After sharing with HipHopDX their immediate reactions to the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States [click to read] this past Tuesday (January 20th), Wale, Green Lantern, Killer Mike and Rhymefest also shared with DX the current status of the various mixtape and album projects they each have slated for release during this first year of Obama’s presidency.
Likely to be about as busy as his new neighbor at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in ’09, D.C. native Wale [click to read] is utilizing the start of this new era in American political life to also jump start what is sure to become an equally life-altering time for DX’s ’08 “Rookie of the Year” [click to read].
“Oh that was big,” he gushed when congratulated on the award. “’Cause I come to the site a lot, and I was starting to worry that DX might fall into the [trap of] like looking at some of the negative responses on some of my records and stuff [and not show love].”
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Love was definitely shown to one of Hip Hop’s most talented new artists throughout DX’s recent year-end awards [click to read], as in addition to his taking home the title “Rookie of the Year,” Wale also received a runner-up nod in the “Mixtape of the Year” category for last summer’s The Mixtape About Nothing [click to listen].
His “Seinfeld”-inspired mix may have proven to be the 24-year-old’s most noted release to date, but the artist who can effortlessly intertwine social commentary and street swagger (see: his hometown dissection disguised as a fly footwear anthem, “Nike Boots” – click to watch) is actually getting set to drop his fifth street album, dating back to his 2006 mixtape debut, Paint A Picture.
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His newest mix, Back To The Feature, which Wale estimated will be hitting the streets around mid-March, is already halfway completed. The rising rookie, who has already collaborated with Hip Hop heavyweights the likes of Lil Wayne and The Roots, is just waiting on a few more features for Feature to be recorded before putting the finishing touches on the project.
Confirmed cameos on the mix include frequent collaborator Bun B, as well as fellow artists-on-the-rise Curren$y, Drake, and Skyzoo.
And while the tape is a joint effort between Wale and producer 9th Wonder, the young gun told DX that “There might be a couple records that ain’t 9th, maybe Black Milk, and a couple local producers as well. And I got a couple local emcees on there too, like Southeast Slim’s gonna be on it [click to listen]. X.O.’s gonna be on it, and Tre from UCB’s gonna be on it as well.”
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The Allido/Interscope Records artist’s long-awaited major label debut is set to follow Back To The Feature and hit store shelves sometime in the Spring.
“We pressing up the [first] single right now,” Wale revealed. “It’s gonna be ‘Chillin,’ the real version.”
And unfinished version of the Cool & Dre produced track leaked to the ‘Net in December, and it appears that the Miami-based beatmakers played a major role in the creation of Wale’s currently untitled freshman long-player.
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“We got a lot of Cool & Dre [production] on the album,” he revealed. “I don’t really have any rappers [on the album] except for Bun. And there’s one more person that might be on that record with me and Bun… Marsha Ambrosius is on [the album]. She’s amazing. [Rock band] TV On The Radio, who [haven’t] done anything with an emcee yet [are on the album]. We trying to push the envelope on creativity in music.”
In addition to Cool & Dre, trackwork for the album is being handled by D.C. production duo Best Kept Secret (who helmed the lion share of The Mixtape About Nothing), as well as the head of Allido, Mark Ronson.
“Mark’s been fine tuning a lot of the records [on the album],” said Wale. “He [took] a lot of records from A to A-plus.”
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An additional track on Wale’s forthcoming album was laced by producer/deejay Green Lantern [click to read]. According to Green, he recently produced two songs for Wale, one of which he told DX is locked-in for Wale’s first full-length.
In addition to his work with Wale, Green is keeping his recent string of mostly original-material mixtapes coming, following up Immortal Technique’s The 3rd World and Nas’ The Nigger Tape with a project from dead prez. The Pulse Of The People, which will see a retail release, boasts roughly a dozen all new tracks produced by Green and dp’s Stic.man. The offering is a prelude to dead prez’s forthcoming full-length, Information Age.
“I’m gonna mix it like a deejay, [but] try to cut down the shouts for all of the no deejay/CDQ fans out there,” explained Green regarding The Pulse Of The People. “The idea [for doing a project with dead prez] started from them coming to me saying, ‘Yo let’s do a mixtape.’ And I said, ‘Are you independent?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, we’re free and clear of any label.’ [And] I said, ‘Then let’s put a barcode on it.’”
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Green is also currently in the early planning stages of a mix with Curren$y.
“We been talking about [doing something],” he revealed. “But he just called me [on Tuesday] like, ‘Bruh let’s do it. Let’s go in. I’m ready. I’ma have all the songs [to you] in three days.’ So if that [project] don’t happen, it’s on him.”
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“And then there’s like two other huge projects that are not locked-in yet,” continued Green, “that I don’t wanna speak on [yet], but [they’re] with arguably like top five rappers [in the game] right now.”
Arguably one of the top five rappers in Hip Hop today is Chi-town’s own Rhymefest [click to read], who is preparing to show sucker emcees how to really rock the mic right with the release of El Che: The Manual.
The pre-album to ‘Fest’s next full-length is due to drop by the first week in February. The release sports some surprising cameos from Hip Hop veterans Queen Latifah, Sadat X, Dres from Black Sheep, and others. The golden era greats assist ‘Fest in converting classic Hip Hop tracks (some sampled, some reproduced) into new joints, including a reinterpretation of The D.O.C.’s “The Formula” with CL Smooth. But the first offering from The Manual is a solo showcase over MC Lyte’s “Paper Thin” instrumental, which was converted into ‘Fest’s clever jab at hipster rap, “Coolness.”
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And those two tracks aren’t the only late ‘80’s classics the witty wordsmith rips thru on The Manual as ‘Fest revealed, “I got a joint where I’ma be battling Big Daddy Kane over ‘Warm It Up, Kane.’ Like, just crazy shit! What I’m doing on the song is, I’m taking the ‘Warm It Up, Kane,’ [what] he already did, and every like six bars I cut into [the song] and battle what he already said – battling Kane’s original lyrics. And it’s not easy, ‘cause when you listen to them original lyrics, they good as hell.”
Following up his February pre-album, ‘Fest will unleash his long-awaited actual album, El Che, this April.
“The last album [‘Blue Collar’] that came out I felt like it was too much an appendage to other people,”‘Fest told DX of his ’06 debut. “Before they say my name, they’d say other people’s names. So how do I stand out as an individual? You know what, let me go away for a little while and let me come back and be judged on the merits of my work. Because I feel like in the midst of ‘Blue Collar,’ [and] in the midst of a lot of things that were going on, people weren’t looking at what I was actually doing… I’m the most underrated rapper, ever.”
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Having recently switched management, the underrated ‘Fest also switched up his list of sonic providers to include Scram Jones, who took the helm of roughly half the tracks on El Che, with Blue Collar contributors Mark Ronson and Emile filling out the trackmaster lineup on ‘Fest’s sophomore outing.
“Really man, it’s a lot of white boys,” joked ‘Fest. “This the white boy crew on here. Obama said it’s okay though.”
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A street single from El Che, the aptly-titled “Chicago,” will be followed-up by the proper jump off joint from the album entitled “Classics,” which features singer Mario.
Unfortunately, most of last summer’s leaked tracks will likely not make the final cut of El Che, with the exception of possibly ‘Fest’s collaborations with Jadakiss [click to listen] and fellow Allido artist Wale.
One collaboration ‘Fest assured won’t be on El Che is a union with his good friend Killer Mike [click to read], which he joked couldn’t happen because a recording session between the two hardheaded spitters would likely end in a physical fight.
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Mike, the recipient of DX’s ’08 “Album of the Year” and “Video of the Year” awards [click to read], seems to be beyond sparring with his lyrical peers and is now battling only the high expectations fans have for him in 2009.
Killa Kill currently has a slew of mixtape projects in the works for the new year, including mixes helmed by Wally Sparks, Greg Street, Don Cannon (who also recently provided Mike with a track bolstered by the “Misdemeanor” sample first made popular via The D.O.C.’s “It’s Funky Enough”), DJ Smallz, and a Gangsta Grillz project with new labelmate DJ Drama.
The newest addition to the Grand Hustle Records roster [click to read], who in fact just left Los Angeles where he put in work with the King of the South, is planning to heat up the streets in anticipation of his first effort for T.I.’s label, 16 In The Kitchen.
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In addition to the aforementioned mixes, Mike will keep his name hot by keeping his independent flame burning with the second release from his Grind Time Official label’s partnership with SMC Recordings: the compilation effort Underground Atlanta. Due late Spring/early Summer – following SMC releases from Capone-N-Noreaga and Pastor Troy – the comp will boast contributions from fellow 404 residents Princess from Crime Mob, Gucci Mane, Yung Ralph, Dem Git Away Boyz, Mannish Man, Bone Crusher and more, with Mike appearing on roughly half the album’s cuts.
“‘Underground Atlanta’ is like the return of the big southern compilation records,” he explained of the album. “It’s a return to them old Suave House, No Limit, Cash Money [compilations]… It’s less about my personality carrying the whole record and more about me giving the opportunity for other people to showcase they shit. ‘Cause like I have BMM, I have a guy named Young Blaze outta Alabama, I have a few other guys that have never been on a national record that I’m giving an opportunity to get on [this] record. So, this just gives me an opportunity to grow my brand in Grind Time Official, and also give other people a chance to [shine]. You know hopefully I sign a dope unsigned act or two out of this and give [them] a chance to really get a career going in this shit.”
