Sometimes there are those songs that just transcend. That break out of their genre and reach the ears of those outside an artist’s immediate demographic. I think it’s safe to say Adele’s sultry ode to revenge, “Rolling in the Deep,” was one of those songs. Already covered by the formidable John Legend, recently Wayne decided to put his spin on the #1 hit. Breaking out into a two and a half minute stream of consciousness, Wayne reminds us why we fell in love with him in the first place. Let’s just forget about the rock shit and imagine he went from Carter III to this.
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Almost every time I hear Colin’s name nowadays I remember a conversation I had a couple years ago with a friend from High School outside Gioia Pizzeria in Berkeley. The conversation went something like this:
Him:Did you hear about Colin Tilley? Me: No, what’s up with him? Him:Dude, he went to L.A. to become a music video director! Me: Oh word? Him:Yeah, how stupid. He thinks he’s gonna direct music videos for a living. He didn’t even go to college…
And ever since then that conversation has been ingrained in my mind. The reality of it all so undeniable. If I’ve taken anything from that conversation and Colin’s rise it’s quite simply to follow your passion, no matter what anyone says. I wonder if he knew it would be like this? I guess he saw it before anyone else…
The Jay and Yeezy is extra epic. The Ducktails is super settled. James Blake gave me the chills with “Wilhelm’s Scream”, and Wayne went in on “Roman’s Revenge”. And if you, like me and everybody else, think of “Spottieottiedopalicious” as something not to be fucked with, give Nacey’s remix a minute to grow on you. It’s actually pretty dope. By the next time we drop a Leftovers installment, it will have been a year since we dropped the first one, which gives me some perspective. Having a platform is cool. When you’re a music nerd, it’s even cooler to be able to share music with folks with open ears and minds. So thanks for listening.
Grouping music in 12-month periods every December always seems a little arbitrary. Putting them in order and deciding which ones are better than other ones seems a little arbitrary too. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for the grandiose lists and the music nerd arguments that inevitably follow. But at the end of the day, it’s all just music. A bit less arbitrary though, in my book, is showing love to folks who put out great work. And here at W&B, it’s something we like to do whenever we get the chance.
To be real, these were the artists that provided the soundtrack to a lot of our lives this year. While Cunningham was slappin Freddie Gibbs in Beijing, Jesse and I were on the road with The Black Keys on repeat. And whether we were standing in awe of the “Window Seat” video, drunkenly belting “Fuck You” at the top of our lungs, or watching Mr. West’s beautifully sprawling fantasy come to life, 2010 definitely had some moments worth revisiting. So given the timing, we thought it was only appropriate to recap, review and share some of our favorites with you.
Good songs come from a lot of different places. I remember last month at the Foreign Exchange show at Yoshi’s SF, Phonte spoke on the all-too-common, and frankly unnecessary debate between “mainstream” and “indie” fans. The Foreign Exchange proceeded to hit us with the musically inclined, neo-soul versions of “Turn My Swag On” and “Stanky Leg”, among others. That shit was comedy. The point being that at the end of the day, it’s all music, and the lines people tend to draw often have more to do with perception than musical quality. With the Bowties crowd, maybe I’m preaching to the choir. You guys have some eclectic tastes, which is why I can drop some Diddy and some Beach House in the same post, and not really think twice about it. Anyway, we’re glad to have you behind us. The best is yet to come.
Damn, is it really August already? By some folks’ logic, I think that’s supposed to mean Summer should be winding down. Personally, I like my glasses half-full, so let’s just say there’s a whole month left. Lately, I’m pretty partial to the Freddie Gibbs tape, but Arcade Fire, Slum Village and Seu Jorge’s new projects have all been getting some burn too. For my B-Town folks, I’m not mad at the latest from the Cataracs either. A little pop shit is only healthy. Hit MORE for all of the above, plus the new single from Wayne and Drizzy.
Had to joog the late night crowd. Leftovers don’t always come a week apart, but this week had some gems, so it seemed like the right thing to do. Big Boi’s Sir Luscious Left Foot finally saw the light of the day this week, which is reason enough for some of us to get juiced. If you feel like making that purchase and supporting a legend, check here. Either way, we got you covered on some new shit, with tracks from Ricky Ross & Drake, Chromeo and The Roots, to name a few. The Saadiq cover of “It’s A Shame” is the one to check for though.
We’re gonna slap this at the next celebration. Can you see it? Really, can you see it? We’re gonna treat our celebrations like albums. Each one will evolve from the last. It’s really, really bad. Shoutout to Rizzle and Lee Blair. They put on here more than anyone, and for that I’m appreciative. This is a special rendition of the hit that put Wayne on. Brought to on behalf of Sir Ian Mac. I’m realizing more and more it’s all about the small victories. It was the two years leading up to “Lollipop” that created the magic. “Lollipop” was just the tipping point. So you see it’s a marathon, not a sprint. We’re running laps out here, and we will never stop.
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Nicki’s one of those artists I go back and forth with. One day she’ll impress me, the next day I’ll wonder. But recently she’s been impressing. Before I heard her rap I heard her speak, and she got my attention. From there Roy introduced me to the “Always Love You”, and I found myself putting on for her. And then Harriet the Spy started fucking with her and it was over. But then I wonder, is she winning by default? I mean, what other female rappers are there? I think I’d win a game of 1 on 1 if I wasn’t playing against anyone. Nonetheless, Nicki’s doing it. This is my favorite slap thus far, so Nicki gets that Bowties love.
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Sorry to be a little late with this one, but it’s just necessary. The latest clip from Erykah is about as simple as it gets from a production standpoint. From a visual standpoint it’s the kind of video that just fucks with your head. Psychedelic to say the least. Half the time it’s hard to even figure out what you’re looking at. The song is now slated to be a web-only bonus, but the album, headed by lead single “Window Seat”, is due out March 30th. Expect something serious.
For those of you who missed the show, Wayne, Em and Drizzy shut it down, starting with the Rebirth collab “Drop the World” and of course, “Forever”. Cole knows better than most of us. Overall, the night, and the actual awards given out left something to be desired. After all, it was the Grammys. These three on stage was pretty iconic either way though, even if Yeezy was a no show. Don’t know if it was touching this though. As usual, GaGa went hard with the performance too, pulling a Shady and bringing out Elton John. Check below for the footage.
There’s not a whole lot of people on the planet in the same league of cool as Erykah. Something about the way she carries herself, and her creative energy; it’s just different from anybody else out there. Almost two years ago, the first installment of New Amerykah marked Ms. Badu’s return to the game with a woozy, strange and politically motivated groover of an album. Luckily for us, part two is on the way, and it looks like we’re in for an experience. “Jump Up in the Air” finds her enlisting Wayne for a collab that’s as sinister as it is soulful. This shit is too dope.
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As the year comes to a close, we thought it was only appropriate to share with you the music that inspired us most. Off top, let me make it clear that this isn’t “top” or “best” anything. Contrary to popular opinion, this music thing is not a competition. Not to mention that trying to collapse a year’s worth of music into a comprehensive playlist just isn’t really feasible. Just ask Lily Allen, Pac Div or about 100 otherartists who easily could’ve ended up on this short list. Having said that, it’s only right to pay homage to the tracks that made our life that much more enjoyable. Whether they made us sing and dance, contemplate our lives or drive way too fast in the whip, the artists behind these 25 deserve a little recognition. Consider it their gift to you.
Hyphen just laced us with some gold. A “unique” rendition of the devastatingly infectious Birdman hit, “Money to Blow.” One of those songs you can’t stop slapping, but are mad at because Birdman made it. Nonetheless, this is jokes. Already watched this shit three times.
Eskay calls it the Rebirth collabo that Weezy’s wanted since forever, since “Forever” doesn’t count. I just know collabs between legends are generally reason enough to get juiced. Tracks like “Brooklyn’s Finest” and “Renegade” pretty much set the standard for our generation, with Em absolutely destroying the latter. “Black Republicans” and “Mr. Carter” were cool too, even if they didn’t quite live up to the hype. So all judgments aside, here’s one we’ve been patiently waiting on: Wayne and Marshall. “Drop the World”. You decide.
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