Monday, September 13, 2010
New Music: Kanye West feat. Pusha T – Runaway
Watching Monday night Football but noticed the CDQ of the track Ye premiered last night at the MTV VMA's just leaked on twitter...
Kanye West feat. Pusha T – Runaway [direct mp3 download link - right click and save as]
Note: the MTV video above won't work outside the US - click that Real Freq link below to see the video.
[via TRF / Flex]
Labels: Funkmaster Flex, Kanye West, Pusha T, VMA's
Monday, December 21, 2009
This Wednesday in NYC: The Hip Hop Legends Concert Series IV
At BB King's....
GHOSTFACE, METHOD MAN, EPMD, DOUG E. FRESH,
LARGE PROFESSOR, FREDRO STARR of ONYX, SHOWBIZ AND AG
& other special guests TBA
Music by FUNKMASTER FLEX
Presented by Funk Flex, Adam Lublin and Party Pimps
NB: 21+ with ID only – SRO
Doors at 8:00pm, Show at 9:00pm
$30
I've got 5 PAIRS of tickets to give away for this show. Email me (subject line: "The Hip Hop Legends Concert Series IV CONTEST") and I will select winners at random. Deadline is 12noon EST TOMORROW (Dec. 22). Winners must be 21+ and able to make their own way to the show as NO transportation can or will be provided. Good luck!
Labels: Contests, EPMD, Funkmaster Flex, Main Source, Old School Hip Hop, Onyx
Monday, October 12, 2009
Video: Chuck Chillout, Funk Flex, and Positive K speak on the passing of Mr. Magic
And in case you missed it the other day:
Here's the full Premo R.I.P. Mr. Magic Tribute mix. [yousendit download link via Rock the Dub]
[video via HoodHollywood.com]
Previously:
The Kitchen previously on the passing of Mr. Magic here and here.
Labels: Funkmaster Flex, Mr. Magic
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" (192 CDQ)
"I might wear black four years straight...."
OK, you already know what it is: "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)", the first 'street look' from Hov's Blueprint 3 album which is scheduled to drop on 9/11, the anniversary of the original Blueprint album and the attack on the World Trade Center, was just premiered by Funkmaster Flex and Mister Cee on Hot 97. The symbolism of that release date speaks volumes obviously while Hov had the internet going nuts tonight at one point commandeering 5 of the top 10 trending terms on Twitter! But hold on! What about the music? Well check it and you tell me:
Download: Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)" [mp3 audio download links: zshare via Rap-Up | yousendit]
My thoughts?
The record is meh to me. I'm getting deja vu from when Flex n them were hyping up "Blue Magic" and "Jockin' Jay-Z." They dropped crazy bombs and rewound both a million times just like they did tonight. Two weeks later nobody cared or was talking about either of those records.
"D.O.A." is just like those tracks. The beat (by Kanye and No ID apparently) is OK - it sounds like a leftover from the American Gangster soundtrack sessions. Lyrically, Hov is on point I guess, but is he still moving the culture like back in The Black Album days when he basically put Stall & Dean out of business by endorsing the wearing of "button-up's" on "What More Can I Say"? Somehow despite his disses, I'm guessing kids are still gonna keep wearing their skinny jeans. After all, no-one wants to be emulating their trying-to-be-cool uncle's fashion sense and Hov is a lot closer to being that than he is the average 16 year old.
It was also telling to note how "Every Girl", the current autotune-powered anthem by Lil Wayne and his Young Money crew including the 'It' rapper du jour, Drake was the record that immediately followed "D.O.A." both times Flex and Cee blasted off on it tonight! I guess autotune ain't quite dead yet! Or maybe Flex and Cee know that, for all their bravado, the jig is up and were unintentionally heeding Itsthereal.com's hilarious tweet: "Good work, Flex. Everyone under the age of 22 has tuned out [from listening to "D.O.A.'] because they haven't heard Drake's voice yet."
And I can't help but feel that Hov already knows the battle is lost too. Check this line from the song: "I might send this to the mixtape Weezy" - is that him subtly acknowledging that Weezy, the autotune Rap King, is the #1 dude in the rap game now? Who knows? I guess it could be interpreted a few different way so I could be off on that one.
So what are the people saying so far? Well there were plenty of 'Hov smashed it, killed a few rapper's careers, is bringing real hip hop back' comments on twitter and Real Talk NY has a poll going that is overwhelmingly cosigning the song, but I was more struck by some of the comments by naysayers I spotted while watching the whole spectacle unfold via everyone's favorite micro-blogging service:
RT @DJWiLLGATES @KILLinemSOFTLY: "Jay-Z fuckin retire please!!!!! (U can't stop doin suttin u love, stop hatin)"
RT @starvingartist1 @MBtheREMIX PSA: "Believing in Jay-Z's power to kill auto-tune is like believing Bruno accidentally dropped on Eminem."
RT @FoxxFiles @TheIntriguing1 @youngsinick "Jay-Z is a 40 yo man who dresses like he's 21. Should I really care what trend he wants dead?"
Although the most telling tweet came from my long-time dude (pause), Combat Jack:
@Combat_Jack "Listening 2 Hot 97, waiting 4 new Hov, 11 yo son playin vid games ordered me to turn music down."
Obviously on some level Hov still matters 'cos I wrote more on this one song than I have for any 10 recent posts combined. But I mostly did that as a countervailing force to all the likely gushing hip hop blog fanboy posts about how Hov is bringing real hip hop back that are being written as we speak. When you cut through all that hype though, CJ's tweet about his son's level of excitement is probably the most true measure of Hov's status in the game in 2009! Come end of the year, I wonder which will have sold more: Blueprint 3 or the first major label release by Drake? Let the debate begin....
(And by the way: he even bit the Death of Autotune concept! Damn....)
Labels: DJ Mr. Cee, Funkmaster Flex, Jay-Z, Kanye West, No ID
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Q-tip, Kid Capri & Funk Flex DJ-ing at Imperial in NYC TOMORROW
Friday, April 17, 2009
Drake - "Funkmaster Flex/Hot 97 Freestyle"
Drake spittin over "You, Me, Him, and Her" and "Incarcerated Scarfaces" aka Flex's faves. Will this guy ever get out of the 90's? The jury's out.
Download the Drake Funkmaster Flex/Hot 97 Freestyle here. [direct mp3 download link, right click and save as via Hot 97]
Out of all the kids on the XXL Class of 2008 cover, Drake is probably the one who could win the biggest. He's got buzz beyond just the blog and internet world already (the main reason he could win IMHO), he's down with Wayne, he's photogenic, he has a fanbase from his TV work (for whatever's that worth) and he's ambitious. At worst with the right records, he could be the next Common, a spitter who has female fans, but I think the upside is way beyond that if the stars line up right for him.
Labels: Drake, Funkmaster Flex, Hot 97
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
TOMORROW in NYC: Homecooking Thursdays presents… The Return of Cam'ron
Something to look forward to after you finish filing your taxes (or your extension like me!)
Labels: Bobby Trends, Cam'ron, Funkmaster Flex, Roxy Cottontail
Thursday, April 02, 2009
TONIGHT: Cassie 'Live' At Club Imperial
With DJ's Funk Flex, Mr. Cee, Bobby Trends, Jazzy Joyce and Massive B (all them for a Cassie show?! Really??)! Should be good for the comedy factor of her trying to sing 'live' alone although I'm sure they have their lipsync game together by now....
Labels: Bobby Trends, Cassie, DJ Mr. Cee, Funkmaster Flex
Friday, March 20, 2009
This Sunday: Do The Right Thing with Funk Flex, Ryan Leslie, Fabolous, Mims and Angie Martinez
at Opera in NYC with Bobby Trends and DJ Mike Sessions for those of you brave enough to get from behind your computers!
Doors open at 10PM, no cover for all til 12AM w/RSVP (at: Sundays@EddyShades.com).
Dress Code: Chic & Trendy Fellas. No athletic gear, collar shirts mandatory
Online:
Eddy Shades Media
Labels: Angie Martinez, fabolous, Funkmaster Flex, MIMS, Ryan Leslie
Monday, March 09, 2009
Dream Album Release Party Tonight in NYC
Friday, September 19, 2008
Faizon Love gets at Funk Flex!
In response to Flex's video on the BET R. Kelly interview. [spotted via Real Talk NY]
Labels: Faizon Love, Funkmaster Flex, R. Kelly
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Lil Mama – “G-Slide” feat. Kadar
Lil Mama does it for the kids, man, the f-cking kids! Check her out as she gets her T-Pain on with the Autotune in the third verse of this brand new single. C'mon, this chick is a problem - Flex is already killin' this one on Hot 97. The album, Voice of the Young People coming Sept. '07.
Online: MySpace | Website
Labels: Funkmaster Flex, Kadar, Lil Mama
Saturday, July 07, 2007
RAMP Live at Central Park Summerstage TODAY!
If you claim to be a true school hip hop fan and live around the NYC area, you NEED to go see the legendary Roy Ayers-affiliated soul-jazz group RAMP who recently reformed and are doing a super-rare live performance today at Summerstage.
If you don't know who RAMP are, shame on you but here's a clue: their version of "Daylight" provided the sample for A Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebum." Showtime for RAMP is around 6pm although DJ Spinna, El Michels Affair, Kevin Michael and Cinematic Orchestra also perform from 3pm on. Click here for more details.
Listen:
MySpace - RAMP
A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum" (mp3 snippet courtesy Juno Records)
Bonus:
Pete Rosenberg's zshare links for Funkmaster Flex's all-90's hip hop set during the July 4th all-mixshow holiday on Hot 97 here.
Labels: A Tribe Called Quest, Central Park Summerstage, Funkmaster Flex, Hot 97, Pete Rosenberg, RAMP
