Sample Justice: Mike Posner Takes on Elton John & Oasis

Want in on a little secret? There's a reason why mixtapes can sometimes trump studio albums when it comes to quality. Two words...Sample...Clearance. Ask yourself, do you think @Oasis and Elton John would allow @mikeposner to sample their biggest hit for free out of the kindness of their heart? FOH! Course not!

So what's the best way to get around it? Make a free mixtape featuring a bunch of great artists and offer it for free on datpiff on a customized page with a countdown to hype it up. Today it will drop in it's entirety and it's an absolute beast as a whole. I can say that without hearing all of the tracks because I already really like four of the tracks. They're not only noteworthy samples of classic tracks featuring some of my favorite rappers (@bigkrit & @BunBTrillOG), but even more amazingly, they're produced by Mike Posner himself. To a layman, that may not mean much, but flipping two classic and trying to mold them into your own sound is not a small task.

Even better, Mike understands the value of making great music to increase his buzz. How did the tracks leak prior to the release of the mixtape? See below, it's simple...

Suffice to say he's making a lot of good music of late and making my job as a blogger easy as hell. There's no telling when Posner's sophomore album Sky High will drop, but if it's half as awesome as his newest mixtape, it'll be pretty epic. After one lap around The Layover, I see no reason why it can't be in the discussion for best mixtape of the year. To put it simple, Sample Justice was served in both instances below, no hatin' over here, he did that...#BunBVoice

Mike Posner feat Bun-B - Rocketman (prod by Mike Posner)

|Download Mixtape

Mike Posner feat Big K.R.I.T. - Wonderwall (prod by Mike Posner)

|Download Mixtape

808 Check: Chip Tha Ripper feat. Chuck Inglish, Dom Kennedy, Big Sean, Boldy James & Asher Roth - Fat Raps (Remix)

Even though the remix is relatively fresh, having been on the shelf for about two weeks now, the original was first leaked back in November 2009. The original version was seen off @chip216's mixtape Finally Famous Vol 3, hosted by @doncannon. Really all you need to know is that Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids produced the beat...and from that you can assume that the bass on the track sounds like two silverback gorrilas are having a domestic dispute in your trunk. I'm not even 1/4 joking when I say I felt like Ray Lewis hit me after listening to this track with the subs turned up a bit in the car. Wait a sec, Dustin Keller knows how I feel...

Two words...JACKED UP! I probably woulda ran outta bounds short of the first down on the last play of the game too if I knew @raylewis52com was in the same zip code.

I digress...but this remix does not regress one bit with three of the more underrated talents in the game @asherroth, @big_sean and @dopeitsdom adding verses to an already heaaavy track. The version below is going to a track off Chip's upcoming debut album Gift Raps, which will be entirely produced by @chuckisdope...#GetExcited + #StayTuned

Give it a listen, but be careful, the neighbors are gonna be piiiiissseeedd when you turn the volume up on it...

Chip Tha Ripper feat. Chuck Inglish, Dom Kennedy, Big Sean, Boldy James & Asher Roth - Fat Raps (Remix)
|Download

New Artist Spotlight: Dom Kennedy

Repping the streets of LA since he started rapping when he was 12, Dom Kennedy is starting to gain notoriety outside of the West Coast for the first time with his recent release of his Future Street/Drug Sounds mixtape. With the help of the Los Angeles Leakers, he's been able to make a name for himself on the Left Coast with mixtapes and such. I consider him sort of the 6th man on the Starting Five that is The Cool Kids x Pac Div.

 He first came across my radar when Rich Boy and Slim Thug hopped on a remix to the first track of the mixtape, Hard Work, which was also produced by Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids. Being a fan of everything that is Cool Kids and all of the unique, heavy bass laden beats produced by Chuck Inglish, it took one play on some decent speakers for me to get hooked to this one. Chuck's style of sampling a lyric on the track and scratching it into the hook (a la Black Mags) comes off so fresh, but old school sounding it's hard not like. Here are the original version of Hard Work and the remix with guest spots...

Dom Kennedy - Hard Work (prod by Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids) Hott!!!


Dom Kennedy feat Rich Boy Slim Thug & Don Cannon - Hard Work (remix)(prod by Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids) Hott remix!!


If I were to describe his style I would liken it to the slower, measured pace of a Slim Thug, but with the laid back West Coast swag of a Too Short. I use those two artists as reference points, not saying he is or ever will become as big as either artist, but he's got a nonchalance about his flow that is unique. You don't hear of many up and coming West Coast Hip Hop artists these days, so it's good to hear a new artist like Dom making a splash and providing a heartbeat to the Coast that birthed so many legendary artists.

Two other tracks that caught my attention from Dom are off his 25th Hour mixtape released in 2008. There's something real catchy about his hook on his Watermelon Sundae that caught my ear.

"Life ain't sweet, Saturday through Monday, but in the summertime you're my Watermelon Sundae"

The slow back and forth clap of the beat provides an adequate backdrop for the creative and subtly sweet lyrics. Here's a video of Dom performing it live followed by the download link below it:



Dom Kennedy - Watermelon Sundae Great Track!!!


Final track is a sample off Notorious B.I.G.'s Big Poppa beat. Hard to hate on any artist using this beat, it shines on it's own. Give it a listen and look out for more Dom coming your way in '10.

Dom Kennedy - Notorious D O M Biggie!!!