Some Saturday night music via Wale’s Twitter. Only appropriate to get Pharrell on a track for the pretty girls too. Apparently, this is another leak of Attention: Deficit, now due out November 10, after a fair amount of pushbacks. I’m juiced though. Drake and Cudi are killing it, setting the stage for Olubowale to make his move. He’ll be stopping off at UCLA on November 8, along with him and him and them. Tour dates here. To the fam, last night was crackin. Same shit tonight.
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A collector’s item for the real Wu heads. The Tao of Wu is RZA’s second book, having dropped The Wu-Tang Manual back in ’05. The Tao offers a glimpse into the mind of the Wu-Tang general, one of hip-hop’s most intriguing figures and most influential producers. Featuring anecdotes taken directly from RZA’s own experiences, the book contains what he calls the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, drawing philosophical inspiration from the likes of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and of course, Bruce Lee. Should be a good read. Available now in hardcover.
After performing “Soldier” months ago on TV, P and company finally hit us with the CDQ today. No Wayne verse, but you gotta give the guys some credit for stretching the boundaries. This one is like Trenchtown meets the mosh pit. Not to mention the energy. Folks will go stupid to this here. Having just added Rhea, a new female member to the band, Pharrell says of their upcoming album, “we can go in so many more directions, because we have the vocal support,” adding, “this time we’re taking no prisonersâ€.
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At just 21 years old, British songstress Joss is a pretty has been doing her thing for a minute. With Saadiq handling production duties on her last album, she seems poised to cement her reputation as one of soul’s most promising young stars. To be real though, she still hadn’t really caught my attention until now. The Nas feature made me peep, but the song was well worth the listen. Honestly I didn’t even know she had this one in her. Plus it’s always nice to hear some thought provoking music. Colour Me Free drops October 20th on our side of the pond.
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Love him or hate him, Ye is the most inescapable influence in pop culture today. Personally, I think its creativity that keeps him so relevant. The music is dope, of course, but just as important is the attention to detail he puts into every piece of work his name is attached to. The dude is just flawless with the visual presentation. The Glow in the Dark book features shots from the tour, documented by Nabil Elderkin, who has built up a pretty ridiculous resume of late as both a director and photographer. He killed it, as expected. Coming soon to a coffee table near you.
A slap, if slightly generic. One of those tracks where you basically get what you were expecting. Some settled, borderline lazy verses from Snoop, and a catchy ass hook. I don’t think the majority of people get how hard Tricky Stewart has been going on the production tip for the last few years though. So for the record, he did this, this and this, plus every record you’ve heard by Mr. Radio Killa. Anyway, this song should be the soundtrack for some good times and some bad decisions. Malice N Wonderland is due out by the end of ’09.
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A nice-looking video from the Abstract himself. All icy graphics and pretty colors, with the one time Grammy-dominant Norah Jones co-starring. And yes, her voice is still sexy as hell. Props to director Goodtimes for putting it all together. “Life Is Better” is a late release from last year’s The Renaissance. Definitely better late than never for this one, but check here some of Tip’s latest (old) music off Kamaal the Abstract.
Had to hit em with the Dear Rob first. Hopefully now they’re they’re a bit more familiar. Hearing the music is one thing, the live performance is another experience. This one is a long time coming. For the Entourage cats, you heard his slap in Episode 10. Danny believes. Dubfreak believes. Here’s another appetizer. The feast is yet to come. We are nearing the tipping point.
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Some folks have been on the Ratatat train for a minute. Others just hopped on. Still some have yet to arrive to the station. For a brief introduction go here and then here. Recently, the duo recorded a few tracks for the Cudi album Man On The Moon. With the collaboration, it was the bands first foray into the world of hip hop as they partnered with Cudi and MGMT to produce Cudi’s third single, “Pursuit of Happiness.” A timeless slap to some, yet utter trash to others. Donoso knows. Evan Mast, one half of Ratatat recently sat down with Complex Mag to talk about the work they did with Cudi and how it all came about…
It’s always good to see the Wu back in action. Rae finally dropped the grimiest album in years, and now Tony Starks is back with Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, billed as a Ghostface R&B album, and featuring guest spots from the likes of Ne-Yo, John Legend and Estelle. “Goner” isn’t much like anything you would’ve heard on, say Supreme Clientele, but definitely a settled song. On some smooth, suave shit, complete with a guest appearance by the dude that makes cool R&B songs for Wayne to get on.
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This week marks the beginning of MTV’s Hottest MC’s list, a surefire topic of discussion for hip-hop heads everywhere. Once again though, I’m not gonna hold my breath for Black Thought to hit the list. The dude is just criminally slept on. Same old story with The Roots. It’s cool though. The hardest working band in the biz is still on their grind, making quality music as always. A dope video for the title track from the upcoming How I Got Over. Hope they can get back in the studio soon and finish up between Jimmy Fallon shows.
I will not lie. This video is MTV ready. I could see it on MTV JAMS, TRL or Sucker Free Sunday. But I wonder if MTV is really the place to be in the ’09? Regardless this is an accomplishment. Props to Colin & Bobby for their talent and creativity. Some more MDP’s. I think we’re all just getting started. Bob and I got tricks though. Stay tuned.
“A classic is classic not because it conforms to certain structural rules, or fits certain definitions. It is classic because of a certain eternal and irrepressible freshness.â€
When “Royal Flush” dropped last year, along with another ridiculous verse from 3 Stacks, Big Boi’s Sir Luscious Left Foot was already a pretty highly anticipated project. Now, almost a year and a half later, rumors are still swirling and the album still has yet to be released. Can’t be mad at some new Daddy Fat Sacks though, and this one is definitely a slap. Some shit for the trunk and pretty much exclusively for the weed smokers. A solid guest spot from Short, and the king of funk on the hook can’t hurt either. I can’t really tell you when to expect the album, so my best advice would be to marinate on this for the time being.
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A fun filled event for this Saturday. Rob Roy, Pac Div, the Cataracs and friends are coming to the Echoplex. With performances from them all, you’re bound to catch something you like. We’ll dance a little, sing some, and have a jolly time. Creedon’s coming down, I don’t know if lala’s ready for that. Rob Roy’s fresh off his Entourage debut, with substantial momentum it’ll be interesting to see what he comes with (I need to hear that “Carmencita”). The Cataracs are probably my MDP’s, although there are a gang of cats on their heels. And I’m pretty certain Pac Div will not disappoint. Good times to come. Cop tix here. MDP’s.. Most Doin It Peers
Some Saturday night music via Wale’s Twitter. Only appropriate to get Pharrell on a track for the pretty girls too. Apparently, this is another leak of Attention: Deficit, now due out November 10, after a fair amount of pushbacks. I’m juiced though. Drake and Cudi are killing it, setting the stage for Olubowale to make his move. He’ll be stopping off at UCLA on November 8, along with him and him and them. Tour dates here. To the fam, last night was crackin. Same shit tonight.
