The same goes for Bop Alloy's new recording, The R&R: Remixes and Revisions, which repurposes the group's 2010 songs with different R&B grooves, resulting in a project that's a little more upbeat than the original, but still deeply nocturnal.

For instance, "Lead The Followers (Part 2)," with its faint horn and piano parts, is a full-blown posse cut featuring MCs yU, Kokayi, Gods'Illa and Wordsmith. (The vocals seem a little low, though). The remixed "Chillaxation" features more percussion and a decent flute solo.

The R&R is for sale. Go here to buy it, or listen below.

Instead, aspiring rappers not named Asheru, Head-Roc, or Black Indian spit their rhymes alongside prominent go-go bands in hopes of making it big. This topic, and a whole lot more, was recently discussed on what radio host Jamie Benson hopes will be a semi-regular podcast that interviews notable figures central to the D.C. hip-hop scene.

On the show's first installment, Benson, Kokayi and yU interviewed The Unspoken Heard (Asheru & Blue Black) about its rise to prominence in the Chocolate City scene. Go here to download the podcast or listen below.

For the second year in a row, I voted in WKYS's list of the hottest local rappers. (So far, Nos. 3-10 have been unveiled.) It's nice to see acts like Gods'Illa and X.O. get some shine, but I'm still trying to sort out how M.C.-producer Oddisee tied for10th (?!?!?) on the list.

In 2012, expect to hear new albums from Substantial, RDGLDGRN (formerly The Five One), and Lyriciss. Until then, here are the 2011 projects that kept my finger on the rewind button and my stereo volume at max level.

5. Soulful!, Mumbo Sauce & Drumbreaks

Hip-hop embracing the sounds of blaxploitation never sounded so good. Released in January, Soulful!'s expansive concept album combined brassy '70s compositions with finely-chopped cosmic grooves, resulting in an energetic opus driven by its layered production. On Mumbo Sauce, Soulful!'s music held its own; the guest MCs were pure frosting.

4. Maimouna Youssef, The Blooming

From the bayou blues stomp of "Black Magic Woman" to the volcanic unrest of "Wake Up," The Blooming was a dynamic debut album for the former Roots collaborator, as these songs—each one very different in scope and sound—blended together for a thoughtful look into love ("I Got A Man"), overseas romance ("O Encontro No Brasil"), and phony rappers ("You Ain't Hard"). Youssef has come a long way since singing background at Dave Chappelle's Block Party.

3. Oddisee—Rock Creek Park

We're still awaiting his proper solo debut and the follow-up to Diamond District's In The Ruff, but producer Oddisee released Rock Creek Park in September, a mostly instrumental project of nostalgic soul renderings that paid homage to the D.C. park and provided a glimpse into the composer's artistic trajectory. Rock Creek was lush and layered, and stood tall without vocals. Quite the feat for an instrumental project.

2. yU, The EARN

As if his debut album weren't great enough, yU's sophomore release exceeded 2010's Before Taxes and solidified yU's place as the "humble king" of the local rap scene. Hard work and self-actualization were the central themes of this electro-soul offering, as the Diamond District M.C. reflected upon his childhood ("Time Machine"), exorcised personal pain ("If U Down"), and chastised capitalist excess ("Money"). As a man, yU is low-key and relatively unassuming. As a rapper, he's the total opposite, controlling the microphone with remarkable maturity.

1. Gods'Illa, CPR: The Blend Tape

Simply put, Gods'Illa's Blend Tape changed the landscape for local mixtapes, making it unacceptable for DMV rappers to litter their projects with throwaway songs and radio singles. Instead, the Forestville trio proved that free music doesn't have to sound cheap, and that insightful lyrics don't need to be preachy. From beginning to end, the Blend Tape is chock-full of quotable one-liners and neck-breaking production, resulting in the same gritty feel as the aforementioned In The Ruff album. And while neo-soul superstar Erykah Badu hosted the Blend Tape, she eventually faded into the background as Gods'Illa's assertive wordplay took center stage. The group made major moves this year and show no signs of slowing down.

Arts Desk has written a lot about Kokayi over the years, because he's talented and prolific and all that jazz. The D.C. rapper/singer/producer even did a Snow Day Session. But his latest gambit—offering a free house concert to the 1,400th person who Likes him on Facebook—seemed a bit outré, even for a guy who is known to shamelessly use the Internet to promote his work. We asked him about it:

1. Is this for real? It's like something MTV would do in the '80s.

It is absolutely real. And yes it's a throwback contest. I figured why not do something that would benefit my real fans, something fun and relatively easy to accomplish.

2. Are you desperate?

I am not desperate at all. Like me. I'm not begging. [Please Like me.] ... Subliminal messages really don't work that well in print. Honestly, I mean, I could be on the corner with a "will rap for Likes" sign, but I'd look mad thirsty for love or Likes, as it stands. I looked at the disparity between "friends" (5000) that I have on Facebook and the Likes on my artist page and figured, why not call some attention to it and help them to match, but without spamming folks. I generally want folks to hit the button that actually like the music, not just pressing buttons for the sake of analytics or because they like me as a person.

3. How can you be sure that people won't try to cheat the system? Y'know, Like and Unlike a lot?

There will always be cheats, but how do you know that you'll be the 1400th person? I keep track of all the folks that have already Liked the page, and if i see the numbers drop and see a familiar name, then it's: "Got busted/That cat in the hat"

4. The contest rules say the winner has to provide snacks and beverages. What should they buy for you?

Pez and Van Gogh espresso vodka. No, I mean, whatever they want. No pork though. But the Van Gogh is always welcome. Nine out of 10 livers agree (I need a sponsorship with all this product placement I'm giving, yeesh). I'm not into Twinkies and all that, though one could assume given my lovely physique. However, I'm on my healthy de-fat regimen so, I'm into healthy green rabbit food, power smoothies from Robeks ... all that biz. Frankly, with the recent passing of my hero.. Heavy D (RIP) and comedian Patrice O'Neal, it's really important that everyone take a look at their health and make good choices accordingly. To anyone reading this, I say schedule your doctor's appointment and get your health in order. And it's World AIDS Day today, so get tested and check out your overall health.

At first glance, D.C. rapper SmCity seems all confused in this video for "Twilight," a track from his upcoming The Indie Life: Hate, Love & Money. He's sportin' a limited-edition Nats hat, but that hometown W kinda gets lost in all those Brooklyn Bridge shots. And his sideman is Brooklyn MC Skyzoo. Why shoot the video on his turf? The New Yorker rhymes about getting D.C. love, so let him express it down here, right? It all works out in the end, though, trust us. Here's the important stuff: That wonderfully off-time, conga-heavy beat is by D.C.'s Best Kept Secret, the hook is sung by D.C.'s Kokayi, and the vid itself is a viable example of how to introduce a gargantuan gun and an attractive female into your visuals without dulling their metaphorical power.

But if you follow his music, then you know he isn't boxed in by hip-hop or go-go, opting instead for pulsating compositions that blend rock, pop, and EDM into the mix.

His stellar Robots & Dinosaurs album was reflective and somber without sounding schizophrenic, and the subsequent remix EP felt like a straightforward dance record. In May, Kokayi released a bunch of his old beats just for fun, yet none of them felt stale or outdated.

So he pretty much does what he wants. Therefore, you really shouldn't be surprised by Koke's new album, Pacific Coast Highway. Released today, the summery instrumental project is designed to take listeners on an aural road trip from San Diego, Calif., to the state of Washington. Its 19 songs are mostly upbeat, with just a few calm moments ("Monterey County," "Florence2Yachats"). Elsewhere, Kokayi gets creative on "213-LBC," using the voices of his children to layer the beat (his son says "b-b-b-beatbox" and his daughter yells "get excited!" throughout the song).

The weather is expected to be nice tomorrow, so consider Pacific Coast Highway a breezy transition into your weekend. If nothing else, maybe it'll inspire you to drive along the California coastline. The album is now available on Kokayi's Bandcamp page and on iTunes next month. Or you can listen below.

Just when that statement was recorded is a mystery. For whatever reason, the D.C. trio of D.P., Black Picasso, and DJ Stylus recorded this full-length project and never released it. Instead, the group dropped The Solitaire Mixtape: Everything You've Never Wanted last September and kept this album on the shelf. Until now.

"A lot has changed between when we first started working on it and today, so there's really no reason to sit on it anymore," Stylus wrote in an email announcing the album's release. "Go free, formerly imprisoned album!"

The recently released album—although the group's Bandcamp displays an Oct. 23 release date—is full of original music, with appearances from an impressive roster of local names: The record has chorus work from Raheem DeVaughn and Tamara Wellons, scratchy break beats from Kokayi and Oddisee, and inspired verses from Asheru and Priest Da Nomad, among others.

Don't expect any glossy production or overly simplistic rhymes on this project. Poem-cees, once a staple of the State of the Union bar before it closed, are a throwback to the '90s "rappity-rap" era of hip-hop, opting for complicated rhyme patterns over a lively soundtrack. It may not go over so well with the younger, skinny-jeans crowd, but the album will surely please rap fans who are a bit more nostalgic.

Everything You've Always Wanted is available for free. Or you can listen to the album below.

Elsewhere, he and RAtheMC address their haters on "Can't Forget About You." On "County," Pro and Don Juan show love to Prince George's County over a methodical, Kokayi-produced beat.

We've foreshadowed Pro'Verb's new project a couple times on Arts Desk: once when he dropped the reflective "Too Hip-Hop," featuring Diamond District member yU, and when he released the energetic "Write Brothers," featuring Lyriciss, an MC with whom he frequently collaborates.

DJ Booth has the full mixtape.

I'm on my usual bullshit—rhyming about nothing in particular and thinking it sounds dope. Truth listens, nods in approval, then spits a verse focused well beyond his teenage years. Little did I know that he and his two brothers—known collectively as Gods'Illa—would eventually drop one of the D.C. region's most important projects, CPR—The Blend Tape, hosted by prominent soul singer Erykah Badu.

How that happened is still somewhat of a mystery. "One day, I saw on Twitter that I agreed to do something with y'all, and I didn't remember agreeing to it," Badu says toward the end of the tape. "Then I asked for the music, and I guess it was fated."

Released last Tuesday, the 21-track mixtape is full of memorable one-liners, traditional boom bap and cosmic rhythms, topped with Badu's musings about the world's perils and life's "beautiful struggle." Blend Tape blazes a new trail for mixtapes, showing local rappers that hip-hop shouldn't strictly rely on glossy, radio-friendly beats to gain exposure. There's still room for country music, assertive wordplay, and innovative concepts.

That's not to say other local MCs aren't pushing the creative envelope. Kokayi, a D.C. hip-hop pioneer, trots the globe to showcase his eclectic brand of alternative hip-hop. The Cornel West Theory, with its polarizing blend of intellectual rap, has cornered the conscious market. But Blend Tape is an all-in effort, and arguably the DMV's most refreshing hip-hop release since Diamond District's In The Ruff. That album, released two years ago, told a story of despair in D.C. and its suburbs. Much like In The Ruff, the Blend Tape is authentic and lyrical, carried by the passion and raw talent of three impressive MCs with something noteworthy to say.

Above all, the Blend Tape is another step in Gods'Illa's growth. In summer 2009, the Forestville trio dropped The PreLease, a six-track EP that served as a decent introduction, even if the material only showed flashes of the group's potential. Eight months later, Gods'Illa dropped The Album to significant buzz, even if it didn't make this year-end list (Truth whined about that for a little while). Conversely, the Blend Tape is the year's best DMV hip-hop project so far, and a game-changer for the local scene. For the most part, mixtapes carry the same format: freestyles over popular beats, throwaway tracks that couldn't make the album, glitzy singles for radio airwaves. Gods'Illa reminds its peers that artists can break the mold and be successful, and that it takes time to build a solid reputation.

"Autumn Rules" is perhaps the best example. On Robots & Dinosaurs, Kokayi uses a sullen instrumental from Oddisee's Odd Autumn project to craft a chilling tale of depression. Here, the acoustic guitar is still intact and pieces of the canned drums remain, but the backdrop is much quicker, and the vocals are chopped and dispersed intermittently. While the pace of "Over There" is still midtempo, producer ManMantis' piano-laced mix gives the song a comfortable edge.

R3TS&DNSR5 RE1MAG1NED is available for free.