The Cosmic Souls Collective

So I get these requests ALL the time; you know the kind. The kind that I figured a Premo or a Madlib or 9th Wonder would get: “…where you do you get your samples from? Can you hook me up with some dope samples…” I feel like sometimes, much of the art form of making beats is not even in the sample. It’s in the pursuit of something else. You ultimately end up either spending a few dollars on vinyl or you download something just to experience it at face value. You end up with something special. Well that’s the fairy tale take of it. Of course you could always (before you ask) try to find something that you can make totally yours. It has no influence, no bias point of views, and won’t make you feel obligated to do anything other than enjoy the experience of real, soulful music. And even with a point of view as strong as that, I also feel that somethings are so good… they are worth sharing. Some people are going to hear what I hear; other will dismiss the mix as something used to fill up blog space. I feel like what you are about to embark on is beautiful; simply put. Whether you just listen to it while cleaning the crib, or try to use it in place of a very old and very scratched “baby making music” CD, or whether you rip the sound waves into seventy-five samples chopped… you will enjoy what Fly is Made. Check for it at the jump.

…

1 Comment | In: Albums, Audio, CS Exclusive, Music, slider | tags: csc, exclusive, hip hop, samples, soul. | #

Follow us on twitter for frequent updates on every post we make and new releases! Click the image above or go here and click update (“follow username” in the update box is a faster way of doing it). Also make sure you follow the other site contributors for more updates and fuckery: Me (Nefarious!), Time Travel, and know:juander. Post your own Twitter link in the comments if you want us to follow you back.

No Comments | In: CS Exclusive | tags: Cosmic Souls Collective, Twitter. | #

More info on Tupac Shakur: Wikipedia | 2Pac Legacy | enjoy!

In 1996, hip hop lost one of it’s (what we came to call) legends. Not only was it a blow to the music industry, but also to the black community. Tupac was one of the most well-spoken voices during the 90s and was one of the most in-touch with what the people experienced and he used his voice to make the world familiar with out struggles.

Though the same type of tragic incident claimed the life of Tupac that was described in many of his rhymes… he has survived for more than a decade through his music. Vibe Magazine saw fit to release a video interview of Tupac from 1996 where he spoke of the future and unifying hip hop. Check it out.

No Comments | In: CS Exclusive, Real Talk, Rest In Peace | tags: deathrow, shakur, tupac, vibe. | #

There are not a lot of artist out there making music (in any genre) that are consistently giving you quality music. Insert new track from Royce da 5′9 (of the Slaughterhouse outfit) and now we’re back to actually being able to cheer for the (dope) boys again. No drug relation. lol.

The new track is off the “Street Hop” album slated for release on 20 October this fall. The funny thing about much of the music that drops these days is that most people have certain albums on their must-cop list… i.e. Blueprint 3 (which honestly wasn’t on mine)… but anything Nickel EVER drops will make that list, if not at the top, a strong runner up. I read somewhere online that the beat wouldn’t draw you in… I disagree… I think it was one of the aspects of the song that set it apart and it also adds more anticipation for the full length record. Check it out

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

More Royce da 5′9: Myspace | Slaughterhouse | Info | enjoy!

No Comments | In: CS Exclusive, Music, Singles | tags: hip hop, money, premier, royce, slaughterhouse, street hop. | #

Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement (Fall 2009)
NOTE: Instead of giving it a 5 mic/star kind of thing I am going to do something a little familiar and a little different.
Grade: 79
Day(s) of Week to Spin: Saturday, Monday

There are different feelings that could bring one to either love this record… or feel completely the opposite. The reason is simple; “Arrangement” feels like something that would have been comfortably slated for a fall release… in 1969. A very ballad-heavy project; emotionally charged lyrics and some dance-provoking sets would normally promise a very soulful, Motown-esque record. “Arrangement” however lacks originality and depth of feeling. It also is not very convincing in the way of delivery. The “not-really-singing” sound of Mayer Hawthorne’s voice works well for what the song writing accomplished, however the record as a whole fails to show much range or depth to his voice. The title track is one of the stronger tracks on the record along with the official single “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” and “Shiny & New” also standing out amongst several short falsetto-driven ballads.

Upon first listen to this project one would (on average) more than likely abandon any thoughts of consuming this record in its entirety, however, after listening to the record repeatedly, it begins to grow on the “soul singer” in you. Picture black and white television and slender band mates two stepping in front of microphones with a plain backdrop. Then the phone rings and you realize you’re just sitting there in front of the 13 inch Macbook.

Most people tend to be more comfortable with music that they can place within a genre; people tend to want to compare music to other music and often use other artists as reference point. With this Hawthorne album, it would be really difficult to find a place to put a physical copy of it, as the first whim that comes to mind is to stick it between a David Ruffin record and Eddie Kendricks record. Unfortunately, I don’t have a vinyl copy of this record. I said that to say this: “Arrangement” evokes the feeling of a quiet morning house cleaning; having woke up early as 9 a.m. and dropping the needle and grabbing a broom. There not being a lot of music out today to compare it with makes it stand out in my book… and makes it completely irrelevant in the (ears) minds of others.

All in all I enjoyed the album, but I feel like it would be totally hit or miss depending on who you give the album to. It probably could enjoyed most by a beat maker or a 70-something year old couple trying to rekindle what being young and in love felt like. In case I’m giving you too much credit for being intelligent; you realize that those are two extreme demographics and any project that can be enjoyed that expansively is, overall, a solid project in my book.

More Mayer Hawthorne: Stonesthrow | Myspace | enjoy!
Review by: know:juander

No Comments | In: Album Review, CS Exclusive | tags: album, arrangement, hawthorne, mayer, review, soul, stonesthrow, strange. | #