Or its alternate title: What I did on my spring break with Blade Runner, 2001, Empire Strikes Back, and several canisters of Sour Diesel.
[Via West Coast Sound]
Download:
MP3: Flying Lotus-”Beginner’s Falafel”
SACH all capitals, no trick spelling.
Daniel Dumile albums aren’t supposed to be comforting; they’re supposed to be disturbing, awkward, and a mindfuck to all but the most dedicated, blunt-smoking, mind-warped, boom-bap rap fans. Maybe it was the corny Adult Swim tie in (we forgive you DOOM), maybe it was the undeniably classic Madlib collabo, maybe it was familiarity, but at some point in the past few years the man formerly known as Metal Face became more teddy bear than grizzly, less super villain than super emcee.
Truthfully, this isn’t the tour de force I expected. Still, like pizza and sex, even at their most ho-hum, the combination of Starks, the Chef, and Al-Qaeda Jada is always a good thing (Lingering pause). No bad performances here, but the beat strikes me as a bit too Just Blaze-lite. Worth downloading for the image of Pretty Tone pissing in Cristal at a lavish banquet, alone. If I ever interview Ghost again, I’m going to get the name of his furrier.
[Via Who Else?]
Download:
MP3: Jadakiss ft. Ghostface & Raekwon-”Cartel Gathering”
This Johnny Haastrup cut from Nigeria Disco Funk Special, popped up on shuffle during my endless ride out to San Bernardino last weekend. Trite adjectives like “funky” don’t do it justice–you’ll just have to listen. I don’t have time to delve into the biography of the post-highlife God/ex-member of Ginger Baker’s Air Force. Luckily, there’s this post from With Comb & Razor, probably the best African music blog out there. And of course, there’s “Greetings,” the ideal way to transcend the dregs of a Monday afternoon.
Download:
MP3: Johnny Haastrup-”Greetings” (Left-Click)
Few things irk me more than the glut of critics self-righteously spitting at all things indie rap, while championing OJ Da Juice Man as the savior–as though there weren’t reams of photo negatives of them rocking backwards fitteds and Jansports. Conversely, nothing seems more trite than dudes championing “that real hip-hop,” while sneering at anyone with a recording budget bigger than one month’s rent.
It’s hard for me to critique the Paid Dues Festival. I’ve got boundless respect for both Murs and Guerilla Union: their contributions to hip-hop, their tireless work at preserving the culture, and the music/shows they’ve been a part of. Both Murs, Brother Ali, et. al, love and appreciate their fiercely loyal fan-bases, something clearly evident during the marathon autograph-signing sessions they put in following their sets.
Off to Paid Dues in a few hours, which I’ll be reviewing for the Times. Having seen nearly every act on the bill multiple times, I’m most excited to see Slaughterhouse’s West Coast debut. Also anxious to hear the new Cage material—and if B-Real plays “Hits from the Bong” or “I Want To Get High,” I’ll certainly heed the instruction.
I also admit to a certain curiosity in watching Tech Nyne perform–not because I’m a fan per se, but because he strikes me as the quintessential example of a dude who rap magazines and bloggers ignore, yet probably makes more money than any non A-lister. The dude’s soundscanned 1,000,000 copies during the last decade, most of them on his own Strange Music imprint. Figure that he’s shifting them for $15 a pop, money that isn’t getting ciphoned off by a major, add that to touring and merch sales, and I’d bet that he’s got more money than the entirety of the “We Takin’ Over” video combined (Baby and Wayne aside.)
In fact, the only Tech song ever to get a hint of mainstream play was this classic joint off the Sway and King Tech album, one of the more slept-on posse cuts of the late 90s. Probably because it wasn’t a posse cut, just a collection of some all-world MC’s–save for Jayo Felony. Not like the guy was bad, but he’s certainly not on par with the rest. Maybe he had some great Afghan Kush or something?
Download:
Bonus–also from Sway and King Tech-This or That
MP3: Guru-”NY Niggaz”
Scott Towler is back like “Fletch Lives.”
Scott Towler: This is a first for me, interviewing a critic. Let alone one that’s in Vietnam, so I want to make sure everything gets its due diligence.
SO: Word, Dilligence is very important, shout out to J Dilla. I actually made my bio between shifts at work, I think that really shined through and you picked up on that directly though the mental on some telepathic shit. No homo.
ST: Exactly. So, that being said, we’re just going to dive right in here: The year is 2020, the world is overrun with zombies, but you, somehow, remain immune.
SO: That ain’t even no sci-fi son. The world is ALREADY 85% dumb deaf and blind so that’s already come to pass like prophecy. So ima just keep doin it like I been doin it, maxin and relaxin in hot weather with some old funk records and a beer in hand.
Almost 25 years have elapsed since the Rick Rubin-helmed, Licensed to Ill found the Beasties staking their claim as the first major rap group to incorporate guitar-hero rawk (”Rock Box” aside). Such juxtaposition seems prosaic today, but it’s almost impossible to grasp how revolutionary sampling Led Zep, The Clash, and Sabbath once seemed—and that was just on the first track, “Rhymin’ and Stealin.”
Throughout their career, the Beasties have been unfairly maligned as ciphers manipulated by mastermind collaborators–from Rubin, to the Dust Brothers and Matt Dike, to the Dalai Lama (dude is lights out on the wind chimes)–an assumption that trivializes their abilities. Do you know how hard it is for ex-Bar Mitzvah’s to be that good at rapping? It’s on some Augean labors type shit. Trust. But beyond the peerless discography, including three classics (Check Your Head, Paul’s Boutique, Licensed to Ill, two very good albums (Ill Communication and Hello Nasty) and one post 9/11 aberration that no one shall mention by name, the Beasties remain the gold standard of rap-rock fusion.
I’m not sure when I’ll be able to stop replaying this one. This is one of those songs that I made the decision to post halfway through Red’s verse. If you’d told me that in 2009, Reggie and Clifford would be making tracks with Jeezy ad-libs and auto-tune, I’d have sold my copy of Muddy Waters back to the Wherehouse.* But this is just absurdly good. According to Def Jam’s website, Blackout 2 is slated to drop April 28. Maybe we should all start writing letters to Lyor Cohen now.
In the interim, you should re-evaluate the first Blackout, a sorely underrated effort. Moldering in the Stylus archives lies this excellent exegesis from Barry “Disco Vietnam” Schwartz. Read, download, smoke, etc.
*That’s completely a lie, you’d have to pry that shit from my cold, sativa-stained claws.
[Via Full Clip]
Download:
MP3:Method Man and Redman ft. Bun B-”City Lights”
Along with sets from Dirty Projectors and Akron/Family, Grizzly Bear’s performance under the pale icicle-lit eaves of the Cedar Street Courtyard, made for one of the most memorable moments of the festival. Particularly, this collaboration with Beach House’s Victoria Legrand on Vecktamist stand-out, “Two Weeks.”
In administrative news, expect part two of the Rap-Rock piece by tomorrow, with a full SXSW wrap-up due Friday. In the meantime, enjoy this video and the MP3 for “Cheerleader,” which the band recently made available for free download. And yes, if you were wondering, Vecktamist is my current front-runner for AOY.
[Via Gorilla V. Bear; h/t You Ain’t No Picasso]
Download:
MP3: Grizzly Bear-”Two Weeks” (Live on Letterman)
MP3: Grizzly Bear-”Cheerleader”
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