!DoubleFine!

Album Review - Rome, by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi

2011-05-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

What can be said about Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton that hasn't been said already? He is truly the renaissance producer of the 20th century, and a fascinating study in the evolution of musical knowledge and development. The former hip hop beatsmith has been gradually shifting into the alternative/rock scene, working with The Shin's James Mercer, Sparklehorse, and now U2. Everything Burton touches seems to turn to gold, and his latest project, Rome, is no exception.

Danger Mouse takes a sharp left turn with Rome, enlisting the help of Italian composer Daniele Luppi for a markedly retro interpretation of spaghetti western soundtracks. The result is an album that is contains just as many of the trademark sounds of Burton as the dusted, grandiose scores of Ennio Morricone. Tracks like "The Rose With A Broken Neck", featuring Jack White of the White Stripes, sound like sonic versions of Kill Bill Vol. 2, and who's gonna complain about that? White's voice, which is featured on three songs, contrasts perfectly with the dreamy choruses and acoustics. The combination creates a sorrowful, grim atmosphere that has permeated the last few albums that Burton has been involved with.

The other featured artist on Rome is Norah Jones. Forget all of your preconceived notions of her. She is fabulous on the album, bringing an almost threatening element to the table with a muted snarl on the song "Black", before shifting into a gently rolling croon on "Problem Queen". These songs seem to contain more of the trademark vintage production style of Danger Mouse while still giving Luppi space to work with the carefully arranged chords and flowing sound. It's just about as close as you'll come to a perfect synthesis of the production styles of Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and Ennio Morricone.

Rome is without a doubt one of the best albums of 2011. Everything about it oozes a genuine love for the subject matter Burton and Luppi were attempting to address. They never go overboard though, and the album NEVER feels copied or forced. The length and structure is perfect as well, clocking in at just over thirty five minutes and building up to an excellent climax with the closing track "The World". Romeis a careful balance of obsessive composition, pop-culture and flawless vocal choice.

Score: 4.8/5

Key Tracks

-The Rose With A Broken Neck feat. Jack White
-Two Against One feat. Jack White
-Black feat. Norah Jones
-The Matador Has Fallen
-Morning Fog

Album Review - Are You Gonna Eat That? by Hail Mary Mallon

2011-05-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

Aesop Rock (Ian Bavitz) has gone through a number of changes since hitting the hip hop scene in the late 90's. Buoyed by acclaim from underground legend Percee P, Aes Rizzle was able to break out of the typical white rapper mold with his unique voice and abstract lyricism. After his second and third albums, the Northport emcee began to experiment heavily with his production, sinking deep into the murky, sci-fi inspired sounds of El-P after signing with the Definitive Jux label. It almost seemed like too much to process: Skittering beats that were as complicated and convoluted as the lyrics. The final culmination of this period was Bazooka Tooth, a mess of an album that was simply too artsy for it's own good. 2007's None Shall Pass was almost a return to form, once again calling on Blockhead, the genius behind the subtle nuances of 2000's Float and 2001's Labor Days for a genre bending mix of fuzzed out indie rock and classic boom bap. Since then he's produced a full album for Slug and Murs as well as releasing a slew of free downloads on his arts blog 900 Bats.

Now it's 2011, a full four years since Aesop Rock did anything close to a solo album, and while his new project Hail Mary Mallon isn't exactly a one man show, it's clear that Aes is the undisputed star of the show. The hip hop super group consists of 3 Def Jux alumni: Rob Sonic, DJ Big Whiz, and Rock himself. Released on Slug's Rhymsayers Entertainment label, Are You Gonna Eat That? is a short-but-sweet hearkening back to the good ol' days of the golden era of anti-commercial underground hip hop. Aesop Rock handles the production duties with Big Whiz on the scratches. It's a perfect combo that yields some extremely heavy sounds. These beats are crunchy, loud and marvelously intricate. While complexity was Rock's downfall in Bazooka Tooth, it proves to be his strength here. He seems to have taken all of the good things about El-P's signature style of production and applied his own musical sensibilities to them, incorporating melody and rhythm that was often consciously rejected by the Def Jux founder.

Are You Gonna Eat That? is just as heavy on the lyrical tip as it is production wise. While it may be hard to pay attention to the subject matter when being blasted with the sonically challenging beats, repeated spins reveal a diverse array of lucid musings on religion, government, corporate evil and tongue-in-cheek humor. "Holy Driver" likens god and religion to cars: a means of transportation that takes you from one point to another, whether on the highway or in life, but often with harmful consequences to health and environment. The majority of the album can be a confusingly metaphorical little package, but the more complex tracks that run the gamut of completely going over the casual listener's head are nicely balanced out with clever hooks and lines such as "tattoo of a scar, half a sleeveless arm shield/beats make your girl wanna put 'em on the glass like Garfield".

While Aesop Rock is the most instantly recognizable emcee on Are You Gonna Eat That? Rob Sonic is a breath of fresh air that sits in stark contrast to his dense, sometimes monotonous flow. Sonic bounces through every track, bringing a sneeringly lighthearted sound to a predominantly dark album.

Apart from the sometimes rambling subject matter, the only other downfall of Rock's latest effort is the length and structure. Even with a run time of 41 minutes, I was left wanting more. Each track seems to slowly build up to a climax, but then suddenly ends before it can be fully realized.

Despite some uneven pacing and the typical overly-abstract lyricism expected from an Aesop Rock project, Are You Gonna Eat That? should please most hip hop heads. Hopefully Hail Mary Mallon will stick together and elaborate on the unrealized brilliance of this strong debut.

Score: 3.7/5

Key Tracks:

-Smock
-Garfield
-Breakdance Beach
-Mailbox Baseball

Hail Mary Mallon - Smock

Album Review - GOBLIN, by Tyler, The Creator

2011-05-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Unless you've been living under a moderately large rock for the past few months chances are you've heard of the ridiculously lauded Los Angeles hip hop collective, Odd Future. This teenage hype machine has been shoving itself deep into the asscrack of the blogosphere, drawing hate, excitement, admiration and a lot of general confusion from those exposed to their fucked up randomness and genuine glee in just about everything they do. What I've noticed about the majority of those who are made aware of Odd Future is that many have never actually heard the music they put out, which is almost all available for free on the internet.

The public appeal, or disdain, usually derives from the poster boy of the group, Tyler, the Creator, a foul mouthed 19 year old with a penchant for the word "fuck". He's loud, obnoxious, and at first glance could be mistaken for an absolute idiot. Tyler is essentially the definition of politically incorrect and then some. Perfect for the angry tween demographic looking for a way to rebel against their parents without eye liner and skinny jeans.

So there's the surface value of Odd Future, as defined by Tyler. Young rebellious teens who don't give a shit, much like the nasty-ass honey badger. But what about the music?

GOBLIN is the second album from Tyler, the Creator. His debut, Bastard was released for free back in 2010. It went relatively unnoticed by many outside the Los Angeles area, but those who heard it definitely knew that this kid was gonna make waves. GOBLIN follows the same formula as Bastard: Plodding, but well paced delivery with blunted beats paired with oddly delicate piano loops. The production, which is largely handled by Tyler and Hodgy Beats is a downward spiral (in a good way) of broken sounding synthesizers. Tracks like "Her" are insanely minimalist, allowing for Tyler's gravelly voice to steal the show, while other cuts like "Tron Cat" create a vast, flowing soundscape, hitting you with layer after layer of carefully arranged loops.

Lyrically, GOBLIN is Tyler either complaining, being contrary, making fun of people or weaving morbid stories with a twisted touch of humor. Tyler says many of the same things he says in interviews, all with the same kind of raw style. The difference here is that he actually sounds like an intelligent and extremely emotional human being, not like an attention starved teenager. He's not the most technically impressive rapper you'll ever hear, but his almost lazy delivery slurs together in such a unique way that you probably wont care. Tyler takes a queue from many multisyllabic emcees of the past, sounding much like Kool Keith, or Operation Doomsday era MF DOOM. While the majority of songs on GOBLIN have a similar alter-ego vibe, they all seem to be grounded by reality in some sense, and never enter the realm of pure fabrication.

It's odd seeing such a style of rap becoming so popular, especially since it's been beaten to death in the underground scene (I'm looking at you Necro). Acts like Gravediggaz, Kool Keith and Brotha Lynch Hung were doing similar work back in the early 90's and didn't garner even a fraction of the attention that Tyler is getting right now. Even the abrasive production on GOBLIN borrows heavily from the counter-commercial efforts of Def Jux, El-P's industrial/alternative hip-hop label, which was created in response to the wave of overproduced club music spearheaded by P. Diddy and Bad Boy Records in the late 90's. There is no doubt that this decidedly anti-mainstream style catching on has everything to do with the internet, Twitter, and the ease at which artists can put their music out there nowadays. That being said, Odd Future and Tyler are a legitimately interesting manifestation of this blend of social networking and blog facilitated promotion. They aren't doing anything particularly new (say what you will, but Eminem has done almost ALL of this before in one album), but they are bringing back a homemade rawness that hip hop desperately needs.

GOBLIN is one of those albums is more rewarding on a entire listen than a brief dip. Tracks like "Yonkers" and "Tron Cat" are the few exceptions, but on a whole, the record plays out more like a short story than anything else. There will definitely be those who simply cannot listen to the shock-value lyrics, which are the most unrestrained and vulgar I've heard in years. But, for those who can get past the nastiness, there's a genuine emotional quality to the music that can hit deep, even if it is difficult to bear.

Many accuse Tyler of trying too hard. In Goblin he responds, "People sayin' I try too hard/Fucking right I try too hard."

Score: 4/5

Key Tracks:

-Yonkers
-Tron Cat
-Nightmare
-Her

Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers

Hip Hop Time Capsule - Gravediggaz Short Documentary

2010-11-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Gravediggaz, in my opinion, is probably one of the best and fully realized side projects undertaken by The RZA. Dope emcees, dope production, dope concept. Gravediggaz was the birth of horrorcore, and paved the way for such acts as Tech N9ne, Brotha Lynch Hung, Army of the Pharaohs, and a good deal of Kool Keith's later albums after Ultramagnetic MCs broke up. Prince Paul manned the boards, creating an eerie, unique soundscape that meshed perfectly with the frenetic delivery of RZA, Frukwan and Too Poetic (AKA The RZARector, The Grym Reaper and The Gatekeeper). The great thing about Gravediggaz is that they never took themselves too seriously, and there was always a great sense of humor in their songs despite the oftentimes grisly lyrics.

While surfing youtube I found a gem of a documentary about Gravediggaz containing some great footage and interviews about the conception of the group and their creative process. Raw hip hop at its finest! Watch it below (There's also a great piece about EPMD at the end as well!)

Bishop Lamont - The Shawshank Redemption (Mixtape)

2010-11-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

School's been hitting hard and I've had literally no time recently to update my blog. I'm gonna mark 'Mcgehrk's return to DoubleFine with a heads up about this excellent new mixtape by Inglewood's own Bishop Lamont. I've never really checked for this guy in the past but the single off the mixtape, titled "Rain" got my attention. It features a killer beat by Dr. Dre and an excellent hook sung by Liz Rodrigues of The New Royales. Check out the video for the single below, as well as a link for a download of the mixtape.

Rain, feat. Liz Rodrigues (Prod. by Dr. Dre):

Download: "The Shawshank Redemption"

A Movie Like No Other

2010-08-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

In my 20 years on this planet I can honestly say that I have never seen a film quite like Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.

With no previous experience with the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Edgar Wright, who hit it out of the park with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz was finally breaking away from his go-to team of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and opting for a totally different type of comedy/action flick from his previous two. Would this radical shift pay off? Wright's directing style and humor is very distinctly British, and I was worried that something might be lost in translation with this Hollywood debut (if you can even call it a typical Hollywood film). Initially the casting also had me slightly put off. I hoped upon hope that it wouldn't be another vehicle for Michael Cera's seemingly endless stream of painfully awkward teen nerd roles. My hopes proved to be only partially destroyed. Cera does play an undeniably nerdy character, but manages to transform his typecast role into a surprisingly awesome badass. He falls for Ramona, a rainbow haired goth girl who has the misfortune of being followed by her "seven exes", all intent on ruining any of her future relationships. Scott must fight them one by one in order to win her as his girlfriend and rise up from his geek status (which is magnified by a seemingly desperate attempt at a relationship with a 17 year old Chinese Catholic school girl). All in all, acting doesn't take center stage in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. The film's actors get free passes however because of their sheer likability. Kieran Culkin and Jason Schwartzman are testaments to this, thriving on the corny one-liners and over-the-top delivery. Deep dialogue is completely avoided in favor of blogosphere/Twitter/Facebook lingo.

While nobody's going to be winning any Oscars here, the action scenes, cinematography and editing are some of the most impressive I've seen in quite a while. Everything moves at a breakneck pace, engaging the viewer at all times. This is where Wright's directing style from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz shines through. Even overblown verbal interactions between characters offer visual entertainment. Environments and backgrounds often change without warning in mid-conversation. Fight sequences occur at the drop of a dime, blasting into high gear among lavishly designed sets that deteriorate and crumble as Scott and his nemeses go toe to toe. The best way to describe these scenes are like live action mash-up of Tekken, Street Fighter and Dragon Ball Z with a little bit of Super Mario and Super Smash Bros. thrown in.

Video games are referenced almost to a fault throughout Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. While there are many nods to familiar games in the pop-culture spectrum such as Super Mario and Zelda, there are just as many obscure ones that only hardcore gamers would recognize. For instance: Someone may recognize an enemy bursting into a pile of coins as a clear shout out to Mario. The same can't be said for the bladed whip reference to Ivy, a character in the Soul Caliber game series, or the likeness of Scott's love interest to the main character from Jet Set Radio Future, an overlooked game that made it's debut on the Sega Dreamcast. It definitely won't be a turn off for those unfamiliar with video game culture, but it certainly gives you that warm fuzzy feeling inside when you see someone whip out a pixelated energy blade and recognize it from Super Smash Bros.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World proves to be a dazzling and terrifically put together film. It plays out like the Easy Rider of the social networking/video game/tech generation of young people. Even the 35 and over crowd are likely to be drawn in by the witty, fast-paced dialogue and charm of the characters. There's no denying the sheer entertainment and eye candy that the film delivers. This is definitely one not one to be missed.

More About Nothing.....

2010-08-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Just got the word from Wale's Twitter that his latest mixtape "More About Nothing" is set to hit the interwebz sometime tomorrow. It's a sequel to a personal fav of mine, "The Mixtape About Nothing", which had some brilliant samples from Seinfeld to propel Wale's bouncy flow. File this one under: CANNOT WAIT!

Copped!

2010-08-02T21:19:00.001-07:00

Awwww yeeeaaahhh. Been looking for this for a while, just picked one up from a dude on the Solecollector.com marketplace forums. Should come sometime this week!

Album Review - Trill O.G. by Bun B

2010-07-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Who's got the best voice in hip hop? It's gotta be Bun. For the past 23 years Bun B has been reppin' Port Arthur with his ridiculously technical flow, deep southern drawl and bass heavy tone that rivals the very beats he raps over. As 1/2 of UGK, Bun provided the peanut butter to the late Pimp C's jelly, creating one of the most dynamic duos in the history of Hip Hop. Since Pimp's incarceration and eventual death two years after his release, UGK was put on the back burner, with both members being forced to release solo albums due to the aforementioned imprisonment of Pimp C. The first two individual albums put out by Bun B (Trill & II Trill) largely followed the same formula as previous UGK albums. Skittering drum breaks against towering synthesizers dominated both, all providing the backdrop for his signature flow and hard lyrics. While solid efforts, Bun's previous attempts at a successful solo career seemed to hinge to much on the guest spots, which apart from a particularly memorable appearance by Scarface on the track "Keep Pushin'", were pretty underwhelming. Bun himself has said that deadlines kept Trill and II Trill from reaching their full potential.

So is this Bun B's redemption? Not really. Bun B doesn't need to redeem himself. The man's a legend, and as far as I'm concerned this is his "I'm gonna do whatever the fuck I want album". The result is a ridiculously over the top, unashamedly star studded album that mashes up a bygone era of Hip Hop with the Auto-Tune generation.

Trill O.G. punches you in the face with "Chuuch!!", a certified banger that revs into high gear with Bun B in full beast mode, proclaiming, "I'm ridin'/ask Biden, or Obama/go ask them hustlas, them gangstas, go ask yo mama/and they'll tell ya the best that ever did it is still in here doin' it ya can't fuck wit it". It's a fantastic intro to the album, and it creates an energy that is maintained until the final cuts. "Trillionaire" keeps the pace going, and while it may lull some skeptics into predestined loathing as T-Pain's auto-tuned voice cuts through the twinkling synthesizers, Bun comes as hard as ever. The tough-as-nails snarl of Bun B's voice with the T-Pain hook creates the perfect marriage between style and substance, and makes the ridiculousness of it all too appealing to deny. The closest you'll get to a down-tempo song on Trill O.G. comes on the fourth track "Put it Down", which features a hook and short verse by Drake. Some of Bun's aggressiveness seems to rub off on the ex-Degrassi heartthrob as he spits the uncharacteristically bellicose lyrics "Overboard n**ga/I'm quoted more n**ga/results are in I guess you shoulda voted more n**ga/floatin' in the money now y'all just float ashore n**ga/I'm never drownin' whatchu think this fuckin' boat is for n**ga?". Bun seems to bring out the best in his features, showing off a side of them that you wouldn't typically expect, but never fully changing what makes them so successful in their normal commercially-fueled environments.

One of the highlights of the album, and the track that everybody's going to be talking about is "Right Now", a typically misogynistic song that happens to feature the late Pimp C and 2pac. Despite the dirty rapper lyrics and sexist overtones, it's quite refreshing to hear someone picking up a Pac verse that isn't attempting to be spiritual or deep. We all know he's dead, so why make every posthumous feature a wet blanket? Plus, UGK and 2Pac on the same cut? You can't get much better than that.

The remainder of the LP is largely featureless, but that's perfectly fine. Bun holds his own and powers through the next 9 cuts with only a few pick-me-ups from Gucci Mane, Twista, Slim Thug and another spot by Drake. "Let 'Em Know" finds Bun B giving a shout out to the late Guru of GangStarr fame with some classic production by non other than DJ Premier. "Speak Easy" shows his uncanny ability to match his flow perfectly to the drum & bass, enunciating every word on the down beat and managing to recover, speed up, and slow down without effort. No matter what the subject matter, Bun still possesses a technical style held by very few rappers in the mainstream circuit.

Trill O.G. would be easy to pass off as a half-ass effort by another peak performance 90's underground artist continuing to sink deeper into the commercial world. Bun merely skims the surface of it though. He manages to construct a Frankenstein's monster of an album, blending two completely different styles in the Hip Hop genre and forcing them to work together to fit each others' sound. Score one for the South! Trill O.G. makes me forget about the awfulness of Gucci Mane, even if he a guest feature.

Score: 4.6/5

Key Tracks:

-Chuuch!!!
-Trillionaire feat. T-Pain
-Put It Down feat. Drake
-Right Now feat. Pimp C, 2Pac & Trey Songz
-Speak Easy feat. Twista & Cedric The Entertainer
-I Git Down
-Snow Money
-Ridin' Slow feat. Slim Thug & Play N Skillz
-Let 'Em Know

Let 'Em Know, by Bun B:

Album Review - Let Em Ave It, by Giggs

2010-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

Virtually unheard of stateside, British MC Giggs has quietly been gearing up for his full release debut across the Atlantic. Released in the UK on the 21st, Let Em Ave It is a refreshing detour from the Grime-dominated style of Hip Hop that has flooded the country.

Giggs himself makes a point to avoid being grouped together with such breakthrough artists as Dizzee Rascal and Roots Manuva, completely bypassing acrobatic flows and opting for a slow-paced, incredibly direct delivery. While the heavy brit accent remains intact, Giggs possesses none of the cartoonish bounciness of his counterparts. The slow-flow approach doesn't always quite match up to the more up-tempo beats, and can feel monotonous at times. "Reminiscing" finds Giggs dragging out his verses so much that they're barely understandable, and lyrics in songs such as "Signs" simply melt together. While the words are different, the lack of enunciation in their delivery can completely kill their meaning.

That's not to say that Let Em Ave it is a total let down. The good tracks outnumber the bad, and Giggs' lumbering flow proves to be both a curse and a blessing. Vivid imagery of the ghettos of London, dope dealing and crime are given time to sink in, creating an almost cinematic experience. Giggs may not possess the frenetic delivery of Ghostface Killah or the laid back husk of Raekwon, but his storytelling skills aren't anything to scoff at. "Life" paints a frightening picture of drug addiction, money chasing, and the eventual need for change. Giggs may sink into the all too familiar theme of guns, cash and crime, but never glamorizes it, and always presents music and hip hop as his saving grace. "The Way It Is" is a perfect example of this straight-to-the-point style. There's something extremely refreshing about the humble persona that Giggs emanates. He never openly boasts, brags or even puts himself in the spotlight, appearing embarrassed and shy in many of his music videos.

Let Em Ave It showcases some absolutely beautiful production. Heavy synthesizers and skittering drum breaks characterize the album, with a few slower paced piano tracks to break up the almost unrelenting wall of noise throughout its hour long run time. While the beats owe a lot to grime culture, cuts such as "Have it Out" and "Hustle On" make it obvious that someone was listening to southern acts such as Slim Thug, UGK, T.I. and Rick Ross when constructing the soundscape for the album. Interestingly enough, the most memorable tracks are the bonus tracks, only listed as extras because of their lack of popularity on the UK charts when released as singles. "Don't Go There" features a great hook sung by Atlanta newcomer B.o.B and some of the more energetic rapping by Giggs on the album. The second standout is "Slow Songs", containing a potent mixture of gangsterism and retrospective peace. Mike Skinner provides an auto-tuned hook and his charming, awkward presence for the cut as well.

Giggs' debut LP, while hit or miss is definitely one to check out. If you're tired of the staccato delivery of the many grime artists flooding the UK, or simply looking for a brutally honest and bare bones approach to a life of crime and redemption (and who isn't?), give Let Em Ave It a spin.

Score: 3.3/5

Key Tracks:

-Look What The Cat Dragged In
-Life feat. Shereen Shabana
-Don't Go There feat. B.o.B
-Slow Songs feat. Mike Skinner

El-P Remixes The Biebster!?!?

2010-07-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

Yup, it's been a while since I last wrote on the ol' blog, but I'm coming back full force this month as the summer starts. Lately I've been hearing a lot of shit talking from El-P's Twitter ragging on Biebs, who in all honesty I don't really care for much. It seems that El's remarks were all in good fun though. This remix of Justin Bieber's hit single, "Baby" hit the blog circuit a couple days ago. It's amazing how he can make almost anything sound dark and ominous. The former Def-Jux CEO chops up Wings and Bieber, creating a truly weird and unique track that's infinitely more listenable than anything the pre-pubescent pop star will ever put out.

Baby, El-P Remix:

Album Review - Season Of The Assassin, by Vinnie Paz

2010-05-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

"The way of the assassin is found in death. Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day, when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being ripped apart by arrows, rifles, spears, and swords, being carried away by surging waves, being thrown into the midst of a great fire, being struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should consider himself as dead. This is the substance of the way of the assassin." Lifted directly from the Hagakure, the intro to the first solo outing from Philadelphia heavyweight and 1/3 of the underground trio Jedi Mind Tricks hits swift and hard. It sets a tone that rarely falters throughout its 21 tracks. Paz's rough delivery may not be for everybody, but there's no denying the epic feel that encompasses Season Of The Assassin.

It's not too often that you come across an album with near flawless production. Season Of The Assassin shows that Paz has an ear for good beats. One look at the lineup behind the boards will tell you he's not fucking around. Bronze Nazareth, 4th Disciple, Lil Fame (M.O.P.), DJ Muggs, Madlib, Lord Finesse and Da Beatminerz all supply their own signature styles to the album, making for an extremely diverse LP."No Spiritual Surrender", featuring Psycho Realm's Sick Jacken is one of the more notable moments on the CD production-wise, employing DJ Mugg's signature warped guitar samples and dark hooks. Another standout track, "Monsters Ball" uses a trickling toy piano sample that is perfectly juxtaposed with Paz's Newport-ravaged voice and blunt delivery. Season Of The Assassin is worth a listen for the production alone if nothing else.

Lyrically Paz is Paz. The guy's been rapping with a serious chip on his shoulder for years, displaying a pronounced hatred for pretty much anything you can think of. Despite his raging diatribe and venomous delivery, he remains remarkably open-minded, and at times extremely weird. With lyrics concerning everything from Slayer to Aliens, conspiracy theories, 40's, blunts, ancient Egypt and pushing coke, Paz has all the bases covered. Even if 90% of what he spits is historically inaccurate, it still sounds pretty damn cool. It's like a musical version of300 coated with a glistening layer of pop culture blasting out of your speakers. When Vinnie isn't rapping about Aristotle or how Barack "Hussein" Obama was grown inside a test tube, he's reflecting on life. The true-to-life tracks are some of the best on the album. However, it's honestly kind of confusing hearing someone so brutal and violent be so introspective and emotional. How could a bi-polar, heavily tatted, overweight Italian rapper ever work in any musical situation? Well, listen to the album. Hearing someone so rough and ignorant pour his heart out over a beat will give you tingles in your spine and goosebumps on your arms. "Keep Movin' On" takes a rolling piano sample and a simply beautiful chorus from Shara Worden and lays it down under Paz's lyrical reflection on hard times and money issues, as well as a bit of the history of Jedi Mind Tricks. "Same Story (My Dedication)" tells the tale of his relationship with his stepfather and mother, both of whom have had enormous impacts on his life. Liz Fullerton supplies the chorus for the track, creating an amazingly understated and heartfelt cut on a typically loud and over-the-top album. Other highlights are: "Nosebleed", which sees Paz and R.A. The Rugged Man reuniting for the first time since their deadly combination on "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story", "Street Wars" which displays some excellent wordplay from Virginia's finest, The Clipse, and "Paul & Paz", featuring Houston's very own Paul Wall trading verses with Vinnie in a weird mainstream-meets-the-underground-bizarro-world.

Vinnie Paz may not be for everybody....actually I know for a fact that he isn't for everybody. However,Season Of The Assassin at least attempts to break the mold created from Jedi Mind Tricks. It's extremely diverse in terms of production values, but considerably less so in lyricism, although it does have its shining moments. If you can't get enough of Paz's work in Jedi Mind Tricks and Army Of The Pharoahs, then this one's for you. JMT haters, or simply connoisseurs of good taste will find little redeeming about Paz's debut, but perhaps the surprising guest spots and solid gold production credits will garner some new listeners. Season Of The Assassin drops June 22nd on Enemy Soil Records.

Score: 4.2/5

Key Tracks:
-Monster's Ball
-No Spiritual Surrender feat. Sick Jacken
-Street Wars feat. Clipse
-Aristotle's Dilemma
-Keep Movin' On feat. Shara Worden
-Role of Life
-Nosebleed feat. R.A. The Rugged Man
-Paul & Paz feat. Paul Wall & Block McCloud
-Bad Day
-Drag You To Hell
-Same Story (My Dedication)

Monster's Ball:

Album Review - LP4, by Ratatat

2010-05-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ratatat have the honor of wearing the crown for the most hollow, artificial and soulless music in the history of mandkind. Full of digital beeps, blips, clatters and synths, their sound is the type that can be played virtually anywhere. Despite being a conceptually limited act, Ratatat do manage to succeed sonically, creating ridiculously catchy hooks that let you listen without actually having to think.

Such is the case with LP4. The latest offering from the New York based duo goes full force with head nodding beats and twisting 80's guitar solo blends with an oddly Latin tinge. "Drugs" is a perfect example of the unabashed manner in which Ratatat continues with the tried and true formula that made their previous albums so successful. The only difference is that they've pumped up the levels to 11, taking harder, more intense musical cues from dance heavyweights such as MSTKRFT and Justice. The album alternates between these Ratatat-on-steroids tracks and slower moving, orchestral cuts such as "We Can't Be Stopped". While these understated songs do provide a nice counterbalance for the more intense ones, a few end up lasting too long and feel unnecessary. Some of the best cuts on LP4 are the completely overproduced ones, many of which sound like they'd be right at home on the soundtrack to a Sonic The Hedgehog video game (good thing or bad thing? You decide).

LP4 solidifies the image I have in my mind of Ratatat when I listen to any of their albums: A gigantic musical robot that churns out song after song of completely mindless but undeniably catchy, and oftentimes beautiful music. In this case, style over substance is the name of the game. The album's biggest downfall is the similarities it has to its predecessors. Unless I was a hardcore Ratatat fan, I probably wouldn't know if I was listening to LP4, LP3, or Classic. You can argue all you want about the subtle nuances of Ratatat, but you'll never convince me that they sound THAT different from album to album. LP4 a great CD for the dance floor or even for chilling with friends, but if you're looking for intellectually challenging music, you ain't gonna find it here. As always though, fantastic album artwork. LP4 drops June 8th, but you can listen to it in its entirety on NPR.

Score: 3.4/5

Key Tracks:
-Neckbrace
-Bob Gandhi
-Mandy
-SUNBLOCKS
-Grape Juice City

Track of the Day - Back To The Lab, by MC Esoteric

2010-05-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

Labrador Retrievers have been one of the greatest sources of joy in my life. There hasn't been a point in my 20 years on this earth where I haven't had one. Since my childhood years with Betty, Buster, and now Hank, no one has ever been so unconditionally happy and snuggly! So, on this Thursday night, I pay tribute to all the Labs out there with MC Esoteric's "Back To The Lab". LOVE YOU HANKY!!!

Back To The Lab:

The Pup Himself!

The Roots - New Album: Cover & Tracklist Revealed

2010-05-20T21:56:00.001-07:00

Ohh I love me some Philly hip hop! How I Got Over is the latest from ?uestLove, Black Thought and The Roots crew. The official album artwork and tracklisting just hit the net and so far it's looking good. There's the usual underground guest features from Truck North, Phonte and Porn keeping that local Philadelphia love alive as always. West Coast phenom Blu also pops up on the LP, but the thing that's got me excited is the genre crossing features on the album. Indie creepo Joanna Newsom appears on a cut, as does My Morning Jacket's Jim James. Also be keeping your ears out for The Roots and.....Connor Oberst. Yup, his folk-rock supergroup Monsters of Folk are to be featured on the track "Dear God 2.0". Should be interesting. As if I wasn't already excited enough for this album. I'll just have to wait til June 22nd when it drops. Peep the tracklist below.

How I Got Over:
01. Walk Alone (Truck North, Porn, Dice Raw, Mercedes Martinez)
02. Dear God 2.0 (Jim James, Monsters of Folk)
03. Radio Daze (Blu, Porn, Dice Raw, Mercedes Martinez)
04. Now Or Never (Phonte Coleman, Dice Raw)
05. How I Got Over (Dice Raw)
06. The Day (Blu, Phonte Coleman, Patty Crash)
07. Right On (Joanna Newsom, Sugar Tongue Slim)
08. Doin It Again (John Legend)
09. The Fire (John Legend, Rick Friedrich)
10. Web 20/20 (Truck North, Peedi Crakk)
11. Bonus Cut

DoubleFine Quick Hits

2010-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Li(f)e, by Sage Francis:
This one's quite a departure from Sage's earlier work. The Providence MC sinks fully into an indie rock vibe that he only dabbled in on his previous albums (interesting since a few years ago he was slamming Buck 65 for not being hip hop enough). Francis wears the hat well though, and his husky delivery meshes wonderfully with the left-of-center instrumentals provided by the late Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) as well as members of Calexico, Death Cab for Cutie and DeVotchKa. Produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine). Li(f)e is at it's best when Sage puts his political angst on the back burner and opts to just tell an old fashioned story.

Marcberg, by Roc Marciano:
If you like the gritty 90's style of such acts as Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep, you're boud to find something to vibe to on Marcberg. Simply put, it's golden era hip hop with a modern twist, with some phenomenal production work from Marciano himself. It's extremely minimalistic, echoing early Pete Rock or Large Professor. Underground Hip Hop heads go bananas for this shit. Marcberg isn't for everybody though, and at times Roc's delivery can get a bit monotonous. Even if it is meh to you, the LP is definitely worth a few spins just to get a schooling on the history of New York production styles in the late 80's and 90's

Madlib Medicine Show #5 - The History of the Loop Digga: 1990-2000, by Madlib
This is by far my favorite of the Madlib Medicine Show series that Oxnard's finest has released this past year. By now Madlib is recognized as one of the most prolific producers in the history of hip hop, and he only adds to his legendary status with Madlib Medicine Show #5 - The History of the Loop Digga: 1990-200. This is like a wet dream for Madlib fans. It's basically a compilation of rarities and unreleased material over a 10 year period from 1990 to 2000. The album is considerably tighter and accessible than much of his recent work, but still has that dusty trademark sound. It's pretty awesome to get a full LP that showcases an artist's evolution and musical growth over a period of time, MMS #5 does just that. Great for just kicking back and relaxing.

Remarkable Timing, by 60 Second Assassin:
Remarkable timing is a surprisingly strong release considering the mediocre track record of many Wu-Affiliate albums. Sunz of Man was definitely something special, and a lot of 60 Second Assassin's style carries over from the now defunct group. Guitar heavy samples sounds very RZA-ish, which is expected since Bronze Nazareth holds down the boards. The RZA does contribute to "Warzone (Remix)" and in all honestly provides the highlight for the album in terms of production. That isn't to say that Bronze Nazareth doesn't come correct though, because the beats really do carry the album along. Timbo King is featured on a couple joints, and shines on both (when is the solo album coming Timbo???). C-Rayz Walz, Killah Priest and Planet Asia round out the numerous guest spots (although Walz's track, "Dead Flowers Pt. 2" is surprisingly boring). Fans should find a lot to like about the album, but perhaps only because so much coming from the Wu camp these days tends to be half-assed or pure shit.

Track of the Day - When She Calls, by Fashawn

2010-05-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

This weather has got me in some kinda mood. It's just been so overcast and crummy lately after that beautiful weekend weather that I can't seem to get motivated to do anything. This Wednesday I'm gonna hit you with some more West Coast stylo from Fashawn. "When She Calls" samples Joanna Newsom's "Cosmia" for a seriously depressing cut. Three cheers for emo-rap! This song along with a little insight from Brookie about Newsom's music is actually what got me listening to her actual work. Get a tissue for this one.....or maybe a box of 'em.

When She Calls:

Track of the Day - Inglewood Swangin', by Mack 10

2010-05-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night and I got all my homework done. I done did my classes and finished painting and taping my stickball bat, so time for some loungin' on the couch with a big bag of Lucky Charms layin' in mah lap. Top notch movie lineup tonight as well. 12 Monkeys, Death Wish and Point Break on the tube to round out my night and haunt my dreams. I took a 3 hour nap this afternoon so sleep probably isn't coming anytime soon. Hopefully gonna see Iron Man 2 with Brookie tomorrow, which should be entertaining if nothing else. Aw I know I'm probably gonna love it no matter what.

Ok, so, that thing called Track of the Day. I ain't forget about it. Today it'll be a West Coast classic off of Mack 10's sophomore album Based On A True Story. The song, "Inglewood Swangin'" samples Kool and the Gang's "Hollywood Swingin'". Funkay funkaaayyyy. Love this joint. So kick back and relax on this dreary Tuesday night to the bangin' sounds of one of L.A.'s finest.

Inglewood Swangin':

Best....Opening.....EVER!!!

2010-05-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the opening of the newest exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon. It was easily one of the coolest and youth accessible openings I've ever been to, and I've been going to these openings since I was 5 years old. The exhibit, titled "One Big Shot" showcased a series of portraits taken by Andy Warhol and Gus Van Sant.

There were some absolutely beautiful photos by both artists. There's a retro-polaroid phase that's gaining steam right now in the art world and it was nice to see the true originators' work with so much meh poloraids flooding the scene right now. While I absolutely loved the Debbie Harry portraits by Warhol, Van Sant's work really stole the show. It was the true definition of casual fame, highlighted by amazing images of everyone from Heather Graham to William Burroughs. My personal favorite was a black and white of a beaming, extremely young Daniel Day Lewis. The best thing about Van Sant's photos were the obscurity. I asked him a few questions about the pictures and their history. He revealed that he hadn't seen many of them for years, and had been put away until just recently. I couldn't help but change the subject to his movies, and my questions quickly turned to film as I started nerding out about skateboarding and "Paranoid Park" until he was pulled away by more adoring guests. Later on in the dining area I also met Frank Black of the Pixies! who was attending the show with his wife. Apart from being extremely red in the face for half the time I was there I'd say it was a pretty good night.

Me with Gus Van Sant!

Track of the Day - Let's Take A Walk, by Masta Ace

2010-05-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day in Eugene. Blue skies, sunshine, the perfect day to......take a walk in the park? Masta Ace seems to think so. "Let's Take a Walk" samples Spanky And Our Gang's "Lazy Day" with an ironic twist in the lyrics. Let's ignore the wordplay for now and just focus on the chorus. "Blue skies, sunshine, what a day to take a walk in the park." Let's hope that this weather stays!

Let's Take A Walk:

Track of the Day - My Homeboy's Chevy, by Andre Nickatina & Mac Dre

2010-05-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

So Nickatina puts on some god awful shows, often showing up too inebriated to even walk onstage for more than a few minutes, let alone rap, but at least he releases albums. Mac Dre's dead, but there's a ton of unreleased fodder sitting around somewhere in the bay area. So, how about get two San Francisco legends (one dead, one who's probably in a drug and alcohol induced vegetative state 3/4 of the time) and have them trade verses on an album!!!! Today's cut de la dia comes from a partially posthumous Mac Dre collabo in which various producers pieced together Andre Nickatina and Mac Dre vocals and laid them over brand new beats. The result was A Tale of Two Andres, and it yielded a surprisingly solid album. Grandiose production values with smooth-as-butter delivery. That chorus gets stuck on repeat in my head every time I hear it. Too bad it ain't longer.

My Homeboy's Chevy:

New Track - Ballad of The Black Gold, by Reflection Eternal

2010-05-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

The latest of many leaks from Reflection Eternal's highly anticipated new album Revolutions Per Minute, "Ballad of the Black Gold" comes at a particularly appropriate time what with the massive gulf oil spill crisis. While the subject matter does apply to a slightly bigger picture concerning oil, big businesses and pollution, it's no less effective in painting a frightening picture. Talib Kweli comes correct on the track with a brilliantly assembled chorus, "This is the ballad of the black gold/ they call it Texas tea, but it's bigger than a cowboy with a lasso/deeper than a black hole/create monopolies, 'cept they collect the fees when ya pass go/crisis international/the government de facto/we got no control over this fiasco/darker than a back row/bubble hotter than tabasco/more than what ya bargained fo' or asked fo'."

The Ballad of Black Gold
Reflection Eternal - Ballad Of Black GoldbySneakattackmedia

Spizikes Galore - Air Jordan Spizike "Infrared"

2010-05-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

This year has seen somewhat of a resurgence in the classic Air Jordan Spizikes. I copped a pair in a classic white and red colorway during my trip to New York over spring break and I love em. This month there's a new drop in the Spizike family. The "Infrareds" feature a black and white combo with hint of infrared and light blue, continuing with the subtle color tips and classic Air Jordan style. Now available through Jordan retailers, and Pick Your Shoes.

I WANT YAT!!!!

2010-05-12T12:11:00.001-07:00

Stumbled upon this while reading through the latest Gizmodo posts. Coolest idea ever for a Macbook skin.

Album Review - Distant Relatives, by NaS & Damian Marley

2010-05-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Nowadays rappers seem to be trading in their guns and weed for books and peace. While socially conscious hip hop has begun to dominate the biz, it always seems to be candy coated with an insincere pop-gloss sheen.

Distant Relatives is the latest collaboration between Nasir Jones and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, and should be praised for its unbridled honesty and musical integrity in a world dominated by industry test-tube rappers and synthetic beats. It's a musically and lyrically rich album with a seamless combination of East coast boom bap, reggae and African drum that never falters during its hour long run time. From the undeniably catchy "As We Enter" to the somber and introspective "Patience", Distant Relatives creates a perfect balance between the joy, sadness and criticism so prevalent in the different genres it represents. NaS and Damian Marley don't try to alter their musical styles to fit with one another, and never sound awkward or forced. Each verse, whether sung or rapped flows perfectly into the next one, evoking an old school call and response style reminiscent of Run DMC and The Beastie Boys.

The strongest tracks on the album are the socially, racially and politically charged ones. After such a weak attempt at addressing similar subjects with Untitled, NaS seems to have found a good middle-ground, veering away from unbridled aggression and settling for a markedly more optimistic perspective in his lyrics. "Leaders" criticizes the persecution and death of many of the great leaders of our world while at the same time calling for new minds to rise up and stand against oppression and injustice. "Patience" takes a haunting African chorus, drapes it over a delicately played flute loop and sharp guitar strum to create the best hip hop ballad in recent memory. Damian Marley actually outdoes NaS and completely bodies the track. In fact, he manages to stand his own next to the Queens Bridge rapper throughout the album. Impressive considering NaS is arguably one of the greatest writers of all time in hip-hop. Neither Jones nor Marley deliver a weak verse, staying strong and complimenting each others' own unique styles wonderfully.

Production-wise, Distant Relatives is quite a feat. As much as I love sampling, it's great to hear artists go the extra mile in creating brand new music that sounds sharp and fresh. Heavy African drums with menacing chants dominate tracks like "Tribal War" while classic reggae horns and plodding pianos drip out of the speakers on "The Promised Land". It really is a great reminder of how well live instrumentals can work in hip-hop without copious sampling and overdone synthesizers. That being said, Distant Relatives does contain a few traditionally hip-hop beats. "Nah Mean" is one the catchiest cuts, and is probably the most distinguishably hip-hop production on the LP. Its twisting melody behind Marley's hypnotic chanting and NaS's relaxed flow provide the closest thing you'll get to a banger on the record while still managing to remain pretty low-key and intelligent.

Distant Relatives is another addition to the growing list of A-grade albums that have come out in 2010. The level of polish on the LP is unrivaled in lyricism and production, creating a piece of work that blends the two top artists in reggae and hip-hop into a neo-African tinged sound scape. The result is an incredibly deep listening experience that is bound to appeal to everyone from college frat boys to die hard hip-hop heads, and maybe even the Grammys.

Key Tracks:

-As We Enter
-Leaders feat. Stephen Marley
-Friends
-Count Your Blessings
-The Promised Land feat. Dennis Brown
-Nah Mean
-Patience

Nah Mean:

The RZA's "Man With The Iron Fists" Gets The Green Light

2010-05-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

Good news for all you Wu-Heads out there. Man With The Iron Fists has finally been given the go ahead to start production. The RZA's directorial debut will be financed by Universal with a budget of twenty million and is set to start shooting in September. The Abbot himself co-wrote the screenplay with Eli Roth, director of the torture porn Hostel flicks, but now probably more widely known as "The Bear Jew" in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds. RZA will also star in the title role of the film as a blacksmith who forges weapons for the inhabitants of a feudal Chinese village who are forced to defend themselves from outside invaders. There's no word on whether Roth will play a role, but he did have this to say about the birth and evolution of the film:

"It started with a trip RZA and I took with Quentin to Iceland in 2005. We flew back, ended up snowed in in Boston, staying at my parents' house in Newton. Turned out that my dad and RZA grew up in Brooklyn and went to the same Brownsville junior high school and swam in the same public pool. He hooked me on his dream of directing and reinventing the Kung Fu movie genre. It reminded me of my love of horror. RZA went to the set of Kill Bill, and got a master directing course from Quentin. Nothing was happening with the script, and I formed this company, Arcade, with Eric Newman, that made Last Exorcism, a film that comes out in August through Lionsgate. We were looking for projects and I suggested RZA's script. I wrote the latest draft with him. While I was away shooting Inglourious Basterds, RZA went to China to shoot test footage on his own, with all the choreography. It was very visual and I think he will bring to life a script that mixes kung-fu with a spaghetti Western mindset and a hip-hop influence."

"RZA has imagined every tribe, every fighting style, every costume. He knows kung-fu like I know horror."

From everything I hear this is going to be amazingly amazing and awesome and all of those 'A' words to describe something cool. Personally, like for me, this is a dream come true and I can't wait to see the final result. And if RZA didn't have enough on his plate writing, directing and doing the choreography for the film, he's also handling the production for the soundtrack. Keep an eye out for this one sometime next year. I'll keep the updates coming as I hear them.

Album Review - Blac Sabbath, by Blacastan

2010-05-04T22:28:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't heard of Blacastan yet, it's about time you did. The Connecticut bred emcee just released his debut album, Blac Sabbath today after countless delays and a few superb mixtapes that have created massive buzz in the underground hip hop community.

I've given the LP a spin through and have to say it's a contender for my Album of the Year. It's pretty much no holds barred hip hop. Raw delivery with updated 90's era production. The best thing about Blac Sabbath is its dark edge. Up and coming producer ColomBeyond shines on the boards with carefully arranged piano loops, droning guitars and masterfully chosen soul samples to create an old school sound fit for the new school. Blac Sabbath is rounded out nicely by the guest producers, consisting of Statik Selektah, Blue Sky Black Death and Mr. Green, all of whom mesh in perfectly with its overall sound.

The highlights of Blacastan's freshman release definitely come through in the conceptual tracks. Blacastan shows a remarkable knack for storytelling on "How Can You Be So Sure?", while "Life of a Tape" finds him rapping from the perspective of a cassette tape, following the evolution of music mediums and creating a great sense of nostalgia without too much name dropping. "The Dice Life", produced by Statik Selekatah is definitely the highlight of the album production-wise, mimicking the sound of dice being shaken inside a plastic cup and laying it over a funky bass line and drum break. Of course a song with Celph Titled is going to be a good one, and that's exactly the case for "3010", which also features Beantown's own Esoteric. Celph brings the usual punchlines and booming delivery on the cut, easily elevating it to one of the best on the album.

There's a pretty equal balance between these and the more street-worthy cuts. Blacastan feels like a legitimate breath of fresh air for underground hip hop, just as B.o.B's The Adventures of Bobby Ray felt from a mainstream perspective. It's another album that just flows together, creating a classic argument for the strength of many parts making up the whole. Blac does spit a lot of ignorant shit, but all in all the album is a pretty socially conscious one, and a very smart debut. I'd even go as far to say that even casual hip hop listeners will find a lot to like about it. Blac Sabbath dropped today on Brick Records, so go check it out!

Key Tracks:

-The Dice Life (Produced by Statik Selektah)
-3010 (feat. Esoteric & Celph Titled)
-Anything Less (Produced by Blue Sky Black Death)
-Crac House
-The Darc Krystal
-How Can You Be So Sure?
-The Life of A Tape

The Life of A Tape:

Track of the Day - Switch (The Science Experiment), by Lupe Fiasco

2010-05-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

This week I'm heading up to P-Town to see B.o.B and Lupe Fiasco perform at the Roseland. So what better to bump than a Lupe track? "Switch (The Science Experiment)" is without a doubt one of my favorite songs by the Chi-town rapper, and it's not even from an actual album. Coming from the Fahrenheit 1/15 Part II: Revenge of the Nerds mixtape, the track is a high concept cut in which Lupe raps from various polar viewpoints, 'switching' personas in each verse. By the end, he creates a complex metaphor stating that balance is needed for an individual life, and that one choice can be easily countered by something as simple as the choice itself. It doesn't hurt either that it's over Mike Jone's "Still Tippin'" instrumental. Couldn't care less for Jones, but there's no doubt it's a hot joint production-wise. Still, the real star here is the lyricism. Props to Xochitl for reminding me of this one.

Switch (The Science Experiment):

Track of the Day - When Will They Shoot? by Ice Cube

2010-05-03T00:17:00.001-07:00

Classic Cube. "When Will They Shoot?" is probably one of the hardest Ice Cube tracks in existence, and an often overlooked gem. The entire Predator LP is soooo criminally underrated, probably because his two previous albums were AmeriKKKaz Most Wanted and Death Certificate, both West Coast classics. Still, there's now denying the power of his voice and delivery. Plus one of my favorite lines ever: "White man, is something I tried to study/but I just got my hands bloody." Fuck being politically incorrect. It was 1992, the Rodney King beatings and L.A. race riots were on everyone's minds, and Cube was pissed. It's that gangsta shit, so listen up son.

When Will They Shoot?:

Track of the Day - Dinner Time feat. Busta Rhymes, by Royce Da 5'9

2010-05-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I hear a track that completely restores my faith in Busta Rhymes. While his appearance on "Dinner Time" doesn't come close to Royce's rolling delivery and ridiculous flow, his over the top guest spot reminds me why I enjoyed his first two albums so much. Pure hip hop from right off the bat. Both MCs will leave your head spinning, serving up line after line of the hardest hip hop out the underground. If you're hungry for more, check out Royce's recent release Street Hop and find out why he's Detroit's best kept secret.

Dinner Time feat. Busta Rhymes:

Album Review - The Adventures of Bobby Ray, by B.O.B.

2010-05-01T00:22:00.000-07:00

Atlanta has been a blessing and a curse for hip hop, spawning a diverse array of music that occupies the underground, mainstream and everywhere in between. Artists such as Outkast, Ludacris, T.I., Gucci Mane, Lil' John, The Ying Yang Twins, Young Jeezy and Jermaine Dupri all hail from the ATL, and whether you like them or not, there's no denying their impact on the genre.

With that being said, you can totally disregard all of the artists I mentioned (except maybe Outkast) when describing the sound of B.o.B, the latest talent to spring from the Atlanta scene. In fact, it's hard to parallel his sound with any current artist in the game period. The Adventures of Bobby Ray is an insanely polished pop-hybrid of music that combines everything from punk to R&B to rap in a seamless fashion. It is a pop album, but in this case the word 'pop' definitely isn't a bad thing. These aren't songs that you'd necessarily hear in a club, yet they manage to be very catchy, and, surprisingly deep. Everything from personal strife and the effects of success ("Don't Let Me Fall") to wide ranging, socially conscious topics ("The Kids") are addressed throughout the The Adventures of Bobby Ray.

The most appealing thing about B.o.B's debut album is how at home he sounds on any type of track. Impressive, considering that this is probably one of the most musically diverse rap albums to have come out in the past decade. The CD boasts a strange assortment of guest features, including R&B crooner Janelle Monae, Chi-Town backpacker Lupe Fiasco, Atlanta heavyweight T.I., Detroit's bad boy Eminem, Paramore's Hayley Williams and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. On paper this line up has the potential for disaster, but B.o.B's versatility on the microphone and keen ear for melody and free-flowing production make it all work wonderfully. Bobby Ray sounds just as comfortable rapping to a foot stomping dirty south beat with T.I. as he does spitting a staccato flow against a fuzzed out Rivers Cuomo chorus. Even tracks like "Fame", produced by Jim Jonsin, (the man responsible for Li'l Wayne's "Lollipop" and T.I.'s "Whatever You Like") are kept check to create a subtly smooth sound, uncharacteristic of his normally grandiose style. Others such as "Ghost In The Machine" and "Lovelier Than You" provide both intense and breezy breaks to the rapping, and showcase his singing talent, evoking a slightly less twisted Gnarls Barkley. Despite his obvious cherry-picking from the musical spectrum, B.o.B never tries to act like someone he isn't. He combines the diamond studded production values of Ludacris and Li'l Wayne with the nerdy sensibilities of Lupe Fiasco and Kid Cudi, adds Weezer-esque guitar riffs, wraps it all up with a syrupy sweet singing style reminiscent of John Legend, and blasts it all directly at your ear. The Adventures of Bobby Ray is an unashamedly poppy album, but also completely honest, extremely refreshing, and just the kind of adrenaline shot that hip hop needs right now.

Key Tracks:

-Don't Let Me Fall
-Past My Shades feat. Lupe Fiasco
-The Kids feat. Janelle Monae
-Bet I feat. T.I. & Playboy Tre
-Ghost In The Machine
-5th Dimension feat. Rico Barrino
-Airplanes Pt. II feat. Hayley Williams & Eminem

Don't Let Me Fall:

Track of the Day - Dust Juice, by Shyheim

2010-04-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to do these track of the day posts when I can. Midterms are done with so why not fit in one now? This fine Thursday night brings Shyheim to the spotlight. He was the youngest Wu-Affiliated rapper ever, joining the Wu-Tang's extended family at the age of 15. Since his 1999 release Manchild, Shy kind of dropped off the map. "Dust Juice" is the lead single off of his latest album Disrespectfully Speaking, and brings back a style of sound reminiscent of The Wu-Tang Clan in their early days. Ridiculously grimey production and on-point lyrics are the name of the game here. Ok, so I'm not such a big fan of PCP, but I can get past that thanks to the RZA-esque beat and fantastically creepy music video.

Dust Juice:

Eminem Makes His Comeback, Kind Of.......

2010-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

So there's been a huge amount of buzz today about the recently leaked track off of Eminem's new album Recovery. "Not Afraid" finds Em ditching the annoying accent from Relapse and returning to the markedly more aggressive delivery of his previous albums. Yay right? well yeah, kind of. The problem here is the content matter. Sure it's aggressive, but when it comes down to it, he's not saying much that we haven't already heard him say other than he's finally hopping on the celebrity rehab bandwagon. It'd be easy to say that this song (and album) is Eminem finally entering the grown up world, and maybe it is. Unfortunately this grown up world seems to be somewhere in between his Slim Shady persona and the character played by Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. "Not Afraid" finds Eminem still basically saying 'fuck the world' with his serious face on. There's no real narrative here, just a mishmash of vaguely inspiring, vaguely somber subject matter against an annoying chorus sung (terribly) by Eminem himself. It's the type of song that evokes vivid imagery of Em leading an ethnically diverse parade of people through the streets of some city climaxing with a gigantic group hug. Yeah, ok, so good for him for trying to not be an asshole all the time, but does this feeble attempt at displaying a conscience have to be so sappy? The truth is Eminem does not do heartfelt or serious well.

The title of this post contains the words 'Kind Of.....' and yes, Eminem has so far, 'kind of' made a comeback. Earlier in the week a freestyle was released of him absolutely killing it over an instrumental of the Lloyd Banks track, "Beamer Benz or Bentley". The freestyle "Despicable", is two minutes and sixteen seconds of pure rap. Line after line after line, with no weak points AT ALL and the flow changing up at least 4 times as the beat evolves. So why such a profound difference between these too tracks? "Despicable" will never be sold commercially. It's mixtape material, restricted only to the internet and Youtube. This is the reason that I don't have much faith in Recovery. Forget lyrical showcasing. When there's a dollar to be made, artists like Eminem are going to go for that dollar. We'll have to wait til June 22nd to see if Mr. Mathers is sincere in presenting this new found maturity in a musically bearable way, or if he's just using his self-professed fuck-updness and addictions to cash in with a big 'I'm Sorry' album.

Not Afraid:

Despicable Freestyle:

Track of the Day - Stand Up, by Charli Baltimore

2010-04-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a rare gem for all you Wu fans. Charli Baltimore came out with her album Cold As Ice way back in '99 and then pretty much dropped of the map. Probably one of the most underrated female MCs in the history of rap, and she had the clan in her corner. "Stand Up" is my favorite track off the album, with a wicked feature by Ghostface and, in my opinion one of RZA's best and most obscure beats to date. It's a shame Charli didn't get the kind of attention that Li'l Kim and Foxy Brown were getting at around the same time.

Stand Up feat. Ghostface Killah:

It's Official! Liquid Swords Pt. II Coming This Fall

2010-04-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

From RZA's Twitter:

First appearing as a rumor on The Wu Music Group facebook site, the news that a followup to GZA's 1995 classic Liquid Swords has been confirmed by The RZA via Twitter. The Abbot himself will head up the production duties for the sequel and attempt to recapture the magic of Liquid Swords, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Hopefully RZA & GZA can follow in the steps of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II and provide a worthy followup to the original. Look for it to drop Fall 2010 (but don't keep your hopes up, since Wu releases are almost always delayed).

The RZA Working With Activision

2010-04-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

From RZA's twitter:

No idea what this is gonna be. The details are very few at this point. It could be a new Wu-Tang Clan video game, or RZA could simply be a character in some sort of hip-hop based game. All fans have right now is this twitter post and a picture of Bobby Digital himself suited up in the mo-cap studio. Stay tuned for more.

New Celph Titled - Styles Ain't Raw

2010-04-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

No release date as of yet for the forthcoming Celph Titled album, but we finally have a single. "Styles Ain't Raw" is just a taste of what you can expect from Nineteen Ninety Now, Celph's first solo outing, which will be produced entirely by Buckwild. The track features Apathy and Chino XL over classic laid back boom bap production hearkening back to, as the album title infers, the 90's. 3 of the best MC's on the underground circuit tearing it up. It doesn't get much better than that.

Styles Ain't Raw feat. Apathy & Chino XL:

Track of the Day - People Talk feat. Bun B, by Devin the Dude

2010-04-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

Eh, maybe it'd be better to wait for this track of the day til the 20th, but the album leaked, so what the hell. Sometimes people hate on Devin for not trying to break out of his stoner R&B style of hip hop....but c'mon, there's no denying he's one of the best at it (and probably the most underrated). "People Talk" is off of his newest album Suite 420, and features Bun B, one of my all time favorite rappers. Bun brings his ridiculous flow to the track, perfectly complimenting Devin's laid back singsong delivery. The production here is straight UGK, employing that grand, synth-heavy dirty south sound. Suite 420 comes out 4/20, so cop it when it drops!

People Talk feat. Bun B:

Wu-Massacre Nike Blazer Customs

2010-04-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! Amazing amount of detail and work put into these kicks. Mike Norris was commissioned by Universal Records to customize these Nike Blazers for the new Meth, Ghost and Rae album, Wu-Massacre. They feature all of the variant covers of the LP on each side of the shoe. The video pretty much speaks for itself. Too bad they aren't for sale.

Track of the Day - Peaches, by The Stranglers

2010-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

For this fine Tuesday we're going to take a time machine back to the year of 1977, when The Stranglers released "Peaches", an infectious hit in the UK that came close in popularity to The Sex Pistol's "God Save The Queen" in popularity and notoriety. It was a controversial song as well, but not because of a radical political or social message. The sexual content of "Peaches" was quite extreme, and even garnered more outrage from worried moms and upright politicians than many of the anti-establishment songs that dominated Britain's underground music scene. Also one of the best bass lines in any song ever! Without a doubt one of my favorite tracks from the 70's punk era. Listen up!

Peaches:

Track of the Day - Rain, by Muggs

2010-04-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Monday, first day of the week. Everything starts over and the week recycles. It started off as a pretty nice day, but now the weather is horrible. Rain rain rain. So only fitting that the track of the day is titled "Rain". This cut is from DJ Muggs, the producer and sonic mastermind behind the sound of Cypress Hill. Don't expect a rap joint though. "Rain" is from his 2003 alternative trip hop electronica album, Dust. At first I was highly skeptical of this album since the vocal duties are partially supplied by Josh Todd, the lead singer of Buckcherry....a group I despise. However, after giving the CD a spin I was pleasantly surprised. Muggs manages to reel in the overblown melancholy of Todd, transforming his unabashedly leather-clad, radio friendly stupidity into something hypnotizing and beautiful. If you're a fan of Portishead or John Frusciante, you'll probably like this. Happy Monday.

Rain:

Track of the Day - Smile, by Slim Thug

2010-04-11T18:30:00.001-07:00

Another guilty pleasure track of the day. Fuck Gucci! Slim Thug is the boss of all bosses. Yesh yesh y'all, the dirty south boss takes the track of the day with "Smile", one of my favorites off of his 2009 album, Boss of All Bosses. Similar to such southern greats as Scarface and Bun B, Slim's voice is what sets him apart from most other mainstream acts. Sure most of his music is about bragging about how good he is, but he does it so damn well! This isn't music you have to think about, just music to enjoy and laugh at. Who da boss playa? Who da dirty south boss? Slim Thugga muthafucka!

Smile:

Track of the Day - My Guru, by DJ Shadow & Dan The Automator

2010-04-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

Another barely there track of the day. I've been busy lately and the only free time I've had to select these has been at night. Anyways, today I bring you a track from DJ Shadow and Dan The Automator from their 1999 album, Bombay The Hard Way: Guns, Cars And Sitars. The cut "My Guru" takes the dope ass sounds of Bollywood cinema and smashes a hip hop cucumber down its throat. In fact, that's pretty much what Bombay The Hard Way is. Shadow and Automator laced various Bollywood film soundtracks with their own beats and variations. Not many people know about the project, but it had a heavy influence on everybody from Madlib to DJ Squeak E. Clean, and has paved the way for internationally flavored hip hop blends.

My Guru:

Track of the Day - Pearls, by Dutch

2010-04-09T22:22:00.000-07:00

Time to unwind for the weekend. Here's a nice relaxing cut from the collabo album between Jedi Mind Tricks producer Stoupe and Philly songstress Liz Fullerton. The official samples for the CD are now up on Amazon, so if you like what you hear, head over there and check it out. The LP is called A Bright Cold Day, and it's set to be released June 8th on Enemy Soil Records.

Pearls:

Rifoki - Zombie Attack

2010-04-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

This totally came out of nowhere for me. DJ and Dim Mak founder Steve Aoki and Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo have teamed up for a hardcore music project called Rifoki. Taking cues from such bands as Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies, the two musical masterminds pay tribute to the sounds that inspired them as teenagers and crank the knob to eleven. The first single off of their self-titled EP is called "Zombie Attack". I personally love it. I'm a big fan of Aoki's work, and zombies, and 70's and 80's punk and hardcore, so it's pretty much a match made in heaven. Here's the music video for "Zombie Attack", which, if you listen verrrry very closely, samples John Murphy's "In The House - In a Heartbeat", from the 28 Days Later soundtrack. The EP Rifoki is set to be released April 13th via Dim Mak Records.

Zombie Attack:

Rifoki - Zombie Attack from Dim Mak on Vimeo.

Album Review - The Clock of Destiny, by Chief Kamachi

2010-04-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Those who are familiar with the Philadelphia underground rap scene will have no doubt heard of Chief Kamachi. Known as a kind of spiritual hip hop guru in the area, Kamachi is the Philly equivalent to Killa Priest, with his own beliefs and religion figuring heavily into his lyrics and even his choice of production style.

The Clock of Destiny is Kamachi's 3rd solo album, and one of his more solid efforts to date. The greatest strength of the LP is consistency. There isn't a lazy track I can recall from the first few listens, with focused lyricism and delivery along with some fantastic production from Snowgoons and Vherbal-Anno Domini. The opener, "2nd Lecture" provides a good basis for the rest of the album, employing a church chorus against an ominous organ sample. The following track "Clock Keep Tickin'" takes the same epic sound, rising steadily as Kamachi's growl grows with it. The chorus ("rhyme thoughts travel at a tremendous speed (through)clouds of smoke, of natural blends of weed") is picked straight from GZA's famous verse on "Liquid Swords", and should get a kick out of anybody familiar with the Wu.

While The Clock of Destiny stays consistent throughout its run time, it does get slightly repetitive, and the impact of the earlier tracks are slightly lessened by the similarities shared with the later ones. The choruses in particular often sound like they could have just been switched from song to song with little notable difference. Kamachi's voice, while aggressive, sinks into a monotone on some of the cuts as well. This shouldn't be a problem for hip hop fans leaning towards the hardcore end of the musical spectrum of the genre, but it may be a deterrent for those looking for a something outside of the religiously fueled themes of violence synonymous with Kamachi and his Philadelphia counterparts. Overall The Clock of Destiny is a solid effort, but may not be for everybody.

Key Tracks:
-2nd Lecture
-Clock Keep Tickin'
-Crooked Angels
-Little African Girl

Clock Keep Tickin':

Album Review - Rise Up, by Cypress Hill

2010-04-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

6 years of waiting and this is it? Rise Up, the first legit album since 2004's Till Death Do Us Part is a massive disappointment, and is likely to turn off even the hardcore fans of the hill.

First off, DJ Muggs, who is widely regarded as the man behind the sound of Cypress Hill's first 4 albums only laces 2 of the tracks. Needless to say, these two ("Pass The Dutch" and "Take My Pain") songs are probably the best on the album. Even then, both are diluted by the presence of the obnoxiously elaborate production style of the executive producer DJ Khalil, whose style doesn't mesh well with the raw, bare-bones approach of Muggs.

That's the main problem with the album as a whole: nothing seems to fit together. Both B-Real and Sen Dog sound awkward on almost every track, giving off an odd 'follow your dreams' vibe that's exactly the opposite of what I think of when I think Cypress Hill. Even when both are rapping about gang banging and smoking weed, it sounds insincere. I never thought I'd see the day when B-Real would sound awkward rapping about pot, but he manages to do it here. There's a handful of tracks that are unremarkable and similar, along with 3 that, despite featuring Tom Morello, are horrible rap/rock hybrids, sounding like Limp Bizkit in their heydey. Rise Up is at its worst during the collaboration tracks, which at times sound like they were chosen by a gay latino hip hop DJ with downs syndrome (A track with Marc Anthony and Pitbull?).

I honestly can't recommend this album....at all. It's clear why DJ Muggs kept his distance from this one. It's a mess of half-assed ideas under the guise of some hardcore revolutionary return to grace. In other words, Rise Up is a confusing attempt at a mainstream album that desperately wants to be edgy, but ends up coming off as fluffy, repetitive and stupid. Buy a Rage Against The Machine or Street Sweeper Social Club album if you want political shit that sticks it to the man, because Cypress Hill dropped the ball on this one.

Key Tracks:
-Pass The Dutch feat. Evidence & The Alchemist
-K.U.S.H.

Pass The Dutch:

Track of the Day - Triangle Walks, by Fever Ray

2010-04-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday. Classes are done and I'm getting ready for a nice weekend up in Portland. The track of the day today comes courtesy of Fever Ray. Brookie introduced me to her work when I visited her in New York, and I've become a huge fan. "Triangle Walks" comes from her self-titled debut solo album (she's normally providing lead vocals for Swedish electro-pop duo The Knife), which is a haunting experience, employing echoing synths with numerous creepy voice alterations. Fever Ray herself is a markedly more bizarre version of Lady Gaga....in fact she kind of puts Lady Gaga to shame, making public appearances in some of the most outrageous and disturbing costumes I've ever seen. I'll be posting more on her in the future, so you'll see what I'm talking about. But for now, enjoy "Triangle Walks", by Fever Ray.

Triangle Walks:

Vinnie Paz - Season of the Assassin: Tracklist + Album Sampler

2010-04-08T14:30:00.001-07:00

June 22nd. Mark it on your calendars. Vinnie Paz, the lead emcee of Jedi Mind Tricks is set to drop his debut solo album then, and the tracklist and album artwork have both been revealed. After a name change and some guest spot switch ups, Season of the Assassin is looking to be a great album, and should please fans of Jedi Mind Tricks despite the lack of production credits from the group's longtime producer, Stoupe. Paz has made up for his absence though, enlisting the help of such beatsmiths as Bronze Nazareth, 4th Disciple and Mathematics, all of whom normally produce for various Wu-Tang Clan members and affiliates. It's not all Wu production though, with DJ Muggs and Madlib rounding out the all-star lineup.Season of the Assassin is going to be a long one, spanning 21 tracks, but judging from the album sampler, it's incredibly varied in its sound and influences. As far as guest spots go (there are a lot of them), expect to see such big names as Freeway, Clipse, Paul Wall, Sick Jacken, Beanie Sigel, Ill Bill and R.A. the Rugged Man. Check out the tracklist below, and the album sampler here!

Tracklist:
1. Intro [Explicit] Vinnie Paz 1:15
2. Beautiful Love 3:03
3. Monster's Ball 3:39
4. Pistolvania Feat. Freeway & Jakk Frost 3:59
5. End of Days Feat. Block McCloud 3:47
6. Righteous Kill 3:42
7. No Spiritual Surrender Feat. Sick Jacken 3:39
8. Street Wars Feat. Clipse & Block McCloud 4:11
9. Ain't Shit Changed Feat. Lawrence Arnell 4:04
10. Aristotle's Dilemma 3:26
11. Kill 'Em All Feat. Beanie Sigel 3:51
12. Keep Movin' On Feat. Shara Worden 4:25
13. Brick Wall Feat. ILL Bill & Demoz 4:20
14. Role of Life 3:31
15. Nosebleed Feat. R.A. the Rugged Man 3:05
16. WarMonger 3:57
17. Paul and Paz Feat. Paul Wall & Block McCloud 3:19
18. Bad Day [Explicit] Vinnie Paz 2:46
19. Washed in the Blood of the Lamb 4:03
20. Drag You To Hell 4:16
21. Same Story (My Dedication) Feat. Liz Fullerton 4:06

Track of the Day - Cigarettes & Liquor, by Murs & 9th Wonder

2010-04-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

It's a sunny one this wonderful Wednesday, and what better to listen to than a bouncy light-hearted track about drinking and smoking? Fornever, the 4th collaboration between LA emcee Murs and legendary underground producer 9th Wonder may not be quite out yet, but the tracks are all over the internet. Murs offers an ironic look at the vices that many face on the weekends, or on the daily, whatever floats your boat. I love the bouncy production on this, which is uncharacteristic of 9th's traditional soul hooks. Either way it sounds great, as does the rest of the album, which I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of thanks to my friend Alex, who picked it up at the Paid Dues Festival. Fornever officially drops next Tuesday, April 13th.

Cigarettes & Liquor:

New Single From Big Boi - Shutterbugg

2010-04-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

The harder half of Outkast has dropped yet another single for his latest solo outing, Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty. This one's titled "Shutterbugg", and thus far it's the best out of all the songs put out in preparation for the full length LP. This shouldn't be a surprise, as it was personally selected by Andre 3000 to make the cut for the album. It features some great production from none other than Scott Storch, who hasn't made a good beat in quite a while. The guy's a dick, but when he's on, he's on. On the lyrical side of things, you gotta love Wu-Tang and Gomer Pyle name drops, and Big Boi wraps his flow perfectly around the updated Cali Funk beat (that's talkbox at the end, not autotune!). Look for Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty to be released on May 4th of this year.

Shutterbugg:

Track of the Day - Pit Stop (Take Me Home), by Dan The Automator

2010-04-05T20:03:00.001-07:00

MONDAY! WAKE UP PEEPYHEADZ! Actually this song is pretty low key. I'm bringing you a rare one today from one of my favorite producers of all time, Dan The Automator. It's called "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)". This track is off of one of his little known projects with vocalists Mike Patton & Jennifer Charles titled Lovage, Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By. For those unfamiliar with Automator's work, he produced such albums as Dr. Octagonecologyst, by Dr. Octagon (Kool Keith), Deltron 3030, by Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Gorillaz, by Gorillaz, So...How's Your Girl and White People, by Handsome Boy Modeling School, Peeping Tom, by Peeping Tom, and West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, by Kasbian. Check out any of those albums, they're all fantastic. For now, lay back and be carried away by the sweet sounds of Dan The Automator, Mike Patton, and Jennifer Charles.

Pit Stop (Take Me Home):

Free Mixtape - Dilla Joints, by The Roots

2010-04-04T15:44:00.002-07:00

Free music! And free music is always better when it's actually GOOD free music. The Roots rarely disappoint, and their new mixtape, titled Dilla Joints only strengthens their iron clad track record. The mixtape is essentially a collection of J Dilla (RIP) beats re-imagined by The Roots crew. In other words, instrumental covers of some the late producer's most beloved and recognized work by one of hip hop's most talented groups. There couldn't be a better tribute. Download your digital copy here. Enjoy!

10 Best Sophomore Hip Hop Albums

2010-04-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

It takes a lot for an artist in any musical genre to break onto the scene, but it takes even more to follow up a successful debut with an equally impressive or even better sequel. I decided to list off the top 10 sophomore albums in hip hop, focusing on the deuces that topped their predecessors.

10. The Score, by The Fugees

The second and final album released by the trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras and Lauryn Hill resulted in one of the most famous and recognized hip hop albums of the 90's. The pairing of Pras and Clef's socially conscious lyrics with Lauryn Hill's impressive lyrical skills and equally impressive singing made for an intensely appealing combination. Their debut album, Blunted on Reality didn't even make it into the Top 200 on the charts, a far cry from the number one and two spots acheived by The Score in the US and UK. The success of the album was largely due to the hit single, "Killing Me Softly", which had the potential to catapult Lauryn Hill into superstar status if not for her reclusive and often aggressive behavior. The Score went six times platinum in the US alone, solidifying it as one of the most financially successful sophomore albums in hip hop history.

9. The Cool, by Lupe Fiasco

While not as financially successful as Fiasco's debut album Food & Liquor, The Cool represented two big steps forward in terms of lyricism and production. Lupe's second go round sank further into tongue twisting rhymes containing double and even triple meanings, while forgoing catchy hooks and mainstream appeal. Despite the lack of the clearly defined singles of his previous album, The Cool contained extremely creative production that was much more bare and edgy than that of Food & Liquor. The biggest improvement however was the variety of the tracks. One minute you'd be relaxing to a Tribe Called Quest inspired jazz cut, and the next you'd be on the edge of your seat as a fuzzed out electric guitar and sharp, military style drum rolls bombarded your ears. Although The Cool is too new to be considered worthy of such praise yet, there is no doubt in my mind it will be regarded as a hip hop classic in years to come.

8. The Renaissance, by Q-Tip

Q-Tip albums are usually few and far between. The voice of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip's voice and flow is one of the most recognizable in hip hop, and fans were clamoring for a solo release. Amplified was his debut album. It did fairly well critically and financially, largely due to fabulous production by the late J Dilla. The Renaissance sold significantly less than its predecessor (for obvious economic reasons and the failing music industry), but was seen as a breath of fresh air for hip hop, receiving rave reviews and being nominated for a Grammy as the best rap album of 2008. This was a personal favorite of mine. The laid back vibe brought back a bygone era of hip hop, and sounded like a slick, updated version of classic ATCQ. Despite the presence of Dilla on the boards for Amplified, the polish of the production on The Renaissance propelled it ahead of Q-tip's debut LP by leaps and bounds.

7. Late Registration, by Kanye West

Critics and hip hop fans alike knew that Kanye West had something with his 2004 release, The College Dropout. After establishing himself as a top producer for Roc-a-Fella records and helming the boards for numerous hits among the label's top artists, West's debut marked a turning point for what hip hop could be, and ushered in a new era synonymous with the term "backpack rap". His sophomore album, Late Registration improved on The College Dropout in almost every way possible, surpassing the limits of genre with a wide range of classic samples and innovative artist features. Kanye spent over 2 million dollars and almost a year and half constructing his sophomore masterpiece, which subsequently reached the number one spot on the US Billboard top 200 and went 3 times platinum. While The College Dropout remains as West's biggest selling album in the US, Late Registration's critical reception resulted in almost perfect reviews across the board, marking a musical maturity far more relevant than any CD sales or chart numbers.

6. Hell Hath No Fury, by Clipse

Lord Willin', the first release by the Virginia pairing of Malice and Pusha T was a very solid debut, and often referred to as an overlooked classic, featuring hard cocaine raps and unforgettable club bangers, propelled by excellent production from Pharrell Williams and The Neptunes. However the debut album from Clipse didn't quite catch on a national or multinational level, and was largely ignored by the hip hop community outside of the southeast and midwest. Hell Hath No Fury featured The Neptunes on production yet again, this time going full force with experimental beats and unconventional musical arrangements. The formula worked, and the world was introduced to Clipse. It reached its peak on the Billboard Top 200 at number 14 and received almost perfect reviews everywhere. Lord Willin' may have reached number 4 at its peak, but quickly fell completely of the charts after its first few weeks, and didn't garner the glowing reviews collected by Hell Hath No Fury.

5. The Infamous, by Mobb Deep

After their forgettable debut LP, Juvenile Hell, Mobb Deep spent two years re-evaluating their sound and content matter, maturing and taking their time with production and word craft. At 19 years old, the rap duo of Havoc and Prodigy released a golden era classic in the form of The Infamous. With a clear influence from such New York heavyweights as Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious BIG and NaS, their sophomore album was met with rave reviews and considerable street praise. The Infamous painted a haunting, dark picture of New York with sullen lyrics and hollow, cold sounding production that created an unforgiving urban landscape from a fresh perspective. This ushered in a new era of New York hip hop, shifting away from jazz influenced styles to a markedly more gritty sound. The hit single of the album "Shook Ones Pt. II", became an instant street anthem and would later become synonymous with the Mobb Deep name. The Infamous hit its peak on the Billboard Top 200 at number 15, and was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums, Blender magazine's 500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die and Vibe's 51 Albums representing a Generation, a Sound, and a Movement.

4.Liquid Swords, by GZA/Genius

Many don't realize that Liquid Swords wasn't GZA's first album. His debut LP, Words From The Genius was released even before The Wu-Tang Clan even came into existence. Unfortunately the album was a critical and financial flop. Furthermore, GZA saw almost none of the small amount of cash that sales brought in. The song "Labels", off of the Liquid Swords album specifically addresses his dispute with the Cold Chillin' label, which reportedly cheated him out of multiple advances and profits made from the album. That was 1991. Fast forward to 1995. The Wu-Tang Clan released Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers and had skyrocketed to the top of the hip hop world and GZA had established himself as one of the key members of the group. Even if Words From The Genius had been successful, it almost certainly wouldn't have stood up to Liquid Swords, which is widely considered as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. It reached number 9 on the Billboard Top 200 charts and went Platinum in the US and Europe. One of my favorites, and an undisputed classic.

3. The Marshall Mathers LP, by Eminem

Eminem may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there's no denying the impact he's had on hip hop. Mather's first album (Not counting his first independent release Infinite), The Slim Shady LP, was no doubt an impressive debut. Bolstered by the Dr. Dre stamp of approval and the comically angsty subject matter saturating literally every track, white teenagers and hip hop heads alike began to take note of the bleach blond rapper and his nasally acrobatic flow. However, many radio stations and television channels deemed The Slim Shady LP too edgy to merit airtime. Thus came The Marshall Mathers LP, an album no less edgy or aggressive, but with a much more serious and mature tone. The debut single "The Real Slim Shady", introduced Eminem as a critic of celebrity status, something that would become synonymous with his name. This theme would become an annoyingly common part of many of his later songs, but would widen his appeal among many in and out of the US. The later singles to be released reflected Eminem's serious side. "The Way I Am" & "Stan" showed the brooding part of Marshall Mathers, without the dark humor contained in The Slim Shady LP. "Stan" proved to be the track that catapulted Eminem into the mainstream, scoring significant airtime on radio and television alike. Featuring a chorus sung by Dido, who was enjoying a massive surge in popularity at the time, "Stan" was Eminem's most critically acclaimed song, and has often been referred to as a 'cultural milestone' in music. Financially, The Marshall Mathers LP was one of the most successful in hip hop history to date, going multi-platinum in 15 countries (9x platinum in the US alone) and selling 19 million copies worldwide.

2. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, by Public Enemy

When your second studio release is considered the greatest rap album of all time, it's pretty safe to say you've topped your debut effort. This is exactly the case for Public Enemy, the Long Island rap group that defined a genre and influenced almost every hip hop artist after them. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back harnessed the pronounced political messages contained in their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush The Show and cranked it to eleven. It labeled them as THE political rap group of the late 80's and early 90's while introducing the world to the surreal and confusingly contradictive character of Flavor Flav, who sat in stark contrast to the barking rhetoric of lead MC Chuck D. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back hit its peak on the Top 200 Billboard charts at number 42 and sold over 500,000 copies in its first month. Although these numbers don't come close to some of the others that the album shares this top 10 list with, it is frequently cited by writers as one of the most influential rap albums in history, and placed 48 on Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 500 Greatest Albums of all time.

1. Paul's Boutique, by The Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys could have very easily been passed off as a one-hit-wonder with their massively successful but painfully one-note debut, License To Ill. Thus it was a surprise that their sophomore album, Paul's Boutique contained some of the most complex use of samples and instrumentals in hip hop to date, and paved the way for the widespread use of sampling in the industry. This was largely due to the excellent production work supplied by The Dust Brothers, who established multi-layered sampling as an art in itself. On a whole, the album sampled 105 different songs, with 24 appearing on the last song alone. Commercially Paul's Boutique was a failure, and Capitol Records eventually decided to stop promoting the album after poor sales. As time passed, the popularity of the album grew, and it is now widely considered to be The Beastie Boy's magnum opus, and one of the best hip hop albums of all time. This slow build up in positive recognition and praise showed The Beasties as a group ahead of their time, and established them as reputable musicians and visionaries in hip hop. Many magazines published re-reviews of the album after the fact. Many of these contained either perfect or near perfect scores. It wasn't until 1999, 10 years after its release, that Paul's Boutique was certified double platinum by the RIAA. Rolling Stone Magazine listed it at number 156 on its 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. Another one of my personal favorites.

Track of the Day - It's Me Bitches, by Swizz Beatz

2010-04-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

Saturday, raining, dark, cold and cloudy.......again. So let's get a party track going for the weekend. We got "It's Me Bitches", one of the lead singles off of his 2007 debut, One Man Band Man. Although the album received a lukewarm reception among critics, it's good for what it is. Don't expect introspective lyrics and understated production. "It's Me Bitches" is a good representation of One Man Band Man as a whole, with skittering, Neptune-esque beats and a shout along club vibe. Swizz Beatz is one of the most talented producers in the industry right now (Listen to Jay-Z's "On To The Next One" and try to tell me that track isn't fire). Despite the shallowness of his solo outing, Swizzy manages to provide immensely entertaining ear candy.

It's Me Bitches, by Swizz Beatz:

Track of the Day - Ice Cream Man, by Method Man

2010-04-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back from New York, back to the grind, back to the same old boring life in Oregon. I'm depressed out of my mind thinking about the sheer amount of things to see and do in the big apple when compared to good ol' Eugene. Oh well, soon enough I'll be out of here. Just one more term. Anyways, now that I once again have very little to do, it's time to start up the track of the day. On this dreary Friday I'm hitting you guys with an extremely rare demo cut from the Wu-Tang archives. This one's a very early Method Man track titled "Ice Cream Man". It only existed on a one of the first demos released by the group. One of the clan's house DJ's, J-Love put it on one of his mixtapes a while back, and since then it's been floating around the internet. While the quality is shitty, the song is a perfect showcase of Meth's one of a kind flow.

Ice Cream Man (Unreleased):

Kanye West's Return To Rap

2010-04-01T21:50:00.000-07:00

So maybe 808's and Heartbreak wasn't a great idea. Love it or hate it, Kanye's autotune-laden adventure into the world of moody singsong electronica sounded a tad awkward, especially in the vocal department. Don't get me wrong, I personally think that it contained some of the best production of 2008, but after slightly disappointing album sales and a lukewarm critical reception, Kanye seems to be heading back to his roots, and he's in good company.

Kanye's "return to hip hop" comes in the form of his latest album, Good Ass Job. He's ditching the autotune for this one and returning to the boom-bap influenced style of his first two records. The biggest difference from his previous efforts concerns the production. Mr. West, who is known for producing his albums entirely himself is finally sharing the boards with Pete Rock, Q-Tip and none other than Wu-Tang Clan's RZA, who are all serving as executive producers on the album.

As much as I support expanding the sound of hip hop past the golden era norms developed in the early 90's, I'm excited to hear that Kanye is going back to the old sound that gave the genre a breath of life during a markedly stagnant period. At the same time I believe that without 808's and Heartbreak, artists such as Kid Cudi wouldn't have been able to flourish and take the concepts created by West to create something much more polished.

Although there is no set release date for the album (September 5th may be the date to save), Good Ass Job is reportedly complete, and in the final mixing stages. Degrassi alum and current hip hop sensation Drake has been quoted calling it "The best hip hop album of the past 10 years." With the big names involved in the project and the ditching of autotune, Kanye's latest is certain to garner a fair amount of attention. Let's hope it lives up to the hype.

OJ Simpson Out Now!

2010-03-31T21:37:00.001-07:00

The newest collabo album with Guilty Simpson and Madlib is out, well, digitally at least. Stones Throw sent their listeners a curveball by putting out OJ Simpson a month early from it's scheduled May release. It's now available on the official Stones Throw site for ten bucks. I got my copy yesterday. After a few listens I gotta say, Madlib goes all out on the boards. Don't sleep on this one.

Coroner's Music, by Guilty Simpson & Madlib:

Track of the Day - Onion Head, by Sean Price

2010-03-22T12:49:00.001-07:00

Today's Monday and I'd like to share with you one of my guilty pleasures. Sean Price has to be one of the hardest rappers on the East Coast nowadays in an era of autotune and R&B hooks. Sure it's ignorant, sure it's politically incorrect, misogynistic and offensive. But why not? Sean P is completely over the top and he knows it. "Excess" is the key word here. Khrysis of the Justus League provides a great beat for the this one, and Price connects bar after bar with clever lyrics and his instantly recognizable cadence. "Onion Head" can be found on his 2005 debut album, Monkey Barz. If any of you have played Grand Theft Auto III, Price was featured on one of the Liberty City radio stations with another single off of the album, titled "Rising To The Top". Happy Monday!

Onion Head, by Sean Price:

Track of the Day - What's Up Fatlip? by Fatlip

2010-03-21T12:35:00.001-07:00

HAPPY SUNDAY! Not the best day weather wise. In fact the weather's pretty shitty compared to what it's been like the last few days. So for a rainy day comes a depressing song. It's Fatlip! coming correct with, "What's Up Fatlip", from his 2005 album, The Lonliest Punk. Fatlip is a former member of the 90's hip hop group, The Pharcyde, who with the help of the late great J Dilla popularized West Coast crew hip hop, paving the way for such acts as Living Legends and Hieroglyphics. The video was directed by Spike Jonze on a budget of nothing, but it's still one of my favorites of all time. Enjoy!

What's Up Fatlip? by Fatlip:

Track of the Day - I Could Die For You, by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

2010-03-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

It's just barely Saturday and I'm wide awake. Anyways, today, early on this Saturday morning we've got one of my all time favorite songs from the Chili Peppers, "I Could Die For You", off of their 2002 album, By The Way. Not really one of their most recognizable tunes, but a good one nonetheless. John Frusciante at his best. Every chord progression has a counter progression that makes for a flawless, free flowing sound that very few other guitarists possess. It's truly a pity that he quit the band.

I Could Die For You, by The Red Hot Chili Peppers:

New Film - I'm Here, Directed by Spike Jonze

2010-03-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing nothing but good things about the newest short, I'm Here, from acclaimed director Spike Jonze. Produced for Absolut Vodka, it follows the trials and tribulations of a robot's troubled quest for love. Absolut is surprisingly creative in it's marketing campaigns. I loved the short series the company produced featuring Tim & Eric from Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job and Zack Galifianakis. It's now available to watch online for free at the Absolut Vodka website. Check it out here!

Track of the Day - It's Tricky, by Run DMC

2010-03-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a throwback, and a song that's oddly relevant to my childhood despite the fact that I wasn't an 80's baby. "It's Tricky" by Run DMC was given new life and introduced to a new generation with the release of SSX Tricky, a ridiculously fun snowboarding game that gobbled up hours of my time as a kid. I remember just going insane when I built up the "tricky meter" for my mountain-bombing avatar, performing an awe inspiring special move as "It's Tricky" kicked in through the speakers. Ahhhh, I wish I still had a PS2 sometimes.....

It's Tricky, by Run DMC:

New Music Release Recap

2010-03-19T09:05:00.000-07:00

The month of March has been littered with great new music releases (and will continue to be), and sometimes it's hard to keep track of them all. For those having a tough time remembering what to get and what not to get for this month and beyond, look no further. I'll try to steer you in the right direction and let you know what's gonna be hot in the upcoming weeks and months.

Plastic Beach, by Gorillaz. 3/9/10.

Broken Bells, by Broken Bells. 3/9/10.

The Exxecution, by Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx. 3/23/10.

She & Him: Vol. 2, by She & Him. 3/23/10.

Wu-Massacre, by Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon. 3/30/10.

The Unholy Terror, by Army of the Pharaohs. 3/30/10.

New Amerykah Part 2: Return of the Ankh, by Erykah Badu. 3/30/10.

Reggie, by Redman. 3/30/10.

Here Lies Love, by David Byrne & Fatboy Slim. 4/6/10.

The Clock of Destiny, by Chief Kamachi. 4/6/10.

Congratulations, by MGMT. 4/13/10.

Fornever, by Murs & 9th Wonder. 4/13/10.

Revolutions Per Minute, by Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli + Hi-Tek). 4/20/10.

The R.E.D. Album, by The Game. 4/20/10.

Suite 420, by Devin The Dude. 4/20/10.

Rise Up, by Cypress Hill. 4/20/10.

Li(f)e, by Sage Francis. 5/11/10.

OJ Simpson, by Guilty Simpson & Madlib. 5/18/10.

Hot Upcoming Release - New Amerykah Part 2: Return of the Ankh, by Erykah Badu

2010-03-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Wow, another release that has me hyped for March 30th. Sultry singer Erykah Badu will be dropping what looks to be another gem with the help of renowned Socal hip hop producer Madlib. The followup to New Amerykah Part 1, Part 2 looks to be an even more eclectic blend of loose jazz and 70's soul funk with a dash of hip hop. Amazon just put out some snippets for the album, which as I said earlier is set for a release date of March 30th. Check out the first single, "Strawberry Incense", in the youtube player below and click here for a download of it.

Strawberry Incense (Prod. by Madlib)

Track of the Day - Pearls, by Dutch

2010-03-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday and we're plummeting towards the end of the week. Spring break is almost here and the weather seems to be taking note. Today's track of the day comes from producer, singer/songwriter duo Dutch. Dutch consists of vocalist Liz Fullerton and Jedi Mind Tricks producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mandkind. Nice to see Stoupe doing some stuff outside of the Philadelphia rap scene. "Pearls" is the second single off of their upcoming debut, A Bright Cold Day, which has yet to be given a release date.

Pearls, by Dutch:

Who Says Rap Isn't Emo?

2010-03-17T20:20:00.001-07:00

As much as fans go on about the value of "hardness" and "street cred" within the genre, hip hop is pretty fucking emo. There are countless songs about death, suicide, sadness, and just feeling like shit in general. More often than not, they're a whole lot better than the played out guns, bitchez and hos vibe that many artists (underground and mainstream) run with today. I decided to compile a few of my favorite "emo rap" songs. Enjoy...or, uhh, maybe that's not quite the word.....

Fuck You Lucy, by Atmosphere:

When She Calls, by Fashawn:

Razoblade Salvation, by Jedi Mind Tricks:

Babygirl, by Brother Ali:

Blood Boy, by Cage:

The F Word, by Cannibal Ox:

Missing, by Grayskul:

1-800 Suicide, by Gravediggaz:

Suicide Girl, by Army of the Pharaohs:

Love Ain't, by CunninLynguists:

Gwenevieve, by Grieves:

Threewrite (Remix), by Sage Francis:

Track of the Day - Bust 'Em In by Army of the Pharaohs

2010-03-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here's a brand new track for a brand new day. Wednesday brings us a song from a CD that isn't supposed to be out til the 30th. But hey, if it's on Youtube, it's fair game. This one's a ridiculous posse cut from Army of the Pharaohs. Philadelphia's Reef the Lost Cauze, Connecticut's Apathy & Florida's own Celph Titled rip it up with the AOTP's trademark hardcore style. "Bust 'Em In" comes from the Pharaoh's latest LP, The Unholy Terror. Look for it to drop on March 30th.

Bust 'Em In:

New From Murs & 9th Wonder - Fornever

2010-03-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

If the past is any indicator, Murs + 9th Wonder = Good Music. After a brief stint with Warner Brothers, Murs ditched the majors and went back to basics, signing to Juggernaut Sound and heading back to the studio with his go-to man 9th. Fornever is a 10 track LP with the trademark 9th Wonder soul sound synonymous with such West Coast underground classics as Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition and Murray's Revenge. Guest features are looking good, with a solid roster of Kurupt, Suga Free, Verbs, Sick Jacken and Uncle Chucc spitting fire throughout. The album will also feature a remake of Common's mid 90's classic, "I Used To Luv Her". Check out the two tracks that have leaked so far below, and be on the lookout for Fornever, due out March 30th.

3:16 Pt. II:

The Problem is feat. Sick Jacken & Uncle Chucc:

Jack White & Jay-Z Together At Last

2010-03-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we all know this was inevitable.....well, I dunno, stranger things have happened. A recent article in GQ Magazine caught my attention today as I was killing time waiting for my African American History final to start. In the blurb, White Stripes frontman Jack White revealed that him and HOV recently recorded some material in the studio.

“I just did a record with Jay-Z,” said White. “We did a song together a few weeks ago. It was incredible. I played him something that I’ve been kicking around for a while and he immediately came out with words for it. It’s unbelievable-sounding.”

Stay tuned for more, and expect nothing but goodness.

Ski Beatz feat. Mos Def - Taxi

2010-03-16T14:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you slightly out of the loop when it comes to mixtapes (because most people aren't as obsessed as me), North Carolina hip hop producer Ski Beatz is preparing for the long awaited release of his latest, 24 Hour Karate School, which will feature guest spots from the likes of Mos Def, Jim Jones, Curren$y, The Cool Kids, Jay Electronica, Jean Grae, Camp Lo, Wiz Khalifa and Ras Kass. Again, another big drop for March 30th, and this one's gonna be free!

Anyways, a new track from the 'tape just appeared on the internet. It's called "Taxi" and it's another Mos Def joint (The first to leak was the title track "24 Hour Karate School"). Shit makes me zone out. Laid back and understated with that classic loose lip delivery from the mighty Mos. From releasing his Grammy nominated solo album The Ecstatic back in 2009 to a couple of collabos with The Black Keys and Gorillaz, the ex Black Star member is showing no signs of slowing down. Check out "Taxi" below, and look for a full release of 24 Hour Karate School hitting the web on March 30th.

Taxi feat. Mos Def by Ski Beatz:

New Wu-Massacre Single - Miranda

2010-03-16T12:16:00.000-07:00

Awwwwww shiiiiit! It's a new track off the upcoming Wu-Massacre album. Meth, Ghost and Rae spitting more fire on a Mathematics production. This track was originally released as a snippet on the Avenging Eagles mixtape put out last month to promote the album which is set to drop March 30th. I have to say I'm hyped for this album. Everything I've heard thus far has sounded nice and varied. There was some worry that Def Jam would try to convert the project into a predominantly commercial endeavor, but the singles that have been coming out haven't sounded very mainstream at all. We'll have to see. While you're waiting for March 30th to roll around, check out "Miranda", which is set to appear on the full release of the album.

Miranda:

Track of the Day - The Chaconne by Dessa

2010-03-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday! Exactly one week til I'm in New York and I can't wait. Today Dessa from the Minnesota based hip hop group Doomtree graces the DoubleFine blogroll with her beautiful voice. If the other singer on it sounds familiar, it's because it's Matthew Santos, who supplied the chorus to Lupe Fiasco's 2007 single, "Superstar". "The Chaconne" comes from Dessa's debut release, A Badly Broken Code.

The Chaconne by Dessa:

Music Video - Baby by Devendra Banhart

2010-03-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a brand new music video for the single, "Baby", off of Devendra Banhart's latest album What Will Be. Cameos throughout the video include Fabrizio Morretti of the Strokes and MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden. ALSO.....peep GZA as the king of the bizarro world.

Freaknik: The Musical

2010-03-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

Brookie! Thank you for alerting me of this!

By far one of the funniest shows (originally a series, now a one hour special) put out by Adult Swim in recent memory, Freaknik is the brainchild of autotune maestro T-Pain, and features the vocal talent of such musical heavyweights as Snoop Dogg, Cee-Lo, Big Boi, Li'l Wayne, Li'l John, George Clinton, Bootsie Collins, Rick Ross, Kelis, DJ Drama and Young Cash. Besides the obvious musical connections, the show also features characters played by Andy Samberg, Bill Hader, Charlie Murphy, Kel Mitchell and Affion Crockett.

The concept behind Freaknik is based on a bygone spring break festival in Atlanta during the 1980's. Freaknik (voiced by T-Pain himself) announces a hip hop contest in Atlanta in which the winner will receive a lifetime supply of "money, clothes and hos". The main character of Virgil (Young Cash) and a Florida hip hop group called The Sweet Tea Mobsters embark on a quest to Atlanta to win the contest and prize. Mayhem ensues, racial stereotypes run rampant and weed is smoked. T-Pain is surprisingly hilarious (or maybe not surprising considering he was the highlight of the live action Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode) and acutely aware of the ridiculousness of mainstream hip hop culture.

Freaknik: The Musical debuted on Adult Swim March 7th, but you can watch it in its entirety here!

Freaknik Sample:

Track of the Day - Stonez of Christ by Jedi Mind Tricks

2010-03-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm deciding to bring back the song of the day....for now. This beautiful Monday brings us a track from Jedi Mind Tricks, circa Violent By Design, before horrorcore militia rap was played out, and more importantly, before Jus Allah started sucking.

Stonez of Christ by Jedi Mind Tricks:

Rick Rubin: The Most Prolific Producer of All Time?

2010-03-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

So I just picked up the latest in the series of posthumous releases by the late great country legend Johnny Cash. American VI: Ain't No Grave is the final in a six part collection of recordings by Cash during his final years with producer Rick Rubin. I haven't heard a record in this series that I haven't liked, and this one was no different. It's almost like a morbid fascination. Almost like hearing a god stripped down to his bare bones, completely exposed, utterly heartbreaking, but oddly uplifting. I'm sure many of you remember Cash's haunting rendition of Trent Reznor's "Hurt" in 2002 and the critical and commercial success it garnered, including MTV airplay which was unheard of for an artist considered "at his pinnacle" in the 1960's.

Anyways, this really got me thinking, what caused this? Obviously Cash retreated back to the studio due to his deteriorating health to amass these deathbed gems, but it couldn't have been just him. In various interviews with "the man in black", Cash gives Rick Rubin, co-founder of Def Jam Records and current co-head of Columbia Records, much of the credit for the inspiration and drive behind the albums.

I've been aware of Rubin as a remarkably eclectic and successful music producer, reviving the musical careers of not only Cash, but Neil Diamond and Metallica, while turning out the most successful albums of the past 30 years. I did a little searching and found that he's also probably been the busiest producer of the past 30 years, churning out 150 albums since 1983. These have included such records as License To Ill by the Beastie Boys, Raising Hell and Tougher Than Leather by Run DMC, Radio by LL Cool J, Reign In Blood by Slayer, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication, By The Way and Stadium Arcadium by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mack Daddy by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Renegades by Rage Against The Machine, Taking The Long Way by The Dixie Chicks, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, Car Wheels On a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams, FutureSex/LoveSounds by Justin Timberlake, Make Believe by Weezer, Death Magnetic by Metallica, Crunk Juice by Li'l Jon & The East Side Boyz and The Black Album by Jay-Z. Check out a full list of his production credits here. Check out a sampling of some my favorite Rick Rubin produced tracks in the youtube players below.

99 Problems by Jay-Z:

Hurt by Johnny Cash:

Can't Stop by The Red Hot Chili Peppers:

Walk This Way by Run DMC & Aerosmith:

No Sleep Til' Brooklyn:

Perfect Situation by Weezer:

Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot:

I Can't Live Without My Radio by LL Cool J:

Danger, Keep Away by Slipknot:

CD Review - Plastic Beach, by Gorillaz

2010-03-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

Damon Albarn has had a lot to think about for the past half-decade. The ex-Blur front man has watched what at first appeared to be a fun side project evolve into a full blown pop phenomenon.

Gorillaz, the world's most successful animated band has come full circle in their travels through various genres, enlisting the help of such notable hip hop artists as MF Doom, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, De La Soul and Pharcyde, and fusing them with darkly constructed pop soundscapes of punk, reggae, dance and electronica. Albarn seemed to be flexing his knowledge of the hip hop scene, forgoing buckets of cash and mainstream appeal for reputable artists within the genre. Remarkably, Gorillaz have managed to garner quite a bit of mainstream appeal. If the statement "hip hop is dead" is true, Albarn and company have probably done more in the way of trying to revive it since their 2001 self-titled LP than any pure hip hop act of the past decade.

While the street appeal of Gorillaz remains intact, 2010's Plastic Beach is in many ways a departure from the tried and true formula. The focus seems to be less tightly wound around the concept of the group and development of its animated characters and more about the music. Musically the sound is much lighter and sparse, but nonetheless effective in creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere, interrupted briefly with glimpses through to the dark side of the world of Plastic Beach. Upbeat sounds such as the De La Soul fueled zaniness of "Superfast Jellyfish" and the gently rising tempo of "On Melancholy Hill" contrast terrifically with the darker cuts of "Broken" and the title track "Plastic Beach". The hip hop influence synonymous with Gorillaz is much less pronounced. De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def and British grime rappers Kano & Bashy all make appearances, but never seem to sink fully into the realm of their familiar genres. Albarn manages to redefine the musical space that each artist occupies, and never uses a guest feature as a hollow excuse for a likeable track. Arguably the highlight of the album occurs with "Some Kind of Nature", a grinding, slowly bouncing track with a delightfully deadpan Lou Reed. The idea of the re-defininition of such an artist as Lou Reed seems inconceivable, but Albarn manages to wrap Gorillaz newfound style around his ravaged, oddly hypnotizing croak.

Plastic Beach can be seen as the pinnacle of Damon Albarn's musical career, even surpassing his success in the 90's as the instantly recognizable voice of Blur. Plastic Beach is a shining example of the culmination of a variety of perfectly executed art spanning across multiple mediums and working together to create an indescribably relaxing, and at the same time though-provoking sound and experience.

Key Tracks:

-Rhinestone Eyes
-Stylo feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack
-Superfast Jellyfish
-Some Kind of Nature feat. Lou Reed
-On Melancholy Hill
-Plastic Beach feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon

Asian Horror Cinema - Beauty in Violence

2010-03-09T23:03:00.001-08:00

Here's a sample of one of my cinema analysis papers for Asian Horror Cinema. It concerns the use of violence and perspective in Asian Horror films such as Tale of Two Sisters, Ringu, Audition and Tell Me Something:

From the cerebral subtleties of A Tale of Two Sisters to the grisly hedonism of films such as Audition and Tell Me Something, Asian horror cinema evokes emotion in many ways. Oftentimes the popular view of violence on a global level overshadows the beauty and meaning that is contained within it. While the more overt physical aspects of the latter may seem less complex and effective in engaging thought, fear and making statements, they often can be just as or more important than the attenuated psychological ones.

There is no denying that despite our society’s proclaimed disapproval of violence, we are fascinated by it. So where does this attraction come from? One of the main arguments that can be made concerning this fascination is exemplified in
Yoon-Hyun Chang’s Tell Me Something (1990). This film concerns violence in the context of the violation and dissecting of the human body. Intertwining high art with brutally graphic imagery, Tell Me Something references 17th century Europe’s fascination with anatomy and entertainment, and becomes a self-reflexive commentary on the spectatorship of the horror film itself (Brown 1/20/10). The painting shown in the opening scene depicting a man being cut apart on an operating table alludes to a 1632 Rembrandt painting titled, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicholas Tulp. The repulsive surface value of violence is transcended as it is given historical relevance, and successfully portrays it as a cultural staple of entertainment within our culture.

The cinematography of Tell Me Something is often presented to the viewer in ways that create a feeling of separation. Digital film and a handheld style of shooting is a constant reminder of this separation, and therefore much of the film’s violence is observed from a voyeuristic standpoint. In the film, the main protagonist, detective Cho stumbles upon the hideout of the serial killer he is pursuing. In it he finds a trove of videotapes containing the filmic dismemberment of the killer’s victims. The imagery is shown to us through the grainy resolution of a number of television screens lined against a wall. Portraying this dissection in such a way further pushes the idea of voyeurism. This separation is reinforced by the Mis En Abime (Film within a film) created by the televisions (Brown 1/6/10). As in movies such as Nakata Hideo’s Ringu (1998), the Mis En Abime positions the characters as critics of the very films they are in. Detective Cho himself must analyze the gruesome images that he is confronted with. This second self-reflexive aspect of violence within Tell Me Something also causes the viewer to think about why they choose to watch horror cinema and their relationship with it.

While there is no doubting the objective of the voyeuristic qualities contained in the cinematography of Tell Me Something, it is important to talk about “the gaze”. Our fascination with violence, especially concerning the human body can be explained with this term. “The gaze” is normally identified with the voyeuristic aspects of filmmaking because it cannot be returned. However, French film theorist Christian Metz argues that: “Because he (sic) is identified with the gaze, this also means that he is looking at a mirror” (Hayward 177). The idea of self-identification shows that we as viewers are subconsciously seeing ourselves in the characters on the screen. This theory presented by Metz can provide an explanation for our attraction to violence within cinema, especially concerning the bodily depictions of it in Tell Me Something. The scenes involving the amputation and aftermath of dissection show the human body on a totally different level than we are normally accustomed to. According to Metz, our fascination with the subjects on the screen stems from its existence as a sort of mirror. When dealing with the violent, physical imagery of Tell Me Something, the same rules apply, perhaps on an even greater level because we are experiening a part of ourselves that we normally are not exposed to.

The use of violence in Asian horror cinema can be analyzed on a much less psychological level as well. In many cases, the portrayal of violence within film can serve as a critique of violence itself as well as emphasize its gravity. Sergio Leone was blasted by critics upon the release of his spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars (1964) because of its “…highly stylized feel and extreme violence” (Korano 1). While the brutality contained in Leone’s films were radical, they were often very concentrated, and therefore carried a lot more psychological weight. Leone has been quoted as referring to death in his films as being “tongue in cheek” in comparison to the flippant way violence and murder was handled in many westerns of the time (Parker 4). He also managed to successfully show the hero as only slightly less vicious than the villains, re-defining the idea of an anti-hero in the western film genre, and in cinema as a whole. Indeed, his influences can be seen in everything from Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver (1974) to Park Chan Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy (2002-2005). Miike Takashi’s Audition (1999) does not contain the anti-hero aspects of Leone’s spaghetti westerns, but it does share the same use of concentrated violence to emphasize its seriousness. While the graphic depictions of dismemberment and torture are some of the centerpieces of the film, it must be noted that these events occur only within the final 20 minutes. Audition could be discredited as one-dimensional torture cinema because of the brutality of these final scenes. Instead this concentration of gruesomeness succeeds in doing what Leone sought to achieve in his spaghetti westerns: it provides a critical and self-reflexive look at our acceptance and reaction towards violence within the respective genre it occupies. This provides a stark contrast between the use of violence within horror films like Audition and others such as Hostel (2005) and Saw (2004). The latter films essentially bombard the viewer with unpleasantness throughout their runtimes, dulling our reaction to their psychological effects, and reducing the value in violence to a purely surface level. This phenomenon is not just restricted to U.S. films, but also in Asia. Robert Hyland states: “As the Asia Extreme movement has evolved, the mainstream production companies, in order to capitalize on this movement, have begun to finance and produce films that are extreme in look but devoid of the accompanying political agenda….the movement is beginning to stagnate….much of what today is labeled as extreme has devolved into simply synonymous with violence” (Hyland 218). These types of movies have come to define what we think of today as horror. Audition rejects this formula and aims to criticize the films within the horror genre that use violence in such a superficial manner. When confronted with such a scene as Aoyama’s torture in a predominantly low-key and beautifully shot film, the viewer experiences the event in a totally different way. Asami’s maiming of Mr. Aoyama would be seen as ridiculous and pointless without being contextualized within the rest of the film. Because these scenes sit in such opposition to the surreal, dreamlike aesthetics of everything occurring before it, the violence carries much more weight than if it had been happening throughout. Thus, the most shocking and over the top aspects of Audition effectively grounds it in reality, making the atrocity of Asami’s actions much more psychologically distressing. Miike’s film uses violence to address the cinema politics of the horror genre and where the line is drawn between legitimate horror cinema and the oversaturated torture cinema that is commonly passed off as horror today.

Violence is often discredited as a skin-deep aesthetic of filmmaking attributed purely for shock value and devoid of rational ideas or underlying goals. Many films contained within the spectrum of Asian horror cinema work in direct opposition to this perceived understanding of violence in connection to the genre. Directors such as Miike Takashi and Yoon-Hyun Chang subvert the popular perception of these types of cruelty, using the same types of imagery in a much more calculated manner. They also cause us as viewers to step back and examine our relationship with violence itself and how it applies to our ideas about entertainment.

Richard Gehrke Photography

2010-01-15T01:44:00.000-08:00

My father just got a handle on how to use the interwebz, or at least in terms of creating websites. I figured I'd post up a link to it. For those of you looking for professional photography work done, get in contact with him. He's been doing this for as long as I can remember, and has been a huge influence on my artistic sensibilities. Check out his work here.

Photo Project - Everything I'm Not

2010-01-15T01:30:00.000-08:00

New photo project titled "Everything I'm Not". Concerns the ways in which the culture that I love contradicts my actual lifestyle, and the weirdness of how different the two are. For instance, I love hip hop culture and the displayed excess of it, but I'm certainly not into a lifestyle of excess. It simply isn't for me, and I don't think it ever will be. The photos themselves came out nice. I'm considering continuing the project with other examples.

Movie Review - Tyson, Directed by James Toback

2010-01-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

Mike Tyson has always been an enigmatic character in the sports world: A soft-spoken, oddly articulate human being with an unfortunate reputation as a loose cannon. Everyone remembers the ear biting incident, the hideously ugly facial tattoo, the accusations of spousal abuse and rape and the much publicized breakdowns and angry outbursts. but who is he really?

"Tyson", the latest film by James Toback, attempts to answer this question, and does so extremely graceful, frank way. Much of the film is dominated by simple one on one conversations with Tyson himself. These dialogues and monologues are broken up with boxing footage from various matches and events throughout his life. Strangely enough, the most compelling scenes are the Tyson-centric monologues, which are mesmerizing in their honesty and emotion. Tyson is an amazingly articulate person, thoughtful in his placement of words and delivery. The hard exterior is peeled away layer by layer as he analyzes his own life, criticizing mistakes and reminiscing about accomplishments. It never becomes overblown or self-congratulating, and Tyson acts almost as his own psychiatrist, creating bizarre personal confrontations loaded with emotion.

While the film does successfully portray Tyson as a human being, it still manages to show just how good of an athlete he was, and the clips of his matches perfectly display this. I myself am by no means a boxing fan, but the power, accuracy and grace exhibited in the footage is awe-inspiring. Regardless of whether you enjoy boxing or not, there is a certain beauty contained in his movements that surpass the ideas held by many about the brutal nature of the sport.

Happy, sad, enlightening, intelligent and bizarre: "Tyson" manages to be all of these things at once. Toback has managed to document one of the greatest stories in sports history. The negative celebrity shell that has been built around the boxer is shattered, and a human being, complete with feelings, flaws, quirks and an odd sweetness is revealed. "Tyson" is without a doubt one of my favorite films of 2009.

Latest Photo Projects

2009-12-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been thinking about switching one of my majors to photography. Perhaps I'll just focus on photography within the Digital Arts program that I'm already in. Anyways, here's some of the stuff I've been doing.

That'sa ME!!!

2009-11-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

I've been really hitting the concerts hard this year. In the past few months I've been to like 5 of them. All fantastic shows. The RZA, Cage, Souls of Mischief, Brother Ali, Evidence, Ghostface Killah, Fashawn. I'm gearing up for CunninLynguists, who'll be playing the WOW Hall on the 22nd. I've compiled a little group of photos from concerts I've been to since actually having the freedom to go to them whenever I want. So here's a kind of compilation of me and my hip hop idols spanning from when I was just a wee boy in my freshman year of high school to the manly stud that sits here now, blogging on his computer. There's even a picture that I found of me on the insert cover of the newest CunninLynguists album!!!!! Ok There's my self-absorbed indulgent post of the month.

Me & Cage Kennylz:

Me & A-Plus of Souls of Mischief:

Me & Ghostface Killah:

Me & Brother Ali:

Me & Kidz In The Hall:

Me & Murs of Living Legends:

Me & Boots Riley of The Coup:

Me & Theory Hazit, Pigeon John & Braille:

Me, Alec, Will & Z-Man:

Me & Luckyiam.P$C of Living Legends:

Me & Bicasso of Living Legends:

Me & Scarub of Living Legends:

Me, Brookie & Slug of Atmosphere:

CunninLynguist CD Cover Insert (Me In The Center!!!):

Where Does Time Go?

2009-11-09T17:48:00.000-08:00

Jeez I haven't updated this thing in a while. School and work have been dominating my life. It's frustrating, but I guess there will be an ebb in the chaos with Thanksgiving and Winter Break. Hoping that I can stay here for the break and spend more time with Brookie while she's back from New York. There's so much stuff that I've missed posting that I'd like to put on here. We'll start out with something simple for now. I have to study for two midterms for Media Aesthetics and Psychology anyways. Maybe I'll watch Eastern Promises or something as well. Anyways, here's a weirdly great music video. I'll be posting some of my favorite music videos every once in a while. When I have the time I'll do a music or movie review. Just whatever fits into my life. Here's one of the weirdest, creepiest music videos of all time.

"Come To Daddy" By Aphex Twin:

Tron Legacy Trailer

2009-07-26T23:02:00.001-07:00

Finally, an official Tron Legacy trailer debuted at Comic Con. Jeff Bridges all the way baby!!! I love the updated look. So sleek and shiny, but true to the original, which was one of my favorite movies growing up. The soundtrack is being handled by none other than French electro duo Daft Punk! Expect Tron Legacy to come out sometime in 2010. Check out the trailer below.

Doomtree, My Latest Obsession

2009-07-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

I dunno how I've been listening to Atmosphere all these years and never bothered to check out Doomtree until now. Minnesota just keeps pumping out all of these amazing hip hop sounds. It's been about 14 hours since I took my first foray into these guys, and they're already one of my current favorite hip hop groups. It's a 9 person project of MCs and producers featuring P.O.S., Sims, Dessa, Mictlan, Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, MK Larada, Lazerbeak and Turbo Nemesis. P.O.S. is really what got me to check them out, and he has a heavy influence on the group. The real standout of the group is Dessa, a spoken word poet from Minneapolis. Doomtree is without a doubt one of the most focused and tightly produced hip hop collectives that I have ever listened to. This is indie rap at it's finest. Delicately composed guitars looped around crunchy, loosely arranged drums and bass make for a haunting sound. Nostalgia punctuates a lot of their music as well. You can go from a breezily composed, folky sounding track to a straight up hip hop break beat that at times ventures into classic boom bap. Each MC has his or her own unique style, from the hardcore to the more introspective, and it's all executed flawlessly. I can't recommend Doomtree highly enough. As far as I know they only have two albums out: Doomtree and False Hopes. Check the Youtube players below for some samples. If you like what you hear, COP!

Game Over:

Drumsticks:

Flex:

Kid Gloves:

Blue Sky Black Death - Rebel To The Grain/Slapbox With Jesus

2009-07-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

WOOOOOO!!!! My 100th post on the DoubleFine Blog! And it's a good one! One of my favorite production duos of all time, Blue Sky Black Death have taken the time to release these two new tracks titled "Rebel To The Grain" and "Slapbox With Jesus". They came out waaayyy back in 2007 on a limited edition 7" through Mush Records, thus making them virtually impossible to find. Now they've finally got 'em up online! These tracks are almost too dope for words. Amazing stuff. The two tracks are entirely constructed from various classic Wu-Tang Clan samples. The transitions are extremely well done and cleverly put together. The transitions are virtually seamless, and play out like a Wu version of Girl Talk or something. I love it. Will you? Go ahead and decide for yourself! Download it here! Or if downloading ain't your thing, check out the Youtube players below!

Slapbox With Jesus:

Rebel To The Grain: