If you know me personally, you’ll know how much I absolutely ADORE this woman’s music. She does NO wrong. She’s what I call “über-talented,” incapable of whack, has this knack for finding amazing talent, working with nothing but best, and still manages to keep a high level of integrity in all she does.

I’ve scheduled my computer appointment for 3:33pm, and will be visiting ErykahBadu.com, where Erykah will be sending out the first song leak from the long-awaited A New Amerykah Pt. 2 Return of the Ankh’ to her fans. I can’t WAIT to get some Baduisms. Watch video below where she discusses the new album, which releases March 30th; one of the ‘eargasm’ highlights for 2010.

Thanks to BamaLoveSoul for the reminder!

Taking a late pass on this band but I’ll assume many of my readers missed this band as well. My main assertion here is that the Swedes are running it musically at the moment. Danish group Quadron are Coco and Robin, who were both former members of the soul collective Boom Clap Bachelors, and who released an album in 2008 called Kort Før Dine Læber. From being in the group, Robin and Coco began to collaborate and formed Quadron. Lead singer Coco is only 21-years-old and already sounds like a seasoned artist. Her voice is delicately sweet, where she glides through each song like a lullaby. It’s really beautiful. Robin Hannibal is no stranger to music and future sounds, collaborating with Noboby Beats the Beats, Stones Throw artist, Aloe Blacc, O’mas Keith from SA-RA, Wally Badarou (Talking Heads, Grace Jones), Plant Life, Eric Sermon, Pharrell Williams. Their album, which was release last year, will be released in the US in March 2010 but is available on iTunes now. Check out the video for the single “Pressure” below and listen to “Simili,” taken from the album. Pure niceness!

“Simili” from Quadron

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“Aquarius” is a lullaby known by hip hop heads across the world, with the immediate recognition of A Tribe Called Quest’s use on an interlude for the Hip Hop classic Midnight Marauders LP of 1993. Mr. Callen Tjader was born in St. Louis Missouri, and later lived in San Mateo California. One of the most interesting things about Tjader is the fact that he was not Latin born and did not grow up in The Bronx, Puerto Rico, or Harlem. He studied Latin Jazz, making a powerful contribution to it. Tjader’s main instrument was the Vibraphone. He began playing in a big band in the bay area as a teen and won a contest to play drums for Gene Krupa in the early 1940’s. He played the drums until 1953, then later switching to the vibraphone. He traveled to New York regularly to see artists such as Mongo Santamaria, Machito, and Tito Puente and became influenced by their style. He created his own group called the Mambo Quartet, which recorded on Fantasy Records. During this time he created a heavily mambo influenced sound, which was not a mere copy but rather an artist truly inspired. In his career, he went on to play with the likes of Donald Byrd, Chick Corea, and Willie Bobo. He put out records on Fantasy, Verve, Skye and Concord Records. He started recording in 1951 and continued up until 1982, putting down almost eighty albums!

“Aquarius” is endearing, sincere, and down right infectious. The arrangement includes vibes, which were recorded in 1969, ten years before I was born. The track is like a night stroll full of romance, wonder, and reflection. It is worthy of loud play in the morning or softness at night. Although Tjader has many tunes that would burn a hole in your shoes, this LP The Prophet is much more about simply chilling out. His work has been sampled by A Tribe Called Quest, Gangstarr, Large Professor, Q-Tip, and Camp Lo, to name a few. Take a listen to “Aquarius.” Cal’s music can be purchased on Cal Tjader.com.

“Aquarius” from The Prophet

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I’m a huge supporter of these guys hailing from Cleveland and this particular mixtape made me laugh out loud as Twizz from KEYEL cunningly had me leave a voicemail message of inquiry to find out when this new mix would drop. They incorporated my rambling message about 8 minutes into the mix!

As always, they give us some of that 90s classic hip hop flavour filled with crate-digging samples and alternative sounds. The mix is all KEYEL music from 2006 to present. Check out the snippet below and download your free copy here!

Snippet from KEYEL Mixtape 2010

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Muphoric Sounds first mentioned DJ Kiva last summer with his Degrees of Freedom, which was a mixture of broken beats, smooth soul and hip hop (read article here). Now comes his latest experiment, BTR8ION, the world’s first ever written and produced album entirely on a Sony Playstation Beaterator! And I’ve got to tell you this, it’s very impressive. Kiva put BTR8ION together while on the streets, on a plane, in the car, basically, in transit. Packed with experimental sounds, in broken, dubstep, hip hop with dirty basslines and gritty synthesizers, I’m still amazed that it was all made on a little handheld.

In addition to being a musician (guitarist and keyboardist), Kiva teaches Electronic Music Production at Manhattan’s DJ and Music Production school — the Dubspot. A few months ago, Kiva was featured on NY1 discussing the PSP Beaterator and how his school adopted the console into their curriculum and after-school programs. It would be a sound decision for Sony to recruit Kiva in the production of their 2nd generation device; clearly, he’s an expert!

I think this is pretty awesome and I would love to know your thoughts on BTR8ION. What’s better -  making beats or playing games? Why not both?

Check out BTR8ION below – it’s also available for free download at Soundcloud.

BTR8ION by DJ Kiva

Tracklisting:
01. Hollywood Starz
02. Situation feat. Channel Earth
03. Keep the Fire Burning
04. C’mon Y’all
05. Satta Massagana*
06. Bring Da Beat Back
07. Center of the Universe
08. Another Kind of Language
09. Mysyde
10. Era Unknown
11. Altitude
12. Back to My Galaxy

* Satta Massagana written & originally recorded by the Abyssinians

I can’t tell you enough about Game Rebellion! They are Brooklyn’s very own rock, punk, hip hop band who effortlessly deliver in a way that will knock you between the eyes with a WTF! Forming as a group back in 2006 and becoming one of Afro Punk‘s favourite summer acts, Yohimb, Netic, Emi, Ahmed, and Aaron can be classified as the new Public Ememy. If you haven’t seen these guys live, you need to. Lead vocalist Netic, with the ripped body, and the busting rhymes, will have you peeing in your pants. Not only is their music head banging, their lyrical content is social commentary, unafraid to challenge our so called authority; these guys are far from a game. Their Searching for Rick Rubin mixtape which was released at the end of 2008, they teamed with J.Period to pay homage to the legendary producer, and featured rhymes like, “The only terrorist I see are the police/They’re the only ones who have got the folks scared/I don’t see no planes flying over Marcy Projects…” They are far from afraid to kick conscious lyrics of truth.

I’m completely excited about the release of the new EP Sounds Like a Riot, as the journey will be one of skillful rhymes against some hard hitting rhythms. Check out the video for the debut single off the EP “Blind” below, which was filmed at Little Field NYC in Brooklyn. If you’re in the New York area, the release party for Sounds Like a Riot will be held at Santos Party House on Monday, January 18th. Click here for more details.

Visit Game Rebellion‘s Bandcamp site and listen to their music. They are NOT a game. Check back for more info on the release of Sounds Like a Riot.

Teddy Pendergrass marked an era of true seduction in R&B, died in hospital on Wednesday, January 13, 2010 after battling with colon cancer.

Starting his career as a drummer for The Cadillacs, who later merged with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Teddy became their lead singer, almost by accident. His years with Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes were the group’s most successful and fruitful, with hits such as “I Miss You,” “Wake Up Everybody,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” and “Bad Luck,” where Teddy sang lead. His departure from the group was prompted by unsuccessfully lobbying to have the band change its name to “Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes.”

His solo career was absolutely phenomenal. Joining the Philadelphia R&B movement, which included Billy Paul, The O’Jays, Stephanie Mills, Phyllis Hyman, to name a few. He sang some of R&B’s sexiest songs with his silky yet husky and commanding baritone, sending his female audience to euphoria. His ballads with Stephanie Mills (“Two Hearts” and “Feel The Fire”) and Whitney Houston (“Hold Me” and “Take Me In Your Arms”) were some of the most endearing love songs of that period. His career came to a halt after a tragic car accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down. After recovery and therapy, he returned to singing lightly, but it wasn’t until his fantastic comeback song, “Joy” that people felt he was truly back.

My choice of audio below is taken from my favourite release from Teddy Pendergrass — Live! Coast to Coast, which featured live recordings from various shows across the United States. I loved this album as a child and would stare at the album cover (featured above) while listening to his eminent and powerful voice and the women in the audience present to his sexy, manly prowess, singing and screaming at his every call. An amazing album which captured his brilliance.

If you don’t own any Teddy Pendergrass, the Amazon widget below will help you to get started. His music will forever live on through us. Let’s hope Teddy’s legacy is embraced and continued through R&B artist Jaheim.

“Close The Door” from Live! Coast to Coast

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Über-talented UK producer, Eric Lau put together a mix for Andrew Menza’s BTS Radio show. What sets Eric apart from the rest is his ability to manipulate sound. Heavily influenced by some of hip hop’s most innovative producers — Pete Rock, Jay Dilla, ?uestlove, and taking from the smooth vibes provided by outstanding musicians in jazz and soul, Warm It Up is a mixture of tunes to warm and soothe you during these winter months when the weather is unkind. This is a melodically sexy compilation including the tunes of rappers, singers, and instrumentals from Robert Glasper, legendary Herbie Hancock, and the late great Curtis Mayfield. All of this, free, for your listening pleasure. Eric is currently working on his second full-length album,  and by the selections made for Warm It Up, it will be far cry from the run of the mill type productions that currently permeates our airwaves.

Download your copy HERE!

TRACK LIST:
Bill Evans – Solar
J Dilla – Untitled
Eric Lau – Bendy
Georgia Anne Muldrow – E.S.P. (Instrumental)
Karriem Riggins – Soul on Top
Madlib – Untitled
Jay Electronica – My World (Nas Salute)
Baatin – Girl
Slum Village – World Full of Sadness
Madlib – Untitled
D.Rose – Track #003 (Produced by Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave)
D’Angelo – Jonez In My Bones (Rehearsal)
The Roots – The Suits
The Robert Glasper Experiment – For You
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Child of The Sun
Herbie Hancock – Butterfly (Live)
Tarika Blue – Truth is The Key
Curtis Mayfield – We’ve Only Just Begun (Live)
Sapo – Nina
Ju-Par Universal Orchestra – Is Anyone Listening?
The Kinks – End of a Season

AppleJac is what we call a crate digger. Hailing from Decatur, Georgia, and has been djing since a child of 10 years old, with Music Is My Main Squeeze AppleJac takes us on a musical journey of greats pulling from some of our legendary fathers of soul music, then laying them against beautiful beats a la Pete Rock, Dilla, Spinna, and the like. What’s so great about this album, which was never released, is that it was produced back in 2003, and it still holds strong today. It’s smooth as ever.

AppleJac is the radio host of the show “Jack of All Trades” on HandzOnRadio.fm and Mecca Radio, where he plays soulful house and disco classics. We’re going to hear a lot from AppleJac this year. So stay tuned. But in the meantime, listen to some tunes below and download Music Is My Main Squeeze for your listening pleasure.

“What I Wantcha’ll To do”

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“Parental Guidance”

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So here we have it, Sade‘s official video for “Soldier of Love,” directed by Sophie Muller (who directed some of Sade’s singles off the Stronger than Pride and Love Deluxe albums – “Love Is Stronger Than Pride,” “No Ordinary Love,” and “Nothing Can Come Between Us“). Towards the end where the male dancers are doing their Public Enemy S1W stomps, I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t it be hilarious if Flava Flav busted out with a ‘Yeeeaaa bwoooooyyy!’ at the end. Completely off the wall vision, but for me the video is a little cliched and muted; I wanted something more or even different. Oh, well, she looks amazing and is still one Sexy MF. We love you Sade!

Here’s a taste of one of the things that excites me for 2010 – Bilal Oliver! In this video Bilal and rapper Hezekiah work and talk about the meaning of the song “Think It Over.” The song is produced by 88-Keys, and the album will be released on the Plug Research record label (his label mates include Om’Mas, Shafiq Husayn, Flying Lotus, and Exile). He definitely is around friends and family for this release. Based on this teaser, all Bilal elements will be present — stellar vocals, beautiful but yet real lyrical content against some hard hitting Dilla-esque beats, mixed in with some jazz and my kind of R&B. I can’t wait! Enjoy the video below.

Thanks to Put Me On It for bringing this video to our attention.

Prince George County, Maryland native, now residing in Harlem, New York, Malachi Rivers is definitely someone to listen for in 2010. “Cloud 9” has a melodic groove, with sleepy horns and a catchy drum kick, where he raps about what being on cloud nine would be with his girlfriend. With his unique style of rhymes (I actually thought he was from the UK) and the universal sound, will have you two-stepping and singing the hook instantaneously. The featured singer is Maria Bentley, who hails from the UK. Don’t underestimate the power of social media; Malachi and Maria met on Twitter, as did I. “Cloud 9” is one of the songs that will be featured on his forthcoming EP and is produced by Virginia-based beatmaker “P-eZy“, (pronounced Peezy). I’ll be sure to keep you posted on Malachi’s upcoming project. But in the meantime, download yourself a copy of “Cloud 9” and tell your friends about Malachi Rivers.

“Cloud 9″ by Malachi Rivers (Download)

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Not to play on capitalization with the title of this post; it’s strictly the style of blu, who actually was the third entry on Muphoric Sounds!  So I have to defer to him from time to time.

I love this guy’s work, his lyrical flow, his play on words, choice of musical samples and elements; he’s just a good all-round rapper from the Bay Area. I heard blu. first with Her Favo(u)rite Colo(u)r, a concept album which went through all the emotions of a breakup. A pretty daring project to embark on as many rappers try to be so freaking hardcore, and he did it so skillfully, taking skits from movies like Buffalo 66 and Closer. Since then he has hit us with A Day Late & A Dollar Short (with Sene). Last year, he was signed to Sire/Warner Bros. Not sure how that’s working out as he’s been pretty radical on sharing his music.

With theGODleeBarnes, which he hit his Twitter family with a couple of days ago, (he often shares his musical developments with his Myspace and Twitter audience), contains some tunes shared over the past year and a few others. Though rough in production in places (but that might actually be the choice) and as one mp3,  theGODleeBarnes is available for free download HERE! I suggest you get it quick, as blu.’s links don’t stay up for long.

Producer Greymatter aligned himself perfectly with the right people for his debut Mind Over Matter. The first release features the scientology of legendary producer and now retired Domu, in a two-part single “We We Are One / Watch This,” which contains a dub step and broken vibe with gritty distorted and elastic bass lines that were designed for those who like to express themselves freely on the dance floor. He describes the album as being, “a big jumble of energies… with balls,” where Mind Over Matter is culmination of years as an international DJ of garage to jazz fusion. The album will also come with a stellar roster of producers for remixes such as llum Sphere, Klic, TRG, and Karizma. Below is a little taste of Mind Over Matter, which is scheduled to release February 17. In case you didn’t wrap your ears around Greymatter’s Basement Soul Re-edits Vol 1, it’s available for free download here!

We Are One ft. Domu PREVIEW by greymatter

Watch This ft. Domu PREVIEW by greymatter

I have to take a late pass for posting this now but will use the excuse of holiday season commitments. West Coast duo, J*DaVey put Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes on their Bandcamp page on Christmas Day for free download. It is classic J*DaVey, with Brianna Davey‘s buttery and sultry vocal style on “Get Together” and Brook D’Leau‘s dirty sexy groove; it’s a lovely treat. The uptempo “Outta the Window” reminds me of 80s new wave Prince.

Back in September, MTV started an initiative for viewers to choose from 4 artists to breakout on their program “I Want My Music” for MTVU  with J*DaVey being one of the artists. We all voted, and didn’t hear a damn thing on its progress or what the outcome was (the actual micro-site built for the voting has since been shut down – I guess music does not live on MTV anymore). I’m glad J*DaVey received some exposure as they are a rare talent. So get your free download of this 5-song mistape, which is extremely far from a misstep. Enjoy!

“Get Together” – Boudoir Synema: The Great Mistapes by J*DaVey

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