I know its been a minute but here it is - the highly anticipated mixtape from the new hybrid supergroup, Hawthorne Headhunters. For those of you who still don’t know, HH is a three-headed production/vocal beast consisting of Stoney Rock (better known as Black Spade), Ced No (or I, CED when he’s solo) and Proh Mic. The group’s debut project, a five-track EP, drops next week on both vinyl and iTunes as the first release on HVW8 Records.
To go along with the EP, we’ve put together this mixtape, mixed by STL cohort DJ Needles, featuring the best of the group’s unreleased works over the years - both solo and as a unit. Also highlighted in the mix are their solo productions for some of their up-and-coming collaborators, including Coultrain, Jada Avenue, JimiJames, Stopha Vasquez, and TeLuv - most of which appear on the EP.
And even with 18 exclusive tracks - this mixtape is just the beginning of a barrage of material coming from the Hawthorne Headhunters. So stay tuned to right here and HVW8.com for plenty more music coming soon. In the meantime, download the mixtape below and let us know what you think.
Tracklisting:
01. Proh Mic - Cosmic Beauty (Intro)
02. Black Spade - Hater (feat. Coultrain & Jada Avenue)
03. Jada Avenue - Heartbeat (prod. Ced No)
04. JimiJames - Still In Your Heart (prod. Proh Mic)
05. Stopha Vasquez - Damn (prod. Ced No)
06. Proh Mic - Bang Smooth
07. Black Spade - Loose Bars
08. I, CED - Love…Meaning (Bossa Nova Remix) (feat. Coultrain)
09. I, CED - Voice Demo (Interlude)
10. Proh Mic - Smile (feat. G. Soulo & Tiffany Wilson)
11. Black Spade - Nigga Ray Leonard
12. Black Spade - Across 110th Street
13. TeLuv - Falling Sky (prod. Ced No)
14. Hawthorne Headhunters - Oddyssey Lover (Instrumental)
15. Hawthorne Headhunters - Never Give Up (feat. Coultrain)
16. Hawthorne Headhunters - Get Up!
17. Hawthorne Headhunters - Shining Star (Instrumental)
18. Hawthorne Headhunters - Solar Madness (feat. Stopha Vasquez & Jada Avenue)
Hot off the heels of her debut single - Ragen Fykes, one half of M64 with producer Ohmega Watts, has blessed us with a free download mini-EP to mark the occasion. The single, “Rhythm Of The Drum” b/w “In The Pocket,” came out as both a limited edition 7″ and digital single this past Tuesday, courtesy of Record Breakin Music. This release is especially significant to me, as not only are Ragen & Ohmega two of my favorite artists, but this marks the first time a song that was first exclusive to the site (”Rhythm Of The Drum” was posted back in September), being picked up and officially released by a label. A few other FRESHclusives have recently been picked up by different labels as well - so look out for more news on that later. But big ups to DJ Junior of Record Breakin for believing in the cause and please go out and support the single.
But as for today, what we have is a little gift from Ragen, With Love. The three track mini-EP features rough mixes of two unreleased solo tracks - “In Love,” produced by Othello & “Love Life,” produced by devonwho - as well as another M64 track I leaked last year, “Helium,” in case you missed it then.
You can stream all three tracks below before downloading. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Big ups to Deluge from Punchdouble/MOOVMNT for providing the artwork.
Bringing the Weekend Beats back from a brief hiatus with the latest project from a rising Portland talent, Hi-Res. This batch, entitled 1080 Beats, picks up where last year’s Sittin’ Up In My Room left off with more laidback but still headnoddin & bump-worthy beats. I selected a few tracks from SUIR for both the Loose Joints mix and the FSR #1 podcast, so it was only right I bring you guys the next installment.
Look out for much more from Hi-Res coming in the near future - including a collaboration EP with DaveNotti entitled The New Chill. More on that one coming soon. In the meantime, preview three highlights from 1080 below before getting the full download below. Leave a comment and lemme know what you think.
Also, huge thanks to Craig Sprecher of Adventures In Space for providing the artwork.
Got another world debut for you guys today - this time its yet another from the multi-talented, Georgia Anne Muldrow, with an exclusive sneak peak into her upcoming solo album, Umsindo. The album is a dedication to the African ancestors (Umsindo means “sound” in Zulu) and the song I have for you today, entitled “E.S.P.,” is a heartfelt tribute to her partner Dudley Perkins’ daughter, and the ancestors that live on within her. Musically, Umsindo is a return-to-form of sorts, for those of us who were lucky enough to hear Georgia’s pre-Worthnothings demo/sampler - this is her closest work to that since then, but with all the added growth and upped production skills to boot.
This, of course, is coming hot off the heels of “Roses,” Georgia’s recent noteworthy contribution to Mos Def’s new album, The Ecstatic. For those who aren’t up - “Roses” was a solo song that Georgia had completed for Umsindo and that I had first debuted here back in March. Mos later heard the song and loved it so much that he added his adlibs and a verse to it and after getting Georgia & Dudley’s permission, insisted on including on his new album. For more on how the song came to be, be sure to check out a first hand account from the forever on-point, Frolab - both tracks have been included below so you can compare & contrast. “E.S.P.” and the solo version of “Roses” will both appear on Umsindo when it hits stores everywhere on July 14th, through Georgia & Dudley’s new label deal, SomeOthaShip, with E1 (formerly known as Koch).
In other Georgia news - along with just releasing the Ms.One compilation (which featured her producing for a slew of artists, mainly those in her Epistrophik Peach Sound crew), she has also recently produced a new album for her mother, Rickie Byars Beckwith, entitled The LOVE Project. An industry veteran, Mrs. Beckwith is currently the leader of the the Agape International Choir, and has worked with everyone from Pharoah Sanders to John Legend. Rickie & Georgia’s LOVE Project drops later on this years, but I’ve included the video for “Allie-Alleluia,” a song off their first album together, Supreme Inspiration for your viewing pleasure after the jump.
Georgia Anne Muldrow “Roses”
from Umsondi
Georgia Anne Muldrow w/ Mos Def “Roses”
from The Ecstatic
Always one to keep his loyal following’s appetites well fed, Daru is back with yet another exclusive promo download. This time its a sampler he’s calling Rusic Leaks - made up of different odds & ends including unreleased remixes, collaborations & demos. Along with his different duo counterparts (Ab, Reggie B and Rena), the collection also features new works with Muhsinah, Joy Jones, Reign Star w/ Tony Ozier, Byron The Aquarius, and more. Rusic Leaks serves as a preview of things to come, as Daru will be dropping the 2009 edition of his Spirit & Soul Sampler series later on this year. Its almost meant to hold fans over while Daru is on tour in Europe all summer - first with Idle Warship (Talib Kweli, Res & Graph Nobel) and then later with Black Milk. So be sure to check his page to see if he’ll be playing in your area.
You can preview three highlights before downloading the full set below. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Muhsinah “Gogh pt. 2 (Daru Remix)”
Daru & Reggie B. “Future Music pt. 2 (Daru Re-vision)”
In case you haven’t already heard, I’ve recently started a new live UStream show with two of my good friends, DJ FlipFlop (solo producer/tour DJ for CunninLynguists) & devonwho (producer/member of klipm0de), entitled WETF Radiovision. The show basically consists of the three of us just hanging out at Flip’s house - playing music, interviewing some of our favorite artists, taking questions and generally doing WhatEverTheFuck we want.
Our first episode featured a live call-in conversation with the ever elusive but always dope, TaRaach. Raach was one of the first artists to really believe in what I was trying to do with Fresh Selects, and he also laced me with some of my very first FRESHclusives, so it was only right to have him on as the first guest on WETF as well. And for our second show, which we just did last night, we had a special in-studio guest appearance from the lovely Ms. Ragen Fykes. For those of you who are still sleeping on her, Ragen is an up-and-coming singer who is one half of the duo M64 with producer, Ohmega Watts.
Ragen stopped by the show and hung out with us, played us some of her favorite songs (of which we forgot to record about half of this set - d’oh!), and also give an exclusive first listen to M64′s upcoming 7″ single, “Rhythm Of The Drum” b/w “In The Pocket”, dropping June 23rd on Record Breakin’ Music. And to top it all of, she also performed two tracks live for us - the Nicolay produced, “Fly Away,” and an accapella cover of the De La Soul/Dilla classic, “Stakes Is High.” You can check a highlight video of Ragen playing the 7″ tracks and her performance below (I have no idea who that goofy kid sitting next to her is), or watch the full episode on the WETF page. I’ve also included the TaRaach interview after the jump.
Here’s a quick catch-up rundown of some videos I’ve been meaning to post from the last week or so.
Cubic Zirconia “Fuck Work”
Directed by Nancy Mitchell from Three 21 Media. “Fuck Work” single out June 22nd on The Savant Guard. Remixes by Dam Funk, Andy George, Nacho Lovers, Dekker & Johan, and more. Preview the full maxi-single here.
Karriem Riggins - Virtuoso Experience tour promo #1: Drummin’
Quick promo spot for Karriem’s upcoming tour with his quintet, which includes dates in Seattle, Oakland and Minnesota, and guest spots with Pete Rock & DJ Dummy. Click here for the full tour run-down.
Super Viral Brothers “Hot Chocolate + Polar Bear Rug”
This video is gross as hell (although well done), but this song is still my shit. Originally heard on the Flu Shot Mixtape and is now the first single from their upcoming debut album, Wires In Love, coming out on Pope/Universal.
Wavelength “Funk Dreams” (prod. dam-funk)
New video directed by Luke Wyatt for dam-funk alias, Wavelength’s debut 7″ put out by Glydezone. Cop it.
devonwho “braketime”
New self-made video by the good homie devonwho for his joint “Braketime.”
Look out for a Devon track on the upcoming second installment of Jay Scarlett & Cinnaman’s Beat Dimensions series.
Coming back from the holiday weekend with a new exclusive from the Hawthorne Headhunters group for you guys. For those who don’t already know, HH are a trifecta squad made of established solo artists & producers - Black Spade and I, CED (or Ced No) from St. Louis, and Proh Mic from L.A. by way of Seattle.
The song I’ve go for you guys today is the motivating anthem, “Never Give Up,” which co-stars vocals from extended Hawthorne family member, Coultrain. The song is an unreleased outtake from the same 2007 sessions that the group’s forthcoming debut EP was pulled from. The EP will be the first release being put out by LA-based art collective, HVW8, on July 7th.
We’ll have plenty more exclusive outtakes, remixes and leaks from the project, and even an all-exclusive Fresh Selects mixtape from the Hunters before the EP drops, so be on the look out for much more coming soon. But in the meantime, download “Never Give Up” below and leave a comment letting me know what you think.
Brand new video & song from producer, RODDYROD, featuring two of North Carolina’s finest, Phonte & Carlitta Durand. Since we were the first to give you a preview of the track, “This Time Around,” back in March - it’s only right that we also be the first to hit you with both the video, as well as the official leak of the track.
The video was done by RODDYROD’s own Humble Monarch collective and the song will be appearing on the new expanded release of Rod’s concept album, Cuba After Market, dropping soon - so stay tuned for more on that.
Check the video below, download the track and let me know what you think - all below.
Today I’ve got an unreleased collaboration from two of my favorite artists right now - Bay Area producer/MC, Trackademicks, remixing Swedish genre-benders, Little Dragon’s song, “After The Rain.”
Coincidentally, the first time I had met Trackademicks was at a Little Dragon in San Francisco last year (which they KILLED, by the way). He actually told me then that he had been commissioned by the group to remix the track and I already knew it was gonna be crazy. So since the song was never officially released, Track decided to put it out through his Trackademia blog yesterday, since LD had their next SF show last night.
The remix lives up to the expectations with Track putting his own upbeat synth freak to the melancholy feel of the original. You can stream and download the track in the link below. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
