The Audacity of Dope

“The Hard Way is an impromptu shoot during their recent stay in Los Angeles. It encompasses Fly Union’s ascension to the top of the mountain and their continued rise in the music industry.”

In other words…the video won’t really blow you away, as it’s essentially some cool shots, a few video effects, and some font laid on top, but I wanted to toss it on the blog because these guys are consistently making dope records and deserve more exposure. We played this record on SNSS when it first dropped and it’s still dope now…

Not only is it great to see Mack and Ryan link up with my guy Nick @ Hard Knock TV (cough…SXSW HoopxHang Champions!…cough) during the Paid Dues Festival, but the interview turned out really good as well.  But if you’re familiar with Hard Knock content, that’s no surprise.  Peep both clips to hear the fellas talk all about their story, their upcoming album, Seattle’s hip-hop scene, and much more.

Statik might be the hardest working cat in the biz right now and even more amazing, he’s ridiculously consistent with pumping out good music. This time around, he’s back with his 1982 co-star, Termanology, for the newest single from their second album, due out May 22nd.

Still waiting for someone to tell me a better record that dropped this year…

My favorite track from The Airplane Boys’ latest project, Alignment, gets the visual treatment courtesy of Directors Warren Credo and Justin Create.  If you’re feeling it, be sure to download the tape right here.

The latest video from TiRon & Ayomari’s excellent A Sucker For Pumps project is an ode to all the truly amazing women out there that deserve the world…and more.  With BJ on the hook, you already know what it is.  Great work fellas.

BJ’s “Dream II” video features footage of his recent trip to one of the best cities in the world, Paris. With all due respect to The Weeknd, Miguel, and Frank Ocean, BJ’s Pineapple Now-Laters might be the best R&B release of the past year or so.  Stop sleeping.

Cole’s album is full of good records, but the title track might be my favorite of them all. Great beat and some heartfelt rhymes…can’t ask for more.

Following up on his XXL Freshmen cover, Mack releases his new video with Ryan Lewis for “Victory Lap,” showing that his rise to stardom has been in the works far longer than just the past year.  Obviously everyone in Seattle knows this firsthand, but this video should help tell that story to the rest of Mack’s rapidly growing fan base.  So proud of these two guys for absolutely killing it…for years!

Obie’s been one of my favorite MC’s for the last decade, but also one that I…and everyone else…sadly seems to forget when making their lists. The label drama he’s been through recently didn’t help, but it looks like everything is finally lining up for a return to the limelight. The flow has remained throughout. So Detroit.