People often expect highly anticipated albums to disappoint, but Kendrick leaves no room for disappointment. Lamar made this album as an ode to his fellow ’80s babies, products of the Reagan era. In fact, one of the songs is called “Ronald Reagan Era.” On this RZA-assisted composition and other tracks, Lamar mentions problems that have […]
rap
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Killer, no filler
Don’t expect to find a rift form within Denver duo Axe Murder Boyz; no diss tracks or fierce hip-hop feuds are in sight. The blood goes too deep. Brothers James and Mike Garcia don’t even have struggles with sibling rivalry; success for one is success for both with this joint venture. “People think we are […]
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Ungrateful dead
[dead] P.o.e.t.s. have got beef, and it’s with more than just Justin Bieber or Ke$ha. “I guess we are fed up with what we hear on the radio and see on TV … where hip-hop came from and what it is today. We’ve got a lot of anger and disgust toward that. We’re hard-core and […]
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Hipper than now?
But that’s changing, as the metro’s diverse strands of hip-hop slowly unite into a community. “We’ve identified 600 acts statewide,” said local rap promoter Marcus Hayes. “There’s a good culture and community that is growing.” That group doesn’t just include black males, either; Hayes noted the growing prominence of female, Caucasian, Hispanic, American Indian and […]
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Astro boy
Astronautalis hails from what might be the last generation of indie hip-hop. The 29-year old Florida rapper came of age in the late ’90s as a bevy of underground artists emerged, seeking to redefine a mainstream style that’d become stuck in a locked groove of guns, drugdealing, bitches and boasting. Astronautalis, aka Andy Bothwell, honed […]
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Rappin’ cowboy rolls in to OKC
Whatever it is that Chris “Sandman” Sand does, it’s a dream. The self-described “rappin’ cowboy” was the subject of the documentary “Roll Out, Cowboy,” an official selection of last year’s deadCENTER Film Festival. Having toured with the likes of Michael Franti & Spearhead and Devendra Banhart, Sand now comes to Oklahoma City for a 7 […]
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Jabee – Lucky Me
Jabee’s “Lucky Me” mixtape is remarkably fun to listen to, as the easy flow of his lyrics meshes with the melodic beats that float the rhymes. Those pieces result in a great set of tunes that will kill 34 of your minutes before you realize what happened. Although the album is a pretty chill affair, […]