Heard this new joint by The Procussions called “Today” in the studio last week and was instantly in love. Some music is just meant to be played loud and this is one of those songs. J Medeiros and Stro Elliot team up with Candian rapper Shad and J Kyle Gregory on this record. “Today” has that big live band sound that The Roots made cool back in the ’90s. But for fans of this brand of hip-hop, nowadays, it’s rare to hear songs like “Today,” at least in the mainstream.
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More and more talented international R&B singers are getting shine in this Internet Age. Not that people overseas just started getting into R&B, but in the online world their fan base can grow much faster. Ever heard of Emeli Sande? She’s an incredible singer/ songwriter from Scotland who tour down the closing ceremony at last summer’s Olympics in London. She has had huge success in the UK and is making inroads on the US market with her latest single “Next To Me” which feature Kendrick Lamar. After listening, I know you’ll agree that the sky is the limit for this talented sexy songstress.
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Last week Michael Jordan celebrated his 50th born day in Houston, Texas, in correlation to The NBA’s All Star weekend. We The Best Music Group’s artist Ace Hood and CEO DJ Khaled commemorated Sir Airness and his long running sneaker with a new anthem “Got Those J’s.” Now if you know about Ace and are a fan of Khaled, then you know this Jordan track ain’t for the kids. If you’re looking for the proverbial “I Wanna Be Like Mike” type of Jordan song, try YouTube. It’s best to say Brand Jordan probably won’t have the consumer balls to include this grimy street track in their marketing strategy, but it’s still dope.
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With all the rap ratchedness currently dominating the airwaves, it’s almost easy to forget the dope diversity in hip-hop. Peep this new record from Las Vegas’Young Capo called, “First Off.” The wordplay in this has a positive message that hip-hop is thirsty for right now. It seems conscious rap has been reborn in a new class of MC’s that remind us of times when there was balance in the message you heard in music. What Capo is saying is a message to all my young dudes growing up in this today world. Songs like “First Off” used to dominate my WALKMAN when I used walk man. Enjoy.
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The Weeknd has been making his rounds in music circles for the last several years strong. This new banger “One Of Those Nights” featuring my man Juicy J is proof this kid has no plans on slowing down. R&B and hip-hop mash-ups are the best music going right now. But it’s always the best when it’s a mesh you would have never guessed, like the The Weeknd and Juicy.
Brandon ‘TNT’ West
Music Exec / Industry Insider/ The Andy Rooney of Hip Hop Culture
Holla at him @tnt718
