Paqman's Top 10 Albums Of 2012

Tens of thousands of albums have been released this past year, so P&B are taking on the arduous task of breaking down our very own Top 10 Albums of 2012 List. We'll break down the albums, EPs, and mixtapes, etc, that made for quintessential listening throughout the year. If you don't see something on here that you feel should've made the lists, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email about it! 

10) Kid Koala - 12 bit Blues

I've got so much love for Kid Koala, and it goes beyond him being a proud Canadian. Eric San (aka Koala)  takes old blues to the next level with a fresh take on some old recordings. As an added bonus, San creatively found a way to turn the CD case into a working mini turntable. Brilliant.

P&B Approved Cuts: 1 bit Blues (10,000 miles), 3 bit Blues, 8 bit Blues (Chicago to LA to NY)

                   ALL OF THE P&B APPROVED CUTS CAN BE ENJOYED HERE ON RDIO.

Dig On N*E*R*D's "In Search Of..."

P&B brings you the "Dig On" Classic Album Series.  We'll delve into our vaults to discuss the records that have profoundly impacted our musical tastes.  The albums we present are considered essential to anyone's record collection. In the end, you can't understand the present (or future) until you "Dig On" the past

image via flipbundlez.info

Neptunes' Alter-Ego Project Provides The Perfect Soundtrack to 'Guys Night Out'

The Neptunes production crew, made up of the Virginia-based duo of Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo, took the R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop music worlds by storm with their signature production style starting in the late 90s and well into the 2000s.

Their production sound is instantly identifiable.  You always know a Neptunes produced track when you here it.  Smash hit songs such as Usher's "You Don't Have To Call," Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It To Me)," Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You," and Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful" are just a few of the joints that come to mind when thinking of that classic Neptunes flavour.

My Top 5 Anticipated New Releases of 2012

(Photo via muse.mu)

5 - Muse - Title TBA - Fall 2012

Muse has been riding high since the Twilight effect and are looking to keep this momentum going. According to lead singer Matt Bellamy, this album might sound a little different:

All joking aside, I expect Muse to keep pushing the envelope as they continue their musical evolution.

The Surge of Frank Ocean

photo via hiphop-n-more.com

If you read the P&B blog on the regular, you've seen Paqman's recent posts about Tyler, the Creator; the undisputed leader of hip hop's most shocking and envelope-pushing youth group, Odd Future (aka OFWGKTA - Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All).

And yes, Tyler is certainly the most visible of the group's members, especially following his recent MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist.

However....there's another kid in his crew that deserves some immediate attention.

His name is Frank Ocean.

A Match Made In Controversial Heaven: Eminem Endorses Tyler, The Creator, Odd Future

(Photo kinda via justifytheory.blogspot.com and artistdirect.com)

Eminem has been know for stirring up some controversy in the past with his crude sense of humor and lyrics. So why wouldn't he give props to the new kings of shock Odd Future and Tyler, the Creator?

In Em's words, from mtv.com:

"I've heard enough to know that it feels like they're pushing boundaries and buttons, and that's definitely one of the things that I'm familiar with, especially when I first came out. I love it, I love the fact that they're doing that. And the dudes can rhyme."

Tyler is getting tons of press and the growing list of influential hip hop players in the game feeling his work will only add to his burgeoning popularity.

So the burning question is: When is Em gonna snag Odd Future for his label and when is the collab gonna drop (or ever happen)? Either way, P&B will keep you informed of any developments.

-Paqman

Is the Future Odd? Tyler, the Creator is Stirring S&!t Up

This post contains words that you might find offensive. Sorry, it's not me. It's Tyler, the Creator.

(Photo via elbo.ws)

MCs always try to bring their game to the next level. Some MCs have been successful in bringing the entire game to a whole new level. Others act the fool and get attention. Enter: Odd Future with their controversial ring leader Tyler, the Creator.