Mixpak Had 'Nuff Dubplates For the 2016 Red Bull Culture Clash

For those who were unaware, Red Bull's Culture Clash is the ILLEST sound clash going down on a huge level. New York's Mixpak Records crew SLAYED this year, taking home the title (like I knew they would). They came correct with a bunch of dubplates, but weren't able to play them all, so they made a 63+ minute mix full of them. It's dope, and available to stream down below, and watch the round below.

Moneyshot and Cheeba Pay Tribute to Beck's 'Odelay' With This Stunning Mixtape

The last time we posted a mix from Moneyshot and Cheeba was roughly six months ago, and it was their last Solid Steel set, paying tribute to the Golden Era of hip-hop. This week, in tribute to Beck's dynamic album Odelay (which turned 20 years old on June 18), Moneyshot and Cheeba did a SUPER deep dive into Beck's material around that time, culling "samples, remixes, influences and references involved in the LP, with exclusive narration from Dust Brother, Mike Simpson."

It's an impressive hour, and something you need in your weekend playlist. Even better, the dynamic duo will be taking this show on the road in the audio-visual adaptation they're calling "Four Turntable and a Microphone."

P. Morris On 'TEETH,' His Process, and the Future

Image via Facebook

Over the last few years, I've been drawn to damn near everything that P. Morris was doing. During the dog days of DAD, my love of his material was solidified by a Katy B remix he did under his former guise, MORRI$, and have followed his wave as he explores his sound over numerous projects. From the shorter, emotionally raw LOW to his more recent collection of leftfield bangers, TEETH, P. Morris has conjured up some hazy visions of the future through his intriguing mixture of sounds.

We got a chance to prod him with some questions recently, trying to get a clearer picture of everything from the scatterbrained, pop culture-drenched TEETH to the seemingly more focused LOW, as well as what he has in store for the future and why he decided to include an awe-inspiring live rendition of TEETH (recorded during a set at the legendary Low End Theory) on as a bonus track to the release. Shouts to P. Morris for indulging us.

Lessondary's 'Ahead of Schedule' Has Been Released Ahead of Schedule

Of COURSE Lessondary, a crew we've loved at RTD for years, would drop their long-awaited album Ahead of Schedule ahead of schedule. Cop it TODAY via HiPNOTT in a number of formats (which include a bundle that has a dope t-shirt and one bundle that includes a bunch of Lessondary-affiliated CDs)!

Mousey Drops An Amazing Mix for Beat Cinema

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a number of TEKLIFE crew members sharing a video of some woman singing over DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn's "Drank, Kush, Barz." It was amazing, primarily because she wasn't just coasting over the track; yes, her vocals are dope, but she was doing some kind of live manipulation situation of the track, rocking out the entire time.

I rock with great vocals over leftfield beats, so I was hooked.

That woman turned out to be Mousey, a vocalist who is doing amazing things in the lane of covers as well as originals. Can't front like I know how all of this works, but I love stuff like this Vadim / Destiny's Child cover, and think she's that next next for the world of electronic music with dope live elements.

I don't have funds to send her around the world showing off her talents, but I do think you need to rock with this mix she did for Beat Cinema, where she's not only covering dope songs over dope beats, but she's also throwing in intoxicating cuts like K-Rec's rework of Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" as well as her own original material ("Happy"). She also threw Lil Debbie over Boards of Canada, which is the best thing I've heard in a while. It's dope, late night seduction that is best served chilled.

Check out Mousey's SoundCloud, her Bandcamp, and her YouTube, then thank me later.

PREMIERE: A Mankind Complex Releases Their New Mixtape, 'Destination'

We're in the middle of Art All Night - Trenton 2016, but wanted to stop off and hit you with something special. We told you that A Mankind Complex was one of the acts you needed to check out; hopefully you caught their set on the Russo Music Stage. You might've seen that they had physical copies of their new mixtape Destination on hand...but guess who has the digital premiere? It's dope to see more artists making sure that they had new material to unleash at one of Trenton's biggest events; this is what we like seeing!

On this 10-track release, A Mankind Complex gets deep with it. You can hear it the cut "No Problem," and the project does a great job of getting real with everyday ills while combining all of the things that make this city beautiful and ugly and raging against the machine.

Here's a FREE DOWNLOAD Of Destination. Shouts to Cap City.

Ding to Drop a Mix Every Week at 9AM

Now THIS is something we can get behind. While RTD has our own plans for mixes and things of that nature (that will be fleshed out more in the coming weeks and months), we got an email today from Ding, a UK artist who's surprised us as of late with his broad selection of beats. He says that he's "decided to start dropping a brand new mix every week. The mix will be roughly an hour long dropping all genres" in an effort to "try an explore the depths of some different genres old and new."

Now, these drop at 9AM UK time, but I'm usually sleep at that time (because old), so we're just going to lace you with this at 9AM EST. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sonnyjim ft. Westside Gunn - "Red Mullet"

Dirty elegance; that's what this track feels like. The throwback, '70s soundtrack feel of the instrumental is perfect for the tales weaved. I know a bunch of people are digging Sonnyjim's new track with Heems, but I'll wake up and get my life right to "Red Mullet" every day.

Sonnyjim's Mud In My Malbac drops June 24. Pre-order today.

The Official Art All Night - Trenton 2016 Music Schedule

While this blog thinks globally, we stay acting locally. For the fourth year, we'll be running BlogsAllNight, the official blog for the annual Art All Night - Trenton art and music festival which is going down this weekend, from 3PM on Saturday, June 18 to 3PM on Sunday, June 19 (Father's Day). My family is heavy into the Trenton art scene (shouts to Artworks Trenton), and love helping make this event grow.

Last week, we previewed some of the hip-hop acts you can see during this year's festival, but know that there are a number of dope acts from all genres performing LIVE. For those of you who might need more information, or want to properly schedule your time, check out the full schedule down below (or download the hi-res image HERE). Prior proper planning, fam!

Ivy Lab Turn It Up For Solid Steel

Ivy Lab, aka the trio known as Sabre, Stray, and Halogenix, have been doing the damn thing for a minute, bridging the gap between the drum & bass that they got known for originally/individually and the heavyweight, bass-driven downtempo amazingness they've created as a unit. One of my favorite sounds right now, and I'm loving that they got to flex for Solid Steel.

There's a LOT going on in this mix, with the lofi sound being mixed with more raw jungle/footwork tings. They even included Mr. Carmack's "lonelyfuckingsamurai" and their rework of Cam'ron's "Oh Boy." You NEED this mix.

Flosstradamus Remixed Rusko's "Woo Boost" and Everyone Got Pissed Off

I'm probably supposed to be way more pissed about this Flosstradamus bootleg of Rusko's "Woo Boost." I saw jokers on Facebook kind of pissy over it; I know Rusko's classics probably shouldn't be touched, and Flosstradamus probably should've dropped something original after their most recent hiatus, but sue me. I guess I'm a sucker for that double-time drum during the drop. It's an easy flip for the turnt kids up front.

But I get it. And if you fucks with Toneden, you can get this, too.

The Jersey Club Remix of Skepta's "Man (Gang)" That You Didn't Know You Needed

Kind of surprising that more UK grime tracks aren't getting the Jersey club treatment; guess that's where Uniique and YK come in. Uniiqu3 actually mentioned to me that this Skepta remix was made specifically for a recent UK tour, and it went off. It's the perfect blend of quirky grime sensibilities and Jersey club's knack for taking the right parts of a vocal or track and turning it into repetitive bliss.

The icing on the cake? This remix is your's for $free.99.

GANG GANG GANG GANG GANG GANG GANG GANG

Black Collar Biz Drops a Quick Freestyle Over Drake's Latest

For someone who's putting down the pen, it still sounds like Black Collar Biz has a lot on his mind. Over Drake's "4PM in Calabasas," BCB clears his head on a number of topics.

"I ain't gotta diss you, I just show you that I'm better..."

The Legendary Stretch and Bobbito Stopped By The Combat Jack Show

This is legendary; I know when Combat Jack and the squad linked up to do the show, it was building on the foundation that Stretch and Bobbito laid, so to have the hip-hop radio GAWDS in the studio? Priceless.

Stretch & Bob have a lot going on, too, considering that they not only their documentary Stretch & Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives was being shown on Showtime (and is available for purchase), but started a new radio show. More details about all of that via their website.

Numonics is Ready For 'Hurricane Season'

Recently, Numonics gifted the world on his birthday with Hurricane Season, an eight-track, multi-genre instrumental release. Aside from having some seriously fire cover art, it contains moving pieces like "Heaven's Gate," which is something different than I'm used to from the boy. There are a number of emotions on this release, from turn up to chill out; grab your umbrella.

hasHBrown ft. NTheClouds, Rob Jay, & Suraiye - "What Have I Done?"

Have you ever pissed off your lady and not known how you got there? Of course you have! If you needed a soundtrack that perfectly captured that turbulent time, hasHBrown and the H-Town homies have got the song for you. Feels like it's been forever since I've gotten some gems from this conglomerate, so I'm blessed.

Be on the look out for hasHBrown's next EP, The Power Nap, which this is taken from. Now get back to figuring out wtf you did to piss off your old lady.

J.Lately - "Goddamn"

Over this ominous track from Space Cadet, J.Lately bears his soul. Reflecting on his past, present, and future, it feels like the scatterbrained thoughts that race in your mind while you're floating. Nothing to get crazy concerned about; this is just how people work out their inner strife, you smell me?

This is the last track Lately's dropping before the release of The Good Panda, which drops later this month and is partially-produced by Space Cadet.

Lando Chill is Trying to Lounge "Early In The Morning"

While this might be too much to blast in your crib at this time of morning, this is perfect for solo blunt smoking. It's early, it's quiet, and it's one of those tracks where you can zone with some positive vibes.

This cut comes from Lando Chill, who linked with Mello Music Group to release his upcoming album For Mark, Your Son, which is due out on August 12. Get to know the spitter via his conversation with Mass Appeal.

Che Grand Up and Released A New EP, "Grandiose Patois'

With The Lessondary so close to finally dropping their long-awaited album, I wasn't necessarily expecting new material from Che Grand. I know he'd been working on stuff, but heard nothing about Grandiose Patois, which dropped late last week...and is fire.

It's totally produced by Che, and only has one feature (the homey Von Pea on "Mental"). It shows off the different sides of Che's sound, from the free jazz strumming to the straight up hypnotic hip-hop. Nothing to sleep on, you freaks.

Blahzé Misfits Are Back For Round Three With 'There Will Be Duck'

If you rocked to our tenth anniversary release, you heard an exclusive number from the duo known as Blahzé Misfits. It looks like that was one gem out of many, as they've unleashed their third studio album There Will Be Duck, which is all kinds of witty, motivational turn up. There's an effortless vibe between the beats and the rhymes that makes this one more fun than some of the other projects we've heard recently. Get lit to this.

There Are Some Dope Acts at Art All Night - Trenton 2016

Back in 2014, Black Collar Biz performed in front of one of the largest crowds I'd ever seen amassed in front of Art All Night - Trenton's main stage. It was dope because I'd just spoken to him a few weeks before the event, and it truly felt like something was about to happen. Collar did it for #TheTown, and it felt like there was a real moment; there's always been a hip-hop scene in Trenton, but I think the combination of the live band element fused with the raw poetry and the neo soul vibes really shifted the focus of the artists in Trenton.



It's been a wild ride for hip-hop at Art All Night - Trenton, and in the city in general, but for those of you looking for a few hip-hop/neo soul vibes at the event, take a glimpse at some of the dope neo soul/hip-hop acts that will be a part of the the three(!) music stages at Art All Night - Trenton this year.

And don't forget, Art All Night - Trenton isn't just about great music—their 10-year anniversary will feature an Iron Pour, live glassblowing, thousands of pieces of art, loads of delicious food, and much, much more. We're talking 24 hours of a great damn time in the city of Trenton. The festivities start at 3PM on June 18, 2016 and roll right through to 3PM on June 19, 2016 (which is Father's Day). I'll be there for at least that long—if you see me there, say whattup!

Scoop - "DDA"

It was dope to see the homey Scoop touch down in #TheTown back in April for the Soul of the Message show. Made me get a little sentimental for those shows at the Atelier, which he and his Swanky crew would frequent (and rip down).

Scoop recently hit me with this freestyle over Pusha T's latest record, and he does the damn thing. Don't sleep.

"early Sunday morning in my 'Preme bag..."

AJ Tracey - "Naila (Murlo Remix)"

Get your weekend turn up right with this fresh remix from across the pond. Murlo took this AJ Tracey cut and made it something that'll have your woofers rattling through Monday. Stream below, and snag that free download ASAP.

DJ Low Key Proves That The Lessondary Are #Never2ndary

With the new Lessondary album Ahead of Schedule finally set to drop on June 24, it's dope to see DJ Low Key dropping what might be seen as the definitive look at the parts that make up the Lessondary crew. This trek through some of the finest material from the squad includes some of my personal favorites, like the N.E.R.D.-flipping "Lessondary Noise." It's dope to see how often the crew has linked up to create magic on a track.

You can stream the tape down below, and grab it for your music listening devices via Bandcamp.

The Other Guys ft. Kooley High - "For My People"

Loving this new one from The Other Guys. The DMV-based production duo has a new project, Life in Analog, which is set to drop on July 22nd and feature vocals from Tanya Morgan, Substantial, Skyzoo, and Kooley High, who spit some realness over this slick production for their people. It's one of those cuts that feels like you're peering into a conversation between a gifted emcee and their squadron, reminiscing on the past while preparing for the future.

If you pre-order Life in Analog, you can own this track, so do the damn thing.

Koncept Links With Numonics During The Year of The Fox

Dope to see two RTD homies linking up. Florida's own Numonics has been down for a bit, and says he's been knocking out a monthly single series entitles "The Year of The Fox" (previous installments feature Edo G, Planet Asia and Ras Kass, and more).

For June, he flipped two cuts from Brown Bag All Star Koncept, and there's a dope yin/yang quality with these two. "The Gospel" is definitely more humble, with the drum-less track really forcing you to check out the beauty in Kon's pen, while "Mondays" finds the Brooklynite getting more aggressive over those slapping drums.

Marinate on these.

J.Lately - "Munchies"

Appreciate the FUCK out of cuts like this. Sometimes, elaborate beats are that crack. Others? All you need is a hypnotic, sparse drum track and the illest horn loop. Seattle-based producer Nick Weaver's a beast for this one, but J.Lately really did the damn thing on the pen. Very playful as he fucks the beat up, with hints of his true illness sprinkled in.

Lately's "Good Panda" tour kicks off this July. Dates down below.

rockthedub radio 032: Muhammad Ali Special

Over the last few days, I'd been going through a number of the mixes that I was doing for a five-year period from 2006 through 2011. In that time, we had many Dub Sessions and rockthedub radio shows, of varying quality, and I wanted to get back into that. Part of the reason I started really digging into the rockthedub Mixcloud page. There's a true plan for all of this, I swear.

With Muhammad Ali's passing, I got the bug and wanted to combine some of my favorite talking bits from him over the years with some of the hip-hop I've been digging over the last few years. This isn't like a definitive statement on Ali's life, but it does feature some of his humor mixed with some of his deeper insight, along with some Easter eggs hidden throughout. Something fun and honest to help remember The Greatest by. Rest in peace, Muhammad Ali.

And as an FYI, don't expect these radio programs to be on some kind of consistent basis. If they happen monthly right now, we'll be lucky. It's hard to believe I used to do two-hour rockthedub radio shows on a bi-weekly basis. I will have more to come, though, trust that.

DOWNLOAD rockthedub radio 032