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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Wayne is pretty exceptional at talking shit, but he’s often at his best when he’s talking from personal experience. “Single” like say, “Something You Forgot” catches Wayne describing the kind of relationship problems many of us are too familiar with. Fights, trust issues. That type of shit. Set to a woozy backdrop of reversed guitars, this is one of the strangest, but also one of the more interesting tracks on the mixtape. An ode to being “single for the night”. Oh, and just to cover all the bases, you can download the full, official version of No Ceilingshere, complete with the four new tracks and higher quality audio. Personally I’m riding with “Wasted” as the hardest track. Ariel’s on the “Swag Surfin” though, and Camila fucks with “Wayne on Me”. Anybody else got a favorite?
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Something to wake up to for the folks who haven’t heard the good news yet. If you live under a rock or something, I’ll fill you in. Wayne is back. Rapping on other peoples’ beats. With minimal features, no autotune, and no guitars. For those of us who became true believers after Dedication 2, or even Drought 3, this is something to get juiced about. Likewise for those of us who thought “Prom Queen” left something to be desired. Without further adieu, let’s get to it. No Ceilings.
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I’m glad Wayne hopped on this. I wanted to slap this in the whip but Gucci and Plies don’t touch the stereo unless it’s on accident. Luckily, we’ve got Wayne. I guess the question that many of us are asking lies right before us. Has Wayne peaked? For the past 3 years we’ve witnessed the ascension, we’ve witnessed the process, but I wonder, can he really top himself? The relentless nature of Wayne’s production allows us to chart his progression song by song. He’s gotten our attention, so now we listen with a critical ear. The best artists keep us in anticipation. I wonder what Wayne will do next.
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