Wick-It "The Brothers of Chico Dusty"

I guess Christmas time just brings out the mashers. After that ill lil Budos Band and Wu-Tang merger a character known as Wick-It has taken two albums from the top 10 lists and delivered something that might be better than the originals.

A year ago The Black Keys delivered a collaboration with many rappers called Blakroc. It seemed to go fairly unnoticed but some of the recording techniques they picked up in that process rubbed off as they entered the studio to make the next proper Black Keys album. Brothers was the result and it's an album all you hiphop heads should put on and escape for awhile too.

Big Boi not much can be said for. He is the smoothest spitter to ever emerge from the A. Most heads had seemingly written him off the books and resigned themselves to celebrating whatever few verses Andre deemed suitable to bless us with. Then the much discussed solo work from Mr. Patton Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty hit the world like a new Outkast album dropping. And that's pretty much what it is, Outkast minus Andre. It's dope. Sounds like everything the greatest duo ever has given us for damn near 2 decades. I know I'm alone in this thought.

Now enter Wick-It. This guy takes some awesome blues inflected rock that is dustier and grimier than any hiphop record to be released in the last decade (as long as the record is not called Marcberg) and flips the shit into some awesome beats that fit Big Boi like a glove. While the soulful drenched production of Chico Dusty is pretty beautiful and groove inducing, these beat incarnations hit harder and convey more southern authenticity than a a shutterbug.

I don't know how long this will last thanks to our archaic copyright laws, but Wick-It has the tunes on his soundcloud page here.

UPDATE: Thanks to Andrew who works with Wick-It I've discovered the bandcamp page for this project too! Listen below.

Groove Merchant Turns 20!

If vinyl and the bay area is mentioned in the same sentence you are probably gonna hear Amoeba not to shortly after. While I'm not gonna make a trip to SF without a stop there, a little shop known as Groove Merchant is where you will find the real gems while digging in the city.

I saw a pristine copy of Mecca & The Soul Brother in the stacks when I made my first visit. I proceeded to spend many hours, combing through racks, boring my girlfriend to death. I have never made it back to the shop, or the Bay for that matter but I think about the store often.

While GM became a destination spot for diggers over the last two decades, it's also seen two stellar labels be created out of it's confines: Luv N' Haight and Ubiquity. In celebration of the store, it's owner "Cool" Chris Veltri and Ubiquity are releasing a collection of tunes "from behind the counter." Purchase it here.

They've also created a Tumblr for the album where they have EVERY song up to stream along with some good information about each tune. The selections are as varied as you can imagine a seasoned collectors to be. It's good music all the way through. Here are a couple that grabbed me.

Rod Abernethy - Ron and Eddie Blues by Groove Merchant 20

September - Stump by Groove Merchant 20

Frankie Gee - Date with the Rain by Groove Merchant 20

Shouts to O-Dub for the heads up!

BUY #SEACAL RIGHT HURRRRR

Ok, so it's the 21st century. You buy things over the internet. Or, you don't live in the greater Seattle area and want to purchase yourself a copy of the latest State of the Artist x Members Only collaboration entitled SeattleCaliFragilisticExtraHellaDopeness.

Lucky for you, we just so happen to have a link ready for online orders. So click away kids!! Find mommy and daddy's credit cards and click, click click!

GO COP THAT #SEACAL

SOTA's debut album is now available for sale at all your local Seattle music retailers and will be available for online purchase this afternoon. Go get yours!

SOTA Listening Party...

for #seattlecalifragilisticextrahelladopeness.


There is free food/beer and good music. What the f*ck else do you want from us??

...don't answer that.

S.O.T.A. ft. Helladope - ExtraHellaDope

After several mixtapes demonstrating the varied styles Parker, Young TH & Hyphen8d possess as State of the Artist they are ready to deliver their proper debut album, SeattleCaliFragalisticExtraHellaDopeness. An album comprised of collaborations with a who's who of the Seattle Hip Hop scene and production from Cali trio the SKI TEAM among other talents in the Northwest.

The lead single is the quasi title track "ExtraHellaDope" featuring current town staples Helladope. Parker produced a track that travels into Tay Sean's synth and spacy realm. The song is already a crowd favorite in both groups sets and a video is set to be shot this month.

In the link below you will find a radio edit, album version, and an acappella for all your radio and streaming needs. Thank you for your support!

Download the new single here: http://drop.io/extrahellaedits

S.O.T.A. - Extrahelladope ft. Helladope x Jarv Dee [album version] by MembersOnly206