“Kala Djula” is from Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate’s forthcoming album Ali and Toumani, which will be released in February 2010. Their previous collaboration In the Heart of the Moon is one of our favorite albums of the decade. Ali Farka Toure passed away in 2006, and left us an incredible amount of beautiful music.

[via pitchfork tv]

I was gchatting with Rupture talking about this tune and said “It was great when I was drunk on Friday”.  And it was, and everyone else seemed to think so too because they went crazy.  And that’s basically the best description of Uproot Andy’s Amadou & Miriam B’More remix of “Sabali” I’m gonna come up with.  Up now for free DL (along with a blend with some great new Busy Signal tunes) at the big Eddie Stats Ghetto Palms Fader column.  Eddie actually does a sick blend of it out of a new Busy vocal on the Bmore track I “Just Wanna Fuck”.  Hothead! Hothead!

pic by tatyana-k

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Well, I suggest you subscribe and check out the previous podcast, before we jump into this one.
All set? Alright, here it is-Recession Rap Podcast, a compilation of rap songs addressing the worldwide economic recession/depression, or more generally the everyday struggle and pain of financial pressure, the bread-n-butter hustle (or should that be food-n-gas?) that it comes it. Except for songs like Lil Wayne’s “Real Rap” which clearly is more about the post-Katrina nightmare that is now New Orleans and David Banner’s “Faith” which is about keeping faith and not collapsing or folding under pressure, nearly all of the raps here are directed at the economic suffering that is going on right now.

With that said, I’d also like to add that I did not necessarily/intentionally/exclusively look for a collection of rap voices of  depression or voices of the global gloom. In fact, some of the rap jams I have been posting here for the last few weeks are (on the contrary) very funny, and compassionate as well.  There’s a lot of struggle and darkness in the economic depression and it’s reflected in the music, but that’s not all it’s about.  For example, listen to Cam’ron’s “I Hate My Job”a song which is partly about a “everyday workingwoman,” whose job and workplace is toxic for her well-being ~financially, emotionally, and physically-”Being here 8 hours sure will get you nauseous...” On that same Cam’ron song listen to the chorus –”I put on my pants, put on shoes. / I pray to God, paid all my dues. / I’m trying to win, it seems like I was born to loose / All I can say…” It’s simple and very affecting, the virtue of getting up in the morning, putting your clothes on, one step at a time, and saying your prayer ~something struggling people do every morning, preparing themselves psychologically and spiritually for whatever the day brings, heartbreaks, knockdowns, and whatnot.

All the songs here are in that vein, impressive and amusing. It would have been impossible or just very lengthy if I had decided to cram all RRJs I gathered or posted, but I’m happy with this batch.  Download it, bump it in your car/ on your subway ride to work, play at home/ walk in the park, listen and enjoy.

Tracklist

Jahdan Blakkamoore Intro (Buzzrock Warrior coming soon on Dutty Artz)

Attitude f/ Jackie Chain – Money (off T.I.M. (Time Is Money) Warner Bros. Records 2009)

Gangsta Pill – Back Outside (off 4180: The Prescription mixtape, Grind Time 2009)

Cam’ron – I Hate My Job (from Crime Pays, Diplomat Records 2009)

Jadakiss f/ Barrington Levy – Hard Times (from The Last Kiss, Roc-A-Fella Records 2009)

G-Side f/ Shyft – Hit Da Block (from Starshipz & Rocketz, Slowmotion Soundz 2008)

Diata Sya – Saria (from Move It Chaleh! Akwaaba Music 2009)

Joell Ortiz – Bout My Money (off Free Agent, ???, 2009)

Kano – Paper (from 140 Grime Street, Bigger Picture Music 2008)

Rhymefest – Exodus 5.1(off El Che, J Records 2009)

Amanda Diva – Rebels (from Spandex, Rhymes, & Soul, DivaWorks Inc. 2009)

Young Jeezy – Circulate (off The Recession, Def Jam Records 2008)

Lil Wayne – Real Rap (off ???,??? 2009 )

David Banner – Faith (from The Greatest Story Ever Told, Universal Records 2009)

Willie Isz – In The Red (from Georgiavania, Lex Records 2009)

Good Enough!!

It must be a wonderful feeling to know that what you’re doing grew out of something that is directly connected to your past, and to know that what you’re doing is honoring your own history.  Diata Sya are descendants of the great warrior and founder of the Mali Empire Sundiata Keita, and they’ve been around since the early ’90s under various aliases, making music addressing modern social problems in Bamako, while drawing inspiration from the past and thoroughly devoted to restoring/recovering African culture through music and activism.
“Saria” is included in the Akwaaba Music compilation Move it Chaleh! It’s incredible.
The above picture is of MC Dree (on the left) and friend. MC Dree performed the first verse, and the lead vocal in the chorus.

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Diata Sya – Saria

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I’ve been coming across Recession Rap Jams faster than I can listen to them, or even post them.   Two bonus jams below, and the music is all over the place, from the south to the west to the motherfucking east © Filastine

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P. Dukes f/ Joseph Lowery – Make Me A Way

props to BLVD ST

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Mickey Factz – Sensibility

props to Nah Right