VIDEO: RAPHAEL SADDIQ- "Radio"

This is my first post of 2011 and it features the great throwback sound that Raphael Siddiq has been musing on. Enjoy!

VIDEO: J-HON- "Christmas In Brighton Beach" Produced by Abe Ziti

One of the illest Christmas songs that I have heard. Through the eyes of my dude J-Hon..shout out to Mike Swift and Point Dot Period!

VIDEO: PACE WON & MR. GREEN feat. RIVAL "My Song"

Pace Won & Mr. Green are back! The new album, "The Only Number That Matters is Won" is coming in 2011 on Raw Poetix Records/The Orchard and will feature guest appearances from Lee Scratch Perry and Snoop Dogg. You can purchase "My Song" right now on ITUNES

VIDEO: MURS & 9TH WONDER - "I Used To Lover H.E.R. (AGAIN)"

Murs updates Common's classic song reflecting on his relationship with his first wifey- HIP HOP!

VIDEO: Teddy Riley and Blackstreet Reunite for New Album

Thanks to CRATEKINGS.COM for the original post.

VIDEO: David Banner & 9th Wonder Ft. Ludacris & Marsha Ambrosius - "Be With You"

MUSIC TECH: 4 Track Tascam Portastudio for iPad

Tascam's Portastudios laid the foundation for affordable multi-tracking for novice and professional musicians alike. Before digital audio workstations such as Pro Tools became the norm and affordable by average consumers, a four or eight track cassette-based Portastudio was a breakthrough product. Musicians were able to produce quality demos and in some cases entire albums on this analog device.

Flash forward to 2010 and the increasing footprint of Apple's iPad has signaled a return to nostalgic hardware wrapped in a software interface. The $10 Tascam Portastudio app has the classic interface and simplicity of the hardware recorders.

* Cassette tape-style transport. (Linear transport, I might add. Seriously. You have to rewind and fast forward to get around.)
* Routing to four inputs.
* Mixdown to stereo (via a dialog box, so that’s the point where you break the illusion).
* Simple EQ.
* File sharing, via iTunes or Soundcloud. (This last item is what makes this a useful tool and not just a novelty.)
* Support for “a few” class-compliant audio interfaces, though your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately the "bouncing" feature is missing but updates could fix that. Get more info HERE

Thanks to ENGADGET for the original post.

VIDEO: JOELL ORTIZ- "Battle Cry"

Insane lyrical content. Shout out to The Audible Doctor (Brown Bag All Stars) on production.

MUSIC TECH: Tonetable iPad App Turns iPad Into Control Surface for Serato

Wow. Can't front this is kind of dope. Kind of. I love the ability to utilize the touch screen of the iPad to sub for the vinyl control records for DJ software such as Serato and Traktor Pro. Does it make a lot of sense? I think I would rather have turntables or some other type of hardware controller as opposed to buying two iPads. Get more info about Tonetable HERE

MOVIES: "Beats, Rhymes & Life" Documentary on A Tribe Called Quest Coming 2011

Actor and director Michael Rapaport's upcoming documentary, "Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest", will be playing at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows the group during a 2008 tour and showcases their current dynamic as well as examines their musical legacy in hip hop. The documentary will be interspersed with interviews from many who witnessed their development and are fans of their music. The trailer is coming soon and you can read more about the film HERE.

VIDEO: CHIDDY BANG- "Opposite of Adults"

Dope video that just came to my attention today (Shout out to Beth White and ihiphop.com). Love the visuals and the fun concept.

New ACCESS IMMORTAL- "The Legacy" Produced by ALKOTA

DOWNLOAD (streaming only)

Access Immortal + Alkota = The Legacy. Collabo between Alaska's Alkota and Brooklyn MC/Rapper Access Immortal. The official release is due on Coalmine Records mid-December but you can cop the pre-release at Alkota's bandcamp page.

ALBUM REVIEW: CELPH TITLED & BUCKWILD- "Nineteen Ninety Now"

I have only been familiar with Celph Titled's name more than his lyrical and production contributions to hip hop. After listening to this new album, it made me seek out Celph's body of work. Celph Titled combined forces with D.I.T.C. founder Buckwild to create an album both dedicated and influenced by the 90's era of hip hop that is also known as the Golden Era. Built off of Buckwild's unreleased production from 1994-1995, "Nineteen Ninety Now" is one of the best albums that I have enjoyed this year. Last year Marco Polo & Torae delivered a surprise uplift to boom bap hip hop with "Double Barrel" and in 2010, Celph and Buckwild continue to put heads on notice that classical hip hop is not dead.

I dropped one of the advance singles featuring long time collaborator Apathy and Chino XL, "Styles Aint Raw" on THEZROHOUR podcast S06E18. I always keep that track on rewind and thought to myself that it had a 90's vibe to the production. Little did I know that it was from this project. Celph and Buckwild captured the era in a brilliant way. The beats bang out 90's flavor but the rhymes are far from dated. Press play and you will dig in from start to finish with battle rhymes and vivid storytelling. The skits are funny, well done and lend to the overall atmosphere of the album. Scratches performed by Mista Sinista (X-Men, X-ecutioners) embellish an already strong product. Stand out songs include "I Could Write A Rhyme", "Eraserheads" feat. Vinnie Paz, "Miss Those Days", "Out To Lunch" feat. Treach (Naughty By Nature), "Where I Are" and "There Will Be Blood" feat. Sadat X, Grand Puba, AG, OC & Diamond D.

VIDEO: ZEPS & Dama Nilz - "Timezone"

The newest single from Brooklyn-based rappers ZEPS and Dama Nilz. A genuine zero budget production, shot entirely with an iPhone 4 in 2 days.

"Timezone" produced by Magnify. Filmed and recorded in Oslo, Norway - Sep. 2010.

MIXTAPES: CEE & BEKAH- "The Soul Movement Originals"

Melbourne, Australia Hip Hop/Soul duo- CEE & BEKAH, released "The Soul Movement Originals" album for free download. "The Soul Movement Originals" is the debut compilation album from Cee & Bekah, consisting of all their original material from The Soul Movement mixtape series, as well as three bonus tracks. Here is your chance to be introduced to these emerging artists recently signed to HIPNott Records. The download is free with an optional donation to Ovarian Cancer Research.