I saw the immediate future of pop and hip-hop at Great Scott last night, and they go by the names Mayer Hawthorne, Buff 1, and Bad Rabbits. That’s the cheapest, lamest way to begin a concert review, but it’s true, and I’m still too exhausted from grinning through their sets to concoct a more profound intro.
Swagger was once at an all-time high…
…or did he ever actually lose it?
Nah.
Termanology celebrates the release of Time Machine (Hood Politics VI) at the Middle East tonight. Anyone heard this one yet? Word has it Skyzoo will be there too; he’ll be making an in-store appearance at UGHH on 234 Huntington Ave at 6 PM today.
Termanology / Skyzoo
The Middle East Upstairs, 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
$10 advance ($12 doors)
We dreamed to beat poverty/When Benny Blanco popped Carlito I shot the screen/I got to be one of the realest niggas, I talk it cause I lived it/From the kitchen with the raw to the courtroom sentence/to the dorm holding the horn with the Fila slippers
Talk about “suspended in time.” Not only does Cormega‘s new Premo-laced banger sound like the Group Home track of the same name, I feel like Mega is still in that 1999-2000 mind state on this track, talking about his boys “on the block pushing that rock like Payton and Kemp.” That’s not a knock against Cory (or Preem) though; it sounds cliche, but Mega is really one of the last ones left creating blue-blooded QB music. This is from Cormega album #4 (if you include The Testament) Born and Raised, which should be out this November.
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DOWNLOAD: Cormega x DJ Premier- Make It Clear
Meth vs Chef vs Ghost from Gasface on Vimeo.
Most Wednesdays, we have to hope something of note happens in the Wu-Tang universe, lest we have to stretch and try to get excited about a new U-God feature or something. Luckily, today’s WTW post fell right in our laps, and not a moment too soon. Fresh off the success of Cuban Linx…Pt. II, Chef isn’t wasting a moment of his time in the spotlight to already start setting up his next chess move: a collaborative album between himself, Meth and Ghost. It already looks like label politics may swallow things up, but judging by the sales/reception of the Cuban Linx joint, this would make perfect sense.
We always need fresh angles here at JTTS, where beer drinking and real life often prevent us from posting songs and news items before our competitors do. So in the case of this new joint, “East Coast Renaissance,” we’ll be focusing on how Mass native Reks rocks the cut.
Who am I kidding? We’re simply throwing it up like everybody else – just a week or so late. What I will say, however, is that the upcoming project from The Closers (Shabaam Sahdeeq, Red Eye, and Thorotracks) is extremely promising. For Google purposes, they probably should have named themselves The Closerz, but other than that shit is looking swell.
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LISTEN: The Closers featuring Reks – East Coast Renaissance
here’s a leak.
and a 9 word count post.
Well, technically not in Boston but in Allston, the dirty student ghetto I call home sweet home. The JTTS fam will be there holding it down so come through to Great Scott on the corner of Comm Ave and Harvard Ave (directly opposite Pizzeria Uno) and say what’s up. Bad Rabbits are also on the bill, so you have no more excuses.
Mayer Hawthorne & the County
Tonight, Tuesday, at Great Scott
9 PM/ $10 advance ($12 at the door)
Any excuse to post that album cover again, I’ll take. Ghostdini in the Emerald City singing R&B and correcting bitches FTW. That leads things off, but there’s a lot of good stuff to cover for this week, including a debut from Skyzoo, the return of Brakestra and sum nu Warren G.
If you’re an Elemental Zazen fan, then you’ve probably already bought or stolen last year’s excellent The Glass Is Half Full. But if you don’t know about the kid, then this is an easy and inexpensive way to get acquainted. (You can also read my Boston Phoenix profile HERE).
Zazen is one of my favorite MCs out of Boston, what with his super wit, smarts, and relentless onomatopoetic flow. These days he’s in Seattle earning a PhD in something that I can’t pronounce, so, basically, this is not for the dumber JTTS readers (Glenn Beck fans need not apply).
In anticipation of his next project, Zazen asked if I would throw up the link to Half Full (below), which features exquisite production from the likes of Kno, Joey Beats, and Maker. They’re genuine collaborations, too – not just buy-a-beat bullshit jobs. Enjoy.
Snoop touts his international connections on his new single. Weed, pussy and money get thrown at him in about 30 languages. Nice work if you can get it.
On a side note, Killa Cam would murk this beat. For now, my defenses are down enough for me to like this song for a few days, max.
