Tragedy has teamed up with Tragic Allies (Purpose, Estee Nack and Code Nine) to form 7 G.E.M.S. The Golden Era Music Sciences album is out now through Ill Adrenaline Records with vinyl due next month.

Back in 2010 I received a recording of a TJ Swan demo recorded from Tim Westwood‘s show in 1988 titled “Mellow Love”, although someone claiming to be affiliated with Swan then contacted me and demand that I remove the track on the grounds that: “This was a practice session. Swan wrote and sang the song to get a feel for it”. He also claimed that a bunch of TJ Swan music was about to drop, but three years later we’re still waiting.

In the meantime, Rap Blog Godd noz recently blessed me with a few more cuts which may have been intended for Have No Fear Swan Is Here. or are simply more “practice sessions”. The first track, “Sensitive Love” features Swan flexing his microphone techniques and busting some rhymes, while “Love Is Blind” is more of an uptempo number on the Al. B Sure tip. Was Marley Marl involved with these tracks? Are they finished LP cuts or just demos? Sadly, there’s also no sign of the lost Big Daddy Kane/MC Shan cameos that I hoped for…

(more…)

New album cut from Hannibal Stax and Marco Polo‘s Seize The Day album, which dropped today and is an excellent example on Non-Progressive Rap done right. File under the ever-expanding Brooklyn Anthem category.

Posting this just because Havoc used a loop instead of those keyboard beats he was stuck on for a while, not to mention it fills the Hoody Rap quota for the month with the Raekwon and Styles P spots. Hav’s new solo LP, 13, is out tomorrow on Nature Sounds.

Milano just released the full version of “Global Warming”, a snippet of which appeared on his Hurt Locker mixtape from a few years back.

Holy fuck. R.A. just took Fast Rap to the next level.

Here’s some Rap Radio gold courtesy of my man’s Will C:

“Tragedy the Intelligent Hoodlum back to back with Craig G live on arguably the greatest rap radio show of all time. This is the Marley Marl In Control Rap Show on 107.5 WBLS from what appears to be April or May 1989. Seeing as Trag Invasion is one of my favorite songs off of Tragedy’s debut LP, it’s cool to hear him kicking those rhymes over Craig’s Take The Bait beat. Another lost slice of the good stuff!”

Some new vinyl at a decent price for a change…

Snippets taken from the new EP from Fla Fla of Sparrow the Movement, responsible for indie classics such as “Rhyme Impotence”, “Physics” etc. The Timeless EP is available on limited vinyl (150x clear red, 150x clear green) via Six2Six records. All songs produced and mixed by Debonair P. Vinyl can be ordered below for $22 plus postage.

(more…)

Here’s a track from Milano‘s next mixtape, Alpha Romeo, which is dropping in the near future. Also finally got to interview the man recently, so look-out for the interview here in the next couple of weeks.

From the limited-edition tape version of 12 Reasons To Die, which is available when you buy the LP or CD at a bricks and mortar spot.

Best song name ever? NORE and the Intelligent Hoodlum re-connect like Voltron. Bonus points for the Akinyele mention. Student of the Game drops next week.

Here’s a preview of the 12 Reasons To Die comic and another track from the album. There are a bunch of different limited-edition sets for the album, featuring all kind of RAERness over at Get On Down. Hopefully the Apollo Brown remix tape will be available separately in the future.

As Cappadonna joins the growing ranks of Wu-Tang members releasing sequel albums, he gives us the first track from The Pillage 2.

New Sadat X feature from Silent Someone’s new album, I Have Company.

New Zealand’s P-Money, who’s been down since the UN album, just leaked this cut with Roc Marciano. It’s a keeper.