“…They think they coming hard looking like they tip drilling,
Their live shows be sounding like a bunch of pigs squealing…”

Produced entirely by Nottz, Rah Digga’s new Classic album is released 14 September via Raw Koncept.
Pre-order: iTunes / Amazon [UK] / Play

Lauryn Hill explains why she performs her classics so differently now [Video]

“There’s been such a long period of time where I haven’t been able to communicate where my mind is, where my consciousness is, where my ideas are,” Lauryn Hill told MTV News last weekend, following her performance at Rock The Bells in New York.

In the video below, Ms Hill talks about her pleasure to be on the festival’s line up and describes the high she gets from expressing herself onstage. Many who have seen Lauryn perform live in recent years have been disappointed to hear her Fugees and Miseducation classics chaotically reworked to almost unrecognisable form.

She explains the changes: “I have to upgrade them a bit so that they’re still exciting and fresh and they’re new. There’s something almost jazz-like the way I approach performances. I’m not sure if the audience really understands. We need, or at least I need, a certain amount of spontaneity, a certain amount of improvisation every show.

“I might have gotten spoiled from the Fugee days. We used to improvise a lot. It kept it so fresh and exciting. I need that. I need that improvisational, almost jazz-like improvisational dynamic when I’m onstage. It keeps it so exciting.

“It’s that unknown, that literal X factor that makes every show something different — something unique and something I want to continue to do.”

Fabolous x Black Tree TV Interview (Video)

BlackTree TV sat down with Fabolous shortly before his performance at the Heineken Inspire Event last week. Here the rapper speaks on Ryan Leslie’s energetic vibe in the studio, getting into the industry, ‘throwing it in the bag’ and his thoughts on Twitter.

Skillz x Raheem Devaughn – “Call Me Crazy” | New Music

Raheem Devaughn adds his trademark breathy harmonies to Skillz‘ relationship raps on “Call Me Crazy” from his forthcoming album, The World Needs More Skillz – out on October 10th.

DOWNLOAD [via Yk2]

Preview Taylor McFerrin’s ‘Early Riser’ EP

Taylor McFerrin – the producing, performing, beatboxing son of 10 time Grammy winning vocal wizard Bobby McFerrin – has unveiled three delightful tracks from his forthcoming project, Early Riser.

Featured songs “Awake To You,” “Place In My Heart” [featuring Ryat] and “Done For” take the listener on a journey weaving through echoing dreams and trails of dubstep. Quite sublime.

Visit taylormcferrin.com to download.

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