"They’re here to shake the foundations."

The Quakers get their name comes from earthquake, a 35 member Hip-hop group that focuses on three producers: Fuzzface, 7-Stu-7 and Katalyst. You can read more about them here. 
I love instrumental music, Jazz, Classical, Hip-hop beats, Noise, Electronic ect. so it goes without saying that when amazing producers and composers make music with lyrics I love when they release the instrumentals of the original songs. Normally this takes months or years to come out with the instrumental only albums, but Quakers are releasing their debut album with both the original and instrumental versions 2 CD or 2LP  formats. Split evenly originals on one disc instrumentals on the other. 
From what I have heard from them the music is amazing. Touching on Big Band Horn Jazz, Electronic, to everyday Hip-hop. I pride them for being creative and finding a wide array of rappers, but sometimes I don't want to here someone rapping about stuff I don't care about, let the music speak. Poetry in music is creative, encouraging, and inspiring, it has its time and place. With Quakers they are letting us choose what we are in the mood for. Check out a few of their tracks here, if you like what you hear, buy the album!

I Bleed.

Smoke of Oldominion's debut solo album "Bleed", was released in 2006. Dwelling in Lynnwood Washington, not a place where a lot of Hip-Hop is being produced, it did not sell many copies.
This release is very unique, I haven't really heard a sound like Smoke's. The album is almost perfect in my mind, excluding one song, "Played yourself", not a bad song, but not a good song, it normally gets skipped when I listen to the album. The album travels through many genres, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, Rock, Experimental. His lyrics touch on, his walk with God, fake rappers, politics, also struggles with drug addiction and being freed from the bondage of that lifestyle.  The entire album can be listened to here. My favorite songs are, the title track Bleed, Fog on the shore, Gutter Psalm, Flower Venom, and Lullaby.
It seems as if the album in CD format is out of print, however, I have found a couple of overpriced copies available through Amazon, also some German company HHV sells it. Take the time to listen to the songs I listed  above, if not the entire album, I doubt you will be disappointed.

4' 33"

Badbadnotgood

Badbadnotgood, all one word, is a group that specializes in playing Jazz covers of Hip-Hop songs. It's interesting that Hip-Hop is heavily influenced by Jazz music. Now there is a wave of modern Jazz bands covering Hip-Hop tracks. Badbadnotgood is one of those bands, and despite their name, one of the best. One of the great things about the band is, you can tell they enjoy playing music, they are not in it to make money. All of their music can be found for free on their website, click on the download tab. They also have many tracks available for listen on YouTube.
Badbadnotgood, unfortunately, is best known for their covers and work with Tyler The Creator. In my opinion, Tyler is literally bad bad not good! His lyrics are more vulgar than artists such as Eminem, and he can't rhyme as as well. His music is not worth my time, one of my biggest pet peeves in music is when an artist uses explicit language just to use explicit language, his tracks are full of obscene language to get people to react, not to develop the story or idea he is rapping about. On the flip side, Badbadnotgood's instrumental covers of Tyler are beautiful, they also cover MF DOOM, the late J Dilla, and many more. It is groups like this that remind us that music is still being made or remade for the enjoyment of playing music.

????

Did Nelly actually release a good modern day Pop song? Or was it only Just a Dream?

Avant Garde - Amazing Grace

Listen to William Parker and Matthew Shipp's short, somewhat awkward, but beautiful take on Amazing Grace! One of my favorite versions.