[MP3] Kendrick Lamar – King Kunta

So apparently there’s been mixed response to this latest leak from Kendrick Lamar‘s just-announced To Pimp A Butterfly album. Between that and the lukewarm response to “i” I have a feeling the album is going to be an eclectic, experimental set like Common‘s Electric Circus that might go under-appreciated or be panned because it’s not GKMC 2.

I, on the other hand, think that Kendrick is in the vanguard of a new black music renaissance (cf. Yeezus, Black Messiah, LP1) that has hip-hop at its creative & artistic core, the same way blues has been for just about all forms of pop music up until this point, and as the basis for its attitude or point of view, but draws on other influences and elements too. Just a thesis I’ve been mulling around for a while now. Needs work for sure, I know….

[MP3] Kendrick Lamar – The Blacker The Berry (prod. by Boi-1da)

Fresh off his Grammy win for Best Rap Performance, Kendrick Lamar drops an absolute scorcher of a new track produced by Toronto’s Boi-1da. Also, check his cameo in the pre-roll to the new Red Band trailer for the forthcoming (in August) N.W.A biopic, Straight Outta Compton which looks amazing, BTW.

[MP3 + Music Video] Interview with Emerson Windy – Black America

Emerson Windy is a new West Coast producer/MC who recently dropped the very respectable Herojuana mixtape album. I featured a few tracks from the album a couple weeks back here on the site and he just premiered a new video for another track from the album, “Black America” on HipHopDX. Windy agreed to answer a few questions for The Kitchen about the video and his album so peep game:

DK: Emerson Windy: is that your real name? If not, what’s the inspiration behind the name?

Windy: No, Emerson Windy isn’t the name my mother gave me. Part of it is though, Emerson is my middle name and Windy came from the street I was primarily raised. I heard that’s how a lot of porn stars pick their names so I tried it and it worked. As Austin Powers would say, “Yeah, baby, yeah!”

DK: You have a pretty impressive resume for a producer that many people are probably still getting familiar with. Your grind is seriously on point, no doubt. Can you talk about how you’ve managed to work with the producers and artists you have on your one sheet bio?

Windy: I had to build personal relationships with either the artist or people inside their camps in order to work with most of them, this industry is all about the relationships you forge. For my latest project, Trendsetter Sense from The Academy played the largest role in connecting me with the producers and artist featured on Herojuana.

DK: Weed and hip-hop have gone together since the beginning. Most rappers take on the half baked/stoner persona (Wiz, Curren$y, Snoop, Cypress etc.) in their music or talk about marijuana as being their stress medicine to relieve the pressure of the street life. You come at it from the persona of being the ‘Weed Man.’ How much of that is rooted in your real life or real experiences?

Windy: All of that persona is real, I became the Weed Man in college when my mother told me I needed to get a job in the off-season when football ended. I went hammer until I had a little run with the boys in blue and a few FBI agents mixed so I took it easy in the streets after that than they made it legal so I got involved in the dispensary game. Nowadays my view of the plant is so much different, it’s not a drug, it’s a medicinal flower and I’m making it my mission to change the perception of my beloved marijuana industry. I applaud states like California, Colorado, Washington and others that have recognized the benefits as well.

DK: You’re from the west coast but for the most part, except for track a like “Watching Me,” your sound feels more influenced by Trap and maybe even Drill music than traditional west coast sounds. Can you talk about your influences and inspirations as an artist and producer?

Windy: This project definitely has Trap influences, I came up a Trapstar so that type of music speaks to me as well. I loved Jeezy coming up so when I was sent trap beats, I fucked wit’ ’em but as I release more music the fans will see that I dibble and dabble in damn near every genre I can with integrity. I appreciate music, all music that speaks to my soul. If I’m inspired, I’ll create. It’s that simple. Pigeon holes are the birds, Windy flies where inspiration takes him.

DK: You just released a video for the “Black America” track from Herojuana. I’ve been re-watching The Wire and just finished the fourth season centered abound the kids at Tilghman Middle and then there’s the Mike Brown tragedy in Ferguson so your timing seems especially good. Can you talk about the song, which is a pretty strong indictment of both what’s wrong in Black America and America in general, and the video?

Windy: When I wrote the record, Mike Brown was still alive and well (R.I.P.) so “Black America” wasn’t inspired by that tragedy. The failing education system in most American inner city’s is where I drew the words from. I realized that educators are drastically under paid and so often not given the tools necessary to make a difference with children that are bombarded with imagery of drugs, guns, robbery prostitution and murder to name a few. Some schools districts which are primarily located in urban areas are so bad that teachers are struggling just as much as a family on section 8 and the only tangible evidence of financial prosperity those children may see is the D-Boy or the rappers they listen to talking about the dope game. You didn’t see Blacks killing Blacks in these numbers in America before the dope game, we fought for our rights and preached education. We were together then. I want to see us together again….

DK: Thanks for your time and for offering to do this, Windy.

Windy: Thanks for supporting.

Follow Emerson Windy online: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[MP3] Listen to Two Recent Tracks Featuring Kendrick Lamar – Holy Ghost / Never Catch Me

First, “Holy Ghost” by Jeezy with Kendrick:

Then, “Never Catch Me” by LA experimentalist, Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick:

[MP3] Introducing New Artist: Emerson Windy – Herojuana (Mixtape Album)

Tale Of True Hustlerz Feat Raekwon & Lil Wayne:

Club Killa:

Come Get It Feat Pusha T:

Debut mixtape album by the other buzzing (meant in more ways than one) West Coast producer/artist not named DJ Mustard. Dude has worked with worked with Timbaland, Mike Will Made It, Mustard, !llmind, T-Minus and many others plus he’s got Lil Wayne, Raekwon, Birdman and Pusha T on his album so in case you ain’t get it: people f-cks with him. Question is: will you? If you dig these tracks, check out the complete Herojuana Mixtape Album right HERE.