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!

R.I.P Steve "Zumbi" Gaines

 

 

I gotta say this one hit me hard. Not only do I have a tremendous amount of respect for Zumbi and his unparalleled ability to craft songs that bridge the gap between indie and mainstream while still remaining intelligent and real as hell, but it is entirely fair to say his work is the reason I ever gave hip hop a real shot, and consequently the reason I'm even writing on this blog today.

"Silly Putty" was a bit of a local hit in the early part of the 21st century, and I remember hearing it on the radio and being instantly captivated. The production was phenomenal and completely unlike anything I'd ever heard before, and the lyrics spoke frankly and sincerely about matters of the spirit with a wisdom and maturity that instantly made me a fan (at this point I didn't even know who the Grouch was, but his contribution to the song was obviously notable as well.) The song was especially important to me given that the type of music and especially hip hop coming out around that time was not to my liking at all. Sexually explicit for no real reason in very misogynistic ways, materialistic, unintelligent and just all around un-good. I guess it's all a matter of preference, but I will say that at 16 years old Zumbi convinced me to give rap a chance, and the rest for me is history.

Fast forward a bit, and I was staying at a friends house while completely unable to sleep. I did some digging around in his music folder looking for something to alleviate the boredom of listening to him snore and the discomfort of trying to fall asleep on hardwood. I found Mind Over Matter. I remembered "Silly Putty" and I let the album spin and was transported to another realm entirely. Amp Live's spacey drum and bass influenced compositions sounded to me at the time like the music one might hear in another dimension, perhaps even one that exists to accept us after we pass. Especially notable are the songs "Trippen", "How Many", "One", and "Innerlight (Icy Mix)" but the entire album is (in my very humble opinion) a serious standout in the history of hip hop and most especially in my journey into the culture.

Covid-19 is changing the course of humanity in all sorts of tragic and unexpected ways. Zumbi's death is to me one more reminder of how serious this disease is. But I didn't write this to speak on that. We hear it enough. I wrote this to take a moment to remember teenage me discovering hip hop, what I feel is the true "music fan's music", and for the first time being truly moved by poetry. I'm going to link that album. If you haven't heard it (very unlikely) please do give it a listen. If you have heard it, take some time to get reacquainted with it's magic and soul.

 

Mind Over Matter

 

 And if you don't already own it... I'm linking iTunes instead of my usual favorite vendor Bandcamp because it contains the Innerlight remix and Bandcamp, for some inexplicable reason, doesn't.

Zion iTunes

 

Stay safe and cherish each other. Thanks for reading.

Soldiers Of The Ill - Soldiers Of The Ill (?)

 

Ok, I'm doing a bit of information crowd-sourcing with today's upload! A while back, I was coping some CDs from a buddy of mine and I ran across this obscurity - which I'm hoping to find out some more information about, as I know nothing about it aside from the physical cdr itself (which only has the printed front cover and a handmade disc.) 

So the title of the release is "Soldiers of the Ill" which I'm assuming is the group name as well. From the sound of things, there are 3 main rappers. Based on where I got the CD, I'm guessing they're from Cali. They sound like a mixture of like Tha Alkaholiks and the Cali Agents. Not the greatest stuff, but interesting nonetheless. 

Anyhow, check out this weird release below, and please let me know if you have any info on it! 

Check it out HERE. 

New Music: Homeboy Sandman - Anjelitu

 

Most of ya'll probably already know about this one, but if you don't, be sure to peep Homeboy Sandman's new EP - "Anjelitu." 

The entire EP is produced by Aesop Rock, who really gives Sandman the perfect set of instrumentals to rap over. On the mic, Sandman proves to still be one of the best in the game. The man mixes high technical ability, direct delivery, and top notch writing to create another EP fit for any mood. We even get a Lice reunion on the closer! 

"Anjelitu" is out now on Mello Music Group. Hoping for some physicals of this one! Peep it HERE. 

Dream Capsules - Counting Sheep (2002)

 

 

So you want some truly underground sh*t? Here you go. I found this one based on the rec of a friend of theirs and I gotta say I truly enjoy it. Me and this dude have been chatting a bit and he's got a crazy collection of his own work which has also given me the distinct impression he knows his indie rap (that may see the UGF spotlight in the near future also). So for now we have this. I've heard enough of it to say it's likely what many of you grew up listening too and probably miss from time to time. A group of friends with talent having fun and recording it. Yeeeeeeah.

Counting Sheep is the only (official) release by Dream Capsules, the high school group consisting of Matters, Mr. Johnson, Abrupt and Keplon with production handled by Athos. Hailing from Woodland, CA these cats produced this short album, handed it out at shows, parties, street corners etc. in the Sacramento area and the rest is a mystery to me.

This is such quintessential Northern Cali rap. JKC flavor with a bit of Joe Dub swagger and some Mystik Journeymen conscious beauty, all executed by kids who sound like the folks we used to blaze a bit with and watch funny TV shows.

Makes me nostalgic. I bet it will you as well. Enjoy!

 

DOWNLOAD

 

 

Mestizo - U May Not Heard This (2008)

 

 

Gonna do a nice basic download this week, because I seem to remember this getting requested, me saying hit us up via email, and never hearing anything back. I couldn't find it for download anywhere on Google (aka anywhere in the known universe to most of us) so here it is. U May Not Heard This.

Well I might have heard this, and it's dope. I've spoken at length about Mestizo previously so I'll just sum up his work as edgy conscious hip hop with a strong West Coast flavor and the courage to be both street and artistic (like most of his fellow Galapagos4 brethren.)

Also I saw him with The Heavy Twelves and that was the last time I could hear properly.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD