Pace Won & Mr. Green - The Only Color That Matters Is Green
As I mentioned at the introduction to my necro'd Outsidaz interview, this album just arrived in the mail the other day. I haven't seen this around many (any?) of the usual online spots, but I got it direct from Pace's myspace page. Twelve songs, no skits. Hardly any guests (just a couple unknowns on one track)... only one talented MC and a producer who provides consistently solid beats. The songs you haven't heard are definitely up to par with the ones they've already leaked onto myspace, youtube, etc. A must have. ...I got a free compilation CD of his label's roster with my order, too.
Invincible - Shapeshifters
God damn; it took long enough! But Invincible is one of the very, very few artists who was a hot indie artist in the 90's to come back and be just as good - even better - than she was when she got underground heads into her in the first place. Anomolies represent on a posse cut, and there are a few other guest spots on songs that manage to be ill in a battle-type way and socially consciously message driven at the same time. I think the proper release date for this one is still a week or two coming, but it's already available direct from her site, EmergenceMusic.net. Be sure to watch the 12 minute music video/ documentary on urban gentrification featured on this disc as well. And vinyl heads be sure to cop the 3 song (plus instrumentals) 12" single.
Josh Martinez - Skulldruggery EP
For a while Josh was promoting this online but it was only available for digital (mp3) download. So I asked him about it, and he answered, "physical copies are in manufacturing. they will be available at cd baby, our webstore (www.camobear.ca) and other weird locations...i'm trying to get them into vinyl format by the summer... hopefully... the album itself (The World Famous Sex Buffet) will be on double vinyl. release date is aug 14/08./...thanks for reaching out." Well, sure enough, very shortly after CD copies of this 4-song EP (+ instrumentals) are already available from his online store. Hopefully the vinyl's still coming, but this EP is so hot I couldn't wait to pick it up. "Bobby Loveable" has to be in the running for best hip-hop song of the year.
Buck 65 - Heck
This is a tour-only CD that 's been picked up by Sage Francis' online store (since they're distributing his latest official album). You can tell why it's tour-only as opposed to a proper album: it features some previously released tracks (off the Dirk Thornton 7"'s), remixes of older songs (though after releasing multiple versions of "Kennedy Killed the Hat," I think he's finally hit on the definitively best version here), and covers (The Jungle Brothers' "I'm Gonna Do Ya" and Barnes and Barnes' "Fish Heads"), which will only appeal to the most die-hard completists who'll want to recapture their memories of hearing him perform these live at a show. In fact, this whole album might be more of a "for completists only" venture, but Buck is talented enough that we should all be completists. Besides, there are some dope completely unreleased songs here - including the last ever Sebutones' song, "Sebutones Is Dead?"
Sole - Desert Eagle
With the pending arrival of his widely distributed album, Sole and The Skyrider Band (and the very limited Exhile EP if you were hip enough to pre-order it direct from his site), Sole was announcing plans for a return to traditional hip-hop with his next, limited album, Desert Eagle. Listening to it now that it's available (from his online store), it clearly didn't turn out the way he intended - this is even artsier and sketchier than his collaboration with that rock band, with all of the music provided by himself and his wife. But if you're courageous (or stoned) enough to take a little creativity and experimentation with your rap, this is actually pretty fresh. My favorite song is "Sedona;" possibly because I've lived in Arizona myself and know exactly what he's talking about when the hook goes, "this place is called Sedona; Hopi Indians used to fish twenty feet from my house. Now there's art galleries on every corner, filled with Indian art made by white women. And it'll cost you thirty quartz crystals here to get a proper psychic healing."
Fun Fact: a short, untitled instrumental track in the middle of the album throws the track-listing on the disc and artwork off. Check my DPD page for the fixed track-listing.
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