OWSLA label musician, Getter, has had a helluva year. It seems the prolific artist has constantly released new music throughout the year as a solo artist, and in collaboration with a number of artists including Santa Cruz native, Oliver Tree.
Earlier today the electronic producer dropped his latest track, a remix of Juicy J’s “Money A Do It’ that Getter’s retitled, “Money A Do It Flip.” And it. Is. FIRE. He stays true to Juicy J’s original anthem, updating it with a mix between glitch hop and bass, adding trap beats and tweaking the vocals for a deeper tone. Getter even throws in a break down, slowing things down in a haze of syzurp ‘n lean. It’s easy to see why after only three hours the track already has over 5,000 plays, proving yet again that Getter is one artist to keep your eye on because he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
If you don’t know Hopsin, you apparently don’t listen to hip hop. No, not that shit the radio, television and the clubs force down your throat. I’m talking about real hip hop, raw and straight from the underground. The type of rap that calls out the bullshit, questions reality and tells it like it is.
Anyone who is familiar with the Los Angeles artist knows that Hopsin tells it like it is. From his critical “Ill Mind of Hopsin” tracks to his “Kill Her” track–about Eazy-E’s widow after Hopsin’s falling out with former record label, Ruthless Records–, he holds no punches and says whatever the fuck he wants. And afterall, isn’t that what hip hop is supposed to be?
Birthed in the run-down streets of New York and Los Angeles, it emerged 30 years ago as a public awareness announcement about how life really was for millions of people in this country. After decades of mainstream co-opting, the genre has turned into a glorified commercial, promoting alcohol, partying and acquiring material possessions most Americans will never be able to afford. Thankfully, Hopsin rejects all of it. This is the same dude that once tweeted, “I can’t stand Hollywood bitches. Show your worth through your mind not your jewelry, fake friends and your fake tits.”
On October 7, 2016, Hopsin played a killer show at the Catalyst Club in Santa Cruz to fans excitement. This was my second time seeing him live and once again, he did not disappoint. His energy and anger was in full form and he blazed through a set of fan–and his own–favorites throughout his career. He’s easily one of the best rappers performing today, even if the radio won’t play his tracks. Shit, that just makes him more credible.
Last year vocalist, Gus Farias–ex-singer for Los Angeles metalcore outfit, Volumes,–shocked the underground music world when he dropped his solo, hip hop EP, The Saiyan Saga, under the name Yung Yogi. The six track release surprisingly had some jams, particularly “James Brown,” with his gangsta beat and accompanying video featuring weed, Hennessy and–what appears to be–flintlock, pirate pistols.
His latest track just dropped and we’re scooping it up. Produced by the one and only Getter, “No Love” is a short, one minute and fifteen second song that’s on point with lyrics and music. “Bitch, I told you I don’t want no love” he screams halfway through the track and you know what? I believe him.Who says you need 3 minutes to get your point across? Definitely not Yung Yogi.
Whether the minute song is a fun side project, or a glimpse of things to come on a new EP, Yogi isn’t giving any info. But he certainly has our attention. Stay tuned, Euphoric readers.
I think it’s safe to say, 2016 has been fucking weird. From Donald Trump’s winning campaign to grown-ass adults catching Pokemon, there has been no aspect of this year that hasn’t raised an eyebrow and the music world is no different.
So far, this bizarro reality of a year has taken from us (RIP Nicholas “Pumpkin” Alvarado, Bowie, Prince and others) and delivered a plethora of “what in the actual fuck?” moments. In this vein I present to you: Banks & Steelz, one of the strangest, never-would’ve-thought-would-happen-or-work-but-if-Trump-is-winning-anything-is-possible collaborations this year.
Ready?
Banks & Steelz is none other than Paul Banks of Interpol and RZA. Yeah, straight from the Wu-Tang, aka Prince Rakeem aka Bobby Digital (or did he drop that one?). Now, I’m all for strange collaborations and recently wrote on here about the Claypool Lennon Delirium. Hell, Sam Working’s review of the new Blink 182 even had me check out a few songs (discovered I still can’t stomach them, but I realized this is the territory Skiba wishes he could take Alkaline these days). However, when I first heard about Banks & Steelz, I raised a very doubtful eyebrow.
Oh me of little faith.
My first exposure to their music was driving to Arcata from the Northern Nights Festival. I was still trying to input, decipher and understand what-in-the-hell had just happened the previous weekend when this track came on.
Damn.
Not only is the music on point with a mix of guitars and electronic beats–the best of both Wu and Interpol–but RZA sounds better than he has in years. After 4 minutes of having my mind blown, the XM DJ mentioned they have already dropped two previous tracks, “Giant” and “Love + War,” so I had to listen.
Holy shit, you guys.
I must admit, RZA is lyrically more on point and spitting fire on these two tracks compared to “Speedway Sonora,” but that doesn’t take away from the fact that all three tracks are bangers. Each will be featured on the forthcoming album, Anything But Words dropping August 26.
Are you ready? Because the new Schoolboy Q album dropped two days ago and South Central L.A. artist pulls no punches.
The 29 year old rapper started writing rhymes when he was 16 but didn’t become serious about his career until around 2008. A year later he joined forces with Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock to form Black Hippy and released his first solo album, Setbacks in 2011.
However, it wasn’t until 2014 with the release of his first major label debut, Oxymoron, that the press HAD to pay attention. In Q’s own words, “Kendrick [Lamar] left me no choice but to drop a classic.” Four years later, it’s hard to find anyone who wouldn’t put it on a list of best hip hop albums released this decade. Of course everyone was wondering what else Schoolboy had waiting.
Blank Face is here and goddamn, it’s good. I’m usually wary of modern hip hop albums with a list of guest artists, but this one includes E-40, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Jada Kiss and others that masterfully add icing to this cake of an LP.
Musically, the beats are fresh and the lyrics are as dark, introspective and as real as anything on Oxymoron. Go listen to it now on Spotify. Seriously. It’s not just what hip hop needs right now, but could supply some of the soundtrack for what’s currently happening in the streets of America.
Caaaaalliiiffoorrrnniiaaa loooooooove!!!! Fresh off the producer’s table comes a new California anthem for the 21st Century from four natives. Zion I (Oakland), The Grouch (San Francisco) and Eligh (Los Angeles) joined forces for the tranqued-out, slow jam, “I Love California Like You.”
The jam is packed with all the things we Californians love: weed, cars, cultural diversity, sunshine and shout-outs to every place from Humboldt to the Bay to L.A. Live in the San Fernando Valley? They’ve got you covered. Spent some time hanging in Echo Park? You’ll hear a familiar name. San Jose and Fresno even get a nod towards the end because goddammit, they still Cali too.
Admittedly, one of our favorite parts of the song is the beginning sound clip of Will Farrell with the tranquilizer dart stuck in his neck from “Old School.” Classic!
The song drops just in time for anyone in or near Flagstaff, Arizona to catch Zion I, The Grouch AND Eligh at the Green Room. We know, it’s not Cali. However, Zion I will be back in the state with Slightly Stoopid on July 9th in Chula Vista.
“My idle hands lead to evil thoughts, that’s what I was told,” begins the latest track from Sacramento hip-hop duo, Hippie Sabotage. “Options” is a slow jam, track with more balls than Hillary Clinton facing indictment. Which makes sense after a video was released two weeks ago of the band fighting security at Portland’s, What The Festival.
The song continues with lines, “So let the demons hang me up, ’cause motherfucker I ain’t dead ’til I say so. Cause I’ve been fighting all my fucking life, so I’m gonna say it til the fucking end.” Abrasive words that speak volumes to anyone who has felt down-and-out, or whoever had someone tell them they’re on the wrong path by following their dreams.
But keep in mind, even if you have options and give the middle finger to the world, that also means having to deal with the fall-out. Hippie Sabotage knows. Yesterday, the Low End Theory Festival tweeted Hippie Sabotage WILL NOT be playing the Los Angeles music fest, although the tweet failed to divulge the specific reason.
H-O-L-Y SHIT. Oliver Tree–the Santa Cruz artist formerly known just as Tree– is K-I-L-L-I-N-G it!!!! A homegrown musician who expanded his creativity on darkly dreamy lyrics and odd sounds found in the strangest of places is fresh off a song collaboration and video–“Forget It”–with Bay Area DJ, Getter. Then, two days ago, the college-age, now Los Angelino, artist drops another introspective and banging track. “Soulmother, I Love You,” of course, featuring Getter.
The track features familiar Tree sounds–distant voices, introspective lyrics–combined with faster beats and more layers than he has stacked in the past. It’s a return to his electronic roots with the age and experience of someone who knows what their doing. Don’t believe me? Give it a couple of plays and try picking out all the different sounds. At under 3 minutes, Tree keeps the punk ethic while growing within his art.
Machine Gun Kelly is at it again. The Ohioan artist–by way of Texas–first earned his stripes in 2006, while still a teenager, with the release of his first mixtape, Stamp of Approval. Since then he has collaborated with Wacka Flocka Flame, Juicy J, Bone Thugs -n-Harmony and others; signed to Sean Combs’ BAD BOY RECORDS label and has appeared in several feature films like SLC Punk 2 and Beyond the Lights. Dude even appeared as himself on WWE, a childhood dream of many, am I right?
“4th Coast Freestyle” finds MGK doing what he does best, spitting fire lyrics over beats as syruppy as lean. Does it indicate more music from Kelly in the near future? Stay tuned, Euphoric fans!
A melody of brass horns floats through the air as the murmur of a vinyl LP rotates in the background. Then a rough but smooth voice comes through the speakers as Your Old Droog spits (“I don’t rap, I skat”) lyrics not about money and bling, but jazz artists and real life.
The song twists and bends through the chambers of your mind.
Jazz guitar sporadically breaks through the smoke of music and memories, adding an extra layer of euphoria. And this is only the first single released by DJ Skizz from his upcoming album, Cruise Control, due July 29th.
Born in Boston, Skizz now resides in Brooklyn and if “Listen to Jazz” is any indication of what to expect from Cruise Control, he will have one of the hottest albums in 2016. For hip hop fans that prefer substance over materialism, “Listen to Jazz” is reminiscent of Entroducing DJ Shadow, and early De La Soul. The perfect soundtrack for chilling with your crush this summer to show him or her just how smooth you be.
weirdjournalism.com 