A longtime member of the FRSH SLCTS family,
today singer/producer/multi-instrumentalist – I, CED
blesses us with an exclusive mix we like to call Besides My Mind -
to coincide w/ his debut solo album, All In My Mind,
in stores tomorrow on Record Breakin’ Music.

Included in the mix,
are a collection of B-sides (get it?), remixes, outtakes & collaborations –
none of which appear on the actual album,
but all of which feature Ced’s signature style of uniquely familiar melodies,
lush soundscapes & patient structuring.

Also included is an exclusive bonus track,
this time an outtake from the first EP by Hawthorne Headhunters,
(in which Ced was original member).
The song is the original, uncleared version of “Manifest Station,”
which features vocals from HH’s current members, Coultrain & Black Spade,
alongside Karma Stewart and TəLŭv,
which Ced later replayed w/o any samples for the official HVW8 release.

And in that same vein,
also included is the immaculate “Angel (She’s Like Magic),”
a non-album, hypnotic ode
which ATCQ heads & jazz aficionados alike should especially appreciate,
which was recently released thru the Record Breakin’ site.

You can check the Besides tracklisting &
download the mix and both bonus tracks – all below.
All In My Mind is in stores & online everywhere tomorrow.

I, CED – Besides My Mind: B-Sides & Remixes

1. I, CED’s Wake Down (skit)
2. N’Dambi – Nobody Jones (I, CED’s Cowbell Remix)
3. Jay Dee feat. Frank N Dank – Pause (I, CED Remix)
4. I, CED – Craziness
5. Erykah Badu – Honey (I, CED Remix)
6. I, CED feat. Coultrain – Love…Meaning
7. I, CED – The Pain
8. I, CED – The Finale (original instrumental – prod. Kenautis Smith)
9. I, CED feat. Stopha Vasquez & Tiffany Neal – The Finale (original version)
10. I, CED – Angel (She’s Like Magic) (I, CED Remix)
11. I, CED – Craziness Pt. 2
12. Stopha Vasquez – Damn
13. Jada Avenue – Heartbeat
14. John Legend – If You’re Out There (I, CED Sampleless Remix)

All songs produced/remixed by I, CED except where indicated
Selected & Mixed by I, CED
Cover Design & Layout by Noah Deeakili

Just a quick re-post from the HVW8 blog for you guys today – keeping everyone in the loop with the latest from the trifecta conglomerate of synthed-out soul & unquantized bump that are the Hawthorne Headhunters. As if the aligned stars of Black Spade, Ced No and Proh Mic that are the HH constellation weren’t enough – they’ve come together with the new/vintage funk shooting star that is DaM-FunK to form a single song galaxy, known as “PCH.” This is just the very first of HVW8‘s leak campaign of unreleased tracks from the Hawth Heads, dam’s upcoming group Master Blazter (alongside J1 & Computer Jay), and others – so be sure to keep it locked to their site for those and much more.

And if you haven’t already, make sure you get the FRSHCLSV Hawthorne Headhunters Mixtape and also cop the EP out on iTunes now. There’s also limited quantities of vinyl available now at the HVW8 Gallery in LA – with a full vinyl release coming soon. And if you’re in the L.A. area this week – be sure to look out for Hawthorne Headhunters performing as a full band with J1 on the drums and added support from Coultrain & JimiJames on vocals. Full dates and info for those shows plus the free download of “PCH” can both be found below.

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.

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.

For this weekend’s selection, we present a full-length beat CD from Proh Mic. The Seattle born, L.A.-based producer/MC is currently making moves as one third of the group, Hawthorne Headhunters, alongside collaborators Black Spade and Ced No. To hold you over till their debut EP drops later this spring, he’s offered up a re-posting of an older beat CD, Nice 2 Beat U Vol. 3.

In Proh’s own words, “I started releasing these beat tapes about a year or so ago. They’re ‘throw away’ beats. Ironically I always end up selling a bunch of beats off these. LOL. I posted this vol a few months ago, thought I’d repost it. Im posting Vol 4 next Fri.” I guess one man’s throwaway’s are someone else’s weekend soundtrack.

I’ll have much more for from the Hawthorne Headhunters coming soon, including a full-length exclusive group mixtape coming in the next month or so. Also included below is a non-album bonus beat, “Gettin Hi” released exclusively on 4/20, as well as a video of Proh & Black Spade performing some songs live at a HVW8 Gallery Bar-BQ in L.A. Get up on it.

I know — its been almost a week since my last post. But no worries, I’m back I’m packing heat. St. Louis heat to be exact – in the form of two new tracks from Coultrain. If you’re not already up on him, then I’ve really got some shit for you. With his naturally vintage-leaning vocals matched with his very modern approach and his forward-thinking lyricism – Coultrain is quickly gaining a loyal following among both modern music listeners & nostalgic soul heads alike. Building upon the buzz created with his self-released solo debut, The Adventures Of Seymour Liberty (the first in a three-part series of concept albums released earlier this year), Coultrain has recently been in the lab both writing and recording with co-conspirator, Waajeed, for a wide range of projects they have lined up together. Among the first of which to be released will Abundance, the highly anticipated second album from Waajeed & Saadiq‘s rotating super-group, PPP – in which Train played a leading role in not only leading the new cast but also writing the bulk of the songs on the album.

While working with the PPP/Bling47 crew in Brooklyn, Coultrain is also staying true to his St. Louis roots through numerous collaborations with artists from back home. One such artist is producer, I, Ced (aka Cedric Norah), who released a single with Coultrain earlier this year, and also produced Train’s latest solo offering, “The Wandering”. Picking up where the Seymour Liberty saga left off, “The Wandering” is meant to serve as somewhat of an epilogue to The Adventures Of…, but also a prologue to the series’ next chapter. Train broke the song down to me as only he could, “Its not a lost track its an inbetween track. Its a track 2 continue the story. Check it, The Adventures Of… ends w/ The Sabbatical, while on the sabbatical Seymour becomes a Wanderer, u dig?”

And on the PPP side of things, I’ve got an exclusive download of Waajeed’s recent remix of the Coultrain-featured track, “Angel.” This version finds Waajeed providing a more hip-hop oriented, bang-heavy backbeat to Coultrain’s anthem, instead of the stadium rock-funk feel of the album version. This remix is off the upcoming Abundance Mixtape, which features new Waajeed remixes of all your PPP favorites album, as well as some un-used gems from the Abundance & Triple P sessions. If you missed out on the first leak off the mixtape, “Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix)” featuring Dilla, then here ya go.

PHOTO: Coultrain live w/ PPP in Madrid Oct. 08, courtesy of One Dragones.

Coultrain “The Wanderer” (prod. I, CED) (rough mix)