Jeff Weiss is a writer from Los Angeles, Ca. He founded POW in late 2005, a curse that continues to this day.
He can be contacted at [email protected]. I guess.
| Cory Jreamz’s Search for Freedom | August 14, 2014 |
In the wake of the tragedy currently roiling Ferguson, a song like Cory Jreamz’s “Freedom” hits a little harder. Written well before the death of Michael Brown, the Houston native weighs the price of freedom, myriad forms of systemic oppression, the death of Sean Bell and a chant to fuck cops. The fact that it […]
After two decades scribbling words and searching for sounds, veteran artists are inevitably backed into one of two corners. You can update your classic template to prevailing trends, which usually results in disaster unless you’ve mastered the art of the swag dracula (Jay Z) or the art of the absurd (a la Snoop Dogg). Option […]
| The Grinch Attaks: Danny Brown and Rustie’s video | August 11, 2014 |
Danny Brown is a lyrical rapper who stays paid. Lyrics can, in fact, lead to paying 100 racks in taxes a year. Danny parties like a Roman senator, but refuses to dumb it down like an American senator. He has stayed hungry and rowdy. See also: this new video from “Attak,” which I already hailed before. […]
Over the last half-decade, Trackstar has established a level of consistency and quality in the mixtape game that would’ve made made him a legend if he screamed more and we lived in the days when we thrived off DJ compilations copped on Melrose and Venice Beach, and Canal Street. He is a friend, so bias […]
| Pens and Pixels: The new clip from Visuals (produced by Nicolas Jaar, ft. Dave Harrington) | August 6, 2014 |
Still waiting on Nicolas Jaar to produce for a rapper. When I interviewed him last year, we spoke about his love of hip-hop, dreams of producing it, and his “Lean Back” remix. If Fat Joe is looking for a final carpetbagging, it starts here. Instead, we get Visuals’ “A Pixel,” which tends to have a […]
Free flying horse rap for the fuck of it. Marq Spekt and Blockhead offer this cadeau (“gift” in French) as a token of appreciation in the wake of their Justplaywitit, released last week on Hipnott Records. The lineup is burnished with A-List rapping labyrinths, Aesop Rock and Open Mike Eagle. Over a pillowy psych-jazz sample, […]
| Video: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Harold’s” | August 5, 2014 |
Fried chicken, bathroom liaisons, Gary rotting in the snow, mild sauce, cookies, bandos, outstanding rapping, a loop with all the soul squeezed out of it from Madlib. What really gets me is the fries and the greasy bread stuck to the bottom. In the words of another gourmand, “fuck, that’s delicious.” The latest video from […]
| The Boosie Lifestyle | August 2, 2014 |
Boosie is one of the greatest because few rappers are more governed by their moods. The original Thug and Birdman version is a joyous celebration reminiscent of the Cash Money Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh era. The Bad Azz G-Mix could’ve been anything ranging from a euphoric yelp about newfound freedom to the most sinister […]
| Pete Rock Tribute Mix: James Brown | August 1, 2014 |
A Pete Rock mix of James Brown originals mixed into the rap songs that flipped the J.B. groove. Some things don’t need much explanation. And if you do need an explanation, read the Jonathan Lethem Rolling Stone profile on the Godfather of Soul, if nothing else for it’s award-winning use of “tuchis.”
| Skipp Coon: Lessons from Assata | July 31, 2014 |
It’s been four years since Skipp Coon first fulminated his gospel rap for the secular. Airing grievances over samples from Network, the fuck-the-world rage of Coon met the anguished fury of Howard Beale. In the same way that DOOM matched his persona to the villain and Ghostface became Tony Stark, Coon used cinematic skits to […]
