P-Lo drops STUNNA, a midsummer masterpiece studded with Bay Area hip hop royalty
Idris Ackamoor joins the Funkwrench Blues "Badass" series; interview and live recording of Baghead on Lower Grand Radio; Suzanimal, Saxreligious, RCA, and more
“Using growth mindset is a good way to break boundaries, whether personal or social. It’s important to recognize that we can grow and there are better days ahead of us if we work for them.” One of the best SF-based beatmakers, Baghead recently released Growth Mindset, a 22-track collection of precisely plucked samples, fuzzy stuttering drum kits, and soul-infused instrumental hip hop.
Right after his 26th birthday and the release of the new album—not to mention having seen the GOAT Kendrick Lamar perform at the Oakland Arena the night before—Baghead joined us on Lower Grand Radio for an interview and live performance.
Listen to the full show and check out the interview.
Peace,
ronny
MIDSUMMER STUNNA
“Stunna is a frequency. Stunna is having confidence in everything you do. Stunna is unwavering faith and belief. Stunna is moving with intention. Stunna is expressing yourself. Stunna is your inner light shining through. Stunna is Me. Stunna is You.”
Is it hot as hell or did P-Lo just drop the rap album of the summer? (Because we all know summer’s only halfway over around these parts.) The Bay Area native’s newest album STUNNA is a trim half hour of hyphy-inspired beats, effervescent verses, and breezy hooks—like a bottle of champagne getting popped and poured in the club track after track after track. Better yet, the album features some of the biggest and best in homegrown hip hop, including Larry June, Michael Sneed, Too $hort, Lucky, Kamaiyah, ALLBLACK, 22nd Jim, and LaRussell. Top it off with those poetical opening proceedings delivered by E-40, and you’ve got yourself an instant Bay Area classic. Check out a new interview with P-Lo over at UPROXX.
COSMIC SAX BLUES
Idris Ackamoor, the legendary SF-based saxophonist whose complete 1970s recordings with avant-garde jazz ensemble the Pyramids was recently reissued by Strut Records, is the next guest star on the Need to Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series by Funkwrench Blues. Less blues rock than earlier entrants in the series, “Song for Mongo” lays muted strummed guitars and starry-eyed, chime-dressed drum rudiments beneath Ackamoor’s astral brass wailing—ascending and descending again and again, from the depths of the soul to the center of the universe.
MORE SELECTIONS
Passing by Suzanimal
electro pop, indie rock, psychedelic, Oakland
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Elysia Marginata by Saxreligious on Hot Record Societe
fusion, hip hop, jazz, California
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“A Thousand Suns” by RCA
disco, R&B, vaporwave, San Francisco
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Live at the Hallowed Halls by High Tone Son of a Bitch
hard rock, metal, doom, Oakland
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Precession of the Equinox by Brogan Bentley
ambient, electronic, psychedelic, California
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Finally by The Birds I Heard was featured on Bandcamp’s New & Notable: “Modern indie songs with intertwining harmonies and searching refrains.”
folk, indie, pop, rock, Bay Area
LIVE
Our top show recommendations for the coming week:
[jazz] Saxreligious, Azuah, Salami Rose Joe Louis — Sep 9 at Bandcamp Oakland
[hip hop] Loe Gino, J.Lately, Ian Kelly & Poo$ie — Sep 9 at Cornerstone Berkeley
[experimental] Sarah Davachi — Sep 10 at Grace Cathedral
[experimental] Robert Nance — Sep 10 at SLATE Contemporary
[experimental] Negligente, Striations, Blood of Chhinnamastika, Infinexhuma, Field of Fear — Sep 10 at Columbus Cafe
[indie] Stella Donnelly, Maria BC — Sep 13 at the Independent
[club] Mighty Real ft. Diplo, David Harness — Sep 14 at the Great Northern
[electronic] Salami Rose Joe Louis x SMARTBOMB — Sep 15 at KQED
[hip hop] Large Professor, Raw Wattage, AMK — Sep 15 at Starline Social Club
[club] Public Works 12-Year Anniversary ft. Talaboman (John Talabot & Axel Boman), Amon Tobin, Jeff Mills, Acid Pauli — Sep 15-18 at Public Works