Hip-Hop On The Horizon

I've been in a sad indie/crazy dance music mood of late and I haven't been fucking with as much hip hop as I usually do. To make up for the absence, here's the lowdown on 4 upcoming projects I'm geeked for.


IDLE WARSHIP



Remember Res? She was a cool, talented, attractive, genre-bending musician before girls like M.I.A. and Santogold started lighting the blogosphere afire. Then she disappeared. Now, she's working on a comeback and has this cool side project going with perpetually underrated but always fantastic in collaboration MC Talib Kweli. It's a lot more fun than Kweli's usual fare, a mixture of dancey beats and twinges of the insight their old backpacker style is usually known for. They even team up with MC Chris for "Screamin" (if you haven't gotten a hold of MC Chris Is Dead then you clearly aren't trying hard enough and can no longer hang out with me. Yes, that is why I ignore you on facebook.)


Idle Warship - Pull It Out
Idle Warship - Fall Back
Idle Warship f. MC Chris - Screamin

COMMON



So, Common's got a new album coming out called Invincible Summer and the first leaked single features Pharrell doing his usual scat/singing and a fun Neptunes beat. Apparently, since Kanye is so busy with the Glow In The Dark tour, the album will be free of West beats, which is both a blessing and a curse. The last time Common released an album where he collaborated with The Neptunes, it was Electric Circus, an genre-bending, mindfuck of an album he is STILL apologizing for. I personally dug the album, but I wonder if he needs to take it back to outer space now that he's firmly ensconced himself into the mainstream.

Common f. Pharrell - Universal Mind Control

RAEKWON THE CHEF



I know alot of people thought that the big Wu comeback album 8 Diagrams wasn't fire enough, and I suppose they're right. After the hype, we all expected grimey, gutter beats that slapped us in the face like bloody sandpaper. Well, lucky us, RZA put away the "hip hop hippie" stylings Rae criticized him for and is coming back with that "tiger style" shit for us. This is probably because the emerging tracks from the eagerly anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II was started before 8 Diagrams. Either way, Tony Starks and Lex Diamonds are back with that street grit you love.


Raekwon f. Ghostface Killah - Necro
Raekwon f. Ghostface Killah - Jihad

THE COOL KIDS



Look, The Cool Kids fucking rock. You don't need my dilettante ass spewing some fake philosophical shit trying to over intellectualize the return of the boom bap. When their full length debut drops, I might even buy it. In a STORE! For now, cop your fixes.

The Cool Kids - Jingling
The Cool Kids - Stove Top Oven Fresh Baked Goods