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"When times are hard, reach for that card," went the slogan of the fictional weed delivery service in Half Baked. Young Jeezy doesn't have a card (at least not one he was willing to exchange with us), but he has a monumental album called the The Recession dropping September 2nd that he's hoping will provide some type of relief and/or advice for those being hit the hardest in these times. When we sat down with him recently, Jeezy was as candid as we've ever seen, explaining what his album means to the state of the union, how he used to hate rappers, and even how Sade´ made him want to be a "Smooth Operator."

Every week resident FADER selector Eddie STATS runs through dancehall riddims and other artifacts from the ghetto archipelago.

Usually I come up with little themes or sub-atomic genre designations (you know, like "Gun-drop" or "Afro-trance") for every mix I do on Ghetto Palms, partly because half the time these things are just sketches or outtakes from a larger mix CD concept I’m working on. If I had to do that for this week’s blend, the micro-genre would probably called traphall (or maybe synthhall), ‘cause all the tunes included are like grandbabies of the Acid Hall (see above) riddim Salaam Remi did back when. But truth be told it's just some shit that all flows together, the only real common thread is that its all new or currently bubbling and within the same spectrum of tempo and feel. more...

The original version of "The Anthem" has been crunktifying quinceañeras for months now, but it took Machel Montano jumping on the refix to bring it to the bashments. We're not sure what either of them did for someone to throw some actual paper down for a video, but when you fuck with both artists as hard as we do, you're geeked for any visuals, let alone the two haunting the freaky abyss of their own video set as willy-bouncing ghosts.

In the Jedi Mind Pix section of FADER #55, we described guest picker Mr Martelo thusly:

You could try to call him on his landline in London this summer, but he wouldn't answer; Mr Martelo's iCal is booked through fall as Santogold's worldwide touring DJ. We'd hire him, too, after hearing his mega-'naners productions of house, breakbeats, bassline and extra creative refixes (Rick Ross reimagined as heavy, foggy dubstep, oh hell yeahs).

Which did absolutely no justice to his hair. Neither does the above photo of Martelo with our girl Kesh but it does serve to illustrate their friendship, a friendship that resulted in a "mega-'naners" mixtape of all kinds of boogie music called Do You All Have Your 3-D Glasses?. Get it below, along with another mix from Mr Martelo by his lone self for a Nike fashion show, recently pointed in our direction by Trinitron.

Download: Kesh & Mr Martelo's Do You All Have Your 3-D Glasses? Mix

Download: Mr Martelo's Nike Catwalk Mix

When we were in Ghana for our story on hiplife in FADER #52, one of the non-Ghanaians all Ghanaians (especially the gals) were talking about was Lagos' 2face Idibia, mostly on the balance of "African Queen", which was playing everywhere at the time and is now playing on his MySpace. If you're in DC on August 1st check 2face out for yourself at the JFK Center. If you're somewhere else, check him out in the new video for fellow Nigerian 9ice's "Street Credibility", which we're having a hard time deciding if we like more than his megahit "Gongo Aso". Technically we don't have to decide, so we'll just tell you to buy the 9ice's whole album on iTunes and also congratulate him on his wedding last weekend. Sweet tux!


Download: 9ice, "Gongo Aso"

Now this is how it started: the original version of Farley Jackmaster Funk's "Love Can't Turn Around" was one of the earliest Chicago house songs to cross over as an international pop hit, and 20+ years later it crosses right back, newly licensed by UK label Back Yard. The reissue comes backed by remixes (duh!) from indie clubbers Lifelike, Dolby Anol, and most notably, Boys Noize, who puts aside the buzzsaw techno of his Oi Oi Oi LP to create a violin-looped thumper that stays true to the jacking spirit of the original while ensuring the chopped-n-blogged generation gives it their full attention. House is for the children! (And if this is your bag, be sure to check out "Don't Go," Boys Noize's soulful, crescendoing collaboration with labelmate D.I.M. from late last year under their Puzique moniker. Disappointment = impossible!)


Download: Farley Jackmaster Funk, "Love Can't Turn Around (Boys Noize Remix)" (via Discodust)

Hyphy and Houston may not exactly be on the tips of tongues right now, but we continue to stay vigilant, for even in the dryest times the jams continue to trickle. The most recent of these is FAB's new song with three of Houston's most well-known. And though Paul indeed says some shit about his "Jolly Rancher paint" this still sounds pretty fresh.


Download: Mistah FAB f. Bun B, Paul Wall & Chamillionaire, "2 MPH"

Yes, we put them both on the cover of FADER #39. Yes, it was 2006. Yes, Nina Sky didn't technically release an album before or since then. But they are going to now (supposedly), and this is the first official single. And yes, we don't care if Rick was a corrections officer because we never planned on actually buying cocaine from him anyway.


Download: Nina Sky f. Rick Ross, "Curtain Call"

Just because. (via Caps)

Each Tuesday, FADER editor Matthew Schnipper highlights an underappreciated recent release he thinks we need to know about. This week it's Hanged Up's Kicker In Tow. Listen to "Kinetic Work" below, buy Kicker In Tow here and read about it after the jump.

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We have it on good authority that Brightblack's new album Motion to Rejoin was powered by the New Mexico sun. Not like, this album was Made Extra by the Sun®, but Nabob and Rabob actually juiced their studio, or adobe hut or whatever, with solar rays. Which may explain why it sounds like a giant peyote cactus and the biggest jug of iced tea ever known to man. That is, of course, a dubious simile, but what else are supposed to do when a band makes music that is so obviously meant for New Wave Sweat Lodges where it is totally acceptable to bring refreshments in case you get too weirded?


Download: Brightblack Morning Light, "Hologram Buffalo"

Email us at contests@thefader.com to win some tickets to San Francisco's Outside Lands festival featuring Black Mountain, Radiohead, Drive by Truckers and a lot more.

Man, it feels like we haven't talked about French people in forever. You know what? That's wrong. IT'S FUCKING WRONG. This country was built by the French! Fortunately, things come back together right now because we just got an announcement from the Warlords de Partie at Institubes that their own Jean Nipon and Bobmo will be in North America from July 31st through August 16th for the MEG Terror Tour, which starts at NYC's Santos' Party House. This is where Andrew WK laminates posters that say "Fuck, I have to Shit!" It's a great place. To get you all excited, Mr Nipon sent us a mix that includes "exclusives such as his new single '4WD', a remix by Bobmo of Surkin's 'Kid Gloves', a snippet of Teki's verse from Orgasmic's take on 'White Knight Two', a taste of Laidback Luke's remix, Feadz' track from the upcoming Eurogirls go to Baltimore part II comp, David Rubato's remix of 'Lights Out' by Santogold and some other goodies." Those goodies are not what you expect. Enjoy, and make sure to check out the tour poster after the jump for all of the dates from Montreal to Portland.

Download: Jean Nipon Freedom Fries Mix
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Last Friday on "The Let Out" (our weekly show on East Village Radio, made possible by Dewars) we hung with Fistfight of Nacho Lovers, who came in halfway through for an epic set. Listen to East Village Radio this and every following Friday from 6-8pm EST and check the tracklist after the jump.

-Stream the 7/18 edition of "The Let Out" here.
-Download the mp3 for free directly here (right-click and save-as.)
-Add the show to your favorite podcasts by pasting this URL into your preferred podcast software: http://www.eastvillageradio.com/podcasts/2008/68.xml more...

To get it out of the way: Re-Up Gang sound like they recorded "Money" by yelling through the stomach of a robot in a secret tunnel underneath Rick Rubin's bearskin rug. And it works! "Money," from the soon to be released Re-Up album, isn't as good as "Set it Off," from Kardinal Offishall's upcoming album Not 4 Sale, which succeeds by taking Kardi's highly dubious line I don't take my chain off on the mic, it's my security piece/it gives me security! and makes it sound kinda balling.


Download: Re-up Gang, "Money"

This summer…comes the true story…of a team…that attempted the impossible…and a family…that reached for their dreams… of putting out a song… in which The Game does not rap about another rapper. Didn't happen but this song is crazy nonetheless. And it has a Keith David outro. That dude slayed Shakespeare in the Park!


Download: Ice Cube f. WC & The Game, "Get Used To It"

Lest ye think our man Izza Kizza is all jokes and his upcoming Kizzaland mixtape (July 29th) will be nothing but riffs on Stewie and what have ye, here is Izza getting a little political on the latest from said mixtape. Of course, you will probably have to spend a lot of valuable time getting at everything he's saying, but that's what pretending to work is all about.


Download: Izza Kizza, "Push"

We've made no secret of our collective love for Dungen over the years, and their forthcoming album 4 (out on Kemado on September 30th) has done nothing to diminish our passion. So we were obviously excited to be invited to film the band's mastermind Gustav Ejstes and percussionist Johan Holmegard perform songs from the album at New York City's La Poisson Rouge last week. Instead of their normal acid rock monster stacks, Gustav banged out some new and old joints on the baby grand and acoustic guitar while Johan killed it softly on drums. It was pretty mystical, but that may have just been the crazy lights. Regardless, here is the show in its entirety, divided by song, equaling jam session.

We were a little worried that The Recession would be just be a clever title with nothing behind it, but the video for "Put On" makes it pretty obvious that Jeezy is gonna go hard with the message. From colorless American flags, ad hoc enterprises and cheaply videotaped broadcasts (which in this day and age have become associated with one and only one segment of society), the Jeezy and Gil Green co-directed clip is even gloomier than the prospect of us owning property in New York City. Our sources tell us The Recession will be similar in tone and won't have many, if any, upbeat songs like "My Hood" on it and comes out on August 26th, so we're guessing Jeezy won't be playing the Democratic Convention that week unless someone is feeling particularly like losing. However, Kanye will, so maybe he can spit his verse from "Put On" since it's just about him anyway.