Yesterday I declared Escobar season had returned. And true to my words, Nas is hitting fans with another musical offering. This time, he steps out of his usual lane to collaborate with Santana for a remake of AC/DC’s classic “Back in Black.” This song was announced back in May, and will be a part of Santana’s upcoming album Guitar Heaven…the Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time. As the title implies, most of record covers some of the greatest songs in rock music history.
Janelle Monae was supposed to handle the chorus duties, but pulled out of undisclosed reasons at the last minute. Instead, a new singer named Robyn Troup steps in a does a good job handling Brain Johnson’s original vocals.
After the song is the final album tracklisting courtesy of www.hitfix.com. Release date is September 21.
Carlos Santana feat. Nas and Robyn Troup “Back in Black”
“Whole Lotta Love” featuring Chris Cornell (Led Zeppelin)
“Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” featuring Scott Weiland (The Rolling Stones)
“Sunshine Of Your Love” featuring Rob Thomas (Cream)
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma (The Beatles)
“Dance the Night Away” featuring Pat Monahan (Van Halen)
“Back In Black” featuring Nas (AC/DC)
“Riders On the Storm” featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek (The Doors)
“Smoke On the Water” featuring Jacoby Shaddix (Deep Purple)
“Photograph” featuring Chris Daughtry (Def Leppard)
“Bang A Gong” featuring Gavin Rossdale (T. Rex)
“Little Wing” featuring Joe Cocker (Jimi Hendrix)
“I Ain’t Superstitious” featuring Jonny Lang (Howlin’ Wolf, Jeff Beck Group)
Boog Brown & Apollo Brown “Just Be”
These two (no relation) are officially dropping this joint as the lead single for their September 28 collaboration album Brown Study. It will serve as both their debut album together and also a follow-up to their mixtape The Grind Season Vol. 1.
Apollo’s goes orchestral with this joint, supplying Boog with dreamy and airy melodies. She crafts her rhymes around a sensual encounter with a lover, urging him to get lost in the moment without worry of consequence or relationship labels.
“Kiss lips tenderly when fingertips touch/Lust moves, krush grooves give me what I want,” she serenades. “Stroke strong/told him leave his Timbs on/No need for a slow song/Baby leave the lights on…Rock steady so steady/Glad I wore the laces/Patiently he tastes me/That pace had me crazy…”
Who says Hip-Hop songs can’t be sexy and erotic but still retain class? Not one vulgar word, yet your mind is given highly explicit images to work with, and it turn your level of engagement is much higher.
Looking forward to hearing the full vision later this month.
Boog Brown & Apollo Brown “Just Be”
Nice Guys Debut Album Cover & “Good Shepherd”
The young, Houston-based band The Nice Guys will be dropping their debut album The Show on September 28. Their latest single “Good Shepherd” tackles the challenges that come with being young trailblazers in the game.
“I didn’t know I was going to be a rapper,” says rapperYves Saint, 1/4 of the group. “I never had the same agenda as others. I realized this was a gift, and this is me responding dutifully as ‘The Good Shepherd.’ Leaders aren’t always going to be perfect. The best leaders are often not the ones looking for the job.”
The Nice Guys “Good Shepherd”
Pete Rock & Smif N Wessun feat. Raekwon “Prevail”
One of the blessing that’s come out the Internet’s upheaval of the music industry is that artists are more willing to work with each other on entire projects. Pete Rock and Smif N Wessun doing a full album together is something that wouldn’t have been possible in say 1996. Now it’s a reality. At press time, a release date hasn’t been given.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 
glad to see Boog & Apollo up – appreciate the support!