If there were an award for most humble super-producer in the central Texas area, Delano Taylor would be a candidate. The soft-spoken nature is fitting, because his music speaks volumes. Recess is another growth step, in the vein of his progression seen on Fine Dining… & Breathing, with the difference being the divine balance he finds between spacey (room to breathe) aesthetics and body moving rhythm. At this point, I cannot wait to hear what the next full-length project will be like.
-chief
One of the best things about being involved in the independent music scene is watching mutual friends combine to make big steps on big projects. Heir Max has been a friend and someone I have shared a number of stages with for quite a while. Sixo and I have crossed paths on occasion, and we share a number of mutual friends. The two of them have combined under the label Fake Four (the indie juggernaut run by my friend Ceschi) to form Alligator Food, a no-nonsense combination of hard beats and hard rhymes. On some six degrees of separation action, my friend Grace Park left her songbird presence on one of the tracks for this EP. The guys from Alligator Food were even nice enough to put together a lo-fi mindscramble of a video for G.O.Y.A., the lead single.
-chief
Back in the late 90’s, in the heyday of Hip Hop Mecca‘s stronghold on the Austin hip hop scene, I met many people that are still a part of my life to this day. One of them is Profit Z. Dude has been a part of (and a supporter) of the scene as long as I can remember, and for the past few years, he’s always had a new track or two to show me when I’d see him. Enter Way We Live, and EP’s worth of work that shows nothing but promise and potential for future releases. Raw rhymes, solid tracks, and just enough music to hold you over until the next sonic shots are fired.
-chief
You can always count on Ruler Why and company to bring you the dopeness. I recently discovered the new single XZACT by Lords of Ale (Blazy x Jamar Equality), confirmed its banger status, and made a mental note to put it on the site. This morning, when I went to look it up, I also discovered Blazy‘s recent full-length release Solar Rays, and decided on site to add it to the post. I’m looking forward to digging into the full-length as well in the very near future. Big ups to Ruler Why for holding down the raw sounds.
-chief
When it comes to quality hip-hop in the ATX, there’s a handful of names you can always count on. One of those, for many years, has been D.O.S. This time around, he’s collaborated on an EP with Seattle based producer Pale Soul, and the outcome is the memorable Derringer Arts. This is what hip-hop is all about.. raw honesty spilled over dope music. Name your own price is always a good option for an album, but this is worth your money as well as your time. Check it out, spread the word, and support local while you think global.
-chief
This song goes stupid hard. One listen to Kydd Jones‘ new track Nothing To Play With makes me wonder if he isn’t secretly getting some Drake cash sent to him for ghostwriting, because this sounds like the kind of stuff I’ve been waiting for the so called self-proclaimed ‘Greatest Ever’ from Canada to come with. That being said, I know I can always count on solid tracks and growth/evolution of style from Kydd. This is just further validation of that fact.
-chief
There’s a new ‘mixtape’ out from Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice, and clearly, someone has been watching too much Game Of Thrones. This 3rd installment has been dubbed The Night Is Dark And Full Of Terrors, and it is a slight departure from the normal ‘mixtapes’ Chief Doomsday has dropped. This one is presented like a radio broadcast, and it’s comprised totally of blends and remixes, minus the rap remakes of songs (I did not find them necessary this go-round). Enjoy the listen, and thanks for the support!
-chief
In this noisy digital world, sometimes you miss out on things when they make their first appearance. Chips & Salsa, a collaboration between Texas MC Sertified and beatmaker supreme Haris The Terrorist, is a prime example of this. The fellas hit the ground running in January of 2016 with this release, and via the homies at OVRLD, I’ve been hipped. This is good old-fashioned boom-bap hip-hop with a taste of Texas throughout. Definitely worth your time and money.
-chief
Da’Shade Moonbeam has never been one to shy away from the important issues at the time they mean the most. Power finds Da’Shade speaking about those that serve and protect us, how we must learn to trust without being victims, and how they must learn to do a job that may be against their nature. The police are definitely here to protect us, but the ultimate responsibility for protection of you and yours lies on the individual. Anytime Da’Shade speaks on topics that matter, I will most certainly listen.
-chief
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 