yU - Beats & Rhymes (Remix) (Prod. by Oddisee)

For those of you who prefer physical copies of albums rather than digital, yU (1/3rd of the Diamond District) will be officially re-releasing his 2009 mixtape "Before Taxes" via Mello Music Group on March 13th, 2010. Fellow Diamond District member Oddisee has contributed two remixes to the retail version, but made several like this one below.

Download: yU - "Beats & Rhymes" (Remix) (Prod. by Oddisee)
Bonus: yU - "Beats & Rhymes" (Original) (Prod. by yU)

Read more...

Oddisee feat. yU - yU Traveling (NYC Remix)

Life on a road is rite of passage for every artist, and each stop on the journey leaves an indelible mark on those who pass through. MC and producer extraordinaire Oddisee, one third of one of 2009's celebrated group Diamond District, is certainly no stranger to the travel game, having visited the shores of Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa and South America in the name of boom-bap. Be it the sleepy ambiance of a wayside town, or the frenetic energy of a major city, the experiences of Oddisee's worldly adventures are channeled into his new 24-track instrumental album Traveling Man, out now digitally and available as a limited edition vinyl pressing on February 23rd.

In an effort to re-imagine a trip into Gotham City, Oddisee has recruited fellow Diamond District rhyme-slinger yU as passenger for a remix to "NYC." The Big Apple has never sounded so good, as yU laces an electric 16 bar verse over a vibrant track that captures a slice of the timeless spirit of the city. Infectious drums and soaring strings serve as a sonic travel guide through the boroughs as yU echoes the resilience of NYC, rapping that there's "a lot more to do, but off to a good start." Safe travels, everyone.

Download: Oddisee feat. yU - "yU Traveling (NYC Remix)"

Read more...

Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - Get Up (Prod. by Oddisee)

To celebrate the vinyl-only release of their album precursor EP, Heaven Or Hell, the always-eclectic duo Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime are proud to release a new single from the forthcoming SomeOthaShip. "Get Up" is the track and it features contributions from Prince Po, yU, and German DMC Supremacy champion DJ Clear. Over the track's brooding, resonating piano, horn stabs, and wobbling bass line, Declaime, with his unorthodox, winding rhyme patterns, is the track's clear standout.

The "Get Up (GoGo Remix)," produced by Oddisee, who also produced the original, was made to give the original song a sound more cohesive with the rest of SomeOthaShip. Replacing the dark pianos and horns of the original with blaxploitation guitar strums, distorted synthesizer bass, loose drums and percussion, and funk horns, the remix instantly takes on a new vibe – a cosmic blending of Oddisee's Washington D.C. GoGo with Georgia & Declaime's west coast funk. And while the original prepares the listener for war, the remix serves a different purpose, as Declaime raps, "Taking y'all humans back to school / Feeding y'all this fOnk until you're full." Eat up.

Georgia & Declaime's SomeOthaShip will be available via Mello Music Group at all digital retailers on February 16th and all physical retailers on February 23rd.

Download: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Get Up" (Prod. by Oddisee)
Download: Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime - "Get Up (GoGo Remix)" (Prod. by Oddisee)

Read more...

Diamond District - I Mean Business (Remix) (Prod. by yU)

Continuing with their mission to bring back the sounds of old with a new twist, Diamond District's "I Mean Business" Remix combines a laid back bass groove, an addictive drum pattern, and is laced with the unmistakable lyrical prowess of group emcees Oddisee, X.O. and yU. The track is a further testament to their ability to capture the essence of the boom-bap sound, mixed with street savvy and politically conscious lyrics that depict life in and around our nation's capital.

Download: Diamond District - "I Mean Business" (Remix) (Prod. by yU)

Read more...

Diamond District - Diamond Exchange (Mixtape)

Gearing up for their October 27th release of In The Ruff, DMV's Diamond District is leaking a twelve-track mixtape compiled by DJ Buddy. Featuring four songs from the upcoming album along with a mix of each of the group member's solo work, these tracks all come together to comprise the Diamond Exchange Mixtape with all of the tracks laced together seamlessly with cuts and transitions courtesy of DJ Buddy, who states, "I mulled it over with my mom and we decided Diamond District is the definitive hip-hop group of today." Returning the compliment, group producer/emcee, Oddisee, speaks highly of DJ Buddy and his involvement in putting the mixtape together, saying, "DJ buddy is great and in all honesty this mixtape is all him. He's an actual fan and supporter of our music and movement. The mixtape was actually DJ Buddy's idea and he presented the idea to us. We're fans of a lot of his remixes, so it was in honor to be included in his series." Each of the tracks throws the spotlight onto one of the group's members, letting them each showcase their talent, including the track "In the Jungle," which features a purely instrumental performance by Oddisee. Although a pre-album mixtape, don't let it throw you that a handful of these songs are not on the album – not one of them lacks in the high quality production or deft lyrics that the group has become known for.

Preview:


Download

Read more...

Diamond District: Mini Documentary

In anticipation of the official release of their forthcoming debut effort, In The Ruff, the trio of Oddisee, X.O., and yU, collectively making up the group Diamond District, take some time out from their day to break down the boundaries that define the area where the group was born and raised – the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). From a bird's eye view, Oddisee points over the bridge to where he grew up in Maryland and X.O. and yU show us where our nation's capital lies on the northwest corner. Diamond District is essentially standing at the crossroads of the DMV, and even more important than their geographic location is the mind state and way of life that comes from living at that intersection. As the video progresses, each member brings us a little deeper into their worlds. X.O. explains how the movement began in DC and slowly spilled over into Maryland and Virginia; YU brings us into his friend's apartment where he delivers a flow packed with cleverness and slick delivery; Oddisee brings us into his modest home studio where he shows us that you don't need a lavish setup to create head-nodding beats that we are accustomed to hearing from the boom-bap beat-smith. And with each segment you leave with more insight than you came with, as the trio drops knowledge, both individually and collectively. Diamond District's In The Ruff will be available October 27th via Mello Music Group.

Read more...

yU - Before Taxes

www.myspace.com/yuremainz

01. Before Taxes Intro (prod. by Slimkat78)
02. Beats & Rhymes From March 25 (Kick Styles) (prod. by yU)
03. Almost Time (prod. by Kev Brown)
04. Thought About It (prod. by yU)
05. BreakDown feat. Bilal Salaam (prod. by Bilal Salaam)
06. Corners feat. EyeQ (prod. by yU)
07. The Up & Up (prod. by Slimkat78)
08. Close feat. Isabella Banneker (prod. by Slimkat78)
09. Fine (prod. by yU)
10. Lunchin’ (prod. by Oddisee)
11. Native (prod. by Slimkat78 & yU)
12. Memory feat. ERK (prod. by yU)
13. The Rock (prod. by Slimkat78)
14. InTheReign feat. EyeQ & Omun (prod. by yU)
15. MmHmm (prod. by yU)
16. Brainwash feat. Grap Luva, Finale & OP Swamp 81 (prod. by Slimkat78)

Preview:


Download

Read more...