Now available for the first time digitally is 1st Down A Day Wit The Homiez EP via iTunes. For anyone that doesn't know 1st Down was a duo structured like Gang Starr with Phat Kat on the vocals and Jay Dee (J. Dilla) on production. 1st Down was signed to Pay Day Records back in 1995, but the 12" single for "A Day Wit The Homiez" b/w "Front Street" was the only release to come from the deal. Now it's available again with a few added 1st Down bonus tracks now included on the original release. All production from Jay Dee aka J. Dilla.

PURCHASE: iTunes

The time has come. Next Tuesday, June 2nd is the release of J. Dilla's Jay Stay Paid on Nature Sounds, musically coordinated by Pete Rock and executive produced by Ma Dukes. Here's a few more tastes from the album.

LISTEN: J. Dilla - "Reality TV" (featuring Black Thought)

LISTEN: J. Dilla - "24K Rap" (featuring Havoc & Raekwon)

LISTEN: J. Dilla - "Jay $tay Paid Sampler Mixed by J-Rocc"

Finally we getting something cool in Detroit for once. The Foreign Exchange will be hitting the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit for a show on June 4th. The Foreign Exchange is a project from producer Nicolay and Phonte of Little Brother. The touring band also consists of Yahzarah and Darien Brockington on vocals, and backed musically by Zo! (from Detroit) & The ELs. Should be fun times. Nicolay has long been a Rensoul supporter so show my boy some love in the D.

PURCHASE: June 4, 2009: The Foreign Exchange | Charles H. Wright Museum, Detroit MI

LINKS: NICOLAY OFFICIAL SITE | NICOLAY MYSPACE | THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE OFFICIAL SITE

One of Detroit's next upcoming emcees Danny Brown just laced me with his track from the forthcoming J. Dilla album Jay $tay Paid, dropping on Nature Sounds next month. Enjoy.

LISTEN: J. Dilla - "Dilla Bot Vs. The Hybrid" (featuring Danny Brown)

LINK: DANNY BROWN MYSPACE

On May 1st, Dorian Anthony Fiddler, son of Detroit musician/vocalist Amp Fiddler passed away due to complications from his recently diagnosis of diabetes. This Thursday night, May 7th, at Bert's Warehouse at 2739 Russell St. in Detroit, there will be a fundraiser held in Dorian's honor to assist with the funeral costs. I don't care what scene you are from, if you are in Detroit on Thursday, you need to support our brother Amp Fiddler. He has done so much for our city. He has taught so many of our greatest musicians (Dilla, Slum Village, Waajeed, etc etc). He has just been an all around great man. Its time for us to show up and support him in his time of need. Complete info is below. Admission is free and they will be collecting donations at the door. Let's pack the place and have a beautiful night in honor of Dorian Fiddler. Let's show that Detroit is the city that I think and I hope Detroit is and stand up for on of our own.

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Dorian Anthony Fiddler, the only and beloved son of Joseph “Amp” Fiddler and Stacey Willoughby passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on the morning of Friday May 1st 2009. He had only that week been taken into hospital and diagnosed with diabetes and after suffering unexpected complications leading to heart failure, he left us all on May 1st.

Born on January 11th 1991, Dorian was an accomplished drummer and trumpeter who had adopted his father’s love and devotion of music from an early age and pursued his own musical goals and ambitions with dogged determination and dedication. In recent years he had been a pupil at Detroit’s School of the Arts, where he was an Honor Roll student (2008), playing in the school band as well as collaborations with other students. Latterly he also worked beats in the school studios for 3 hours every day, learning all aspects of music production. Also, when opportunity would permit, he would join his father on stage, most recently at the Ford Auto Show in Detroit in January 2009.

A memorial benefit gig will be held on Thursday May 7th 2009 from 6pm onwards at Bert’s Warehouse Theater , 2739 Russell St, Detroit. The “One Love Jam” will be a fundraiser to assist Amp and his family with the Funeral Services. We are calling on the Detroit Community to come out and support. Admission is free but all contributions will be gratefully received at the door, or if you cannot attend you can contribute via paypal to the Dorian Fiddler memorial account. We are also asking you to add your love to the mix - Bring your Vocals, Instruments, DJ Equipment & the Support of your Presence.

Thank you to all of you who have already come out and shown support for Amp and his family at this extremely difficult time.

Details of the Funeral
to be held this Saturday, May 9th at Fellowship Chapel
7707 W. Outer Drive
Detroit, MI 48235

Bert’s Warehouse
2739 Russell St
Detroit, from 6pm

Entry Free: ALL DONATIONS GRATEFULLY RECEIVED

Donations can also be made to the Dorian Fiddler Memorial Fund via paypal
at www.paypal.com to ampfiddler@yahoo.com or checks should be made out to: "Joseph Fiddler"

Please send to Detroit Events Team:
141 W. Parkhurst Place Detroit MI
48203-5246 USA

For more information: 313-334-5833 or contact@detevents.com or tinku@anuthamutha.com

If you have enough money in these hard times after buying Rick Ross this week and hopefully NOT buying Asher Roth, the sophomore album The Art Of Link from Detroit's Big Tone seen its release via TRES Records (home of Ta'raach, Blu).

PURCHASE: iTunes | Fat Beats (CD)

LISTEN: Big Tone - "The Look"

LINK: BIG TONE MYSPACE | TRES RECORDS OFFICIAL SITE

Detroit area emcee Theologic is set to release his new album Innerworld on April 25th. The album is mostly self-produced but features production from Jae-ss, Che' Nazzarith, and IWight along with guest appearances from Skillful, 14KT, S.U.N., and Jewelz. Theologic describes the album: "The album invites the listener into a mystical place in existence. This place is the deeper part of the human spirit that contains rooms like Joy, Love, Pain, and Victory, all housed under one roof of 15 blazing tracks."

WATCH: Theologic - "Resurrection"

LISTEN: Theologic - "Little Brother"

LINK: THEOLOGIC MYSPACE

Here's the video for Octane's "Leave Me Alone" from Octane & Illites album The Forgotten...Chosen. The song is produced by 14KT of the LabTechs/AML and the video is directed by Gerard Victor Atillo.

LINKS: OCTANE MYSPACE | 14KT MYSPACE

New York/Detroit producer/drummer Daru along with recent Dwele/Slum Village collaborator AB just dropped their new project A.W.I.P. (A Work In Progress) for free download. The project features guest appearances from Elzhi, T3, and Black Milk, among other. Visit the link below to download and for more information on AB and Daru.

DOWNLOAD: AB & Daru A.W.I.P.

LINKS: AB MYSPACE | DARU MYSPACE

Right now, DJ Dez is killin' it out in Japan schooling them on Detroit. Coming soon through Kenny Dixon Jr.'s Mahogani Music label is the new album titled Andrés II from Andrés, Dez's dance music moniker. The album will be broken up into two vinyl releases. The CD version will include everything on those vinyls plus all the songs from the two previously released 12"s from last year "Moments In Time" and "About Time".

LISTEN: Andrés - "Let's Talk About"

As a bonus, here's the audio from when DJ Dez was on Deviation with Benji B on BBC 1xtra a few years back.

DOWNLOAD: Live On Deviation w/ Benji B on BBC Radio 1Xtra | PART 1 | PART 2

LINKS: DJ DEZ MYSPACE | MAHOGANI MUSIC OFFICIAL SITE

While the NCAA Final Four was in town, I played at yet another Blackbyrd Revue show at the Jazz Cafe in Detroit in the Music Hall with Allan Barnes & The Gorilla Funk Mob spinning Jazz records. We had a nice intimate crowd that night. The band sounded nice. There was this guy drunk as hell there celebrating his birthday, dancing all around the place singing along with every song. Hilarious. Below is audio of my first set from the nice. Enjoy.

DOWNLOAD: K-Fresh - Live At The Blackbyrd Revue @ The Jazz Cafe, Detroit - 04.03.2009

And here's my sets from the first Blackbyrd Revue last June at Alvin's.

DOWNLOAD: K-Fresh - Live From The Blackbyrd Revue: 06.07.2008 @ Alvin's | PART 1 | PART 2