News

[NEW RELEASE] Bop Alloy (Substantial & Marcus D) 'Winter Breaks' (EP)

Bop Alloy Releases Holiday Project - Winter Breaks

Independent Hip Hop duo Bop Alloy will release their first holiday project on December 9, 2014. In February 2014, Bop Alloy was able to fund their 2nd LP, ‘Another Day in the Life of...’ using Kickstarter. The initial goal of the project was $7000. They more than doubled that amount in under one month and issued stretch goals, one of which included a holiday EP which would become ‘Winter Breaks’.

‘Winter Breaks’ compiles 6 sonically vintage Hip Hop tracks. Producer, Marcus D handles the live instrumentation mixes masterfully while infusing jazz, soul and a pinch of Afro beat samples. Lyrically, Substantial touches on the personal, social, and economical effects of the Holiday season, using thoughtful lyricism, wit, and a variety of flows to paint a different portrait of Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year’s.

“I wanted to do something that wasn’t a traditional Christmas/Holiday album. I celebrate Kwanzaa as well and I set out to make songs that give you a peek into this underexposed, wonderful world”, says Substantial.

“Regardless of how you celebrate, what you celebrate, and/or who you celebrate it with, this is the best time of year, and I think ‘Winter Breaks’ embodies that sentiment without the cliche "holiday raps factor”, says Marcus D. The ‘Winter Breaks’ EP is sure to be the only holiday music you’ll be playing from now through February.

Track Listing*

  1. Let The Flakes Fall Where They May

  2. Hottest Christmas On Record

  3. Resolutions Per Minute

  4. Spent

  5. Longing for Nia

  6. A Celebration

*All songs written, produced by Substantial & Marcus D 

Available at 
bopalloy.bandcamp.com/album/winter-breaks

About Bop Alloy 
Bop Alloy, comprised of Maryland emcee, Substantial and Seattle, WA producer, Marcus D, have become a staple in today’s international Jazz Hop scene. Baritone vocals, fluid flows, and honest lyrics over hypnotic melodies and pounding drums define the Bop Alloy sound. Together and individually, they have collaborated with the likes of Nujabes, Royce Da 5’9”, Kool Herc, Oddisee, Emancipator, CunninLynguists, Shing02, Choklate, and Kenichiro Nishihara. Bop Alloy’s ‘Another day in the life of...’ was released in April 2014 and features GRAMMY nominated Singer/Songwriter, Carolyn Malachi, Cise Star (of CYNE), and Pismo.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
BOP ALLOY LINKS & CONTACTS
Twitter: @BopAlloy
Facebook: Facebook.com/BopAlloy

[MUSIC] Von Pea 'To: You' Prod. The Other Guys ft. Substantial, The Lessondary & Kooley High

Von Pea of Tanya Morgan and The Lessondary, in conjunction with The Other Guys, proudly present To: You.  The new album from Von Pea, fully produced by DMV bred producers The Other Guys, featuring the hit singles “So East Coast” and “Chasing Amy aka In Your Heart” has been highly anticipated and is now ready for your ears before we close out 2014.

To: You is now available online for digital download on iTunes, Bandcamp, and all other retailers. Compact Discs are available at UGHH, Fat Beats and anywhere else you can cop CDs. Stream the album in full below and check out a video of Von Pea breaking down some of the album’s tracks.

[MUSIC] Bop Alloy (Substantial & Marcus D) - Autumn Leaves f. Pismo

From Another Day in the Life of... AVAILABLE NOW: https://bopalloy.bandcamp.com/album/another-day-in-the-life-of With Fall in full swing, it's only fitting that Substantial & Marcus D officially release their latest single, Autumn Leaves. Guest vocals from the always soulful Pismo, add the perfect touch to this Autumn anthem while Marcus D's stellar production sonically captures the coolness and brilliant colors of the season. Substantial's lyrics, inspired by Gordon Park's book To Smile In Autumn, talk about setting new goals after reaching those from his youth as his life approaches the Autumn years. It’s like I reached that point where many folk lives get froze Instead I’m busy living most of my childhood goals Never stagnant, forever I’ll strive for more This elevator’s barely above the bottom floor Autumn Leaves is from Bop Alloy's critically acclaimed 2nd album, Another Day in the Life of... if you're a vinyl record enthusiast, you'll be happy to know that the duo recently released a Limited Edition EP version on 12" vinyl. Pick up your copy today and don't forget, there's more Bop Alloy right around the corner. The Winter Breaks Digital-Only EP drops this December 2014.

Bop Alloy (Substantial & Marcus D)

Autumn Leaves

featuring Pismo
Produced by Marcus D

DOWNLOAD/STREAM: Bandcamp | Soundcloud | Spotify

From Another Day in the Life of...
AVAILABLE NOW
CD | DIGITAL | STREAM | VINYL

With Fall in full swing, it's only fitting that Substantial & Marcus D officially release their latest single, Autumn Leaves. Guest vocals from the always soulful Pismo, add the perfect touch to this Autumn anthem while Marcus D's stellar production sonically captures the coolness and brilliant colors of the season. Substantial's lyrics, inspired by Gordon Park's book To Smile In Autumn, talk about setting new goals after reaching those from his youth as his life approaches the Autumn years.

It’s like I reached that point where many folk lives get froze
Instead I’m busy living most of my childhood goals
Never stagnant, forever I’ll strive for more
This elevator’s barely above the bottom floor

Autumn Leaves is from Bop Alloy's critically acclaimed 2nd album, Another Day in the Life of... if you're a vinyl record enthusiast, you'll be happy to know that the duo recently released Limited Edition EP version on 12" vinyl. Pick up your copy today and don't forget, there's more Bop Alloy right around the corner. The Winter Breaks  Digital-Only EP drops this December 2014.

[PHOTOS] Homeboy Sandman in Arlington, VA & Kokayi in DC - 10/24/2014

Peace World. 

These are a few shots I took at the Homeboy Sandman event I attended in Arlington, VA & Kokayi's event in Washington, DC last night while I was hanging out with Joe of The Other Guys. Check'em out. 

By the way, although I enjoy taking photos, I am not a photographer. You know who is though, my man, Nick Fullen. Check out his website that I helped design/build with him: www.photogenickfullen.com

Nick will be shooting photos for my upcoming album cover art and more. If he looks familiar, it may be because you might remember from my HIWTAI Mini-Doc from a few years ago. Stay tuned.

Enjoy. Stay in Peace.
Sub/Stan

[MUSIC] Substantial 'Ain't No Happy Endings' (Nujabes Remix) - #TBT

Produced by Nujabes | Written by Substantial Lyrics HOOK Ain’t no happy endings, ‘cause nothing really ends When this life is over, another begins And that’s the way it works in the circle of life Balancing these good days in these times of strife. Ain’t no happy endings, ‘cause nothing really ends When this life is over, another begins And that’s the way it works in the circle of life Balancing these good days in these times of strife. VERSE 1 I’m just trying to make it Life’s precious for granted I’ll never take it Every breath I breathe to me is sacred Back when I was young, my only love was football and my mama Learn to use curse words before I ever used a comma Little bad ass All I liked in school was gym and art class Life’s changin’, I was age ten when my pop past His love for cancer sticks and alcohol prove to be tragic My fam’s seen it all we became immune to havoc My lyrics is satisfaction to those who use to be addicts Soothin’ the beast in all those who use to be savage I advocate the acronym F.U.B.U. speak to As if my tongue was tatooed with the word uhuru Using my freestyle to emancipate mind states Fuck 21, I’d like to live see 9 – 8 But this world’s got me going bananas like a primate People you thought you knew full of surprises like a blind date And I hate, Cash flashing niggas with a passion More to life than dollars and rockin’ the latest fashion Seems like we either wanna play ball or be assassins While children go to bed to lullabies of guns blastin’ No matter the weather I’m striving to make it better But my motto is a contradiction “Never say never!” I will not I remain poetic like Gil Scott So stand up, get up My people keep your head up! BRIDGE And live everyday like it’s your last ‘Cause life only get harder as time goes past And yo, the sun might not come out tomorrow Don’t let your life end in sorrow. That’s why you live everyday like it’s your last ‘Cause life only get harder as time goes past And yo, the sun might not come out tomorrow Don’t let your life end in sorrow. HOOK VERSE 2 I try to live day by day without a fear or a worry It’s no time to I make moves in a hurry Use to be so clear now my vision’s getting blurry Streets is hotter than Tabasco sauce on chicken curry Bullets fly from guns with no target in particular Fatally hiitin’ ya Leavin’ bodies perpendicular To those still existin’ Silencers hissin’ Piercin’ the darkness Bringin’ forth another carcus Total bedlam, swear these streets is infested Filled with the many horrors that the devil manifested Children molested Nuclear weapons being tested Somehow I avoided being shot and arrested Brothers tried to bring it to me Sends slugs through me Almost was bodied thrice back when I was just a juvy Hard to deal thought about putting one in my own temple Permanent scars on my physical and my mental Sometimes I’m glad my niece is no longer around to see this Not a trace of unity society’s in peices Liquor splattered on concrete to mourn those that we miss Watch day and night, controlled by unseen leashes Watch day and night, controlled by unseen leashes Watch day and night, controlled by unseen leashes Yo, but no matter what… You know something? This is what you gotta do…

Some Throwback Thursday awesomeness for you. I'm sure a lot of you guys remember the original version of this track which is, in case you didn't know, my favorite track on my 1st album, To This Union A Sun Was Born. When Nujabes first sent me the original, I fell in love with the beat instantly. FUN FACT: The idea for the title and hook were inspired by a scene in the movie The Last Unicorn. 

Anyway, months after the album dropped, this month, 13 years ago, Jun sent me this remix. Still love it (nearly as much as the original). 

Listen. Enjoy. Share. 

Peace.
Sub/Stan

“There are no happy endings because nothing ends.”
— Schmendrick