Tag Archives: soul

RAASHAN AHMAD – FOR WHAT YOU'VE LOST (HipHop/Soul/Jazz – US)

21/07/2011 admin 2 Comments

Bay Area rapper Raashan Ahmad dropped his last album, For What You’ve Lost, at the end of last year but it was largely overlooked by mainstream media, ‎ which is a real shame considering that this kind jazzy hip-hop album is pretty hard to come by. Rasshan’s flow is as smooth and effortless as ever and there are some solid tracks here, as evidenced by the second single taken from the album “Pain On Black”.

Raashan Ahmad - Pain On Black

Originally from Pasadena, Raashan Ahmad has been on the grind since his first release as one of the lead M.C.s in the Boston formed group Mission, who released a self titled album in 1999. He’s also the front man for San Francisco live hip-hop group Crown City Rockers who have released two albums so far: Earthtones in 2004 and The Day After Forever in 2009.

In 2008 Ahmad made his solo debut with The Push, thirteen tracks of soulful hip hop featuring production from DJ Vadim, Headnodic (of Crown City Rockers/Mighty Underdogs), Stro the 89th Key (of The Procussions), Descry and more. With his reputation growing, Raashan then released his first solo album The Push which solidified his place as one the most innovative and versatile MC’s to look out for.

Raashan Ahmad - If I

Now Raashan last album might be his best material to date. For What You’ve Lost is a heavily collaborative musical journey sure to give his fans what they’ve been waiting for. This album is rooted in classic hip hop tradition as well as jazz, soul and funk while continuing to push musical boundaries. Guest appearances ranging from new soul heroes like Aloe Blacc and Noelle Scaggs to hip hop veterans like Gift of Gab and Count Bass D make this album diverse and colourful. This new album truly shows Raashan’s evolution and growth.

For more info, check out Raashan Ahmad’s official site, blog or MySpace. Buy his music on

mp3

RAPHAEL SAADIQ – STONE ROLLIN’ (Soul/RnB – US)

12/05/2011 admin Leave a comment

American soul genius Raphael Saadiq just released his new album, Stone Rollin’, offering his fans a new incursion into classic soul music. A veteran of the music industry, Saadiq, has been making music for about 20 years now, moving through different styles and taking part in different bands. But through these changes the singer found that raw, gritty R&B from the 50s and 60s was what he kept coming back to.

On his latest retro-soul excursion, he plays the bass, the Mellotron, the keyboards, guitars, percussion and drums. With 1965 as his median, he flips the calendar slightly forward and slightly back, nodding to long-time idols and peers such as Chuck Berry, Curtis Mayfield, Sly Stone, Little Walter or the Rolling Stones. It’s more rock n’ roll than the last record, but still firmly rooted in early Motown sound.

Raphael Saadiq - Good Man (Theory Edit)

Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

“Stone Rollin’ means ‘Shooting the Dice.’ That’s how I felt when I made this record,” Saadiq says. “Lots of things are happening in the music industry nowadays with all these trends and fast living music careers. I tried to put the music as an essential component to the foreground. It feels pretty much like gambling to me since I really don’t try to sell a product which is created by market demands, but my personal art.”

With guest appearances by the Swedish-Japanese singer Yukimi Nagano of Little Dragon and Larry Dunn of Earth, Wind & Fire, Stone Rollin’ is Raphael Saadiq’s most concise record to date and yet it feels like his most complete work. In little over 37 minutes, it takes you through a full cycle of moods and grooves and, by the end you get to the end, you just want to start all over again.

More info on Raphael Saadiq’s official site or MySpace. Buy his music on

House, mp3, Pop

ADELE – ROLLING IN THE DEEP (Soul/Pop – UK)

11/01/2011 admin 2 Comments

Exactly three years after the release of her acclaimed debut album 19, which rocketed right to the top of the UK’s album chart in January 2008, Adele is giving us a taste of her new album, scheduled for release on 24 January 2011 in the UK and 22 February in the US. The first single to be taken off 21 (yes, the title is again a reference to her age) is “Rolling In The Deep”, a bluesy gospel tune that’s already getting a lot of blog love. To build up some hype around the release, the track has been given the remix treatment by Jamie from The XX and Belgian electro-disco trio Villa.

Adele - Rolling In The Deep (Jamie XX Remix)

Adele recently announced the dates of her 2011 tour accross Europe. From March 21st to April 21st she will be taking her show to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Holland and the UK. Check out all the dates and get other updates on her official website or MySpace. Buy Adele’s music on

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Electro, Hip Hop, Pop

LADI6 – TIME IS NOT MUCH (Soul/HipHop – New Zealand)

25/05/2010 admin 6 Comments

Ladi6 is no newcomer! It’s already been a decade since her quiet beginnings with Christchurch all-girl crew Sheelahroc and in ten years she has managed to make a name for herself.

This New Zealand singer/MC has managed to build a sound of her own and to take her Pacific style to foreign shores, with performances in Australia and Europe. Her ability to blend jazz, reggae and soul with razor-sharp socially conscious lyrics has given her an enviable reputation as one of NZ’s leading live performers.

In 2008, she released her critically-acclaimed first solo album Time Is Not Much, co-produced by Parks, her friend and long-time musical partner. In the past couple of years, Ladi6 hasn’t resting on her laurels, with work already under way for her eagerly awaited sophomore album, with Parks again handling production. She has been touring extensively, including some gigs with one of our favourite New Zealand artists, Julien Dyne.

As a bonus, check out the song “Go Get It”, an outstanding collaboration between Ladi6 and Munich-based DJ Sepalot. Sepalot’s sound is self-defined as “Hip Hop with a sprinkle of electro or maybe electro with the soul of a hiphop DJ.” I think that says it all…

Sepalot Feat. Ladi6 – Go Get It

Sepalot Feat. Ladi6 – Go Get It (LAZRtag Remix)

For info and tour dates, go to MySpace. Buy the album on

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