ERYKAH BADU: Honey (Grant Phabao remix) – Free download

ERYKAH BADU: Honey (Grant Phabao remix) – Free download
In a move little short of genius, French DJ/Producer Grant Phabao has reggae’ed up Honey - rendering Badu's neo-soul track into a dead-ringer for the sound of sixties Kingston…DOWNLOAD/ WATCH AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

810 - Free downloads

810: Free downloads
810’s from Baltimore, home of The Wire and he kicks it like that too in that his stuff is quality good shit. With more rhymes than Avon Barksdale done crimes he’s been working with producer Mydar to…DOWNLOAD TRACKS AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

RECORDKINGZ (feat. The Beatnuts): Rock Ya Shoulders – 2009 – Single review

RECORDKINGZ (feat. The Beatnuts): Rock Ya Shoulders – 2009 – Single review
RATING: 5/5
This’ll be the other debut single off imminent LP Heavyweight from Juliano 'Recordkingz' (a.k.a. one half of production duo The Creators) – the first being Heat feat. Mobb Deep. The contrast is quite stunning…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

RECORDKINGZ (feat. Mobb Deep): Heat – 2009 – Single review

RECORDKINGZ (feat. Mobb Deep): Heat – 2009 – Single review
Recordkingz (a.k.a. Juliano of nineties hip-hop production duo) has released not one but two debut singles off forthcoming LP Heavyweight. One of these is a gigantic banger featuring The Beatnuts. The other one is this – which…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

LOWKEY: Tell Me Why – 2009 – Free download

LOWKEY: Tell Me Why – 2009 – Free download
Press release

"One of my favourite rappers right now"
DJ Semtex (BBC 1Xtra + Dizzee Rascal's DJ)

"One of the most intelligent and sickest MCs"
DJ MK (Kiss FM + Roots Manuva's DJ)

Lowkey and Quincey Tones team up again for the anthemic 'Tell Me Why'. Addressing everything from 9/11 and Myspace to YouTube, Rupert Murdoch and Big Brother; Lowkey tears a hole in …DOWNLOAD Tell Me Why AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

THE COOL KIDS - Pennies - New video

THE COOL KIDS - Pennies - New video
Heads up - new Cool Kids vid to Pennies - off forthcoming LP When Fish Ride Bicycles…WATCH VIDEO AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

KURIOUS JORGE - 'II' LP - Released 24 March 2009

KURIOUS JORGE - 'II' LP - Released 24 March 2009
FEATURES GUEST APPEARANCES FROM MAX B, MF DOOM, MC SERCH AND PRODUCTION FROM HI-TEK, 88-KEYS, THE BEATNUTS, DAME GREASE, DOMINGO, V.I.C. & YOGI...
Golden age fans of Hip Hop will remember full page split advertisements in 'The Source Magazine' for what was at the time two of Columbia’s most promising Hip Hop artists Debut albums. One half of the advertisement was Nas “Illmatic” and the other was for Kurious Jorge “A Constipated Monkey”. Well now, everyone’s favorite “Constipated Monkey” is back with a brand new album for 2009! Kurious Jorge and Amalgam Digital are proud to present “II”, Kurious’ first studio album in over 14 years, which will be released on…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

STARLA RECORDS: Press release

STARLA RECORDS: Press release
Glasgow’s Starla Records celebrate their debut release with a 45 from the label’s house-band The DT6.

This first release is a storming Hammond-led slice of funk entitled "Don't Doubt Me". Recorded in Glasgow with the cream of Scotland's new generation of funk and jazz musicians, we hope it sets the tone for the label with a benchmark of quality and originality. The B-side is another DT6 track with the addition of vocals from Marco entitled "Open My Eyes", a sweet and more laid-back track with a whole lot of soul.

Future releases will feature…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

THE DT6: Don’t Doubt Me/ Open My Eyes – 2009 – 45 review

THE DT6: Don’t Doubt Me/ Open My Eyes – 2009 – 45 review
RATING: 3/5
I have a love/ hate relationship with this single from new Scots funk label Starla. I love the A side and I hate the B side…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

RECORDKINGZ - Heavyweight - LP Update

RECORDKINGZ - Heavyweight - LP Update
How can some guy from the UK have a new record, 'Heavyweight', with names like Little Brother, Mobb Deep, Evidence, Joell Ortiz, Tragedy, Beatnuts, and G Malone on it to name but a few? Maybe the question should be...READ REST at Monkeyboxing.com

T BIRD & THE BREAKS – Learn About It – 2009 – Album review

T BIRD & THE BREAKS – Learn About It – 2009 – Album review
HIGHLIGHTS: Two Tone Cadillac - Esmerelda – Stand Up - Juice – Take Time
SOUNDBITE: “Chunky funk comin’ out of the trunk/ Now spread the news like the stink from a skunk”
RATING: 5/5
A bit like the winning fat man at a pie-eating contest, the worldwide funk and soul scene is splitting at the seams with talent and given the amount of competition, any band wanting to make a name for themselves these days needs to make damn sure they have some sort of a distinctive spin on the genre. Enter T-Bird & The Breaks who work a ‘Wilson Pickett fronting the JBs’ kind of angle. Incidentally while you’re making a name for yourselves it’s not going to harm you to make up a cool name for yourselves either. Since only a fool is really going to argue that ‘T-Bird & The Breaks’ is anything other than a cool name it only remains for this lot to establish a rep and with self-produced debut LP Learn About It they’re going the right way about it.
…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

CHASE & STATUS (feat. KANO) – Against All Odds – 2009 – Single review/ Video

CHASE & STATUS (feat. KANO) – Against All Odds – 2009 – Single review/ Video
RATING: 3/5
If this weren’t the second time I’d heard the ancient drum break from the Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache getting a damn good seeing-to in the last six months I reckon I’d be a bit more stoked with it. Unfortunately the Empire – er – I mean the underground got there first and last summer’s K-Delight/ Chrome (Deftex) hook-up is still the don. Nevertheless…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

LAURA VANE & THE VIPERTONES – Steam – 2008 – 7” review
RATING: 4/5
When I first saw the name ‘Laura Vane and The Vipertones’ it conjured a crazy bunch of psychobillies with mad quiffs. As it turns out they’re a crazy bunch of funksters with mad riffs, so what the fuck do I know…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

EDDIE & ERNIE – Bullets Don’t Have Eyes – 2009 – 45 review

EDDIE & ERNIE – Bullets Don’t Have Eyes – 2009 – 45 review
RATING: 5/5
The woozy guitar lick and horn section on Bullets Don’t Have Eyes got a rinsing last summer on ‘Bristol Bass’ DJ/Producer Parker’s bomb Western Soul. The source of the cut – 60s duo Eddie & Ernie’s Bullets Don’t Have Eyes gets a repress here and packs some original heavy soul brother vocal heat about…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

JOHNSON & JONSON: Mama Told Me – 2009 – Single review

JOHNSON & JONSON: Mama Told Me – 2009 – Single review
RATING: 5/5
The highlight of last year’s Johnson and Jonson (a.k.a. L.A. rapper Blu and producer Mainframe) LP Johnson & Jonson, Mama Told Me is a sun-drenched slice of psychedelic hip-hop that’s…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

KRUMB SNATCHA: Hidden Scriptures LP update & tracklist

KRUMB SNATCHA: Hidden Scriptures LP update & tracklist
KRUMB SNATCHA RETURNS WITH A NEW SOUND FOR A NEW YEAR WITH HIDDEN SCRIPTURES WITH BEATS BY PETE ROCK, LARGE PROFESSOR, STATIK SELEKTAH, BEATMINERZ
Gang Starr fans and followers of Hip-Hop already know the name Krumb Snatcha. From his "Snatcha Season Pt.1" EP with songs like "Hip Hop" and the industry critique "Gangsta Disease,” to his duet with M.O.P. on the Oscar award winning movie "Training Day" soundtrack only served to solidify his position, setting the stage for his first full length album "Respect All Fear None" on D&D Records in 2002. Yet, Krumb’s profile went national thanks to his appearance on "Make Em Pay" from Gang Starr’s classic opus "Moment Of Truth" a buzz starting appearance that lead to Krumb being chosen as the first independent artist to receive the prestigious award of The Source Magazine's "Hip Hop Quotable" for his verse on “Make Em Pay” which propelled him in the spotlight to release "Closer To God" produced by none other than…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DANIEL MERRIWEATHER: Change - 2009 - Single review

DANIEL MERRIWEATHER – Change – 2008 – Single review
RATING: 4/5
“Some do it all for the money, some do it all for the love,” - my jury’s still out on Daniel Merriweather but this has brought me round a little. Last time I reviewed one of his vocal performances I likened him to Daniel Bedingfield – which may have been a little uncharitable. I’m prepared this time to …READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

INNER PARTY SYSTEM: Don’t Stop – 2008 – Single review

INNER PARTY SYSTEM – Don’t Stop – 2008 – Single review
RATING: 0.5/5
Ironic that this should be called Don’t Stop as that was the complete opposite of what I was thinking when I heard it. Incredible as it may seem, this lot must have listened to Pendulum’s ill-advised combination of weedy over-filtered vocals, rent-a-kit rock guitars, and pounding ‘dance’ beats and thought – ‘Man, that sounds good!’ Unfortunately they’ve generated a concoction so bland that if it was a drink it would make a carton of UHT Milk’s idea of bland seem appetising…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

UGLY DUCKLING: Live at Bristol Thekla – 9 January 2009

UGLY DUCKLING: Live at Bristol Thekla – 9 January 2009
I went to see Ugly Duckling last night and as shows go it was unusual enough to prompt me to share a few pointers about enhancing your gig-going experience and in particular your Ugly Duckling gig-going experience, should you find yourself at a UD gig on their current tour to promote new LP Audacity (Read monkeyboxing.com review of Audacity).

1. Firstly, going up to MC Dizzy Dustin in the crowd before the show, shaking his hand and having a quick chat is all acceptable, as is enquiring into the possibility of an interview after the show. He’s very friendly and amenable.
2. Knocking a pint over on the table next to where Dizzy is sat so that it pours into his lady friend’s boot causing her to remove the boot in order to pour it out again, is both clumsy and embarrassing and should be avoided if at all possible…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DAN BULL: Safe – 2008 – Album review

DAN BULL: Safe – 2008 – Album review
HIGHLIGHTS: Blocked – Cut - Thistopia -
SOUNDBITE: “All you fucks all get flustered with football/ Means fuck all to me because it’s just sport that’s all”
RATING: 4/5
A first hearing of Dan Bull’s Safe might prompt two things in the mind of the listener: 1) a highly favourable impression of the production quality and 2) the question ‘but is it hip-hop?’ The answer to this second question is: it’s about as hip-hop as The Streets, or Beck or Kenan Bell are - though of these it is most alike to the work of Mike Skinner. This isn’t to say Bull is slip-streaming Skinner all that closely – we ain’t talking cack like Just Jack – just that you’ll need to keep an increasingly open-mind the more of a hip-hop purist you are. And if you don’t consider The Streets hip-hop, you won’t consider this hip-hop either. Bull himself refers to it as a mixture of hip-hop and soulful acoustic pop/ indie and I guess that’s fair shout – especially the ‘pop’ bit - there is every sense in which you could see this charting…READ THE REST/DOWNLOAD ALBUM AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DANIEL MERRIWEATHER: New video for CHANGE (feat. WALE) single

DANIEL MERRIWEATHER: New video for CHANGE (feat. WALE) single
(Yes. I know he looks like he's in a boy band - but the choon's alright and Wale's always good. Trust!)...and now for that video and press release...

PRESS RELEASE:
If Amy Winehouse, Nas and Adele were asked who we should watch out for in 2009, one name they would all agree on is 27 year old singer songwriter Daniel Merriweather. Back in 2001 a then little known producer called Mark Ronson was looking for someone to vocal on the debut album release of Nikka Costa. He wanted someone who sounded unique, with as diverse an influences as his own. He eventually found the man for the job, not in New York or Atlanta or London, but in a trailer at the end of a train line on the eastern outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. Daniel Merriweather, who had only released one track in his home country at that point, captured Mark's ear and imagination like no other aspiring singer he had heard before, and was immediately flown over to New York to meet him.…WATCH VIDEO/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

Underexposed!…DEAD PANDA - Interview

Underexposed!…DEAD PANDA - Interview
Dead Panda make dark, dub-influenced electronica so it’s only natural that they would hail from than Los Angeles - a city more commonly associated with Hollywood, beach culture and rock music. Totalling five personnel - Mary, Saint Brendan, Box-Car-Los, Amy and Eric - the band released debut LP Million Dollar Gun back in 2005. As they’re no strangers to playing either the Roxy or the Viper Rooms – two L.A. clubs that are internationally renowned and not always for the right reasons – the Monkey thought they might have a few tales to tell if the right questions were posed. Here’s what they had to say:…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

SOULS OF MISCHIEF/ Bukue One/ Serendipity Project – Free downloads

SOULS OF MISCHIEF/ Bukue One/ Serendipity Project – Free downloads
Souls Of Mischief, Bukue One and Serendipity Project are all currently on the ‘Ice Cold Tour’. In conjunction with this each artist has an unreleased track available for free download…DOWNLOAD TRACKS AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

GRAND FLAVOUR: Summer 2009 Collection

GRAND FLAVOUR: Summer 2009 Collection
Aussie clothing co. Grand Flavour have their new Summer (read 'winter' for the northern hemisphere) 2009 collection out and pretty fresh it's looking too. Run by bodyboarders (including world champ Ben Player), Grand Flavour set out to avoid what they call, "...the choked-out corporate identity of a cigar smokin’ fat man looking for your green." Monkeyboxing.com ain't gonna argue with that philosophy but is prepared to make a guess that grey and yellow is this year's black.…VIEW COLLECTION/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DEP/ PaintShop Studio

DEP/ PaintShop Studio
Graffiti artist and graphic designer Dep grew up in what he feels was hip-hop's heyday, listening to Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Master Ace and putting 'knees' in his trackie bottoms trying to breakdance...…VIEW ART/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM