Well, hello. I didn’t see you there. I’m so glad you could
join me as I revel in my biweekly realty (the opposite of
sub-prime) here on SOTO. Today I bring you a selection of
kid-tested, mother-approved hip-hop gems that I’ve been
enjoying these past few weeks. Remember, the only way to
know if you like it is to listen to it!
:Zion
I - The Caged Bird (Featuring Brother Ali):
Duo Zion I out of Oakland, CA, consists of producer AmpLive
and MC Zumbi and have been around since 1997, making
uplifting underground gems throughout, but have never gotten
the kind of attention they deserve. Their new album, The
Takeover, drops on February 17 and all expectations
point to one awesome release. This track features
Rhymesayers favorite, Brother Ali, and riffs on the blues
he’s known to bring to all his tracks with some great flows.
:Sage
Francis - Conspiracy To Riot:
When Sage Francis isn’t busy making the kind of music that
Howard Zinn would make if he were a rapper, he’s making a
webpage about a friend getting arrested at
the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Needless to
say, (but I’ll say it anyway) this kind of song and
back-story pluck my liberal heartstrings. This will make
John want to riot as much as Immortal Technique.
:Blacklisted
Individuals - Fistful Of Strife:
In case you couldn’t tell, I get a real kick out of "life is
hard, but I persist" style tracks, and this is a great one -
a laid-back hand-clap beat and a sweet little flute melody
accompanying some local Austinites flow about the grind of
the 9 to 5. To be honest, it's fairly simple, well-balanced
stuff, but that's what I like most about it.
:Shad
- The Old Prince Still Lives At Home:
Hear that?
That’s the sound of me kicking myself in the ass for
overlooking this outstandingly clever artist from London,
Ontario. This track is old - from his 2007 release The
Old Prince, but I just found it, and hot damn it is
sweet. No word on an upcoming release, but on the off-chance
that Shad accepts open letters from blogs:
Dear Shad,
Let’s say you’ve made an impression on
me. I’m a big fan. A really big fan. As in, you have no
idea. As in, please send me your address so I can mail you
nine of my eyelashes. Anyway, I just found your 2007 album
and I need more - desperately. Please release an album as
soon as you can. Thank you.
Until then, I’ll see you at SXSW, and please try to act like
I haven’t creeped you out. If you can.
Sincerely,
Miss Manners
Leah Manners is the host of KOOP's (91.7 FM) Hip Hop
Hooray, which airs on Sundays from 2pm to 3pm. If you'd like to contact
Leah in regards to her
writings here at Side One: Track One then please do
so
here.
- Leah Manners
-
Unless
otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any
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John Laird under a
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