Top Rahman: Best of Summer 2012

During summer is the greatest time for any artist to drop an album. Why? Because everyone wants something they can listen to in the sun, or under the stars. There's no better season than summer for musical anticipation, unless it's around Christmas. And it aint shit unless it's Nat King Cole... buhlee dat. Having all this said, I've put together a list of this summer's best albums & mixtapes for the benefit of your your knowledge. You can thank me later.

In no particular order...


#1 BHF VOL II  

Guy Harrison & Cartier teamed up once again for the return of the Back Hand Fam. This mixtape is solid jam with productions by APOB and MiGGz, every song makes you just want to get up and bump. With the diverse selection of beats, I'm pleased to hear the voices of Stephen Babcock and Janine Halsey featured on two of the tracks. Definitely gives a fresh vibe of something a little different for the BHF.
Click here to download BHF VOL II

#2 The XX EP  

If you know anything about Shepard you can expect nothing less than a cool mellow sound. This EP is amazing because not only did he produce the beats, but he also sang and taught himself how to play a few instruments for the making of it all. Shepard's voice along with the vibrant sounds of a sitar and kalimba can truly make any hippie's dream come true. Unfortunately this EP has not been released to the public yet, but through word of twitter it will be his next contributing project. So hold tight, it's something you definitely want to hear.

#3 Glory EP
My girl Iggy Azalea dropped the Glory EP post Ignorant Art which I would describe as a sequel to the classically rachet life of a queen. I love everything about this EP because it's bad as hell, and there's no female MC out there doing it like Iggy. You can hear the growth of her career throughout each song, with productions featuring Pusha T, T.I., and B.O.B, the album is a pure reflection of her success and satisfaction.
Click here to download the Glory EP

#4 The Bright Side
After anticipating all year, Aer dropped their first official album The Bright Side. This album is literally the summer anthem. Every song has that signature summer vibe for anyone who really appreciates the finer things summer has to offer. So if you're about inhaling the goodness, then take a moment to exhale and chill hard to The Bright Side. Also a special congrats to the duo for hitting number one on itunes. (Also another reason why you know this album is dope.)
Click here to download The Bright Side



#5 Royalty 
Childish Gambino really came out hard on this one with an 18 track playlist featuring the voices Ghostface Killah, Schoolboy Q, and even Tina Fey. Yeah... Tina Fey. This mixtape is on point in terms of goin in on the flow. Gambino is known for keeping it real and telling it how it is, and Royalty is nothing less of it.
Click here to download Royalty

#6 Channel Orange 
It would be devastating for anyone to tell me that they've never heard of Frank Ocean. Besides the fact that he is truly an angel from above, he is essentially the only R&B artist who has opened up and come out about his sexuality. I have a huge respect for this man and although sexual preference should not matter, it's great to know that he has inspired and saved lives of people all over. I would describe this album as a dedication letter to not only himself, but to others who may have felt lost at one point or another.

Click here to download Channel Orange

#7 Believe
I really don't care who you are or what you think of Justin Beiber because if you haven't heard Believe, then you don't have the right to make any assumptions. Beyond popular disbelief, Beiber is an amazing artists with incredible vocal skills and that's not all. It's pretty easy for any guy to hate on the Beibs which I suppose is understandable being that he kind of has every girl in the world on his tab. As well as the fact that he's dating Selena Gomez... But besides all this, his new album has features with Drake, Big Sean, and Ludacris. Now let me ask you something, do you really think that Kanye West would openly announce his respect for the Beibs if he thought he was a lame? C'mon son, I'm seriously tired of hearing people bitch about Beiber. If you haven't given him a chance yet, you're messing up. So take a chance and Believe you fool. 
Click here to download Believe

#8 Yellow Album
Dom Kennedy my man, I love the way Dom spits. It's like if you can imagine Dr. Suess being a thug his name would be Dom Kennedy. Dom's flow is something so simple it makes you say "Why didn't I think of that?" And he'll keep you laughing with his witted flow. This album's got a low key west coast feel that'll keep you vibing.

Gettin the Backhand Fam

Wow, wow, WOW.

After getting a hold of Guy Harrison's mixtape The Deadline I immediately fell in love. I'm not going to say it was exactly the same as my Kid Cudi experience, but it was close and that says A LOT...
One thing that I loved about Guy's mixtape was his flow. I've heard soooo many young mixtapes and it's really a shame how wrapped up and confused these young artists get while focusing on listening to just mainstream rappers. Although there are many different approaches to take, I think there's a lot of confusion about what the right way to rap is and how to do it. Don't get me wrong I have SO much respect for main stream rappers and I love the talent they posses, but there comes a point in every song where you've gotta say to yourself: Ok, so what does this song even mean? What is it about? Who are they talking about? Why does Gucci always say "BURR"...?
My point is that when I listen to rap, I'm personally looking for the deeper meaning. Although I do enjoy it on occasion, I'm not as crazy as I used to be about the metaphors and the code names. I want to be able to understand what a song is about when I'm listening to it.

Guy's got a clever and witty flow to his tracks. He doesn't make it seem like he's trying too hard, and you can tell his lyrics speak from experience.
This technique of flow doesn't just apply to Guy, it applies to his right hand man Cartier Sims as well. Cartier is just as equally talented as Guy and together they're even better. They released their first mixtape Backhand Fam back in December along with a music video for "Piff & Orangemen" directed by the very talented Phil Steiger
  which became quite the success around Syracuse University's campus.

First seeing the "Piff & Orangemen" video I had to figure out who these guys were. I noticed they kept name dropping this "Miggz" character so I decided to do a little research.

Not only does Miggz (Matt Migliorelli) produce some NASTY beats but hes also talented in photography. I came across his flickr and was in literal aw. Not only does this guy know his shit about music, but he's got a dope ass eye! Damn! It's just not even fair to have all that talent in one. Miggz' beats are so good, I don't even mind listening to them by themselves. Without words his tracks are still sick. That says enough. You can get a hold of his beat tape from my boy Max at Hold My Coat (another dope music blog that you all should follow).
The crazy thing about the Backhand Fam, is that they're all just freshman (soon to be sophomores). I actually thought it was a joke when I found out they were just first years. How could they have this much talent so early? Well age is just a number and I truly appreciate the Backhand Fam, because they're out there doing what they do despite their age. And they're doing it right. This is just a rare example of what I like to call young swag. And even though they're soon to be sophomores, they'll no doubt be my favorite freshman. With all of this said, what are you waiting for? Get schooled on some Backhand Fam!

Philm

After a week of regular academic prison I needed some clarity (aka retail therapy). As I was doing my regular rounds via Marshalls I couldn't help but eavesdrop on a group of high school girls.
"OMG Chelsea would TOTALLY wear this", "Yeah she would totally wear that, but I wouldn't NEVER let her!". Ahh soooo young and obnoxious were my immediate thoughts until I remembered that I was once young and obnoxious just like them. I remembered my not-so-long ago young self as I started to daydream about how much fun it was to just shop with my girlfriends, the excitement of going to school dances, hanging out with boys, etc. As I continued to stare at these girls (probably looking like a creeper) I felt as if it was so cliche that I had taken these simple thrills for granted.

We all spend so much time with our friends and even though we don't think about it, it's usually the littlest things they do or say that we take for granted most. It's not that we do it on purpose, it's just we never really realize it until they're gone.
I was introduced to Phil through one of my friends and soon discovered his amazing talent. Not only does he have quite the sense of humor, but he's got an amazing eye for capturing a moment and putting together a story. After seeing his "Untitled Weekend" (which I found out he filmed with his girlfriend's Cannon D5000) I literally just stood there with goosebumps.
It was so amazing the way he put it together, it really allowed me to look through his eyes.



Untitled Weekend from Philip Steiger on Vimeo.
Untitled Weekend from P.C. Steiger on Vimeo.



Not only does Phil have a knack for filming precious moments of his friends, but he's also worked with rappers Guy Harrison & Cartier Sims, filming one of their latest singles "Piff & Orangemen". This is truth Phil: Your work never ceases to amaze me. People I suggest you all check out more of Phil's work on his film blog. And until then, I hope you all begin to recognize and cherish the simple thrills we share with our friends.