Guido’s vision of “Afrika” starts with the drums. Smacked Djembes incite the ritual around the 30 second mark, ceremonial thumps that set the stage for occult keys and synthesizers that sound like they were stolen from a lost Swizz Beatz vault. “Down Bottom” meets dubstep was once the mathematics in the orchestral lab. But while […]

Immaculately constructed psych-pop in the vein of ? and the Mysterians, 13th Floor Elevators, the Nuggets comp, and The Byrds circa “Eight Miles High.”  The Allah Las are from Los Angeles and record for the Innovative Leisure imprint, which is lights out at the moment. This song is some smoked-out 60s beach cruiser music — […]

Blood diamonds are too cliche and Roc Marc’s gift is putting a fresh spin on the familiar. So enter “Emeralds,” more crowbars and cars as flying carpets rap. If I were to pitch a reality show to MTV Iggy, it would involve Roc Marciano, Action Bronson, and Rick Ross competing to make up the most […]

Zilla Rocca, rap Serpico, updates his style from sepia film to contemporary house parties, covert phone calls, and the occasional parking lot car lean. Beyond existing as a metaphor for materialism, “Devil’s Pie” is also an archaic nickname for the 2004 Acura Integra.Why ask why? Small Pro supplies the horns and while no one could […]

At some point, Nacho will have to mix in different flows, but in the interim, I will endorse anyone who gets daiquiris thrown at him, grabs weaves, indicts “boppin’ ass bitches,” and rhymes “Gee Willikers,” with “fucked the bitch so good, I had to steal her purse.” Maybe it’s misogynistic, but c’mon, it’s all jokes […]

Somewhere, somehow, one of the old Altered Zones editors will see this video. When he does, he might like it so much that it will cause him to roll around in his grave in the shape of a Lamborghini VHS Cassette Rewinder. You can buy them at thrift store Mortuaries in Highland Park. I wrote […]

Lee Fields – Sunny from JazzReggae Festival on Vimeo. Listen to Lee Fields.

This plays out like Ghostface Killah wrote the scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High where Ron Johnson, stereo salesman, seduces Stacy Hamilton. Bronson looks like a cross between Bam Bam Bigelow and Slick Rick. Word to Roberto Clemente. In other news, Bronson, Roc Marc, Cormega, and Saigon went Mars over a beat from the […]

One Second of Love by Nite Jewel from Secretly Jag on Vimeo. Because every Real Housewives of Philadelphia champagne and strawberries soiree needs to be broken up by stoned face dance troupes, prostitutes in fishnet body suits and funky ibexes. I’ve been digging the new Nite Jewel album for a minute, but haven’t written about […]

Ka directed and edited this video. He made the beat too. He sealed the blunt wraps and crushed the raps. The grittiest dungeons did not need to be rented. You should listen to Grief Pedigree if you like vice grip rap more than Vice magazine rap.