New Joint – DJ Yess & D. Crime / A.K. Dope / Wavey / Da Jazz

DJ Yess & D. Crime ft. A.K. Dope, Wavey & Da Jazz – “Tears Of Blood” (@DCrimeMusic71 / 2014)

The veteran UK duo deliver some genuine true-school flavour on this head-nodding new single.

Supplying The Demand EP Stream – Raw Product

UK duo Stealf (producer) and Mista Flix (emcee) definitely chose an appropriate group name to record under, delivering uncompromising ruggedness on their new EP “Supplying The Demand” which also features heavyweight appearances from Jehst, Cappo and Micall Parknsun.

New Joint – Phili ‘N’ Dotz

Phili ‘N’ Dotz – “Travel The Globe” (PhiliNDotz.BandCamp.Com / 2014)

Taken from the UK duo’s new album “Phil N’ The Dotz” featuring Klashnekoff, Blak Twang, Verb T and more.

New Joint – Majestic Gage

Majestic Gage – “Revolutionary” (@MajesticGage / 2014)

The Diggin’ In The Crates affiliate delivers though-provoking rhymes on this new track produced by Canada’s Illatracks.

New Joint – Ruste Juxx & VSTheBest

Ruste Juxx & VSTheBest – “Your Song” (@RusteJuxx357 / 2014)

Taken from the Brooklyn emcee’s recent Biggie-inspired album “Ready To Juxx”.

New Joint – AG Da Coroner

AG Da Coroner – “Welcome To My World” (@AGDaCoroner / 2014)

Gritty Rec The Director / Lord Nez- directed visuals off the Brooklyn emcee’s 2013 ATG-produced EP “Crushed Grapes”.

Album Review – Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild

Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild

“Silk Pyramids”

(Thrice Great Records)

The place an emcee calls home has always been an important factor in Hip-Hop. For example, over the years, if a new artist was able to claim the likes of the Bronx or Brooklyn as their stomping grounds, it immediately lent their upcoming project a sense of credibility due purely to the history of said NY boroughs. On the flip-side, freestyle favourite Mad Skillz titled his debut 1996 album “From Where???” thanks to the low expectations Hip-Hop heads had at the time of any artist coming out of his Richmond, Virginia locale.

But whilst hometown pride has been commonplace in the rap game since day one,  there are those emcees who rhyme well who just happen to come from a certain place, with their postal address not necessarily having a direct link to their artistry, and then there are those lyricists who literally embody the place they came up in, with their environment and their music being virtually inseparable. Think MC Eiht and Compton. Scarface and Houston’s Fifth Ward. Raekwon or Ghostface and the slums of Shaolin. And, of course, Biggie and Brooklyn.

At its best, the music of the above mentioned artists (and others) has gone beyond simply being about quality beats and rhymes, managing instead to capture the sights, sounds and stories of their respective surroundings, which in turn has informed their work with an organic, tangible quality that puts the listener directly into their world with no compromise or apology.

On his latest full-length project, the Buckwild-produced “Silk Pyramids”, NYC’s Meyhem Lauren does exactly that. Pulling us deep into the galaxy of Queens via his colourful wordplay, the Outdoorsmen member delivers a solid slice of Rotten Apple Hip-Hop that finds Laurenovich looking no further than outside of his front door for inspiration.

Stating on the opening Action Bronson-assisted “100 M.P.H.” that he’s “so Queens that you can feel me”, Lauren goes on to paint vivid images of his beloved borough on “Q.U. Cartilage”, weaving landmarks, names and personal memories together to create fast-moving cinematic rhymes that time-travel from Meyhem’s youth to the present day, with the rapper sounding grateful that he’s reached a point in life that some of his friends perhaps haven’t been lucky enough to see (“Blastin’ Billie Holiday out the Benz coup, Came a long way from the days when we were strange fruit…”).

The organ-driven “Salmon Croquettes” finds Lauren being joined by AG Da Coroner, with the Brooklyn lyricist delivering a gruff verse of epic OG proportions, sounding like the rhyming version of Ving Rhames’ character in John Singleton’s “Baby Boy” as he claims to be “the real meaning of a rap artist” whilst sending a warning to rap’s younger generation who “steal from the older gods”.

“Honey Champagne Sorbet” is built around a warm sonic soul glow, as Buckwild delivers the perfect loop to match Lauren’s verses of fly braggadocio,  with the Lo-Life representative sounding like he’s just won Mack Of The Year and is up on the podium delivering his acceptance speech (“My life was written ‘cos I wrote it, Then I got promoted, Pockets exploded, Now this whip I drive is candy-coated…”).

Elsewhere, the mellow “Aztec Blue” is a walk down memory lane, with Meyhem reminiscing alongside Hologram about simpler times involving spraying tags on buildings, hanging-out with the crew and rocking fresh kicks, whilst “Where The $ At” is an obnoxious, drum-heavy display of lyrical arrogance featuring a typically larger-than-life appearance from Thirstin Howl who can be heard flaunting a wallet “big enough to be a saddle” amongst other humourous claims.

The closing “Been Official”, arguably the album’s strongest track, features Lauren boasting of his “outfit architecture” over sublime production whilst pondering whether his “street s**t, poetically spoken” will lead him to be crowned the next king of New York.

Musically, Buckwild upholds his half of the duo’s creative deal throughout “Silk Pyramids”. Whilst it would have been easy for the veteran producer to have been heavy-handed with a signature 90s Diggin’ In The Crates sound, Buck has instead blessed Lauren with a selection of beats that compliment his style and help give the album its own sense of identity.

The only weak link here is the underwhelming “I Want It All” which, unfortunately, suffers due to Buckwild’s production on this particular cut lacking the character heard throughout the rest of his work on the album.

Overall, “Silk Pyramids” is a win for the Queens native. At a time when the uneducated are still claiming that New York rap has lost its distinctiveness, Meyhem Lauren has been carrying on tradition, keeping his Wallabees clean, his Polo collection up-to-par and his rhyme skills sharp, crafting quality music to put listeners in an NY state of mind, wherever it is they might reside around the globe.

Ryan Proctor

Follow Meyhem Lauren on Twitter – @MeyhemLauren

Meyhem Lauren & Buckwild – “Been Official” (Thrice Great Records / 2014)

 

New Joint – Silas Zephania / Phoenix Da Icefire

Silas Zephania & Phoenix Da Icefire – “Double Barrel” (@SilasZephania / @PhoenixDaFire / 2014)

The two UK emcees let off some heavy lyrical firepower over raw production from Russia’s Masta Kraft.

Phil N The Dotz Album Sampler – Phili ‘N’ Dotz

Album sampler for UK duo Phili ‘N’ Dotz’ forthcoming project “”Phil N The Dotz” featuring production from Leaf Dog and Pete Cannon plus appearances from Blak Twang, Klashnekoff, Verb T and more.

Diggin’ Online – Lord Finesse / Showbiz / A.G.

Promo clip for the recently-launched DITCEnt.Com which is the new online home for the legendary Diggin’ In The Crates crew.

New Joint – Len Berzerk

Len Berzerk – “Supply Da City” (@BangCrazy / 2014)

BX Bangaz-produced track from the Rotten Apple lyricist featuring cameo video appearances from Diggin’ In The Crates’ A.G. and D-Flow.

New Joint – Illa Ghee

Illa Ghee – “B.O.D.Y.” (IllaGhee2K / 2014)

Taken from the NY emcee’s forthcoming album “Social Graffiti”.

Difference Album Stream – Creestal

Fresh from his recent CM Jones collaboration with New Jersey’s Moshadee, French producer Creestal’s latest project, the instrumental “Difference”, is a sonic journey which conjures up images of New York project buildings, late-night street-corner drama and lost record collections rediscovered in dusty basements.

Life In A Glass House Album Stream – Mixoflix

Kansas City producer Mixoflix joins forces with the Black Steel Brothers to drop his new concept-based instrumental project “Life In A Glass House” which is packed with crisp drums and soulful samples.

New Joint – Self Jupiter

Self Jupiter – “Don’t Say Nathan” (@JupraCobrah / 2014)

The Freestyle Fellowship lyricist takes it back to his Left Coast roots over a thick slice of Bionik-produced funk.

New Joint – Spesh / Kool G. Rap

Spesh ft. Kool G. Rap – “The Meeting (Problems Or Peace)” (IAmSpesh / 2014)

The NY emcee stalks the competition over sinister DJ Premier production off his forthcoming project “The Art Of Production”.

 

New Joint – Eloh Kush

Eloh Kush – “Cyanide Sentence” (@ElohKush / 2014)

The New Jersey emcee delivers lyrical “cultural restoration” on this mellow track produced by John Robinson (aka Scienz Of Life’s Lil’ Sci) off the forthcoming “Ebony Ronin” project.

New Joint – Habitat & DJ Severe

Habitat & DJ Severe – “Valhalla Rhyming” (BoomBapPro.Com / 2014)

The Heavy Links emcee drops the lead single from his forthcoming DJ Severe-produced album “Empire Building” which features appearances from fellow UK mic fiends such as Mnsr Frites, Chrome and Oliver Sudden.

 

Built To Last Album Stream – Akrobatik

Boston’s Akrobatik has been dropping quality, true-school Hip-Hop for over fifteen years now, first catching our attention with singles such as 1998’s “Ruff Enuff” and 2000’s cult classic “Internet MC’s”, before going on to release full-length projects both as a solo artist and as a member of The Perceptionists alongside Mr. Lif and DJ Fakts One.

Now returning with another quality collection of intelligent, head-nodding Hip-Hop, Ak’s “Built To Last” finds the talented wordsmith attempting to lead by example in a rap world which appears to place less emphasis on genuine skill and lyrical content as each day passes.

Click below and prepare to be schooled!

 

New Joint – El Gant / GGDT

El Gant ft. GGDT – “Five One Eight” (@ElGant / 2014)

The veteran emcee pays homage to his New York stomping grounds on this Jack Of All Trades-produced track from his forthcoming album “Beast Academy”.