Jonwayne - 404 Trilogy (2009)

 

Final post of 2021 in the form of Jonwayne's 404 Trilogy from 2009! 

A buddy recently asked me to hook him up with Jonwayne's three 404 mixtapes, so I figured I'd post them here as well. "404 Blueberries," 404 Rawberries," and "404 Madness" were all released in 2009 via blogs and forums. They're comprised of beats that Jonwayne made on the SP-404. Over the years, as Jonwayne has continued to build a name for himself, these ones have sort of fallen by the wayside. So get em now - all in one link!

404

Oh yeah, some may not know that Jonwayne was a lesser known Project Blowedian. Peep a young Jonwayne trying to get on the mic at the Blowed during an Otherwize and Flako7 freestyle (with Dibiase on the beats) lol!

Trylemma's Top 25 Projects of 2021!

 

With another year nearly in the books, here's my Top 25 Projects of 2021. Did you miss any? 

25. Chadio & The Dirty Sample - No Wives Club

24. Claud Six - Pantry

23. Illogic & Odd Nosdam - Right the Ship

22. 2Mex - Ghostwriting Songs for God

21. AllCityJimmy - 1/2 Child 1/2 Devil

20. RAP Ferreira - The Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures

19. Mestizo - IIWII

18. Jeff Spec & Birdapres - Illustration

17. Evil Ebenezer - Evil Thoughts Good Intentions

16. Shad - Tao

15. Milc & Calvin Valentine - Tiger Milc

14. RAP Ferreira - Bob's Son

13. Cleen - Lancaster Drive In

12. Baby E & Ouija Macc - We Never Forgot

11. Gift of Gab - Finding Inspiration Somehow 

10. R4PC4MP, Dug & Happy Tooth - Just Outside America's Test Market

9. Toussaint Morrison - Social Science Club

8. Dark Time Sunshine - LORE

7. Death Dealers Anonymous - Raised In The Rubble

6. Juice Wrld - Fighting Demons

5. Ceschi - This Guitar Was Stolen Along With Years Of Our Lives

4. Lil Lotus - Error Boy

3. Kanye West - Donda

2. Year Of The Ox - Year Of The Ox

1. Deadpan Darling - Deadpan Darling

Graves 33 - The Cost of Living in Section Hate (2011)

 

 

I was just talking to someone about Graves 33 and realized that this album is pretty much the ideal fossil for a Friday, especially a Friday holiday (happy holidays all!). In my humble opinion Graves 33 epitomizes everything great about the indie rap scene. He's amazingly talented both on the mic and behind the boards. He's a true artist who is just addicted to creating not just music but visual art as well, and he is highly conscious of his platform, always respecting his audience and doing his best to do good (this is pretty damn cool right here) while keeping his subject matter interesting, intelligent and dope as hell. It may be noted right here that I think he's one of the most talented folks working in the indie rap game at the moment. One man's opinion.

The Cost of Living in Section Hate, as mentioned on Trylemma's Cost of Living post is a bit of a compilation consisting of that album and Section Hate (lol no way), spruced up (basically remixed almost entirely, I have Cost of Living and most of Section Hate (but not all, if anyone has a full length rip of this PLEASE please hit us up lol) and I can tell you this album contains mostly unheard material. The production here is top notch, with some beautiful guitar work by Graves' father Randy Hansen and the rapping is confident and fresh with conscious topics and a laid back cool that is Graves' trademark.

Enjoy The Cost of Living in Section Hate!

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New Music: Jack Vaul - A Long Where Away

 

 

I had the good fortune to hear this little gem very recently, Mr. Vaul (of Adelaide, AU. Amusingly I neglected to mention much background when I originally posted this lol) was kind enough to drop it to us and I happily accepted the chance to do a post about it. My only other experience with Jack was through his work with Thorts as Thorts & Prayerz which is an amusing but ultimately dope little EP they did together. This is very much a different beast.

A Long Where Away is dark, hard hitting and heavy. Production tends towards melodic, brooding guitar driven dreariness with some moments of beauty, in many cases brought to you by vocalist rainforestcloudmachine like on the jaw dropping album closer "Castles", a meditation on isolation and loneliness which lyrically wouldn't be out of place on Pink Floyd's The Wall.

This seven track EP features a bit of everything for the modern indie rap consumer. Jack can certainly rip shit up crazy like on "Goldfishing" but his storytelling lyricism is notable as well, especially in places like the aforementioned "Castles" and in epic fantasy novel masquerading as hip hop track opener "The Notlands". Add to that some emotional awareness and mix all that up with a clear nice guy personality (he really wants us to get along as he states on "Snapcrackle"), some seriously banging production and catchy melodies and you have a very dope, very enjoyable album.

I'm pretty enthusiastic about dude. To be fair I haven't heard much. But I'm very intrigued. I would say if you're feeling nostalgic for those Sage Francis days and missing Cubbiebear then you're going to like A Long Where Away. And like I said Jack Vaul is super cool so he definitely deserves your ears and support!

Also, this is his first foray into physical albums, and El Gran E Records out of Texas is offering copies for those of you in the USA. Congratulations to him, that's totally awesome. All the rest check out his Bandcamp here, where he's got lots of free stuff as well for those of us who are apparently not getting a Christmas bonus this year and really not happy about it.

Trylemma's Holly Jolly Christmas Mixtape V.2!

 

And once again, here is the fully revamped "Trylemma's Holly Jolly Christmas Mixtape V.2!" 28 Holiday Bangers to get you through the cold! 

TRACKLIST:

1. Buck 65 - The Night Before Christmas

2. Random - Christmas Is Comin'

3. Murs - Christmas Rules Everything Around Me

4. Planet Asia, TriState & Blu - Everyday Is Christmas

5. NutCracker - F.D.O.G., Tabb Doe, P.W. Esquire, B-Line & Equipto

6. Sahtyre - Home For The Holidays

7. Theory Hazit - Homeless On Christmas

8. Wool See - Merry Merry Vibes

9. Ras Kass - Jack Frost II

10. Jonwayne - Sticky Bandits

11. Macklemore - It's Christmas Time

12. Circus & Gangstahz For Gawd - Black Santa

13. Gregory Pepper - White Gold

14. Wordburglar - My Christmas Catalogue Number

15. Geniusis - Little Drummer Boy

16. Mark Reveley - Charlie Brown's Weird Christmas

17. Moka Only & Psy - Wonder Winterland

18. Earl Sweatshirt & Tyler The Creator - Fuck This Christmas

19. Jesse Dangerously & MC Lars - Swag Nog

20. Boac - Santa Claws Is Coming

21. Teenburger - White Christmas

22. Lucas Dix - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

23. Lil B - King On Xmas Eve

24. Noah23 - Wisemen

25. Bop Alloy - Our Message

26. Jolly Ol' Saint Ricc - Santa

27. D-Sisive - Here Comes Santa Claus

28. Born Allah - Mama Wasn't Kissing Santa

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New Music: WD4D - The Wrap Vol. 2

 

Today's new one comes via WD4D and his new EP, "The Wrap Vol. 2!" 

Most of you probably know WD4D best for his time in the West Coast underground in the late 90s/early 2000s, putting out songs with the likes of Awol One, Matre, Bukue One, Maleko, Existereo and more. You might not know, however, that he's still at it - nowadays focusing mainly on purely instrumental music.

"The Wrap Vol. 2" is the second installment in WD4D's Christmas series, quickly constructed Christmas instrumentals to fit the season. For those in need of some cheer this season, check it out!

The Wrap Vol. 2

Livestock - For My Man Sittin' on a Boat (2008)

 

 

What can I say about Livestock...

I'm waiting. Yes I was actually asking you. Fine whatever. I'll say that it's rare that a rapper can both come across as the weirdest member of the Plague Language Fam (oh yeah besides The Main... that guy and his clams..), and a family man who can write songs that will have you sobbing hysterically ("Wider Circles" is seriously beautiful.)

For My Man Sittin' in a Boat is to my knowledge a bit of a farewell to the rap scene. Livestock dropped some leftovers and quit the game to focus on family. Good for him. It's a great selection of songs with features from Baracuda, The Main and Koko Bonaparte. Good stuff.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

 

Sankofa - Music With Friends (2008)

Got my booster a few days ago and I'm still thinking I'm not feeling so hot from it. My shoulder still hurts which is weird because I got it Thursday night but whatever. I'd rather have a sore arm than a shiny new headstone saying "Death by Stubborn Refusal to Face Reality".

That said, I'm just gonna do something everyone usually likes and offer up some free music. I have a few reviews in the pipeline and I haven't forgotten about you guys but given it's the silly season let's just put our feet up for a bit. Anyway Sankofa is a talented and seriously chill individual from Fort Wayne, Indiana that's been about it since a lot of us probably hadn't been born yet. Music With Friends is a collection of three little EP's he made with a bunch of different producers and put out for a bit before disappearing it. I REALLY like this one though and don't want to see it gone so here.

Kofa if you don't want this shared let us know, I'd be happy to take it down. But my man your old shit is amazing and for those of you who aren't familiar, his new shit is great also.

For tongue twisting conscious lyricism from a dude who looks like Santa Clause, enjoy Music With Friends.

 

DOWNLOAD

 

 

VA - Reigncraft Volume 4: The Labor (2004)

Reigncraft was a compilation series spearheaded by Seattle producer KNDNM. The series was supposed to have acted a business-card of such for Seattle (and surrounding NW area) rappers, producers, and recording studios. They were supposed to have dropped once per season, but we had to settle for one per year up until the final volume (Volume 8.)

Today's upload is one of my favorites, "Volume 4: The Labor." One of the great things about the compilation was that is showcased various sounds from throughout Seattle. This volume is heavy on the G-Funk sound, but it has some serious bangers in that sub-genre. Cyphalliance, Bad Luk, Unexpected Arrival, D-Sane, Byrdie, and many others stop by.

Peep it below (FTD Scene rip)! 

Reigncraft Volume 4: The Labor

New Music: R.A.P. Ferreira - the Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures

 

RAP Ferreira (fka milo) blessed us with a black friday drop this past week in the form of a new album, "the Light Emitting Damond Cutter Scriptures."

While the name-change may have been for search purposes, Ferreira definitely has a more confident and free approach to sounds since adopting the new name. The flows have become simultaneously more fluid and more forceful while the content seems to be more focused without losing too much of the stream of consciousness.

Peep Pink Navel, Eldon, Vast Ness, and Nalepa on the beats amongst others. Peep the album below!

the Light Emitting Diamond Cutter Scriptures

Estrella - The Good Mixtape (2007)

Happy Black Friday! For those of you outside America, in the US today is the day after Thanksgiving which kicks off the Christmas shopping season. This involves time honored and cherished traditions like assaulting retail workers ears with brainless Christmas music, the Slow Shopper Curb Stomp and my personal favorite, ye ol' filling up of the inbox with spam offers from stores you made single specific purchases at 15 years ago and always forget about until this special day rolls around again. For example, did you know that "Careless Whisper Garden Gifts" is having a 75% off sale on all carrier oils?

In all seriousness I'm writing this on Thanksgiving, which as many Americans become more sensitive to the history and feelings of others is becoming a more and more complicated holiday. I'm taking some time today to think about the people who lived where I'm writing this before they were systematically removed through violence, systemic racism and disease. Maybe I can view this holiday more as an opportunity to be thankful for the fact that despite that we have a very diverse country, as opposed to the opportunity to be thankful that a few white people didn't starve to death and celebrated it through a massacre. Hopefully that's not too preachy. It is, at least, sincere on my end.

Speaking of positivity (sort of), today's share is from Bellingham, WA's own Estrella, a collaborative effort between Taybot and Dusk, currated by DJ Seawa. As usual I know very little about these folks but a quick search turned up a MySpace with an article that I think sums up nicely why they fit into what I'm talking about today. I've included that screenshot in the download because it's a well written article that sums this up nicely.

So enjoy The Good Mixtape's good vibes, and stay safe out there this holiday season!

 

DOWNLOAD

 

 

New Music: Mild Child - I Hope You Make it Out Alive (Single)

 

 

Today I wanted to quickly direct your attention towards something really really special. This is not necessarily hip hop, full disclosure, but when I had the chance to hear this song "I Hope You Make it Out Alive" by vocalist / multi-instrumentalist / producer / songwriter Mild Child I was immediately up for promoting it in any way I could. This is possibly the weirdest most intriguing song I've heard in a while and I really believe it suggests strongly that theirs is a career to watch out for.

If you've never heard of Mild Child that's because his name is actually Ryan Liptak. He plays, sings and produces for UGF's best homies Happy Tooth & Dug and I think he deserves a significant amount of credit for the unique sound they've cultivated as a live band, which is made clear when one listens to his newest musical endeavor.

From the beginning this song caught my attention and kept it in chains, becoming a perfect metaphor for the subject matter itself. It starts off with an eerie and incredibly unsettling synth, but with the advent of Ryan's warm vocal tones the song becomes almost instantly an intimate and emotional experience, oscillating between light and dark, deep blue and red velvet. Syrupy guitar playing, mature and relatable lyrics (let's face it if you love music enough to land here I think you're the type to know exactly what he's singing about), a beautiful and soulful voice and crazy creative percussion work keep things interesting and fun while still maintaining that cognitive death grip and a level of seriousness that gives the song the weight it truly deserves.

Rarely do I get the pleasure of promoting something I seriously believe could blow up in the mainstream. Mild Child fills a vacuum in music I didn't realize was there and I think most people could feel the same way. This is high praise in my opinion. Beautiful work here, do yourselves a favor and give it a listen! Available now.

Check out "I Hope You Make it Out Alive" here to stream and here to buy. See ya'll Friday!

Josh Martinez - Archived Rap Music (2004)

 

Today's upload is a tour mixtape courtesy of Josh Martinez, "Archived Rap Music" from 2004! 

Josh Martinez has got to be one of the most likable guys in indie rap. He's been gracious enough to talk to me at the merch booth about super nerdy rap stuff on various occasions lol and always has a smile on his face. "Archived Rap Music" is one of the many tour mixtapes that Martinez had back in the day (this one was on a tour with Awol One I think.) Something unique about Martinez is that he was always updating his mixtapes while on tour, so tracklistings vary even amongst the same release title. 

Anyhow, the tracklisting here includes deep album cuts, features, then-unreleased tracks, and several live on radio tracks which are especially cool. 

Martinez is now focused on running a weed business up here which is super cool. There is still a pretty much done Chicharones album though that we still need to hear!

Archived Rap Music

New Music: Style Misia - Soul By The Pound

 

The old heads will remember west coaster Style Misia for his various classic collabos with Daysmen Empire, Scarub, and Constylations amongst others. Well, the man is still hard at work putting out solo projects and today's post comes from his new beat-tape, "Soul By The Pound"! 

"Soul By The Pound" is a 15 track instrumental project, with no most tracks clocking in around the 2 minute or less mark. The project is soulful, jazzy, and sample-based. There's nothing super innovative, but nearly all the songs do their job and don't outstay their welcome. 

Peep it HERE! 

Knuck Feast - Knuck Feast (2007)

 

 

For some reason, when I listen to Ceschi's rap I find myself reminded strongly of the Georgia crunk legend Lil' Feisty. The similarities are undeniable although it couldn't possibly be the same man who wrote the ultra depressing "Bad Jokes" and the ultra violent "Huntin' Season". Although they can both rap with precision at extremely high speeds.

Anyway, since everyone already knows that this record is basically Ceschi and David Ramos I'm gonna just stop with the theatrics. If you're unfamiliar, this is pretty much the only full length album where you can hear these brothers go hard as fuck, albeit with some of the most ridiculous lyrics you've ever heard put to beats. It is very much a fun listen though, and since I just discussed the polar opposite release This Guitar Was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives on Tuesday I figured what the hell.

Not sure if this is available for download anywhere. I'm gonna put it up here until the police make me remove it ;-).

DOWNLOAD

 

 

New Music: Ceschi - This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives

 

 

Well, Trylemma and myself, along with anyone else who preordered Ceschi's final trilogy of albums on vinyl got a surprise email earlier this week from the man himself. Imagine my surprise when while scrolling through it I realize it contains a download of a completely new unheard collection of songs! No shit right?!

By this point I assume most of you have heard this, and that most of you know what I do at this point. Ceschi really does just keep improving over time. His guitar playing is amazing, his songwriting has matured considerably with every release (especially over the last decade), and what I find most remarkable about this particular collection of songs is that he's managed to blur the lines between folk, punk and rap to such a degree that there is really no way to classify this anymore under any existing genre label.

That said for the most part this is a punk record. In places it's brutal tempo, irreverent go fuck yourself attitude and fast paced guitar make that obvious, in others it's roots are more hidden behind the masterful musicianship and beautiful moments of vulnerability, so unlike the garage thrash antics of the angsty punk rockers of last century.

I call this a punk record for three reasons. One, because Ceschi calls it that on the genre section of the files info, and who am I to argue, two for the structural reasons I state above, and three most of all because it purely embodies the DIY ethic that made punk rock in some ways the only place to find honest rock music at one point in it's history. This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives is the result of a musician needing so badly to say something that they assembled it through blood sweat and tears, without any corrupting influences. Ceschi has always been about that, and it's only been lately that I've seen how very punk that is.

It's interesting to me that at the time this record came out I was slowly reintroducing myself to punk music through the folk punk scene. Get Dead, We the Heathens, Pat the Bunny and related bands, basically everything Bandits Never Die puts out, etc. I never would have bothered if it wasn't for Ceschi and to a lesser extent Sam King fka Lewee Regal and thank you guys. This is a hip hop blog but that doesn't mean we only like hip hop.

So finally, is this a good record. The short answer is yes, the long answer is fuck yes. Basically it combines the maturity and technical skill of Ceschi's split with Pat the Bunny with the genre melding goodness that was Elm Street Sessions and slaps on a layer of professionalism that comes from working with some truly talented individuals (this record seems to have involved more collaboration than either of the other Ceschi guitar driven releases).

I need to give this more time to sink in, but I did think just in case some of you weren't aware that there was a new Ceschi it was worth shouting it out. If you like music you will probably like this. That's it.

Get This Guitar was Stolen Along with Years of Our Lives right here as a pay what you want download because Ceschi really is that cool.

Elevated Elements - Progress (2001)

Today's upload is an OG release from everyone's favorite rapper...Professor Macklemore!!!! 

Elevated Elements was a Hip Hop crew (not limited to musicians) featuring Lace, Lyes, EE, Finger Prints, Exakt, and an early Macklemore. The project is pretty much what you'd assume an underground 2000s rap crew album would sound like. Lots of lyrical miracle spiritual raps, west coast/Blowedian flows, and dusty jazzy beats. It's not gonna blow your mind, but it is a fun listen.

This is a repost from the great JackDevo (RIP Beetbak?) who also ripped this from his copy from back in the day. Since it is no longer available, I figured I'd repost it here. Enjoy!

Progress

 

New Music: Parab Poet - Babelism

 

This week's new one comes via Parab Poet's new album, "Babelism."

Parab Poet is a Saskatoon MC and head of the Hip Hop Hippies (which includes DJ Chaps from Side Road Records.) Recently, he's been putting out some cool beat-tapes, but with the 9 track "Babelism," Parab Poet brings back the raps. And not only the raps, but the beats and mixing as well!

"Babelism" is a reflective life record and features Parab touching upon where he is spiritually, emotionally, and musically in these crazy times. The production isn't the most intricate, but it allows Parab's lyrics and flows to shine. The record also features a verse from the late Zumbi of Zion I.

Check it out!

Babelism

Penny - Unreleasable (2005)

 

 

I'm back! A new keyboard with a nice rubber dust jacket is currently making a very satisfying tappity tap sound as I write this for you guys. Unfortunately I don't have the time or the energy to do a lengthy post, so instead here's more free music. Sorry ;-)

I really enjoyed Penny's work. She had a very brief career popping up on other weird indie rappers albums (Noah23, Ceschi, Troubador) you get the sort. She rapped very unsettling poetry in a lighthearted yet relentless tone and put out one excellent album on Plague Language followed by a lot of compilations culminating in her Freecember offering Twenties Hungry: The Unbound Anthems of Yesteryear which may be the most epic album title in the history of recorded music.

I'm not sure it's accurate to say she put Unreleasable out though. I believe The Chukchee collected these songs into an EP with her help? Someone in the know, let me know?

I do know that up until Escape Artists triumphant lost album Evergreen, two of these songs were not found anywhere else. Now there's a single track that has Ceschi so yeah. It's also the perfect example of how deeply creepy Penny's songwriting often was.

Enjoy Unreleasable!

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Denizen Kane - Take Me Out Mixtape (2010)

 

 

So my keyboard is dead. I'm currently typing this on my on screen one which sucks royally. Not a week for a lengthy review. Anyway here's something cool from arguably one of the most unique voices in hip hop, Denizen Kane of Typical Cats fame. This dude can rap like it's nothing and sing as well. If you don't believe me you can check out his "No Woman No Cry" only found on this mixtape, along with lots of other exclusive goodies. Also I hate this keyboard...

Enjoy Take Me Out Mixtape!

DOWNLOAD

 

 

Customer Service - Please Hold (2004)

 

As requested, today's post is Customer Service's "Please Hold" from 2004.

Customer Service was a crew from one of the last true Project Blowed classes, consisting of Nocando (now AllxCityxJimmy,) Y-Not, AOK (the three of whom made up the Weird People,) Kail (now William Thedford,) Joesue, DJ Handprints, Choice Reason, and SP83. The crew was really set in stone after they were featured on the Project Blowed 10th Anniversary album and subsequent tour. Because they likely needed merch sales from the tour, the guys put together "Please Hold" (which is a compilation of sorts) on limited CDRs (the photo on Discogs and above is from my copy.) 

"Please Hold" doesn't really show the crew's cohesion as well as their 2009 EP "Free Y-Not" does (mainly, because as noted, a lot of the tracks are plucked from the individual member's careers up until that point,) but it does show the brute talent these guys had for rapping and overall song making.

Peep it below! 

PLEASE HOLD

New Music: VA - Project Blowed Hardcore Street Hop Division Vol. 2

 

Here's a new one for you! 

Seemingly out of nowhere, we get a follow up to the Ellay Khule curated 2014 "Street Hop Division" compilation. And, even more so than the original, Khule has brought out a lot of Blowed vets/affiliates to grace the album including Jizzm, AllCityJimmy (fka Nocando,) Alph Tha Alien (fka Alpha MC,) Myka 9, Mister CR, Ngafsh, Gel Roc, Quaesar, Monstroe, and many others. German legend Taktloss even stops by! 

As noted, I'm not really sure the origins of this project, but I think it might have been released on the hype derived from the recent Project Blowed vs Talib Kweli beef. The recent diss track "Overkill" from Khule and Myka 9 appears on the album as the first single. A lot of the tracks (based on pop culture references) seem to be newly recorded as well.

I'm not a huge fan of the limited production on this one (especially at 19 tracks deep,) but I will never not love the chopper styles that these guys bring. Stream it below (I believe Khule will have CDs available soon as well.)

Project Blowed Hardcore Street Hop Division Vol. 2 

Weekend Science Experiment - The Binary Theorem (1999)

 

 

So as requested today we have Weekend Science Experiment's first album The Binary Theorem, originally released on cassette only in 1999. Weekend Science Experiment is the collaboration between the one and only Giovanni Marks fka Subtitle and producer Mum's the Word. Together they created a sound that fused Marks' laid back L.A. swagger with a more standard production style to create something that might appeal to those who find Marks' solo works to be a bit too strange and unpredictable to enjoy.

I like this album, but as I said before in some ways it's toned down Subtitle and I really listen to him for his off the wall creativity and personality behind the boards. But if you've ever wondered what he might sound like without the CREV here you go. That said, this is still a little weird...

Enjoy Binary Theorem, and if you're annoyed that I didn't upload both WSE albums the reason is I already struggle sometimes to come up with stuff to share and I want something to fall back on. Hit us up if you can't wait any longer.

DOWNLOAD

 

 

New Music: All the World is Kayfabe - Working on Working Myself into a Shoot

 

 

 So I got the real treat of getting to hear in it's entirety the collaborative effort between Errol Hem and CKPITS (yep, the guy from that Dug EP I reviewed a bit ago) as All the World is Kayfabe, Working on Working Myself into a Shoot. Simply put, there is a huge amount going on here and I have only limited time to truly absorb it all, so I'm going to post a quick and dirty promo, review type thingy with the relevant details along with the Dimxsk stamp of approval (a much coveted accolade in music, up there with the elusive "my girlfriends brother said it's dope" and the "my mom didn't immediately say to turn it off" awards.)

So, ahem, STAMP. Check.

Anyway, what this here is is a "metawrestling themed" alt rap record produced by Errol Hem who also provides vocals alongside CKPITS. I actually feel even more out of touch than usual because I don't know what metawrestling is. Let me goggle it. That was unhelpful. Basically it seems to be a gimmick where the scripted action of pro-wrestling collides a bit with the real world aspects of the business. Anyway like I said, a lot to unpack here, and I'm probably not the best person to do that as I know nothing about pro-wrestling. I'm going to leave the concept behind and focus entirely on the artistic merits of the album.

Both of these cats have been doing this a while though, and the end result shows. The production is catchy as hell, with unusual and original bleeps and blips rhythmically dancing around colorful synth noises and the nasal, sarcastic and complex lyrical deliveries of the two emcees. In many places the heavy rap sound and weird interludes give way to moments of true beauty "(Going / Getting) Over", showcasing Errols raw talent as a musician, but all of it manages to flow with the confidence and consistency only years of experience seem to be able to provide.

This is quite a weird one. Going back over it now I'm actually reminded of, in not just the melodic electronic style of production but also the interplay and styles of the two rhymers, one of my favorite hip hop collaborations of all time, Friday Night (Hi-Fidel and Serengeti's pair of adventure concept albums). Both duos consist of rappers who can both rap to impress, or rap to warp the mind and make it look easy the whole time. Basically, just watch this video:

As you can see, this is one of those moments in hip hop where raw creativity meet songwriting prowess and the utter unconcern with convention to birth something truly unusual. I liked this stuff a lot and I suspect many of you will as well, probably some more than me because you might understand it a bit better than I...

Get Working on Working Myself into a Shoot through your favorite digital retailer this coming Halloween, or just do what I always do and get it on Bandcamp (maybe the Bandcamp Friday for November because why the hell not throw them some cash money).

Trylemma's Spooky Dooky Halloween Mixtape V2

 

And we're back!!!! No new version this year, but relive the horror with these 29 carefully picked tracks to get you through the season! 

TRACKLIST:

1. Onry Ozzborn - Intro

2. Wool See - Midsommar

3. The Mighty Underdogs - Monster

4. Awol One & Mascaria - Wolfman

5. Earlybirds - Walking Dead

6. Meyer Wolfsheim - Haunted Soiree

7. Duella Deville (Nebz Supreme) - Full Moon Rising

8. Signor Benedick The Moor - Halloween Song

9. Port Authority - Werewolves

10. Moe Pope & Rain - Gotham

11. Genghis Khan - Friday The 13th

12. Die Young & Deeskee - Vampire Hunter

13. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & Bukue One - Horror Slides

14. Circus - Jason Voorhees Wont Stop Dien

15. Debmaster - March Of The Monsters

16. Azrael The Silent Angel - Gothic Horror

17. Swamp Thing Feat. More or Les, Wordburglar & Jesse Dangerously - Monster Island

18. Cookbook & Uno Mas - Monster Mosh

19. Noah23 - Blood

20. Extra Kool - Haunted Hill

21. Free Daps Feat. E-Turn - Monster Movie Part 1

22. Time - Vampire Mask

23. Yes Men - Early Halloween

24. Gajah - A Werewolf In LA

25. Lexington & Whatevski Feat. Cam The Wizzard - Bride Of Frankenstein

26. Nocando - Anne Rice

27. Delinquent Monastery - Halloween Queen 

28. Ruben Steiner & Ira Lee - Andy Warhol Vampire 

29. Nedarb Nagrom - Halloween 

DOWNLOAD

And if sequels suck, feel free to return to V1 (featuring tracks from Buck 65, Mega-Ran, Nolto, Equipto, Ecid, Zion I, and many more) HERE. 

New Music: Giovanni Marks (fka Subtitle) - When I Feel Ideal

 

If you haven't yet - be sure to check out Giovanni Marks', formerly known as Subtitle, new one "When I Feel Ideal!"

Marks has always been a lowkey source of prolific quality material and there's really no exception here. "When I Feel Ideal" is a 9-track spacey glitchy instrumental record, perfectly embodying that crevlife. What makes Marks' recent releases particularly special is that, if you purchase the work on Bandcamp, you not only usually get bonus tracks not streamable online, but you also get, in the proceeding weeks, in-depth explanations of the tracks emailed to you by Marks himself! 

Check it out below and keep an eye out for physicals soon!

WHEN I FEEL IDEAL

P.S. Oh yeah, if you haven't seen it yet, the guys over at Audio Recon and Ooohh! Thats Heavy are pressing to wax the 2010 collaboration between Giovanni Marks, Cam The Wizzard, and Factor Chandelier - "Party Til Your Body Stops" (the first time it has been in physical form.) Pre-order it HERE. (They usually sell out quickly!)

jamesphoney & jamesreindeer - Rough Tongue Surfaces (2008)

 

 For this Friday's post I wanted to return to an old favorite for these free album downloads, the defunct label Decorative Stamp. I was a huge fan of the work they put out, in my opinion some of the most interesting and frankly beautiful experimental rap came from that collective. And today's post is in my opinion the definitive DS album, Rough Tongue Surfaces by jamesphoney & jamesreindeer.

If you liked anticon (okay, yes there are some valid reasons to dislike them but they did put out some solid music as well) and you haven't heard this one, I urge you to give it a try. Imagine cLOUDDEAD with a darker, more unsettling and less "circusy" vibe, and you probably have an idea what to expect from this.

The two james' both have some of the most unique rap voices I've heard coming out of Europe. jamesphoney fronts a folk troupe now called BURIERS, or A Band of Buriers, and if not in an especially good mood and you're interested in seeing Neville Longbottom mutilate himself then you can watch their video for the haunting track "Filth" below:

 

 

Jamesreineer, or reindeer had a somewhat successful debut with France's fbcfabric. By far their best track, "Soulsuck" can be seen below:

I love these guys, and the album they craft together over beats from mega talented folks like Joel Siméus and Nimrod is in my humble opinion one of the best, most evocative and most listenable abstract hip hop albums ever made.

Enjoy Rough Tongue Surfaces!

Unfortunately I messed up. This is available pretty much everywhere, and somehow when I googled it it didn't show up until now. So rather than take money out of the pockets of people who I have tremendous respect for, and in keeping with how we do shit at UGF I have removed this link. If you already got it you lucked out because I guarantee the Decorative Stamp version has cooler stuff than the Amazon one. Sorry James and James. Let this post be a promo for their huge body of great work.

 

 

New Music: heir MAX - The Moment-20

 

 

The post for this one basically wrote itself while I listened to this album at work. Spoiler is that I loved it, it's great, and you should get the physical version not only because MAX deserves some cash for this but also because the two bonus tracks are fire and include an unreleased (sort of, Progeny's got it on his Soundcloud I think) Alligator Food song (yes that means some of the last Sixo you'll ever hear) and a new Sixo beat.

So the story is this album was written and recorded during the pandemic. It was released digitally on Sixo's birthday, as heir MAX and Sixo came up together and his death rocked MAX as it did many of his fans and so many other artists. It was offered free as an EP or on physical as a mini-album. I bought the mini album which is why I'm reviewing this a few weeks after it first dropped.

Basically this is flawless. There is nothing I would change about it, from the production to the songwriting to the style to the raw emotion on display. What emerges is a proud, loud introvert with a serious love for all music and an ability and willingness to trade complex styles and intricate wordplay for simple, groundbreaking truth. This is basically what MAX says on his Bandcamp, and while I agree that the easy to grasp lyricism and bare bones emotional weight of this is easily apparent making it very relatable, I would disagree in that the starkness of this offers the listener the option to sort of brush off what he's saying and listen to the sound and enjoy it, or dive in and really understand the pictures he's painting.

Take "Cranium Crack". Almost matter of factly MAX is describing a home life where his mother did everything in her power to make his life as wonderful as she could and hide the darkness while dealing with addiction and poverty. The words are brutal, insightful and sad. The song is catchy as hell, well written and displays some very good rapping on the part of MAX.

The whole EP is like this, with very heavy topics being delivered over irresistibly catchy beats and songwriting. "RALPH"'s tripped out, plodding production provides the perfect soundtrack to a four wheeled smoke session (stationary one though, don't blaze and drive please) while telling the story of a neighborhood taking control of it's police problem. Another standout, in my opinion one of the best tracks on the album partly due to Progeny's FIRE beat, is "No Turning Back", speaking frankly of the difficult life of an indie musician. If you don't buy the CD you can't hear it though... :-(

While it doesn't seem like MAX has much of a back catalogue, (I've got part of an album he did with Sixo and Poindexter way back when, and a collabo called Heir J's as well as a three track DOOM tribute thing) he certainly comes across as someone who knows how to craft his own style of rap. He sounds like virtually no one else out there, and backed by a score of damn talented producers he puts out a 5/5 EP for real.

Definitely buy this. Not kidding.

Nabahe - Adidas W/ The 4 Stripes (2008)

 

We're heading to Hawaii for today's post with Nabahe's "Adidas W/ The 4 Stripes" from 2008! 

Nabahe, aka James Barrie, is a left coast underground vet from Hawaii - perhaps best known currently for being part of the Los Feo Faces movement. He's been a bit aloof over the years but when he drops tunes, they're always good. 

To my knowledge, "Adidas W/ The 4 Stripes" is Nabahe's first solo project. Fittingly, the project falls in line perfectly with the Grimm Image (the label that it dropped on) sound - quirky, grimey, melodic weirdness that fans of Project Blowed and Lightsleepers can enjoy alike! I'm not exactly sure what the rollout for this was as it's not available anywhere digitally to buy to my knowledge and I've unsuccessfully been trying to get my hands on a hard copy for years! If anyone has any further info, let me know. [On a side note, what is Grimm up to these days? Used to be one of the top labels imo.]

Nabahe is currently dropping lowkey projects as James Barrie and I believe he resides in Washington State. I could be wrong, but I think he may be cooking up something with Smoke M2D6? One can hope! Enjoy! [The project includes an untitled bonus track not listed on the Discogs page btw.] 

ADIDAS W/ The 4 Stripes

New Music: Awol One - Flying With Bats

 

What do ya'll think of NFTs? As a long-time collector of physical items...and as a long-time music/video, um, pirate...they haven't really caught on with me yet. Of course, I'm also not going to be that dude on the internet who thinks he fully understands the concept and knows of the entire potential NFTs have moving forward.

Awol One's latest EP, "Flying With Bats," is a musical companion piece of sorts to his current line of NFT trading cards known as the "Secret Saviours of Underground Hip Hop" (a collabo with 2Mex.) You essentially buy a "pack" of the digital cards and keep them in your online wallet to admire, sell, and trade. The cards feature artwork of some big underground heads (e.g. Gift of Gab, Eyedea, and Subtitle) and if you're lucky, you can score sketches and even some exclusive tunes. Awol plans on expanding the collection as time goes on.

As for "Flying With Bats," Awol gives us seven songs (everything done by him) in traditional gritty static Awol style. I was a sort of expecting Awol to phone it in with this one, but the tracks are pretty solid, particularly the hooks. There's no real tie that I can see with the NFT cards, but I'll happily take Awol One music whenever I can. Peep it below!

FLYING WITH BATS

The Painkillers - Pret(r)end (2004)

 

 

 Friday again! I wanted to share here a little EP I personally love but that seems to have done the inevitable disappearing act from the internet like so many of these early 00's hip hop gems.

Put together NorCal hip hop hippie and San Francisco Street Musician Joe Dub with the mysterious Topik aka Topic, an emcee who seems to call Hawaii home judging from her affiliations on Discogs (but I don't know for sure) and you get The Painkillers. Joe Dub first worked with Topik on the unforgettable Lovebomb Soundclash album, which you really should already have, and their chemistry is undeniable.

The Painkillers only put out those two EPs before Topik sort of went dark (AFAIK), but both of them are fantastic examples of the culture we all love, and still remain remarkably listenable and relevant 15+ years after their release.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD

 

 

A.Hymnz - Second World (2013)

 

 

Just gonna crank out a nice and simple download post this Tuesday. My Monday night is looking crazy. So I did a quick search and was rather surprised and saddened to see that this indie rap gem, Second World by A.Hymnz out of the King City area of CA is no longer up for download anywhere. That may be because the artist doesn't like it, but I'm hoping it's just a simple oversight (or maybe a result of that inexplicable rift that split New Cocoon up around 2015) and that he wouldn't mind if I gave folks a quick reminder of the cool stuff he was getting done back in the 10's.

I can see not everyone loved this one (RYM... there's a familiar face there as well) BUT I do and I can tell you why. A.Hymnz has an incredibly unique voice that keeps things interesting. The production is top notch melodic folky electronica (pretty much exactly what I think you all know I go for at this point). And the roster of guest spots is crazy and ranges from fellow NorCal emcee and producer Variex (who produced Hymnz first official release which IS still available here and there) to 2Mex and even as far as Belgium's resident folk rap weirdo Nomad.

I happen to know A.Hymnz is personally very cool as well. Seems like he swapped music for painting these past few years (he's also very very good at that) after a serious health scare but like I said above, this, his only full length solo album I know of is great and deserves to be preserved.

That said, if you are him and don't want this out there please let me know. And if you have his very very first release Carpe Diem then I'd be stoked to get that one no doubt... LMK!

DOWNLOAD

 

 

Rumble Pac - Ready 2 Rumble (2002)

We're continuing with the Blowed theme this week with 2002's "Ready 2 Rumble" from Rumble Pac.

Rumble Pac consisted of Crow Loc and Cali-Rag, currently known as Mister CR (from The Goodlife Bullyz, Easty Boys, Afterlife, Project Blowed and such.) To my knowledge, this is the only release they ever dropped. 

The sound is very LA G-Funk gangsta mixed with a nice infusion of Blowedian chopping styles (CVE makes appearances.) The content varies but the guys sound fresh throughout. Like many Afterlife related releases, the quality isn't clean, but it adds to the aesthetics.

Mister CR has had a sort of resurgence over the past half-decade or so, becoming very prolific and most recently working with AllCityJimmy (fka Nocando) on some projects. I'm guessing we'll get a Talib Kweli diss from him as well soon lol. Very dope rapper - just needs to drop the homophobic usage bullshit.

Ready 2 Rumble

 

New Music: 2Mex - Talib Cosby

Nothing like online rap beef from 40+ year old underground rappers! 

For those not keeping up, a while back some Twitter drama started over an alleged argument/fight that took place years ago involving Talib Kweli and some of Ellay Khule's/Rifleman's peeps. Words were tweeted, "threats" were made, Rifleman released a pair of diss tracks, and Talib quit Twitter after some serious harassment allegations arose. In between all the chaos, Talib found out that Rifleman, who he claimed not to know, was a Blowedian. Talib thus reached out to his old friend/ex-roommate, Myka 9, and told Myka 9 to publicly rebuke Rifleman. Myka 9 refused to take sides and called for peace. Talib wasn't pleased.

Fast forward to 2021 and the title track from Talib's latest collabo album with Diamond D, "Gotham," - where Talib takes clear shots at Rifleman and, more prominently, Myka 9. This obviously led to a disgruntled Good Life Cafe/Project Blowed crowd (ranging from Equipto to Luckyiam to Epic to Lush One,) specifically 2Mex who has not only released the diss track "Talib Cosby" but who has also started a website dedicated to the stories of alleged survivors of Talib Kweli abuse. 

There's lots of thoughts here. First is the fact that, even though Talib's album dropped early this year and even though the disses are very blatant, people didn't even catch wind of this until a couple weeks ago lol - shows how up people are on Talib's music. Second is the fact that Talib has been going around talking about how he's been one of the biggest proponents of the Good Life Cafe/Project Blowed over the years - yet he had no idea who Rifleman was? Third is the fact that, of all people, Talib seems most angry at Myka 9 for not sticking up for him...even though Talib is a grown-ass man and even though Myka 9 has been way closer to Rifleman over the years. Talib actually recently did a podcast with Open Mike Eagle where he seemed to big up Myka 9 and Project Blowed - despite the fact that he's dissing Blowedians left and right on his IG. 

With that said, as much as I love the Blowed and as much as Talib's boring NYC backpacker rap puts me to sleep, the other side isn't blameless either. Rifleman and Mister CR have gone deep with the homophobic slurs in attacking Talib, and Talib is right to point that bigoted way of thinking out. Additionally, I hope that 2Mex's new site is actually aimed at helping the women that have been abused by Talib...and not just a general Talib smear campaign based on rap beef. 

In any case, check out the track HERE. 

Thee Anomalous & Able Rock - For the Sake of Planets, Vibe

 

 

Our readers may remember a few weeks ago I posted up an album here by Woodland, CA based rappers Dream Capsules. You may also remember me shouting out the guy I discovered them through. You can probably still see his comment in he C-Box because there we only usually get Illogic requesting totally random stuff, Denis dropping completely unknown stuff I usually like and one guy under multiple names obsessed with Planet of the Shapes Vol. 2 (in digital quality rendering only!). Just kidding folks.

But anyway, that dude raps and makes beats. And he's pretty fucking good. He told me his masterpiece is probably this collaboration with emcee Able Rock, over mostly his own beats. So here we have For the Sake of Planets, Vibe. The album art is seriously ill.

Basically the project was originally conceived in 2003 and took years of building, from late in high school to 2009. Lots of revisions, lots of perfectionism and second guessing. Lots of evolving production and lyrics. Lots of fun and lots of disappointment (he tells me about finding a copy on the ground after they distributed a bunch at a festival). Anyway, Thee Anomalous tells me not to quote him directly.... but this little section sums up everything perfectly and I really like it so I just have to ask forgiveness instead of permission ;-)

"About 7 years of work all culminating in 200 or so odd copies being given out for free. A labor of love. I like to call it my "hip hop thesis" as I truly feel like I learned a lot about the art form (writing, beatmaking, overall production, and recording) in the time of making it. I also dropped out of college during those years but continued crafting the album which would net me absolutely $0. Do it for the love!

Much love for listening to it man. That's all I ever wanted - for it to be listened to.

RIP Zumbi."

 

-Thee Anomalous

 

I've had the chance to skim through this, and it took roughly thirty seconds for me to consider it worthy of being posted here. It's easily as good as a lot of the stuff we all listen to, and I think the number one selling point I can name for T.A.'s work is that he's a true hip hop head just like us.

So for the album you might make yourself with the talent, time and desire... enjoy For the Sake of Planets, Vibe.

 

 

DOWNLOAD

 

New Music: CKPITS & Dug w/ Sicksmith - So It Gose

 

 

As many of you know, UGF (or to be more specific the half of UGF that is me) is a huge supporter of Cleveland based rappers Dug and Happy Tooth. And they've been very cool to us as well. I believe it was in our first year that they sent us a humble little EP called All in Your Head which to this day has the most unusual time signatures of any rap I've ever heard. That album was great, and it was a real pleasure to get to speak with them about it, and really cool they wanted to let us in on it before the general public.

I'm not one to break tradition when it's as solid as this. So when Dug sent me his newest EP recently, a trippy little journey called So It Gose (I wonder if anyone's gonna tell him about the spelling error... ;-) ) performed with Minneapolis rapper CKPITS over beats by Hungary based Sicksmith asking for opinions I was overjoyed. I got a chance to listen to the whole thing on the way to work.

What we have here with So It Gose is one of the more interesting things I've heard in a while. Imagine a noise rap record with the goofy sensibilities of Aesop Rock curated by a pair of weirdos spitting syrupy stream of conscious ramblings. The album is abstract, but it also manages to offer up songs that are catchy, ear wormy and most definitely inspire head nodding.

The emcees are great, but I really want to give a shoutout here to producer Sicksmith for being the MVP on So It Gose. Their production has all the heavy plodding darkness of Moodie Black, but with (IMHO) frankly more interesting choices of instrumentation and more creative compositions overall. Sicksmith is one to watch, and their creations craft the character and atmosphere of the album perfectly.

All of the songs are at least fun, although (and here I need to reveal that I'm in my mid-30's so I really think autotune sounds like a nightmarish singing robot dropping out of the sky to murder good music) the autotune on "Wand in the Mist" is unnecessary and moderately annoying, as is 99.9% of all autotune ever.

This album is very very cool. I'm going to leave it at that, I'm not feeling so good today and just really, really really hoping it's not Covid so I can enjoy the upcoming long weekend.

Get So It Gose out September 7th on any of your favorite digital music providers, or be like me and only ever get anything from Bandcamp (Dug's is here). Thanks for reading!

Factor Chandelier - Hi Way Mix Vol. 1 (2004)

 

Today's upload is from the GOAT producer himself, Factor Chandelier and his "Hi Way Mix Vol. 1" from 2004 (back when he was just Factor, post Factor G!) 

"Hi Way Mix Vol. 1" is a DJ mix that Factor dropped in the early days of Side Road Records. The mix includes classic joints from the likes of Blackalicious, Living Legends, Busdriver, Ellay Khule, Myka 9, OutKast, Jaylib, Felt, Bored Stiff, LMNO, and many others. We also get a couple exclusives including a live version of Paranoid Castle's "Dirty Dancin" and a freestyle from the great M.Phasis (over Jaylib.) 

The mix is super dope and gives you a picture of what Factor came up on. To my knowledge, no other installments were made. Props to scene group b2r for making the original rip. Peep below!

Hi Way Mix Vol. 1

New Music: Tooth & Claw (Avatar & DJ Obi) - Tooth & Claw

 

Here's something that lowkey dropped recently. West Coasters Avatar and DJ Obi recently teamed up to create the duo "Tooth & Claw." The self-titled debut album was set to drop on August 1st and it did...for about 3 hours. Then everything from the duo was seemingly pulled from online (the Bandcamp, the Soundcloud, the Instagram, and of course the album.) Luckily, it eventually found its way back online and can now be streamed and purchased...for now. 

Like a lot of Avatar's work, "Tooth & Claw" is dark, brooding, and heavy paired up with some Blowedian influenced styles and bars. Obi does a really good job on the boards and tables as well. Gel Roc and Smile-Oak stop by for some verses too. Check it out below!

Tooth & Claw

Zion I - The Search & the Seizure Mixtape (2008) / GoFundMe for the Gaines Family

 

 

So I felt like I pretty much had to share something from these guys... But what? Everything they've done is still pretty easy to get a hold of going back to their earliest tape EPs. Except...

I remember what really excited me about this digital mixtape was the closing track featuring an absolutely killer piece of sample work utilizing one of my favorite Muse tracks "Knights of Cydonia" (I'm not a Muse mega fan or whatever but that song is dope). However this mixtape, put out right before The Takeover (arguably the tail end of their golden era, although everything they've done since has been great as well) contains a great cast of rappers (K-Flay, Del, The Grouch etc.) and is a great example of that classic Zion I sound; melody driven D&B-y production with soulful thought provoking lyrics.

It's gone from their website, it's not featured on Bandcamp, but it's still up on his Dub CNN site which is where I believe I originally got it. They want me to direct downloads to them as opposed to sharing it myself, so go ahead and grab it right here. It's pretty ill I gotta say:

 

 Seize It!

 

So given that you've got the free goods, why not consider donating a bit to the Gaines families GoFundMe? Zumbi's passing left behind three young boys and it's a tough world out there especially lately. They're rapidly approaching their 150k goal but every little bit is I'm sure appreciated. Check that out right here.

Thanks as always for reading, see you guys next time!