1) Talib Kweli Prisoner Of Conscious (Blacksmith)

2) The Uncluded (Aesop Rock + Kimya Dawson) Hokey Fright (Rhymesayers)

3) Qwel & Maker Beautiful Raw (Galapagos4 Records)

4) Sunspot Jonz and BOAC Skywalkers (Outhouse Records)

5) Sole No Wising Up, No Settling Down (Black Canyon)

Thanks to E-Lit at Amoeba Berkeley for his run down (video and chart above) on all the latest in hip-hop releases at Amoeba Music this week that include such new joints as Sunspot Jonz (Mystik Journeymen/Living Legends) who teamed up with Bay Area producer BOAC (founding member of The Earthlings along with DJ Bootleg who used to book the hip-hop shows at the defunct SF venue Maritime Hall) for his latest release Skywalkers - released on the long running Living Legends label Outhouse Records. As E-Lit notes it is a fun, all killer, no filler hip-hop release.  Other new releases include the straight up hip-hop album from Qwel & Maker Beautiful Raw on Galapagos4 Records, and the much more alternative/adventurous hip-hop outing from The Uncluded: Hokey Fright on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The Uncluded is the pairing of Aesop Rock with Kimya Dawson who have worked together before this new collaborative full-length album. You may recall that Kimya Dawson made a cameo on Skelethon - the stellar solo album (following a five year gap) from Aesop Rock last summer (when he did a memorable in-store at Amoeba San Francisco), and that Aesop Rock in turn had made guest appearances on Dawson's album from the previous year Thunder Thighs. Released by Rhymesayers Entertainment it features the single "Earthquake." See the accompanying video below and you will immediately see why E-Lit describes it as like children's music in its production presentation of the 16 track album that, according to the publicity release from the label, "helps to tell the story of two people who are finding therapy through making art together."

I love how both Res and Talib Kweli of super-duo Idle Warship are genuine music fans and true supporters of their fellow artists as proven in the above What's In My Bag? video recently shot at Amoeba Hollywood. In this latest What's In My Bag? segment Res (pronounced Reese), who confided that whenever Talib releases a new CD that she cops six copies of it, picked up such releases as Nikka Costa, Crosby Stills & Nash, and female vocalist Havana who she got turned onto it after hearing it been played over the Sunset Blvd. Amoeba sound system. 

Meanwhile Talib Kweli, who was clearly quite pleased with his Beatles "Yellow Submarine" poster find, picked up a grip of music including some late 2011 releases he was catching up on - the latest releases from  his "friends" The Roots (Undun) and Common (The Dreamer/The Believer) stressing how it is important for him to support music since he asks others to do so of his music.  And you can support Idle Warship by buying their November release Habits of the Heart directly from Amoeba. And for more artists shares of their goodies found at Amoeba check out the numerous other videos in the series What's In My Bag?

        
Welcome to the kick-off of the 2012 Black History Month Amoeblog series in which, over the upcoming month of February 2012, we will honor Black History Month via a series of blogs covering an array of black history and culture pieces from the various Amoeblog contributors. This latest Amoeblog series will continue the tradition of honoring Black History Month here on the Amoeblog not just in February but all year round with pieces such as Eric Brightwell's thought-provoking Happy MLK Day. Yo, whatever happened to peace? Amoeblog from two weeks ago. Eric Brighwell will be among the many of us Amoebloggers posting articles on Black History Month. Oakland author / journalist / broadcaster JR Valrey, who was recently profiled here on the Amoeblog about his latest book Block Reportin', will be a guest Amoeblogger for Black History Month and contribute an article on his views on black history and culture titled The Black Experience Study Guide: My Top 7 Books, Movies, and Albums for Black History Month. I plan on posting several Black History Month 2012 Amoeblogs including this one on the highly recommended, recently released The Black Power Mixtape DVD.

1) Lupe Fiasco Lasers (Atlantic) CD

Love him or hate him, Lupe Fiasco’s new one was last week’s best seller by far, selling out the first day we received it and steadily moving units since. Lasers has apparently been disowned by Lupe himself in interviews, which is somewhat of a testament to his testy personality, but he’s clearly tapped into a special realm of the pop music spectrum if he can appeal to Top 40 crowds and seasoned rap listeners alike.

2) Talib Kweli Gutter Rainbows (3D/Javotti Media) CD

Back in stock! I wrote up a bit on this one the other week, but it was out of stock for a sec and now that it’s back on the shelves it’s moving quick. Talib Kweli’s latest is his first independently released solo project in a minute, boasting production from the likes of Oh No, Marco Polo, S1, and Khrysis amongst others. Gutter Rainbows is one crafted for Talib’s long-time fans for sure.

3) Blu Amnesia (Nature Sounds) 10”

New limited 10” single from everybody’s favorite new school West Coast MC, Blu. Taken from his upcoming full length HerFavoriteColour, which was released as a download a while back but is now newly remastered and available to the DJs on wax. The title track and two additional songs on this 10” highlight not only Blu’s natural flow, but also his interesting lo-fi soulful production. Limited and smooth as hell.

1) Talib Kweli Gutter Rainbows (101 Distributions)

2) The Jacka Flight RIsk (Siccness.net)

3) Madlib Medicine Show #11: Low-Budget Hi-Fi Music (Stones Throw)

4) Turf Talk The Turf Sinatra Mix Tape (Siccness.net)
 
5) Philthy RIch Trip N 4 Life  (Town Thizzness/LiveWire Records/SMC)

Shout-out to Luis at the San Francisco Amoeba for compiling this latest Hip-Hop Top Five Chart which features Talib Kweli's brand new release in the number one slot with a bullet following its release last week on 101 Distributors. But what is eyebrow raising about this CD release (arriving in a deluxe version as well as a regular CD version) is that when I interviewed the artist in late December here on the Amoeblog he clearly stated when I asked him if there would be a CD or vinyl that this album was going to be an MP3 only release: "Gutter Rainbows is going to be digital only because I'm focused on Prisoner of Conscious as a full release. Gutter Rainbows is more just for the fans," Kweli told the Amoeblog. So did he have a change of heart in the intervening six weeks and decide to issue it on CD for fans like me who still love physical copies? It doesn't appear so. Just in the past week, in an interview with MTV News' Sway Calloway, it was stated that "the rapper decided to avoid producing physical CDs." Kweli reiterated what he had told the Amoeblog:  "I'm putting out Gutter Rainbows — which is a small release — not on a CD." He did go on to say that "at a later date" he would issue a limited edition CD through Duck Down Records. But that's down the road and not on 101 Distributions through Fat Beats, as this CD release is. So what's the dealio? Luis at Amoeba said that not only is there a CD version of Gutter Rainbows now, out since Jan 25th (same day as the online release), but that a vinyl version of Gutter Rainbows is due to follow in two weeks on Feb 15th. I put a call through to the contact at Duck Down Records, who set up the recent Amoeblog interview with Kweili, but as of posting this blog no word back. Once I can determine the full story, I will report it here.