Chris Daly is a New Jack Hustler Though most cats only only recognize James “Jimmy” Scott Tamborello as being one half of the Postal Service, most cats can be pretty ignorant. For those of us in the know, he more accurately should be described as a brilliant and accomplished electronic artist who has been operating […]

As Zilla Rocca tweeted: DOOM is so dope that there are about six rappers under 25 who jack his style wholesale and are Internet sensations. Jonwayne is not one of the imitators. Call him that and he’ll walk up to you in public and throw a shoulder block at your Adam’s Apple, the same way […]

Jonah Bromwich is just super-boring, you guys. Stones Throw trio The Stepkids have the kind of formal musical chops that you’d expect from session players who spent years touring with big-name acts, including Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys. But formidable musical technique doesn’t always translate into songs with the energy and charisma you’d like to […]

Max Bell‘s book collection weighs a ton.   Stones Throw has never left you in the lurch. They put out new music every week.  More often than not, it’s good and well worth your time. Occasionally, it’s great and requires innumerable listens. Below are some of the latest offerings from label over the last month or […]

Peter Holslin stole the stolen chain from 50 Cent at Summer Jam 2014 Folerio is a man, and a mystery. He is a singer and versifier, but also an emblem for the beautifully weird. He’s on Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr. But who is he, really? Evidence says he is the alter-ego of Peanut Butter Wolf, […]

Max Bell is not against rap or those thugs. Freddie Gibbs rose from scary Gary to Interscope refugee to widespread critical adoration. Some argue that the dexterous Gibbs can rap well over anything. Yet his last album, E.S.G.N. received mixed reviews.  The album was solid, but it was also what you’d expect too. It didn’t help […]

Harry Samphir kicks up dust when he writes. Madlib’s artistic canon is so extensive it’s sometimes easy to forget about 1999‘s Soundpieces: Da Antidote!, his debut release with fellow Oxnard, CA natives Wildchild and DJ Romes. More than a decade later, the record still holds up as a West Coast underground gem: 24 tracks of […]

While the Macklemoorish Invasion reigned at the Grammy’s, Dam-Funk cut this ice-cold but conversely sizzling jam to instruct y’all to “Keep Going.” You can read my Twitter timeline if you want to know what I really thought about music’s biggest and most bogus awards show. My tastes will always be inclined towards the subterranean, so […]

Max Bell infrequently boogie boards. Homeboy Sandman is back. Homeboy Sandman never really went anywhere. In 2013, he offered devotees two EPs: Kool Herc: Fertile Crescent (with producer El Rntc) and All That I Hold Dear (with M Slago). For the final installment in this trio of EPs pairing Boy Sand with a single producer, he’s brought Paul White into the […]

Jonwayne with the Jesus hair and the debo bike, still coming up with the scorched path of destruction like Bowser. That was the name of his first beat record, but doubled as an alliance with the enemy. If I were a rapper, I would want neither this dude or a fire breathing lizard on my […]