Daveed Diggs - Small Things To A Giant and The Getback Crew

Few things make me happier than an album I can play without skipping a track. You know? Those albums that play like a film or read like a really good book? They keep you entranced all the way through, listening to every word or instrument, sometimes forcing you to repeat a track just to catch a slick line. Well...that happened again, thanks to Daveed Diggs and The Getback crew. Also, it's pretty awesome to see an album named after an E-40 line.

Daveed Diggs ft. Rafael Casal - (Small Things)To A Giant


I've listened to Daveed Diggs' newest offering Small Things To A Giant over 10 times and I'm still picking up gems like it's the first time through. Diggs utilizes a combination of rapid-fire flows, soulful harmonies and unique production to craft an album that touches on a variety of topics. We learn about the ups and downs of growing up in a disadvantaged city neighboring prosperity, and how Diggs brushes off the negativity and remembers - it's Small Things To A Giant!

We can all relate to that feeling when the end of the work week rolls around, and the undeniable urge to let loose is in the air. Daveed sums it up perfectly with this ode to the night.

Daveed Diggs - Night Time


The Getback crew is comprised of rappers, poets, actors, singers, musicians, writers, graphic designers, video directors...pretty much the most complete set of talented artists you'll find. This allows them to forge projects the way they want to, in-house, and with complete creative control. The result of this is outstanding pieces of work time and time again.

Download the The Getback Mixtape and checkout Rafael Casal's individual song write-up.

Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs - Babysittin' from The Bay Boy Mixtape.

My favorite thing about The Getback collective is that they don't follow any conventions, they do what they want, how they want. Listening to the their older mixtape you can hear some concepts and melodies they were playing around with manifest itself into a more mature sound on their current projects. The use of live instrumentation and professional arrangement elevate their sound to another level. Take a listen to a mix of music (old and new) and you'll see they keep to a high standard of quality.

Here Rafael and Daveed go hook for hook, coming up with some pure gold along the way. Rafael Casal & Daveed Diggs - Diggs Challenges AD (Getback Mixtape)


One of my favorite tracks from the album - Daveed Diggs ft. Moe Green & Lauren Nagel - Don't Let Me Fall (Small Things To A Giant)


Rafael Casal ft. Daveed Diggs - It's A Love Thing (Bay Boy Mixtape)


Daveed Diggs ft. Rafael Casal - Go Boi (Small Things To A Giant)


Rafael Casal ft. Daveed Diggs - Ghostin' (Bay Boy Mixtape)


Daveed Diggs - F With Me (Getback Mixtape)


So there you have it, Daveed Diggs' debut album (for the free) and a brief intro to The Getback. For more music, videos, and information about upcoming performances follow the squad here: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Chinaka Hodge. And lookout for Rafael Casal's next album The Whoville LP dropping February 2nd, 2012!

- mikhel

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!