I came across Nakia Henry during the Myspace heydays — before Muphoric Sounds was even thought of — and remembered her name based on her risqué style, where she turns voyeurism on its head with stunning photography that one has to stop and take note. Her most recent release, Love Letter EP, is a lush track that has all the elements of a 70s groove, reminiscent of William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful for What You Got” or a Jill Scott track from her first album, where Nakia speaks a perfect love, with someone who’s understanding, supportive, someone who allows her to be free. In part two of “Love Letter,” Nakia stretches the song further vocally and lyrically, where a heavy bass groove, in care of producer, Kenneth Bentley arrests the tune as Farrah Burns and Saddi Khali provide equally compelling lyrics in rhyme over the track. I don’t know how I missed “Love Letter”! Check it out below, if you haven’t heard it yet!

Check out the video below, so you can see this Detroit native her in action.

I stumbled across this rare gem in a walk through musical cyberspace. A shining stone that is the collaboration between producer Mario Sweet and vocalist Crystal “Malice” Sweet. These two have made some music that is not only strong and relevant without really proclaiming it. Their sound is clean, melodic, professional, and dare I say it, right on time. I was just lamenting in a post about the lack of beautiful duets like Donny and Roberta, and here come these two. A married couple from Seattle who made their first single, “Speed of Light,” produced by Tall Black Guy, one of my favorite songs of the year already.

All the way from Seattle, Washington, Mario & Malice are both known for their work with the group The Physics. Their EP starts with one of the illest beats I’ve heard in any music genre in years with a syncopation and delay of voice that would make Jay Dee proud. On their solo vocal tracks, I am both impressed and pleased by the truthful and effortless soul I hear. The EP features Blue Scholars MC Geo and vocalist Choklate, while ranging in production from folks such as Roy Ayers, Justo, Kuddie Fresh, 10.4 Rog, and Vitamin D. With past legends like Sir Mix A Lot and hard workers such as Jake One and Vitamin D, stay tuned for more from Seattle y’all. You can get  a free download of this from their website MarioSweet.com.

“Speed of Light”

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“Mario”

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Rudoo is a séance, willing D’Angelo to give the people what they want. And our job is to play it regularly for D’Angelo to feel our collective spiritual energy while we play it, and he walk his arse to the studio! It has been 11 years since the release of his sophomore album, Voodoo, and was a stark contrast in approach to his debut release Brown Sugar. To compare the two albums, Brown Sugar was a composition of great individual songs, while Voodoo was a vibe, a feeling, a way of life that D’Angelo was delivering. I say the same thing about Erykah Badu‘s Mamas Gun — pouring of the soul into a project. How can we not miss D’Angelo?!

Daru Jones, clearly is feeling what we all feel, and has reinterpreted Voodoo, by giving it heavier basslines and percussive beats, making it funkier than ever before. In some places while listening to it, the thought of J Dilla nodding in approval at Rudoo enters my brain. Daru Jones turns something that is a soulful vibe and brushes it with cadences of hip hop. I’m digging this. Check out a couple of tracks below, and as a courtesy from Rusic Records, you can get a free download of Rudoo at this LINK.

Left & Right (Future-Funk ’11)

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One Mo’ Yea Beat

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One aspect of blogging is an inundated email box. There really isn’t enough time in the day to get through all the music one receives. CitySparks tweeted me a link to check out his The Wanderers EP. The timing was perfect; I had a few moments to spare. I was sold from the first track! Listening to The Wanderers I became reflective on how much talent there is out there in the world. At this very moment of my writing this post, someone is composing a hot beat, a fly rhyme, a cool vibe, you name it; it’s a creative circus.

Producer/emcee, CitySparks is a New Orleans native, who’s heavily influenced by Dilla and the Golden Era of hip hop. Due to hip hop’s commercialism, it’s always a joy to hear rap that sounds authentic, with positive and conscious lyrics, without the contrite that permeates the industry. On “Green Light Moves,” CitySparks talks of the superficiality of the industry — “Twitter have a nigga feeling like he’s above par / they can call in gym socks and shove it in any body’s jaw.” Technology has given some people bigger mouths to blow hot air. I’m digging this guys stuff – especially the samples. Check out “Sense” below which features another emcee,  Lyrikill. You can visit CitySparks‘ Blog, where he posts his latest projects and you and also follow him on Twitter at @MileHighLife.

This is was a nice little surprise! Tomorrow’s Not Promised, which features Reggie B on vocals and production and Saadiq, from the renowned and influential group Platinum Pied Pipers, on the production. The Tomorrow’s Not Promised four-song EP, was written during the time in which Saadiq produced Reggie B‘s Go and Get Down With Me album.  These tunes are very sexy, where Reggie B vocals travel in soothing waves. The opening track, “Suga Mama” is true Platinum Pied Pipers production— which is to find the right artists that match their production perfectly. Saadiq is keeping the Platinum Pied Pipers formula alive with Reggie B. The title song, “Tomorrow’s Not Promised” makes me think of a Prince and Michael Jackson mélange – Reggie B singing softly, while the music contains elements of Prince. Check out “Tomorrow’s Not Promised” below and the head over to the Bandcamp page to purchase your download.

J*Davey have been off the radar for a minute. The last release we received from them was the start of their The Great Mixtape series last April, starting with Boudoir Synema.  The Evil Christian Cop — a 5-song EP, that’s available for free download — begins with a soft pop-like down-tempo cover of Nivana‘s infamous “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which compliments Jack‘s voice; the staid version brings forth how great a song it will always be.

With the release of this mixtape, J*Davey announced their tour, which kicks off in San Francisco through to Austin for the SXSW music conference in March, in April they’ll tour the East, and then in May they’ll tour Europe. Fellow West Coast rapper blu will join them during the tour. (*San Francisco date is March 10th at 330 Ritch and the New York date is April 5th at S.O.B.s.) I’m quite looking forward to this as I’ve never seen them live and heard they give a great show.

Check out the tune and video below of J*Davey talking about their upcoming plans, then head over to Bandcamp to get your digital download.

French producer, Tomatom the French aka Yult, has teamed up with London-based singer-songwriter Tanya Auclair for his new project The Animal Inside EP. Yult is one of those producers who cannot be pigeonholed; his sounds pull from many disciplines, styles and genres, such as jazz, hip hop, afro beats, and dub. The pairing of Yult with Tanya Auclair is perfect match. Tanya’s no stranger to the alternative scene — her debut EP Thrum was released last summer, and was a solid display of her vocal abilities; the sound arrangements were minimal and allowed her to layer her vocals to fill each track. If you didn’t get a chance to hear it, you can check it out here. The opening track, “Inland Empire” is about reclaiming your land, but is actually about taking back your life, being in control and the production flows like a tribal warrior to a beat. If The Animal Inside was to be compared, it has the darkness of Portishead but also the playfulness of Lee Scratch Perry, then add Tanya Auclair‘s vocals and songwriting makes each song complete. The Animal Inside released today, and the first 1000 downloads are free; so you better click here to get it! Check out “Mark Your Way.”

It still amazes me when I come across people who have no idea who James Dewitt Yancey better known as J Dilla and/or Jay Dee, was. I suppose, when one’s talents isn’t visual but auditory and sensory, our fickle society is quick to dismiss, ignore, or give that credit to someone else. J Dilla was one of music’s most influential hip-hop artists. Yet, commercially, his name still is relatively unknown. Recently I dropped Dilla‘s name in a conversation with one of my girlfriends, who didn’t know who he was. I pulled out the commercial Janet Jackson‘s “Got ’til It’s Gone” reference, to a surprised look of “Oh! Nice.” His style marked the era from 2000 to his passing. He affected hip hop and its counterparts, to a point that we say, “it’s a Dilla like beat.”

The tune below “Real Dilla Quotes (Nothin’ Like This)” is produced by DJ Applejac, where he takes great soundbytes from people who knew, will always love and respect J Dilla. A beautiful piece which captures the essence of what J Dilla stood for in his short, yet impressionable life (in 2006 at the age of 32 he lost his battle with the lupus disease).

Rest in Peace Jay Dee! Donuts are Forever!

Real Dilla Quotes (Nothin Like This) by Applejac

We all would love to have intergalactic powers, but unfortunately, we don’t. After being inspired by the book, Quadrivium: Number Geometry Music Heaven—a book which looks at the relationships between the number, geometry, music and cosmology as a way of understanding the nature of reality (sounds heavy…MUST read!)—UK producer Eric Lau, sat before his mixing table and created Quadrivium; an exploration of these concepts. “Star Trekking” is that tune—you have to sit with it, listen to it, and bask in it as your mind travels through space and sounds. Quadrivium is set to release Feb 25th on Kilawatt Music through iTunes, Spotify, eMusic with a limited press in vinyl. Check out the tune below and watch the short video where Lau talks about Quadrivium – it will open you up!

After hearing Mark Ronson’s “Bang Bang Bang,” which featured Q-Tip and the duo, MNDR (pronounced “mandar”), my sensors were on high alert.  MNDR consists of Amanda Warner and Peter Wade who both met in New York City in 2008 and quickly gained a lot of attention to move on to opening shows for bands such as Massive Attack, Deerhoof, and YACHT. So far the electro-pop group seem to be churning out great tunes! The second track heard was the “Go Away,” which throws you into an 80s bed of sweet roses, reminiscent of Cindy Lauper‘s “Time After Time” as the percussive sounds pound like an anticipating heart.  ”Cut Me Out” continues with an 80s influence but transformed into the now with an electronic production. I’m drawn to MNDR, primarily because a part of me I misses Santigold. Amanda Warner‘s vocal style is very similar. Listen to “Cut Me Out” below and let me know what you think.

Cut Me Out [Download Here]

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Airtight’s Revenge is the album that keeps on giving. “Levels” is the third video from its release and Bilal goes further with another other worldly concept video by having the quintessential experimental producer Flying Lotus (a.k.a Steve Ellison) make his directorial debut for the song. Clearly, Flying Lotus was inspired by the world created in his own video for “Mmmhmm” which was directed Special Problems, (check it out HERE), where he continues with concepts of mythical gods and goddesses, in the form of cameo appearances from Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn (producer of the track) that leave viewers subjugated. Very cool video to watch.

The tune “Levels” was created by Bilal, Shafiq and KenBts, where they collectively call it the “Levels Experience.” Now available as an EP on iTunes containing interpretations from Flying Lotus and  Sonnyman plus the album version and instrumental version. The free download, in courtesy of Plug Research is KenBts remix of the tune, where he calls it an “an ambitious exploration of sound, space, and emotion; an aviary craft bursting into the embers of a maiden flight.” You can hear it below, and purchase the EP on iTunes.

The first thing that needs to be said about Chief‘s new project, Drone Beats & Electric Waves is that it is thorough. Swiss beatmaker, Chief takes many many musical elements and styles and creates this futuristic world in sound where keyboards snap and quiver in places, and basslines are gritty, hard and yet, very smooth. Drone Beats & Electric Waves plays like an ode to J Dilla, and is perfectly timed for Donuts are Forever 5, to be held in NYC at Santos Partyhouse. J Dilla‘s influence was so wide; makes you wonder what would he be doing, if he was still here today.

Chief is one of those producers who are consistent, and has worked with great artists such as Moka Only, Kissey Asplund, Sene, blu., Les Nubians and Dynas to name a few. Back in 2009, Muphoric Sounds was able to talk with Chief about his method to creating music, influences, collaborations, etc. [If you missed it, check it out HERE!] What you get is an artist who is true to hip hop as an art form, and Drone Beats & Electric Waves further illustrates his dedication to it!

Check out the little promo video for Drone Beats & Electric Waves (love when producers do these!!!!) and the track “Scanner Resurrection” that is available for Free download HERE to hold you over until the album is released January 31st. Enjoy!

Our friends over at the buzzing music site BamaLoveSoul.com has paid homage to one of soul music’s greatest singers and songwriters, Wilson Pickett, by reinterpreting songs from his 1978 album, a funky situation. BamaLoveSoul.com is based in Alabama and Pickett, also a Bama native, was so influential to modern music through his body of work—it is apropos that BamaLoveSoul show him love. This remix album pulls producers and emcees from across the globe, putting Wilson Pickett back into our consciousness. In their write up about the remixes, BamaLoveSoul.com urge listeners to not only bask in the creativity of what these producers and emcees deliver, but to also share the compilation with friends because, seriously, “our musical history is in jeopardy and our youth have no idea who came before Usher.” So I share this wonderful project with you!

The compilation is available in multiple formats; so take your pick below and ENJOY! You can check out a few tracks below.

Download Links: Divshare | Hotfile | Fileden | Rapidshare | Yousendit (No .Rar) And you can also get the podcast of it HERE!

Byron the Aquarius – “The Wicked”

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Illastrate; Amdex; Boog Brown – “It’s Fine”

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SHEN 07 – “Dancewitme”

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Tracklisting:
1. FreshNerd – The Night
2. Byron the Aquarius – The Wicked
3. Illastrate; Amdex; Boog Brown – It’s Fine
4. DJ Rahdu; Thed Weller – I’m Ready
5. SHEN 07 – Dancewitme
6. J Finesse – Call It A Day
7. Tall Black Guy – She Too Nice
8. Sawandi – Groovin’ (Sawandi Rework)
9. King Boom – Disco Groovin’
10. Junior Star – Dance With Me (Junior Star Rework Part One)
11. Average Thought – So Loose
12. SoFoReal – Time to Let the Sun Shine (SoFoReal Remix)
13. SHEN 07 – Outro
14. Tall Black Guy; Shaheed – Blastmatazz (Bonus)

Artwork by James Gates for Art Haus Design

A couple of weeks ago, Georgia Anne Muldrow released VWETO, exclusively through iTunes and now, on its vinyl release, her current label for this project, Mello Music Group, are giving “Pad Kontrol” and “fOnkRocker” as a free download.

VWETO, which means gravity in Ki-Kongo, is a perfect title for this album of instruments. West Coast in origin, but carries a fluid and expansive musical arrangements that is the Georgia Anne Muldrow signature sound, but unlike what you’ve heard her produce in the past. Her sounds tend to have a level of masculinity to the production, as displayed in “fOnkRocker,” but yet, she’s able to add softness to hard hitting beats such as “Lil Layers” with a melodic piano arrangement. Just like her voice, VWETO is a layering of sounds and instruments to take us on a journey that is as natural as gravity.

Check out a couple of tracks off the album below, then head over to Mello Music Group‘s Bandcamp Page to get your free download of “Pad Kontrol” and “fOnkRocker.”

We first introduced you to underground Swedish beat conductor, Erik L (Erik Lidén) on the project he did with Mississippi native 7even:Thirty on Rhyme Travelin. Erik L‘s music gotten a lot of attention from UK tastemakers Gilles Peterson and Benji B on their radio shows on BBC 1Xtra, where they also ranked his song “Soul Symphony“ as one of the best beats of 2009. Working with artists such as Frank n Dank, Kissey Asplund, Dynamite MC, and Hezekiah to name a few, Erik L has now joined forces with fellow Swedish beatmaker DJ Devastate for On Display, a collection of fresh hip hop and soul productions of tunes that Erik L produced over the past few years and also featuring unreleased material. The music is a great blend of soul, R&B, pop, and jazz with an approach to melodies that pushes the envelop in hip hop. The compilation includes a great mix of artists such as, Frank n Dank, Kissey Asplund, 7even:Thirty, Supersci, Dynamite MC, Favorite Flava, Hanna, to name a few, further highlighting Erik L‘s versatility as a producer.

Check out the couple of songs below and get your FREE DOWNLOAD  here or here – while it’s hot!

“Future Flow” feat. Hezekiah & 7even:Thirty

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“Music Addiction”

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