Artist Of The Week - Fiyawata

Remember back in the day when east and west coast artists beefed with each other? Well, Fiyawata is the complete opposite of that. Composed of Brooklyn born emcee Ambessa the Articulate and Oakland songstress Zakiya Harris, Fiyawata and their music not only work to break down barriers and misconceptions, they also push the boundaries of Hip-Hop and work to expand its definition. This week I caught up with the male half of the married musical duo to find out how two people from totally opposite ends of the country ended up finding each other and what kind of journeys into sound they’re teaming has given birth to. Click here...

November 14th @ The Knitting Factory

You must check out this show! Hosted by The Bronx Über Villain and AOK Collective's Homeboy Sandman. Plus spinning all night MTV Made's Rabbi Darkside... Come out, get some great food and rock out with a crazy lineup of artists and some guest appearances you definitely won't forget.

The Knitting Factory is closing this year so get out to as many shows as you can make it to!

Dub MD & Fresh Daily Presents "Winter Fresh"

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Winter Fresh, is the exclusive new mixtape project from the incomparable Brooklynite Fresh Daily and Dub MD, this AOK Collective presentation is available right here, for free download. This new project features rarities, exclusives, remixes, unreleased joints, collabos and freestyles from 2005-2008, it features tracks with Supastition, Jesse Boykins III, Substantial, Mickey Factz, SiLent Knight and more, with production from the likes of Illmind, Analogic, M-Phazes, 9th Wonder, Madlib the list goes on, all unlocked from the vault for your listening pleasure.

Be on the lookout for Fresh Daily's new project "Tomorrow Is Today", along with his long awaited new album "The Gorgeous Killer In Crimes Of Passion" both hittin shelves real soon, featuring Tanya Morgan, P.Casso, Cool Calm Pete, Substantial and many more, with a production list including Illmind, Oh No, DJ Spinna, Ski, 88 Keys, 2 Hungry Brothers and Analogic all holding down the boards. For more information on Fresh Daily make sure you hit up his official myspace page at www.myspace.com/freshdotdaily.

Also keep your eyes out for Dub MD's exclusive new mixtape project for the purest called "Hip Hop Renatus" which features the whos-who of underground hip hop emcees (44 MC's / 34 Tracks) doin what they do best over the greatest hip hop producers of all-times instrumentals, out later this month for exclusive free download!

01. Winter Fresh (Intro)
02. Raw Hip Hop (Produced By DJ Evil Dee)
03. How Good Is Ya Game (feat. Emilio Rojas) (Produced By Muneshine)
04. Next In Line (feat. Supastition & Outburst) (Produced By Analogic)
05. Assassination Tango (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
06. Fresh (feat. 8thW1) (Produced By Nas550)
07. That Damn Good (feat. Substantial) (Produced By Algorythm)
08. Kill A Brand (Produced By M-Phazes)
09. False Teeth (feat. Svengali Bros)
10. Keep Moving (feat. Mickey Factz)
11. Fast Lane (feat. East & SiLent Knight) (Produced By 9th Wonder)
12. Winter Fresh (Interlude)
13. Gimmie My Props (Produced By The Applejuice Kid)
14. HBO (Heart Barely Open) (feat. Jesse Boykins III) (Produced By The Architect)
15. Ricky Vaughn (The Major Leagues) (feat. XV) (Produced By Nottz)
16. Supaspectacular! (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
17. Rising (feat. Supastition & Deacon the Villian) (Produced By Tonedeff)
18. Get Over (Produced By Illmind)
19. Boom! (feat. P. Casso) (Produced By 2 Hungry Bros)
20. To My Homie (feat. 8thW1) (as Charlie Browns Field Goal) (Produced By Nas550)
21. Figaro (Fresh Daily Remix) (Produced By Madlib)
22. What It Is (feat. SiLent Knight & Shabaam Sahdeeq) (Produced By Erv Ford)
23. New Blood v2 (feat. Skyzoo, Emilio Rojas & Torae) (Produced By Illmind)
24. Winter Fresh (Outro)

B-Real of Cypress Hill Preps "SMOKE N MIRRORS" For A February 24th, 2009 Release

B-Real, a rapper of Mexican and Afro-Cuban heritage, is best known for being the lead rapper in the hip hop group Cypress Hill. Since the group's formation in 1988, the pioneering rap-rock quartet Cypress Hill -- founders B-Real, DJ Muggs, and Sen Dog, along with newest member Eric Bobo -- have come a long way from the streets of South Central L.A. Over the course of its 17-year history, Cypress Hill has sold more than 17 million albums worldwide, including more than 11 million records in the U.S. alone. The group has garnered 15 multi-platinum, platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA; headlined Lollapalooza, Woodstock and the group's own Smokin' Grooves tour. B-Real has appeared on "Saturday Night Live," all the while breaking down the musical and cultural barriers between hip-hop, alternative, metal, rock, reggae, ska and Latin music.

Recently, B-Real, along with Cypress Hill received a VH1 Hip Hop Honors, to celebrate the vision and innovation that the group continues to bring to Hip Hop, strengthening its force around the world. Other artists honored in 2008 were De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick and Too Short.

In B-Real's first ever solo effort, "SMOKE N MIRRORS", he wanted to showcase his musical talent over beats produced by Alchemist, Scoop Deville, & Sick Jacken (from Psycho Realm). B-Real produced several songs on the project as well, including the lead track "FIRE" with Damian Marley. "Smoke N Mirrors" also features tracks with Snoop Dogg, Buckshot, Kurupt, Too Short, Sen Dog, of Cypress Hill, & Young De.

B-Real is confident his fans will appreciate "Smoke N Mirrors" stating: "I am excited to be putting out my first solo project. It's been in the works for a while now. I want to show my fans a different side to my creative abilities including my own production. I am also excited to have teamed up with Duck Down. They have a strong team and I believe they will push my project to the fullest.”

Two Videos will be filmed off "Smoke N Mirrors" for "Don't Ya Dare Laugh" featuring Young De and "FIRE" featuring Damian Marley.

SMOKE N MIRRORS is in stores February 24th, 2009, courtesy of Audio Hustlaz/Duck Down Records.


Tracklisting and credits for B-Real’s Smoke N Mirrors:

1.) Children of The Night f/ Bo Roc (produced by Scoop Deville)
2.) Gangsta Music f/Bo Roc (produced by Soopafly)
3.) Don’t Ya Dare Laugh f/Young De (produced by Scoop Deville)
4.) Everything You Want f/Buckshot (produced by Soopafly)
5.) 6 Minutes f/Young De & Tek (produced by Alchemist)
6.) Pyscho Revolution f/ Sick Jacken (produced by Sick Jacken)
7.) Fire f/Damian Marley (produced by B-Real)
8.) 10 Steps Behind f/Young De & Tek (produced by J. Turner)
9). Get That Dough f/Mimi (produced by Fifth)
10.) Dr. Hyphenstein f/Snoop Doog, Young De & Trace Midas (produced by B-Real)
11.) Stack’ N Paper (produced by J. Turner)
12.) 1 Life f/Send Dog and Mal Verde (produced by B-Real)
13.) Dude VS. Homie (produced by J. Turner)
14.) When They Hate You f/Mimi (produced by Salaam Wreck)
15.) When Were F*cking f/Too Short, Kurupt and Young De (produced by J. Turner)

Common Interview w/ OkayplayerTV

Artist Of The Week - Fresh Daily

To say I’ve known Fresh Daily for a while would be an understatement. I knew him back when he rhymed under a different name and was part of a totally different crew. Now he’s heading up the AOK Collective and the name Fresh Daily is well known and highly respected throughout NYC. He has a unique style and a personality which exudes zero ego. Fresh Daily isn’t just good at emceeing, he has a lot of fun doing it. This week I sat down with him to talk a little bit about his history, how the AOK Collective came to be, and the Fresh Daily album that’s nearly four years in the making. Click here...

Saul Williams - Dear History