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
My man Clemits is on an outright inspirational tear this days. CRUSH has hit the streets, and the barrage of music videos keeps coming.. the latest is Doors, Locks, Keys. Dig the explanation from the man himself:
‘The concept of the song is breaking through the walls, or opening the doors, we all build to protect our feelings and egos. It’s about finding human connection and letting go of barriers, hence the title Doors, Locks, Keys. The video shows me as a hologram being projected onto walls, and buildings.. letting it all go, I’m able to escape the confines of ego as a hologram.’
Dope.
-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
In light of the recent killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castille, the shootings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, and the all too familiar pattern of these events with no end in sight, Kinetic Global mastermind Tee Double decided to do what he could to bring some awareness to these situations. The result is The Black Mics Matter Project, a compilation of Texas hip hop artists and bands that are sharing their perspective on this message of police brutality and equal rights. The lineup is heavy with talent, the compilation is free to download, and donations are being taken for future projects and events via the GoFundMe page. Do your part for this important time in our existence, because it has repercussions that will be felt for generations to come.
-chief
A good find from the homie SymmaTree. Corpus Christi based producer MALONE (who I admittedly know nothing about) has dropped a nice track by the name of lightspeed. Fellow Corpus Christi-based visual creator Luis Esotric laced the track with visuals. All that’s left for us to do is sit back and enjoy.
-chief
Dat Boy Supa has been a mainstay on the Austin hip-hop scene for quite a number of years. His m.o. is simple.. hard beats, hard rhymes and dope live shows. This go round, we’re getting a new video, a representation of an upcoming project. The Juice is a quick view into the creative mind and mindset of Supa, with a little nod to Belly thrown in for good measure. Good stuff.
-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
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 