2009 May » Passion of the Weiss

May
22

Wale ft. Young Chris, Peedi Crakk, Black Thought, and A Guy with a Bad “Batman” Derived Name-”Hot Shyt”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q30xfNjRquA Too bad the Philly Freezer and Beans didn’t rip this. Presumably, they might’ve advised Black Thought against shouting out Pitchfork in a rap song. No disrespect to my friends who write there (it’s usually a good site), but that’s the lamest name-drop since Nas copped to a Barbara Streisand fixation on “It’s Mine.” Couldn’t… Continue reading »

May
21

LA Times Review: Cam’ron “The Black Gallagher” Giles–Crime Pays”

In an ideal world, the Maybach Music and Toyota Tercel rhymes of Rick Ross’ Deeper than Rap would’ve been exchanged with Crime Pays’, “Ross Dress for Less” Beats and Bergdorf Goodman raps. If you’re scratching your head at the clunkiness of the mixed metaphor, that’s the point–it’s Killa, the man calling out for a James… Continue reading »

May
20

Shark Tank Shit

The problem isn’t white rappers.* The problem is the popular perception that beyond the Beasties, Vanilla Ice, Everlast, Marky Mark, Eminem, and Asher Roth, white rappers don’t exist. You probably don’t need me to tell me you this. The few thousand people reading this don’t need NY Magazine’s comprehensive guide to white rap, or my… Continue reading »

May
20

The Transcendence of Tinariwen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GahGcVbF-4I Somewhere in a dazed diatribe, I recall mentioning the revelation of Tinariwen at Coachella. The notes I took during the performance are crude and cryptic. Bear with me. The gist is that the set was one of those times when a battery of hallucinogenic ideas infect your head–the notion of what it means… Continue reading »

May
19

John Vanderslice, I Hardly Knew Ye

Maybe it’s time I gave John Vanderslice another shot–even if the Game’s pushed less weight than a midget sumo wrestler. D: So what do you think of acts like No Age—bands that intentionally shirk self-consciousness, or make a point of being shambolic? JV: If you’d asked me what I’d wanted to do five years ago,… Continue reading »

May
19

Same Song and Dance: Eminem’s Relapse

12 years after Eminem tried to lock up Cage’s career before it even began, he’s essentially co-opted his fellow white rapper’s schtick: Clockwork Orange rap. Or to scavenge the carrion of rappers wounded in his “5 Star Generals” days, this is closer to what you’d imagine the Insane Clown Posse would do, were they blessed… Continue reading »

May
18

A Reunited Pharcyde Discuss Breakups, Makeups and J Dilla

There’s something sad about watching a once-great group sing old songs because nobody wants to hear the new ones. Except The Pharcyde don’t have new ones, even though they’ve been “reunited” since last year’s Rock the Bells–which means that their performance at at the Santa Monica Pier last Friday was solely to cash a check.… Continue reading »

May
17

Black Moth Super Rainbow-”Neon Syrup for the Cemetary Sisters”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E53uBhnvAk Stuck inside on a gorgeous Sunday, writing a feature on Black Moth Super Rainbow. The only consolation is that listening to this song inside is a halfway approximation of the halcyon weather. Living vicariously, I suppose. This band is severely underrated. Pre-Order: Black Moth Super Rainbow–Eating Us MP3: Black Moth Super Rainbow-”Neon Syrup for… Continue reading »

May
15

Exile on Melrose–Fat Beats In-Store Footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IkowzZyBO8 Admittedly, you’re taking a recommendation from someone who missed Exile’s set at Fat Beats last Saturday, to see The Grateful Dead. So maybe the MPC mastery of Aleksandr Manfredi is the hip-hop equivalent of the drum circle–meaning I’m the prime demographic. Still, between Fly Lo, Exile, Nosaj Thing, Gaslamp Killer, and, of course, the… Continue reading »

May
14

Smokin’ Dro-”Hey Bud, Let’s Party”: A Look at the MLB Players You’d Want to Drink With

After a sojourn in Switzerland, where he picked fights with a half-dozen cuckoo clock scions, thus, reversing their neutrality policy, Sandro Colacicco has returned. Baseball players are historically known as partiers. After all, it’s one of the only sports where you can actually show up to work hung over and do a good job. Baseball… Continue reading »