In an intimate setting of 100 people, Grammy-winning soul singer Bilal delivers a cathartic performance of “All For Love” featuring musical backing from Questlove, Robert Glasper and Burniss Travis. Notably, “All For Love” is the latest single and a small preview into Bilal’s forthcoming live studio albumLive at Glasshaus.
A mid-career retrospective, the project recorded, filmed, and livestreamed from Glasshaus in Brooklyn, NY., is part of the Glasshaus Presents concert series. For his part, Bilal’s eclectic performance features a supergroup of Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis as backing. Keeping in theme, the live rendition of “All For Love” is one of many standout tracks from the Philadelphia native’s discography, with fresh interpretations of the records on Live at Glasshaus.
Bilal’s latest album features reinvented renditions of prior classics.
After all the soul-bearing track was one of many anticipated records from Bilal’s shelved 2006 album, Love for Sale. However, despite its artistic brilliance, the album never saw an official release due to a premature leak and subsequent disputes with his former label, Interscope Records. Even so, as a testament to Bilal’s talent and strong fanbase, the project achieved legendary cult-status among fans and critics alike, while remaining a significant part of Bilal’s musical legacy, and a point of inspiration for this latest star-studded venture.
Bilal’s Live at Glasshaus features Questlove (top left), Common (top right), Robert Glasper (bottom left), and Burniss Travis (bottom right).
Bilal Presents: Live at Glasshaus
Thus after two decades of high profile contributions with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Beyonce, and Erykah Badu, Bilal’s musical legacy is receiving its just due with this latest 11-track project. After all the man who Questlove heralds as “one of the most pure, honest performance artists of this generation,” and a “true singer’s singer” is a 3-time Grammy winner famous for his musical dexterity. With high profile contributions with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Beyonce, and Erykah Badu, Common –who performs one of the project’s two inteludes– even makes the claim that Bilal is “somebody that will go down as one of the greatest.“
Bilal’s Live at Glasshaus will release on June 14 duringBlackMusic Month. However, On June 9, fans around the world will have the opportunity to witness the epic one-night-only concert via broadcast livestream. Tickets for Live at Glasshauss are for sale here.
Sports and hip hop have long been synonymous. In a world where athletes and rappers envy one another, the shared racial dissonance of black entertainers likens them. Thus maintaining a symbiotic link between an era’s biggest rappers and its biggest sports stars. Similarly, the shared cultural influence trickles down to fans and listeners alike, shaping the zeitgeist of the era. However, as we’re firmly entrenched in the “okay, boomer” era, pivotal moments in hip hop and sports have become a tolerated happenstance.
Yet, despite the cultural ambivalence towards the past, multimedia recountings maintain a niche audience. It’s in this essence that Saigon and Fredro’s debut collaborative effort, The Jordan Era, came to fruition. After all the veteran MC was initially only writing and recording a few records for two of Starz’s hit tv-shows Raising Kanan and  BMF — which chronicles the rise of the real life Black Mafia Family drug empire.
Saigon and Fredro capture a moment in time on “The Jordan Era.”
Markedly, BMF gained steam during the late 1980’s and became one of the nation’s largest drug-trafficking outfits during the 1990’s, a time of great cultural significance in urban America. Including the influx of street-level drug dealers making loads of money as a result of the crack cocaine epidemic, rendering them either neighborhood heroes or the latest cautionary tale. Nonetheless, the rise of the DIY pharmacist served as inspiration for hip hop’s golden age as rapper’s mimicked the style of the street hustlers and shared their war stories with the world. All of this combined with the peak of the world’s most popular sportsman — in Michael Jordan — resulted in a protracted cultural nirvana which Saigon and Fredro have summed up as, The Jordan Era.
The Jordan Era Album Review
I was making whole songs and they were only using like 10 seconds of it. I told Fredro we should make a whole album. I had all these great records that sound like ’80’s and ’90’s but I didn’t have any features. That’s when I got on the phone with Grand Puba and I called all these guys.
– Saigon
Much like other renowned biopics such as Walk The Line, Straight Outta Compton, or Ray, The Jordan Era is a time capsule into a significant period in American culture. Produced entirely by Swedish producer Fredro, the album features hip-hop pioneers the likes of Grandmaster Caz, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Puba, Kool G Rap, and more. Moreover, the album showcases Saigon’s raw ability as an MC. Emerging from the gagster rap craze of the early 2000’s the former Entourage actor is no stranger to hard-hitting lyricism. Yet, his versatility and creativity is at full showcase as he offers his own rendition of the greats that preceded him.
Saigon & Fredro hosted a “The Jordan Era” listening party/ Photo by Rob Tellerman
Standout Tracks
Beginning with the first song on The Jordan Era “G Miller” where he impersonates a fly talking rapper over 1980’s club music. “G Miller is my alter ego,” Saigon divulged during an album listening event. “It’s me just going in the booth and having fun just trying to be one of those fly ’80’s rappers that I grew up with.”
Following “G Miller” is “Lyrical Genius” featuring Grandmaster Caz, a quick-witted, upbeat lyrical onslaught where Grandmaster Caz reminds listeners of his songwriting prowess. In the ensuing music video Saigon goes full ensamble, sporting a full ’80’s style puma getup along with a kangol hat and the requisite dance moves. Immediately after comes “Think Twice” featuring Grand Puba, an upbeat, honest record reminding listeners that hip hop began with a “keep it real” mantra as Saigon spits “a rapper rapping about a killer and ya’ll say he’s the man, I see right through that n**** like he suran.”
As the album ages, so do the records, the beat selection and the lyrical subject, mimicking the dark undertones hip hop undertook in the early-to-mid 1990’s. Namely, Saigon recruits one of the pioneers of the mafioso sub-genre in Kool G Rap for “Make Money.” But all in all, the “The Letter P” rapper seemed focused on bringing back the essence of hip hop, showcasing his status as a professional MC with real, impassioned raps that serve as a tutelage for listeners sans any overt profanity.
Album Production
While Saigon’s skills as a songwriter are apparent, Fredro is a testament to hip hop’s global reach. Hailing from Sweden the multi-platinum producer began his career working with a whose who of the pop world from Sinead O’Connor to Christina Millian. However, hip hop was never too far away. “Hip hop was always the foundation,” Fredro shared. “Even if I work with a girl group in Tokyo there’s some kind of element of hip hop in there.”
As soon as the genre made its way to Sweden in the early 1980’s Fredro became a student and what was presumed a fad became a staple of their music culture. “Everything goes in cycles. This kind of sound is coming back. What’s funny is like boom bap never left Europe or Japan, its huge. All your favorite artists tour Europe and they go to Australia and Japan and Korea, they fanbase always stayed and never left.”
As a result Fredro produced every track on the album except one and even did all the scratches on the records. “I always loved scratching, it’s such a great element of hip hop that no one is doing. It’s like a guitar solo in rock & roll, it should be there.”
Ultimately, Saigon and Fredro offer a small glimpse into the world of yesteryear. Nonetheless, fans of classic hip hop and all its internal components (production, scratching, lyricism, songwriting) will be glad to spend a day in The Jordan Era.
On the eve of Haitian Flag Day, Haitian-American rapper Mach-Hommy released #Richaxxhaitian, bringing another edition to his extensive and culturally aware discography. Additionally, this latest LP is the New Jersey native’s first solo project since 2021’s Balens Cho and Pray For Haiti, the latter of which brought the purposefully reclusive rapper mainstream acclaim.
Mach-Hommy returns with his first solo project since 2021.
Donning his trademark Haitian flag over his face on the album cover, this latest 17-track, 47-minute project is kaleidoscopic in sound with varying musical themes throughout the album, giving the feel of a true feature presentation. However, Mach always returns to the themes of Haiti and its current social-political upheaval. Moreover, the proud Haitian rapper continues to bar music websites from transcribing his lyrics. Thus his weaving in-and-out between english and creole throughout the album maintains some form of mystique for non-creole speakers, inhibiting them in understanding but not in the overall listening experience. Nonetheless, Mach recruits the likes of Black Thought, Roc Marciano, Your Old Droog and frequent collaborator, Tha God Fahim to add to the overall lyrical experience for the album. Meanwhile, Conductor Williams adds his touch of slightly aged production to offer that raw, gritty, authentic feel to the album.
Although Mach-Hommy isn’t much for promo, he released a music video for the song “#Richaxxhaitian.” An uptempo, groovy track, it’s a departure from Mach’s usual tone, however the green and mountainous scenery and theme of the record reflect what Mach is trying to present in the name of the song and the album.
All in all, with no online presence, Mach-Hommy leaves his work to be consumed and debated with no input from him or anyone from his team. As a result he has pigeonholed himself a space in the creative hip hop lane.
New York City’s preeminent hit-maker A Boogie returns with Better off Alone, his first full-length project since 2022’s Me vs Myself. This latest 21-track LP sees the Bronx native interpolate his melodic raps with a new wave of production much akin to the new “sexy drill” phenomenon that has become prominent in the New York City landscape, going away from the slower paced samples that have become something of a staple for the Grammy-nominated rapper. After all the “Man in the Mirror” rapper, best known for his lovesick croons, continues to find ways to put a twist to his songwriting style that has made him unique in New York City hip hop lore known for their machismo. In like manner, A Boogie recruits three distinct features in Future, Lil Durk, Young Thug and Cash Cobain that also walk the line between rap braggadocio and emotional vulnerability.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie releases his 5th studio album
A Boogie – Better Off Alone
And while Better off Alone contains plenty of introspective A Boogie, with rumors of trouble between A Boogie and his longtime girlfriend preceding the album, it seems the project and its contents have been in the works very much in advance as all three records from his 2023 mixtape B4 BOA made the final cut. Thus “Did Me Wrong,” “Her Birthday” and “Booby Trap” all served as initial promotional singles for his latest effort, with “Her Birthday” standing out as a classic lovesick A Boogie track, followed by a similarly themed music video.
To cap off the album’s release, A Boogie brought popular podcast due Gillie and Wallo (Millions Dollarz Worth of Game) to the Bronx for an authentic, New York inner-city vibe. With A Boogie bringing his crew and a Lamborghini to the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx. Notably, Boogie even shouts out Gillie on “No More Questions” rapping, “In my city they treat me like Gillie in Philly.”
Meadowlark Festival — the Stone Ridge, NY three-day festival of indie, roots, and countercultural music that benefits farmers in Hudson Valley and nationwide — confirms its lineup for its 2024 fall festival.
Set for September 13-15, the 3-day event will feature performances from indie rock icons Blonde Redhead, NPR Tiny Desk concert alum and Hudson Valley artist Laura Stevenson, NYC garage rockers and Yep Roc artists Daddy Long Legs, Kentucky songwriter Joan Shelley, Boston Music Award-nominated blues guitarist Ryan Lee Crosby, the “sweetly flavored folk-pop” music of Fruit Bats, WXPN-named “Artist to Watch” Slaughter Beach, Dog, Newport Folk Fest favorites Deer Tick, the psychedelic space rock of KidBess & The Magic Ring, along with Honeycrush and Lulu Lewis. Also performing are the “first couple of Americana” Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, and artsy Manhattan garage-rockers Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage, with a special guest set for reveal as the festival draws closer.
Lineup for the 2nd annual Meadowlark Festival revealed
All in all, the 2nd annual Meadowlark Festival continues to garner support for farmers local and nationwide and supports organizations who are aligned with the values of promoting food security and advocacy for local farms. These organizations include Farm Aid, Rondout Valley Growers Association (RVGA), and Hudson Valley Center For Food, Culture & Agriculture. The festival takes place at Stone Ridge Orchard & Farmers Market, a 200-year-old working farm on 115 acres.
Moreover, tickets for Meadowlark Fest 2024 are on sale on the festival website, with prices ranging from an early bird special and day-of pricing. For instance, a 1-Day general admission early bird ticket costs $70, but will be $100 on the day of, with similar rules set for parking passes.
Meadowlark Festival to take place at Stone Ridge Orchard & Farmer’s Market
Additionally, Meadowlark Fest will feature local artisans, food vendors, award-winning artisanal hard apple ciders, and more with more details to come. Less than two hours north of New York City and a twenty-minute car ride from the Kingston Metro North railroad station, Stone Ridge Orchard and Farmers Market in the scenic Roundout Valley sits between the Shawangunk Ridge and the Catskill mountain range in the Hudson Valley region.
Legendary musician Graham Nash will be bringing his “Graham Nash – More Evenings of Songs and Stories” tour to the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stageat the historicCarnegie Hall on Tuesday, October 1. Set for an 8:00 p.m. start time, Nash, a founding member of both The Hollies and Crosby, Stills and Nash, will be performing a body of work spanning over six decades that includes a litany of monumental recordings.
Graham Nash to bring ‘More Evenings of Songs and Stories’ tout to Carnegie Hall
Additionally, the Carnegie Hall audience will be treated to a special guest in Judy Collins, whose own legendary body work spans more than seven decades. In light of his special performance tickets have already gone on sale on the Carnegie Hall official website. Ticket prices range from $69, $89, $99 and $149.
Judy Collins’ legendary career has seen her remain active for over seven decades
Moreover, Nash offered a preview to the midtown-Manhattan venue’s crowd making an unannounced appearance at Crosby, Stills, and Nash tribute concert at New York’s Carnegie Hall on Monday, May 13. Although Nash wasn’t officially on the bill, he came out at the end of the night to perform a moving rendition of “Our House.”
For his part, Nash is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee who has seen rock history unfold at some of its seminal moments. After all the Blackpool-bred musician began making history during the launch of the British Invasion with his work with CSN, while perfecting his craft during the birth of the Laurel Canyon movement a year later. An extraordinary Grammy Award winning renaissance artist – and self-described “simple man” – Nash has contributed a wealth of songs to the soundtrack of our lives. Moreover, the “I Used to Be a King” singer is a two-time inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, for his work with CSN and his work as a solo artist.
Similarly, the eternal Judy Collins has inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism throughout her extensive career. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence continues to shine brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 55-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
In the midst of a great run of releases, Conway The Machine remains as prolific as ever with the release of his latest EP, Slant Face Killah. This latest effort follows a continuous run of projects that solidify Conway as a solo force in hip hop. This time the Buffalo native has tabbed a host of legendary and contemporary figures for guest appearances and production.
Notably, Slant Face Killah features Wu Tang members Raekwon and Method Man, along with Joey Bada$$, Stove God Cooks, Tech N9ne, Memphis native Key Glock and west coast stalwarts Ab-Soul and Larry June. Moreover, Slant Face Killah sees production from Swizz Beats, Cool & Dre, Don Cannon, Conductor Williams, Daringer and The Alchemist. All in all, Conway The Machine presents another diverse project testing his songwriting prowess and his adaptability with various forms and sounds of hip hop.
Slant Face Killah continue Conway The Machine’s prolific run of releases.
Conway The Machine On The Rise
However, since the release of 2022’s God Don’t Make Mistakes, commercial breakthroughs have become the norm for The Machine. In like manner, his success continued in 2023 in what was Conway’s most commercial and critically successful year to date. Notably, in May of 2023, Conway released his Drumwork debut Wont He Do It and with it launched a worldwide tour. He returned with a ensemble label album in Conway The Machine Presents: Drumwork The Label and followed that with the Speshal Machinery (with frequent collaborator 38 Spesh), Palmero (with Wun Two) and Conductor Machine (with Conductor Williams), and most recently Hall & Nash 2 with Westside Gunn and produced by The Alchemist.
Known for the quality and quantity of his output, Conway The Machine returns after a yearlong sabbatical in between solo projects. The 14-track project spanning 1 hour and 6 minutes will serve to remind fans of the rapper’s lyrical prowess, while solidifying his curation and songwriting, key attributes as he heads his label Drumwork.
On the heels of back-to-back chart topping albums, Future and Metro Boomin will be bringing live performances to an arena near you after announcing a “We Trust You” North American tour, with a performance at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center set for the summer.
Notably, Future and and frequent collaborator/ producer Metro Boomin took the internet by storm with the release of We Don’t Trust You on March 22, creating plenty of social media fodder with disses to Drake littered throughout the album, including the heavily deliberated Kendrick Lamar verse aimed at Drake and J. Cole. Less than 3 weeks later the duo made more waves with the release of a second, double-album in We Still Don’t Trust You, serving as melodic counter to the heavily trap influenced predecessor. In like manner, the latter is expected to have high first-week numbers in another chart-topping effort from the prolific duo.
Future and Metro Boomin’s “We Trust You” tour comes to Brooklyn this summer.
“We Trust Your Tour” Details
Thus, the duo announce their “We Trust You Tour” that will see them perform throughout the United States along with two notable dates in Canada roughly a month apart, including an August 11 stop in Drake’s hometown of Toronto. Presented by Live Nation, the “We Trust You Tour” begins on July 30 and will see the duo perform 27 dates in roughly a month-and-a-half. Moreover, they will bring the show to the Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with an August 15 date in New York City, before closing out the tour in Canada with a September 9 performance in Vancouver. Other notable stops include performances in Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Presale tickets for the “We Trust You Tour” are available Wednesday, April 17 for Cash App card customers, starting at 10 a.m. local time. Additionally, general sale will begin on Friday at 10 a.m. local time on livenation.com.
DJ Premier and Snoop Dogg stay tapped in with the streets as two of hip hop’s most revered figures come together for the official music video to their latest single “Can U Dig That?.” After releasing the single a few weeks ago, the duo have now come together adding visuals to their groovy west coast track. Featuring cousin and fellow original Death Row records signee Daz Dillinger, “Can U Dig That?” pays ode to the state of California, their hip hop legends, and the urban life profiled throughout many of their songs.
Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger and DJ Premier pay tribute to the West coast in their new single.
“Can U Dig That?” Official Video
In light the music video follows a similar path as the record. Notably, Snoop Dogg is seen at a roundtable with with Daz Dillinger with DJ Premier on the 1’s and 2’s as the duo enjoy a trademark joint while Snoop reminisces on his journey as a West Coast native. Similarly, the record contains plenty of famous name drops as Snoop pays tribute to some of California’s most recognizable faces in hip hop, including Easy-E, E-40 and Ice-T. With a backdrop of a G-funk inspired beat with the now-iconic DJ Premier record scratches, Snoop also pays tribute to inner-city California life encapsulating the overall vibe of the Wes Coast. Uniquely while Snoop acknowledged the shootouts, those “on the yard,” he puts a positive twist to the record urging for the beef in the West come to an end.
Though Premier and Snoop have worked together previously; Snoop appeared on Gang Starr’s The Ownerz Album (“In The Life…”), Premier produced two songs on Snoop’s Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Boss album, “Unfucwitable” feat The Lady Of Rage from Snoop’s Doggy Style Allstars Vol. 1, “Can U Dig That?” is their first collaboration under DJ Premier and Ian Schwartzman’s independent imprint TTT.
Saigon and Swedish, multi-platinum producer Fredro release another track from their upcoming EP, The Jordan Era, channeling the musical ethos from one of the most romanticized periods in pop culture history. After the initial release of “Lyrical Genius” featuring Grandmaster Caz (co-author of “Rappers Delight” and the emcee with the longest running tenure atop the billboard Hot 100 Charts), the duo then released “Get Loose” featuring the legendary Pete Rock, with Saigon channeling the frenzied, experimental sound of hip hop from the early 90’s. In like manner, this latest effort,”Think Twice,” sees the duo recruit another great from hip hop’s golden age in Brand Nubian‘s Grand Puba.
Saigon and Fredro recruit another hip hop great for their latest release “Think Twice.”
Saigon and Grand Puba Make you “Think Twice”
“Think Twice” follows a similar recipe as the rest of The Jordan Era. In fact, you can hear “Think Twice” in season 3 episode 2 of the Starz breakout hit show BMF, chronicling the late ’80’s and ’90’s rise of the real life BMF drug empire. Staying true to the era Fredro comes with the jazz-inspired, funky production that littered the late ’80’s and ’90’s in hip hop. Moreover, Saigon and Grand Puba’s purposeful delivery are matched by their equally apt rhymes.
Keeping in theme with ’90’s lore, the duo drop plenty of knowledge along with their fair share of hip hop braggadocio. However, the purposeful record maintains an overall uptempo, positive and knowledgeable tone. While hip hop has evolved over the years, one of the main downturns in the genre has been the lack of positive messaging in contemporary music. In light Saigon, Fredro and Grand Puba look to bring back the times with this latest effort.
Growing up, Brand Nubian was one of my favorite groups, and Grand Puba as a solo artist shaped and molded my fashion sense at that time, and he is my favorite artist of all time. Grand Puba has never gotten his due respect. Before Kanye, it was Puba who made the rugby with the knapsack look cool. He also always made sure there was some kind of a positive message in his music.
– Saigon
The Jordan Era sees production entirely from Fredro, while sonically honing in on the 10-year from 1986 through 1996. Additionally, the album features guest appearances from Grandmaster Caz, Pete Rock, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Rockness Monsta, Craig G, Ill Skratch—with more features set for reveal upon release. The Jordan Era will be releasing on May 3 via Payday Records.
