Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought?

May
26

Congrats are in order to Andrew Barber, the impresario behind Chicago hip-hop, one-stop shop, Fake Shore Drive. Today marks the release of the site’s first mixtape, hosted by The Cool Kids, and featuring cuts from the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Rhymefest, Twista, and of course, the duo of Chuck English and Mikey Rox.… Continue reading »

May
26

On Mavado, The UCLA Jazz Reggae Festival, and Being “Up for Some Reggae”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThDL6joJfDs Despite the sickening suspicion of similarities between myself and the extroverted pseudo-Bohemian asshole up above, I spent the majority of my Memorial Day weekend camped out at the UCLA Jazz and Reggae festival. I previewed it for the Times last Friday, so if you’re interested in the logistics head there. As for the event… Continue reading »

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
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
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
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

Soul Sides-Five Year Anniversary Party, Tonight

All the cool kids are doing it.

May
13

Riding on a Bloodhound Ringing the Bell, Black Cat Wrapped in the Road Map to Hell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp6U_5qEE0Y Scrambling around on deadline, and cognizant that with this clip, the site is treading perilously into I CAN HAZ CHEEZBURGER territory, but I couldn’t resist. Glenn Beck is the Toby Keith of journalism. Watching Fox News in 2009 is a perversely joyous experience, like watching the Washington Generals furiously flop to the Harlem Globetrotters.… Continue reading »

May
13

Soul Wednesdays

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vutb1OgXdQ It’s playoff time–posting will be light. We will just have to accept this. Sure, I could’ve indulged my pretensions, but I was busy watching Phil Jackson finally break down and give Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown the minutes they deserve. Winning by 40 is nice, but if you can’t beat an enervated Rockets squad… Continue reading »

May
12

The Psychedelic Runway of the Joker and South Philadubstep

The Joker’s not the next big thing. He already was two years ago, as an 18-year old prodigy straight out of trip-hop mecca, Bristol. Even then, he was initially pegged as a savior of grime, then dubstep. Making beats on Fruity Loops at 14, spinning regularly at 15, always heavily hyped, as far as heavily… Continue reading »