Tyler the Creator - Yonkers

A few different musical styles owe themselves to a track this clean sounding, with Tyler the Creator's song "Yonkers" blending a harsh bassline over a beat more fitting for a genre like house.  This MC from Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA. [Yep.])  shows some real uniqueness with the beat alone, but his cypher and style of music video help to really set the pace for a thematic, executed kind of "conceptual" funk; not pop-like at all. That's pretty exceptional, giving the rap collective's personalities, as seen on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a couple nights ago. Something like that hardly happens (seriously, watch the clip).

This track polishes off a dark take on vibes reminiscent of more recent musical likings hip-hop is used to, with clear influence from underground rap's simplistic style of beat, and a real taste of freshness and relatable to radio even. However, given the song's dark tone, I'd be surprised to hear it when I'm driving.   Tyler the Creator's gaining significant attention, with XL Recordings, of acts like Radiohead and The White Stripes, signing a one-album release with him for his debut, Goblin. Getting that kind of attention is well deserved; this is good music, and I'm hoping to hear more.

REVIEW: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

A new Kanye West album always comes with some... let's call them, preconceptions before listening. Aside from the obvious award interrupting, media influenced judgments one may carry, the last major release from Yeezy was an auto-tuned, down and out, sad kind of record. And although 808s and Heartbreak was a success, fans with roots grounded in rap were taken aback by West's decision to completely drench the LP in a synthy, robotic sing-song, with few traces of hip-hop found anywhere.

New Wu: Inspectah Deck - The Champion

It's not too often that we get a music video for a not-even-three-minute lyrical medley, and based on the high-quality hooking instrumental, and one-two punch verse slaughter, I don't really know why. Rebel INS has always been a bit of a less-prominent member of the Clan, which never really was explicable to me, given his contributions to Enter the Wu: 36 Chambers. Whatever is said, he is one of my favorite Wu members, and this hard-hitting track (in 2010 no less! Could it be that hip-hop is back from the dead?) is a perfect introduction to a summer of more of that dirt.

Deck's 4th LP, The Manifesto is due out next Tuesday. Don't sleep on this one, rap fans.