After a couple of years of hustling and making the physical distance between them a non-factor, Side Effect and Mirage512, collectively known as The Undergrind, have finally unleashed their debut album. World Renown is 12 tracks of collaboration and celebration of culture, grinding for positive change and self-fulfillment. Support these cats, because hip-hop definitely needs more voices along these lines.
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Nothing is more important than family. Whether it be blood, or those who have been through the thick of it with you, family holds you down when nobody else will. oz., Black DaVinci and Muggzy Flowz pay tribute to that importance with this moving video for We Used To Play, featuring a bunch of family. I’m loving it, so I’m sharing… do the same if you feel the same way.
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One of the last standing portions of golden age hip hop is the cypher. Although it has morphed over the last few years, it’s still an example of what a like-minded collection of artists can do in the rawest sense. This Austin edition features some underground lyricists known for holding it down : You F. Oh, Potent Tai, Andre Mac, Dali and Lady Shacklin. Dig it and dig it good.
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A nice bit of visual dopeness from SPACE CAMP Death Squad, Joe Dassin is powerful in its simplicity. The crew is known for their highly energetic live performances, but this video catches the kinetic energy of the crew via framing and editing rather than having the members jump around like crazy people. Reminds me of Upright Citizens Brigade with boom bap. Share it around!
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Here’s another discovered via P-Tek‘s Facebook thread. This time around, it’s Austin mainstay Curbside Jones, but it’s a new approach for him. Rather than bringing beats and rhymes, Boom Bapparitions focuses completely on the beats. Very solid listen, and worth throwing a few bucks at for sure.
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Nothing is more gratifying than watching an artist embrace the aesthetic of DIY, and slowly improve over time. J-Kid, already a solid emcee, has been embracing his visual side, and Learn To Fly, a collaboration iwth Flotation, is one of his stronger achievements in the realm of music video. Solid song, multiple locations, linear visual narrative and callback shots… we just might have a budding filmmaker on our hands.
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Protextor / P-Tek recently put out a call to action for all ATX emcees to link projects they have released this year, so I’ve taken it as an opportunity to get myself hip, as well as get you hip to what’s what. First up is Scan Reason, an Indiana born ATX transplant. His album cover stood out amongst the rest, and the music is incredibly unique. Check it out yourself, and show him some love and support!
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Notes Floats is a man of many talents, and I’m sure we have yet to truly scratch the surface of those depths. In yet another surprise move from the man of intrigue, KAZOO touched down out of nowhere. It’s free, so cop it on some automatic friends type vibe.
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Houston native Phillipe Edison has been working on a new EP, soon to be released via Souletiquette. For Muhsinah is our first taste of the Bad Decisions EP, and it’s got me hungry for more. Check it out for yourself.
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Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 