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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QUALITY! SHOWCASE | FRIDAY, MARCH 19TH | AUSTIN, TX

Yeah, that’s right. Blind I is coming. And we’re bringing all of our friends with us. SXSW won’t know what hit em, and we plan to put on a show that’ll exceed expectations and then some. Blind I linked up with the good people of DCtoBC, Leaders1354, Illroots, The Great Progression, VitaMorte, and GoodWoodNYC to bring the world the QUALITY! Showcase!!!!! On Friday, March 19th we invade Austin, TX during SXSW Music Week to rock Soho Lounge with over 28 acts of freshness! Who’s featured you ask? We’re talking Theo Martins, Vandalyzm, Classy Hand Favours, TiRon, Project Mayhem, The Paxtons, KJ, Mic Terror, Black Spade, Sonnymoon, Brittany Street, Bad Rabbits, Phil Adé, Xavier Pryce, Kinky Notti, Tabi Bonney, Brittany Bosco, Proh Mic, YP, Big Homie Doe, Rockwell Knuckles, House Shoes, BBU, Coultrain, L.e. for the Uncool, Pugs Atomz, Cubic Zirconia, Ro Spit, and some special surprises! This is an unofficial SXSW showcase so NO SXSW BADGE OR WRISTBAND IS NEEDED FOR ENTRY. It’s FREE ALL NIGHT and kicks off at 12 Noon. Hustle Simmons is the host and we’ve got special giveaways and product from Leaders 1354, VitaMorte, and GoodWoodNYC. We’re essentially bringing Blind I For The Kids to your face! And on top of all that, we went ahead and compiled a special-extra-special compilation of all the artists involved with a little help from our friends Classy Hand Favours for your listening pleasure. Please do hit the jump to partake, and check us out at SXSW!
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QUALITY! SXSW 2010

Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)
Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)
Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)
Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)
Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)
Download the QUALITY! SXSW Showcase Compilation (Multiupload)

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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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ROLL CALL | JOYO VELARDE LIVE TONIGHT! [SF] + TRACKADEMICKS REMIX

Honor Roll is doing it big again tonight with the lovely Joyo Velarde droppin her ill sounds such as this remix from HR’s own Trackademicks of a “Certain Special Way”…

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It’s a special listening party for her new album “Love & Understanding” 7 if you lucky you might catch a free giveaway as well as a Roll Call mix CD. HNRL ALWAYS PUTS IT DOWN FOR THE ROLL CALL!!

DOWNLOAD JOYO VELARDE – CERTAIN SPECIAL WAY (TRACKADEMICKS REMIX) [USERSHARE]

DOWNLOAD JOYO VELARDE – CERTAIN SPECIAL WAY (ALBUM VERSION) [USERSHARE]

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EXILE | SAKE 1 | F.A.M.E. LIVE [SF]+

The 4OneFunktion is @ it again! They have been bringing the HEAT during this cold ass time up here in the Yay. In the last few months they’ve had dope artists such as Computer Jay, Mr.Dibiase, Devenwho, House Shoes, The Bangerz, JimiJames & the list goes on. Saturday January 30th 20X will be no exception as they bring Producer/DJ/MPC Beast Exile up from L.A. & SF’s own living legend Sake 1 as well as a special performance from the always entertaining F.A.M.E.! DJ’s Mista B & B.Cause will be holding down the ongoing sounds when there is no going on’s on stage & as always the man controlling the crowd A-Ron. If you’ve never been… theeeeeeeeen this might be a good start!

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AUDIO TAKEN FROM NKD OCT 09

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SCHEME – LOSE YOUR SOUL (FEAT. MIKKEY HALSTED)

Alex from Ruby Hornet sent this my way, and they’ve been talking to me about Scheme for a good minute, putting a good push behind him and rightfully so. “Lose Your Soul“, produced by Panik of The Molemen and featuring Mikkey Halsted, is a very dope track with hard-hitting bars and a dope blaxploitation-esque beat to provide the background. I’ll let them tell it:

“Greed gets you,” says Mikkey Halsted.  “You might start out from a real place of real hunger, or real starvation or real poverty.  You’re really just trying to feed yourself.  But then feeding yourself and getting a roof over your head is not enough.”

We all know the story of once heralded sports stars banished for cheating.  Successful businessmen caught with hands in the cookie jar who go from rich to poor to behind bars in the blink of an eye.  Countless times we are introduced to characters such as Scarface that just don’t know when to quit and consequently become victims of their own greed. Such is the tale on “Lose Your Soul”, a song created by Scheme, an emerging emcee out of The Molemen camp, one of Chicago’s most respected crews.

“Lose Your Soul” was produced by Panik of the Molemen, and Scheme enlisted the services of Mikkey Halsted as well as Indianapolis based DJ Metrognome to complete the song.  Mikkey and Scheme came together at SoundScape Studios with RubyHornet to record the track, which will be featured on Scheme’s upcoming mixtape, Same Rebel New Cause.

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HONOR ROLL + J*DAVEY LIVE TONIGHT [SF]

Tonight was legendary. Honor Roll brought out their extended family known to y’all as J*Davey & they did some schitt that you had to be there to see in order to understand the description of how fresh it was. The Homie Tap was pulling out all the stops @ no cost and THAT was fresh. These two powerhouses combined are doing something great, & anyone who is blessed to bare witness to it can’t help but to let everyone else they know about this freshness that is more than new, more than cutting edge, more than next level, more than anything else you can describe… you just feel it. Have you heard the remix to Slooow that Tracks did? NO?! Pssssshh.. nig…peep…

I know right? So check this out, what we gonna do is go back… since I’m typing this to you from the future, we gonna relive tonight so you can see for yourself how fresh tonight was. I will see you there.

More info on how to get your ass there & the download of the freshness you just heard after the pinche jump…

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GROOVE SUITE PRESENTS…((( gLoBaSouLtroNiCa )))

The Homies Melanie ThatGirl and CHATOS 1013 (Ungrammar) hooked up this Fresh Sound Sampler to promote a fresh monthly party called Groove Suite going down tonight. Enjoy this fresh mix and if you’re in the South bay come Check out the fresh Line up of dj’s keepin you moving tonight.

(((((( gLoBaSouLtroNiCa ))))))
a groove suite sound sampler

Track Listing , Flyer and Dl on the other side!


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VIDEO: MOS DEF – HISTORY (FEAT. TALIB KWELI)

New video for Mos’s “History” featuring Talib Kweli. Directed by Chicago’s own Coodie & Chike. Still keeping my fingers crossed for a new Black Star album. “Everybody act according to the season that they born in…“

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