Taking the production plunge.

I have a tough time pulling the trigger when it comes to certain things.

No, not an actual gun.

I’m talking about when it comes to ideas, commitments, purchases, so on and so forth. I can be pretty indecisive. Unfortunately, this issue has kept me from pursuing something that I’ve wanted to learn about for some time now – and as you may or may not have been able to guess based on the title of this post, that certain something is learning to produce beats and instrumentals.

Learning to produce is somewhat of a risk for me – and anyone, really – because of the cost. I have a tough time justifying buying everyday items like clothes (I’ve been wearing the same socks for the past 3 weeks), so how can I possibly manage spending a huge chunk of money on something I’ve never even done?

Now, just to clarify: when I say produce, I don’t mean GarageBand-ing it up with my laptop’s keyboard (no disrespect to GarageBand). I mean using an actual keyboard. And actual programs. And all the other equipment that comes with it.

Even if I did get my hands on all of those things, there would still be a ton for me to learn. It’s intimidating diving headfirst into something new.

In an ideal world, I would have a teacher to show me the ropes when it comes to producing; I sometimes have difficulty starting things without any personal guidance, and this is a prime example of one of those times. I’m not very trustworthy. I can’t even trust myself to buy new socks. How can I possibly trust myself to learn how to produce on my own?

But, you know, life’s really too short to not try something you’re interested in. Writing this post has helped to remind me of that.

Let’s just hope I can act on it.

 

 

[NEW] Pharoahe Monch x Black Thought – Rapid Eye Movement

Even though Pharoahe Monch’s newest LP PSTD is due out in less than a week, we’ve been treated to a new track that has leaked in advance of the April 15th release date.

“Rapid Eye Movement” features Black Thought, the MC and frontman (Alongside ?uestlove) of The Roots.

It’s a great song, and it has definitely got me excited for PTSD. Listen below.

Thank You.

Some time ago (6 weeks or something like that), I wrote a review for Schoolboy Q’s recent major label debut, Oxymoron. I gave it a 7/10.

The album isn’t the greatest thing in the world, but hey, I enjoy it.

That being said, that post was somewhat of a big step for me because it was the first review I’d ever written. I had never put my thoughts into text like that before. Instead of just speaking about an album to anyone who’ll listen (my girlfriend, my friends, random people on the street), I took the plunge and put my opinion and views out there for everyone to see.

And you know that? I’m really glad I did.

This guy’s glad I did too, apparently.

As you can probably guess, Half-Day Hip-Hop doesn’t exactly have the largest viewer base in the world. Second largest, maybe. But not number one.

Even though my numbers are really small compared to bigger, better, and more well-known review blogs, seeing that review marked as my most popular post is somewhat empowering. It shows me that maybe, somehow, I’m doing something kind of right.

I enjoyed writing that review, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Even though it’s been several weeks, I just want to thank each of you for reading. Taking time to reflect on the small course my blog has taken thus far has shown me just how much I appreciate those of you that spend some time here.

Anyway, hopefully I can put another review out for you guys soon. Getting that first one out has warmed me up a bit – even if it was 6 weeks ago (or something like that).

Good night, world.

 

April Showers…

… Bring new albums.

That’s how it goes, right?

We’re about a week into April now, so I figure it’s a good idea to touch base on some of the projects that’ll be seeing (or have seen) the light of day this month.

First and foremost, on April 1st, Mobb Deep released The Infamous Mobb Deep – A Double LP that contains a new album on one disc, as well as an album’s worth of unreleased tracks from their debut The Infamous on the other.

April 8th sees a couple of noteworthy debuts. SZA, one of Top Dawg’s newest signees, releases her label-first EP Z alongside Chuck Inglish and his debut album Convertibles.

For the 20th anniversary of his classic Illmatic, Nas will be releasing Illmatic XX on April 15th. Illmatic XX will include a remastered version of Nas’ debut, as well as a bonus disc of demos, remixes, and unreleased material.

Lastly, another item on my radar is Big Pooh and Roc C’s Trouble in the Neighborhood. Big Pooh comes from the acclaimed group Little Brother, so keeping an eye on this one is a no brainer. Trouble in the Neighborhood drops April 29th.

‘Til next time.

 

Speaking in Tongues

A Tribe Called Quest on stage at a show.

Let’s flash back to November 8, 1988. On this day, Straight out the Jungle, the debut album from Jungle Brothers, had just been released to the masses. While I can sit here and speak on the greatness of this record, I would instead like to take time to address its role in cementing one of the most influential hip-hop collectives to ever see the light of day.

You see, Straight out the Jungle’s third track, “Black is Back,” housed a soon-to-be hip-hop icon as its guest feature; Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest lent his bars to the Brothers, which in turn, successfully sparked the creation of the Native Tongues – a hip-hop collective that brought world renowned acts like De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest, and of course, Jungle Brothers, into the same breath.

At the collective’s time of inception, it wasn’t particularly big news, as a lot of these artists were just beginning to gain traction as identifiable musicians. But, as time played out, and records like 3ft. High and Rising were released, people began to take notice. Some of the most recognizable albums in hip-hop’s history were released via Native Tongues.

Today, this would be like Microsoft and Apple coming together to make an iWindowsPad.

From 1988 onward, year after year, the members of Native Tongues have collaborated on dozens of songs. Some of these songs, such as “Scenario,” off of A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, have become some of the most recognizable tracks in hip-hop’s history (“Scenario” has gone on to be named to TIME magazine’s list of the 100 greatest popular songs of all time). In fact, Native Tongues are still relatively active, having released a song as recently as 2011.

So, everyone, let’s please take a moment out of our day to pay homage to Native Tongues. Hip-hop collectives have become somewhat of a mainstay in the genre today, so it’s only proper to respect the greatest to ever do it.

 

[Wilt] Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein

For this Wednesday, I’m taking a trip through Cannibal Ox’s debut album, 2001s The Cold Vein. Iron Galaxy, the first track off the release, is embedded below.

Re-visiting a classic.

[STREAM] Black Milk – Glitches in the Break

Great news – Black Milk has released his new EP, Glitches in the Break, a day early via stream. I just talked about it yesterday so you shouldn’t need too much info on it, but in any case, you can listen to it HERE.

Yasiin Gaye

Yasiin Gaye: The Departure, which was released today, is a great remix album from Amerigo Gazaway. The album combines the smooth delivery of Yasiin Baye (formerly Mos Def), and the timeless sound of the legend Marvin Gaye. Do yourself a favor and give it a listen – especially considering it’s completely free. It can be found here. Listen to a sample below.

[NEW] Vince Staples – Nate ft. James Fauntleroy (Prod. by Scoop DeVille)

Three days ago, Vince Staples released “Nate,” a track off his upcoming mixtape Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2.

The track is an introspective look at Vince’s childhood relationship with his father, who, despite his illegal and harmful behavior, Vince still idolized. Soundcloud below.