Sean Price - Mic Tyson

The props given to Sean Price are major at JS-NYC. Currently everywhere and on most tracks, the brokest rapper you know is finally back with the long-rumored Mic Tyson. There have been the aforementioned raft of guest verses and a run with Random Axe, but finally Brooklyn (soon to be Greensboro!) 's best is back with a full fifteen shot clip of straight bangers.

P and Duck Down have prefaced this release with some amazing videos featuring Sean P as Bob Ross and interviewing Pharoah Monch as Nardwuar. Both are absolute must-sees and assert that while your man P will whip that ass, he's not without a sense of humor.

Mic Tyson has a gang of producers, with The Alchemist weighing in with the most tracks, oddly enough. 9th Wonder and Evidence have a couple tracks and Buckshot, Rustee Juxx and Torae post up work from in front of the mic. Tracks are bodied regardless of who helps, with Price & Shining Armor taking top honors. Shit is, in fact, real, so take a second and turn off that Chief Queef crap (my god, is that ear-rapingly terrible!) and dedicate some time to a real hip-hop hero.

Get Mic Tyson here from your friends at Duck Down.

R

Statik Selektah - Population Control

After 25 years of hip-hop fandom, I can safely say that the current scene is pretty terrible. Sure, there are some young, promising cats like Ortiz and your boy Weezy, but by and large things are shitty with a capital E. The interwebs have fostered a worldwide presence that has helped those that are old-school and metal as prodigiously as those down with the hip-hop, but at least on a local level it's not a great time if your jeans fit and you're not into rocking zircons and a face tat.

Statik Selektah has been holding it down for at least a decade, repping for the caucasian hip-hop set out of Boston. He's dropped a handful of projects like Population Control since 2008 as well as collabos with the likes of Bumpy Knuckles and Saigon, to name but a few, but arguably his biggest presence is his Shade 45 show on Sirius. I bet he DJs out a fair bit, as well. Selektah gets props, and Population Control features enough of the likes of Sean Price and Styles P to keep me mildly interested, but by and large is a lot of new school crap-ola that is definitely backpacker only from where I'm listening. Not full-on Odd Future Asbergers Rap, but definitely Adderall familiar. If that's your thing, peep it here at the double S web presence. I think I'ma stick with the Blastmaster on this one.

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Pete Rock and Smif n' Wessun - Monumental

Anticipation was higher than a Duck Down tour bus when word came down through the interwebs that Pete Rock was pairing with the newly re-dubbed Smif and Wessun for an entire record. Mysterious machinations had allowed the Brownsville duo to return under their original moniker and most hoped this meant a return to heights of their classic early 90s material. Most will be pleased, I'd say.

A gang of guests spice up the proceedings on Monumental. The Duck Down OGC crew reps hard, with Buckshot, Sean P and Rock as well as new signing Black Rob making appearances, with Raekwon and Bun B and a mob of other hard rhymers. I wouldn't go so far as to call the record monumental, but Monumental definitely evokes a great time in hip hop that this crew can hopefully bring back into vogue.

Get Monumental here from Duck Down.

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Random Axe

In this post-Wu epoch, rappers have to make the most of their situation. Unless you are Jay-Z, it's pretty tough to be a solo artist and keep the lights on, so diversifying is the way of the walk. As such, Random Axe is a new project featuring Mr. Sean Price, Guilty Simpson and Black Milk. Black Milk handles the Pro-Tools duties.

Evidently the impetus for this was Sean P guesting on a track Milk produced from Guilty's last record that was pretty bananas and the crew decided to make a record. Of course that was like three years ago now, but it's no less of a good idea in 2011, and definitely another reason why Duck Down might be the best hip-hop label out there today.

Random Axe doesn't sport too much in the way of guest spots, save for Roc Marciano on the first single Chewbacca and Trick Trick and Rock from Heltah Skeltah on another track. A couple other newcomers get some shine as well, but it's mostly the three RA proprietors steady wrecking mics for the duration. Probably not the best choice for the backpacker set, but then again do we really need to humor the likes of MC Jansport and his ilk? I'd say no.

Get Random Axe here from Duck Down.

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Free PF Cuttin Guru Tribute mix at Unkut

Before we start, let me reiterate from the jump: Unkut is the best hip-hop site on the web. Today it's because there is a bananas episode of East NY Radio featuring your boy PF Cuttin for free there. Here. It's a tribute (of sorts) to Guru called Rest In Power and while it makes little sense as a title, the 32 tracks are all fucking killer. If you come away with anything from the download, it will be that Sean Price is one of the best MCs ever. P proves this point over the three tracks he appears on, straight bodying all comers with his verses. As contemporaries go, only Joell Ortiz can even hold a candle to his skills (and spare me your Ruck carping, I know the history). The Diaz Bros Guru tribute track is probably the best tribute track, but the contributions from Redman, Colon Spitz, St. Laz and Special Ed (with Chubb Rock) are pretty banging their own selves.

Did I mention that it's free? Cop that shit. Rest In Peace, Guru and let us not forget Fuck Solar.

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Marco Polo and Ruste Juxx - The Exxecution

I've been a Duck Down guy since Black Moon jumped off. The house that Dru Ha and Buck built went through a bit of a fallow phase in the aftermath of their ill-fated union with Nervous, but have rallied hard since the turn of the century. Black Moon are in some semblance of an active period, as are Smif N' Wessum and Heltah Skeltah and new jacks like Kidz In The Hall and Torae have shown the new generation of Duck Down can hold their own. The standout of the crew in recent years has been Sean Price, who has essentially started over as an artist using his government.

P has championed Crown Heights' own Ruste Juxx in recent years, co-signing his debut release Indestructible and appearing often on the road with the gent. Your boy Vic Flair is back with a new one cosigned by Marco Polo and know that it is no less a banger. Canadian ex-pat Polo got major props for his Port and NewPort Authority releases, and he won't lose any fans with The Exxecution, especially with Juxx on the mike. Polo has a slick Primo vibe about his tracks and Juxx is just plain nasty, cutting most of today's rappers off within his first four bars. He's not fucking around with the collabos, either. Sean Price and fellow x-ophile Freddie Foxxx weigh in with typically solid verses. There is also the small matter of the Black Moon collabo. Oh, yes. You read correctly. That should be enough of a cosign to seal the deal for you lot, but if you have to investigate further, use this link to go on over to Duck Down. Tell them JS-NYC sent you.

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And Still You Question!!?!

Sean Price and Duck Down are the fucking best.

Peep it

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Tony Touch - Best of '09 Live from Shade 45

Mr. 50 MCs himself has got a new comp out that has 27 of the best freestyles from Toca's Shade 45 Radio show. Listening to it, you might actually think there is a future for hip hop. Toca drops old school freestyles along most of the artists, and for the record we are talking off-the-head freestyles, not their best writtens. He's hardly Big Daddy Kane, but he's a fair shade better than 95% of the crap that passes for today's hip-hop.

Of the 27, you'll be shocked to find that JS-NYC is coming out in favor of the Sean Price track. In other not so shocking nods, know that Joell Ortiz continues to decimate every other MC in the game. His track is fucking bananas and sadly for shitty rappers he twists the knife and appears a second time as part of Slaughterhouse. Don't think this a young man's game either, as old school players like AG and Steele also represent. Listen to this and ask yourself why these freestyles are better than anything that topped the hip-hop charts last year.

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Sean Price presents Kimbo Price: The Prelude To Mic Tyson

Read the title. Kimbo Price? Come on, you can't front: admit the title is pretty brilliant, especially as a mixtape precursor to a full-length entitled Mic Tyson. I guess that you might be all souped up on the new Jay-Z or Rick Ross records to the point that you might doubt this record's awesomeness, but anyone with even a passing ownership of a set of ears would be an idiot to deny how good this. Interspersed with sound clips from the aforementioned pugilists, Sean gets ridiculous on 23 tracks, mostly for delf but sometimes with the help of old comrades like Ruck, Buckshot and Rusty Juxx but also with newcomers like Flood Diesel, Skyzoo and Torae. If you like hip-hop, you should be picking Kimbo Price up immediately from Duck Down. Here's a link.

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The Price Is Right

So your man Sean P has got a new mixtape dropping. It's called Kimbo Price and is the precursor to the new full-length (on Duck Down, of course) called Mic Tyson. While Sean comes hard body with it, he still keeps it real on the family and shopping tip. See it firsthand via The Price Is Right, video that may very well be the best thing on the interwebs. Here's a link. Thanks to the mighty Unkut for hipping me to this and big up Dallas Penn for digitizing. Look for a review of Kimbo Price tomorrow.

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Sean Price presents Ruste Juxx: Indestructible

Sean Price is one of the only rappers out today that I really enjoy. He is, of course, from the formidable Boot Camp Clik and half of Heltah Skeltah. He represents Brownsville, but has an A&R ear that stretches as far as Crown Heights, where his young protege Ruste Juxx hails from.

Sean can pick them. Ruste is fierce, spitting fire all over the fifteen tracks that are Sean Price presents Ruste Juxx: Indestructible. Juxx tells tales of street life and seems quick to drop the hammer if need be, but shows a softer side through a couple of homages to his sister, who passed prematurely and rapped under the name Blaze. I prefer the harder street shit like system on blast, but the tracks like Blaze My Fire and Love Is Worth Waiting For are strong candidates for the T.R.O.Y and I Need Love of this century.

Pick up Sean Price presents Ruste Juxx: Indestructible here and keep track of your man Vic Flair here. Buy all other things Boot Camp here.

In Sean Price news, look out for the mixtape Kimbo Price coming soon. It's evidently the prequel to the new Mic Tyson full-length we've been hearing about for a bit. Looks like it's going to be a Boot Camp Summer. Until then, check out their pretty amazing public access show Boot Camp TV. The show's web presence is here.

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DJ Babu - Duck Season Volume 3

It's been out a bit, but Volume 3 of the ever-banging Babu Duck Season comp series is here and terrorizing earholes everywhere. Dilated always bring it, but it's nice to see the DJ community's Filipino Elvis get a little shine his own self. The beats are hot, as you might suspect, and the Primo-esque scratching will always get the JS-NYC hype, but it's the world-class guest shots that we're hunting for come Duck Season.

Once again, Babu fails to disappoint. If you want to start with my go-to's, I will tell you that the Sean Price track (a collabo with someone named Doom) is fucking hot, as are the Guilty Simpson and M.O.P. tracks. Old schoolers like Percee P and AG make appearances and there's even a Little Brother track that I kinda dig. Whouda thought! My East Coast bias aside, there are a gang (ha!) of West Coast heavy hitters here, too. Evidence and Rakaa Iri represent for the home team and Cali Agents and Bishop Lamont kinda bring it, too. 

It wouldn't be Duck Season without the odd Bugs Bunny sample, but they pass quickly, usually in the wake of some break ya neck head-nodding track, but the scratching and rhyming more than make up for any passing irritation this cranky bastard might find.  Pretty much every one of the 18 tracks here get props, save for the kid rapper track that closes the proceedings. Volume 3 is another must-have from Babu for the hip-hop head in your life. I'll help you out: Buy Duck Season: Volume 3 here. Keep track of the Dilated Junkie himself here.

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Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T

On the heels of what was undoubtably Sean Price's phoenix year comes the return of his partnership with Rock and his original franchise: Heltah Skeltah. I really can't believe how little I liked Sean Price, or in this environment Ruck, on the past HS recordings. Maybe it was the dreads, or the fact that he was skinny, but even after busting out Magnum Force ten years on from its debut I still can't see the appeal. Give me any of the Sean P material any day, please.

Time has prompted both parties to shed their locks, but not their Boot Camp or Decept affiliations. Both are shouted out at some length all over D.I.R.T (Da Incredible Rap Team) . As if they needed to. Both Rock and Ruck have a flow that is Boot Camp to the core. The rhymes come fast and furious and from the intro you'll realize that you would not do well to relegate this dynamic duo to old school status.

Or do. It's your ass that will catch the beatdown and not me. I will say that the old-school Pen and Pixel cover might be a bit of a misstep, as are the costumes, but the rhymes more than speak for themselves. Their partners in grime from Smif and Wessum and Black Moon make their obligatory appearances, as does the Prince Of Crown Heights, Rusty Juxx. It's all better than your favorite record, so reallocate a $20 from your weed budget and pick up D.I.R.T here. Support independent hip-hop. Duck Down has been around forever and have essentially same roster. Name another roster that's stayed that consistent. I thought so. Buy the record and check out Boot Camp TV on public access.

R