Drums and Ammo Vol. 1 is a banger, and then they came out with the Extra Clip, and now visuals showing you how dope these cats are. Drums & Ammo are no joke. They are cranking out the projects. Keep your eyes and ears open for more Drums & Ammo. BIG shout to SWTBRDS, keep doing what you’re going.

If you really want to know how the West was won close your textbooks and put on your headphones! Drums & Ammo Vol. 1 is an instrumental album that takes you through a west coast gamut of monster beats. It has tracks from previously produced tracks to brand new head bangers. Quick background:  Drums & Ammo is a collective of SWTBRDS producer’s 6Fingers, Al Jieh, Ammbush, and REL. They’ve been producing tracks for up-and-comers and well-established artists. In addition to banging tracks they got my man DaVinci doing some drops on Drums & Ammo Vol. 1. You really have to give it up to these cats, coming in under the radar, their sound is so explosive. Don’t sleep on the Bay Area, they are a force that’s coming with Drums & Ammo. Download Drums & Ammo Vol. 1 on Band Camp and check out the latest info on Twitter. BIG thanks to the good folks at SWTBRDS for tweeting this one. Looking forward to Vol. 2!

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Drums & Ammo – U Funnystyle (Prod. 6Fingers)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Drums & Ammo – Blame Game (Prod. Al Jieh)

I started watching this video and was like  ”wow this is a dope track”. I watched it a second time and saw my man Al Jieh from SWTDRS Creative Collective playing almost every role in this video. On the third time I was trying to figure out how they got it to look like that. I didn’t know what a digital harinezumi was, but I do now. Check out DaVinci and let it take you around Fillmore in the Blame Game, and keep your ears open for Feast Or Famine (EP) & The MOEna Lisa (LP) to dropping soon.

I’m a sucka for videos.  I got an email from the great folks at Sweetbreads Creative Collective about DaVinci’s new video What You Finna Do.  I think shooting video or stills in black & white is tricky, but done right can come off very raw & artistic.  Shooting What You Finna Do in black & white really drives the story-telling lyrics from DaVinci home. Also check out DaVinci’s Hustler’s Theme below.  DaVinci’s new album, The Day The Turf Stood Still, will be available March 9, 2010.  Check Sweetbreads Creative Collective for more details.  BIG thanks Al for the heads up.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

DaVinci – Hustler’s Theme (Prod. By Blunt) Download

“To know your future you must know your past” – George Orwell

Wit that said, lets go back a lil ways and check out Mixed Practice. Growing up in SoCal I had my own underground hip hop heroes. From cats like Jason (from The UHH!!!) rappin in school at lunch to the Pharcyde (before makin it to the radio). I didn’t catch too much from the Bay except for Too Short, E-40, Souls of Mischief and others with that Bay Area sound. About ’96 groups like the Visionaries, The Loot Pack, Alkaholiks, and The Pharcyde starting makin head way, and I was all about that.

Fast forward to a few days ago. I was checkin the fam at SweetBreads and ran across this scan image of a tape cover that had hand written “MP Limited Edition” that caught my eye…Mixed Practice HomeGrown the EP, and dated 1995. I read the article and followed the links to CBRap and read some more. Mixed Practice was a group made up of Eclipse (the beat maker), and 2 emcees Prop and Flex. The group lasted about 3 years, but left behind a dope “EP” that people have been buyin and passin around for years (now very hard to find). The production and the lyrics are what you would hear today, but made in ’95 on a slim budget. I’m amazed that talent can get over looked like that…SLEPT ON! These are the true Hip Hop heroes that keep it movin. Read the article and get inspired. Make things happen, and learn from the past. Download Mixed Practice – HomeGrown the EP and know there are always cats cranking out good Hip Hop, so keep diggin. BIG thanks to SweetBreads and CBRap for diggin deep on this one and shining some light on it.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Mixed Practice – Time, Bass, & Space

StreetMedia is a banger. I took too long to write about them, and got overwhelmed with trying to get content out that I didn’t take the time to fully listen to them like I should have. These cats have smooth flows, and bangin production on the beats. SweetBreads (SWTBRDS) are coming out with a gang of artists and StreetMedia is the first round. If this is a taste of what’s to come, I can’t wait to hear what’s next. I was listening to StreetMedia on the train (giving it a real hard listen), and rocked it at my 9 to 5. StreeMedia is one of those albums you can put on anytime and enjoy it. If you’re in need of real hip hop, download StreetMedia (self titled album) at BandCamp. Check out what SWTBRDS is coming wit, and for more info on StreetMedia check them at MySpace. BIG  BIG thanks to Alex from SWTBRDS for settin me straight on this…you know what I mean man.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

StreetMedia – Push