Celebrated creative mind Alex Haldi has collaborated with some of music’s biggest stars including Jay-Z, Rihanna, Big Boi, Wu-Tang, Ludacris, J. Cole & LL Cool J, and is putting the finishing touches on his own solo art event May 12, 2011 in NYC at World Monuments Fund Gallery. Exploring the human fascination with organized crime, ‘The Glorification of Gangster’ showcases some of the key players and criminal lifestyles across the globe and many generations. The art at the show will consist of three elements: Fine art (including mixed media paintings on wood), Oversized Typography Murals, and Retro Pop-Art Illustrations. Portions of work sold will be going to charity.
A promotional mixtape is to be released in the next month which will include a series of original music, mash-up remixes, and classic covers by a number of different acts that are all linked thematically with ‘Crime’. The talent will vary across different musical genres (hip-hop, rap, rock, electronic, etc.), and includes music from artists like J. Cole, Kris Kasanova, Voli, Andrew Maury (Ra Ra Riot producer and RAC), Jon Connor, Elite, Ritz, Lyn Charles, Loyal Divide, Neitherfriends, and many more. The download will be free, with a link to donate money to our charity.
29-track mix from E.R.O.C., featuring Ghostface Killah, ILL BILL, J-Live, Homeboy Sandman, Joell Ortiz, Kool G Rap, Reks, R.A. The Rugged Man, AZ, AWKWORD and many more, with production from The White Shadow, Snowgoons, Kev Brown, Tiye Phoenix, Large Professor, Statik Selektah, Apollo Brown, Black Milk, Buckwild and FNTM!
(Scroll down for 'album' art, tracklist and direct-download link.)
Episode 63
21-track mix from E.R.O.C., featuring Sheek Louch, Termanology, Skyzoo, Rah Digga, Redman, AWKWORD, KRS-One, Cappadonna, Kanye West, Raekwon and many more, with production from Endemic, Scram Jones, 7L & Esoteric, !llmind, Nottz, Quincey Tones, J. Glaze, Doc Ish, Bink! and DJ Muggs!
(Scroll down for 'album' art, tracklist and direct-download link.)
1. Ghostface Killah – Together Baby 2. Nametag ft. Kopelli – Beast Mode 3. IDE & DJ Connect ft. ILL BILL – Re-arrange the State (War of the world Remix) 4. EQ, Reef The Lost Cauze, Planet Asia & Block McCloud – Check The Perspective (prod. The White Shadow) 5. Sean Strange ft. Exlib, Meth Mouth & Nems – Diabolical Decibles (prod. Snowgoons) 6. Awon & Tif The Gift – Just Do It 7. MindsOne ft. John Robinson & Johnbeez – Shark Week (prod. Kev Brown) 8. John regan – Sorry I’m Late (prod. YZ) 9. Tiye Phoenix – Waking Up (prod. Tiye Phoenix) 10. J-Live – Poetry In Motion 11. Large Professor – Forever 12. Diezel P – Police Piece 13. Kil Ripkin – Everything’s Changed 14. Homeboy Sandman – Maestro Madness (prod. Jinesis) 15. Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No) – Overdose 16. Revolution of the Mind ft. Outerspace – Home Invasion (Prod By Sicknature) 17. Joell Ortiz – Ooh (prod. Large Professor) 18. Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime ft. Kool G Rap, LMNO & Black Milk – Heaven Or Hell (prod. Black Milk) 19. Reks – Pray For You (The Homicide Note) (prod. Statik Selektah) 20. Block McCloud ft. Celph Titled & R.A. The Rugged Man - Crazy Man (Strait Jacket Remix) 21. Cap D ft. Tragedy Khadafi – Life Is A Hustle 22. The Left ft. Invincible – Statistics (prod. Apollo Brown) 23. Celph Titled ft. Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks) – Eraserheads (prod. Buckwild) 24. Artifacts – Big Deal 25. MURDOC, AMiAM, Shinobi Stalin, JBiz, MyGrane McNastee & Clarity (Vets Of Kin) – 360 26. AZ – Your World Dont Stop 2010 (prod. Statik Selektah) 27. Lux DeVille (PVD & 8th W1) – No Excuses (prod. PVD) 28. Agallah – Rap Bobby Fisher (prod. Agallah) 29. AWKWORD ft. Werdplay (BLESTeNATION) – Colors (prod. FNTM)
1. DJ K.O. ft. East – Enemies (Madwreck Remix) 2. Ruste Juxx ft. ILL BILL, Sav Killz, Cyrus Malachi – Rap Assassins (prod. Endemic) 3. Black Milk – Warning (Keep Bouncing) (prod. Black Milk) 4. Sheek Louch ft. Joell Ortiz & Termanology – This Is Hip-Hop (prod. Scram Jones) 5. Skyzoo – Speakers On Blast (prod. !llmind) 6. 7L & Esoteric – No Shots (prod. 7L & Esoteric) 7. Reks – This Or That (prod. Statik Selektah) 8. Rah Digga ft. Redman – Lil’ Kid Rap (prod. Nottz) 9. Q-Unique ft. DStroy & Freestyle - Questions (prod. Quincey Tones) 10. Sonic ft. Termanology & Reks – Money & Power (prod. Statik Selektah) 11. AWKWORD – The People’s Champ (prod. J. Glaze) 12. Buckshot, Rock and Colloso – Make Moves (prod. Doc Ish) 13. AZ ft. June Summers – Nothing Move 14. L.I. – Be Like Me 15. P.SO the Earth Tone King & 8thW1 – Glad 2 Be Unhappy (Billie Holliday/DJ Logic Remix) 16. Punchline – Dead Poet Society 17. KRS-One ft. Cappadonna – Street Rhymer 18. Kanye West – Devil In A New Dress (prod. Bink!) 19. Hell Razah ft. R.A. The Rugged Man – Return Of The Renaissance 20. Quake ft. Royce da 5’9 & Kayo – I Stand Alone 21. ILL BILL ft. Raekwon – Chase Manhattan (prod. DJ Muggs)
Recently, 'DIY' website Ungovernable Resistance ran a comprehensive feature on GYMR resident emcee AWKWORD, referring to him as an "American Political Hip Hop artist & peace activist... who campaigns through his music for the rights of under privileged and working class people."
Well put.
The article includes the VLAD TV/Monstar Films video for AWKWORD's "The People's Champ", as well as behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot; a brief Q&A; and download-links for the song and the 26-track mixtape ("WE ARE THE BASTERDS (The 9/11 Edition)") on which the song appears.
1. Grandaddy I.U. – Hustlin (prod. Grand Daddy I.U.) 2. Meyhem Lauren – New York Where You At (prod. P.F. Cuttin) 3. DJ Mickey Knox ft. Thad Reid, Jon Hope & 6th Sense – Fatal Attraction (prod. Sickness) 4. Heather B – Flyin High (prod. DJ Premier) 5. Gangrene (The Alchemist & Oh No) – Chain Swinging 6. Shabaam Sahdeeq – Fam (prod. Ayden) 7. Little Vic & Zeal – Take My Pain (prod. Little Vic) 8. E Reece – Concrete Steppin (prod. Presto) 9. Freddie Gibbs – On One 10. 1982 (Statik Selektah & Termanology) ft. Cassidy & Xzibit – Goin Back (prod. Statik Selektah) 11. Eternia – Close To You (prod. JR & PH7) 12. AWKWORD feat C-Rayz Walz & Reks – Imperialism (pres. 2DopeBoyz; prod. Jonny Lupo (Moldova)) 13. Soul Khan ft. Marv Won – Thunder in Paradise (prod. marink; cuts DJ Brace) 14. N.O.R.E. – Nutcracker (prod. Scoop DeVille) 15. Sleepwalkas ft. Sadat X – Rhyme Flow (prod. Delorian Tokes) 16. Koncept – The Game (prod. The Audible Doctor; cuts DJ Brace) 17. Bambu ft. Chace Infinite – Paper Thin 18. Ras Kass & DJ Rhettmatic ft. The HRSMN (Ras Kass, Killah Priest, Canibus & Kurupt) – This Shit Right Here 19. Fat Joe – Valley Of Death (prod. Cool & Dre) 20. Rock (Heltah Skeltah) – Birds (prod. Kris Fame) 21. Freddie Gibbs – Serve Or Get Served (prod. Statik Selektah) 22. City Haze – Lost In Tokyo (prod. RZA) 23. Roc Marciano – Like This
A dope mix, worth the download. Shout to Revolt Radio for the download link.
Click the album cover above to download the mixtape free. Youtube preview and Tracklist below. Also down below, a direct download for the AWKWORD x Block McCloud x Castro track "Wild Wild East".
01. Intro 02. Rayz ft. Wordsmith, Kontact & Black Knight - This Beat Is Sick 03. DLRN ft. Prometheus Brown & Illecism - Reset 04. Mav - Cry 05. Pete G ft. Nudai - Above All 06. Kyle Hubbard ft. Rapper Big Pooh - New School Slang 07. Hi Stakez ft. F-Dot - Say Yea 08. Cold Heat - Next Level 09. BLCTXT - Contender 10. Famo$o - FUCK THAT 11. Josh Clemons - Single 12. Purpose - Howl At The Moon 13. Sic Osyrus ft. Jimi Kendrix - Show Starter 14. Mike The Martyr ft. Meta - Known I'd Be Raw 15. K. Sparks ft. JD & Tina Uallo - Woah 16. Rockwell Powers - Kings & Comics 17. Benjamin Starr - Wake Up 18. AWKWORD ft. Block McCloud & Castro - Wild Wild East (prod. Block McCloud & White Shadow) 19. The 16th Seed - All In
The homie Sha Stimuli stay killing it on the regular, dropping off heaters to tide us over until the next full-length. We stay playing these two newest joints:
Q: What are you trying to achieve with this mixtape? How will your versions of the songs be different/better than what we’ve already heard?
A: I have never been too big on spitting over industry beats, as I would rather give full-length material to my fans. Being honest, this tape came out of nowhere a month and a half ago when DJ Delz hit me up out of the blue and said he wanted to do a Jackin for Beats tape with me. I knew, prior to that, he had done official Jackin for beats tapes for Trey Songz, Joell Ortiz, Termanology and more, so on the business tip it was a good look. My other reason for doing this tape is I have never released a project where I just went in and flexed my lyrically ability without worrying about a hook/bridge to complete a track. Now, what makes this tape different is that, though these are freestyles, when you see the tracklisting you will notice all of them have there own unique names because they are concept freestyles with actual subject matter. Overall, the tape plays like a full album and was mixed/mastered with top quality in mind; shout to my engineer Capish for that.
Q: What are you trying to achieve with your music in general?
A: I want to get my music to the level that it touches people's lives. Yes, this is my dream, but I really want to take my celebrity when it reaches that level and help people in general. I feel like, if your fortunate enough to get rich or become star, God would want you to share that with those less fortunate.
Q: You seem to get a lot of support from 2DopeBoyz, HipHopDX and the other leading hip hop-specific blog sites. Why do you think that is?
A: I think it's because, four or five years ago, when most artists and even major labels weren't concentrating on the Internet too heavy, I was already thinking of the future and how things were moving to digital. While most artists are trying to find an in with these blogs now, I was talking, sending music to and building relationships with them years ago, and now blogs are like the new A&Rs for the labels. My relationship with even 2DopeBoyz is deeper than most know. One of the owners of the site, Shake, used to handle the audio section on HipHopDX and was the one who broke me on that site, and when he left, things didnt change -- I kept sending him exclusives... So my gamble of connecting with bloggers four-plus years ago ended up working in my favor.
Q: What are the major issues in society today that need fixing? Do you think about these things when you’re writing?
A: Major issues are our health care, quality of life and lack of jobs -- basically, all the things that allow us to live as Americans and as human beings in general. I think three years ago I touched on more serious issues like this and I still do to a degree, but as you grow as a musician your views and way you deliver your music might change; that was the case with me.
Q: How would you describe the state of hip hop today? What are the biggest high-points? Biggest problem areas?
A: It's a plain mess because artists that aren't really prepared to be on major labels are getting signed and are in and out the game in a year. We are in the era of fast-food hip hop, where labels want to make that quick money off of these snap songs. I'm sorry, but the pioneer artists didn't struggle so we could make all this money and corrupt the game.
Q: We heard from one of our favorite emcees (and frequent GYMR contributor) AWKWORD that you are one of the most professional, down-to-earth emcees he has ever collaborated with? What makes you so different? What makes you so easy to work with? Why replace humbleness with arrogance in a rap game that seems to thrive on antagonisms and machismo?
A: First off, I appreciate AWKWORD for saying that... Hmmm, what makes me different? I think it's my belief in being personable with people and keeping a humble attitude. I'm thankful to be doing music and I am thankful for the people -- good and bad -- I meet in this game. I also live in reality when it comes to my career, and I don't paint a false picture of my success.
Q: Speaking of AWKWORD, what made you decide to work with him on the joint Notorious for his World View project? (More questions on this, and on you, to come for your World View participant feature, but we wanted to get you some love on the site in advance of that.)
A: I really liked the subject matter and AWKWORD was very professional when he hit me up about doing the song. A lot of the times I turn down features because artists can't provide a plan for the track they want to do. I'm all about being strategic and setting up a plan to promote a product, and I remember getting the email from AWKWORD and it was probably a little over a page long, explaining his history and why he was doing the track. You don't get that everyday, so that piqued my interest from the get go. I think alot of artists don't understand why they can't work with certain other artists. Its all about the presentation and how you present yourself to people alot of times. So, in AWKWORD's case, he knows how to state his case; props to him for that.
In October 2009, the homie Sha Stimuli released what I immediately declared the 2009 Album of the Year, My Soul to Keep. 2dopeboyz's dopeboy SHAKE dug the album too; however, as he wrote on May 21, 2010, "While the album has received great praise, it’s still evident that there are far too many folks sleeping."
So, the super-lyrical Brooklyn emcee they call The Present linked up with "the dopehouse" to present the Overtime mixtape.
Tracklisting
01 Intro 02 I Apologize 03 Do It For the Doe (Overtime) 04 My Soul (Overtime) 05 Horrorglyphics f. Nas 06 Blasphemy (Overtime) 07 Move Back (Overtime) 08 Bucket List (Overtime) 09 Wake Up the World (Overtime) 10 So Much More 11 So Supreme 12 Turntables 2 13 Hang On (rmx) f. The Astronomical Kid 14 I’ll Be There 15 Thinkin’ Out Loud
The Anti-Injustice Movement (AIM) has been named co-sponsor of AWKWORD's forthcoming 100% nonprofit global hip hop project World View, along with The Morgan Stanley Foundation and End of the Weak (EOW; EODub).
AIM has also recruited AWKWORD for its full-time roster of hip hop "raptivists".
TO VIEW THE OFFICIAL AWKWORD AIM PAGE, CLICK HERE.
AWKWORD will be featured on AIM's forthcoming mixtape "The Lyrical Warfare: Mixtape Volume One", with previously unreleased tracks, alongside fellow AIM emcees/poets Capital "X", Monte Smith and others.
About AIM
(As written by AIM.)
The Anti-Injustice Movement (aka The AIM) is a global movement of activists, political emcees and protest poets who are fighting together to achieve the slow but steady destruction of global injustice. We struggle via non-violent and creative means against injustices perpetrated by corrupt governments, political and fundamentalist factions of organized religion, and corporate vampires. To do this we utilize the five elements of hip-hop (knowlege being the fifth), protest poetry, and grassroots campaigning as a means of awarenes raising and political revolt. We are against Western Militarism, Political Islam, and Zionism in equal measure and will combat them all because we refuse to choose between three evils.
We have no overall political affilation as a movement although one could say our flavour is distinctly libertarian, but what we do share is a determination to create a just, tolerant, and equal society which values both human and animal rights. We will fight against all forms of oppression and discrimination because we believe that regardless of one's sex, race, sexual preference, religion, or culture, we should all have the same basic universal rights (this includes freedom of speech and expression). We are against the US death penalty, the 'allies' oil driven wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for freedom in Palestine. Nevertheless we oppose the barbaric Islamic regimes in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia, and stand with the people against these militant religious oppressors. We are a secular organization that is comprized of people of different theological beliefs but we are all for the seperation of religion and politics, and vehemently oppose political and fundamentalists elements of organized religion. Thus we protest against Sharia and other faith based laws, faith schools, and any religious practices which are discriminative, intolerant, or violate human or animal rights. We seek to maintain freedom of religion and also freedom from religion. However we contend that human and animal rights trump religious expression because they are essential to the foundations of any civillized and just society.
We also oppose corporate amorality in it's many forms and stand up for animal rights, equal rights in the workplace, environmental ethics, fair trade and against child and forced labour. We boycott and raise awareness about any companies who are engaging in any forms of unethical practice.
We will also attempt to deprogramme the minds of those who have been lulled into sedation by the soothing lies that surround us because apathy is no longer an option. The time has come to stand up, throw your fist in the air and pledge to take AIM for the ethical revolution.
[AIM uses Campaigning, Direct Action, Underground Hip Hop, Protest Poetry, Academic Articles, Awareness Raising and Networking to peacefully combat the rise of theocracy within secular democracies; Sharia and other faith based laws; female inequality within religions and the wider society; homophobia within religion and the wider society; racism within religion and the wider society; the indoctrination of children through faith schools; discrimination against those who reject religion; all forms of animal cruelty, and particularly vivisection; and corporations and companies who engage in unethical practices (against humans, animals or the environment).]
The homie Monte Smith, an internationally acclaimed Street Poet, Rap Journalist, Community Based Educator and Anti-Racist Activist from Winston Salem NC., has featured me, my 100% nonprofit global hip hop project World View, and my newest releases -- (1) AWKWORD, ILL BILL, El Gant - "Metal Music (Remix)"; and (2) AWKWORD, Dujeous, EQuilibrium - "Internet Friend (Remix)" -- on his blog.
Click the image to read his write-up (and scroll down for the free downloads)...
Click this image to buy his critically acclaimed new book, DON'T SHOOT THE HOSTAGES...
Click this image to download his mash-up album "Monte Smith vs. DJ Premier", produced by UGC...
No Question faded to black a while back. However the music has maintained a lasting impression. This crazy 8-bit homage to the Nintendo Entertainment System and all the hours we spent in front of our glowing tubes is a must grab. Classic games sampled and combined with breakbeats, classic cuts and amazing lyrics.
