The Black Keys will return into the arms of hip-hops hottest stars to start work on their second album under their moniker Blakroc. With no official release date as of yet, Blakroc 2 will feature a host of a-listers such as Talib Kweli, Jay Electronica, OC, Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, Jim Jones, Sean Price, and The Cool Kids.
I got aquainted with Anticon through their Label Sampler 1999-2004 mixtape and looking back the thing that stood out was this was some different level, leftfield hip-hop; electronic, abstract, erudite music with a great level of quality control. Today you only need to look at the label’s roster to see what an influential collective they have become. On this tip it was an honour that Sole should help us out for our Bonafide Beats mixtape series. Check out Sole and the Skyrider Band’s great new video for their track Immortality.
Rapping With Paul White sounds like an ill-fated TV programme that was piloted and then canned on a long forgotten digital channel. Thankfully it ain’t any of these things. Instead it promises to be one of the most intriguing and exciting releases of the year so far.
The LP is set to drop on One Hand Music shortly and as Mr White goes through the promotional gears, he’s given everyone a teaser of what to expect by releasing the track Trust, as a free download.
Bonafide Beats #18 sees MFP (MindFullPeace), soon to feature on the new Brownswood compilation, takes his place behind the decks and construct a tight mix that interweaves some of his own tunes in amongst tracks by the likes of Samiyam and Astronote.
The mix begins in silky fashion, courtesy of a Dilla remix of Vlooper, and continues to breeze by, with bleeps, squelches and synths all merging together to create a murky and hypnotic soundscape, moving seamlessly from the hip-hop of Simo Mood & Mood Schula and Elaquent back to the electronic glitches of FLP. Taking its cue from the wonky avant hip-hop that is produced on a regular basis from Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, MFP nevertheless brews a fresh and healthy assortment of slo-jam and funk beats that has enough legs to stand together as an assured mix from a soon to break producer.
Japanese legend K.U.D.O recently recorded a fantastic set for Tim Sweeney’s excellent Beats In Space. Spinning everything from his own work as part of Major Force through to tracks by The Verve and Danny Breaks, it plays like it reads: a celebration of headz culture circa the late 90s and early noughties. Recommended listing for anyone with a penchant for bottles of ice cold Asahi, vintage Bathing Ape or Futura artwork. Shouts to Gareth Bayliss for the artwork too. Domo arigato.
Bonafide Beats #17 see’s Kount Fif steal in behind the decks and put together a calling card for Vaste Aire’s latest series of street vignettes – Ox 2010 – A Street Odyssey.
Mo Kolours
EP1: Drum Talking
OneHandedMusic
There’s something of the summer in Mo Kolours‘ debut EP; he seems to project the gently fatigued contentment of the school holidays. As its title telegraphs, the music is largely drum-led, with steady grooves that recall J Dilla and ?uestlove’s production and instrumental work for Common’s Like Water for Chocolate. Biddies in particular, with its balance of pulsing bass and shakers, is compellingly reminiscent of the above; albeit with the rapping replaced by a mix of breathy vocals that gesture towards polytonal African singing.
Yup, that’s right kids, for a limited time only you can read all back issues of your favourite art design and music magazine (or ‘a fucking hip-hop guide book’, according to Raekwon) online at Issuu.
We enjoy wasting the day away on the Internet whilst pretending to do work as much as the next person, but Bonafide is essentially a print magazine and in order to keep it that way we need to sell it. And to encourage you to buy it we’re giving away a free album from the legendary BBE records with every 2 issues ordered via our online shop. And that’s what we like to call bullshit free marketing. …Read More.
Dan Medhurst, Bonafide go to photographer and all round top guy, is holding his first solo exhibition at the City Arts and Music Project this February.
East of My Youth and the West of My Future features images shot during a six month trip that began in the Far East and ended in America’s West Coast. The exhibition takes its’ title from a line from Jack Kerouac’s legendary beat novel On the Road, and documents Dan’s journey along off-beat tracks and forgotten spots and his meetings with eccentric characters. And in keeping with the old-school adventure feel, Dan documents his experiences using an old Nikon 35mm SLR.
The exhibition starts on the 3rd February (and runs until the 2nd March) and the opening night features another Bonafide favourite in the Kidkanevil, who will be creating magic on the ones-and-twos. A show that should wow both visually and aurally, if you are about checkit out.
