Blind I | The Boutique Music Blog | Quality Over Quantity.

OH HAPPY DAY!

Yesterday, Lil’ Wayne started his 1 year sentence on Rikers Island (NEW YORK STAND UP….wait, bad time?) after being convicted on gun charges stemming from an arrest here on July 22, 2007. That’s my birthday! It was like a gift from the NYPD, whodathunkit?

Wayne has had one of the more interesting careers in Hip-Hop, as far as the genre’s megastars go. Two years older than myself, he’s arguably the most significant rapper of our generation (before you choke on the letters ‘J’ and ‘Z’, please be reminded that being born in 1969 qualifies one for a different generation), a fact I personally find depressing. Wayne’s been on Hip-Hop’s radar since 1997 when he was a marginal member of the marginal Hot Boyz. Somehow, to the complete shock of many (well, me at least), Wayne released some mixtapes that forced people to view him as a credible rapper. In the past five years, we’ve watched dude take a drug addled ride to the top of the charts, bringing along motley crew of scallywags and awkwardly cast clique members (Wheelchair Jimmy, stand the fuck up). He’s done more guest appearances in the past two years than some rappers will in an entire career. He’s been both a hipster darling and a hood staple. He had enough sons in one year to start an R&B group.

And now he’s going to jail. And I can’t help but to be a little glad.

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AWON & KAMELEON BEATS-LOVE SUPERSEDES EP

Blind I loyals–wer’e talking from inception (including my first compilation, Good Morning) are familiar with Kameleon Beats‘ body of work. The California-bred producer was an artist spotlight and since then, he and his VA cohort, rapper Awon have collaborated on the 2008 project Beautiful Loser. Now, the Love Supersedes EP will hold you down until they release their full LP this year. Enjoy.

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Tracks and link after the break.

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VIDEO: BAMBU – SLOW DOWN FT. PROMETHEUS BROWN

My homie Bambu does it again, and this one snuck up on me. Straight off his new EP Paper Cuts Bam speaks on the continual change of the urban landscape through gentrification and racism. And always making it fam business he has emcee Pro-Brown of the Blue Scholars get down on a verse. And some legit eskrima in action? Shit, slow down homie.

Cop the album and merch here.

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STREAM: REFLECTION ETERNAL – IN THIS WORLD

See this is why Monday’s my favorite day of the week. Blog-wise at least. Warner Bros. sent over this exclusive new stream of Reflection Eternal’s new single “In This World” and it’s pretty dope. I wish I could let ya’ll download this but the stream shall suffice for now. Hit the jump to partake!
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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT | KEYS N KRATES

The notoriety of Canada’s Keys n Krates is something real. In the last fews years they have been able to shake up the music scene and return us to the core of what makes a live performance enjoyable. Organic, raw, are just some of the words to describe their experience, but simply saying it’s a fun, yeah that works too. Here is an interview BLIND-I conducted with the guys in Santa Barbara, CA. Enjoy and support this band when their in your town next!

Interview after the J…

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KEYS N KRATES

The notoriety of Canada’s Keys n Krates is something real. In the last fews years they have been able to shake up the music scene and return us to the core of what makes a live performance enjoyable. Organic, raw, are just some of the words to describe their experience, but simply saying it’s a fun, yeah that works too. Here is an interview BLIND-I conducted with the guys in Santa Barbara, CA. Enjoy the interview and support this band when their in your town next!

ARTIST: KEYS N KRATES - INTERVIEWER: BLIND I FOR THE KIDS - FILMED & EDITED: KENNY CHEN

http://keysnkrates.com/

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88-KEYS – WAKE UP CALL FEAT. COLIN MUNROE

88-Keys lets loose of this track from the NBA Live 10 soundtrack just in time for his Crowd Control Tour starting at the end of the month in New York. Download and tour dates after the jump!

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THE ROAD TO HELL…

I'm not posting the video either. You're welcome.

I noticed that no one else had posted  the new “We Are The World” on here. Probably because Blind-I prides itself on posting the best and the freshest music out there, not really terrible songs that make you  feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Not one but TWO rap blogs have “shut down” as a result of the most atrocious group effort that found Justin Beiber (who?), T-Pain (what?) and an auto-tuned Lil’ Wayne (WHY?) singing the 1985 classic. It was bad, real bad. Poor Michael Jackson. Way to shame him, guys.

Now, while I got a good giggle at how Rappers I Know and IllDoctrine took WATW25, it made me think about something that has been on my mind for a while. My generation is now in it’s mid 20’s-30’s. We were rather young  during the “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop,  the youngest group of people who actually remember when groups like A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde got mainstream airplay. A lot of the current emcees who seem to have embraced the more “roots” Hip-Hop sound are from my peer group.  But despite our best efforts, Hip-Hop has become something very…diluted? Something very distant from the original rawness that galvanized a nation. How could it not change? It was once social commentary that happened to interest White suburban youth. Enter capitalism and market research and now much of what is today’s Hip Hop cultural product that is specifically designed for the tastes of White suburban youth. Black/hood life and expression molded to what consumers think it should look like. Modern minstrelsy. Not all of it, but a whole lot of it. › Read More…

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MAJOR LAZER FT. BUSY SIGNAL & M.I.A. – SOUND OF SIREN

Just peeped this leak sent by my favorite (defunct) publication URB. Looks like momma M.I.A. is back on the grind.

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THATGIRL – BASELINES & BODYROLLS

My hip sister with no lip blisters is back just in time for you pinche cupcakers out there. ThatGirl always delivers. Always. If I could book her for every event I throw – I would (I try to). This mix may have some frosting on it… but the ingredients are indeed gangsta! Peep for yourself…

Track list & DL after the j…

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