Dude continues to take you on a tour through Denver + the entire state of Colorado with his blog as with his rhymes. A lot of cool, exclusive shit to peep. Bookmark it.
Man, we have been waiting for this for awhile, and it kind of snuck up on us.
Expect this to gain some momentum quickly, as it joins "Set in Stone" on its way to the pinnacle of LP releases from this waning decade.
Press Play.
Es Nine "Pete's Crusade"
On this album Es Nine is effortlessly dope, infusing swagger into everything from the Colorado/California vibed Cover Art, to the interludes, and cuts and scratches that are peppered throughout this gem.
This album is a Rap album, made from the beats that Kid Hum had previously used on his Fossil Fuel instrumental album.
Rappers included on this are Cyrano, Whygee, Sunkenstate, Junclassic, Braille, Pugs Atomz, Primeridian, Awdazcate, Hellz Yea, Brown Bag All Stars, and more...
The album is very diverse, and there are a lot of songs worth checking out.
You have no idea what you are about to witness. Watch the whole thing, its all happening on the two televisions hovering over the dude.
Press Play.
This is literally the future, and DJ Vajra is running laps around time and space right now.
The Jimi Hendrix of DJ's lives in Colorado. Nobody is doin' shit like this.
(In case you are unfamiliar with this type of thing, dude is dj'ing music videos in the same way he would two records, only he is actually making battle routines out of the videos, some of which he custom made just for the visual effect.)
(Some of these battle routines that he has made custom videos for are actually visual representation of his award winning work from earlier this century.)
This album bangs, from the very beginning when it kicks off with "Still Never Happy", it proves itself to be a major player in what is a re surging California underground.
California? Whoops, wrong state right?
Well lucky for us, Colorado's own DJ Low Key got together with Tiron recently, and the two of them decided to work on "Ketchup", as a mixtape featuring DJ Low Key on the 1's and the 2's.
DJ Low Key had been sending us previews and updates for months before this one was released, and has been extolling each virtues non-stop. Download it for free, and you can see for yourself just why. You can preview a couple songs below...
For those of you unfamiliar with 800 The Jewell, the name says it all. Dude is a diamond in the rough, and a real treasure within the Colorado Hip Hop Community.
He is an MC, Producer, and Business Mastermind, who has quietly helped to build an empire as the Founder of Jewell Tyme Music.
His production is truly unique, and really stand out on its own amidst the rest of the Colorado beatsmiths. His raps some people say sound like 2pac, but they have that strong Jewell Tyme influence that comes from years of cross-pollination within this tight-knit Rap collective.
But enough about that, lets move on to 8Thooven.
800 The Jewel ft. Mississippi Mac "On the Ground"
8Thooven is an 18 song LP everyone should give a listen to, here are some reason why. "On The Ground" is one of a handful of songs on the album which really serves to show and prove to the listener that this dude truly is a great Beat Composer worthy of the name 8Thooven. A perfect combination of Church Organ, Classical Piano, and Orchestral Strings is interweaved throughout this bangin track. Not to be outshined by his own beat work, 800 bangs it up every which way for a good minute straight, before calling on Mississippi Mac to finish it off. Its certified Dope.
"CTI" is one of many songs on this album that remains dope while incorporating tongue in cheek musical references which exhibit 800's grasp on the history of music in its many forms.
On this one he borrows from the Soundtrack to Amadeus, reworking the melody, harmony, and yes even the lyrics and refrain to the theme of the legendary Mozart biopic, in the same way that The Simpsons did with "Dr. Zaius".
It could have came off as a joke, because it is funny, but it was done with such an earnest approach that you will find yourself singing along with the hook while thinking to yourself "man this shit is dope!"
"3 Drinks" is (LOL), actually about smoking weed. Its also THE HIT. It starts off with some wild ass percussion and drums, on some real stripped down shit, and then kicks it up even another notch with some insane staccato piano stabs. The whole time dudes are laying down classic lines that express their love for the weed.
"Still" is probably our favorite song on the album. It drops in out of nowhere after opening with nothing but the drums with an ill testimonial ("First name 8, last name the Jewell!"). This is just a classic anthem, one of those testimonial jams from a real dude/producer/rapper of which there are so few out there doing it.
"8Strumental" is a really special track. Like the "Quik's Groove" series from DJ Quik, who 800 lists as a major influence on his production, this jam is the lone instrumental track on the album, and for good reason, it really speaks for itself without the help of an MC. It's dope that 800 had the wherewithall to select this song to be the standout instrumental track for his album, because it is perfect for just that.
The title track, "8thooven" really ties the concept together. 800 speaks on his respect for Beethoven and why Beethoven is dope, and then gets into his own keyboard, doing what is easily as good as the best piano work on the whole album. This is another one of the best songs on the album.
A couple other tracks to check out are "Alright" (as in this beat makes you feel Alriiiiiight, giggity), and "A Dedication" which features some more top notch percussion work by 800, including some massive conga rollls, and some slick Hi Hats. "A Dedication" also features 800 in what might be his most viscous flow on the album, he is really in the pocket on this one, and unleashes an extra amount of havoc on the mic.
Overall this whole album is just one more classic JTM release, of which we hope to be reviewing many of in the near future. Props.
BONUS:
Press Play.
800 The Jewell ft. F.O.E., Street, and Meezly "3 Drinks"
800 The Jewell ft. B Blacc and Allison Wright "Still"
*Part 2 Preview of BMONEYs soon to be released "Funk Tools" battle record
*Guest DJ Brika-A-Brak.....Find out about the newest member of colorado's Turntabalist scene and see why he has already caught the attention of people like WhyGee, Basementalism Radio, and Fast4Ward!
Cysko-On this album you will realize that the best Recording DJ alive, is DJ Cysko Rokwel. This is a work of art on his part, and you just simply don't hear cuts and phrasing like this, much less as well thought out and with as much digging behind it as Cysko's work on "Set In Stone". From the very start (Set In Stone Intro), Cysko is showing and proving just that. He sets the bar, and then maintains his own pace, which is something most artists have trouble with.
Es-Nine-What else can I say, this producer is among the best. He is ready to be recognized with the Nicolay's and 9th Wonder's of the world, and is making producers like DJ Premier and Pete Rock very proud.
A.V.I.U.S.-This MC has been on his grind. He has seen more stages these last two years than anybody. He is a true poet, who means every word he says, and who is really in love with his Raps. A typical coversation with him goes like this, "yo what up A.V.I.U.S." "not much, man that reminds me of this lyric I just wrote, check it out".
The three of them are known for their high energy shows, volume, and for rockin the stage together as a close-knit posse.
Soon they will most likely be known for releasing one of the most pivotal true-school Hip Hop albums of the 21st Century.
Here are some reasons why.
Better Dayz- This song is truly timeless. So timeless it sound like it could have been recorded in a dream. Not just any dream though, more like a Deja-Vu. Like you are remembering something but dreaming about it at the same time. Feel me?
The horns during the hook really take this song in a different direction, while most of the time it leaves a lot of open space above your head, so that you can really picture Rapper A.V.I.U.S. However, A.V.I.U.S. catches onto the relaxed rhythm perfectly, and it mellows him out, to the point where you can also focus on the soulful vocal sampling, interspersed throughout the beat.Everything in it's right place. Dope. And yet it feels entirely different from the rest of the album...
Main Stage- This song has been in circulation for awhile now. It's a collabaration with DEFARI! And honestly, it is one of our favorite songs by Defari, ever. And we are huge Defari fans. But the great thing about SET IN STONE, is that all the featured MC's come so correct, that I find myself ranking their work on SET IN STONE among their best work ever.
The beat marches, and Defari says some really cool shit. Great lyrics, the hook is wild, Cysko's cuts at the end is some of the best phrasing, ever.
And the Mini-Hook?
Make sure you check these guys out live, where this song is is a heavy fan favorite.
Cold World- We love a good shot at society. And while A.V.I.U.S. isn't exactly known for his political material, this song ranks among the best social critiques in Hip Hop we've ever heard. It's truly some shit the revolutionaries out there can be proud of.
Its not on some pretensious hate based angst-ridden bullshit, its some real shit, from a real MC, who would rather not have to write this song, but its the truth, and most political Rappers really miss the mark compared to a joint like this.
Its not another song by the rebellious son of a senator, about what he read in the newspaper, its a real song, by a real MC, about what he sees in the Streets.
And Cysko absolutely murders the cuts, again, and again. And it should be said right now that Cysko really needs some recognition from this album, because he is changing the game, and may just be the best Recording DJ alive.
In Need- Es-Nine is a G and by G I mean a Genius for this one. He picked a recurring melody for this song, which will be stuck in your head for the rest of your life. OOOOO OOO WHOOO OOOOO OOOO. Something like that. It reminds me of smiling. And tears of joy. And its Love.
Positive Direction-
This is my favorite song on the album right now. I'm all about positive over negative. Cysko went in on those cuts, digging hard to find the right samples to convey that righteous message.
This is going to be my favorite song on this album, and that is saying a lot, because they have a song with Defari, and another song with Braille.
Everything about this song is just fly, bubbling, risin to the top. It just gels. Es-Nine took what was once a happy sample, and put some ANGUISH into it. UNNHHHH!!!
A.V.I.U.S. has a flow on this reminicent of getting slashed 45 times with a stiletto, OUCH! He is just slicing at you!
Reach For The Stars- This song had me pushing pause, and running for my Bong, which is a good thing.
Another crazy beat from Es-Nine, this one MARCHES, Es-Nine is the king of the March Style. He is a Hip Hop General of this Rap Army.
This is another one of those songs on the album that should be a single. (By my count there is at least 7 singles on this album. Which is unprecendented.)
The lyrical value of the hook on this song is Priceless. "I Sit and Wonder, Without Music would I Be, Lost in Life with no Goals Ambitions or Dreams?" !!!
Well said!
Cysko changes it up too! Instead of the insane complexity of his phrasing habits, he fucks with taking to one cut with the precision that only a National DMC Champion can exhibit.
Truth-
Holy Fuck! This is another Single!
This is a completely unique song, because who else has The Dilated Peoples personally writing rhymes about Colorado for their album? And Rakaa kills it.
Another perfect selection of cuts by DJ Cysko Rokwel, throwing some motherfuckin A Few Good Men in that shit? WHAT?! Classic. And then A.V.I.U.S. just smacks the shit out of the haters, and might have even outshined Rakaa? Yeah I said it...
Unusual-
This song features Braille of Lightheaded, and its my favorite Braille song that I have heard since 2004. He goes hard over this beat.
These guys performed this song with Braille ON THE FLY, at the D-Note, and it was CRAZY. They did it perfectly, and Braille just unleashed over Es-Nine's beat.
The way the beat and the melody drop in for the hook is so perfect. and so smooth.
We Here-
The thing I gotta say about this song is, that it is yet ANOTHER magnum opus of cuts by DJ Cysko Rokwel, at the end of the song. Who is doing phrasing like this? Who is digging for samples like this? This dude is a real Hip Hop DJ.Colorado Rappers should be throwing massive amounts of money at this dude, because your album would be so much better.
The rest...
The rest of the songs are great Hip Hop music. They might not have stuck out to me, but they are the type of songs that once all the singles get played out, make great rare gems for underground Hip Hop DJ's. And even on the songs where the beats and rhymes may have not been speaking to me, Cysko still did his thing. So this album is SOLID, which more than more than I can say for 95% of the albums out there. I usually like a handful of songs from an album, but skip over the rest, but not with "Set in Stone".
This is the sound of Denver personified. Well done homies!
This album drops on February 28th, make sure you attend the Release Party! And BUY the album. I know I will. It's well worth it.
Wake Your Daughter Up is a dope blog that goes real deep on all sorts of Hip Hop knowledge both past and present and future.
For those that don't know, the homie that operates this website has a lot of love and respect for Colorado Hip Hop, as is exemplified by this interview he did with Whygee. Wake Your Daughter Up Interviews Whygee
Check it out and make sure you add to the ever growing comment section!
