Soopafly readies "Best Kept Secret" for fall 2011

It's not like Soopafly was hidden under a bunch of stones within the last years, as he was affiliated with several projects such as Westurn Union aka Dubb Union, but you could argue that he was very silent on a solo tip. So the title of his upcoming album "Best Kept Secret" seems more than appropriate, considering that he never got the credit he deserved for his production and delivery.

Though hist last record "Bangin West Coast" was not really astonishing to me, I will not dare to miss a new Soopafly song when it drops. So today I am happy to announce that Soopafly is really back at it! One of the songs featured on his album will be the amazing Terrace Martin collaboration "G-Funk Martian", which is just wonderful music. Music that we need. No surprise that Terrace had his hands on it. But this is a real banger, Soopafly isn't even cussing, he just giving you the motivation to vibe. So check out "G-Funk Martian" ft. Terrace Martin.



The boys from dubcnn weren't sleeping neither, so they exclusively dropped the other leaked song, named like the album "Best Kept Secret". This song features Goldie Loc, Kokane and Maylay. Now if that ain't west coast...

Check "Best Kept Secret" feat. Goldie Loc, Kokane and Maylay:

Snoop, E-40 and Wiz invading cd stores near you!

Yessir, just a little reminder. Today is the release date of three (well four) new records of some of the hottest rappers to hold the mic right now.
Be sure to support the artists and buy

E-40 - Revenue Retrievin: Overtime Shift

Featuring production from Droop-E and the appearences of Devin The Dude, B-Legit, Guce, Bosko and many more.

E-40 - Revenue Retrievin: Graveyard Shift

Featuring production from Droop-E and appearences of B-Legit, Bun B, Slim Thug, T-Pain, Turf Talk and many more.

Snoop Dogg - Doggumentary

Featuring production from Fredwreck, Battlecat, The Gorillaz, Kanye West, David Banner and more, plus appearences of Too $hort, E-40, T-Pain, R. Kelly, Bootsy Collins, John Legend, Wiz Khalifa and many more.

Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers

Including the #1 hit single "Black and Yellow" and the appearences of Too $hort, Chevy Woods and Curren$y.


Damn, I wish I was in the U.S. to get my hands on these records for a fair amount of cash. You can expect a review on these records soon on Love For The West.

Check these videos if you're still not sure that these belong in your cd collection:

Terrace Martin drops "The Sex EP"

Terrace Martin is back with another EP, available for free download once again. It's such a pleasure for all fans how much good music this guy has released for free in the past years, it bears repeating. After his criticially acclaimed "Here, My Dear", Terrace shoots with a sequel EP simply called "The Sex EP". Compared to the insightful and sometimes melancholic last release, this is about how lovely life can be and makes the right follow-up.

Download "The Sex EP" here, for free:
http://www.mediafire.com/?eg4ckqidve87gy1

Be on the look-out for an in-detail review soon on "Love For The West".

Oh, and yeah, enjoy "The Sex EP".

New Radio feature today! "The Samples"

I'm back today with another episode of my radio features of "The Breaks", live on Hertz 87.9 . In tonight's broadcast the music will be all about sampling and remaking some of the most awsome funk and soul classics, that's why I simply named it "The Samples".
The concept is easy: The were will be 14 tracks, 7 remakes and 7 originals where the remake is always followed by its source of inspiration. So you will get a nice mixture of sick rap music and that classic jazz and funk sound.

To listen to the show, just click on the banner in the sidebar where it says "live stream". My feature starts at 22.00 CET.

Tracklist:
01 Warren G – Runnin’ Wit No Breaks
02 Les McCann & Eddie Harris – Go On And Cry
03 MC Eiht – All For The Money
04 Tyrone Davis – In The Mood
05 Nas – Live Now
06 Earth Wind & Fire – Fantasy
07 213 – Groupie Luv
08 Herbie Hancock – Chameleon (Short Version)
09 Droop-E – Loaded ft. E-40
10 Sade – War Of Hearts
11 Ice Cube – Stand Tall
12 William DeVaughn – Be Thankful For What You Got
13 Mixmaster Spade, King Tee & DJ Pooh – You Better Bring A Gun
14 Taana Gardner – Heartbeat

Be sure to check this out and leave a comment! Let the music speak!

Bootsy Collins readies "Tha Funk Capitol of the World"

Funk legend and former Parliament-Funkadelic member Bootsy Collins will be releasing a new album in April. The project is entitled "Tha Funk Capitol of the World" and is the bass player's first album since his 2006 christmas album "Christmas Is 4 Ever". In a recent interview on billboard.com, Bootsy stated “Since I’m still here, I really wanted to connect those dots…so young people can see that what they think is so new isn’t so new.” referring to the death of some his former colleagues like James Brown.

So we can expect a fresh new album bringing back that good old funk music, that crazy psychedelic sound but with some special surprise moments. At least the guest list lets us suspect this as people like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Musiq Soulchild, George Clinton, Bobby Womack, Samuel L. Jackson and many more are featured on this record. Even the godfather of guitar, Jimi Hendrix, will have a little appearence. Check the tracklist below. If that's not enough to get you hyped, I don't know what else could get you funked up!

Tha Funk Capitol of the World Tracklist:
01. Intro
02. Hip Hop @ Funk U (feat. Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, & Chuck D)
03. Mirrors Tell Lies (feat Jimi Hendrix)
04. JB-Still the Man (feat. Rev. Al Sharpton)
05. Freedumb (feat. Dr. Cornel West)
06. After These Messages (feat. Samuel L. Jackson)
07. Kool Whip (feat. Phil Ade & iCandice)
08. The Real Deal (feat. Sheila E. & iCandice)
09. Don’t Take My Funk (feat. Catfish Collins & Bobby Womack)
10. If Looks Could Kill (feat. Bela Fleck, Zionplanet10, & Dennis Chambers)
11. Minds Under Construction (feat. Buckethead & (Z-Class))
12. Siento Bombo (ftfeat Olvido Ruiz & Ouiwey)
13. Garry Shider Tribute (feat. George Clinton & Linda Shider)
14. Stars Have No Names (They Just Shine) (feat. Nick Arnold & Chrissy Dunn)
15. Chocolate Caramel Angel (feat. Faith Daniels, Ronnie Racket, & Casper)
16. Yummy, I Got the Munchies (feat. Musiq Soulchild, Razzberry Hershey & Tom Joyner)


Source: consequenceofsound.net

Another 2010 preview

In my last post I presented some upcoming records of famous west coast artists, so you can consider this post as being part 2 of it.

Cypress Hill signed to Priority Records last month, the resurrected label whose chairman is no other than Snoop Dogg. Their new single "Armada Latina" features Pitbull and Marc Anthony and is about to get huge rotation with its feelgood vibe and hispanic hook. The group's new album is called "Rise Up" and will be released on April 20 and will feature the likes of Evidence (Dilated Peoples), Young De, Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) and Alchemist among others.

Brotha Lynch Hung just released his new album "Dinner And A Movie" on Strange Music. The Sacramento rapper went back to his earlier style of music as you can hear on his two singles "I Plotted (My Next Murder)" and "Meat". You can check the official videos to both singles by clicking on the title.

Living Legends member Murs revealed plans to release a series of 10 albums this year, one album per month for the rest of the year. He stated that he got too much unreleased material from the record process of his last solo album "Murs For President" which was released on Warner Bros. records. His first release will be out tomorrow, March 30th and is called "ForNever". This will be another 9th Wonder and Murs collaboration album and is about to sound just as good as the prior releases of the duo.

When it comes to funk influenced hip hop and crazy hooks you can't forget about the former Ruthless and Doggystyle records member Kokane aka Mr. Kane. His new album "Gimme All Mine" is about to drop on the first day in June and will feature appearences of Above The Law and Tha Chill (Compton's Most Wanted). This sounds like the perfect mixture for another funky Kokane release. The first single is produced by Tha Chill and goes with the title "Twilight Zone". The video was directed by Dah Dah and looks very promising.

Be on the lookout for more information soon.

Si-Chill

Flashback Music: Part I - Mr. X "Flossin"

Today I'm presenting you my new weekly feature "Flashback Music" which will contain some old and almost forgotten masterpieces for you to remember. Just to keep that good old stuff alive and appreciate the music.
I will start part one of this new feature with a track by Mr. X called "Flossin". I still don't know if this guy is alive, I didnt hear anything from him besides his self-titled solo album of the year 1994. But the music is awsome - the whole album is.



Si-Chill

Best of 2008 Series Part I: Paris - Acid Reflex

It is kind of late, but I will begin my "Best of 2008"-series now with the 6th album of Guerrilla Funk CEO Paris, called "Acid Reflex". This series will contain my collection of the best albums released in 2008. Unfortunately, it was quite easy to choose the best records from the past year because of the downfall of quality music in this genre. 2008 was a very bad year for music at all, especially for rap when you look at the sales-numbers also. Even Snoop Dogg didn't manage it to go platinum for the first time in his career despite his hit-single "Sexual Eruption" ("Sensual Seduction"). Nowadays, many rap-artists try to flood the market with non-quality music to make the quick dollar and the rising of digital releases reflects the crisis of the music-industry. Of course, there still are some artist trying to put out quality music instead, whether on a major label or not, but it is sad to see that even those artists rarely fulfil the expectations of the fans.

It took the self-proclaimed "Bush Killa" 5 years to put out his latest solo-effort "Acid Reflex" through his own Guerrilla Funk label and the controversial cover speaks for itself. The lyrics are highly political as usual and Paris tries to show his state of mind on the system in the election year. Still sharp, still embittered and still radical, Paris raps about a country being based on apprehension, lies and consume but the music differs a bit from the album's forerunner "Sonic Jihad". The beats are less banging and "gangster" and also less jazz-funk influenced but are more monotonous and more simple, meaning the drums do not sound that elaborate and there are only a few funky arrangements in the background. The music is still professional produced and well balanced, but it sounds more slow and similar. The barnstorming groove is kind of missing on this CD.

The albums has its musical highlights for sure, though. I have to mention the lead-single "Don't Stop The Movement" - which features newcomer T-K.A.S.H. on the hook - at first, because this sounds just like the Paris we know from "Sleeping With The Enemy"-days. You may put the CD into your system and the first track just bombs you away like "whoa!" (see also: my full review to this song here) and you sure will expect more of that sound. But you will get belied a little bit then, because most of the other songs cannot compete with this one. There is no "filler" or complete failure on this album, but most of it is not really thrilling or special - besides some of Paris' raps. As I said before, his raps can still carry you. He is still aiming on the president like on "The Trap":

>>I vote but never stop the problems around
Them soldiers, only murderin the black and the brown
I get my gun and stun 'em we run 'em out of the town
I'd rather, shoot now Congressman, shoot the President<<

When it comes to punchlines, there are only a few rappers that can see Paris at all and he proves this with his lyrics on "Winter In America" also. This song features Chuck D by the way. Paris turns the light on the abuse of 9/11 as a political and social tool to manipulate people:

>>9/11 is no longer a conspiracy
It's being used to reduce civil liberties
Speak critically, they can legally ignore you
And let the verachip think for you<<
Another great track is the drum and guitar based "True". The background effects combined with the echoed synthesizer plus the deep-toned bass keep the thing working, as well as Paris' lyrical effort does:

>>I know you think the West coast started with Eazy and finished with Pac
But think again, we got it just as hard out here
You act like the government ain't in charge out here - man
Pass the Molotov, light it up and throw it at the city hall
Administration, station
Face the Nation, I ain't talkin 'bout the President
I'm talkin 'bout the flag with the star and the crescent in it<<

He also loses a few words about the actual state of hip-hop and you can feel him not being content with it:

>>I'm a threat cause mainstream rejection didn't spook me!
Rappers tried to make me switch and couldn't move me
Kufi salute me and true niggaz choose me<<

>>Now tell me what's so gangster 'bout flossin your bank account
for some quick attention from the women while the people in the hood suffer<<

As usual, Paris' skits are also packed with a political message, so is "The Violence Of The Lambs" on which you can hear Pastor Jeremiah Wright stating some unpleasant facts about America (read here). America's chickens are coming home to roost, somewhat reminding me on the proverb "what goes around, comes around", you can have your own opinion about it.
The CD is listenable from beginning to end, with its great moments here and there, but it misses some replay value in the long run. I would name 5 standout-tracks, including the remix of "Don't Stop The Movement", which is easily the most exciting track I've heard in a minute.

With "Acid Reflex" Paris dropped a very solid and vintage sounding album, but as I said, I think he could have done a little bit better, measured against his earlier releases. This shows, that even grown artists like Paris seem like they do not really know which direction they should give to their music. Compared to the bulk of lame and uninteresting music by other rappers these days, this album is a blessing though. It's good to see that there are intelligent people, putting out intelligent music, don't let themselves get dumped by the industry and keep the funk alive (at least a bit).
So keep in mind:"The people united, will never be defeated."

----Rating: 7,5 / 10

Si-Chill

Paris - Don't Stop The Movement

I start up my blog today with telling you, that we most probably already have heard the song of the year. For those that didn't, check it out here. It's the current single of Paris' latest studio effort "Acid Reflex" (released on Oct. 28th through Guerrilla Funk) and it's called "Don't Stop The Movement" featuring his protégé and label member T-K.A.S.H. on the hook. The song, especially the video itself illustrates the music Paris has made in his career almost perfectly. A raw and funky bass-line, smooth rhodes in the background, smashing and well balanced drums as well as a beat changing during the hook and hard e-guitars with a kinda weird tune to it, which sound a bit disharmonious but fitting at the same time. Paris raps harsh and aggressive as if he never put the microphone aside. His message is obvious, he appeals to the - especially black - people to take back america from the cruel government and capitalists as well as the warmongers which destroy the country.
If this isn't enough for a 2008 comeback, Paris delivers a "Warrior Dance Mix" of this songs on his album also, which remembers me on the good old "Guerrilla Funk" times with those tracks like "Guerrilla Funk [Deep Fo' Real Mix]" and "It's for Real [Extended Movement Mix]".
Paris really has the nerve to change the beat adding a bass guitar, the classic black panther sound effects, another raw e-guitar plus some well known and typical westcoast sounds to it. But, surprise, this isn't even the best: This remix also contains a stunning saxophone solo and G-Funk legend George Clinton, who has some words for the listeners to end up the album.
This sax-solo is the musically best thing that I have heard in the last years on any rap album, even exterminating the impressive work of DJ Quik on Snoop Dogg's "Press Play" song (not saying this is bad though).
You can just sit there and enjoy it and then skip back and enjoy it again. It feels good to hear that Paris still can affort some mid-90's G-Funk for his fans, not fearing any criticism of "not going with the time". Because that's exactly what destroyed rap music - that's another topic though. He gives his audience what they have been missing for a longer time now, that funky feel-good sound. A 10/10 song for real.

Be on the lookout for a full review of Paris' new album "Acid Reflex" soon and feel free to drop any comments. And, most important, enjoy this song.

Si-Chill