Sunday, August 27, 2006
"You Ain't Gotta Like It, But You Gotta Respect It..."
Cassidy: back and ready to blaze?
Still not much out music-wise blowing my mind. Meth's 4:21... The Day After album is pretty mediocre overall despite a couple solid-sounding singles that leaked pre-release. The Roots' Game Theory album sounds pretty dire too (although I'll admit I haven't finished the whole thing yet) and Danity Kane's album might actually outsell the Outkast joint which is just... wow.
I may be biased but check out Too $hort's Blow the Whistle album produced entirely by Lil Jon and Jazze Pha with features by Bun B, Pimp C, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, Daz, Will.i.am and Fergie dropping this week. You can get ready for it by copping DJ Eleven's incredible mixtape of classic $hort, Dirty Raps or Tapemasters, Inc.'s Mack or Die Best Of mixtape.
Here's some other stuff to check out though:
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z "Upgrade U"
More music from the Justin Timberlake Future Sex/Love Sounds album that has apparently leaked everywhere two weeks before street date.
FDNY "feat." Jay-Z "So Crazy" - more Hov-related ish produced by OG Clark Kent.
Ridiculous new Cassidy "It is what it is" (mp3 via Eskay)
So some decent East Coast sounding hip hop is coming out but is Sunny Valentine feat. Yung Joc & Sean P (of YoungBloodZ) "F-ck U Pay Me" the next to go from down South?
If you're still hoping for the return of the East though, here's info on Pete Rock's upcoming Underground Classics compilation.
And beat-digging nerds, check out the Lupe Fiasco "Kick Push" break here.
A cop "Ghost Rides" the whip!
New video from The Rapture "Get Myself Into It" but does anyone care three years on from the DFA/NYC disco-punk mania of 2003?
But to end, some sneaker, gear and film-related stuff:
Nike's new (?) Blue Ribbon Sports street wear line.
Not Stack Bundles the artist but Stacks & Bundles the clothing line.
The Top 25 sneakers stores in America.
"Vans" might be the hip hop/product placement story of the moment but Peak Society says, "Got my Dunks on and they're nike sneakers."
And peep a picture of Samuel Jackson's limited edition Snakes on a Plane Vans sneakers.
But we all missed our chance to buy Ricky Bobby's Puma driving sneakers. Shake N Bake, Baby! (via Cabino)
Friday, August 25, 2006
Barely Keeping Our Heads Above Water?
It's Right to be Civil the new album by Marc Mac (of 4 hero) - "inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Detroit Red and the 1000's that made a difference...." Can't front on that!
They say it's hard being black nowadays. But what's new?
Looking back: amazing and haunting photos taken aboard an actual 19th century slave ship.
And happening right now:
Republican Senator George Allen's race problem (doesn't stop Dubya representin' though).
The US army's race problem.
Tramm Hudson's race problem.
And the more things change....
You knew it would eventually all culminate in a race war!
While abroad:
War’s chaos steals Congo’s young by the millions.
Yet U.S. cuts in Africa aid said to hurt the War on Terror. Figures!
But I'm supposed to be worried about muh'f-ckin' phantom liquid gel bomb terror attacks?? C'mon....
(P.S. R.I.P. Sploid, one of my favorite Go To sites for news)
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
A Million and One Questions....
Real Pimps don't rap?
Beanie Man feat. Foxy Brown "Hmm Hmm (remix)" - this has been bubblin' in NYC for a minute now. Is it me or does Fox Brown sound a little like label mate Lady Sovereign on this track?
DJ Webstar & Young B feat. The Voice of Harlem "Chicken Noodle Soup" - official versions (album | mixshow | instrumental | video)
Yet again though y'all need to keep up 'cos in the Chi it's all about Foot Workin'. (related: buy Foot Workin' videos, ringtones and mixtapes here.)
Beyonce's B'day album is wack?!
But Method Man's isn't?
Combat Jack vs. Sickamore: s'funny but why does everyone assume CJ is white 'cos he most definitely ain't?
And in related state-of-hip hop news, is this what's wrong with hip hop? Or is it this?
Flip The Script: the "Urban Version of The Big Chill"?
Some end of the summer reading: Gentleman of leisure - A Year in the Life of a Pimp. Details here.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Katrina: One Year Later....
I didn't catch the first part last night but my sister says the Spike Lee-directed Hurricane Katrina documentary When the Levees Broke is incredible. (related: an LA Times interview with Spike Lee about the documentary)
Meanwhile, the Katrina struggle goes on for many.
And the US hurricane chief says the worst is yet to come.
The Kitchen previously on Hurricane Katrina.
Friday, August 18, 2006
"I am aware that my live performances have been pretty bad…."
Cassie: the disease or the sympton?
Some music but mostly gear today:
Mad Akon mp3's including the new "Smack That" joint feat. Eminem.
You think you're on it 'cos you know about the Chicken Noodle? C'mon fam, that's almost already old news. It's all about Wu-Tanging now which is blowing up in South Jersey and Philly: peep the music & the dance. (Can't front though, Chicken Noodle is really going mainstream)
Before the Music Dies or Cassie's career?
Famous Stars and Stripes clothing by Travis Barker.
True Love and False Idols.
Gotta respect Stephon Marbury for trying to take rampant consumerism out of the sneaker game with his $15 Starbury sneaker even though some of my peoeples say kids in the hood won't f-ck with because it's so cheap and Stephon ain't hot like that any more. (spotted via Still Listen...)
Of course I haven't internalized the lesson myself 'cos I still covet these Air Max 360's even though I'm not sure I can pull them them off stylstically.
Do people think BAPE's are cool still? These Iron Man editions have been around for a second, I know.
I'm out for the weekend though. Commentary and links on current affairs next week sometime. Have a good one, y'all.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Fresh from the Hamptons...
Snowboard E?
This weekend with a bunch more mp3's 'n stuff...
Beyonce "Ring the Alarm" - what's with all the sirens in songs recently? This record is verging on sounding like a hot mess but I'll f-cks with it.
Christina Aguilera feat. Termanology "Back in the Day (Clean)" - I didn't get to the rap bit in this but I like the production.
E-40 feat. Snoop Dogg & Juelz Santana "U & Dat (remix)" - again, I didn't really play this but the original is a beast so adding Juelz and Snoop can only make it bigger, no?
Method Man "Fall Out" - one word: redonkolous.
Usher feat. Pharrell "Don't Take It Personal" - another verging-on-being-a-hot mess joint. Also sounds like a left-over records from the Confessions sessions.
The Pack "Vans" - the full video (finally!).
Speaking of which...
I meant to talk about this a while ago when I got back into messing with MySpace and saw all the Skateboard P-esque avatars on various DJ pages but now I've finally found the link where I guess they made them on: Create your own Skateboard P character (Spotted via: Straight Outta NYC)
A solid link to a video on Cuban hip hop. (via Exo, thx)
Finally, Gene Simmons, get off Ozzy's nuts.
Encouraging those "al-Qaida types"....
A few links related to last week's broken-up "terror plot":
"If the liquid could be explosive, why are you dumping it in a crowd?" (spotted via Boing Boing)
"In contrast to previous reports, the official suggested an attack was not imminent, saying the suspects had not yet purchased any airline tickets. In fact, some did not even have passports. [emphasis added]" (click here to read more)
Also spotted via Boing Boing: if you're gellin', you're no longer flyin' according to Ragui Michael. Better leave your prized Air Max 95's at home before you take your next flight!
Meanwhile, your Homeland Security at work:
- Why didn't Bush address the "liquid bomb" threat 6 six years ago, since we knew about it ten years ago?
- Knowing that "attacks are imminent" Bush has "no plans" to cut short his vacation.
- Border Agents Fail to Spot Fake Papers.
- Bush Officials Admit Playing Little Role In Foiling British Terror Plot.
- "As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology." (Click here to read more)
- 2/3 of National Guard are not combat ready because Bush short-changed them.
- Air Marshals admit that Innocent People are Placed On 'Watch List' To Meet Quotas.
- "It's easy to defend against what the terrorists planned last time, but it's shortsighted." (Click here to read more)
And finally, even more via Boing Boing: a Liquids on a Plane Samuel Jackson spoof.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
"I see this album in the tradition of Reasonable Doubt and Ready To Die...."
Rick Ross & DJ Shadow: Hip hop is real shady in 2006
Rick Ross Port of Miami - hip hop album of the year or "in the tradition of Reasonable Doubt and Ready To Die"? Nah homie, more like Thug Motivation 201 to my ears but who knows, maybe I'll come around. It's happened before.
Jim Jones "We Fly High" - this has been killin' 'em in NYC for a few weeks now.
Cassie live on BET doing "Me & U" with Yung Joc - yikes! That's all I can say. And after I bigged up her producer Ryan Leslie the other day.
Young Flo feat. Carmen Sandiego "Hood" - I don't put much unsigned stuff up on the site but I figured I'd throw this up and see what folks thought. Is Flo jocking that Yung Joc sound?
Snoop Dogg feat. E-40, MC Eiht, Daz & Kurupt "Candy" - so (so) gangsta. The West is back? I dunno but this record is banoodles to me.
Some joints from the new DJ Shadow album The Outsider: "Enuff" feat. Q-tip & Lateef | "You Made It" Feat. Chris James - Shadow does a Coldplay?!
Too $hort "Blow the Whistle" video parody - why is $hort Yung Joc huge in 1/2 the country engendering stuff like this but virtually invisible in the other??
I shouldn't give a f-ck but hey, Pitchfork loves The Pack's "Vans"!!
Long white tee shirt rap.
New Brazilian Girls via BigStereo.
Natasha "Hey Hey Hey" and "So Sick (feat. Clipse)" - coming soon. Don't say I didn't warn you. HUGE in 2006-2007....
And TONIGHT Dork present THINK 2WICE at Fat Baby with DJ Akalepse & DJ Myles.
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Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Blame it on the Boogie Man....
New mp3 leaks from the Outkast Idlewild
And the return of Mos Def with "Boogie Man" - but do people still care?
Monica "A Dozen Roses" - great
Janet Jackson feat. Nelly "Call on Me (Lil Jon remix)" - I guess the original is already bricking?
A classic Pete Rock & CL Smooth Sprite commerical. (spotted via Unkut)
And in vintage Pete Rock-related video news: the video for InI's "Fakin' Jax" - I swear I've never seen this before in my life. (spotted via Wes's. BTW: lots of good stuff there recently - peep it.)
More videos via my MySpace page:
- Behind-the-scenes at The Pack's "Vans" video shoot.
- A rough 1st edit of the Too $hort album TV spot.
Meanwhile I've been meaning to do a post mentioning the Harvard-educated current "It" producer (and man behind the Cassie smash "Me & U") Ryan Leslie for a minute now but the Fader blog beat me to it.
And to go with your bobblehead doll - the Mac Dre sneaker. (spotted via Catchdubs)
Finally, Arthur Lee (of Love) - R.I.P.
Monday, August 07, 2006
More vegetables and other good stuff from the Kitchen...
Yeah! Now that I've got your attention, find out who she is below.
Following the post a couple weeks back about the documentary An Incoveneient Truth and the follies of the global warming "debate," here's some more Summer reading, listening and viewing that's actually good for you:
Who Killed The Electric Car? (trailer for the lazy)
Poplicks' review of the movie Only Human which is described as Guess Who's Coming to Dinner only from the Israeli-Palestinian rather than Black-white perspective.
Exo is co-signing the unauthorized documentary on Arundhati Roy (pictured above).
Wise Intelligent from the legendary group Poor Righteous Teachers has just dropped Blessed be tha Poor? The Un-MixTape as an appetizer before his official independent solo release Wise Intelligent iz…The Talented Timothy Taylor arrives. Click here, here, here and here for more info.
Killer Mike "That's Life" (spotted via Hardly Art...)
GWB vs. U2 "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (via Joey)
Now on DVD: Why We Fight - a look at the American military machine, this film examines the political and economic interests and ideological factors, past and present, behind American militarism.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
It Just Gets Worse
Condi Rice: is her failing upwards run finally over or is Rummy the one in the hot seat??
Violence Forcing More U.S. Troops into Iraq.
Top US commander warns of civil war in Iraq.
When they're not bombing and killing in Baghdad, they're marching there in support of Hezbollah.
Luckily, the US has their eye on the ball:
"Even before the bombs fell on Baghdad, a group of senior Pentagon officials were plotting to invade another country. Their covert campaign once again relied on false intelligence and shady allies. But this time, the target was Iran." (click here to read more from " Iran: The Next War" by James Bamford from Rolling Stone)
And a look at the hypocrisy evident in the difference between America's foreign and domestic policy. (related: Americans endorse Bush's "principled stand" to protect the "sanctity of life" by rallying to adopt embryos to create "snowflake children.")
Fire Condi? She might end up being the fall gal instead of president (BTW: WTF was all that "Condi for President" talk about a few months back?) if Hilary doesn't get her man, but hey - you sleep with the devil....
Thursday, August 03, 2006
"I Got Red Monkeys And A Hoodie Full Of Money..."
De La Soul: still much more slept on than they should be.
DJ Webstar feat. Young B "Red Monkey" - for those of you still getting up to speed on the "Chicken Noodle Soup" phenomenon, catch up y'all. And "you can't be in her video" - shout to Lenny Bass who shot the video last weekend for "Chicken Noodle Soup."
A bootleg Big L album from Japan for download here. (via Baby Sam)
Via the very gangsta Still Listen blog:
Christina Aguilera "Still Dirrty" - Produced by DJ Premier. Wow - look how far hip hop has come. This kind of track would have been the "street remix" of a pop song like this back in the day. Now it's the official album version.
While Wrds2Hrbs presents Filthy | Skies gives us:
De La Soul feat Yummy "Much More (Live on The Chappelle Show)"
DJ AM (aka Nicole Richie's former fiance) makes $50K+ a night DJ-ing. WTF am I doing wrong??
Raheem Devaughn - live at the South Street Sea Port Pier 17 TONIGHT for FREE!!! Ladies, you know this concert gonna be all about "YOU." Fellas, did you just read what I wrote? You NEED to be there 'cos Raheem's female following is ridiculous right now.
And also today: a cool sample sale for the the "fashion forward" out there.
Finally, an Amazing Stop Motion Video via Jay's other other site.
"It's like a prison in these FEMA camps...."
Aren't you glad GWB did such an amazing job saving NOLA and getting it prepared for future disasters after initially botching the debacle that was Hurricane Katrina? Oh wait, never mind.
“The first hurricane of the season is looking likely.”
“…People have no idea how out of control things are down here….” - a heart-wrenching post about what's really happening in NOLA, the first major American city that was lost due to presidential incompetence. (spotted via Oh Word)
(More later when my Bloglines reader is back working properly and I can access some of the other links I had saved for a post like this)
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
"Call me Helen Keller cos I'm a f-cking Miracle Worker...."
Maybe I'm just crazy swamped at work and am missing it but it feels like there's not much poppin' right now outisde of the Isareal-Lebanon war but here's a few non-current affairs links I found worth posting:
First off, my man Big Hutch (aka Cold 187um), welcome home.
Justin Timberlake feat. T.I. "My Love" - somebody in Atlantic's A&R or Biz Affairs dept. needs to be fired for leaking this (although I hear there's "clean" versions going around too.)
Oh Word's Wu-Peanuts Galleries.
Streetwear t-shirts makers warrant a cover story in the New York Times magazine - c'mon, WTF??
And finally, Entourage fans: The Best of Ari Gold. (spotted via Rome)
"Watching it all disappear -- again...."
I know Hezbollah are far from good guys but who are the victims here again?!
Civilian death toll rises in Mideast conflict.
34 youths among 56 dead in Israeli strike.
Watching Beirut Die.
I'm not going all Mel Gibson on y'all but this thing is so unbalanced it's stupid.
