Tag: Big Ape

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Check out Freeway and Dutch Producer Big Ape Hanging out and Performing in Amsterdam in the “Primates” Video

The Philadelphia-based emcee’s latest single “Primates” is a collaboration with renowned Dutch producer Big Ape and it’s a swaggering headbanger of a track that has Freeway spitting fire over a looped and stuttering horn and string sample and tweeter and woofer rocking boom-bap beats and actual scratching from Sweden’s DJ Devastate. Of course the track is full of Freeway telling off wack emcees — reminding them that only is he dope, but that he’s probably their favorite rapper’s rapper as he uses a variety of cadences and flows and a creative sense of inner and outer wordplay throughout, while reminding listeners that not only is he still here and fiery as ever, but that real hip-hop ain’t dead either.

Directed by Ed Jansen, the recently released music video for “Primates” was shot in Amsterdam and features the emcee and his crew stomping around The Netherlands’ largest city, some live footage of Freeway performing in front of an incredibly enthusiastic crowd, and hanging in the studio with Big Ape.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the course of this site’s almost six year history, you’ve likely come across posts on Brooklyn-based emcee Shabaam Sahdeeq and as you may know, Sahdeeq recently celebrated his 20th anniversary in hip-hop as an artist. And considering the state of the contemporary music industry and that hip-hop has long been an extremely fickle genre, such longevity, especially as an underground/indie artist is a rather impressive, almost Herculean task. Interestingly, Sahdeeq has marked his 20th anniversary as an artist by being as prolific as ever — last year, he released the Modern Artillery EP, a collaboration with Swedish-born, The Netherlands-based producer Big Ape, and this year he’s collaborated with DJ Ready Cee and Spit Gemz on the politically charged single “News at 11.” 2016 will also mark the release of Timeless: The Collection and the latest single from the album “Fly Script” is a collaboration with DJ Doom that has Shadeeq rhyming about social media’s influence on hip-hop, artists and fans, the hustle of the hip-hop game, touring around the world as a musician, dealing with deceitful and dishonest people, and of course, gorgeous woman over a production consisting of boom bap beats, twinkling piano keys, scratching and chopped up vocal samples, along with ominously swirling synths. Sonically, the song has a menacing undertone that reminds me a little bit of It’s Dark and Hell is Hot-era DMX.

 

 

 

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Shabaam Sahdeeq Considerers The Consequences of a Life of Crime in the New Video for “Get It”

Over the course of the five year history of this site, Brooklyn-based emcee Shabaam Sahdeeq has been a mainstay artist, as I’ve written about him a number of times over the years. What you may not know […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Brooklyn-based emcee Shabaam Sahdeeq has had a lengthy 20 year career in hip-hop — and considering that hip-hop has long been a fickle genre, lasting more than a decade is a rather impressive feat. Of course after two decades, some people would think that an artist would start to slow down; however, Shadeeq has been hungrier than ever, as he proves on “Get It,” the first single off his Modern Artillery EP, slated for an October 13 release through Dutch/Swedish label, Elite Fleet Records. You can also purchase the EP on cassette when it’s available for Cassette Store Day on October 17.

“Get It,” produced by Dutch producer Big Ape features Sahdeeq spits some fiery verses full of braggadocio and pertinent advice for future artists while priming folks for what to expect on this EP and future projects — pure hip-hop comprised of emcees spitting bars and lyrics over dope beats. Speaking of production, Big Ape’s production consists of bright, brassy bells paired with a chopped up guitar sample backed by tweeter and wooter rattling, boom-bap beats and some incredible scratching throughout. The track channels hip-hop’s golden age, complete with a street banging grittiness.