www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E6O4Va0uwc

It’s crazy that it’s January and there is already a contender for the Best Album of 2012 list and that album is Black Radio from The Robert Glasper Experiment. This is Glasper‘s fifth album and first with his all electric band The Experiment, which is often called the Herbie Hancock and The Headhunters of the new millennium. This time around, he takes his brand of cosmic jazz into a bit more soulful territory painting a picture of what black radio should sound like. To accomplish this, he enlisted the help of some of his friends: Lalah Hathaway, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Yasiin Bey, Meshell NdegeOcello, Chrisette Michelle, Musiq Soulchild, Ledisi, Lupe Fiasco, Stokely (of Mint Condition), Shafiq Husayn (of Sa-Ra) and KING. This highly anticipated album is set to be released February 28th. In the meantime, check out the EPK and go to his website to get a free download of the amazing song with KING.

Related posts:

1. DJ Flash Gordon Parks: Me’Shell Ndegeocello
2. Dela: The Robert Glasper Beat Tape
3. Albums Worth Checking: D-Sisive + Robert Glasper + Miles Jones

Happy New Year soul people! This year will definitely be one of the most exciting and best years for soulful music with the much anticipated return of soul’s prodigal son D’Angelo, as well as new releases from Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Robert Glasper Experiment (with a catastrophic guest feature list), Esperanza Spalding, Jose James, and many more. We also know that the indie/global/underground culture has been on the rise thanks in part to social networks and such. However, here is a quick glimpse at five artists I believe will have the blogosphere and social networks a buzzing in this New Year.

Erimaj

Lead by drummer Jamire Williams, this progressive genre defying band, comprised of some of the most in demand musicians of the day, exploded onto the scene last year with one of the hottest singles and videos of 2011 (which we posted a few months back). With their abstract blend of soul, jazz, funk and psychedelica, the crew is gearing up to release their full-length debut project the end of the first quarter.

Jairus Mozee

Also known as J Mo, this L.A. based guitarist has played for everyone from Prince (when he was only 17), Janet Jackson, Sy Smith and currently Lil Wayne. He’s also written songs with Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, and many more. He will finally make his solo indie debut this year with his funky, jazzy licks. In the meantime, check out songs from his upcoming album on his soundcloud page. (My favorite is “California Dreamin.”)

Jrod Indigo

Chicago born, Bay Area based singer Jrod Indigo has been on his grind for at least ten years now. With a hot EP released in 2003, which featured collabs with his cousin Chali 2na (Jurassic 5), Dwele and DJ Dez, a feature on J Boogie’s Soul Vibrations album with Crown City Rockers, a few dance singles on the Vancouver based Bombay Records, and a 7″ released last year on Bobbito‘s Alala label with a remix from Wajeed of PPP. A few weeks ago, he released a debut video and is now hard at work putting the finishing touches on his debut full length with his sometimes MJ-esque phrasing and Prince inspired funk.

Nicholas Ryan Gant

This AZ born, NYC based singer has been blazing a trail for a few years now. He and his fellow Howard University crew comprised of Muhsinah, Bilal Salaam, and DaNedra set the DC a buzz. Now living in NYC, he’s written songs with Jesse Boykins III, had several features with various global producers, and most recently, a feature on Zo!‘s Just Visiting Three EP. Over the years, he’s put out an EP, a few free downloads, and now has a full-length project in the mastering stages. If you haven’t, check out the single.

KING

At this point, if you don’t know the L.A. based group KING, you’ve probably been in a cave from March 2011 until now. They owned the blogosphere with the news of their break out three track EP that’s on almost every best of 2011 list, including mine, and made fans out of the likes of Erykah Badu, ?uestlove, Janelle Monae, Prince (whom they opened for on his 21 night concert in L.A.) and many more. That same fever will happen again this year [second quarter] with the release of their debut album.

Related posts:

1. Top 10 New/Breakthrough Artists: 2009
2. Artists & Producers To Watch, Vol. 3
3. Artists & Producers To Watch, Vol. 2

As far as controversy is concerned, rappers only take a backseat to politicians. Whether manufactured, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, injustice or sheer ignorance, the two have appeared tailor-made for one another. Usually, this controversy presents itself in the form of legal trouble. Pac seemingly lived it, DMX can’t seem to escape it and a laundry list of others are still experiencing it.

T.I., however, seems to have an uncanny knack to predict it.

Since his rise to stardom after 2003′s Trap Muzik, the self-proclaimed “King Of The South” has found himself eye to eye with Johnny Law on three separate occasions. Each time in various records, he seemed to give haunting premonitions of what was to come on legal stature. Some are more specific than others, but all give insight to the mind of a man whose found just as much stress as he has success.

The 2004 Arrest

“Ay, shawty, you ain’t posed to make the same mistake more than one time/I ain’t made the same mistake twice since in ’99…” – “T.I. vs. T.I.P.”

Mentioned: On his sophomore album, Trap Muzik, released on August 19, 2003.

Life Imitates Art: Four months later, an arrest warrant is issued for Clifford Harris on December 29, 2003.

Synopsis: Trap Muzik was the album which planted the seeds to T.I.’s eventual rise to Hip-Hop’s elite. Backed by four incredibly strong singles, it appeared as if Tip’s career was on the launching deck and his troubled days of the past were a distant memory. Turns out, the trapper-turnt-rapper spoke too soon and found himself in jail during the early months of 2004 for a probation violation. What’d he do? Made the same mistake he made in ’99 and faced three years behind bars.