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uptownkid
okay - as we're fastly approaching the end of the world - tomorrow (Dec. 21)...(if you believe in the Mayan predictions)...

It could still happen, there's plenty of time left in the day!
If it doesn't I'll be pist off, I didn't go Christmas shopping because I figured it was pointless. Now I gotta deal with all the last minute punks in the stores DAMNIT!

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“Lesser artists borrow... great artists steal.” - Igor Stravinsky
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Alright, this is admittedly copy and pasted from an email correspondence that I had with one of my editors but whatever:


Lushlife - Plateau Vision (A little hometown bias here maybe but a really great album through and through, production is top-notch and I really like how much he's willing to experiment, not too many hip-hop albums with such prominent sleigh bell use in the lead track.)
DJ Format - Statement Of Intent (Purely off the strength of the breakbeats alone this would be one of my favorites, didn't get enough shine over in this country IMO but Format is a genius. He's incredibly dope at layering sample on top of sample on top of sample.)
Akua Naru - Live And Aflame Sessions (Great, great, in my book)
Roc Marciano - Reloaded
El-P - Cancer For Cure
Purpose & Confidence - The Purpose Of Confidence
Brother Ali - Mourning In American Dreaming In Color
The Roots - Undun
YU - The Earn
Ka - Grief Pedigree
El-P/Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
Oddisee - People Hear What They See
Action Bronson - Dr. Lecter LP (I know this wasn't 2012 but the vinyl dropped this year so it made my list haha)
Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred
Kendrick Lamar - good kid m.A.A.d. city
K-Def - a bunch of 7" singles (Redefinition Records)
Damu The Fudgemunk - a bunch of 7" singles (Redefinition Records)

There was also a bunch of new releases of old material that I was really happy with:
Finsta Bundy - The Unreleased Album EP
North Bronx Alliance & Aiello Wilson - The NY Kings EP
Jorun Bombay - Rock The Discotek Vol. 2 (old NYC hip-hop party cassettes from 1978-82 mixed together wonderfully)
Lord Fines se - Signature Sevens Series (Slice Of Spice records)
Lord Finesse - Funky Technician Instrumentals

^Solid list!

So be honest about that El-P Cure for Cancer, I have fallen off his latest few albums, is it really that good?
Better than his Co Flow years?

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“Lesser artists borrow... great artists steal.” - Igor Stravinsky
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Re: El-P: I really enjoyed it. Not sure its fair to compare to his Company Flow days as he's in a much different place and putting out much different music. Again, not much time since I'm with family right now so I just lifted this from a little blurb I wrote about the album:
"Cancer 4 Cure bangs and rattles all the way through. After quietly putting down the reigns to the Def Jux label a couple years ago, El-P has returned with another well-thought out sound bomb (released just days after his collaborative effort with Killer Mike dropped) brimming with a grim cynicism characteristic of the rapper/producer. Sonically the record is dense and if El’s lyrics make you lean in to decipher the words the synth sounds may make you jump back once or twice. And with a cleverly lifted sample of Camu Tao’s “When You’re Going Down,” El-P seems to sum up the album’s credo in the lead single’s refrain:
“You should pump this shit, like they do in the future.” Indeed."

Good words, I'll have to cop that now.
Merry Christmas V!

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“Lesser artists borrow... great artists steal.” - Igor Stravinsky
OP OP Blog CDC
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