These two should really form a group. Nocan’s Jimmy The Lock is on Amazon now. Physical copy coming eventually?

Just a few for Saturday.

Snap – “Money“

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from Snappage Vol. 1 (RappersIKnow.com, 2009)

Long time readers of this site might remember Snap from the monstrous youtube one off K-Rino collab “Deth Season“. Old school Houston heads (and itchy bid finger Japanese collectors) might remember him from the group Poetic Souls. FWMJ recently put together this revelation of a mixtape highlighting some of his recent work. Dude is a technical monster of the Pharoahe Monch lineage, an effortless word blurrer type.

Ghostface – “Forever“

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Ghost’s fleeting hipster fanbase picked up on his non-sequitor schtick but his true has always lied in his emo streak. He’s been hinting at a soul theme for his next full length and that would be a great look. (In fact, his last great record, Pretty Toney benefitted from him leaning more to lover man mode than rapping underwater with squid mode.) (more…)

DJ Quik & Kurupt – “Do You Know”
from Blaqkout (Mad Science, Available June 9)

Early leaks from the anticipated (by some) Blaqkout have seen Quik stepping out of his traditional genius music summertime slaps mold to take a more eclectic approach. Because he’s an artist, not a gangsta, remember. (For those keeping score: “9X Outta Ten” was a successful experiment, in a Prefuse 73x”Grindin” way, but the two outta three that followed weren’t as effective. Maybe he should stay out of the world music crates.) Well “Do You Know” is more what you’d expect from the duo, on the laid back top down tip. These are the types of beats Quik should be lacing Kurupt with, but if the LP splits down the middle between styles it’ll probably be enough of a success to be better than most summer albums.

Freddie Gibbs – “Summa Dis“

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Freddie Gibbs f/ Devin The Dude – “Stray“

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from The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs (Mixtape, 2009)

Gibbs is from Gary, Indiana and we all have been sleeping on him for too long. The Interscope refugee seemingly salvaged a bunch of tracks from his aborted major label debut for this, yet another album-as-mixtape track. Gibbs is a spitter from the Twista school, but seems to draw on more of a southern demeanor. Hopefully one of these A&Rs ODing on overpriced t-shirts will take note and pick him up again. It would be a shame to see him get Ray Cashed. I’m thinking “Stray” is some Waitin To Inhale era Devin, given the Pitchfork parental advisory warning levels of women hating on the hook “Stray” was on Devin’s Landing Gear but sounds a lot better here: “I can’t stand stupid bitches.” Pretty to the point. (more…)