Tag Archives: chief

Making Tracks :: Blastfamous USA + Blackillac Connect For ‘Pull Up’

The magic that can occur in the rare instances where you introduce old friends to new friends only for everyone to get along is hard to match.  Maybe that’s why it seemed inevitable that Zeale Rapz would find a way to link his multiple successful ventures into a single stream of dopeness.  His longtime companionship/collaborative efforts with Phranchyze, along with their mutual friendship of Gary Clark Jr., resulted in the creation of Blackillac.  Meanwhile, Zeale Rapz had forged a newer, sharper and more politically driven connection with the killer production duo of NGHT HCKLRS, resulting in the lightning fast creation and maturation of Blastfamous USA.  With both camps combining forces for the upcoming busa flock EP, it was only fitting that they signal it with a music video in the form of pull up.  The video showcases all of the key components folks need for understanding what busa flock is about : unique aesthetic, high style, banging production, quality rhymes and a sense of humor are all calling cards the crew possesses.  The connection is intriguing, and yet it makes all the sense in the world… I will definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open for more.

-chief

Idiot Boxing :: Virgil Wolfe And Strcolctr Serve Up ‘Unlimited TV Dinners’

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The influence that television has had on the last few generations is undeniable.  It has shaped our cultural context and standard frame of reference in ways that we may never return from, which isn’t inherently a bad thing.  Take, for example, the collective efforts of MC Virgil Wolfe and producer Strcolctr.  The duo recently took their love of TV from their childhood, took a direct look at how it has effected them emotional and rationally, and have poured those thoughts into the short but powerful Unlimited TV Dinners, with whip-smart ruminations on ideas like investing your time in meaningless ventures, cultural identity and more.  Don’t let the lighthearted veneer fool you, there’s some heavy lifting being done on this project.  If Unlimited TV Dinners Deluxe dropped at some point in the future, I wouldn’t be mad at that one bit.

-chief

Ballistic BoomBap :: MAD-1-ONE Presents ‘Bombz (Funeral Muzik)’ Video

San Antonio-based hip-hop artist MAD-1-ONE is back at it again.  In preparation for the July 6 release of his upcoming album Ghost of the Record StoreMAD-1-ONE connected with fellow hip-hop artist Mr. Composition, enlisting his visual skills to create a video for the first single.  Bombz (Funeral Muzik) serves as half calling card, half stern warning to anyone foolish enough to not recognize or respect what MAD-1-ONE is bringing to the table : knowledge of self, knowledge of culture, years of experience, and razor sharp bars that inspire just as much as they entertain.  The video features MAD-1-ONE and crew wandering the block, rocking in the record store, and raising spirits in the cemetery, all of which fit into the larger scope that MAD-1-ONE seems to be presenting with Ghost of the Record Store.  If the first single is any indication of what the full length holds in store, I think it’s safe to say San Antonio will have a project they can be proud of in 2018.

-chief

Stay Fly :: Bird Peterson, BLEUBIRD And Jabrjaw Combine Forces For ‘Conflict Resolution’

Bird Peterson is officially in full rollout mode for the upcoming Infinity Molasses.  My man has been dropping singles like crazy, the latest being the super catchy Conflict Resolution.  The track is the standard, infectious Bird Peterson mix of dope drums, textured samples and a few hilarious soundbites.  For vocal duties, he’s enlisted the help of Florida underground legends BLEUBIRD and Jabrjaw to match the track energy, and all parties involved more than stand up to the challenge.  It’s nice to hear tracks that defy genre classification in this manner, as this song could easily get play in both dance clubs and hip hop circles without anyone batting an eye or questioning the placement.  With the sneak previews we’ve been given thus far, I must say that my anticipation for Infinity Molasses continues to grow and grow.

-chief

Verbal Assault :: Crew54 & CientifiQ Drop The Long-Awaited ‘Slap Rapz 2’

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There are some things in this life you can count on.  You can count on the sun to rise in the east and set in the west.  You can count on most politicians to keep their own self interests above those of their constituency.  Most importantly, you can count on Crew54 to always lace listeners with bars on bars on bars over rock solid beats.  The guys have been talking up Slap Rapz 2, a collaboration with producer CientifiQ, for quite a while, but the wait has been well worth it.  If you find yourself expecting run of the mill quality because these cats are ‘local’, go ahead and slap yourself for being shortsighted.  These tracks could fall right in line with anything currently playing on the radio, TV, and so on… the songs are structured tight, the wordplay is enticing, and the chemistry between Crew54CientifiQ and the featured artists is volatile in the best ways.  Definitely an early contender for tops of 2018.

-chief

Taking Flight :: Poolboi Blu And J Brodsnax Reconnect For ‘Schwifty’ Video

poolboi blu may be moving forward in terms of constantly dropping new music, but that has not been at the expense of continuing to promote his recent standout EP, horseplay.  In his efforts to create a music video for each track, poolboi blu and video collaborator j brodsnax decided to delegate 3 of the project’s 6 tracks to j brodsnax.  The latest selection, Schwifty, just hit the airwaves, and it’s a psychedelic spin through prisoners in confinement still managing to find expressive and positive outlets via showing their skill in a dunk contest.  The hypnotizing track works well in tandem with the slow motion, washed out and color drenched footage, slightly hypnotizing you and making the just over 2 minute long track breeze by.  Word on the street is that the duo has one more video under their sleeves, so hopefully they unveil it for us sooner than later.

-chief

Soul Searching :: Unusuals Talks About Love With ‘Slip Into Darkness’

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It seems that all of my Texas music making peers have been putting in major work in their respective labs this summer.  Unusuals, for example, has been lacing folks with a steady stream of singles over the past couple of months, as well as livestreams of beatmaking sessions and his KZSM radio show.  The latest single, Slip Into Darkness, is a breakbeat-based exploration of longing for a loving connection (somewhat inspired by the legendary words of Mary J. Blige).  The track features a guest vocalist (Andres, and I have suspicions of whom that might be) rather than opting for the usual vocal sampling utilized by Unusuals.  It’s good to know that the folks I dig are out there exploring their feelings via their creative sides and keeping momentum flowing in the right direction.

-chief

Cinematic Orchestration :: PNTHN and Jeffrey Garcia Team Up For ‘Henny Dreams’ Video

The combination of PNTHN and Jeffrey Garcia has produced nothing but gold so far, and that trend doesn’t look like it’ll be ending anytime soon.  For their latest collective effort, PNTHN and Garcia put together an ode to the films of TarantinoScorcese and a couple of other prolific filmmakers for the Henny Dreams music video.  The result is a wonderful mash-up of bars, a banging beat and hilarious references to iconic moments in film from the past 30 years or so.  The work from all parties involved has continued to get better and better with each effort, and I can only imagine where PNTHN and Garcia will land if they keep churning out work of this nature.

-chief

Summertime Rolls : Clemits Drops ‘Selfish Summer’ Video

Austin-based hip-hop artist/producer Clemits has really been putting in ground work in anticipation of his upcoming instrumental release, Cult Classic.  After dropping a pair of singles via multiple streaming services, Clemits has released a third single, Selfish Summer, via music video.  The song is a mellow affair, with a hypnotic finger-picking sample surrounded by traditional boom-bap drums.  The video, however, is a celebration of solitude and doing the things that make you happy regardless of (and as long as they don’t harm) those around you.  Josiah Panella captures Clemits as he ignites fireworks, takes a pedicab and bikes around Austin, and eventually ends up back in the lab working on more beats.  Overall, the entire presentation is memorable, definitely something that Austinites can be proud of, and another notch in the belt for Clemits as he continues to rise.

-chief

Natural High :: Anastasia Drops Straight Talk For ‘Ceiling’ Video

Austin-based artist Anastasia has been on a creative and personal climb over the past couple of years.  After hitting the ground running on the Austin live music scene, she decided that the cure for complacency was to challenge herself.  After some traveling, soul searching and intensive writing, Anastasia is back in the mix with new music that shows waves of the maturation she has gone undergone.  Ceiling is a reflection on love and allowing yourself to be taken in by the feeling, with an affirmation in the form of a rap to help close out the Ty On Da Track 2018 instrumental.  For the video, Fresco Filmz captures Anastasia as she essentially sits us down and talks straight to us, making the performance aspect extremely intimate, personal and full of honesty.  It’s definitely nice when an artist doesn’t put on airs, instead opting to let you in to their process and their state of mind.  I am happy for all of Anastasia‘s growth, and excited to see both what the future holds in store for her and what she has on deck for us.

-chief