We’ve had a huge week in the Urban music realm — that’s what we’re calling it right? Since we last spoke a week ago. We’ve been blessed with new projects from Vince Staples and Young Th.. er I mean Jeffery. We got a chance to see not only G-Eazy but Drake get publicly friend zoned — c’mon I know you seen The Boy get his smooch shot down by Rihanna. We also had some downs to go along with the beautiful peaks. We wanted to take this time to share our condolences with the Wade family and Chicago as a whole. Things are rough right now, but that doesn’t mean it can’t get better. We need to come together as a nation and address the injustices of what’s happening in Chicago, or else people like Donald Trump get away with insecure, irresponsible comments like this one. While we try and figure out why Trump is such a d*ck head, check out these 5 slept on sonic treats that will make your day just a bit better.

Twelve’Len – “Succulent”

What do you get when you take a bit of soul, some raspy hi hats, some melodic vocal ability, and you mix it all up. You get Florida natives Twelve’Len and thier self titled “rock & soul” style music. The Marvin Gaye inspirees checks in with their soulful cut, “Succulent” which is a beautiful, well written track about persevering through the bullsh*t. This is the perfect cut to play when the day starts putting up numbers on the scoreboard and your defense is trash. AKA this is the remedy and the answer found during a timeout. Check out, “Succulent” below and be sure to keep an eye on the Florida natives.

DavidFamous – “Before Sunday”

Keeping it in The Sunshine State, we check in with another Florida native in DavidFamous and his uplifting track, “Before Sunday“. Produced by King Carlow, “Before Sunday” is a rhythmic ode to trying to make it all happen before church on Sunday. Utilizing church band like horns and a soulful flow, Famous pours out his honest thoughts throughout the track. “Just to be clear/I don’t being second/ Cause everything I got is a blessing/ from the minutes to the hours to the seconds” raps Famous over the enlivened beat. Check out “Before Sunday” below.

Duckwrth – “Rare Panther + Beach House”

Nowadays, genre fusions seem to be the new fad. We’ve seen EDM crossover with Hip-Hop soooo many times in the past couple of years, but we haven’t seen too many Punk inspired rappers, or Punk Rappers as I call them. Los Angeles native Duckwrth falls into that rare category. Mixing wavy synths and hard hitting bass with Punk Rock aesthetics at shows, Duckwrth has quickly become a fan favorite. Some of this success could be attributed to “Rare Panther + Beach House“, a festive track the exhibits all of the qualities that I just discussed, perfectly. Check out the groovy party track below and be sure to keep an eye out for the South Central native, who’s EP, I’m Uugly, is set to be released soon.

Dez – “Greatglass”

Let me ask you a question, do you have 1:35 of your time to spare? Because if you do, I have a treat for you. Though short — but never sweet, San Fernando Valley native Dez absolutely rips apart the Noah Rime$ produced track, “Greatglass“. “Most ni**as microscopic in regards to where the wind blow/ so, press a line ni**a however you please” raps Dez over the grimy, golden age East Coast inspired beat. The raspy bars complement the track beautifully as Dez showcases his dense bars and knack for beat shredding. Check out the brief track below and be the newest member on the Dez bandwagon, there’s still a little bit of room.

Mitchy Slick + OsOcean – “Imperial”

It’s a shame, but many major cities in the U.S. have an unsung rap hero who flies under the radar nationally. We’ve seen it in L.A. with rappers like Topic, we’ve seen it in the Bay with Mistah F.A.B., and most recently in Las Vegas with Dizzy Wright before his breakout tape, The Golden Age. San Diego native Mitchy Slick falls into that category, but he shouldn’t. Linking up with frequent collaborator and fellow Daygo native OsOcean, the two created the SD anthem, “Imperial“, an ode to one of the most crime riddled but beloved streets in Southern California. Listen, if you love West Coast G-Funk like I love West Coast G-Funk then Mitchy Slick might become your new favorite gem. Oh and please don’t forget about the Yay Area like flow from hotspitter OsOcean who completely bodies this joint. Bump this track as you cruise down your streets, and watch your whole day turnaround. Check out “Imperial” below.

There you have it! Let us know how we did, did we get it right? Are we still sleeping on your favorite local artist? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Before the internet, hip-hop was the home of frequent million dollar deals and private jets. It was a time where record companies actually had control of the recording industry and platinum albums were still a reoccurring thing. Before the 360 deal was invented, Strong Arm Steady was there, rolling with Xzibit during a different era of the west coast.

Fast forward to 2012 and the internet is a new tool in this hip-hop game with albums being sold for free. But they’re still here, kicking up dust. Xzibit’s gone but the remaining members Mitchy Slick, Phil Da Agony and Krondon are left. Planet Asia and Chace Infinite remain frequent collaborators. The most consistently collaborative members of the squad, Krondon and Phil Da Agony, met us at The Roebling Tea Room nestled in the heart of Williamsburg to discuss their latest album Stereotype. A great cohesive project, the album features key figures of  what fans would call The New West movement–emcees like Dom Kennedy, Skeme, Black Hippy and Casey Veggies. It’s a collaborative album with Boston-based beatsmith Statik Selectah, who provides a solid mix of soulful yet uptempo beats to match the hard broiled delivery of Strong Arm Steady’s revolving members.

Like camouflage, Strong Arm Steady has adapted to their environment while also sticking to their roots.  The group has stuck through some bleek times, like their record deal with Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith records. This pairing resulted in a five year delay on their second album, Arms & Hammer, which still didn’t receive the same love that their previous joint album with Madlib did.  But, it’s a misstep that has changed their recording process. Arms & Hammer was actually recorded prior to Stony Jackson, which caused the offset in reaction from fans. “We could’ve said, ‘We’re in a different time, let’s do something else.’ That’s why with this album there were no compromises,” says Krondon. “I was a stubborn asshole on this album. Some records I would just say ‘no, no’ and some records I said ‘no’, made it anyway.”

Now that the gang is back with Stones Throw Records/EMI, their new project is closer to the superior grade quality of In Search Of Stony Jackson, which was their first collaborative album with their highly regarded label mate Madlib. With their album, Stereotype, whose title takes a stab at the cliche’ imagery of west coast hip-hop, there is a vivid depiction of a calm California day in the life of a newly resurrected west coast scene. It’s a new day and everyone is eager to be more authentic than before. No smoke and no mirrors. Now, Kendrick Lamar is making songs with Dr. Dre and Odd Future is creating a different lane. The independent grind is unmatched. West coast hip-hop is very relevant again.  Strong Arm‘s addictive lead single, “Classic,” is a smooth gem which speaks on their sustainability. The black & white visual, directed by Jerome D, captures them in their comfort zone, as the camera flips back and forth to various classic cars. For how long they’ve been gunning, it’s apparent that they love this hip-hop shit. As Phil Da Agony passionately spits on the song: “For the people, who the fuck you think we making this for?!”

According to Krondon, the most vocal and visible of the group, the album’s display of The New West Movement was organic. “We took Skeme on tour with us a  year and a half ago. I feel like he’s amazing,” says Krondon. “I’ve known Dom since 2006 and Casey Veggies since he was 16.”  Though long term fans would like to put them in a box, Strong Arm Steady  is comfortable creating music with all types of emcees, young and old, considerably conscious or street. “The generation before us, I feel like the cats on the west coast didn’t respect what was after them, ” says Krondon.  Though he  respected his predecessors he remains truthful about the state the west was in.  “You gotta respect what comes after you. That’s like the little homie on the block and you on the block.  If you don’t embrace the brother, he’s going to work harder, he’s going to hustle harder,” he continues. “You’re going to be obsolete. He sell it for cheaper. He’s going to knock you out,” he says. “We were inspired by these cats who went from 0 to 60, in the sense of Dom and Casey and those cats.” Former member, Chace Infinite, who also appears on the album, now manages A$AP Rocky. In a way, they’ve all been very accepting of a newer leaf in hip-hop. Blending with the times has given them longevity.

Although Krondon and Phil are accepting of the newcomers, their predecessors weren’t always so generous. Remember when there were rumbles at Dr. Dre for not reaching down to the brooding emcees during a California drought? Recently things have been extremely different. In an interview between Snoop Dogg and Strong Arm Steady on his network GGN, he humbly credited Krondon with his ghostwriting efforts on “GangbandRookie.” Krondon wrote the song for the Dogg Father himself and Snoop‘s words opened up the floor  for Krondon to speak on writing for others like The Clipse and Xzibit.  It’s a big topic in hip-hop ever since writer Dream Hampton outed Jay Electronica and Stic.Man for writing on Nas’ Untitled album. While speaking on the art of ghostwriting, stepping into another mans shoes for a day, Phil Da Agony spoke about Jay-Z writing “Still Dre” for both Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg. “I’m glad Jay-Z did write that,” Phil said barely lifting his eyelid above his pupils. “Here’s a east coast dude who wrote a west coast record. He’s the best for that.” Krondon chimes in, “If it wasn’t for artists like Snoop, or X to the Z,  I wouldn’t be here. It’s a humbling thing,” he shrugs. “For a Snoop Dogg to trust me to write his songs bro, and for him to talk about it on GGN. No rap nigga would do that ever.”

If Stereo Type is indicative of anything, it is one groups’ ability to prevail in hip-hop without general mainstream acceptance. They’ve operated below the radar long enough and now that hip-hop is in favor of the underground it is their time to shine. Get used to them, they’re not going anywhere.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stereotype/id546752743
http://stonesthrow.com/store/album/SAS/stereotype

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Quick detour, before we get to “Gold and Platinum.”

I’ve never quite understood how East Coast purists could put down Flocka and simultaneously praise M.O.P. Well, I understand it, but I don’t think it’s really fair. No one listens to M.O.P. for complex East Coast lyrical wizardry or consciousness or any of the 9000 areas in which Flocka is generally considered deficient.

Do you know what Waka Flocka and M.O.P. both do really well?

They make grade A, Ragnarok, fire and brimstone apocalypse music. They will make you want to punch through your walls and crash your car for no reason. That’s why you listen to either of them: to inflict severe bodily harm on yourself to get hype as hell. And when they’re on their respective games, few are better in this department. “Ante Up” can come on eleven years after its release and still set a club on fire. “Hard in the Paint” can turn a room of Big Sean fans into a near mosh pit (which, crowd considered, is pretty intense).

Anyway, “Gold and Platinum.” It’s the most riotous thing Flocka’s done in 2011, next to “Hi Jackin Planes.” And it features Mitchy Slick, which is sort of a head scratcher, but an undeniably welcome one. Southside’s beat is a snaky synth monster and Flocka’s shouted chorus is probably  what’s going to jolt me out of sleep every morning for the next few months.

So if you need a little energy boost and don’t have any Street King around, just reach for the “Gold and Platinum.”

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