Wax On

The album I wanted to look at today is from a YouTube made artist. I feel like that carries a little bit of a negative connotation especially when talking about musicians but he had the talent and just wasn't interested in signing to a label until now. He started with releasing freestyles of other people's instrumentals while hanging out in Baltimore his most famous being the "New Crack" video. Once he got some recognition he started essentially working for YouTube to build his online fan base and in 2009 released Liquid Courage (2008) with east coast producer EOM. Then Wax released Clockwise (2010) with west coast battle rapper Dumbfoundead. Now only a year later he has released his new mix tape Scrublife (2011).  The mix tape is not only his first full length solo mix tape but is essentially a part of his signing party with Def Jam Recordings.

Wax doesn't get to far from what he has always done on all of his albums to date. Which on this mix tape is not a bad thing. I'm glad he put the "New Crack" free style (in celebration of over a million views), "Red", and "Music and Liquor" a track from "Liquid Courage ( on the album in order to stay connected to his YouTube roots. The beats are all mostly still produced by EOM. This means that the mix tape has that smooth jazz and instrumental sound with cool guitar riffs and piano melodies on tracks like "Dispensary Girl" and "Shoo Ba Doop" hence the name Elements of Music aka EOM.

The lyrical content is exactly what you would expect on a mix tape called Scrublife (2011) with goofy lyrics about partying and drinking too much beer. Though Wax has shown is ability to write seriously and actually putting thought into a song he's recording rather than goofy freestyles on tracks like "Music and Liquor", "Don't Need", and "Limousine". Though i must admit that I am glad that EOM is on this record after listening to "Everything" a track that was produced by Wax. Don't get me wrong it is different and refreshing break from the cool jazz but I don't know how a full album of it would be. All in all a enjoyable mix tape worth at least a listen. Plus, its free and free music is my favorite kind of music. <3

http://www.djbooth.net/index/mixtapes/entry/wax-scrublife-mixtape/

P.S.-Yet again completely free and sponsored you just need to enter a valid email address.

Some More Mixtapes

With Hip-Hop heading popular music today its interesting to see where the future of Hip-Hop is headed. Then again Kanye hasn't made a Hip-Hop album since Graduation and it feels like the only guys left are the original bad boys of hip hop like the WU-Tang Clan and Jay-Z. Not to mention alot of underground artists that aredoing wel like El-P and Slug from Atmosphere who now runs the record label Rhymesayers.

So where is the young talent at? Who are the guys dominating the charts within a couple years? The post I made before this about Lyn Charles got the gears turning around this question. I thought it might be cool ,since there are people actually following this blog now, to give away some cool (and more importantly)  free music. So I'm changing lanes on this one. I'm going try and have nothing but mix tapes featured on here beginning with the recently signed Yelawolf.

Yelawolf is from Alabama and a lot of his songs on his mix tape Trunk Muzik (2010) are accompanied by the twang that we love in the south. This is for your car and is meant to rattle the trunk. This is a great mix tape and a good artist to keep an eye as one might tell from the guests on the mix tape. Names like Gucci Mane and Raekwon. My favorites are "Box Chevy Pt.3" and "Speak Her Sex".Having just signed to Shady Records in Detroit unlikely that this guys records will be heard for free anymore, but until the next one drops enjoy Trunk Muzik (2010).

http://www.datpiff.com/Yelawolf-Trunk-Muzik-mixtape.130251.html

Charles in Charge!!!! a review of Lyn Charles: American Tragedy

      Oh how I love free mixtapes. They always provide the fans with a taste of whats to come from new hot artists like Lyn Charles. Charles is a philly native following in the steps of the Fresh Prince and producing a album that is a breath of fresh Hip-Hop.
     
      The whole album has an old school hip hop feel too it. If I didn't know better i would have thought that Jay-Z had performed "Lost My Heart" There are of course synths involved but not in very many tracks. "Life of Solitude" sets off this tone and continues through the rest of the tracks until "Lush Life". This is the first synth song and is a banger. Lyn's flow style is refreshing. His flow is laid back with screams of "Charles!!!" in the background at all times but he switches it up on you when you don't expect it and surprises you in a good way.

     Lyn Charles is currently an independent artist and is producing records on his own label “LynandGreed". I wouldn't be surprised to see Lyn Charles make it to one of the bigger labels in New York because it just seems his style would go over with no hassle. Keep an eye out for Lyn Charles I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of him. <3



Here is the FREE!!!!!!!! Mixtape:
http://www.datpiff.com/Lyn-Charles-American-Tragedy-mixtape.229070.html

PS-Promise completely free and sponsored by Lyn Charles

Just the tip...

    A cassette single came in the new DOOM x Akomplice box set featuring two of my favorite east coast rappers of all time DOOM and Ghostface Killah. I have been listening to both of these guys going back to when DOOM was MF DOOM and making Mm...Food and of course Ghost Face was in the Wu-Tang Clan and making Fishscale. This isnt the first time these two have collaborated. Various Ghostface songs have been produced by DOOM and Ghostface has had a featured songs on every DOOM album since The Mouse and the Mask.
    The cassette features a remixed single from DoomStarks track "Victory Laps". The only way that I got to hear the single was through a youtube video of someone it on their cassette player. Even though it wasn't the ideal way to get a good listen at the single it still sounded promising. The beat was remixed by Madvillian and sounds like it. With oddly placed piano samples and a little airy making sure to let DOOM and Ghost make the song with their verses. So where is the full length DoomStarks album?
    This has been a record waiting to happen for way too long now. With all the collaborations it would seem inevitable, but maybe now is finally the time that these guys will get into the studio together for an entire record. Then again maybe this is just a tease to try and build hype for an album that is looking to be sold to the highest bidder. Only time will tell and hopefully these two will be able to at least put out an entire EP soon. <3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll3QS7jSNqc (song)
    

Mission Statements

To be sure, I think a mission statement for a blog is ludicrous due to the large range of the music industry/internet and the amount of new artists and developing genres popping up around the country all the time. Who knows who will be the next person to hop on stage in front of someone will be or even what new artists album "succeeded" or "failed" in any given month. It is difficult even on a personal level for me to assume the genre or even band that I could find or listen to tomorrow to influence my impression on a band or even on the music industry itself. This blog will hopefully be able to encompass as many musical genres as possible probably with a emphasis on Indie and Hip Hop. While also trying to keep in mind the troubles facing the music industry as a whole and the recent overflow of underground artists. <3