa d]

“My mink is dragging on the floor, fire in my windpipe. “

Song: STS - Kids They Dance [Downloa d]

“I might get rich, then I might not. Fuck it just show me love. Homie, that’s all you got.”

Song: Kanye West Ft. Jay-Z - Power (Pudding Club Mix) [Downloa d]

“That ain’t no Oscar Meyer bacon you should run and tell your mom.”

TV Soundtrack: Entourage Season 1, Ft. Danger Mouse, Franz Ferdinand + More

Justin Kim — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:00:47 +0000

Entourage may not have been everyone’s cup of tea.

Many people found HBO’s comedy to be juvenile, shallow, and even misogynistic. Critics complained that it was merely a male version of Sex & The City.

Be that as it may, I still say that Entourage was a great piece of television that epitomized Hollywood lifestyle, friendship, and unforgettable quotes (“Let’s hug it out, bitchm” “Victory!”). I thoroughly enjoyed watching a tight group of friends exploring Hollywood, trying to make it to the top, and dealing with the obstacles that came along the way.

It also had a great soundtrack to pair with Vince, E, Drama, Turtle, and Ari’s never-ending antics. Check out some of the highlights from Entourage Season 1 below!

1. Original post: TV Soundtrack: Entourage Season 1, Ft. Danger Mouse, Franz Ferdinand + More

2. Posted in: hip-hop, soundtrack, tv soundtrack, danger mouse, jay z

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Song: Danger Mouse & Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life [Downloa d]

Season 1, Episode 3

Song: De La Soul - Oooh. [Downloa d]

Season 1, Episode 1

Song: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out [Downloa d]

Season 1, Episode 4

Song: Gang Starr - Work [Downloa d]

Season 1, Episode 2

Song: Jay-Z - Lucifer [Downloa d]

Season 1, Episode 1

Friday Five: Hip Hop Stars, Before They Blew Up

sweeneykovar — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 17:05:20 +0000

Every superstar started somewhere, no one becomes successful overnight, even in the fly-by-night world of mainstream hip hop. The MCs that dominate the conversations of today were newjacks at some point, raw and hungry.

This Friday playlist is dedicated to the dawn of artists who are now staples in the genre. Some have come a very long way since, a few have changed their sound drastically, and others are no longer with us.

Take a trip down memory lane with these five selections.

1. Original post: Friday Five: Hip Hop Stars, Before They Blew Up

2. Posted in: hip-hop, rap, friday five, kanye west, detroit

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Song: Jay-Z - In My Lifetime (Original) [Downloa d]

There is no bigger MC alive today than Jay-Z. Others may be more popular momentarily, some may match his selling power, and there are a handful of rappers who can keep up with him lyrically, but no one can do all of that the way Jigga does. But in 1995, the would-be mogul was a street hustler legitimizing himself through music. His first single boasted this cut, produced by Ski Beatz, where Jay begins his lauded lineage of vivid street imagery.

Song: Eminem - Murda, Murda [Downloa d]

After an underwhelming response to Infinite, a frustrated Marshall Mathers self-released The Slim Shady EP in 1997. It would turn out to be a pivotal moment for the white Detroit rapper by the name of Eminem. Dr. Dre heard it and the rest is history. This song samples “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” and features one of the most skilled, ridiculous, and vulnerable performances Eminem has ever delivered. He now makes stadium anthems, but he didn’t sound bad when he was stealing beanie babies.

Song: Talib Kweli - 2000 Seasons [Downloa d]

In the years leading up to 2000, Talib Kweli as part of a select vanguard that was poised to bring the “real” back to rap. The notion was as naive as it was sweet. This song, the b-side to Kweli and Hi-Tek’s debut 12″, might be as real as Kweli has gotten yet. Over a lusciously brief piano loop, Kweli mixes battle skills with conscious and still flows the tightest. The book the song is named after is a great read as well.

Song: Kanye West - Out The Game [Downloa d]

Before The College Dropout, Kanye dropped a series of mixtapes getting his buzz up before his debut and consequent meteoric rise. The tapes featured a combination of his own early tracks along with remixes and beat placements he’d had up to that point. This gem takes a sample from Al Green and turns it into a witty and lighthearted conversation about commitment. Kanye brings along Consequence, GLC, and John Legend (who does a good Al Green impersonation on the track) for support.

Song: The Notorious B.I.G. - Freestyle Live at Mister Cee's [Downloa d]

Biggie Smalls is the illest. Biggie was one of the most versatile rappers to exist. When he was street, he was convincing, when he was larger-than-life, he was mesmerizing. In this, an intro from a Biggie-themed Mister Cee mixtape (he’s the guy that introduced BIG to Puffy), Biggie plays the role of hungry hip-hop head. Though not often highlighted when discussing Chris Wallace, the black Frank White was an avid hip-hop nerd. This raw and powerful track, barely clocking in over two minutes, shows the genius MC Biggie was way before Puff stole that “Juicy” beat from Pete Rock and blew up. RIP.

Raphael Saadiq – Good Man

Elizabeth Walker — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:19:20 +0000

Visit Indie Shuffle to download.

Sounds like: The Peach Kings, Alex Clare, The Weeknd, Tony! Toni! Toné!

Song: Raphael Saadiq - Good Man (Theory Edit) [download here]

What's so good?

This is not a new song, but I was saddened to see that Indie Shuffle had thus far missed out on any Raphael Saadiq posts. The 60s born Oakland, CA, native has some amazingly comprehensive R&B roots as a member of Tony! Toni! Toné! (Feels Good, anyone?), in addition to working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, various A Tribe Called Quest members, Little Dragon, Joss Stone, J Dilla, and Jay-Z. Seriously, not a big deal at all.

“Good Man” is a track off his latest album Stone Rollin’, and is a conglomeration of sounds representing his musical career path. A fantastic fusion of jazz, R&B, and soul, the female and male vocals perfectly counterbalance each other alongside a whimsically meandering melody. There is a timelessness in this song, something all at once beautifully classic and current. I dig it, juuuuust slightly.

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1. Original post: Raphael Saadiq – Good Man

2. Posted in: soul, R&B, funk, j dilla, little dragon

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

The Jaz – The Originators (Ft. Jay-Z)

Dwayne — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:00:37 +0000

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Sounds like: Guru, Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Song: The Jaz - The Originators (Ft. Jay-Z) [download here]

What's so good?

Some serious crate diggin’ led us to this rare, jazzy hip-hop track, featuring a very young Jay-Z.

As well as being one of the earliest known recordings of Jay-Z, working along his mentor The Jaz, “The Originators” features one of the best samples I’ve ever heard in a hip-hop song, namely the trumpets from Fred Wesley’s “Foul Play.”

Enjoy this piece of hip-hop history!

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1. Original post: The Jaz – The Originators (Ft. Jay-Z)

2. Posted in: hip-hop, jay z, the jaz

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay Electronica – Call of Duty (Ft. Mobb Deep)

sweeneykovar — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:00:16 +0000

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Sounds like: Mobb Deep, J Dilla, Jay-Z

Song: Jay Electronica - Call of Duty [download here]

What's so good?

I’ll let Jay explain it via his Tumblr post:

“I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t experienced it.

Within just 24 hours, I wrote a record to give away online, summoned the legendary Infamous Mobb Deep via out-of-the-blue tweets, and we released a record together. I became a trending topic worldwide within 3 minutes of its release, and actually penetrated radio. Just heard the news that the Great Zane Lowe will premiere the record in the United Kingdom tonight as ‘The Hottest Record In The World.’

All of the above is attempted daily by major music corporations who have teams of people spending excessive amounts of money and still fall short of the goal. My methodology is apparently much better.

I’d like to take this time to quote my mom…”thats pretty damn good son!”

I guess it is.

And this isn’t even a single.

Or even a song from my album.

It’s just a dope ass beat, with some (extra) dope rhymes from me and 2 of my favorite hip-hop artists of all time, who woke up yesterday not even knowing they’d be on a record with me a few hours later.

Look at the atmosphere all in a stir.

If I were too bigheaded, right now is probably where I would say, “Dog, look around. I’m the fucking man!”

Good thing I’m not too bigheaded.

I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t experienced it.”

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1. Original post: Jay Electronica – Call of Duty (Ft. Mobb Deep)

2. Posted in: j dilla, jay z, jay electronica, mobb deep, young guru

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Jay Electronica – Act II Demo

sweeneykovar — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:22:47 +0000

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Sounds like: J Dilla, Jay-Z, Guilty Simpson

Song: Jay Electronica - Act II Demo [download here]

What's so good?

You’re probably familiar with the story by now. Jay Electronica pops up out of nowhere during the MySpace days with Act I and finesses mystique and superb skills to captivate the entirety of the hip-hop audience with roughly two dozen songs leaked in the course of a few years. He garnered the attention of all major label bigwigs, spawning a year-plus long courting session that was won by the corporate hustler himself, Sean Carter aka Jay-Z.

It’s been almost a year since he signed with Roc Nation in an elegant ceremony in New York. In the time since, he has shipped about two dozen producers, musicians, photographers, writers, and assistants to South Africa for a few weeks where he recorded some of his debut LP. He also moved to London. He also has not released much music.

Today, out of nowhere, we get a continuation of material that won’t make Act II (the first being the song for @fatbellybella, if I recall correctly). This track is produced by Jay himself, and is still in the demo stages as the vocals are definitely not professionally recorded and there are gaps in his verses. All that aside, this is still iller than everything on Rap Radar and Nah Right at the moment.

Take a seat, grab some popcorn, and enjoy the Jay Electronica show.

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1. Original post: Jay Electronica – Act II Demo

2. Posted in: j dilla, jay z, jay electronica, roc nation, act 2

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Knxwledge – Hexual.Sealings

sweeneykovar — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:46:26 +0000

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Sounds like: Teebs, Samiyam, Madlib

Song: Knxwledge - Beech [download here]

What's so good?

Knxwledge is a regular here at Indie Shuffle. It seems like every other month he drops another spaced out, eccentrically quaint project that has us reaching for our neck brace. Out of nowhere, as usual, the meek laptop wizard gifts us Hexual.Sealings, a collection of re-interpreted songs (the current understanding of the term “remix” does not do these tracks justice) about love from various genres.

Everyone from Faith Evans to Andre 3000 and Bilal get the Sir Knx treatment, whether it’s adding some playful keys to Nas’ overlooked “Book of Rhymes” or turning Jay-Z’s otherwise smooth-as-silk flow to an almost-offbeat diatribe on his remix of “Heart Of The City.”

Then there are the re-imaginations that take a complete life of their own, like Knx’s approach to Drake’s current hit “Marvin’s Room.” After an intro that sounds like it was taken from a mid-90s Mobb Deep album, we get a voice that sounds like Quasimoto (Madlib’s rapping alias, not the one that lives in the cathedral of Notre Dame), rapping Drake’s bars over a dreamy, spaced out electronic soundscape. That’s only about half the tracks on the project. The song we’ve chosen to feature is a reworking of Telephonicmusic’s “Brighton Beach,” now titled “Beech.”

And yes, Knxwledge is currently a free agent with no label, so you can support him directly through his Bandcamp page.

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1. Original post: Knxwledge – Hexual.Sealings

2. Posted in: Electronic, remixes, ambient, experimental hip hop, drake

3. Find more music on Indie Shuffle's Indie Music Blog.

Elzhi – eLmatic

sweeneykovar — Sun, 15 May 2011 18:45:35 +0000

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Sounds like: Nas, J Dilla, Jay-Z, Jay Electronica

Song: Elzhi - Life's A Bitch (Ft. Royce Da 5'9 & Stokley Williams) [download here]

What's so good?

By now, even college professors and red state moose farmers are aware that Nas’ Illmatic is considered the Sistine Chapel of hip hop. A classic that captures a fleeting period — the time of a young New York ghetto-dweller — through some of the most raw, innovative, and influential songs that have ever been laid to wax. So why would anyone ever try to cover it? Hip hop has never been a genre that takes kindly to covering others’ work, unless its a sample.

Enter Elzhi. Probably the most underrated lyricist in the truest sense of the word. The Motown native was introduced to the world on Dilla’s classic Welcome 2 Detroit album, where his intense verbosity and lyrical agility stood out immediately.

After spending years as part of the influential Slum Village collective, bad business within the group and its notoriously wack record company finally drove Elzhi to stand on his own two feet. His 2009 album, The Preface, was good, but didn’t quite pack the earth-shattering bang that everyone expected from El.

Now contractually free to spread his wings, Elzhi reintroduces himself with a very bold move, remaking Illmatic in its entirety. A project spearheaded by DJ House Shoes almost three years ago, the results are sure to shut up all but the most stubborn of haters.

Instead of laying new lyrics over old instrumentals, Elzhi called on Detroit band Will Sessions to replay and recreate the entire album, adding the warmth and nuance of live instrumentation to the classic. Lyrically, El keeps up with arguably the best perfomance on a hip-hop album. Nerds will have a field day; Elzhi often keeps the same cadence and rhyming pattern as the original song, altering the content of the lyrics to reflect his own experiences and situations like in the “NY State of Mind” remake, “Detroit State of Mind.”

My favorite is the remake of “Life’s A Bitch,” the one Illmatic song that had Nas sharing the mic with another rapper, AZ. Elzhi chose Royce Da 5’9, probably one of the only rappers from Detroit that can keep up with El. The ending of the song is a nice twist on the original as well, complementing the trumpet solo by Nas’ father on the original (still duplicated here) with Stokley Williams of Mint Condition performing The Gap Band’s “Yearning For Your Love”, the sample to the song.