Jay Electronica f/ Mos Def, Roots - Exhibit C (Live in LA)

A special moment the night before the Grammies in downtown LA - Club Nokia. "Exhibit C" is basically the hip-hop song of the season. A big one. Sounds great live with Questlove, tubas and all. Why wasn't I there?

Theophilus London, Man About Town

I'm already behind. So I'm just gonna print some other people's hype about the newest Brooklyn prodigy, Theophilus London:

“A wordsmith that’s James-Dean cool, young London is the voice of a post hiphop generation. His rhymes cut through traditional rap braggadocio to explore new horizons and emotional landscapes. Below him, the beats are idiosyncratic and filled with synthesizers and talking drums. CMJ

and

If you live in New York City, Theophilus London is one of those people you run into that remind why you moved here in the first place: he hustles, he stays out late, he’s talented and still on some level doesn’t seem to think any of it is that big of a deal. Fader

His This Charming Mixtape was all the rage earlier in the year (white guys love black guys that love the Smiths) and everyone is waiting for the LP in 2010. With the support he's got behind him already, it should be rather large.

I've heard a number of things I like, but this has got to be the one so far.

Theophilus London - Under the Sun

Check his blog as well. Not bad.

Hudson Mohawke: Glasgows Finest

The good thing about a blog is that you get to know some of your favorite artists a little better - beyond just the choons.

For example I learned that Hudson Mohawke, mostly thought of as part of the whole Flying Lotus (aquacrunk?) sound, is now working with Rihanna. And that he's under a lot of pressure trying to break out large now with the release of his first LP on Warp.

The new LP is called 'Butter' and features Dam Funk and others. It's a pretty rich and interesting effort - not just the squealchy boom bap we expect from Hud Mo.

Until I fully absorb the new LP, this rather large, bassy re-rub of Tweet's self-pleasure anthem "Oops" from last year can hold it down.

Hud Mo - Oops

And as a bonus, here's' a recent Essential Mix from BBC Radio 1.

Marcelo D2 - Samba Hip-Hop Flow (Desabafo)

This song ought to be large. A crossover, summertime, feel-good hip-hop song if there ever was one.

I'll be honest and admit I had not even heard of Marcelo D2 until I heard this one on Gilles Peterson. I LOVE Brazilian music, but can't say I've heard very much Brazilian hip-hop at all (besides DJ Nuts mixes). Got to fix that!

D2 appears to be quite the don of the Brazilian hip-hop scene. From what I quickly listened to, he seems to have a nice grasp of a lot of different Latin music and (more importantly) knows how to blend that with quality hip-hop (I noticed his blog has a video of Souls of Mischief "Never No More").

But is all about the samba samples in most of his stuff, including this one from last year's LP.

Marcelo D2 - Desabafo

Plus a bonus (to already break my 'one song a night' conceit). The original:

Claudia - Deixa Eu Dizer (1973 Odeon)

Fourtet;

A new hypnotic builder from one of the special young lads smart enough to realize jazz and dance music are best friends.

Fourtet - Love Cry

To me, Fourtet, aka Kieran Hebden, has always walked that line between sheer genius and wacky genius. At home producing head nodder hip-hop, deep dance music, improvising with legendary jazz drummer Steve Reid, opening for Radiohead or remixing scores of indie rock, Fourtet is as versatile and unpredictable as they come.

This new song, Love Cry, toys with the listener with 4 minutes plus of breakbeat + electronics until finally the amazingly seductive voice ("Love Cry") kicks in. Then that repeats for a while longer until the full creation is slowly allowed to unveil itself in all its glory. By the 8th minute you want it to go on another 8.

Meshell Ndegeocello - I Hope You all 'Die Young'

Messing around with fancy words was how I got off track last time. So lets get down to business.

The first song of the night is one that pretty evenly explores the focus of this blog - leftside funk, soul and jazz - through the lens of the hip-hop generation:

Meshell Ndegeocello - Die Young

I've always been a big fan of Meshell. She is down for the music and a true mixer of styles. But she has delved noticeably deeper in recent years. Thank goodness.

This track, Die Young, is as cavernous and profound as its title suggests. Over a slow, heavy back beat, gorgeous strings and some awesome synths, MeShell lets the track breathe. Yet the refrain, “I always pick the wrong way, it feels right, the way to go” is haunting enough to ring in your ears for days.

The new LP sounds great. Thank the lord she is still putting out records. An unappreciated (in America, at least) great.