Kendrick Lamar - Section.80

I've had this album in constant rotation since it dropped, which is a strong indicator that Kendrick Lamar has a bright future in music (or at least in my library). Section.80 (a play on Section 8 and the 1980's) is a conceptual album, chronicling the various emotions, attitudes, and characters that represent the "80's Baby" generation. Topics and specific themes contained in this album are evident from the song titles alone ["A.D.H.D.", "Tammy's Song (Her Evils)", and "Poe Mans Dreams (His Vice)"]. The album plays like a very fluid movie, with thought-provoking content and high quality production. The interludes are perfect and provide a great narrative to the story, while the diverse instrumentation allows Kendrick to show off his unique and everchanging delivery. This is one of those works that you can get lost in, playing over and over, picking up new pieces to the puzzle with each spin.

"A.D.H.D." encapsulates so much about this generations disposition to drugs, differing view points in relationships, and just the daily life of a 20-30 year-old.

I’m in the house party trippin off my generation
Sippin cough syrup like its water, never no pancakes in the kitchen
Man, no wonder our lives is caught up in the daily superstition
That the world is bout to end, who gives a fuck? we never do listen
Unless it comes with an 808, a melody and some hoes
Playstation and some drank, technology bought my soul
Looking around and all I see is a big crowd, that’s product of me
And they probably relatives, relevant for a rebel’s dream
Yep, her president is black, she black too
Purple label on her back but that tab is light blue
She take it straight to the head, then she look at me
She got AD-HD…

On "Poe Man's Dreams", K.Dot describes his growth from a child into a man, while his motivation to succeed (family) remains unchanged. 

I'd like to start it out from the bottom and build with ya
Be on my last dollar and split the bill with ya
I’m 23 with morals and plans of living cordial
Not rich, but wealthy. There's nothing you can tell me
My killings are not remorseful
The city got my back, and for that, I give them my torso.

I find the final third of the album really interesting. Each song seems to touch upon the different stages of grief and dealing with pain from the perspective of a man growing out of his youth.

"Chapter 10" leads off with a warning to the 80's Babies - "In time you'll learn this is about you", which could equate to overcoming Denial. The interlude ends with the instruction to "Show Your Pain", to look within and grow from adversity.



The Pain in "Keisha's Song (Her Pain)" is too sad to go into much detail, but unfortunately, not uncommon. In the end Kendrick makes sure to prevent anything like this from happening to his younger siblings, absolving him of any Guilt from lack of guidance.

My little sister eleven, I looked her right in the face
The day that I wrote this song, sat her down and pressed play.

On "Rigamortus", Kendrick blacks out on a rapid-fire flow with such proficiency that you cannot hear a single gasp for breath. This is pure Anger, resulting in the "execution" of any competition.

With "Kush & Corinthians" follow the Compton MC as he Reflects over life's ups and downs. On another listen, it's the perfect tune to vibe out and ponder those events that have brought you to your current state.



"Blow My High" touches on the need to Separate oneself from past bad influences and move Forward towards a Positive future. Also, it's a sweet ode to Aaliyah.



"Ab-Soul's Outro" is an inquisitive Realization and Reconstruction of self, brought to life in the form of spoken word stanzas over incredible live instrumentation.



"HiiiPoWeR" is an anthem for Acceptance of circumstances and Hope going forward, all over head-banging production from J.Cole.

Section.80 is definitely in my Top 5 for this year! Hit iTunes and support Kendrick Lamar for a steal at $8, you won't be disappointed.

Outasight, but not out of mind

Outasight is one of those artists (of a growing population) you could throw in the category of "rapper-turnt-singer", the fortunate thing for us is that he makes some incredible music. Outasight vocalizes over instrumentation pulling from what seems like every popular genre over the past 50+ years; Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rock and Hip-Hop fuse together with OU's singing and rapping to create the perfect mix of timeless music.

To get a taste of his varying style, feast your ears on "Further/Everything's Alright", the introduction to 2009's Further.

We might as well continue to the next track (this is a trend, you will end up listening to the whole thing) from Further, "Catch Me If You Can".

Catch Me If You Can

Outasight | Myspace Music Videos

Now that you have an idea for what Outasight is about, let's move onto one of his strongest (most cohesive) albums, 2010's Never Say Never. "Ahh Yeah" mixes that classic sound from the 60's with modern day rap to create a tune that you won't soon forget.

As with Further, you can let Never Say Never ride all the way through and lose an hour just like that. Listen to "Dear Heartache" and continue the journey.

Outasight has the majority of his work available for download (mostly free too!) both on his website and his bandcamp. After digesting Further and Never Say Never, I suggest From Here to There. As explained on the intro, "it's not a mixtape, it's an album prequel!", which includes more features from his peers in the Hip-Hop realm.

I'll leave you with his latest single, "Tonight is the Night", which you may have heard on TV as Pepsi and X-Factor feature it heavily.

Trombone Shorty and New Years Eve 2011

Trombone Shorty and the rest of his Jazz/Funk band Orleans Avenue are going to ring in the new year with back-to-back performances at The Fillmore on December 30th and 31st, 2011. If you haven't heard of this phenomenal group, it is time to get acquainted. Take a listen to the opening piece ("Buckjump") from the new album (For True) and I guarantee you won't be able to sit still.

Next, step into the world of Trombone Shorty and see how he gets down. This is the latest single "Do To Me" from his most recent album For True.

If you're anything like me, you'll feel compelled to see this show live. Luckily for us (in the Bay) Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will be performing TWICE in less than a week (tickets). Just as a warning, I tried to go this show last February when they came to town, and it sold out fast. Need another incentive? Check out the sweet poster The Fillmore gave out for the last show (I'm assuming they'll do the same for this show as it will sell out).

So if you're in the Bay this upcoming New Years, or just happen to get the opportunity to see a Trombone Shorty performance, don't miss out!

Enjoy the music! Go to the shows! Support the artist!

Richie Cunning - Night Train

Richie Cunning is San Francisco. This rapper/producer made the perfect soundtrack to The City - Night Train paints a vivid picture of the everyday life of a native. Plain and simple, he knows how to rap, and rap well. Not only that, he produces his own beats and they'll make you feel like you're back in Hip-Hop's "Golden Era" (the 90's obviously). Just like the city of San Francisco, Richie takes you through the ups and downs that life has to offer, and again like The City, you enjoy it all. I've had the pleasure to see Richie perform a good five or so times now since 2005 and his live show is exceptional. He gets the crowd rocking, has great humor, and best of all: it sounds like the actual CD. The worst shows are when performers are inaudible, rap over their own vocals, or just plain yell into the microphone. Richie Cunning is non of these things, and what you hear now is what you will hear at the show - awesomeness.

This first song is the title track, "Night Train", and is a great place to begin (even though it is one of the albums' closers).

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11_Richie_Cunning_-_Night_Train.mp3

Next, take a listen to Richie Cunning's "The City".


On this ode to his town, Richie gives you a taste of San Francisco, and you can't be mad at lines like this:

I be the black hat, jacket and glove cement trooper / call me the zen Buddha of the N-Judah / I saw the dynasty of Steve, Jerry and Joe / I saw the Giants try to see how deep Barry could go / the SCO heavy but I carry the load / Til everybody in America memorize my area code (FRISCO!)

(Full disclosure: I used to ride the N-Judah all the time and have now run into Richie 4 times in the streets of SF...real life rap!)

OK, how can you not like music that samples great childhood movies? Below you will find the video for "Richie Cunning's Day Off" (word to Ferris).

And this next track samples Willy Wonka, which I've always wanted to hear in a beat, so my ears have been blessed. It's one of those amazing records that you can relate to and motivates you to keep working towards your goals. I believe a music video is coming soon, but for now, enjoy the audio to "Pure Imagination".

If you get the chance to see Richie Cunning live (next show is Dec. 8th @ 330 Ritch) don't miss out! He has three projects out that you can preview, download and purchase on his bandcamp. Also his twitter is hilarious if you're into that sort of thing.

Enjoy the music, see the shows, support the artist!

Left Coast Leaning and Rafael Casal

Tonight is the second performance of Left Coast Leaning 2011 held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, featuring one of my favorite artists of all time, Rafael Casal, and his new play "The Limp".

YBCA and Youth Speaks' Living Word Project are proud to present the third edition of Left Coast Leaning. Artists chosen to participate in Left Coast Leaning reflect the unique pulse of the West Coast arts scene and the festival format enables audiences and artists to engage in a shared dialogue that crosses performance disciplines. By celebrating the diversity of cultures that lie at the heart of West Coast society, Left Coast Leaning presents an alternative to the negative image of hip hop arts that is projected by contemporary media and challenges artists and audiences to viscerally engage with each other. Our hope is to shift marginalized art forms such as spoken word, media arts, performance installation, puppetry, deejaying and contemporary folklore from the periphery to the center of contemporary performance. Left Coast Leaning integrates disparate ideas both outside and within the city of San Francisco to establish the Bay Area as a place for artists, scholars, and arts lovers to encounter this dynamic and flourishing New Majority American art form. (via)

 I've been fortunate enough to attend several Youth Speaks and Brave New Voices spoken word competitions, and I must say, they are life changing experiences. If you have the opportunity to check this out, or any other Youth Speaks/Brave New Voices events, don't miss out!

 Now, if you have missed out on the phenomenon that is Rafael Casal...it's time to catch up! Rafael is a poet/rapper/singer/video director/all around talent powerhouse who currently has 4 released projects attached to his name (some are easier to find than others). His full length The Monster LP, The Bay Boy Mixtape, The Getback Mixtape (I couldn't find a link..I guess only the diehards like myself have it. If I get enough requests I'll upload it for the masses), and one of my favorites As Good As Your Word.

Rafael Casal is one of those artists who knows the importance of words; he doesn't waste a single one throughout his rhymes. Below are a few videos so you can see what I'm talking about!
  

The lead single "Monster" off Rafael's The Monster LP

 

Rafael's first appearance on HBO's Def Poetry Jam performing "Barbie & Ken 101"

This is a great example of The Getback's live show. Rafael, Daveed and the rest of the band performing "B.A.Y."

Rafael schools us on some of the top Bay Area slang that has been adopted by the rest of the country.

Enjoy the music, see the shows, support the artist!

The Beginning

Hey Friends,


To kick things off right, let me introduce a song by an artist who has really gotten me excited for the future of Hip-Hop. This track inspired the title of this blog as well.



Big K.R.I.T. - The Vent (Return of 4eva)


This is the last track off of Big K.R.I.T.'s latest album (called a mixtape, but he is the sole producer and all of the music if original) Return of 4eva which is available for free download here. This will definitely be in my top 5 albums released this year.

Big K.R.I.T.'s appeal is his ability to create timeless music. K.R.I.T. writes lyrics with a message that is focused around a theme, and vary in content from serious to fun, basically everyday life. His instrumentation is incredible, and the beats are always jammin'.

Big K.R.I.T.'s major label (Def Jam) debut, Live From The Underground, is slated for an early 2012 release, but catch him on tour at a venue near you on The Smokers Club Tour launching in early October 2011.