soul food: tumi and the volume's 'asinamali'

you know who's a) awesome and b) ridiculously slept on? tumi and the volume. from their latest album, pick a dream (the quartet's third alubm, nominated for a south african music award in the best rap album category) here's the brand new video for the first single: asinamali. literally translating as 'i have no money', this track tackles the attitudes to and politics of fame and money, and all that comes with it. also: it's highly head-nod-able.

soul food: tumi and the volume's 'asinamali'

soul food: blitz the ambassador's 'native sun'

ghanaian-american emcee, blitz the ambassador is back with his new album, native sun. because he's ridiculously dope, he has streamed his whole album on youtube. this, right here, is pure [african] hip hop:

soul food: blitz the ambassador's 'native sun'

soul food: shad k's 'we, myself, and i' [video]

from the awesomeness that is TSOL, shad k's latest single, we, myself, and i:

pure dopeness.

soul food: shad k's 'we, myself, and i' [video]

t.i.a in umricka: wale's attention deficit

wale's album attention deficit drops today, after much anticipation (hyped by a tour that has spanned much of this year). it's hard to believe it's his first album, since his mixtapes have had so much impact. saturated with rather awesome and clever collaborations, i am rather loving it, so far.


the jewels so far: 'shades' with chrisette michele; 'diary' with marsha ambrosius; 'world tour' with jazmine sullivan; and the crazy ridiculous show-em-how-it's-done 'tv in the radio' with fellow afropolitan, k'naan.

t.i.a in umricka, killing it.

tv in the radio--wale feat. k'naan

well played, mr. folarin, well played.

t.i.a in umricka: wale's attention deficit

mixtapes of awesome: ian kamau and k'naan & j.period

it's a generally awesome music week for me: new mixtapes from both k'naan and ian kamau. i've been listening to little else but k'naan and j.period's the messengers: episode 1: fela kuti and kamau's september nine: vol 1 since they were first released, so i'm ridiculously geeked for volumes 2 of both.


ian kamau titled his mixtape september nine because the date marks his 30th birthday and his aim was to release his complete album on this date. the album has been pushed back, unfortunately, but in the meantime he has awesomely released two mixtapes to tide us over. the first volume featured clips from spike lee's do the right thing and is a smoothly effortless blend of hip hop, spoken word, and song. i was captured immediately by 'dear summer' and was captivated by his quiet yet steady and unwavering delivery throughout the EP. seriously, though, his voice--whether rhyming, singing, or speaking--is mesmerizing and is not unlike the feeling of floating on your back in the ocean. my favorite track remains 'majority report', but i'm also loving 'say it ain't so.'

september nine: volume two dropped yesterday, and i cannot wait to hear what's in store. download here.

k'naan and j.period's the messengers: episode 2: bob marley was released on 08/09/09 and is exactly how you would imagine their collaboration. it honours the original tracks beautifully and k'naan's remixes of his own tracks are pure fire. j.period is a genius. i will no doubt say that again, numerous times. stand out track: the combination of 'stir it up' and 'fatima'. i can and have listen[ed] to that all day long. another highlight is the 'small axe' remix in which k'naan addresses is Somali countrymen in a poignant plea for a collective search for peace in a country so torn apart by senseless and continuous violence.

download the messengers: episode 2 here.

canada's bringing it this year, for real. enjoy the free music, people!

mixtapes of awesome: ian kamau and k'naan & j.period

k'naan and j.period: the messengers

continuing to "create medication out of [his] own tribulations," k'naan's latest effort pays tribute to three legendary fellow troubadours that have undoubtedly influenced his own music: fela kuti, bob marley, and bob dylan. a three-track digital EP has been released as a sample of the much-anticipated j.period-produced, the messengers, that effortlessly fuses k'naan's brilliant lyricism with re-imagined classic sounds of the three musical pioneers.

'let's start (tribute to fela kuti)' begins with the rakim's 'i came in the door/i said it before...' from 'erik b is president'--a particularly significant line as k'naan has recounted numerous times how it was through paid in full and other hip hop albums that he learned the english language. this track's combination of afrobeat and classic hip hop is an awesome nod to his genesis as "africa's rap bruce lee." on the bob marley tribute, 'them belly full', toronto is fully represented in a collaboration with kardinal offishal, as well as with fellow afropolitans, sierra leone's bajah and the dry eye crew and brooklyn's steele on a refreshingly revolutionary track that showcases how powerful hip hop can be when the music has a message. and, finally, 'relationship lay' hits hard with k'naan ruminating on the complexity of relationships over bob dylan's hauntingly beautiful refrain from 'lay, lady, lay,' 'i long to see you in the morning light...'.

i think both k'naan and j.period have outdone themselves with this one, and i cannot wait to hear the rest. the EP was released on august 18th and j.period and k'naan will pay tribute to each individual 'messenger' with a new release every tuesday in september. the tribute to fela kuti will be released on september 1st; the tribute to bob marley on september 8th, and the tribute to bob dylan on september 15th. the messengers entire compliation will be released on September 22nd.

download the EP, here.

k'naan and j.period: the messengers