You might remember Tha Don from when he visited Rock Hill Radio back in fall of 2011. He impressed with his in-studio freestyle then, and has since improved on that flow to deliver this full-length album.

Tha Don's delivery is what impresses me the most, as he shows the range to deliver on a variety of beats and, in this instance, even on a musical score.

Also a positive rolemodel, Tha Don has the mixture of talent and work ethic that can make him a leading influence in the San Diego hip-hop community. You don't want to miss out on him.


You can reach him on Twitter at @AllMetalDon, and listen to/download "Inception: The Album" here.

Thanks for the visit, congrats on the album and best of luck to you!

Tim E. Shelton, a.k.a. TES, has been balling it up on the San Diego State University basketball team for the last few years and now enters the mixtape game with his first effort, "Something Like An Introduction."

TES first garnered attention in San Diego during the 2010-11 basketball season, when his single "Game Time Ready" served as the pre-game hype video during the Aztecs' run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Now a legitimate artist signed to Delirious Records, TES put a couple of keepers under his belt thanks to some quality, and surprising, sample selections.

"Something Like An Introduction" kicks off with a two-minute get-off-my-chest over Mike Posner's "One Foot Out The Door," then jumps into my favorite track, "Rhythm," which pulls its hook from the 90's dance song "Rhythm of the Night" by Corona. My cousin has a love-hate relationship with me for getting the song stuck in her head because, yes, it is that catchy. 

After "Rhythm," TES puts out everything from R&B to Hip-Hop to Dance, essentially doing his interpretation of the phrase "different strokes for different folks." "Peanut Butter" is a must-listen banger that has undeniable punch lines, while "In Your Arms" is an easy-going viber with a solid guest feature.

All in all, the mixtape gets better the more you listen to it and has a song for every mood, making it a definite download.

The Fresno, Calif., native also knows what he is doing live. I went to his very first performance, a 15-minute set back in May at a bar in San Diego, and he was able to get the crowd up and dancing. Perhaps more impressively, he did it while the NBA Playoffs were on. Well done, Tim, well done.

You can follow TES on Twitter @TESnation.