Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Party Supplies-Firecrackers


I've been big on Party Supplies since I first got a whiff of his banging Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros remix about a year ago. I'm always looking forward to getting the emails from him announcing a new remix to see how playful he gets with the building blocks of some of the best songs from the past few years. I'm a little late posting this, but his first "mixtape" was released a few weeks ago, putting together some of the tracks I already love with some new ones. A great intro to his unique style, this tape is all you really need to play for your next shindig.

Click here to download Firecrackers

Click here to download "Momma Don't Go"


Party Supplies 08 - Momma Don't Go

Friday, August 26, 2011

Tha Carter IV Review



A few days ago Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV leaked, right on schedule. Though it won't officially drop until Sunday at midnight, the leak has predictably had the internet going nuts. Is this Weezy's grand return from a relatively tough few years for the Young Money front-man? After stints in jail and musical misfires (Rebirth)Tha Carter IV was Wayne's chance to advance the now borderline legendary Carter series. Unfortunately Weezy chose a safe, though still dope, route, forgoing the chance to make another classic.

After a few spins of Tha Carter IV, the one thought that keeps popping up in my head is that it doesn't match up to Tha Carter III. Everything from the cover (the little Lil' Wayne theme again) to the "the ladies are gonna love this song ("Lollipop" vs "How To Love') to the guest spots, in no way does it stand up to that behemoth of an album. When arguably the two best songs of the album (Interlude and Outro) don't even have Wayne rapping on them, you know something is strange. While Wayne exercises his outlandish creativity at points ("Abortion," "President Carter") you never feel like he's truly pushing himself. Listening to the album sometimes feels like watching Lebron put up an effortless 28-12-8. Inspiring at some points, amazing at others, but almost the entire time you have the thought in the back of your head, "what if?" The biggest "what if" I have with this album is "what if he hadn't gone to jail?" Because above all, Tha Carter IV feels safe. Feels like Weezy wanted to make an immediately likable album, which it is, no doubt. But after two albums which pushed rap rather than walked along side of it, I wanted more, and I think a lot of people out there did too. I do think this will sell beaucoup numbers, and, well, there's always Tha Carter V. 


Click here to download "Abortion"






Click here to download "Megaman"



Thursday, August 25, 2011

Aaliyah-Are You That Somebody


Aaliyah died ten years ago at the age of 22. When people pass, I often find the best thing to do is to talk or think about the good times. While I of course did not know Aaliyah personally, I do have some random memories associated with her music. I especially remember way back in 5th grade (or was it 4th?) I was on a school trip to the local newspaper to sing Christmas carols for the (I'm sure) enthralled editors and journalists. One of my best buddies and I were going to sing a duo to "Little Drummer Boy," the brightest moment of my never to be heard of again singing career. On the way to the newspaper headquarters "Are You That Somebody"  came on the radio and the bus driver relented to the chorus of little kids telling him to turn it up. Back in Prairie View Elementary there were a few songs that every just knew, and this jamandahalf was one of them. Each kid on the bus sang it perfectly word for word, doing a much better job then at the concert we were driving to.

And although that was a pretty insignificant moment in my life, hearing this song always takes me back to that time. Although years older than we were then, Aayliyah is only a year younger than myself when she died. While the word "tragic" is often thrown around, the loss of the Princess of r&b at such a young age qualifies. While she's now been gone for ten years her music, and more importantly, the memories, live on.

Click here to download

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Pause


While I take a day to process the inevitable leak of Tha Carter IV, just wanted to leave yall with this. This is Torrey Smith, special teams for the Baltimore Ravens. Apparently he was filming an ad for the University of Maryland when the earthquake hit. Epic reaction. Only question is, where the hell was he running to? See yall tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

e-dubble feat Kom-My Last Dream


e-dubble has been on his grind. From building an initial buzz by releasing an album quality track every week for a full year to now turning that into maintaining a constant presence on some of the best blogs out there, e-dubble has slowly inched his way to become an artist that you need to know about. I haven't posted his music until now but this one needs to be heard. "My Last Dream" features an incredible sample from "Weighty Ghost" by Winter Sleep and is the perfect intro track for those who aren't familiar with e-dubble. His deep baritone juxtaposes the chill beat with an intense flow, one that hasn't slacked off after years of continuing to push it, and the two rap about the temptation of dreams. While I'm sure he hasn't quite reached his dreams, e-dubble continues to chip away at that mountain in front of him. With tracks like this one, I'm pretty confident he'll get there.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Miles Davis-Old Folks


Sometimes I post songs because they're classics. Sometimes I post jams that I'm vibing to at the moment. Other times I post because I got a really fu%king cool picture. This is one of those times.

It's also an excuse to highlight the illustrious career of Miles Davis, the coolest cat that ever lived. Take a walk with the musical giant on this Friday night and start your weekend off right with this eternal song, "Old Foks"

Click here to download

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Tallest Man on Earth-Weather of a Killing Kind


Each new Tallest Man on Earth song sounds like another Tallest Man on Earth song. Is that a bad thing? Depends. After two albums, a few EPs, and a new random song every now and then, the TMOE has built a comfortable familiarity for fans of his music. While this jamandahalf does not break any boundaries for the young Swede, it continues in the same vein of beautiful storytelling and forceful picking which made him one of my favorites. A tale of a coming cold, the arrival of something unknown, there is a sense of foreboding in this track. Sung with a voice which gets stronger with each release, this track is a true showcase of his writing ability and the lyrics teem with subtle wordplay. Enjoy this track and stay tuned for his upcoming movie soundtrack with Idiot Wind.

Click here to download


The Tallest Man on Earth Weather of a Killing Kind

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

J.Nolan-Chaos Theory Mixtape



Music services like Pandora, Last.fm, and StereoMood, among a ton of others, are based on the principle that whatever music you like, you want to hear more music like that. That we all have our musical tastes, and the new music we are introduced to should share certain qualities with the music we already like. J.Nolan's new mixtape Chaos Theory (sponsored by Jamandahalf.com along with RefinedHype.com and Da-What.com) flips this script. Having built his buzz around being a smart Southern rapper with an North-East flow and an ear for jazzy beats, Nolan immediately comes out of the gates and says that he's much more than that-that he's not a rapper who is just "happy all the time." Chaos Theory comes from a place that's a little darker than his last major project, Broken Dreams, but a place that's also more nuanced, more dynamic.

What hasn't changed is Nolan's quality. Over 19 very solid tracks, he presents a united body of work, a glimpse into the continuously evolving life and mind of Nolan. With a little something for everyone ("No Lies" for the ladies, "Chaos Theory" for his competition, etc) Nolan projects both the continued desire for more with the confidence to know that has what it takes to have a lasting presence. While a departure from Broken Dreams, Chaos Theory isn’t a complete about-face for J; but marks more of a serious step forward. We're really happy to be a small part of this project and are excited to bring you Chaos Theory to you all in full today. Check out two stellar tracks below and his BandCamp page where you can help support great hip-hop with a donation of $3. Or you can download the tape for free here. Read on to see the tracklist. 







Sunday, August 14, 2011

Wu-Tang and Jimi Hendrix-Black Gold


I know a lot of people out there love them some Wu, and a lot of people love them some Hendrix, so I hope this project will make a lot of people out there very very happy. Haven't had the chance to listen to it yet, but can only expect great things after his last Wu+Beatles project. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Stream here

Click here to download here

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Alexander feat. RZA-Truth


I knew when I heard Alexander's first single way back last October that his "sideproject" was going to be a little more than just a mental break from the merry band of Ed Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. That it was going to be Alexander pursuing music that he probably couldn't make with the Zeroes, that it was going to be a personal challenge. Featuring him pseudo rapping on a somehow eerie beat, Alexander killed the original with a look back at his past shadows mixed while continuing to challenge the eternal John Lennon as the greatest whistler of all time. Recently featured during an episode of Breaking Bad, this song and the artist continue to get the respect they deserve.

Recently released, this remix gives the original a welcome twist. The Abbot himself, RZA, hops on the track and like always, drops knowledge. A surprising collabo, but a very very welcome one.

Click here to download


Alexander TRUTH Feat. The RZA

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Kanye West & Jay Z-New Day



Kanye and Jay-Z's brand new album is a self-pat on the back by the two, heavily weighed down with a gold Cartier watch. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Part of rap's appeal has almost always been a sense of escapism, a combination of both admiration and envy for those who have come out of mostly nothing to now live a life that can dream of. But where Watch The Throne bogs itself down is when it starts to feel like a private VIP party that you have to watch with binoculars a mile away behind velvety ropes.


Where it succeeds is when the two descend from their Mt. Olympus and no track exhibits this more than "New Day" featuring verses from the two on top of a RZA beat/"connect." A letter to their unborn sons (sup Tupac), both Kanye and Jigga deliver heartfelt verses which expound on their own lives, current insecurities and doubts, and focus on promises that are at the heart of the American dream: a better life for your children than you had. On top of a dope Nina Simone sample (a former jamandahalf) the entire track feels stripped down, a removal of all the Louis Vutton suitcases, Hermes scarves, European boutiques, Maybachs, and gold which ooze from most of the tracks on the album. It's ironic that the two really show that the figurative throne really is there when they take away from its opulence, when they show that they are just two cats from Brooklyn and Chicago that had a dream and now are living enormous.


Click here to download


Jay-Z & Kanye West New Day

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Calvin Harris-Feel So Close (Updated with CDQ and Benny Benassi Remix)


Put this back to the top with the CDQ version of the track, and a sick remix by the legendary Benny Benassi. Now even more of a must download. 


This track had me at hello. Calvin Harris has now consecutively put out two absolute bangers, giving reassurance to the legions of fansout there who were a wee-bit dissapointed with "Awooga." After coming back in a major way with "Bounce," "Feel So Close" continues the good vibes. Another entry in what is proving to be a great summer for jams like these, "Feel So Close" explodes when it drops, infecting everyone within its listening radius with a desire to let it all loose on whatever you have available that can subsitute as a dance floor. Although it's all over painfully quick, this sweet taste is much much better than nothing at all (look for the full single to drop in August). Catch him if you can this summer on his massive tour, you won't regret it.

Click here to download Radio Edit


Calvin Harris Feel So Close (Radio Edit)

Click here to download Benny Benassi Remix


Calvin Harris Feel So Close (Benny Benassi Remix)

Friday, August 5, 2011

2Pac-Fight Music



A world of music is available for anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection. Blogs for every genre and subgenre have emerged, with select bloggers holding more and more sway. Infastructure has been built around these blogs, each fueling the other in a symbiotic relationship. It's funny thinking back even a few years how different it was. The guy on the corner near my high school who sold bootleg mixtapes and albums seems like something from another century, as archaic as a horse drawn buggy.

I remember reading the Source or XXL back in day and there was an article about about those hard to find mixtapes. Chris Rock was interviewed about his favorite albums and he talked about a mixtape that mixed some of the best Tupac verses with newer beats; a novel idea at the time. He said "You'd have to go to Harlem or a swap meet to get this one." A few years later, anyone and their mom can get a hold of it from wherever they are in the world, but that doesn't make the music bump any less hard. Over the "Hate Me Now" beat, Pac and Xzibit posthumously trade verses. There's no filler, nothing Hollywood about this one, just a reminder of what was lost when Pac died and Xzibit took rode the Pimp My Ride moneytrain a little too long. Turn this one on and take yourself back a hot minute ago when music was all passed by word of mouth. As Chris Rock put it "It's the best shit in the world. It's ultimate fighting music. You will kill somebody listening to this shit." Take his advice with a grain or shaker of salt, but do enjoy.

Click here to download


2Pac feat. Xzibit Fight Music

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Case Studies-Lies



I love songs that flip up the script. Half listen to this jamandahalf and it seems like your typical campfire sing-along folk song: a cute story about a guy telling his lady how much he loves her. In reality its a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships, a sarcastic take on the sweet nothings that come expected in relationships.

The set up is perfect. Imitating old westerns to a T, replete with goofy sing alongs and a cheesiness which all of us men have resorted to at some point, this song is perfectly executed. Winking with one eye while giving it their weary all, Case Studies force you to have a what? moment. While I myself have nothing against little nicknames and love-hyperboles, and have to admit to having my fair share (gordita!), I applaud this jam for its begruding honesty.

Click here to download


Case Studies Lies

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

J.Nolan-Sharpen The Swords



J. Nolan should give a 101 class on how to get noticed.  On how to continue building a brand, a name, a buzz. While my inbox is full of emails from artists and A&Rs asking, sometimes angrily insisting, that I check out their music, a lot of them come off as plain obnoxious. With more !!!!!s than a middle school girl's Facebook, people wrongly think putting stuff in BOLD and CAPS captures attention. Nolan's emails are clean, friendly, and to the point. He makes it easy to listen and download his music. The best thing about it? His music is worth the listen and more than that, worth telling your friends about.

Another great track off of his upcoming Chaos Theory mixtape dropping August 16th, "Sharpen The Sword" has a title which could easily be a metaphor for Nolan himself who has a flow and lyrics that are sharper by the track. Although not a track for the clubs, this track continues to bolster the case of Nolan as a rapper's rapper. Other than that label, which no one would probably object to, "Sharpen The Sword" is Nolan telling the world to not box him in with typical labels, that his body of music, though still relatively small, shouldn't be typecasted.

With a consistency way beyond his years, we're proud and excited that J.Nolan is bringing JamandaHalf along to to be one of the sponsors of Chaos Theory. One of my favorite new rappers, we're going to do everything we can to help Nolan along his journey.

 J.Nolan- Sharpen The Sword(prod. Yung B Da Producer) by manifestmovement