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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Return of the Mak



















Since I already wrote about Nomak in a previous post, I won't go on about him again, but I will say that to me, Nomak's got a fresh sound. I'm not trying to say he's doing anything revolutionary on the boards or bangin' out the future of hip hop, but it definitely does have a different vibe that's chill, smooth, and has clear Japanese influences. If you like what you hear below, head over to Miyomi's Music and download Nomak's entire Recalm album which features remixes of his best joints by some talented Japanese producers - yes it's that dope.

[MP3] Nomak :: Geishas in the Days (feat. Pismo remixed by Shin-Ski)
[MP3] Nomak :: Onepeace (feat. Aaron Phiri remixed by DJ Deckstream)
[MP3] Nomak :: If I was Peace (feat. Fat Jon remixed by I.N.T.)

Nomak's Myspace

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What The F*#K?!?!!!?? Pt. 3


[The magical mystery tour continues...]

::MH::

Friday, April 25, 2008

Crazy Continues

New video from Gnarls Barkley:




::MH::

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Pete Rock vs. Premier



















When Kangbang told me that both Pete Rock and Premier were going to be spinning in LA, I knew something was wrong. It really couldn't be. Two of the most legendary producers in hip hop, both spinning in the same venue on the same stage? This may not be such a huge deal for east coast heads, but here in the west it's rare enough to even see one of the spin, so needless to say my metaphorical panties were in a bunch when I heard this.

Somehow, I knew something was going to go wrong and it wouldn't work out. See, the last time we tried to see 9th Wonder at a True Skool event, we were denied at the door because Kangbang was wearing a Yao Ming jersey. Then a few weeks back when we tried to see Pete Rock at LAX, we were again denied at the door - I think we weren't deemed pretty enough in our Tims and Adidas since everyone else was getting in. So I had this nagging feeling that the same thing would happen at Crash Mansion and once again we'd be screwed and miss out on some dope, once-in-a-lifetime type of hip hop show.

After a little trepidation over a dress code violation (no plain white tees, wtf!), we managed to get past security and when Pete and Primo set foot onstage, shiet was ON like Donkey Kong. What sets Pete and Primo apart as DJs isn't just that they know what to spin, but that they know how to work the mic- using call and response and getting the crowd amped before dropping the crowd pleasing bangers like T.R.O.Y., Work, and Made You Look. Needless to say, the audience was wilin' out, and I loved that most everyone knew the lyrics to all the classics. For someone who grew up listening to Pete Rock and Premier, I couldn't have asked for a better show.

Anyways, it's a pain trying to dig up some Pete and Primo joints that everybody doesn't have, so here are some (hopefully) lesser-known favorites of mine.

[MP3] Pete Rock :: Heard 'Em Say (Remix feat. Vanessa Sanchez)
[MP3] Public Enemy :: Shut 'Em Down (Pete Rock Remix)

[MP3] Crooklyn Dodgers :: Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers (Premier)
[MP3] Gang Starr :: I've Committed Murder (Remix feat. Mos Def & Macy Gray)


|bruce banner|

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Slept On/Long Overdue...Respek Vol. 3/What (Should've Been) Next: Gettin' Live with J-LIVE


[J-Live shines some light on politics and then busts them up with "Braggin' Writes".]

This is the hat trick here. 3 is the magic number. Triple-double. Menage a trois. Because the man we speak of is that great. J-Live should be more recognized than Jay-Z. Ridiculous rhymes, ridiculous beats...the man can juggle and rhyme at the same time like Stevie Wonder playing the piano (see video above), & he produces. How many of the elements can you do? Releasing 3 full-length albums, 2 of which are certified classics (The Best Part & All Of The Above, I didn't really care for The Hear After) they should be mentioning his name in the same breath as Tupac, Biggie, Rakim, Slick Rick, etc. Lyrics that are clever and deep. And with 2 new singles "Be No Slave" & "The Upgrade" out, I am definitely looking forward to picking up Then What Happened when it drops 5/26. Just listen:

[MP3] J-Live :: One For The Griot
{To me, a play on Notorious B.I.G.'s "I Got A Story To Tell" to the nth degree.}
[MP3] J-Live :: Them That's Not
{I mean...come on.}
[MP3] J-Live :: Hush The Crowd
[MP3] J-Live :: Be No Slave
{Sound familiar? Jurassic 5's "LAUSD". Don't know the sample???}
[MP3] J-Live feat. Pos of De La Soul & Oddisee :: The Upgrade

J's space

And there's quite a few that I haven't included, but are definitely worth the $0.99. Some of my other favorites: "Practice",
"Nights Like This", "Charmed Life", "The 4th 3rd", "Don't Play", "Wax Paper", "Kick It To The Beat"...just do yourself a favor and pick up his first 2 albums for sure.

It don't matter if they ain't gettin' loud.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Friday, April 18, 2008

Radiohead for MVP


The NBA Playoffs start tomorrow.  With the crazy competitiveness of the Western Conference I can't wait (it feels like it's been the Playoffs these last few weeks with the Lakers finishing on top!).  I'm hoping for a Lakers vs. Celtics Finals. Well to get everyone hyped for the craziness the NBA has released a bunch of ads that feature two players, split screened, saying the same thing in sequence. It's doper than it sounds. Ads for basketball always tend to come correct and this is no disappointment. My favorite so far has been the Steve Nash vs. Jason Kidd one. Not only because of what these two veteran, future Hall of Famers, are saying or the fact that they both play the game in similar ways...setting the table. What really strikes me about this ad is the choice to use Radiohead's "House of Cards". Hearing of Nash's since he upset my Bruins back in the day when he had that fade at Santa Clara and really becoming a fan of his when he ran the point at Dallas with the dirty locks, I knew Nash was a huge Radiohead fan. That's part of the reason why I like him too. I don't think many ballers have heard Kid A. Oh yeah, and he dated Elizabeth Hurley. My other favorite ad...for personal reasons.

::MH::

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Stuff We Like

#93 Music Piracy

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White people have always been renowned for having ridiculously large music collections. So when file sharing gave white people a chance to acquire all the music they ever wanted, it felt as though it was an earned right and not a privilege.

When (not if) you see a white male with a full iPod, ask him if all of his music is legal. If he does not immediately launch into a diatribe about his right to pirate music, you might have to nudge him a bit by saying “do you think that’s right?” The response will be immediate and uniform.

He will likely rattle off statistics about how most musicians don’t make any money from albums, it all comes from touring and merchandise. So by attending shows, he is able to support the musicians while simultaneously striking a blow against multinational corporations. He will proceed to walk you through the process of how record labels are set up to reward the corporation and fundamentally rob the artist of their rights, royalties and creativity. Prepare to hear the name Steve Albini a lot.

Advanced white people will also talk about how their constant downloading of music makes them an expert who can properly recommend bands to friends and co-workers, thus increasing revenues and exposure. So in fact, their “illegal” activities are the new lifeblood of the industry.

When they have finished talking, you must choose your next words wisely. It is considered rude to point out the simple fact that they are still getting music for free. Instead you should say: “Wow, I never thought of it like that. You know a lot about the music industry. What bands are you listening to right now? Who is good?”

This sentence serves two functions: it helps to reassure the white person that they are your local “music expert,” something they prize. Also, it lets them feel as though they have convinced you that their activities are part of a greater social cause and not simple piracy.

If you bring up this issue with white person who says “nah bro, I don’t give a shit, Dave Matthews has enough money as it is.” You are likely dealing with wrong kind of white person.

In the even more rare situation where someone says “it’s all paid for, and it’s all transferred from vinyl.” You have found an expert level white person and must treat the situation carefully. high.<span class=

Because of the availability of music online, a very strict social hierarchy has been created within white culture whereby someone with a large MP3 collection is considered “normal,” a large CD collection is considered to be “better,” and a person with a large vinyl collection is recognized as “elite.”

These elite white people abhor the fact that music piracy has made their B-sides, live performances, and bootlegs available to the masses. Their entire life’s work has been stripped of its rarity in terms of both object and sound on the record. The best thing you can say to them is: “vinyl still sounds better.”

However, it is recommended that you do not let this conversation drag much longer. If you let them continue talking to you they are likely to spend hours talking to you about bands you’ve never heard of and providing you with a weekly mix CD of rarities that you do not want.

----------------------------------------------------
One of my favorite blogs is Stuff White People Like and I've been wanting to post on them when it was more appropriate and related to our blog. Well their post #93 takes the cake. I often wonder what our excuse is...we do love the vinyl. Some of my other favorites include #52 Sarah Silverman, #90 Dinner Parties, #11 Asian Girls, #69 Mos Def, #20 Being an expert on YOUR culture, #4 Assists, #91 San Francisco. Keep up the great work SWPL!!!

It's a white world y'all.
::MH::

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Who's Coming With Me???

Can't wait for Kanye West's Glow In The Dark Tour. Looks ri-dic-u-lous!!!

Jerry Maguire fingers wiggling.
::MH::

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Unsigned Hype















These days I've been so out of the loop with hip hop in general that I've completely forgotten that there's still an underground, still hungry emcees snatching mics, and still high school kids picking up used MPCs to become the new unsigned hype. No doubt they have a long and tough road ahead of them, especially in today's over-commercialized, overly jiggy hip hop world, but it's always refreshing to hear new, raw, hip hop, and talk to these guys who have such passion for what they do.

Just last week, one of my students, who's normally a bit surly and always looking sideways at somebody came up to me with a big grin on his face. "Hey you GOT to check this out" he said as he heaved his tattered and stuffed backpack onto the table. "What's up?" I asked. As he unzipped his backpack, there was obviously something big in there, and I could tell he was pretty excited about showing me whatever his new toy was. He had that giddiness of an 8-year old kid I didn't often see in him. As he proudly pulled out a shiny metal box, I saw the MPC logo and immediately understood his excitement. I loved seeing this - whether or not he or others are able to make a career out of their love for hip hop, up-and-coming artists remind me of that there's still a thriving underground that embodies how hip hop should be. So here are a few such emcees who got some real skills and deserve our support.

[MP3] Has-Lo :: Unsigned Emcees
[MP3] Has-Lo :: Calibration

More on Has-Lo on his blog and myspace

[MP3] Donny Goines :: The Light
[MP3] Donny Goines :: Play out in the Rain

Downloads and more on Donny here and on his myspace


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Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Getdownnn Gets Lazzzy



Here it is again folks, Getdownnn Radio. This is one is for all the tracks that we were just too slow, lazy & dimwitted not to post earlier. So lazy, that we call this one "GD Radio 2". Hope you enjoy.

Tracks 1-26 contributed by Mista Hippo
Tracks 27-47 contributed by banner

Getdownnn Crew

Friday, April 04, 2008

Finally. A Reality Show I Want to Watch...



If only I had @#$@#ing cable!!! I don't know what network this is going to be on, but I'll download it if need be...in a 3-minute preview, Suge disses Snoop, burns a G-Unit wifebeater, and I counted three fights. While I know it'll probably be just as trashy as any other reality show, I know I'll be entertained...this ain't no making the band, that's for sure.

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Thursday, April 03, 2008

Eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh??!!!??!!?!?! (2x)


[Bjork's new video "Wanderlust". She has always been on that line, constantly pushing the envelope, probably since the time she was conceived by aliens. At times quirky, scary, depressing...you are always guaranteed to hear and see something you've never experienced before when it comes with Bjork. You will always feel something. That's what makes her a bada$. I remember the first time I saw Dancer In The Dark, it is still the only movie that I have seen that I loved, that disturbed me so much (not in a gross way), yet I don't ever want to see it again. I heard that she stopped pursuing acting because she was so invested in her character for that movie that it actually physically hurt her...I can see that. Hit me in my core. Some powerful ish.]

::MH::

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Eeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhh??!!!??!!?!?!


{Priceless. This ain't no Milli Vanilli either. Jero is the real deal. Apparently he learned Japanese while at the University of Pittsburgh and has loved Enka ever since his grandmother (who is Japanese) introduced it to him.}

::MH::