I’ll come up with a cleverer title after some more coffee.

For now, it’s this week in Boston hip hop…

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Clehck on that pehc khed….You won’t.

Download it for free right hurrr

“Adrift” is a word we usually use to describe our fallen comrade Chris Faraone, who was last seen fighting for his very soul at Hip Hop Trivia, which presumably was taking him away from attending to the latest cries of injustice coming from the streets of Boston. Putting his pen down (or behind his ear) for a few hours, Faraone narrowly beat out yours truly (along with the dude Dart Adams and fellow ex-Herald scribe Lauren Carter), mostly thanks to a) his teammate and WMBR homie Dana Scott absolutely going HAM with a n0-lyrics kareoke version of Cappadonna’s verse from “Winter Warz” and b) there not being a battle rap challenge for him to fail. Admittedly, I didn’t fare much better in the blunt rolling race for which I finished a distant second to No Doz of Golden Brown. I’ll never enjoy another blizz without being haunted by my failures again, which I’m pretty sure will make all my fellow blggrs happy. While we’re on the subject: S/O to ON&ON, Hilary Clare, Dane, 617Live, Good Life, Erica at the bar and HIP HOP.

Thankfully “Adrift” is also Harry Fraud‘s awesome new tape. Probably (and hopefully) the only place you’ll find Mac Miller and Kool G Rap on the same track list, Adrift features some fine work from the likes of the aforementioned Mr. Rap (“Tiger Uppercut”), Action Bronson (“Morey Boogie Boards”), Danny Brown (the previously posted “#HottestMC”) and way more French Montana that you’ll ever need. Download via DatPiff.

The Abbott never sleeps: after a couple years spent producing and then pushing his directorial debut The Man With the Iron Fists, which I still haven’t seen, RZA is back again with his sorta-new project with Stax Records. Seeing as he’s already made a small fortune based on their catalogue alone, there’s nothing wrong with making a little more.

The Shaolin Soul Selection Vol. I (2CD/3LP) features 24 classic tracks from the Stax vaults hand-selected by Mr. Robert Diggs himself. As RZA and Wu-Tang have enjoyed a modest resurgence via their influence on artists like The Black Keys and others (yes, even Beiber counts), it’s nice to see the boss giving a nod back to his own influences. And while offering nothing new (especially to those who’ve already consumed volumes 1-4 of Shaolin Soul), this one should still find some space in your expanded Wu-Tang library. You can order the deluxe 2CD or 3LP package w/ t-shirt from RZA’s new Soul Temple label + download a nine-minute preview mix from DJ 7L here, or watch via YouTube below.

tracklisting after the jump

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My boy Durkin murdered this Bone Thugs rework.

Fun fact, I once bought a full suit of armor off of Durkin.
Another fun fact – we once wore an identical red and black checkered flannel to the GoodLife on the same night.
If there was a Boston scenester version of US Weekly we would have been in the “Who wore it better section”. Durkin would have won.

Me doing my thizzle on M.I.T. radio. East Coast mix show shit personified. Download it, pump ya krillz to it.  Smack a bitch to it.

Thank you.

DJ ON&ON TURKEY MIX by dropitheavyeastcoast

Part Deaux

Turkey Mix Part 2 by dropitheavyeastcoast

Local love from Moe Pope x Annie Mulz.

While we wait for the proper follow-up to Life After God, Pope delivers this 13-track mixtape featuring production from Rain, Blockhead, The Architype and others, plus appearances from Blacastan, Slaine, Dua (of Bad Rabbits), Mark Merren and Vice.

I’m tweaking out like I just had coffee for the first time, but let’s just say this: it’s dope.

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Moe Pope – Billy (prod. by Rain)

DOWNLOAD: Moe Pope – Stampeding Elephants via Annie Mulz

Here it is, my magnum opus. The culmination of decades of dysfunctional relationships capsulized in a majestic drapery of hood opera. The arguments, fights, arrests, tubloads of vodka, tears, and heartache…Love is a battlefield, and this wayward soldier is always on the front line…Full. Metal. Jacket.

If you love hard, this mix shall set you free.

The whole album, which came out yesterday, just went up on Dilla‘s official Soundcloud.

Danny Brown, Amp Fiddler, Illa J, Frank Nitt, Chuck Inglish, Boldy James, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson and them.

If you tweaked out at all while listening to Danny Brown‘s XXX, SKYWLKR probably had something to do with it, along with whatever drugs you happened to be on at the time. He produced a handful of the album’s best tracks (“Die Like A Rockstar,” “Bruiser Brigade”) and has also served up beats for the likes of Main Attrakionz, Chip$ and others. You’ll probably be hearing more of him when he drops an instrumental album later this year, but meanwhile you can get caught up on his catalog thus far via this beat tape, Impressions.

DOWNLOAD: SKYWLKR – Impressions via MediaFire

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Who can forget this insanely heartfelt thank you note Big John taped to the wall above Van$tylez’s desk @ UGHH..

Van$tylez and Big John had the weirdest (presumably) hetero m4m relationship over the course of 3 days in 2009..

Big John showed up for an in-store and did not leave.. just stayed @ Van’s crib, hung out at UGHH, went out to dinner, drank.. Van called out of work, came in late, and was acting like he had found true love.. It was so strange.. A total bro down if there ever was one.

At the end of his three day journey, he straight up handed Quest a CD-J turntable as thanks.

Very interesting man that Big John. Solid dude.

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Props to Esoteric on the incredible sample flip.. GRAVEDIGGGGGGAZ.

DOWNLOAD

There are some events that warrant my coming out of temporary rap writing retirement to light a post up. One of those occasions is when my favorite rap troupe to come out of Boston in a minute teams up with an MC who I hold on a pedestal above all others.

The other instance, that in this case called for me to get blogging, was that the resulting track of the scenario described above – despite being low down, thoughtful, and filthy underground – got a small slice of commercial shine, and is featured in the new Converse X UNDFTD ad.

Grey Sky Appeal and Qwel – Brains by greyskyappeal

Of course I’m talking about the union of Grey Sky Appeal and Qwel, the combined product of which I’m pleased to drop right here, right now. It’s called “Brains,” and if you fucking have any, then you’re already bobbing your head despite the absence of a bag of dicks.

This fucking shit bangs like Friday night with a fistful of Bolivian marching powder, plus packs that utilitarian gusto that GSA and Qwel can be relied on to push heavily. There may be “100,000 MCs who all sound the same” – many of whom get love on this blog regularly – but you won’t find any of that shit here. Not on my watch.

From GSA:

Grey Sky Appeal and Galapagos4 recording artist Qwel present their first single ‘BRAINS’ aka Cervelle de veau, off their upcoming EP, OCCAM’S RAZOR. Release date to be announced soon; pre-sales will be EXCLUSIVELY through UGHH.com

Check this GSA shit from SXSW too