Peace ya'll! It's been quite a while, I hope this emails finds you well. Me and Moonshine are back to the music, working on a new album and figured it was time to warm things back up.

- Diz Gibran

DOWNLOAD - DIZ GIBRAN & MOONSHINE "THE RETURN"

Ayomari – The PB & J Solution

Ayomari started his year off right by releasing his project on Valentine’s Day. Easily this would be a favorite of mine being that it was released on my date of birth (haha!). Regardless of the fact, Ayomari put together a really well produced record with beats from Cook Classics, Exile, Phonix, & 5kin & Bone5.  He touched on a lot of subject matter that the normal flashy,swaggy rapper would not. The visual treatment for this album was nice too! I tend to listen to this album on a sunny day watching everything from the balcony of a beachhouse. I think the focus might have shifted from Ayomari’s project when his frequent collaborator TiRon released MSTRD a couple months after.

Guilty Simpson – OJ Simpson

You would think a whole album produced by Madlib would lead to astonishing critical acclaim. However, I feel that people might have let Guilty Simpson’s project slip through the cracks. It may have stemmed from Stones Throw’s lack of promotion. It seems like they prepped its release ok, but after it dropped that was the last of any promo that I seen. While out in on the westcoast Guilty linked with Strong Arm Steady, MED, & Frank Nitty. With a song dedicated to J Dilla – Cali Hills & plenty of “I’m a killer (on these beats AND in real life)” references, what hip hop head would deny this album a place in their collection. Or maybe, they were just waiting for the Random Axe (Black Milk, Guilty, & Sean Price) album to drop?

Cook Classics – Recharged

Dope Beats. Check. Dope Rhymes. Check. This album had everything you need. Maybe people thought it was gonna be “just another remix album”. The list of features explands even further than just Diz Gibran, Emilio Rojas, Freddie Gibbs, Miguel, Sean Price, & Tunji. This had to be one of the best compilations of music this year, a full mix of everything from eastcoast/westcoast rap to R&B to soul & even some instrumental. If this album was supposed to fully expose Cook Classics as a major producer, it did that to the max. When albums ahead of their time come out nobody recognizes it till later; I’ll use that as an excuse to why everybody chose to hit the snooze on this alarm clock.

Versis – IllCanDescent

Nobody ever believes the young kid telling you the right answer. This might have been the reason people slept on Versis’ boom-bap centered, IllCanDescent. I remember trying to sneak him into Shoes House and then a couple weeks later I seen him there, and he flashed his fake ID. This kid is sharp and moves at a very strong pace. He reached out to get his project mixed/mastered by the best, Dave Cooley. He managed to get productions from highly skilled guys like Beat Maker Beat, Dibia$e, Exile, & fLako. With comparisons to Blu, he seems to be headed in the right direction. Oh did I forget to mention he did all this by himself!?!?

Shawn Jackson – Brand New Old Me

Maybe people really believe in the sophomore jinx. I don’t and Brand New Old Me pleased my ears with another dose of Shawn Jackson’s braggadocio rap. He collaborated with some of LA’s finest artists/producers like Cloud, Co$$, Jimi James, Thurzday (Of U.N.I.), & Ro Blvd. Shawn had a tribute to the beautiful city of Los Angeles, “Lah City” – so anybody from LA should throw them L’s up when this track comes on. Maybe Shawn hasn't been featured on enough high-profile songs for a wider audience to notice him, but it will definitely come with time.

H.O.P.E. released his Nas-inspired mixtape earlier today. Hosted by the LA Leakers. It features lyrical rhyme-slinger Diz Gibran, NYC-transplant Curt@!n$, Chase N Cashe & Kent Jamz

DOWNLOAD H.O.P.E. - SINCERE: THE NAS-TAPE

Moonshine is releasing a fresh new clothing line that should appeal to any hip-hop head whether they're from LA or NY...BOGART NEW YORK made its debut at the MAGIC convention earlier this year. They recently released a lookbook for their Spring 2011 line.

I remember while on the "Soon You'll Understand" tour, Moon was creating some of the pieces, it's dope to see the progression. Enough of my babbling - take a look at some of the gear!

Imagine what would happend when the world of hip hop combined its efforts in one vennue...Atlanta hosts the A3C Festival that does just that. A good amount of acts that are blessing the stage have all been featured here and there - here's the list of performers for all 3 coasts: