FRESHclusive ALBUM:
Diamond District presents…
yU – Before Taxes
(prod. Slimkat78, Oddisee, Kev Brown, etc.)



Today brings us the first ever FRESHclusive album, courtesy of DC veteran MC/producer (and currently best known as one third of the Diamond District), yU. The album, Before Taxes was first released as a 7 track promo EP a few months back, but available here for the first time anywhere is the full 16 song version of album. The majority of the project was produced by the 1978ers (yU & Slimkat78), but it also features some guest production from Kev Brown, Oddisee & Bilal Salaam. yU is also joined by appearances from Finale, Grap Luva, OP Swamp 81 (Bilal Salaam & Da’Nedra), his fellow members in the Remainz crew, and more throughout the album.

Both yU and Slimkat78 are two extremely talented artists who have been making moves for years now. If you like what you hear, leave a comment and let me know and I’ll be sure to bring you guys much more from both of them in the near future.


yU “Almost Time” (prod. Kev Brown)


yU “Thought About It” (prod. yU)


yU “BreakDown” (feat. & prod. Bilal Salaam)



DOWNLOAD: yU – Before Taxes

ALSO SEE: Diamond District – In The Ruff

TRACKLISTING: Before Taxes tracklisting & credits after the jump




yU – Before Taxes
1. Before Taxes Intro (prod. Slimkat78)
2. Beats&Rhymes From March 25 (Kick Styles) (prod. yU)
3. Almost Time (prod. Kev Brown)
4. Thought About It (prod. yU)
5. BreakDown (feat. & prod. Bilal Salaam)
6. Corners (feat. I.Q.) (prod. yU)
7. The Up & Up (prod. Slimkat78)
8. Close (feat. Isabella Banneker) (prod. Slimkat78)
9. Fine (prod. yU)
10. Lunchin’ (prod. Oddisee)
11. Native (prod. Slimkat78 & yU)
12. Memory (feat. ERK) (prod. yU)
13. The Rock (prod. Slimkat78)
14. InTheReign (feat. I.Q. & Omun) (prod. yU)
15. MmHmm (instr) (prod. yU)
16. Brainwash (feat. Grap Luva, Finale & OP Swamp 81) (prod. Slimkat78)

April 20, 2009 / , , , , , , , , / 35 Comments

29 Comments

  1. jcrillz
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 8:50 am / Permalink
    Dope. 1
  2. ePp
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 9:22 am / Permalink
    Very nice, my good sir. 2
  3. HAYLOW
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 9:42 am / Permalink
    FRESHSELECTS.NET does it AGAIN!!! 3
  4. artek 606
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 10:11 am / Permalink
    This is ILL!! I’m diggin this.. This will be on rotation for a while and will give me some nice inspiration!! 606 entertainment / The Pacifics / Peep out the BEATS!! 4
  5. Luigi-Bo 87
    Posted April 20, 2009 at 8:05 pm / Permalink
    Congrats on your first exclusive joint! IF you don’t mind, I’m gonna pass the link around to my peeps. 7
  6. j therapy
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 7:14 am / Permalink
    Give it up for FreshSelect Got damnit!!!! Freshselect!………Freshselect!!! Kenny you fresh fo real!!! Appreciate!!! 8
  7. Brian
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 12:17 pm / Permalink
    Once again, Kenny you’ve put me on to GREAT music. ***searches for more yU*** 9
  8. fresh prince
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 12:17 pm / Permalink
    shit is real nice. 10
  9. The Honest Ape
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 12:34 pm / Permalink
    DL this the other day and finally getting around to listening to it. Very dope indeed, hope people don’t sleep on it. 11
  10. spirit equality
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 12:45 pm / Permalink
    yU is a renaissance painter with the lyrics. strictly sickness. the beats only add fuel to the fire…live wire hip-hop…get involved, y’all…. 12
  11. yomama
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 2:21 pm / Permalink
    I really like this… Breakdown is my anthem today haha. loving it! Keep postin good shit! 13
  12. Mario
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 2:57 pm / Permalink
    Huge fan of this album. Good shit! 14
  13. Luigi-Bo 87
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 3:00 pm / Permalink
    Number 2 on this is sooo ill!!!! Thanks for the post man! 15
  14. ghettocandyland
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 5:55 pm / Permalink
    really really really enjoying this. getting regular rotation on the pod. pleasantly surprised. 16
  15. BaseBet
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 7:45 pm / Permalink
    LUNCHIN!!!!!!!!!!! 17
  16. Mils
    Posted April 21, 2009 at 8:05 pm / Permalink
    Dope, good lookin out Kenny. This is going to get some major play on the Ipod…Respect 18
  17. binny
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 3:58 am / Permalink
    Diamond District album is rediculous. 19
  18. binny
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 4:00 am / Permalink
    OH, I just want to also say that DMV is very very slept on. Those guys really doing it out there. 20
  19. jux55
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 4:23 am / Permalink
    YU…Remainz Crew…Diamond District…Low Budget…no jokes, no games…dope lyrics, dope beats 21
  20. AlmightyKD
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 10:41 am / Permalink
    it’s like you read my mind… beyond dope these guys are handling they biz. 22
  21. DJStylus
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 12:42 pm / Permalink
    The Humble King has been at it for sooooo long, but you run into him on the Metro and he doesn’t let on that his goal in life is to make all wack rappers permanently retire.

    DC heads who have been down since even the Remainz days… remember that dolphin joint from way back?!? 23
  22. omnicrisis
    Posted April 22, 2009 at 9:47 pm / Permalink
    I’m really digging this album. Thanks, Kenny! 24
  23. Travis
    Posted April 26, 2009 at 10:11 am / Permalink
    Been hearing good things about this across the internet and based on the Diamond District joint, I gotta hear this. Good looks maaaaayne!! 26
  24. E Major
    Posted April 27, 2009 at 12:28 pm / Permalink
    I know Oddisee and Kev and I can’t keep up with the music they release. I just heard about this today. DLing now and listening. THANKS! 27
  25. BEN
    Posted July 30, 2009 at 11:40 pm / Permalink
    ffffffffrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeessssshhhhhhhh! 30
  26. Slyjak
    Posted August 5, 2009 at 1:28 pm / Permalink
    Really excited about this – I was checkin the production credits for Diamond Districts “In the Ruff” and one of my very productions from the album is Slimkat78’s, which led me to this. Havent listened to this completely but the samples above leave little doubt to its excellence 31
  27. E
    Posted August 27, 2009 at 12:13 am / Permalink
    “Breakdown” jont crank. Gets me through the day. 32
  28. San01
    Posted October 24, 2009 at 1:29 pm / Permalink
    peace to the DIAMOND DISTRICT, real HIPHOP IS BACK like it never left in these 3 brothers…bumping “BEFORE TAXES” right NOW…peace yU…KEEP ON fam, the record is INSPIARING! 33
  29. Jonezy
    Posted April 12, 2010 at 11:06 am / Permalink
    Been waiting for this. yU and the Diamond District fam all deserve props. 35

6 Trackbacks

  1. By Potholes In My Blog » Download: yU - Before Taxes [Free Album] on April 20, 2009 at 10:40 am
    [...] Last week the Diamond District album dropped and member yU hits us again with his solo LP, Before Taxes. Even though it is free, you can expect some very fresh music on here, just like In The Ruff. The album features production from Slimkat78, Oddisee, Kev Brown and more. If you have been paying attention at all to the current hip-hop scene, the DMV is definitely one place to watch for. Peep the album and tell us what you think! Props to KennyFresh.. [...]
  2. By » NEW MUSIC: FRESHclusive ALBUM: Diamond District presents… yU - Before Taxes HipHopIsCoolAgain on April 20, 2009 at 10:56 am
    [...] a couple of hours ago, Kenny Fresh hit us up with yU’s new joint, Before Taxes. Head on over there now and get yours like I got mine! Share and [...]
  3. By Blazon Magazine Online » NEW MUSIC :: FRESHclusive ALBUM :: yU - Before Taxes on April 24, 2009 at 11:07 am
    [...] Props to Kenny Fresh for releasing this album earlier this week as the first ever FRESHclusive album on FreshSelects.net. [...]
  4. By yU "Before Taxes" | dagensskiva.com on April 30, 2009 at 4:01 am
    [...] Ladda ner Before Taxes hos Fresh Selects [...]
  5. By yU – Before Taxes « MidnightFix on July 29, 2009 at 10:40 pm
    [...] to Fresh Selects on the [...]
  6. By LE BEN #HEURES SUP’# « Radiochantier on December 13, 2009 at 3:50 pm
    [...] – YU (FEAT.SLIMKAT78 & ISABELLA [...]

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