Friday, December 24, 2004
Christmas Eve Late Edition
ipod my photos - I think this one already did the rounds a couple weeks ago, right?
Into the Storm - "Everything Style Magazines Forgot to Tell You...." (ITS volume 2 link)
Kasabian - more UK hype or the return of the "Madchester" era (this time via erm... Leicester)?
Here's a trial run of something I may try more of in the new year: guest reviews or posts. This review of the Zion I mixtape album that dropped a couple months ago was done by my homegirl Marielle of Rapstation.com and Slam Jamz. Check out more of her interviews and other writing here. If you're interested in being a part of this, hit me at the email address link above in the sidebar so we can chop it up. Shout out to my peoples Zion and Amp who I know from way back in the day.
_________________________________________________________________________________Still doing some last minute shopping? Don't forget to Buy Blue or to consult Choose the Blue when making those final present selections.
Zion I – Family Business, the mixtape (Live Up)
I got put up on the popularity of underground crew Zion I in the Bay area by Paris when I interviewed him for Rapstation.com. Since getting a review copy of their recently-released Family Business mixtape I've been playing it daily. This interlude between official Zion I albums is a preview of the hip hop heat we can expect from their forthcoming third LP, True & Livin’, due next Spring.
Family Business blends hot beats and a return to the old school art of real MCing. The members of Zion I - Zion, Amp Live, Deuce Eclipse, and Big Cleesy - are joined by featured guests like Vast Aire, A-plus, Pep Love, Encore, C Rayz Walz, Raashan Ahmad of Crown City Rockers, an impressive new female MC named Miss Marianna as well as Blackalicious who make a special appearance shout out at the end of "Radius (feat. Deuce Eclpise)" and Lyrics Born on the “Silly Puddy” remix. Amp Live, Zion I's in-house track master, holds down the production throughout especially on stand-out tracks like “Oxygen” and "Killa Cali," the aforementioned "Radius," and "Family Business."
Unlike the “bling pimp bullsh-t” we normally hear on the radio, this collection of tracks are socially poignant and have beats hard enough to resonate at any party. Even a hip hop head like me from the BX, the birthplace of this culture and movement, felt like the Zion I crew represented the Left Coast admirably on this release and look forward to hearing more from them in the future.
For more info on Zion I click their website: www.zionicrew.com. Family Buinsess is available to buy at hiphopsite.com.
-- Marielle V. Turner is Virtual A&R for Slamjamz.com and contributing writer for Rapstation.com.
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Happy Holidays y'all. I'll be getting my garlic pork on tomorrow morning (it's a Guyanese Christmas thing, you wouldn't understand) and will probably take a little time off from active posting over the next few days. In the meantime though, let me leave you with the greatest hip hop Christmas song of all time:
Run DMC "Christmas in Hollis" Real Video | WMA
