Baltimore native Maimouna Youssef is a breath of fresh air at a time when far too many musicians would rather be reality TV stars, or over-the-top controversial figures, than artists.
Because Maimouna who is best known via her nickname Mumu Fresh, stays focused on exploring and highlighting her art, there are many who are reading this who have never heard of her. It’s time to get familiar because the sista is no joke.
First you should know she’s a songwriter and producer. Yes, she gets busy behind the boards. Also, she’s a dope singer with a soulful, angelic voice.
The producer, songwriter and emcee has been nominated for a Grammy for her contribution on the song Don’t Feel Right by the Roots.
Over the years Mumu Fresh has performed and worked with everyone from Nas to Talib Kweli to Big Daddy Kane, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Eryka Badu, Zap Mama, dead prez, and Cody Chestnut to name a few. On top of all that Maimouna, ghostwrites for quite a few folks. She’s definitely well respected and sought out by her peers.
What really shines about this sista is the fact that she comes hard on the cultural and political tip. She doesn’t preach or get all up in your grill telling you how you need to act or what and who you should believe or follow, but her presence is strongly rooted in the tradition of revolution and freedom fighting. You hear that in songs like title track featuring Zap Mama on TheBlooming album or in tracks like Wake Up, which takes on Monsanto.
The fact that Maimouna has remained independent by choice speaks volumes about where her head is at. In our interview featured below, she talks about the importance of positioning oneself to have true artistic freedom..With respect to her music, it goes beyond way beyond cheap sloganeering. It’s nurturing for both the mind and soul and defies all industry labeling limitation. On her new album The Blooming, you have songs that are rap, songs that are bluesy, and others that funk oriented. Mumu says it’s all Black music, and as an artist she goes deep and takes us on an incredible journey through all types of musical genres connected to the African diaspora.
Listen to our Breakdown FM/All Day Play interview with Maimouna Youssef HERE
Schoolboy Q has put himself on the map with his new, well received mixtape, Habits and Contradictions. AllDayPlay.fm’s DJ K_Heem caught up with the LA native after his performance in Oakland, California. Backstage at the New Parish, he comments on Oakland, his album reaching the top of the iTunes charts, and the making of “Druggys With Hoes Again” with Ab Soul.
It’s a strange title, but, “Touch Yr Bodytime” is Detroit electronica at it’s finest from K7 Records artist Jimmy Edgar. His new album, Majenta, is filled with feel good funky street beat electro. “Touch Yr Bodytime” is up beat, full of 808 drums, smooth synths, warm piano chords and some simple vocoder vocals.
King T is a Compton, California legend and t’s been a while since he’s dropped some new material. “Pus-Say” gives an old school rap fan the whole package; some Likwid Crew guests, a laid back bouncy LA style beat, and a Snoop Dogg sample.
SMD’s new album Unpatterns has to be their most abstract to date. With the sounds selection, the odd chord arrangements and effects on top of it, the album is appropriately named. It might be an album some of their hardcore fans might find a little hard to swallow but “Pareidolia,” the album’s closer, is one of my favorites. It’s a little slower, filled with some airy percussion and glitchy chords. The album already dropped in the UK and will be released in the US on May 28th.
Minneapolis producer/DJ/remixer Gigamesh has been getting his name out there for his remix work for popular up and comers Foster The People, Grouplove and Katy B. On the latest Kitsuné Records compilation, Kitsuné America, he drops a very funky, almost 90s inspired sounding house cut. “Your Body” uses simple vocals and and an ascending chord structure. Gigamesh’s EP All My Life which drops May 28th. Get to know this guy’s work, you’ll be happy you did.
New Kells! It’s good to hear him making music like this, and we’re overdue for a feel good steppers anthem. This one is off his forthcoming album, Write Me Back.
With all the music that gets released every day, it’s hard to keep up with everything. We at AllDayPlay.fm are usually pretty good at staying up on the latest, but some tunes do just slip right past us. Here are a few songs from new and already established artists that we missed. Enjoy!
Japanese hip-hop pioneer, DJ Krush, released the fifth installment of a monthly song series. His latest is “Kouro Optical Path, which according to his website, is “a tune he’s been incorporating in his live DJ set since the European Festival Tour last summer, and making a buzz among die-hard fans.” It’s pretty dope, dark, moody, haunting and classic Krush. We’ve been fans since we were first introduced to Strictly Turntablized. Considering he’s now five months into this series, with the sixth coming within a couple week’s time, we vow to no longer let new Krush grooves pass us by.
The return of UK singer/femcee Ms. Dynamite is something we’ve have been waiting for since she dropped off the face of the earth after her sophomore LP, Judgement Days, suffered the sophomore curse (as well as other legal drama). She popped up a couple times last year, guest appearing on Nneka’s 2011 release, Heavy Soul, and new comer Katy-B’s album On A Mission. She reappeared back September with her come back single “Neva Soft”, a funky UK bass/dancehall flavored track. A bunch of remixes to this record soon followed, including a hard heavy drum and bass remix by Nu:Tone and my personal favorite, The Mike Delinquent Project Remix. This straight up takes us back to those classic 2-Step Garage joints from the late 90s/early 2000s and takes Dynamite back to her Garage roots.
Brooklyn electronic/pop group Class Actress. Their debut album “Rapprocher”(released in October 2011) is really beautiful, VERY synth heavy and at times a little strange. Some of their music sounds like when you take a 45rpm record and play it on 33rpms. The production is mostly slow slouchy beats, with really fat low toned snares, but it pulls you in immediately. When you hear the lovely vocals of front woman Elizabeth Harper, it clearly identifies that’s the way the music was intended to sound and it works. There’s also a couple songs where the music’s chord arrangements almost don’t match the vocal key; in a good way. At times we’re reminded a little of electro pop/italo disco, Portland based band “Glass Candy”, but the real difference is in Harper’s strong vocals and song writing. Check it out for yourself.
UK Folk, Soul singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lianne La Havas is one to keep on your radar in 2012. She’s released two EPs in 2011 and has her debut full length set to be released sometime this summer on Warner Brothers Records. We’re really digging “Forget” off the EP of the same name. We love its opening riff and how it builds up to its hard live drums and epic chorus. Her voice is really powerful and sultry on this record. Check out the other songs on the Forget EP & her previous EP Lost & Found.
After working with Beyonce, Major Lazer took on hip hop legends the Beastie Boys, and new wave triple threat Santigold, for the album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, which is out now.
This may be a few months old (which is internet time is a few years). but it’s definitely worth listening to. Good thing AllDayPLay.FM DJ Mike Biggz brought it to my attention. Check out more new music recommendations from DJ Mike Biggz HERE.
Female rapper (and White Girl MOB Boss) Kreayshawn has become an overnight sensation on YouTube, Roach Gigz practically has a key to the FADER’s offices, and of course Lil B and his new Gay (Happy) swag has reached deity status. Once again a spotlight is on the Bay Area music scene.
Respected Bay Area rapper Mistah F.A.B. was one of the key figures in the last wave of Bay Area-bred artists bringing the “Hyphy” sound to the rest of the world. Unfortunately Hyphy died just as quickly as it came, but lucky for Mistah F.A.B. he was able to build relationships in the industry that allowed him to keep hustling. He’s says that now is the time to use his influence to help other Bay Area artist shine.
On this week’s Sharp State of Mind Radio on AllDayPlay.fm, DJ D Sharp welcomes F.A.B. to the studio to talk about the new Bay Area talent, words of wisdom he got from Bay Area rap elder E-40 and managing Kreayshawn’s million dollar deal with Columbia Records.
We’ve been keeping tabs on hip-punk band Tokyo24 (a duo consisting of producer BeatStreets and rapper/singer Duckworth) since the song “Check My Denim” dropped back in 2009. From this dope visual, futuristic instrumentation, and a title like “Cosmic Rebirth”, it looks like they’ve undergone a bit of a transformation.
Grammy award winning producer and longtime collaborator with Kanye West releases a free album with his new group Cocaine 80s, which consists of himself, Chicago emcee Common, Steve Wyreman (guitar), Kevin Randolph (keys) and James Fauntleroy (the guy whose name sparked Chris Brown and Frank Ocean’s R&Beef).
With No I.D.’s signature old school hip hop foundation, James Fauntleroy’s Gaye-style falsetto, and a level musicianship that echoes the great soul bands of the 70s and 80s, Cocaine 80s are quickly rising to the top of the long list of great R&B records this year.
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Moe Green, a Vallejo, California native, was the first to rap on Adele’s hit song “Hometown” last year (yeah, before Big Sean and Big K.R.I.T.). Now Green keeps the fire lit as he readies Lion Heart, the follow up to his To Whom It May Concern album, by rhyming over the work of The Weeknd’s “Glass Table Girls”.
“707” (his “Glass Table Girls” remix) could be considered the sequel to his “Hometown” track as Moe spits inspired bars over the track’s recurring “Bring the 707 out” vocal sample. Peep the visuals for “707″ directed by G. Carter II:
In promotion for the new album, Moe Green stops by Streets Is Talking Radio on AllDayPlay.FM and blessed us with a freestyle. Lionheart EP hits the web this Saturday at FREEONSMASH.COM.
Legendary emcee Casual (of Hieroglyphics Crew) speaks with DJ D Sharp about the lost art of freestyling, the new breed of emcees, and his top 5 #RapGods.
Make sure you download Casual’s new album The Hierophant available now on Bandcamp.
Peep the first single “Mic Memorial”, produced by Dj Toure, here.
Now streaming: the archive of our Google Hangout On-Air with Jesse Vigil of Psychic Bunny, one of the designers of the new audio adventure game FREEQ (iOS/Android).
I first encountered Sifteo Cubes back at IndieCade last October, and spent some time playing around with the little blocks which I first mistook for iPod Nanos.
