Hired Gun is an NYC underground hip-hop artist who I run into at shows from time to time, and who has always impressed me with his flow, lyrics and songwriting ability. The Hired Gun is a track from his ‘08 album “The People’s Verses.” If you like this, you should check out his video for Dead City.

This week’s underground hip-hop track of the week is ScholarMan’s Hood Stories Vol. 4, from his new album “Free Spirit Of A Troubled Soul” – which I been bumping nonstop since finally getting around to listening to it last week. ScholarMan has included a Hood Stories track in each of his last four albums, and each contains relevant lyrics and interesting storytelling. Vol. 4 is about a Iraq war veteran with post traumatic stress syndrome. Click below to listen to Hood Stories Vol. 4:

And be sure to follow along with the lyrics after the break. (more…)

This is some live performance footage of B. Dolan’s Marvin, a track from his upcoming album “Fallen House, Sunken City” – which is dropping in March. If you like this, check out 50 Ways To Bleed Your Customer.

Leave You All Behind is the second preview from “Bohemian Rap CD,” an upcoming compilation mixtape featuring five of my favorite NYC underground emcees – Jake Lefco, IllSpokinn, Ryan-O’Neil, Kats and Domer, who produced the entire EP by sampling Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody to create 6 different tracks. If you like this, check out Little High / Little Low. Click below to listen to Leave You All Behind:

And click the following link to download the track for FREE: Download

Magic is the second release from Cymarshall Law’s new album “Creators Kid EP” – which I just got around to downloading last night after a week without a computer, and haven’t even had a chance to bump it yet. But if it’s anything like this track, the album’s got to be hot! If you like this, check out Cy’s video for Harder Than Thou. Click below to listen to Cymarshall Law’s Magic:

And click the following link to download the track for FREE: Download

This is a collaboration track between a bunch of cats from the New York, New Jersey areas, including Zeps & Stark The Dutch (aka The Write Brothers), MC K~Swift, Crosby & Johnny 3 Rounds. From “The Write Brothers” album, which you can download for FREE here.

Big ups to MAC Media for sending this over. Never heard of these cats, but I was instantly impressed when I started listening to this track. What They Want is a track from Basic Vocab’s upcoming album “A Better Way” – which is scheduled to drop in April. Click below to listen to Basic Vocab’s What They Want:

And click the following link to download the track for FREE: Download

  Rating:
  Review Date: February 1, 2010
  Website: Kats Website
  Label: Free Ice Cream

Kats “I Can Levitate” Album Review
I’ve really enjoyed following the progression of NYC’s Free Ice Cream crew over the past year. A local collective of underground emcees and beatmakers, Free Ice Cream throws Maker’s Mark sponsored barbeques in Williamsburg every weekend during the summer, featuring free food, free whiskey, and free CDs. They drop a new free album monthly, highlighted by the “Almost Fameless” series which feature a huge list of local rappers, producers and deejays. And they follow up most of the releases with concerts featuring a dope roster of artists and, yup, free whiskey. Kats’ “I Can Levitate” is the latest free album by the crew, and definitely worth checking out. (more…)

Vibrations is the third track from Bisco Smith’s “The Broadcast” that has been remixed and distributed around the Internet for FREE – and the one that strays the furthest from the original. Remixed by Scott Thorough with emphasis on warped sounds, pounding drums, and a descending synthesizer bass line, the Vibrations Remix provides a dope feel to Bisco’s lyrics. If you like this, check out the original Vibrations track. Click below to listen to Bisco Smith’s Vibrations Remix:

And right-click the following link to download the track for FREE: Download

Oh Canada is a track from Classified’s album “Self Explanatory.”