The future of hip-hop is now and lives in Detroit. Put aside the claims that hip-hop is dead and focus your attention on the underground rap scene that is blowing up in Motor City. Black Milk, Detroit native and regarded by many as the heir to the J Dilla throne, has teamed up with Fat Ray on The Set Up LP. The latest track from the duo is “Bad Man” featuring Guilty Simpson and Scorpion. Taking a reggae-inspired hook and a potent snare-heavy Black Milk beat, the track rips through the speakers with unwavering energy. Lyrically, the song centers on the state of everyday life in the hood of Detroit, as Guilty Simpson rhymes, “You’d better have a vest in place, they still get tech 9’s in section 8 / Get low then let the gat spray, Detroit’s best like Milk and Fat Ray.” Not everything is serious though - Fat Ray shares his sense of humor when talking about other rappers with “They even mix gangsta with gospel / that’s like selling cocaine at a Costco.”
On “Take Control,” Fat Ray & Black Milk do what they do best: create catchy, well-written hip-hop that is cerebral and yet still rattles your trunk. Fat and Black take one turn each to lay down verses that illustrate the essence of their being; they’re committed to taking control of every facet of their music, from the business to the creative. First Black Milk spits, “From the rhymes to the styles and cadence to the noun and phrases / the way I amaze is major” and then Fat Ray follows up with, “Might as well face the facts we spit the crack / even Jay-Z had to Fade To Black…Milk that is/ till we filthy rich, better make room like 50’s crib.” Guest artist AB provides a soothing contrast on the hook that contrasts nicely with the rhymes of Fat Ray and Black Milk. Black Milk’s intricately composed beat contains layers of synthesizers that periodically build in intensity and then retreat to a more subdued state, making for a musical accompaniment that appropriately complements the emcees’ elaborate rhyme schemes.
Here is a collection of audio from in and around the interweb. Most of it is new. All of it is dope. Five tracks from five different artists including: Kooley High, Kidz In The Hall, Muja Messiah, Black Milk, and Bisc1. All the audio is after the jump.
02/19/08 - Drunk was the way of the walk. I started drinking back in Rhode Island (where this adventure started) just to calm my nerves. You would think having seen Akrobatik rock a show as many times as I have, that this event wouldn’t be as big a deal for me, but I have to say for some reason this show had me very excited. I have seen Akrobatik more times then I can count (or well at least remember), But if you factor in the new album, the new record label, the New York back drop and the team-up with Mr. Lif, Therapy and DJ JayCeeOh it adds up to a fanboy experience.
(Port Washington, New York) October 30, 2007 – KOCH Entertainment Distribution today announced that is has signed an exclusive physical and digital distribution deal with Brooklyn-based hip-hop label Fat Beats Records. Under this new agreement, KOCH is the exclusive physical and digital distributor of the label’s catalog and forthcoming releases in North America.
Here is the new Kidz In The Hall single, “Drivin’ Down The Block (Low End Theory)” from their forthcoming sophomore LP, The In Crowd, which will be released on April 28th 2008 by Duck Down / Major League. The In Crowd is entirely produced by Double-O and Naledge. The In Crowd will feature guest appearances from The Clipse, The Cool Kids, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, Travis of Gym Class Heros, Camp Lo, Sean Price, Buckshot, Masta Ace, Wale, The Pack, Phonte and Skyzoo.
