Amy Winehouse-Lioness: Hidden Treasures

We all knew The Soul Queen of Camden had unreleased material, the question was when it would reach the rest of us. The question has been answered with the announcement of the December release of Lioness: Hidden Treasures, a collection of previously unreleased tracks spanning the course of her career. The 12 tunes are a mix of new, unheard material and alternative versions of her most familiar tracks as well as a few covers. American producer Salaam Remi, who had worked with Amy since she was signed to Island Records in 2002 says, “It’s not the album she would have made. But these are things I would like people to know that she did. It makes no sense them sitting on my hard drive wilting away.”


In classic Amy fashion, jazz standards are included in the mix with contemporary hip-hop tracks. Listeners will be glad to hear the inclusion of an original version of "The Girl From Ipanema" and Donny Hathaway's "Song for You" recorded in one of Remi's first sessions with Amy when she was 18.
For fans the release of this posthumous collection will bring mixed emotions. On the one hand, we can always be grateful for new or unreleased material from a beloved artist, but this collection presents only a shadow of what her 3rd album would have been and will most certainly leave us with a twinge of regret that we'll never hear the final product. 


One of the first tracks to leak features verses from her close friend and creative influence Nasir Jones, better known as the rapper Nas. Winehouse's tune Me and Mr. Jones was written about a boyfriend who she wouldn't let get between her and the Nas gig in Brixton. After her death Nas agreed to add lyrics to the previously recorded original. Listen to the track below.

Amy Winehouse- Like Smoke (ft. Nas)


Check back for more news on the full album set to be released on December 5th

-Hillary D.

Rizzle Kicks: Brighton's Best Hiphop

A new hip-hop outfit from Brighton called Rizzle Kicks is really making a splash in the UK. The group is made up of just two dudes, singer Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule and rapper Jordan "Rizzle" Stevens. The boys have been nominated for Best Newcomer, Best Video and Best HipHop Grime at this years Mobo Awards. ALSO they bagged a nomination for Best British Single at the Radio1 Music Awards.
Not to mention that their single "Down With the Trumpets" has broken the top 10 on the charts recently.

Their early '90s vibe on thier album 'Stereo Typical' attracted the attention of producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who produced A Tribe Called Quest...a collaboration is afoot.

They just released this vid today... check it






Rizzle Kicks- Down With The Trumpets



Flying Lotus: Summer Mixtape

“Lovers Melt 2 will hopefully be part of your summer sound. Some of my favorite songs ever. Some you know, some you might not..” – Flying Lotus

LOVERS MELT 2 - Flying Lotus by kronika

Flying Lotus' newest mixtape includes none of the heavy reworkings and transitions we've come to expect from mixtapes these days. It does include, however, some of the most sampled songs of all time. Great soul, jazz, and world tracks from the psychedelic '60s, funky 70's and electronic 80's.
Essential summer listening. Enjoy.

G-Eazy and Curren$y Ensemble

Our Loyola New Orleans homeboy G- Eazy is touring with Curren$y this coming week in the FLA. These are going to be great great shows.

Eazy just returned from a lil tour on the East Coast where he I'm sure he rocked much of the set with tracks from his newest product The Outsider. Chock full o rad tracks like Netflix and Kings. Like he says, this dude's "part Johnny Cash, part Lennon and Part Drake..."

Curren$y is busy promoting the new mixtape Weekend At Burnie's that'll drop on June 28th. Which made Complex's 20 Most Anticipated Album's of the Summer List.  He just released a new track called "I Dont Want A Man" but personally I prefer #JetsGo. Check it Out.

R.I.P. Gil Scott-Heron

†

Poet, recording artist and music pioneer Gil Scott-Heron died on Friday at the age of 62. His spoken word, oft accompanied by sparse rhythmic instrumentation, voiced the disillusionment of the post civil-rights era. His sharp, cool political commentary would heavily influence artists like Public Enemy, Mos Def, Tupac, and Common. While many consider Scott-Heron to be the godfather of hip-hop and rap he often denied the credit. Scott-Heron called himself a "bluesologist" drawing on the long tradition of black music and poetry in America, which included jazz, blues and poets of the Harlem Renaissance like Langston Hughes and others.

Gil Scott-Heron- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

  

Donald Glover's alter ego: Childish Gambino

You might know him as Troy Barnes from the NBC show Community from the credits of 30 Rock (he wrote for the show with T. Fey) or you might have seen him modeling or maybe heard one of his remixes (he DJ's and produces) or maybe you've seen him on Comedy Central (also a comedian). He does all that, but wait there's more.

One of his alter music ego's is called Childish Gambino a name he got from a Wu-Tang Clan name generator...yeah they make those. And this dude can rap. He's something like a black Bo Burnham, if Bo Burnham was a hipster and could rap.

"I got the tortoise shell frames and the argyle...You wouldn't think from the things I'm fashioning, that I'd get more bush than Kim Kardashian"  
AHHHHH!

Jay Electronica Signs

Jay Electronica is a vagabond underground rapper originally from New Orleans who recently signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation record label (which I suppose must mean he's come out from the underground).

He's been garnering all sorts of praise from Nas, Diddy, Jay Z and other greats for a long while... so perhaps now he'll be hitting it big. Let's hope the fame doesn't spoil him...HA!

At the signing party Jay Electro was quoted as saying "My goal is to reintroduce magic to hip-hop" Amen Sir!

First one's just a favorite of mine...second is a feel good anthem that's rare from rappers these days

 Jay Electronica - Shiny Suit Theory (ft.Jay-Z The-Dream And Charlotte Gainsbourg)

 Jay Electronica - I Feel Good

"I ain't lettin no negativity come my way, I feel good"

Young Nola Rappers: E.C.M.E.

These guys just flew under my radar thanks to a tip-off from a fellow WTUL Dj and they've been on constant rotation since.

E.M.C.E  (Eclectic Collective of Microphone Executioners) hail from cities all over the U.S. and put out their own brand of hip-hop with sick flow layered over innovative beats. Rappers include Concept, theadamstewart, Tha Royal Bandit, Druzzi, and Conscience. They are gaining rapid exposure through live shows, online promotion and word o mouth.


Like their Facebook page and take a listen... these guys are headed straight to the top




smooth spittin'