Cam Be just shot over some footage he captured during Black Milk’s gig at Suite 101 / SXSW – he performs ’365′, ‘Black & Brown’ & ‘Deadly Medley’. Watch.

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It’s almost time. Pusha T’s much anticipated debut solo mixtape on G.O.O.D Music is about to drop. Until it does though, get stuck into this stream. It’s officially Mixtape Mondays. This one will satisfy all you gritty ass thug types.

Tape drops in a few hours. Expect it here soon as.

Hitting play right now. Will share my thoughts in a bit. Do the same, hit the c-section.

Update: Download added via xclusiveszone

Shouts to Andrew

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Rounding off the rounding up of ish doing the rounds…

More Post-Drake-step (tipping hat to Speeakz for that coinage) style sonics on this – but effeminized of course. Aww. For what it’s worth though, production is this tapes strongest asset (bar the awfully corny sounding ‘Popular’ that doesn’t fit… deleted off my iTunes).

Featuring collaborations with Miguel (and his frequent producer Fisticuffs), Drake and Kendrick Lemar, .sailing soul(s). is an above-average R&B mixtape-album. Stylistically, Aiko doesn’t provide anything exceptional (inevitable Cassie comparisons), but delivers some fine, honeyed melodies that are easy on the ear to accompany her girl angst fluff. An enjoyable enough debut bolstered by some fat soundbeds of, erm, emosh. Let’s see how this lady does.

Below is a stream of her single, titled ‘Hoe’, with assistance from Miguel.

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Whilst we’re on the mixtape tip this morning, may aswell throw a couple more up, and despite the buzz we’ve had to sit on this for a while for reason I’ll go into now…

Figuratively, if OFWGKTA was a gigantic c*ck, the entire earth would be riding it like an axis right now. And maybe deservedly so, since Hip-Hop thrives on movements and head wolf Tyler has only proven with gusto why his pack are tearing strips of flesh out of their nearest cool kid competitors. Speaking as fans before the hype I’d like to think we pride ourselves on dispensing with the online arse-licking and calling sh*t for what it is at all times.

As much some have claimed it is, their prime crooner Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia/Ultra is not the second coming of the game-changing, culturally impacting mixtape-album, So Far Gone. There, I’m calling it. Now fall back.

So what’s got the hip hype mongers all riled up now? Well, seems our generation (and the one just below it) have arrived slap-bang at the mnemonic intersection desperate for new saviours of commercial R&B – as it presently lies a bloodied carcass of a genre. And we all know how ‘buzz’ on the interwebs works: outlets chuck crowns at ‘next big things’ praying their heads fit.

Being in the throws of a post-So Far Gone/emo-R&B phase, Nostalgia/Ultra serves as evidence. What it unfortunately lacks is it’s template’s sonic cohesiveness to be called a real 2011 successor and seems too much like a jumble sale of shelved session tracks.

What it does have is couple stand-out cuts (notably ‘Novocane’, ‘Lovecrimes’ and topically ‘American Wedding’) delivered by a reasonably proficient R&B singer with quirky lyrics (The Dream, anyone?)… which in my opinion doesn’t feel like it’s enough to warrant the size of the social network brouhaha. Throw some calculated eclecticism by way of Radiohead and MGMT flips, bit of retro cover-art, win over the right demographics, ta-dah, impressionable net nerds are schmoozed.

I won’t completely knock Frank, he’s young, down with a progressive crew and has time to develop a unique, iconoclastic style like fellow Odd Futurist, Mr. Creator. Unfortunately here he’s only showing hints of what should make him special instead of the whole picture.

R&B? Awaiting revival still.

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Very nice way to start the week.

We’ve been educating you on The Weeknd over the past few months and like us, you seem to be enjoying their output. So, you’ll be pleased to see that the Canadian group have just released a brand new mixtape called House of Balloons. The tape features their massive single ‘What You Need’ and it’s follow up ‘Wicked Games’. I’m pretty confident this will be my #mondaysoundtrack. Probably yours too…

Update: Listened to this a few times now and I must say, where a few others have recently failed – The Weeknd have managed to craft a rather cohesive post-Drake-step (lol, yes) R&B mixtape. It’s abundantly clear everyone [attempting to make] contemporary R&B in 2011 is desperately trying to produce the next So Far Gone.

… And no, I’m not saying that this is what this is.

But House of Balloons actually sounds like it belongs here, to this time, now. It doesn’t sound desperate, it’s got… Swag (an essential ingredient to any noteworthy R&B). The Weeknd have homed in a sound, crafted a sense of atmosphere and in turn brought something pretty fresh to the table. We can spend copious amounts of time and typography on why their sound, sounds like this, and more over can scientifically dissect why it sounds like this now – but it’s all been said before (although the Ginuwine/Timbaland influences on tracks like ‘Coming Down’ is definitely something worth mentioning, still), however what needs to be said is – if you’re looking for a modern take on R&B, which isn’t sh*t – this is for you.

Previously unreleased, unheard J. Cole. This one, from the vaults, is rumored to have been recorded during The Warm Up sessions. Not sure why it didn’t make the final cut, it’s definitely worthy.

Download: J. Cole – ‘The Good, Part 1′

Here’s the third episode in our exclusive ‘Rehearsal Rooms’ series, presented by PinBoardBlog.com and filmed by our production house PinBoardFilm in collaboration with the world famous Red Bull Studios London.

Shot in Red Bull’s recording studio, these are intimate sessions with some of the most exciting artists and bands we champion.

Our last episodes featured the rising enigma that is Jamie Woon followed by number 1 recording artist Jessie J; this month we take you deep into the tender, personal balladry of Andreya Triana. Signed to cult British label Ninja Tune, Triana performed a heartbreaking rendition of her beautifully penned and performed ‘X’ taken from one of the best debut albums of 2010, Lost Where I Belong.

We hope you feel this.

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If like us you continue to long for our messiah to return, then maybe this may help. Producer Daru has just released a new (18 track) mix of D’Angelo inspired / sampled tracks, which he has aptly entitled Rudoo. On it, he flips some of D’s most beloved anthems, not only adding fresh prospective but also on occasion, additional vocals too (namely by way of Rena). Sacrilege? Not when Daru’s behind it. If it was anyone else, then maybe we’d be more inclined to point the disapproving finger.

There are some really nice interpretations on this. Get stuck in.

If anything is ‘post’, it’s been ‘Purple’ itself.

With it’s post-Timbo/Neptunes inspired swag (face it), 140bpm (or thereabouts) measure of thump, rampant, sexy, rainbow synths and a bassy braggadocio that could only be UK, we’re naturally fanboys (and girls) of the ‘Purple’ sound: a Bristol-based hybrid you may have picked up on in the last few years.

This mix from a familiar name, Ginz – Multiverse label boss and previous collaborator with sub-genre trailblazer Joker – sets out to prove this supremely danceable strain of underground electronic hasn’t died maligned at the hands of Dub zealots and spotty Bro-Step wobble knobheads.

Additional note, with this set featuring a fresh cut from our boy, I still think young Joker’s ear for sound is incredible and if he was operating more prominently in the US market then he along with the likes of other Yank-influenced Brit beatmaking behemoths Hud-Mo and Girl Unit could re-define the commercial landscape of Stateside R&B… but hey that’s (not) just me.

Download below & increase the subs…

DOWNLOAD: Ginz – ‘Post Purple’ Mix

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Here’s another garbage (by expected standards) track allegedly from forthcoming Detox. Sounds rough but…

Don’t know why I’m even bothering posting this (for archival reasons I guess). Chock with over-used flange affects and twattish ad-libs from Swizz- comebacks still don’t get any lazier than any this.

Download: Dr. Dre Feat. Swizz Beats – ‘Chillin’

In anticipation of the new Daedelus longplayer “Bespoke” dropping on April 11th, the good peoples over at Ninja Tune let loose this TOKiMONSTA banger as a cheeky beak wetter. The album features vocal talent “from all around this current music mess” (as Darlington puts it), including acclaimed PinBoard favourite Bilal as well as Baths (aka Will Weisenfeld) and Alfred’s Uncle Pete (aka Pete Curry of surf band Los Straitjackets), to name but a few…defo can’t wait for this one! Press play and download below.

Download : Daedelus – ‘Tailor-Made’ (TOKiMONSTA Remix)

SB.TV caught up with OFWGKTA’s Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats out in Texas at the SXSW festival – peep them spitting a freestyle.

Here goes the official music video for DELS’ third single, ‘GOB’ (May 2nd), taken from his upcoming debut album (of the same name) due out in May via Big Dada.

Erykah Badu will make her annual pilgrimage to the Brixton Academy once again on July 17th 2011. Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

The ‘Window Seat’ singer will also be opening for Nas & Damian Marley during their Wembley Arena show on March 31st.

As standard, we’ll be there.

Yesterday James Blake performed songs from his debut album at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. He played live renditions of ‘Limit to Your Love’, ‘Unluck’, ‘Klavierwerke’, ‘The Wilhelm Scream’, ‘To Care (Like You)’ and ‘Lindesfarne I & II’ – they all seemed to go down a storm with the American audience.

I honestly wasn’t sure how our friends from across the pond would generally react to Blake and his debut LP but it seems they’re responding with open ears.

Listen to his full set (in high quality) after the jump…

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