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November 26, 2011

November 26th - Free Press

A$AP ROCKY

LIVELOVEA$AP (Independent)

Download/stream LIVELOVEA$AP

A$AP Rocky and his crew of Houston-worshipping buddies from Harlem have taken the web by storm this year, smashing the music industry to pieces along the way. Not only are some of them getting major-league money from labels who are desperate for any way out of the abyss, these artists are connected to their fans in ways we haven’t seen before.

They don’t really need the labels to get their music out, but they’ll take their cash anyway. It’s the new hustle. A$AP Rocky may be the $3-million man, but first he’s going to feed the Internet frenzy with a free mixtape before going on tour with Drake.

LIVELOVEA$AP brings you into his infectious world with a confident, stoner slow soundtrack to Swaggerville. Seen through Rocky’s hazy New York state of mind, his pitch-shifted hooks and syrupy, molasses-like flows ride beside boastful raps that are heavy indebted to the South’s love of slowly screwed vocals, elastic rhythms and synthetic drums. One of the best debuts of the year. 

4 stars

— Anthony Augustine

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 26, 2011 G4

Tags: A$AP ROCKY mixtape hip hop

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November 17, 2011

November 17th - Uptown Magazine

Occupy Tebow
One of the fastest-growing memes of the year has been the Occupy Tebow phenomenon that has taken over the ESPN comments section of a now-famous article on Denver Broncos’ struggling QB and former college star, Tim Tebow. While ESPN originally tried to delete negative comments about the QB, it couldn’t keep up with the onslaught of posts and instead of just turning off the comments, it let the page get taken over. OccupyTebow.com is a collection of some of the best phrases that have popped up since the meme started.

Canadian Street Style
 A new street style blog seems to pop up every day, but finally there’s one that focuses on what hip Canadians are wearing. Shot in Winnipeg, Montreal and Vancouver, Canadian Street Style proves you don’t have to live in New York, London, Paris or Milan to be fashion-forward.

MP3 of the Week: ASAP Rocky – LIVELOVEA$AP
The three million man’s new mixtape dropped on the Interweb last week, slowing servers to a near halt as eager fans, hipsters and curious music lovers gobbled up one of the most anticipated hip hop releases of the last few years. ASAP Rocky may be the new kid on the block, but his slow-burning, purple juice-sippin’ style is already making people take notice.

Video of the Week: Thomas Fehlmann – Live at The Cube (MEME 2011)
Looking back at Thomas Fehlmann’s performance on the second night of the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition, it felt like Winnipeg’s electronic scene had come full circle. From under-the-radar illegal warehouse events in the Exchange District, to a free, three-day event in Old Market Square that saw thousands of Winnipeggers of all ages dancing together, it was impossible to not feel the significance of the weekend. Along with a who’s who of local, Canadian and international talent, the fact that MEME organizers managed to book a rare solo performance by a member of one of the most influential electronic groups of the 1990s, The Orb, made the weekend even more special. Here is an extended clip of Fehlmann’s trippy brand of dub-influenced melodic techno, recorded near the end of his hour-and-a-half-long set.

Tags: Thomas Fehlmann ASAP Rocky mixtape Canadian street Style Occupy tebow