Yeeeeeessssssss!!! It doesn't get more lit than new material from Chuck Inglish and Mikey Rocks. Last summer they announced that they'd be getting back in the studio together after five years of doing their own thing. If you're wondering whether they lost a step talent or chemistry wise, don't waste your time. They still bring the heat led by Chuck's hallmark of steady thumping of bass and original samples. That's not to slight Mikey's skills on the mic, both emcees effortlessly traded bars for a full three and a half minutes of entertainment. It's exactly what I had hoped for in a reunion and I can't begin to explain how excited I am to hear more...#ConnectFour
It's as if Chuck Inglish just mentally opened up my high school year book. Everything from camera phones, to burning cds, to two-way paging...there's a lot of nostalgia packed into 2003. And, just as you would expect, there's a whole lot of speaker rattling bass to go along with the never ending millenial memories. I can't say I like it as much as I did Damage, but if both were on an EP together, I'd be more likely to cop it. Speaking of which, can't wait for the new album...#EverybodysBigBrother
The top five this week skewed heavy toward Hip Hop this week with three out of the five coming from the genre. Leading off is the third on the trilogy of Maddie Ziegler featured videos from Sia. Big Girls Cry is more of a demonstrative solo filled with plenty of provocative facial expressions and gestures. It's another stunning example of how hard it is to take your eyes of Maddie when she's performing.
In other news, Louis C.K. may have thrown a wrench in Jimmy Fallon's plan to star on the Dana Carvey's show. Hilarity ensues. Then, 2 Chainz and Diplo met up with a water sommelier who treated them to water that cost $100,000. Yes, there's so much wrong with the previous sentence that I'm not even going to touch on outlandish it is. Finally, Chuck Inglish gave us all a huge doss of bass with Damage and Yelawolf continues churn out top notch tracks that will make us forget about his last album. I absolutely can't wait to hear his album as a whole because so far it's been nothing but fire...#LoveStory
God bless the Hipsters! Where would we be without their youthful spirit driving the Indie music scene? I know one thing, I wasn't planning on writing about Dale Earnhart Jr Jr until they started pulling in some of my favorite artists. Slim of 112 had me at Cupid over a decade ago and we all know about my deep seeded infatuation with the better half of The Cool Kids.
Collaborations aside, the cheerful, but heavy synths in Rush Into Love are legitimate super hot freshness. Does the instrumental fit in the 80s? Maybe, but that's part of it's throwback allure. Sure, it could be that I was thrown by a loop by one of my favorite R&B voices crooning over an 80s beat, but when you drop something like that outta left field, I'm all ears. Now, it seems I need to keep an eye out for new music from the tremendously white duo from Detroit with a name that started out as a joke and has subsequently continued to be a joke as they continue to gain followers. Word has it Daniel and Josh are going to release a Produce mixtape soon, but if you're chomping at the bit for music by them give a listen to their latest album, The Speed of Things...#IndieMusic
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. feat. Slim from 112 & Chuck Inglish - Rush Into Love
As I mentioned throughout the week, it was a Hip Hop dominated past seven days. The two standout videos of the week were Eminem/Rihanna's Monster video and Mike Posner/Big Sean's Detroit inspired Top of the World. I'll admit it was really cool to see the professional sports inspired Detroit theme. The scenery littered with Red Wings, Tigers and Lions stadiums from two of Detroit natives (Southfield, Detroit) did a good job of capturing the sentiment of the track.
There's nothing better than Thanksgiving break, especially when you get to spend it eating way too many delicious calories and watching way to much TV. Now that it's over, it's back to business serving up the best of what the music world had to offer this week in form of videos. I'm betting most of you have seen the new EminemRap God video, but you may have missed the revolution inspiring visuals from Headhunterz and Krewella. If you haven't your missing out because it's got a great message. It's points a flashlight directly at those trolls and internet gangsters that are tough as nails behind a keyboard. They may not realize it, but what they say doesn't always fall on deaf ears, so it's cool to see how they brought it to the forefront in a positive way. Beyond that, The Killers and Blended Babies new videos were pretty fun to watch. Plus, what would Thanksgiving be without a Timeflies freestyle...#VideosOfTheWeek
Eminem - Rap God (Video)
Headhunterz feat Krewella - United Kids of the World (Video)
The Killers - Just Another Girl (Video)
Blended Babies feat Chuck Inglish & Asher Roth - See the World (Video)
Man, this right here is a smooth cut. It all starts with the beat cooked up by Blended Babies that was created to be a canvas for a compelling story. Asher Roth and Chuck Inglish were given a gift to go in on this beat, but to their credit, they also brought their A game. They both put on their b-boy stance and went bar after bar weaving their own well thought out narratives. Just a whole lotta Chi-town greatness on See the World, give the quick 2 and a half minute track a listen...#BlendedBabies
Blended Babies feat Chuck Inglish & Asher Roth - See the World
What does a head nod inducing beat sounds like you ask? The easy answer is to press play below, but really you can't go wrong with anything Chuck Inglish produces. It just so happens that his latest heat rock off his upcoming album Convertibles, features his PICMikey Rocks. Yes, the same Banco Populair that used to roll around with Chuck in the form of The Cool Kids. I say used to because they broke up as a group earlier this year, but have ironically continued to make music together. Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe there isn't any bad blood. All I know is we as the public benefit from it, so I'm not gonna ask questions...#Swervin
So much for The Cool Kids being broken up! Thanks to the folks at Milkcrate Athletics in NYC, the Chicago duo reunited for a bangin' new collabo in the form of Footwork. I'd classify it as a catchy, uptempo bootyshake anthem with plenty of bass. You can expect the track to surface on the upcoming Milkcrate Athletics mixtape that will be mixed together by the crate man himself, Aaron LaCrate. As such don't expect it to be a polished single worth effort, instead take it for what it's worth, a shot of unrefined 100 proof awesomeness...#Milkgang
Now that The Cool Kids have parted ways, I feel like a kid who is going through divorce. Now I need to get to know Chuck Inglish and Sir Michael Rocks on their own as individuals, which is a little strange because of how well they worked together. It's as if they're both fighting for the love of fans this week as they both released solo mixtapes. Sir Michael just let dropped his While You Wait mixtape, while Chuck released Droptops via Karmaloop.
Seeing how much I enjoy the production value that The Cool Kids brought to the table, it shouldn't be a surprise that I'm posting a Chuck track first. His new one with Asher Roth is throwback as hell with the repetitive rolling beat clap that lays the foundation for some laid back verses from the dynamic duo. Now that I'm looking at the tracklist, I've already posted the majority of the tracks on Droptops, which speaks to how much of a gift it is to be able to cop it for free. It's heavy, well-produced Hip Hop that will take you back to the 1990s when folks were just starting to harness the power of an 808 drum machine. Go do yourself a favor and cop it...#Droptops
Those who know me well know the impact that 808 bass has had and continues to have on my life. Ya know how bugs must fly to the light when they see it, this is me when I hear 808 bass...
Knowing that, you could imagine the impact that Chuck Inglish's creative, throwback use of the best type of bass known to mankind has had on me. And I'm not the only one that is excited about the sub woofer potential of his upcoming free Droptops EP that he's releasing on May 23rd. The allure of his new one Tangerine, featuring Mini Van Dan and Kashflow, comes from the simplicity of the beat. Make no mistake about it, you will be bored with this track if you listen to it on laptop speakers. I'm serious, if you're going to play the song below on your laptop, iPad, iPhone or anything with less than 10", just do yourself a favor and punt for tomorrow when I get back on the EDM train...#Droptops
Chuck Inglish feat Aston Matthews & Kashflow - Tangerine
I've always been a huge sucker for in-studio videos showing artists putting in work on tracks. Amplify that times ten when @chuckisdope is involved because there isn't a producer in the game whose beats knock more than his. Check out his studio session with @trvisXX...
Frankly, I wish they would have made a new track based on the beat they layered in on Travis's verse around the 1:18 mark. After reading up on your boy Travis and his new G.O.O.D. opportunities, I've got a feeling this won't be the last time you'll see his name on this blog. Stay on the look out for Travis's new Owl Pharoah EP, as well as Chuck's upcoming album #Convertibles.
It's been a while since there has been a week where I had to make cuts because there were so many entertaining choices. I did my best to mix in some booty drums, @skullcandy and eye candy (@KateUpton) with some new well put together music videos. Not saying one bit that booty drums isn't music, but if you ask the lady second from the night whether or not it was music, I'm betting she'd give you a frosty gaze.
I wish there were more in studio collaborations like what @MikePosner, @chuckisdope, @asherroth, @ilovetmills, and @Chip216 did on the @drake inspired Started From the Bottom (Remix). Maybe I'm a nerd, but it's cool seeing artists behind closed doors when they're actually making music. It provides an added element of reality that most music can't convey through sound. In other news, the early indications are that @jtimberlake and @s_c_ might take over the world this summer...#2020Experience
Kate Upton in Take a Supermodel to Work With Big Boi & Stevie Johnson)
Mike Posner feat Asher Roth, T.Mills, Chuck Inglish & King Chip – Started From The Bottom (Remix)(Video)
A lot of music critics on the outside of Hip Hop looking in don't really understand the art of storytelling that goes on inside of talented individuals' heads. Sadly, the majority of well-written Hip Hop verse never see the light of day because that's not what sells on the charts. That's why when tidbits of reality come along like Jay-Z's @LifeandTimes series that expose the rawness and skilled sides of Hip Hop artists, I get really excited. Two of the biggest up and comers (@asvpxrocky and @kendricklamar) talk about two tracks on their recent albums that really hit home with them when they wrote it. If you watch anything this week on this page, give those two a chance because it's not everyday you get a backstage look at the artistry of a story within a verse.
In other news, @jtimberlake is back and @chuckisdope...or should I say #StillDope?
Crisp and on point are two adjectives that would be the foundation for trying to describe the production skills of @Chuckisdope. His beats are so fresh you'd think he harvested them straight from a garden of beats growing in the backyard. Other than the fact that Chuck sees @RetchyP & @HeirDash as his youngns, I really have no idea who they are. Still, they sound awesome on Four 12's and that's largely do to the dopeness of the beat. Check the newly minted visuals below...
No concrete release date on Chuck's upcoming album Convertibles, but word has it the album is done and is waiting to be released. If that's true, the beginning on 2013 may be better than expected...#ChuckisDope
Nothin' like a cool summer breeze outta Windy Chi-town. First and foremost, god bless Sony/Boardwalk/ATV for signing the @blendedbabies. The duo has been quietly emerging as one of the most underrated beatsmiths in the game, so signing them will ultimately end up being a good decision.
In celebration of the signing, the duo let loose with an epic Chicago based collabo from the rock n' sould group @theomyslive featuring the likes of @chancetherapper, @chuckisdope, @chip216, and @TWISTAgmg. You better believe the track is about as soulful as a southern baptist congregation and the message of the track is as clear as a freshly Windexed glass table. Between the back and forth twang of the guitar and the swaggerich money talks message throughout the hook and verses, it's apropos given the newly inked Blended Babies record deal.
Feel free to cool the f word out to this and whatever you do, don't fast forward and miss that 9th inning closer verse from Twista...#LightsOut
The O’My’s feat Twista, Chuck Inglish, Chip Tha Ripper & Chance The Rapper – Bout A Dolla (prod by The Blended Babies)
I've learned over the past few years that whenever posting any track featuring @chuckisdope, I might as well attach the 808 Check label before even listening. It goes something like death, taxes and Chuck Inglish's trunk rattling bass. I'll take it one more step and say that his throwback, dumbed down style consistently finds a way to be trendsetting despite sounding "old school". That's not an easy thing to do, but any smart man knows it's easier to find a new use for the wheel than reinvent it...ya feel me?
Anyways, I'd imagine Back Up is going to surface on Chuck's new Convertibes LP due out October 7th. If you haven't already guessed, it will feature lyrics unlike his past two beat tapes Wrkout and Wrking. To me it doesn't really matter because the beats he's able to put together are downright disgusting. Don't be shy on the volume with the song below, it's meant to wake up the neighbors...#BassWins
For starters, I really hope you're entertained by @s_c_ and @kanyewest because half the videos featured in this post are by them. I still haven't formed an opinion on whether or not I think it's cool that they have now played N****s in Paris a record eleven times in one concert. On one hand I'd probably go nuts if I was at the concert and they were wildin' out to the track multiple times, but to literally play it eleven times may be slightly excessive any annoying, especially if it's at the expense of other songs getting cut from the set list.
Watch the Throne related videos aside, I thought the video of @chuckisdope in studio mixing up some goodness was pretty cool to watch. Seeing producers like him in studio is like going to the zoo for me to see your favorite wild animal. You feel like you're closer to the music when you get to watch them in action behind the scenes. Hands down one of my favorite beat makers when it comes to being imaginative and unique.
Also, it was cool to hear @drake talk about how his stage presence has evolved over the years. The countdown is at t-minus 8 days to til I get to see Drake in concert for the first time in over a year. Can't wait for that and before you go thinking I missed a video, check out who is drivin' in @Chrisbrown's new video. Look familiar? #TheDoggfather
Chris Brown feat Wiz Khalifa & Big Sean - Till I Die (Video)
Kanye West & Jay-Z feat Frank Ocean - No Church in the Wild (Video)
Chuck Inglish Making a Beat in Truth Studios
Drake Talks About How His Stage Presence Has Evolved Over the Years
Kanye West & Jay-Z Performing N****s in Paris for the First Time in Paris
Kanye West & Jay-Z Performing N****s in Paris for the Eleventh Time in Paris
In my mind, anything with the words Cool Kids or produced by @chuckisdope is automatically post-worthy. I'm talking everything from lesser known production credits to beat tapes, when Chuck gets behind the boards, I'm all ears. Keeping that in mind, you can imagine how excited I was to see the two tweets below earlier tonight...
Yep, I was that guy hitting F5 ever 5 or so minutes until it was posted and when it finally went up, I wasn't disappointed. It's not easy to take a slow, melodic track and flip it into something that's dance-worthy, but that's exactly what Chuck did. He did what many EDM dance remixes couldn't by sampling the vocals heavily, which showcased the best part of the track.
I'd be remiss not to give Chuck's new beat tape a shout out since he was kind enough to provide us some free dopeness tonight. Last week he released WRKOUT, which is a lot more of the same kind of instrumental awesomeness. Very simply put, you should know the name Chuck Inglish because he's one of the more imaginative, talented and unheralded producers in the game right now...#HandsDown
Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know (Chuck Inglish Remix)
Great mix of different content this week with a classic @nbcsnl skit, some top notch concert videos featuring @kanyewest and @drake, ending with a @jlin7 interview where he shouts out his favorite music types. It's probably a toss up for me for most noteworthy video on this post, but it'd have to be between seeing @chuckisdope and @asherroth in studio working on music together and seeing Drake in concert. It's been too long since I've seen him live and I still haven't gotten out post Thank Me Later, so there's a lot I have to still see. I'm still trying to see @THECOOLKIDS in concert five years later, but hope to catch them opening for your boy @macmiller this spring.
As a little spoiler alert, it's looking like my concert tour this spring is going to be heavy on the electronic/dubstep. Maybe a little @nerouk, possibly some @bassnectar and most likely some @skrillex...#StayTuned
