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Hip-Hop Rap-Up, Week End 10.26.12: Kendrick Lamar, Styles Of Beyond, Vinnie Paz, Action Bronson + more

Posted by Billyjam, October 26, 2012 01:28pm | Post a Comment

Amoeba Music Hollywood Hip-Hop Top Five Chart Week Ending 10:26:12

1) Kendrick Lamar Good Kid M.A.A.D City CD (Aftermath)

1) Kendrick Lamar Good Kid M.A.A.D City Deluxe CD (Aftermath)

1) Kendrick Lamar Good Kid M.A.A.D City LP (Aftermath)

2) Vinnie Paz God Of The Serengeti (Enemy Soil)

3) Macklemore The Heist (Macklemore, LLC.)

4) Styles Of Beyond Reseda Beach (Dirty Version Records)

5) Karriem Riggins Alone (Stones Throw)

Just how popular an item is the brand new Kendrick Lamar album Good Kid M.A.A.D City at Amoeba Hollywood? So popular that the SoCal artist's release, which arrived in Amoeba on Monday this week (Oct 22nd), is in a three way tie with itself for the number one chart position. That is the three formats it comes in: regular CD version, the Deluxe CD version, and the LP version of Good Kid M.A.A.D City all tying for that coveted number one slot in the latest Amoeba Hip-Hop Top Five chart. I think of this album as Straight Outta Compton Version 2012 aka the return of the West Coast. XXL magazine has dubbed it "a future classic" while Ameoblogger Billy Gil called Good Kid M.A.A.D City "the sound of extraordinary promise achieved" and "as intricate, strange and thoroughly addictive an album as anyone could have hoped to hear" citing as part of the reason for the artist's major label debut's success as Kendrick's list of accolades such as his acclaimed Section.80 mixtape from last year and his work with such icons as Drake and Dr. Dre. In fact it is Dre's Aftermath label who released the artist's twelve track major-label (via Universal) debut featuring the popular lead single "Swimming Pools (Drank)" (see video below) that Dr. Dre both executive-produced and mixed. Clocking in at one hour, eight minutes both the regular CD and the LP versions offer twelve tracks while the (much longer) Deluxe CD version contains an extra five bonus tracks.

Hip-Hop Rap-Up, Week Ending 05.18.12: E-Lit, REKS, I Self Devine, Mac Mall, Foreign Legion, Bay Area Freshmen Class of 2012, + more

Posted by Billyjam, May 18, 2012 02:42pm | Post a Comment

Amoeba Music Berkeley Hip-Hop Top Five Week Ending 05:18:12

1) I Self Devine The Sound of Low Class America (Rhymesayers)

2) Big K.R.I.T. Return of 4Eva (Greenstreet Ent)

3) ) Death Grips The Money Store (Epic)

4) B.O.B. Strange Clouds (Atlantic)

5) KA Grief Pedigree (Iron works)

Good to catch up with my man E-Lit again over at the Berkeley Amoeba Music store where the tireless ambassador of underground, indie hip-hop brings his vast knowledge and shared a run down (in video above) of all the new releases available at Amoeba - with the new chart topper being from Rhymesayers crew veteran member I Self Devine and his brand new album The Sound of Low Class America which includes a great track with Brother Ali. Other new chart entries include ones from the ever popular B.O.B. (Strange Clouds), Big K.R.I.T. who is readying for his official major label release next month, and the beautifully twisted rap/rock hybrid Death Grips' The Money Store - the Sacramento crew's lo-fi major label masterpiece on Epic.

Hip-Hop Rap Up 08:19:11: E-Lit's Hip-Hop Report, The Cool Kids, Foreign Legion, BDP USB, The Coup & PE, BAPC, DJ Quest @ SF Street Food Fest, Raashan Ahmad & The 45 Sessions, Richie Cunning and more,

Posted by Billyjam, August 19, 2011 10:45am | Post a Comment

E-Lit @ Amoeba Berkeley

Amoeba Music Berkeley Hip-Hop Top Five Week Ending 08:19:11

1) The Cool Kids When Fish Ride Bicycles (Green Label Sound, C.A.K.E. Recordings)

2) The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
Watch The Throne (Def Jam)

3) Wu-Tang Legendary Weapons (Entertainment One Music)

4) Sole & the Skyrider Band Hello Cruel World (Fake Four)

5) Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown
Daily Bread (Mello Music Group)

Thanks to the ever knowledgeable E-Lit at the Berkeley Amoeba Music store for taking time to talk with the Amoeblog for this week's Hip Hop Top Five chart and also for running down (in video above) some of the cool new releases and recent arrivals in the Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley store. I love both that BDP Criminal Minded USB stick, gun key-chain, and DOOM's PIL-packaging inspired, silver can, vinyl box set! One of the new local releases mentioned by E-Lit is the new solo joint, Ilyich on Solidarity Records, from San Francisco artist Equipto who is known for such things as his membership of longtime SF hip-hop crew Bored Stiff and his collaborations with Andre Nickatina. In support of this new album he did an instore performance at Amoeba San Francisco last week, August 11th. Click to see photos of the Equipto Amoeba instore.

Hip-Hop Rap Up 07:01:11: Foreign Legion, Serengeti, Casual, Apathy, Moe Green, Prince Aries, Random Axe, Odd Future, & The Gods Must Be Crazy

Posted by Billyjam, July 1, 2011 03:46pm | Post a Comment

Foreign Legion "Travel Lite" (extended video version) (2011)

Care of the always self-effacinging funny rap duo of Foreign Legion (witty & talented Oakland emcees Prozack Turner and Marc Stretch) comes the above latest extended version video for "Travel Lite" from the pair's recommended current album Night Moves - on Hunger Strike Records/Quality Control and available at Amoeba Music.

Without even trying Marc and Zack are just naturally funny and, unlike so much of hip-hop these days, do not take themselves seriously by any means as they trade quips, one liners, and so corny they're funny jokes. Included in the deliberately silly (including canned laughter) clip are such jokes as Stewardess: "Have you ever been in the Navy?" Prozack: "Well.. I used to work at Old Navy." Ba-da-boom!

And below is the brand new video for "The Hex" by Random Axe, the latest outing from the rap supergroup comprised of Sean Price, Black Milk, and Guilty Simpson. The song is one of the many audio treats found on the new fifteen track CD simply titled Random Axe that is available at Amoeba and is featured in the new Hip-Hop Top Five found immediately below the video

. Random Axe "The Hex" (2011)

Hip-Hop Rap Up 05:13:11: Foreign Legion, Young Montana?, Blueprint, Beastie Boys, Equipto, Hopie @ Hip Hop in the Park, Skratchpad Moves to LA + More

Posted by Billyjam, May 13, 2011 08:40am | Post a Comment

Billy Jam's Top Five Hip-Hop Songs of the Week Ending May 13, 2011

1) Blueprint "My Culture" (Rhymesayers Entertainment)

2) Beastie Boys "Too Many Rappers (feat NAS)" (Capitol)

3) Foreign Legion "Son of a Gun" (Quality Control)

4) Equipto feat Mike Marshall "Heart and Soul" (Solidarity Records)

5) Young Montana "Sacré Cool" (Alpha Pup)

For this week's Hip-Hop Rap Up I am supplying my personal fave top five hip-hop songs -- new tracks that I am really feeling this week. These include, in the number one slot from the man who can do no wrong, Blueprint's "My Culture," taken from his highly recommended latest album Adventures in Counter-Culture on Rhymesayers Entertainment. At last Sunday afternoon's amazing Blueprint Amoeba Berkeley instore the MC/singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist delighted lucky fans like myself, Eligh and E-Lit to several tracks off this diverse album that redefines what hip-hop is in 2011. And for insight into what a cool guy he is, check out my Blueprint Amoeblog interview.

Since it came out last week I have fallen in love with the new Beastie Boys album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two on Capitol and in particular the song "Too Many Rappers (featuring NAS)" which, like the rest of this flawless release, has a killer throwback retro Beasties feel to it. An Instant classic! Another instant classic but on a much more down-tempo, laid back tip is Limerence on Alpha Pup, the debut from 21 year old Coventry, UK production wizard Young Montana? who, unlike the legions of J-Dilla wannabe copycats out there who fail at imitating their hero's sound, can do J-Dilla style production on the same level as the late Detroit great. Furthermore, that strain of instrumental hip-hop & electronica is only one style in this promising young producer's bag of tricks. The song "Sacré Cool" is pure awesomeness. Check it out below.

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