Hip-Hop

With Father's Day coming up, it's time to resurface one of our favorite genres: Dad Rock. It's a style that originated from the bearded soft rock era of the '70s, however, its legacy has lived on. Many of its signature artists are still recording, and some are even bigger than ever, including Neil Diamond and Van Morrison. Meanwhile, sons-of-dad-rockers, such as singer-songwriter Jakob Dylan, carry the touch.

Listen to our Dad Rock playlist by clicking the green button below. Then visit Download Music to stream and download thousands of more free songs.

To celebrate the conclusion of Kanye West's "Glow in the Dark" tour featuring Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, and N.E.R.D., watch manufacturer Nooka will produce a very limited glow in the dark version of their popular Zub watch. When we say "very limited," we mean it--only 15 pieces were made and most of them will find their home with Kanye himself, so abandon all hope of picking up one of these unique watches. Nice to look at though, right?

What "Alphabet Aerobics" was to rap librarians, Nino's "Name Droppin'" is to the scene's historians. Impressively, the artist weaves famous rap names into the grammar of his verse ("Snatched this Cuban link from a slim thug one time"). It all bodes well for new LP "Untold Scriptures."

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If Northern California is Quannum territory, Tres Records is quickly taking over the L.A. underground hip-hop scene, and this trio has to count as its top act. Unlike many instrumental rap crews, Panda packs light; thin, nimble beats play counterpoint to unpredictable, often hilarious vocal conceits, and no track ends where it began.

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West Coast indie hip-hop may not prize the single like its mainstream counterparts, but Ahmad's new collab with Chali 2na (J5) and Eligh (Living Legends), "City Feel Proud," is a straight-up hit. Psychedelic colors meet a little beat bump and tight flows, setting a great tone for a stellar solo LP.

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The never-ending quest for extraterrestrial life goes on: the Phoenix Lander touched down last Sunday on a mission to explore the polar region of Mars. The $420 million spacecraft, which launched last August, is expected to find "ice-rich permafrost" underneath the Martian surface. Back on Earth, members of NASA, astrophysicists, and amateur star gazers worldwide (not to mention those of us at Download Music) will be tracking its every move.

What's a better way to celebrate this historical event than a space-theme playlist? Listen via the green button below and visit the artist pages to download or … Read more

Statement-of-self titles have a storied history (think "Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star"), one that's tended to imply a seriously tight coming out party. That's certainly true of Moe Pope and Headnodic's Megaphone project, a blistering but groovy underground turn.

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This generation of hipsters doesn't dig on jazz like its beret-wearing ancestors did; it takes Chin Chin to bring new Brooklyn into talks with the old Village. The group's beat-riddled mixes of funk, soul, and rock are both lushly colored and rhythmic to the point of addiction.

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There's something about the word "pants" that's just a little bit funny. The same is true with James Pants' music. Sarcastic, kitschy lyrics over crawly bass and fuzzed out beats make what Stones Throw asserts is one of their most eclectic releases to date.

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