COMING SOON: DJ MUGGS VS ILL BILL

Can't wait for this! Just in time for Autumn! Muggs vs Gza soundtracked the winter of  '05 and this looks set to be a winner too! I remember picking up Muggs' 'Dust' in Paris too and everytime I listen to it it'll always take me back to the huge Virgin I bought it in back in 2003. Hopefully I'll have some new memories for this one!

DJ Muggs & Ill Bill - Chase Manhattan ft. Raekwon 

DJ Muggs & Ill Bill - Trouble Shooters ft. Sick Jacken & Sean Price 

(via 2dopeboyz)

COMING SOON: Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report 2: Report The War

I remember getting a copy of  'The War Report' off a friend, complete with covers, back in 1997. I was 14years old. Now CNN are back with the sequel, 'The War Report 2: Report The War', which will be released on July the 13th. The album features guests including Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, The L.O.X., Nas and Faith Evans and the the few tracks I've heard off it so far sound pretty promising. Raekwon's follow-up to OB4CL last year set the bar high for sequels, but I'm not setting the bar too high for this one. After a fairly slow start to the year, any half decent hip-hop is more than welcome.

SPOTIFY: Meth, Ghost & Rae - Wu-Massacre (2010)

'Wu-Massacre' is now up on Spotify for your listening pleasure and although there's only about 30mins of actual music and three remakes, it's still Wu and I'll always love the Wu.

Listen in Spotify

NEW VIDEO: Raekwon - Canal Street

Check out Raekwon's new video off last year's classic 'Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II'.

COMING SOON: Meth, Ghost & Rae - Wu-Massacre (2010)

As usual, things always slip under my radar unnoticed and I only just heard about this album, which is due for release at the end of the month! Following Raekwon's awesome 'Only Built For Cuban Linx II' last year, it's fair to say expectations are pretty damn high! However, I just read something Method Man said and am not totally sure what to expect now:

“Def Jam put a rush on it.  We didn’t have a lot of time to work on it. We recorded with no budget. It is what it is. We did this for the fans. It felt good to get in the studio with Rae and Ghost. The future looks bright.”

Quite a few of the songs have been leaked too apparently, so I'm gonna go give them a listen. Anyway, check out the trailer below:

1995...A Hip-Hop Spotify Playlist

A classic year in hip-hop, with classic albums from Raekwon, Gza, The Roots, The Pharcyde and other hip-hop greats. Check it out!

Open 1995 Hip-Hop in Spotify

SAMPLED: Fat Joe/Raekwon/Atmosphere & The East St.Louis Gospelettes - Have Mercy On Me

I've been listening to the SAMPLE SET  I posted earlier and as soon as the sample for 'Have Mercy' came on I instantly recognised it. Not only was The East St.Louis Gospelettes' song used for Raekwon's 'Have Mercy', but Fat Joe's classic 'Crack Attack' and Atmosphere's 'Say Hey There' also use it. Whilst Fat Joe's track uses the opening piano, the other two use the same part of the song. Here's the original:

SAMPLE SET: Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II (2009)

 
Download the sample set over at:

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II SAMPLE SET

Albums I Enjoyed In 2009

I think it would be impossible to even attempt to compile a Top 50 of 2009, simply because one, I probably haven't listened to 50 new albums this year and two, if I had there's no way I could've given them all the attention they deserve for them to become a favourite. Therefore, I thought I'd list some albums I enjoyed from 2009.
Obviously, you'll probably read it and say "I can't believe he missed this or that", but if you think I should give something a listen please leave a comment. Sure, there are a few albums that featured heavily in major lists that I didn't care for too much, but there are just as many that I just never got around to listening to.

There are quite a few albums I'm just getting round to listening to and would probably make the list, but I haven't given them enough attention yet for the to join the list. For example, I recently got into Kurt Vile, but haven't got round to listening to his latest album 'Childish Prodigy' and I love Espers, Bob Dylan and Sufjan Stevens but haven't listened to their latest albums as of yet. Also, I've recently been listening to Dam-Funk's 'Toeachizown', Dinosaur Jr's new album, The Mantles and Flaming Lips' 'Embryonic' and I like the sound of them, but just haven't heard them enough to warrant a place in my favourite's list.



Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Grandes Exitos (tour release only)
Atlas Sound - Logos
Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
BLAKROC - BLACKROC
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer EP
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Beware
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Smoking Acid EP
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - One EP
Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
Cass McCombs - Catacombs
Conor Oberst - Outer South
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Devendra Banhart - What Will Be Will Be
DOOM - Born Like This
The Duke & The King - Nothing Gold Can Stay
El Michel's Affair - Enter The 37th Chamber
The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
Ganglians - Monster Head Room
GIRLS - Album
Grizzly Bear - Veckamist
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World
Leonard Cohen - Live in London
Leonard Cohen - Live at The Isle of Wight
The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Monsters of Folk - S/T
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract 
Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx II
Real Estate - Real Estate
Smith Westerns - Smith Westerns
The Strange Boys - The Strange Boys and Girls Club
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
Ty Segall - Lemons
U-God - Dopium
Wavves - Wavvves
White Denim - Fits
Woods - Songs of Shame

Stereogum's Top 50 Albums of 2009

Nice to see The Horrors in this list. Still no Felice Brothers!

50. Antony And The Johnsons - The Crying Light [Secretly Canadian]
49. Mos Def - The Ecstatic [Downtown]
48. Silversun Pickups - Swoon [Dangerbird]
47. jj - n° 2 [Sincerely Yours]
46. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II [Loud/RCA/BMG]
45. Regina Spektor - Far [Sire]
44. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns [Saddle Creek]
43. Mastodon - Crack The Skye [Reprise]
42. The Dead Weather - Horehound [Third Man]
41. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures [DGC/Interscope]
40. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms [Lefse]
39. Brand New - Daisy [Interscope]
38. Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle [Drag City]
37. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains [Self-Released]
36. The Horrors - Primary Colours [XL]
35. Tegan And Sara - Sainthood [Vapor]
34. Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport [ATP]
33. Florence & The Machine - Lungs [Island]
32. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm [Jagjaguwar]
31. The Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come [4AD]
30. Dan Deacon - Bromst [Carpark]
29. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career [4AD]
28. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers [Domino]
27. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young [Cult/RCA]
26. Metric - Fantasies [Metric Music International]
25. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast [Fat Possum]
24. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug [Domino]
23. Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk [Shangri-La]
22. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You [Sony]
21. Japandroids - Post-Nothing [Polyvinyl]
20. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart [Slumberland]
19. Atlas Sound - Logos [Kranky]
18. Wilco - Wilco (The Album) [Nonesuch]
17. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night [4AD]
16. The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love [Capitol]
15. Bat For Lashes - Two Suns [Astralwerks]
14. Fever Ray - Fever Ray [Mute]
13. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer [Jagjaguwar]
12. St. Vincent - Actor [4AD]
11. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic [Warner Bros.]
10. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone [Anti-]
09. Passion Pit - Manners [Frenchkiss]
08. The Antlers - Hospice [Frenchkiss]
07. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz [Interscope]
06. Girls - Album [True Panther]
05. The XX - XX [Young Turks/XL]
04. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [Glassnote]
03. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca [Domino]
02. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest [Warp]
01. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion [Domino]

Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2009

 
I won't bother ranting oer what's missing. Plenty of good albums included and plenty of great albums missing. Here's the list:

50 Woods - Songs of Shame
49 Cass McCombs - Catacombs
48 DOOM - Born Like This
47 Zomby - Where Were U in '92?
46 Dan Deacon - Bromst
45 The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
44 tUnE-yArDs - BiRd-BrAiNs
43 Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
42 A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Ashes Grammar
41 Baroness - Blue Record
40 Mos Def - The Ecstatic
39 Jim O'Rourke - The Visitor
38 Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People-- Lazers Do
37 The Antlers - Hospice
36 Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
35 jj - jj n° 2
34 Passion Pit - Manners
33 Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
32 Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
31 Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
30 Röyksopp - Junior
29 Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
28 Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery
27 Various Artists - 5: Five Years of Hyperdub
26 Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
25 DJ Quik & Kurupt - BlaQKout
24 Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle
23 Memory Tapes - Seek Magic
22 Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
21 Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
20 Real Estate - Real Estate
19 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
18 Atlas Sound - Logos
17 The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
16 Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
15 Japandroids - Post-Nothing
14 Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms
13 St. Vincent - Actor
12 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
11 Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
10 Girls - Album
09 Fever Ray - Fever Ray
08 Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
07 Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
06 Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
05 Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx... Pt. II
04 The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
03 The xx - The xx
02 Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
01 Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Pitchfork's Top 100 Songs of 2009

I won't bother to criticise the list, as lists are always going to be different and songs will always be missing. My band of the year was probably The Felice Brothers and they got no mention. Oh well. So here it is anyway, as if you're like me, then you'll love lists regardless of your opinion of it. Plus, I know I for one haven't listened to every track on this list. Have you?

Listen to them on Spotify! (Those that are available!)

Pitchfork Top Songs of 2009

100 Darkstar - "Aidy's Girl's a Computer"
99 Julianna Barwick - "Bode"
98 Future of the Left - "Arming Eritrea"
97 The Smith Westerns - "Be My Girl"
96 Gucci Mane [Feat. Plies] - "Wasted"
95 The Thermals - "Now We Can See"
94 Best Coast - "Sun Was High (So Was I)"
93 Morrissey - "Something is Squeezing My Skull"
92 Cam'ron - "I Hate My Job"
91 HEALTH - "Die Slow"
90 The-Dream - "Rockin' That Shit"
89 No Age - "You're a Target"
88 Passion Pit - "Moth's Wings"
87 Here We Go Magic - "Fangela"
86 Drake - "Best I Ever Had"
85 Wavves - "No Hope Kids"
84 Junior Boys - "Parallel Lines"
83 Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi"
82 DJ Kaos - "Love the Nite Away (Tiedye remix)"
81 Bowerbirds - "Northern Lights"
80 YACHT - "Psychic City (Voodoo City)"
79 Pictureplane - "Goth Star"
78 Charlotte Gainsbourg - "IRM"
77 Frida Hyvönen - "Jesus Was a Cross Maker"
76 The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Don't Haunt This Place"
75 Gold Panda - "Quitter's Raga"
74 Neon Indian - "Should Have Taken Acid With You"
73 Woods - "Rain On"
72 Matt & Kim - "Daylight"
71 A Sunny Day in Glasgow - "Close Chorus"
70 Discovery - "Orange Shirt"
69 Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
68 Röyksopp [Feat. Robyn] - "The Girl and the Robot"
67 Arctic Monkeys - "Cornerstone"
66 Julian Casablancas - "11th Dimension"
65 The Tough Alliance - "A New Chance (The Juan MacLean Remix)"
64 Annie - "Songs Remind Me of You"
63 Real Estate - "Fake Blues"
62 Volcano Choir - "Island, IS"
61 Atlas Sound [Feat. Lætitia Sadier] - "Quick Canal"
60 Kurt Vile - "Freeway"
59 tUnE-yArDs - "Sunlight"
58 Fever Ray - "If I Had a Heart"
57 Sleigh Bells - "Crown on the Ground"
56 John Talabot - "Sunshine"
55 Bat For Lashes - "Glass"
54 Joker & Ginz - "Purple City"
53 The xx - "Islands"
52 St. Vincent - "Actor Out of Work"
51 Antony and the Johnsons - "Aeon"
50 Matias Aguayo - "Rollerskate"
49 Yo La Tengo - "Here to Fall"
48 Destroyer - "Bay of Pigs"
47 Yeah Yeah Yeahs -"Heads Will Roll"
46 Memory Tapes - "Bicycle"
45 The Flaming Lips [Feat. Karen O] - "Watching the Planets"
44 Jay-Z [Feat. Alicia Keys] - "Empire State of Mind"
43 Camera Obscura - "French Navy"
42 The Big Pink - "Velvet"
41 Major Lazer [Feat. Nina Sky and Ricky Blaze] - "Keep It Goin' Louder"
40 Bear in Heaven - "Lovesick Teenagers"
39 Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"
38 Dirty Projectors and David Byrne -"Knotty Pine"
37 Surfer Blood - "Swim"
36 Fever Ray - "When I Grow Up"
35 Micachu and the Shapes - "Golden Phone"
34 Atlas Sound [Feat. Noah Lennox] - "Walkabout"
33 DJ Quik and Kurupt - "9x's Outta 10"
32 The Very Best [Feat. Ezra Koenig] - "Warm Heart of Africa"
31 Lily Allen - "The Fear"
30 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "Young Adult Friction"
29 jj - "Ecstasy"
28 Neko Case - "This Tornado Loves You"
27 Four Tet - "Love Cry"
26 Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"
25 Cass McCombs - "You Saved My Life"
24 Basement Jaxx - "Raindrops"
23 Animal Collective - "Brother Sport"
22 Delorean - "Seasun"
21 Raekwon [Feat. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, & Method Man] - "House of Flying Daggers"
20 Japandroids - "Young Hearts Spark Fire"
19 Joker - "Digidesgin"
18 The Big Pink - "Dominos"
17 Fuck Buttons - "Surf Solar"
16 The xx - "Crystalised"
15 Girls - "Hellhole Ratrace"
14 Joy Orbison - "Hyph Mngo"
13 Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer"
12 Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait for the Others"
11 Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky"
10 Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"
09 Girls - "Lust for Life"
08 Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
07 Big Boi [Feat. Gucci Mane] - "Shine Blockas"
06 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Zero"
05 Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
04 Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"
03 Phoenix - "1901"
02 Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is the Move"
01 Animal Collective - "My Girls"

El Michel's Affair x Wu-Tang Clan

These guys hail from NYC and earlier this year released a cover album of Wu-Tang instrumentals entitled 'Enter The 37th Chamber.' They cover a range of Wu-Tang related songs, ranging from Gza's 'Duel of the Iron Mics' to ODB's 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya.' They've also supported Raekwon on tour. The whole album can be heard on Spotify or You Tube and is a definite must for any Wu-Tang fans out there!

My most played tracks of 2009

1. Black Lips - Short Fuse (17 plays)
2. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Can't Hear My Eyes (16 plays)
2. M.I.A. - Paper Planes (16 plays)
4. The Felice Brothers - Penn Station (14 plays)
4. Leonard Cohen - Memories (14 plays)
6. The Tallest Man On Earth - Honey Won't You Let Me In (13 plays)
6. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers (13 plays)
6. Blitzen Trapper - Furr (13 plays)
6. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Can't Take My Eyes Off You (13 plays)
10. Black Lips - Drugs (12 plays)
10. The Felice Brothers - Roll On Arte (12 plays)
10. Raekwon - The Return Of The North Star (12 plays)
10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - The Drummer (12 plays)
10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Interesting Results (12 plays)

BLAKROC

Although I've not listened to the new BLAKROC album too much yet, these songs were instant head nodders (partly due to the fact that Raekwon's on one and Rza the other!):


Following Only Built For Cuban Linx II, Raekwon can do no wrong!








In case you didn't know Blakroc is a rap rock collabo album between The Black Keys and a few of hip-hop's legends. Following the Black Lips' recent collabo with Gza and Jesse's (Eagles of Death Metal) plans for his solo project ("I'm trying to work with Dr. Dre and my dream job of all time would be to work with [Outkast's] Andre 3000) it's definitely good to see more rock artists emrbracing their love of hip-hop. Check out one of several making of videos: