I still have a tape of whatever mix show I first heard ‘Party and Bullsh!t’ on at my parents’ house. I thought I was a bit of a badass around that time so hearing “I was a terror since the public school era” got me hooked.
Then it was that version of “Me and My B!tch” that didn’t make the actual commercial release because of sample issues (they sampled Minnie Riperton’s “Take A Little Trip”) that I had on tape somewhere as well. I couldn’t roll with beating chicks for talking slick but it was a banger (admittedly I dont’ like the version that made the album). Those were the first two songs that introduced me to Biggie Smalls a.k.a Notorious B.I.G., arguably the most celebrated of all Brooklyn MCs.
I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said. Funny, insightful, amazing word play and story telling coupled with great production from such greats as Easy Mo Bee, DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, and Clark Kent makes for an impressive catalog depsite his short time on earth. He left us with some bangers that continue to get booties shaking in the club, heads nodding in the whip, and reminding up and coming MCs what they should be striving for.
13 years and your influence and memory still lives on. Rest In Power, B.I.G.
For those of us who actually live in Bed Stuy and are HUGE Biggie fans but won’t be allowed into Diddy’s party at The Lab tonight, I’ll leave you with my favorite track.
So far 2010 has been pretty good music-wise. Next week, Gorillaz drops another album, Plastic Beach.
Gorillaz is a virtual concept band that originally had musicians playing the different “members” of the band and also included additional collaboration with other artists like Del the Funkee Homosapien. Damon Albern from Blur is the main songwriter and lends most of the lead vocals to the songs. The first album, Gorillaz, was pretty well received as an artsy blend of many genres from hip hop to rock to reggae and punk. Albern and Dan the Automator produced most of the album.
The second album, Demon Days, came out in 2005 won a grammy or two. That album was pretty dope. Danger Mouse took Dan the Automator’s place on a lot of the production and there were a lot more guest spots on it from artists such as Neneh Cherry, Roots Manuva, and a couple of choirs. “Dirty Harry”, featuring Imani/Bootie Brown from The Pharcyde was my absolute favorite jam. I remember it fondly because it was one of the songs I played pretty often when I first started DJing and someone would always ask me who did the track.
Plastic Beach seems pretty promising, with guest spots from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Bobby Womack, Little Dragon, De La Soul, and others. Damon Albern did all of the production this time and from what I’ve heard so far, it doesn’t look like Danger Mouse will be missed on this one.
Here are a few tracks that have leaked so far:
Stylo (featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def)
I love this track. I love the electronic/new wave sound to it and its got Bobby Womack on it! I was a bit dubious when I saw who the track featured before actually listening but its great. The video is also out and Bruce Willis is in it. (embedding is disabled! sorry!)
Stylo-Chiddy Bang Remix (courtesy of Above the Fold)
I figured I’d throw this one in for good measure, though I don’t really like it. Removing the best parts of the song to put your own verses in is kind of wack. I don’t know too much about Chiddy Bang other than that they dropped a mixtape late last year.I didn’t like that much either except for “Get Up In the Morning”, in which they flip Desmond Dekker’s “The Israelites”.
Superfast Jellyfish (featuring De La Soul and Gruff Rhys)
This song is weirdly dope. It was confusing at first until I read a little bit about the concept behind the album and the name Plastic Beach. This song also has that same pep you get from hearing this classic (which was sampled for this classic ). I dig it.
March 9th is just around the corner so don’t forget to buy it!
* * * * * *
I also want to send well wishes to Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, who experienced a cardiac episode over the weekend which required some pretty complicated surgery. Rumors of his death were spreading so I’m very glad to hear that the surgery went well and he is expected to recover though he is still very much in serious condition. Its tough picking a favorite Gangstarr joint, so I’ll leave you with this one.
He’s become a papa and has gotten married and divorced since his last “good” album (uh…did you hear/like Here I Stand? Didn’t think so. I did not want to make love in that club. Ew.). It is a safe bet to say he’s got a lot of material for his new album coming out in March, Raymond vs. Raymond.
So what do you do when you are fresh off a divorce and you’re young and wealthy and famous? Menage. a. Trois. As many as possible. Stipulate that any chick that wants to be ‘f*ckin with you’ gotta f*ck with you…and another chick.
So why do I like this song? The damn production on the track. You would think that anyone using Stevie Wonder in this day and age would be committing the worst form of sacrilege in my eyes but for some reason IT WORKS FOR THIS SONG. Why? I don’t know! Actually I do. Polow Da Don did a smart (possibly economical?) move using synths to recreate what he lifted [Living for the City] instead of just looping the original because he really creates something much bigger in one’s ears that way.
Second marriage pic? Perhaps!
Don’t get me wrong. The song isn’t perfect. I just cannot ride w/ Nicki Minaj just yet. Her voice is annoying to me. So are her odd modulations. I am unable. When I hear her voice all I can imagine is she probably pops her gum. Loudly. However, she is the newest chick on the scene so not putting her on a song would be dumb. I’m still trying to keep an open mind and ear for now. Listening to a mix on Hot 97 the other afternoon had me hearing what I *hope* was a solo Minaj song (I mean really can she get her own song?) and she actually sounded pretty good on it.
So yeah. Little Freak. A song that probably didn’t merit this much analysis but I did it anyway because I like it. Do you?
Wow. I think after 20 days, I’m recovered. What a night!
Seriously, we (RareForm) do this every year because of the outpouring of love and support folks have for Dilla’s legacy. Its really amazing. We had no clue that when we did the first one at Galapagos Arts Space, that we’d be going strong four years later and beyond!
We raised $4,400 this year! That’s a thousand dollars more than we raised last year! The J Dilla Foundation is incredibly grateful and they are already putting that money to good use and have already located music programs that can benefit from the money!
While DJs Parler, Low Key, and myself held it down in the lounge, DJ Brainchild was absolutely killing it on the main stage with some live blends with some Ruff Draft acapellas he created. He did one with “Nothing Like This” which was really dope.
There was just a ton of great energy in the room when it came time to introduce ?uestlove and Dilla’s mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey (!!!) to the crowd. ?uestlove literally stayed up all night to prep his set and performed in his pjs! The Roots recreated 70 something Dilla beats for the occassion, and we got to hear quite a few woven into ?uest’s set. It was truly a fitting tribute to a great friend of his and I’m glad he was willing to share it with the rest of us.
We are really forever indebted to ?uestlove for bringing Donuts are Forever to a whole other level.
Y’all really don’t want to hear any more of my take on it when you can see and hear a bit of what went down, do you? Of course not.
You can see some photos as well as video of Ma Dukes greeting the crowd on our Donuts Are Forever website.
And since I’ve been away so long, I’d like to do some penance by sharing with you some of the “sandwiches” of Dilla beats that The Roots recorded for ?uestlove’s set. You can download them here.
Remember when you couldn’t wait for Tuesday? On pins and needles trying to get to the record shop on your lunch break and cop all the new stuff out? Yeah, those days are a thing of the past between iTunes, bootlegging/leaks, and just the decreasing presence of the ‘mom and pop’ record store.
Not to say there aren’t good albums dropping, but Tuesdays just don’t feel as special anymore. Is it just me?
Well today is a pretty exciting Tuesday because 3 dope albums drop today!***
First up is DJ Center-Everything in Time. DJ Center is one of my favorite DJs hands down. He spins soul, hip hop, reggae, and other international sounds effortlessly. His sets are inspiring and the crowd is always drawn in by the good vibes he creates with his sets.
It is no surprise that this carries over into his production. His latest album Everything in Time brings together some of the most cutting edge singers and MCs to create an album that satisfies everyone from the hip hop fan to the jazz enthusiast to lovers of Brazilian beats. I’m still getting through the album but I can tell you, its a journey.
Here is a song off the album courtesy of the gentlemen from ihearditon.com.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock since November or so when it was revealed that this album would be dropping, you know today is also the release date for Sade’s latest album, Soldier of Love. I can’t say I am a fan of the title track, which is also the first single off the album. I thought it was a bit too literal (the military drums, the boot-camp like chants) but I’ve been anticipating this album nonetheless.
I mean really, can the woman really ever do wrong? Of course not every song of hers is a win but the quality of work she brings forth every time can’t be denied. I might have to start selling organs in anticipation of her upcoming tour dates because she is on my list of performers I need to see live before I die. I’ve seen both DVDs of her live performances from her tours with the albums Love Deluxe and Lover’s Rock and I’d love to be able to experience her show first hand.
I haven’t purchased the album yet, and I’m hesitant to post any links of leaked mp3s since they’ve been getting shut down faster than noisy bars on residential blocks. I have to say the two other tracks I’ve heard -Skin and The Moon and the Sky-are definitely more my speed.
So yeah, Soldier of Love. Cop that.
Also, Massive Attack snaps out of their five (!) year hiatus and drops Heligoland today. I haven’t heard it yet but all I know is that the track w/ Hope Sandoval is the TRUTH. You can download a dope remix of the track by Gui Boratto here.
For those wondering how this year’s Donuts Are Forever turned out, I have to say it was a HUGE success. We’re still wading through all the photos and press and finalizing the amount we raised from the evening. I’ll give a proper recap when I have more stuff to show. Thanks to all who came out!
***OK OK So I messed up. Earlier today this post only had 2 albums. I TOTALLY forgot Massive Attack dropped today. I should be flogged. Forgive me, Brother Numpsi.
Last week I really thought I’d be posting like gangbusters with new music and other lovely goodies I’ve been hoarding but as the saying goes: Life is what happens when you’re out making other plans.
On January 12th, one of the most devastating natural disasters happened to one of the most vulnerable nations on this planet. A nation I am proud to trace my roots to. Naturally, like many other immigrants and first generation Haitian-Americans, the past 2 weeks have been filled with sadness, helplessness, anxiety, motivation, and resolve to help our countrymen. I am extremely fortunate and blessed to not have had any close family members perish, which I attribute to them actually returning to Haiti from NY the day of the quake-it kept them outside of their homes. However, I cannot say the same for the countless friends and acquaintances of Haitian descent I have come to have in my life; almost all have been deeply impacted by a death of a close loved one. I extend my deepest condolences.
I have to say I am extremely grateful and surprised by the outpouring of sympathy and desire to assist Haiti though this time-from donation drives to people lending their talents and resources to raise money to the national telethon (!) that aired this past Friday. I continue to hope that this outpouring continues for years to come as it will be a very hard and long road to rebuild. I did some work on the Gulf Coast last year relating to Hurricane Katrina and the area was still very much on the road to recovery 3 years later-and we live in a country that has the infrastructure and programs to actually implement what is needed to rebuild! Haiti will need support and resources for many years to come.
I’m sure many of you didn’t know much about Haiti prior to this tragedy but our history cannot be denied. From fighting alongside Americans during the Revolutionary War to our contributions in art, music, science, and civil rights, we have shown again and again how significant we are in the history of the world.
Naturally, I can’t leave you without some music! Kompas is one of the more popular genres of music in Haiti and is pretty much the music of the nation. Zouk is also pretty popular but its origins are in other francophone West Indian countries. Racine is another popular kind that is a little more “raw” and has some Vodou traditions tied to it. For the record: Vodou is not evil. Not everyone in Haiti practices Vodou (the nation is largely Christian-mostly Catholic!), though it does have a signficant place in the cultural fabric of the nation. Please don’t spread ignorance about the religion or the people.
So here are songs that are sentimental to me from these genres. Please forgive the song title translations-they probably aren’t exact as my Kreyol isn’t perfect.
I can’t lie: I dislike new kompas. Its so synthesizer heavy! I can’t stand it! I love the horns of older kompas. Tabou Combo and Skah Shah are two of the older, greater kompas bands. My brother and I used to make fun of our parents by singing this song when they’d insult any hip hop we may happen to have been playing at the time due to the heavy hip hop influence on this song. The irony is today it is one of my favorite kompas songs. I’ve been itching to play this at a Haitian party but I don’t think this holds as much sentiment to younger folks like it does for me. The second song is more contemporary kompas but still a classic. Sweet Micky is straight up crazy and controversial and I love it! This isn’t my most favorite of his (“I Don’t Care” is) but this one is a popular one on the dance floor.
Kassav is actually from Martinique but this song is a classic in any francophone West Indian country. As soon as that first guitar chord drops, it is ON.
This song premiered in carnival in Haiti in the early 1990s and took off. It quickly took on a political slant due to a lot of the turmoil the country at the time. Definitely rebel music. My fondest memory of this song is being at a wedding and seeing my grandmother drop it low when this song came on. It stirs the spirit.
So Wednesday was my designated “CMJ Day” where I decided to take in a couple of the shows the festival had to offer. Here’s a bit of a rundown of what I saw and heard.
DROM-Brooklyn Bodega Showcase
I started my night here with the homie Dee Phunk from Trees for Breakfast. One thing as a club/show patron and a DJ that I can’t stand are venues with sub-par sound. Its definitely not cool when its a bar or lounge with DJ setups, but its really unbearable when you have a stage and call yourself a performance venue! For that, Drom gets 2 thumbs down. In addition, they charge $7 for Budweiser. WTF.
Brooklyn Bodega puts on several shows a year including the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festivals, which is arguably one of the best NYC summer events every year. They also do an annual showcase in conjunction with CMJ. It is an opportunity for us to get familiar with some dope up and coming artists as well as see more established crews. This year’s lineup included singers Kimberly Nichole and Jesse Boykins III, The Chosen (who are signed to the Bodega’s Savannah Boogie Label), Diamond District, Tanya Morgan, and Pacific Divison aka Pac Div.
I honestly can’t say anyone had a particularly good or bad performance due to the sound, but every artist who performed is definitely quality. So instead of telling you what I thought about each, I’ll just give you some info on the performers, link up some music, and let you be the judge.
Kimberly Nichole, who I hadn’t heard of before the show, has a really great voice. She just dropped her new album Yellow Brick Journey which you can purchase on her site. She also has a series of videos of her performances as well as some songs streaming as well.
Jesse Boykins III was on next. He too has an album out called The Beauty Created that’s on iTunes right now. He has been performing in NYC and appearing on project with artists such as Theophilus London and Melo-X. He’s got a great sound that’s in the vein of other great contemporary soul singers such as Dwele, with solid production that only enhances the overall experience he aims to create. He also hasn’t boxed himself in as just a crooner-he delves into some upbeat grooves as much as he does sexy slow jams. I hear his next project will have a lot of production by Machinedrum which I am super excited about ( I’ll touch on him another day, another blog entry because I.Love.Machinedrum.)
Diamond District has released one of the best hip hop albums this year. In the Ruff is just straight dope-classic production (by MC/Producer Oddisee) that isn’t trite and no tricks. MCs X.O. and Y.U. round out the trio. They released a clean version for free download that had the internets going nuts. Do the Google (c) G.W. Bush to see if you can find a link since it is no longer available on their site. The dirty version is on sale on iTunes and the vinyl LP just dropped so get thee to your local record shop! You can also download a new track from them here.
Tanya Morgan also came out with one of the best albums this year, Brooklynati. I am biased when it comes to Tanya Morgan and I am unapolegtically so. I’ve been a fan of Von Pea since The Waa’s (ha!) and heard a few tracks from Ilyas and Donwill when they were Illwill that I dug as well. 3 MCs with varied styles and different backgrounds forming a great group. I highly recommend you buy Brooklynati off iTunes.
Pac Div ended the night, though I left before their performance ended since I thought I was running late. Another hip-hop trio! They are from SoCal and have found fans in folks like Pharrell Williams and ?uestlove. The recently released a new mixtape Church League Champions and have a full length album coming out soon. Check their website for updates!
Crash Mansion-Plug Research Showcase
With VJ Deluge of Punchdouble , MC Melodee , and DJ INT (also known as La Melodia ) in tow, we trekked to the next CMJ showcase presented by Plug Research. I have to say that La Melodia is the shit. MC Melodee is one of the top MCs in the Netherlands and “Time” is a track I love vibing out to. Here’s the video.
If you’re in NYC, you have one more chance to catch them live this weekend at Plan B .
So, on to the Plug Research show! Plug Research, who recently released the Shafiq Husayn album I spoke about not too long ago, is building up a pretty good roster of acts. They recently signed Om’Mas Keith (another third of Sa-Ra Creative Partners) as well as Bilal and I look forward to hearing their projects that should be coming out next year. The showcase featured Blu and Exile, Shafiq Husayn, and Bilal, with special DJ sets by Large Professor, Jrocc of the Beatjunkies, DJ Spinna, and hosted by Pharaoh Monche and was held at Crash Mansion.
The venue was a step up from Drom, but there were some sound issues which caused the show to run extremely late. Doors opened an hour later than advertised.
Blu and Exile were up first. Exile is one of my favorite producers out right now. The first track of his I ever heard was “Time Has Come” was an early staple when I first started to spin. In 2007, Exile partnered up with Cali MC Blu for the album Above the Heavens which was a favorite of many a hip hop fan. Blu also did another project with producer Mainframe in 2008 called Johnson and Jonson which you can cop on iTunes. Blu and Exile are working on a new album together which I would expect to be coming out next year. They did a quick set of mostly new tracks with a couple from Above the Heavens and they closed out with Exile just doing some nasty live beats on stage with a turntable and his MPC. On a side note, Blu released a very low-rent mixtape earlier this year (circa Valentines’s Day) called Her Favorite Colo(u)r which I really enjoyed. You can download it here.
Then Large Professor came on stage and DJed a quick hip hop set of straight headnodders-both old and new (so new they had DJ Clue tags on the tracks! yikes!) and kept shouting about how he just wanted to hear some hip hop which I’m always down for. What totally grabbed me about his set is he didn’t DJ with headphones. That’s 20+ years of experience right there (and a great trust in Serato).
Next up, Shafiq Husayn. Apparently there were some more sound issues right when he was about to start his set so there were further delays. He started in with “Nirvana” but his back-up singers could barely be heard. This continued throughout his set. He said this was the first time he performed the album and you could tell. I really think he should have selected the songs that had other vocalists rather than rely on the tracks where his vocals were more prominent since he didn’t always sing on the album. The sound at Crash Mansion wasn’t helping the situation either. I would say the highlight of his set for me (apart from him closing out with Sa-Ra’s “Glorious”) was Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who was part of Shafiq’s live band. He is an accomplished musician/composer/arranger who did something pretty damn amazing last year: He orchestrated select Dilla tracks and released them with the title a Suite for Ma Dukes. He also conducted a live performance of these orchestrations and I really regret not being able to travel out to California to attend. I was really hoping they’d bring this to NYC!
The album was released on Mochilla (same folks who brought you KeepinTime and BrasilinTime) so I’m sure a DVD is forthcoming. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson was absolutely beautiful on the violin during Shafiq’s set. I really just zoned out and listened to him for most of the performance.
By the time Shafiq ended his set it was 1am and a sista had to go to work in the morning so unfortunately, I missed Bilal’s performance.
Hopefully my rundown of a just a very small sliver of CMJ happenings in the city makes up for me not posting for a few days. I highly encourage anyone in the NYC area to try and catch the tail end of the festival. There are a lot of great acts performing and many will be dominating your radio airwaves eventually so check them out while they still have drive and ambition to make “good” music!
For those in the NYC area, CMJ Music Fest 2009 begins today (or was it yesterday? whatevs, its here)
There are a ton of live music performances, panels, and more going on in venues across the city. I’m definitely trying to hit up a few but so many of the ones I’d like to hit up overlap!!!!
I’ll be here tomorrow night. If you see me, say hi
(I’m very jealous Karen O has found the perfect shade of red for her lips. I’m still looking!)
I can’t say that I’m a die hard Yeah Yeah Yeahs fan. I do know when I first heard “Maps” I was pretty much sold. I enjoyed their first 2 studio albums Fever to Tell and Show Your Bones a lot.
Earlier this year, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their third studio album It’s Blitz!, which was a little more electronic and dance oriented than what others would call their punk rock “roots”. Some folks may not have dug it but I think it was a pretty good foray into danceable music without sounding pop and less edgy and less like themselves. “Zero” was the lead single but I think “Heads Will Roll” is really the main attraction on the album. Its just a great track all the way through and A-Trak just made a great track better with his remix, which is finally being released after burning up radio and the internets for the past few months. He’s quite the busy man between this release and his Duck Sauce project that’s supposed to be coming out next week!
According to Disco Dust, A-Trak and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wanted to spread it via blogs as well so here it is!
Thank to Disco Dust for posting up the song on their blog.
On a side note, I wish The Noisettes had taken their cue on moving into new directions musically from It’s Blitz! rather than Back to Black. I can’t say I enjoy Wild Young Hearts so much. However, I do enjoy the mashup of the album with Kanye’s 808s and Hearbreak that Mick Boogie and Terry Urban whipped up and here’s a link to that right here!
Alright! So in the interest in trying to keep things interesting and music related while putting you all onto other things, I’m going to try something new. Every week or so (while supplies last), I’m going to introduce you to one of the super-talented people I’ve been blessed to call friends. Maybe we’ll talk music, maybe we’ll talk art or politics, or maybe we won’t talk at all and I’ll just tell you about them. First up, my pal Dee Phunk.
(I swear we did not intend to coordinate that night. This has happened at least twice before in recent memory. This is what happens when you are friends with someone for 10 years. Good grief! Big ups to Tone for the shot. He’s an amazing photographer.)
If you are ever out and about at a dope party in NY, chances are Dee is either there, helped promote via Rare Form Promotions, or made the flyer or all three. He’s a design geek, music nerd and all around man about town. He’s a great freelance designer and he also runs a great site called Trees for Breakfast. If you see him, say hello! He’s friendly. Buy him a Blue Moon Ale while you’re at it.
So Derreck and I share music. Mostly, I leech off him. (That’s what friends are foooooor!) So he put me on to this group, Quadron, a Danish group with soul and electronic leanings (side note: what’s up with overseas lately? they are killing it with the new music!). So being the ever opinionated lady I am, I struck up a bit of a convo about their album
me: Hi
Dee: Hello
me: I listened to that Quadron
Dee: Like it?
me: Not really but I want to give it a few more listens. I like Jeans but that song is silly.
Dee: OK
me: I can’t figure out why I dont like it so I need to give it some more plays.
Dee: They’re in that same vein as Little Dragon. Dont you like them?
me: Well I didn’t think LD’s first album was so great. I like Machine Dreams a lot. I don’t really see that much of a similarity between the two even if I just compare their first album to Quadron. Other than that theyre both Swedish [Note: they are Danish. I was wrong] and both have music that is soul and electronic, I don’t think they really sound the same. Little Dragon is a little more bass heavy, Even on the first album. This Quadron is a little more light I guess. I can’t think of a better way of describing it.
Dee: The “soul and electronic thing” is what i like. Thats the meat and potatoes of it
me: Little Dragon executes it better so that it is a little more familiar. Quadron’s sound is more unique. What song is your fave?
Dee: Simili Life and The Day
I’m not 100% sure if Quadron’s album is available for purchase on iTunes but you can check our their Myspace to hear their songs. I have to say the verdict is still out with me as far as whether or not I really like them. I’ll be giving them a listen hard this weekend.
Speaking of weekend…adios! I’m heading out of town for the weekend so no more posts until Monday. Here are a couple of new songs to tide you over.
N.E.R.D. feat Santigold-Soldier
Ok. If this was 2 separate songs-one N.E.R.D, one Santi, they’d be decent. Together, not so much. I do, however, appreciate Pharrell delving into punk waters with that flow.
Theophilus London-Enjoy the Sun
Someone actually told me they were surprised I like Theophilus. I don’t love everything he does but with Machinedrum production, he almost can do no wrong. Machinedrum is the shit.
OK
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