nosunnofood "nosunnofood"

Expanding the Backpack, 6/5/13

New self-released project from Edison, under the moniker of nosunnofood, available now on a name-your-own-price basis.  This new album is an accoustic driven project that was apparently recorded over the course of four years and underwent various moves and metamorphoses in the process.  Edison is one of the Bay Area's finest producers, and this collection of songs offers up a quieter and more meditative approach to his beats while maintaining his trademark excellence.  The folky guitar elements of the production here remind me a bit of the awesome instrumental hip hop album that 2econd Class Citizen released last year "The Small Minority," though nosunnofood definitely stands out on its own and delivers a very strong emotional palette of sounds.  Some great music to write or make art to, but also an album that you can really pay attention to in your headphones.  You can download the album for whatever price desire (including Free Fifty Free) via Edison's Bandcamp Page or you can stream it in full below:

1. the sighs
2. slow climb to the common corners
3. there is no war in love and hate
4. astringent
5. the repeating fades grayer everytime
6. until the day your keys own you
7. my modesty, your venn diagram
8. where she walks, i will walk too
9. that dream of falling face first
10. breaking through to find more to go through
11. last time, that stuff you said was wrong

The Offspring Runneth Over

The Latest Greatest, 6/5/13

New album from Gajah & Mute Speaker, "On & Offspring," out as of a few days ago via Acid Lab Records.  Gajah is one of the many skilled MCs out of LA who never seems to get the right amount of props for his projects, with a grip of quality albums both as a solo artist and as one half of Project Blowed's Acid Reign crew.  I like Gajah's music in general, but this new collaboration with Brighton-based producer Mute Speaker sounds like one of his most solid projects to date.  The album boasts some very strange and edgy electronic production, plenty of tightly written verses and flows, and some ill guest spots from Open Mike Eagle, Ceschi, Tommy V, and more.  The always awesome cover artwork from Albane doesn't hurt matters any either.  Feel free to stream the project below, and make sure you score a copy for yourself if you're feeling it. 

1. On
2. Enough is Enough
3. The Great Indoors
4. In Between Time (feat. Open Mike Eagle)
5. No Mercy On These Parts
6. Lawd Have Mercy Lude
7. Peace of My Mind (feat. Shuanise)
8. Beast in Man's Clothing (feat. Sojourn, Shames Worthy & Zane One)
9. Game Runner
10. Party Animals
11. Stability (feat. BeOND & Lyricon)
12. See No Hear No
13. Kids These Days (feat. Ceschi & Tommy V.)
14. Offspring

Thr33 X Dope

The Latest Greatest, 5/23/13

Psyched to see that the Th3rdz debut album "This That & Th3rdz" finally has a solid street date attached to it, and will be dropping June 18th via Camobear Records.  Seattle's Oldominion collective has got its fair share of criminally slept on rappers, and when I heard that JFK, Candidt and Xperience were working on a project together, I immediately started keeping a careful ear to their bandcamp page in order to download whatever tracks I could get my greedy hands on.  These three are some very skilled rappers, both on stage and in the studio, so as expected the leaks from this project (which date as far back as 2011) have been damn great.  What I wasn't expecting was how many of those leaks wouldn't make the final cut, which I'm assuming is a good thing since this beast is 19 tracks long and probably loaded with A-sides.  JFK, Candidt and XP all have excellent solo projects under their belts, and they compliment one another nicely on guest spots and at shows.  This debut of theirs also boasts production from Vitamin D, Smoke, and Kuddie Fresh amongst others, along with guest features from Nacho Picasso, Geologic of Blue Scholars, and Sleep of Oldominion.  Bangalangin'.  Peep a couple of videos from the album under the tracklisting below:

1. Intro
2. Big Chain (feat. Cadence)
3. Rap Rap (feat. Piece)
4. Hustle Harder (feat. Geologic of Blue Scholars)
5. Fixed & Addicted
6. Settle Down
7. Boobiewho (feat. Sonny Bonoho)
8. Work
9. All Do It
10. Be Yourself
11. Playas Only (feat. Brotha Brown)
12. Go For Broke
13. GNikes (feat. Fatal Lucciano)
14. Pushin' (feat. Nacho Picasso)
15. What You Waiting For
16. Favorite Song
17. Go Off (feat. Sleep of Oldominion)
18. Awaken Your Dreams
19. Goodies

Dillon & H20 "The New Blues Brothers EP"

Expanding the Backpack, 5/22/13

New free EP from Dillon and H20 of Mass Influence, who are touting themselves as "The New Blues Brothers" and who got the funky chops to prove it.  Dillon is a rapper who I wasn't immediately sold on when I heard his earlier work, but who's gotten progressively better with each release to the point where he's kinda killin' it on this new EP.  Mass Influence also released a hell of a comeback song "Morning Breath Chasers" last year, and it's great to hear some new rawness from H20 on here.  The Blues Brothers concept is fun and ties the project together nicely, and the whole thing has the enormous benefit of being produced by one of funkiest hip hop producers on the map, Batsauce.  Good stuff, you can download "The New Blues Brothers" for free (or whatever you wanna donate) on Dillon's Bandcamp Page or stream the EP below:

1. 106 Miles to Chicago (Intro)
2. The New Blues Brothers
3. Outlaws
4. Something in the Wind
5. Waddap Y'All (feat. Chop)
6. Get Your Mackin' On

Corina Corina "Come Again: The Eargasm Extended"

Expanding the Backpack, 5/15/13

New free EP of quality music from NY-based R&B singer Corina Corina.  "Come Again: The Eargasm Extended" is a solid collection of mostly extensions and remixes from Corina's last full length solo album "The Eargasm."  It serves as a nice companion piece to that album, but also functions well as an entry point for people who have yet to hear Corina's music.  Tracks like the remix of "Express Train" benefit from the inclusion of some great new guest verses, and it's awesome to hear fresh material from Corina with Angi3 on "Walk a Mile," but the EP's crowning achievements are the impressive remixes of the songs "O.D Love" and "Royalty."  With "O.D. Love,"  Connecticut producer Deto-22 transforms a previously mellow number into a dark electronic tour de force that seems constantly on the verge of leaning into drum n' bass territory, with exciting results.  Similarly, Willie Green's remix of "Royalty" completely abandons the quiet lounge atmosphere of the original in favor of some strong percussion and funky organ sounds, reworking the song into something entirely new.  Great EP all around, accompanied by some very tasteful cover art.  You can download "Come Again: The Eargasm Extended" for free over at Corina Corina's Bandcamp Page, or stream it under the tracklisting below:

1. Express Train (Remix) (feat. Roc Doogie)
2. O.D. Love (Deto-22 Remix)
3. Royalty (Willie Green Remix)
4. I'm Free (Francois Merryweather Remix)
5. Cost of Living (Remix) (feat. Julius Jones)
6. Walk a Mile (feat. Angi3)

Lone Wake Up Call

The Latest Greatest, 5/15/13

New album from Saskatoon's shining star Factor, entitled "Woke Up Alone," dropping July 23rd 2013 via Fake Four Inc.  Expectations have been shifting into high gear over at My Backpack is Bigger Than Yours HQ ever since this one was announced to the masses.  Factor's last full length solo album, "Lawson Graham," was such a high-caliber conceptual body of work that it's hard to think of a producer compilation style album that rivals it in its artistry.  "Lawson Graham" offered up a loving ode to Factor's grandfather through the unlikely wedding of hip hop and folk music, delivered in such a perfect way that you'd assume the genres had been married for years instead of being newlyweds.  With this new Factor project on the horizon, it's a pleasure to see that he hasn't slowed down on the ambitious conceptual side of things.  "Woke Up Alone" supposedly tells the tale of a grieving protagonist (played by rapper Kirby Dominant) who is trying to cope with the death of his wife.  This tale is split into 5 scenes meant to represent the different stages of mourning, with guest rappers guesting in roles that range from the protagonist's psychologist to the Devil himself.  Judging by the first leaked single off the album, the sound that Factor is aiming for on this album is something more dark and haunting than his usual fair, driven by dreary guitar jabs and creepy keys.  Looks like some exciting stuff for sure, check out the leaked single "Alive Tomorrow" featuring Nomad and the album trailer below:

Denial & Isolation (Scene 1)
1. Woke Up Alone
2. The Empire Has Fallen (feat. Paranoid Castle)
3. After the Service

Anger (Scene 2)
4. Raise the Dead (feat. Ceschi)
5. Alive Tomorrow (feat. Nomad)
6. Stone Cold (feat. Open Mike Eagle)

Bargaining (Scene 3)
7. Long Hallways
8. In Sickness & In Health (feat. Onry Ozzborn)
9. Don't Give Up (feat. Paranoid Castle & Jeans Boots)

Depression (Scene 4)
10. Denied (feat. Myka 9)
11. Devil's Call (feat. Evil Ebeneezer)
12. Carry Over (feat. Jeans Boots)

Acceptance (Scene 5)
13. Let It Go (feat. Astronautalis)
14. Give Up (feat. Gregory Pepper & Paranoid Castle)
15. The Grave Burial 

B.I.C. (Bitches Is Crazy) "Influence"

Expanding the Backpack, 4/19/13

 

New free full length album from New York hip hop crew Bitches Is Crazy, brought to you by NY's often underrated High Water Music label.  I have very little to share about these guys since they're a new name in my book and I can't find a bio listed anywhere, but from what I can piece together the group consists of a bunch of rapper types (Yesus 199, Pete, Ill Spills, Izzy OZ) and a couple frequent producers (VESA, MP the God, Chuk Le Garcon).  This "Influence" album of theirs earns them some strong points in the "classy hip hop street vibes" department, with their gruff voices complimenting the  soulful production nicely.  The album has a couple misses, and content-wise the constant raps about bitches and blunts do leave something to be desired, but overall this joint succeeds in my book off the strength of atmosphere that it evokes.  I really do feel immersed in the world of hip hop that B.I.C. lives in when I toss this on, and there's something to be said about hip hop that can convey that feeling to you even when you can't always relate.  Sucio Smash of High Water Music tends to be somewhat of a don when it comes to picking strong slept-on rap talent from New York (Homeboy Sandman, Fresh Daily, Senor Kaos, etc.), so it's always worth casting an ear to his picks of the litter.  You can download B.I.C.'s "Influence" free of charge over at the High Water Music Bandcamp Page, or stream it under the tracklisting below.  

1. Yinfluence 

2. NEVERCHILLIN 

3. This Money 

4. Shinin' 

5. WAVE 

6. Basic Bitch (Typaniggayou)

7. Ever Since 

8. Yo Soy Widdit 

9. What's Up (They Know) 

10. That's Right 

11. Groupie Love 

12. Taking Shorts 

13. Busty Love 

14. Food For Thought 

15. Wise Words 

16. DOPM 

17. Happy to be Here (Shoutro) 

18. Mechanism 

19. Split