Just when you thought we’d reached the pinnacle of Hipsterdom, it seems Eastern Europe has beaten Brooklyn out for the top spot. The capital of Latvia, Riga, has been voted as the top spot for Hipsters anywhere across the globe. Check out the rest of the neighborhoods and feel free to light up my comments if you think the jeans in Riga couldn’t possibly be more tight than the ones coming out of Billyburg. Yes, people do actually call it Billyburg. Check out the article at Skyscanner here.
Since it would be tacky to post Summer House tracks after Labor Day, I’m gonna cram as much of it into this week as I can. Next up, Sam Feldt’s glorious tropical house mix. This mix has a number of great remixes and there’s a free download on Sam Feldt’s Facebook page as well. Free summer vibes for the last week of the unofficial season, and just in case you need another reason, the mix is dedicated to a single fan. I love this idea, the direct connection to a single person, something that really creates a connection between artist and dance party attendee. I can’t imagine how happy the winner of this mix would’ve been. Anyone want to make a Gotham mix for me? 😀
Does what it says on the tin. Really fucking well. LA must have crazy dubstep parties. Someone freaking hire these kids.
This new sound out of VA is definitely going to keep my attention. I’m liking the smooth, almost syrup’y sound that Chance The Rapper has helped make acceptable. There’s a slickness to his lyrical work (rhyming “Pokeballs” gets props from me) and his sample game is legit. The classic trumpet sample is something I think more hip hoppers need to be using, especially considering the history of Jazz being replaced by Hip Hop as the sound of counter culture in the United States.
This Organic Veggies demo not only has the best genre tag I’ve seen on Soundcloud in months (LSD on Sunday), but it does everything right. The flow is exactly as fast as it needs to be, you get introduced to the sound without being rushed or aggressively fronted on. I hope this gets scooped up immediately, because this is an MC that could open for James Blake or something. Lots of potential and you heard it here first.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Ferguson, MO is currently a war zone. While many artists have kept as far away from this controversy as possible, J. Cole has created a touching piece in tribute to Michael Brown and those who suffered police brutality. There’s some vocal sampling directly from the protests about halfway through the track. It’a powerful tune that straddles Indie and Rhythm & Blues. There’s a plea within the tune that I hope we can all heed. Let us all be free to live our lives without fear of repression by those who have sworn to serve & protect. (via This Song Is Sick)
Check this less political, but still chill as fuck hip hop tune from Dreamville Records by Cozz below as well.
I don’t usually throw out events that aren’t sweet rave parties, but anyone who knows the roots of dance music knows where it came from. Funk, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Gospel, Disco & Jazz inspired the artists you hear every day. You may not know it, they may not even know it, but it’s there. Chaka Khan, Queen of Funk, has been topping charts and singing since your before your parents met. There’s a lot of house that can be traced to her & the work of her colleagues in the Funk era.
There’s a charity called Lend a Hand and Foot that’s sponsoring a VIP friends & family area inside of the Hammerstein Ballroom show. Funds will go to benefit ongoing projects in Haiti (Remember Haiti? That place still needs help.) and Bed Stuy, because again, that place still needs help too. The Facebook invite is here and there are links to tix and media/press contacts there as well. This is a great cause and a timeless artist, so if you’re looking for something to do with your family, this might be a cool way to spend Saturday night. Keep it funky y’all.
(Picture from Radio Facts All Rights Reserved)
Don’t buy this. Don’t make your baby wear it. Just. Please. Stop. You’re embarrassing your species.
Childish Gambino is wonderful, and trying so hard to be authentic in a world full of posers. This happened on Twitter and it gets exactly to the problems that he & millions around the world face. It’s a potent plea to not be misunderstood, and to be accepted. Donald Glover is one of the people I want to see succeed at all he attempts most in this world. He deserves every iota of it. (via r/Frisson)
Ok, this is kind of bonkers. Serj Tankian (yes, that one. The one from System of a Down.) and Benny Benassi (of Satisfaction) have teamed up and pushed out a Big Room track. And, like, it’s better than Animals. Serj Tankian absolutely KILLS IT on the vocals. The symphonic preview that I’ve attached above is exactly the direction I want Big Room to move in, even if we’re still the hard electro drop at 2:10 could be a little bit more trance-y if you ask me. Though, I think everything could be a little more trance-y. The tune is a solid banger that I’d probably even post if it didn’t have Serj rocking the vocals, which, is saying quite a bit. This collab is going to be huge, kudos to ULTRA for picking this up and h/t to EDMTunes for the notification.
Ryan Higa continues to kill it on YouTube with this hilarious tip-filled video on how to make it in “the rap game” (as the kids call it these days). Higa’s got a surprisingly large spectrum of jokes, and I’m not going to lie, the Pokemon/2 Chainz joke is gold. He’s easily one of the biggest internet celebrities you’ve never heard of if you’re over the age of 18. But he’s speaking directly to the teens & pre-teens growing up with the wacky hip hop. Just imagine, if you were in HS and instead of NWA or Public Enemy or Wu-Tang, you had Drake, Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz. It’s a weird time to be alive. (via Laughing Squid) If you’ve not heard of Ryan Higa, check out his excellent YouTube channel.
Terry Gotham 
