Guilty Simpson & Katalyst Unveil 2 Jazzy Detroit & Extras, "Letting Off Steam/Love," Ahead of The Kings Court Tour (Stones Throw)

"We recorded "Letting Off Steam" here in [Australia] in 2014. We both dug that joint, but it didn't make the album for various reasons; so, good to let the peeps hear it. Written and recorded in the same day. Just a dope vibe, really. Guilty killed that beat. Mad flow on that... "Love" is a joint we also had to leave off the album due to the album length. Neither of us like long records. It's a dope jam and Guilty's message/ lyrics are amazing. I really wanted peeps to hear that joint. Its deep. I mixed it again and got a much better mix, which is the one you [hear] released a couple of days back. That's all I can tell you."

– Detroit's Son and Detroit & Extras producer Katalyst

"Right now, all I'm listening to is beats. DETROIT'S SON is my favorite album. And I'm in a time capsule, bro – I'm still listening to The Commodores ha! I'm really into my own wave right now. I mostly listen to Jazz, when I'm not into my own stuff. Mainly Bob James. Anything Bob James will make me listen," Guilty Simpson befittingly replied, when I asked what a few of his favorite Hip-Hop albums of 2014-15 might have been during our expansive The Witzard interview last year; at the time, well... literally, that very same day, Stones Throw announced Simpson's impending Katalyst-produced Detroit's Son album, which effectively end up becoming my absolute favorite album of 2015. Now, nearly six months removed from Guilty & Katalyst's 9/11 release, Detroit's Son still remains one of my favorite Hip-Hop albums since Yeezus and late last night, Stones Throw unveiled the latest addition to their newly-dubbed Detroit & Extras collection; "Guilty Simpson and producer Katalyst recorded so many tracks for last year's Detroit's Son that they couldn't all make the album. "Animal," "Vanguard [Organization]," "Testify" were a few. Here's a couple more: "Letting Off Steam" (a short one) and "Love," presented here together."

What I'm ultimately working towards, in a very long-winded manner, is that Guilty's modest fanboy-esque Bob James influence has, either consciously or subconsciously, worked its way into his music. While it's indeed a track recorded during Detroit's Son's sessions and for whatever reasons, left on the cutting room floor, "Letting Off Steam" more so sounds like it could have been recorded by James himself during the sessions for his coveted crate-diggin' gems One, Two, Three, Heads, or even something akin to his legendary Taxi-popularized theme, "Angela." Stones Throw has made "Letting Off Steam" and "Love" available for your listening pleasure, as one concise Soundcloud stream, while subscribers to their newly-relaunched Kickstarter-backed Drip vinyl-to-mp3 service, like myself, can currently download a bundle complete with both separate tracks. Detroit's Son is now available in standard CD, metallic gatefold LP, and digital formats, for those of you who have been living under a damn rock for the past six months; although, with five post-Detroit's Son tracks floating around in the sonic atmosphere and impending 24-date The Kings Court Tour supported by Slum Village, Black Milk & Phat Kat, I would personally like to imagine Katalyst-helmed Detroit's Son 2 isn't too far off, in all reality.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of...

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra...

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel...

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