What's the Secret? Let's Reveal...

J-Live - Reveal The Secret EP
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Well dang, it's been a HOT minute since someone updated the good old ATF. You know how we in Hip Hop do; come in with a flurry and make a stand while delivering the best of any and all thangs funky and then bounce to reset priorities only to come back stronger and more refined. Well that's us. What have we been up to?

Let's reveal:

1. New Jobs
2. New places of residence
3. New chil'rens (some expected soon)
4. New names
5. New adventures

You get the idea. We've added some new representatives to the roll as well as we are now all coastal. And trust me when I say this, I'd put our collective Hip Hop knowledge up against anyone in the biz. It's amazing.

So we'll get back to posting some of the funkiest and true schoolest tracks, LPs, EPs, videos, books, and ideas you can hope to find on the net. Stay tuned. Bookmark it. RSS that. Netvibe it. Write it down, take a picture...I don't give a....etc.

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So as long as I can recall (and these days, the old school memories are getting harder and harder to recall fully) I've been a big fan of J-Live. From Braggin' Writes on, I have admired and respected the man's music. He pretty much is True Skool hip hop embodied, like NWA with gangsta rap, etc. You know his story (if not, peep) and you respect that. You respect the fact that he has resisted the allure of the mainstream radio rap and keeps delivering top notch NEW music while still giving the listeners reminders of his past. You wish that all artists approached their music with the same care and detailed organization.

I must admit that his last LP, The Hear After, wasn't as good as the previous work, or after hearing the above linkage, his current offerings. Something about it was off. Maybe it was the beats, maybe it was the anticipation of another version of the work he did with 7Heads. Maybe it was just where I was at the time. Who knows. I haven't listened to it in its entirety since 2005 so maybe I'll give it a listen again. Hell, you can judge for yourself.

The new material, found on the recently release Reveal The Secret EP is more like you would expect from DJ J-Live. Smooth jazzy beats and an unrivaled lyrical presence. He is one of the best emcees, nay artists, who can go from concept to delivery repeatedly without making you feel like you just got some old rerun verses. The music makes you want to bob your head, be it in your car on 495 or 40/85 during that rush hour commute home to the kids or sip on a drink of choice at a bar/lounge/house party cold chillin' with some fine females. It simply universal good music.

At 6 tracks, the Reveal The Secret is just enough new material to wet the palate but short enough to make the listener want for more. Here is the track listing:

1. The Incredible
2. Once Upon A Mic
3. Practice (Magnificent Mix) *check the Allen Iverson sample. Classic!
4. Feel Like Spittin
5. Red Light Green Light
6. Practice (Spaghetti Blender Mix)

Do yourself and your ears a favor and download the EP and give it a good listen. I think you'll be happy with one man's effort to get Hip Hop where it should be.

And as always, if you like the music we provide, please support the artist by purchasing their stuff. There are enough ways to buy stuff nowadays so quit being a cheeba hawk...suckas!!!!

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We'll be back with some new insight, tracks, and other goodies soon. In the meantime, keep the faith, keep the peace, and keep on funkin'.

BrotherB