Top 100 Indie Music Blogs For Students

Just wanted to give a shout out to OnlineDegrees.org (particularly the one like Alexis) for including me in their "Top 100 Indie Music Blogs For Students" list. I don't get many proper accolades, and the peers within the post (big up YNotMyDream, Passion of the Weiss, Potholes In My Blog, Metal Lungies, Pigeons And Planes and others) are some of the cats I consider to be the best at what we do. I'm glad to be recognized in lists like this - makes me feel like people actually read what I'm doing! Thank you.

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the foreseeable future...

So, my job is putting the kibosh on our Internet access. Gonna put a crimp in my steelo, but I won't be gone.less than a minute ago via ÜberTwitterkhal
khal

This does not mean the end of RTD by any means... just a difference of the post flow. More scheduled posts, which could end up being a very good thing. The Friday playlists will end up being posted later in the day, for good or ill. That might be the main letdown - but what can you do? Gotta make the bacon! Plus, this will actually allow me to do MORE writing - which could mean more interviews?! Who knows. Just wanted to give you lot a heads up!

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The Trentonian Mentions RTD

I don't normally get geeked about things, but I was genuinely hyped when I saw that my local paper, The Trentonian, mentioned my name (and Rock the Dub) in conjunction with tonight's Hip Hop Karaoke event in Trenton (at Cafe International, 241 E. Front Street). I was in the car with my mom, my wife and my son, just thumbing through the paper, and saw the article about the event... but was NOT expecting them to name check me AND the site! You can read the Trentonian article here. Little things like that, man... really gets me going. Shouts to @EmceeJermaine and Eva of Trenton Downtown - it'll be good to finally meet you two tonight! If you're in the area, hit us up. Here's the link to the Facebook event page - boom!

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It's A Bloggy Blog World #6: RTD

It's not often that I've been interviewed about what I do here at RTD; honestly, I got interviewed for a magazine in Australia or New Zealand, but I never truly knew if it got posted b/c it's not available online, nor could I get a copy of the issue. But it happened. I know people support the things that go on over here. and to get asked by Kasey The Great to answer some questions regarding rock the dub is an honor. They've featured Vlad TV, All That's Fab, 2dopeboyz and a number of other spots that I consider my peers, so to be #6 in DigiWaxx's "It's A Bloggy Blog World" series is a great look. Check out the feature, find out a little more about me and again, thank you to anyone, be it an artist or reader or fellow blogger who's shouted me a word of praise, linked something on this blog or helped me with any projects I've worked on. It's always appreciated.

READ It's A Bloggy Blog World: Rockthedub.com

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RTD Being Down

If you can see this, RTD isn't down. Hasn't been the case over the last few days; looks like my registrar, Register.com, has been having issues - but the way they operate, they don't tell a nigga SHIT. I need to switch companies...

EDIT It looks like its better today - some heads can access the site, while others are getting a site not found. From the talk on twitter, seems like a lot of heads are still having problems. Funny thing is, I can ping both www.rockthedub.com AND www.dubplatedigest.net and it works fine; try pinging www.register.com, shit times out. Go figure.

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RTD Turning 3

Tomorrow, rock the dub turns 3 years old. It's been a crazy 3 years - I've gotten opportunities to do things (podcasts I neglect, digital labels, etc.), made a slew of friends, be they peers in the blogging world, heads who just feel the same way or artists who I admire. I figure I should give back, but I'm going to keep it kind of lowkey, so I'll be doing some kind of compilation tonight. I'll be including tracks that reference my blog (all 2, 3 of them), tracks I've dug from people I consider "Rock The Dub All-Stars", and some unreleased/exclusives (a few, maybe).

Any MCs/producers who want to hook me up with some tracks, get at me ASAP. Send an e-mail to khaldub@gmail.com with a link or just attach the file. I'm game. I'll let you know if I'll include it or not.

Speak soon!

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Jay-Z "Brooklyn (We Go Hard) (rock the dub VIP)"

Jay-Z ft. Santogold, Joell Ortiz, Uncle Murda & Fabolous "Brooklyn (We Go Hard) (rock the dub VIP)": This blend does exactly what it says on the tin: Jay-Z is the lead-off batter, and down the line, each MC goes in on what they are to Brooklyn, and Hip-Hop in general. Came together pretty easy, I just wish that each one was truly CDQ - some of the mixdowns on each cut are off. C'est la vie!

PS I can't help but wish I was from Brooklyn, the way I rep MCs like B.I.G., ODB, Jay-Z, Mos Def and others. Whattup Elucid!?

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rock the dub x twitter

If you're like me, twitter has slowly become that social networking site that you've not been able to get away from. I was kind of skeptical like "what's the point?", and ended up neglecting my Facebook page for it. Anyways, I got rock the dub posts fed into twitter. All you have to do is follow twitter.com/rockthedub, and get your dose of RTD every half hour or so. Enjoy.

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Crack Music: The Music Of Kanye West

So, I'm not a fan of 808s & Heartbreak. When I got into Kanye West tracks (i.e. when Beanie Sigel's "The Truth" dropped), I was into 'Ye's soulful production. In seeing him on Def Poetry Jam, I loved the mixture of quirky humor and social commentary in his rhymes. I'm not into him being all Auto-Tune'd out, singing over sparse 808 riddims. I don't get into it, I don't co-sign it, and while he probably will break a milli, I could careless. I need my old Kanye music. That crack music.

I had made this initial mix not even as a mix, but as a CD for my mom's boyfriend. He asked me one day what the hype was about Kanye West. I tried explaining Kanye's duality, from the flossy, nigga rich rhymes to his more concious joints, speaking to the soul of man. I am better with the written word than I am speaking, but I think I am even better making CDs to show a nigga what I mean. That all gave way to a mix (1 of 2) of what I consider to be a pretty ill testament to who Kanye West is. This first mix is strictly Kanye West tracks, meaning he's either been the main rapper, main producer, or both. This mix features what I consider to be his best album cuts, alongside some alternate versions, and even a sneaky unreleased jam that plays into the flow of the mix as a whole. Peep game...

DOWNLOAD (mirror)

Tracklist:

01/"All Falls Down (unreleased version)"
02/"Champion"
03/"Can't Tell Me Nothing"
04/"Everything I Am"
05/"Through The Wire"
06/"Jesus Walks"
07/"Never Let Me Down" (ft. Jay-Z & J. Ivy)
08/"We Major" (ft. Nas & Really Doe)
09/interlude: Barry Bonds Is Gangsta
10/"Crack Music" (ft. The Game)
11/"Two Words" (ft. Mos Def, Freeway & The Harlem Boys Choir)
12/"Roses"
13/"Hey Mama (Grammy Remix) (Studio Version)"
14/"Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)" (ft. Jay-Z)
15/"Big Brother"
16/"The Glory"
17/"Wow"
18/"Last Call"

I'm not sure when I'll drop part 2, maybe this week, maybe next. I'll keep you posted.

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DJ Cable x RTD: Crooked I The Block Obama Mini Mix

I hit up DJ Cable with the unmixed Block Obama cuts last month, and he flipped it into a def mini mix. He leaked this earlier today, a few hours after I got word that the cover (done by the homegirl Uri) was completed. Great minds procrastinate alike? Who knows, all I'm saying is MY PRESIDENT IS BLACK!

DOWNLOAD (mirror)

This is a celebration, bitches... enjoy yourself!

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Wayne Brady A Long Time Coming CD Giveaway

I hit you guys with the info on Wayne Brady's debut album, A Long Time Coming, back in August, and now ThinkTank has given rock the dub 5 copies of the CD to giveaway to the readers and random perusers of RTD! Entry to this contest is simple: send me your full name and address to khaldub@gmail.com. I'll be offering this contest through October 30th, so you guys have time to get your enteries in. I will pick the 5 at random.

Good luck!

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The 20/20 Contest

I've already hit you guys with "Do What It Do", from the forthcoming Fokis & Focus... EP entitled 20/20, which drops on September 16th (check out DubCNN's interview with them for more info). I know they have been working on this for a bit, and the fruits of their combined labor will soon be hitting the 'Net for all to partake in...

We do have a special contest for you guys, and it's pretty interesting. Do you see that image up there? The contest question is in that image (you can download the image as well); what you need to do is:

1. Figure out the question
2. Answer the question
3. Send your answer, along with your name, location, MySpace page URL (if you have one) and the URL of the site you saw this contest on to fokis@fokis2k.com!

That's pretty simple, no? The first person with the correct answer will be the winner, and will receive

• A 20/20 T-Shirt, courtesy of a.Fam & Loyalty Records
• An autographed copy of Fokis' first album, More Than One Way

Get crackin' on this, as I will be naming the winner on Sept. 16th.

NOTE: those who enter the contest and are looking for the answer - be resourceful, i.e. use Google, MySpace, etc. to do some reasearch and get the answer. GOOD LUCK!

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MONSTAMASH

Last night, off a 22oz of Beck's and a shot of Absolut, I came up with this bio for producer/illustrator extraordinaire, Monsta. And I think it came out damn good. Shouts to Monsta for the fresh tracks, too... some will be surfacing in a podcast near you.

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Joell Ortiz Shouts Out RTD!

You know, blogging can be a thankless thing sometimes, especially when you're not one of the "bigger" sites out there (whattup Eskay, Shake, Rizoh, etc). It's almost like an "also ran" kind of thing, so when a nigga who you appreciate as an artist takes the time to link to your blog, it's always a good look! I posted up G-Spot's ill Carry The Torch 2 Mixtape, thinking "yo, this is hot, I bet the heads who peep out RTD will be all over this". Never in my wildest dreams did I expect Joell Ortiz to shout me out, from his blog!*

You can't pay for shit like that, when an artist of that caliber reaches out and bigs you up for showing love. I'm not walking around with a big head or anything, but yeah that is some real cool shit. Shouts to Joell Ortiz, and keep checking his site out for his insight on life, Hip-Hop and everything in between.

*EDIT Or at least I thought he did. Word is it was one of his ghost bloggers. Oh well, back to the grind!

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Sugar Tongue Slim - Demand More #3

Sugar Tongue Slim "Demand More Freestyle #3": After peepin' the first two freestyles STS has done, him and I ended up chatting a bit back and forth via e-mail, and I sent him a .rar with a batch of beats, both newer shit and some curveballs. I got an e-mail from him late Monday night with two freestyles in them. The official Demand More #3 freestyle is over Busta's amazing "Don't Touch Me" beat, causing STS to just go for broke on that throwback instrumental. Oh, and this marks the first time rock the dub has been namechecked in a freestyle! The second...

Bonus Beats: Sugar Tongue Slim "Next Levels Freestyle (RTD Exclusive)": ...is an exclusive to the site, and over something you might not expect. Fans of MF Doom's King Geedorah moniker should know this beat ("Next Levels", from the Take Me To Your Leader disc), and STS shines bright over that jazzy piano. I'm guessing this is the first of the "On Demand" freestyles STS is doing!? Shouts out to him, regardless!

As another added bonus, STS sent a video...

Sugar Tongue Slim Demand More (Sneaker Edition)


Until next week... DEMAND MORE IS A MOVEMENT!

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ZFTP x RTD

Tomorrow? Reunion styles...

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Niggers Are Scared Of Revolution

As an annual staple on rock the dub, here is my mix for July 4th. With what's gone on in Black America this year, I figured I had to cover two subjects: Obama for President and Sean Bell. I didn't think I could do this in a CD-length (i.e. under 80 minute) timeframe, so here's a 90-minute mixtape (split up into 45 minute mixes) for your cassette decks. Yes we took it back.

(Side A \ Side B) (dload the complete package)

Tracklist:

Side A
01/intro (Mumia / Pete Rock)
02/Elucid "Starstruck"
03/David Banner ft. Nas "Middle Finger"
04/interlude (Mumia / The ARE)
05/The ARE w/ Oh No & Kay ft. ROc C "When You're Down (Bad Boys)"
06/KRS-One "Black Cop"
07/Trick Trick "Fuck The Police"
08/Guilty Simpson "Pigs"
09/Trama ft. Muja Messiah "Fuck Da Police"
10/2Pac "Trapped"
11/SoulBrotha "Unforgotten"
12/Mos Def "Can U C The Pride In The Panther? (Jay Dee Remix)"
13/Jay Dee "Fuck The Police"
14/NAs "Testify"

Side B
01/The Last Poets "Niggers Are Scared Of Revolution"
02/Nas ft. Johnny Polygon "Black President"
03/Kidz In The Hall ft. Bun B & Talib Kweli "Change (Work To Do Remix)"
04/Bun B "Get Cha Issue"
05/Joell Ortiz ft. Dante Hawkings "Letter To Obama"
06/interlude ("Inadequate Black Male" / Pete Rock / Mumia)
07/Shala "Audacity Of Hope (Live)"
08/6th Sense "Ignite The People Like Obama"
09/interlude (Mumia / M.O.P.)
10/Foul Mouth Jerk "Culture Of Life"
11/Cody ChesnuTT "AfrObama"
12/Eric B & Rakim "Eric B Is President"
13/outro

As you can see, a lot of new shit interspersed with some classic anthems. Shouts to anyone I spoke with on this. Your words mean a lot. Our country definitely needs a mess of change, and what better way to highlight it by with music.

PS: Yes, the title is lifted from The Last Poets. Yes, I believe it still holds water today.

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The Lighthouse Project (Disc 2)

I hit you guys with Disc 1 two weeks ago, and have gotten a lot of positive feedback from heads who are in tune to the sound. I look at this compilation as kind of two sides of the same coin. Where Disc 1 was a bit more harder, mixtape-feel to it, Disc 2 has a lot of the same themes underlying: social issues, love, and a host of introspective moods, wrapped around slick production and capped off with some dope instrumentals. Ah, just read on...

01. Freddie Joachim ft. Lauren Santiago & Jacewon "Hear It From You": Yes, I know, this isn't technically Hip-Hop, but ease off. This is my Hip-Hop Soul joint for the summer. Joachim has beats, Lauren has a sultry voice and Jacewon ties the whole story of yearning with a sick verse... and an extra endpiece. Reminds me of that Pete Rock shit, with a hint of that Neo Soul in it. This is on Joachim's In With Time, which is available... in Japan.
02. Big Quarters ft. Alicia Steele "August": This is from Big Quarters' Lake City Browns album. I dropped the video from this a few months back, and it still has that perfect chilled Sunday afternoon vibe. It's also the perfect compliment to "Hear It From You". Minneapolis, what?!?!?
03. Black ELement "Human": Black EL is on a roll right now, and if you've been hip to the internets, you should have seen this one around. I heard this a bit ago, and had to have it for this project. I love the switch-up in the beat when the chorus comes in, and he throws some witty lines and sows some deeper seeds (check that 2nd verse). A Major Minority is coming...
04. Amanda Diva "Supa-Woman": I was so mad - I couldn't lock down any other tracks from strong female MC's. I got my hands on this one early, and loved that bassline. Amanda has always been an artist I have loved, ever since I saw her spoken word, through her MTV2 stint. She is a chick that many heads would love to wife up - just the total package. One would hope you guys are keepin' into her DivaSpeakTV webisodes, as well as her blog over at Okayplayer. Props to Saptosa for the hook-up.
05. Fanu "So Sleeps The City": One thing I did get, however, were some dope instrumental jams. This is the first of the trifecta. Fanu is one of the artists on this comp who is not necessarily known for his Hip-Hop production - he is more of a Drum & Bass/Jungle/Downtempo soundboy. I sent out a load of e-mails on a whim, and was granted permission to use this track. Has that nice feel of a city like New York, like 1:30AM on a Friday, where the rest of the world is dead but this town is alive and kicking, and you're driving in a taxi, taking it all in. Heavy track.
06. Elucid "Step Careful": I leaked this cut earlier this month (again, I had this track pegged for a minute), and to be honest, I wish I had more from dude. Elucid is an emcee that went from a cat I'd converse with briefly to someone who I've been trying to get shit done with for a minute now. We'll see how that goes... regardless, this Waxwerks11701-produced, harpsichord-driven revival music anthem is from E's forthcoming Save Yourself album. Be on the lookout for that.
07. Muja Messiah "True Lies": Muja has been making crazy noise on this site for the better part of 2008, and for good reason - so much so, that this is the 2nd track of his on this comp! This is one of those wild, conspiracy theory heavy tracks that plays a great bookend to the previous track, spit over a mid-tempo banger. His album (Thee Adventures of A B-Boy D-Boy) is dropping on Black Corners on July 29th as well!
08. Wu-Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M. (Zyon Base Mix)": Zyon Base is a producer who I only knew about from his Drum & Bass productions, so imagine my surprise when he hits me one Saturday with this ill remix of a classic Wu-Tang favorite. It's actually got a sound of something that could have been a B-side to the "C.R.E.A.M." single, which is always dope. I guess I have that old-Soul sound in me. Props to Hobzee for letting me know ZB did Hip-Hop.
09. Wordsmith "The Soulless Saint": Wordsmith is another artist who has gotten 'nuff play on this blog. The one thing I didn't know about dude was that he could weave stories like this, but "The Soulless Saint" is one to grow on. As a leader and a guy striving to make moves, you have to respect dude's hustle. Check out The Mid-Year Review mixtape Words did with Denox & HipHopDX recently.
10. Cave Precise "GOD": This was an early addition to this project, as well. Cave is a talented producer of both straight-up Hip-Hop and some more twisted, genre-bending flavors. This has that pimped-out flex to it, but the organs and the overall feel had me open from jump. The beat CD this came on has some fire on it - MCs looking for beats, take note.
11. Praverb "Urban Legends": Teddy Roxpin went in on this beat. If I was an emcee, I'd want an album of tracks like this. Praverb is such a dope MC, though, it's good to hear him rip this one up. His first verse has been a quottable for me, just for the things he touches on (MF Doom, Cloverfield, etc.), but then tries to get you cats to think about things (like what "Crank Dat" is promoting). Talk about edutainment! I also recently reviewed his Center Of Attention album, which you heads need to check out.
12. Radius "South Shore (Baahumgbug!)": Fire production from Chicago. Instrumental Hip-Hop albums were my lifeblood back in '95, '96, so it's good to hear cats in the '08 still keeping fresh ideas up. If you need a good album to road trip to, or some different flavors for your iPods in general, Neighborhood Suicide is the way to go. I might have a special version of this coming...
13. Burt Fox & El Juba "The Jungle": This might be one of my favorite cuts on this entire compilation. That nasty Electro drive is slowed down, with Juba going buck on some revolutionary but gangsta steeze. Really big track, something you put on in the whip late at night and coast to, doing whatever you do, middle finger to the law. Props to Burt and the entire RiotControl fam. Hopefully he finishes more of his tracks!
14. Joulz Il "Imagine That": Joulz is an MC out of Dallas that I've been trying to put you guys onto for the longest. He is looking for a deal, and deserves one. Not too many cats from out that way are known for being lyrical, and dude actually sounds like a dude from out East, but regardless, he is a gifted MC (with a gifted producer, Entity Starr) who is making captivating music. Real uplifting, symphonic-feel to this joint, and his lyrics are so dense, and actually go from point A to B by song's end. This should be the anthem to all artists who are looking to get the big nickel...
15. Monsta X "Mind Of A Monsta": How about this is produced by MF Grimm? Some more Monster Island Czars shit, with X just going for broke over this eerie, bass-heavy beat. Just some straight, "what's going on in my mind" shit, with some boomin' beats that you might not regularly rock to. Jun hit me with this - good looks fam!
16. Wafeek ft. Azeem "I'mma Learn You": Wafeek's an MC that Trackstar put me onto, and for good reason. I wanted to put out a gang of freestyles over these beat tapes I compiled, and Wafeek hit me with this, over the Dome Cracker Remix of Das EFX's "Microphone Master", and another over a Gravediggaz jam. He flows so effortlessly on this one, and touches on a bunch of topics. Definitely expect to be hearing more from this talented cat.
17. Dyane P & Lex "Confused": I went to high school with Lex, and recently touched base with him via internets, and was surprised by the wealth of cuts he sent me. He actually said going over these has him picking up the pen again, which I feel like is my doing, so hopefully he has more work to put out. I remember him putting me onto the Freestyle Fellowship cats, and bugging over The Slim Shady LP, and hearing his packed lines always kills me. That real Cali open mic flow, which I can always appreciate. And that Ill Oytreb beat ain't nothing to sneeze at, either!
18. Big Jus "Resilient": Another Wally Clark-produced joint - actually, the first Wally Clark track I heard, and it still has me open. That ill super-hero vibe in the string sample, with some understated boom-bap on it. Big Jus goes hard on the beat, doing it justice. I'd like to hear some other cats get a crack at this beat.
19. Altered St8s "Last Call": This is some real-life talk for you guys who work during the week and need to hit the bar for a cold on. Really encapsulates what some cats go through, just some real life shit. Shouts to Lyfestile for this one, he's a monster on this. And this was also the joint that I always wanted to end on, not just for the title but the whole vibe, from the melancholy piano to that Common scratch in the hook. Fitting end to this disc, and the project as a whole.

Again, I have everything uploaded to Mediafire, as well as in a nice, easy .rar file. I appreciate everyone who submitted a track, conversed with me about this project (aka listen to me gripe), anyone who shot a suggestion, Tech Supreme for the dope covers, my close friends and family for the encouragement, all of the artists out there making it happen - anyone on these two discs is a problem! Your work/encouragement/inspiration/words mean so much to me, and are what keeps blogs like this going.

This is for Hip-Hop.

This is not the final piece to this puzzle... nor is this the last Lighthouse Project. Stay tuned!

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REAL St. Louis Hip-Hop

If you're a fan of this blog, you've probably seen posts I've dedicated to Trackstar the DJ, and if you peeped Disc 1 of The Lighthouse Project, you heard Tech Supreme and Tef Poe. One thing the three of these artists share in common is that they represent St. Louis. In the forthcoming Lighthouse Project compilations I am working on (including one dedicated to my home state, New Jersey), I am looking for some ill Hip-Hop from MCs in St. Louis, or in the surrounding area. I'm not sure how the project is going to come about in the end, but I can only imagine it coming out hot, based on the work these 3 have put in.

Submit any tracks to khaldub@gmail.com or hit me on AIM at DOA khal, and let's build!

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Tech Supreme ft. Aunjel "Famous Flavor"

Tech Supreme ft. Aunjel "Famous Flavor": Just letting you guys know, I have uploaded a newer version of "Famous Flavor", Tech's cut from The Lighthouse Project, Disc 1. He remastered it and it sounds hotter. Plus, peep the cover that he sorted out for the project. Fire, right? Hit him up if you are looking for graphics work.

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