PAx Noble Thinks A Lot of You Artists Are "Fake AF"

Now I love stuff like this. There's a lot to be said for the way music is going today; a lot of cats want their music to sound crispy as fuck and have a catchy-as-shit hook, and most of the time they take that route because their hooks > their bars, but they can pay for the ill studio engineers, so they don't work on their craft. Props to heads like PAx Noble, who see what they're doing and raise them a little back-to-basics kick in the ass.

When talking about this cut, PAx says that with "Fake AF," he "wanted to go back to the basics and keep it raw without a lot of bells & whistles. Want people to give more attention to the verses and what I’m saying rather than hide behind a complex mix and hook." It shows, fam, and I'd just say keep doing what you're doing. Too many frauds out there for the real to be buried underneath.

"Fake AF" recently hit iTunes, so if you want to support, go in; you can also stream and download the track below. And use your creativity, people.

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Frank Knight - "Vain (Rediculus Remix)"

You have to love when two hip-hop titans get together to give dope material a new coat of paint. That's what the mighty Rediculus did for Frank Knight's 2015 album Free Lunch. Their new project, Munchies, is a full-on Rediculus remix of Free Lunch, and if this rework of "Vain" is just the tip of the iceberg, heads who rock Timbs and skullies year-round are going to be VERY excited. This knocks, HARD, and contains bars as hard as the beats. Say ya pray-ers!

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New Track City - "Get it, Got it, Good."

You'll never understand how much new artists will excite me. There's something about getting material from someone you'd NEVER heard before, having the music hit you, and letting that familiar rush of excellence wash over you. That's how I felt when "Get it Got it Good," the new one from the trio known as New Track City.

This squad (which hails from Federal Way, Washington) reminds me of the underground hip-hop I'd record over night off of college radio. The actual production is much airier than what you'd expect from the lyrics, which are raw and playful, with some witty bars mixed in with loads of real talk.

One hopes that crews like this, who have obvious talent and seem to be having fun doing them, could get put on. At the very least, let ya boy blog premiere a mixtape or something! Speaking of tapes, their Damn Gina Tape is reportedly on the way; for now, stream and download "Get it Got it Good."

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Ray Dawn - "Shit To Do"

As per usual, Ray Dawn is on his grind and has no time for ain't-shit people in his life. If your hustle is about more than tweeting "#nosleepgang," you can make Ray's latest your mantra.

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Taso Readies His 'New Start'

The TEKLIFE crew has really done the damn thing when it comes to their record label. Not only did they put out DJ Rashad's posthumous Afterlife album, but they recently released DJ Earl's Open Your Eyes; both are prime examples of why the TEKLIFE producers own the footwork scene. If you love the 'LIFE and have been keeping up with Taso's Bandcamp page, you'll know that he's been dropping dope compilations each month. That work has been in preparation for New Start, his forthcoming TEKLIFE album, which is due out on December 16.

Taso's been riding for the 'LIFE for a minute, and as Resident Advisor reports, he respects: "Thank you and much respect for supporting Teklife music. Without you there is no us. This record is dedicated to DJ Rashad and his family." New Start features two collaborations with DJ Rashad and DJ Spinn, as well as the likes of Earl, DJ Manny, Gant-Man, DJ Tre, and DJ Taye. One of the Spinn and Rashad collabs, "AM Track," has been remixed by Salva—that rework is available down below.

The vinly version of New Start is limited to 1,000 copies, so pre-order ASAP. Full tracklist down below.

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Coldcut and Adrian Sherwood Inna Dub Meltdown

I don't know if I've said it before, but I'll damn sure say it again: if it wasn't for the work Coldcut has put in over the years, I'm not sure if I'd be as well-versed in the sounds of the world as I have been. These two DJs have been doing it for decades, finding a way to go from being the cut-up masters to exposing the world to numerous sounds; everything from hip-hop to jazz to jungle to reggae has fallen under their razors, being sliced, diced, and ultimately dissected by lovers of sound like myself.

To celebrate the release of their new EP Only Heaven (which features the likes of Roses Gabor, Roots Manuva, and the mighty Switch), these two decided to hit the weekly Solid Steel radio show with a reggae-fied, dub-wise hour of a mix, featuring cuts from Lee "Scratch" Perry, King Tubby, The Upsetters, and many more. Not to leave anyone else out, they aligned with the legend Adrian Sherwood, who runs On-U Sound and has worked with Coldcut, Pinch, and others, helping put his stamp on the UK dub/reggae scene. Adrian took over Hour 2 with "a selection of unreleased ,forthcoming and relatively unknown and difficult to find On-U Sound productions / co-productions and a taster of the Coldcut/Onu collaboration , plus a Dub Plate from Ireland's finest, RiRa."

You can stream and download both mixes after the jump

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Young M.A. and De La Soul Get Remixed by Nappy DJ Needles and Benja Styles

I love when DJs have similar DJs, but instead of hitting you with the same flex, they take different paths. Let me explain. We all know that Young M.A.'s "OOOUUU" is one of the biggest records of the year. Homegirl merked her "Chiraq" freestyle, but this record took over radio and had the streets BUZZING! Something about the simpler flow and that infectious "OOOUUU" in the track turned this one into a winner.

In going over my inbox (Ed Note: send new music to rockthedub@gmail.com), I noticed that I had new remixes of this record from Nappy DJ Needles and Benja Styles, who both had the same idea. Why not reconstruct Young M.A.'s 2016 smash with De La Soul's circa-2000 classic "Oooh?" The results? Amazing.

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Every Thanksgiving / Black Friday 2016 Mixtape You Need to Hear

Last year, I was so amazed at the sheer volume of Thanksgiving and Black Friday mixtapes that I had to make a post about them. Similar to the IRL Black Friday shopping day, the deals and sales actually start earlier; this year, Gucci Mane and Boosie Badazz already had projects out on Wednesday night. Them's the breaks.

Either way, if you're done getting lit with your family, here's a look at the mixtapes and releases that dropped during our country's fattest holiday. Turn up.

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Stones Throw Kicks Off Their Subscription Series With Unreleased Jaylib

Now this is great news! Today, Stones Throw announced that for the lovely price of $250, you get one year of Stones Throw vinyl releases. "This includes single albums, double albums, 12-inch singles, 45s, box sets, and special edition reissues," they said. The first release? Madlib and J Dilla's Jaylib remixes, which is getting it's first vinyl release ever. To sweeten that release, the previously-unreleased cut "Da Rawkus" will be featured; word is this banger was recorded in Los Angeles and Detroit in 2002.

For more information on the Stones Throw Subscription service, hit this link; the offer is only good until December 25, 2016, so get your money up. A full stream of "Da Rawkus" is available down below.

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DLR: Escape Into 'Dreamland'

With so much going on in the world of drum & bass, it's easy to become enamored with an artist than totally lose track of everything they've done. I feel like that's what's happened with me following DLR, who I originally knew from his work with Octane before going solo in 2013. Their Method In The Madness was seen as one of the top LPs of 2012, but DLR's moved on from strength-to-strength since.

In 2015, he dropped Seeing Sounds via the always forward-thinking Dispatch Recordings imprint. There's something about the way Ant TC1 and the crew approach the genre, and DLR exemplifies their ethos in quality controlled, forward-thinking drum & bass. Surprisingly, he's back with another full album, Dreamland, which is available today on vinyl and digital download.

Dreamland is much more of a concept project, highlighting the importance of having your personal haven in this massive (and massively fucked up) world while paying homage to drum & bass being done right; we're talking a keen ear for the late '90s vibe, and some top-notch sound design. With a number of captivating interludes guiding the way, it's easy to see the thought DLR put behind this project.

In our convo, DLR and myself look at the reasons behind going back-to-back with album releases, his own private dreamland, and the importance of dnb returning to its punk attitude.

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