Beats and Beer Friday

Once again, it's been a long break since I've done Beats and Beer Friday, but I'm excited to bring it back. The beats and beer selections this week juxtapose each other a bit; my music selection is an up and coming artist who I guarantee will make a big splash in hip hop, while the beer selection is a regular favorite of mine that is sadly going to no longer be available where I live.

Beats

G-Eazy

Now in the past, I've highlighted a specific album, but this time, I'm focusing on an artist as a whole because I've been so enamored with exploring his music. I pretty much discovered G-Eazy by accident after recently listening to the A3C Volume I Compilation. I had originally copped the album for a few other artists that I enjoyed, but his song 'Rebel' suddenly became my runaway favorite from the collection.

As I usually do, I proceeded to do my Internet research and found a couple of albums of G-Eazy's, which I downloaded and immediately started playing for I went to bed. Needless to say, I was sucked in. I went to bed not wanting to put the headphones down, and was very excited to start playing his music again when I woke up and headed off to work.

It's hard to pin a specific style down on this Bay Area emcee and producer. A number of his songs off of his most recent release, Endless Summer, have a retro pop feel (samples of The Crystals and Dion, among others, certainly help contribute to this), while track off his ealier release, The Outsider, touch on dubstep, club rap and even R&B influences. However, unlike other artists who do this because they can't grasp where their 'place' is in hip-hop, G-Eazy successfully pulls off all of these incarnations. It makes his music consistently fresh and enjoyable. I suggest gathering up as much of his music as you can, going on a long drive and hitting shuffle on his songs. You won't be disappointed.






Want to find out more about G-Eazy? You can visit his website, Facebook page or Twitter page.


Beer

Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA

The states of Kansas and Missouri received some sad beer-related news this past week, as we found out that Bear Republic, out of Healdsburg, CA, will no longer be distributing in either state. While many breweries are scaling back distribution due to heavy demand, and the Kansas City area has felt a couple losses because of that, seeing Bear Republic go is incredibly disappointing. A consistently good and well-priced brewer is something you never want to see disappear, and in this case, it hit close to home because Racer 5 was one of the first IPA's I ever tried.

To me, Racer 5 is simply one of the best balanced IPA's around. It has a nice hit of hops without being overloaded with bitter aftertaste, and there's a touch of sweetness that compliments the hops without turning it into a sugary mess. If the BeerAdvocate and RateBeer reviews are any indication, the majority of people who have had this beer tend to agree that it's an excellent example of the style. Plus, at a pretty respectable price point, it's something that a craft beer 'rookie' can try without having to worry about blowing money on something they won't enjoy.

So Racer 5, and Bear Republic as a whole, I salute you. You will certainly be missed around these parts, and I know I'm not the only one that feels this way. I have every intention of stocking up on Bear Republic brews over the next couple weeks before they disappear from the shelves. And for all of you that still have Bear Republic distributed in your area, don't pass Racer 5 over. Grab some for yourself this weekend and enjoy.

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Wild Kingdom

It's good to be king. And right now, Mike and Nate of Thank Heaven For Beer/Wilderness Brewing Co. have to be feeling like royalty. With just about an hour left in their Kickstarter campaign, the entrepreneurial duo has already exceeded their fundraising goal, which will allow them to open the nanobrewery they dreamed of.

When I blogged about their Kickstarter campaign before, I was genuinely optimistic and excited for them to raise the money they needed to accomplish their dream. And now that the funding has been reached, I am even more optimistic and excited to see their progress as they build their brewery and begin creating artistic and unique brews for beer geeks like myself to enjoy.

I anticipate this won't be my last blog post about Wilderness Brewing Co. I have every intention of following their progress, and once their beers are available, I have no doubt they'll be making an appearance (if not multiple appearances) in my Beats and Beer Friday posts.

Mike and Nate, my sincerest congratulations go out to the both of you. And if you are ever in need of an outsider's taste buds to test your batches, I am ready and willing to sacrifice for the cause!

If you are on Twitter, make sure to go tweet Mike and Nate and give them your congratulations.

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Beats and Beer Friday

It's been a few weeks since I've had Beats and Beer Friday but I've drank/will be drinking too much good beer and listening to too much good music to skip it again this week.

Here are my latest recommendations:

Beats

Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4 Eva

It is too damn hot outside. It's the kind of hot where you don't even want to be outdoors, you just want to be inside, with the A/C blasting and slouching around on a comfortable couch or chair, cold drink in hand. Big K.R.I.T.'s Return of 4 Eva mixtape is the perfect music for lazy, laid back summer days. With a slow, molasses-like flow and a Southern drawl reminiscent of the late Pimp C (R.I.P.), this isn't your cookie-cutter, four to the floor dance club hip-hop. Big K.R.I.T.'s sample-driven, bass-thumping production (done by the man himself) takes it back a few years to the days of Southern hip-hop originators like UGK, Eightball & MJG, Goodie Mob, etc. It's hard not to listen to this mixtape and not take a trip into the past, and I mean that in the most complimentary fashion.



Recommended songs: R4 Theme Song, Dreamin, Made Alot, Get Right

Return of 4 Eva is a FREE mixtape that you can download here. While you're at it, you can follow Big K.R.I.T. on Twitter and Like him on Facebook.

Beer

Nebraska Brewing Company - Fathead

I know, I featured a beer from a Nebraska brewery last time; but what can I say, I was able to bring back quite a haul of beer from my recent trip to Omaha, and I couldn't NOT write about Fathead because it has easily become one of my new favorite beers.

Part of Nebraska Brewing Company's Reserve Series, Fathead is a barley wine that has been barrel aged. It has a pretty incredible balance of sweet and malty flavors, with just enough of a whiskey note to make it noticeable without being overpowering. It's definitely a boozy beer at over 11% ABV, but in drinking it you aren't overwhelmed with an alcohol taste. Thought barley wines may not be standard hot weather beer, this was an incredible sipper of a beer when I had it recently. I love that it's a 'big beer', but isn't so convoluted with ingredients that it makes the beer muddled and unenjoyable. It seems like the recent big beer trend has made a lot of breweries focus on putting as much crap as possible into their beers. Fathead is big, but simple at the same time. Does that make sense?

Quite frankly, I think I would love to enjoy a bottle of Fathead again while listening to Return of 4 Eva; forget syrup, I've got barley wine.

Check out Nebraska Brewing Company's website, follow them on Twitter and Like them on Facebook.

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Beats and Beer Friday

This weeks Beats and Beer Friday selections are centered on two things that have special places in my heart; Nebraska and the local Kansas City hip-hop scene. I went to school at Creighton University in Omaha, so in a way, I consider it a second home. And of course, as a hip-hop fiend, any good local music gets a huge amount of support from me.

Beats: Hozey-T - Who's The New Guy?

Who's The New Guy? is by no means a new album. It was released in 2008, but has remained one of my favorite albums from a local hip-hop artist and still sees frequent play on my iPod. I've been revisiting it since last night, though, because Hozey-T just released his first new song (entitled #WIN, can be downloaded here) since this freshman effort of his dropped 3 years ago.




I won't ramble on about this album, all I can say is that it is really, really good. Hozey-T has an incredibly unique flow that he's able to skillfully customize to whatever beat he's rapping over.

For me, the highlights from 'Who's The New Guy?' include I'm Dope, KC Shuffle, Places To Go, Rise and I'm Made. You can download the mp3 album for only 5 bucks over at CD Baby, so why not make this album your music for the weekend?

You can follow Hozey-T on Twitter, and check out his website.


Beer: Lucky Bucket Certified Evil

I'll admit, when I was in college in Omaha, I was completely clueless when it came to craft beer. Most of what I drank was in cheap 30-packs and had 'Light' in the name. That has changed with time, though, and as I make the trip back to my old stomping grounds, I'm looking forward to stocking up on some of the Nebraska beers that I once neglected.

One of the breweries I intend to get beer from is Lucky Bucket. Lucky Bucket Brewing out of La Vista, Nebraska is fairly new, opening in 2008. They only offer 3 beers (a lager, an IPA, and a Belgian strong ale), but I have been fortunate enough to try all of them. By far, my favorite of the three has been Certified Evil, a Belgian strong ale.

I was able to try Certified Evil at the Parkville Microfest, and was immediately filled with both joy and anger. Joy at how delicious the beer was, and anger at the fact that it's not distributed down here in Kansas City. But finally, my frustration can be temporarily assuaged with my trip up to Nebraska to grab myself some Certified Evil to enjoy at home.

If you are fortunate enough to live in the area where Lucky Bucket distributes, grab yourself some Certified Evil. Otherwise, harass your local liquor store about carrying their products. Maybe if we bother enough people, we can encourage Lucky Bucket to continue expanding their distribution.

You can find Lucky Bucket on Facebook and Twitter. Also check out their website.

Cheers!

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Help Wilderness Brewing Co. become a reality

As a craft beer enthusiast and a supporter of local businesses, I was intrigued when I first heard about Wilderness Brewing, a project from Kansas City locals Mike Reinhardt and Nate Watson. The two run the website Thank Heaven For Beer, and have been avid homebrewers for years.

The pair has decided to transform their hobby into a legitimate, money-making endeavor, but to start a fully functional brewery, there's one thing they need (and don't have): money.

Nate and Mike took to the Internet and decided to bring awareness and raise funds for their brewery using Kickstarter, an increasingly popular method of online fundraising for new small businesses and entrepreneurs. Their ultimate goal is to raise $40,000 by August 4. They've already raised $11,830 (as of 9:30 AM on Thursday, 6/23), which is great, but there is obviously a long way to go and they can use as much help as possible.

I can't say that I've met Nate and Mike, or had any of the beers that they created. But after watching their video on Kickstarter (which is also embedded below), I saw a true passion for what they are doing, and I have a lot of respect for that. Obviously, there's a special place in my heart for craft beer, so supporting a new, local microbrewery is a no brainer for me.

I highly suggest you go check out the Wilderness Brewing Kickstarter page. Check out the video, and if you can spare some money to pledge to this cause, you definitely should. Let's help these guys make their dreams a reality, and bring some new beer to Kansas City in the process!

You can also find Wilderness Brewing Co. on Facebook.

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Beats and Beer Friday

If you haven't already figured it out from the links in my header and the obscure references in my posts, I am both a beer and hip-hop nerd. When I'm not busy working or being a husband/dad, you can typically find me cracking open a craft beer while perusing the latest rap releases and pirating legally acquiring the best of what I hear.

So, as a break from the usual parent and family posts, I hope to make 'Beats and Beer Friday' a weekly post that talks about what I'm drinking and listening to. Hopefully it inspires some of you to go outside your comfort zone and try something new, whether it be in terms of a beverage, an album, or both.

Without further ado, my selections for this weekend are:

Beats: Tech N9ne - All 6's and 7's

Tech N9ne is an independent rapper hailing from Kansas City. He's been making music for a long, long time and as a KC native, I've been listening to him for almost as long. However, it's just been over the past few years where he's finally starting to get the recognition he deserves.

Tech has gained the status of being the "Number one independent hip-hop artist", and it's a well-deserved title. I honestly don't think this guy ever stops touring. It seems like he performs in KC at least 3-4 times a year on different tours. He's built an entire brand out of his Strange Music label, and has an avid group of fans that he lovingly refers to as 'Technicians'.

'All 6's and 7's' was just released Tuesday, and while I've given it a once over, I hope to fully dive into it this weekend. My first impression was that, while it isn't his best album, it's very good and would be a great 'gateway' album for the average music listener to get into his music. This album is distinctly different from his others in that he has features from a number of major hip-hop artists such as Lil' Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Twista,   Yelawolf and more. The songs on the album are a mix of dark, poppy, crude and introspective. A great mix of style that I believe allows even the most discriminating music fans to at find at least one song they enjoy.

Recommended tracks: Check out 'Worldwide Choppers' below, and if you want to hear more, you can listen to 'He's A Mental Giant' on 2DopeBoyz.

'All 6's and 7's' is available for purchase on iTunes as well as in Best Buy and other major retailers. You can find Tech N9ne on Twitter and Facebook.



Beer: Firestone Walker Double Jack

This weekend will be my first foray into trying Firestone Walker Double Jack, but before I even open the bottle, this beer already has a few things going for it.

1) I love IPAs, Double IPAs and Imperial IPAs
2) Every beer I've had from Firestone Walker thus far has been fantastic. Firestone Walker 14 and Abacus (which is now The Beer Formerly Known as Abacus) shot to the top of my favorite beers list and I can't wait to drink them again.
3) It has a rating of A- on BeerAdvocate and a 100 on Ratebeer.

So yeah, if I drink this beer and end up not liking it, I'll have to assume it was somehow tainted by a crafty miniature beer demon or my taste buds were the victim of some kind of sporadic medical anomaly, rendering them useless.

On their website, Firestone Walker lists Double Jack as being available in CA, NV, OR, WA, AZ, MO, Chicago, MA, NJ, NY, VA, PA, DC and MD. If you are in these areas, ask your local liquor store and I'm sure they can tell you if it's being carried currently.

Firestone Walker is based out of Paso Robles, CA, learn more about their beers by visiting their website. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

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