Homebase NYC is a VERY good friend of this blog.  Homebase was also a partner of my other outfit, Rare Form, in Quadron‘s very first NYC show back in June 2010.  They know good music, are solid champions of the culture and they throw a damn good party every so often.  In general, they like to stay busy and keep things interesting.   So this was a nice treat when he hit this hit the digi-streets recently.  A FREE EP of brand new material from some of the most promising artits in the underground hip-hop and soul scenes, with original, live production by The Clubhouse.  Only five tracks here, but it’s one of those portions that looks small but has you laid back and grinning in satisfaction.

This kinda came out of nowhere yesterday and I didn’t know about it until early this morning.  It’s good to see an artist experiment with something new and then throw the fruits of his labor out to the market whether they are fresh or rotten (depending on the listener’s ear).  There’s a brief back story about the project but I’ll let Blu explain what it is about in his own, trademark writing style that most of us have come to love…

Peaz&Blessings,
ItsYaBoy,FellBackForASec
ButTheOverDoseIsComing,
SlowlyThough
WeGoneStartItOffWithSomeFunTimeShit
IDidThisOneDayThisSummer
FuckingAroundWithThe2000XLForTheFirstTime
WasGettingTheIntroduceToTheFunctions
AndThisIsWhatBlossomedFromTheCrashCourse
ALittle8MinuteBeatTapeAppropriatelyTitled
“NoSleepForADay”
ProducedByTheBluAsBulb(theBrightIdea)

DOWNLOAD | Blu – No Sleep For A Day (Instrumental EP)

Here’s a group that I knew nothing about until I listened to this song.  They’re called Deep Rooted and they hail from San Diego.  They’re a collective of creative individuals successfully marrying the genres of hip-hop and soul together served up on a shiny audible platter.  Here’s a track off their self-titled album which is out now (cop on iTunes) featuring a TFB perennial favorite, Blu.   Yes ladies and gents, California is non-stop these days with the new music.  And I’m not mad at all.  Straight up head nod 101.  There’s nothing much more to say.

DOWNLOAD | Deep Rooted f/ Blu – “From The Heart”

All props due to Safia for putting me on to this via Twitter or I would have been even later than I normally am on posting stuff.  At first I thought this was one of those fan-made compilations of loose joints that folks to try to pass off as something official.  So I did some investigation.  And believe it or not, Blu put it out himself.  Via his MySpace blog.  On a Saturday.  On Valentine’s Day.  LOL.  Which definitely accounts for it kinda falling under the radar like this. 

But I’m glad he’s getting some more music out to the masses.  The guy puts out more quality material than folks that have been in the game twice or three times as long as he has.  And if I’m not mistaken, this is all self-produced as well.  So(ul) amazing.

DOWNLOAD | Blu – HerFavoriteColo(u)r.

Peep the new video for one my favorite joints off the self-titled album from Johnson & Jonson (aka Blu & Mainframe), which just also happens to be one of my top albums of 2008.  This was directed by a gentleman by the name of Kareem Eduoard.  I really like how this was shot.  It captures the vibe of the beat perfectly.   It’s good to see new blood out there expressing themselves visually without having to go through the corporate red tape to get a video played.  Viva la Internet.

photo by Mel D. Cole of Village Slum Photography

I honestly can’t remember where or when I found this song.  Probably a blog somewhere.  And I’m all about giving credit where it’s due.  Anyway, when I randomly come across loose Blu joints, I get amped.  Kinda like the same feeling back in the day when you’d get a Happy Meal from McDonald’s and there would accidentally be two toys in the box instead of one. SCORE!

Plus up until now I don’t think I’ve ever posted a Blu song on this blog and he’s become one of my favorite emcees as of last year.  He’s a rapping MACHINE so there are just tons of product just lying around for cats to stumble on.  However you get your fix, let the feeling take you away…

DOWNLOAD | Blu – “High Music”
(re-upped August 22, 2010)