3 Dope songs | Hip-Hop and Politics

3 Dope Songs from JNatural; A Firecracker Whose Deadly on the Mic

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

JNaturaL is a Filipino American born emcee/vocalist with a presence and vocal power that has coined the term which many have used to describe her “looking pretty, spitting ugly”. This “sexy tomboy firecracker” emerged on the indie hip hop scene in early 2000 as the only female emcee in an 8 piece band.

In 2002 JNaturaL released her first solo LP For Clarity, and in 2004, continuing to find her own voice, JNat wrote and produced a 5 track acoustic guitar EP called LA Virgen.

In 2006, JNaturaL teamed up with producer/photographer Jeff Wonder to produce her first globally distributed LP, Escape From Babylon. Watch her music video for the single “Dust For Los Angeles” off of this LP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0xonPtmTis

In 2007 fate crossed her path with long time hip hop mentor Aceyalone, who brought her to the Project Blowed Studios to be a part of the Blowed’s all female wrecking crew The (SIS)tem.

In 2008 JNat released her Sex Lies and Sextape mixtape, mixed by DJ Ray Ray Raw and featuring The A-Team (Aceyalone & Abstract Rude.) This mixtape was the catalyst for the independently run European tours that went down in 2008 and 2009. After recording all of 2009 for her new concept album Love is on Hiatus, executively produced by Aceyalone, with production by Jeff Wonder and LD of Technicali JNatural is poised to have a busy 2010 touring the States & Europe in support of the upcoming lp.. Early reviews of the new album state

JNaturaL – I Am Where The Music Is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMDYh9mEFxo

JNaturaL feat Ras Kass – MANNA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrfxK_qmvJU

JNATURAL – “AINT NOTHING SACRED”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr8pSW4UcAY

Below is JNatural’s sound cloud page

https://soundcloud.com/jnatural

JNatural’s has put out a short film/musical called Desire. It’s a tale of a love triangle and unrequited love. Watch as things turn deadly for everyone involved. The story moves on with minimal dialogue and allows the imagery to tell the story.

http://vimeo.com/33145353#at=0

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Desire, Jnatural

3 Dope Songs from Nina Dioz; A True Emcee From Mexico Holding it Down

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Hailing from the underground scene in Monterrey, Mexico, and registered in the new wave of MCs, Nina Dioz is a snowball that has been growing in recent years. She quickly began to establish her stage name nationally and internationally.

In November 2007 she launched into the spotlight with their debut EP entitled “Pacemaker,” with 7 tracks among which is their hit “When, When” which was very well received by people and the media in general. A few weeks after the release of this EP, “When, When” started playing on the radio, being among the best songs of the year of Reactor 105.7 FM.

Being a single detached from an independent release hip-hop genre, this was a great achievement for the young rappera. “Pacemaker” also bore fruit in 2008, when Nina Dioz nominated for the Indie-O Music Awards in the category “Best Album of Hip-Hop.“In addition, in May this year was selected by Nike as the only Mexican artist in the international presentation of Nike Sportswear in Beijing, China.

Nina Dioz is a young girl that wastes no energy on stage and transmits a huge passion for music. She has opened for many national and international artists, and has also shared the stage with many others such as; The Chojin, Tote King, Cartel de Santa, National Sonidero, Plastilina Mosh, Hello Seahorse, Molotov, Mexican Institute of Sound, Julieta Venegaz, Anita Tijoux, Natalia Lafourcade, Ghostface Killa, Beatnuts and Groove Armada are just a few examples. Her performances earned her stellar reviews including one from the Los Angeles Times, who called her “… Mexico’s answer to colossal artists like MIA and Lady Sovereign …”.

Niña Dioz – Lo Quiero Matar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzdH0HMuAsM

Niña Dioz – Prefiero el Asfalto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXY__-_9jpA

Niña Dioz Nadie como tu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ojHvGphOo

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Mexico, Nina Dioz

3 Dope Songs from the Melina Jones-SF’s Mistress of Ceremonies

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Talk about old school. Melina Jones‘ hip-hop career began in Bernal Heights , SF when she was barely 2 years old. That’s when her soul-singer father, Ernest East, stuck a microphone in her hand and pushed the record button on his old black-and-chrome Slimline tape recorder.

What followed was about 90 seconds of something like “I kick ya’ ath! I kick ya’ ath,” remembers Jones of those very early demo days. “When I was about 10, I heard ‘Five Minutes of Funk’ by Whodini. I would never be the same again.

In high school I got a job at a record store and bought Eric B & Rakim‘s ‘Follow the Leader.’ It was all over.” During high school, up in Humboldt County, Jones started her first band, called Slim Liquor. The sound was a mix of funk, hip-hop, spoken word and good old rock ‘n’ roll. But the rapper in Jones could not be held back for long, as she would invariably steal the show with freestyle rhyme sessions as the leader of her second band, the Sum of Forces. After a couple of years of gigging around town by night (and driving a cab by day), Jones decided to focus on her solo career. With the help of her producer, Deedot, Jones has refined her solo voice. “It’s been on from the dawn,” she says.

Source: SF Gate

Check out Melina’s latest releases HERE—> http://melinajonesmusic.com/

Below is a video where Melina breaks down who she is..

http://vimeo.com/50374689

Melina Jones O-N-L-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqySHYU3MjE

Melina Jones Family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMGcTklQUB4

Do DAT & Melina Jones The Bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J_eJXH0GW4

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Do DAT, Melina Jones

3 Dope Songs From Exceela -Pure Russian Excellence

January 5, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Exceela, formerly known as Anna Exceela hails from Vladivostok, Russia. Her name means Excellent in Russian although started out using the name Exxy. It was under this name that she actively recorded tracks, took part in battles, mixtapes and compilations, as well as performing at various events. Subsequently a nasty experience with a man, acting manager of the performer, spelling the name Exxy was registered as a trademark, and after all the working relationship with the representative she was forced to give up her name.. That hasn’t stopped her as she now uses the name Exceela

Anna was born in Vladivostok, March 22, 1987. Her love for hip-hop first appeared back in 1998 thanks to a local radio program about hip-hop, which is constantly fueled interest in the culture.

She attended 4 secondary schools, graduating with a good certificate. She later entered the Faculty of Journalism at Palo where she penned a thesis on Hip Hop called Hip-Hop is the Place to Be’. That later appeared on the website portal www. rapvladivostok.ru which chronicles Far East Hip Hop.

In October 2009, she released her first official release called- mixtape “Dirty Sexy” (Hosted by Drago. Mixed by DJ ICE!) . In October 2010, Spock TV & Mixoid Moscow shoot video for the track One Life” feat. Skaya .

Anna Exceela – On line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWJtPl2Zid0

Anna Exceela & MarQ Markuz – Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn-5vMeGL5E

Anna Exceela feat. Skaya – Одна жизнь

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiZzuI2gpCA

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: Anna Exceela, Exceela, Russian Hip Hop

3 Dope Songs from Mala Rodriguez…First Lady of Spain

January 4, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Maria Rodríguez was born in Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz on February 13, 1979.She grew up in Seville and became involved with the city’s thriving hip-hop scene as a teenager. The daughter of a hairdresser, she describes herself as being from a middle-class family, saying, “My mother and I are both young, and all I know is that my family experienced hunger back then, and that sticks with you. I didn’t grow up with luxury, but I never missed a meal either.” At age seventeen, she performed onstage for the first time, and adopted the stage name La Mala.

She rose to prominence in the late ’90s alongside fellow Sevillian hip-hop acts such as La Gota Que Colma, SFDK, and La Alta Escuela. After she adopted the stage name La Mala, she appeared on La Gota Que Colma’s album Mordiendo el Micro on the songs “No Hay Rebaja“, and “Dando Guerra“.

She also appeared on SFDK’s Siempre Fuertes and La Alta Escuela’s En Pie de Vuelo on the song “Espectáculo en la Gancha”. She made her solo debut with A Jierro/Toma la Traca, a maxi-single released by Zona Bruta in 1999. The song was originally planned for release by Zeroporsiento, a Sevillian label for which she had recorded the tracks.

In 2000, she signed to Universal Music Spain, and released her full-length debut album, Lujo Ibérico. The album went gold and sold over 50,000 copies. Her second album, Alevosía, was also popular, featuring the single, “La Niña”. The song gained notability when its controversial music video was banned from Spanish TV because of its depiction of a young female drug dealer.

Her hip-hop songs are greatly influenced by flamenco music. Her songs often discuss issues such as poverty, racism, domestic violence, and female empowerment.

source: wikipedia

Mala Rodríguez – Volvere

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woUJT5qY3HQ

Mala Rodriguez – Jugadoras Jugadores

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b07ipRJYg34

Mala Rodríguez – Amor y Respeto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALr7BL2XIyQ

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Mala Rodriguez

3 Dope Songs from StaHHr a True Empress on the Mic

January 3, 2014 By mrDaveyd

One of the nicest emcees on the mic who folks need to know about is a sista named StaHHr who hails from Atlanta and can best be described as a ‘lyrical warrior’. Her 3 albums, Almost Neva Was, That Was You? and Mother Nature With A Molotov: Molotov Season are must have items..
‎

When talking with her, she makes it clear she represents Hip Hop and its essence to the fullest hence the spelling of her name.. The 2 ‘H’s stand for Hip Hop’. She’s also clear about the fact that her lyrical prowess and ability to execute killer freestyles is connected to her maintaining holistic spiritual, mental and physical health.

Below are 3 Dope Songs from this sista who not only nice on the mic, but dope on the crochet tip, but that’s a whole other story for another day..

Noire which is French for Black is one of my favorite songs by StaHHr. Its on this track that she shows and proves that she can take your lunch money both as a skilled lyricist and as an insightful, scholarly intellectual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4OsR0aDzzA

Another dope song in that same vein is Revolution which pays tribute to the late Troy Davis who many fought for when he was on death row. In this track StaHHr shows she quite capable of shutting you down and taking your money on the revolution/ freedom fighting tip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Eh45zc8eQ

Still Dope is produced by MF Doom and captures the essence of what Hip Hop should ideally be about..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qWUj_ZXNvU

Many people including StaHHr herself, consider this 2010 joint ‘Unbreakable’ to be a classic. StaHHr flow is impeccable and is paired with a mesmerizing beat that keeps your head nodding and your ears holding on the very word she spits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LctYWY9e1zE

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, female hip hop, female Rap, femcee, StahhR

3 Dope Songs to Kick off the New Year-Curtis Mayfield is Timeless

January 1, 2014 By mrDaveyd

Wanted to kick off the new year 2014 with some much-needed inspiration and nourishment for our minds.. What better way to do that then by highlighting 3 Dope Songs by one of the greatest song writers of our time Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions which featured Fred Cash and Sam Gooden. Many said the timeless music they did was a sound track for the Civil Rights and Freedom Movements.. 40 years later what they wrote is relevant today..

It’s interesting to note that Mayfield and company hail from the Windy City of Chicago where the message they were trying to impart was for Black folks to survive, move on up and have compassion for each other.. Contrast that with the corporate backed message coming from Chief Keef who also comes from Chicago where he says he wants his new mixtape to raise the murder rate.. One has gotta wonder especially when you keep in mind, that both artists were and are on and distributed by the same label ‘Universal Music’.

Moving forward, each day we wake up we should hum this tune ‘We’re a Winner‘ in our heads and have it become a part of our psyche and identity the same way that ‘hustlin’, ballin’ and ‘thuggin’ and have become ingrained…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLMRzDFMvEo

Also related to that song is Move on Up which for this generation is associated with Kanye West because of how he sampled it for his hit song..Touch the Sky… But the original is pretty potent and we need to ingest these lyrics in 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z66wVo7uNw

This next song ‘Choice of Colors‘ was done in 1969 came at a time when the country was going through great social and racial unrest. There had been hundreds of riots/ rebellions all over the country in the wake of Dr King being assassinated and the protests against the Vietnam War being intensified. . Cointel-Pro designed by J Edgar Hoover and the FBI to dismantle the freedom struggles was in full swing and many artists were beginning to push the envelope and make profound statements with their songs.. They ranged from James Brown anthem ‘Black and I’m Proud‘ to Curtis Mayfield with this gem addressing racism..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNV1Y01xNk8

Here’s a link to the historic 1969 Joey Bishop Show performance … http://www.eyeneer.com/video/r-b-soul/the-impressions/choice-of-colors

Perhaps the best known song by Mayfield and the Impression is this Civil Rights Anthem called ‘People Get Ready‘. It was done in 1965 and was the title track from their landmark album of the same name. Its been covered by over a hundred musicians and is considered one of the top records of all time to shape ‘Rock-n-Roll. Mayfield says the songs was inspired by his church upbringing.. I deliberately used the version that’s attached to the video of the Occupy Movement to demonstrate how pervasive the song has been and how something from the bowels of the Black community which gave a struggling people hope and inspiration has been used by so many others for the same purpose..Hopefully people listen to the words and apply them..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yYOWQj2Wdo

We’re gonna leave out with a bonus track that was done Live at the Bitter End in New York.. I want folks to pay close attention to the lyrics..’We People Who Are Darker Than Blue‘.. His message in this song is a good way for us to kick of the new year..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV6BzsgOLAw

Filed Under: 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, Curtis Mayfield, Fred Cash, Message music, Sam Gooden, The Impressions

3 Dope Songs from Madlines Making Noise from Seattle to the Bay Area

December 11, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Lot of folks have been talking about Seattle as of late and its burgeoning Hip Hop scene. Much of the buzz is due to the success of Macklemore who has had a stellar year.. But folks shouldn’t stop with one artists in exploring the Emerald City which has a rich history and filled with talented emcees.

One of the folks who is standing out is Madeleine Clifford aka Madlines one half of the group Canary Sing which has been on hiatus for a while. She is more than just an emcee, but an educator and activist. As a member of Canary Sing, she along with her best friend Hollis Wong Wear who has sung on a couple of songs with Macklemore, could be found all over Seattle at spoken word events, conducting workshops and hyping up rallies by spitting dope rhymes that gave extra life to the causes they were repping..

The group became fairly popular and released an EP called ‘The Beautiful Baby‘ Standout cuts included the big band sounding ‘Prove It‘, the boom bap inspired ‘Heroine’ and the sultry sounding ‘H206‘ which pays tribute to Seattle.

A couple of years ago Madlines moved from Seattle to Oakland to get her masters degree. In true form she started making the rounds and has become a fixture here in the Bay Area.. She made some noise last year with the release of a horn laden song called ‘I Need a Moment‘.

This year she put her shoulder to the grind to finish her first solo EP called ‘Love Child‘. Here Madlines pushes the envelope and expands her sound to include nice reggae sounding jams like ‘A Good Thing‘ and ‘Irie‘ which features Hollis. According to Madlines, the sound scape to the peroject reflects her West Indian roots..

The EP has a dope stand out track that reflects her more traditional flows called Blocka which features Madlines trading rhymes with Gigante of the group Brwn Bflo. The pair recently teamed up to do a heartfelt song about mass incarceration and the impact it has on families called Beyond the Bars

If you happen to be in the Bay Area at the end of the month December 21 2013, Madlines along with fellow Bay Area artists Aisha Fukishima, Coco Peila and Ana Roth will all be performing at the Legionnaire Salon located on 2272 telegraph Ave in Oakland

3 Dope Songs from Coco Peila; Taking the Bay Area to New Heights

December 8, 2013 By mrDaveyd

As we continue our 3 Dope Song series designed to turn folks on to underplayed and new artists, we turn our attention to Coco Peila who is a dope emcee/ singer who comes from Berkeley, California. She’s been putting in work for a minute, both as an activist , student and artist doing everything from winning Poetry slam championships (2005) to graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Recording Arts and a Master of Science Degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University in Orlando Florida, to performing on stages all over the world including in Guatemala and New Zealand.

She first caught a lot of people’s attention back in 2007 when her song Any Day was chosen by Youth Noise to be the face of a campaign they had launched to raise awareness about body image.

A couple of years ago Coco released her first mixed tape entitled “Can I Reminisce…Progress Not Perfection” .

She recently dropped a banger of a song called ‘Misses Shoot ’em Down‘ that deals with female empowerment and respect. It’s the first single from her debut album as she takes a firm seat at the table of dope emcees making moves from the Bay..

Misses Shoot ’em Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1SBdWreVs

“Any Day Now”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhZsA99tgi8

Coco Peila and Groove Major- Make It Hot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyCPDxiEXt0

Filed Under: 2013 Daily News, 2014 Daily News, 3 Dope songs Tagged With: 3 Dope Songs, activism, Coco Peila, Female emcees, female Rap

3 Dope Songs from Cocoa Bella-Harlem’s Renaissance Woman

December 8, 2013 By mrDaveyd

Cocoa Bella is a singer/song-writer, emcee, renowned fashionista and muse — hailing from New York City. Born and raised in Harlem, she carries the sensibility of a chic, sophisticated, not-to-be-messed-with city girl in her music. Her influences include : Foxy Brown, Grace Jones, Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Lauryn Hill, Kelis, Remy Ma, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliot and Gwen Stefani.

C-B is a self-proclaimed “triple threat” which has widely been proven via her photography, media and music skills. Owner of popular blog COOL CRUEL WORLD, and photography start-up company HAUTE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY, C-B holds her own in several different realms of the industry. C-B emulates the style, creativity and elegance. She was recently captured in VOGUE for her keen and unique sense of style during NY fashion week. Her infectious style is evident in her music and her style of dress!

Her journey with music started years ago when she had a chance meeting with the A+R at Star Trak. Though that didn’t work out when they dis-banded from Arista, Cocoa continued to work in the industry as a journalist penning stories for the likes of: EBONY MAGAZINE, DON DIVA MAGAZINE, J-RECORDS and more. She grew her brand as a blogger, photographer, NYC personality, and fashion-maven…. NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE WORLD TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW FACE OF A MODERN RENAISSANCE WOMAN!

source: http://www.reverbnation.com/cocoabella