Outlook Festival Announces 2013 Line Up

UPDATE: Further acts have been announced for 2013.

Outlook Festival has created a reputation that is difficult to match. With its stages built on and around the site of a 19th century Austrian castle; great weather (most of the time) due to the fact that it is on the Croatian coast; and heavyweight line up of artists it has become the one of Europe’s best known festivals. Don’t just take our word for it, in 2011 they won best overseas festival at the UK Festival Awards. We were in Crotia for Outlook Festival 2012 and you can check our full review of all the shenanigans here as well as the interview we conducted with Akala while out in sunny Croatia. The Outlook team have just announced the line up for their sixth outing in 2013 and it looks to be bigger than ever and in our humble opinion the ticket price is justified by the list of hip hop artists alone. For 2013, the hip hop headline acts are Talib Kweli as well as Jay Electronica, The Pharcyde and also Pharoahe Monch who returns after his epic performance in 2011. In addition to that you’ll also find Joey Bada$$, High Focus Records, J. Rocc, Broke’n'£nglish and the legendary Task Force. Other notable mentions from other genres include Newham Generals, David Rodigan, Mala (Mala In Cuba-Live), Goldie, Shy FX, Digital Mystikz, DJ EZ, dBridge, Boddika, Loefah, Zed Bias and many more. All of that is before they’ve even got started on the boat parties.

Outlook Festival 2013 will run from August 29th to September 2nd in Fort Punta Christo, Pula, Croatia. Tickets are on sale right now for £135/€165 via their website. If you’re still not convinced then check the 2012 teaser video below, we’re pretty certain the temptation will overcome you after watching it. Read more [+]

J-Zone – Root For The Villain: Rap, Bull$hit, and a Celebration of Failure

19 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

J-Zone is a name you may recognise if you listened to underground rap in the last nineties and early noughties. As a producer and a rapper he’s worked with a huge catalogue of artists including Copywrite, Da Beatminerz, Apathy, Celph Titled, MF DOOM and even has a verse with UK legend Jehst on Staircase II Stage. His name was recognised and respected amongst those in the underground scene but he never gained any traction to make it a full-time living and eventually hung up his microphone, which is odd for a rapper. Usually one of two things happen; either they release an album that nobody buys and fade into obscurity or they retain a small following and they continue to tour small venues but never again achieve mainstream attention. Read more [+]

Red Bull Music Academy Lecture: El-P [Visual]

18 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

El-P has long cemented is well-earned place as one of the pioneers of underground hip hop scene, as a respected producer and rapper his discography speaks volumes about the man’s ability. As one-third of Company Flow, the self-branded ‘independent as f*ck’ hip hop group from New York City, El-P personified the commonly dubbed golden age of rap music in the 1990s. Since their departure from Rawkus Records, El-P went on to start the hugely influential Definitive Jux record label and worked on projects such Cannibal Ox‘s The Cold Vein and Aesop Rock‘s Labor Days. Not too long ago the multi-talented artist recently dropped by the Red Bull Music Academy in New York City and gave a lecture covering everything from his personal life, working as a producer, his thoughts on Rawkus and how his new Run The Jewels project came about with Killer Mike. Watch the whole hour and fourty minute lecture over at RBMA’s Vimeo page and give us your thoughts on the man formerly known as El Producto.

Kendrick Lamar – Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe [Visual]

13 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

When the long-awaited Good Kid, m.A.A.d City was finally released late last year, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe was one of the catchiest songs from Kendrick Lamar‘s Aftermath Records debut. We have had videos for other songs from the album such as Poetic Justice, Backseat Freestyle and even the version of this very track on which Lady Gaga contributes to the chorus. Alas we finally have the video for the album version of the track, which happens to be rather difficult to describe with watching it. There a lot of people dressed in white, there’s K. Dot alone in a field like a lot of R&B videos from the 1990s and Mike Epps makes an appearance. Check the full audiovisual experience below and let us know what you think. Read more [+]

Quasimoto – Planned Attack [Audio]

12 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

Quasimoto came in to being when Peanut Butter Wolf heard some of Madlib‘s cassettes that he had recorded for himself and some friends, the recordings were never intended for release. Thankfully Peanut Butter Wolf managed to convince Madlib to unleash his alter ego on wax and thus Lord Quas was born and the first release came in 1999 on Stones Throw. Fourteen years later and Quasimoto still lives and now with a new compilation. Yessir Whatever, featuring twelve tracks recorded over the last twelve years, will be released next month and below is Planned Attack from that compilation. Read more [+]

Stream Talib Kweli’s Prisoner of Conscious Album [Audio]

6 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

Talib Kweli has allowed us to listen to a number of tracks from his forthcoming full length album called Prisoner of Conscious including Rocket Ships featuring Busta Rhymes and produced by none other than RZA. The project follows his very well received Attack The Block mixtape with Z-Trip. A full day before the album’s release and we now have a stream of the whole album so you can try before you buy and we certainly recommend parting with your cash. Just the autobiography to wait on now and if you’re wondering the artwork says Talib Kweli in Arabic. Read more [+]

Hip Hop At Outlook Festival 2012 Documentary [Visual]

6 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

We don’t know how this passed under our radar considering how much we loved Outlook Festival last year and how excited we are for its next installment but better late than never. Before Outlook 2012 the organisers asked for proposals to record a series of mini documentaries. This particular 13-minute video features interviews and live footage from the likes of The Beatnuts, Souls Of Mischief, Broke’N'£nglish, Skittles, The Four Owls and Defenders Of Style. Hit up the Outlook Festival YouTube Channel for more from the documentary series. Read more [+]

Listen To Nas’ Pre-Illmatic Demo [Audio]

5 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

Well it’s been an exciting couple weeks for hip hop fans with a number of releases from some very talented artists, most notably Kanye West’s original demo. Well today there is another gem and this time it comes from none other than Nasir ‘Nas‘ Jones. The below demo was recorded pre-1994 when he released Illmatic, which is arguably the best rap album of all time. There are some really great tracks on there and bear in mind he was even younger when he recorded these songs with the likes of AZ, Chubb Rock, Biz Markie, Kool G Rap and Cormega. Check out the track list and stream the whole demo below. Read more [+]

Run The Jewels – Get It [Download]

4 May, 2013 RhymeOnBeat Reply

El-P and Killer Mike have come together to as Run The Jewels to release a free album (don’t you just love those two words) on Fool’s Gold Records in June. The two artists individually have a huge underground following and together they appear to have a chemistry that seems to result in something special.

The album is followed by a twenty-nine date US tour with Despot and Kool AD (see below). While we wait for the project to drop you can stream, download and enjoy the gritty bassline of Get It below as well as the duo’s recent interview with Pitchfork. Read more [+]

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