Meet Fool’s Gold’s latest signee, Telephoned, the brainchild of Maggie Horn and Fool’s Gold DJ/producer Sammy Bananas.  The 18-track “Off The Hook” Mixtape features a new spin on many songs that we already know and (in some cases) love.

The project’s tracks are neither remixes nor covers, rather a hybrid of both. Sammy Bananas expertly morphs the original beats into infectious tunes fit for the dance floor. Paired with Maggie Horn’s vocal stylings, each song on the mixtape brings a fresh take on the original track. The reggae-tinged “Dancin’ On Me” (Featuring Jahdan Blakkamoore) samples Enur’s Calabria and has a hint of dubstep, while “Million Dollar Bill” (originally by Whitney Houston) samples Major Lazer’s “Keep it Goin Louder”. The mixtape also features reimagined versions of “aNYway” by Duck Sauce, “Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy (featuring Telli Gramz from Ninjasonik), and “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

Cop a free download of the mixtape from RCRDLBL or stream it after the jump. The duo’s self-titled EP, released today, is available on iTunes and features full versions of “Dancin’ On Me”, “Turn My Swag On”, “Rockin’ That Thang”, “Pop Champagne”, and “Can’t Believe It”.

Telephoned will be celebrating the release of their EP tomorrow night at Ella. Check out our events page for more details and to RSVP. You can also catch the duo at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on January 30th with Cubic Zirconia and Cage. Click here for tickets.

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If the Grim Reaper had to sing, he would probably sing about death. Cage, the New York-bred rapper and indie-rocker may not meet the reaper’s demise in song but gives him a run for his money in a fashion reminiscent of Charlie Daniels’ Johnny in “The Devil Went To Georgia.” In such a case, the Reaper should have been at BB King in New York City this past Friday for the “Depart From Me Round 2″ tour.  With Shinobi Ninja and Tame One setting the stage, Cage’s appearance was met by fans who were eager for his story-driven lyrical journeys. Backed by DJ Chauncey, he spewed over beats in the familiar form that garnered acclaim in the New York underground and independent hip-hop scene. With a cult status following, the audience responded to every single jagged and jilted word in his lyrics.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

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Next Friday (December 18), Cage will conclude his US tour with a hometown show at B.B. King’s Blues Club. This has been a big year for Cage, who became the first artist to release an EP through MTV. The five-song EP can be downloaded gratis via MTV’s Subterranean Blog.

Born Chris Palko, the rapper’s visceral lyrics may reflect a childhood riddled with drugs, violence and abuse, but Cage is a prime example of how music can be used as an outlet to overcome adversity. Cage made his first appearance on a record for Pete Nice in 1993, but it wasn’t until 1997 that he recorded his breakthrough song, “Agent Orange”, produced by Necro. The song later appeared on his debut album, Movies for the Blind (2002).

In a surprising move, Cage selected Shia LaBeouf to direct the video for his EP’s title track, “I Never Knew You”. The video, which features actor Dan Byrd, draws influence from Cage’s troubled past. “Everything is from personal experience,” Cage said in an interview with MTV, “it’s depression, heartache, falling on your face, getting up, falling down again – just like a lot of common stuff people go through”. He also noted that his overall message has taken a positive turn, “that was what was what was important to me as a kid, finding some sort of escape through music. So if I can do that for somebody else, that’s great.”

Over the course of the last 15+ years, Cage has worked with Aesop Rock, RJD2, DJ Shadow, and other legendary artists. In addition to his recent gig opening for Less than Jake, Cage will headline his own tour, backed by former Hatebreed guitarist Sean Martin.

Check out the video for “I Never Knew You” after the jump, and click here to buy tickets to his live show on December 18th.

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