Next week Pharoahe‘s “W.A.R.(We Are Renegades)” album drops via Fatbeats. Early low bitrate stream, because “The Hitman” is just straight bangin’. Who else but M-Phazes on the production!?

Pharoahe Monch – The Hitman [112kbps]

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written by nilez \\ tags: fatbeats, m-phazes, Pharoahe Monch, the hitman, w.a.r. (we are renegades)

Next month Black Milk‘s highly anticipated “Album of The Year” is due to hit streets. Other than the heavy contributions from both members of his live band (vocalist/keyboardist AB and drummer Daru Jones), the album exclusively features players and vocalists from his hometown of Detroit. Vocalist Melanie Rutherford, bassist Tim Shellaberger, and the versatile horn player and string arranger Sam Beaubien (who arranged horns and strings on Mayer Hawthornes “A Strange Arrangement”) are just a few names. Peep the latest “Deadly Medley” video featuring Royce Da 5’9 and Elzhi and pre-order the CD via Fatbeats while you’re at it.

written by nilez \\ tags: ab, album of the year, black milk, daru jones, deadly medley, detroit, elzhi, fatbeats, mayer hawthorne, melanie rutherford, royce da 5'9, sam beaubien, strange arrangement, tom shellaberger, Video

WaxPoetics finally brings us the “The Jazz Issue.” Cover stars are trumpeters John Coltrane and Freddie Hubbard, with additional features on Melvyn Sparks, Horace Tapscott, Richard Evans, and the Rhodes Piano, and a thorough and all-too-welcome profile of Creed Taylor–the genius behind the CTI / Impulse / Verve dynasty of diggers’ favorites from the 60s an 70s. Get it at Fatbeats..

written by moovmnt \\ tags: fatbeats, freddie hubbard, horace tapscott, john coltrane, melvyn sparks, rhodes, richard evans, the jazz issue, waxpoetics

On his second major release as a solo artist, Black Milk shows tremendous growth as a producer, adopting more live instrumentation and introducing more complex arrangement than his previous sample-heavy work. He also shows marked improvement as an emcee, and carries most of the album himself with only three guest verses on the entire album (from emcee royalty Pharoahe Monch, Royce Da 5’9″, and Sean Price). Not even two years removed from his breakthrough release “Popular Demand,” Black Milk proves on Tronic that not only is he growing as an artist, but that Hip Hop music as a genre still has room to grow. PRE ORDER the album on Fatbeats. Thanks to Kicksnare.

Your are invited for Black Milk’s online album listening party.

written by moovmnt \\ tags: album listening, black milk, detroit, dwele, fatbeats, long story short, tronic