Each week we select music from an independent artist we’re excited about and bring it to you, for free, as our Indie Free Download. This Detroit-bred ‘hood bully has made a career of blazing through beautiful beats, collaborating with the likes of J Dilla, Black Milk, and Madlib. Simpson’s latest EP, Close Curtains/Unbelievable, features two previously unreleased cuts and a host of remixes. The leadoff version of “Close Curtains” boasts a kinetic, futuristic beat reminiscent of a DJ Krush production or some of MF Doom’s most avant-garde collaborations. Set to a warped bass line that’s decorated with slick turntable scratches, beatboxing, and videogame-like accouterments, Simpson finds his comfort zone and flips into laidback mode. He casually raps about living it up, laying low, and closing curtains on foes.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Our Discovery Download puts the focus on a different artist each week, offering up a free track we think is worth your attention. Jadakiss lets listeners peek underneath his steely façade on “Hold You Down.” The rough Yonkers rapper details his rules for thug love and makes kissy noises as Emanny serenades the hook. And the backbeat, a cutup of Biz Markie’s “Make the Music With Your Mouth, Biz,” is always a good look. “Hold You Down” appears on Jada’s I Love You (A Dedication to My Fans) — The Mixtape.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Our Discovery Download puts the focus on a different artist each week, offering up a free track we think is worth your attention. Christian rapper Tedashii (or Tdot) raps so hard about spiritual bankruptcy that he’s got Old Scratch shook. “Riot” is a harsh critique of life lived without a moral compass — set to a mashing, thrashing, electro-tinged hip-hop beat. A member of the 116 Clique, Tedashii starts a “Riot” with his third album, Blacklight.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. This precocious Pittsburgh-bred syllable-spitter injects tracks with wide-eyed exuberance. Miller’s infectious braggadocio has made him an Internet sensation, and he’s released music via fellow-PA-phenom Wiz Khalifa’s Rostrum Records. “On and On” is a downtempo burner featured on Miller’s new EP (On and On and Beyond) that’s sprinkled with piano and spacey accoutrements while the rapper puts it in laidback mode, casually discussing his reality and supersized dreams.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
Each week we find a track from an artist or a band we’ve been enjoying and bring it to you, for free, as our Single of the Week. Charismatic MC Donnis knocks it out of the park, meshing braggadocio with a simple-yet-sparking R&B chorus that riffs on the baseball phrase "going, going . . . gone." This joint is T-Pain–like fun, a great anthem for hitting the town. Sure, we first heard the studio track last year, but this live version is so three-thousand-and-eight. Nod along or lose yourself in the hypnotic, downtempo beat that’s layered with synth progressions, fresh DJ scratches, and a little chopped-and-screwed vocal sample.
IMPORTANT: Downloads are only free on iTunes for approximately 1 week from this post date.
