Dan Johns ft. Supastition "I Don't Write For"

South Carolina MC Dan Johns drops this single about why he does and does not make music. Supastition drops in and blesses this smoothed out track with a hot 16 bars.

Download "I Don't Write For"

Lupe Fiasco "Can You Let Me Know" with Verbal & Sarah Green

Here's another track from the upcoming Lupe Fiasco album "The Cool." This time he's got asian mc Verbal (of M-Flo) and vocalist Sarah Green along for the ride.

Download "Can You Let me Know"

Kanye West & Trick Daddy love da kids!!

A pretty cool up tempo collaboration between Trick and Kanye. I like the typical Kanye sped up vocal sample.

Download "Can't Say No"

DEL'S NEW ALBUM ON DEF JUX in '08!!!!

This is some crazy shit right here!! Looks like Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is gonna become a def jukie!!

press release:

(September 26, 2007 - Brooklyn, NY) Seminal rapper, hip-hop icon, and founding member of the mighty Hieroglyphics crew, Del The Funky Homosapien has embarked on the beginning of a 2-month long nationwide tour in support of his long anticipated album, The 11th Hour. The tour, which shares the name of his upcoming album, will also feature fellow Hiero founder A-Plus, along with Devin The Dude with the Coughee Brothers, Bukue One, The Serendipity Projects and special guests Knobody and Junk Science to perform on select dates.

On the 11th Hour Tour, Del will be performing a mix of classic cuts from his previous albums along with new tracks from the upcoming album, including the tracks “Sit Down” and “Workin’ It.” The aptly named The 11th Hour marks Del’s first solo release in almost 7 years. Having experienced his fair share of life’s trials and tribulations over the course of his long and successful career, Del explained the reason for the album title. “You can’t fully control all the different variables that come into play in your life. Something is bound to be faulty and set you back,” says Del. He explains, “I’ve spent the last couple of years dealing with drama in my life, touring the country several times over, and diving deep into studying music theory.” Fans can celebrate the fruits of Del’s labor of love with the release of The 11th Hour in early ‘08.

For The 11th Hour, Del has partnered with legendary New York based indie hip-hop label Definitive Jux, with the backing of the label he helped create, Hiero Imperium.

Bursting onto the scene in 1990, Del the Funky Homosapien started his professional career writing lyrics for his cousin Ice Cube’s crew, Da Lench Mob when he was still in high school. Soon, Elektra Recording Group signed him and released the critically acclaimed album, I Wish My Brother Georgia Was Here. After releasing another album, No Need For Alarm in 1994, Del, along with grammar school buddies, Souls of Mischief, Casual, Pep Love, and Domino, founded one of the most successful indie hip-hop collectives of all time, The Hieroglyphics. Hiero Imperium has etched out their place in history as the trailblazer for artist owned and operated hip-hop labels and also for embracing the internet as a means of selling their merchandise as early as 1997. Del, along with the rest of the members of Hiero and their third-eye logo are recognized around the world for their lyrical prowess, great live shows, and dozens of critically acclaimed releases which have sold over 3 million units collectively.

11th Hour Tour Dates:

Del the Funky Homosapien, featuring A-Plus (Souls of Mischief), Devin The Dude with the Coughee Brothers, Bukue One, The Serendipity Project and special guests Knobody, Junk Science, and Iller Than Theirs to perform on select dates

Freddy Kreuger DUNKS R.I.P.

It is with great sorrow (and the certain knowledge that this will increase the hype around any samples of this shoe floating around out there) that I must announce here on Kicks-n-Jams the CANCELLATION of the Nike SB "Freddy Kreuger" Dunks. I have it (straight from the horses mouth) (a little bird told me) on unimpeachable authority that Nike has been served with an injunction from the Nightmare On Elm Street owners, New Line Cinema. It always comes down to the money and I guess New Line wanted more than Nike was willing to pay.
This just seems like a dumb move on New Line's part. Wouldn't the shoe increase awareness of their property and once again re-invent freddy? Whatever the reason, don't go lookin for the shoe anywhere but on ebay because it isn't comin' "To A Store Near You" this holiday season.

Nike Dunk Lo Hot Asphalt

The 25th anniversary of the Nike Dunk is just around the corner and they are rolling out some cool shoes! It comes with a premium suede upper and in two colorways - purple/black and khaki/orange. Both feature a black outer sole that looks as if it was dipped into hot asphalt. The entire mid-sole has textures running over it.

pics via Sneaker Freaker

Cinematic ft. Mr. Lif & King Britt

A remix album of great orchestral film scores from the 20th century might seem like an odd idea – after all, a lot of this music is considered old-fashioned. But Six Degrees co-founder and executive producer Bob Duskis knew better: “A lot of electronica producers are huge fans of these film scores,” he says. And for the collection Cinematic, “I wanted producers who had a cinematic sense to their music anyway, or had done soundtracks themselves. We didn’t want DJs just adding beats to the orchestral tracks.”
Mission accomplished. Cinematic is full of creative and often provocative arrangements of music by some of the greatest film composers ever – Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone, and Henry Mancini among them. Of course, this music was never satisfied with being accompaniment in the first place; like the best music in any style, these scores suggested their own stories and their own landscapes. No surprise then that they work so well apart from their films. What is surprising is how adaptable these classic scores are, at least when the right producers get hold of them. When Duskis first brought the idea to King Britt, underground hip-hop hero from Philadelphia, he says the immediate response was “Are you kidding? They Call Me Mr. Tibbs is one of my favorite songs of all time!” King Britt then came up with two different remixes. The first is instrumental, full of James Brown horns, a funky groove, and a Sam-and-Dave-meets-the-London-Symphony-Orchestra vibe. The second is a vocal version, where the texture is thinned out to make room for some typically memorable word play from one of underground hip-hop’s most fierce rappers, Mr. Lif (Definitive Jux). Cinematic includes hip-hop, but is not a hip-hop record: it ranges stylistically from Zeb’s electro-tango remix of Mancini’s “The Tango I Saved For You” (from the film Gaily Gaily) to a deep ambient recasting of Inherit The Wind by Tom Middleton (of Global Communications and Jedi Knights). But as Duskis points out, “hip-hop has been sampling movie music for a long time – just think of Wu-Tang Clan and the way they used music from the old Blaxploitation films and the fact that RZA is now an in demand film composer.” So Mark de Clive Lowe contributes an inventive arrangement of the music from Hour of the Gun, featuring Ohio rapper Replife – who name checks both Wyatt Earp and Tupac, in the same line. “Hour of the Gun is a Western,” Duskis explains; “and Mark heard it as a gangsta piece. So the words are political, about how this is a violent time, the hour of the gun.” Cinematic’s pairings of producers with film scores yielded some inspired results. Partly that’s because musical elements that were hinted at in the original were dragged and dropped into the spotlight in the remixes. That is the beauty of Cinematic. You don’t need to know the original films, or the original film scores. The classic soundtracks have always been strong enough to exist apart from their movies. Now, this collection of 14 remixes suggests that you can imagine your own films to them."

Download "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs"

BEST OF THE BAY AWARDS SHOW MONDAY NIGHT

The Best Of The Bay Awards Ceremony is tonight!!
My crew RED TIDE is up for a readers poll award for best hip hop act.

Women's New Balance 574 at Classic Kicks

Classic Kicks has some really sweet lookin' women's New Balance 574's as well as a shoe that I have been fiendin' for for a few months now. The Japan release "Conbini Pack" is now up on the Classic Kicks site!! Score!

New Balance x Size? 577

Here comes some new colorful New Balance x Size? 577's. The sneaker features a nice mix of pink, purple and cyan on the upper, mixed with black croc skin and a splattered sole. The shoe was designed with old school fruit machines in mind.

Harking back to the era of 10p gambles and repeat Jackpots there will even be two special ‘fruit machines’ installed in the Carnaby St and Covent Garden Size? Stores, as well as online, where punters will have a chance to win a NB Jackpot pair. There are two colorways and the one that you see here is the jackpot that one will be able to win. Via Canoe Inc.

The sneaker will be available exclusively at Size? stores and limited to 250 pairs.

New Balance set to release ST33 "Elements" Collection

This ST33 pack is just absolutely phenomenal!! I haven't been this excited over a shoe set since the first ST33 "Fish Pack."

The conceptual aspect of the shoe design is well thought out and the materials are, of course, premium and in line with the best that New Balance is known for. Above is a pic of the water element sneaker.

Available in three exclusive designs, this new limited edition collection celebrates the complementary Yin-Yang interplay of the elements in the cycle of life. The “Fire and Metal” 1400 shoe honors the role of fire as it refines metal, while the “Earth and Wood” shoe pays homage to our planet and the way it nurtures all living things. The third design, “Water” is a standalone tribute to the power of water.

"This exciting new range represents a global collaboration and a deep commitment to individualism that is unique in the footwear industry,” said Qing Ni, New Balance regional marketing manager for Asia Pacific. “Details include elaborate designs on the tongue of each shoe, the sole insert, and even the outsole. Every Super Team 33 Elements shoe is truly a limited-edition, sophisticated work of art.”

Super Team 33 Elements footwear features design details that reflect each of the three elemental concepts. For instance, “Earth and Wood” features brown contrast stitching, an eye-catching tree pattern, a distinctive tree-trunk pattern embossed on the New Balance logo, as well as two sets of laces - one in green and one in brown. “Fire and Metal” features a striking black and red design with metallic embroidery, a silver insole, and a laser-etched phoenix rising from the flames. “Water” embodies Zen-like serenity and tranquility, with a blue/white colorway, transparent rubber and a recurring pattern of Chinese junk boats and water bubbles.

To give each shoe a distinctly Chinese touch, the heel of every Super Team 33 Elements shoe features the Chinese character that represents that shoe’s element. The collaborative elements, namely Earth/Wood and Fire/Metal, use different characters on the left and right shoe, while the Water design features just one character. Transparent panels on the box showcase its contents and color-coded lids explain the meaning of the Chinese characters on the rear of each shoe.

The Super Team 33 project has been designed by the New Balance Asia Pacific team and will feature a theme inspired by the elements – wood, water, earth, metal, and fire. The Elements 1400 shoe will debut at 33 select retailers worldwide on October 20, 2007 and retail for $200.00.

Jay-Z to release soundtrack album for "American Gangster"

I don't know. This track is not getting me nearly as excited as the movie itself. I am truly on the edge of my seat for the film but this Jay-z / Pharrell track doesn't give me that fire that I woulda expected from the two of them. Check it out and see what you think.

Download "blue magic"

Stussy x Hectic x Undefeated New Balance MT580

Here's a look at the Three Threat project between Stussy, Undefeated and Hectic and New Balance. This time the theme is "3 The Hard Way" and they worked on the New Balance MT580. I love the 580 and have always felt that it was the most comfortable shoe in the NB line. For the first time they present a more subtle collection of overall three sneakers. On two of the three sneakers they gave the leather a distressed look on the upper and mixed it with slightly shiny mesh. I really am looking forward to getting this collaboration when it drops! Don't know when it will be released, but it's coming soon.

Robert Hubert R.I.P.

Once again back is the incredible!!!
The Blog animal
The incredible LAZY
public enemy number 1
5-0 said freeze!!
and i got numb..

I'm back bitches!!!

Illinois both sucked and was great in equal parts. My grandfather died. I'm not happy about it but at the same time I'm glad he's outta pain. Watching a loved one die is not a pastime I'd recommend. When it's my time I hope that I can go with some dignity or at the very least, quickly! But from sorrow comes joy! I got to see my extended family for the first time in years and got to meet all the young children of my cousins. That was really great and made me look forward to fatherhood even more than I already have been. Plus I got to be a city mouse visiting the country!! Haha! I got to run farm machinery and pump water from a well! Check the pics and note my farming kicks...

Luckyiam Drops "Most Likely To Succeed" In Stores Now!!

I am outta town dealing with some family stuff at the moment. I got a minute to sneak out and chill in a Barnes & Noble. I brought the Luckyiam album "Most Likely To Succeed" with me, and let me tell you, it is excellent!! I'll post up more on this later.

Ok, it is "later" and I still like this album. If you don't know Luckyiam then you may not be a fan of West Coast hip hop in the last fifteen years. He co-founded Living Legends, was a member of Mystik Journeymen, and honed his craft in L.A. at the Goodlife Cafe alongside, Freestyle Fellowship, Pigeon John, Busdriver and a ton of other artists. He is on tour with Atmosphere, and is set to take over the world with his 3rd installment in his "Extra Credit" series of releases. Consider this record Lucky's solo "GRADUATION" because, for real, Lucky is gonna do big things and this is your chance to get in on the ground floor.

Download "Tear Him Down"

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Kanye West & 50 Cent Drop Albums Today 9/11

I have to admit it...I'm caught up in the hype today! I woke up early and immediately started trying to figure out ways to track the 50 vs. Kanye sales competition.
I've talked on the phone about it, I've e-mailed about it and now I'm blogging about it.
Why do I care?
I've already stated that it's a little like comparing Republicans and Democrats (i.e. not much difference). But I guess just like people who have no political agenda but go out looting during riots, or guys who cheer for sports teams or fighters despite the fact that they have no particular affiliation with them except in the moment and with a group of other excited fans, I too am caught up in whatever this mini cultural gas bubble that is Ye vs 50 IS!
I can't help it!

Anyway, there have been these two tracks floating around the internet for a minute now so I'll drop them on you if you haven't already heard 'em. One from Kanye and one from 50. Enjoy!!

Download Kanye West "Good Night"

Download 50 Cent "What Do You Got"

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Remember when Dr. Dre was overweight?

Not anymore...

Kid Robot & Lacoste collabo

Kidrobot and Lacoste have created a small collaborative collection of sneakers. They are limited to 500 pairs and each come with a matching toy, created by eBoy and Kidrobot. Kidrobot added their own flavor to the sneakers and instead of just choosing colors, they added some of their most popular patterns from their clothing line to the shoes. I don't know how I feel about the actual shoes. I love the design elements and Kid Robot is un-fuk-witable on the colors and patterns. But the shoe itself has gotta be wearable and I'm still not sure if that is the case with these. My favorite is the purple and black one with the blue sole. Besides the toys, the shoes also come with custom inner soles and 3M reflective material, something Lacoste has not tried on their sneakers until now.

Pics Via Sneaker Freaker.

The sneakers will hit all Kidrobot stores (including the new one coming to Miami this fall) some time in November.

Willie The Kid & La The Darkman "Invisible Rules"

50 Cent In Paris!?!

I don't know where Nah Right got the MTV VMA pictures from so fast but this shit is really funny!!

First he gives her the cash...

Then she gives him the...

Prostitution is legal in Las Vegas but I guess what happens in Vegas doesn't STAY in Vegas anymore. hahahaha!