Video: Oddisee, Toine, and Kenn Starr Cypher

DMV cypher at DJ Quartermine's spot called The Gold Room featuring Oddisee, Toine from DTMD, and Kenn Starr.

Oddisee- A Year In

Like I said a few days ago in a late night Oddisee appreciation rant-- he is the man. The renowned DMV producer/MC had yet another huge year and decided to compile all of the songs he was either featured on, wrote, or produced in 2010 in his latest free download, A Year In.

Download: Oddisee- A Year In

Bandcamp stream and track list on the flip side.

1.I’m From P.G. 04:00

2.TiRon – The Richers Feat. TiRon, Blu & Asher Roth 05:05

3.Diamond District – Birds & Bees 03:48

4.Stik Figa – Bucket 03:15

5.Kingpen Slim – Anticipation Feat. Oddisee 04:45

6.Keziah – So Far So Close Feat. Ishe 02:33

7.yU – Lunchin 04:44

8.Oddisee – Different Now Feat. Toine 04:16

9.kidkanevil – ZoOoOoOp Feat. Oddisee 01:25

10.Muneshine – Two Way Street 03:25

11.Stik Figa – Nothing Like It 03:40

12.TiRon – 60901 03:48

13.X.O. – Black Broadway 03:38

14.Homeboy Sandman – The Warm Up 02:39

15.X.O. – Blah Blah 03:57

16.Trek Life – Might Sound Crazy Ft. Audio Live, Oddisee & Ralph Real 03:58

17.Olivier Daysoul – Foolish 03:24

18.Get In Touch Ft. Trek Life, J Bizness, Richard Wright & Belvi 03:59

19.TOKiMONSTA – Jackin4Beats Pt. 4 Ft. Oddisee, Tranqill & Andreya Triana 03:00

20.Trek Life – Can’t Complain ft. Oddisee, Wyann Vaughn & DJ J-Br0-5ki 03:23

21.Tranqill – It’s Over 01:41

Low Budget Crew- Low Budget Christmas 2

The Low Budget crew bring in the holiday season (as they did last year) with another Low Budget Christmas LP. This second edition release features beatflips by all of the Low Budget producers, Kev Brown, Oddisee, yU, Kaimbr, ChoppyChop, and RoddyRod. There are also a few vocal tracks mixed in there as well. So if you're tired of the same old generic Christmas songs every year lower the boom... as well as the budget, and let this one rock.

Download: Low Budget Crew- Low Budget Christmas 2

1. Happy Holidays Kragenoff

2. Kev Brown - Snowfall (Happy Holidays)

3. RoddyRod - Donny's Carol

4. yU - We Three Kings

5. Oddisee - Kissin Clause

6. Kaimbr - Carolofthebells

7. RoddyRod - Christmas Carpet

8. Kev Brown - Christmas Wish (feat. Tanzania)

9. Kev Brown - Egg Nog

10.Kaimbr - MerryChristmas2u

11.ChoppyChop - YezzleBeeb

12.yU - O'Forgot O'Christmas

13.Kev Brown - We're Car-roll-ing!

14.RoddyRod - Cold Outside (Christmas Time)

15.Happy Holidays Kragenoff (Last In Line)

Oddisee & Stik Figa- From the Top EP

I've been pumped for this collaboration project since Stik Figa told me about almost a year ago. A taste of what's to come in 2011:

Riding the success of "From The Top," the first single from the Mello Music Group compilation, Helpless Dreamer, and his mini-documentary released earlier this week, Stik Figa is treating fans with the release of the Oddisee produced From The Top, a brand new five-track EP - for free.

Matching Stik's stylings step for step, Oddisee continues to show off his wide ranging production abilities, utilizing dusty drums and string, horn, and guitar chops throughout to create a multitude of mood-altering backdrop for Stik's musings. "The production Oddisee provides makes these moments fully realized moments," says Stik. "I'm excited for people to hear it, it's somewhat of a coming out party."

Stik Figa and Oddisee will also be releasing their own currently untitled album together in 2011. Stick Figa is also working with long time collaborator D/Will to release their album together titled, Crown & Coke.

The download below contains HQ clean & dirty versions of the tracks, instrumentals, and acapellas. I also added my favorite track, Bucket.


Download: Oddisee & Stik Figa- Bucket
Download: Oddisee & Stik Figa- From the Top EP

Video: Muneshine- Two Way Street (Prod. Oddisee)

Video directed by Matt Beecraft.
Song produced buy Oddisee.
Cuts by Dj Sonik.

Stik Figa- From the Top (Prod. Oddisee)

As we near the end of 2010 most will be recounting the highs and lows of the past 12 months. Mello Music Group, however, is focused on what the New Year has in store, releasing a musical appetizer, the compilation album Helpless Dreamer, showcasing the label's supreme and far reaching talent, while giving a preview of offerings for 2011. Features from Diamond District, Kenn Starr, Roc Marciano, Fresh Daily, Invincible, Buff1, XO, Magestik Legend, Tranqill, Stik Figa, Toine, and Finale are included on the 13-track compilation album, with production from Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Has Lo, Black Milk, SlimKat 78, and Just Wright.

The first single to drop, "From The Top," sees Topeka, Kansas, native Stik Figa detail his hometown and state capital city, affectionately referred to in the song title as 'Top'. For Oddisee, who co-produced the track with Dunc from DTMD, working with Stik allowed him to continue his own efforts of geographic diversification while affording him the opportunity to work with an ultra-talented emcee. “In the tradition of Diamond District, Trek Life, and Tranqill, Stik Figa is the next project in my attempt to push regional Hip Hop," says the DC native. "‘From The Top’ really gives you a glimpse into a part of the country most of us are blind too. The song, itself, shows me Topeka, Kansas through the eyes of Stik Figa.”

The Mello Music Group compilation, Helpless Dreamer, is available now while Oddisee & Stik Figa's From The Top EP will be available November 30, 2010.

Download: Stik Figa- From the Top (Prod. Oddisee)

Vinyl Frontiers- Unreleased EP

The european production crew known as Vinyl Frontiers have just launched a new label (iMake Records). To celebrate the launch they have released a free EP full of unreleased collaborations and remixes with various North American artists that have yet to see the light of day. The Unreleased EP will also give a small glimpse into future projects with Canadian producer/MC Muneshine and California MC Trek Life. VF explains more below:

“We've met a lot of artists during European tours and through the internet. Producers usually have to settle for just production credits in a booklet, but we have been blessed in a way that all these artists are willing to let us release this music ourselves. So expect a lot of EP's/albums from Vinyl Frontiers within the next year. The first EP will be made with Canada's Muneshine, followed by Cali's own Treklife."

Despite great cuts from popular underground acts like Sean Price, Muneshine, Reef and Oddisee, I was more impressed with the single from legendary Dutch MC Redlight Boogie. I added his track "Betrayal" below, as well as his video with Sean Price from earlier this year, "Heat Rock".


Download: Redlight Boogie- Betrayal
Download EP: Vinyl Frontiers- Unreleased EP

Tracklist:

01 Dj Friss intro

02 Redlight Boogie – Betrayal

03 Maffew Ragazino – Pale Moon Light

04 Muneshine – What Now (feat. Sean Price & Termanology) (Vinyl Frontiers rmx)

05 Treklife – Always Together

06 Reef – You Gotta

07 Oddisee – Such Is Life (Vinyl Frontiers rmx)

08 Kaimbr – Raw Music

Muneshine & Oddisee- Two Way Street (Muneshine Remix)

Muneshine's remixing magic continues as he takes the joint he did with Oddisee on the Odd Spring record and adds his own Canadian charm to the mix. This track will also be featured on Muneshine's forthcoming mixtape, Making Magic. Below is the stream/download of the single, as well as the full zip file that contains the artwork, remix, radio edit of the remix, and instrumental of the remix.


Download: Muneshine & Oddisee- Two Way Street (Muneshine Remix) (Hulkshare)
Download Full Zip File (Mediafire)

MP3 Download: Debilorithmicos- Devils Hand ft. Racecar & Sarah G + Kidkanevil- ZoOoOoOp!!! ft. Oddisee

Jesus christ I love digi-diggin'.

With the help of youtube's 'related' sidebar, I found a 2010 mix tape series from Jus' Like Music Records featuring various electronica, dubstep, new-soul, and hip hop artists from around the globe. Oscillations Part 2 has a lot of music that I'm not too familiar with (dubstep especially), but I loved the variety, genre mashing, and I especially loved the tracks that had two of my favorite artists adding a pinch of hip hop to the pot.

I'm pretty sure a lot of the people coming to this website are already familiar with Oddisee. As one of the faces of the new DMV movement, O's been KILLIN' the competition with his seasonal instrumental series, numerous guest features, production credits, and work with Diamond District. One could compare his recent odyssey to internet super stardom to Blu's climb above the heavens, because much like Blu, the man seems to be in seven different places at one time.

The one MC that you might not be familiar with is Chicago rapper, Racecar. As you can clearly hear on 'Devils Hand', Racecar's buttery flow is polished and refined; his vocals smooth and serpent-like with enough bite to sting your senses. If you like what you hear on this record then I would highly recommend checking out his material with K-Kruz as Modill. Their 2006 debut album, Midnight Green, still gets play from me to this very day. All you backpacks-full-of-jazz cats will love what you hear. That's a guarantee.

Here are the two tracks from the compilation album that you can download here (Vol. 1 is also available for a free download). I also added a Modill cut for those not familiar.

Download: Debilorithmicos- Devils Hand ft. Racecar & Sarah G
Download: Kidkanevil- ZoOoOoOp!!! ft. Oddisee
Download: Modill- Music

MP3 Download: ThinkLoud- City Lights ft. Oddisee

ThinkLoud's Droppin' Mirrors dropped back in June and features a few tracks from some of my favorite artists from my hometown of Washington, DC. Sample cuts and more info on the release below. You can purchase the album for $6.99 on Amazon now.

“Droppin’ Mirrors is a musical cross-section of past collaborations, as well as a glimpse of projects to come. Droppin’ Mirrors contains almost nothing but exclusive productions. These are the natural result of joint shows with, and tours managed by ThinkLoud’s DJ Conikt across Germany and Europe. We managed to get artists like Aloe Blacc (Stones Throw), Kev Brown (Up Above), Grand Agent (Superrappin’) and Oddisee (Diamond District) on board. At the same time, young and talented artists like Portformat, Shuanise, Fid Mella, and others have found their way onto the album. A major portion of the songs were composed by in-house producer Stroe, and recorded together with the guest artists in Berlin. The result is a genre-crossing product that transcends its roots in Rap, Experimental, and neo-Soul. Droppin’ Mirrors sets sail towards electronically fragmented, soulful beats, deconstructivist arrangements, and unconventional ideas to let a charm of its own flourish.”

Download: ThinkLoud- City Lights ft. Oddisee
Download: ThinkLoud- Girl ft. Kev Brown & Kaimbr

MP3 Download: JR & PH7- All In a Days Work ft. Oddisee + Steel Remains ft. Blu & The Waxolutionists

In 2009 there was an LP that got the frozen shoulder from fans, bloggers, and journalists alike, but I never understood why. German production duo JR & PH7's "The Standard" instantly raised the standards attached with creating a memorable hip hop compilation record. On top of the vivid artwork, refreshing production, and tasteful song sequencing, the no namers from Deutschland brought 20 very different hip hop artists together and somehow kept a cohesive synergy and sound throughout its 17-track body. A feat many veteran producers fail to hit on their own compilation projects.

For those that missed their last release, you're in luck. JR and PH7 are brewing their follow up LP, The Update, set to drop this fall on Soulpasm Records. In the meantime, they have dropped a dope 6-track EP, aptly titled The EP, that features Blu, Termanology, Oddisee, Ohmega Watts and Trek Life. The EP is available to purchase now via iTunes; however, below, you can find two of my favorite tracks to spread on your gums before you snort the rest of it up.

Download: JR & PH7- All In a Days Work ft. Oddisee
Download: JR & PH7- Steel Remains Remix ft. Blu & The Waxolutionists

Oddisee- Odd Winter [Free Album Download]

Oddisee continues his season themed series with the WINTER edition, which will fit the feeling, smell, and whimsy of the frigid season. This is the first glimpse into another big year from the DMV super producer, as he readies his collaboration record with Detroit rapper, Finale, as well as his instrumental album, Travellin' Man.

Download: Oddisee- Odd Winter

01 Ci’iy Life Feat. Tranqill
02 Frostbit
03 Winds From The North
04 Black Broadway Feat. X.O
05 Brain Wash Remix Instr.
06 Riiight Feat. Stik Figa
07 Carry On instr.
08 The Warm Up Feat. Homeboy Sandman
09 Queue With No Coat
10 60901 Instr.
11 All Because She’s Gone Instr.
12 It’s Over Feat. Tranqill
13 Blizzard Of 09

DJ Center- Leave the City Outside ft. Oddisee

You know I'm going to post some new Oddisee as soon as I get my hands on it.

Here is a new single off of DJ Center's upcoming album, Everything In Time, set to hit shelves February 9th, 2010.

As the songs unfold on “Everything in Time,” it becomes clear that the record is a journey across multiple genres, woven by lush piano chords, warm bass lines, boom-bap drum patterns, flying tambourines and soaring horns. The underlying essence is timeless music. Each track sounds different but is housed under the same soulful roof- DJ Center.

Download: DJ Center- Leave the City Outside ft. Oddisee // Alternate Download

Sareem Poems- Rude Awakening Remix ft. Ken Starr & Oddisee

After a critically acclaimed original release, Long Beach native Sareem Poems is releasing an unusually comprehensive Deluxe Edition of his album Black & Read All Over. The Deluxe Edition will include all fourteen of the original songs along with instrumentals for each track. The album's most unique feature, however, might be its remixes. Sareem chose to remix the album's centerpiece track, "Lower the Boom" not once or twice, but half a dozen times. Each remixed version of "Lower the Boom" was given a different name, and each features a different producer and new guest verses.

"Rude Awakening" is the first of the "Boom" remixes, and features typically fantastic contributions from DMV super-producer and Diamond District emcee Oddisee, as well as lyrical contributions from up-and-coming rapper DMV rapper Kenn Starr.

Download: Sareem Poems- Rude Awakening Remix ft. Ken Starr & Oddisee

Diamond District- Something For Ya'll (Prod. Kev Brown)

The big day is finally here for fans of DMV triumvirate Diamond District. Their debut full-length album, In The Ruff, is out today via Mello Music Group. The album, which features two brand new tracks from the group as well as their hard to come by material from a limited release this spring, is available in stores and on iTunes. 


One of the just-released tracks is "Something For Y'all," produced by Kev Brown. While District member Oddisee produces the vast majority of Diamond District's songs himself, working with Brown hardly involved leaving the group's comfort zone. "Working with Kev is honestly keeping it in-house – he founded the Low Budget Crew and gave birth to everything that I'm doing right now. We wanted that signature Kev Brown sound- grimy soul."

Download: Diamond District- Something For Ya'll (Prod. Kev Brown)

Blog Buzz [October 25th- November 1st]

BLOG BUZZ

Every week I will toss up a BLOG BUZZ post that contains the dopest independent tracks released on various blogs. Consider this your one-stop blogosphere filtration system where only the good shit survives. You can check back with the post by going to the WRITTENS tab above and selecting BLOG BUZZ.

October 25th- November 1st

Download: Blackroc- Stay Off the Fuckin' Flowers ft. Raekwon
Notes: The upcoming collaboration album with The Black Keys and various MCs remains of my most anticipated albums of the year. Here is the first leak featuring Rae.

Download: Redman- Coc Back ft. Ready Roc
Notes: This is older, but I missed it. First leak off of Red's 9 1/2 album that is supposedly coming out on December 8th!

Download: Subliminal Thoughts- Shine Through Remix ft. Supastition
Notes: Dope track off of Subliminal Thoughts' new EP, A New Change. Subliminal Thoughts= The Regiment + Solution.

Download: El Da Sensei- Money Part 2 ft. Benefecience, Kaze, & Torae
Notes: New single off of the El Da Sensei and The Returners EP, Money.

Download: Cunninlynguists- To Be For Real 

Notes: Right click, save as. One of the most prolific and consistent independent hip hop acts of our generation drop yet another gem from their upcoming record, Strange Journey Vol. 2. 

Download: Diamond District- Something For Ya'll
Notes: The DD let off another loosie to celebrate the official release of their debut group record, In the Ruff.

Check back for more Buzz-updates as the week continues.

Oddisee- Odd Autumn Free Album Download

Serving as a follow up to his beautiful Odd Summer EP, DMV drum dropper, Oddisee, tosses up another free album download full of his signature soul slapped symphonies. Don't you dare forget about the official release of Diamond District's "In the Ruff," which is set to release on October 27th via Mello Music. 

Download: Oddisee- Odd Autumn

01 The Supplier Feat. Tranqill 
02 Almost A Year Since
03 Everything Changed Nothing Instr.
04 Every Day People instr.
05 Pulp Fiction
06 Saw Myself Today
07 The Second Date
08 Grey's Anatomy
09 Tell The Truth Instr
10 Theatre
11 Autumn Run
12 Bonus: Tell The Truth feat. Nikki Jean