When the evening itinerary includes two shows featuring two musical polar-opposites playing at two distinct venues, the question of how to dress comes up. The early all-ages show, Tilly & The Wall, demanded at least some consideration of hipster kitsch, but the after-midnight sludge/doom show called for a different wardrobe entirely.

I don't particularly care all that much about what I'm wearing, or what people think about my clothes, but the dichotomous nature of Thursday evening's lineup would have certainly required a delicate balancing act for the more fashion forward among us-- TIlly & The Wall is one step short of a teeny-bopper band; The Roller's guitarist describes their sound as "dirt." Without a change of clothes, you're just not going to fit in at either place if you're really trying, eh?

I just wore some dark pants and a white t-shirt. The first show was terribly poppy, the second terribly loud. Nothing like extremes.

brett at 03:11 PM on July 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night Megan and I had a chance to see JJ and the rest of Eagle*Seagull perform at the Independent in San Francisco to a crowd of 500+. They played a 45 minute set, followed by a wonderful, young band that I've never heard before: Tokyo Police Club (get your download on!).

This show was one of the first in a long US tour for E*S, after which they will head (back) to Europe. JJ's birthday was yesterday, so Megan and I brought him various gifts (a small, Monterey pillbox and a CA-1 pin) and also baked the band some double-top secret cookies (double-top secret meaning that Megan and I will never reveal the secret ingredient [and you'll never guess it]!).

Sound at the venue was awesome, and as Jim (who was along for the tour doing sound) said: it was the best he's heard Eagle*Seagull sound in a long time. We enjoyed the show from some great balcony seats (thanks for the wristbands and drinks, JJ!).

Aside from all that, we grabbed some dinner at Herbivore with JJ, which was stupendous. It was a great night, but even now, 12 hours later, I'm beat. We didn't stay in the city and arrived back on the peninsula at about 1:30 a.m. Good thing my first class isn't until four in the afternoon!

Tomorrow, E*S will play the first of three shows in Los Angeles. Best of luck to them on the tour, it's nice to see Nebraska represent on the west coast.

brett at 01:55 PM on March 25, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I (and a few friends) have started a collaborative hip-hop blog, Whatever's Good. Swing by and check it out. Send it to your friends. Prepare for world domination.

In the meantime, this blog will revert to being more about me and less about music. Holla!

brett at 12:40 PM on January 02, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Every time I see a Miami artist (Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, etc.) do a video for a song with a Runners beat, I can't help but feel like I'm observing a higher quality version of Grand Theft Auto. It's like, the kids who were playing it finally grew up and get to act it out.

These guys live strange lives to be sure. Miami rap is weird. Cheers to beards, though.

Also, what the fuck is DJ Khaled talking about? I want to meet this guy's ego so bad. I'm sure it will be the most oppressive thing I'll encounter in my life.

brett at 02:20 PM on December 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scarface has the slow flow that I love. This is a blessing and a curse: dude's albums are rarely strong from beginning to end, but there's always some gems.

Same goes for his most recent effort, M.A.D.E.. Lots of filler, and a bit of killer. I'd like to share some of it with you now. Check out Git Out My Face, I'm sure it will brighten your Friday, especially if you have to deal with haters all week.

brett at 02:01 PM on December 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anyone wanna give me an invite to waffles? If you've got one, you know what I'm talking about. Hook it up, will ya? Hit me in the comments or somethin'. Thanks in advance.

brett at 12:43 PM on December 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm long overdue in posting a link to Plenty White. It's not just another hip-hop blog... or is it?! Anyway, my approval stamp has been stamped, as if it was really even necessary.

brett at 09:20 AM on December 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

The first video here is Baby Bash f. Sean Kingston, "What Is It", a catchy club tune that I couldn't resist posting. I'm not sure what's going on with the anti-iPod theme though: saturated, color changing backgrounds with black and white clubbers in front? Perhaps they should have just made everyone a silhouette.

The second video only appeals to me insofar as it reminds me of 1996 and 1997 in southern rap music, back when bedroom-booty rap started to break into the mainstream. Here's Mike Jones and Hurricane Chris with "Drop and Gimme 50." Hilarious song. Hilarious video. Let's all laugh together and shake our fannys.

I also got this: Dangermouse remixing Nas, "It Ain't Hard to Tell"--a softer addendum to today's post. But wait! How could the day be complete without some new Lil Wayne? Here's Yung Berg featuring Lil Wayne & Brisco, "Bitch Please".

Props to Pandatoes, Nahright and others somewhere out on the far reaches of the hip-hop interweb.

brett at 08:25 AM on December 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

brett at 01:55 PM on December 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Solid album. I got my leak today and I'm all about it: RZA's beats are on point and the lyrics flow nice. Very early NYC sounding, not exactly gritty, but much more Jeru/Pete Rock style I'd say. I love this kind of stuff: it's real hip-hop and it's a return to form for RZA, at least. I heard a lot of complaining coming from within the Wu ranks, most of them running along the lines of "RZA likes guitars too much." My only response to that is: suck it haters, RZA won, you lost. This album will get critical acclaim--even with that dumb cover.

So RZA's good, but as far as the group goes, well, there will never be another 36 Chambers; never another Wu-Tang Forever.

You can cop a leak here if you've got a torrent client and stuff. Great album.

brett at 12:53 PM on December 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm not going to do a whole obit on Pimp C. I'm only going to say that he was legendary, and one of the best who ever did it in the south. He opened a lot of doors for a lot of people, and it's sad that he's gone. He was angry, and he was all about the music--he was a uniter, as they say. If you haven't ever listened to old UGK, do yourself a favor and pick up their early 90s stuff. It's amazing.

The only other thing that I've got is a single song. I think it's appropriate to post this today, because it is certainly my favorite verse ever by the Pimp. Have a listen to Crooked Lettaz f. Pimp C - Get Crunk.

brett at 09:05 AM on December 06, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pusha, one half of the Cliipse, decided to toss up a little video on the Re-Up Gang blog in response to Lil Wayne's interview in this month's Complex Magazine. After the obligatory self-promotion at the beginning, it's clear that Pusha is mad.

I'm troubled by this because I love Weezy, but I also happen to love Pusha and the Clipse. These are probably the two best lyricists in hip-hop, and it looks like they've got real beef, now. Most beef in rap, however, usually blows over, simply because there's too much money to be made when people work together--and as we all know, controversy drives sales, just ask Kanye and 50 Cent.

The most significant part of Pusha's monologue is all of the gun talk. It's a bit frightening, and when coming from his mouth in this context is also a lot realer than rapping about hollowtips. Let's hope that no real shells start flying.

brett at 02:52 PM on December 05, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's no secret: I love Spank Rock. From his high pitched voice to his humpty-esque style, the guy is amazing. He completely reimagined the Miami Bass genre, regionally popular almost 20 years ago, and brought it to an entirely new crowd of ass-shaking hipsters in 2006 - 2007. Last month's EP, Bangers & Cash would definitely have made my top 10 of the year, had it been more than six tracks long.

In any case, there's videos. The newest of which just dropped today, for the song "B.O.O.T.Y." is amazing, and a nice follow-up to the incredibly vulgar, cartoony "Pu$$y". They're both here, but with the caveat that the lyrics are definitely NSFW, and the video for "Pu$$y" is probably not safe anywhere.

I love everything about this. The bass is absolutely overpowering, and combined with Spank's frantic pace, it becomes a total assault on the senses--just listen to the siren cranking in the background. Shit's going down. These songs were designed for only one purpose--Okay, well, maybe two: the dance floor and the strip club. Check out "Pu$$y" below, but be sure to hide the kids.

Gee, I wonder what was on Spank Rock's mind when he put together this little EP. Wowzers. I can't wait for more from him.

brett at 08:36 AM on December 05, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm about to put you on to the Girl Talk slaying mix-mash-man known as Easter Egg. This is something like A-Trak's Dirty South Dance, but not exactly: it has ADD, is on Adderall, and doesn't know how to stop--which is fine, considering it is a dance mixtape and as such, demands chaos.

Get your copy of Hipsters & Wiggers Vol. 1. Download, rinse, repeat. I should mention, this is a bona fide mashup: you're going to get about 60 or 70 different tracks and artists, compressed down into an hour of listening. Just see if you can stay seated.

brett at 10:33 AM on December 04, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I meant to post this video after it ended up in my mailbox, but sort of forgot about it for a week. Thanks to Jessica for putting me on to this.

Track is called "Laid Back in the Sun," and reminds us all that Keith is the godfather, he's been doing the spaced out shit since before Your Favorite Rapper ever laced up his first pair of Tims--even Lil Wayne. Weezy was in diapers when Keith was rappin' about doo-doo and men from Mars.

brett at 10:26 AM on December 04, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is the most hardcore song I'm ever going to post on my blog. You should probably be waving a really heavy gun if you plan to listen to it. God, I love Daz Dillinger--still gutter after, what, 15 years of making rap? Can't take the hood out of dude. Song's called, "Only on the Left Side,"off the soon-to-be-released album of the same name, and it's hardcore. So hardcore that it makes me wanna break out some Westside Connection and reminisce--the early 90s LA scene really produced some amazing voices, just listen to the way Daz controls the mic. Bullets to your head.

Wow. What an adrenaline rush. For something more festive, and a bit lighter, check out Gorilla Zoe f. Neighborhood Superstars & Block - It's Christmas. Jingle bling, indeed. I'll never understand why rappers feel the need to make Christmas songs, but it's been a tradition for sometime now, anyone remember David Banner's, "The Christmas Song"? Equally insane.

Also, there's a new single out off of Birman's forthcoming Five Star Stunna, I Run This. Nice beat, nice flow.

Other shit to read today would include the Lil Wayne interview over at XXL, where he reveals, for the 1,226th time, that he is completely mental. All hail the dreaded syrup-sippa. Also, I'm curious, does anyone else wonder about how long Weezy will be keeping his locks? I'm of the opinion that they will probably be attached to his noggin until they grow into a floor-scraping Sadhu mess.

brett at 09:07 AM on December 04, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

New Kid Sister video featuring none other than rap's one and only Ego With Legs, Mr. Kanye West. As eskay puts it, I can't believe 'Ye even showed up for the video.

I love this girl, but am upset to see her working with Kanye--I guess that's just Chicago love. Ah well, "Pro Nails" is still great, but it ain't no Switchboard. Download that and proceed to bump.

brett at 02:39 PM on December 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (4)

This is nothing more than my personal favorite list for 2007. I'm not trying to beat Pitchfork or mirror Pitchfork. I'm not trying to give a comprehensive review of rap music. I'm only listing my personal favorites: the albums that truly made a difference this year, the ones that have some kind of staying power and will still find their way into my CD player at this time next year. These are the albums that affected me, and by sharing this list, I hope that they might affect you as well. Without further ado, here is my top ten of 2007.

1. Lil Wayne - Da Drought 3

How couldn't this be the top album of the year? Is there anything that hasn't already been said of this double disc that I can add? How about this: Da Drought 3 is not only the best album of the year, it will be remembered as one of the greatest releases of this decade--something to go down in rap history, next to other classic discs from the 90s such as Ready to Die or Aquemini. Yeah, I said it.

The album signals the beginning of something new, a significant return to lyricism and creativity, as well as a rebirth and new direction for southern rap. With Da Drought 3, Lil Wayne gave everyone a peek beyond the borders of What Rap Music Can Be, and he did it for free. This disc still exists online, without charge, and is accessible to you at any time. A musical triumph, intensely fun, endlessly repeatable and forever whimsical: it is Lil Wayne at his crowd pleasing best. The word apotheosis was invented for moments like Da Drought 3.

2. Amon Tobin - Foley Room

From Brazilian composer Amon Tobin's brain comes Foley Room, an album composed entirely of the random bits of noise floating around in all of our brains. Amon Tobin took the time to adhere those noises into something coherent, and called it Foley Room, after the special sound-effects studios used by movie theaters for soundtracks. Tobin created every sample used on the record himself. Using high-intensity microphones he recorded everything from roaring tigers to the sound of ants munching grass, and out of that, he manufactured a 50-minute long dreamspace.

3. A-Trak - Dirty South Dance

Forget Girltalk. This is the mashup album of the year. Handed out from the stage at SXSW earlier this summer, this 5000 copy limited release disc is a piece of booty-shaking brilliance. A-Trak (Kanye West's DJ) created a masterpiece electronica and dirty south, mashing together songs from the likes of Yung Joc, Simian Mobile Disco, Rick Ross, and more. This CD is infinitely pleasurable to listen to from start to finish, and becomes more rewarding with each repeat. You'll want to be standing up for it, preferably holding a drink and near someone to grind on.

4. Blue Scholars - Bayani

The Blue Scholars were the underground success of the year. Seattle's activist duo of Geo and Sabzi created an honest record showcasing their feelings about topics ranging from the War in Iraq, to immigration and even the WTC riots of a decade ago. The sounds are purely Pacific Northwest underground--deep, melodic and slow-rolling--and after having interviewed and seen the two in concert, I can say that Bayani is a product of blood and sweat more than a few years.

5. Justice - †

Who doesn't like this album? It's any easy pick to make, handing out props to the French dance duo for Cross, but it seems right. I can't count how many times I've repeated their spastic techno bleepers in my headphones, dreaming of somewhere far from my desk.

6. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Though I'm not all that qualified to critique music from this genre, I can at least praise it. I found Spoon's release Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga to be one of the most fun, enjoyable albums of the year from any artist. The sound they bring smacks of 50s nostalgia and deals with topics close to the heart. It's tight, practiced and beautiful in every way. I love it, and now acknowledge that there is something to Billy DeFrain's fandom with this Austin four-piece.

7. Busta Rhymes & J. Dilla - Dillagence

Man. This album just dropped and seems something like an accident: Busta Rhymes appears from left-field with a fistful of J. Dilla tracks that he's all of a sudden decided to spit over--and they're great. It's a return to form for Busta, who has been in somewhat of a career-lull (they happen when you've been in the game for 20+ years), and it makes me a lot more excited for whatever he's got coming next. Perhaps the album is a bit more real because Busta is rapping over music from his deceased friend, J.Dilla, a man Busta called "the best producer." That's a big statement from Bus-a-Bus, but I can't disagree with him. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this gem--it's free, after all.

8. Lil Wayne - Carter III Sessions

We all know the story by now: Lil Wayne, working on the third installment of his Carter series of albums, has a CD full of masters taken from his car by an overzealous valet and subsequently leaked to the net. Weezy didn't get mad, he just let it go and headed back to the studio to make some more tracks.

The group of songs on this CD represents only a tiny portion of the material Wayne put together for The Carter III, with more leaked tracks showing up on Da Drought is Over, Part 4. Both sets of songs are genius. Weezy departs from the whimsical, unstructured style that was so apparent on Da Drought 3 and Lil Weezy Ana Vol. 1, instead focusing on more concrete topics and adding choruses as well as branching out in his style (see: "I Feel Like Dying" and all of the 80s rock samples). It's a great disc for the experienced Wayne listener, and if it had come out as a studio album--as it had been slated--it may have landed much higher on this list.

I wanted to include all of the leaked Carter III tracks in this pick, but they were split over a few different mixtapes, so I had to take the first, and strongest release. In the words of The Empire, it's not for the weak hearted!

9. Pharaoh Monch - Desire

Monch has always been one of my favorite MCs, and unlike longtime pal Mos Def, he hasn't fallen off. Desire is true to his roots and sound, and he sticks with the deep, emotionally-bruising topics that have been a mainstay in each of his releases. This is an amazing album.

10. Ghostface - The Big Doe Rehab

Ghost rounds out my top 10. For the past few years, every CD he's dropped has been a winner, and this is no exception. There's not much new here in terms of style--he sticks with the same production that had heads nodding on Fishscale and More Fish, but his delivery hasn't blunted at all in the time between the releases. He's sharp, angry and still playing the part of Tony Starks. Ghostface: the definition of NYC hip-hop since before most of us understood what hip-hop even was.

Honorable Mentions

Spank Rock & Benny Blanco - Bangers & Cash
Diamond - Bitch Music
UGK - Underground Kingz
Thunderheist - Thunderheist Promo
Talib Kweli - Ear Drum
Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Alchemist - Rapper's Best Friend

Year's Worst

Kanye - Graduation
Lupe Fiasco - DIdn't put anything out but still awful

Yeah, the hate in my blood is thick. So that does it for my top 10 of 2007. I'm slightly disappointed in my picks: I know that I've been a bit more insulated this year than I was last, but I stand behind each of the albums I've held out to you. Go download, buy, steal or whatever you have to do to get a hold of these--and then bump them! Happy holidays.

brett at 08:58 AM on November 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Lil Wayne released the first mixtape for his newest group, Bad Ass Grasshopper. Yeah, that's right, Bad Ass Grasshopper (I can't believe I actually just wrote that).

I guarantee you've never heard anything like this before--Weezy's just having fun now, and after hearing this I think we can safely say that he's certifiably insane. If his mixes get any stranger, he's going to enter Kool Keith territory. Get your download on.

For a slight bit of context, imagine if an artist like Jay-Z or 50 Cent, someone at the apex of national fame, had--during an inebriated aside--stated that he was coming out with a new group called Bad Ass Grasshopper, and that the "first album is gonna be called 'Put the Party in the B.A.G.,' but the first single is going to be called 'Rap, Rock & R&B.'" (And by the way, their music is a muddled amalgamation of the three genres). If you had heard Jay stand up and say that, you would have laughed--but imagine now that he had actually followed through on the project, and that the music was nearly as ludicrous as the initial statement. Well, that's exactly what Lil Wayne did--and the album is free, again, as always. Anyone else keeping count on how many albums dude has given us this year? You're going to need two hands to count it out. Middle finger to the RIAA.

During that initial interview--widely quoted online--he goes on to say that he doesn't care if the fans are prepared for it or not; because he is.

brett at 08:42 AM on November 26, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's all about his forthcoming album title: Nigger. That's right. The 6-letter N-word that nobody can say without fomenting a shitstorm. Nas was originally going to dub the album "Nigga," but after all the drama that came with that title, he decided to take things a step further, dropping the soft 'a' ending in favor of a good old-fashioned, throaty 'er.' Yeah, Nigger. The pundits are up in arms! Outrage over art! Oh my! For some perspective, let's go to Method Man:

"Nas knows what he's doing. He's a smart brother. He keeps his name in the game," Tical offered. "Last year, when he put out Hip Hop Is Dead, I was being interviewed, everybody was asking me what I thought about his album. ... I think it's too much emphasis on just the word. I know a word worse than 'nigger': Darfur. Real talk. I'd like to see Reverend Al take a walk out there. Let's stop focusing on the wrong shit."

I couldn't agree more. Nas is one of the last musical geniuses alive, and really, through his music has carried on a tradition of oral storytelling that is unrivaled in contemporary music. From his own mouth:

"If Cornel West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he's got something intellectual to say," Nas continued. "To think I'm gonna say something that's not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary."

Little homie is on point here. I'm eagerly anticipating this release, which--judging by the fire in his comments and the vitriolic nature of his album title--could be one of the best of his career, greater than Hip Hop Is Dead, and on par with Illmatic.

brett at 01:54 PM on October 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Finally some new Weezy! The Drought Is Over, Part 4 just dropped this morning on mixtrap. I've seen this floating around in various forms for a few days, but they were only mish-mashes of old tracks. This, I am happy to say, is almost entirely new material, most of it cut tracks from Carter III, I'd guess.

Hopefully this means that I Can't Feel My Face will be out sometime soon! But anyway, why are you still reading what I'm writing? Get the torrent already and start leeching! (Also, please note his shirt: I CAME FROM NOTHING!)

Update: YES! YES! YES!! Get this now. I'm dumbfounded at his ability to produce music. Lil Wayne owned 2007.

brett at 01:30 PM on October 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's an interview in the December XXL with Jay-Z, and he speaks on his forthcoming album, American Gangster, and also on your favorite rapper's favorite rapper, Lil Wayne.

XXL only posted half of the interview online, but Jay comes off sounding like an old, tired businessman who is just sick to his stomach that new cats are getting love. I sense some jealousy in his words.

It’s the new generation of fans and rappers who are gonna judge you the harshest. Do you think it’s fair that you’re compared to every new sensation, like Lil Wayne?

I don’t think it’s fair to me, and I don’t think it’s fair to them, with the amount of work that I put in. But it’s human nature. So I gotta do what I’ve been doing. I gotta compete with my work. Not to take anything away from him. I think Lil Wayne is extremely talented. I think he’s one of the most talented ones out there. I mean, even more so how his delivery is than what he says. I don’t think some of the things he says sometimes are the greatest things, but the way he delivers it, that’s part of it. People got to look at that, too. That’s a big, important part of the puzzle. But do I think me and Lil Wayne should be in the same sentence? Me? No. I mean, hopefully one day. He has to accumulate work. Put some classics under his belt.

Classics? Uh, I'm pretty sure Da Drought 3 is going to be looked back on as legendary.

I picture Jay reclining in a black leather chair, unlit cigar gripped in a gesticulating right hand—it's the mogul at his apex, surrounded with all of the ostentatious trappings of super-rap-stardom. He's conquered rap, he's on the Forbes list; respect is no longer earned, it's expected, and here comes this XXL reporter, eating out of his palm with these soft-ass questions.

There's nothing wrong with him, except to say that the world he lives in is disconnected from the streets and reality, filled instead with unending self-aggrandizement for past success. The disparity between Jay-Z 2007 and Jay-Z 1997 is unbelievable, and it's precisely why he has been surpassed by people like Lil Wayne, who have done more to free hip-hop from the fetters of major labels than anyone else. Jay, give respect where respect is due.

What he did in the past was great: Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, The Black Album, etc. They were all classic. Let me say that again: classic. Sort of like a classic car, amazing in it's time, and nice for a spin around the block on the weekend to remember the bygone days. What Jay is doing now, however, is irrelevant, and everyone knows it. So puff your cigar and run your business, but Jay, as far as putting Lil Wayne in the same sentence as you, let me add my voice to the cacophony of bloggers, listeners and fans worldwide who all scream Weezy F. Baby!

brett at 11:12 AM on October 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

So I've been a Dead Prez fan since their first album, Let's Get Free, dropped in 2000. They've consistently come with uncompromising lyrics touching on all things wrong with the political, educational and social systems here in the US. They are a newer, angrier, cop-killing, drug-using, vegan version of Public Enemy. Needless to say, I'm somewhat of a fanboy. But now, stic-man (one half of DP) is dropping his solo debut album with this shocker of a cover:

Just wow. I'm not sure if this is a throwback or a joke or a mistake, but for a guy who used to spit lines like the following (from "It's Still Bigger Than Hip-Hop), this cover just doesn't seem to fit:

I rap bout what I know, what I go through
What I been through, not just for no dough
Even though the rent due, what Im into aint for no dough
Or just no fame, everything must change, nothin remains the same
Sick of the same ol thang, its bigger than bling bling

I'm speechless, but now I'm going to go listen to the album and see if there's anything that can save it from this horrible misstep he calls a cover. Seeing that Dead Prez logo next to his goofy mug just make me shake my head in wonder--is this what falling off looks like?

Update: Ok, so this album is sort of whatever. It' s no Dead Prez, but it's alright. Problem is, when you have the DP logo on the front, there's an expectation that comes with it, and I'm not sure this album lived up to it. In other music news, I have a lot of listening to do today: albums from Hurricane Chris, Infamous Mobb and Prince Po (you may remember him from Dangermouse & Gemini) all leaked today. Wow.

brett at 08:47 AM on October 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Del Tha Funkee Homosapien is about to come leaping back onto the national (underground?) hip-hop scene. It's been seven years since his last solo, Both Sides of the Brain, and I think a lot of fans (myself included) have sort of forgotten about the guy. When I spoke with him Tuesday, however, his comments were promising.

His new album, The 11th Hour is finished. Everything from the artwork to the beats and raps--it's all done, he told me. Right now Def Jux seems to be sitting on it. He couldn't give me a firm release date, but said if it's not out by the end of this year, it will be in stores first quarter of 2008. I'm particularly looking forward to the track he did with J-Zone.
The (almost) bigger news, however, is that Del has been working on a Deltron part two, and he says that the music is entirely done--all that remains is to put down the lyrics. Here's what he had to say about it:

"Basically it really sounds like movie music. It sounds like a soundtrack to a movie, it don't sound like the typical music that's out at all. It's something else, people that are into hip-hop, they probably are not going to like Deltron. Because, it's not even—you know what I'm sayin'?—it's like soundtrack music, not like a soundtrack that got hella hip-hop songs on it either, I'm talking about like a real movie soundtrack or like an anime soundtrack. How many people you know go buy anime soundtracks and bump 'em like a hip-hop album? Like somebody bought Megaman from a video game and bumped it. It's going to be something different. It's going to be something new, you feel me?"

It will be nice to finally have some fresh Del to play. Though I love all of his old stuff, it truly has been a drought since 2001. Del will be performing at the Slowdown on Halloween (just a few weeks, snitches, get your costumes ready), so if you're interested in hearing him spit, cop a ticket from 1% Productions.

brett at 09:03 AM on October 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

The news is, I'm heading out to Oakland (Yay Areeea!) this weekend to hang out with two of the coolest dudes I met (from America) while in Japan: Darin and Gavin. I'll be traveling up and down the coast and doing some graduate school shopping until Sunday. So, here's one for my trip and your weekend, from M.I.A. featuring Bun B and Rich Boy--remix bay-baay!

This song was a wonderful wakeup call today, and the perfect jam to bump on a plane, if you ask me. It's called Paper Planes and I'm still marveling at M.I.A.'s verse. Who would have thought that the lilliputian Sri Lankan would outshine Bun B on a remix track? Enjoy. Props due to Panda Toes.

brett at 08:19 AM on October 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yesterday marked the beginning of the congressional hip-hop hearings. It was fascinating to read both the live blogging as well as the transcripts, but the treat came today with the release of the videos on YouTube. One of my favorite artists, David Banner--philanthropist, sex-icon and back-flip performing rap fireball--really gave it to the panel. He's eloquent, informed, and as usual, dead on with his commentary.

And hey, if you think he knows how to speak before Congress, you should check out some of his rap videos--the guy is multi-talented! Here, for your consideration is his video for the smash hit, "Play," in which he whispers for four minutes about cunnilingus.

I can still remember seeing him perform at Pershing Auditorium years ago. With my press pass I was right up at the stage, and his energy flowed out into the crowd as he effortlessly performed calisthenics from flips to push-ups. The guy is great: he never betrays the southern hip hop credo, has given back to the community, and has made music that straddles the line between gritty-southern bounce and socially conscious. It's strange that he has yet to be embraced by the mainstream: at Pershing he was only the opening act--his 20 minutes on stage was much too short.

Update: After watching the Play video a few times (I haven't seen it in at least a year), I think it's safe to say that this is the dirtiest rap song of all time, even beating out classics like "Put it in Your Mouth" and "My Neck, My Back." Man, David Banner is raunchy.

brett at 03:06 PM on September 27, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

ATL's Diamond has finally dropped her own mixtape. After two albums and a few years with Crime Mob, it looks like the 19-year-old is poised to drop a solo album, and in the process, ascend to claim the Queen of Crunk crown. Do I really even need to say how giddy I am that crunk music isn't dead yet? It was close, but Bitch Muzik definitely proves it's alive and well.

This girl can't even buy beer legally (born in 1988!), and yet her mixtape--MC'd by Don Canon, I might add--is fantastic, packed with beats that belong in a dark, smoky club. Bitch Muzik really sets her apart from a lot of the other buzz in Atlanta lately, namely Soulja Boy. But FYI: this is no snap music, this is grimy southern heat with some real dark soundscapes. My favorite kind of music. Check the torrent here, though you should know, this ain't for everyone. Props to Jessica for the heads up.

... and speaking of her age. Just compare and contrast these two photos of her, taken probably 3 years apart. Maybe four. Changed a bit since 17, no? I wonder if she's single.

brett at 02:23 PM on September 17, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I just landed two big interviews for the month of September. Keep your eyeballs peeled, because in the upcoming issues of the Omaha Reader I'll have a piece on not only Del the Funkee Homosapien, but also on the legendary Redman.

These should both be fun interviews, considering the characters. I've been a big fan of both these dudes for a while now, so just chatting with them should be a blast.

brett at 12:07 PM on September 10, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3)

I have a feeling that this is going to be a wild weekend, and what better accompaniment for moral turpitude than some fresh music?

This song is about a month old, but still worthwhile as far as party music goes. Not sure how long I'll keep the track online, but, for now at least, you can download Krispy and bump it this weekend, if you like. I hope you've got subs. Cheers!

brett at 01:43 PM on August 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have just unconsciously stumbled across the greatest dance/rap group ever: Thunderheist. The story of Isis and Grahm is a strange one: the two originally began collaborating after Graham accidentally sent a remix destined for Spank Rock to Isis' MySpace, which she then decided to flow over. The two Internet pals were soon collaborating, with Graham producing and Isis rapping. Man, they are awesome. Just look at Isis:

Anyway, they've been starting to get quite a bit of press, in fact I just read about them in Urb yesterday. Hopefully this means that a full-length album is in store sometime soon. In the meantime, you can checkout these two Thunderheist tracks from the promo: Suenos Dulces and Jerrrkit. Amazing.

brett at 10:12 AM on August 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

I found a few stray shots from our trip to Minnesota the other day. Nothing to awesome, just some nonsense from the car ride.

For some pictures from the actual show, check Jessica's blog. They are much more interesting than our bored snapshots taken along I-80.

brett at 02:47 PM on August 06, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

I've been obsessed with Lil Wayne for some time now, as should be apparent to all of my readers, and last week, Eric and I decided that with the man being named "Hottest Rapper Alive," and with his hype really starting to near critical mass, that we would indeed have to travel and see him perform. It's apparent to me that his career is nearing a crossover point, where he will go from playing smaller venues to performing on the arena circuit--because although he is famous, the fandom is only just now beginning to grow into a point of mania. Eric and I resolved to travel anywhere to see him perform before the chance escaped us; with last week's gun/drug arrest in New York City, his proclamation to never play the town again, and his rising status in pop-circles, we knew we had to act quickly.

But there were no shows coming up. Nothing listed for the entire year. We searched and searched and found nothing. That was Tuesday, and we figured that we had exhausted our resources, and missed some golden opportunities to see him. Wednesday morning, however, I awoke to an e-mail from Jessica: she had found a Lil Wayne show in Minnesota, at a club called Myth. There was a problem, though: it was starting at 9 p.m., that day. Eric and I didn't even have to ask one another what to do, we took two days of work off and drove to St. Paul. Ryan and Jessica did the same.

It was an intense drive. We took I-35 (yes, that I-35) the entire way, and no, we were nowhere near the bridge when it went down. We were at least an hour from it, and never actually crossed it into Minneapolis.

The show itself was phenomenal. Weezy really exceeded all of my expectations, performing for over an hour and providing a variety of his old hits, new singles, freestyles, and even some unreleased material. He also played guitar--yes, guitar.

After getting through some terrible opening acts, Eric, Ryan, Jessica and I were treated to a medley of songs by Memphis duo 8-Ball & MJG. Their set was something that Robin would have wanted to see: opening with the Three Six Mafia hit, "Stay High," following with "Relax and Take Notes" and then segueing into a series of songs from their classic album "Living Legends." It was a great way to heat the audience up for Lil Wayne, though he didn't actually hit the stage for at least another hour, as we were bored to tears by one more of Minnesota's local crappy hip-hop groups.

Weezy did eventually emerge, though. I was only a few rows from the stage, having shoved my way (or been shoved?) quite near since the show had started. The curtain was closed and the crowd--who by now, at 1 a.m., had been waiting for nearly 4 hours, was ready.

With the curtain still closed, the opening alarm from the Carter II

There were plenty of great moments in the show: from his drawn out, 8 minute performance of his newest Carter III single, "Prostitute Flange," to his seated guitar medley--we saw him sing, dance, rap and play some instruments. He performed such classics as "The Block is Hot" and "Dope Boy," while also managing to stick in some new material off Like Father Like Son when he performed both "You Ain't Know," and "Stuntin' Like My Daddy." He also did some Drought 3 material, giving the audience both "Sky is the Limit" and "Swizzy {Remix)."

Toward the end of his set, the automatically-identifiable sounds of "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" began to play, and Weezy spit both Birdman and his own verses in what would have been a wonderful close to the show; but he hadn't quite finished, despite the large amount of security standing around the stage, all insisting that there could be no more music (since it was now well past 2 a.m.). Weezy completely ignored them, and faced the crowd as his DJ played the first synthesizer bits of the DJ Khaled masterpiece, "We Takin' Over": he looked at the audience and smiled the same grin he had been wearing on his face all evening, then launched into a fantastic performance of what must be one of his best verses ever.

When "We Takin' Ova" finally ended, Weezy was on the stage, alone, surrounded by security. He paused and came front and center and told the crowd the following: "Three things: number one, I want to thank you. I want to thank all of you for your support, everyone who voted for me or defended me in whatever, thank you. Number two, I am nothing without you, I'm nothing without you." Weezy then stood silent for a moment, and as his DJ put the needle on Whitney Houston's classic record, "I Will Always Love You," he spread his arms in a Christlike manner and said, "Number three, I love you!" and dropped the microphone as security closed the curtains and dragged him offstage. It was one of the better finales I've ever seen, and truly seemed to represent the emotional connection he has with his fanbase. Perhaps that why he was smiling the entire night, yet you rarely see a photograph of doing anything other than a frowny-faced mean-mug.

The show really revealed Lil Wayne as a much different person than what the videos and interviews have shown: that is, he's not so hard or tough that he can't smile, and he's there for those who love him. He lives for this kind of stuff. He had no pretense because he was among his fans, those who admire him and appreciate his work, and there was no need for anymore cloaking or bravado: he could be himself, and perform.

His performance was amazing. He had more energy and life than I could have imagined, and he provided a bombastic delivery and acrobatic display of showmanship that was really worth all $48 ticket dollars. I had secretly worried that he might come out in a drugged haze, providing just a few songs, but on the contrary, he seemed sober, alert and there for one purpose only: to rap. Just great stuff.

I'm tired now, but I've seen my current musical idol, the Jimi Hendrix of rap music, do his thing on stage, in person. There's much more to say about the show, but if you really care to know, just ask me sometime, I'm sure I could talk for hours. The world isn't ready for Lil Wayne, and this show was exactly what I needed right now, when so much is going wrong in my life. A nice break.

brett at 10:27 AM on August 03, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's been a while since I've said anything about Lil Wayne, but with MTV naming him the "hottest MC in the game," I think we're due for an obligatory, "Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive post."

He's really heating up now. Check out all the leaked Carter III tracks if you haven't yet. (For those who don't know, his most recent album leaked to the net, so instead of pushing up the release date, he decided to just give them all away for free, and they are great.) Also, check out the Best Rapper Alive Vol. III mixtape. As one dude on the MTV roundtable discussion said, every time you listen to new Weezy, you keep expecting it to be bad or underwhelming, but he always ups the bar; always ups the ante. It never gets worse or old or stale. It's phenomenal.

And not to reveal my hand too early, but I've got three Lil Wayne albums on my year-end top ten list, and I know it's not too long of a shot to make this claim now: but Pitchfork will select Da Drought 3 as best rap album of the year--definitely. Don't forget, though, it's a claim I've been making since March. If that album doesn't top their list, I'll give ten bucks to the first person who tells me I was wrong.

brett at 11:03 AM on July 31, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Music to live by. Also, good for a laugh. I always love stumbling across gems like this on YouTube.

And I might mention, this contains some explicit language (and by some I mean every other word). Enjoy

brett at 11:20 AM on July 12, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last year, T.I. had the best album of the summer with King, a strong coming of age for the southern MC. This summer, however, he has returned with a weak album, and a poorly executed theme.

It's not that T.I. vs. T.I.P. is bad, it's just simply that in the context of his brilliance on King just a year earlier, this album falls flat on it's face. In the weeks leading up to its release, I was definitely on the bandwagon: the singles I had heard ("Big Shit Poppin'" and "Where They At") sounded great, and the concept seemed like something plausible.

I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong in hyping the album: the beats are weak; there's a track featuring Nelly; the album title has nearly as many punctuation marks as letters; Eminem produced a beat; one of the lead singles was cut; and to top it all off, the track featuring Lil' Wayne was cut. There are, of course, some nice tracks on the album, but this is much less than T.I. is capable of, and what really makes he disc stink is that the theme just comes off as childish.

His younger, gangster personality arguing with his more mature, father-personality is a neat concept, but it just doesn't work because T.I. remains unbelievable on so many of his tracks. Take note of the song, "Tell 'Em I Said That," where T.I. laments the increase of studio gangsters in the rap industry, and yet only a few songs prior on "Hurt," he is playing the role himself: rapping about duct taping his enemies in their houses and sticking guns in their faces. I mean, It's 2007, the guy is going to sell 500k of T.I. vs. T.I.P. in a few months--I don't care what he says on his album, he's not duct taping anyone up. I'm all for fantasy, and fairytales and the whole romantic idealization of gangster culture that happens in rap music, but if you are going to hate on the studio gangsters with their fake stories, you should probably do away with your own, no?

Anyway. I love T.I., but this is no King, and that's what's disappointing. Let's hope he can bounce back by the summer of 2008.

Oh, and one more final comment. From an article I read: "T.I. mentioned working with André 3000, Justin Timberlake, Ciara, Akon, R. Kelly, Young Jeezy, and Lil Wayne as well, however they did not make the final cut." Yet Nelly makes the cut? Nuff said.

Update: As a sidenote, I'm not on