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January 27, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Hey everybody! Back from Kenya, and working on a new fantastic post, but in the meantime this video is making me exceptionally happy. Enjoy!

Animal Collective – Mouth Wooed Her (Buy AC music)

posted by Adam

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You guys, I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be awesome. The World Cup AND the Olympics are both happening, for one thing. And apparently, it’s also the year we make contact! That should be pretty sweet, right? Contact with that space baby?

But hey, forget all that and let’s talk about the albums I got that were released in 2009. There is a trend across the albums on the list: That they mostly have weak moments, but are redeemed by incredible moments. I will now list and review/make fun of them below:

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (1/20)

Rock stars complaining about the tough life of rock stars is par for the course in the canon of pop music. It seems hard to make music about the kind of trivial, every-situations in life, and not too many artists choose to write songs about it being too hot to go outside, or being worried about becoming a parent. But Animal Collective find the joy and magic in these moments of minutia, and they do it extremely well. The music here is all shimmering electronic stuff helped by the beautiful vocal harmonies, and tends to reject the clunkiness of most electronic music. There are a few moments where the album drags with too much repetition or melodies that don’t quite catch the ear very well. But the ones that land are in the majority and land amazingly.

Animal Collective – Bluish

Animal Collective – Also Frightened (Buy It)

2. Theophilus London – This Charming Mixtape (1/23)

When our favorite music expert Scholar over at Souled On posted a track from London, I had to find out more about this dude. I found this mixtape, a combination of dance tracks hip-hop and remixes (“Ain’t No Sunshine” and a piss-take on Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”), and while nothing on it measures up to the song I had heard (the addictive downer “Humdrum Town”), it’s all good and points to a bright future for the hipster rapper. Though not as all-out-fun as that other BK hipster dance-rap darling Spank Rock, London’s lyrics have more depth, and still manage to fit some fun in there too.

Theophilus London – Computer Love

Theophilus London – Crazy Cousins (Get It Here)

3. J Dilla – Jay Stay Paid (6/2)

Jay Dee has been experiencing a steady stream of posthumous releases since his February 2006, but Jay Stay Paid sets itself apart, partly due to the co-production of beat monster Pete Rock and Dilla’s mom, Ma Dukes. It’s the very definition of a loving tribute, and the result is pretty impressive, if a little spotty in some areas. Thing is, even the weak points show just how innovative and unique Dilla’s beats were. On stand-alone instrumental tracks like “I Told Y’All,” listeners get to hear just how powerful they are too. You almost wouldn’t want someone rhyming over certain tracks, but then you get to “Reality TV,” on which Black Thought deconstructs his girlfriend’s love of reality shows — in a nod to GZA’s “Labels” — using the names of all the offending shows in the lyrics. Definitely not phoning it in. In fact, none of the luminary MCs on the album phone it in, which is a testament to the amount of respect Dilla gets, even after (maybe especially after) his death. But the real joy here is hearing Dilla’s work, which without projects like this, might have been unheard forever.

J Dilla – Reality TV (feat. Black Thought)

J-Dilla – Big City (Buy It)

4. Mos Def – The Ecstatic (6/9)

Listening to this album, you get the feeling that Mos made exactly the music he wanted to make. Nothing sounds like a concession, and that calculated risk pays off big. You also get the feeling that he intended it to be an album that represented the era. Many of the beats come from that musical explorer Madlib, whose Southeast Asian explorations from his Beat Konducta Vol. 3-4: In India make a couple appearances (“Movie Finale” on track “Auditorium” below) and reflect Mos looking towards the East, just as the world has become more focused on world events in the area since 9/11. The album itself dwells, almost lives, in the state of world politics today — almost as if he set out to make an album which would encompass it all, to express a world consciousness even. And there’s a lot of material here towards that effort (an intro in Arabic, the Middle-Eastern flavor, a tune in Spanish, and lyrics about everything from unemployment to insidious US world influence), including hints of other eras (quotes from Malcolm X and Fela Kuti). The beats are some of the most extraordinary and unique on any major hip-hop release I can remember, from the mentioned Madlib and his brother Oh No and a few other more indie-ish producers (including a comparatively tame Dilla track), and they’re not all perfect, but they’re all interesting, and the album holds up as a pretty great document of our times.

Mos Def – Auditorium (feat. Slick Rick)

Mos Def – Quiet Dog Bite Hard (Buy It)

5. Alex Goose – The Blueprint 3 Outtakes (8/1-ish)

Here’s another tip from Scholar (seriously, if you’re not reading him, what are you waiting for?). He posted the track “Dear Daisy” a while back and I fell in love. And finding out that there’s a whole album of beats by Alex Goose? Call me on board. As Goose says on the mixtape’s website, he was asked to submit beats for Blueprint 3, but was informed that none of them were going to be used. So he posted the whole album online for people to download free. Occasionally, you can hear why a certain beat wouldn’t make a great one to rhyme over (too busy, no breaks for lyrics, that kind of thing), but even those are good to listen to on their own. SO much better than the weak ones on the actual album (covered below). I tended to like the beats on American Gangster more than those on Blueprint 3, mostly because I tend to prefer horns and live instruments to synthesizers, so it would stand to reason that I would like Goose’s tracks more than the ones that ended up on the real BP3. Hopefully a lot of people perked up their ears for this (the site says over 10,000 downloads in the first week, so that’s good) because I’d like to hear a lot more like this.

Alex Goose – Dear Daisy

Alex Goose – Fire (Get It Here)

6. Yim Yames – tribute to EP (8/4)

I like covers a lot. So much so, that I used to have a weekly feature here at hahamusic posting just cover songs. Jim James of My Morning Jacket does a great job with his six-song tribute to the songs of George Harrison, who in the liner notes, he calls “A beacon of good light unto the world.” His choice of songs is great, including my favorite Harrison tune, “Long, Long, Long” from The White Album, and a couple that I’d never heard before (“Behind that Locked Door” and “Ballad of Frankie Crisp”). James’ sparse and quiet orchestration suits the choices beautifully, making the recreations feel intimate and lived-in. I actually found myself preferring this version of “Love You To,” Harrison’s first real foray into Indian music, from Revolver. James’ melancholy mountain-music reinterpretation with plenty of beauty, more than the droning original. It’s a suiting tribute to a too-often forgotten songwriter.

Yim Yames – Long, Long, Long

Yim Yames – Love You To (Buy It)

7. Phish – Joy (8/25)

I am an unabashed fan of Phish. They’re yet another of those bands who get a bad rap because of the culture that grows up around their music (The Grateful Dead being the best example — insufferable hippies tend to overshadow the amazing tunes). So when Phish reunited, I was happy. And when I heard that their new album was their best since Billy Breathes (my favorite of their discography), I was even more happy. I even went out and bought the album without hearing a single note of it. And yes, it’s a good album! It’s not nearly as good as Billy Breathes, but it’s good! A quick detour: In his four-star review of Joy in Rolling Stone, Will Hermes describes the song “Sugar Shack” (one of my favorites on the album) as “metareggae.” “Metareggae”? Not only is that pretentious, but it doesn’t mean anything, especially as applied to the song . Sub-Pitchfork drivel. Anyway … Hermes’ review also says that if you don’t like Joy, you probably won’t like Phish’s music, which I think is probably pretty true. Joy has all the Phish staples: The spacey songs, the jokey songs, the guitar rock songs, the 10-minute-plus jam songs. The lyrics aren’t as good as they could be, relying on super-simple rhymes and cliches (“When we were young, we thought life was a game/But then somebody leaves you and you’re never the same” from the title track), and the music occasionally veers into the radio-friendly rock of Trey Anastasio’s solo albums. But overall, it’s solid. And the songs that are great — “Backwards Down the Number Line,” “Sugar Shack,” “Light” and “Time Turns Elastic” — are more than enough to balance the ones that aren’t. All in all, not a mistake to buy it blind.

Phish – Backwards Down the Number Line

Phish – Sugar Shack (Buy It)

8. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx … Pt II (9/8)

I think I discussed this album in my daily life more than any of the other albums on this list. Hugely anticipated, hyped with occasional teasers, Raekwon has been overdue for a hit. And he put it all into this one. There’s so much in this album, and parts of it are the best hip-hop I’ve ever heard — no exaggeration. Seriously, if you feel your love of hip-hop waning, flip to “Canal Street” and wait for around the 0:55 mark. When that beats drop, just let yourself fall back in love with it, because it will happen anyway– don’t bother putting up a fight. Yes, Chef Raekwon’s long-awaited follow up to his breakout album, which had been stirring since 2007, is damn good. It satisfies on both beats and lyrics, and though it’s not perfect, the good clearly outweighs the bad. The production mostly shines, with RZA, Dilla (damn, what a year for him) and others killing it track after track. Dr. Dre contributes a couple (“Catalina” and “About Me”), and while they’re okay, they’re nothing special. I found myself wishing that the hook on “Catalina” wasn’t sung by Lyfe Jennings. That R&B hook thing doesn’t exactly suit the album, so when it pops up (“Cold Outside” kind of approaches that too), it sounds really out of place. If the hook had just been spoken, maybe by Rae himself, it would have been perfect. RZA gets it exactly right with the hook on “Black Mozart,” one of my favorite songs on the album. And of course, the lyrics. Raekwon is writing some of the best lyrics in music today. Forget interesting, that doesn’t even cover it. The way he phrases his gritty stories, you’re left floored and impressed. No one out there writes better crime lyrics than him, except maybe Ghostface, who also kills it on the album. In the same way that you’re rewinding DOOM’s songs to re-hear his punchlines and phrasing, you can’t help but hit repeat on this album.

Raekwon – 10 Bricks

Raekwon – Canal Street (Buy It)

9. Jay-Z – Blueprint 3 (9/11)

Ok, so the worst thing about Blueprint 3 (and there’s a lot to choose from) is that it’s really really boring. The couple of tracks that have anything interesting going on are wildly different from the rest of the album — which is just track after track of 80’s/future synth-based beats — with Hova phoning it in with uninteresting rhymes. How many times do we have to listen to Jay rap about how he used to sling crack and how New York is just super neat and how he’s the greatest MC in the world (ego trip, ego trip)? Even the couple of songs that keep your attention for more than two minutes have nothing to do with his performance. “Empire State of Mind” holds up (even after hearing it everywhere, all day, everyday for the past four months) because of the beat and Alicia Keys. If the song hinged on the raps, it would be terrible. The lyrics are terrible. Similarly, “Real as It Gets” is cool only because of Young Jeezy sounds like he actually wants to be there, unlike Jay-Z. Once Jay gets on the mic, all the energy drains right the hell out of the song. If even you sound bored, why should we want to listen?

Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keyes)

Jay-Z – Real as It Gets (feat. Young Jeezy) (Buy It)

10. The Dodos – Time to Die (9/15)

Here’s how it works when Charlotte recommends something to me: I will say, “Oh yeah, maybe I’ll check that out” and then not check it out at all. Then, months, sometimes years later, I’ll come across the artist or album or whatever that she recommended in a different way — maybe it’ll be the song on a commercial, or see it in the ‘used’ section in a cd store, etc. And then I’ll listen to it and become obsessed and have to apologize and grovel and so forth. So I’m trying to get better about this, starting with the new EP from The Dodos. I took the advice and listened right away, and I’m glad to say that, as usual, Charlotte was very right. The Dodos’ music is interesting and catchy, with a really cool set of instruments (guitar, drums and vibes) and after listening to the album, I had trouble falling asleep because I would have one song and then another stuck in my head all night. So thanks for the recommendation, Charlotte!

The Dodos – Small Deaths

The Dodos – Acorn Factory (Buy It)

11. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic (10/13)

The Flaming Lips have always been a little weird — self-proclaimed weird even. I mean, the documentary about them is titled The Fearless Freaks. At the same time, their career arch has been curving more towards pop normality, coming closest with their last one, At War With the Mystics. So it seems like an abrupt departure that they would come out with the collection of songs on Embryonic, which are very very weird. Think of Pink Floyd as a garage band with a ton of electronic music toys, and that almost covers it. This is probably the album I’m most conflicted about this year. Like I did with Joy, I bought Embryonic sight-unheard. I’m a HUGE fan of the band, and I figured I could trust them enough to put out a quality product. That’s an interesting trust we put in artists sometimes. Anyway, the album about half satisfies. It’s a little rough, and for a lot of the tracks, it sounds like the band has become allergic to melody, with Wayne Coyne talk-singing the lyrics. This is frustrating for a fan who really likes Coyne’s voice and the melody the band writes (me). At their best, The Flaming Lips write music that’s beautiful and profound and kicks ass — and maybe half of the music on this album meets those standards. The other stuff mostly seems a little rough-draft-y, or like the “I Can Be a Frog” (with Karen O. from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), novelty song-ish. Finishing the album (which took me a couple tries), you start wishing that they had spent a little more time working on the tunes, but at the same time, you’re glad that half of the album isn’t too polished and worked on too.

The Flaming Lips – The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine

The Flaming Lips – Evil (Buy It)

12. BLAKROC – Self-Titled (11/27)

There’s a ton to praise about this album, a project put together by Roc-a-Fella co-founder Damon Dash, but let me just get one thing out of the way first. How weird is it that this guy NOE is on it? When I first listened to his tracks, I thought, “Oh, that’s clearly Jay-Z. I wonder why he’s using a different name. I guess the beef between him and Dash is over.” But it’s NOT him. It’s just a dude who sounds just like him. Exactly like him. And isn’t as good a writer as him. Anyway, the album started with Dash discovering the band The Black Keys and falling in love with their music, and pairing them with some hip-hop folks. And damn, he’s got some good instincts. The Black Keys kill every single track on this album, and leaving off a couple, their collaborators do the same. The few that don’t really gel aren’t really the fault of the participants (Q-Tip just doesn’t have a voice suited for hard rock, and Mos Def wilts for some reason on “On the Vista”), and the ones that work (God, Raekwon can do no wrong) outweigh them by tons. Get this album. Get it.

BLAKROC – Why Can’t I Forget Him (feat. Nicole Wray)

BLAKROC – Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) (feat. Mos Def and Jim Jones) (Buy It)

So those are the albums I got this year. Looking them over, it’s fair to say it’s been a pretty damn good year for music. Here’s a couple other great moments from this year:

Goodie Mob perform “Soul Food” with The Roots on Jimmy Fallon. Good gravy, so good.

Solange – Stillness is the Move (Dirty Projectors cover) (Buy her music)

Thom Yorke – All for the Best (Miracle Legion cover) (Buy It)

Animal Collective – What Would I Want? Sky (Buy It)

And have a happy New Year’s kids. See you in 2010!

posted by Adam

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Yo Christmas!

December 25, 2009 · 1 Comment

Get it? Because Jesus (H. Christ) was black and died for everybody's sins? And Santa hats?

Merry Christmas everybody! Here’s a couple tunes for your holiday enjoyment!

The Kinks – Father Christmas (Buy It)

Mark Mothersbaugh – Snowflake Music (Buy It)

De La Soul – Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa (Buy It)

Horatio Sanz & Jimmy Fallon – I Wish It Was Christmas Today (Watch it)

A very peaceful and happy one to you and yours, from us and ours.

posted by Adam

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I Must Become the Lion-Hearted Girl

December 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Not that new, but new to me!

Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Copyright’d!)

Florence and the Machine – Howl

From Lungs (buy)

Also very not new, but man, the Blow is really speaking to me lately:

The Blow – The Long List of Girls

The Blow – Fists Up

The Blow – True Affection

From Paper Television (buy)

And, in lieu of a year end mix which Adam will do far better than I possibly could, a mega monster mix of a particular “here comes winter damnit” attitude, accompanied by a refrigerator magnetic poetry style poem comprised of lyrics from these jams:

Maritime – Someone Has To Die (buy)

Pavement – We Dance (buy)

The Bird and the Bee – F*cking Boyfriend (buy)

Blondie – Sunday Girl (buy)

Camera Obscura – French Navy (buy)

Grizzly Bear – All We Ask (buy)

Fruit Bats – My Unusual Friend (buy)

Connie Francis – Somebody’s Fool (buy)

Karen Dalton – In The Evening (It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You the Best) (buy)

Loudon Wainwright III – The Swimming Song (buy)

Neutral Milk Hotel – Where You’ll Find Me Now (buy)

The Dodo’s – The Strums (buy)

Of Montreal – Eros’ Entropic Tundra (buy)

Regina Spektor – Loveology (live) (support!)

Burning Spear – I and I Survive (buy)

Nina Simone – I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl (buy)

The leaves came down when you walked by them all year round
It’s like a chandelier, it’s like a fountainhead
Oh, an incurable humanist you are
You can’t enjoy yourself, I can’t enjoy myself
He was laying somewhere else
Are you working up to something? But you give me almost nothing.
I say awake all week and still I wait
I can’t get out of what I’m into with you

You’ve been acting different, I’ve been told
I was criticized for letting you break my heart
Wishing the ones that we adore loved us more
There’s a flood on my lungs in the breeze
Salt my wounds, chlorine my eyes,
Everyone barks and they are all still believing
To tear out your heart would send all your secrets to me
Though I’m a fool at least I know the score

posted by Charlotte.

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Charlotte and Adam Discuss: Monsters, Chains and Starlets

October 28, 2009 · 2 Comments

Charlotte: So do you think it’s worth approximately $50 for me to see the Monsters of Folk by myself?

Adam: No. But I currently have an unemployed brain, so take that into consideration.

Charlotte: I’m basically broke. So nevermind.

Adam: Did you get that album?

Charlotte: Yessir. Yim Yames.
Does Monsters of Folk have an album?

Monsters of Folk – Whole Lotta Losing

Adam: Yeah, it just came out.

Charlotte: WELL. Goodbye, approx. $10.

Adam: Haha

Charlotte: Is it all covers?

Adam: No, I don’t think any of it is covers.

Charlotte: Hm.

Adam: http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Folk/dp/B002HVLAG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256062727&sr=1-1

Charlotte: Beat me to it.
Oh I was confused. They play their own stuff (Bright Eyes and My Morning Jacket stuff) live too.

Adam: Haha, M. Ward can go screw himself?

Charlotte: Yes he can, as long as he continues trying to trick the world into thinking Zooey Deschanel ISN’T tone deaf.

She & Him – Sentimental Heart (buy)

Adam: Hahahaa.
Oh her voice is so bad. Every time I see that cotton commercial she did, I think, “People buy cds of this?”

Charlotte: I KNOW.
People think this is how old-timey voices are supposed to sound. And they’re not! There are good old-timey singers (like Jolie Holland) not getting their due and this b is hawking cotton with that whining.

Jolie Holland – Stubborn Beast (buy)

Adam: Is that what it is? That people think she’s old-timey?
I just figured she was popular enough to cloud peoples’ judgment of her voice. Being the adorable pixie deliverer and all.

Charlotte: She has that affected tone in her voice. Trying to croon.
And also she’s pretty, and pretty people get to do whatever they want! Everyone knows!

Adam: Haha, slightly prettier than Scarlett Johansson, whose music is equally slightly less-successful.

Charlotte: You think she’s prettier than Scarlett Johansson?

Adam: I do, in fact.

This is not a choice that will ever need to be made in real life.

Charlotte: INTERESTING.
Poor Scarlett Johansson. No one wants to hear you sing!

Adam: Not even Tom Waits songs. The ultimate indie-dude magnet.

Scarlett Johansson – Anywhere I Lay My Head (buy)

Charlotte: Teaming up with Pete Yorn didn’t work neither – next time, jump on a bandwagon that can write good music!
Ya burn’t Scarlett.

Adam: Hahaha, ouch.

Charlotte: I actually like her, what am I saying.
I’m full of piss and vinegar today.

Adam: I thought that was a burn on Pete Yorn.

Charlotte: Well burn them both.
It was. I am comfortable sending bad vibes his way.

Adam: Haha. He’s yet another person whose work I don’t know well enough to dislike.
When I try to remember that one hit song he had, all that pops up in my brain is “Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders.

Charlotte: Hahahahahaha. Life on a Chain. Almost!
His first album was really not bad. His second album was lousy.
When he can get a hook it’s good.

Pete Yorn – Life on a Chain (buy)

Adam: Then screw that guy too. I’m willing to hate based on recommendations.

posted by Charlotte and Adam

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Donne moi en plus

October 25, 2009 · Leave a Comment

I was looking up music videos from the mid-to-late-90s last night, and found this wonderful gem. Hope you enjoy.

Anyone who speaks/understands very fast French know if it’s an accurate translation?

Busta Rhymes – Gimme Some More (Buy It)

posted by Adam

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Sweatin’ Like James Brown

September 28, 2009 · 3 Comments

James-Brown-Cold-Sweat

Overheard a woman saying the following on the subway this morning:

“… Sweating like I was James Brown. Everybody else is comfortable and I’m sitting there all Gladys Knight and The Pips. They’re all wearing shirts and slacks and I’m all decked out like Diana Ross.”

I love this and wish I talked this way naturally.

James Brown – Cold Sweat (Part 1) (Buy It)

Gladys Knight and The Pips – I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Buy It)

The Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love (Buy It)

posted by Adam

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Push It to the Limit, with Chocolate

September 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment

And then sometimes the internet gives you a present like this. I found this on CraigsList the other day while job searching.

1980’s Pop Star seeks ambitious people for Healthy Chocolate Biz. (Upper East Side)

And thank you to that video for reminding me just how absurdly stupid the movie Scarface is. Ridiculous.

posted by Adam

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Summer Mix ‘09

August 8, 2009 · 4 Comments

DSCN0734

Charlotte reminded me — about a month ago, we have slow reaction times around here — that I was obligated to post a summer mix, so here it is!

Summer’s been kind of a weird process so far this year. Most of the season has been nasty (see post below), with random beautiful days sprinkled in between. Non-weather life has been just as bipolar, with deaths and births, jobs gained and lost, houses bid on and outbid on, trips planned and scrapped, some friends made and some becoming estranged, relationships started and ended. There have been some amazing moments too — seeing the sun set over the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn waterfront on a Sunday evening, feeling the breeze come off the water and listening to a wonderful new band perform. Or a Friday afternoon with the sun playing through the trees, spent sitting on a Tompkins Square Park bench, slipping into a moment of contentment so deep you want to cry. This summer has had enough of these sanity-saving minutes to more than make up for any crisis.

Anyway, back to the mix. It’s got some old stuff, some new stuff. Some stuff that’s old, but is new to me. Hopefully it’ll bring smiles to your faces and sunshine to your speakers.

EDIT: Everything should be fixed now, following a silly problem with our file-hosting site. Please let us know if there are any other issues with getting the music. And thanks for visiting!

1. Regina Spektor – Us (Buy It)

2. Jay-Z – Sweet (Nigerian Gangster version) (Get It)

3. Matt and Kim – Lessons Learned (Buy It)

4. Rye Rye – Bang (feat. MIA) (Buy It)

5. Bob Mould – City Lights (Days Go By) (But It)

6. The Dirty Projectors – Temecula Sunrise (Buy It)

7. Solomon Burke – Maggie’s Farm (B. Dylan cover) (Buy SB music)

8. Deceptikon – Montana (feat. Cyne) (Buy Deceptikon music)

9. Mos Def – Revelations (Buy It)

10. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Vanessa from Queens (Buy It)

11. Stereolab – Neon Beanbag (Buy It)

12. J Dilla – I Told Y’All (Buy It)