Warning: Most HIp Hop Inappropriate for Intelligent Individuals

Whether you are a fan of hip hop or not, any music lover can feel emotion from a great song. Unfortunately, a lot of mainstream hip hop is geared to shake booty's and make money.  On the other end of the spectrum, due to the advent of bedroom studios, everybody and their great auntie are now hip hop lyricists these days. Don't get me wrong, there are thousands of talented lyricists gracing the mic in the 21st century, but most need to take a second to appreciate the best.

That brings me to my latest post, where I would like to show my appreciation for a label that has been influential through the last 15 years of my life. Rhymesayers Entertainment is most likely the most popular of all the underground hip hop labels. If you are not familiar with Rhymesayers, you most likely are familiar with some of their artists. Atmosphere (Slug and Ant) and Brother Ali are a couple of the most popular acts on the label, but the label is home to a dozen of the most talented lyricists and beat writers in the hip hop realm. When most hip hop labels spawn, you would expect them to be from a more stereotypical ghetto-esq locale, where, surprisingly, Rhymesayers is based out of the midwest. More exactly Minneapolis, Minnesota. Some of the more recent music that they have released, that I most definitely suggest, if you haven't picked them up already would be Atmosphere, "Sad Clown Bad; Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter" albums and"When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold," Brother Ali's "Us," Eyedea & Abilities "By The Throat," and Felt 3: "A Tribute to Rosie Perez," which is Slug and Murs (from the Living Legends; don't worry, I'll discuss them more in a later post) and Aesop Rock. I also must mention, one of the newest additions to the Rhymesayers family, Grieves and Budo. Grieves was previously on Black Clover (also to be discussed in a later post), which is home to a former Rhymesayer's artist, Mac Lethal. Grieves' flow is smooth and his word play is just as imaginative as it is emotional. Budo is quickly becoming one of my favorite beat writers/producers. You can download a 5 song Grieves and Budo remix from the Felt 3 album for free at www.grievesandbudo.com

Give Me 10 Minutes, and I'll Tell You The Best Damn Music You Should Be Listening To

We are so blessed to be living in a time where technology has taken over, especially for us music lovers. Technology has given every musician the opportunity to express themselves to the masses through bedroom recording studios and their computers. The Internet is rapidly destroying the larger record labels right along with many of their independent counterparts. Our generation has witnessed the evolution of music; Evolving from Vinyl, to 8 Track, to Cassette Tape, to Compact Disc, all the way to the present Digital Age. Unfortunately, mainstream radio, FM and Satellite, are still monopolized and offer listeners very limited options when it comes to the music they want to spoon feed us. I'm asked, daily, by friends, colleagues and networking friends, "Who are you listening to, or who is this, or any suggestions on new music?" Well look no further. As a musician, producer and music aficionado, subscribe to Music For Life to give you the incite into the best music acts and independent labels out there. Take away guess work and be the first to introduce new music into your life. I'll report on the best independent, underground and sometimes overlooked mainstream music. Hardcore, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Folk, Metal and everything in between. If you love music... subscribe.