4-IZE's "Rollin' Like a Gee" Hits CMJ's Chart at #26
Atlanta, GA - "......My mouth magical" claims rapper 4-IZE on his recent street collabo with Gucci Mane, Spectacular Vernacular, AllHipHop.com's June 21st Heater of the Day, and he ain't lying. Some may find this collaboration surprising but the two have known each for years, both having recorded frequently at Atlanta's Upstairs Studio. Produced by 4-IZE's engineer, Morgan "The Mexican" Garcia, the song offers 'spectacular' wordplay from both, and not a 'burr' in it.
4-IZE's wordplay is hitting it big with the college radio audience too this week with his B-side single, Rollin' Like a Gee, hitting CMJ's chart at #26, making it third most added.
New Day, the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League-produced lead single from 4-IZE's upcoming album, AwesoMania, is also off to a great start having officially hit mixshow this week and garnering 1,200 spins a week on the internet. A true summer anthem, expect to hear alot of this one on your local station.
Last, but certainly now least, 4-IZE also recently launched his state-of-the-art new website, designed by the fabulous team at KYRO INK, whose work is frequently sought after by the majors. The site, http://www.4ize.com , features the incredibly outlandish graphics fans have come to expect from him via his album covers and is constantly updated via a spanky web crawler that automatically scans the web for all things video/audio related to 4-IZE and posts it. As 4-IZE himself would put it, now that's JESUS!
Earlier this spring i got asked to participate in hosting my first ever mixtape... but the even doper thing was the fact it was an ALL INSTRUMENTAL mixtape! Now after some work recruiting producers, compiling songs & sequencing the final track list, my peoples at The Find Magazine proudly present "The Find Rewind" featuring exclusive instros from a plethora of producers including: Kev Brown, Dela, Headnodic (of Crown City Rockers), Kero One from Japan AND many MANY more beatmakers including yours truly!
Now, as you can see from the visual above, this is literally a mix-TAPE... like as in a cassette aka those often hissy, analog rectangular-things we used to play till they popped in our Walkmans or boomboxes! Unfortunately, the guys at The Find only pressed 100 copies of the tape up which were gone within the first week... earlier this month :( I wished i had blogged about this in a more timelier fashion (i'll blame that on my move), however, the good news is that i plan on airing the WHOLE unedited mix as the feature in the July episode of Subsoniq "Instru-mentals", so stay tuned...
MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD SET TO RELEASE THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE ON AUGUST 24TH
Michael Franti & Spearhead return with their much anticipated album, THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE, on August 24th through Capitol Records/Boo Boo Wax. The album’s first singles are already gaining momentum at radio with “Shake It” hitting the Top 40 and Hot AC radio formats, and the album’s title track, “The Sound of Sunshine,” currently at #2 on the AAA charts after only five weeks at radio. THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE is Michael Franti & Spearhead’s seventh studio album and the follow-up to 2008’s Top 40 hit All Rebel Rockers. For a sneak peek at the THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE album cover, head to www.michaelfranti.com .
THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE was conceived after Franti was hospitalized for a ruptured appendix in August 2009. “Music is sunshine. It gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose. You can’t hold it in your hands, smell it, taste it or even see it, yet somehow just coming together and feeling these little vibrations that tickle our eardrums can somehow lift us all up out of our most difficult moments in life to unimaginable heights,” says Franti.
Franti and Spearhead have no doubt succeeded in creating perhaps what is their most cohesive, romantic and life-affirming album to date. THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE opens with the album’s title track – a breezy sing-a-long that seeks to “bottle that experience of waking up in the morning, pulling the blinds and seeing that there’s a sunny day in front of us,” explains Franti. It is this optimistic energy that flows throughout the record’s eleven songs from the happy groove of “Shake It” to the joyously anthemic “I’ll Be Waiting.”
The band began recording in Jamaica with legendary producers Sly and Robbie (Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, No Doubt) as well as in Franti’s home in Bali and hometown of San Francisco. With the record still not complete, Franti decided to bring a mobile studio on the road with him while he toured with John Mayer this past winter. The album was finished in dressing rooms and hotel rooms along the way with Franti playing songs he had recorded earlier in the day to the audience that evening. THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE continues to showcase Franti’s desire to communicate directly with his fans.
Michael Franti is the creator and lead singer of Michael Franti & Spearhead. For over two decades, the Bay Area born Franti has been bringing our world exceptionally powerful, deeply felt music. Franti first formed the punk band The Beatnigs while studying at the University of San Francisco, and later the far more hip hop-inflected The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. In the mid-Nineties, Franti created Spearhead, and increasingly in recent years, he’s found his own voice musically and his own organic brand of popular success. Franti’s impressive series of recordings have vividly reflected his status as a musical citizen of the world.
Franti & Spearhead will be touring throughout the summer. For tour dates, ticket information, official Michael Franti news and to check out the latest v-blogs on FrantiV, go to www.michaelfranti.com .
Tour Dates
June
Sat 26 Taos, NM Taos Solar Music Festival
July
Sat 3 Sioux City, IA Bandshell Grandview Park Sun 4 Louisville, KY Waterfront Park Thu 15 Jacksonville, OR Britt Festival Fri 16 Berkeley, CA Greek Theater Sun 18 Alta, WY Targhee Fest Thu 22 Edmonton, AB Windspear Fri 23 Calgary, ALB Calgary Folk Festival Sat 24 Vancouver, BC The Vogue Theater Sun 25 Corning, CA Mystic Garden Party Tue 27 Salt Lake City, UT Deer Valley Thu 29 Aspen, CO Belly Up Fri 30 Aspen, CO Belly Up Sat 31 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Ampitheater
August
Sun 1 Durango, CO Animis Cliffs Wed 4 Reno, NV Knitting Factory Concert Hs Thu 5 Bend, OR Les Schwab Ampitheater Fri 6 Eugene,OR Cuthbert Amphitheatre Sat 7 Redmond, WA Marymoor Amphitheatre Tue 10 Eagle, ID Eagle River Pavilion Wed 11 Missoula, MT The Wilma Theater Thu 12 Missoula, MT The Wilma Theater Fri 13 Sandpoint, ID Festival At Sandpoint Sat 14 Billings, MT Magic City Blues Festival Sat 21 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay/The Beach SOS Festival Thu 26 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle Fri 27 Live Oak, FL Blackwater Sol Revue/Spirit of the Suwanee Sat 28 Myrtle Beach, SC House Of Blues Sun 29 Richmond, VA The National Tue 31 Charlotte, NC The Neighborhood
September
Thu 2 Tampa, FL to Grand Cayman ZAC BROWN CRUISE - Sep 2–Sep 6 Sun 19 Laytonville, CA Earthdance: United Beats of Peace Festival
PHAROAHE MONCH, BOOT CAMP CLIK Featuring SEAN PRICE, BUCKSHOT, SMIF N WESSUN, and many more
On July 13th, Duck Down Music is celebrating a 15 Year Anniversary in NYC with the release of a commemorative album entitled 15 Years of Duck Down Music. The custom sleeve (shape of the Duck Down Running Man Logo) will contain an 18 track disc with the top song from each year dating back to 1995, chosen by the Duck Down fan base. There are bonus tracks from 1993 and 1994 (Black Moon 'Who Got The Props,' and Smif N Wessun 'Sound Bwoy Buriel,' along with a new song for 2010 called "Better Than You" with Sean Price, Buckshot, Skyzoo & Promise, produced by Double-O of Kidz In The Hall).
On the evening of July 13th, a New York City Album Release Show for ALL AGES is scheduled at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill featuring performances by:
Boot camp Clik featuring: Sean Price, Buckshot, Smif N Wessun, Heltah Skeltah
Pharoahe Monch
Kidz In The Hall
Skyzoo
Marco Polo & Torae
Music by DJ Evil Dee
Hosted by Angela Yee & Amanda Diva
First 50 Guests inside receive a limited-edition Rocksmith x Duck Down 15 Year Anniversary T-Shirt!
From 6PM to 8PM a HOT 97 MC Battle will take place featuring 8 finalists and 4 rounds of exciting battle performance.
Special Invited Guests will be heavily in attendance!
J. Keys Interview on Atlanta's 89.3 WRFG "Beats & Lyrics Show"
J. Keys speaks with Atlanta DJ Jay Force about the state of Hip-Hop, his official single "The One Two," the recent release of his mixtape "The Dead Horse," his Detroit/New York connection and more on 89.3 WRFG's "The Beats and Lyrics Show."
J. Keys Interview on Atlanta's 89.3 WRFG "Beats and Lyrics Show" with Jay Force
T-Pain's Web Series Russian Roulette - Road 2 RevolveR Ep. 6 & 6.5
The Road to RevolveR leads us to the WIN WIN WIN-dy city as T-Pain and the Nappy Boy fam roll into Chi-town for another adventure in episode 6. Pain gives his 10 year plan, discusses his craziest story from the road, gives most of his nicknames, we introduce the world to "HEYYYY JOEEE" and more. In addition we have a special episode #6.5 w/ Nappy Boy artists & Chi Town's finest One Chance. We debut the new One Chance song "Juke" which can be found for free download at http://onechance.bandcamp.com/
“Johnny Spanish’s music continues to creep its way onto the iPods of listeners looking for the next big thing. His latest project The Lip is going to make a serious play for slept-on status of 2010. The full-length LP offers 14 tracks that showcase the Louisville slugger’s consistency and versatility and “My Way” may be one of the shining moments, showcasing Spanish’s tongue-twisting lyrics and vocal command of both rhythm and melody.
Vinnie Paz Drops Solo LP "Season of the Assassin" This Week
Vinnie Paz has had a career spanning almost two decades, co-founding the legendary Jedi Mind Tricks as well as East Coast indie supergroup Army of the Pharaohs, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. This week, the underground MC has ventured out on his own with his solo debut, Season of the Assassin, out now via Enemy Soil. Hip Hop DX calls Season of the Assassin, “an exciting break from the usual JMT formula, with Paz hitting his stride as a lyricist and showing a different and more fully-rounded side to his craft.”
The album features a virtual who's who of artists and producers, including Beanie Sigel, Clipse, Freeway, Paul Wall, ILL Bill, and R.A. the Rugged Man. Vinnie unleashed the first video, “Keep Movin’ On” featuring Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), on his official website last week. Check it out below.
Aug 21 – NOS Events Center, San Bernardino, CA Aug 22 – Shoreline Amphitheatre, San Francisco, CA Aug 28 – Governor’s Island, New York, NY Aug 29 – Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC
Vinnie Paz In-Store Dates
Wednesday June 23rd - Fat Beats NYC store - New York, NY @ 7pm Thursday June 24th - Newbury Comics Newbury St. - Boston, MA @ 7pm
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Sam Hanna Strikes Back.
