On my latest poll I asked Hip Hop AD readers who's they feel is the next best thing. While the results were all close, Canadian MC Drake was the winner. You may have seen him on the hit high school show Degrassi where he plays the crippled ball player Jimmy. He has now ventured into music being a new rapper/singer signed to Interscope under the name Drake. He is also apart of Lil' Wayne's entourage Young Money. Being affiliated with Young Money granted Drake numerous Wayne collabo's and he is rumored to produce Drake's debut album Thank Me Later. Drake being signed to Interscope, radio-friendly joints, and his Lil Wayne affiliation gives him the potential to be the next big thing.
Peep the full story to get Drake's latest mixtape and peep the rest of the poll results.
Drake is working on his newest mixtape So Far Gone. His latest mixtape, Heartbreak Drake features his best material and freestyles over some of the hottest beats out at the moment. Click here to get Heartbreak Drake.
Poll Results: Who's the Best Rookie in the Game? (Click the artists name to peep blogs on them)
1. Drake - 40%
2. Kid Cudi - 20%
3. Charles Hamilton - 20%
4. Jay Electronica - 10%
5. Asher Roth - 10%
Don't like the results? Do your thang and vote!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Polls is Talkin': NextUp - Drake
Thursday, November 6, 2008
NextUp: KiD CuDi
Meet KiD CuDi, a fresh, innovative artist who hails from Cleveland. His undergound track "Day N Nite" has created buzz for him over the past couple of months, and his mixtape A Kid Named Cudi (download link inside) landed him a deal with Good Music and two a features on Kanye West's 808's & Heartbreak LP.
Since '07 there has been a wave of fresh new emcee's emerging onto the hip hop scene. Some of those names include, The Cool Kids, U-N-I, Charles Hamilton, and more. The emergence of these new artists even received recognition from XXL Magazine in this month's issue. Newcomers Wale, Asher Roth, and Ace Hood graced the cover, but one artist who stands out is Cleveland rapper KiD CuDi.
Two months ago, I attended the MTV VMA's. During the show, there were short segments with artists performing with Travis Barker on the drums and DJ AM on the 1's and 2's. I heard this unknown artist performing and me being ignorant I only half listened but later found out it was a new dude named KiD CuDi. Shortly after, I hear this track that sounds fresh and new. I had to use my app from my iPhone to let me know what song it was. The result was KiD CuDi's "Day N Night", therefore I had to see if he had any other material as dope as that single.
It turns out I'm not the only person feeling "Day N Night". Jim Jones made his own version of "Day N Night" emulating the rap/sung flow that Cudi delivers on the track.
Kid Cudi - Day N Night
Kid Cudi's mixtape presented by 10Deep, A Kid Named Cudi caught the attention of Kanye West which resulted in his signing to GOOD Music. Listening to Cudi's mixtape it's easy to see that he will be a perfect fit for the label. While some newcomers spend years trying to find themselves musically, Cudi seems to be comfortable with who he is as an artist. On "Embrace the Martian", he request the respect and acceptance from listeners but uses an extraterrestrial reference. Cudi expresses his confidence in being unique on "Save my Soul" where he raps over Gnarls Barkley's "Who's Gonna Save My Soul". The young mc spits "I don't even hear what other niggaz talkin' bout, call me a hipster/as long as you're a listener"
Listening to A Kid Named Cudi, you can grasp what his musical influences are. The Outkast influence is obvious on "Down & Out" and "Whenever" where he flows nicely over two Kast instrumentals. Kid Cudi also puts his own twist to Neptunes "Spaz" on "Cudi Spazzin'" and can even be heard spitting over a Dilla beat on "Cudi Put".
Not only does he spit, he also sings on tracks like "50 Ways to Make a Record", "Heaven at Nite" and "Man on the Moon". With a wide range of sounds on his mixtape, Kid Cudi manages to stay distinctive and balanced with the overall music vibe. Check out his mixtape below and post a line or two on your thoughts.
Monday, August 11, 2008
NextUp: Jay Electronica
During a time when Southern MC's are often stereotyped as materialistic artists who aren't focused on the art of hip hop, comes Jay Electronica hailing from New Orleans. Jay Electronica, who developed his rap name from his influence from heavy synthisized music; is a sophisticated emcee who not only raps, he also produces. He is responsible for producing "Queens Get The Money", the opening track off of Nas' (who also co-signed Jay Electronica as a great upcoming artist) latest effort Untitled. He also produced tracks off his underground album What the F*ck is a Jay Electronica.
When listening to Jay's album, you hear a wide range of subjects ranging from consciousness, to the third eye, to women who play hard to get. Whether he's spittin over beats by the late J Dilla on "Bitches and Drugs", Madlib on "Extra Extra", or movie scores without a bass, kick, or snare on "Eternal Sunshine"; Jay Elect drops lyricism with a smooth delivery and a laid back flow. Check the jointage below:
Hard to Get
Bitches & Drugs
Jay Elect has received the stamp of approval by Nas (who I've mentioned earlier in this blog), super producer Just Blaze, and his woman friend Erykah Badu. He is also working on collaboration with fellow N.O . resident Lil Wayne, and he is a part of the highly popular Rock The Bells tour (unfortunately I missed his performance). He is currently preparing his debut album Abracadabra: Let There Be Light, no release date has been set for this album..jpg)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
NextUp: U-N-I
In the early 90's, West Coast Hip Hop was introduced to the world by the likes of Ice-T, NWA, The D.O.C., and many others. Since the West Coat branded itself as the gangsta capital of hip hop, many artists like Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game helped perpetuate the reputation of West Coast gangsta rap. While a majority of artists from the West Coast typically represent the street life of the West, a new duo in hip hop is coming with something fresh and new. Meet U-N-I, two dope and innovative MC's who hail from Inglewood, CA. U-N-I consists of intelligent emcee Thurzday, and Y-O who rocks a signature Mohawk. Not only do they possess dope rhymes, they have a unique fashion style and are big time sneakerheads.
U-N-I is a breath of fresh air in not only West Coast hip hop, but hip hop in general. They do as music artists should and keep their music original, personal, and fun. Their street album Fried Chicken & Watermelon is ill. Many hip hop artists rely on popular producers to create a good album, but U-N-I uses upcoming producers who compliment their rap style which results into smooth, vintage-styled hip hop you can vibe to. They touch many subjects and remain creative with their music. Whether their rapping about their love for kicks on "Kream (Kick Rule Everything Around Me)", where they flip Wu-Tang's classic "Cream"; pregnancy scares on "Knock on Wood", or using classic games as a reference to hip hop on "Castlevania" (which samples the boss theme to the classic NES game under the same title). One of my favorite tracks off Fried Chicken & Watermelon is "Beautiful Day", a feel-good track which features production similar to the late Jay Dilla. Peep the video below:
U-N-I have opened up for many hip hop acts such as Redman, Lupe Fiasco, and recently Public Enemy and Ghostface Killah. If you're out in LA, make sure you peep one of their local shows. Below is a link to their myspace where you can hear more music from U-N-I and purchase your copy of the Fried Chicken & Watermelon album.
Click Here to Peep the Full Story!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
NextUp: Asher Roth
For years image has always been important with rap artists. Whether they have a hood image like Jeezy or Wayne, a "backpacker" image like Kweli or Mos Def, or they're just themselves like Andre 3000 or Kanye; it tends to define their music and audience they attract. Then there's Asher Roth who possess the complete opposite image of the typical rapper.
Click the full story to continue reading, peep vids, and download Asher Roth's Gangster Grillz Mixtape!
Asher's a blonde-haired, suburban white boy from PA with a collegiate image. While some ignorant-minded rap fans may not give him a chance due to his image, this dude can spit. I've been bumping his Gangsta Grillz mixtape for a minute now and he's nice. He does sound a bit like Eminem, but his delivery and flow is different. Whether he's rapping about sex in the morning, cartoon chicks, girls rubbing their titties, or just spittin'; this dude keeps your interest with humor and a clear delivery. Check his Rap City freestyle:
You may have seen his video for "Roth Boys" on Seeing Is Believing (if not, check the archives). Also check his myspace to hear his freestyle over "A Millie" (yes, another A Millie freestyle) and peep his Gangsta Grillz mixtape: The Greenhouse Effect (check the link below). Some of my favorites are "Cannon", "The Sun God Free", "Keep Bouncing", "Start the Show", and many others.
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