So how about that Peter Gene Hernandez? He is really destroying the charts right now, huh? You have a weird look on your face. Maybe this will help. Peter Gene Hernandez = Bruno Mars. That simple mathematical principle proves that this Hawaiian born soulful cat is here to stay. Bruno Mars combines old school soul swagger with contemporary pop appeal. It has been scientifically proven that his voice is causing global warming; on account of it being so hot. Scientifically = some random lady I sat behind on the train who was gushing to her crew about Mars’ mad musical skills.
Peter Gene Hernandez = Bruno Mars
We here at FreshScouts have had Bruno Mars in our ears ever since we featured him in our Weekly Jukebox back in January. This cat is smashing up the charts right now with the ultimate love song, “Just the Way You Are”. But let’s not forget about his smooth collabo with Travie McCoy on “Billionaire” and his memorable hook on B.o.B.’s “Nothin’ on You”. But wait, there’s more! Mars also co-wrote Flo Rida’s “Right Round” and K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag”. Yeah, let’s just say that Bruno Mars knows what he is doing and he is ready to destroy with his first full album that is scheduled to drop in October.
While we wait for the October release, we offer up a sweet little gem in the form of an EP. On It’s Better If You Don’t Understand (released in May 2010), Mars delivers 4 hot tracks that showcase what he can do. Mars has the formula down and knows exactly how to get his music to the masses. That formula can do a lot of damage if put in the wrong hands. Thankfully, he uses his power for good and we are the victors. If Mars can keep himself out of trouble, he will no doubt become one of the biggest artists of 2011.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Count on Me” and “The Other Side” (featuring Cee Lo Green & B.o.B.)
Check out his live acoustic version of “Count on Me”
Buy It’s Better If You Don’t Understand
It’s not often two incredible artists come together to create something really special. If you’re thinking, “But wait! Miley Cyrus and Justin Beiber collaborate on stage all the time!”, you have obviously been inhaling paint fumes for the past few hours and need some time to come down off your dumb statement high. It’s ok, we’ll wait.
Now if you’re looking for a REAL artist collaboration (I’m looking at you imaginary guy from the first paragraph), look no further than the brand new album release Wake Up! from John Legend & The Roots. It’s a full on mixture of funk, hip-hop, soul, reggae, R&B – pretty much every genre ever created ever. Of course you might be thinking that too much of a good thing could in fact be a bad thing. Ye of little faith. You like John Legend right? You like The Roots right?? Then it’s not even a question of IF you are going to enjoy this album, it’s WHEN.
The first single is titled “Wake Up Everybody” and includes appearances by Melanie Fiona and rapper Common. I know, it sounds to good to be true. But if there’s anything life has taught me, it’s that it usually is especially when you find out it’s a pyramid scheme. This case is different though.
Buy Wake Up!:
Maximum Balloon – “Tiger”
The video for “Tiger” reminds me a lot of a cake induced nightmare I had after one of my childhood birthday parties. Maximum Balloon is the brainchild of TV on the Radio’s Andrew Sitek. Sitek brings his creative indie flair to this track which also features Aku, the frontman for Dragons of Zynth. Meow, meow, and meow.
Buy the Single
KT Tunstall – “Fade Like A Shadow”
We have enjoyed KT’s music ever since her debut with Eye to the Telescope. This Scottish firecracker always brings the goodness. “Fade Like A Shadow” is the lead single off of her upcoming release, Tiger Suit. KT Tunstall’s career is certainly showing no signs of fading…like a shadow.
Buy the Single
Dirty Heads – “Lay Me Down”
Hold on to the last remaining days of summer with the music of Dirty Heads. These dudes are the embodiment of Southern California reggae rock. “Lay Me Down” definitely has a Sublime feel to it. Oh, that maybe due to the fact that Rome Ramirez of Sublime with Rome appears on the track. Chill yourself out with this summertime hit.
Buy the Single
If you hear the term “white rapper” and you immediately think of Vanilla Ice, well… 1990 called and wants its Hammer pants back. Over the past two decades, dudes with trace amounts of skin pigment have been holding their own on the mic. Everlast, Atmosphere, MC Serch, The Beastie Boys, and Eminem are just a few of the more commercial examples. Robert Matthew Van Winkle would be one of the less popular, yet memorable examples. All of those dudes have helped paved the way for cats like Outasight, aka Richard Andrew.
Outasight aka Richard Andrew
Outasight hails from Yonkers, New York and as a teen he was heavily influenced by A Tribe Called Quest, Talib Kweli and Stevie Wonder. Since 2007, he has been pounding the pavement honing his craft and pushing to get his music heard. A heavy circuit of club, cafe and festival appearances has provided Outasight the opportunity to prove his musical prowess. He has also mastered the fine art of releasing mix tapes. To date, he has five solid tapes under his belt. In 2008, it was an appearance on mtvU that brought him to the attention of executives over at Warner Bros.
Studio backing helped Outasight bring his first studio EP, Further, to the masses. The six track EP has created some solid buzz all leading to his upcoming full album release. Outasight delivers smart rhymes with a lyrical flow that doesn’t sell the listener short. He simply speaks to what he knows and demonstrates that he is an artist with a clear vision. Simply put, he is an innovator that is raising the bar in a genre that has become saturated with sound-a-like hacks. Treat yourself to something different and be a part of a music career that will certainly make waves. Scroll on down to the bottom of this post to find out how you can get your hands on his latest mix tape for FREE!
KC’s Personal Picks: “Catch Me If You Can”, “Stranger Than Fiction” and “Brand New Day”
Check out “Catch Me If You Can”
Buy the album
Want his latest mix tape Never Say Never for FREE? Get your copy here!
Joell Ortiz has had a lot of bad breaks. It seems like every major record label he’s tried to latch on with has made promises they couldn’t keep. That, of course, led to nasty splits and several trips back to square one that have kept Ortiz from releasing a solo major label despite being one of the nastiest lyricists in the industry.
It’s a G.D. shame.
After gaining a ton of momentum in 2009 with super-group Slaughterhouse, also featuring Crooked I, Joe Budden, and Royce Da 5’9”, Ortiz recorded an album called, fittingly, “Free Agent,” which was supposed to be released all the way back in June. In the midst of trying to leave E1 for Eminem’s Shady Records, the release got held up, and now it’s just sort of hanging out there in development hell, while huge fans like myself wait impatiently to finally hear it.
In the meantime, the best you can do is get a hold of mixtapes where Ortiz is prominently featured. That’s where I’ve bumped into a few of my favorite lyrical gems of the last couple months, including his “Lemonade” freestyle and 50 bars over J. Cole’s “Who Dat.”
Throughout these and every other Ortiz track I’ve ever heard, I laugh. I laugh because the metaphors and analogies and wordplay he employs are so witty that I’m not sure what else to do. Also, I laugh because, ya know, some of them are actually very funny. The guy cares about the words that are spilling forth from his mouth, which is exactly what real hip-hop heads should be looking for. Well, hip-hop heads, here they are. Indulge yourselves.
In the end, Ortiz didn’t end up with E1 or Shady; last month he signed on with SRC/Universal Motown, and shortly afterwards it was made known that “Free Agent” would hit streets before ’10 was over. I say thank God to that, and I’m sure Ortiz is saying it too, but louder.
Here’s the “Lemonade” freestyle, which rocks:
And Joell’s version of “Who Dat,” which I might even prefer over J. Cole’s:
