Posted by Frank Wu

Listen: MadGibbs (Freddie Gibbs & Madlib) – “Thuggin'”

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib release their collaborative debut today with Thuggin’. The 6-track EP was originally announced and distributed at a recent Madlib show, immediately selling out 500 copies. Despite being over six months in the making, Thuggin’ has been a well-kept secret. The blogosphere was suddenly hit with a release date yesterday, finding out that the wait for a MadGibbs release would be short-lived. This sparked a craze within both artists’ cult-like followings, and for good reason. This EP is straight fire, pairing Freddie Gibbs’ intricate drug tales with Madlib’s trademark hypnotic loops. This is arguably the best work Madlib has done since 2004’s Madvillainy with MF DOOM, and Freddie Gibbs does the producer justice. Hear the excellent title track below, and purchase your copy in either vinyl or digital format here.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Thuggin’ by Rappcats

Listen: A-10 & Young Brew – “Let You Know (Prod. By Keyyz McFlyy)”

Talent isn’t something that is defined by age. That’s something youngsters Odd Future have made clear in the past year, with the extremely talented, 17-year-old Earl Sweatshirt dropping nicer lines than rappers double his age. Today, I have a new track from the 16-year-old A-10, who hails from Durham, North Carolina. With his team, A-10 has been drawing attention for his clean flow and chilled-out sound, personally reminding me of a blend between Curren$y and Chip Tha Ripper. His upcoming mixtape is entitled The Cold and will be out at the end of this month. Check out “Let You Know” with Young Brew below.

‘Bon Iver, Bon Iver’ Gets Digital Re-Release

Bon Iver‘s critically acclaimed self-titled LP will be getting the re-release treatment on November 29th. The 10 track album will be released digitally on iTunes via Jagjaguwar and does not actually include any new songs. The caveat is that the re-release includes 10 short films, one for each of the album’s tracks. From the press release:

“Comprised of individual visual works that both complement and enrich the audio on the album, the video accompaniment was in itself another year in the making. Featuring work by Dan Huiting, Isaac Gale, David Jensen, JoLynn Garnes and Justin Vernon, the video work is meant to be consumed as a visual extension of the music, to enhance each listener’s experience with one of the year’s most acclaimed albums. While not music videos per se, these visual accompaniments are striking in their distinctive atmosphere, and compelling works in their own right.”

After the break, you can check out a 47 second long trailer. Powerful and deeply moving imagery combined with ethereal music from Justin Vernon and co. – what more do you want?

Drake – “The Calm…The Resistance…The Ride.”

Back in May of this year, Drake kicked off the hype train for his newest album when he cryptically tweeted to his followers, “The Calm…The Resistance…The Ride.” Many assumed that he was planning on releasing a brand new single called “The Ride” that would follow in the footsteps of the deeply introspective and emotional songs “The Calm” and “The Resistance”. Rumors arose everywhere but ultimately, the song didn’t make its official appearance until the release of Drizzy’s sophomore album, Take Care, hit stores today.

Today, finally, we can listen to the three tracks together. From the lyrical content, it’s easy to see how much Drake’s career and lifestyle has progressed over the years. Each song features Drake venting about the problems he was dealing with in his life, all at different points in his career. You can read my interpretations of each of the the three individual tracks after the break.

MP3: Drake – “The Calm…The Resistance…The Ride.”

“The Calm”

From: So Far Gone (2009)
Produced by Noah “40” Shebib

The song that started it all, “The Calm” was recorded by Drake on a night when he simply needed to vent about the stress that surrounded him and his budding recording career. Early in the song, Drake questions, “Please leave me alone / Drunk off champagne, screaming in the phone / See my house is not a home, fuck is going on? / Where did we go wrong, where do we belong?” Despite all the chaos and struggle that surrounded his personal life, Drake knew that his music would carry him through it in the end. It’s a hard life, but one he has to deal with: “I’m just in my zone, I call this shit the calm / Yeah, but I’m the furthest thing from calm.”

“The Resistance”

From Thank Me Later (2010)
Produced by Noah “40” Shebib

Unlike with “The Calm”, Drake’s career has already taken off and he’s now being inundated by his newfound fame. Directed towards his haters and his old friends, Drake argues that he’ll take advantage of all the fame he receives with his music career. On the smooth R&B hook, Drizzy sings, “What am I afraid of? / This is supposed to be what dreams are made of / But people I don’t have the time to hang with / Always look at me and say the same shit / They say you promised me you would never change.” Tough luck, guys, but Drake’s not going anywhere.

“The Ride (feat. The Weeknd)”

From Take Care (2011)
Produced by Doc McKinney & The Weeknd

The first of the three songs to feature guest vocals from another artist, the third song of the series has a similar angst-filled vibe and is actually Drake’s favorite song off of Take Care. He opens by boldly declaring, “I hate when people say they feel me, man. I hate that shit.” Drake then goes on to explain this idea throughout the song, describing his past and present life and elaborating on how no one can truly relate to him unless they’ve lived his life and been in his shoes. As he says at the end of the first verse, “It’s feeling like you own every place you choose to be at now / Walking through airport security with your hat down / Instead of getting a pat down, they just keep on / Saying that they feel you, nigga.” That’s certainly an experience that doesn’t happen to everyone.

Listen: Chiddy Bang – “Ray Charles”

“The song actually started out as a joke when my brother, Cheeseburger Don, got so high he fell asleep in the studio with his sunglasses on. I looked over and he reminded me of Ray Charles, probably because I was high, too. I started freestyling about him and we laid it down right there.” That’s what Chidera Anamege, the emcee half of Chiddy Bang had to say about their new single, “Ray Charles”. The song is taken from Chiddy and Xaph’s long-awaited debut LP, Breakfast, out February 28, 2012. Check it out below.

[Rolling Stone]