Another one from that brotha that never seems to sleep, Fathom 9. His latest entitled  SHS​:​Blue Notes from a Brown Soul v​.​1 Sounds 4 Sojourners has been getting heavy play in my crib this morning (sorry neighbors).

I’ve posted Music by Fathom before and he has become one of my favorite Musician / Producers. The dude can flow on the microphone as well! He recently got a change to open for legendary Hip Hop artist Sadat X (formerly of Brand Nubian), which he said was a life changing experience. Be on the lookout for more goodness from Fathom.

Peace.

RJ Bass

For those of you that are not familiar with this Soulful dude, you are in for a treat.

Lumberjack Soul is the latest release by Miles Bonny and is full of older and new goodness by the talented Kansas City-based artist (originally from New York). I’m really hoping this dude hits the shores of Japan in the not so distant future.

RJ Bass

Ahmed Sirour‘s “THE AFTER 2AM SESSIONS EP” is definitely perfect for that late night hour but it’s also a good one to put on after a long day of working in the big city. The tracks on the Bandcamp page are just snippets, so be sure to purchase the entire release to get a full dose of…chill.

Peace.

RJ Bass

Most of my friends know that I’m not much of a movie buff. If I have to chose between watching a movie or listening to Music, I’ll almost always choose the later. I can honestly say there hasn’t been a single movie in the last 4 years that I’ve really wanted to see (the last being American Gangster with Denzel Washington) but this film I MUST see and I’m tempted to fly to the closest viewing spot if it doesn’t hit theaters in Japan (I’m serious).

Beats, Rhymes & Life by Michael Rapaport is a documentary about my favorite Hip Hop group and a group that many say is the best of all-time: A Tribe Called Quest. It was a sad day when the group announced they were breaking up in 1998 and I’m really glad to see they have reunited on occasion to do shows in various countries around the world.

There has been a bit of controversy surrounding this movie and certain members have expressed frustration with the creator of this film. I honestly don’t know what’s true. I just wish that the members of the greatest group in Hip Hop history could put aside their differences and get back to making great Music.

RJ Bass

The news of Gil Scott-Heron passing last week caught many by surprise and upset all of those who knew his work. Not just his Musical works but his work as a activist, educator and social commentator. Gil was not afraid to speak his mind and “rapped” about things that needed to be heard…a lot of things which are still issues today. (Many refer to him as the “Godfather of Rap” but he denied that.) As the news spread, many posted their favorite speeches and songs while others began to educate the youth of the net community of who Gil was: A Freedom Fighter. Gil also had a special way of interjecting humor into his a lot his conversations about serious topics.

Dion Brown out of Chicago (Gil’s hometown) has shared with us his own interpretation of some of Gil’s works, entitled “April 1st” (the two share a birthday as well). This release is filled with lot of cool beats but there are a few standouts for me, and one of those is the outro track. In this song, you’ll get to hear a bit of Gil’s comedic side as he talks about some of the “blues” plenty of folks can relate to.

Rest in Peace Gil.

RJ Bass