L.A.U.S.D. | Ignite ft. Thurz x Y​-​O x Vida Jafari

The Los Angeles Unified Sound District (L.A.U.S.D.) is responsible for a lot of those west coast sounds that end up finding their way to your eardrums, having produced for the likes of Dom Kennedy, Blu, U-N-I, etcetera. Made up of artists/producers Polyester and L4ZY LOU, L.A.U.S.D. enlists Thurz, Y-O, and Vida Jafari for "Ignite," off their upcoming project L.A.U.S.D. *Board of Production.

Jay Ant | You Don't Understand

Bay Area emcee Jay Ant laces a beat, riding out to some smooth production sounding like summertime on the visuals for "You Don't Understand" (filmed and directed by Aris Jerome). Off his latest mixtape All About Being Cool 2: F%#! it, Smile.

Ses da Great | Dream Chaser x Cartoon Dedication

I've been told that the worst thing you can do to a person is take away their sense of purpose, and I'm going to go ahead and say that this applies to music as well. When swag saturates with no substance, the results can be (and often are) disastrous. Such is not the case with Newburgh, New York emcee Ses da Great and his TRUSIC movement--True Righteous Unique Successful Inspiring & Creative music. Ses laces tracks you might otherwise confuse with the industry standard with a distinct narrative and uncompromising message and mission. Check these two cuts off his latest offering, Live Great. Ses spits the obstacles he's overcome and the rewards that lie on the horizon in "Dream Chaser" and articulates what all that Saturday morning tv did to his brain on "Cartoon Dedication." Not satisfied with two cuts? Get some more trusic on your playlist, download Live Great HERE.

Ses da Great | Dream Chaser

Ses da Great | Cartoon Dedication

Skeme | The Statement

I've been waiting for this one since Pistols & Palm Trees. Inglewood's own, Skeme, drops his highly anticipated sophomore mixtape The Statement. Featuring Casey Veggies, Dom Kennedy, Freddie Mac and G Austin; production by Boi-1da, The Futuristiks, Bink!, and others. Download The Statement HERE.

While we wait for new visuals from The Statement, keep your appetite up and musical palette wet (pause) with these two drops from Pistols & Palm Trees, respectively.

Blu | je s u s ▲

In an era where most music is overproduced, or not deemed acceptable by any standards other than HD, it's refreshing when a project comes along that embodies some of the grit that hiphop has lost since the bling era. Such is the feeling that Blu's newest project je s u s ▲ invokes, which dropped today without warning. Featuring production from alchemist, madlib, hezekiah, knxwledge, 9th wonder, nathan & g o d barnes.

And if you're stuck on that apocalypse shit for this coming Saturday, we invite you to check out TwentyTwelve's take on things HERE. Don't fret, it will be beautiful.

J*DaVeY | Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes

Hailing from Los Angeles, Jack Davey and Brook D'Leau are J*DaVeY. Their style and sound is best understood through experience, but they phrase it nicely, dubbing it a "...merger of hip hop culture, electronic innovation, with a soul/funk spirit and punk attitude." Inspired by the dark undercurrents that exist in the phrase, "To protect and serve," their latest project, Evil Christian Cop: The Great Mistapes goes a long way in showcasing their distinct taste and unique sounds. It's a solid tape with dope inspiration, but Brook admits that, "We cannot provide the message, we simply provide the mental playground for listeners' minds to go wild upon."

Consider this a formal invitation to go wild.

Noey | By the Acre

Noey sparks up and flips the flow. To quote Jigga Man, you gotta puff a J to this one.

"Eyes lookin' like the Black Swan, get the mission?"

Culture of Creativity

To live in America is to live under constant assault from advertising: media, promoting an endless number of products, is constantly shoved into our field of vision. Nothing exists in a vacuum though, and so products aren't merely products--they're a reflection of a state of mind, a set of intentions. Marketers understand this. Their goal is to get you to consume.

The Culture of Creativity also understands this. Their mission? To inspire you to create. They accomplish this by documenting the people around them who are pursuing their passions, committed to the actualization of their dreams, by any means.

For those who were privileged enough to witness it, Jordan inspired a lot of this same sense in us. The way he played the game moved many to action; who amongst us hasn't attempted to recreate and recapture the essence of his intensity on the court? Linking up with The Madbury Club, the Culture of Creativity took to the streets to document those paying homage to the legend who's influence on the game forever changed it. A prelude to the Asphalt Warriors spread.

From the B.A.Y. | Rafael Casal. GETBACK!

Reppin' the East Bay, CA, Rafael Casal has been doing his thing for a minute since he started blowing up television screens with "Barbie & Ken 101" on Def Poetry Jam. Maybe you didn't notice, maybe you couldn't hear with all the noise they put into the airwaves these days, so maybe you didn't take note, but this is an emcee artist who chooses his words and imagery carefully. Reppin' The Getback, a bay area collective dedicated to keeping good art in rotation, Casal showcases his crisp high-energy flow in this Get:Live episode, and delivers the cool in "Spitter" off his Monster LP (which was released in 2009--long before 'Ye, Jay, and Nicki decided to play dress up with the word).

Download Rafael's latest work, The Bay Boy Mixtape, HERE

#GETBACK!