1.This Is How We Live “Intro” Produced By: Yobo 720
2.Man in Desperation Produced By: Mysterious
3.Leather & Wood Remix Produced By: Blackest Beatz
4.Watch Yo Mouf Produced By: Blackest Beatz
5.You Ain’t This Fly Produced By: Blackest Beatz
6.Come to Love Produced By: Blackest Beatz
7.Inside Ya Mind Produced By: Mysterious
8.Lady Produced By: Blackest Beatz
9.The Addiction (I Love You) Produced By: Mysterious
10.In the Wind Produced By: Tone Beatz
11.Night Life Produced By: Blackest Beatz
12.Pressure Produced By: Blackest Beatz
13.Sex, Money, Drugs (Outro) Produced By: Blackest Beatz
14.Leather & Wood (Original Version) Produced By: Blackest Beatz **Bonus Track**

I was sooooo ready for this to drop! SALUTE to Classic Stylez. Real hip hop still exists….that’s all I’m going to say. You check the mixtape for yourself.  Listen to a few of the tracks and then DOWNLOAD HERE for the entire mixtape. Make sure to leave your feedback here!

Preach Jacobs has been involved in the arts scene in South Carolina for quite sometime. Being a published author at age 15 and getting just as much acclaim for his photography and journalism as his music, Preach now comes full circle with his latest project “Maple St. Sessions” being released by London based R2 records this fall. Despite the accolades and attention he’s been getting working with some high profile artists in his past and near future, one thing is for certain: Preach acts as if it never happened.

“I’ve recently realized that I can’t be happy unless I’m working. I’m always writing or creating something because if I didn’t, I would be bored out of my mind.”

In the past few months, Preach has had much on his plate to stray away from boredom. He’s toured Japan back in April and plans on hitting up London this November in support of the new project “Maple St. Sessions.” An eight-song ep that is full of soul, maturity, happiness, heartbreak and hope.

On the song “Falling,” Preach addresses the tensions of love describing it as “learning to fly while you’re falling.” A song that very easily could end with love stinks, but Preach takes a different approach of acknowledging that shit happens, but moves forward anyway (with a Dilla dedication at the end that true heads will recognize).

“I believe that one of the worst things you can do in this type of business is to half-assed about anything. There was a small part in the movie ‘Amistad’ where Mathew McConaughey’s character was trying to tell Djimon Hounsou’ character that he ‘meant’ to do something. And the translator told him that there isn’t a way to translate the word meant in that language, either you do something or you don’t. My bank account sucks ass and yet I found a way to go to Japan. I know things get scary, but I’ve always told myself to not let the possibility of failure to dominate the hopes of success. You have to be that way. I don’t have a click or a crew to blow my head up all the time, so you have to be self motivated. If you’re not, fuck it, stop the music or whatever your passion maybe and go get a regular 9 to 5.”

“Maple St. Sessions” is another example of Preach going overseas to work with producers, with him collaborating with U.K. producer Denz. Denz’s style of production compliments Preach’s arrangements with his soulful-boom-bap sensibilities showing growth in Preach’s work since his debut album “Garveyism.”

Preach also recruited old time collaborator Clokwork for two of the ep’s cuts including “Oh Yes,” an afro-beat masterpiece that involves call and response and energy that a Fela show in the 70s might offer.

The song is the perfect opener for the ep, as Preach tends to do something that rappers seem to avoid these days: Have fun.

“I remember listening to that J.Period mixtape he did with all the Q-Tip music, and Tip said some great shit. He was talking about how Tribe’s music will always be important and people will gravitate to it because they were always honest and had fun. I remember growing up and seeing the ‘Buddy’ video and wishing that I could just hang with those< dudes. I love to use the music to speak out against injustices and frustrations but at the end of the day, if I don’t love doing this, then why am I torturing myself? Why spend all this money on pressing up cds, going to different cities and sleeping on people’s couches. There has to be a love for it, and for the people that don’t have it,
they’ll leave alone quick. I want to be in this for the long run.”

Other songs like the “Cool Out Remix” (original version is off of “Garveyism” produced by Nicolay) done by Denz is another ode to the obvious jazz-theme surrounding the record. Also, “Forest Whitaker” shows Preach at his most aggressive simply rapping. But I wonder, why call the song “Forest Whitaker”?

“What I love about that song, or just the ep in general is that it was organic. Denz and I didn’t really think about putting together a project, we were just working on music. Casually doing it, and I think that brings the best foot forward. When he sent me the “Forest Whitaker” beat I just felt like rhyming. Nothing about fight the power or on some mellow shit that people usually expect from me, I just wanted to rhyme. I mean, can a nigga have both a Tribe record and a M.O.P. record in their collection? I just thought the title would just be cool calling it ‘Forest Whitaker’ as if to say that rappers are all actors. If you’re going to be an actor, be a good one. Forest is that dude. I was just having fun and I think you can hear it on the record.”

In today’s musical climate it’s hard to be an emcee. The game is over saturated not to mention the digital age is killing major labels left and right. So, it must be a blessing that Preach isn’t just a rapper but a journalist, photographer and even is at the helm of his own comic strip published worldwide. Yet, none of this seems to effect Preach’s demeanor who doesn’t see the glass as half-full.

“There’s tons of stuff that I want to do. I just want to make a living out of what makes me happy. Something that I believe we’re suppose to do. I want my music to reflect what I do, and how I am. I don’t want to just be an emcee but I want people to feel it worthy to invest time and energy into whatever I do. My site isn’t a site for just my music, it’s full of shit I think is dope, articles and interview I do with other artists and more. Nowadays you have to be that way. People aren’t investing in a cd, they’re investing in you as a person. And people respond to what that are familiar with. I’m just like them.”

Buy Now!

Purchase Preach Jacobs and Denz “Maple St. Sessions” here @ SChiphop.com Now!

“Preach: What are you doing?”

“Nothing. What’s wrong?”

“Preach … you just need to come to the store. It’s unreal.”

Luckily I lived minutes away, but those five-minutes was enough time for me to wonder about what could have happened. Were we robbed? Was there a shooting? Did someone die? My wondering ceased when I drove past the store and noticed that I could literally see into the store. Some drunk driver — supposedly after too much tequila — drove his pick-up truck directly into our store through the concrete walls. Shattered glass, broken shelves, smashed CDs and not to mention tire marks on the floor had me waiting for Ashton Kutcher to come from out of the bathroom, telling us we were punk’d. The driver, who had been taken into custody by the time I had gotten there, didn’t have a scratch on him; he was found sleeping in his truck, minus a windshield, next door at the gas station.

Chuck, Sounds Familiar vet Joey Bull and I were the ones left to clean the store; fittingly we were the last three to tear down the store in the middle of January for Parklane’s dreaded closing.

I think I’m one of the only people in my immediate circle that loved his job. I mean, I absolutely loved my job to the point I would be there for hours on my days off. I had pride that we could call ourselves music professionals.

We knew the title of that gospel song you wanted when you didn’t know any of the words, but were only able to hum the tune. We knew the artist you were looking for with your vague description. And if you were calling us to find out how to spell an artist so you can download it, good luck looking for Ellvuzz Castelbow.

Every worker had his or her own customers. I had my hip-hop fanatics after turning them onto J. Dilla, Foreign Exchange and my solo album. And we could tell what kind of record you wanted based on how you waltz into the store. Pants sagging with a chain where I can see your name? Gucci Mane. Khakis with deck shoes? Robert Plant’s album with Alison Krauss. Tight jeans and purple Nikes? Lupe Fiasco. Walking in with tattered clothing asking for free promos and listen to the music in the players on the wall? You weren’t buying shit.

Life just isn’t complete without being cursed out by a senior-citizen gospel customer mad at you because the particular artist she’s looking for hadn’t released his album yet; the idea of explaining release dates and record labels to them is a losing battle. Or cleaning splashback on our private bathroom after rapper Yung Joc, stopping by during his tour, stayed in there for more than 10 minutes. Or watching over the young kids that are trying to be slick, but we knew they wanted to steal the newest DJ Dice mixtape with that hot Lil’ Wayne song.

But we had our great customers. Mr. Lee, the businessman that bought nearly $200 worth of gospel records each visit, and one of the nicest human beings you’d meet. Or Norris Dennis, a soft-spoken Southern gentleman who’s a truck driver by day but a DJ at night, and one of our most loyal customers. Or the infamous Greater Hits, who got his name by buying nothing but greatest hits by his favorite artist, and if you didn’t move fast enough he’d threaten to “body slam you, soldier!”

Besides the free promos, wearing what I want, promoting my own music and meeting exciting people, I actually loved the workers I was blessed enough to be around. Chuck, who’s a clean-cut, glasses-wearing, steak-and-potatoes-eating everyman, intimidated me when I first met him. He seemed like the biggest square on the planet. Now, I can’t imagine how my life would be without knowing him.

Or DJ Joey Joe a.k.a. The Bull, who has the largest vinyl collection I’ve seen and seemingly hates all the hip-hop I love (with the exception to Dilla) has become like a brother to me. Our arguments (as well as with other workers) have been legendary and even tempted me to seek other employment, but there is nothing I wouldn’t do for him. (He’ll probably be pissed that I’m writing about him. Or, as he would say, he’ll “sue me.”)

And, finally, Pete Smolen, the owner of Sounds Familiar, the man whose combustible temper scared the hell out of me when I first met him. Now, I believe I will never work for a better boss.

If I had to say why Sounds Familiar is closing down, it would be for three reasons: (1) The Internet, (2) the economy and (3) loss-leaders. It’s easy to bash the Wal-Marts of the world (even though they do kill small businesses), but I do know that times have changed. We’re just analog babies in a digital world.

I’m not bitter about leaving. I’m very sad indeed, but I’m not getting angry like people were when Dylan or Miles went electric. I can understand that times are changing; the only problem is now, that if you wanted to get an acoustic Dylan record, where would you go?

This isn’t about me losing a job; this is about Columbia losing a cornerstone of the community. About the nation losing the fundamental building blocks of a city: the music store.

I always wondered what Rob Gordon from High Fidelity would be doing if there was a sequel in today’s climate? The story would totally be different, as his store Championship Vinyl would have gone under and he would have joined the cast of Office Space, doing computer tech work.

I’m not bitter, honestly. It’s just the sign of the times. Nothing is going to be the same for me when the store closes. I guess I’ll have to get a real job and have a boss with a stick up his ass. For every co-worker that’s become a friend, for every friend that has become family because of this establishment, I am forever grateful. And I hope Columbia will realize what we’ve lost. But you might not realize it until you’re looking for that CD that you can’t find anywhere else.

Good luck using the ‘Net.

“I never gave myself that term, it was something that was given to me on air, and it stuck,” Prince Ice admits as he looks back on his on-air career in South Carolina. To celebrate he’s bringing old school legends like Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick and Nice & Smooth to the Koger Center in October, a treat rarely visited in the metro.

“To be able to make it 20-years is a blessing,” Ice admits. “People always ask me how did I do it, and I just tell them that if you love what you’re doing, it’s second nature. The best way to do your job is to just do it.”

Locating in the south over 20-years ago via New Jersey, Ice, son of a minister entered the world of broadcasting world when on-air DJs had the more freedom to break an artist. Unfortunately he seems the industry in a totally different light.

“The difference between radio then and now, is that back in the day DJs played music and the people chose what they wanted, now stations decide what they want people to hear.”

Jobs that used to be held down by on air-personalities are now taken over by syndicated talk shows and music programming that is logged into a computer instead of being manually computed by someone in the studio. In understanding this, Ice recognizes that his career as an online personality, like the record store, is that of a dying breed.

“When I got started stations were owned by independent companies or a family. It was usually one owner until 1995. That year Broadcasting laws were de-regulated and allowed companies to own more stations, so then they bought in clusters.”

As a result the technology became more apparent and more stations played more of the same songs that were pushed by larger labels leaving it difficult for independent artists to get on the radio. Ice explains the consequences of new-age radio.

“Local and indy music was affected first. Songs need to be broken and mix shows were the only place independent artists could get a shot. Now, the labels decide what they want people to hear. It’s more about spins now than breaking a record and getting someone into rotation.”

If that wasn’t enough, jobs of hundreds or radio DJs around the nation are losing their jobs because of syndicated radio shows. If a station has the Steve Harvey Morning show, there’s no need for a local radio personality. According to Ice in a soon radio DJs will go the way of the Beta Mac. But he’s not worried.

“You don’t need radio these days to get a record deal. Technology is making it easier for artists to exposure on their own. Since major labels are raping artists financially people are looking for other avenues. But no matter what, people still love the DJs.”

DJ Prince Ice’s greatest asset is his personable nature. He’s easy to approach and always focuses on working with positive artists, acting as back-up DJ for many local artists, something that other local personalities would never do.

“I just love people and doing what I do. There are actually DJs around here with bodyguards. People can just walk up to me when thy see me at I-Hop. I love that. I love doing what I do.”

Prince Ice’s 20 Year Anniversary Show will be held Oct. 9th @ The Koger Center. More info click here or check out his site: http://www.myspace.com/djprinceice

recently signed to def jux, danny! is also slated to have a track featured on missy elliot’s upcoming album as well as contributing to drake’s major label debut. check him out on his official site here. don’t say we didn’t tell you.

Buddah, whose sound is influenced by the likes of The Roots, KRS-One and Boot Camp Click, has a sound that’s reminiscent of rap’s glory days — the days before auto-tune and tight jeans when rappers were given props based on their ability to move a crowd. read the rest from the free-times here.

The homie Preach hit me up earlier this week with an exclusive first listen of his new project with Denz called Maple St. Sessions. The album is real ill and though it’s not quite ready for release yet, I got a couple of leaks for you all to check out. Preach is hard at work on a few different project right now, so let’s hope homie gets the shine he deserves. Check out the tracklist and artwork to this album after the cut, as well as grab the two leaks…
read full article