Acid

Since Chance The Rapper dropped Acid Rap last week I've been thrashing it harder than a pubescant teenager. Given that it's his first studio release it's a phenomenal effort, but it's a peculiar record in that part of the reason why it's good is because Chance, with his humility, sharp-wit and self-deprecation, is a likeable character, something rare in the world of hip hop. You can get it here.     DD

Early Morning

Drake ~ 5AM In Toronto from OctobersVeryOwn on Vimeo.

In case you were ever wondering what goes on at 5am in Toronto we now know - all the homies get in the car and head to the beach volleyball court! TRU GHETTO STORIES.    DD

Still Broke

Check out the new clip from our very own Disco-Matt MC!   DD

Top 5 Albums of 2012

Ahh the Christmas holidays, that time of the year we care about those things we don't usually give a shit about at other times of the year, like turkey, our families and FAVOURITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR LISTS! Yes! Smell the mistletoe and git a fuckin' music list into ya! Here are Dinnertime Duke's top 5 albums of the year:

5. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Before this year I had never listened to much of the Dirty Projectors - from the outside their music seems fairly odd, so getting into them seemed like way too much effort, despite the fact that I got the sense I was missing out on something. It's therefore no coincidence that I lost my shit over what is supposed to be their most accessible album, and to be honest even this isn't particularly accessible. For me it took 3 or 4 listens and then it clicked - the counter-intuitive drums, weirdly placed electric guitars and kooky lyrics finally made sense. NOW IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

4. Jessie Ware - Devotion

This was my default go-to album of the year i.e. the album that I listened to when I didn't know what to listen to. A masterclass in soulful melodies and up to the minute production that belies her dance-hall roots. It doesn't really break any new ground, it's just written and put together better than any other neo-soul out there, which I suppose is a statement in itself - individuality and uniqueness isn't necessary about dying your hair pink and dancing around the desert, it's about following through with conviction. HASHTAG RICKY PONTING.

3. Action Bronson - Blue Chips

Some music you listen to because you can relate to it, some music you listen to because it's escapism. Blue Chips falls into the later, with Action Bronson's crude and lighthearted tales about New York city, tales of streets full of hookers and trannies, having sex with girls on their period, getting penis enlargement surgery and putting prostitutes in apple cider baths. Although you get the feeling that he's not exaggerating when he says he's given a prostitute an apple cider bath. The slap dash production from Party Supplies (sampling YouTube clips) suits Action Bronson's demeanour as he plays the part of the horny goofball. Most oddly memorable lyric: "Dealer bring the quarter through; Overfishing make the snapper less affordable." Gold.

2. Frank Ocean - channel Orange

It's not rare that issues in an artist's personal life influence how you process their music (re Rhianna), but it is rare that the particular personal life issue in play in relation to a male African American RnB artist is his coming out of the closet a week before the album's release. Which I suppose was a precursor for what was in store - an RnB album so far removed from any other RnB on the market in almost every respect. A thoughtful and insightful record, far away from the homogenised European dance music inspired RnB that populates the top 40. 

1. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

An album that has an overarching message and a structured narrative gets a massive gold sticker in my book. So good kid, m.A.A.d city, an album about the important role of family with a cautionary message about growing up with gangs, pretty much tickled my nuts in every way. This is far from the norm in an age where bite-sized singles rule (does anyone give a shit whether PSY has an album?) - the bar for something to be a concept album is now lower in that it needs only be more than a random collection of songs. The fact that an album with a message feels new and fresh says something about the quality of modern hip hop, and given that it's selling a fuckload of copies makes this the most significant major label rap album in a long time. Call Kweli because commercially viable conscious rap is back, y'all!

DD

The Mixtape

 

Our very own Disco-Matt MC today releases a mixtape, downloadable for free above. We hope you enjoy it - Merry Christmas y'all!

Danger

I like free shit so much that I've got one wallet that holds my money and another wallet that holds all my loyalty cards. So I'm pretty much sitting on a wet seat right now given that I've pissed my pants at the news that Katy B's new release, the Danger EP, is available for free. Legitimately free! Right Here! The only price you have to pay is that you have to put up with a verse from Iggy Azalea, although she is actually fairly tolerable here.    DD

Good Kid

If you haven't already gone out and listened to the new Kendrick Lamar album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, then you need to do so stat. I think history will look at this album as the Illmatic of our generation given that Kendrick is an anecdotal Nas style rapper telling a similar story about similar things - growing up with gangs, peer pressure, the importance of family, life in the hood. Real gangsters with familys, not the cartoon cut out gangsters you hear about in Snoop Dogg and to a certain extent Tupac songs.  DD

Mama Told Me

Sometime famous people meet and it's awesome.      DD