“Listen In” is a feature in which we ask musicians to curate a mixtape-length YouTube playlist of songs they’re currently digging. Click the big play button above to hear the whole playlist or scroll down to see and hear individual tracks.
Los Angeles-based beat master Knxwledge keeps up with the tradition of obscure samples and jazzy hip-hop instrumentals in the same style as the late J Dilla. Like the late legend, he’s signed with Stones Throw Records, who also rep Madlib, Percee P, Oh No and Peanut Butter Wolf. Most famously, he has produced for Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly and Joey Badass’s 1999. You can find Knxwledge’s 53-track collection Anthology here. Check out his annotated playlist below.
Lou Bond – “To The Establishment.”
Whew. That’s just how you start a list off of a rap-influenced lifestyle.
Cam’ron ft. Prodigy – Losin Weight.
Just listen to that shit. Great Rap Music.
Roc Marciano – “The Man”
Simply top three rap songs of life. Listen to this if you aspire to be a man. “The Man,” at some point.
Roc Marciano – “Thread Count”
Alchemist – “The Type”
My son Al will not let up. This tape is fucking filth.
Beanie Sigel- “Stop, Chill”
I need to do a song with Beans, still. But as you can hear, that can be difficult. My G is a thug.
Lalah Hathaway- “Baby Don’t Cry”
Bless this woman’s life. She helped my rap existence quite a bit…Bless your life. Another one of my roll-up jams.
Tweet- IceBerg.
Tweet needs to send me acapellas. This is one of many.
Pete Rock ft. Jim Jones & Max B – “We Roll”
My G Max bodied his verse and this hook. So proper. That Pete loop — priceless.
Knxwledge – “Maykesince”
Coulda did all 10 of my joints, but nah. I don’t even know why I chose this one. Just ended up on it as I was going through my spotifeezi.
