Rita G, the ridiculously sexy chick in Ye's Flashing Lights Video, talks to Peter Rosenberg. She talks about the vid, her skin & her breats. Nuff said.
Sounds Good So Far
DJ khalil aced this test no question. Apparently Nas just sent him the accapella & Khalil did the rest. If this is the outcome he should do it for the rest of the album too, being sure to send the acc's to the right producers obviously.
I'm One Of The 1% Against The Return of The Death Penalty/But I Love The Wax Reform Crew
Last week the UK's most popular newspaper, The Sun, conducted a poll. This poll was set up in light of the recent convictions of arguably 2 of this countries most notorious 'murderers' of recent times. The newspaper asked the question 'Should The Death Penalty Be Brought Back In The UK'. They also asked members of some of the murder victims families on their views. They were all in favour of bring the death penalty back, apart from one. Sara Payne, mother of Sarah (pictured above), the victim in probably the most talked about & read about murder in recent history (The Soham murders being the argument), said NO. I wholeheartedly agree. Firstly i would find it very difficult as a human being with the possibility of being called to a jury, to contribute to the end of someones life, no matter what the crime. Then there is the argument that if indeed the person convicted was, in fact guilty, that death is an easy way out. We all know that any form of violence or sexual aggression towards a child is frowned upon in prison (a strange moral code that i'm glad exists). Surely it's better that they suffer for the rest of their life rather than escape by lethal injection. My biggest gripe though, is what if the accused was wrongfully convicted. Theres no moral comeback after the innocent person is dead. The Sun's poll was designed to stir up emotion & was perfectly timed to get the response it did. While i can only imagine what the parents of the victims are going through, I cannot see any justification as to why the death penalty will be brought back. The powers that be at The Sun know full well that it isn't gonna happen but still they let their reporters stir things up anyway. I'm a dad & i hope everyday i go to work that i'm not going to get that phone call. Let these people rot in jail. let them have the chance to appeal & one day prove their innocence if they are so, or let them rot in jail & get butt f$%&£d till their dying day if they are guilty.
On a lighter note, i love Wax Reform & have done for a good few years. I know thu out there that do to so i strongly suggest you check for my man Beatsmif's Blog & check out his superb Wax Reform piece. As for me, i just cobbled together 18 Remixes by those WR brethren (past & present): feat. Muneshine, M-Phazes, D Minor, Illmind, Johnny 5 & others. Be sure to check out M-Phazes remix of Tribes' 1nce Again. Enjoy!p e a c e
Back To The Beature Part 1 & 2
I got an email today from a guy called Trez. He put me on to 2 projects that he'd been working on. The 1st is called The Re Mix Tape & the basic concept is to pay tribute to the beat loop sampling of yesterday (& today). Original tracks have been remixed using original samples with no added drums, keys or basslines and has simply let the samples do their thing. I have to say most of what he's put together is real nice too. The problem is the R n B remixes for the most part don't work. The remix of 9th's Sunday track ft. Keisha Shontelle is the best example where the vocals & the sample used just do not fit at all. Also the mix of Lil' Mo's Sometimes isn't particularly bad but something about it just doesn't work. Keyshia Coles Shoulda Let You Go however, is given a lovely chilled out vibe. The Hip Hop mixes are all pretty tight & are definately worth checking for. Especially Common's Go, Saigon's C'mon Baby & The best mix by a mile, UGK's International Players Anthem which is now a permanent resident in my Ipod playlists, a superb mix. And since Trez also sent me his take on the American Gangster remix saga you get 2 for the price of 1. It's superb too (seriously). You'll recognize all the samples but you'll bump it even more because just for that reason & not a sample misused on the whole thing. Don't Sleep.
Is Mr. Obama Gonna Help Create It Erykah?
After The Brillint Baduizm, The Brilliant Baduizm Live, The Brilliant Mama's Gun, The Brilliant Mama's Gun Live & The Brilliant Worldwide Underground you would be forgiven if i simply said That New AmErykah Part 1 (4th World War) was equally brilliant. But not to go a little deeper with an Erykah album isn't doing it justice. My justification is validated from the get go with the superbly funky Blaxploitation infused intro (i think) Amerykahn Promise. I say intro because there are no lead vocals on the track but it's such an infectous beat (& over 4 minutes long) that i couldn't help but love it. The Madlib produced The Healer just confirms to me that These 2 should do a whole album together (further evidence is provided below). Erykah is one Mainstream R n B artist who refuses to conform to trends & is willing to take her craft to new levels & send a positive message too. Too much of a rarity these days. While this worked to near perfection with Worldwide Underground, She doesn't hit the same heights with this one. She manages to go from the rather ponderous My People (again no real lead vocals) to the real nice Soldier, to the ''Lemme rewind that cause i'm not sure'' The Cell, & the brilliant Twinkle. But the standout by far & away has to be The Hump. This track sent me straight into Baduizm mode and convinced me without question that another classic still lives inside this lady somewhere. the way the arrangement switches up 2 thirds of the way through is genius & is the 1st time i think Erykah really lets it out on the album. Telephone, should also have the good people reaching the top shelf for some of that Baduizm goodness. The album then ends with the lead single(?) as a bonus track. My guess is that either it didn't fit in with the overall concept of the album or 9th has got it in his tracklisting for The Wonder Years. But the thing is, I'm comparing New AmErykah to the good lady's other albums. If i was to compare it to just about every other R n B release in the last few years, 99% of them still can't touch most of this album anyway. So it is a brilliant album. Just not as brilliant as her other albums. A definite addition for any true R n B collection. Bring on Part 2!!!p e a c e
A Lil something extra:
Once again I stole this, so I dont need props
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/krsone/criminalminded2008.mp3
new KRS
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/devinthedude/makinithard.mp3
New Devin the dude
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/camplo/lumdi.mp3
New camp lo
I only do this because I feel bad for nofrillz doing all the hard work, so mad props to him for what hes doing here, running 2 blogs, and to whoever corrected me on my grammar, fuck you.
new KRS
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/devinthedude/makinithard.mp3
New Devin the dude
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/camplo/lumdi.mp3
New camp lo
I only do this because I feel bad for nofrillz doing all the hard work, so mad props to him for what hes doing here, running 2 blogs, and to whoever corrected me on my grammar, fuck you.
Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Tr...
Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track, Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track, Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track, Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track, Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track, Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track Time Line Bonus Track.........................................
Somethin' 2 Look 4ward 2
I loved these boys 1st album. And having seen the tracklist for their new one 'In The Crowd' i can't wait for this 1 either. It's hard to argue with a guestlist like this one & that 'Driving Down Block' remix must be fire. Whatcha reckon peeps.1. Intro
2. Blackout (w/ DJ GI Joe)
3. Paper Trail (w/ Phonte)
4. Drivin’ Down Block (Low End Theory) (w/ Masta Ace)
5. Lucifer’s Joyride (w/ Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes)
6. Snob-Hop (w/ Camp Lo)
7. The In Crowd (w/ Tim William)
8. Let Your Hair Down (w/ Skyzoo & Lil Eddie)
9. Midwest Thang Pt’s 1 And 2 (w/ Black Milk, Guilty Simpson & Fooch)
10. Mr. Alladatshit
11. Sean, Na And Buck (w/ Sean Price & Buckshot)
12. Life I Know
13. Drivin’ Down The Block (Remix) (w/ The Clipse & The Cool Kids) (Bonus Track)
Paint the whole world in a Rainbooooow...(Zippy was my favourite)
Amp Live has put together 8 remixed versions of tracks from Radioheads modern classic 'In Rainbows'. With Del The Funky Homosapien & Chali 2na, amongst others, along for company it's well worth the d/l. And of course, it's free. EnjoyI steal links and post them up on my blog pretending that they are my own
Thanks to spinemagazine.com, I can hook all you regular heads up with some dope linkage, some new tracks that u might be fiendin,
New copy, skyzoo and pace won
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/skyzoocopywritepacewon/insideout.mp3
New OC and AG
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/ocag/2forthemoney.mp3
Enjoy, succckkkaaaaazzz
New copy, skyzoo and pace won
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/skyzoocopywritepacewon/insideout.mp3
New OC and AG
http://www.spinemagazine.com/music/february/ocag/2forthemoney.mp3
Enjoy, succckkkaaaaazzz
Dr. Dr. I feel like a fool...
Get this. The department of law & pensions have sanctioned benefits to be given to a man with more than one wife. When I read that I nearly chocked on my weetabix. The last time I checked bygamy was illegal in the uk. So why the hell have they let that one through. Apparently its the same reason that our 'current' archbishop doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. Sorry Dr. Williams but implying that something is 'unavoidable' is perhaps not the best way to start a discussion. Maybe the words 'we need to discuss...' would be a much better alternative.
The uk is already the most cosmopolitan country on earth. The amount of different cultured we can fit on such a small island is astounding and probably why I just can't bring myself to up sticks & leave. But being accepting of other cultures & bending over backwards for them are two different things. Now i'm not talking about the UK as a nation as we should always welcome law abiding people who are going to contribute to our economy with open arms. I also believe that our government should afford them the same opportunities as everyone else. But making changes to accommodate 1 particulicular race is ridiculous. Technically these men are breaking the law when they land at Heathrow. What they should do is tell them so & give them the chance to live within the law. This change also implies that muslim men are exempt from the bygamy law. Am I therefore allowed to become a muslim & follow suit? Any other country would laugh it out of contention & government leaders the world over must be laughing their arses off right about now. There is a saying that I use quite a bit that goes 'Only In America'. I'm now changeing that to a new one, 'Only In Great(?) Britain'.
And before you ask a silly question. I am not dissing muslims & would never consider doing so. The people in power who for one reason or another can't get their act together are who i'm aiming at.
p e a c e
These 3 albums are nice. I've given the peoplw some tasters:
Logic aka Cigol - The First Stage Of A Gaberlunzie (Selection)
Phat Tapes
I had never heard of Sloppy White until about 2hours ago. He has put together 3 mixes over the last 5 years that a lot of people in the know have been raving about. Thanks to Know Good Music I have seen the light. Besides they're free so there's no excuse.
Everything Remains Raw
I thought i'd throw this at the good people. I have put together a collection of tracks from the Rawkus 50 artist series. 1 track from each album i have. 20 tracks in all including: Cy Young, Kaimbr, Hasaan Mackey, Scanz, The Smile Rays, Roddy Rod, Willie Evans Jnr, Together Brothers, Spokinn Movement, Kaze & more. Get it while it's hot folks.
I Was Always Good At Physics
Sometimes I stroll through a record store & i'm not actually looking for anything in particular. I just scour the hip hop section reading the back cover looking for something to buy, since i may have a spare £20.00 to get myslef 1 or 2 musical treats. I read the back cover of metabeats album, Metaphysical, took one look at the supporting cast (Ralph Rip Shit, Pergyl, C Minus etc) and bought it. I do this fairly regularly & for the most part it pays off. However, I wasn't prepared for the quality of this guys stuff. Metabeats is a supremely talented beatsmif. No half steppin' on this one & dare i say it, not a single weak beat on the album. From the dark yet discofied (?) intro right through to the outro, Meta has created a superb backdrop for his people to get busy over. The Coming ft. Quiet Poison, Live & Let Live & The Wu-Tangish Meta's Cypher are the standouts. But to be honest the whole thing is that good i had to reach to pick those out. If you've been following this blog from its inception you would have already read about my trumpeting of Ralph Rip Shit. He lives up to the billing & continues to teat through tracks at will. Pergyl is also surely going to get a solo out sooner or later. I will definately get anything with this crews name on it (Associated Mindz) safe in the knowledge that of ot's as good as this album i won't have to worry about wasting my tenner. Check out the tasters.p e a c e
Hassaan Chop!!!
Every album i have gotten from the Rawkus 50 series as been nice. some artists i've heard of (Cy Young, Dynas, Roddy Rod) some i have been schooled on (Red Clay, Scanz, Bekay...). Hassaan mackey is one of those that belongs in the latter of those 2 catagories. Someone put me on to him a few days ago so i got 3 tracks from iTunes. 2 of them were produced by Kev Brown & the other by Illmind. Once i heard these i got the rest asap. This album is real real nice. featuring tracks also produced by Young Cee (who's beats remind me of DJ Scratch), Keelay & Quarterpound this is an album that floats from one neck snapper to the next. Starting with the deep bass and spacey guitar loop of the title track. I'm not sure if that's Bilal on the hook or a really talented sounalike but it fits the track perfectly. Onto the Kev Brown conconted Simone which follows a similar formula but Kev's slightly laid back vibes shows through to great effect. Fit For Nuttin' just had my neck continuing where it left off on the previous tracks. Track after track of bass heavy jazz infused goodness. From Feel it, with it's jazz guitar & piano chops, to my personal favourite, Cuda Browns Revenge. Young Cee uses a funky latin sample & a couple of kiddies lalala's over a drum pattern not too disimilar to Busts's Get Out!!! beat. The albums ends as well as it begun with another joint by Young Cee called Boom & finally Illminds solo contribution (which i have been nice enough to supply below. At 10 tracks it is kinda short but thats not to take away from the quality of the album as a whole. Now, I was about to start complaining about not being able to get hold of an original hard copy of these Rawkus 50 releases. But having thought about it , I have to commend the Rawkus peeps for their forward thinking. Too bad the major labels aren't quite there yet. Let the lop sided marketing & lack of CD sales continue until they learn their lesson.
p e a c e
We Real Kool
I'm a fan of 9th Wonder, I'm a fan of Little Brother (before & after 3 became a crowd) & I'm a fan of the North Cack sound (do they know that cack has a whole different meaning over here). Just thought i'd get that out of the way before i continued. I came across this on Wake Ya Daughter Up. MC's Tab One, Charlie Smartz & Rapsody, producers Foolery & The Synopsis, & DJ Ill Digitz found each other at university & have been spars ever since. The music is as the title suggests with its soulful vibe & summertime sprinkled head nods. I wanna is probably the best example of this. The beat uses Stanley Clark's 'I Wanna Play For You' to create a nice summer cruiser. Back Home is another cello powered head nod where the group reminisce about there hometown. 9th Wonder also tips his hat by contributing 2 tracks to the EP. There You Go is a laid back groove showcasing the male & female perspectives of trying to chat to the object of your affections. Water, is the standout track on the album & features fellow NC cohorts Lazarus & Edgar Allen Floe. But the scene stealing duties on this cut belong to FeMC (geddit, i like that one) Rapsody. You may have heard her on the interludes of 9th's Dream Merchant 2 (go listen again). This Lady can spit & apparently she has a solo in the works too. Water, along with the bonus cut Rainy Days are my personal favourites. As always i have to be impartial & point out my gripes, which in this case is the hook on track 2, Kool With It. The hook on there reduces Rapsody to a corny hook which in my opinion undermines her talent. But At 9 tracks deep including an interlude this is a very solid release & i look forward to more of the same. By way of a bonus i have included a link to a free download of Kooley High's Mixtape, Raleigh's Finest, as well as the bonus cut off of the EP. Enjoy.p e a c e
Stamp This isht Out!!!
They say that over here we are ore tolerant.
That racism is more overtly prevalent in the US
That we Europeans are finally starting to get to get the message...
This picture tells me otherwise.
Lewis Hamilton, The reason young black people now regularly watch Formula 1, suffered ridiculous racist taunts & chants while he was testing his car in Barcelona. Lewis himself says that he expected some kind of backlash after his feud with former teammate Fernando Alonso (who is spanish). But the level of abuse was upsetting. I hope he didn't mean that he expected some kind of racist abuse. He says that he was simply protected his position in trying to win a championship & that his reputation in Spain has been severly damaged. Why the hell is he sounding so apologetic towards these people. I can understand him not wanting to fan the flames but there comes a point where you have to just say This Is Wrong.
My mother was going to start a business with her partner in Spain. She is black & her partner is white. They are no longer going to do that because of the abuse we suffered over there. We had cab drivers taking our money then calling us dogs as we got out of the cab. People pointed at us like we were weirdo's. There were some really gracious people out there but some are the most outwardly racist people i have ever come across. I thought that some of the things i have experienced went out with the black & white TV.
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When Englands football (soccer) players suffered racist abuse the spanich football authorities were only given a paltry fine of a few thousand pounds. This is not a deterrant. If you're going to get tough, The 'Kick Racism Out' campaign (as good as it is) is not enough. If The powers that be really want to Kick it Out. Fines would be the least viable option on their punishment list.
p e a c e
& for your listening pleasure:
The Herbaliser - Nahmean Nahm Sayin (Platinum Pied Piper Remix ) ft. Jean Grae
Secondson - We Got That Raw Shit ft. Lewis Parker & Jehst
Quit Bugging Me!!!
The man pictured above is Sadiq Khan. He is the man in the middle of a parliamentary storm here in the UK involving possible terrorist plots & Al-Qaeda connections. Conversations between himself & one his longtime friend, Babal Ahmed, were being bugged by the Metropolitan Police Service. As it transpires the police were suspicious of Ahmed's activities so the recordings had allegedly taken place in 2005 & 2006. They were made while Khan visited Ahmed in prison as he is awaiting extradition to the US. There is now a government probe into the matter because there is a code of practice known as the Wilson Doctrine that forbids conversations between English MP's & there constituents from being bugged. First of all, why the kcuf not!!! What the hell makes English MP's so special that even if there is strong suspisison that they themselves may be involved with crime that they cannot be bugged but the rest of us can. You may have noticed that i am only including english MP's as i write. This is because any Scottich Parliament members or members of the Welsh Assembly are allowed to be bugged. Whats the bloody difference. Just to clarify, I don't give a damn if the suspects are muslim. Whether you are white black brown yellow green blue or purple, if you're being investigated like the rest of us, there is a possibility of a crime taking place or if there is a threat to our national security there shouldn't even be a question to answer. That the MP's are even upset about this in the first placxe is ridiculous. What they are basically saying is that there could be a mass murderer or a rapist or someone with the power to start world war 3 in there midst and there could be strong evidence to suggest any of those allegations. The fact of the matter is that the government would rather let that slide than have the criminal element among them bugged & caught. This disturbs me.
We've already had the situation with Tory MP Derek Conway. It was not exactly a serious criminal offence but if these things can go on for so long before being discovered, what the hell else is going on that we don't yet know about. It's just another example of one rule for them & another for the rest of us. How do these so called guardians of cour civil rights expect us to trust them when all they do is undermine us at every turn. The possibilities of wrongdoing is endless but as usual it is going to take something drastic to happen before people start to take notice. Let's see how long that takes shall we.
p e a c e
& for your listening pleasure
I Used To Love Alphabetti Spagetti
Why is it that positivity in Hip Hop is considered different. Is the world such a bad place to be that when someone tries to shed a little light on the darkness people in certain quarters derise it as some kind of faddish oppurtunism. Forgetting that commercialism always wins and some people do this just for their love of Hip Hop and life in general. Luvolution is a project that accentuates such positivity and Mohammed Yahya & Iron Braydz are superb at what they do. You'd be hard pressed to find a more original opening 2 tracks on a hip hop record than the 2 these guys provide. The 'Intro' to the album is a near 6 minutes of amazing spoken word prose by Sukina Abdul Noor (of Poetic Pilgrimage). It's that good I had to rewind it twice before i listened to the rest of the album. African Rhythm with its thundering kick & african (obviously) percussion make for a unusual, but equally great, opening song. Iron Braydz (great name) laced 15 of the 18 tracks on the album & overall, bar one or 2 nicely placed diversions, they are really nice head nod's. From the Thumping kick & lighthearted flute of 'Nice Day' to the dark piano loop of Conctete Lands. Change, Shahadah, Luvolution V (featuring an ill verse from ShakaRa) are all had my head bouncing. But for me the superb 'Hammer' & 'Hopeful' are my standouts. Especially the latter, which sees beatsmith Jnr. Sas (big ups bruv) use a mesh of vocal samples to great effect, while M1 is his own rebellious self on the guest spot. A great album & a positive one to. Not only is it immediately apparent that the message is sincere but the non preachiness just makes the whole demeanor of the album all the more accessible. The only let down for me was Luvolution 1, as this is the only time that spacetalk (as i call it) lyrics & delivery make it onto the album. That aside this a great album & has been on my regular playlist for quite a while & will continue to be. A great debut that i have left a couple of tasters for.In The Nic Of Time:
The Producer/MC duo is practically a steadfast tradition in hip hop. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Eric B & Rakim, Pete Rock & CL Smooth. These names are all legendary and it will be hard for any new jacks to better what these guys achieved. But the perception & meaning of such duo's has changed. The evolution of the internet means that Board Buccaneers & Microphone Mechanics can collaborate from different sides of the world and often to superb effect (Blu & Exile anybody?). Thus Nicolay & Kay join these ranks with Time:Line. Kay, of Hip Hop MC duo The Foundation, has long been blessing us with his brand of thoughtful lyrics fused with soulful boom bap. Nicolay, producer extraordinaire has a slew of critically acclaimed albums (Foreign Exchange - Connected) & production credits to his name. Both are superb in their professions so why was i a little apprehensive about this project. I refused to listen to the sample & waited instead for a chance to listen to the full album. Now Nicolay is my favourite producer of the last few years but I was fairly underwhelmed when i first heard 'Here', so perhaps I was preparing myself for a bit of a let down. But Nicolay has returned to his spacey, soulful, crispy boom bapping best. From the moment the album opens with a funky uptempo groove of an intro that Dangermouse & Cee-Lo would be real jealous of, my complete faith in the man was restored. Yet by the next track, Blizzard, i was practically salivating. With it's hard hitting snares & kicks, being ridden by a a nice guitar loop, showcasing Kay waxing lyrical about overcoming adversity to get to where you want to be. Inspirational lyrics over a banger of a track. With each following track i was just as enthused. When Connected came out i called it the embodiment of beautiful hip hop. When Nicolay made This album he must have been in the same zone. The Light, featuring The Strange Fruit Project & Nicole Hurst, sonically continues right wher connected left off with the spacey electro keyboards & background vocals, while Kay, Myth & S1 lament on the what's where's & why's of Hip Hop shows. Brilliant. And then Stockley Williams lets rip over the piercing snare & floating rhodes of 'Through The Wind'. Then the understated snare, jazzy hat & lovely keyboard of 'I've Seen Rivers' kicked in... and i was gone. What A Tune! I know that we've only just hit february but i think that this song will definately reach the business end of my top 30 tracks at the end of this year. Other highlights for me (on an album of nothing but highlights) are 'As The Wheel Turns'. A quite lovely mellow boom bap and smooth keyboard driven combo. 'Grand Theft Auto'. The other straight neck snapper on the cd. Plus 'When You Die' with it's gospel organ and muffled horns that fit Kay's sing songy, almost Andre 3000 like hook perfectly. I could go on in the same vain about every track talking about how Kay does his thing big time & how the backdrop Nicolay provides borders on genius and how the fact that the album is almost entirely sample free only makes it even better. But i will end with this. Connected fans buy this album. Hip Hop fans buy this album. Everybody buy this album. Beautiful Hip Hop Lives On.p e a c e
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