Brazilian music is one of my favourites, the groove from the Samba rhythms to the smoothness of Bossa Nova just gets me going. I just discovered this Sao Paulo group Mental Abstrato, and they bring the heat. They remix and flip some classic brazilian sounds and bring it up to date with some hiphop elements. The group consists of the trio OMIG One, Calmão and Guimas Bass. The newest single Mimo, features the dope singer Tássia Reis and her voice is fantastic. Highly Recommended!!!
The New Mexico emcee Wake Self just dropped a new single I Still Love Her which takes you on a ride through the Golden Era of Hiphop. The video is super creative, recreating all these classic hiphop albums. The song features Ma Dukes, Miles Bonny provided the horns and Young Native producing the track. It is dope, go check it out!
It was the 16th anniversary of the ground breaking single Untitled by the illustrious D’Angelo. I think that single and the album Voodoo solidified D’Angelo as the King of Neo-Soul, I think many critics and naysayers weren’t fully sold on his Brown Sugar album to fully give him the title. After Voodoo, they were all silenced. To honour such an impactful single and album, Bj The Chicago Kid, dropped a mini EP covering a few songs from the album. His renditions bring you back to the original while giving it his own sound. Go listen it!
The New Year brings on both optimism on the upcoming year and reflection on the past year. I am going back through some of the releases that I may have missed or overlooked and give them a proper chance. Sipprell, the songstress out of the UK, dropped her new EP Letter D in the middle of November. I have a showcased a few of her singles, but completely missed the EP. Her voice is on point on every track, while the EP is more refined than her previous acoustic releases, it doesn’t take away from the rawness behind the release. Grab this EP, you won’t regret it!
It is the first of day of the New Year and I can already be thankful something. The illustrious Dj Cam just dropped a new album The Soulshine Sessions, these sessions are a jazz revisitation of some of his classics tracks. Over the years, he has transitioned his sound from triphop to more classic jazz. This is album is great, it is smooth as butter. This is a good sign for the rest of the year!
There has been a few great jazz mashups this year and we can another one to the list. Notorious Jazz is a the brainchild of Ali D, as the title states, it takes Notorious BIG raps mixed with some great jazz samples. Mashups are striving to sound natural and organic, as if the artists originally made the songs that way. Well I think Ali D achieves this organic sound, take a listen and let me know what you think
I know we are three days away from Christmas, but with the recent music releases, it is feeling like Christmas has arrived early. The newest present is Little Simz with her newest edition Drop X in her Age 101 series. I have blogged many times about Little Simz’s lyrical talent and her delivery, so let’s just leave it at, you need to download this EP now!
If you have been following my blog for a while, it is probably apparent I have an affinity for Jazzy hip hop. For me, it is the perfect balance between the free open style of jazz and the more structured Hiphop beat. Well Kayo, the French beat maker, has caught my ear with his new release A Thousand Months. On the album, Kayo has collaborated with a few big names such as Awon, The 49ers, and one my favourites Miles Bonny. The track with Mr. Bonny is the standout track, it has it all the jazz elements, the tight percussion and the soulful vocals. Go grab this album!
Christmas came early, the ultra talented singer Mar just dropped a new EP When We Meet. You may have heard Mar previously with his well received collaboration with Full Crate, if you haven’t go check that collaboration out. Mar continues with his signature smooth airy vocals over different production styles ranging from acoustic to housey. The EP features Mar’s versatility and vocal spectrum which he effortlessly kills each track. This EP will not disappoint, just go get it!
Sampa The Great, the Zambian born rapper, poet, and singer, just dropped her new free project Weapon Choice on the Australian label Wondercore Island. The production has this crazy experimental tip and was provided by Godriguez. But the thing that shines the most is Sampa’s voice and lyrics. You can be serenaded by focusing on her voice but at the same time be enlightened by the lyrical play. Go grab this project!
ModulatorSoul 