unreleased

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I was just listening to his first mixtape called The Come Up and this was recorded back in ’07 around the same time as when it dropped. Yep, you could even tell back then that he was going to be good even though he clearly has progressed since this time. J. Cole also tore down SOBs a couple nights ago by many accounts I heard and I have to say I’m sorry I missed that performance. Being able to rock the stage is a department where many artists are lacking and a truly great hip-hop performance is rare and it sounded like it was one of those “right place, right time” kind of moments where everything came together at once. I’ll have to hit his next show up when he is back in NYC although even though I know it will be hard to recreate the same atmosphere. Go back and listen to The Come Up and The Warm Up again to reacquaint yourself with his skills.

Download: J. Cole – “Sky Boy” (Unreleased)

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An unfinished version of this song leaked before with a different name but this is the CDQ of it. The song is unreleased and sounds like it was meant for the Purple Tape but for some reason or another it was left off. The beat is produced by Mondee and it comes from a different angle with the melancholy horn loops out and Rae does his thing on it. Wu-Massacre is dropping in a couple weeks too so this can help get all you Wu heads ready for the release. I’m not sure I have ever seen a record come out so fast after it’s announcement but it is a welcome change to the standard of pushing albums back.

Download: Raekwon – “Flawless Crown” (Unreleased)

EDIT: I just saw this is on Felipe’s weekend sweep below but I have decided to leave the individual post up. Grab it from either one.

Cudder hits us with what I am hearing is an unreleased track from ’08. The song sounds pretty polished except for the chorus which doesn’t sound completely finished from a mixing and mastering standpoint. Dot Da Genius is on the production and it has a dreamy sound with the flute and lightly strummed guitar although he leaves behind the synths that helped create the overall sound of his album. I guess this is what we will have to resort to as fans until the leaks from Cudder hits the net.

Download: Kid Cudi – “Know Why” (Unreleased)

And by the way did you know Kid Cudi’s net worth?

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“Next Time” is supposedly a song that got left off of Common’s album Finding Forever and it’s always dope to get  new song from him. Common’s albums are some of my absolute favorite to just put on and chill out to and he is established enough that we rarely get a new leak from him. The song would’ve fit in well with the album but Common likes to keep his albums short and full of quality so I’m hoping there are more where this came from. It’s been a couple years since then too, can we please get another Common album in 2010?

Download: Common – “Next Time” (Unreleased)

I don’t give full on endorsements to many sites out there but what Ivan over at HHIR is doing for Chanukah is crazy. He is releasing tons of past material of some of underground hip-hop icons, but understand I mean more than you’re probably thinking. So far he has chronicled Big L and has had 3 nights of Gangstarr downloads. Some of the downloads are promo singles, some are bootleg mixtapes and all are dope to hear if you are fans of these two acts. I am hoping he does this for more artists than those two but so far it has been dope to catch up on some of the music that I haven’t heard from them. Click the link below to check it out and all the music nerds will be as overwhelmed as I was when I first saw it.

Link: Candles & Crates on Hip Hop Is Read

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Check out this unreleased Black Thought song and understand why he possibly could be the most underrated spitter in the game. People frequently forget just how good he is because the Roots as a group are so talented but Black Thought has some great rhyme schemes with some serious content too. I have no idea what project this is/was slated  for but I would be interested in a Black Thought solo project. Aight, I’m out until Monday but maybe Felipe will drop a couple gems on you throughout the weekend. PEACE!

Download: Black Thought – “The Professional”

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This song was supposed to be on his album Attention: Deficit but was scrapped at the last minute. Wale is writing Obama a letter with his first verse, to Tupac with the second verse  and all the while John Mayer sings the chorus. Mark Ronson is also one of my favorite producers across genres and he easily incorporates Mayer’s great guitar playing with a piano loop. I like the concept of this song and am wondering why it got cut from the album? I have to assume it is some red tape at the labels but you never know, hopefully it means he had a tough decision to make with all the good songs he has to choose from.

Download: Wale ft. John Mayer – “The Letter”