Mike Regal – “I N T U I T I O N S”

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Title : I N T U I T I O N S
Release Date : December 25, 2015

Someone king the man!! Mike Regal is focused and now branching out to different sides of Hip Hop – INTUITIONS. The producer-emcee has had that Jazz and Jack Flow coursing through his veins for a minute – and that’s definitely his bread n butter – but after hearing the Fort Minor-esque “Traveler”, Jon Bellion-influenced “Gotham”, and now this uptempo I N T U I T I O N S tape he dropped yesterday (December 25), I’m convinced the multi can finesse his way into the industry.

1. “Rumor Has It”

Wobbly and ominous, like one just hit the lick and is now crossing the lake to the safe house. At 1:36, you pull up at the dock, walk inside and unload the bag on the counter. When the beat comes back in at 1:56, you celebrate with bottles and voluptuous women.

2. “Sail Boat”

Regal comes in with the “Ironside” sample at :08 – the one that Southside so much loves and enjoys. As the intro talks about the art of sampling, it should be clear that the artist looks to mix the old and the new. “Alota times you can just hear like a ‘hey’, or sum like that, and want to use it, you know?” Simple, yet that idea is one element of Hip Hop that builds a timeless community.

3. “HighWay”

Interstate music. I’m on cruise control in my own lane, so stay in yours type shit.

4. “F E E L”

The sample at the top says: “If I’m not diggin it, it ain’t shit”. Then the beat drops into some real jiggy shit. This uptempo record surprised me but I could definitely see people Summertime cooling or Salsa dancing to it.

5. “s o u l”

If I had to pick a favorite, this is it. This joint reminds me of a DJ Pain 1 cut, only more soulful and less grimy. Just beautiful. I picture the artist on signing day, with his ride-or-die right beside him. She stayed with him, through the thick and the thin, and now they both know it was all worth it.

Thank you for the Christmas present Mike Regal. And by the way, when I say multi, I’m just shortening multi-talented to invent a name for artists working on more than one craft. That deserves attention. I fucking hate it when writers try n box me into one thing – to low key slight me or for whatever the reason – so I made up a word to show love to other skilled artisans in the same boat.

Hakeem Paragon on the art.

Sean Smart – “Sean Smart: The Mixtape”

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Title : Sean Smart
Release Date : November 25, 2015

A young but highly intelligent and driven emcee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Sean Smart is looking to reintroduce himself to the world after his days with Higher Education (November 25, 2015). He put a lot of work into the indie label but out on his own he has complete control over his sound.

Sean Smart “fell in love with the culture” at a young age, he tells me. The rapper grew up on Queen and Bob Marley but his friends were into Hip Hop. His Milwaukee public schooling wound up teaching him much more than the three Rs. Sean picked up on Hip Hop from his classmates and remembers grabbing Jay-Z’s Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life on cassette in 3rd grade.

Now, the more Logic side of the rapper is coming out as he works on a more widely appealing sound for his self-titled mixtape. Sean’s days of rapping over experimental Boom Bap have come to a close. It’s time for the dictionary to get read.

Sean looks to make a good impression with his debut solo project. “No real message or underlying story, just raw tracks that make people bob their heads and get a feel for my abilities”, he says. “This is just the warm up for what is about to come”.

Premiered by GMAD.

Sean Smart mixtape tracklist

Mic Kellogg – “Breakfast” LP

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Title : Breakfast LP
Release Date : September 13, 2015

Milwaukee by way of Madison, Wisconsin artist Mic Kellogg writes, sings, raps, produces and directs for the sunnier side of the Great Lakes. Mic reminds me of Chance The Rapper in that way. Even though he’s going through it like any other independent area talent, he ultimately allows the brighter side to shine through on Breakfast (September 13).

This is a beautifully crafted, fully original project. Diners all over the country should have this pancakes and OJ smorgasbord of melodic sounds on repeat. Breakfast is wake up music, on Mic.

“Now, Nana’s dying wish was me and hoping that I’d stay and pray
We didn’t believe it but we had to do it either way
That’s too many shades of grey
Now I look at heaven’s gates”

Pigeons and Planes premiered.