Murs & 9th Wonder "Funeral For A Killer"

Skyzoo "Jansport Strings" (produced by 9th Wonder)

The idea behind Jansport Strings is not based on it being literal, but more so in the figurative sense. As a kid in NY, the strings on your Jansport bag were a sign of power and presence. Kids would steal the strings off of each other's bags and burn the tips to prevent getting robbed of them once they got them. The song is a 3 minute auto-bio of me as a kid in Brooklyn and seeing more than my friends and I had bargained for. In essence, my Jansport strings tied it all together, seeing what we all saw and what it made us. The ending is a clip from Video Music Box, the legendary NYC video show run by DJ Ralph McDaniels. This episode in particular was the debut of Chi-Ali's 'Age Ain't Nothin But A Number'. Seeing that video that day on this episode of VMB made me start rhyming. This clip was literally the moment that changed my life.

-Skyzoo

David Banner Talks "Death Of A Pop Star," [Explicit Content]

David Banner is passionate as usual as he speaks on "feeling trapped musically" and expresses contempt for the proliferation of the mixtape, citing its contribution to the death of contemporary black music. He exclaims, "9th wonder beats ain't free! David Banner verses ain't free!"

Death Of A Pop Star - David Banner & 9th Wonder

(May 6, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA) Grammy Award winners David Banner and 9th Wonder, two of hip-hop's heavyweights, are teaming up for the collaborative album Death of a Pop Star slated to be released this summer on Big Face Entertainment. Serving as the artists' first collaborative work together, Death Of A Pop Star offers fans of both David Banner and 9th Wonder a fresh and unique perspective on the music industry.

9th Wonder has a history of teaming with legendary emcees and crafting dream projects that have resulted in both critical and commercial success. With top-selling hit maker David Banner at his side, it's obvious that the respected producer's winning streak isn't slowing down. David Banner's most recent successes include writing, producing, and arranging (with guidance from Jimmy Smith and The G Team at Chalt Day) the new non-hip hop Gatorade theme song "Evolve," performed by Kermit Quinn. To some, pairing with Banner, who is also a celebrated producer in his own right, having produced smash hits like T.I.'s "Rubberband Man," might seem like an odd thing for 9th Wonder to do but this project was a wholly mutual vision between both artists.

The duo's driving creative force for the album stems from shared feelings about the state of the music industry and the de-valuing of music. Concerned that listener's today exist in a world where style wins over substance to the detriment of both the music industry, and the arts, the pair decided to take action. "We first were going to make it a free mixtape release, but then we realized it was bigger than that," explains Banner on their intentions. The duo set out to create a set that would help bring the focus back to music; not image.

While their project began in earnest with their eye on the state of hip-hop, a mutual respect for each other's artistry helped drive the partnership. "9th Wonder is probably one of the most soulful cats in our generation," says Banner, praising the North Carolina producer know for his work with Little Brother, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and more. "Death Of A Pop Star is needed for a balance in the music landscape right now, just like 2 Live Crew and A Tribe Called Quest were once needed at the same time."

9th Wonder adds, "David Banner and I both share the same views on topics such as manhood, being black in America in present day, and the state of black music in general. David and I hash out a lot of options before we actually do a song. Once we get past all the options, the end result is always clear." For fans looking toward the summer release, this David Banner and 9th Wonder collaboration may serve as only a beginning, rather than the pinnacle, for the Death Of A Pop Star concept. Visualized as an ongoing concept, the duo is keeping their options open. Satiating fans, Banner says, "Who knows what concept Death Of A Pop Star may be in the future, next year it might be Lil Wayne and Pete Rock. 9th Wonder and I would still oversee it, but we don't know what it's gonna be." He continues, "This concept is bigger than hip-hop music. It shows us that young people do have soul."

Free Mixtape: Dub MD & Spectacula Presents "Unexclusively Exclusive"

Here's some exclusive new heat from Queens emcee, Spectacula as he joins forces with Dub MD for this brand new project entitled "Unexclusively Exclusive" a 16 track digi-zip jam packed full of classic hip hop music. The new mixtape features beats from a whole host of producers from the likes of DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Alchemist, Black Milk and many more, and in the immortal words of the homie Fresh Daily, it's supaspectacular!

This new project is in preparation for Spectacula's up and coming new studio album "Every Second Counts" which due for release sometime this year. The Queens emcee will be releasing a mixtape every month until the summer in the lead up to his album, this mixtape being the first in his "Quality In Quantity" series. Also check for some new releases from Dub MD this year as he tags-up for a second time with Nametag for Volume 2 of the "Classic Cadence" collection, along with projects with an army of other artists in 2009, keep it locked!

Download Link

01.) Intro (Produced By Kon and Amir)
02.) Shine (Produced By The Alchemist)
03.) Pressure (Produced By Pete Rock)
04.) Your Welcome (Produced By 9th Wonder)
05.) Let Go (Produced By Madlib)
06.) Full Time Job (Produced By Pete Rock)
07.) Just Venting (Produced By Khyrsis)
08.) For The Websites (Produced By Black Milk)
09.) Whats Next? (Interlude)
10.) Going Out Of Style (Produced By Pete Rock)
11.) The Forefront (Produced By Bronze Nazareth)
12.) Wasted Potential (Produced By DJ Premier)
13.) Snakes In The Grass (Produced By Khyrsis)
14.) For The Hell Of It (Produced By Easy Mo Bee)
15.) Gravity (feat. Gorillaz) (Produced By Gorillaz)
16.) Unexclusively Exclusive (Outro)

www.myspace.com/spectacula1
www.myspace.com/dubmd84

Shaya - "Open Up"

Shaya comes through once again, this time with a brand new joint just in time for you and your soul mate to wind down from a Valentine's Day weekend. Succeeding where many other love songs fail, "Open Up," featuring Eyezon, is full of inspired sweet-talk that comes off as sincere rather than contrived. Matched with a soulful beat and a smooth-as-can-be chorus, "Open Up" is sure to set the mood you'll be looking for. Stay on the lookout for Shaya's upcoming mixtape In Case You Forgot.

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"It's Like That" Produced by 9th Wonder
"Impeccable Concepts" Remix featuring Trek Life & Finale
"Fall Back" featuring Jake One
"Take A Ride"

A Full Schedule in 2009 For Interdependent Media

(February 11, 2009 - Brooklyn, NY) With 2008 already a fading memory, there's a good chance you're going to need a fresh supply of music to hold you down in 2009. Interdependent Media has you covered with a full slate of brand new releases, including albums from Finale, Tanya Morgan, Truthlive, K'Naan, and Canibus.

First out of the gate, Detroit up-and-comer Finale is charged to set the rap world abuzz with his debut effort A Pipe Dream & A Promise. Dropping April 7, A Pipe Dream & A Promise finds Finale spitting vocal barbs over elite production from the likes of J Dilla, Black Milk, Nottz, Oddissee, and more. Following on Finale's heels is the much-anticipated sophomore LP, Brooklynati, from Tanya Morgan. Comprised of Brooklyn's Von Pea and Cincinnati's Donwill and Illyas, Tanya Morgan has received critical acclaim for their debut LP Moonlighting as well as 2008's The Bridge EP. Closing out the year are exciting new releases from Truthlive, K'Naan, and Canibus. Truthlive, the emcee work of iM founder Evan Phillips, will be releasing Patience, an album produced entirely by Jake One (50 Cent, De La Soul, Freeway), while Somalia-born K'Naan, set to release his major label debut Troubador on EMI in late February, will be releasing the live album The Dusty Foot On The Road, which documents recent performances from around the world including Paris, London, New York City, Edmonton, Brisbane, and Djibouti. Finally, iM will end the year with Canibus, one of the most ferocious emcees to touch a mic, who will make a triumphant return with The C Of Tranquility.

Interdependent Media is no ordinary record label, and iM's innovative and interactive marketing and promotion methods for 2009 continue to raise the bar. To help promote the new Finale album, iM will be releasing a Super Mario Bros. themed online video game, complete with an 8-bit version of the song “One Man Show,” produced by Black Milk. Featuring Finale as the Mario of the Hip-Hop world, players who beat the game will receive an exclusive remix track. The setup for Tanya Morgan's Brooklynati release will be driven by one of the most involved and intricate marketing campaigns ever for a hip-hop release; the virtual city of Brooklynati will become a reality. The city will have an extensive website, video newscasts, a Chamber of Commerce where fans can apply for and receive Brooklynati drivers licenses, menus to the local Chinese restaurant, and its very own fledgling record store. Finally, thanks to the amazing work of artist Jamar Nicholas, fans will have the opportunity to channel their inner-child with a brand new limited-edition coloring book featuring the label's entire roster - get those crayons ready!

About Interdependent Media:

Founded in 2006 in the Bay Area by Evan Phillips, Interdependent Media has built unique strengths in the development, production, and marketing of recorded music via new methods of marketing and promotion. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and emerging methods of marketing, iM has successfully created multi-faceted methods of raising awareness and interest in their projects. Industry veterans Ian "ID" Davis and Dominic Del Bene head operations at iM and are credited with discovering and/or developing artists such as 9th Wonder, Little Brother, Tanya Morgan, Blackalicious, Del the Funky Homosapien, the Hieroglyphics and more. In 2009, iM will be releasing multi-media projects from artists Finale, Canibus, K'naan, Truthlive, and Tanya Morgan. For more information, please visit http://www.imculture.com

Free Album: 9th Wonder & Murs Present ' Sweet Lord'

Click album art for download.