[MP3] Elaquent – The Midnight After (FULL album stream)

You’ve heard Persona already. Now check out Elaquent‘s also excellent brand new (?) album, The Midnight After. And, as mentioned earlier today, Elaquent will be at the Beat Lounge TONIGHT!

“You already know. Anybody who has checked out my 2009 release After Midnight should already understand the vibe i was going for. If you haven’t heard After Midnight, then allow me to elaborate. Midnight soul shit. Certain sounds resonate more after dark, than before dark. something about the night skies, the moon, the crickets. jazzy, smooth, vibin’ type music. As i always say, perfect is boring. Tracks are a bit lo fi and sloppy. but so is life. Take your jacket off, stay for a while. Grab your Rye and Coke. I tried to create an atmosphere that will set the mood right. Studying. Drinking. Smoking. Romance. Just do me a favor and play it at night. Shoutouts to Marv Won, Mr Brady, O-Phrap, Es, Solar-C, and Phillipe Edison for helping me realize the vision. Highest praises to the whole HW&W team. Ok. Less reading, more vibing. Enjoy.” – sona (eq)

[via Paul]

[Video] Melanie Fiona – Ironic (Alanis Morissette cover) Live in San Francisco

At 1015 Folsom on the BET Music Matters Tour with Marsha Ambrosius. Video clip also includes Ms. Fiona singing her hit, “Give it to Me Right”.

[via YK2 Daily]

[Event] TONIGHT in Toronto: The 2 Year Anniversary Celebration of the Monthly Beat Lounge Showcase

This post is stickied to the top of the site until tomorrow (April 1).

Featuring recent Kitchen faves, Relic the Oddity and Elaquent (aka eQ), this is a must-check for those of you in the GTA/T.dot area who are free tonight….

IT’S THE UNKOFFICIAL (sic) 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF BEAT LOUNGE MONTHLY HIP-HOP PRODUCER COMMUNITY AND SHOWCASES! (ok, we’ll stop yelling now)

The BEAT LOUNGE UNKOFFICIAL (sic) 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
(28th edition)
Thursday March 31st, 2011
The Rivoli (back room)
332 Queen Street W
Toronto, ON
STRICTLY $5 admission BEFORE 10:30PM
NO GUEST LIST
?? after ??
Doors @9:30PM
Show @11:00PM
Sponsored by MOOG Audio

Since it’s inception in November of 2008, BEAT LOUNGE has grown to become a brute force in the realm of local hip-hop events and occurrences (local to Toronto & GTA). Our 1 year anniversary was on January 21st 2010, and now it’s our 2 year anniversary. Wait a minute…

It is what it is, somewhere around this time of year we became a year wiser. It’s round #28 and we’ve become stronger, badder and funkier than ever before. Thanks to a firm community of supporters and loyal troops, we’re still rocking it…

I think they keep deliberately misspelling UNOFFICIAL because the Unknown Funk Hero is one of the driving forces behind this long-running Toronto beat-makers event series.

CLICK HERE to learn more about tonight’s 2 Year Anniversary Beat Lounge event at the Rivoli.

[Video] 1 to 4 (a hip-hop documentary)

“The most important three hours for hip-hop in Toronto has always been Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. on CKLN 88.1 FM. It all began back in 1983 with The Fantastic Voyage, the first hip-hop radio shot to exist in Canada. The torch was passed to The Power Move Show, The Real Frequency then Mixtape Massacre, making this timeslot the longest-running source for hip-hop music in the country.

On Saturday, February 12, 2011, a monumental gathering took place when all four generations of radio shows came together for a single broadcast. The impact of this musical institution is captured in the short documentary, “1 to 4”.”

The above blurb really sums it up but let me just add: if you’re from Toronto and love hip-hop you should already know the significance of Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm. If you don’t though, watch this video immediately to get familiar! Props to director, Celine Wong on putting this excellent project together.

[via TRF]

[MP3] Kae Sun – Free

MP3 Stream (no download): Kae Sun- Free by Canadian Blast

Video is just an (also excellent) acoustic version of the track. Click play for the main version. I’ve posted on this dude before. Don’t sleep on him – he’s super dope!