Flying Lotus : Tea Leaf Dancers

Addictive beat production by California’s Flying Lotus combined with sultry soulful U.K. female vocalist Andreya Triana relents to a unique flavor of hip hop. It is heavy yet smooth; a space-age lounge-type track that is very easy to listen to on repeat. Though the Reset EP was released back in 2007, Tea Leaf Dancers remains a classic to ears of every aural-walk of life.

Listen to “Tea Leaf Dancers” Here

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Latyrx : Lady Don’t Tek No

Still a funky, soulful, ingeniously word-smithed aural pleasure after nine years since its release, this is a truly classic hip hop album. Blackalicious, Latyrx, and Dj Shadow came together on this one to showcase to those who didn’t already know of the artists’ individual talents what Quannum Projects had to offer one’s ears. Lady Don’t Tek No is sure to be a timeless favorite for females and males alike, relatable lyrics delivered over a contagious beat that makes heads bob like an automatic reflex. Latyrx is made up of rappers Lateef and Lyrics Born and the song was actually released earlier in 1997 as part of their EP called Muzapper’s Remixes. To be informed of Latyrx’ musical versatility, Balcony Beach is a more relaxed, easy listening track by the melodic duo worth giving a listen as well.

Listen to ‘Lady Don’t Tek No’ Here

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It seems like the Godfathers of rap are running out of hard-knock fodder for their gangsta rhyme schemes. Yeah, it’s kinda tough to rap about the streets when your kids have their own shows on MTV (Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood & Run DMC’s Daddy’s Girls).

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Arguably, rap music is rooted in the Blues. Hardship is an essential ingredient to the anthems of the genre.

If you’re hungry for new music, check out Rapper K-Naan originally from the slums of Mogadishu, Somalia. Read the full story