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 

New Music: Jizzm, Monstroe & DJ Jahbluez - Writers On The Storm

 

It's a 114 degrees in the Northwest - so what better way to celebrate heatstroke than by peeping a quietly released Project Blowed album?

Early this year, Blowedians Jizzm, Monstroe and Jahbluez united to put this release out. It went under the radar for a while and I wasn't made aware of it until recently. Shame because it's well worth a listen. The dark dusty dystopian production fits Jizzm's bars perfectly and Monstroe is always fun to listen to. The guest list on this is deep too - Otherwize, Zagu Brown, Akil The MC, Fatlip, Abstract Rude, Imani, Neb Luv, Alph Tha Alien and more. 

Do yourself a favor and check it. Stream it HERE. 

New Music: Alph Tha Alien - Black Tax

Alpha MC is one of the most overlooked west coasters and rappers in general imo. His nonchalant quirkiness and creative rhyme schemes make him one of the best examples of the last real wave of Blowedians. Over the past handful of years, however, he's been relatively quiet. He released a lowkey album with Pigeon John in 2014, did a name change to Alph Boss and dropped an instrumental EP a couple years ago, and now, finally in 2020, changed the name again to Alph Tha Alien and dropped the long awaited, "Black Tax."

The album, which was rolled out via a number of loosey singles over the past months, sort of sounds like Alph finding his way back into the scene. The guy can still absolutely rap no questions asked. Stylistically, however, it seems like he's trying to fit his way into various forms of established contemporary LA sounds. I can hear Kendrick vibes, Open Mike Eagle (who is featured on the project) vibes, Blueface vibes. He pulls off most of the styles and sounds well, but it's at the cost of his own more original lighthearted style that many older fans have grown accustomed to. A lot of the songs feel like they could use more fleshing out beat-wise and conceptually as well.

If you're an Alpha MC (or Swim Team/Project Blowed) fan, this is absolutely worth checking out, just based on the fact that we get to hear Alph rap again. Hopefully Alpha both stays around for a while this go around and finds some time to find his more original voice again.

Stream "Black Tax" HERE.