Single of the Week: Run The Jewels - "Banana Clipper" (feat. Big Boi)

I remember writing about a potential El-P/Killer Mike project not too long ago like it was the stuff of fables. But it looks as though an album - a self-titled under the Run The Jewels alias - is about to materialise soon. "Banana Clipper" shows how much of a natural fit these two MCs are, swapping lines quickly and efficiently over El-Producto's tough, booming beat. It's these vocal performances that fans of last years' R.A.P. Music and Cancer For Cure albums will find the most satisfying. It's hard to tell who sounds the nastiest: Mike is "talking grip pliers guys, to the top of your teeth"; El invites you in with "Wanna hang? Bring a rope, I got stools and a rope." The track is topped off by a rare guest appearance by Outkast's Big Boi, Mike's old Dungeon Family companion, essentially bragging about not being paid for his verse. A lot of song for under three minutes.

You can listen to and download "Banana Clipper" below. Run The Jewels will be released as a free download on Fools Gold Records later this month.

Single of the Week: Young Fathers - "I Heard"

I struggle to think what Young Fathers' latest, Tape Two is going to sound like. The Scottish hip hop trio clearly have some confidence in it, enough to release "The Guide" as a free download offcut; a track that strongly evokes the 90s post boom-bap feel of that decade's rap abstractioners. Between "The Guide" and new one "I Heard" Young Fathers have easily set themselves up to the group when it comes to UK hip hop, and one of the most forward groups in all of rap right now. "I Heard" doesn't even feature rapping for the most part, rather a old soul vocal that feels nothing if not sincere and heartfelt. The whole track is pinned by keyboard and click-track drum that themselves somehow sound sorrow in their simplicity. An atmospheric cloud (not in that sense) of synthesis wells up over the top to bring out the intensity further, and group vocals on the chorus merely cement its overall greatness.

Single of the Week: Death Grips - "No Love"

Unfortunately for me, there are no awards for predictability. Death Grips' second album of 2012, NO LOVE DEEP WEB was released by the band themselves yesterday so I've hardly had much time to decide a favourite track for certain yet, however as it stands "No Love" is a belter. In a way it signifies the best elements of the new album: the beat is much slower and sludgier than anything on the comparitively brisk The Money Store, and impossibly thick with bass. Zach Hill's drumming is unflashy and primal, providing only heavy support for the main driver of the track's momentum: MC Ride. Its hook stands out as one of Death Grips' best (a feat in itself), and Burnett's using his vocal range to immensely satisfying effect, but the lyrics of "No Love" could stand as the band's ultimate "fuck you" so far (if we ignore something large and pink for a moment). In light of recent label politics, Death Grips are at their most unapologetic here, and that can only be a good thing for those who fervently follow them.

STOP THE PRESS: Death Grips leak their own album

Looks like Death Grips' relationship with major label imprint Epic may have come to a turbulent end. The group had a deal with the imprint, insisting on releasing two albums before 2012 was over: May's The Money Store and NO LOVE DEEP WEB, which was apparently planned for public consumption at the end of this month. However no longer. Death Grips started posting cryptic messages on Twitter and Facebook last night, culminating in this one:

"the label wouldn't confirm a release date for NO LOVE DEEP WEB until "next year sometime " . the label will be hearing the album for the first time with you."

Now they've decided to post a number of links to the album over their website, Twitter and Facebook, and have also made it available for streaming on Soundcloud and Youtube channels. Also there's that completely inappropriate cover art, which I'm currently unable to upload is now below the Soundcloud player (NSFW).

I'd suggest even if you are a fan, or want to wait to own NO LOVE DEEP WEB on vinyl before you hear it or whatever now is still the time to download, as this window of opportunity may be brief, and who knows what kind of trouble Death Grips are in now. Also it completely makes up for the tour cancellation blunder earlier this year, the details of which were never explained.

El-P w/ Despot - Birmingham Rainbow Warehouse (15th September 2012)

Despot (left) and El-P (right) leading the audience's free aerobics session (you couldn't make this up)

Despot
Anyone familiar with Despot's work will be glad to know his onstage presence matches expectations in terms of comedic value. His brief opening set involved not only the first rap aerobics session/performance I've ever attended (pictured), but also conversations with his iPad, and a whole slew of nonchalant one-liners. We (the audience) also managed to convince him that cake was a drug (a made-up drug). The set was made up of mostly new material which Despot claimed to be taken from his debut album to be released "soon" (and produced entirely by Ratatat). I assume I speak for many when I say that album needs to see the light of day because both the beats and the MC's technique worked amazingly together. "I'm goin' ham, I'm goin' bread, I'm goin' cheese!!!"

El-P
Knowing Despot was just the warm-up act made the anticipation for El-Producto's set even more tantalizing. When it did begin El sinply didn't let up - and he and his band played Cancer For Cure from beginning to end. And the fact that C4C is easily my most played album of this year didn't stop every track from hitting as hard as the first. Personal highlights were the full-throttle "The Full Retard", surely one of the smartest dumb rap singles in years; and Despot's returrn for his verses on "Tougher Colder Killer" felt like the stars had aligned. El-P also played the perfect host to the night's preceedings; it's no wonder that he's popularly considered the underground legend that he is.

Stream Jessie Ware's debut album Devotion and JJ DOOM's KEYS TO THE KUFFS

I've posted enough Jessie Ware tracks to prove that I've been looing forward to hearing her full-length debut Devotion for a while. Now in time for its release next Monday it's here, available to stream below courtesy of the Guardian:



UPDATE: Also streaming on the Guardian is the new JJ DOOM album, KEYS TO THE KUFFS, featuring collaborations with Damon Albarn and Beth Gibbons (Portishead). I decided to include it in the same post. Click here to listen.

Himanshu announces new mixtape, download "Killing Time"

Das Racist's Heems is readying a new mixtape called Wild Water Kingdom, the second this year following the 2012 Recommended Nehru Jackets and the fourth this year total from the Das Racist camp. Below download the Echo and the Bunnymen-sampling "Killing Time", and stick with it. It's worth it:

*Heems - "Killing Time"

Track all the info up to the release of Wild Water Kingdom on the Upcoming Releases page.

Hear DOOM perform new JJ DOOM cut "WINTER BLUES", live on BBC Radio 4

Earlier DOOM recorded a new track, "WINTER BLUES", from the upcoming JJ DOOM album KEYS TO THE KUFFS - for BBC Radio 4 show Loose Ends no less! Played with live backing it sounded pretty lovely - hopefully the album version will retain some of the qualities the studio musicians bought. I would love to think what happenstance Radio 4 listeners thought of it (the awkward interview with presenter Clive Anderson that begins the clip doesn't reveal too much):



Track all the info up to the release of KEYS TO THE KUFFS on the Upcoming Releases page.

Stream Aesop Rock - Skelethon in full right here

If you can tear yourself away from Frank Ocean's Channel Orange for just a moment (it's tough, I understand), you can find Aesop Rock's new album Skelethon below. It's out today on Rhymesayers.

JJ DOOM album gets release date, album art, tracklist

DOOM and Jneiro Jarel released their debut single together as JJ DOOM, "BANISHED" back in February. The subsequent album KEY TO THE KUFFS was supposed to come out in May, but now a release date has been set: 21st August. The album's being put out on Lex Records, and features "BANISHED" and contributions from Damon Albarn, Beth Gibbons (Portishead) and Khujo Goodie. A track called "RETARDED FREN" also features, which shares a name with a track DOOM worked on with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), and it's hugely likely to be the same / re-recorded. Tracklist:

1. WATERLOGGED
2. GOV’NOR
3. BANISHED
4. BITE THE THONG ft Damon Albarn
5. RHYMIN SLANG
6. DAWG FRIENDLY
7. BORIN CONVO
8. SNATCH THAT DOUGH
9. GMO ft Beth Gibbons
10. BOUT THE SHOES
11. WINTER BLUES
12. STILL KAPS ft Khujo Goodie
13. RETARDED FREN
14. VIBERIAN SUN PART II
15. WASH YOUR HANDS

No news on the DOOM / Ghostface Killah DOOMSTARKS. Maybe it's been scrapped?

Music Video: Danny Brown - Grown Up

Honestly, this is just fantastic. It's a cute little Danny Brown starring in big Danny Brown's latest video for the "Grown Up" single he released a few months ago for Scion AV. Danny's had his fair share of great music video moments so far, but this one might top them all. You can also download the single below:

Music Video: El-P - "The Full Retard"

Single of the Week: A$AP Rocky - "Bass"

A$AP Rocky's mixtape LiveLoveA$AP is on the tip of many people's tounges as of five minutes ago, and although not an entirely compelling listen for one blogger there are some pretty great standouts nonetheless. To me this mixtape's greatest asset is in the beats and beatmakers Rocky chose to work with. Regulars may be aware of my appreciation of up-and-comer Clams Casino's previous releases this year, and with "Bass" he has suitably altered his hazy, intoxicating trademmark style to make room for Rocky's verses. In future 2011 may be seen as a great year for hip-hop; A$AP Rocky and Clams Casino will be two names at the top of the list of artists that will prove it to be so.

A$AP Rocky - "Bass"



"Bass" features on A$AP Rocky's LiveLoveA$AP mixtape, download it for free here.

Single of the Week: El-P - "Rush Over BKLYN"

We are currently undergoing the resurgence of El-P. This is a good thing. The ex-Company Flow member has enjoyed recent guest spots on releases by the likes of Das Racist and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, and looks to release a new solo record, Cancer for Cure, sometime next year. In August he released the first single from that album, "drones over BKLYN", via Adult Swim's singles program. Now, using the new sample-clearing service Legitmix, El-P provides his own remix of the track entitled "Rush Over BKLYN", incorporating a sample of 70's prog giants Rush's "Tom Sawyer". Makes me think that DJ Shadow ought to have called El for his latest album with the prog-metal sounds he was using on his recent album. Next year can't come soon enough.

RUSH OVER BKLYN by PRODUCTOMART

All proceeds from the sales of "Rush Over BKLYN" go towards a fund to benefit DJ Mr. Dibbs, currently suffering from liver disease. You can purchase the track here.

Here's the original, "drones over BKLYN":



Sorry I missed Album of the Week last Friday, had stuff on. Tom Waits' Bad as Me if you're interested. Won't happen this week, there's too many good releases right now.