Wrecking Crew "Wu-Tang Pulp" (2012)

Philadelphia conglomerate The Wrecking Crew have just release their first full-length project, Wu-Tang Pulp. Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca and Curly Castro have reworked cuts from the iconic ’90s group’s catalog and, for some tracks, done straight cover songs. Zilla Rocca had the following to say of the project: “What started as a simple idea in 2009 has formed into a completely flushed out re-imagining of the most iconic collective in Hip Hop history. Wu-Tang Pulp is an album shaped from the hearts and minds of three die-hard killa bee fanatics who spared no details in paying the ultimate homage to their heroes. Tackling records from RZA, Ghostface, Method Man, etc. is no easy task when you grew up with 36 Chambers in your Walkman, drawing the “W” on your high school composition books, and rocking Tommy Hilfiger tees in the summer because Raekwon said so.” - via Respect Mag. Check out 2012's Wu-Tang Pulp as an exclusive Bandcamp release streaming below...

Has-Lo 'The Paul Tape' (Album Stream)

Here's the brand new instrumental project, 'The Paul Tape,' from the Philly MC/Producer, Has-Lo, who now lives in California. The project is an instrumental tribute to the legendary producer, Prince Paul, who if you've been paying attention, you know is one of my favorite producers. I've also publicly supported Has-Lo's music since 2010 and recommend you dig through his back catalog for a lot of great releases including the debut 'In Case I Don't Make It,' where he wrote and produced the entire record. On the instrumental vibe, his short but dope 'Reinterpretations' of Wu-Tang Clan joints had me open last year too. 'The Paul Tape' has 10 instrumentals with crisp drums, audio snippets from Prince Paul and some nice samples like on my favorite beat on the project, 'Hope Ya.'

Instrumental Vibes (Soundcloud Playlist)

I was in an instrumental mood earlier, so I put together a quick playlist of some instrumental vibes. I chose to go with some (mostly) mellow production for this playlist - a pattern I'm noticing more in the underground these days. It may be the case that some artists have found a lane that'll reach a larger market of casual fans who enjoy hip-hop. Certainly, I could argue that projects with more mellow production tend to focus on being album-based over single driven, and more content than braggadocio. There are plenty of exceptions, of course, but I'd sit with more albums if they were cohesive (sonically). The days of picking varied sounds to reach all the markets is hopefully dead, because those albums may reach many, but are liked by very few. Enjoy 20 tracks below.

Has-Lo 'In Case I Don't Make It' (Chairman's Choice)

'In Case I Don't Make It' deserves every ounce of praise its received, including Chairman's Choice, a highly coveted feature by Chairman Mao. Has-Lo was a one-man show on this project, handling every element with precision. I met Has-Lo at the old Fat Beats warehouse in May of 2011; I remember discussing the album with him - how I felt it was dark and gritty in places and that I really appreciated his transparency on the record. When I said 'dark,' he kinda looked at me like 'why do people keep saying that?' lol, then told me what to expect on future projects. He's right, his back catalog, as well as material he's released since, shows a wider range of colors, styles, and emotions. He's been at it for some years in Philadelphia, even has connections to my man, Esteban, so he's an artist I watch closely to support. One of my favorite tracks on the project is 'Storm Clouds;' that track is so tough, but the whole album is great, check it out below via Mello Music...