Tag: 2016

[Real Hip-Hop/Rap:] Erykah Badu – Trill Friends (Kanye West Real Friends Remix)

Erykah Badu’s take on Kanye West’s “Real Friends” is a classic banger that addresses today’s notions of friendships and relationships.


[Real Hip-Hop & Rap]
Erykah Badu – Trill Friends (Kanye West Real Friends Remix)

Homeboys, and some of them we wish we never knew at all…
Homegirls, and some of them we wish we never knew at all…

R&B goddess and hip-hop‘s ephemeral, ‘realest b*tch in the game’s’ take on Kanye West’s “Real Friends” puts a sweet, touching spin on the calming head-banger. With an instrumental beat characteristic of Kanye himself, as a producer; Badu raps and sings over a prominent 4-bar loop of the song to make a point about friends. The repeating hook (and even elements of the original song) have a very J Dilla or No I.D. feel in being different and unique, but still clearly hip-hop.

According to Badu, these days we use the word “friends” far too loosely and ambiguously which results in most of us having homeboys and homegirls that we wish we never knew at all. “Real Friends” are a problem that have plagued humans since existence. Who are our real friends? How do we feel when our so-called homeboys and homegirls turn out not to be our friends? In this Internet age, it’s common for us not to have any friends, except online or through social media, or to think we have friends then catch them slighting us on social media, or not having our back online.

Who do you consider your “friends”, your “real friends”, your “homeboys/girls”? A psychologist once told me that he thought we should do away with the word “friends” altogether. He claimed the increased rates of “falling out” with friends is due to our own high expectations we set for people who are our “friends”. When they don’t live up to these expectations we feel disappointed (if a friend doesn’t like and comment on ALL your posts, or is usually in tug with you everywhere but in one instance you can’t find them/count on them).

We have to remember that friends are simply that, friends. Of course some of us have certain friends we can count on more than others, but in general when we start placing them on pedestals or expect them to always have our back we being searching for and expecting someone who goes beyond a “friend”. Think about that as you go about your day.

Kanye West’s Original Song:

[New Music] [Future House/Electronic] Palastic – Side Note (feat. LissA)

New Future House from Palastic is a sure fire summer ’16 anthem, combining elements of bass and chill.


[Songs from Youtube, Courtesy of “La Belle Musique” Group]

Just in time for the spring/summer like weather (at least in the ATL), comes a fresh new Future-House track with plenty of bass, futuristic synths and female vocals reminiscent of Lana Del Rey, Rozes, or Wild Belle and the like. “Side Note” featuring LissA is a smooth ride into chilled out female vocals, that soon ramps up into the futuristic synth chords. What makes it shine above your average future-house track however is the high-quality vocals, as well as a moving, eargasmic melody played in the background (like by the piano/horns). This song is great for bumping in the whip or at home while melting into its hodge-podge of EDM’s pop side with Future House’s crescendoing melodies.

You can buy the song on iTunes here: Side Note (feat. LissA) – Palastic

Check out more and follow Palastic below:
Soundcloud
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

• Follow LissA •
Soundcloud
Facebook

You can also find more ambient, chill EDM and Future House on La Belle Musique’s Youtube channel.

[Post-Dubstep / Bass] Flux Pavilion & Matthew Koma – Emotional (Virtual Riot Remix) // [Smooth Beats from ‘Art in Melodies’ Collective:] KA-YU – Flowers & J-Mac – Morning Sunshine

Check out our selections today: a high energy post-dubstep track from Flux & Matthew Koma remixed by Virtual Riot. As well as some “Nujabes/J-Dilla” style mellow beats and flows from two of ‘Art in Melodies’ producers.


[Dubstep:] Flux Pavilion & Matthew Koma – Emotional (Virtual Riot Remix)

Length, it’s a pity
watching your pretty smile, so warm
And I am already half-way
out the door…

Check out this massively dope remix of Flux Pavilion and Matthew Koma’s “Emotional” remixed by Virtual Riot. The result is a high-energy, yet atmospherical vocal dubstep track with bass wobbles and Koma’s sped up vocals. A combination sure to get you emotional (Sorry, had to). You can download the track for free from its Soundcloud page and check out more from the artists and remixer.

Flux Pavillion
-One of the pioneers of today’s dubstep music, Joshua Steele a.k.a. Flux Pavilion has countless original tracks and remixes featuring the biggest names in EDM, such as Skrillex, Childish Gambino, Riff Raff, Yellow Claw and many more.
Flux Pavilion Soundcloud
Flux Pavilion Facebook
Flux Pavilion Twitter

Matthew Koma
–One of EDM’s most popular male vocalists, Matthew Koma has been featured with many artists in the electronic scene. He is most popularly known for his vocals in Zedd’s “Spectrum” and his work with Far East Movement on “Ain’t Coming Down”.

Matthew Koma Soundcloud
Matthew Koma Facebook
Matthew Koma Twitter

Virtual Riot
–German DJ and producer Virtual Riot is a popular rising DJ who had released several albums, EPs and remixes by the time he was 20 (in 2015), his songs have reached the top of Beatport’s EDM charts, he has over 200,000 subscribers on Youtube and over 120,000 followers on Soundcloud. This young producer is definitely one to look out for as with the momentum he is going, he is surely set to become a staple artist at EDM music fests and dance-rave tours growing increasingly popular in the US and Europe.

Virtual Riot Soundcloud
Virtual Riot Youtube

[Mellow Hip-Hop Beats:] KA-YU – Flowers

Next up is a very interesting instrumental track coming from beat producer KA-YU, “Flowers” is a calming joyride through hip-hop, latin flavored tropical beats and sounds. The result is a very chill track great for meditating or getting work done or to simply drift off into for some moments.

[Sophisticated Beats:] J-Mac – Morning Sunshine
[/embed]https://soundcloud.com/jemaque/morning-sunshine][/embed]

Producer J-Mac’s most recent track “Morning Sunshine” continues the chilled out vibe over smooth beats and vocals from our first post. Perfect for relaxing with a book in the sunlight, a picnic at a local park, or as the soundtrack to a posh art gallery, “Morning Sunshine” is calming, uplifting, jazzy and just downright sophisticated.

Dutch producers Ka-Yu & J-Mac’s sounds’ are very reminiscent of Nujabes, D’jango (some have said in comments), a little Dilla, or really any other insanely good beat producers. Take some time to mellow out to this beat and check out more from KA-YU and J-Mac below. Both artists hail from the Art in Melodies Collective group of DJs and producers.

Beats by Ka-Yu Soundcloud
Ka-Yu’s Facebook
Beats by Ka-Yu’s Twitter

J-Mac Soundcloud
J-Mac Facebook
J-Mac Instagram
J-Mac Twitter

[New Fetty Wap:] [Hip-Hop] [ Meme Crazes] Fetty Wap – Jimmy Choo (Slim Thick With Yo Cute Ass)

Fetty Wap’s “Jimmy CHoo” has sparked a new internet meme incorporating the “Slim Thick” line of the song.


[Hip-Hop/Rap] Fetty Wap – Jimmy Choo

Everything designer, it’s designer things
all this f*ckin’ money bring the finer things

Ay, slim thick wit yo cute ass
Ay, I might buy you a new bag

Fetty Wap has been a force to be reckoned with in the music circuit, and his latest single “Jimmy Choo” is no exception. With a simplistic synth/gameboy beat and heavy bassline the song makes for a perfect singing-rap blend, but a potent dance number as well.

So well the song has already inspired numerous Vine and Internet Meme videos, mainly with people dancing to the “slim thick with yo cute ass” line then proceeding to hit em wit da old folks. Check it out in some of the vines below for some laughs and good times and even teachers hitting the new “Slim Thick” dance:

[Throwback Hip-Hop Jams:] Kanye West – Slow Jamz (ft. Twista & Jamie Foxx) // KiD CuDi – Pillow Talk & Cleveland is the Reason

We explore some classic throwback rap from the mid-00s to 10s featuring Kid Cudi and Kanye West.


Throwback Jamz [Hip-Hop]
Slow Jamz – Kanye West feat. Twista & Jamie Foxx

She say she want some Marvin Gaye,
some Luther Vandross, a little Anita
will definitely set this party of right!
Say she want some Ready For the World…

[Chill Hip-Hop]
Pillow Talk – KiD CuDi

So don’t be shy, I ain’t going nowhere, I’m here for the night
So move closer, bring your body to mine, let me hold you right
Don’t be mad, I ain’t going nowhere, I’mma sleep here by your side

[Check out more similar-sounding songs from both artists at the bottom of this page]

In today’s Throwback Jams post we’ll be revisiting two classic hip-hop/rap tracks from two of the most influential names in current hip-hop music. The first is the timeless classic and one of media mogul, Kanye West‘s breakout singles “Slow Jamz” with back-up from the none-other than legendary performers Twista and Jamie Foxx.

This soulful staple of the genre samples the iconic Luther Vandross’ “A House is Not a Home”. Twista delivers sonically pleasing, rapidly spoken verses, characteristic of his masterful lyrical delivery on “Overnight Celebrity” which came out around the same time. Jamie Foxx channels R&B legends of the past with his back, and foreground singing. Slow Jamz – 5/5

Next up from none other than the “Moon Man” himself, one of his more mellow and chilled-out tracks, but nonetheless an aural masterpiece. Kid Cudi’s “Pillow Talk” exemplifies everything that was right about the “more than just different” rapper out of Shaker Heights, Ohio who came across as that “weird kid in high school who was also talented.” The song features dreamy soundscapes and vocals mixed with playful, hip lyrics (I know you think I’m shady, but….I ain’t gon’ fuckin’ bounce, fuckin’ bounce). Check it out and relax with some of the spacey music Cudi is well known for.

Ever since the first Cudi song I heard, “Heaven At Nite” through a friend of mine, I knew Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi in the real world) was going to soon be a household name. In fact, coincidentally, a girl I met at a bar here in Atlanta a few weeks back from Ohio tole me she went to Shaker Heights High School with Cudi, was in the same class year and even attended a few parties that he was at.

This source found out of pure serendipity, told me that Mescudi rolled with a big group of friends back then, and most kids at the school thought he was cool. Mescudi was labeled weird and a “stoner kid” in those days.

“Everyone knew that Scotty smoked, in fact him and his friends would always try to get me [and my girls] to come smoke with them…I knew he rapped and did music but never imagined he’d be famous” -Gina

Kid Cudi – Cleveland is the Reason

Little Brother – I See Now (feat. Kanye West)

Kid Cudi – Just What I Am (ft. King Chip)