Hype Monitor: Wale, A-Trak and Seun Kuti

[Rolling_Stone]

Every week, Hype Monitor wades through the most buzzed-about bands all across the Internet. This week: a few choice picks from some buzzworthy acts on the Hype Monitor. The Band: Wale The Buzz: DC rapper with nimble flow nips funk and go-go, proving brainy and fun aren't mutually exclusive. Listen If: You used to go straight from debate meets to nightclub teen nights. Key Track: "D.C. Gorillaz," with it's wise-ass chorus, "You ain't got a chance, if you ain't got a dance." Wale's Seinfeld-sampling Mixtape About Nothing is available for free at elitaste.com. The Band: A-Trak The Buzz: Kanye's touring DJ nets a Nike mixtape and a tiny sliver of the spotlight. Listen If: You fully believe in the ability of synthesizers to be funky. Key Track: "Say Whoa," which is that "Oh Yeah" song from Ferris Bueller updated for the 21st Century. The Band: Seun Kuti The Buzz: Son of Afrobeat great carries on father's legacy, band, sound. Listen If: Two drums are two too few, and you often fantasize about creating a James Brown marching band. Key Track: "Mosquito Song," where scurrying percussion and hazy brass wrestle for supremacy against a busy, bobbing bassline.

Read more... (http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/breaking/2008/07/hype-monitor-wale-atrak-and-se.php)