ABOYCALLEDMATTPRESENTS: AMOUR LUXURE (MIXTAPE)

I've been listening to this a lot lately and it really deserves to be shared with hip hop lovers. My boy Matthew released his latest mixtape 'Amour Luxure' when his ever growing music blog 'All In A Day's Work' hit 250k views, I am so proud of him & he's so good at doing what he does with promoting new artists and always sharing the latest music from the best of hip hop's underground scene- I don't think he knows how much artists and people appreciate his work and his talent at producing mixtapes, especially when he made one just for me..'Lioness'.

This mixtape is the follow up to (i)OVERDOSE(d), the twisted valentines day mixtape telling the story of one man's paranoia in his relationship which spirals out of control. In Amour Luxure, the feelings of lust and heartbreak and portrayed through this powerful compilation of hand picked music. Featuring the finest hip hop from Dubb, Joseph Somo, The Weeknd and the beautifully haunting vocals from JMSN telling tales of love, lust and loss. The mixtape is immaculately compiled with interludes from Cassie and a beautiful piano piece from Matt Lange. You can download Amour Luxure here. Check out one of my favourite tracks off the mixtape, below.

HAPPY 4 U FT. THURZ//JARELL PERRY

I was looking for some fresh new artists on Soundcloud to update my music collection and came across Jarell Perry via AV Young Blaze's track 'Ghostbusters' and thought I had to look into who these feature vocals were from. Listening to Jarell's own material.. this artist has so much talent!
As well as some smooth r&b tracks theres also some acoustic such as the track 'If It Ain't Too Late' not to mention boldly covering the legened that is Stevie Wonder's track 'Lately'- and he does not dissapoint. This track is the latest from this Los Angeles artist, called 'Happy 4 U' featuring Thurz, check it out below.

@JarellPerry

RADIO 1 SESSIONS//THE WEEKND

So, last night on Zane Lowe's show at 8pm, the moment a lot of UK fans have been waiting for, The Weeknd's first radio sessions were aired. Abel and the band played at Maida Vale studios, incredible versions of 'Wicked Games', 'The Zone', 'The Knowing' and 'Montreal'.

Hearing The Weeknd in session performing these tracks in the studio, the tracks are really intimate- its really just the listener and the band and you can really hear the raw passion and what an incredible voice this artist has, not to mention the talent of the musicians (see the guitar solo in 'The Knowing'- no words!)

One of the best BBC Radio 1 sessions I have personally ever heard. If you're a fan of The Weeknd, you need to take time to listen, check out the tracks from the session below.

'..What was instantly recognisable was the fact that the band and Abel... the chemistry was incredible' - Zane Lowe

@theweeknd
@zanelowe
@BBCR1

The Knowing (BBC Radio) by Consequence of Sound
The Zone (BBC Radio) by Consequence of Sound
Wicked Games (BBC Radio) by Consequence of Sound
Montreal (BBC Radio) by Consequence of Sound

VISUALS: KID CUDI// TELEPORT 2 ME, JAMIE

So I watched this video yesterday as it was leaked, some taken down, and now officially uploaded here on Youtube for all fans to watch. This is the video for Kid Cudi's 'Teleport 2 Me, Jamie' which samples Desire's 'Under You Spell' off the album released February of this year 'WZRD' with Dot da Genius. I am really glad a video has been made for this specific song, as it is personally my favourite off the album. The video is amazingly creative and explores Kid Cudi's emotions through a dream like world, one of the best I've seen for a long time. Look out for his new album dropping early next year 'Indicud'.

TWENTY EIGHT//THE WEEKND

I tuned into BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show tonight to hear one of the highly anticipated new tracks premiere on the show. The track was 'Twenty Eight' which is one of the new pieces of material on the upcoming 'Trilogy' which is being released on Tuesday. I am well and truly hooked on this one, the beautifully haunting vocals and sultry beat house the raw emotions from Abel. Zane also announced that there will be an interview with the Weeknd on the show at the end of November so watch this space! Listen to the radio rip of this track below.
6 days til Trilogy.
@theweekndxo

AUDIO PUSH X HIT-BOY

Fresh track entitled 'Them N**gas' just dropped by rappers Audio Push on Hit-Boy's HS87 label, their project 'Inland Empire' will be dropping tomorrow. The track was co produced by Hit-Boy and Rey Reel. The beat on this is something else! I'm certain the rest of the project will follow suit.
@AudioPush
@Hit_Boy

WICKED GAMES//THE WEEKND

The Weeknd releases yet another video for fans in the wake of the highly anticipated 'Trilogy' , dropping November 13th. This video is for the first track I ever heard and got me hooked on The Weeknd last summer, making him one of my favourite artists, 'Wicked Games'. The track is taken from the first mixtape, 'House Of Balloons' which was released March 21st of last year. Its incredible just how much success has come to Abel and the gang, with the last two mixtapes Thursday and EOS inevitably gaining him so many more fans and of course his Fall Tour this year and now tracklist and album artwork released for Trilogy as well as two videos being released within the same month... there is really no stopping this artist and now I'm sure we can all say he's getting the recognition and exposure he truly deserves as such a talented artist.




Check out my previous post on The Weeknd's 'Rolling Stone' video and album artwork here.

@theweekndxo

HAZE.BOOGIE.LIFE//MYKKI BLANCO

Emerging arist Mykki Blanco treated her fans to new visuals for her track 'Haze.Boogie.Life' off her upcoming mixtape 'Cosmic Angel: The Illuminati Prince/ss' set to drop November 7th a couple of days ago. I only discovered Miss Blanco a couple of weeks ago when I stumbled upon the video for her track 'Wavvy' online and from this, I felt seeing someone who can really be themselves and express their sexuality as openly in the music/hip hop world was a breath of fresh air.

'I'm not trying to be in the 40/40 Club popping bottles while rappers throw hundred-dollar bills on strippers. I'm just out to make my audience happy, fulfill my creative vision, and be successful on my own terms, which is doable.'

Not only is her music totally unique and incomparable to any other aritst I know, but she is also multi talented, as a rapper, poet, author and also an actor. In this video, we are transported into the world of Mykki and a glimpse into her imagination, where this video truly shows her character and personality, If you're looking for rap with a twist, definitely check out Blanco's other material, see the video for 'Wavvy' here.



@MykkiBlanco

NEW VIDEO: ROLLING STONE//THE WEEKND & TRILOGY ARTWORK

So here it is, the first official video released from The Weeknd's second mixtape 'Thursday' created by Abel Tesfaye himself and Chris Cuningham on the official VEVO channel.



Seeing this seems surreal, I never really thought about when i'd see official music videos of Abel like this but of course now he has well and truly blown up, after the signing with Universal Republic, and the highly anticipated 'Fall Tour' which is underway now until he finishes on the 29th October in Montreal. The fanbase that The Weeknd has will no doubt continue to soar when November 13th hits, with the release of all three mixtapes (House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes Of Silence) plus unreleased bonus material, in the upcoming release of 'Trilogy'. In the meantime the artwork has officially been released along with this video for the fans in the wake of this release.

FRESH:KILLA//MARIO

New track from Mario dropped a few hours ago entitled 'Killa', produced by Glass John. We haven't heard much from the Baltimore artist recently but I'm sure this track has been received well by fans as personally, I can't stop playing this since I first heard it. A super chilled out track here with a dreamy beat and silky smooth vocals over the top, Its a nice change to take a break from some of the other more intense hip hop out around now that I've been listening to and to hear some quality R&B.
@MarioSoulTruth

Mario - Killa [musicfeelings.net] by musicfeelings

WHERE WERE YOU FT.DAWN RICHARD//DRAKE

Leaked track that didn't make 'Thank Me Later'. Listen below.


@Drake

PYRAMIDS//FRANK OCEAN

We all know that Odd Future member, Frank Ocean's music is as much visually stimulating as aurally, when it comes to his music videos. So when he released the official video for 'Pyramids', track 10 off his latest album Channel Orange (released in July) a few hours ago, following the likes of 'Swim Good' , 'Novacane' and 'Acura Integurl' visuals found on his Vimeo channel here we expected no less than this visually stunning work of art.
I feel not only that Frank Ocean's music is changing perceptions of music, I don't even class his music as hip hop, not this album anyway, he has created a whole new level of music which I think deserves a category of its own... also reflected in the visuals. In this song we are transported into a different world, a glimpse into Frank's imagination, not to mention also featured is a mesmerising guitar solo by John Mayer towards the end.. this video is beautiful and the camera work and effects make this one of the best music videos i've seen all year. Check it out below.

frank ocean [pyramids] from christopher francis ocean on Vimeo.

To sample or buy the new album 'Channel Orange' via iTunes click here.
@frank_ocean

LUPE FIASCO//AMERICAN TERRORIST PT.2

Just released, what could be Lupe's last single, 'American Terrorist pt.2' off his highly anticipated 'Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1', coming Sept 25th. Earlier, fans received news that this could be infact his last album. Following the twitter situation with Chief Keef (the nerve), he is now considering leaving his music career behind, which is devastating news for fans of the talented artist 'My first true love was literature so i will return to that'.. He states: 'This album will probably be my last ... its been a pleasure to have all my fans provide so much love an inspiration for me and my family..but my heart is broken and i see no comfort further along this path only more pain. I cannot participate any longer in this..lupe fiasco ends here'

We are left in the dark about whether Lupe will genuinely quit music but in the meantime he releases the unfinished version of 'American Terrorist pt.2' for his fans, listen above.
@LupeFiasco

REALNXGGASONLY // TAZ

So looking through my inbox on youtube I come accross this fresh track titled 'Survival of the Fittest' by Indiana artist, TAZ. This is the type of refreshing music I think every hip hop lover needs to hear. With that feel good vibe, laid back beat, and topped off with tight rhymes with a smooth flow, it goes down well. His latest free album also carries this style & If you like this, be sure to take a listen to that. I'm getting that same feel I got when listening to Slick D's 'Summer Vibes' and TF House's 'Superior taste'.
You can listen to the free album by TAZ below and download it here.
@TAZ00t

MILLY ESQUIRE

I just discovered this Baltimore hip hop artist yesterday and really thought this video deserved more exposure as well as the tracks from the EP from this talented rapper. This is the video for single 'Let Em Say' dropped a couple of months ago, this is the visuals for track six from his first EP 'Eating Crayons' released 29th May. You can listen to the EP via soundcloud here. & Download this track 'Let 'Em Say' via iTunes here.


His most recent track to be released from his EP is 'Chad Butler' featuring Jennifer Simone & Kai-Marley which is track 5 off his EP, which in contrast to high energy 'Let Em Say' features a silky smooth loop and laid back beat and topped with his well executed flow which I personally found reminiscent of Main Attrakionz' style on '808s & Dark Grapes II', which I love. Check out the track below.

THE BLACK OPERA

Just discovered two new tracks dropped by The Black Opera via Mello Music Group on twitter, and I have to say, there is not one artist from this label I haven't liked yet, all of the artists are so talented and feel they really emphasise 'real' hip hop. These two tracks are refreshing. 'Opera Hands', starting with a classic smooth James Brown sample progressively mixing in almost 'futuristic' electronic loops and topped with lyrical flow I find myself, being reminiscent of Lupe Fiasco. The second track, 'Teleport'.. well that beat and hook just got me listening to that on repeat. If you like this, be sure to take a listen and you can also currently download for free, their project 'Overture' released last summer via Mello Music. Definitely recommend listening to this one, find it here.
@TheBlackOpera
@MelloMusicGroup

CHANCE JOLIVETTE X PUSHA T

Another tight track from Louisiana rapper Chance Jolivette, with his latest remix, Pusha T's 'Exodus 23:1'. Check out the rest of his recent remixes which include tracks from Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West & Kendrick Lamar to name a few, here.
@ChanceJolivette

FRESH: AALIYAH X DRAKE

Just in time for OVO fest, new material just posted on October's Very Own site. Aaliyah featuring Drake with 'Enough Said' (Prod 40)..A beautiful track.
@Drake

ODDISEE//PEOPLE HEAR WHAT THEY SEE

I've been meaning to blog this for a while, this is Oddisee's latest album 'People Hear What They See' released last month, June 5th, via Mello Music Group. I first heard of Oddisee through fellow Diamond District member, yU. I remember hearing 'Beach Dr.' off his instrumental rap album 'Rock Creek Park' and instantly loved his style and the production of the tracks. I then heard the odd song off this new album a few weeks ago and he does not fail to deliver with the tracks on here. On this album he raps about the world around him and says:
"This album is about influence, inspiration, perception & reality. Every song was written in an outside environment, so that I could observe the subjects that would become my subject matter. All too often in Hip Hop, reality is limited to that of the artists own, actual experiences. People Hear What They See is my attempt to liberate the MC from those constraints & allow reality to be penned other than my own. Listening to congressmen & lawyers converse on the steps of the supreme court inspired 'American Greed', Watching a couple argue over the phone in a bar inspired 'Maybes'. By having a visual representation of my subject matter, my hopes are that the listener will see them through the worlds & melodies of my songs."

On this album you can really feel the soul influences coming through, with the funk style bass lines being the underlay of the majority of the tracks, with strong classic hip hop percussion laid over. Mixed in are a variety of strings, piano, horns, riffs and samples that add to that unique production style he has created. I think my favourites have to be 'Ready To Rock' and 'You Know Who You Are' though, honestly, there is not one track i dislike on here, my thoughts were much the same as with Apollo Brown & OC's album 'Trophies'. Two solid hip hop albums that I could listen to over and over. You need to give this gem a listen, and you can, below.
You can purchase the album here.
See related post, Apollo Brown & OC's album 'Trophies' here.
@oddisee

TDCC// SLEEP ALONE

Yesterday, Two Door Cinema Club kindly offered fans a chance (24 hours) to download their new single 'Sleep Alone' off their upcoming album 'Beacon'. Having not heard material from the band for some time, this was the perfect way to build the anticipation and give a taste of what is to come from the new project. This highly anticipated album is their second studio album following 'Tourist History' released early 2010 and is due to be released on the 3rd September this year.
You can pre-order the album here and check out the single in case you missed it, below.
@TDCinemaClub

LOVE//SLIM

So I discovered this track today and can't get enough of it. Personally, I can really feel J.Cole-esque vibes off this, which is always welcome. A really fresh track from a young rapper. Take a listen.
@highSlim
highslim.com

VISUALS: FEEDING MY FLAME//AV YOUNG BLAZE

Here is the latest video from AV Young Blaze for his track 'Feeding My Flame'. The track samples Blue Foundation's 'Eyes on Fire' which in itself is a beautiful track, but i feel the beat gives it a real mellow flow and the rhymes work well on top of this one. I was also really taken by the video, I have to say it is one of my favourite music videos i've seen for a while, pretty memorising and I love the camera work. The director for the video is Jon Augustavo who also worked with AV on his videos for 'UK Grime' & 'Fligh High'.
Check AV Young Blaze's latest project 'The Humble Villain' out on itunes now, see it here.
@AvYoungBlaze
avyoungblaze.com

MISSING SUN//VOLI

Always good to hear news from talented artist, Voli. Here is his latest music video to be released, for the track titled 'Missing Sun'. Of course, after 'Stress' and 'Righteous Remain', the video does not dissapoint and we are given a snippet into Voli's imagination. I really do feel Voli is a real hip hop gem and his music is incomparable to anything else i've heard, his 'In The Meanwhile' was one of the best albums i'd heard for some time.

Check out The Wall (Sampler) below. The full project is due to be released in the near future.



@VoliTheEntity

VISUAL: LANA DEL REY//NATIONAL ANTHEM

So this is even more appealing, as Lana Del Rey gives us a video for her track 'National Anthem' featuring, yes, ASAP Rocky. Theres something i love about this vintage (could say instagram-esque) style video. The short film, portrays the lives of JFK (ASAP) and his wife (Lana).

B*TCH BAD//LUPE FIASCO

Lupe's back and drops the second single following 'Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)' , 'Bitch Bad' off his highly anticipated upcoming album 'Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Part 1' due to be released end of September.
Support his sound. The track is available to download from iTunes here
@LupeFiasco

THE FUTURE OF HIP HOP PART III: THE CRASH LANDING

After having designed the artwork a few weeks ago for him and him taking time and thought to hand pick the perfect tracks, its now finally dropped, my boy Matthew returns with another of his 'aBoyCalledMatt Presents' mixtapes with 'The Future Of Hip Hop Part III: The Crash Landing'.

On this tape he's really bringing back the original hip hop sounds from the likes of classic sounds such as J.Cole, Clear Soul Forces with their real laid back vibe. Of course, big names in the hip hop world feature on this tape including such artists as Meek Mill, Omen, DeStorm & rising star ASAP Rocky also making an appearance showcasing different styles of hip hop in the more main stream field. And what ABCM mixtape would be complete without a handful of some of the best underground hip hop gems, demonstrating the diversity and undiscovered talent of young hip hop artists out there right now, including Chance Jolivette, Van Solo, Jon Henry & J.Nolan to name a few. Overall this mixtape oozes hip hop of various styles, mixing mainstream in with some contemporary hip hop and old school in a perfect mix for the modern day hip hop lover.

Give it a listen and download the mixtape via HNHH here
You can download his first FOHH mixtape here
@aboycalledmatt

JOY & PAIN//ANTHM

With the slightly delayed release date of 14th June, Manhattan based artist ANTHM is back, with his new EP 'Joy & Pain' featuring Freddie Gibbs, Blu & Janelle Kroll. I'm really feeling the mix he's done on here of fresh electronic beats like on Siren's Song & God Of Joy combining this with some deep lyrics ontop of more chilled out beats on Be Still & Fortuna. He's got some interesting samples on here too ranging from Fenech-Soler to James Vincent McMorrow. All in all I feel its a pretty diverse EP with a really refreshing sound and definitely worth a listen!
Download 'Joy & Pain' here.
@NoCosign

FRESH: ALL NIGHT//LO KEYS

Lo Keys is back joined with LiveSosa & Killa Kyleon with his new single entitled 'All Night' off his highly anticipated American Greed (Scams, Schemes and Broken Dreams) mixtape which is due to drop in only 20 days, on July 6th.
Tracklisting/ artwork countdown on DatPiff here


Iamlokeys.com
@LoKeys910

LOOSE CHANGE//WHUZI

'Sometimes it feels like you have nothing and the worlds over cause you ain't getting everything you need, not getting every dream you chased after, but don't let that stop you from dreaming'

Another classic track from one half of After The Smoke duo. Whuzi returns with his laid back downtempo verses and smooth beats to create 'Loose Change' with production from The Academy. If you like this, be sure to check out his other tracks and music from After The Smoke.

Whuzi (Soundcloud)
After The Smoke (Soundcloud)
@afterthesmoke

FRESH VISUALS:THE GRINDER//WIZ KHALIFA

Newly released today, the official video for Wiz Khalifa's 'The Grinder', personally one of my favourite tracks off his latest mixtape 'Taylor Allderdice' which dropped on March 13th and features such artists as Rick Ross, Juicy J, Smoke DZA, Chevy Woods and Amber Rose (of course). You can download this mixtape via Datpiff here
@RealWizKhalifa

VISUALS:JUST PAPER//JON CONNOR

New video released from Michigan lyricist Jon Connor for his track 'Just Paper' and is off his 'Season 2' mixtape which he released at Christmas. Through the video is real talk about how much money can change situations and people, sometimes bringing people happiness and fame yet not forgetting the side that, too often than not, brings out the worst in people.
'Funny how n*ggas change when you get change, funny how n*ggas change when you get fame'
@JonConnorMusic
jonconnoronline.com

FEAR KILLERS// FORTUNATE ONES

Just recently discovered Fortunate Ones, and I have to say, I love pretty much every track of theirs. This track 'Fear Killers' really stood out to me, love the vibe and the video. Take a listen to their new 10-track project 'Lifelines' below, which you can download here.


@FortunateOnes
Toofortunate.com

TROPHIES//APOLLO BROWN & OC

I only discovered Apollo Brown in the last month by stumbling on his instrumentals on Youtube and instantly fell in love with his style, the track 'Cloudy Days' really stood out to me, he's definitely got a unique style. I then heard 'Prove Me Wrong' by him and OC via Tumblr and knew I had to download the album. Definitely worth it, I can't stop listening to it at the moment. The album 'Trophies' was released April 24th via Mello Music who yU is also signed to, another talented hip hop artist, check him out @yUthe78er . The album is a collab between Apollo Brown, with him producing the tracks and OC laying down the vocals and from listening to the album you can see how well they work together. I love the old school hip hope vibe, refreshing from the mass of commercial sounds out right now.
@ApolloBrown
@Thereal_OCizzle

'Today's society is fascinated with "Trophies". Not just a shiny cup or figurine atop a wooden platform, but the superficial earnings as a result of one's recognition. Prestigious awards, fancy cars, nice jewelry, and beautiful women, are all coveted "Trophies" of the present day. They seem to be the preferred end result of our hard work. Everyone NEEDS to be recognized for whatever their achievement may be, in order to feel that he/she made a mark in this world. And in order for our recognition to be proper, we NEED an award, or a material object to help reassure us that we did something. But why?'

THAT LYFE//WESTERN TINK

Another sick track from Western Tink 'That Lyfe' featuring Main Attrakionz & Shady Blaze. Real feel good vibes coming from this track. If you like this check out his mixtape 'Chillin Like A Civilian' below. Support his music and keep up to date with new material.



@WESTERNtink
@beautifullou1
@shadyblaze

Main Attrakionz;
@squaddabambino
@MondreMAN

DREAMCHASERS 2//MEEK MILL

Highly anticipated mixtape by Meek Mill was dropped on monday (May 7th). 'Dreamchasers 2' features artists such as Rick Ross, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Drake and Wale and we can no doubt expect more big names on his upcoming debut album due to be released this summer 'Dreams & Nightmares'.
He stated ' I was always an underground artist coming up by myself and making all of the moves by myself .. And my manager – he’s just like me, we’ve been coming up in the streets by ourselves. So we just decided to partner up with Roc Nation and take things to another level'
Watch this space.

Download the mixtape via DatPiff here.
@MeekMill

I'M FLY//LO KEYS (PROD. STEREO SYMPHONY)

New track recently dropped by Lo-Keys off his forthcoming mixtape "American Greed" (Scams, Schemes, and Broken Dreams) due to be released soon.
Check out his new mixtape 'The Green Hornet' here.

@LoKeys910
Iamlokeys.com

VISUALS: ASAP ROCKY//GOLDIE

Official video released for ASAP Rocky's new track 'Goldie'.
@asvpxrocky

DRAKE GIG

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to have tickets for me and Frankie to go and see Drake for the Liverpool date of his Club Paradise tour in the UK. In the US, Kendrick Lamar and ASAP Rocky were supporting but here in the UK, Labrinth was down to support but we ended up seeing Rita Ora performing as his support act. Drake definitely did not disappoint. Here is footage i shot of some of the performance including the opening and the track he released his latest music video for 'HYFR' excuse the off automated focusing of the camera!

PRETTY FLACKO (GREED MIX)//LO KEYS

A fresh track from newly discovered rap sensation 'Lo Keys' from Fayetteville, North Carolina entitled 'Pretty Flacko' sampling ASAP Rocky's track from liveLoveASAP. Track taken from Lo Key's upcoming mixtape "American Greed" (Scams, Schemes, and Broken Dreams) dropping soon.

Check out his new mixtape 'The Green Hornet' featuring artists such as French Montana & Young Gliss to name a few, available to download now via datpliff here.
@LoKeys910
iamlokeys.com

Lo Keys- Pretty Flacko (Greed Mix)

FRESH TRACK: GOLDIE//ASAP ROCKY

This is the latest track just released in the last couple of hours by ASAP Rocky, 'Goldie' (prod. by Hit-Boy). The ASAP mob don't fail to deliver, with their recent high energy performance at California music festival, Coachella this weekend and now the release of Rocky's first single from his highly anticipated upcoming debut album LONGLIVEA$AP due to be released in the near future.
Download the new track here
@asvpxrocky
@ASAPMOB

COACHELLA: THE WEEKND

Set from one of my favourite artists, The Weeknd at Coachella music festival this weekend. Set from 6.55-7.45pm last night Abel performed some of the most well loved tracks including The Knowing, High For This, D.D, The birds pt 1 to name a few and performing only accompanied by an acoustic guitar, Wicked Games, which was definitely a highlight of the set. This year the bands are going to be performing again in 4 days for weekend 2 of the festival, dates 20-22nd April.
coachella.com
@coachella
@theweekndxo

COACHELLA: FRANK OCEAN

The annual festival Coachella, taking place in Indio, California is back again this year and currently in full swing right this minute. Last night, the first night of music kicked off with such names at M83, Swedish House Mafia, GIRLS, Datsik, Madness, Arctic Monkeys, Kendrick Lamar to name a few, and (personally) one of the best artists performed this first night, Frank Ocean and despite some sound issues, he managed to put on an impressive performance and his voice sounded amazing. This is the live set from Frank last night from the 'GOBI' stage.

Other artists performing this weekend include (today): ASAP Rocky, Miike Snow, Borgore, Azealia Banks, Childish Gambino, Bon Iver, David Guetta, Manchester Orchestra, Sub Focus, Mt Eden... (Tomorrow): The Weeknd, Nero, Santigold, AraabMUZIK, The Gaslamp Killer, Lissie, Flux Pavillion & Dr P, Calvin Harris, Florence & The Machine and thats just a handful. With its fair share of hip hop, indie, dubstep and electronic the lineup is impressive this year.

Tune in and watch Coachella live via the festival's Youtube page here
& For more information on the festival check the website here.
@coachella

VISUAL:SIDELINE STORY//J.COLE

Visual released from J.Cole for his track 'Sideline Story' from his debut studio album 'Cole World: The Sideline Story' released Sept 27th of last year. This just makes me want to see him live again, amazing artist. If you haven't already, grab yourself a copy of his album, well worth it.
@JColeNC

THUG WAFFLE//FLATBUSH ZOMBIES

Fresh track 'Thug Waffle' by the @ZOMBIEJuicee & @MeechIsDEAD duo and produced by @ErickArcElliott
You can download this track here
flatbushzombies.com

VALLEY//FACE VEGA

Newest track from Face Vega produced by Aeon Flex.
Get this track and check out his other work through his Bandcamp page here
@gullygoth

GROWN UP // DANNY BROWN

Danny Brown - Grown Up by freshgrind
New music from Danny Brown. More of an old school vibe on this track, which is a change from his unconventional and somewhat outlandish style seen on 'XXX'. Doesn't fail to deliver again with this one.
@XDannyXBrown

GRASSNLEAN DREAMS // GORGEOUS CHILDREN

Newest track from Gorgeous Children titled 'Grassnlean Dreams'. Love this vibe, if you like this, be sure to check out their other songs, espacially 'Bobby Fischer' & 'Glass Homes'.
Gila Monsta x Face Vega
gorgeouschildren.tumblr.com
@gilamonstaSLAPS
@gullygoth

FRANK OCEAN// WHITE (MELO-X GENTRIFICATION REMIX)

A beautifully chilled out remix of Frank Ocean's solo song 'White' which features on Odd Future's 'OF Tape Vol 2'released March 16th via Odd Future LLC. Remix by Melo-X.
@MeLoXTRA
@frank_ocean_

KISSIN' PINK

Kissin' Pink from ASAP Rocky & ASAP Ferg prod by Beautiful Lou. Completely hooked on this right now. Taken from LiveLoveA$AP released Oct 31st which you can download here.
http://www.asapmob.com/
@_asaprocky
@beautifullou1
@ASAPMOB

NEW:AFTER THE SMOKE

New track released from the Rob Coin and Anthony X² duo After The Smoke entitled 'Garcus Marvey'. Another incredibly chilled out track from ATS with beautiful instrumentals and laid back beat.
After The Smoke have also just recently been picked out as one of the bands that could perform at the Billboard Music Awards and have to beat the other two bands from the Southeast to play at the Battle Of The Bands in Las Vegas.
Vote for ATS HERE.
& Check out the rest of their material via Soundcloud here.
afterthesmoke.tumblr.com
@afterthesmoke

NEW:CLAMS CASINO

Another amazing instrumental dropped by Clams Casino in the last day. Instrumental from his remix of XV's 'Swervin'.
Download it here
@clammyclams

THE MORNING (WEEKND COVER) // JOSEPH SOMO CODY TARPLEY

A beautiful cover by a very talented duo, Joseph Somo & Cody Tarpley of one of my favourite songs 'The Morning' by The Weeknd from 'House Of Balloons' mixtape.
Listen to his other covers on his Youtube channel here
@josephsomo

ANTWON // HELICOPTER

Antwon 'Helicopter' taken from 'Fantasy Beds Mixtape' which you can download via his bandcamp page here and also check out his other work and latest mixtape 'Cocaine and Hennesey' with remixes from Froskees which you can listen to on my previous post here

FRESH: WZRD

It's finally here, officially released today, the joint album from Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius 'WZRD'. Highly anticipated, Kid Cudi has been said to 'sucessfully cross genre boundaries' and i feel he definitely has on this one, with a perfect combination of classic kid cudi beats and riffs reminiscent of The Pixies this really is a unique album and i think Cudi is still definitely one of the few artists that could actually pull off a rock x hip hop album of this quality. With 'Teleport 2 Me', especially liking on this one, the sample from Desire's 'Under Your Spell' and 'The Dream Time Machine' being two of my personal favourites off the album.

1. The Arrival 2. High Off Life 3. The Dream Time Machine 4. Love Hard 5. Live & Learn 6. Brake 7. Teleport 2 Me, Jamie (feat. Desire) 8. Where Did You Sleep Last Night? 9. Efflictim 10. Dr. Pill 11. Upper Room

"Never thought the day would come for me, when I would be high off life, there's so much I have to see." - Kid Cudi

@wizardcud
@dotdagenius
kidcudi.com

ROCKIE FRESH// WHAT'S THE HURRY

'Whats The Hurry' ft.Imogen Heap from Chicago's Rockie Fresh, taken from ' The Otherside' mixtape released 2010. To download this mixtape see my previous post introducing Rockie here. I think following the release of his mixtape 'Driving 88' this year, there is no doubt that this artist is gonna blow up soon and seriously make it big, he definitely has the potential. 'The Otherside' & 'Driving 88' are two of the best mixtapes i've heard for a while, having them on repeat all the time lately. Well worth checking out. You can download his latest mixtape 'Driving 88' here.
Support his music and keep up to date;
@rockiefresh
ROCKIEFRESH.COM

LUCAS RIVERS // THE START PT.2/CASTLE

Lucas Rivers. Check out his 'CONTEXTCULTSHIT' mixtape on my previous post here
@Gatewaychronic

COCAINE AND HENNESEY // FROSKEES AND ANTWON

The latest 6-track release by Antwon in January. Beautiful remixes right here, refreshing sounds from this guy, check out his tracks on his bandcamp page here
@aaantwon

FRESH: J.COLE - GREW UP FAST

J.Cole has treated his fans with a new track 'Grew Up Fast' as a result of reaching 2 million twitter followers and as per, doesn't fail to deliver!
Download the new track here
@jcolenc

KANTRA DIKT(E)RE / CJ'S INTERLUDE III

From the new 'aBoyCalledMatt' presents mixtape '(i)OVERDOSE(d)'. Track by Ryshon Jones featuring the third interlude of the mixtape from Chance Jolivette. Check out the mixtape on my previous post here.
@aboycalledmatt @ryshonjones
@chancejolivette

'WATCH THE THRONE' TOUR ANNOUNCED : UK DATES

London O2 Arena - May 20th
Manchester M.E.N Arena - June 11
Birmingham's LG Arena - June 13

Announced this morning, Jay-Z & Kanye West will be gracing the UK this summer. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am, no doubt some of the hottest tickets of the year.

NEW MIXTAPE - (I)OVERDOSE(D)

My boy Matt has just dropped his latest mixtape - (i)OVERDOSE(d) 
Featuring; Chance Jolivette, Drake, Ryshon Jones, The Weeknd, Trey Songz & Lloyd just to name a few. The mixtape is a journey through one guys struggle battling paranoia in his relationship, leading to devastating consequences through one fatal mistake that he makes. Some beautiful tracks on here, a showcase of underground hip hop mixed with skits and interludes makes for a truly unique piece of work.
Appreciate if you could check it out x
Download Here
Matthew Britton > http://www.thatkiddfromldn.com/

JULIAN/POTION

XO gang, Julian Cruz. 'Potion' smooth beat, vocals, just love this song right now.
@jmcjuelz

BEXFOREVER//DROPXLIFE

"The only way I can see myself lasting here forever is by being something they could never give me. And in turn, something they can never take away."
@dropxlife

ROCKIE FRESH//SO LONG

Track 'So Long' by Rockie Fresh off his latest 16 track mixtape 'Driving 88', dropped Jan 23rd. Really love his style and if you like this i suggest you give his 2010 mixtape 'The Otherside' a listen here.
 Get the new 'Driving 88' mixtape here.
@rockiefresh

SAMIYAM//ESCAPE

Glitch-hop from experimental producer Sam Baker a.k.a Samiyam.
@SAMIYAMBEATS

MIGUEL//GIRLS LIKE YOU

Since hearing about Miguel through J.Cole on 'All I Want Is You' his songs have really started to grow on me, he has a really unique style and a beautiful voice, as well as having pretty creative music videos. Check out his music and give his new track 'Adorn' a listen here which is off his upcoming project dropping on Feb 27th which is entitled 'Art Dealer Chic: Vol.1'.
@miguelunlimited

CURREN$Y//HERE (EP)

Louisiana rapper Curren$y, dropped a free five track EP, entitled 'Here' a couple of days ago, February 5th, even though this was actually recorded all in one day, it hasn't stopped him delivering a quality EP. Definitely feeling 'Pay Attention' and '#CruiseLife' off this.
Download here.
@currensy_spitta

LLOYD BANKS//COLD CORNER 2

Tracks taken from part two of 'The Cold Corner' which also features such artists as ASAP Rocky (Make It Stack) and Prodigy (123 Grind). Highly recommend downloading this mixtape. 'Come Up' & 'Make It Stack' being personally my two favourites off the mixtape.
Download TCC2 here.
@Lloydbanks

NIPSEY HUSSLE//WHO DETATCHED US (TMC)

A really inspirational track from Nipsey Hussle featuring the well known motivational speech from Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, from his most recent mixtape, TMC which was released last month, following up from eleven months after he brought out the mixtape 'The Marathon'. Download 'The Marathon Continues' mixtape here.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition" - Steve Jobs

New Tumblr Blog

Would appreciate if you could check out my newly created tumblr blog 'Charlotte Brennan Photography'. Posting past and current/ongoing final work in my photography. >charlottebrennanphotography.tumblr.com<

CHAPTER TWO,BLACK KING//IM JUST KILLING - MIXTAPE

My favourite song from Van Solo's 'Im Just killing' Mixtape, released early January.
Click here to download the mixtape via Mediafire.
Support his music.
valentinesknown.blogspot.com
@vanniesolo

MOA PILLAR//THE MOON AND THUNDER DANCE EP

Simply am amazing track from Moa Pillar. This particular track is a beautiful mix of a dubstep-esque best combined with electronic synths and a huge variety of beautiful digital sounds creating an incredibly unique track, making for a very interesting listen. Totally original and inspiring music.
Find them on soundcloud here

SKIZZY MARS//SHANGRI-LA

Skizzy Mars with track 'Shangri-La'. Beautiful vibes in this track and his other work is also on point, 'Colours', 'Tara' & 'Sirens' are definitely worth listening to. Refreshing sounds from this artist.
@skiztherapper

RED ROOM//WHUZI

Amazing video for Whuzi's 'Red Room'. He also featured on a previous post, 'Trenchcoats' a track by Skyway featuring Whuzi, another track definitely worth listening to. See the post here
http://afterthesmoke.tumblr.com/

ASAP ROCKYxCLAMS CASINO

Official video for ASAP Rocky's 'Wassup' (prod. by Clams Casino) off the highly anticipated 'LiveLoveASAP' which was released October 31st of last year. Clams Casino also produced Rocky's 'Bass' 'Palace' 'Demons' 'Leaf/Take 1 ft Main Attrakionz' and recently featured on The Weeknd's final mixtape 'Echoes of Silence' producing track 7, 'The Fall'.
Check out his work at
http://soundcloud.com/clammyclams
Keep up to date with tours, music and support ASAP's sounds on
http://www.asapmob.com
https://twitter.com/#!/_ASAProcky

M83 // MIDNIGHT CITY

Anthony Gonzalez has done it again, more well known as M83, he released the band's highly anticipated sixth studio album 'Hurry Up We're Dreaming' on the 18th October last year which included the track 'Midnight City' which was released earlier, and the first track to be released off the album. With the album having hit 21000 sales within its first week and 'Midnight City' having been featured globally through the media recently, maybe M83 are finally getting the recognition they deserve. 'Hurry Up We're Dreaming' is available to buy through all good music stores and check out their fifth album 'Saturdays = Youth' which is also definitely well worth a listen.
For current tour dates > ilovem83.com
@m83news

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Lissie performing Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit Of Happiness' at Great Escape 2010. This is one of my favourite covers to date, two amazing artists.
Her next gigs will be at Coachella, CA in April.
http://www.lissie.com/

CHILDISH GAMBINO

His first studio album 'CAMP' released November 14th '11 via Island Records, is available to buy now at all good music stores.
www.iamdonald.com

ACOUSTIC: KEATON HENSON

Keaton Henson - You Don't Know How Lucky You Are by Keaton Henson

Organic, acoustic sounds combined with beautiful lyrics, Keaton Henson's music is simply refreshing. Take a minute to appreciate this music.

"The fact that people can hear them is terrifying. The fact that the people they’re about might hear them is mortifying. I cannot play stairway to heaven. I struggle with bar chords. My songs are unashamed self indulgence and my only defense is that i didn’t think they would ever be heard. They were recorded in my bedroom mainly, and occasionally in friendly studios, with help when needed from talented friends and family members. I started charging for illustration in order to afford studio time. And got carried away"

LUCAS RIVERS

I love this guys vibes. Lucas Rivers. Download the mixtape 'CONTEXTCULTSHIT' here, well worth a listen.
Lucas Rivers - Youtube

FRESH SOUNDS: ROCKIE.

We Good by Rockie Fresh by The Quiet Floor
Living - Rockie Fresh (Feat Naledge & Phil Ade) by simplyvick31