Welcome back to our beloved Weekly Set-series. It is safe to say that the last week was a little bit slow on new releases, leaks and interviews. However, two recording highlights have hit us late last weekend. We’ve seen Lupe Fiasco reinterpreting Rick Ross’ “B.M.F.”, thus pushing the anticipation for his forthcoming Lasers to new heights. More surprisingly even, we’ve been blessed by a previously unreleased song by the one and only Lauryn Hill. Luckily, “Repercussions” indicate that the legendary Ms. Hill has not lost any of her energy. It remains to be seen if a full fledged comeback follows this record. Taking a 180°-turn we find promising young artist Bruno Mars, who started the promotional campaign for his solo debut LP with the soulful cut “Just The Way You Are”. But the past seven days also brought us unexpected collaborations, such as the noisy Mix Version of “New Noise” by Bloody Beetroots and Steve Aoki. Anyone familiar with the sounds of these two artists knows that this one’s a trip. On the rap-sphere we found Indiana’s Freddy Gibbs uniting with the talents of Chuck Inglish, Chip Tha Ripper, Bun B & Dan Auerbach on the quest for “Oil Money”.
Further efforts were provided by newcomer Bei Major and the always stunning Keri Hilson, UK dubstep aficionado Skream and La Roux, Passion Pit, Diplo and Don Diablo as well as Kele. Tune in for the audible recap below.
Welcome everybody to the latest edition of our Weekly Set-series. Once again, we have KiD CuDi residing on the top spot with his Kanye West-powered new single “Erase Me” of our list – this time, however, in CDQ. It is sort of obvious that such a star-studded collaboration draws the people’s attention but their reaction is still varying. Last week the Cleveland native convinced our ears that genre-mixing indeed shall be embraced but will the fan accept a full album of blending various multiple types of music? It remains to be seen. Cudder’s first Man On The Moon-offering already indicated that he feels comfortable in various styles. That’s what set him apart from other rappers in the first place. Hence, this single comes as no surprise and will leave a huge mark on the charts.For those that are still in the doubt, keep in mind that September 14th, now known as the G.O.O.D. Music Day, will also bring you Kanye West’s return to real Hip Hop. Also make sure, to check out the other songs on our newest Set. It serves you raw raps, decent electro pop and joyful soul music.
On top of our latest Weekly Set we find an interesting example of musical diversity. The Converse-sponsored track “All Summer” combines the distinctive talents of KiD CuDi, Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino. Obviously, the resulting track is hard to classify but in all honesty, who cares? The song is jamming and the blend of Cleveland rap, afrobeat-influenced indie rock from New York and lo-fi pop indicates new creative possibilities that could open up new paths for already established or up and coming artists.
Some songs of our current set clearly nurture this notion – most notably the CSR remix of Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone”. This rework also mixes us up different styles as a a melody from Diana Ross’s “Friend to Friend” and drums from Melvin Bliss’s Synthetic Substitution are used to back up Kanye’s vocals. However, there is also proof that already tested musical formulas are not only reliable but also sound good – as in “Lock It Down” by respected Detroit-vets Slum Village. Hence, the ten tracks below give you a short and clear message: accept the new and embrace the old!
Last week we saw the appearance of a brand new collaboration between KiD CuDi and Kanye West. Entitled “Erase Me”, the track caused a heavy discussion among the fans of both artists – complaining about the lack of rap elements in their music lately. However, when art comes into play, variety is key. And music marks no exception. Hands down, variety does not equal creativity but it sure provides the artist and the listener with a broader horizon of creative influences. Music – no matter the genre – can only benefit from a development like this.
Obviously “Erase Me” would have resided in the top position of our list, but due to Copyright issues the song was blocked and did not make it to this set. Instead, we have Andre 3000 at number 1 who has been going against the grain throughout his whole career. And we all embraced him for that. He deserves further credit for turning in a fresh translation of the Beatles’ timeless “All Together Now”. The other spots are also taken by creative and uncompromising talents that delivered a fine selection of musical diversity – ranging from Florence & The Machine, Pharrell Williams, Klaxons, Rick Ross and many more. Listen to the audible recap below.
Welcome to our latest Weekly Set. As we mentioned in previous posts, the past seven days saw the release of a range of superb remixes of current radio hits. However, the top spot was gained by Canadian duo Chromeo, who made an uncanny return to the musical stage with their synth-heavy 80s-influenced track “Don’t Turn Your Lights On”. Also back in heavy demand is the incomparable Roots-crew with their new album How I Got Over, which was released last week. “Right One” featuring Joanna Newsom and STS is just a small bite of it. German beatsmith Boys Noize reworked N*E*R*D’s new single “Hit N’ Fun”, thus providing the banging track with an additional edge. Our readers also took notice how Electronic duo New Orbital came back after six years with their new song “Don’t Stop Me”. Eminem and Dr. Dre reunited for “Ridaz” which appears on Recovery. The repsonse was not as heated as the Doc’s collaboration with Jay-Z the week before.
Three more remixes raised our eyebrows – MSTRKRFT’s rendition of Katy Perry’s ode to her home state “California Girls”, Nas blessing Nneka’s excellent track “Heartfelt” as well as Asher Roth adding his vocals to – yet again – “Hot N’ Fun”. In addition, Drake prove that he “still got it” whereas Curren$y prove that his upcoming Pilot Talk will boast high profile guests. Enjoy in the audible recap.
Like every beginning of a new week, we present you the ten most listened audio-posts on Hypetrak in the last seven days. Last week saw the appearance of a track that many music fans worldwide have been waiting on for more than ten years – Dr. Dre served a first audible taste off his much anticipated Detox-album. Entitled, “Under Pressure” the cut is the eventual collaboration between the Doc and Jay-Z that has been announced weeks prior to its release. Surprisingly the song is slightly different than most have expected, causing numerous fans to dismiss the record. Dr. Dre himself tuned in and told the world, that the featured song is an unfinished version of the record. Until we receive the finished, mastered version listen to “Under Pressure” Part 1 below.
KiD CuDi also reemerged on the scene with the first single “REVOFEV” off his forthcoming opus Man On The Moon II: The Legend Of Mr. Rager. The song’s title refers to the initial title for the album Revolution Of Evolution and shows that Cudder’s career is no case of one hit wonder. Before B.o.B. and Bruno Mars conquered the charts with “Nothin’ On You” Lupe Fiasco recorded a slightly different version of the song. It comes as no surprise that Lupe’s version has received a warm welcome among readers. Although it won’t appear on Laser, it whets the appetite for the Chicago MC’s new album. Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Game released an audio gift for Kobe and company. Our readers seem to approve. From freestyle to single, Drake’s “9AM In Dallas” has convinced fans and critics alike and made it to the bonus tracklist of one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
Further notable contributions were delivered by promising crooner Bruno Mars and the legendary Roots crew, whose new album How I Got Over will be released this week. We also saw a Major Lazer-laced remix for Reggae-artist Gyptian as well as Jeezy who gave us his summer anthem. Enjoy below.
Controversy surround her art has not caused M.I.A. to quiet down. And this is a good thing. As seen in our latest Weekly Set the British singer remains relevant to our readership by claiming the top spot. Her outstanding single “XXXO” has received a royal remix treatment with none other than Jay-Z adding his always poignant lyrics to the song. It comes as no surprise that Eminem is in heavy demand among our readers – especially since his Relapse-album will be released in less than two weeks. His second collaboration with Lil’ Wayne, “No Love”, is a letter of criticism hinting at the lack of support in the industry. Well, apparently this is not the case over here at Hypetrak. The Roots are about to bless the world with another excellent album entitled How I Got Over. The tracks that have leaked so far sound more than promising. “The Fire” featuring soulful crooner John Legend is no exception. After almost three classic-filled decades in the business, the reputation of Prince must not be questioned. In honor of his 51st birthday the legendary singer gave his hometown radio station The Current a gift in the shape of the uplifting jam “Hot Summer”. Not one to be missing in our beloved Top 5 Drake made the list as well, with his Caribbean-influenced rework of his hit single “Find your Love” featuring Reggae-artist Gyptian.
We also celebrated the comeback of one of the most respected lyricists in the rap game. Andre 3000 reappeared on the scene with two guest verses – first, 3 Stacks lent his vocals on a new track of his fellow OutKast Big Boi, entitled “Lookin’ 4 Ya”, and blessed the remix of Ciara’s summer jam “Ride”. Welcome back!
Also check out for excellent interpretations for Crystal Castles “Suffocation” and Yo La Tengo’s “Here To Fall”. Making a cameo appearance for New York-based underground artist Sali, number one spot-holder M.I.A. rounds up this week’s set as.
Welcome to the latest edition of our beloved Weekly Set-series. In comparison with Volume 13, this week’s set offers almost the same congregation of artists. So what have we learned during the past seven days? Obviously Drake, Jay-Z and Eminem are always in heavy demand, so it comes as no surprise that these gentlemen are fixtures on our site every monday. Also, Evil Empires’ Trending Topics 4 is one ambitious project that features a new Swizz-Beatz-assisted song by Jay-Z as well as new recordings by Kanye West. It also becomes apparent that after years of struggling in the music industry Atlanta songstress Janelle Monáe is finally getting the respect she so much deserves. The B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco-powered remix of her excellent single “Tightrope” has been played by our readers even more than Em’s surprising collaboration with pop singer Pink. The Cool Kids returned with a fishing-themed mixtape in order to get you amped up for their fothcoming album.
Here are some further lessons from last week. The charismatic Hip Hop trio Beastie Boys are still relevant. The Roots’ new album How I Got Over seems to solely consist of remakes. Electronic pop from Brooklyn is good and sexy. Nas’ rhymes from the early nineties still sound as fresh as his new album with Damien Marley Distant Relatives. Travis McCoy’s solo debut Lazarus won’t fail.
Lastly, however, one question remains: Why did Drake’s “You Know You Know” not make the final cut of Thank me Later?
Last week saw a slew of superb releases that has brightened up the wait for the Memorial Weekend. First things first. Kanye is back. With his Dwele-assisted new single “Power” Yeezy seems to have abandoned auto-tune for good and is back on his initial track. The world welcomes this. As the release of Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later draws nearer we have received more and more audible teasers for it. Hence it comes as no surprise that the Toronto native is featured with four tracks in our latest Weekly Set. Most notably, the announced collaboration with Jay-Z, “Light It Up”. Fortunately for us, the track lives up to it’s hype. Drizzy’s collaborations with the likes of Alicia Keys, Young Jeezy as well as the CDQ version of the internet favorite “Miss Me” featuring Lil’ Wayne have been unveiled as well. As if this would not be enough, KiD CuDi served some new music featuring fellow Cleveland-native CHip Tha Ripper as well.
Further favorites were turned in by musical greatness Gil Scott Heron, who enlisted Brooklynite Mos Def for another version of his already classic tune “New York Is Killing Me”. Game seems to be also in heavy demand as his collabo with the Cash Money/Young Money conglomerate made it to our list. Nas rounds up the set with his modernized version of Slick Rick’s classic, “Hey Young World”. Find the audible sum-up below.
Welcome to the latest edition of Hypetrak’s Weekly Set-Series. As usual, you will find the ten most listened tracks of the past seven days below. Last week brought forth some stellar releases that have received a warm welcome by our dear readership. On this week’s top resides the Drake-blessed remix of Alicia Keys hit record “Un-Thinkable”. This rework sounds so good that it leaves one hoping for more future collaborations between both artists. Pete Rock’s banging remix of “Here To Fall” by New Jersey’s Yo La Tengo also hit a nerve among our readers who did not hesitate to press the play-button. One of the most respected Hip Hop collectives of all times, Philadelphia’s legendary Roots-crew, finally presented their new single “Dear God 2.0″ off their upcoming ninth studio album How I Got Over. The track boasts everything what one might expect from a Roots-joint – Black Thought’s thought-provoking lyrics backed by a superb instrumental. Drake reminded folks of his undeniable lyrical talent with his “9AM in Dallas”-freestyle, thus keeping Hip Hop-hopes alive for a dope album to drop on June 15th. Talib Kweli took some time to discuss the controversial immigration situation in Arizona over a decent Krumbsnatcha-beat. Further songs that made you listen were provided by Travis McCoy, new R&B-sensation Bruno Mars, production duo Beatnick & K-Salaam’s interesting edit of Nirvana’s timeless “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. In addition, Uproot Andy and Don Diablo reinterpreted songs by Los Rakas and the Gorillaz for the upcoming summer season. Here’s the audible recap.
