Introducing Benjamin E, a hot new hip hop producer born and raised in San Diego, California. Utilizing a lush, sample-based aesthetic to weave raw, unadulterated Hip Hop instrumentals from grown-ass soul, gritty rock, and nostalgic pop culture, Benjamin E blesses us with his debut album Circa 83.
As an infant, the only thing that would sooth him were the funky space-age melodies of Earth, Wind and Fire. His parents recognized his affinity for music and bought him a Yamaha DJX keyboard. While studying art and graphic design at San Diego State University, he explored foreign film and expanded his musical palette to include everything from DJ Shadow and Company Flow, to Radiohead, Daft Punk and Nine Inch Nails. In the end, it was his love of Hip Hop that motivated Benjamin E to contribute his art to the culture.
On August 11, Benjamin E officially drops his debut album Circa 83 with the premier of the hypnotic, sex-soaked single “NewDrug”. Circa 83 is a conceptual beat-tape that takes the listener back to a time where quality and authenticity reigned supreme, and hip hop production was defined by innovative samples over old-fashioned breakbeats to create a sound that’s both retro and progressive.
If you like what you heard you can hear more and contact him at:
Check out the album Circa 83 at soundcloud.com/benjamin-e-1
Follow him at Twitter.com/ebenjaminm
Twista, Chi-Town’s expeditious wordsmith, visited the heart of New York City’s Midtown to celebrate! The occasion– the official release of the Tung Twista’s ninth studio album, Dark Horse.
The world-renowned, LQ New York, hosted the event. Boasting everything from Air Maxes to ascots, from Dom Perignon to Dancehall, an eclectic array of people came out to show their support to the the 22-year Hip-Hop veteran.
Fellow Chicagoan and Get Money Gang label-mate, Bandman Kevo, started the show with “Baller In Me.” Effortlessly melding the appreciated tracks that’s cemented his career, Twista delivered with tracks like “Kamikazee,” “Blood Rush,” ” “Is That Your *itch,” –Standing tall amid Biggie and Jay Z, Twista also captivates with R&B giants like Trey Songz and Chris Brown.
“Spit Yo Game,” Slow Jamz,” “Overnight Celebrity,” “Po Pimp,” and others encouraged nostalgic feelings of Twista’s accomplished creativity. New material like the Tech N9ne assisted, “Crisis,” “Beast,” and “6 Rings,” are sonic examples that Twista’s legacy will be enjoyed for years to come. Dark Horse is now available!
(AllHipHop Features) Rene Brown’s journey to becoming a buzzing emcee started 7,000 miles away. While serving in Afghanistan, she used a pair of headphones and a computer software program to record her first song – a track called “Home.”
Brown decided to upload “Home” to Myspace, and the positive feedback pushed her to continue writing and recording more music. Once she finished her four-year commitment to the military, the Mississippi native moved to Los Angeles, studied audio engineering, and dived head first into her career as a rapper.
That drive eventually led to an opening slot on Schoolboy Q’s “Oxymoron World Tour,” sharing a bill with the Black Hippy member, Isaiah Rashad, Vince Staples, and Audio Push. She was the only unsigned artist featured on her leg of the tour.
Brown has complimented that accomplishment with the release of her debut EP Keep To Myself. The 7-track project was produced entirely by Atlanta’s Tommy Ross and displays the young rapper’s ability to translate her personal reflections into lyrical expression.
AllHipHop.com caught up with Rene Brown to discuss her new project, working with Ross, and what dreams she hopes to live out.
Rene Brown + Schoolboy Q (via Instagram)
What attracted you to the art of rap? What made you decide this was something you wanted to pursue professionally?
It didn’t start off wanting a career in rap music. I just started writing poetry when I was 10 – just writing everything I was going through. I grew up in Jackson. I was a mixed kid. I went through a lot of racism, so I was kind of angry growing up.
I would listen to 2Pac, Eminem, and DMX. Then when I got to junior high and high school I would freestyle in the cafeteria. I never actually recorded anything. It was just writing and rapping.
Then when I went to Afghanistan – obviously I was there for a long ass time – I realized I could record on my Hype headset. Someone taught me how to use this program called ACID Pro to do beats. I just started recording tracks there. It’s kind of been like a built love.
I don’t think I consciously said, “I want to be a rapper.” It just happened like that. I just think in the last year I said, “I want to be a rapper.” But I’ve always loved music and rapping.
Did your experience in the military affect you as an artist?
I think it definitely did. If you listen to my music, I have military references. They’re not too heavy, but I think it influences me a lot. I think it made me the artist that I am today. It played a very big part in it.
You have a close working relationship with producer Tommy Ross. How did that connection happen?
I met him in Atlanta late last year. I flew out there to meet with a publishing company, and I hooked up with a group called ILLClinton. We knocked out a track with Tommy Ross, and then I started working on the EP when I got back from the U.K. part of the tour.
I had been working on it for about a month. I had different producers on it, but the sound wasn’t coming together for me. It didn’t sound cohesive. So I hit up Tommy, and he said he was down to knock it out. I took a last minute flight to his place. We worked for about two days straight. We started over and knocked out the whole EP in two days. It all came together really dope.
Your EP is titled “Keep To Myself.” What inspired that title? Do you consider yourself to be an introvert?
I definitely do. I think just in the past year getting out there with my music has made me a little bit more social. The military kind of made me a little anti-social. So in my personal life I definitely keep to myself.
I felt [the title] summed me up as a person, as an artist even. You see my EP, there’s only one producer on there. It’s like I keep to myself, and I only mess with a couple of people here and there.
There was one particular track on the project that stood out for me. That was “Chasing Dreams.” What would you say is the biggest dream you have for your career and your life in general?
I guess as a whole my dreams consist of a lot of components. But I would say being signed is part of my dream. Bigger picture – winning a Grammy. Just taking care of my family honestly. You know, retire my mom and just basically being successful.
Keep To Myself is available for purchase on iTunes.
Here is the title cut from Common’s album Nobody’s Smiling. This is a grittier verision other than the Jhene Aiko version with a dope spoken word from Malik Yusef included.
Statik Selektah enlists Bun B, Pos of De La Soul and Jared Evan for his latest track, “God Knows”, off his upcoming album, What Goes Around out 8-19-14.
(AllHipHop News) The time will be Illmatic for a bit longer. Earlier today (August 12th) Nas announced the fall tour dates for his Illmatic tour.
On the Illmatic tour, Nas will screen his Time Is Illmatic documentary before every show and follow it with a performance of his debut album in its entirety. The film will open the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on October 1st and be available on iTunes October 3rd.
Check out the tour dates below:
Oct. 2 – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armony*
Oct. 3 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
Oct. 4 – Washington D.C. – Lincoln Theatre (Matinee)
Oct. 5 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
Oct. 8 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Oct. 9 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
Oct. 10 – Hammond, IN – Horseshoe
Oct. 11 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre*
Oct. 12 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
Oct. 15 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
Oct. 16 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Oct. 17 – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas*
Oct. 18 – Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 19 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
(AllHipHop News) The Federal Bureau Investigation have opened an investigation into possible civil rights violations in the fatal shooting of 18 year old Michael Brown by a St. Louis County police officer in Ferguson, MO.
Unarmed Michael Brown was shot multiple times by an unidentified officer last Saturday (August 9th). The FBI annouced they began the investigation yesterday (August 11th) and according to the spokeswoman of their St. Louis field office, Cheryl Mimura announced that “regardless of the media attention or the public’s attention to this matter, this is something that [the FBI] would routinely do.”
Conflicting reports arose in regards to the details of the incident. Police officials stated that a physical confrontation between Brown and an officer inside a police car and the street. According to Dorian Johnson, friend of Brown whom stated he was with Brown during the incident told WALB-TV that the police officer shot Brown after he and Brown ran away from a warning gun shot from the officer. According to Johnson, he and Brown were informed by the police officers to get off the road while walking back from a convenience store and the warning shot came after the two of them refused to comply.
Sunday night (August 12th) 32 people were arrested in connection to the looting of 12 stores.
St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar announced at a news conference that the FBI’s investigation “will run parallel” to their
Hip Hop has always been one of the hardest genres to experiment and break boundaries. Although we’ve seen several forms of the art, don’t let it fool you, there’s always some form of negation. Albums like Yeezus has solidified the new wave of experimenting in the genre, adding a new form of sound that’s never been heard.
Once again, those boundaries are once again broken, this time being by the alternative act, Shabazz Palaces. The Seattle-based duo is comprised of former emcee from Digable Planets, Butterfly (now Palaceer Lazaro), with Tendai “Baba” Maraire serving as the group’s instrumentalist. Together, the two artists give you an all new way of listening to Hip-Hop, the Palaces are also considered one of the groups to look out for during Afropunk Fest’ 14. It’s been three years since their first two Eps and debut album Black Up released, but their sound has been deeply appreciated by both critics and music lovers alike. Now, the Palaces have released their new project Lese Majesty, and just like their last projects, listeners will hear something oddly new, and will love every bit of it.
The production is the standout factor of Lese Majesty. Shabazz Palaces were very experimental when making the album, and the effects bring a fresh and innovative style to Hip Hop. Beats are bass-heavy, yet smooth and modified with synths and distortion to create more of a futuristic sound. This spaced out production might not be for all ears, unfortunately, but the quality and effort off Lese Majesty’s instrumentals are eerie, yet cool. One of the best songs to illustrate this is the second track off of the album “Forerunner Foray”; the bass hits hard to create a mellow boom bap sound, while the continuous synths fill the atmosphere to give the song a sci-fi feeling. The production of Lese Majesty takes the lead role of the album, using it’s weird instrumentals as a form of art instead of the verses.
Shabazz Palaces’ rhymes of Lese Majesty might take a backseat to the production of the project. But, when truly showcased with the beats, they fit well in a way only Palaceer Lazaro can do it. Within the verses lies deep rhymes intertwined through different perspectives. Whether Palaceer is rhyming about the contradictions and shortcomings of crime in “Motion Sickness”, or giving you a short love ballad in “Noetic Noiromantics”, there is a message that lies within the lyrics. This may be a bit difficult to understand at the very first listen, but verses in Lese Majesty serves as a puzzle that dares you to solves through multiple listens.
Lese Majesty is not for everyone, it’s futuristic instrumentals and distorted verses may be too much for simple listeners. However, this project is a high-brow piece of art, taking a further step into the what Hip Hop could be in the near future. Is it catchy? Are the beats simple enough to understand and bump on the radio? Hell no, but that’s the beauty of Lese Majesty. It’s original and refuses to go the route of abandoning its artistic sound to serve as a commercial success. Be prepared to listen Lese Majesty, because it can be really easy to see it as an oddly made album instead of true experimentation.
Protests have erupted following the fatal shooting of Missouri teen Michael Brown last Saturday, as he walked through a St. Louis neighborhood from a routine trip to the store. Instead his grandmother discovered his body sprawled out in the street, where it remained for more than four hours uncovered after he was fatally gunned down by a police officer.
While initial reports indicated that the authorities may have been called in connection with an alleged shoplifting that occurred at the store that Brown frequented that afternoon, this was later proven to be false.
Details are still emerging as to what exactly transpired in the moments leading up to the altercation, though witnesses have advised that the teen was neither armed nor resisting at the time he was gunned down; calling into question the force used by the officer, who has since been placed on administrative leave. Early reports have also indicated that the teen, who was slated to begin college on Monday, had his arms were held high prior to being shot 10 times.
The body of Mike Brown was uncovered in the street for hours.
Racial tensions have since soared within Ferguson, a suburban area of St. Louis of roughly 21,000 residents, as the community struggles to comprehend the death of yet another Black youth, in a disturbing trend that has been seen throughout the nation.
The credibility of the Ferguson Police Department has also been called into question, as a report highlighting the blatant disproportion in arrests and stops between white and Black residents became available to the public.
As protestors convened in the area of the shooting yesterday evening, they were met with canine force and authorities already dressed in riot gear, which foreshadowed the actual riot that ensued last night.
Riding high off the Young Thug assisted “Try Me,” ABN Frontman and Grand Hustle soldier Trae Tha Truth successfully pulled off another installment of his annual “Trae Day” community event.Granted his own day in Houston due to his immense charitable deeds, the first artist in the city to be given one; each July 22nd he provides free carnival/animal rides, school supplies and immunizations.He also brought along some friends, as attendees were treated to appearances and performances from T.I., B.o.B., Ty Dolla $ign, Young Dro, Lil Bibby and Houston heroes Bun B, Lil KeKe, Chamilionaire and more.
In case you missed it:
view some pictures with Trea, T.I. and Chamillionare
Musical connections between different regions can be hard to see at times, yet there is an unofficial bridge between Milwaukee and Memphis.
The son of Milwaukee artist F1 Diamond, emcee Wave Chapelle has crossed that same bridge himself; relocating to Memphis to gain more industry knowledge from his father.
Quickly making a name for himself, Wave would eventually catch the ear of Yo Gotti who would then sign him to his Collective Music Group.
Currently on the road for the “The Drive in Theater Tour,” Wave took the time to speak with us about his It’ll All Make Sense Soon project, life on tour with Curren$y and his next steps.
AllHipHop: You recently signed with Gotti’s Collective Music Group, what insight or industry knowledge do you think you gained?
Wave Chapelle: I’m learning the actual business of the industry. I don’t think that Gotti gets enough credit on how business minded he is. He allows me to just remain myself. Our music is totally different from each other but that doesn’t mean that I have to change it.
AllHipHop: You’ve gotten great reviews from your features on CMG’s Chapter 1 mixtape and other projects, what kind of responses have you received?
Wave Chapelle: People liked the artistry and time that I put into it and appreciated it. Other people didn’t care to listen to it since they couldn’t bounce and dance to it. [laughs]
AllHipHop: You definitely make music beyond just club tracks, how would you describe your sound and do you feel like you’ll be forced to change it in any way down the line?
Wave Chapelle: I would describe my music as authentic, I’m just the realest. I make music for everyday people. There’s no fiction in my music, I rap for the people that go to school and go to work every day.
AllHipHop: What do you feel is a common misconception that people have about you?
Wave Chapelle: I would say that there’s more substance to my image. They see the bandana, the grill and some people want to put a concept in their mind of what I really am, but there’s more to me. The music is a lot more substance.
AllHipHop: You’re currently getting ready to release your debut project It’ll All Make Sense, any special meaning behind the name?
Wave Chapelle: Everyone had a bunch of questions and was just curious about everything. [laughs] So that’s why I named it It’ll All Make Sense, because once you hear the music, it’ll speak for itself.
AllHipHop: And what singles or features should we especially look out for?
Wave Chapelle: If I had to choose a must hear I would say “Let Me Be Great.” I’ll also have some features from Curren$y, Lil Dirk and more.
AllHipHop: You’re currently on the “Drive in Theatre Tour” with Curren$y; how has that experience been for you?
Wave Chapelle: It’s been great; touring is everything that I dreamed about since I was a little kid. I love touring, going around and touching the fans and just getting everyone familiar. I pay attention to everything that he [Curren$y] does on stage. Curren$y is a good example of sticking to yourself. If you look at his fan base, even if he’s not on the radio, you go to his shows they’re sold out. Goes to show that if you stick to what you do it can work out.
AllHipHop: With all that you have going on, what else can we expect to see from you?
Wave Chapelle: I recently got a chance to perform at Summer Fest back home in Milwaukee, which is one of the biggest events each year. I’m also working on a bunch of clothing designs, just being creative with it. But I wouldn’t call myself a legit designer or anything right now. Music wise, I’m probably going to do one more mixtape after this, and then going to do an album.
(AllHipHp News) Straight Outts ta Compton got a scary encounter with its source material. According to reports, gunfire erupted near the set of the N.W.A. biopic filming in Los Angeles last week.
Filming for Straight Outta Compton was scheduled to begin early August and TMZ reports that filming outside the Compton Courthouse was the scene of gunfire. Allegedly a man not attached to the filming of the biopic flashed gang signs at a passing car.
The incident has not yet been attributed to gang related activities by the Los Angeles Police Department.
