New Busta Rhymes over unreleased J Dilla beats. [via]

Free Download Here

1. Words From Ma Dukes
2. Dillagence (produced by DJ Spinna)
3. Takin What’s Mine
4. Step Up
5. The Conversation (f/ Talib Kweli)
6. Code of the Streets (f/ MOP)
7. Lightworks (f/ Q-Tip and Talib Kweli)
8. Baggage Handlers (f/ Raekwon)
9. How We Roll
10. Best That Ever Did It (f/ Rah Digga)
11. Psycho (f/ Cassidy and Papoose)
12. The Range (f/ Rah Digga)
13. Not Right Now
14. Other Side Of The Road
15. Who Tryin To Kill You
16. High
17. Dillagence Outro

Video from Pugslee’s brand new album Conversations with a Chamelion. Album in stores now on Gravel Records, features production by Hi-Tek and others, as well as appearances by Capital D and more.

Dope new Murs video from last year’s Murray’s Revenge. Look for Murs’ major label debut Murs for President in 2008 on Warner Bros.

New Joe Dub album Pooretry now in stores. Featuring 2 Mex, Ellay Khule, Riddlore, Nocando, Mestizo and more. Production by Deeskee, Alex75, Matth, Ceschi and others. asitarecordings.com

Sole & The Skyrider Band

You have a new album out now; I’ve had a chance to listen to it for the last few months. How did you meet Skyrider the person and Skyrider the band?

I met Skyrider through Bleubird, he helped complete some beats I made for Bleubird a few years ago. When we were on the war on self tour we stayed at bud’s house, became friends. When i had returned to the US I was offered a mini tour in Florida with Skyrider, and because I really liked the beats he had been sending me I thought it might be a good idea to see what kinda live set up they were working with, and it blew me away. So I invited them to come to Arizona for a month and make some music, they ended up staying..

In your opinion, what makes this album interesting?

I like the lyrics, the melodies; I think it’s my most listenable record. It gives me a different feeling then other music I’ve made. I feel that its more mature and gives my music a new direction to grow in. I didn’t see any future in continuing to work with freeze wrapped beats made by others, but with this I feel the possibilities are almost endless. The only way I can continue to happily make music is if I revamp it occasionally and breath new life into what I’m doing. The fact that this album is a true collaboration between 4 people is what makes it great, in my opinion.

What is your favourite track on the album?

“Stupid things implode on themselves.” I had laid off on “concept songs” for a long time, so it was fun to make a song with a sort of narrative.

Do you think being 30 is too old to make hip hop? Do you see yourself making hip hop in ten years?

If there is anything I will outgrow it is being broke; I already have. I see myself making music for the rest of my life. I don’t think being 30 is too old to make hip hop. I think being 30 is too old to be doing wu-tang impersonations for sure though. Rap is art, and if you see it as an identity thing, you’re missing out on what is really great about rap, the clothes and attitude are the worst part! Bring the social relevance back! I’ll still be making hip hop in ten years, if what I’m doing now is hip hop…

What do you mean about the line “you can’t clean every toilet in the city”?

I mean… you gotta pick one thing and focus on it at times, if you try to do everything at once you get overwhelmed and don’t accomplish what you set out to do. It’s kinda like, “save the cheerleader save the world.”

You spent some time in Barcelona, how did you end up living back in Arizona?

I always loved Arizona. It was by far my favorite state to spend time outside. After traveling so many European cities I couldn’t imagine living in some ugly American city again, so I figured if was gonna be in America I wanted to be in the middle of nowhere.

What do you mean by the line “if I’m so east coast how did I end up in the west”?

Well, that’s a 10-year-old line now. At the time I felt that I had grown up with east coast hip hop values and taken them to heart, so that when it was time to engage the hip hop world, maybe I took it too far, and only saw my values reflected on the west coast. I should have said, “I’m so east i should play all my shows in Germany…”

Is any music inspiring you right now?

Silver Mount Zion, good songs by Lil Wayne or Young Jeezy; that’s about it. I find myself listening more to democracy now, c span, or NPR then anything else.

“we had a good group of friends who as teenagers fed off each other’s creativity and kept each other going. That’s what its all about, similar to peanuts & corn or clotheshorse…”

What makes Portland Maine a place where good music talent comes from in general?

Uhhh…. is it a good place for music to come from? I think a few of us were just doing the right thing at the perfect time. We left Portland because nothing was going on, there was no support for what we were doing. jd walker stayed, me mayo, alias, and moodswing headed west… I don’t think its any better then any other place. I think we had a good group of friends who as teenagers fed off each other’s creativity and kept each other going. That’s what its all about, similar to peanuts & corn or clotheshorse or whatever, just friends helping each other out. We were seeking something, we found it, and kept going, and because we were relentless in our pursuit of it we sought out many others and continued our quest… all in all, Portland Maine is a beautiful city, with lots of good people and good restaurants. I think if Portland has thriving scenes now, it’s because people there support each other.

One of the most popular rappers out here in western Canada is Josh Martinez. How did he ever end up on anticon and how did he end up leaving?

I first heard Matty years ago when he was working with Sixtoo. Him and I always got a long quite well, but he got hooked up with anticon around the time when anticon was still trying to define itself. He was also doing the low pressure thing at the time so we just felt it would be best if he did his own thing, we were really overwhelmed with trying to do good for all the artists we were working with at the time.

Do you still talk to Sixtoo?

When Sixtoo moved out of Oakland we didn’t talk for a long time, but in the last few years we have started talking again. It’s always really nice to connect with old friends.

“idiots shouldn’t listen to my music anyway, there is nothing there for them but doubt.”

What is the best thing that rap has done for you?

My wife. She used to live in Virginia and knew a bunch of kids who were anticon fans, she ended up going to scribble jam and we met on Telegraph Ave in Berkeley, I told her if she gave me her number I’d call her next time I had a show, I didn’t have any upcoming shows, so we went to a Mogwai concert the next night instead.

Some people don’t like your music, what do you think turns them off?

A lot of things, some people don’t like my attitude in general. Some people have false preconceptions about being “wacky white weird not hip hop enough” kinda bullshit. Some people have double standards for lyrics and find my content to redundant but listen to bullshit indy rock where all they talk about is fake love all the time. for some rock people I’m too rap, for some rap people I’m too “white,” to people who have never heard my music I “try too hard to be different.” but I don’t get too worked up, idiots shouldn’t listen to my music anyway, there is nothing there for them but doubt.

A lot of people like your music, what do you want them to take away from your music?

Well first of all i want people to enjoy it. I want people to hopefully see what they can take from my perspective on things, if the information is or isn’t useful to them. I hope some people will find it clever or interesting. I think an underlying theme in all my music is that people should follow their passions and try to realize whatever it is inside them that makes them the happiest, at the same time trying to always improve on one’s self, to become more informed, more compassionate, more resolute. You know, I make what I want to make and if there are people who listen, great.

Who do you consider friends within music circles?

Hmm. Some people you meet and click with and say “I really like that person, he is my friend,” i would say that about lots of people, from The Notwist and B Fleishman, to anticon, to the Skyrider band, to the Strange Famous Records people, to Bleubird, and various other people who have been good to me through various periods in my life. Pedestrian & jd walker are probably my “best friends,” some people are real close during certain periods of your life and you grow away from them, for whatever reasons… pretty much everyone I know is a musician, so all my friends have cds out…

You have toured in Europe numerous times. What is your favourite memory? What is Russia like?

My favorite memory is definitely my Mediterranean tour I did with Yasamin a few years ago. It was so traumatic being in eastern Europe, it really fucked my head up. i had genuine fear in Tel Aviv, Bosnia and Belgrade, and after times like that you always feel stronger. It did a lot for my perspective as far as really getting a grim report on how real people live on the outskirts of the empire….

Russia was amazing. It was a festival in Moscow. They were trying to book some NY rappers, but they didn’t want to come because of terrorist threats. It just so happened to be on my birthday the date of the show, so i got flown to Russia, got paid a huge sum, and wandered around buying Lenin pins and shit. I found my music on the black market; they recognized me and gave me a bunch of tortoise and godspeed bootlegs, as well as some anticon bootlegs. I found it interesting that the police carry semi automatic weapons and that there were people who knew my music there. I lived in fear of being blown up by atomic weapons since I was child, so to be there in Moscow performing to a good audience was definitely a crazy moment of my life.

What is your favourite album you have done?

The new one.

Any last words, shout-outs, etc?

Thanks for supporting my music MC Epic. Good luck with things.

For more on Sole, check out soleone.org and anticon.com

Who’s a harder drinker, soso 2005 or soso 2007?

I think soso 2005 was on some reckless, self-destructive type shit and the 2007 version is on some refer to myself in the third person and have a few beers everyday with a semi-weekly binge type shit.

Your new album Tinfoil on the Windows is collaboration with indie rocker Maybe Smith. When did this idea first come up and what was the production/recording process like?

Colin (Maybe Smith) and I knew each other through a mutual friend and frequently we would play on the same bill. We had kicked around the idea of collaborating and in 2006 I recruited him to interpret songs from tenth street and clarence for a live performance and subsequent tour. He agreed because he has bad judgment (or low self esteem I’m not quite sure). I was really pleased with our live performances and collaborating on an album seemed like a natural progression.

In the early stages of our collaboration I would present samples to Colin with the expectation that he could build some magnificent song around them. That was kinda naive on my part and that approach was abandoned — I don’t think it was particularly interesting for him and a bit silly to restrain such a capable musician to the confines of a guitar or piano sample. It wasn’t a true collaboration. So he started working on melody bits and would send them to me periodically. Over the course of about a year the songs started to take shape… they were beautiful and expansive and noisy and expressive and they worked well with the confessional qualities of my lyrics. I approached a couple of friends for some support on the drum programming tip and got some great stuff from Maki and Scott da Ros. I chipped in some drums as well and did a bit of Fog-esque sloppy turntable drumming. We mixed the album together and I am really happy with final product.

Was this a one-time project or do you see yourselves working together again?

We haven’t really discussed it but I think once Maybe Smith gets really famous – not just CBC famous but REALLY famous — I’ll be bugging him all the time for guitar solos and the like… I enjoyed the process and can imagine myself working on more collaborative projects in the future…

Whatever happened to that production collaboration you were working on with Khela (fka Kutdown), I think it had something to do with laundry?

I just listened to our rough mixes last week and I think we have a good foundation. We need to make some decisions to determine where it will go next to make it an album… we have some good ideas not related to laundry but maybe related to whales and sea travel.

Tenth Street and Clarence was a reference to where you were living at the time, is Tinfoil on the Windows the same?

Ya … a good portion of the new album chronicles a transition period in my life. Part of that involved a move from tenth street to my new home. I might have another move coming up soon… The only good thing about moving is drinking beer with your friends.

Do you fit in with the Saskatoon hip hop scene more now or more say 5 years ago?

I can say with complete confidence that I no longer recognize my own music and have taken it upon myself — as the person who single handedly invented the hip hop scene in Saskatoon — to revoke my own ghetto pass. I’m not sure Chaps will even let me make rap posters anymore. I’m kidding of course. Chaps will always want me to make posters. But seriously, I’ve always belonged in a strange way… through my commitment to the Saskatoon hip hop scene and contributions on the artist and business levels I’ve earned the right to make whatever kind of hip hop music I feel like.

After touring both Europe and Japan recently, how would you compare the two?

They both have noticeable western influences and a proliferation of crappy American-brand consumer goods (including terrible rap clothing stores). Japan seemed to integrate and hybridize this influence… this was not limited to things like shoe design but extended to food, music, etc. We played with some really interesting bands there… ambient electronic stuff, whispery female vocalists, indie pop stuff… One of the bands we played with had a string section, a dj/mpc player, a famous drummer, a death metal vocalist (attired in a suit and kilt, he would “play” his handsaw by cutting a piece of lumber in time with the violins), a transvestite guitarist/opera singer, another writhing vocalist… it was a crazy spectacle and thoroughly enjoyable.

The people who came our shows in Japan and Europe were similarly musically engaged and excited by alternative music practices (I guess… or why else would they be there right?) Japanese fans were eager to get autographs and pictures but there was little socializing after the shows. From my understanding everything winds down around 11pm because the trains stop running at midnight. We had sound checks in the afternoon… it was really different from what we normally encounter here. They were generally a bit more reserved than European fans but really attentive and respectful.

Each region or country in Europe seemed to have it’s own unique characteristics. I detected a distinct electronic influence in France, for example… One of the recurring things we encountered was this celebration of dj culture. The enthusiasm for djing seems to be on the decline in North America but in Europe it remains vibrant. They love vinyl and beats… we felt a kinship with a lot people we met there.

It seems like these days there are a lot less indie rap artists touring Canada then there used to be, why do you think that is?

I think all the independent rap artists came to the same realization that hip hop is simply not economically feasible. The cost of renting a vehicle and paying for gas is enough to sink a tour let alone new hardships like declining CD and record sales, a lack of suitable/interested venues and promoters (who also realize that independent rap is not feasible)… once you factor in additional expenses like food, accommodation and booze you’re fucked. The logistics are impossible…I think you’ll see an increase in little regional tours, weekend trips and an old fashioned exchange of rap favours (of the kind that built our scene here on the prairies).

You recently added Nestor Wynrush to the Clothes Horse Records roster, how is his album coming along?

We have a good chunk of the album recorded. I am really pleased with everything thus far… I think we have a song or two left to record. Ness’ has a really personal approach to music making and I think he’s a nice addition to our little roster. He’s a multi faceted dude… he’s both a maniac and a really thoughtful, open minded guy. We have great rap talks.

You’ve been considering going back to university to get your Masters in Fine Arts. Is your music part of your artwork or are they completely separate?

Well I think there is a bit of cross-pollination happening but I haven’t quite figured out how to formally integrate rap into an art practice. I guess some of my video projects have been used/reworked for music videos… I’ve started thinking about using text in my art work and that could be also be a potential overlap.

Why do you ride a girl’s bicycle?

hahahaha…cuz I’m hard as fuck noyz! We miss you dude… come back to Canada!

For more soso check out: Clothes Horse Records and Endemik Music

After a European release on !K7 back in 2004, Mike Ladd’s Nostalgialator will finally be released in North America January 15th on Definitive Jux.

Download: Mike Ladd - “Trouble Shot” [MP3]

View more episodes here.

Live footage from the fall 2007 Sound Catcher tour featuring Myka 9, Dj Vadim, Abstract Rude, Pugs Atomz and more. 32 cities in 40 days across the US and Canada.

New 12-inch Picture Disc EP from the Escape Artists. This is the second record from the new label, Ooohh! Thats Heavy, and is limited to 500 hand numbered pieces. Art by Thesis Sahib and M-Berz. Featuring the talents of (2mex, Bigg Jus, K-the-i???, Ira, Janifive, Roach, Dj Lx-Boogie, Maki, Geneva B & Gel Roc). Get it here: myspace.com/othrecordings

SIDE A

1. Escape Artists – “Waste”
   Produced by: Xczircles. Bassline by Ahmuse
2. Aamir – “Just to Let Her Know”
   Produced by: Jani5. Scratches by DJ LX-Boogie
3. Xczircles – “Just as Expected”
   Produced by: Qualude Experiment. Scratches by DJ Roach
4. Aamir ft. Ira – “Recovering Satellites”
   Produced by: Maki

SIDE B

1. Xczircles ft Aamir – “Rise”
   Produced by: Jani5. Scratches by DJ LX Boogie
2. Escape Artists ft Gel Roc – “Free of Will”
   Produced by: Xczircles. Scratches by DJ Roach
3. Xczircles – “The Backlash”
   Produced by: Qualude Experiment. Scratches by DJ Roach
4. Aamir ft. Xczircles, 2mex, Bigg Jus, K-The-I???, & Geneva B – “City of Lights”
   Produced by: Xczircles.