It's been a log 5 years since their last release and while Near To The Wild Heart Of Life has lost some of the rough charm their previous albums had, it's still a great listen that embodies the very essence of Rock and Roll.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Chance the Rapper, Lady Gaga, Danny Brown, Katy Perry, Depeche Mode, and many more.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Missy Elliott, Sampha, Rick Ross, Ryan Adams, and more.
We are happy to announce that our friend and frequent collaborator, Axcess is finally dropping his long worked on project, Rebel Against Society. We think it really shows a lot of his growth as an artist and it's some of his best stuff to date as he raps about life, our society, and trying to create change. Give it a listen and download a copy for yourselves!
The Easy Truth is hip-hop in it's purest form with Apollo Brown taking us through a master class of producing and sampling, and Skyzoo taking each track through a lyrical exercise. It's a beautiful, refreshing album that shows exactly why Apollo Brown is one of my all-time favorites.
Her EP gave us a great look at the type of smooth, sultry music that SiR will bring to the table for TDE and it bodes well for the future. He already has such a strong grasp on his artistry and I can't wait to hear what he puts out next.
Rennen was such a unique listening experience that produced an interesting dichotomy between the modern synths/beats and the melancholy vocals. It's a mesmerizing album that showed SOHN to be a world class producer.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from David Bowie, The Weeknd, Sean Paul, Cole King, Syd, Young M.A, and more.
My expectations for Run the Jewels 3 were sky high after their first two projects and they delivered in every way possible. It's new age riot music that'll push any system to it's limits and they attack songs with such rage and ferocity that you have no choice but to pay attention. This has cemented them as one of the greatest duos to ever do it and this could easily go down as their magnum opus.
The New Toronto 2 and Chixtape 4 are the exact follow ups I was looking for. He's a legit dual threat and he does it better than most others out there. I'm convinced; Tory Lanez is the real deal.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Big Sean, Jhenè Aiko, Migos, NxWorries, AFI, and more.
Blue & Lonesome is a passion project for the legendary and it shows. They don't subvert the songs they cover and stick to the traditions of blues rock but they sound so good together and Jagger's voice sounds so at home, that it leaves you wondering what took so long.
Big Sean may not get the full respect he deserves from people, myself included, but he has proved yet again that he's one of hip-hop's most solid, consistent artists out there today. While I Decided. is more of a half-step forward for Sean than a giant leap ahead, it shows why it's time he gets mentioned among hip-hop's elite.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from Wale, Ty Dolla $ign, Ab-Soul, Maggie Rogers, Raekwon, and so many more.
Friend of LLF and frequent collaborator, Axcess just released his very dope latest project Rebel Against Society, and to celebrate it's release he put on quite the show at the Reverb Lounge in Omaha, Nebraska. The whole affair was hosted by Doc Beatbox with DJ K-Dub on the boards, and featured guest appearances from Trevor Scott, Houdini, Meraki Skies, Greco, and K3rtis Montano. And we've got some great shots from the night.
We kick off the first volume of Compilation 2 of our Musicphiles podcast by taking a quick look back at some of our favorite projects to drop in 2016 and giving our overall rating for the year. Then we list our top 10 most anticipated albums of 2017 from artists like Andre 3000, Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, Japandroids, Drake, Kanye West, and many more. We finish things off with a discussion about the latest release from Run the Jewels, Tory Lanez, and others.
Flytrap was an unexpectedly dope album for me; fusing traditional East hip-hop with modern Southern influences to create some of the best modern East coast hip-hop I've heard in a while. Pro Era just might have their next breakout artist.
Process is the long awaited debut of music's hidden 'it' man and it delivers in every way imaginable. The production is a fantastic blend of R&B, pop, and electronic that kept me engaged throughout. While his unique voice and deft lyricism showed the special kind of talent he is. Amazing debut.
Check out some of this weeks most talked about and interesting music videos from BANKS, Gorillaz, Future, 2 Chainz, Arcade Fire, and much more.
Axcess is an up and coming rapper out of the midwest and he sits down to talk with us about juggling teaching, coaching, and music; whether he'd take a state championship or a sold out concert, and bringing positivity to hip-hop through his music. He also discusses the current state of hip-hop, his influences growing up, and his upcoming mixtape, Rebel Against Society.
December 99th will undoubtedly infuriate some of his die hard fans, as there's few remnants of what used to be Mos Def. However, as an experimental album there are some very interesting pieces in here that are worth a listen to.
Filthy America is the LOX's first album in over 15 years, and it sounds like it. They haven't lost a beat with their lyricism, and they still do street raps better than most, but their production did not age nearly as gracefully. The worst part of it all though is that this wouldn't have even been a good album back in their prime. I'm still left pondering about what could've been.
Much to the ire of "old heads", 2016 was undeniably the rise of "mumble" rap, as more and more artists with little to no actual lyrical ability began to gain significant stature in the culture. But is this a sign of a new, less skilled direction for hip-hop? Or is it just a normal cycle that all genres of music go through?
Passion, Pain, & Demon Slayin' is a very welcome return to form for Kid Cudi. It's full of all those big spacey synths, infectious bounces, atmospheric vibes, and irresistible melodies we've come to expect, while still managing to sound fresh and new. He's come to reclaim his throne as the vibe King.