[Mixtape] Thundercat – Shenanigans Pt. 1 (Mixed by Flying Lotus)

Since I’ve been down in the US the past couple weeks, I’ve had multiple… er, cats on both coasts getting in my ear about this dude Thundercat telling me I need to get at his music.

If you’re not knowing, he’s the bassist for Erykah Badu’s band and also worked with Flying Lotus on his Cosmogramma project. Thundercat makes left-of-center music that can I guess, can be loosely termed as progressive urban music that touches on electronic influences but is also deeply soulful and jazzy in feel. But instead of listening to me try to describe it (‘dancing about architecture….’??), listen to Shenanigans Pt. 1, mixed by Flying Lotus, his first (?) mixtape project highlighting some of his past work and acting as a prelude to his debut album The Golden Age of Apocalypse which drops Aug. 30th.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Then hit the jump for more music from Thundercat.

[spotted via Brainfeeder | player via The Well Versed]

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Listen to The Weeknd’s – Thursday Mixtape

The Weeknd – Thursday by The_Weeknd

Just spotted this on twitter. Haven’t had a chance to listen all the way through yet but excited to check it out.

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see the kid at his official debut gig at The Mod Club a few weeks back and have to say it was incredible. He’s the truth live, one of the few artists whose music actually sounds better performed live on stage than on record which was not something I expecting from his very very stylized brand of electronic soul, and amazingly for a city like Toronto which is known for jaded cynics/haters (it’s not called the screwface capital for nothing!), almost to a fault, everyone I talked to at the show agreed with that assessment. I know this is verging on musical blasphemy but there were moments during the show that were giving me Prince Purple Rain moments. With the right songs this could be that big, seriously. Let’s see if this new mixtape show any hint of that promise.

Download: The Weeknd – Thursday mixtape [hulkshare zip file]

[via]

Listen to: Mad Heat: The Native Mad Decent Block Party Mixtape!

Mad Heat: The Native Mad Decent Block Party Mixtape! by maddecent

Native shoes presents the official Mad Decent Block Party 2011 Mixtape featuring new tracks and remixes from some of this years most exciting acts!

Tracklist:
Gang Gang Dance – MindKilla (Lee Scratch Perry Remix)
Jillionaire – Go Dung (african talk edit)
DJ Tim Dolla- Trina Bytch (Dirty Vouge)
SPF 5000-White Hot Fantasy (DJ Sega remix)
Sinden & sbtrkt- Kind Of Familiar
Major Lazer – Jump Up (Thom Yorke Remix)
Bosco Delrey – Glow Go The Bones
Das Racist- You Can Sell Anything
Gym Class Hereos & Easy Does It- Stereo Hearts (Drunkmaster Flex Edit)
Dillon Francis & Diplo- Que Que feat. Maluca (Alvaro Remix)
Blaqstarr-Rider Girl (Nadastrom Moombathon Remix)
Po Po-Kill Tonight
The hood Internet- Slow John (Lil Wayne vs Com Truise)
Reptar-RainBounce
Kito & Reija Lee-This City (Asa & KOAN Sound Remix)
Zeds Dead – White Satin
Death Grips – Guillotine
Lunice – Hitmanes Anthem
Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y& Big Sean- O. T. T. R
Movado-Delilah (Diplo Remix)
Dawn Golden & Rosy Cross – Blacks
Girl Unit – WUT (Claude Von Stroke Remix)

Also, for you Angelenos out there: go check out the Los Angeles Native Pre-party Going down at Space 15 this Friday. CLICK HERE to RSVP.

Online: Native shoes | Mad Decent

[MP3/Video] Rich Kidd – Represent feat. King Reign, Shaun Boothe & Richie Sosa from The New North

From the homie, Arcee and the rest of The Real Frequency crew. Background for those not knowing:

“The Real Frequency crew first joined forces on radio, featuring up and coming local Toronto talent and eventually becoming the premier hip-hop show on Canada’s first urban radio station. Since, the collective has moved on to new, exciting endeavors with the center piece being their debut album, The New North, a project that continues the tradition the guys started on the airwaves, featuring over 30 artists that best represent Toronto’s new era of hip-hop. The other week saw the release of the album’s first single, Shad’s Frank Dukes-produced “Flawless,” and now, rapper/producer Rich Kidd is helming the album’s second single, “Represent,” bringing MC’s King Reign, Shaun Boothe, and Richie Sosa along as the four budding lyricists put on for their city.

In addition to laying a verse, Rich Kidd’s name appears again on the song’s credits, having also lent his production efforts, and it’s his beat – a mix of soulful string- and vocal-driven chops with a bouncing bass line and effected vocal sample on the hook – that drives the track forward, as the rappers show their hometown pride with lines like, “I can’t leave /so if I ever blow this where I’m shining.” “‘Represent’ is song where dudes from each end of our city get to lay down some fatal bars,” explains Rich Kidd. “It ain’t us trying to out rap each other; we’re all spitting our own styles, letting you know where we got it from.”

Stream the entire New North album below:

[via Audible Treats]

Kanye West and Jay-Z Open a Pop-Up Store for Watch the Throne in Soho, New York City

Amazingly,they didn’t at least shoot a proper preview/trailer for this pop-up store. In 2011: really??! Watch the ‘Otis’ video below though. I love it, personally. It actually makes me like the song more which, even though it’s kind of their ultimate purpose, is kind of rare for a video to achieve nowadays. At least for me, that is.

Related:

– ‘Watch the Profits’: Kanye and Jay-Z Open Pop-Up Shop in New York City [Time]

– Two Titans Share the Seat of Power. Jon Caramanica on Jay-Z & Kanye West’s Watch the Throne album. [NY Times]