African-Dancehall Fusion

Just a quick beat me and my dude Mack Ginniez put together last night. A little exotic, not the usual, but kinda mellow.

"African Stoner Riddim" - Prod. By StackBeats Feat. Mack Ginniez


As always, feel free to drop a comment. Peace.

Elaine Brown - Nina Simone Inspirations

Last semester I composed these two tracks for a creative project in an African-American Studies course. The first, "Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" was inspired by ex-Black Panther and soul singer Elaine Brown's book The Condemnation of Little B. Chronicling the struggle of African-Americans in modern America, Little B evoked in me despair and frustration of which I transformed into this neo-Gothic, RZA/Wu-Tang-esque beat. Using samples from Elaine Brown's original recording "All The Young And Fine Men," this is what I created.


"Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" - Prod. by StackBeats



The next track, "Year of the Boomerang (Revolutionary Suicide Remix)," I created as a complement to the first. This time I was inspired by the philosophical, emotional integrity in both Huey Newton's Revolutionary Suicide as well George Jackson's two writings Soledad Brother and Blood in my Eye. Unlike the bleakness of the first track, I used this second track as my interpretation and celebration of these two men, and their collborators', lives. Drawing its title from a statement by the brilliant Frantz Fanon, this track brings the despair of "Super Predator (Elaine Brown Remix)" full circle, confronting the future with optimism. The samples for this track are taken from Nina Simone's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," a song played at George Jackson's funeral.


"Year of the Boomerang (Revolutionary Suicide Remix) - Prod. by StackBeats



In tandem, these two tracks are musically representative of the philosophies embodied by Huey Newton and George Jackson and their ultimate sacrifices.

January Shoe Fix

OK, so my TUF Black Supra Vaiders are getting a bit worn. They're still my go-to sneak for all occasions, but Supra released the Bandit as part of its spring 2010 collection.





























Similar in style to some models by Clae, the Bandit is at the top of my spring wishlist. Clean, bold, with a hint of streetwise style Supra is popular for. Keep the colorways coming Supra.

A Tribute to the MPC

Without a doubt, the MPC revolutionized hip-hop beatmaking. I stumbled across this video a few weeks back, courtesy of Dipset's araabMUZIK. This dude's fingers combined with the MPC's unmatched tactile workflow provide for one of the dopest original beats I've heard in a while, a la anything Dipset .




While I don't have an MPC in my arsenal, once the cashflow is good, I'll be getting my hands on one of these. And last but not least...a little throwback tribute to one of the greats, DJ Premier: the MPC virtuoso. One of my all time favorite beats. Plus Nas kills it.



One Love.

Trippy Eye Candy

It's been a while since I've come across anything this visually captivating. These two videos, one from Grizzly Bear, the other from Chairlift, took visual concepts to new levels. Not only are both songs incredibly original, but the videos follow suit. Enjoy!




And...




Beautiful and haunting.

Chirpin' These Fools

Now that I've got all the audio issues figured out, here's another 100% original beat from a few weeks back. As always, comments/opinions are appreciated.

"Chirpin' These Fools" - Prod. by StackBeats

Ain't Nobody

Here's a track I put together a few weeks back, created using samples from Chaka Khan's "Ain't Nobody". I was going for a little '80s throwback, cocaine pop beat, so please let me know what you think. Also, if anyone wants to collab I'm more than willing to make that happen.

"Ain't Nobody" - Prod. by StackBeats



And props of course to my boy Jay for showing me the original track. Family Reunion 2010.

Help Haiti

It goes without saying that Haiti in its current state needs as much help as possible. UNDRCRWN, like many others, has released this tee to raise money for Yele Haiti. Fresh tee for a cause.



















Do what you can to help. Prayers to Haiti.

Welcome

I'm gonna save the intro and get straight to what matters: the music. I'll let these jams speak for themselves, tell you a little bit about me and what I do.

First off, U-N-I are doing big things, in the same vein as Kidz in the Hall, keeping hip-hop energetic and original. Props for individuality.



Next, Chip killed it on The Cleveland Show. If you haven't yet, definitely download his mixtapes; the dude's delivery is on point.



And of course Raekwon's gotta make the cut. Cuban Linx Pt. II was deep. The Wu man has truly mastered the art of storytelling.



Just a taste, more to come including originals. Stay tuned.