Interview by: Martin Bauman What happens when you combine one of the best hip-hop producers of the past decade with one of the most energetic emcees on the West Coast? In short, you get
Dag Savage. Los Angeles beatsmith
Exile and San Diego rhymespitter
Johaz have teamed up for
E&J, their latest -- and greatest -- in a long line of collaborations since they first paired up for a track on 2006's
Dirty Science. Exile has proven himself twice already as a full-album producer, first with the 2007 cult classic
Below The Heavens with Blu, and again with the 2009 fan favourite
Boy Meets World with Fashawn. Now, with Johaz on the mic -- and a lot of things he wants to say -- he's going for the threepeat. The result is pretty special. We caught up with Dag Savage to talk about their latest release, what makes for a classic album, why they still love hip-hop, and lots more.
Read the full interview after the jump.
Interview by: Martin Bauman Overlooked in last December's year-end lists of 2013's best albums was a slow burner by Denmark Vessey and Scud One, the aptly-titled Cult Classic. Through a mix of gritty and soulful production, the Detroit emcee and Chicago producer weave a tale of a rapper who decides to start up his own cult to gain power and wealth. In the process, Vessey explores the use -- and abuse -- of power through religion and politics. We caught up with Denmark to talk about Cult Classic, getting cosigned by House Shoes, whether music is the new religion, and much more. Read the interview below.
I'll confess, I slept on this one. Blame One and J57 dropped the collaborative Walk in the Sun LP over a month ago, and despite my best intentions to stay on top of it, I ultimately forgot. Well, no longer. After sharing my initial high hopes following the