VinylTaco

"Had to get my swagger right" mixtape by--Tdoty

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:45:00 -0400

"Had to get my swagger right" mixtape by--Tdoty:

When he was six years old, “TdotY” Eisen wrote his song about a girl on whom he had a crush, comparing the way she made him to the sensation of going up and down on a Roller coaster. He constantly freestyled on his Karaoke machine. As he got older, he began rapping as a way to let out all of his emotions. For example, he used it to express his feelings about his mother’s drug addiction.

Despite his great appreciation for 2pac’s music and growing up in an area with a lot of gangs, TdotY decided early on that gangsta rap, and the image that came with it, was not for him. Additionally, he’s try to get beyond the West Coast style of rapping. His other main influences include Fabulous, E40, Wyclef and Lupe Fiasco. Check out his first mixtape “Had to get my swagga right”

“Runaway” by Laws What I like about this song is it...

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 16:01:00 -0400

“Runaway” by Laws

What I like about this song is it could be delivered without a beat and still be amazing. This artist is very much a poet and this song tells a story of troubled love. Not only are the lyrics and delivery awesome, but the song itself has a great beat and a nice hook.

—C Tokita

"Lover's Holiday" by Theophilius London

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 10:21:00 -0400

"Lover's Holiday" by Theophilius London

bsblogs: Maxine - John Legend I told you this wouldn’t be all...

Sun, 22 May 2011 17:16:26 -0400

bsblogs:

Maxine - John Legend I told you this wouldn’t be all about Minneapolis. John Legend has been one of my favorite artists since I first heard “Ordinary People” some innumerable number of years ago. Maxine is one of those really chill, laid back summer songs; the track has a nice, laid back, latin samba feel to it and I think it’s perfect for those summer days when you’re just relaxing outside under the hot sun. I’m a fan of music in general and I’d like to say I have a pretty varied taste. I’d like to say that I don’t have the best taste in music, but then I’d be lying. I really do have the best taste in music and if you keep up with my blog, you’ll get a beautiful image of good music is. I kid, but I really do love all kinds of music and I’ll do my best to give as much variety as I can. I’m also a contributor on a music blog (along with a few friends from school) called Vinyltaco (vinyltaco.tumblr.com) that I think is pretty sick. If you’re a music buff like I am, check it out!

In High School, I had always heard that Diego Mosquera,...

Thu, 19 May 2011 21:09:00 -0400

In High School, I had always heard that Diego Mosquera, one of my classmates who I never talked to, performed spoken word. However, I was not interested enough in the genre to look him up. After meeting him for the first time today, I decided to look up his stuff. Diego recites each word with intense passion and urbane skill. You will feel every single one of his words; you will not miss his conviction in his voice and the perspiration that accompanies this on his face. He definitely has incredible talent and potential.

Beast flow? Check. Lyrical Mastery? Check to a lesser...

Mon, 02 May 2011 21:01:06 -0400

Beast flow? Check. Lyrical Mastery? Check to a lesser extent. These dudes go hard. Definitely, my favorite group from the West Coast right now. They are unique today in that they have an old school still, yet they still shine amongst the new rap trends developing in the West Coast. I’m excited to see where this group goes in the future.

Much Love,

Javaughn L.

This video is hilarious. Pay close attention to Pretty...

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This video is hilarious. Pay close attention to Pretty Raheem’s dance moves. Haha!

Lupe Fiasco is performing today at Yale. Perhaps a little...

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:25:25 -0400

Lupe Fiasco is performing today at Yale.

Perhaps a little background information should be given so you can appreciate this man even more. Lupe was born in the westside of Chicago. Despite being born the son of a gourmet chef and an engineer, they did not exactly live the easiest of lives. His father was a black panther member and believed in defending his family. He taught a young Lupe how to use guns so he could defend himself it ever came to it (which wasn’t unlikely considering they lived next door to a known crackhouse).

In high school Lupe was an intellectual. He was a member of the chess team as well as a member of the Academic Decathlon team. In his spare time he worked the sound and lights for school productions.

Lupe originally hated hip-hop due to the profound use of vulgarity in it. Instead he preferred jazz. Eventually he found an old mixing board and a record player (along with a stack of vinyl records). From there he developed his own style of hip-hop. Initially he was influenced by California rappers such as Ice Cube but eventually he found his own voice in the hip hop world.

The rapper we find today is a multifaceted artist. His beats display his musical background as they often include heavy jazz influences, soulful samples/hooks, and great harmonization. His flow displays his creativity as he often finds interesting ways to play with words and create a rhyming pattern. His lyrics reveal his intellect as they are often not only written well but include a subject matter of political or social value.

Appreciate this man, not as a rapper, but as an artist. He is by far one of my favorites and I hope he can one day find a place in your hearts and ears as well.

Here is a song off his new album Lasers entitled “All Black Everything”. The premise is essentially an alternate universe where slavery did not happen and history unfolded in a completely different way. If you listen carefully you can catch a beautiful and uplifting story with a moral ending suggesting we ignore racial and religious divisions and instead join as one people. If you don’t get chills listening to this song, I suggest you listen to those lyrics and attempt to relate it to any discrimination you may have seen or experienced.

Enjoy,

C Tokita

In this poem, Rudy Francisco reminds us why hip-hop...

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:00:05 -0400

In this poem, Rudy Francisco reminds us why hip-hop came about. First rappers never sought to glorify material possessions, talk about being a gangster nor objectify women(Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” may be cited as an exemption to this, but these lyrics are no where as egregious as contemporary rap lyrics.) Rather, they aimed to info the world about the absurdly hopeless situations in which the system placed them. Mr. Francisco says it best: ”Hip-Hop is the sound that your belly makes when it hasn’t eaten in days.”

Much Love,

Javaughn L.

Designer Drugs

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:30:06 -0400

I would classify Designer Drugs as electro/house with lower frequencies. The trademark Designer Drugs synths are much deeper than you would hear in the work by other house artists but it still has the telltale house beat. Also, Designer Drugs loves to play with spooky sounds in their original work. Even the songs names point at their obsession with the gothic, the haunted, the creepy.

So to give you a taste of the pure electro/house glory that is coming to Spring Fling 2011 here are my top 5 Designer Drugs songs:

#1: Zombies (DOPEST DROP)

#2: Through the Prism

#3: IAMX – Spit it out

#4: Avian X – Dark Circles (Designer Drugs Remix)

#5: Annie – Anthonio (Designer Drugs Remix)

—Lea H.

Blu, an underground pothead from Los Angeles, has been one of my...

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:07:34 -0400

Blu, an underground pothead from Los Angeles, has been one of my favorite artists for a few years now. Taking the whole quality over quantity approach, Blu has about five mixtapes and albums total, with a slew of collaborations in the mix. Being a fan of soul-built samples, I immediately fell in love with Blu’s Below the Heavens, his debut album producer by Exile (one half of the group Emanon). The duo has brought some of the most laid back and relaxed lyrics I’ve ever heard, and combined with exile’s soul beats brings a musical experience you can’t find anywhere else.

Blu’s content is that of a humble man trying to find his place in society. Avoiding talking about money, cars, clothes and the hoes (ring a bell?), Blu often discusses his difficulty of every day living and his struggle to become a household name. In his song, Dancing in the Rain, Blu brings light to the struggle of life in the music business, discussing that it’s not all big chains and fast cars. Perfect for a sunday morning, Blu always finds spins on my iTunes when I just want to chill and forget about the world. Blu largely stays true to his roots of soul beats and chill music but once in a blu moon (see what I did there?) he dips his fingers in other genre’s. His latest exploit of his creativity brought about the single, Everything’s Ok with Jack Davey. Personally I’m not a fan of the upbeat electro song, but I can’t blame Blu for trying different things; I can see some people loving the track. Hopefully one of these days, Blu will drop another mixtape so it can find another hundred plays on my iTunes every Sunday.

At times, I wish that Blu could go mainstream just to bring him the success he so fervently desires, but I think that would ruin him as an artist. The market of super chill rap is a niche one, and couldn’t bring enough money to solve Blu’s problems. I hope he finds success but stays true to himself and his passions with his mixtapes.

I’ve told you why I love Blu, now do yourself a favor, and download Blu’s discography. If you won’t do that, I encourage you to download his debut album Below the Heaven produced by the very gifted Exile.

bSmith

Tyler “TdotY” Cash goes hard in this song,...

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 18:00:06 -0400

Tyler “TdotY” Cash goes hard in this song, “swagger right”. Keeping with the trend, he even has a separate dance video He currently goes to Baker University in Kansas. He and Christopher “Texas Tack” Tackett, a college friend, are forming company called Enliven 53 productions. They plan to attack all aspects of the industry from recording, film, graphics, etc. These ambitious cats are definitely worth checking out.

Much Love,

Javaughn L

chriskai92: As some know, Lupe Fiasco is headlining Yale’s...

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:08:25 -0400

chriskai92:

As some know, Lupe Fiasco is headlining Yale’s spring concert this year. know many of my friends and myself were very excited when we heard this news. Recently, though, I’ve been hearing people saying, “He’s headlining? That’s the best we can do?” or “He’s okay but he’s not that famous, I’d rather have Lady Gaga or someone with more of a name.”

These comments make me want to do nothing short of slap you in the face with some sense. I mean if a name is all much of the consumers these days want, maybe the music industry is in a bit of trouble. Well, by that I mean the music industry will do fine raking in profit, but the soul will be gone. How can people be dissappointed in a high-quality, highly-passionate, more-than-just-a-musicial-but-a-poet-and-political-activist artist like Lupe. He’s an artistic package. A talent. A positive lyricist. A person who can see things like you and I and connect with us, yet at the same time open our eyes to other perspectives through his lyrics.

And if it makes those people feel better, he is quite popular, if you just stuck your head out of your little pop music bubble. He’s been crossing genres and collecting a fan base that spans many musical tastes.

Lupe is quality, and if you can’t see that because you just want the most famous person you can get, let’s go find Gadaffi or Bernie Madeoff and put him on a stage. There’s a big name. Maybe then you’ll be happy.

TYE HENNEY “SNITCH”

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:35:06 -0400

TYE HENNEY “SNITCH”

Tye Henney: New Haven Rap Game Episode 1

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:30:05 -0400

This past Saturday, I went to West Haven to talk to a rapper named Tye Henney, who’s originally from the 2-5 (the street name for the housing projects along Valley Street in New Haven’s West Hills). Most of the rappers I had talked to so far were from The Ville (the street name for Newhallville). Cuzin Twiz, a rap promoter and all around expert on street happenings who runs a shop on Dixwell Avenue near The Ville, gave me a copy of Tye Henney’s mixtape when I last interviewed him.
The rap music I tend to enjoy most is that which captures the grittiness of the places where rap thrives. Henney’s art does just that—his video for “I’m a Real G” combines a simple but effective beat that embodies the gangster’s loneliness a la Ghost Dog with catchy, gritty lyrics like “I get a lot of love, real niggas love me, cause I’m a real g”.” The video, which mainly features images of Tye Henney’s crew and the area around South Genesee Street where they hail from, isn’t exactly professional, but complementary to the song’s character in its visceral tones.

During our interview, Henney told me how neighborhood rivalries are no longer an integral part of the rap scene like they used to be. Back in the day, I’ve heard from other rappers, the age-old rivalry between The Tre, the neighborhood south of Whalley Avenue, and The Ville was paralleled by a series of mixtape battles between The Ville’s DJ Bink B and The Tre’s Shorty Drip. Nowadays, Henney is able to work with J-Dice, a prolific rapper from The Ville (which historically hasn’t gotten along with the 2-5), and Wiley Don, a rapper of similar reputation from The Tre.
I’ll be seeing J-Dice perform at Humphrey’s on Saturday—I’d recommend the show for any other budding New Haven hip-hop fans.

Alan Melquíades Sage is currently working on a book about New Haven rappers.

When I first saw this, I was literally speechless. Don’t...

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 23:34:56 -0400

When I first saw this, I was literally speechless. Don’t let this guy’s ordinary, guy-next-door demeanor fool you, this is rap at it’s finest. I’m always a strong believer in the true root of rap: poerty. This guy tells a beautiful and heart-felt story through poetic verses over a simple beat. This song puts things in perspective. Pure beauty.

Have a listen,

C Tokita

Absolute Genius. This is the dopest rap you’ll ever hear...

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 15:30:05 -0400

Absolute Genius. This is the dopest rap you’ll ever hear about one of our founding fathers. Miranda makes Alexander Hamilton seem like a real OG.

Much Love,

Javaughhn L.

“You da one girllllll, somethin’ ‘bout them...

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

“You da one girllllll, somethin’ ‘bout them jeans that you wearinnnn”

Ok, so I won’t continually post club bangers, but I feel as though this deserves a post. This is a pretty solid banger off of DJ Drama’s new Gangsta Grillz album installment. It’s produced by Drumma Boy, and features Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa and Roscoe Dash. It’s definitely a record to start a party to, blow your speakers out to, and just basically go ham. Expect no conscious, insightful lyrics or message, just crank your subwoofers up, grab a girl/guy, and get slizzard to this.

-CG

I’m a J. Cole fan because he represents a counter-culture...

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:03:00 -0400

I’m a J. Cole fan because he represents a counter-culture to other rappers like Waka, etc….. This guy is intelligent. He received an academic scholarship to a good University (St. John’s) and graduated magna cum laude (top of his class). He represents a person who didn’t choose rapping because it was a way to get around getting an education, but instead put in the work and chose rapping because he has a passion and a true skill for it.

This song is awesome in my book. I love acoustic (guitar) music like Jack Johnson, so this beat fills that niche with a nice acoustic sampling. I’m also a big R&B/Soul fan, and this beat has a soulful vocal back up. Of course, I’m also a big fan a truly skilled flow, and you bet J Cole supplied that.

Enjoy,

C Tokita

J. Cole I wish everybody knew about this dude from Fayetteville,...

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 10:21:38 -0400

J. Cole

I wish everybody knew about this dude from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Hes too nice! As a short biography, he was raised in Fayetteville with just his mother but later attended college in New York City (St. John’s) in order to pursue his rap career. Anyway, J. Cole was also the first rapper signed to Jay-Z’s exclusive label “Roc Nation”. J. Cole made has a series of mixtapes but clearly takes the quantity over quality approach. His three existing mixtapes are “The Come Up”, “The Warm Up” and “Friday Night Lights”. FNL is the most recent of those installments and his album “Cole World” should be dropping sometime soon. Do yourself a favor and download all of his mixtapes; as a Wiz Khalifa fan, I find substantial rap (especially from J. Cole) to be extremely interesting and just flat out better in general.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVeXbOWSF7E (this is a little less of J. Cole’s style, but I still like it)

-BSmith