If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Kola Oshalusi Afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti has a deluxe edition of his album Heavier Yet (Lays the Crownless Head) due out in May, and he's released a new version of his song "Stand Well Well." This new version is reworked to include a verse by Pos of De La Soul. A collaboration between a member of De La Soul and an afrobeat artist is a complete dream come true for fans of both jazz rap/alternative hip hop and afrobeat, and "Stand Well Well" does not disappoint. The song is wonderfully creative and while it definitely fits the World Music definition, it's much more. Even if you normally aren't into what is considered World Music, Seun Kuti and Pos' collaboration is well worth your time. Pos says of working with Seun Kuti: “Seun is a powerful soul and it’s inspirational being around him whenever I have been.  The song for me means to stand well rooted in agreeableness. Standing well rooted against the whirlwind of misery dressed up as entertain...

Photo via Facebook I know, I know. At this point we're all having election fatigue at this point, and just want this over. But, for those of us that grew up in the 90's obsessed with hip hop, the latest from De La Soul is a complete dream project come true. "Remove 45" is obviously an anti-Trump song, but, aside from that, it features Styles P (The Lox), Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Mysonne, and Public Enemy's Chuck D. From that line up alone there's no way I'm not going to bring this song to you. Plus, it's a great song. A lot of times a song with eight MCs with a message can be an overbloated mess, but everyone keeps this song under control and on focus. Each rapper gets a verse, interspersed with sound bites from the subject matter. In fact, "Remove 45" might be the best thing that everyone involved has released this century. You can listen to "Remove 45" below. You can find the song here . For more on De La Soul, check out their...

This week Friday Freebie is back with the long awaited return of De La Soul! It's been far too long since we've had anything new from De La, so we couldn't be more thrilled with this free teaser EP for their upcoming Kickstarter funded album. The four song EP starts off with a skit, "The Devil Likes Candy." Sometime in the early 90s I became completely fed up with hip hop skits, but now 20 years later it invokes more of an "Aww" in nostalgia form. "Trainwreck" is by far the highlight of the EP. It shows that De La Soul might be at the top of their game right now. It's more serious and less silly than some of their more vintage work, but they're also 25 years older now and should probably be more serious. Plus, there's horns and actual hip hop choruses, and not just an R&B hook. It's funny when 30 year old techniques seem so fresh. "Beautiful Night" does have an R&B chorus, but it feels more organic than the...

Hip hop pioneers De La Soul and Chuck D have teamed up for this new track, "The People." For musicians that have been around for almost 3 decades, this track is unbelievably fresh, with jazz riffs and an almost uncomfortable, disjointed feel which comes across as free form and abstract. It's about what everyone faces as human beings, and wasn't planned to coincide with the Ferguson decision, but feels like it was. Originally scheduled for June, it was delayed until Black Friday. Currently you can download "The People" off De La Soul's website . Also, they have updated their merch section , with proceeds going to aid business owners affected by the Ferguson protests. Regardless of where any of us stand politically, I think we can all agree that's a great cause.

I saw De La Soul on the Unlimited Sunshine Tour a looong time ago, and they were really a fun act. This month marks 25 years since the release of their debut album, and they're offering all of their back catalog for free download beginning at 11am eastern today through noon tomorrow. The band has a new album coming shortly and a lot coming down the pike, so there's good reason to become reacquainted with the group. A newer song is above.