New video from Melanie Fiona, can’t say I’m feelin’ this one too strongly. It’s a little dry, but love her voice and look forward to hearing the new album…

**Big grin**

Brand new music from the beat wizard Knxwledge, this time he teams up with loveonthebeat.net to offer a free EP of 4 instrumentals. As with most of material he puts out, Knxwledge brings that scalding blend of boom-clap Hip Hop and ingratiating Soul.

I still have his last project on repeat, if you haven’t heard Skr∆wberries.Funr∆isrs Vol. 3 yet – I implore you to do as soon as you download this slice of free goodness.

Cam Be just shot over this video of Bilal performing ‘Think It Over’ & ‘Soul Sista’ in Chicago recently…

Not entirely sure where this new Lil’ Wayne track comes from, but it’s pretty cold and definitely worth checking out. It dropped earlier today, but I’ve only just gotten round to listening to it – hit the play button…

Download: Lil’ Wayne – ‘We Back Soon’

Kelly Rowland’s latest single ‘Motivation’ featuring Lil’ Wayne split a lot of opinions. I for one really like the single, but for those who don’t – maybe try this new Diplo remix on for size…

Download: Kelly Rowland Feat Lil’ Wayne – ‘Motivation’ (Diplo Remix)

As our readers are aware, PinBoard has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day 2011 in Brazil for the Bollocks To In Equality/Equals campaign. Our journey into exploring the gender issues of this land have pried open unfamiliar eyes to a social climate steeped in complexities.

With all of Action Aid’s work across international poverty stricken communities focused heavily on women’s rights to power, money, protection from violence, access to education and healthcare, our roles here as observers/thinkers/commentators (bloggers) have been to examine the amazing work highlighting and fortifying such fundamental liberties by AA’s partnership organizations.

Often this drive to change has to navigate the tricky terrain of long-standing cultural beliefs and practices: amplified during our visit to the remote rural town of  in the Northern Brazilian district of Para situated a stones throw from the Amazon. Often where poverty is rife and education scarce, moral interpretations (frequently stemming from faith culture’s strongholds) can serve up opposition to the progress of modern living. As one of the poorest communities in Brazil, social awareness in the past has been handicapped by a lack of accredited guidance. Abortion, itself, is outlawed throughout the country unless under the circumstance of rape, incest or risk to mother’s life- the result of which are felt worst in deprived zones where information about contraception is scarce and women submit their bodies to unsafe methods of resolve fearing severe stigmatization.

Local partner organization IPAS however have been working towards a change in attitude by realizing that their greatest instrument is the voices of the young. Their youth group GADA formed over a year ago and is comprised of some of the most dynamic and charismatic young people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting anywhere I’ve travelled or worked before. These volunteers received vital training by IPAS in key areas such as sexual health, access to abortion, freedom from gender violence and are now armed with the knowledge to revolutionize their community: fresh faces of change. Meeting 18 year old Lucas Gomes for example, one can instantly sense from his magnetism that he is one of a pending generation of leaders and the perfect intermediate champion needed to speak influentially to the younger and be heard credibly by the older.

It’s fair to say the continued success of International Womens Day will always be very much reliant on the younger age bracket of both men and women supporting forward thinking developments throughout the communities of the world. In Santarém, you find that hope.

Photos by Eduardo Martino / Documentography / ActionAid.

Press play on Pharoahe Monch’s new short film. ‘Clap (One Day)’ comes off his new album W.A.R (We Are Renegades)

Our good friends over at Red Bull Studios London sent me this remix of Ghostpoet’s ‘Cash & Carry Me Home’ featuring London emcee Kano. The two got together in their studio (ya know, the one we film in) to record the remix, the result is pretty tasty. Listen and download it via the Soundcloud player below…

We got a very special something coming from Ghostpoet in the next couple weeks, hold tight for that.

Queen Fatima and Floating Points will be releasing a collaborative EP entitled Follow You this May.

The 4 track extended player ditches the ‘glitchy’ Soul that we’ve come to know from Fatima, and instead focuses on a more softer, soulful-jazz-infused instrumentation. We have Floating Points to thank for that. His productions here are impeccable – warm, exciting, crisp and just simply stunning. Points was definitely channeling his inna-Dilla on a couple of these compositions.

The EP’s opening track ‘Cinnamon’ has such a spirited bump to it, when I first heard it I may have jumped out of my seat a little. Not just because the track is great and Fatima sounds great on it – but because this is exactly the type of material I have been (not-so-secretly) hoping Fatima releases. Don’t get me wrong, our homegirl has done her damn thing over the past few years – working with the likes of Shafiq Husayn, Funkineven and Dam-Funk is not be overlooked. But, as a huge fan of her vocal chops, I’ve always felt that the very best of her would be exposed while singing the more melodic side of Soul. When I heard her on he Floating Points Ensemble track ‘Post Suite’ – ask anyone around me – I was buggin’ out. In fact, I still am – that track gets played weekly on my end.

The EP continues with ‘Mind’, which some of you may have already heard as a radio-rip on YouTube when she performed it on Benji B’s show (listen below). This track has a funny history with my co-pilot and I – bottom line – I own him an apology. The swing, combined with Floating Points sensational use of atmospheric synths – yea, consider my ‘mind’ well and truly blown. And of course, Fatima’s soaring vocals sounds like buttah (yes, buttah).

‘Innervisions’ is up next. Minimalistic, acapella introductions, interjections of synth heavy basslines – here all distractions from Fatima’s multi-layed vocals are gone. This is all about the chanteuse and rightfully so, her vabrato is more soothing then a Strepsil.

An abraded sounding 808 kicks in on the extended players final number ‘Red Light’. This is definitely the funkiest track out of the 4 and a perfect way to end the dynamically enthralling experience that Follow You offers.

The blogger in me is itching to post a track, but alas, I have been sworn to an embargo but the folks over at Eglo have informed me that they’ll soon be releasing some streams – so hold tight.

I’m excited to hear Fatima doing what (I feel) she does best. I have a really great feeling about this project; We’ve all seen this lady hustle and grow over the years but I believe now is her time. And I feel Follow You will expand her reach and open more doors, especially on an international tip. It’s easy to forget that we have our own steeze here in LDN (something I love and am extremely proud of) but sometimes it can get lost in translation. That’s not to say we should stop doing what we do – but with this new direction, I think Fatima’s fan base will grow with greater ease.

Follow You is released on May 9th via Eglo Records.

Update: Listen to ‘Red Light’ here.

You really don’t need any more reasons to buy Apollo Brown’s new album Clouds. The tracks we’ve dropped thus far (here, here & here) are more than enough, but in celebration of the critical acclaim it has been recieving since it’s release, the good folks over at Mellow Music have decided to drop yet another freebie.

This time they donate the hauntingly dynamic ‘Shadows of Grief’ – a pulsating track, armed with commanding drums, droning piano chords and barometrical synths. This is one of the stand out tracks off the album, if you like this (and how could you not?) – you will love the rest.

Listen and download ‘Shadows of Grief’ via the bandcamp player below. Apollo Brown’s new album Clouds is out now.

Beautiful video of Jay Elec and LaTonya Givens (her voice gives me chills) working on ‘Act II’ in Africa…

Click cover to download

Brand new mixtape from those Pac Div dudes… And after starring at that cover for about 20 minutes, I’m now about to download it myself, join me why don’t you…?

Tracklist after the jump…

Read more…

I’m pretty obsessed with this track. I know many ‘heads’ pass on Bruno Mars, but trust me when I say this guy is one of the best song writers around at the moment. This song both lyrically and melodically is brilliant. I love this stripped back version too.

Raphael Saadiq’s video for ‘Good Man’ is one of the best I’ve seen this year, superbly made, brilliantly directed – it’s dope. It doesn’t hurt that the song itself is one of the best I’ve heard this year aswell. Despite the video being out for a few weeks now, VIBE just released some behind the scenes footage which sees Saadiq talking about the concept behind the visual…

‘Just For Show’ is the first single taken off Atmosphere’s new album The Family Sign (April 12th).

Biggup Abjekt, of course…!