Here's a new collection of Christmas inspired songs from the Low Budget Crew!
01. Kragenoff Pt.1
02. Kev Brown – Snowfall
03. Kragenoff Pt. 2
04. Roddy Rod – Donny’s Carol
05. Kaimbr – Carolofthebells
06. Kev Brown – Christmas Wish
07. Kragenoff Pt. 3
08. Kev Brown – Egg Nog
09. Kaimbr – MerryChristmas2U
10. Kragenoff Pt. 4
11. Kev Brown – We Car-roll-ing! (This Christmas)
12. Kragenoff Pt. 5
13. Roddy Rod – Cold Outside
14. Kragenoff Last In Line
The big day is finally here for fans of DMV triumvirate Diamond District. Their debut full-length album, In The Ruff, is out today via Mello Music Group. The album, which features two brand new tracks from the group as well as their hard to come by material from a limited release this spring, is available in stores and on iTunes. One of the just-released tracks is "Something For Y'all," produced by Kev Brown. While District member Oddisee produces the vast majority of Diamond District's songs himself, working with Brown hardly involved leaving the group's comfort zone. "Working with Kev is honestly keeping it in-house – he founded the Low Budget Crew and gave birth to everything that I'm doing right now. We wanted that signature Kev Brown sound- grimy soul."
"Something For Y'all" showcases emcees Oddisee, X.O. and yU trading verses, rapping to their audience, and trying to upstage each other. The track has a distinctively old school vibe. This old school spirit is one of the attributes that has made Diamond District's debut so hotly anticipated. While you won't find any Kangols in the vicinity of Diamond District (though Oddisee has been seen recently sporting a cardigan onstage), the track boasts a heaping serving of formative hip-hop flavor, and soul food. "Undefeated on my feet / when I'm dishing out defeat / like a plate of soul food with swine meat from Texas."
Unlike many boastful choruses, Diamond District are absolutely right when they rap together "We got something for y'all / the hardcore / something people been waiting for such a long time... we're down for the cause." That cause- real hip-hop- has been awaiting torchbearers as deserving as Diamond District for quite a while.
I'm finally back, and my catch-up marathon begins with this dope new music video from Kev Brown and the Low Budget crew for, "Another Random Joint," off the Random Joints album, which should be copped if you have not done so thus far. The video was shot by Apex and edited/produced by Humble Monarch.
Selective Hearing is the collaborative effort of LMNO with producer Kev Brown. LMNO is a certified studio fiend, with 10 albums released in the past decade as a solo artist and member of the Visionaries. Kev Brown produced over 75% of The Magnificent, when he entered the scene as a producer for DJ Jazzy Jeff. Releasing the acclaimed Jay-Z remix album, The Brown Album, his debut solo album, I Do What I Do (Up Above Records), along with his production work with artists such as De La Soul, Marley Marl, Biz Markie, Visionaries, Raheem De Vaughn, and Eric Roberson, to name a few, Kev Brown has earned the title as one of the torchbearers for the golden-era classic sound. Special guests on Selective Hearing include Ariano, LD, Francesca, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dudley Perkins, and Oh No.
01. Fanfare 02. The Beat Tape 03. Who's That 04. Show Up feat. Ariano 05. Selective Hearing 06. Get Away feat. Francesca 07. The Cause 08. We Got This feat. Oh No 09. Unheard 10. Make A Way feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins 11. Raise 12. Fanfare (Instrumental) 13. The Beat Tape (Instrumental) 14. Who's That (Instrumental) 15. Show Up (Instrumental) 16. Selective Hearing (Instrumental) 17. Get Away (Instrumental) 18. The Cause (Instrumental) 19. We Got This (Instrumental) 20. Unheard (Instrumental) 21. Make A Way (Instrumental) 22. Raise (Instrumental)
SoulStice speaks on "Birds Eye View", and working with Kev Brown.
"I'm from Chicago, but I've lived in the DC area for several years. Living in DC, you're so close to the politics and decision-making, but you're no more able to affect what happens than anyone else. It raises your awareness, but also increases your level of frustration at times. Conceptually, this song is an important piece of the "Beyond Borders" project because sometimes the best way to impact the world is to take a look at closer look at the way we do things here. I wrote the line about needing a Black president well before Obama was elected and I'm happy to see that prophecy fulfilled. Kev Brown, one of Maryland's finest rhymers and beatsmiths, joins me on this one...we actually recorded this joint at Kev's house."
Off the upcoming Low Budget release of the Random Joints EP, Kev Brown drops "Hennessey Pt. 3". This joint features the likes of Kenn Starr & Raheem DeVaughn with additional background vocals provided by Eric Roberson & Wayna.
You can find parts 1 & 2 on I Do What I Do, Kev's album from 2005.
As a little bonus, here is the "Alternative Joint", which you can also hear on the EP.
Kev Brown (Kevin Brown) born February 10, 1976 is a producer/emcee from Landover, MD.
Kev Brown's soulful style of production has earned him comparisons to revered producers such as Pete Rock, who incidentally helped Brown's career gain some momentum after introducing him to Grap Luva (Pete Rock's brother). The pair then went on to collaborate on "What Ruling Means", from Marley Marl's BBE Beat Generation installment Re-Entry (2001). His appearance alongside Grap Luva left an impression on the underground and he subsequently contributed a track to De La Soul's AOI: Bionix later that year.
Kev Brown continued to build his resume with contributions to DJ Jazzy Jeff's The Magnificent (2002). As a then-member of Jazzy Jeff's production-for-hire unit A Touch Of Jazz, Brown contributed no less than 7 tracks to the project yet it wasn't until his remix of Jay-Z's The Black Album, aptly titled The Brown Album was released in January, 2004 that he began to receive recognition.
As the first producer to do so (to date there are more than 100 submitted remixes of the project), Brown made use of Jay-Z's starpower and commercial appeal. Although his time in the spotlight was somewhat overshadowed by DJ Danger Mouse's The Grey Album (2004), a remix project of the same album noticeable for its use of The Beatles' White Album (1968) as a soundbed for Jay-Z acapellas, Kev Brown was nevertheless able to garner enough of a following to embark on a solo career.
After numerous productions and collaborations with artists throughout 2003 and 2004, Brown made his debut in 2005 with I Do What I Do through the independent Up Above imprint. The single, "Life's A Gamble", followed in early 2006. Although there was talk of Brown releasing a follow-up EP called Random Joints, this release did not see the light of day. Brown remained quiet for most of 2007, returning in February 2008 with Selective Hearing: The Beat Tape, a full-length collaboration with rapper LMNO of The Visionaries. Brown is one of the producers working with legendary New York rapper Busta Rhymes for "B.O.M.B", his eighth studio album. In August 2008, a track leaked on the internet call "Packin' Them Things" produced by Kev Brown, however there's no word on whether this track will appear on the album.
