Myself & my trusted resident DJ, Doc Adam,
have collaborated w/ Los Angeles-based clothing line, Twelve Bar
to bring you a special two-part Fresh Selects Retrospective mix.

This first installment of The Porch Sessions,
is meant to be a time capsule of sorts –
an audible freeze frame of the first 12 months of music posted on Fresh Selects.
I wanted to compile everything from the site’s first year
just to kind of sum it all up,
put a period at the end of the sentence,
& cement the foundation for us to build on for the next steps.
It can also serve as a starter kit
for anyone who found out about the site after the fact,
as well as a thank you to everyone that’s been down since day one.

I went through all of the posts from the site’s first year
& selected some of my personal favorite tracks,
plus all of the ones that garnered the most response.
Almost all of the songs included in the mix were exclusives
released or premiered thru the site
& they all played a part in shaping the sound & style that I had been going for.
To convey the full progression as it unfolded,
I wanted to put them all in one mix
(which actually ended up being two separate, hour-long mixes
because there was just too much music)
& let them play in chronological order.

Since mixing songs in order of release,
& not by BPM/tempo/mood, etc.
basically goes against all the most basic rules of making a mixtape -
I knew I had to get the very best to make it happen right.
Enter Doc Adam (no pause).
Plus his apartment has The Porch, so it was a no-brainer.

Included are some kind words from the even kinder people @ Twelve Bar,
who presented the mix & co-premiered it on their site today as well,
+ the tracklisting w/ links to all the original posts
so you can get the full versions & back stories on all of the songs.
I’m still in the process of updating some of the older posts
from the first version of the site,
so if you find any dead links just leave a comment & I’ll fix it.

Free download of the one-track, hour-long mix can be found below,
& be on the look out for Part 2 of The Porch Sessions RTRSPCTV coming soon.

There is a lot we could say about FRSH SLCTS – the Portland-based digital label and multimedia platform that has been providing you with the best in hip-hop, soul and cutting-edge music since 2008. All of it would be good. But the main thrust is right there in their name, albeit without the vowels as is their style. Seemingly everything they do is fresh. Freshly presented, freshly considered, freshly packaged, and freshly curated. And that is the second part right there. Because the “selects” element of the name is also key, as they hand-pick artists and songs with the educated touch of a musical magician, never failing to bring out the very best available. And so when the chance came to bring you the exclusive FRSH SLCTS Retrospective mix, an anthology of some of their favorite songs from their early years, we jumped at it.

1. devonwho – Dungeonraps (2088 Archives)
2. DaveNotti – Notti Break #5 (Notti Breaks 2008)
3. PPP feat. J Dilla – Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix) (single)
4. TaRaach & Konphlict feat. Big Tone & Kawshus – Socialize (single)
5. TaRaach & Konphlict – 10 Feet High (Giraffe Pussy) (single)
6. Miguel – Overload (Mischief: The Mixtape)
7. Little Dragon – Twice (live) (FRSH KPT SCRT)
8. M64 – Rhythm Of The Drum (single)
9. M64 – Helium (single)
10. Invincible & Finale – Don’t Sleep (single)
11. PPP feat. Coultrain – Angel (Waajeed Remix) (single)
12. Coultrain – The Wanderer (single)
13. SA-RA feat. Bilal – Master Teacher (demo #1) (“Master Teacher” EP)
14. SA-RA feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Master Teacher (demo #2) (“Master Teacher” EP)
15. SA-RA – Master Teazer (KenBts.’ Revenge Edit) (“Master Teacher” EP)
16. Hi-Res – Thisworld (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
17. devonwho – Hold Up Zelda (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
18. Finale – Ice (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
19. Knxwledge – Relief. (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
20. Fatima – Wildchild (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
21. Noni Limar – Monogamy (FRSH SLCTS – Loose Joints)
22. Super Smoky Soul feat. Guilty Simpson – Knockout Kings (New Worlds PRVW)
23. Karma Stewart – Withdrawal (The Karma EP)
24. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Synchronicity (Abundance Mixtape)
25. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Can’t You Feel It (Abundance Mixtape)
26. Fatima – Do I Know You? (FRSH KPT SCRT)
27. Ab & Daru feat. T3 – Dirty Soul (A Work In Progress PRVW)
28. Blu – Say Say (FSR #1)
29. SA-RA Creative Partners – High Moon Lust (FSR #1)
30. Cubic Zirconia – I Wanna Freebase You (FSR #1)
31. Johnson&Jonson feat. Miguel – Stadium (FSR #1)
32. Suzi Analogue – SageBurns (World. Excerpts 1-9)

Selected by KNNY FRSH
Edited by Doc Adam
Presented by Twelve Bar
Artwork by Twelve Bar & Dennis de Groot
Hosted by ♎ & ♐ for Team 1984

This Thursday is the very first show in the Fresh Selects Presents… event concert series – and I’m proud to be launching series by bringing out one of my favorite artists, Invincible, for her official Portland debut. So if you’re in the Portland area, be sure to come out to The Fix tomorrow night! Doors open @ 9 PM and the cover is ONLY $3. Like I said – this is my first event and if all goes well it will be the first of many, so any & all support is much appreciated.

Invincible was actually able to come out to Portland thanks in part to her brand new travel agency, ETA (Emergence Travel Agency) which she just launched today. Check out the press release below for all the info on that and be sure to follow the link to find out how you be your own agent, as well as see some exclusive video demonstrations from the company.

For even more from Invincible, be sure to check out the latest episode of our live UStream show, WETF Radiovision. She was nice enough to stop by and kick it with us last night, share some of her insight on the industry & her career with us, as well as debut some brand new remixes from Astronote, and much more. You can check the archive video of some of the interview (excuse the abrupt start – some got cut off) after the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Wesley Taylor
EMAIL: press@EMERGENCEmusic.net

I know, I’ve been telling you that this video was coming for a while now – but its finally here. The delay for the premiere occurred due to the censors over at MTVu banning the video for being too “problematic” due to “suicide undertones.” So Invincible, being the G that she is, decided to record an intro for the video addressing MTV’s standards department, and now she’s looking for some feedback from you to see what you think of the video. So watch it below and leave a comment about what you think about, and if you think MTV is justisified in their decision.

“Ropes” also features Tiombe Lockhart and was produced by Knxwledge. The video was produced by Invincible and directed by veteran NY MC, Mr. Complex, who also directed Pharoahe Monch‘s clip for “When The Gun Draws.”

Big ups to Shamz at Okayplayer for premiering the video.

Here’s the exclusive premiere of some live footage from both Invincible & Finale‘s performances from SXSW last week. With Invincible dropping the delayed “Ropes” video soon, “Looongawaited” is too fitting of a track to pass up (the video will be well worth the wait – trust). Similarly anticipated, Finale will be dropping both his T.I.M.E. pre-album soon and his official solo debut, A Pipe Dream & A Promise on April 7th. From T.I.M.E. we have a live version of the track, “Jungle Music” (which was previously posted as a free download with its official music video here).

Also, be on the look out for an exclusive King Most megamix of Finale’s T.I.M.E. album coming next week, and a special Finale edition of Fresh Selects Radio with even more from the album coming soon after that.

You can check both live videos below and you can also read-along with the lyrics to the Invincible track after the jump.

Note: the volume’s a little low on the videos so turn your speakers up & pay attention!

Another Bling47/EMERGENCE exclusive from Invincible – this time I’ve got an unreleased track from the same sessions that spawned last year’s underground classic (yeah, I said it), ShapeShifters. The song is “Taxicab Confessions” and it was produced by the legendary Brooklyn-based duo, Da Beatminerz – best known for their classic work with Black Moon and the Boot Camp Clik.

Invincible graciously gave me the song for download as yet another prelude to her upcoming “Ropes” video dropping next week. As to why she chose this song to coincide with the “Ropes” video release, Invincible said “[It's] one of the most personal joints I’ve ever written, next to ‘Ropes’ – they go hand in hand. It would have made it on ShapeShifters but just didn’t fit the sequence.”

To go along with that, I’ve also included the trailer to the upcoming documentary, Say My Name. The feature-length film is a tribute to and exploration of female lyricists by the Amsterdam-based production company, Mamamess. The film will be playing at SXSW this week and features interviews with Invincible, as well as everyone from MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, Monie Love & Erykah Badu to Estelle, Jean Grae, Miz Korona, Mystic and more.

You can download “Taxicab Confessions” below and catch the Say My Name trailer after the jump. Also, be sure to check out the event listings for Invincible performing throughout the SXSW Festival this week – and be on the lookout for the official “Ropes” video premiere on Okayplayer next week.

Here’s an exclusive first look behind the scenes of one of my favorite MC’s, Invincible‘s upcoming video for the song, “Ropes.” The track is an emotional highlight from her debut album, last year’s ShapeShifters, which pairs Invincible’s intimate storytelling with some hauntingly somber vocals from her Bling47 compatriot, Tiombe Lockhart, all over a stuttering, organ-filled backdrop provided by rising beatmaker, knXwl3dG3 (I swear he changes the spelling every week).

For the video, Invincible reached out to well-known MC and recently accomplished filmmaker, Mr. Complex, to direct, while still producing the video herself. Here’s some background info on the day of the video shoot from Invincible herself:

“We shot this at Coney Island on a cold dreary rainy November day, that complemented the mood of the song perfectly. Rumor has it that historic Coney Island will soon be razed to the ground and developed in some disgusting way, so this footage is also visual preservation in that regard. Tiombe and I kept warm between takes in the women’s bathroom which was well heated and also had high power hand dryers, not to mention plenty of interesting characters to keep us company and bum us smokes. We were blessed to have a really dope crew that came through in the clutch and got the job done despite the shitty weather. The freezing rain and bitter wind didn’t stop the Polar Bear Club either, which also made a guest appearance – LOL.”

The full video will be released online early next week and may even see a physical release in the future (but shhh… you didn’t hear that from me). To give you a preview of it, here’s a full-length stream of “Ropes” below, along with some exclusive photos from the shoot, provided by Kasia (who also played Invincible’s stand-in for a tug-of-war scene), after the jump.

Today marks the debut of my new podcast, simply titled Fresh Selects Radio. Even though this is the first episode, it feels like the second in a way, because its more or less a follow-up to the Loose Joints mixtape I put together last fall. Just like that, its a collection showcasing both new and unreleased tracks from some of my favorite artists, some projects I’ll be working on in the near future, artists you should be on the lookout for, and more. I’ve also thrown in a few tracks that have been previously been posted on the site that you might’ve missed. But unlike the Loose Joints .zip, this podcast is one single track, which freed me up and allowed me to include some super-exclusives that I know I couldn’t post as individual downloads.

Originally, I was going to host the podcast like a radio show – but instead I decided to let the music speak for itself. If you feel like it sounds unfinished, I left the instrumental interludes I was going to talk over in the mix, so feel free to fill in the blanks yourself. However, if people get on some bullshit and rip some of the exclusives from the mix and re-post them as downloads on other sites, then next time out I’ll have to talk all over all the good shit – so just behave yourselves & act right and I’ll be able to keep bringing you the latest & greatest without any problems.

I might still write up some liner notes to go along with the tracks, but it might be a while. We’ll see what the feedback & response is like first (*cough*leaveacomment!*cough) and then take it from there. So yeah, lemme know what you think. In the meantime, the tracklisting with the artists’ MySpace links is listed here and then you can download or stream the mix below.


1. DaveNotti – FSR Intro (Thrilla Music Group)
2. Blu – Say Say (CD-R)
3. Finale feat. Invincible – The Waiting Game (prod. Khrysis) (iM/Universal)
4. Waajeed – Fat Bottom Girls (Bling47)
5. Konphlict – Socialize (prod. TaRaach) (Lovelution)
6. M64 (Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts) - Helium (prod. Ohmega Watts) (TBA)
7. Hi-Res – Yahhhhh (Pt. 2) (Thrilla Music Group)
8. G&D feat. MED & Rapper Big Pooh – Endure (prod. Georgia Anne Muldrow) (Mello Music Group)
9. MAGr (DistantStarr & Al Mighty) – Butterfly (prod. Hudson Mohawke) (TBA)
10. Ras_G & The Afrikan Space Program – Been A Min… (Brainfeeder)
11. Cubic Zirconia (Tiombe, Nick & Todd) – I Wanna Freebase You (TBA)
12. PPP feat. Coultrain & Karma Stewart – Rocket Science (prod. Waajeed) (Ubiquity)
13. Hawthorne Headhunters (Black Spade, I, CED & Proh Mic) feat. JimiJames & Coultrain – She Wanna (HVW8)
14. Exile feat. Muhsinah – Stay Tuned (Stay Here) (Vocal Remix) (Plug Research)
15. TaRaach vs. Tiombe Lockhart – Kalifornia (Instrumental) (Lovelution)
16. DJ Cadik feat. Invincible & Finale – Don’t Look Back (All Soundz)
17. Devon - Shoes (Thrilla Music Group)
18. SA-RA Creative Partners - High Moon Lust (Rawkus)
19. Luck-One – The Coolax (prod. Dekk) (Architect Ent.)
20. Johnson&Jonson feat. Miguel (Jontel) - Stadium (CD-R)

Artwork courtesy of Lyle Owerko.

Brand new song from Fresh Selects/Bling47 family member, Invincible, re-posted from her own label and website, EMERGENCE.

“In response to Israel’s horrific attack on the Gaza Strip, Invincible has dropped a new track, “The Emperor’s Clothes” for free download. “The Emperor’s Clothes” is produced by K-Salaam & Beatnick. Invincible first performed the track live at the protest lock-down of the San Francisco Israeli Consulate (pictured above).

The situation in Gaza is critical, with massive damage to civilian infrastructure and more than 1,300 Palestinians killed and 5,300 wounded. Read more about the crisis in Gaza at Electronic Intifada.

As this track makes clear, one of the most effective strategies we can pursue right now is boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel, as we demand an end to Israel’s assault on Palestinian life and liberty. Read more about and get involved in the Global BDS campaign.

Kareem Edouard, director of the acclaimed “Sledgehammer!” music video [as well as Buff1's recent clip, "Dream Streets"] is currently working on a video for “The Emperor’s Clothes.” Keep your ear to the ground for that.”

Also be on the look out for a slew of new videos, collaborations & more from Invincible coming soon.
Free download of “The Emperor’s Clothes” below and the full lyrics to the song are available after the jump.

Credit due to Mike Medow of EMERGENCE for the above quoted text.

As promised, PPP have released an exclusive free download mixtape to promote their brand new album, Abundace, dropping next week. PPP founder, Waajeed, originally put together this mixtape for PPP’s European tour last fall. Compromised of exclusive new remixes of PPP classics & Waajeed-approved blends by Seattle-based, DJ Topspin, along with exclusive outtakes from both Abundance and the group’s debut, Triple P – we knew this mixtape was too good to not get it out here in the States as well.

Personal highlights from the set include the original version of PPP’s infamous cover of Paul Simon’s “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” sung by Grammy-nominated singer, Raheem DeVaughn; the infectious vocal version to the Loose Joints instrumental, “Can’t You Feel It;” Topspin’s perfect blend of the “Fever” vocals over the “Stay With Me” instrumental, and plenty others.

Check the full tracklisting and get your free download below, then watch Waajeed’s self-made EPK after the jump, and most importantly – cop Abundance next Tuesday, the 20th.