R.I.P. DILLA...

Three years ago today, James DeWitt Yancy (better known as J Dilla), one of the most influential hip-hop producers of his era passed away from complications related to lupus.

NoDoz: HUDSON MOHAWKE

The first NoDoz nod of 2009 goes out to Glasglow, Scotland native Hudson Mohawke.

HudMo is part of a global scene along with fellow artists such as Mike Slott, edIT (Glitch Mob), & Ghislain Poirier that are pushing the boundaries of hip-hop and electronic music.

Some call it turbo crunk, others call it future blap, but regardless of the tag bestowed, one thing is for sure, this stuff is bangin'! Check out "Overnight" from HudMo's Polyfolk Dance EP for a sample (courtesy of Warp Records).

NoDoz: FLYING LOTUS

New feature here on stay puft dot com. It's called NoDoz. NoDoz will profile up and coming musical acts who are destined to make a big splash on the scene. Put another way, "don't sleep" on these featured artists.



First up is LA hip-hop beatsmith Flying Lotus. FL burst on the scene in 2006 with his debut for Plug Research, 1983. '83 shines with spaced-out keyboards, fractured rhythms & bass-heavy beats. Later this year he drops his ode to the city of angels, Los Angeles on Warp Records. Fans of Dabrye, Dilla, and SA-RA, take notice.

GUILTY SIMPSON...

Detroit heavyhitter Guilty Simpson unleashes Ode to the Ghetto this week on Stones Throw. Dude has been droppin' guest verses on nearly every ST release for the past year so it's nice to finally hear his first full length. Indie thug rap at it's finest.

ILLORD THA QUES VS. MADVILLAIN...

Fresh illustration from graphic designer Illord Tha Ques. Taken from "Finest Elements", a series of illustrations depicting different musical artists. More to come...