Triple Threat - 'Swisher Sweethearts'

Triple Threat, aka Shezus Thrice, has done it again with her V-Day offering called 'Swisher Sweethearts.' This 9 song collection tells the story of Rob and Mia through their first "holla" to their infatuation with each other to their breakup over.... hot dogs.

It's done extremely well and while the stories are about love and heartbreak, it's all married to Triple's signature lo-fi and gritty sound. This girl has incredible lyrical ability! From the story telling to the complexity of the delivery and structure, she's got it all. On top of that, all but one of the tracks is self-produced. Triple Threat is the V-Day Swag Champ.

Love the stream. Love the free download.

Top 5 Indie Albums of 2012

5. Triple Threat - 'C.L.U.T.C.H.'

There is much to be said about Triple Threat and her abilities but the most simple way to put it is; she's a visionary. After the intro, it's all onslaught. She's taken raw and gritty and polished it over very well. Only a small hiccup or two for my tastes. There is a ton of content in this album and I still discover new things every time I listen to it. 'C.L.U.T.C.H.' is really dope material. Know about it.



4. AC - 'Courtesy of a Nightmare'

This project is amazing! It popped up on me out of seemingly nowhere so it was worked out somewhere in the universe for me to find this. Please allow me to point you to a specific point on the album to display how brilliant this work is: "I Killed the Future President" - Press play and prepare to be amazed.

'Courtesty of a Nightmare' is very high level artistic work and AC is the writer's writer. If you're a fan of Hip-Hop, especially lyricism, this album is a must own.



3. Kokayi - 'Pro Deo et Patria

This is easily the most abstract of the bunch but an incredible experience none the less. Kokayi went above and beyond everything I knew of his music with 'Pro Deo et Patria' and shattered every expectation I had. His ability has earned him a Grammy nomination in the past and I'm hoping that this album earns him another nomination at minimum. Let's cross our fingers for a win! Kokayi is in a class by himself and deserves the industry's attention. He's ridiculous both as a producer and as a songwriter.



2. Cocoa Sarai - 'The Black & White'

My favorite R&B single of 2012 is featured on my number 2 album of 2012. There are so many moments on this album that it is still parked in slot 1 of my car's CD changer. I know pretty much every lyric to every song because I pretty much listen to it every single day. Yeah, I'm a fan.

'The Black & White' is a masterpiece. If you didn't tell someone that this is an entirely independent project, nobody would know that it's not a big budget major label effort. It is that good. Cocoa Sarai is a once in a lifetime talent and I'm looking forward to seeing what 2013 brings.

(No stream of this project. Sorry. Preview and download via iTunes.)

1. Madison - 'Vanilla Sky'

'Vanilla Sky' is a 16 track ode to dreamers - a wildly creative and daring project loaded with some great story telling. What I love most about this album is the emotional setting that Madison delivers. It's young, arrogant, contemplative, lustful, angry... but all wrapped up in desire. Desire to be great.

The writing and production are married perfectly. Each track takes you to the next and back again with no disjointedness whatsoever. The sprinkling of clips from the film Vanilla Sky and it's inspiration Abre Los Ojos tie everything together with additional focus. It's just all around the most enjoyable listening I did last year from an independent artist.

Click to Stream/Download

Triple Threat - 'C.L.U.T.C.H.'

Let me give you a recipe for disaster:

1/2 cup of Sean Price
1/2 cup of Jean Grae
2 cups of Estrogen
Crushed Ice
A dash of beat yo' ass
Fresh beats
Mix with sit down and shut up to taste

Straight up disaster for weak rappers! 

Triple Threat first popped up on my radar with the Koontown project. I was immediately intrigued by her ability, both as an MC and as a producer. You just don't really hear about female artists this hard on both sides of the boards so I was excited to hear what was next. Well, my instincts were correct. 'C.L.U.T.C.H.' is next and Triple is cuttin' heads outchea!

I promise you this is special. Triple Threat is in a rare space reserved for the truly singular. The 12 track "mixtape" is a lyrical barrage from start to finish and all but 2 of the tracks are self produced. A consistent theme is extremely important to me and 'C.L.U.T.C.H.' delivers in every way on that front. It's a mighty impressive first effort for the 24 year old DC native.

If you appreciate pure unadulterated Hip-Hop, you must download this album. It's well worth a thorough listen. It's outstanding lyrically and sonically perfect as far as I'm concerned. Standout tracks for me were "Goin' Off", "Straight Spittin' 2" and "Maybe Someone to Uhh." I found no weak points on the project though. Those 3 just really speak to my sensibilities.

SHEZUS!

Check the stream and free if you insist download below. SUPPORT INDEPENDENTS!

Koontown Killing Kaper OST

This blog post is going to assume that you saw the film 'Bamboozled' by Spike Lee. I'm going to operate on that assumption for the entirety of this post so as not to derail the main train of thought. If you haven't seen the film .... shame on you.

DC author Bill Campbell wrote a book called 'Koontown Killing Kaper'. I haven't finished the book yet, so we'll get into that at a later time. I've actually been talking to Mr. Campbell for a couple of weeks now and we'll have a formal sit down and discussion for your viewing pleasure in the near future. For now, we're going to dig into the 'Koontown Killing Kaper' official soundtrack.

Campbell, often "regusted" with the images and sounds of Black popular culture reinforcing negative stereotypes, decided to satirize the themes. The story of Genevieve Noire is told and how she saves Koontown from vampire crack babies who are killing all the town's rappers.

Yes, you read that properly.

The soundtrack is a wonderfully irreverent collection of brief songs supporting the satire. With titles like, "Bulletproof Prius Music" and "Crackbaby Beats" it's easy to get the gist of how the music compliments the book. I was particularly impressed with the depth of the concepts. The classic soul samples allude to Blaxploitation films of yesteryear and the artists offer up verses that not only mock popular Rap artists but also challenge them lyrically. From the totally absurd "The Nigga Song" to the weighted "The Ballad of Night and Grey" the team manages to balance the serious with the ridiculous magically. 'Koontown Killing Kaper' truly is a brilliant project. 

Check the stream below and SUPPORT this very important project! I'll tell you like Bill Campbell told me; "If you ain't Koonin', you ain't tryin'!"