Three years after the release of her debut album, Havana, is back with her sophomore offering, Entervention. Where her first LP, L.I.F.E., featured production from the likes of Waajeed, Zo!, Nicolay, and Symbolyc One providing a mellow, soulful backdrop – Entervention has a decidedly west coast house party sound. Providing that sound are some of Cali’s most forward thinking producers, including Brook d’Leau (of J*DaVeY fame), GB, Trackademicks and BeatStreetS. Lyrically, Havana goes even further introverted and autobiographical this time out, but she still manages to keep it balanced with plenty of future house party and club favorites still sprinkled throughout the album.

Entervention is currently scheduled for a February 17th release date through the Detroit-founded and San Diego-based label, Skoolcraft Music Group. To preview the album, I have an exclusive first listen to four tracks from the LP. In downloadable form I have the first single, “Nitelife,” which is produced by and also features Honor Roll member, Trackademicks, and “It Ain’t New,” co-produced by Bay Area collaborators, BeatStreetS & 1O.A.K. To go along with it, I’ve also got streams of the 80′s throwback, “In Touch” produced by GB, and a track from Havana’s new group, Match’d Frantic with MC, Bennie Herron, “Not Affected,” produced by Brook d’Leau. All four songs are still rough, unmastered versions – so be sure to check the album when it drops next month for all of the final versions.

Stream or download the songs below, and then, stay tuned after the jump to three of my favorite tracks from her first album, LIFE: Living In Fearless Emotions.

Brand new episode of Waajeed & Bling47‘s podcast series, Bling47 Radio. This latest installment is the first of a two-part sneak preview of PPP‘s upcoming Abundance Mixtape – which will be available right here in the coming weeks. All of this will be leading up to the release of PPP’s new album, Abundance, in stores everywhere on January 20th.

Featured in this first part of the Mixtape preview are remixes of Triple P classics featuring SA-RA, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Tiombe Lockhart & more – remixed by either Waajeed himself, or blended & matched with beats Jeed gave to Seattle’s own, DJ Topspin. It also features exclusive new songs from PPP’s current line-up, including singers Coultrain & Jamila Raegan, that didn’t make the album – and even an unreleased track Waajeed & Coultrain did with J Records artist, Jazmine Sullivan. Download link below, with the full tracklisting & credits after the jump.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and much more from PPP and the Bling47 camp coming soon.

Tracklisting:
BLING47 RADIO EPISODE #5: Abundance Mixtape Preview Part 1
1. (Waajeed Intro)
2. PPP feat. Coultrain – Angel (Waajeed Remix)
3. Waajeed – Resurgence
4. (Angel Remix Commentary)
5. PPP feat. J Dilla – Shotgun (Waajeed’s Plinky Remix)
6. Waajeed – Fresh Boogie
7. (Plinky Commentary)
8. PPP feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow – Your Day Is Done (PPP vs. DJ Topspin Remix)*
9. (Day Is Done Commentary)
10. PPP feat. SA-RA & Rozzi Daime – Deep Inside (Waajeed Remix) %
11. PPP feat. Tiombe Lockhart – Stay With Me (Waajeed vs. DJ Topspin Remix)
12. (Deep Inside & Stay With Me Commentary)
13. PPP feat. Zeno – Fever (DJ Topspin’s Stay With Me Blend) ^
14. PPP feat. Jamila Raegan – Goodbye (PPP EXCLUSIVE) +
15. (Fever Blend & Goodbye Commentary)
16. Jazmine Sullivan feat. Coultrain – Jump Off (BLING47 RADIO EXCLUSIVE)
17. (Jump Off Commentary)
18. PPP feat. Coultrain & Jamila Raegan – Stand For Something (PPP EXCLUSIVE)
19. (Stand For Something & Pigeon Hole Commentary)
20. PPP feat. Coultrain – Pigeon Hole (PPP – ABUNDANCE PREVIEW)

Hosted, Mixed & Compiled by Waajeed for Bling47 Radio
All songs produced by Waajeed, along with:
* Co-Produced by Saadiq of PPP
% Additional Production by Selan
^ Additional Production by Zo!
+ Additional Production by Simon Katz

For those who have been sleeping, 14KT is a producer/MC/DJ from the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based collectives Athletic Mic League & the Lab Techs. And, quiet as kept – he’s also one of the most consistent producers in the game right now. Recent productions include about half of his AML fam, Buff1‘s, new album, There’s Only 1, and 2 of my personal favorites from Invincible‘s ShapeShifters (“Sledgehammer!” & “No Easy Answers”) – as well as placements with One Be Lo, Phat Kat, Now On, Wildchild, and others.

Anyway… these are the first 4 of 6 leaked tracks (1 a week until the release date) from KT himself, off of his debut solo album (the soundtrack to his life, as he puts it), The Golden Hour, dropping October 14th.

And they even come with liner notes!

“This version of this song featuring Stones Throw artist Aloe Blacc, is actually NOT going to be on my soundtrack. However, without telling Aloe Blacc the real inspiration behind the track, one day he sent me this version, which happened to go with the concept and I liked it so much I HAD to share it EXCLUSIVELY with you.

My inspiration for this joint was going through a relationship that became so trying & serious that it was hard 2 just have fun & chill again with that person, U know? I freaked the sample as symbolism for how I felt. Tried 2 make the song sound “new” again in a sense. Kinda like how I wish I could do the same with the relationship. Enjoy.”

“First of all, I LOVE trying to flip records like this for fun. Hope you enjoy it.

I’m a night person so I needed some theme music! Ha!
I took every aspect of “the night” & chopped it into this joint.
I think I chopped 4 or 5 different sayings of “the” from the singer. How intricate is that? Yep, too much time on my hands.
Theme music for all my true night owls. No Sleep. Freaks come out at night. Slow Jamz. Just crusin’. Chill Time. Me Time. All wrapped in one beat.”

“This is BY FAR my favorite joint off the project and yes that is me TRYING to sing on it. HAHA!
Years ago, I asked my bestfriend Keri to name one word that described me. She replied “Illustrious.” I was like WHOA!
When I made this, I was listening to alot of late 70s/early 80s Rock music. I wanted to make a Gospel song, but I didn’t want to do it in the traditional sense sonically. So I wanted to make my version a 80′s Rock Gospel Song!
Even though Keri described me as Illustrious, I could never ever come close to letting my little light shine without the Grace, Love, and Power of GOD! So I dedicated this joint to GOD and how I feel with Him in my life!!
If you feel the same way, hopefully you will feel the song. I know I’ll get criticized for my singing, but I don’t care.
I was expressing myself!! That’s what music is about right?

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
“Illustrious/ I feel/ When you’re in my life
So Heavenly/I feel/When you’re in my life

Verse 2:
“You are the only way, please show me (the way)
I want to shine, shine, shine, Divine (divine continues to echo)

“God, I need you in my life (repeats at the end)

“Much love to my brothas Zo! on additional keys/bass, my mans Ab on the Vocals, and my mans Sam Beaubien who came through and laid trumpet for the track. I appreciate it ya’ll”

(Taken from an IM conversation)

A.L. says : can i ask what inspired this one?
14KT says: divorce.. hate crimes.. disrespect.. people getting killed.. relationships..
A.L says: it’s wrapped so eloquently though, with much respect
14KT says: yeah..I wanted the track to sound more contemplative than sad..but its really based on negative things…
A.L says: yeah it feels that way…. sad isn’t really my emotion… it’s just emotion-full in a way.. the way that there’s a tinge of sadness in “I fall in love too easily” – that’s what the trumpet reminds me of..
14KT says: “This hate that I see…is less than enough to detect any love/This music I hear…is less than enough to detect any love/These relationships I see..are less than enough to detect any love/This respect that I get…is less than enough to detect any love..”
A.L says: man… i feel u.. that’s deeper than….
14KT says: its actually simple..just me thinking on things…and seeing how they could be so much better if people had more love.. but instead they have “Less than Enough..”
A.L says: yessir. wow… thank you so much for sharing this with me……… ”

“When I started putting the soundtrack together, there was a scene in my “life movie” where I was reflecting on important memories, people, and situations that made me who I am. I envisioned a tiny purple spaceship,slowly flying inside of my brain (kind of like the movie “Innerspace” haha)… where you see snapshots of different moments….giving you a tour of everything that was going through my mind. I wanted the music to sound spacey and introspective to capture the vibe of the scene. Much love to my girl Tiffany Paige for the beautiful vocals to illustrate the scene more..hope you can see it..”

“I wanted to make theme music that gives you the feeling of where I am from. Ypsilanti..Ypsitucky..Ypsilanta.. is a small city in Michigan. There are areas of it that are somewhat hard and you can hear it in the drums, but the overall vibe of Ypsi is very simple, laid back, kinda country, and chill. This is theme music for anyone who is from Ypsilanti, ever lived in Ypsilanti, loves Ypsilanti, or just knows about Ypsilanti…its for you.. “

If you’re not up on my man Zo! by now – shame on you. He’s a Detroit-born, D.C.-based producer/multi-instrumentalist (mainly the keys), best known for solo instrumental & remix albums, as well as his work with PPP (“Stay With Me” & “No Worries”), Little Brother (“When Everything Is New”), Slum Village & Dwele (“Closer”), and countless others.

And being the giving kind of guy that he is, Zo! has decided to give us something for his 30th birthday, a free download of his instrumental re-working of The Jones Girls classic, “Nights Over Egypt”.

2011 UPDATE: Zo! would later go on to release his cover of “Nights Over Egypt” on his free EP, …just visiting too, with North Carolina singer Carlitta Durand handling the vocal duties of the Jones Girls’ original. I’ve added the link to the full EP below as well.