Hey kids. One of my main inspirations these days has been Blitz the Ambassador. Both his albums, Stereotype and Native Sun , have been in the regular rotation for over a year. His rhythms and beats are inventive and, importantly, organic, as Blitz commands an actual band of musicians to give him his grooves. His rhymes are intelligent, important, and endlessly agile. If you haven't listened to Blitz before, you need to.

Blitz's new track "African in New York" more than lives up to the winning formula he's already established. Bold storytelling with Recognize those samples in there? You should. And if you don't, get learned. Seriously. (Your hints: Eddie Murphy and Hova)

Keep an eye out for Blitz's upcoming The Warm Up EP , which is apparently due out next month. Also, props to Okayafrica for keeping me up to date on this one! Respect.

(Addendum to this post: I've been trying to get an interview with Blitz for over a year now. We've come so close twice, but haven't been able to pull it off. Hopefully I can make it happen one day. I really do love this brother's music.)

www.twitter.com/blitzambassador www.facebook.com/blitzambassador 'African In New York' chronicles the colorful immigrant life in NYC from an African perspective. From the Bootleggers on Canal street to the Dollar cab drivers to the Restaurants Uptown, everybody gets a shout out over this banging Blitz production complete with live guitars and signature horns.

Blitz blowing the lid off of the Victoria Ska Fest. Photo by me!