'Mainstage' ft. Defari - 3 The Hardway

Rapper/DJ/producer crew 3 The Hardway are on the verge of releasing their new album 'Set in Stone'. The lead single of that album is 'Mainstage' which features Likwit Crew main man Defari (my favourite rapper-who-I've-not yet-checked-properly).

This, to me is pretty much how Hip Hop should be: Rhymes about making it (but maybe not always that), scratches and a headnod beat. Despite being from Denver, Colorado they've cultured a pretty westcoast sounding thang which suits Defari's amazing voice like a Dapper Dan outfit.

You can check this track out on that Imeem thingy or on their very own myspace.

'WLIB AM King of the Wigflip' - Madlib (album review)

If I’m honest, Madlib confuses me what with all the aliases and collaborations and the HUGE back catalogue. To become a fan - where to begin?!

On the intriguingly entitled ‘WLIB AM: King of the Wigflip’ Madlib sticks to his Beat Konducta moniker. What is immediately clear from listening to this LP is that Madlib, despite what his die-hard fans may think, shines far brighter when providing beatscapes for quality MC’s.

The tracks solely accredited to The Beat Konducta are nothing more than filler to my ears, albeit filler that, if a rapper had stepped to it, would probably be hot. The tracks with singers don’t do anything for me either – props for branching out but when the album is blessed by heavy weight MC’s the sung tracks flop with the only exception being ‘Yo Yo Affair pt. 1 & 2.

The album is more than worth a purchase for the rocking stand out moments such Guilty Simpson’s ‘Blow the Horns on ‘Em’, Defari’s awesome ‘Gamble On Ya Boy’, Prince Po’s eccentric ‘The Thang-Thang’, Talib’s Reflection Eternal-ish ‘What it Do’ and the stripped down Murs track, ‘Ratrace’.

Madlib closes BBE’s Beat Generation in style leaving this reviewer ready to hear more Madlib/MC collaborations old and new.

Of some interest...

It's about time again that I just post a few tracks up for you, mainly in the non-UK Hip Hop mould. Yes, occasionally I do listen to US Rap, here is some of it:

Two new tracks from Guru: 'Who Got It On Lock' featuring Doo-Wop and 'Knowledge' featuring Lord Tariq. 'Who Got It On Lock', produced by Solar is so 90's which is perfectly fine by me and 'Knowledge' is...well, quite 90's sounding as well. Also fine. Lyrics and flow are classic Guru.

Esoteric made an album in 2007 entirely using Gary Numan samples. The album is 'Pterodactyl Tubeway' and it's pretty cool. 'Deathless Fascination' samples Tubeway Army's 'Are Friends Electric' (Yes, the one the Sugababes sampled too when they mashed that up with Adina Howard's 90's-tastic R'n'B hit, 'Freak Like Me') and it's about stupid girls.

Last year Statik Selektah released his album 'Spell My Name Right' which featured mad guests. 'No Mistakes Allowed' features Doug E Fresh, Tony Touch, Scram Jones, DP-One, DG GI-Joe, DJ Revolution and Esoteric! It's a simple break with an old school vibe. Perfect.

Madlib has a new album just about to drop entitled 'WLIB AM: King of The Wigflip'. It also has bare guests such as Guilty Simpson, Murs, Prince Po and Defari amongst others. You're officially allowed to hear 'The Ox (805)' which features MED and Poke but since I totally love it here's 'Gamble on Ya Boy' which is a funkfest blessed by the golden tones of Defari - gotta get some albums by this don.

Some real old school 90's stuff now from Kool G Rap and DJ Polo from their 1995 set '4,5,6'. The track 'Money on my Brain' samples Herbie Hancock's awesome jazz-funk experiment 'Chameleon' as well as featuring MF Grimm and B1.

Web is a new artist attempting to break the scene. Currently he is releasing a track a week through blogs and the like from his album 'It'll Be Alright, Book One'. The best one so far is 'Get Over (Prologue)' which samples the Diana Ross track 'Love Hangover', which I posted on here not so long ago. Preview the album here or buy it here.