link

GRANDGOOD Audiocast 37

Mopreme Shakur intro/People Under The Stairs – Step Back instrumental
Tommy Gun – Burn It down
Swigga Da Don – Swigga On Steroids
Tashon Dorrsett (Kool Keith) – The Real Beginner
Dj Revolution Feat. Guilty Simpson and Royce
Willie The Kid – Love Live The Prince
Moka Only – Time To Clean Up
Digital Underground – Children of the Sun
Count Bass D – Can We Hang Out Tonight
Envelope – I’m Not Poor (live in Brooklyn 9/4/2008)
Torae Feat. Tash – Da Nigguz Iz Comin
Coherent Motion – So Carolina

Don’t miss Envelope performing tomorrow night at Europa Night Club in Brooklyn, NY. I’m most definitely hitting this up. venue info

Europa Night Club
98 Meserole Ave., (corner of Manhattan Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY 11222

tel. (718) 383-5723
e-mail: europa@europaclub.com

see also:
Envelope Q&A / Featuring Music From His New Album “Shark Bolt”
Envelope – Oh My My My (Prod. by Blueprint) / audio
Envelope Talks About His Life and New Album Shark Bolt / video

Interview by Hip Hop Columbus.

[Falls asleep, wakes up 2hrs later]

If indie artists were smart, they would recognize these bootleggers as their primary competitors. They would never send out promos, never press up cds. Stick to vinyl and downloads. The artist has to be first to the online market, or else they give up their strongest leverage.

[Drinks warm cup of legal absinthe]

Ok, ok, fine. I see how bootleggers undermine artists currently. But don’t you see how they are ultimately making them stronger? These freakin’ bootleggers are responsible for bringing down an entire industry! Think about it thunnie, their voracious appetite and altruistic sensibilities have forced the collapse of the music industrial complex. The commodotization of culture is that much weaker because of them. And indie artists are lifting themselves up by the bootstraps, out of necessity. They’ll do it in the end. They’ll figure it out and blaze like the sun. Bootleggers will continue to share, but fans will support the real.

[falls asleep, wakes up next day]

Damn. I was trippin. Fuck bootleggers.

[Inspired by the recent bootleggings of Mood - Doom, Dj Clue - Blizzard '94, Ed 209 and Imam Thug - Karma 360, Envelope - Shark Bolt. All releases which I own or have ordered recently and which I think everyone should listen to. In other words, I want to share, just like these bootleggers. Deep down inside, I am one. Sort of.]

We’ve been looking forward to Envelope’s Shark Bolt for some time. So when I got an advance a few weeks ago, I was very freakin pleased. I have been bumping it consistently since. I kind of make it a point not to write involved reviews ’cause I know how relative they can be (see this very skewed review as an example). But I did go in a bit on Envelope’s style when the first single leaked. In the one sheet, Blueprint describes his man’s style in a similar fashion as “regular dude raps,” contrasting it with battle raps or street raps. To add to that, I would just point out that most of our lives are made up of regular dude type things. Which is why Envelope and his regular dude raps are so damn meaningful. “Looking In” features Blueprint vocals and production. A two verse piece, both MCs show their grace on the mic while discussing social perspective. This track is an example of the excellent craftsmanship that can be found throughout the album. Hard beats, unexaggerated, intelligent and sincere lyrics. If you are going to buy one cd this year, let this be it. Peace to Weightless for the promo and to Envelope for his time.

Envelope Q&A

Envelope – Looking In ft. Blueprint

+

Someone you look up to, dead or alive

Roberto Clemente

Someone you look down on

Teethsuckers

Other than music, what’s worth living for?

Teethsuckers w/ an ass

You fasted all day, what are you dieing to eat?

Pussy, cause id be lookin all cut and shit

You’re at a party, what’s your drink?

Steel Reserve, so no one asks me to share

Name a song you can’t stand.

that handlebar shit

You’re going to be deaf by morning, what do you ask to listen to?

sam cooke

Life after death? Yes/No

hope so

How do you hope to be remembered?

at all

How do you hope you are not remembered?

“oh…. that asshole”

Free verse, anything else on your mind?

paying my mortgage

revised 07.13.08

Shark Bolt is out today. Go cop.

previously:
Envelope – Oh My My My (Prod. by Blueprint) / audio
Shark Bolt by Envelope

My favorite bike riding (sorry Buck 65), Guiness drinking (oh how I love me a pre-noon Guiness) rapper is finally dropping some new material. Late last year, we got really excited when we first heard Envelope was working on a new album that would be entirely produced by fellow Ohian Blueprint. Here is the first leak and official cover art. This is the type of shit I look forward to. When I try to explain to my wife why I dig Envelope so much, I tend to refer to his work as Folk Rap. Please don’t think I mean some Flight Of The Conchords bullshit or even Richard Terfry’s cheesy attempts at honky tonk auctioneer rapping. What I’m trying to invoke is the sense that it’s a music that is an expression of a community of people rather than an attempt at a commodification of a form. I do realize that the ultimate release is a packaged cd and therefore like a commodity, but the music just doesn’t have that as it’s main purpose. Which brings me back to the issue of authenticity vs contrivance that I mentioned a few days ago. But yo, that’s all besides the point! This track bumps and is an example of one of the main purposes of our site, to give these artists the shine they deserve. Enjoy! [sidebar: that ramble is dedicated to the spirit and tradition of the late, great Alan Lomax]

Envelope – Oh My My My
Produced by Blueprint
Featured on upcoming album, Shark Bolt
Visit Envelope
Courtesy of Weightless Recordings

previously:
Shark Bolt By Envelope

Bonus:

Download Don’t You Let Him by Envelope
Produced by Amos Famous
Featured on Envelope’s self-titled cd

The rumor is that Envelope’s next album Shark Bolt will be produced entirely by fellow Ohian Blueprint. That’s a double-edged sword because Amos Famous, his long-time producer that handled the boards for his previous two records, is damn good and will be missed. Envelope is definitely on my list of favorite mcs. What’d you say? You don’t know Envelope? Well then, here’s a song called Don’t You Let Him from his self-titled cd, which I can’t find a link to anywhere. But his full length Insignificant Anthems is still availalbe through Weightless Recordings.

Download Don’t You Let Him by Envelope
Produced by Amos Famous
Featured on Envelope’s self-titled cd
Visit him at mysp*ce.com/envelopraps or enveloperaps.com