Here is episode #2 from this 7 part EPK series w/ Shafiq Husayn (SA-RA Creative Partners) shot by Eric Coleman for www.Mochilla.com. This episode features Shafiq talking about the bubblin’ Los Angeles music scene, and the various creative folks that have been a big part in helping to develop this scene to a worldwide audience…THUNDERCAT HOOO!!!!
We’ve been admiring the legend Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, who plays bass on the entire “Shafiq En’ A-Free-Ka” album, for a minute. You may know Thundercat from his work w/ Erykah Badu, Suicidal Tendencies, SA-RA, and many others. We just wanted to show some Cali love to Plug Research who presents Shafiq’s “En’ A-Free-Ka” album available online HERE!
Detroit emcee Finale has drawn inspiration from another rust belt city for his newest video, “The Senator,” from his spring-released, highly acclaimed A Pipe Dream And A Promise. Both the song and video are based largely on David Simon and HBO’s Baltimore epic The Wire. The Senator in question is State Senator Clay Davis, not one of the show’s main characters but certainly one of its most fascinating and divisive. Davis is an exploitative figure that acts as an intermediary between drug dealers and real estate developers, pocketing cash from both sides all the while. Finale uses Davis as a means of getting the point of the song across: calling out liars who are fronting as something they aren’t. The song opens with the line “I heard a lot of y’all talkin’ / A lot of you not walkin’.” Finale even manages to make Davis’ trademark exclamation “sheeeeeiiiiittttt” a centerpiece of the song’s chorus. The video seamlessly blends Finale’s Detroit with The Wire’s Baltimore and employs key scenes and lines from the show to carry across Finale’s punchlines.
The video is directed by Roy Miles Jr., who developed the vide concept along with Interdependent Media General Manager/A&R, iD. On working together to create the video, Finale says, “I shot the footage of myself rapping while I was on the west coast doing interviews and press runs with Interdependent Media. When I left town I told iD and Roy what season’s clip I used from The Wire. Roy and his assistant took the time to go through episodes of the show and find clips that synced up with various lines in the song. It’s kind of dope that they were able to find specific scenes that matched up with what i was saying in the song.”
The track, from Finale’s debut A Pipe Dream And A Promise, features production by Waajeed. Finale pulls off an impressive tightrope walk in the song’s lyrics. “The Senator” serves as a powerful call-out to those fronting as something they’re not while incorporating the themes and action of the world of The Wire. “We climbin’ up ladders and goin’ through the suits / It ain’t a game where the rappers hug and make up in order to take your books Iif it ain’t truth I don’t want it.” Finale couples a smooth flow with impressively dense lyricism that will have the listener appreciating a new line with each progressive listen. (via Audible Treats)
New video by U-N-I Feat Fashawn, directed by Fredo Tovar; Schott Fleishman for Apluszfilms off “A Love Supreme“
This is the final third of Foreign Exchange‘s Take Off The Blues/ Valediction Trilogy. Directed by Matt Koza. Get FE’s Leave It All Behind Here!!
Extreme LFO sightings in Rhodes Island. Original music by Ethan Goldhammer and S. Burke. Time Lapse footage shot in August 2009 on Block Island, RI. Stop motion and light paint September 2009 in Cambridge, MA. Hit the man up on Facebook if you want more info about this project..
Electric Wire Hustle are a New Zeland based band and have just released their new, self-titled EP. The group consists of David ‘TaayNinh’ Wright (multi-instrumentalist and producer), Myele Manzanza (drums), Mara TK (vocals / guitarist / turntabilist / producer) and Benny Tones (sound engineer and producer). Developing their own sound and twist on modern hip-hop, psychedelic and soul, the music of EWH reaches forward while referencing key points of music’s past. Thick drums and percussion layered with synth lines, hints of the Fender Rhodes and nylon stringed guitars have your neck snapping while your ears crane to its soulful vocals … a future soul sound that fuses Marvin Gaye, Charles Mingus and Funkadelic with the likes of J Dilla, PPP and SA-RA Creative Partners.
On the album there are some guest appearances by artists like Georgia Anne Muldrow, Stacy Epps, Declaime (aka Dudley Perkins) and guitarist Billy TK. Check out the “Perception” video after the jump and BUY their album if you like what you hear. Big ups to Ray Knowledge for tipping us off…
Electric Wire Hustle – Thank You Steve
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Wow this shit is the livest ish I’ve heard in a minute man…so damn funky it makes my neck hurt. Taken from a recent ArtDontSleep Jam Session with an amazing array of musicians such as Pharoahe Monch, Shafiq Husayn (SA-RA), Om’Mas Keith (SA-RA), Brook D’leau (J’Davey), Mark De Clive-Lowe, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Suite for Ma Dukes), Thundercat, and more. It was a jam session of epic proportions and a night to remember. Enjoy a video clip from the jam session and big up to Plug Research & J Kim for this one!
Fashawn‘s “Boy Meets World” album is coming closer by the day (Oct. 20th). Lately I’ve been seeing one dope video after another. Not only did Punit Dhesi direct the “Sunny CA” video, he also recently did the “Life As A Shorty” vid and that one is simply amazing. Together with the “Our Way” video with Evidence, I count three consecutive homeruns. Can’t wait for the album to drop and I know ya’ll can’t neither. So in the meantime here is another bone to keep you hungry dogs satisfied for the moment. All day, here is “Sunny CA” west up ya’ll..big up Exile.
New Video from Tiron directed by Carey Williams & Aurelio Mitjans. Off the critically acclaimed mixtape “Ketchup“. And below you can find Hello Money Feat Ayomari, just to complete the story. Enjoy…
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The trailer has been out for a minute now, but still I haven’t seen this documentary about Bill Withers called “Still Bill”. On the stillbillthemovie.com website you can find more information about when and where you might catch a screening and I know I might consider going all the way to Ghent in October and visit the Flanders International Film Festival Ghent. The movie is also beeing screened in London, New York and more so peep that info. I hop that eventually the movie will be on TV or who know in theathers. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, just check it out below.
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