I imagine by now people are either TM fans or they aren’t. I can’t really come up with any logical reason why you wouldn’t be but, whatever. See if this changes your mind. Off the upcoming ‘The Official SXSW Mixtape‘.

Live From The Tape Deck drops Oct. 5th via Duck Down Records. [via]

Every Tuesday, Skyzoo and !llmind will be presenting an episode from their four part video web series “Tales From The Tape” in which they give fans an inside look into the creation of their forthcoming collaborative album Live From The Tape Deck in stores October 5th.

Still riding the wave of praise from his critically acclaimed debut album The Salvation on Jamla/Duck Down Music, Skyzoo has joined forces with highly regarded producer/beat smith !llmind (G-Unit, Boot Camp Click, Redman, Little Brother) for what will be an exciting producer/MC album.

Dropping on Duck Down Music in the Fall, the full length LP, Live from the Tape Deck, will see the Brooklyn-based duo of Skyzoo and !llmind doing what they do best — dropping hard-hitting beats over ‘rewind factor’ rhymes. “It’s not rocket science,” says Skyzoo. “There won’t be any deep undertones or personal records like The Salvation; just dope beats and rhymes that’s better than everything else out.” And with a history of dope collabo joints in the bag and a chemistry that can’t be replicated, these two creative forces plan to present raw hip hop with a unique, cohesive sound only they can produce.

“Back in the day, it was always like that,” stresses Skyzoo. “When you look at Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, NWA, A Tribe Called Quest and groups like that — you had one producer with one sound and one theme. That’s what we plan to bring with this project.” But don’t get it twisted; Live from the Tape Deck isn’t a throw back to that 90′s sound. Skyzoo explains, “The reason it’s called Live from the Tape Deck is because when labels made cassette tapes, it just so happens that was when records were dope. Once the option of buying a cassette in a store was gone, that’s when things changed and music got whack.”

!llmind elaborates, “You know it’s not going to be some typical shit — it’s going to be honest. Not throwback. Not boom bap. It’s going to be some 2010 shit with one of the best MC’s in the game.”

See the other two videos after the jump

Red Light Boogie – Heat Rock ft. Sean Price

Sean Price – Duck Down ft. Skyzoo and Torae

Bun B & GLC – Happiness Over Riches

Backstory and Tracklisting for Closed Sessions, Vol. 1 after the jump

I remember getting an e-mail about a Cool Kids and Bun B show happening on 12/15/09. I immediately thought of trying to get Bun in the studio for a Closed Session, and knew that GLC would be the perfect Chicago artist for Bun to work with.  GL reached out to Bun and a mere few hours before the show I got a call that Bun was down and would be at the studio at 7.  Their show (which also featured GLC) started at 9, so we had an incredibly short amount of time to make this work, and that’s if everything started promptly.  Now, we’re dealing with musicians and nothing ever starts on time for musicians–this session was no exception…. You’ll get the full story of how this track went down with the full Closed Session video coming soon… For now just know that with a few strings pulled, a clutch beat from The Weathermen, and a little bit of luck, everything came together and we’re able to present “Happiness Over Riches” featuring Bun B and GLC (prod by The Weathermen).

-DJ RTC

1. Curren$y – Rapper Weed (Tony Baines)
2. Truck North and Big Pooh – Dutch Dalton (Tony Baines)
3. Amanda Diva – I Can See (Slot-A)
4. Kidz In The Hall, Chip Tha Ripper, Mikkey Halsted, Donnis – Fresh Academy (Double O)
5. Tanya Morgan – Posted (Tony Baines)
6. Emilio Rojas, Scheme, Astonish – Helluva Year (Dario)
7. U-N-I, Hollywood Holt, CurT@!n$ – So Cold (Million $ Mano)
8. Skyzoo and Rhymefest – Crack The Code (K-Salaaam and Beatnik)
9. Bun B and GLC – Happiness Before Riches (The Weathermen)