Cougar Microbes

For todays Weekend Videos here is some positive hip-hop courtesy of Jeff Spec & D-City. 

I think it is time to sit up and start paying attention to the Vancouver scene.

TRACKS:

Jeff Spec & D-City – Birds

At the start of the year we featured PackFM‘s relentless verbal assault entitled ‘Happy Days‘. The track, which sampled the American sitcom’s theme tune, had him reel of a list of everything he perceived was wrong with the modern hip hop industry.

The Brooklyn rapper is back with his ‘I Fucking Hate Rappers‘ LP and as you can guess by the title the subject of his wrath has not changed much.

The tracks are hard hitting and fresh and better sill, there isn’t a hint of autotune in sight!

Grab a copy of the album now through QN5

TRACKS:

PackFM – I Fucking Hate Rappers

Californian rapper The Letter P is taking a slightly left of centre approach to hip-hop. After being behind the scenes for many years the writer/producer/artist emerged in 2010 with a series of mixtape appearances.

As he gears up towards the release of his debut album ‘S.I.T.K.O.P (Sessions in the key of P)‘ he has let loose some tracks that serve to wet our appetite. Whilst ‘Brother‘ samples Cougar favourites Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, ‘Almost Famous‘ hints at what we will see on the album with The Letter P “playing” all the instruments with his mouth.

Keep your ears peeled for this one.

TRACKS:

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Brother

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip have been getting much Cougar love recently. Whether they are kicking ass at The Camden Crawl, making a statement on the British general elections or penning a poetry books the output is always of the highest standard.

New single ‘Sick Tonight‘, from the brilliant ‘The Logic of Chance’ album, is yet another socially conscious slice of hip-hop this time set over a bombastic drum and bass backdrop.

TRACKS:

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – Sick Tonight

Our friends over at Friedmylittlebrain already posted this a while back but this Busta Rhymes remix from France’s Wrong Man is sweet as fuck. The fact that “Woo Hah!”, with its crazy video, was the track that got me into Busta to begin with helps and this version sure packs some extra punch.

TRACKS:

Busta Rhymes – Woo hah! (Wrong Man Remix)

Seemingly not content with storming the hip-hop charts with his ‘The Logic Of Chance’ album Scroobius Pip released a book titled Poetry in (E)motion just last month. The book consists of fan artwork set to Pip‘s lyrics and is a great companion to the music whilst managing to stand on its own merits as a visual feast.

I’ve been taking the book with me on my tube journey’s for the past few weeks and the comic strips, graphics designs and inventive art pieces have literally brightened my day. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the lyrics to the fantastic ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill‘ in full graphic delight.

The book is available from Titan Books as well as all good online and offline bookstores.

TRACKS:

Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip – Get Better

A regular reader sent this video a few weeks ago featuring a global jam session by “8 people with 5 instruments originally from 4 Continents speaking 3 languages for 1 song“.

Las week I got “lost in my own neighbourhood purposefully walking in areas I had never explored before. This jam kept me company throughout bringing to mind the intelligent soulful rap of Common and even The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest.

Take an instantly recognizable theme tune from a hugely popular American sitcom, bastardize it with some killer beats and juxtapose the lot with a sneering vocal delivery.

That is exactly what PackFM achieves with his latest offering cunningly titled ‘Happy Days‘. In just over 3 minutes The Brooklyn rapper shows a socially conscious world view arguing that we are settling for mediocrity and labelling it as progress. His tirade is very much against the idea that this upcoming decade will somehow atone for the mess that came before it.

It is not always cheery but PackFM definitely packs a punch!

Get your hands on ‘Happy Days‘ through the QN5 blog.

TRACKS:

Pack FM – Happy Days (Hype Machine link)