Twista – They Want EFX (Freestyle)

The absolute cream of speedrap (312)’s Twista got ahold of an instrumental loop of Golden Era legends Das Efx‘s 1992 U.S. Billboard top ten platnum single They Want Efx and rips the track like he was shot out of a circus cannon. It’s way too short at 1:40 but Twista swings nicely from his signature words by the pound double-time delivery to a slower, Das Efx type cadence which is true to the original. It’s 16 bars and he’s gone. Peep the joint and give some thought to giving Dead Serious a listen for the hell of it. – Skylar Woodman

Editor’s note: Don’t be scared off by the low budgetry of the accompanying image. The track is really nice. – S.W.

Dj Premier & the Berklee Symphony Orchestra – Regeneration Remix ft. Apathy & Nas

The all-almighty DJ Premier leaked the remix to his entry on Hyundai’s promotional film on their new Veloster sport compact car entitled RE:GENERATION. You could consider Preem’s cut the title track from the film and the second time around he turned the beat up and brought in Connecticut’s Apathy to round out the joint. It’s modern boom bap from the best in the business. Included is the video on the making of the original version. Download the remix and keep the box turnt all the way up. – Skylar Woodman

Killer Mike & EL-P – Big Beast f. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble

Company Flow’s amazing El-Producto dropped a snippet last year of a track with onetime Outkast affiliate Killer Mike from their May 2012 LP R.A.P. Music and despite not even being a minute in length, I posted it here because it was just what I was looking for from these two. Yesterday EL-P leaked a full track from the project featuring Atlanta’s T.I. and Trouble, and it’s more of that patchy sledgehammer El-P production that we’ve never heard paired with dirty south trap rappers. You throw one of Texas’ all-time greats Bun-B in there, and you have a momentous posse cut can’t nobody front on. Mike is screaming on verses 1 & 4, Bun is super rhythmic and exhibits flawless cadence, and T.I. just spills syrup thick ATL drawl everywhere. Couldn’t like this track more. Download the joint and keep it turnt up to 10. R.A.P. Music is coming May 15th. – Skylar Woodman

Tomorrow, Monday the 13th at 10am EST, Manifest Favorite MC & Producer Jelani Day is going to film the making of his fourth EP with fellow Harlem rapper/artist, Rawkus 50′s Wildabeast. This will also be the fourth time these kids have sat down and crafted a hip hop EP over the course of a day- They’ve already dropped 2010′s Beastroc, and 2011′s Thin Walls, and Rising Shadows. Jelani put me onto his ustream channel where you can watch the writing, recording, mixing & mastering of the entire project. As of now I’ve got the artwork and the address- Come check the below link come 10am EST to peep some live Hip Hop in the making, & support a couple of really creative cats. See you Monday morning. – Skylar Woodman

Manifest Fam Phonte Coleman dropped the video forThe Good Fight lifted from Charity Starts at Home, his amazing 2011 LP. The video for The Good Fight goes from the cubicle to the condo to what looks like some vacant properties in downtown Raleigh. The stark reality is that foreclosures are rampant anywhere from Michigan to around ‘Te’s way in NC- and these visuals compliment the substantive nature of Phonte’s work very well. Peep the video and let the track sink in.. and please don’t give up if you’re fighting the good fight. – Skylar Woodman

Torch – Slowdown featuring Meek Mill, Wale, Stalley, Gunplay &Young Breed

Yesterday The Triple C’s consisting of Mayback Music Group’s Torch, Gunplay, and Young Breed dropped an ill new millennial posse cut ripping off the beat from EPMD‘s 1990 classic Rampage. Instead of Uncle L The Triple C’s brought along fellow label mates and Manifest favorites Stalley & Wale (no Pill?) along for numbers. It’s fun to hear cats in 2012 still using Lowell Fulsom’s twangy electric guitar loops, and I think the cut came out nice. Check out Slowdown, you won’t regret it. – Skylar Woodman

Blogger Donovan Strain over at MurkAvenue.com took O’Shea Jackson (Ice Cube died awhile ago) at his word and hit the virtual record books using Today was a Good Day as his criteria- and has determined January 20th, 1992 as the day behind the song. Take a look at his sleuthing below and go to MurkAvenue.tumblr.com to check the original post. – Skylar Woodman

Clear Soul Forces – Get No Better

Part of Detroit’s new generation of Hip Hop The Clear Soul Forces dropped the video for Get No Better, from their forthcoming LP (I’ve read like 4 different titles for the LP) Detroit #REVOlutions, dropping (3/13) in 2012. The track is produced by venerable Cali producer Kankick and it’s more of that classic lo-fi Kankick production that he’s been pumping out for decades. CSF has made some serious strides over the span of just a couple years, and I’m excited for Detroit #REVOlutions. Check the video and download the joint, and check on these kids again come March 13th. – Skylar Woodman

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8efjQGCfClc

The video for DJ Kayslay’s rogues’ gallery of speedrappers 60 Second Assassins dropped today and while the cut is from nearly two years ago judging by Twista’s “2010″ proclamation- it’s a dope cut nonetheless and the new video serves as a solid intro to the track if you missed out on it. While the Araabmusik production is mediocre at best, we do get some solid micwork from some Manifest favorites. Peep the video out and keep an eye peeled for Kayslay’s forthcoming Rhyme or Die LP in 2012. – Skylar Woodman