This track is massive. I know all you house connoisseur's are going to tell me that you've heard this track for a long time now that it's nothing new. Well you're right in one aspect, Seb Ingrosso & Alesso have been playing this instrumental for a long time, but when Swedish House Mafia takes over BBC Radio 1, you're usually in for a treat. The boys have teamed up with man-amongst-boys producer / singer / songwriter / musician extraordinaire Ryan Tedder to premier the Calling (Lose My Mind) vocal mix. I could literally write pages on how influential Ryan Tedder is to the music scene it's insane. Just Google / Wikipedia him. Put him with these two magnificent house producers and you've got an instant classic.
Now I'm not knocking the house music or anything, but you've got to admit : adding vocals to a track like this just raises it to another level. Is this going to become the new Levels in terms of radio play? We shall see
Chiddy and Xaphoon just released this track titled "What Did You Do" which is a bonus track off of their UK version of Breakfast. It's currently not available for purchase in the US iTunes store, but its up on youtube. It's another dope track from the Philly natives, Chiddy and Xaph have really perfected their pop-hop sound and they always kill it. "Breakfast" was dope, if you haven't picked that up on iTunes yet go do that NOW. Check out "What Did You Do" above and I'm sure you can all figure out a way to convert the video to an mp3 so you can have this in your iTunes library. Enjoy, enjoy.
It hasn't really been the best day in music, I've still got a few things up my sleeve but I saw this profile of Wiz on a few sites and thought it was hilarious so I figured I'd share it. It's done by Dee Vasquez and is pretty much just her asking Wiz a bunch of random questions. As you can imagine his answers have a lot to do with a certain green substance, and Juicy J's comments in the background are classic. Check it out and enjoy. Taylor Allderdice drops March 13th.
They honestly just keep getting better. Timeflies released their newest Timeflies Tuesday late last night in classic Timeflies style and it is another unreal installment. The boys are just finishing up their midwest tour and getting ready to head back home so naturally Rez flipped "Ass Back Home" by Gym Class Heroes and Neon Hitch and Cal absolutely murders yet another freestyle. They did this one live from the back of their tour van while driving which makes for an interesting video haha and theres a few shots of their midwest shows in there as well. They blow me away pretty much every week, next week is sure to be another banger so be on the lookout for the next one and check out their take on "Ass Back Home" in the video above.
We kind of dropped the ball on this post yesterday, but we're coming back strong. One of Stags Flow's all time favorite artists, Dave Patten, finally released his highly anticipated album "Gone". After Dave's last album "Exposure", I have been feigning for some new material. Sure Dave released some smash singles like "Believe Me (feat Meek Mill)", "Just For Me", and "Miserable", but to finally have that full album is a great feeling.
Overall the album is 13 tracks and are all produced by Dave except : The One (featuring Meek Mill, produced by Jahlil Beats) and Believe Me (featuring Meek Mill, produced by Sap). Dave shows his versatility throughout the whole album, displaying raw emotion through his production and lyricism. No matter what the theme of the song is (love, humor, trust, heartbreak, etc), Dave provides lyrical content that everyone can relate to. One of the tracks that really impressed me on the album is "The Problem". Throughout this track Dave really illustrates the struggle of a rising musician. Contrary to what's seen on television and movies, Dave stresses that it's not all fun and games. Being passed over by 6 different labels, trusting no one, and losing hope. This is an extremely powerful track.
While I've only highlighted one track, let me stress that you're going to want to purchase this album whole. I really wondered if Dave could top "Exposure" and he exceeded my expectations knocking "Gone" out of the park. It's been great seeing Dave grow as an artist and success is right around the corner for him. His hard will pay off soon enough. Hit the links below to purchase the album.
The Gorillaz have always been a little out there. The band
that built there buzz through animated music videos has now taken it to another
level : 3D versions of their characters. In conjunction with the release of
Converse All-Star sneaker series, the company has just released the video of
the Gorillaz / Andre 3000 / James Murphy collaboration, who are being used in
their ad campaigns. The clip follows Gorillaz members 2D and Murdoc meeting up
with Andre 3000 and James Murphy after a night out, and after party at their
place. While the track isn't something I'd play all the time, it's a pretty
catchy beat and anything featuring the great Three Stacks is okay with me. Hit
the link below to download the track if it tickles you're fancy and check out
the Gorillaz inspired Chuck T's.
Well as many of you may know by now, the XXL 2012 Freshman class cover was released today and I could probably go on for hours about how this list just gets worse and worse every year they do it. To be completely honest the XXL freshman class has been whack since the '09 class which featured guys like Wale, Asher, Cudi, B.o.B., and Currensy. Ever since then there's been a gradual decline and this years group is pretty much the worst one yet. It's dope that guys like Macklemore and MGK are really being recognized for their talent, and it's also great that Webby didn't make it (Thank God), but there's a lot of guys I would put on that list over people like Iggy Azaelea (huh?), and Kid Ink. I think guys like XV and Chip definitely deserved to be in there, but it seems as though the artists don't even really take it seriously any more. Earlier today Chip tweeted this gem: "Being on XXL Freshman list is NOT a good look. At all. I turned them down." Also after tweeting that he decided to drop another gem, this time in the form of a track with Casey Veggies titled "The Jam". Chip and Casey go in and it's a dope, straight hip-hop track. Check it out below, and sound off in the comments or the chat box on what you think about the XXL freshman, I'm interested to see what people have to say. Enjoy.
Here we have the newest Skrillex leak to appear, and it's definitely got a different feel than what were used to hearing from Skrillex. The last two leaks I've heard from him have been a bit mellower, not as filled with ridiculously hard womps and wobbles and I've been really digging them. This newest one is dope, Skrillex has been on a roll. Fresh off of winning three Grammy's, it's only looking up for him. Check out "Pop Dance" and download it below. Enjoy.
We posted the first few Tiesto In The Booth episodes then I kind of fell of it, but I just saw that he released his latest episode, Episode 8 which covers his time at Fashion Week in NYC, and his time at Electric Zoo. It also covers the development of his first line for his clothing line Club Life. Check it out and be jealous of the ridiculous life Tiesto has.
A little while ago I posted the video to Logic's new track titled The Spotlight. The video did extremely well garnering over 120,000 views in the first five days so Logic decided to release the mp3 for the fans. The song is dope, Logic kills it as always. He's consistently impressed me with every release and he's only getting better. This song is unreal, his flow works perfectly over the Justice "D.A.N.C.E." instrumental. Check out the video above and download "The Spotlight" below.
I have no idea why this works but it just does. Avicii's track "Levels" is one of the catchiest beats....of all time, so naturally someone decided it might sound just as good played in reverse. That someone is George Monev, and to be honest it's almost as good as the original. Im weirded out and amazed all at the same time. Check it out and download it below.
A little while ago we introduced you guys to an unreal new talent in Matt Patterson. The Rockaway, Queens native released his debut EP titled The Getaway earlier this year and it was a dope project. Now he's released his first music video off of The Getaway. The video is actually really well done and fits the vibe of the song perfectly. This track was probably my personal favorite of the EP, Matt's making some moves with this video. Check it out and download The Getaway EP in full below. Learn more about Matt Patterson via his Facebook and twitter also, links for both are below as well.
So Alex over at Freshnewtracks just hit us up with an unreal remix of Beyonce's track "End Of Time". Realizing that electro and dance music is taking over, Beyonce's team decided to hold a remix competition to "End Of Time" and this is the entry from two Swede's Wulf & Forever Kid. I've checked out the top 5 tracks in the competition at the moment and to be honest this one blows them out of the water. Only problem is this one is stuck in the top hundreds, so our friends Wulf & Forever Kid need your help. Here's what you should do:
I can't say I've ever thought about combining Rick Ross with Bruce Springsteen, but thankfully Jonathan Lee did and it actually works really well. Pigeons and Planes premiered this mixtape by producer Jonathan Lee that combines tracks by The Boss himself and The Bawse of the Maybach Music Group. It's an interesting blend of the two styles, it's obviously not the first time anyone has blended hip-hop and rock but Lee does it a little differently. Rather than just remixing classic Springsteen beats and adding Rozay acapellas Lee puts his own spin on the two genres. Confusion over at P&P put it best when he said, "Lee bends, twists, and transforms the music to fit his needs, and he does it like a boss." The project is pretty unreal and I think you're all going to like it. Mashup Monday is off to a dope start. Check it out and download the full project below.
Radical Something continues the trend of dominance today as they release the official video for the track titled "Say Yes" off of their latest effort, a six track EP titled No Sweat that they just released yesterday. This is definitely the best work we've seen so far from Radical Something, the amount of progress these three have made in the last year is unreal and things are only looking up for them. The production and vocals on all six of the songs off of their EP are exceptional, you would think Loggy, Cocktail and Big Red have been making music together their whole lives. They were kind enough to release a free stream of No Sweat yesterday, but once you listen you're going to want to pony up the $3 to buy the full project. It is out now on iTunes and yesterday it cracked the top 10 for albums on all of iTunes. Check out the official video for "Say Yes" above and stream No Sweat in full below then head over to iTunes to purchase the full project.
Cam Meekins impressed a lot of people with his mixtapes like Cam Meekins Day Off and 1993, but its been a little while since he's released any new material. Well Cam Meekins is definitely back with this new track which he dropped tonight with the official video. His flow is so smooth on this one and he does his thing over a sick, spacey instrumental. The sample on the hook is tight and Cam's verses are pretty unreal, this is one you're definitely going to want to check out. Definitely hoping the wait for the next track from Cam is not as long, we'll just have to wait and see. For now watch the official video above and hit the download link below. Learn more about Cam on his Facebook and twitter below as well.
Sammy just released this video that features a couple tracks off of his latest project, his pre-album mixtape titled Into The Wild. Some of the tracks on Into The Wild impressed me but Sammy has definitely overtaken a bit of an image change since signing to Sony/RCA to say the least. Im interested to see how his major label debut sounds, no word on the release date or title for that yet. Check out the video above and enjoy.
Ty x Gspence drop another single off of their upcoming sophomore effort titled Ivy League Kidz...Good Aftermorning. Gspence handles the production again on this one and kills it, his beats are always ill and they both deliver solid verses. Throw in a catchy hook and it's an all around dope track. Check out the official video above which was done by Jon Kilmer, and download "Game Over" below.
Timeflies just dropped this new track tonight, a remix of the Outasight track "Tonight Is The Night" that is absolutely unreal. Sean put me on to Outasight a little while ago, his flow is so smooth and on a track with Cal its ridiculous. Throw in some exceptional production from Res and it's a hit. Timeflies is gaining steam with every release, from Timeflies Tuesdays to singles like this, they kill it. Check out the video above and click the link below to download the remix. Enjoy.
Diggy is back and he is coming back with a bang! It's been a good while since we've heard any fresh material from Diggy, but he just dropped this track titled "88" with Jadakiss that is unreal. This song will appear on his album Unexpected Arrival which drops March 20th. The beat bumps so hard its ridiculous, and Diggy's flow is ridiculous. Jadakiss throw's in a sick verse as well and its a hit, turn the bass up and enjoy. No download link yet, be on the lookout for Unexpected Arrival.
The Good Husbands just dropped this video last night for their track "In Bloom" and it's dope. It's such a feel good track and the visuals in the video are sick. The Good Husbands have been killing it lately, all of their recent releases have been legit. Their last track "Coffee, Cool" has been on repeat for me for quite a while. Check out the video above and click the link below to download "In Bloom". Check out The Good Husbands on Facebook and Twitter and be on the lookout for more new material from these guys coming soon.
Wiz keeps dropping track after track leading up to the release of his Taylor Allderdice mixtape which is set to drop any day now. The only version of this track that is circulating is the clean version of it for some reason, we'll just have to wait for the full project for the CDQ and explicit version of the song. I'm guessing you all can figure out what the song is about without listening to it, it's a dope laid-back cut and Wiz kills it. Taylor Allderdice is sure to be dope.
Robert and Serik of Hyperbits just hit us up with their latest masterpiece in the form of an unreal progressive house remix to The Killers classic track "When You Were Young". These two have been killing it lately, all of their remixes have been top notch and you can add this one to the collection. The build-ups and drops in this one are intense and I have a feeling you're all going to be into it. Give it a listen, download link is below. Enjoy this one.
We've been posting Futuristic's music here on StagsFlow for a while and the dude has come a long way since his first video went up on the site. Today we're happy to bring you Futuristic's debut album titled Dream Big. This project is entirely produced by AKT Aktion, Futuristic's personal producer and business partner. I've been really impressed with Future's music for a while now, he's got a Gambino-like flow but a little harsher, and he rocks it out with his own style. He's been really well received on the site thus far and I think you're all going to dig the album.
It opens up with a bang with the title track from the album, and probably my favorite track off the entire project. "Dream Big" is an inspirational song with a really airy feel to the beat, and it's just a hit. Futuristic further shows off his versatility on this project as well. As I said he's got he inspirational, deeper tracks like "Dream Big" and then he's got tracks like "Fuck You Mean" where he just absolutely goes in. AKT Aktion and Futuristic did this project all on their own with no label support so I encourage you guys to head over to iTunes to buy the project and support a dope rising artist. Stream the album below and head over to iTunes to grab the whole project. With his clever wordplay, ridiculous verses and huge talent Futuristic is ready to blow up, so give the album a listen and Enjoy.
A little while ago I posted the collabo track from Cypress Hill and dubstep producer Rusko titled "Roll It, Light It", well the legendary left coast hip-hop group and Rusko just teamed up to drop the official video for the track. The video is packed with some crazy imagery and trippy visuals to go along with the fast paced, in your face verses from the guys of Cypress Hill. Cypress and Rusko will be releasing a collab EP some time in April so be on the lookout for more coming from these guys. For now check out the video above and download the track below.
I'm a little late on this one but just yesterday Carter and Dave of Aer hit us up with their newest track and it's accompanying video. The track and video were both produced by mattMiGGZ and are both equally dope. The beat on this one is, as you might expect, ridiculously smooth and so are Carter and Dave's verses. This track has a little different feel than some of Aer's other tracks, it's definitely more of a hip-hop vibe but its a solid track. You can check out the video above and hit the link below to download the song. Enjoy.
Wiz drops off another cut, via histumblr, in the form of a different sounding track titled Morocco. According to the Wizzle man himself: "This song is about acceptance. Not necessarily feelin unaccepted but not really feelin accepted for who you are. Anyway, Here it is". Definitely a different vibe from Wiz, but I have to be honest I don't hate it. Definitely looking forward to Taylor Alderdice. For now check out the new track and download it below.
I feel like I've said it countless times on this site, but Logic is by far one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, up-and-comer in the game these days. Every track he releases goes so hard, and his latest project Young Sinatra was filled with banger track after banger track. This is his newest offering, the second single off of his upcoming project and it has him going in over the beat from Wale's "Waledance". "The Spotlight" dropped with an accompanying video done by GRVTY like all of Logic's videos and its dope. This track just makes me more and more anxious to hear this next mixtape, it's sure to be unreal. Check out the video above and be on the lookout for more coming from Logic soon.
Unfortunately I'm thinking the days of us getting a ton of free singles from guys like J Cole and Mac are over and done, but Cole decided to drop this cut off today in honor of reaching 2 million twitter followers. The beat on this one is too ill, the sample is dope and of course Cole murders his verses. This one is going to be on repeat for me for a while, gotta love some new material from J Cole. Check it out and download it below.
Paying homage to Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras, Timeflies has taken their act to the bar. Res remix's "Blame It On the Alcohol", while Cal hits you with the super fresh rhymes behind the bar. Dare I say it's the best Timeflies Tuesday yet??? I thinks so...
This post should have been done a while ago but got lost in the mix. Per usual, our man Meddafore put us on with D1 when he first started surfacing in the blogosphere, so it's no surprise he hit us with D1's fresh new track "So Far Away" a new song from his upcoming Soul Album full length project, which is set for release in 2 weeks on 3/1/12. D1, the Ohio native, now living in NY, has been building up a steady string of solid releases over the past year: Soul Blue, Rehab (featuring Elite), Far From an Angel, By My Side, and even producing and being featured on Voli's Darkside. D1 provides deep meaningful verses that really illustrate how he pours his heart into his rhymes. This is one is deeper on another level! D1 continues to gain my respect with each release and I'm anxiously awaiting his album.
"So Far Away" is prroduced by Voli who is part of the Dreamville camp: along with J.Cole, Elite, Omen, pours his soul into the production which wraps around D1's lyrics and allow them to reach even further into your head and heart.
Other than Chiddy Bang's Breakfast, the album I have been most looking forward to is Bobby Ray's "Strange Clouds". The releases have all been super smooth and have illustrated that B.o.B is in a hip-hop induced phase. Yesterday, he released yet another single off the album. Titled "So Good", he balances a pop-sounding hook with strong lyrical verses. B.o.B's keeps proving there is no such thing as a sophomore slump with each release.
G-Eazy teams up with fellow New Orleans native and indie songstress Dominique Lejeune for this more serious track with the dope, old-school influenced flow we've come to expect from G-Eazy. Interview Magazine had the premiere on this one and they actually did a really good interview with G that has some insight into how he came up and how this song came to be. Click the link below to head over to their website to peep that and check out the song below. No download link yet, we'll just have to wait and see where this track ends up. Enjoy.
Tayyib was recently in Pittsburgh finishing up some work with Pittsburgh based production team La Herrier and wound up doing some work with fellow PA native and Pittsburgh MC Devin Miles. What came from that session is this track titled "412/215". The Pittsburgh and Philly rappers came together to put out a dope track that bumps. The beat has an ill sample and Devin and Tayyib both kill it. The last few releases I've heard from Tayyib have been straight hip-hop bangers and I've been really feeling them. This one's got a really catchy hook and it's sure to be a hit. Give the song a listen and download it below. The beat on this now was produced by La Herrier as well. Shout out to Meddafore for the tip.
Cris Cab is arguably one of the most talented up-and-comers in the game today. He has a lot of buzz around him lately coming off the release of his Echo Boom mixtape, and his signing to Pharrell's I Am Other label. Echo Boom is one of my favorite projects in a long time, the way Cris blends hip-hop and reggae to create his own unique sound is really impressive. He teamed up with Wylef and Mavado for a track on his mixtape titled "Rihanna's Gun" which was one of my favorite tracks of the whole tape. It was produced by Wyclef and his brother Sedeck and has some dubstep influences in there, and Cris' vocals sound great as usual. He just released the official video for the song, it features visuals from Cris' performance at his Echo Boom release party in Miami and studio sessions with Wyclef and Mavado. The song bumps, and the video is dope so check it out above and click the link below to download Echo Boom for free if you haven't already.
One of the things I really want to get going that we haven't done in a while is our Meet The Artist segment. In today's music market with blogs and all of the free music being released, the consumer is closer to the artist in ways they have never been before and the artists are much more accessible than in the past. I think interviews are a great way to give you, the music fan, some insight into the artists mind and how different things play out for them. I recently did my first interview for the site with Jacob Es, the rapper out of Burlington, VT and UVM who recently just released his latest project The Road. Without further adieu, here it is:
StagsFlow : Jacob Es, first off I just want to say thanks for taking the time to do this interview for us, lets start out pretty general, why don’t you just introduce yourself to the readers, Who you are, where you’re from and a little about yourself?
Jacob Es: I am Jacob Es, and I am an artist from outside of Boston attending school at University of Vermont. I started getting into music after my third elbow operation following Tommy John Surgery failed and I had to give up my dream of playing baseball at the collegiate level.
SF: Who would you say are your biggest influences musically or otherwise?
JE: Musically I draw influences from a wide variety of genres. Growing up being an athlete I always loved listening to hip hop before I hit the field because it got me pumped up, and I used to spit some of my favorite verses from memory while playing centerfield during summer baseball. Artists like Kanye West, Macklemore, and Kendrick Lamar who consistently stretch the boundaries of hip hop and music in general are probably the artists that most heavily influence me. Otherwise, my family has always had a big influence on me in particular my grandfather. He was able to accomplish a lot coming from nothing and his dedication, humor, and loving nature are attributes that I try to emulate in my own life.
SF:You’ve been a staple on the site for quite some time now and I’ve always been impressed by your mixtapes. Right now your in the midst of a series of three mini-mixtapes, how did that concept come about, and why did you choose to go that route rather than dropping singles followed by one mixtape?
JE: This is an interesting question because I originally set out to do this mini-mixtape project at the end of 2011, and since my perspective has changed dramatically. Taking some time to step back and evaluate my music has allowed me to realize that my aspirations with music stretch too far beyond remixes to continue doing them at this juncture. The next project that you hear from me will feature original production as I work to create a more unique sound for myself. I don't feel the need to do what everyone else is doing, and while I fully intend to complete the project The Road, right now my motivation to make original music is too great to deny.
SF: Your work with fellow Burlington artist Whole-Z has always been dope, how did that relationship come about, and what can we expect from you two in the future?
JE: I met Whole-Z in Burlington and we instantly were good homies, he has produced a bunch of tracks for me and we will definitely be working together in the future.
SF: If you could collaborate with one artist in the game now who would that be and why?
JE: What I would really love to do is collaborate with Miike Snow, one of my favorite bands. They have an incredibly unique sound and I love all their music.
SF: What seperates you from other up-and-coming artists in the blog scene?
JE: I think the thing that really separates me from other up and coming artists is that I don't feel like a rapper. I meet a lot of different types of people being a full time student as well as a recording artist, and the more I have shared with people that I do music, the less I feel like I fit into the stereotypical "rapper" mold. Hip hop has a cloud of ignorance and moral flexibility ingrained in its culture that I simply do not subscribe to. Your never going to hear the Jacob Es song about fucking bitches and blowing money because that's not my life, nor do I want it to be. What you get from me is music with artistic integrity, a message, and hopefully some good vibes haha.
SF: What would you say was the biggest moment in your career thus far?
JE: The biggest moment for me thus far is probably sitting in my car earlier this year and hearing my tracks Pumped Up Kicks and Under My Brim play live on the radio. Thinking back to writing those tracks in my shitty apartment in Burlington my first year at UVM really takes me back and helps me appreciate how much of a turn this has taken for me.
SF: On the other side what’s been your biggest obstacle as a young artist on the rise?
JE: The biggest obstacle has been getting my music to the masses, which is why I always will have love for StagsFlow because you guys are consistent so much love for that. There are a million artists out there these days who want to get their music heard, so I guess being original and heard in an overflooded market is the hardest part.
SF: What goes into writing a track for you? Whats the first thing you do when you sit down to write a new song?
JE: When I sit down to work on a track I listen to the instrumental a bunch of times first and usually will write a hook and work from their unless I catch a flow I'm feeling when I put it on. I'm not the type of artist you will see writing their verse on their phone on the way to the studio, because that's just not how I get down. My philosophy is that if someone is going to hear my music one time, I want it to be something I meant for them to hear. That's why I never read my lyrics either, when you hear my music its all coming off the dome because that's when it feels the most organic.
SF: What’s next for Jacob Es? What can we expect in the near future as far as the next projects are concerned?
JE: As far as the next project is concerned, I am going to get in and be more hands on with the production of my beats and work on making a sound for myself and challenge myself creatively. I want to make music that when I look back in twenty years and have my kids ask me "Who Is Jacob Es?" I can put on and be proud of still. I believe that there's no point in doing something unless your going to do it right, and that's what I intend to do.
SF: Finally I just want to thank you again for taking the time to do this interview, anything else you want to add?
JE: I just want to sincerely thank anyone that's checked out my music and encourage them to share it with your friends. Every single fan means a lot to me, and its been really incredible to see my music spread so much in under a year and that's all on the people who have been jammin to it so MUCH LOVE and tell a friend, to tell a friend.
