VIDEO: DRIQUE LONDON FEAT. KING MEZ AND TAB-ONE----"THE CYPHER"

Drique London (@DriqueLondon) has been bubbling below the surface of the NC Hip Hop underground for a few years now, steadily building a faithful following, as well as carrying on a tradition of gritty, soulful sounds championed by Little Brother.  Combining elements of New York dopeness with Southern hospitality (so to speak), Drique London (Madrique Sanders to the unknowing) has taken that fast last down Interstate 40, driving home the notion that Southern emcees don't always spit tall tales of "ridin' 'round and gittin' it" on a regular basis.  On the song "The Cypher", London is joined by like-minded Carolina artists King Mez and Tab-One, creating a joint that is first-rate, in-depth, and definitely dope.  This 2011 offering is from the proper album debut The Manual.  Visit http://driquelondon.blogspot.com/ for more insight into this budding lyricist that is poised to make even more noise in 2013 and beyond.  Follow Drique London on Twitter:  @DriqueLondon.

 

 

 

MIXTAPE: "THE DILLAQUARIUM MIXTAPE-2013"----DARRYL REEVES

Once I caught wind of this amazing joint on Okayplayer by fellow OKP Darryl Reeves (www.darrylreeves.com), it became quite evident that others that don't patrol or lurk should also witness this dope musical concoction.  If you don't already know by now, I'm the ultimate Dilla head, be it his SV productions or left-of-center Donuts offerings.  So it should come as no surprise that I'm shining a little bit of Wisdom Seeker on "The Dillaquarium Mixtape 2013", a twenty-six minute, twenty-three second melding of known and obscure James Yancey joints.  Mr. Reeves does a masterful job of bringing the live instrumentation to the forefront with this mixtape.  Joined by Kenny Banks, Jr. on keyboards, Kenton Bostick on drums, and Joel Powell on bass, DR brings the dusty sample spirit of J Dilla alive, using his saxophone as a catalyst for the project.  Dilla's fingerprint is all over this 2013 masterpiece, from the off-beat time signatures to the obscure soundscapes used to paint aural Motown pictures for the rest of the world to witness.  Hopefully I will get that opportunity to chop it up with my OKP brethren down the road.  In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy this treat.  Download and add to your collection of Hip Hop off the beaten path (pun intended).  Darryl Reeves and company, salute!

https://soundcloud.com/#darrylreeves/sets/darryl-reeves-dillaquarium

TRACKLIST:

1. Fantastic
2. Donut Man
3. Dreamy
4. She Said
5. Upper Egypt
6. Makin' Me Itch
7. Star of Detroit

VIDEO: SLEEPY BROWN FEAT. BIG RUBE---"CHOOSEN"

Patrick Brown, the son of Jimmy Brown from 70's funk outfit Brick, is better known to the Hip Hop world as Sleepy Brown.  He is the son of a Brick, but he doesn't know how to lay one, that's for sure.  With his deep dedication to that Dungeon Family/Organized Noize sound that I love with a passion, he makes sure to not stray too far from his sonic signature, written with an aural ATL pen.  Check the catalog, be it solo and collectively, and Sleepy Brown doesn't disappoint.  With his Society Of Soul cohort Big Rube, another dope and highly slept on artist in his own right, you have the continuation of the artistry.  "Choosen" starts with Big Rube spittin' that ATL fire (or as they say, fiyah), delivering more truth and bravado than any contemporary cat riding high on the charts that I mostly ignore.  If there is any one individual that has influenced me from a urban, poetic standpoint, it has to be Big Rube.  With a penchant for penning some of the most profound Hip Hop adjectives and pronouns anywhere within earshot, he drops another poetic gem that illuminates the notion that DF is "Dat Family".  Anyway, before I digress any further, view the visuals brought to light by Video Rahim.  As usual, Okayplayer is ahead of the curve when it comes to bringing that avant-garde before the followers catch wind of it.  The new Sleepy Brown EP ATL = A Town Legend can be found on iTunes.

 

 

 

Follow these classic artists on Twitter:

 

@sleepybrownatl

@BigRube

 

One Love, Two Respect, Three Peace!

PURPLE REIGN EPISTLE

3:20AM, EARLY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY MORNING.  I CAN'T SLEEP.  ADRENALINE HAS ME AMPED LIKE I'M GOING ON THE VAUNTED SUPERDOME FIELD AT 6:30PM, READY TO DO MY PART FOR THE BIGGEST GAME IN BALTIMORE SPORTS HISTORY.  THIS IS NOT AN OVERSTATEMENT.  1983, THE LAST TIME MY BELOVED, YET MALIGNED, ORIOLES WON THE WORLD SERIES, WAS A GREAT TIME.  2001, WHEN THE PURPLE AND BLACK TOOK THE FIELD TO SECURE A CONVINCING VICTORY IN SUPER BOWL XXXV, WAS THE PINNACLE AT THE TIME.  I'M PRETTY SURE OTHER BALTIMORE HALLMARK GAMES COME TO MIND FOR CASUAL AND SERIOUS FANS ALIKE.  HOWEVER, THE ENERGY AND SIGNIFICANCE BEHIND THIS SAN FRANCISCO 49'ERS AND BALTIMORE RAVENS GAME IS UNPARALLELED.  I HAVE NEVER WITNESSED THIS VIBE SURROUNDING A SINGULAR GAME IN MY 40-PLUS YEARS OF EXISTENCE.  IT'S 3:35AM, LISTENING TO THIS VERY DOPE "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD---THE PREQUEL" JOINT BY MY GRAY MATTER BRETHREN DJ AWETHENTIC, AND I'M IN A ZONE THAT CAN'T BE DESCRIBED.  NOT A ZONE AIDED BY ILLEGAL PARAPHENALIA OR ALCOHOLIC CONCOCTIONS, BUT AN SECTOR OF EXISTENCE I CAN'T QUITE PUT INTO WORDS.  THIS IS A TIME THAT I'M RELISHING, BECAUSE IT WILL NEVER BE CAPTURED AGAIN.  RAY LEWIS WILL NEVER TAKE THE FIELD AS A RAVENS PLAYER AGAIN.  JOE FLACCO WILL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW THAT HE INDEED IS THE FRANCHISE QUARTERBACK THAT HAS LED OUR TEAM ON A MISSION DURING THIS SPECIAL SEASON.  ED REED WILL WALK ON THE FIELD OF DREAMS IN NEW ORLEANS AS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS TO EVER LIVE, READY TO UNVEIL TO THE WORLD WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW.  RAY RICE WILL SHOWCASE A HEART THAT IS MUCH LARGER THAN HIS STATURE.  PAUL KRUGER WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE HIDDEN GEMS ON A DEFENSE THAT HAS BEEN CRITICIZED UNFAIRLY FOR MUCH OF THE SEASON.  HALOTI NGATA WILL PLAY LIKE A MAN POSSESSED.  TERRELL SUGGS WILL TOSS PAIN TO THE WAYSIDE IN ORDER TO GIVE 110% TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT REVERES HIS WEALTH OF TALENT.  TORREY SMITH WILL ELEVATE HIS PERFORMANCE TO ANOTHER LEVEL, AGAIN, WHEN THE INTENSE PRESSURE IS THRUST UPON HIM.  ANQUAN BOLDIN WILL PROVE A TOUGHNESS THAT CAN'T BE TAUGHT OR INSTRUCTED.  I CAN GO ON AND ON WITH THIS ENTIRE ROSTER, BUT I WON'T.  I WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL KICKOFF, WHEN TWO MIRROR IMAGES PLAY FOR HISTORY, FOR IMMORTALITY, FOR POSTERITY, FOR THE LOMBARDI TROPHY.  I WISH SAN FRAN MUCH LUCK IN THE BATTLE, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE MOST DESERVING OF TEAMS.  OUTSIDE OF BALTIMOREANS, MOST DIDN'T THINK THAT BALTIMORE WOULD MAKE IT TO THIS LEVEL.  ADVERSITY AND NAYSAYERS ACTUALLY FUELED THIS DRIVE TO THE SUPER BOWL.  KEY INJURIES TO LEWIS, SUGGS, AND WEBB.  THE DEATH OF SMITH'S BROTHER.  THE PASSING OF ART MODELL.  CONTINUED CRITICISM THROWN AT FLACCO'S WAY.  I CAN GO ON AND ON.  THIS TEAM DEFIED ODDS AND MADE OUT EVEN BY JUST GETTING TO THIS POINT.  THEY ARE NOT CONTENT THOUGH WITH JUST BEING IN THE SUPER BOWL.  THEY WANT TO FINISH ON THE HIGHEST OF NOTES, WITH A HARD-FOUGHT TEAM VICTORY SHARED BY ALL, FROM COACH HARBAUGH TO OZZIE NEWSOME AND EVERYONE IN BETWEEN.  HOPEFULLY, AT GAME'S END, RAY LEWIS WILL HOIST THE TROPHY WITH HIS TEAMMATES, AND GET THAT OPPORTUNITY THAT ELUDED HIM MORE THAN A DECADE AGO, TO SAY THAT HE IS "GOING TO DISNEYLAND".

4:01AM, AND I'M READY TO REST FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE WORK.  TO MY B-MORE CREW, ENJOY THIS TIME TO THE FULLEST.  THIS JOURNEY THAT OUR TEAM HAS TAKEN SHOULD SERVE AS A LESSON FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.  NO MATTER THE ADVERSITY THROWN YOUR WAY, USE IT AS A STEPPING STONE.  YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHEN THOSE METAPHORICAL TRIALS WILL BE TURNED INTO TRIUMPHS.  WIN OR LOSE, THERE IS NOTHING BUT VICTORY LATER THIS EVENING, AND GOING FORWARD INTO THE NEAR AND DISTANT FUTURE.  FROM THE DARK CLOUDS YOU WILL GET THAT "PURPLE REIGN".

PEACE AND VICTORY,

WISDOM

NEW MUSIC: ROME CEE----"SMILE"

Rome Cee has another dope offering, "Smile", produced by Pablow Beats out of Russia.  Featured on the upcoming Spring '13 album release Black Gold Standard, this joint is another in a long line of dope cuts that Rome Cee has unearthed for us true Hip Hop heads.  Be on the lookout for more Rome Cee gems in the months to come.  In the meantime, check the audio for "Smile".