Erik Flowchild - "Over Here" Video

Erik Flowchild is an up-and-coming and made-to-be-famous emcee out of my hometown of Toronto. I've known about him for a little while and have been waiting on this video for a decent amount of time. He's currently working hard on his mixtape "The Delivery Boy" which, from what I know, is nearly done. This is his first single off the tape and it's incredibly dope. You'll be hearing a lot more about Flowchild on this blog as his mixtape draws closer, so keep yours eyes & ears open for him. The future!

Classified - "Up All Night" Video

Class drops a video for his newest single off his latest album "Self Explanatory". This was my favorite track off the album, so I'm glad I got a visual from the man himself. Sick song, sick video. If you haven't heard the song yet, take a look - I'm sure you'll love it! For all you other Class-heads, enjoy!

Barack Obama on Rolling Stones Cover

Rolling Stones put America's fearless leader onto their cover along with a full article about his life & career. Article is called "Obama So Far". Check it, really interesting story.

ARTICLE HERE

L.O.X. - "Move" (Prod. by J. Cardim)

Remember these guys? Well, they have a new track, surprisingly with their classic name. Anyone know why they changed it back from D-Block to L.O.X.? Regardless, really dope track and a must listen. I remember when I used to listen to these guys hardcore, now we don't get much from them. Glad I have something new to add to my collection of classic L.O.X.

DOWNLOAD/STREAM

Meet Biggie Jr. & Diddy Jr.

Took a little break from blogging yesterday 'cause I had a few things to get done. Not like yesterday was a big day, I just missed a few things so the next few posts is catch-up. So let's start with this video of Diddy introducing us to his son Christian, and Biggie's son CJ. Don't they look exactly like their fathers? Crazy ishh right there. Both are aspiring rappers; Christian is only writing right now, but CJ has a mixtape coming out soon. It'll be interesting to see what the son of a beastly lyricist has in him. But he's still young, so I have a feeling we'll have to wait for him to mature a lot more before we get his full potential. Now enough of me rambling, here's the video...

SLik d - "Summer Heat" (Feat. Jarell Perry) (Prod. by Nefarious!)

Really dope track by the dude SLik d for his upcoming free-tape "Summer Vibes" which comes out Aug. 14th - coincidentally his birthday. Beat is by Nefarious!, know:Jaunder's crew-mate from the Cosmic Souls Collective. Jarell Perry sings his ishh on the hook as well, really smooth. I'm feeling it! Check it out!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Two Crown King: A New Sound [WFSL Interview]

It's always nice to find a new group that you love to listen to. It's even that much better when they come to you! If you've been following WFSL (beatwizemusic.blogspot.com) for a while, you've heard this name come up a few times. Two Crown King is a two-man rapping & singing duo from London, Ontario, Canada. After going back and forth with emails for the past few weeks, me and the band got to speak to each other about their development, inspirations, and much more! They seem to be a down-to-Earth, fun-loving crew who love music and literally live for it. A great Q&A if I do say so myself. Check it out!

Beatwize: Hey guys, it's good to finally have you on the blog. To start off, tell our readers a little about yourselves.
Two Crown King: We met at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario while studying Music Industry Arts. Sean originally hails from the most radio active city in Canada. Dick is from Baden-Baden, Germany which, apparently in english means "heaven on earth". Ok, not really, but man it's a nice place.

Beatwize: Cool stuff. You guys seem to be working very hard on your debut. How's that going?
Two Crown King: The album is coming along well. We're working very closely with our producer Dan Weston. This is our first time working with him and we could not be happier. The record is being recorded guerilla style in our basement, completely independently. This gives us the freedom to create when the time is right without financial pressure or time constraints. The album is still untitled and we are actively accepting suggestions.

Beatwize: For sure, your sound is definitely something new, or at least very rare. How did this whole idea of rapper and soul-singer along with a rock-ish theme come about? Were there any other artists that gave you inspiration in the process?
Two Crown King: Sean started fronting bands at 13, playing in blues bars and other dives. Dick started writing songs in high school after his friends (who did way too many drugs) couldn't remember the good times they were having. This actually led to his love for storytelling. After meeting in college we ended up sharing stages together. Eventually, we made the decision to write together full time. Both of us pull from a wide range of influences such as; Brother Ali, Raphael Saadiq, the Band, Phish, Atmosphere, Rise Against, Amy Winehouse and Talking Heads. Our biggest influence on the album would have to be Dan Weston though. He has such a great focus when he creates. For him it has to be real, organic and drenched in soul.

Beatwize: It’s everyone’s dream to do what they love for a living. What made you want to pursue music professionally?
Sean: Ha! You think it was a choice? I've tried to leave this horrible mistress many times, but she won't let me.
Dick: It wasn't so much a choice as it was a last resort. After I realized the Redskins would never draft me, I immediately decided that I needed to learn another skill. Sean already knew how to sing and I'm not good looking enough to just stand there.

Beatwize: Being from Canada can sometimes be a hurdle to get into the industry. Why do you think it's so tough to get recognition, even in our own country?
Dick: I disagree. It's easier now, more than ever. New media outlets such as social networking sites and music blogs allow new acts to reach thousands of new listeners over night. The hurdle isn't necessarily being from Canada as much as it is being an independent group looking for major exposure.
Sean: Times have definitely changed. I remember spending hours back in the day cold calling labels, mailing out press kits and driving for hours to play some in some hole just for the opportunity to reach a few new ears. Thank god for modern conveniences.

Beatwize: I guess that’s true, Canadian hip-hop really has been booming lately. So, what fellow Canadian artists are you currently feeling?
Dick: Shad, Okay City, Hey! Ocean, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire.
Sean: There are a lot these days. K-Os for sure. Sweet Thing. I miss Big Sugar, and my all time favorite...the Band.

Beatwize: Looks pretty similar to my list! Any artists you guys dream of working with in the future?
Sean: Norman Cook, David Byrne, Brother Ali, Atmosphere.
Dick: Hannah Montana

Beatwize: Haha, I’m sure, Adam. Will we be seeing any collaborations on the album at all?
Two Crown King: We're working on one but we don't wanna jinx it. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Beatwize: So have you guys been locked up in the studio working on that album or are you guys doing shows? If so, where at?
Two Crown King: Actually, we have yet to play a show as Two Crown King. We're excited for some upcoming dates and have recently put together some of the dirtiest musicians to back us up. Believe it, the live show will be bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S, right Gwen?

Beatwize: Let me know when you're reaching Toronto! Where do you see yourself in five years?
Sean: Five Junos deep, completely covered in gold wearing and velvet capes.
Dick: Hannah Montana

Beatwize: Lmao, glad to see you guys agree on things! Anything else you'd like to say?
Two Crown King: In case our last threat fell upon deaf ears: Billy Mitchell, beware. It's time to bring the tough kids to justice!

Beatwize: Thanks and good luck!
Two Crown King: Semper fi.

Check out they're music in the following places:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TwoCrownKing
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/twocrownking
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TwoCrownKing

Eyedea & Abilities - "Junk" Video

New video from Rhymesayers group Eyedea & Abilties. Sounds really good! Off their upcoming project entitled "By the Throat"

Blue Scholars - "HI-808" x Info on the OOF! EP

I've always been a big fan of the Blue Scholars so I was excited to see this in my Inbox today! "HI-808" is a fresh drop for their upcoming 10-track EP "OOF!" Starts off a little odd, but right after that it's mad dope. Can't wait for this new EP - comes out AUGUST 25TH!

DOWNLOAD/STREAM

DESCRIPTION OF "OOF!":
"OOF! is the story about the Hawaii that you don't see on TV: fish-fry BBQs in Waianae, native Hawaiians struggling for sovereignty, house parties on the Leeward side, uncles playing mah-jong on a lanai in Waipahu, a thriving independent hip-hop and fashion scene, on-air ciphers at KTUH, a room full of folks vibin' to a mean reggae song, young poets spitting fire into mics, grubbing on poke in the Foodland parking lot, whole neighborhoods leveled by the ice epidemic.
...
Along with its digital release, the OOF! EP will also be pressed into a limited-edition run of 808 CDs which will be available exclusively from the Blue Scholars’ and other project partners’ websites and at the IN4MATION Ward location in Honolulu, HI. The whole project is part of Blue Scholars’ artist owned label MassLine, underwritten through a strategic marketing partnership with Seattle’s independent coffee company Caffè Vita, distributed digitally by Tunecore, and marketed in collaboration with Duck Down Records."

MORE INFO HERE

TRACKLISTING
01 Bananas
02 HI-808
03 Coo?
04 New People
05 Hello
06 Cruz
07 Ahi Riddim (Bananas Instrumental)
08 HI Riddim (HI-808 Instrumental)
09 Cudo Riddim (Coo? Instrumental)
10 Tako Riddim (New People Instrumental)
11 Postal Riddim (Hello Instrumental)
12 Havva Riddim (Cruz Instrumental)

"Hey, Beatwize! What happened the Blank Tapes?!"

Five emails later, I've decided to make a PSA. The "Blank Tapes" series is not canceled, just delayed for numerous personal and professional reasons. Yes, Vol. 1 came out with promises for Vol. 2 (which I dropped a single for), and a followup ending-of-series Vol. 3. A lot has been going on the background in terms of development in my musical promotion and much more than that. And to answer another common question - yes, another reason is "Classical State of Mind", which too is going to be pushed foward.

"Classical State of Mind" has now been pushed indefinitely, mainly because of work and school coming up - I can but won't compromise the potential excellency that can come out of this project. I want this to be even more perfect than X, Y, J-Z was in terms of sound, promotion, following and much more. Remember how I pushed X, Y, J-Z over and over and when it dropped it seemed worth the wait (for most people)? Time makes a project grow and mature, and I want that for this album. But not to worry, I will be releasing 2 more tracks other than that Nas Is Like drop before the album comes out. As for Blank Tapes Vol. 2 & 3, expect them both before the end of September.

Thanks for the patience, guys! I appreciate the ongoing support! Peacepeace!
Yours with much gratidude,
Beatwize