The Audacity of Dope

One of my favorite crews out, Kooley High, just dropped this brand new mixtape in conjunction with K-Salaam and IllRoots.com.  Listening to this group reminds me of the good ol’ days in college when I discovered their North Carolina predecessors, Little Brother & TheThyrDay.  Just dope, genuine hip-hop from the soul by some cool ass folks…the exact kind of hip-hop that I love listening to.  You can’t beat it.  Shout to the whole Kooley fam – Charlie Smarts, Rapsody, Foolery, Tab-One, Sinopsis, & Digitz…

1. Intro(ducing)
2. Gettin’ Up (Remix)
3. Daykeeper (Kooley High Remix)
4. Phonte’s Movie in a Minute
5. Stay Up (Young N’ Fresh Remix) feat. HaLo
6. Flow Glow (Kooley High Remix)
7. I’m Fresh (Remix)
8. Due Process (Kooley High Remix)
9. G Building (Foolery Koolery High Remix)
10. Bodega (HaLo Remix)
11. Jacques Cousteau
12. Kooley is High
13. Soldier (Kooley High Remix)
14. Rude Bwoy
15. The Next Episode (Foolery’s Fooldogg Remix)
16. Trix (1983 Kooley High Remix)
17. The Light (Outro)
18. Worldwide (BONUS TRACK)

Download here.

Right on the heels of TiRon’s Ketchup mixtape comes a fresh video for one of the tracks, “3 Drink Minimum,” featuring Ayomari and produced by Sa-Ra.  Remember how I mentioned that the CunninLynguists’ weed song was my jam despite the fact that I’ve never smoked?  Yeah, same thing with this one and drinking basically.

Shout to GregTheDude with a nice cameo in this one hahaha.

If you aren’t up on TiRon, you’re in luck.  His new mixtape, Ketchup, allows you to do just that and get familiar with yet another dope MC coming from the new wave of Los Angeles hip-hop.  Mixed by the homey DJ Low Key and featuring guest spots from Tunji, Pacific Division, Blu, Miguel, Buff1, and like 20 verses from Ayomari hahah.  Be on the lookout for Handshakes & Pounds 2, the sequel to his first mixtape, and also watch for an appearance from TiRon on this week’s Sound Session.  Shout to Kevin as well.

Download here.

The Vimby x UpOnThingz mixtape, The New Classics, dropped last week as a streamable project on iMeem, but it’s 2009…and that just doesn’t quite cut it these days. Here’s the full project for download, featuring incredible production from the homey Cook Classics and appearances by some of the best rising talent in the game: Shawn Jackson, Outasight, Avriel Epps, Emilio Rojas, Buff1, TiRon, Inverse, Pacific Division, 6th Sense, U-N-I, Convinced, Fashawn, and many, many more. If you need more of a reason to cop immediately, did you forget Tunji’s freestyle?

Download here.

The homey Roosevelt Treasure Chest just dropped a new mixtape featuring production from one of the more slept on cats out there, SC.  Don’t be fooled by the generic title, the tape is dope.  Hosted by Just Blaze and featuring guests like Mikkey Halsted, Mobb Deep, Naledge, GLC, Game, Lupe Fiasco, and more, this is definitely something y’all should peep.  Tracklisting and download link below.

Download here.

GregTheDude gave me a sneak peak of this last night…pause…but now it’s officially ready for the world to see.  Greg + Tunji + Cook = Claremont Colleges talent at its finest, but y’all don’t know about that.

What you do know, however, is that it’s becoming quite evident that Tunj is a beast.  Here he runs down the artists appearing on the upcoming VIMBY mixtape in freestyle form.  If you’re up on your 5-C’s trivia, this will remind you of his classic Pomona-Pitzer bball intro.  Ah, the good ol’ days.

If you want to see more of Tunji freestyling, check his appearance on Sound Session a few weeks back.  Plus, there may be some more studio footage coming from Greg in a bit…

My dude Top (aka Blendiana Jones!) just shot this over and it’s fresh as f**k.  For the first half, he took original PPP vocals and mixed them with unreleased beats from Waajeed.  The second part features some ill Dilla remixes.  If you know anything about the Detroit sound and the musical ability of the dudes involved here, you better download this ASAP.

(shout to FWMJ for the artwork)

Download the full tape here.  And here’s a bonus joint with Tiombe Lockhart that he tossed in for y’all as well.

Awww yeah, it’s finally here.  With A Love Supreme dropping soon(er than you think), Thurzday and Y-O linked up with Mick Boogie, IllRoots, and 2DopeBoyz to whet your appetite with this insta-classic mixtape.  Beats from Dibia$e, Ro Blvd, 6th Sense, Jaguar Skills, Cook Classics, and more, plus guest spots by Shawn Jackson, Evidence, Big Pooh, Tunji, Black Milk, Fashawn, Buff1, and more?

Wow.

Download this immediately and look out for U-N-I’s latest Sound Session interview to be posted soon…

Download here.

Y-O, Thurz, and Cook Classics appear to be cooking up a little something sampling one of the greatest songs of all time, Gregory Isaacs’ “Night Nurse,” for the upcoming VIMBY mixtape.  I remember Thurz singing this randomly last time U-N-I was up here and I commented on how much I love that track.  I had no idea they were working on a remake of sorts.  I can’t wait to hear the final version.

And in case you’re sleeping, vibe out to the original.  Flawless…

I’m not mad against all these dope MC’s that have hit the scene relatively recently hopping on some great Dilla beats and ripping ’em.  Great stuff from the homey Theo off his mixtape from last August, which you can grab here if you’re still sleeping.

Shout to OnSmash.