Rap

Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, DMX

Joey Ripps – Son of 1,000 Pardons

As part of a Just Plain Soundcrew (highly talented progressive hip-hop group with a netlabel of the same name, and which blockSonic calls the most prolific and talented hip-hop squad in the US) Joey Ripps, hails from Richmond, Virginia and comes to us with one of his great new releases, Son of 1,000 Pardons. In a way I am more than grateful that I went across this album, not only because it led me to discover other amazing artists but because it brings with it some quality made, amazing sounds that I can listen to for hours at the time.

The Brainstormers: The Brainstormers EP

Looking up to such great groups as the Wu-tang Clan, Task Force and Jurassic 5 just to name a few, The Brainstormers have got big shoes to fill if they're up for it. However, the five man crew seems set in making a mark of their own in the rap scene. Produced by DUB MD Promotions and Praverb The Wyze, this is the first EP for the group and so far it's gaining good ground in the indie hiphop scene. The record showcases and highlights the crew and delights the listeners with several prominent guests. Something you'll hardly see in a debut EP. If you're into underground hiphop, then feel free to check out this record.

BNegão & Seletores de Freqüência

BNegão & Seletores de Freqüência come from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a mix of Hip-Hop, Regge, Dub, Jazz, Samba, Soul, Rock, Dance, Metal, Baile Funk and as a description on the artists’ myspace page reads their music is often characterized as explosive. In fact ‘explosive’ is just what I though when I first listened to their album Enxugando Gelo (‘Drying Ice’).

IntraHeath International remix of Youssou N’Dour’s “Wake Up”

Some time ago Intrahealth International released a special remix in honor of World Malaria Day. The project was put together by rapper Mopreme Shakur, brother of the late Tupac, and soon included ten tracks all being a remix of Youssou N'Dour's song "Wake up - It's Africa Calling". The purpose of the project was to address the most critical health issues in Africa by bringing greater awareness of and support for open source training/development for health workers across the continent.

The Nu Revolution Camp: Super Hero Theme Music Vol 1

What do you get when four of the best indie/underground artists form a crew and release a mix? Well, you get an indie hiphop supergroup. The Nu Revolution Camp, headed by FrostClick resident, Wordsmith, along with Kontact, Black Knight and White Folkz take underground hip hop to an entirely new level. Super Hero Theme Music Vol 1 is the first of several mixes from this talented crew. Just like superhero's, they breeze through rhymes like Superman sees through lead and drop beats like Batman knows Gotham City. It's definitely a fun album worth checking out. It's all about cool beats, amazingly tight words and definitely plenty of fun.

DK (Wayne Watts): 20 Something

Hip hop recording artist, DK aka Wayne Watts debuts his latest release, 20 Something. The album combines positive rap lyrics with great beats and a catchy hip hop vibe. The artist has collaborated with several prominent artists, both in the hip hop scene and outside. He has also recently opened for The All American Rejects. The artist has released several albums and mixes under his belt ever since he started out. Among his initial efforts, he released a full length album, That's My Boy (between 2003 to 2007.) He has also released other compilations like Tha Firelane Project (EP), his mixtape, While You Were Sleeping and this free digital download, 20 Something. This compilation is the most recent one Watts has to offer and it's definitely a solid collection of beats worth checking out.