DDm is a rapper from Baltimore whose name is as much a product of his career’s unusual trajectory as his music is. When I first met him about five years ago, he was rapping under the name Midas and tearing opponents apart at local MC battles like Style Warz and making fairly traditional solo mixtapes. A couple years later, he linked up with the label Mania Music Group, becoming part of a wrecking crew of creative, offbeat rappers and producers, and began forging a more unique sound and identity under the name Dappa!!! Dan Midas. And in the last year or two, he’s shortened his handle to DDm and has undergone more changes in both his musical aesthetic and his public persona. Namely, he’s begun to incorporate diverse dance and Baltimore club music influences in his music, and he’s come out of the closet as a gay man, still a rarity in the world of underground hip-hop.

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DDm’s latest project, Winter And The Tinman’s Heart, was released on Valentine’s Day and is billed as an EP. But the 11-track Winter is actually closer to the concise and cohesive ideal of an album than the overlong mixtapes that rappers often call albums these days. “Piece of My Heart” obliquely references DDm’s sexual orientation with a series of newsreel samples about entertainers like Liberace and Freddie Mercury, but for the most part that topic is not explored in the rapper’s lyrics. The EP is, however, relentlessly personal and revealing, particularly on songs like “High School” and “Getting By.”

The second half of Winter is stacked with guest appearances by an assortment of fellow Baltimore rappers. “Click Pow” features Rye Rye, the protege of Baltimore club producer Blaqstarr and pop star M.I.A. who helps bring an upbeat, danceable atmosphere to the table amid some more serious material. And “Take Off” is a collaboration with Los, now signed to Bad Boy Records, that offers a thrilling chance to hear DDm go toe-to-toe with one of his most talented peers in the city not as a battle rap opponent but as an equal (although Los lacks DDm’s ear for hooks, given his chorus on the track that lazily apes Oasis’s “Wonderwall”). “Take Off” is reprised from Los’s 2010 mixtape Shooter, but feels perfectly at home on Winter And The Tinman’s Heart. Overall, the EP functions equally well as either an introduction to DDm or a snapshot of his continuing evolution. But it also feels a bit like a stopgap, something that hints at his range and his talent without fully embodying it, something that he will probably outdo sooner than later.

What’s to say about Eze? He’s an MC. A gentleman. A dad. A kick ass human being. He’s the kinda guy you drink a case of beers with and listen to every word that comes out of his mouth with intent. That and he’s one helluva musician. He also fronts the rap band Soul Cannon as well as being the latest signing to Mania Music. His music speaks for itself and that’s all I can say. Listen to this insane set below with Eze joined by the ever awesome DJ Harvey Dent…

Technical info: Eze’s mic: Shure SM57, Room mic: Audio Technica AT871R

Download MP3s - 82.87 MB

Photos by Tedd Henn, WhatWeekly.com

I just mastered the new solo album by Femi of the 5th L, titled The Clown With No Circus. This album features some seriously talented writers, vocalists, lyricists and performers including: Native Son, Marc Marcel, Kristopher Newday, Green Tea, Kayt Jesolva, Shellers, Word Wide, Janice B, and Chuck The Madd Ox. Femi even wrote out complete skits for live actors to interpret, actors such as: Robert Lee Hardy, Nikia Gaskins, Bashi Rose, Denise Hare and Rosilin Cauthern.

This is Femi putting his most creatively raw and uncut self to music for your listening pleasure. Enjoy my two favorite cuts below.

Animals Attack [f/ Chuck Maddox]
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Tattoos and Scars [f/ Kristopher Newday & Marc Marcel]
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Just back from a show with Talib Kweli at Sonar, Soul Cannon is a hip-hop band that never rests. This weekend they will be hitting up World Cafe Live in Philly. They also just recently played a show with a local opera group, Rhymes With Opera which is part of the American Opera Project.

Soul Cannon’s The Mixed Ape is a record that simply redefines what a hip-hop band can be. They push boundaries and create rhythms and melodies that make you wanna dance yet also make you question. I hear elements of Tortoise and the Roots. It’s something you’ve never heard before. They are serious innovators.

That said, the guys in Soul Cannon are great. Eze is a serious MC who rhymes like no body’s business. Jon holds down the keys, but plays like no other keyboardist I’ve ever heard. Matt plays guitar so amazingly his guitar rarely sounds like a guitar. And Nathan’s sense of time is almost illegal. They are virtually unstoppable. Their record drops sometime this summer. But you can download 4 tracks from this record for free on their website.

Here are a few of my favorite tracks from their record.

Fall In (whatchugondew???)
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2010 A.D.
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In November 2009, multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Kenton Dunson began renting rooms at various hotels in Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. with the intention of utilizing them as recording retreats. This process created a 13-song record that is entitled “The Kenton Dunson Progressions”.

I mastered this record last month and had a great time working with Kenton. He’s a man with a plan and sticks to it. While at the same time, if things needed to be fixed, he stepped it up.

Kenton’s music is hard to explain. He definitely conjures up sounds from Stevie Wonder and Prince. But those are just what first comes to mind. His music speaks for itself.

The CD Release Show with his stellar backing band is June 3rd at the 8×10 and but sadly (however, not for Kenton) sold out. Here are two of my favorite tracks.

Breaks
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Madness
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I recently did another mix for Young Sac and Waka Flocka for their video that just dropped on MTV. As always, enjoy…

D-Boi recently came in to mix a record with me. He’s been working with 3rd Infantry down the block from us. He’s down to earth and writes great hooks. Rumor has it, the track is going to make it’s debut on 92Q in the next few days. Just a rumor. Enjoy this track!

I’m Back
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Last week we were joined by Cutthroat, one of do-gooder label For The People Entertainment’s most prolific hip-hop artists. Accompanied by Oba on guitar and Tron on everything else (conga, keys, percussion), Cutthroat performed songs from his previously released Words Can’t Explain It: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 2.5, and Chapter 3; as well as his collaborative album Silent Flutes. He also performed songs from his forthcoming release Word’s Can’t Explain It: Chapter 4.

Cutthroat is a musical phenomenon that blends backpack hip-hop with lyrics pushing listeners to explore their higher consciousness. From growing up in Severn, MD to spending time in his true home Puerto Rico’s Ponce corridor to tackling the streets of Baltimore’s worst neighborhoods, Cutthroat has both socially and lyrically shed light on problems faced by people on a global scale.

This microshow is a prime example of why we do this. Taking excellent music out of its familiar territory and trying something different. Thanks to Ali, Atman, Tron, Oba and Andy for really stepping this up!

Technical info: Vox: U87, Tron Vox: Senheisser 441, Oba Vox: AT 3060, Guitar: SM57, Conga: Senheisser 421, Overhead: SM81, Room: AT AT871R Boundary.

Download MP3s - 62.18 MB

Reno over at King Cakemix Entertainment recently came in to have his latest track mastered with us. Totally slick production with an exuberant MC. We hope you enjoy and keep your ears peeled for many more King Cakemix/Mobtown collaborations.

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Baltimore’s MC Top dropped by the studio last weekend to cut a few songs for his latest mix tape. He came in for the night and cut 4 songs. We were impressed with his output and thought we’d share a few samples here with you.

They Might
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So Much More
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