Welcome to the 30th edition of Free Music Friday brought to you by BuffaloVibe! It's a bittersweet occasion, as this week also saw the passing of hip-hop legend, Phife Dawg, of A Tribe Called Quest. I still have vivid memories of when I was little - going into my brother's room after he had left for school, and perusing through his CD collection. There was one that always stuck out to me. It had this weird, shadowy figure on the cover, adorned with red and green body-paint; and then there were all these pictures of people wearing headphones, but it was just their faces. The Album was Midnight Marauders and needless to my young, impressionable self was too intrigued not to listen to it. I was absolutely mesmerized by what I heard. This is the moment I fell in love with hip-hop, and though I think I was intially most blown away by the sound/production of the album, it's safe to say that Phife had a lot to do with shaping/molding my earliest conceptions of hip hop music. So without any further rambling, I would just like to say rest in peace Phife, and thanks for introducing me to the love of my life!
Now for some free music...
Mac Miller - 5 Foot Assasin: Larry Fisherman Tribute
It's a sad day when the only tribute you can find to a recently fallen hip hop legend comes from Mac Miller, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers. Maybe I'm being too hard on Mac...this track is actually a really nice, heart-felt tribute from Mr Fisherman. It features a mash-up of classic Phife lines over some pleasant instrumentation, so just listen and reminisce for a few.
Oddisee - Alwasta
For those unfamiliar with Oddisee, now would be a great time to have a listen. Apart from writing his own lyrics and producing his own beats, Oddisee dropped one of the top 5 hip-hop albums of 2015 (which is saying a lot considering the company that puts him in.) Oddisee has extremely poignant, socially-consious lyrics but is able to refrain from sounding preachy. AlWasta takes its title from the Arabic colloquial term used to mean (to use colloquial English) “the plug.” The term “wasta” comes from the Arabic word “wasat,” meaning “middle” or “middleman,” and describes a member of the community who acts as a connector using their wealth of social currency. Understanding the value of social currency & how to use it (for better or worse) is what Oddisee focused on as the primary inspiration for his writings.
Carlos Niño & Friends - It's All Happening
It's All Happening! is the fourth in an ongoing series of highly collaborative records by Carlos Niño & Friends, and features Madlib, Kamasi Washington, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, and more.
Radio Juicy Presents The Smoking Section Vol. 1
A nice compilation excellent hip hop instrumentals from various producers around the world. The Smoking Section provides a nice glimpse into different productions techniques that are being used all over the globe. You can stream below and download for free.
