Full disclosure, I am sharing Mexstep‘s latest project Vivir sight unseen (or unheard, rather), but that is only because sometimes quality can be discerned strictly by the names associated with a project. More than anything, I am sharing this project to make sure I return to it later this week, as I already know about Mexstep‘s lyrical pedigree (largely in thanks to his dual status as a lover of hip-hop and a college-level educator), and names like Bavu Blakes, Apaso, Vocab, Kree23, Mad1ne and the legion of other guests mean that we’re getting gold stacked on gold. Perhaps the most convincing aspect of all, however, is the fact that the album is produced by the über-talented Adrian Quesada, meaning it’s going to hit you straight in the soul as well as appeal to your emotions and intellect. You know how we do it around here… cop the project if you can, seek it out on your favorite streaming service or Bandcamp to list regardless, and pay it forward by sharing it around for all to experience.
I love how sonic diversity is slowly making its way back into hip-hop. Many people like to undermine the 1990s and dismiss it as an old, antiquated and forgotten era, but the most important part of that era was the fact that hardrocks, pop rappers, esoteric lyricists and self-identified crazy MCs (along with the vast array of other hip-hop artists) could all find room in the mainstream at some level, meaning that the fullness of the hip-hop spectrum found representation. I say that to say this… knowing that collaborators like Blazy Green and Mad1ne are able to embrace the dark, moody, dingy textures that hip-hop was once synonymous with and find an audience is a testament that hip-hop is still diverse as ever. For Pressure, Mad1ne brings the hard rhymes over a banging Blazy Green track that sounds like it’s been dubbed a few times from cassette to cassette, and I’m totally here for it. Check out the track, leave a like and a comment if you feel it, and share it around for everyone to enjoy.
“Hip Hop veteran Mc’s Blazy Green X Mad1ne return with a new Meet The Greens EP By Any Greens Necessary, a well rounded effort delivering the essential classical rap elements you should expect of this duo, [be it] beats, bars, or cuts from the legendary Dj Tecneek on the assist. By Any Greens Necessary is a must have for boom-bap enthusiast, greenheads and those who simply enjoy dope music… this will definitely be something you can enjoy for years to come.”
MAD1NE has been busy this year, and he’s driving that point home with Respect Is Non Negotiable, his fourth release of the year. For this project, he tapped recent collaborator Blazy Green to handle production duties exclusively, and outside of a guest appearance from Jamar Equality, we get a quick but powerful burst of the MAD1NE lyricism that he has become known for, full of inspirational and education gems infused with high style and and a forceful delivery. If you’re a fan of that signature San Antonio hip-hop sound that is keeping the true school aesthetic alive, then don’t sleep on Respect Is Non Negotiable.
You know how it goes… Mad1ne joints get instant props around these parts. His latest collaboration with producers Henry Kool Mckool and The Fall, the horn-driven and catchy The Equation (plus the little bonus bars at the end) is the exact high-quality hip-hop we’ve come to know, love and expect from the San Antonio wordsmith. Give this one a bunch of watches this weekend, leave a like and a comment, and spread the word about it!
Chief and TheDoomsdayDevice 