POSTS TAGGED : Rap

CZARFACE Announce New Album ‘A Fistful Of Peril’ & Share ‘Two In The Chest’

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CZARFACE – the collaborative trio of Wu-Tang’s Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric – are back, and back with a bang!

The trio are gearing up to unleash their new, and third album, A Fistful Of Peril on the world. Ahead of the album’s November 4th release, Czarface has shared ‘Two In The Chest’, yet another piece exciting of Hip Hop gold from the superhero themed hip-hop ensemble. Energetic and banging, ‘Two In The Chest’ is a seamless collaboration, featuring their recognisable chemistry as the two emcees trade lines, razor-sharp lyrics and a fair bit of humour over 7L’s stellar production. This is Czarface at their finest, to be fair, the trio don’t do anything other than exceptional. Really excited for the new album, the first two were great, expecting the same with this one.

A Fistful Of Peril is out on November 4th but you can listen to ‘Two In The Chest’ now.

Millions Like Us Podcast – Episode #16

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After some Mac related issued hampered our first attempt at Podcast #16, we’re thrilled (and relieved) to share yet another Millions Like Us with you all.

Every two weeks, Justin & I, in conjunction with Vancouver news & culture site 604now, aim to deliver an eclectic and hand-picked selection of top class music. There’s plenty to chew on with #16, well over an hour in fact, of great tunes and plenty of chat, encompassing all manner of topics and music including festivals as we talk Music Waste and Levitation Vancouver.

You can read more on it over here and of course, listen below (and the tracklist (with links) is after the jump too). You can subscribe to ‘Millions Like Us’ on iTunes & Podcast Republic, Mixcloud & SoundCloud, or find us on Facebook & Twitter. Or you can email us at millionslikeuspodcast[at]gmail[dot]com.

As mentioned previously, Justin has been busy compiling tracks featured in the series. If you’re a Spotify user, then you can access this 6 hours plus playlist here.

Podcast #16 Tracklist:

PLAZAS  – ‘2 leave U Behind’

Jay Arner – ‘Like A Dracula’

Rusangano Family – ‘Lights On’

Ffug – ‘Love is Stupid’

Com Truise – ‘Diffraction’

Holy Wave – ‘Minstrel’s Gallop’

IcebergFerg – ‘You’re All On My Mind’

Words Hurt – ”Chekov’s Gun feat. Marilyn Carino’

Hinds – ‘San Diego’

Jade Statues – ‘Hydra’

Trails & Ways – ‘My Things’

Jo Passed – ‘Lego My Ego’

2015 According to Captain Moonlight

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One of my proudest achievements on the blog this year, or any year for that matter, is the release of GruffWuff; a 19 track compilation of new, previously unreleased and exclusive recordings from some of my very favourite acts over the past 5 years of blogging.

It was a truly fantastic way to mark 5 years of BarryGruff and I am incredibly grateful to everyone involved and the overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic response. As 2015 draws to a close, I have enlisted help from people who made the compilation what it was, to chat about their favourite moments and sounds from year, and up next, it’s Captain Moonlight.

Obsessive about politics, philosophy, literature, music and hurling, Kilkenny rapper Captain Moonlight, has long been one of Irish Hip Hop’s shining lights. Never one to shirk saying what’s on his mind, he tackles serious political issues, creating intelligent, hard-hitting, often humorous hip-hop in the process. One of my favourite artists over the past decade, and gent too.

Before we take a look at his 2015 sound selections, you should check out Captain Moonlight’s previous, excellent albums and his GruffWuff inclusion, ‘What Is Property’ – of which you can download here for FREE.

Continue reading →

Lethal Dialect – ‘New Dublin Saunter’ (Feat. Jess Kav)

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As part of the Dublin2020 European Capital of Culture in 2020 bid, Lethal Dialect has put together a new track inspired by the Dublin ’40s folk song ‘The Dublin Saunter (Dublin Can Be Heaven)’.

Backed by a light piano and horns adding a jazzy feel, ‘New Dublin Saunter’ is melodic and ever so easy on the ear. This is Lethal Dialect at his finest. With his usual impressive word-play, a gritty and no holes barred view of Dublin is keenly observed, and depicted through eyes of returning rover – “Got off the flight from Boston, tired yawning, first port of call my hometown, cloaked in smog and rainwaterfall, asphalt, cobblestones, polluted river, bikes and trollies thrown…” If you’ve avoided an introduction to one of Ireland’s finest rappers thus far, this is as good place as any to hop on board.

The video for ‘New Dublin Saunter’ was directed by Terry McMahon and the song is available for free from Soundcloud.

CZARFACE (Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric) ft. MF DOOM – ‘Ka-Bang!’

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Two years after releasing their brilliant self-titled album, CZARFACE – comprised of Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric – will return with their new album this summer.

Due to hit shelves this week, the forthcoming LP, Every Hero Needs A Villain, includes guest appearances from Method Man, Meyhem Lauren, GZA, Large Professor, JuJu of The Beatnuts, RA The Rugged Man and MF Doom. Ahead of next week’s release, we’ve been afforded another taste of what to expect in the shape of ‘Ka-Bang!’ featuring the latter, MF Doom. It is a banging hip-hop track as the title suggests, with the emcees going for it, to the back drop of snappy beats, flourished of eastern touches and some superhero-sampling from radio comic book adventures. With less than a week to go till the new album is with us, it is another top notch taster to get us even more excited. Czarface’s debut was an utterly fantastic record and thankfully it appears as though they’ve lost none of that zip, gloss or bounce that contributed to its greatness.

Every Hero Needs A Villain is out June 16th through Brick Records. You can pre-order the album here or just listen to ‘Ka-Bang!’ below.

Akala – ‘Murder Runs The Globe’

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Over the past few years, London MC, Akala has been without a doubt, one of the finest voices in UK hip hop.

Always relevant, challenging, thought provoking and a deliverer of great tunes, Akala makes a welcome return with ‘Murder Runs The Globe’. Taken from the MC’s forthcoming fifth album Knowledge Is Power Vol .2, it sees him being usual indomitable self. The message is powerful and passionate as always, as is the delivery, which is a barbed attack on the murder and killing throughout the world by elites to maintain their positions of power and privilege. Akala has consistently proven his calibre over the years, and he would appear to keeping the tradition going. Consequently if you have the time, it is definitely worth checking out his previous four albums – It’s Not A Rumour (2006) and Freedom Lasso (2007), DoubleThink (2010) & The Thieves Banquet (2013).

Akala’s new record is penned for release on March 30th but for now? ‘Murder Runs The Globe’ is below. He’s also headed out on tour across the UK & there’s a full list of dates here.

 

Ghostpoet – ‘Off Peak Dreams’

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Ghostpoet has announced that he will release his brand new album Shedding Skin on March 2nd.

With news of Ghostpoet’s third full-length comes a first taste of what to expect from the album, in the shape of ‘Off Peak Dreams’, the LP’s opening track. Following on 2013’s Some Say I So I Say Light and 2011’s Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam, the new LP is said to be one of change, manifesting new challenges and a new way of thinking, and ‘Off Peak Dreams’ shows that in spades. It’s a warm and intimate offering that sets the scene for his instantly identifiably poetic lyrical stride, musing and observations that have marked his work from day one. However his everyday chat of ‘mugs of tea’ and ‘bacon sarnies’ are mumbled to a backdrop of a classic guitar-bass-drums formula. It’s not exactly a drastic overhaul, rather an gentle evolution that ultimately brings out something different and invigorating.

March 2nd is still some while off but now’s time to acquaint oneself with the marvellous ‘Off Peak Dreams’.

Run The Jewels – ‘Oh My Darling Don’t Cry’

 

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Run The Jewels, the sublime rap duo of El-P and Killer Mike, are back with news of a second album RTJ2, which is released on October 27th.

To coincide with this most excellent and exciting news we’ve been served with an offering from the forthcoming LP, entitled ‘Oh My Darling Don’t Cry’. 2013’s self-titled debut demonstrated the incredible chemistry at work between these two rappers and ‘Oh My Darling Don’t Cry’ is a timely reminder of just how good El-P and Killer Mike are together. It’s a gritty, aggressive, bass-booming track, as the two MCs take turns spitting sharp rhymes at a relentless pace, matched only by the devastating booming bass and flitting samples, courtesy of human soundboard Michael Winslow (of Police Academy fame). Utterly brilliant but did we expect anything less?

RTJ2 is out on October 27th, get a taste of what’s coming with ‘Oh My Darling Don’t Cry’ below. And for those of you back home, Run The Jewels play Dublin’s Opium Rooms on December 21st. By all accounts they were utterly amazing when they played Vancouver last month. Not to be missed.

Lethal Dialect x JackKnifeJ (feat. Jess Kav) – ‘Headstrong’

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It feels as though it has been an eternity coming but Lethal Dialect is set to release 1988 in September, the much-anticipated follow-up to his  LD50 & LD50 Part 2.

Ahead of the forthcoming LP, LD will release ‘Headstrong’ on July 11th, an excellent insight of what to expect from the Dublin MC’s third record. Lethal Dialect has concerned himself and his music with sharing what he sees around him and expressing his truth, and ‘Headstrong’ doesn’t witness a shift from his raison d’etre. ‘Headstrong’ does feature a great vocal hook from Dublin singer Jesse Kav and JackKnifeJ’s ponderous, bumping ambient production supplies the perfect backdrop for LD’s positivity in the face of the shit life has thrown at him. LD has long been one of the finest rappers to emerge from our shores and a lot is expected from his third album, ‘Headstrong’ goes quite some way to increasing the anticipation.

You can give ‘Headstrong’ the once over yourself below. Meanwhile, 1988 will be released in September but he will give the LP a live airing, with a full backing band, in The Grand Social, Dublin on Saturday, July 12th. Tickets €8/€10.

Pharoahe Monch – ‘Bad Motherfucker’

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There is no doubting Pharoahe Monch is master of his craft. His ability as an MC is without question and he never fails to deliver incredibly when he picks up a microphone. To keep it simple – he’s one of the best in the business.

Today sees the release of Monch’s new album, PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It’s the successor to the brilliant W.A.R (We Are Renegades), a personal favourite from recent years, yet news of the new record remained elusive till this week (How? Who the fuck knows?). The new record sees Pharoahe Monch re-emerge with a new concept project, with him speaking as a weary independent warrior against the industry machine and dealing with the struggle of the black male experience in America. Going by ‘Bad Motherfucker’ he’s re-entered the fray with his familiar top-notch storytelling, cavernous vocabulary, thought-provoking rhymes, precise delivery and thought-provoking metaphors too. These attributes appear undiminished as he ferociously delivers rhymes to position himself clearly at odds with the current state of Hip Hop.

A gentle reminder in case like me, this news has managed to slip you by. Check out ‘Bad Motherfucker’ below and PTSD is out now.