The Roots Jam is back, for 2 dates in November only (11/10 + 11/17), so get those tix now! In addition to the usual slew of surprise guests, we've got a special performance set up from Nneka, a Nigerian-German hip-hop/soul singer and songwriter relatively new to the U.S., and new to our eardrums. She has quickly managed to capture our attention as a new OKP fave. If you haven't yet heard of this young rising talent, listen to "The Uncomfortable Truth" below for a taste. Stay tuned for her first U.S. release, out this February, entitled Concrete Jungle. After the jump catch the Roots Jam flyer, along with all of Nneka's upcoming tour dates.
So word is already out about Bilal's new album slated for an early 2010 release. Today, we have some footage of Bilal performing a new song that may appear on the LP. The song is entitled "Levels." The clip was captured at the recent Plug Research/Vtech CMJ showcase (we'll be milking content from this one for a minute). Enjoy "Levels," and be on the lookout for more new music form Bilal in the coming months. Video shot by B+ and Eric Coleman.
Kam Moye's (aka Supastition) album, Splitting Image, is in stores now. Here is the first video off the LP, "Let's Be Honest." In describing the song Kam had this to say: "The song was inspired by a quote that I read once which said 'happiness isn't having what you want, it's wanting what you have.' That's my perspective in life on everything from family to my career. It's not settling, but sometimes you gotta just accept that maybe it wasn't meant for you to have what everyone else has... It's cool to dream but not to the point where you don't take notice of how good you have it already to just be alive." Truer words were never said. Video directed by Matt Koza.
The Saga continues, here's the second Wu-Massacre trailer video. As we mentioned before, these trailers are in anticipation for the upcoming Method Man x Ghostface x Raekwon album (12/22). There's one more trailer left. In case the reference went over your head, the vids are inspired by the movie Se7en. Video directed by Rik Cordero.
You've already seen The Roots latest video "How I Got Over," and come up with your own interpretations of the visuals. Now go behind the scenes with Black Thought, ?uestlove, Dice Raw, and BBGUN, live from Bushwick Brooklyn where the vid was shot. Watch as they bring the video to life and give us commentary on the elements you see in the final product. How I Got Over is currently slated for a February 2010 release.
The homie Emilio Rojas' new mixtape, The Natural, is still on the way, and should be out at some point next week. Here's another leak from the project, the DJ Green Lantern produced joint, "Piano Bounce."
Emilio Rojas"Piano Bounce (prod. DJ Green Lantern)" >>>Download
Last month we gave you Current TV's embedded feature on Mos Def in Japan. This month we travel across the U.S. with Common for his promo tour. Watch as they travel from radio shows to record store signings, and of course, to the stage. They travel to Com's old neighborhood in Chicago, where he explains how Barack Obama has raised the bar for all of hip-hop. Mos Def, Pharrell, and Will.i.am also speak on why they believe Common is one of the best in the game.
Last night, Janelle Monae crossed the pond for her first ever live performance in London. Watch the above as she moves the crowd with her rendition of "Smile," the classic song made famous by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Nat King Cole, and more recently the late Michael Jackson. Props to Soul Culture for the vid.
I was waiting for some better quality footage to turn up, and here we have it, a HQ video recap of Jay Electronica's secret show at Santos Party House NYC this past Tuesday (vid shot by Adam Saewitz). In other Jay Elec news, apparently he has joined forces with Mos Def and fellow N.O. emcee Curren$y to form the group, Center Edge Territory. They are supposedly 6 tracks deep into the project, but have no set plans as to when the full-length album will drop. Watch as Curren$y speaks on the project after the jump.
The Red Bull Big Tune Final ended with a bang this year, once again. Unfortunately I didn't get to see it this year since it was in ATL, but this looks to be one of the highlights of the night. Here is a friendly beat battle between The Alchemist and Just Blaze. Both of these dudes have hits for days, and they show you just how deep their crates are with this battle. Very different sounds/styles, but they're both legendary status behind the boards in their own right.
