ALBUM REVIEW: Phonte - "Charity Starts At Home"

September 27th was probably one of the biggest dates for hip hop releases so far this year-- J. Cole, Blu, Evidence, J-Live, among others, all dropped solid efforts.  My favorite of them all, though, comes from none other than Mr. Phonte Coleman of The Foreign Exchange.  After making a long run as a smoothed-out R&B singer, Phonte makes a refreshing return to hip hop with his solo debut Charity Starts At Home.  Check out my brief review of the album at All Music Guide.  Then do your music collection some good and cop the album.

MUSIC MONDAY JAM: Black Milk & Danny Brown - "Black & Brown"

There are plenty reasons to affix your ears to Detroit hip hop these days.  Aside from its viability as an epicenter of new musical frontiers, Detroit has, over time, significantly strengthened its artistic brand through its collaborative efforts by local artists.  Continuing to shape and mold the Detroit hip hop brand while pushing the sound beyond  local boundaries are hip hop movers-and-shakers Black Milk and Danny Brown.  The song "Black & Brown," originally featured on Black Milk's Album of The Year, inspired their new collaborative EP of the same name, which then spawned the above visuals for the title-track.  Black Milk's heart-pounding, symphonic production provides the backdrop for Danny Brown's abrasive, off-kilter raps as the two get rugged and rowdy and trade bars in a movie theater.

Stream and purchase the Black & Brown EP after the jump.