"Tryna Get On" by Tito Lopez ft. Jon Connor

"Y'all ain't noticed I'm focused, but niggas provoke us with ignorance/
Ain't wrote one rap, I just spat, and wanna act like I owe you my business/
What is this? Got all these people thinkin I'm rich and shit, like this is it/
Like I got some instant hit, man I'm just tryna get in position, shit/"

This collaboration was bound to happen. I kinda feel like both Jon Connor and Tito Lopez are in a similar position in the rap game. They both have their own independent fan bases, they're both dope, and I feel like they're both underrated. Which is what makes this song seem so creative. They're both tryna get on and you can see it if you pay attention. I don't think this is from a project, just a new single. At first I wasn't a fan of the beat but I adjusted to it once they both started spittin sick verses. All in all, it's a dope collab, check it.

"We Movin" by AZ

"Up in Mercedes whips, new Gucci blue navy kicks/
Hair wavy, stay fly in the 80's tip/
What can they say to this, let em pray and wish/
At any minute the nigga could 100K the wrist/"

This song's sick. AZ's still killing shit, and keeping it lyrical as hell. I was never huge into AZ but I know a few of his older songs. His flow's so smooth and fits together perfect. Sometimes I like tracks with this mood too. When the beat doesn't even have hard drums, just nice mellow drums over a soulful sample. The Statik Selektah produced track isn't from an album as far as I know, just a single at this point. But yea, check this shit!

"5 Fingers of Death Freestyle" by B.o.B. [Shade 45]

Even though I don't quite follow B.o.B. that much anymore, I can definitely understand that he's talented. I always like seeing these 5 Fingers of Death freestyles, and B.o.B. was actually freestyling pretty good for a bit until he decided to do what sounds like a written verse. Either way I feel like these Shade 45 sessions bring a lot out of the artists. Not gonna post lyrics for this one since it's mostly random freestyle shit lol.

"Panic Room" by Dope D.O.D. ft. Onyx

"I take you to a place that I don't like to go, I got that rifle flow/
Cuz killin' niggas is like riding a bicycle/
And how to break a neck? It's something that you can't forget/
It's Sticky Fingaz, but you can call me face of death/"

Dope D.O.D. has been making a name for themselves out in Europe. I don't remember how I even got put on to them, but my first impression was that they were weird as hell. But after hearing a few tracks and understanding their direction, I can dig em. Their production is usually sick, they have alright rhymes and their videos are always very well done. In some of their music videos, the footage from their live shows looks crazy too. But yea, today I seen they dropped a new video featuring Onyx, and I thought it was dope. Seems like a hype track for a performance. Check it!

"Bully" by Jarren Benton ft. Vinnie Paz

"I'm an animal, I grew up in the pits of hell/
I'm strong enough to punch through the ocean and fuckin' kill a whale/
Scalpels and all sorts of assortments/
Bitch, I'm a pimp, I can sell shit to a toilet!/"

I think this collaboration is random as hell. I'm not complaining or anything, it's good to see Vinnie working with a Funk Volume artist. Just caught me a lil off guard haha. It actually turned out to be an alright song though. It's from Jarren Benton's first album on FV, "My Grandma's Basement", which drops on June 11. This song gives you what you'd expect from each artist, so if you're a fan of either than you should check this!

To pre-order "My Grandma's Basement", click here.

"Tomorrow Never Comes" by Emilio Rojas

"If tomorrow never comes, I'll burn the capital/
In hoping that the fucking White House will turn to shrapnel/
Cuz politicians use tragedies just to catapult/
And launch they own careers, hoping that it make us cast a vote/"

Haven't heard anything from Emilio Rojas in a quick minute, but today this was uploaded. It's another deep track with a really sick beat and a nice hook. Tracks like these are the reason I got into Emilio Rojas in the first place. He's really good at breaking his life down into lyrics. This video's gotta cold sorta self-reflecting feel to it. I like the smooth slow motion effects they use at certain parts. Altogether I think this lil project is fucking sick.

"Rap Vs Real" by Saigon

"You make it rain, you be throwing them stacks? (that's rap)/
But when your daughter choose to work in that field (that's real)/
Niggas gassin' you to ride with your strap (that's rap)/
You should listen to who tellin you 'chill' (that's real)/"

This is one of the most eye-opening tracks from Bread n Circuses II, and also one of my favourites. Saigon keeps it G as always and spits the truth over a hard beat. I really like how he made contrasts of every line throughout the song. The shit he says is sort of a reminder to anybody out there thinkin' the rap game's all flashy cars and horny women. Here's the track along with some recently released visuals. Check it.

"The Awakening" by Ransom

"They say that I gotta gift/
I say that I gotta chip on my shoulder that's like a brick/
I say that I gotta fifth in my holster that's like a bitch/
I finger fuck it and grip her and choke her until she trip/"

I'm looking forward to seeing Ransom's future moves. Because his momentum lately could take him down the right road if he plays his cards right. Seems like the dude's been workin hard lately on music and videos. This track, "The Awakening" is a deeper track but eventually becomes pretty intense. Kinda reflects the progression of where his hunger originated from. I wish the song was longer but this is all I get I guess lol. Check it.

"Execution in Autumn" by Wu-Tang Clan

"Small change, don't step in my lane/
I rock too hardbody, a clip bang, give em the pain/
Nah mayne, can't get with them games/
Ya boy born with it, so how you gon' get him the change/"

Here's an unreleased track from 4 Wu-Tang emcees, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, RZA and U-God. I wish Meth woulda been on this cuz Inspectah Deck killed it, and beyond his verse I kinda got bored of the track lol. Never really been a fan of Raekwon n RZA. Still an alright track tho, check it.

"Switch Lanes" by Rittz ft. Mike Posner [Music Video]

"You tryna say you ain't impressed, please, save it woman/
Got you all up in the seat, getting naked, wantin/
To make out, but you better not get no make up on him/
These car jackers wanna follow me then take it from me/"

This was one of the first tracks released from "The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant". It's a good track to use for a single that'll appeal to radio listeners. It's got a smooth vibe that could totally be played on the air, and on top of that, Rittz kills his lyrics. Mike Posner did his thing as well and sets the mood for the chorus with his soft toned voice. Here's the visual for the song, which is actually a good video compared to a few that Rittz has released lately. Check it.

"Raiders Cap" by Demigodz

"Hit record on your radios to tape my verse/
The only way to get to space and escape this earth/
Stick to the facts, Ap got the wickedest raps/
OG like a Raiders cap with snaps in the back/"

Man this video makes me feel a little inadequate. I don't have a Raiders cap. The Demigodz make them seem so fun to have too. So much that they made a song dedicated to them. And guess what. Their song about a Raiders cap is better than most of the mainstream crap broadcasted to us through media. Weird eh? Demigodz dropped a new visual today for this track from their recently released album, KILLmatic. The Apathy produced beat has a classic hip-hop vibe to it that instantly makes you wanna wear a Raiders cap. Lmao, enjoy the video!

"21 & Over" by Statik Selektah ft. Mac Miller & Sean Price

"Hell of a drug, Sean Price, hell of a thug/
Hang with Sheen, I got elephant blood/
Listen to me, y'all better not listen to me/
Fuck around and catch a case tryna be like P/"

Statik Selektah works miracles. Not even just as a DJ and producer, but as a man bringing two talented artists together. That's right. This dude got Sean Price and Mac Miller on a track. They both spit some humorous bars over the grimy instrumental. And they actually sounded alright together since they were both being goofs and just talkin shit over the record. Sometimes not giving a fuck is the key to making dope shit. But yea. Random collab, I can dig it tho. Check it.

"Rise Up" by Jon Connor ft. Talib Kweli

"Seduction or corruption have us all fucked/
Before we all stuck, see the light before we awe struck/
Back to that baby momma nigga, here you little boy come/
Lifetime to build a future, only seconds to destroy one/"

Fly city, what the bloodclaat? Why you gotta breed such a dope rapper for? Jesus Christ. I really like this song. The beat's got a sick feel to it, and Jon Connor's voice sounds so clear n crisp over it. Not to mention the fact that he murks it. I'm not a big Talib Kweli fan, but I guess he was alright. Once again, this is another song by Jon Connor with some good quotables in it. Not sure if this is a song from his upcoming project, "Unconscious State" or not, but it'd definitely make the cut if it were my choice. Check it!

"Rising" by Tech N9ne [Prod. by Harry Fraud]

"Okay, I'm back, having everlasting life/
When you're rappin' right, let me in, I ain't askin nice/
Bashin' mics, rippin it even if I'm half in height/
That'll be smashin wives, get her open like Aston pipes/"

This track's sick. I wish it was a bit longer and uncensored. But you get what you pay for. This track is the opening track to producer Harry Fraud's latest mixtape, "High Tide", which can be downloaded for free by clicking here. I don't know much bout this producer, but this beat's sick and Tech kills it. The guitar sound fits well with Tech's style. Anyways, check this shit out!

"Big Ships" by E-dubble

 

"I don't assume too soon, I let it marinate/
It's like an Olsen twin, it's like Mary-Kate/
It's like an Olsen twin who likes mary jane/
Even if you stumble, still bubble just like Perrier/"

I haven't heard a track from E-dubble in a while. So today I hear this new track released by him and it has such a positive feel to it. This is the kinda music I could bike to work listening to on a nice day like today. I still don't know much about E-dubble so I'ma just let the music speak for itself. Peace!

"Peace [Demo]" by Shad

"Crack jokes, crack eggs for a feast/

Got us all scrambled, gotta beat 'em just to eat/
And it's not taught which teaches us to repeat/

This strong cycle of violence, now it's harder than peace/"

 

Shad's one of the emcees I often forget about. Which is totally unacceptable lol, this guy's a beast and his music's very unique. On top of that, he's Canadian. So every time he pops up, I get a reminder of how sick he is. I don't know if this tracks for a certain project or anything, I just seen him post it to Facebook today and it's actually a pretty deep track. The sample sounded a lil weird, but once the drums kick in it's dope as hell. And once Shad starts displaying his ability to manipulate words, it all comes together. Fuckin sick track. Take it in!

"Michigan $hit" by Jon Connor ft. Royce da 5'9"

"This that shit, niggas wish they could bottle it up/
Now my motto is 'ain't no motherfucker following us'/
Give me a medal, nobody hot as me, give me a shovel/
So I can dig my way to hell so I can battle the devil/"

One thing that stands out to me about Michigan is the concentration of dope music that comes outta there. This track right here features two crazy Michigan artists, Jon Connor and Royce. The song kinda lacked substance, but it was still a dope track. They both killed their verses, and the beat that sounded like it'd be kinda annoying at first turned out to be alright. This track's apparently from Jon Connor's upcoming album, "Unconscious State" which drops June 4, 2013. Check it!

TeamBackPack Cypher: Irv da Phenom & Aqualeo

"They got all of your information from the bank statements to the blank statements/
That you text, gotta make arrangements, get out the matrix, before your Facebook call case arraignments/
Incrimination from penetratin the internet, slipped you in the net/
Call the world wide web the administration, then use this to intercept/"

TeamBackpack always hooks us up with artists that we aren't used to hearing. They actually keep it pretty real when it comes to artist selection. I heard all of the artists in this video from Tech N9ne features first, and they're pretty sick. I don't know wtf's up with Irv da Phenom's glasses, but his verse was alright so I'll let it slide. After he spit his verse, Aqualeo came in and they actually got pretty deep. Mainly the first dude, Priceless. But yea. The beat they spit over is sick as hell and I was impressed with their verses. Check it!

"Say No More" by Rittz ft. Krizz Kaliko & Tech N9ne

"Backstage doin' blow with a snow bunny/
Rappers that you think's dope, we poke fun at/
But don't come at me wrong, homie you don't want it/
These coyote dudes too slow for this road runner/"

Alright. So I've probably posted every song from this album that's been posted to Strange Music's official YouTube page. And as long as they post em, I'm gonna post em. This album is nuts. It's crazy. Ever since it was released on April 30th, I haven't switched the cd outta my car. It's such a great album when it comes to beat selection, guitar solos, turntablism, lyrics, flow, choruses, everything. Probably the most complete album I've heard in 2013 so far. This track right here features the two main Strange Music frontmen, Krizz Kaliko and Tech N9ne. They all have dope verses, the chorus is tight, and like I mentioned earlier, the scratching and guitar solo sound tight. Check this shit out. Ye-uh-yeeeuh!

"Stand It" by Locksmith ft. Anesha

"My sister used to tell me 'Please Ali, don't be a fool'/
If you gon' do this music, use rap as a vehicle/
See this could be your tool/
If you ain't sayin something meaningful to people then you probly need to be in school/"

Cheaaa boyy. Locksmith is still grinding and consistently droppin ill shit. I'm not sure how old his "Labyrinth" mixtape is, but I recently downloaded it and I've been a fan of his music ever since. I was a fan before, but that mixtape solidified the fact for me that he's an absolute beast. Today I found this joint which was just released. It's got that classic hip-hop feel, as most 9th Wonder productions. On top of that, Anesha blesses the track with mesmerizing vocals to compliment Locksmiths crazy muhfuckin lyrics. This shit is dope. I'm guessing this is a track from his album, "The Green Box", which releases tomorrow.

"Wastin' Time" by Rittz ft. Big K.R.I.T.

"Kids my age done graduated college, some married, some had some kids/
Most of 'em have credit cards and cars and large houses, me? I'm on that rappin' shit/
Which means I don't gotta job, I just gotta couple hundred dollars and a sack, and a pack of cigs/
Still smoke with the crew but it ain't fun like it used to be, we get high, we don't laugh, we bitch/"

Ever since the day this album was released I've wanted to share pretty much every song from the tracklist. However, the only way to do that was to share a link that would eventually get removed from YouTube due to copyright purposes. So thanks to Strange Music, I'm finally able to share a song that won't get removed later on. This track right here is a collab between two very distinctive southern artists who make a great duo. Both Rittz and K.R.I.T. had sick verses over top of this mellow down south instrumental. I like the content of this track and all of the elements compiled into it make it a perfect track to smoke a blunt and cruise around to. Yee-uh-yeeeuh!