A wise man once asked me “how can something be ‘retro’ if everybody ascribes to in the contemporary age>” That wise man was actually my 9 year old cousin, but I couldn’t help but think he had a good point. So many people rock retro Air Jordans nowadays that what’s the point of calling them retro in the first place? 9 year olds do a whole lot of b#######, wining, and loud noise when you are just trying to watch the Laker game without committing domestic homicide, but they are occasionally wise beyond their years. Aside from hypebeasts making it their lifes’ mission to buy the 11’s in every possible colorway, artists that make it their mission to revisit the golden sounds of the past are most often times making a fruitful decision. Standing Ovation, also known as SO, consists of LA native The Character and producer Bronze Baby Shoes from Virginia. Exuding a smooth retro feel and Hip Hop that goes far beyond the genre’s traditional limits, SO are making a big splash with their new EP, Echo Park. Described by one writer as “Full Moon Funk,” Echo Park is dripping with chemistry and features the duo pushing boundaries and inviting listeners to ponder the difficult questions about life, the universe and literally everything in between. Shrouded in mystery and endlessly engaging, Echo Park realizes moments of rap mastery interweaving nicely with ambient soundscapes that feel like they’re ripped straight from the 70s. Aside from the genre-bending sounds, there is something distinctly appealing about the SO experience that is sure to capture even the most hardened imagination. Stream the record: https://soundcloud.com/100so/sets/echo-park

Last night I attended a birthday party for one of my cousins. Although the party was adult-themed, there were of course a few kids in attendance. Long story short, with a twelve year old being responsible for the DJ duties, I got the chance to see what the kids were listening to these days on their select Pandora stations. The age of a music critic is akin to dog years, but everything I heard seemed to mesh together as some sort of extended techno-pop beat with various crooners taking center stage. The songs were catchy, but the singers seemed to lack a certain thing to turns a song into music. What they were missing was passion. I must admit, Nick de la Hoyde does not have a name that easily rolls off the tongue like T-Pain or R.Kelly. However, like those latter folks, he makes the same type of jams that inevitably become stuck in one’s head. I wrote about Nick in this very same column at the beginning of the year, following the release of his single “The Longest Way,” and later, “By My Side.” Aside from AHH, he has also been featured in a significant number of online magazines including The Source, Pop Scoop, Essentially Pop, The Examiner, Shockya.com, PopCityLifeMusic, WeDoItForTheLoveOfMusic, and All Access Magazine. Despite the fact that Nick makes pop-sounding songs, there is a clear degree of passion in his work, and the release of his appropriately titled Passion EP is further proof. Passion is an impressive debut EP. Nick’s real-talk-centric lyrical content is only rivaled by an equally emotive sonic mesh, combining the talents of brothers and production duo Joseph & John de la Hoyde as well as renowned Hip Hop producer Lemoyne ‘LA’ Alexander. The result is a unique melding pot; pop and alternative rock evoking visions of the future while still deeply embedded in the past. As I touched on before, “By My Side” is a testament to this blend, combining a light-hearted groove with a deeply moving hook to express Nick’s affliction with music as a source of both passion and expression. You can stream the entire Passion EP below. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/106451880″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] And as always, make sure to follow Nick de la Hoyde’s movements on the interwebs: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ndela12

I don’t care what anyone says…the pop singers of the 90’s were far superior to whatever the hell the kids are listening to today. A greatest hits album of The Backstreet Boys s#### all over anything that One Direction, Selena Gomez, or The Jonas Brothers have released. I’ll admit, if God put me in a cave and gave me 24 hours to think of the name of a song by either of these artists, I wouldn’t be able to. (I do remember that One Direction had a song a while back that was all over the radio, but I can’t even remember the name of it at the moment, honest to God). Why don’t I just Google it right now, you ask? Because my mother taught me not to waste time looking for waste. Whatever it was, I’m 100% sure it couldn’t hold “I Want It That Way’s” metaphorical jockstrap. Which, if you think about it, is the ultimate diss. Not a lot of people would want to hold another person’s jockstrap even if they really could carry it, but not being able to hold something that doesn’t really exist is the lowest of the low. Honestly, the previous paragraph (or rant) is 1 degree away from being a non sequitur, or maybe less, as it doesn’t have all that much to do with superHero. But unlike a lot of 90’s babies, superHero definitely don’t take themselves too seriously, and their debut album, entitled The Middle, is reminiscent of Kidz In The Hall combined with Madvillian MF DOOM and a splash of Madlib during the Quasimoto days. I won’t lie, when I first saw the video of “Lifted,” I missed the dope music being played because I was so distracted by the outfits. However, these dudes, hailing from Hotlanta (the birthplace of some of the most unique acts of the genre) have skill. Stripped down lyricism with a few flashy frills, superHero has, appropriately enough, a superhero theme, with the duo never hesitating to sample from classic superhero movies and share their love of the genre. It makes for cinematic listening a la early Wu-Tang records, and adds a further degree of pizzazz to the duo’s arrangements. Beyond the pizzazz effect (after all, what really is pizzazz?) superHero are brashly pushing the boundaries on what hip hop can be by ushering in an extra level of aggression to make their beats all the more engaging, and furthermore, inspiring. With The Middle, essentially, superHero have optimized their lyrical content and implementation of hooks to put together a package the world has yet to witness. There is something strangely gravitational about what superHero do on The Middle, making for some of the most enjoyable hip hop I’ve heard this year. You can stream The Middle below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/users/80841551″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] As always, if you are feeling superHero, make sure to track their movements on the interwebs: Websites: Official: http://trt-music.com/ Twitter: @blckkevin, @Protege_AoS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trtmusic Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/trt-music

A few months ago, in May to be exact, I wrote a “Temperature’s Rising” piece about Jelani Lateef. You may be asking yourself, “Why are you writing another article about Jelani?” Well, I’ll answer that question by not answering at all and instead saying this. This is my column. I write about whatever the f### I want to. In college, when you were nursing a hangover and watching reruns of The Tim and Eric Show, I was nursing a hangover while reading hella long Greek tragedies by people like Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes. I wrote long 10+ page essays twice a week about things like Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Beowulf. In short, the life of the English/Writing major is far from glamorous, and neither is the life of a professional journalist. But there are some perks. Now I have my own column on AHH, where, like I said so elegantly before, I can say whatever the f### I want. As I detailed in my last article, Jelani Lateef’s life story is one for the ages, which undoubtedly resonates in his music. I have only an ounce of faith that you will actually read both articles, because unless you decide (or decided) to subject yourself to torture and study English Literature for four years that is too much reading (not to sound condescending, sometimes I wish I too wasn’t stricken with the writer’s curse). Anyways, I’ll copy & paste it here, 99.9% word for word (because it’s NFL football Sunday and on this day an American-blooded man is allowed to be lazy). Born and raised in Chicago, IL, (of course one of hip hop’s holy meccas) Jelani Lateef aka J Fury has a career spanning more than a decade. Best known for his thought-provoking lyricism and witty wordplay, Jelani has been a mainstay in the Chicago rap community, despite Chicago being a city chock-full of brilliant artists. Jelani has expanded from just being a rapper to a producer and CEO as well. In 2010, the mother of Jelani’s daughter died of cancer, leaving him a single parent. After recovering from this traumatic and life-changing episode, Jelani started Manhood Ent. The idea was to create a brand that represented men stepping to the plate and handling responsibility. The mission statement for the company is: “Striving to be a popular source of music and entertainment, while portraying men in a positive, powerful and inspirational light”. In addition to making music, Jelani has committed endless hours to outreach and mentoring young men and women, in hopes of inspiring them to lead a positive and productive lifestyle. “Most rappers speak on servin’ them rocks So you don’t want to hear about a n#### punchin’ the clock“ -Jelani Lateef, “Manhood Talk” I’m in my mid-20’s, still considered a “young” adult by some people, but I increasingly find myself gravitating toward music like this that has a “real” message attached. While this problem has always excited, I feel that a lot of hip hop fans take the rappers themselves too seriously, which leads to a lot of high school kids thinking they need to do everything Young Thug or Rich Homie Quan glorify in their raps. Let’s take the latter for instance. I love listening to Quan even though he is not necessarily the most righteous rapper around, but when I take the headphones out or turn my car off, I realize that what I listening to is for entertainment purposes. The odds are stacked way against you if you have the idea that you are going to be able to make it as a rich rapper, even though it’s not impossible obviously if you are willing to study the craft. However, when you are working part-time, popping Molly, and selling drugs not for survival purposes but to purchase exclusive Jordan sneakers, you are taking this rap s### dangerously serious, and need to listen to Jay’s “Ignorant S###” until you memorize it. Jelani’s “Manhood Talk” is not going to be on the radio, BET, VH1, or MTV (even when/if they decide to play music) but it is the kind of song that carries a poignant message more young men to hear. Since May, Jelani’s Cold Days and Dark Nights album has been a mainstay in my personal playlist. With a certified lunatic (Donald Trump) following absurd statements after the next, and an influx of stories about people in positions of power using their power for selfish/cruel means, the insightful and positive message Jelani offers on Cold Days and Dark Nights has been extremely therapeutic. currently in rotation along with Lupe’s Tetsuo & Youth, Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly, Wale’s The Album About Nothing, Chance & The Social Experiment’s Surf, Dr. Dre’s Compton: A Soundtrack, and Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise. I’m usually telling other people to track up-and-coming artists’ movements on the interwebs, but ever since May I’ve been the tracking Jelani’s movements (no Craiglist killer/creep). I posted this is in the last article, but you can check out the full album below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/94504978″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] In 2015, there are a multitude of brilliant artists who have yet to really see the light of the mainstream, which completely baffles me. Off the top of my head, Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y, Young Roddy, Big K.R.I.T., Stalley, Ab-Soul, and the list goes on and on. Luckily, we have the internet, so who gives a s### about the radio? I imagine Jelani will be apart of the aforementioned class of emcees, steadily releasing real/dope s### that goes completely unnoticed by people that have Tyga in their top 10, but regardless, if you’re feeling “Manhood Talk” and the Cold Days and Dark Nights, make sure to track Jelani’s movements on the interwebs (again, no Craiglist killer/creep). ​Websites: http://www.jelanilateef.com https://www.facebook.com/JFuryfanpage Tweets by jaylateef https://instagram.com/jaylateef

Today, as you well know, is the debut of NFL Sunday for the 2015 season. Right now you are rightfully obliterating your 25th buffalo wing with a Bud Light in the other hand prepared to wash it down. Aside from praising the Lord, this is what Sundays are for. This is the day when men (and women) can keep their button-downs and slacks in the closet in favor of a stained wife beater or jersey and embrace the bliss of uncivilized behavior. 99.9% of all NFL fans are extremely curious to see what the Philadelphia Eagles will do this season. During Chip Kelly’s tenure as head coach, the team has parted ways with DeSean Jackson, LeSean Mccoy, Jeremy Maclin, and their quarterback Nick Foles. They are now starting Sam Bradford at quarterback, and even if you aren’t an obsessive St. Louis Rams fan like me, you know that in the past Bradford has been so injury prone that if one were to sneeze too loud within slight vicinity of him, he would go down with a season-ending injury. And Bradford’s backup, just in case the aforementioned scenario does happen and Bradford somehow tears a third ACL and defies what we’ve previously thought about human anatomy (humans only have two) is Mark Sanchez. Approaching his seventh year in the league, Sanchez’s greatest accomplishment as a professional is dating Meadow Soprano, and his greatest failure would vary depending on who you talked to, but most would say his infamous “butt fumble” against the Patriots (in Sanchez’s defense, maybe the ball was deflated). To put it short, Chip Kelly is either a mad scientist or just plain mad, and The Eagles’ season is going to be a must-see spectacle. But Chip and his “revolutionary” techniques aren’t the only things buzzing in Philly at the moment (Lord knows the Sixers aren’t buzzing anytime soon). As everyone knows, Philly has long produced premiere hip hop talent like Beanie Sigel, Meek Mill, Will Smith, and of course the group of Chip Kelly-esque mad scientists the legendary Roots crew. Nave is in the process of making major moves to add his name to that legendary fold. He has already performed at the World Cafe Live venues in both Philly and Delaware. A veteran of the BKS1 Radio BBQ in New Jersey, Nave seems like he’s going places and seems to grasp the finite details of what it takes for an artist to maneuver his way to the top of the hip hop ranks while keeping his creativity in tact in the process. Nave is not a variation of the word “naive.” Not in the slightest. I first came across Nave not long ago when I heard his new single “Cosby Kids.” Even more so than The Fresh Prince or arguably Ben Franklin (might be a stretch, but hey, so is starting a supremely injury prone quarterback), Bill Cosby might very well be the most famous Philadelphian in the year 2015. Surprisingly, the single was written months before the Bill Cosby scandal and therefore does not address it in the song itself. However, the video is a stunning criticism of the drama surrounding Bill Cosby and exhibits an insightful message about a man who most of the nation once regarded as a hero not very long ago at all. Nave commented on his own video on Youtube, stating: “Holistically, the video represents the simplicity of childhood and how things change when we get older but the girls also represent how Nave’s memories of Cosby are tainted. And ultimately that’s the risk of romanticizing the past, knowing that things may not have been quite what they seemed.” Functioning as just a mere taste of the delectable Espresso Nave, Nave speaks to the human condition with “Cosby Kids” and soon, will leave even the most casual hip hop fans begging for more. Unlike rappers attempting to make it big without an ounce of love for the craft, Nave seems to grasp the importance of the genre in a worldly scope, and it is evident in his music. If you’re feeling Nave’s “Cosby Kids” and the video, make sure to stay tuned for Espresso Nave. You can preview it below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/116334845″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] And as always, if you’re feeling Nave but naive, make sure to follow his movements on the interwebs: Websites: Artist Page: http://www.saynave.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/saynave

With Kendrick Lamar releasing arguably the album of the year with To Pimp A Butterfly, and Dr. Dre’s recent masterpiece Compton: A Soundtrack, and of course the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, it seems like Compton has once again become the star city of the great state of California. In a larger scope, southern California hip hop, after a grueling drought, has finally risen once again. As I mentioned in my interview with Compton’s own Billionaire Buck, there is a multitude of young, talented SoCal artists in the game such as Billionaire Buck, Vince Stapes, Cassey Veggies, Kendrick, Skeme, ScHoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle, YG, Tyler Tha Creator, Problem, Mellowhype, DJ Mustard, Pac D##, Ab-Soul, Kid Ink, Earl Sweatshirt, Jay Rock as well as OG’s like The Game, Madlib, Snoop Dogg, Dilated Peoples, Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Suga Free, Warren G, Cube, W.C., DJ Quik, and Dr. Dre. Although he was raised about 20 minutes north of Compton, it will be only a matter of time before Inglewood native Rhawn B joins that list of talented SoCal emcees. Expensive Ignorance is the highly anticipated new record from Rhawn B. of U.D. fame (Uniquely Divided). Looking to join the likes of legendary producers like Dre and Daz, this skilled young producer/artist/engineer, and Founder of UDMusic Group is a graduate of The Los Angeles Film Institute. Rhawn B has performed at Roxy, Viper Room, Club Nokia, On The Rox, Key Club, Airliner, and other venues throughout California, and has become known for his vicious energy on stage and his ability to rock the crowd. Opening for the variegated likes of The Pharcyde, YG, Phife Dog, Juvenile, DJ Quik, Dogg Pound, Mack 10, and the Ying Yang Twins, many a concert goer has gone to a _______ show and left being more impressed with Rhawn B. Editor’s Note: Since I’m an enormous fan of all those groups (except of course for the Ying Yang Twins) I’m not going to fill that blank in. If it was Tyga I would have no problem. But then again, if I’m ever in a position where I’m purchasing Tyga concert tickets, rest assured all my mental faculties have been wiped clean. According to Rhawn B, his work is “artsy” and “creative” hip hop. Obviously, that doesn’t mean diddly-squat, so he elaborated: “I’m excited about this project, life experiences helped to develop this CD into what it is….. I made some expensive mistakes in life and had to learn from my ignorance the hard way. I had to cut some people off in order to move forward. My fans stayed loyal, in fact my fan base grew. I had to re-focus my energy and revamp my artistry. I feel like this whole process with the album is a new personal growth for me; It felt great to be able to produce, record, and engineer the entire project.” It’s worth mentioning that BLVCKVMISH co-produced a couple of the tracks on Expensive Ignorance; Rey Little, Wessy West, T. Bailey, and D. Real are also featured on the project. Rhawn B wanted his official release to be dope and personal, like the Cali masters/perfectionists before him. But Expensive Ignorance isn’t merely a “Westcoast” album, but one designed so that everyone can gravitate. Instead of adhering to manipulative tastes of record label executives, Rhawn B clearly wanted to craft an album dripping with realism, not merely project a contrived image; According to him: “If I don’t own it, it’s not displayed in my video.” If you are interested in adding another Cali artist to your brand new iPhone 6s, and in 2015, why wouldn’t you? You can stream Expensive Ignorance below. http://rippletunes.com/album/Rhawn-B/Expensive-Ignorance/975106083/t0 If you’re feeling Rhawn B and his U.D. crew, make sure to track his movements on the interwebs: Websites (Official, bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter) • twitter.com/RhawnB, • RhawnB.com • Rhawnb.tumblr.com • https://www.facebook.com/UniquelyDivided • https://instagram.com/rhawnb/

What the f### is going on in Milwaukee? Up until 2014, I never once thought about Milwaukee or even Wisconsin as a real state, only one of those placeholders on the U.S. map that make places like California, Texas, New York, or Louisiana look all the more luminous. I really can’t explain my ignorance, as like you probably did, I grew up watching “That 70’s Show” and pre-creep Brett Favre throw touchdown after touchdown with a bunch of fans screaming with cheese hats. I even remember the Ray Allen Milwaukee Bucks’ days, before he went on to shoot corner treys with seemingly 100% precision for every other team in the NBA. That’s all sports related, but ever since Jabari Parker and Jason Kidd headed over to The Bucks, the hip hop scene in Milwaukee has blossomed. As I sit here watching Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears run in for a goal line score against The Green Bay Packers, with newly hired John Fox screaming from the sidelines, hoping the Bears won’t be the “WE ARE LOST” team of a year ago, I am compelled to write about (yes) some more hot Milwaukee hip hop, We R The Lost. We R The Lost mastermind Jon Briggz has come forth to unintentionally form a movement, not about Milwaukee awareness education, but reaching out and giving a sense of meaning to not only his crew but fans as well. Embracing A Tribe Called Quest feel, Briggz is educated in the art of moving bonita applebum butts with dance-minded tracks, but also skilled in intellectual excursions with lyrics to go. The combination allows for an instinctive intellectual travel through the paths of rhythm, and hot sex on a platter for when the time calls for it. We R The Lost’s new record Still Lost sees the group coming together to form impactful hip hop that runs the gamut of emotions and ideas. Able to place party anthems next to political epics, the duo are nothing short of fascinating. In a time when hip hop artists are able to experiment like never before, yet many are content to ride the rehashed wheel to success, it’s exceedingly easy to appreciate a group like We R The Lost. Jon Briggz never intended to start a movement when he formed The Lost with his brothers and close friends. He merely wanted to express the way they lived. A rebuttal to the criticisms levied at him and his friends for their party first attitude, perceived lack of drive and indifference to academics, politics and religion. While others negatively labeled him and his friends as lost, Jon Briggz decided to embrace and embody the concept.The result was two mixtapes and countless freestyles recorded over a two year period and released by various members of The Lost. Jon Briggz and The Lost performed in local venues and shot several videos for the various projects during this time. However, without leadership and guidance, the vision of The Lost became lost itself in the distractions of life and the group went their separate ways. As each member struggled alone they realized that their message resonated beyond their close circle. The stories of others who felt lost was something each one of them related to. Much like them, the individuals they met were looking for something that was missing, something they couldn’t quite figure out on their own. Each member came to the conclusion that the concept of The Lost was much bigger than them, and from the ashes of the former group, We R The Lost was formed. Using powerful soundscapes alongside hard hitting rhythms, We R The Lost are similar to artists like Lupe Fiasco and Logic. In terms of flow, their clear enunciation gives their rhyme schemes a Masta Ace/Eminem vibe. To bite Jay, a lot of rappers scribble down on a notepad and create their lives, but when listening to We R The Lost you get a real sense of legitimacy in their music, which is probably why their music has resonated so strongly in their local scene (a locale a didn’t give two s#### about up until a year ago). As the focal point for this rapidly growing Milwaukee hip hop scene, Briggz and his posse are already planning more projects to put Milwaukee on the hip hop map. Who knows? There could be a very well be a future scenario where Milwaukee hip hop is on its own award tour. Despite all the overused Tribe references, I am no rap promoter, so if you dig the jams below then please clap along. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/users/41373281″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] If you’re feeling the beats, rhymes, and life of Jon Briggz & We R The Lost, check their rhymes/movements on the interwebs: Websites: https://www.werthelost.com, (official) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Werthelost/1422396228065435, (facebook) https://twitter.com/itzMeJonBriggz – (twitter) https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/still-lost/id988832109 – (iTunes)

Bringing you a new sound to kick back and vibe to, this latest sound comes from Silverfoxx ETO, check out his latest EP “Stacked Waters”. Support good music !   If you like what you hear feel free to contact the artist via social media: Twitter :https://twitter.com/SilverfoxxETO IG:https://instagram.com/silverfoxxeto/ Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/silverfoxxeto Email: silverfoxxeto@gmail.com