Introducing the band you have to see to believe..

Sean Price: The Contenderby Rob Boffard)

It’s the mid 80s, and Mike Tyson is back in Brooklyn. Yet to fight Trevor Berbick and win the WBC Title, the fighter is taking some time out, kicking it with his boys outside a building in the spot where he grew up, Brownsville. He’s perched on a parked car when he’s approached by a scruffy kid.

“Yo, you gotta get off my mom’s car!” says the kid to the one of the scariest fighters on earth.



Tyson looks at him: “Come here, shorty,” he says.

“In my hood, it’s a demotion for somebody to send you to the store,” laughs Sean Price as he remembers his run-in with Tyson. “He took my Bon Ton potato chips [and] told me to go to the store for him – and I went! But he gave me $20 though. That was a lot back then…”

Price might be one of the grimiest, rawest MCs you’ll ever hear, but he loves stories. Not only about the time Tyson robbed him, but about everything from working with soulful, distinctly un-gutter producers like 9th Wonder (“You know what 9th do? He leave me the beat and get out the room!”) to the birth of his daughter, also named Sean. (His best babycare tip? “Do what your wife tell you and shut up! I’m dead serious. She the boss. You wanna get along, just do what she saying! That’s it. Makes for better sleep!”)

One wonders what Tyson would say if he found that his name graces Sean’s upcoming LP, Mic Tyson. “I don’t know [what he’d say]. I don’t care what he’d say, but if I see him before the album drops, I’ll tell him. We’ll see what he says!”

Sean Price occupies an odd position in the game. He’s one of the most respected MCs in rap, with several critically acclaimed solo records under his belt, an astounding group rep and one of the best records as a guest rapper in the game. It would be very difficult to find a hip-hop head who doesn’t respect him and his body of work. On the other hand, while he might not rock the Brokest Rapper tag anymore, he’s not exactly rolling in it. His dedication to ultra-hardcore street rap and his refusal to deviate from his aggressive, thundering flow has meant that while he’s kept a core audience, he’s not always drawn in new listeners. You can see this in the way he describes his new record: to put it bluntly, he won’t be altering his style one iota.

Read the rest of the interview @ Okayplayer

OKP: Keeping with Toronto and Canada, how do you think Drake has influenced the US perspective of Canada’s hip hop scene? 

Shad: I think the great thing is that it’s not just Drake that’s popping off right now but also K’Naan. Kardi’s career is on another level now. K-OS as always etc… So the great thing about that is not only that Drake’s breaking down doors, but you have a few artists out now that are all doing their own thing. That’s such a positive representation of the quality and diversity of artists we have right now.

except from an Okayplayer interview with Shad

This is my favorite album. 

If you’re sleeping on this album, you’re sleeping on a classic..

Black Thought is my favorite emcee and always has been.

Money Making Jam Boys // The Prestige: Jam Boy Magic [Mixtape]

After tearing ish up at Hiro Ballroom in NYC last night, Black Thought, Dice Raw, Truck North, STS, and P.O.R.N. aka the Money Making Jam Boys hit us with their new mixtape today, as promised. We’ve been talking up this project for a minute now, and the final product is definitely worth all the hype. The Prestige: Jam Boy Magic (presented by 10.Deep & mixed by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban) has production from DJ Jazzy Jeff, ?uestlove, Khari Ferrari, Frank Knuckles, and more. Follow me after the jump for 17 tracks of Jam Boy Magic.

(via 10deep)

J.Period x The Roots x John Legend – Wake Up! Radio [Mixtape]

“When this project began, I was excited to explore the legacy of soul music behind the WAKE UP! album, but I had no idea of the level of access and creative freedom I would be granted by John Legend & The Roots to tell that story. The result is not only something that traces musical history lines from artists like Marvin Gaye to contemporaries like John Legend — but something that adds to that history: brand new collaborative tracks as if Marvin & John recorded together. It’s simply unprecedented on a mixtape. And I am particularly proud of the fact that all of it speaks to the true power of music to carry a message, and have a positive impact on society, and on people’s lives.”

- J.Period

“It really ain’t no process, we just make music. When you feel inspired to do something, you just do it. We actually have the time and space to do this kind of thing right now. A lot of music starts as a growing process, a passion.”

- Dudley Perkins

“They’re glorifying destruction of our community, of our people, of our culture of hip hop. These cats are zombies, man. And these cats need light shed on ‘em. I’m talking about drugs. I’m talking about guns. I deal with these things in my music, but the glorification of these things is horrific. It’s horrifying. It kills children. It kills people. I touch on the results of said glorification, but I definitely don’t partake in it. That glorification is a complete lack of sun light.”

- Homeboy Sandman

You are now in tune to the sounds of the legendary foundation.

The prophetic Lauryn Hill once said, “Seasons change, mad things rearrange, but it all stays the same.” This is true for the Philadelphia-based collective The Roots. Having survived more than a decade in a harsh music industry that has allowed them an almost infinite amount of critical success, but a criminal lack of mainstream success, the group has gone through countless changes in sound and membership. And never is this more apparent than in their legendary live performances.

The Roots are considered one of the twenty best live acts in the world by Rolling Stone magazine. Despite their ever-evolving status, the common goal has remained constant throughout: “Infinitely go against the grain.” Consider this the beginner’s guide to understanding The Roots‘ live show.

A Feature by Adrian Ruhi.
Adrian is a journalism major at the University of Florida and is an album critic for okayplayer.

“I had the following since high school. Instead of doing sports or playing video games, I was making music. Mixed it, mastered, manufactured it. Then we just went to the stores and sold them. We got shows on consignment.”

- Aloe Blacc

(except from okayplayer interview)