I finally listen to Aesop Rock - Labor Days

Sometimes, somehow, you find yourself missing one of those pivotal albums, one of those albums that help define the genre for some and cause others to change their understanding of what music is entirely. And then, when you finally grab a copy and throw it on, you say to yourself, "how did I never listen to this before!"
The dishwasher and I were at work waxing philosophic about hip hop the other day and he told me that I had to listen to Aesop Rock. I told him I hadn't ever really picked up any of the dude's music because I felt like his discography was too big, I didn't know what to pick up. I asked him what the best album is.
He thinks for a second and says, "labor days. Definitely labor days."
Thus, I cop it.
Headphones in the next day, biking to work, I've got it blasting and I couldn't believe my ears. Holy hell!
How did I miss this?!?!

Needless to say, Aesop Rock's Labor Days is one of those masterpiece albums, a collection of songs that make you wish you had the raspy voice of a badass hip hop machine and a producer like Blockhead to throw you beats like the one on "Save Yourself." This album moves smoothly from one track to the next, seamless and perfect. Head nodding early 2000's hip hop at its finest. At just over an hour, it keeps you in that zone for a damn long time and I like that. He holds it down and brings you the plight of the working class in this near-perfect concept album.

Here's a sample to get you through until you find a copy of the album yourself.

One Brick (feat. Illogic)

Vid of the Day: Twin Peaks - Just Say No

Twin Peaks is Ghettosocks and Muneshine.
This video is fresh. Same sorta feel as their video for Audrey Horne and my guess is that it's the same director. Enjoy.

Legendary Hip Hop Mix #1

... has been delayed for the next couple of days because I was out with Occupy Sacramento in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, the movement sweeping over the US.

From OccupyWallStreet.org:

Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

I'm standing alongside Occupy Together and hoping for real, positive change to happen in this country. It's finally happening, folks.

In the meantime, listen to Sweatshop Union and support your local Occupation.

Mixtape SOON

The first volume of Legendary Hip Hop's Mix Series is droppin' on Sunday...

1. Finalized tracklist yesterday
2. Began write-up yesterday
3. Workin' on album art today
4. Printing physical copies tomorrow
5. Releasing SUNDAY

Just a head's up; this mix is amazing.

Blu and Sene - Stoopid

I'm sittin' here lookin' up things to plant in the garden for October. That's important, y'know, 'cause you can't eat the stuff they grow for the stores these days and nothin' tastes good like food picked right before it gets cooked. Anyway, I've got youtube open so I can browse around and listen to some music. I'm not on my computer so I don't have access to my library.

I'm listenin' to stuff off of Ron Contour and Factor's Saffron, which I have yet to purchase, and I accidentally click on a link to a song by Blu and Sene, which leads me on a quest all over listening to these guys. How have I never heard of them before?!

Super fresh stuff, if you haven't heard anything by either of them, here's a good start:

Blu feat. Sene - Stoopid



This track is mad fresh, flows smooth, beat's tight. All around badass. I think I've listened to this four times in a row now.

I'm gonna check these guys out.