Meet Johannesburg’s New Star: Spoek Mathambo

Over the past few months, I’ve been following the career ascent of South Africa’s Spoek Mathambo and have mostly been intrigued by everything I’ve seen. All of the fast rising world music stars (M.I.A. especially) learn early on that you don’t have to be particularly amazing, you just have to intrigue the hell out of people and make “good” music that’s just a notch over everyone’s head. While this isn’t a knock, Mathambo has figured that out perfectly. His music is good, his aesthetics are even better and he represents a creative voice within Jozi that deserve to be heard. Plus he’s well produced and the team around him creates music naturally that all the culture vulture DJs of the U.S. and U.K. dream about.

Check out Mathambo’s new new video for the song “Mshini Wam.” His album of the same name drops September 13. Expect to hear a lot more about this cat a month from now.

DJ Wise — Afghani Mixtape

Not for nothing, there’s probably nobody else on earth tougher than folks from Afghanistan. They’re putting up with a total U.S. onslaught, a Taliban onslaught and God knows what else, without giving up at all. What exactly does that mean, who knows, but I sense they’re some tough motherfuckers. I found this image online a couple of days ago thanks to something the homie Peter Dean Rickards tweeted out and have been fascinated by it ever since.

Today, while still compelled by this photograph, I went on Soundcloud and wondered if there are any Afghani’s with Soundcloud accounts. It’s the concept that even amidst death, war and carnage, there’s still time to make music and dance. I didn’t find any DJs in Kabul with Soundclouds, but I did discover a solid mix from a cat named DJ Wise that’s worth a listen. Ever wondered what Afghan music is like? Probably not, but dig deep and find out below. That is if you’re a real music head.

Oxnard’s Finest Team Up Again — “MEDical Card”

Leave it to the kings of Oxnard, Madlib and his longtime collaborator MED, to come up with some of the smokiest raps, beats, and videos you’ve ever seen in your life. While Madlib stays putting out new material (peep the brand new Madlib Medicine Show Vol 8. right here), it’s been awhile since MED really did anything that caught my ear.But this new video for the song “MEDical Card” is a winner on all fronts. Cool concept, good camera work, tight beats, and good ganja rap. Even though it’s full of so much Cali weed culture it’s ridiculous, the song is tight. Oxnard stand up! According to the good folks at Stones Throw, MED should be dropping a project later this year. Hopefully it happens. Check the vid below.

Detroit Heat Part 11: Invincible+Waajeed “Detroit Summer”

One of the album’s slated to drop in early 2011 that I’m most looking forward to is a full length LP from Invincible and Waajeed. They first linked up musically on the Platinum Pied Pipers Triple P album a few years back with the song “Detroit Winter.” So it’s appropriate that their current track is called “Detroit Summer”… plus if you’ve ever been there, summertime in Detroit is the shit. Listen to a radio rip of the tune above.

The duo are releasing a split 7-inch vinyl album called Detroit Summer on August 10 which you can pre-order here. Do it. Also, check out video shot by yours truly of Invincible premiering this track live at the Allied Media Conference.

RIP Sugar Minott — Rockers Heaven Just Got A Little Bit Nicer

“Calling to the stage, the man named Sugar Minott.” That was always one of my favorite lines from an old Dennis Brown Live CD that I’ve had for years. I think God uttered those same words yesterday as He called Sugar Minott home. May he rest in peace.

DJ 100 Proof’s Backyard BBQ Vol. 4

If you don’t already know about the musical series that DJ 100proof created awhile back called Backyard BBQ, then you need to get brought up to speed.

It’s essentially a once physical, but now digital mixtape full of songs that are perfect for a summertime cookout. You’ll know most of the songs, you’ll love most of the songs, and now you’ll have them in one spot. On this latest version, released a couple of days ago, everything from Sly Stone to The Physics to Large Professor to Roy Ayers is here. Hundy did a good job of picking songs that most people wouldn’t play at a backyard BBQ, but probably should.

Go ahead and download it for free now. Oh, and you know how much we love Chicago’s Hynotic Brass Ensemble. Yup, they’re on there too.

LxNxM Crew Takes Over Moe Bar June 30th

For Seattle fans of this lovely music blog, it’s been a little while since we’ve thrown an official event.

You might have caught us at one of the crackin’est Memorial Day BBQ’s of all time or at all of our individual birthday shindigs over the past month or so. But it’s been a few months since we broke people off with something real proper-like. That changes this Wednesday as the whole fam will be at Moe Bar from 8 p.m. til Midnight (or later) slinging drinks and DJing quality tunes that’ll make you chill out one minute and dance ’til you sweat the next.

It’s essentially just a fun night of summertime awesomeness. I’ll be behind the bar making drinks alongside the always-cool Moe Bar staff and Toast and Tang will be on the 1′s and 2′s playing a lot of the fire-y tunes that you read about on this blog.

If you can, get it there Seattle. We promise a few surprises and we definitely won’t disappoint.

Brainstorm of Dyme Def Disses Seattle Cop Ian Walsh

In response to all of this fuckery, my guy Brainstorm of Dyme Def has come out with a mini diss track toward the Seattle Police Department. If you didn’t already know, Seattle police officer Ian Walsh recently cold-cocked a 17 year old girl in the face over a jaywalking citation and it made national news. So today, Brainstorm dropped a track called “Lose My Mind (Fuck Ian Walsh)” that, among other things, wishes for all the cops on the Seattle PD to catch an STD.

The whole song doesn’t lambaste the boys in blue, but he definitely dings ‘em in some hilarious ways. Check out the track here, which I’m posting as a Usershare file now in the interest of time. Hopefully we’ll have a direct-play feature up soon.

Meet DJ Rimarkable…

I’ve always had a sort of musical crush on my old school Detroit homie RiRi Garcia. She’s the type of person that’s probably one of the most talented musicians standing in the room but rarely let’s on to all of the skills she’s got tucked in her knapsack. She can sing, drum, act, DJ, produce tracks and is just one of those badass females who’s learned to tap into her true power and let her light shine.

These days, she’s living in New York and focusing a bit more on the Afro/Latino (Puerto Rican to be exact) part of her music heritage. To get a better feel for her original productions… which tie in everything from experimental house to channeling orishas on wax, I’d recommend hitting her MySpace where she’s making some incredible music under the name DJ Rimarkable. For a taste of how she DJs and the music she’s into, listen to the Soundcloud below. It’s full of good sounds to help keep bad energy at bay.

Latest tracks by DJ Rimarkable

Detroit Heat Part 10 — Dwele “I Wish”

I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dwele’s new album, W.ants W.orld W.omen that drops June 29th. Now, despite the slightly egotistical/ “I’m Feeling Myself” title, the singles I’ve heard thus far for the album have all been good. Dwele doesn’t really hit folks with mind-blowing music but rather soothes the cerebellum and spirit simultaneously with songs that are more  subtle than superb. That’s not even a knock. That’s just his style. Dwele is good at what he does and hopefully W.ants W.orld W.omen continues to showcase that.

Check out the latest song below to get a feel:

After the jump, check out a promo video shot at the old Train Depot off Michigan Ave in Detroit for the new album. Shout outs to Detroit Roller Derby diva Kyle Kentala and songstress Monica Blaire who make cameos in the promo.