De La and EA?

So it looks like De La Soul's got a track for NBA Live 10. Hip-Hop and videos games are nothing new but I was a little surprised to hear that De La would do something with EA Sports. No matter cause I'm always happy to hear something new from them considering it's been um-teen years since their last official release.

As for the track, I wasn't sure I liked it at first listen but it's grown on me.

De La Soul: "La La La"

Classic?

First off, great cover. If Rae's going for the sequel this is the way to go.

So now that I've heard a few leaks I'm convinced Cubin Linx 2 is going to be a mixed bag. Although I'm not convinced the current track list floating around will be representative of the final product, I'm pretty sure it's going to disappoint. "Broken Safety" featuring Jadakiss and Styles P and "Have Mercy" featuring Beanie Sigel (and Blue Rasberry sings like shit), sound like mixtape throwaways.

"House of Flying Daggars" is good. Vintage Wu-Tang with Dilla providing the stampede. Can't say much about the video though, a little too cartoonish for my tastes.

"Catalina" , one of Dr. Dre's productions on the album, is nice. Doesn't blow my hair back but consistently effective, like all of Dre's recent work. As always, no change up on the tempo.

I think it's safe to say that if you're promoting your own album and you're not calling it a "classic", you're basically shitting on your own project. No? I may be premature. Maybe the rest of it is classic material. And don't get me wrong because I want this album to meet and/or exceed all expectations because Raekwon's no slouch with his mic skills. But if he's saying that the strength of this album is it's production then the product should hold true to that. So far my reaction is...meh.

None of what I've heard is on par with this and I don't even think its going to be on the album. He should get in the studio with Pete Rock and bang out a whole album because they definitely have a chemistry that works. Now THAT would be a classic collabo cause the PR has consistently churned out bangers for various Wu-Tang artists.

Thank You Letterman

Great band. And great, great song.



Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest is my album of the year...so far.

Classic Al Green

I discovered this live acoustic version of "Simply Beautiful", taken from a VH1 special that I should have never missed.

And on another random video note, I didn't even realize that there was a video for my favorite track on TVOTR's Return To Cookie Mountain.

Space Oddissee 3000

Oddissee has consistently been churning out quality material for years. I'm a fan of the whole Low Budget collective which includes Oddissee, Kev Brown, Cy Young, Roddy Rod, etc. It's not that they're creating mind blowing material either. It's just consistent, quality beats and rhymes that don't necessarily hit the mark every time. But the sound is coming from a very authentic place and is put on display, albeit under the radar, exceptionally well.

Oddissee is both producer and MC and very apt at wearing both hats. I thinks his production has steadily showed growth and improvement as far as arrangement and diversity of sounds. I hear his influences - Pete Rock, J-Dilla, Premier... But, like his Low Budget co-hort Kev Brown, the sound is distinctly his. As an MC, he's always been impressive. He is hands down the best of his peers.

Let me break down the Oddissee flavors that don't miss:

Kev Brown feat. Phonte & Oddissee: "Beats & Rhymes" - From Kev Brown's excellent I Do What I Do released in 2005 and the first time I ever heard Oddissee. His verse is last of the three and the only one to leave an impression. Phonte delivers but Oddissee closes this track out like a veteran champ.

Oddissee: "Gentrification" - Great production by Kev Brown and the content is more on the reflective side as he speaks about the gentrification of D.C., where he rests his head. From his mixtape Foot In The Door.

J-Live feat. Posdnous & Oddissee: "The Upgrade" - This is probably my favorite Oddissee production. The fact that J-Live brought in Pos of De La Soul to drop a verse was a treat but Oddissee's beat is tremendous. It's the horns kid!

Little Brother feat. Oddissee: "Delusional" - Produced by Oddissee with a lyrical cameo as well. Love the theme and the hook.

Oddissee feat. Buckshot: "Where I Be At" - From Pete Rosenberg Presents: A Rosenberg Oddissee EP. Can't really go wrong with Buckshot over an Oddissee track, especially if that Oddissee track is as flavorous as this one.

The Diamond District: In The Ruff album - Oddissee's trio featuring XO and YU. It's my favorite Hip-Hop album released this year. The beats are reminiscent of 90's eastcoast Hip-Hop, heavy on the drums and kicks. "Streets Won't Let Me Chill" is my anthem right now.

Michael Jackson

I thought I'd have a lot to say considering how his music dominated the airwaves throughout the decades, but the only thought I can muster is that I feel really sorry for the guy. Otherwise, his music (that includes the music he recorded with the Jackson 5), will never get old or outdated.

Instead of throwing the MJ5 favorites out there, I decided to share his music as it was flipped for some memorable Hip Hop cuts:

Nas: "It Ain't Hard To Tell"
De La Soul: "Breakadawn"
LL Cool J: "Hey Lover"
Pete Rock & CL Smooth: "Appreciate"
Ghostface: "All That I Got Is You"
Rhymefest: "Dancin' Machine"
Naughty By Nature: "OPP"
Kanye West: "Good Life"

Gimme Summer Dat

Songs for the summer heat.

The Beach Boys-"God Only Knows": You know The Beach Boys are synonymous with summer. It's probably not the song from their catalog that someone might expect to put on a summer mixtape but this tune is the breeziest to me.

The Gap Band-"Outstanding": I'm an 80's product, shaped and molded by the music of that era. The Gap Band's "Outstanding" always held down my summers and I never tire of it. Classical summer soul. And as a bonus, Matthew Africa liberates "I Found My Baby" to throw on at your BBQ this season.

Ibrahim Ferrer-"Bruca Manigua": There's no other voice like his on this planet and this tune is a perfect summer sizzler, complete with groovy percussion, horns, violin, and background vocals. Ae!
Bonus: You have to see a live performance to really appreciate Ibrahim Ferrer's vocals.



Brother Ali-"Real As Can Be" and "Begin Here" instrumentals: Not that Brother Ali's presence on these tracks is bad. It's just that the tracks (produced by Ant) are simply two of the best produced tracks I've heard so far this year-the smoothest shit I've heard in a while.

Ghostface-"Forever": Ghost lamenting over something soulful trying to get her to understand. Summer's definitely here folks.

Krumbsnatcha-"Yesterday": What is summer without songs that reminisce and conjure memories of the good 'ol days. The meloncholy track is produced by Pete Rock and fits snug with Krumb's theme. I'm really digging the hook PR has strewn in there.

Red & Meth

Truthfully, my expectations came in low for "The Blackout 2". Not that I wasn't looking out for Redman and Method Man material. Sequels seldom hit the mark, especially in Hip-Hop music. "Blackout 2" has probably 2 really strong tracks that I'd take with me and the lead single "Ay Yo", produced by Pete Rock, is one of them. The other, "Dangerous MC's" produced by Erick Sermon, is the other. Lyrically, Red and Meth are always going to impress. It's the scattered and anemic production that makes this album such a wash.

I forgot to mention the Cookin Soul Remix of "Dangerous MCs" is RIDICULOUSLY good.

Check Your Heads

The Beastie Boys were on Jimmy Fallon last night. His show airs way too late for me to check but here's their performance of "So Whatcha Want", backed by the incomparable Roots crew.

M-Def The Flavorous

Mos Def - "Casa Bey" - The Ecstatic - 6.9.09

What record is that!?

...anyone?

Noisemakers

Peter Rosenberg chops it up with Q-Tip. Q-Tip's Busta Rhymes impression is priceless.

In this segment, Q-Tip talks about Dilla. The sad thing is when you think about the potential of the Ummah and what we will never get to hear because of Dilla's passing. Everbody lights up whenever they have a J-Dilla story to tell...

Causin' Much Damage

Here's something from the past worthy of revisiting. Jeru The Damaja's "Can't Stop The Prophet" video was pretty original for the time. Early nineties Hip Hop videos weren't the most creative productions back then. And the track, produced by DJ Premier, is wicked.

I See Red

You don't understand...

...this is my favorite group of all time.

And this album is a sound revolution, still, 20 years later.

And the making of this masterpiece is broken down to it's very last compound here.

If you love this record as much as I do it's an absolute must-read.

Beatminerz

I've been on a major Beatminerz binge lately. I discovered a thunderous Beatminerz remix of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Gimme The Loot!" from an under-the-radar remix album they put out in 2007 and started to revisit some old (and new) material from this Brooklyn collective. It was also cool to, coincidentally, come across the video below and see that something like that is actually being put out confirming the relevance of authentic beatmaking and it's enduring significance.

Good producers develop their own sound and it eventually becomes their signature. All the greats have that singular sound and Evil Dee and Mr. Walt have mastered theirs. Da Beatminerz is heavy and stark, New York boom-bap, kick and snare Hip-Hop. To really appreciate a Beatminerz production you have to turn it up and don't be afraid to blow your speakers out. Even the slick tracks will blow your wig back.

Here's what I've had on rotation in no particular order. Brace for impak.

The Notorious B.I.G.: "The Loot!" ("Gimme The Loot!" remix) - Is there a white label for this? If not, someone needs to get upon it and make it happen.

Black Moon: "Stoned Is The Way" - This is what I mean by heavy. Something to crush cinder blocks to.

Mic Geronimo feat. O.C. & Royal Flush: "Men Vs. Many" - From Mic Geronimo's solid debut The Natural (1995). This Beatminerz production is more sparse but it's still got a kick to it and the three MC's don't slouch on the track either.

Beatminerz feat. Flipmode Squad: "Take That!" - This was a track absolutely made for Busta Rhymes but it's got the whole Flipmode featured on it. No matter, I could crank this instrumental and still lose control. "Bladoowww!!!!!"

Rah Digga: "Tight" - Her Dirty Harriet debut album in 2000 is probably one of the best female rap albums I've heard mainly because it's anchored down by such excellent production (Pete Rock, Premier, Nottz, and Da Beatminerz). This is my favorite from that album, track courtesy of Mr. Walt. It's tighter than three or more heads in a CRX.

Smif 'N' Wessun: "Shinin...Next Shit" - From Dah Shinin' (1995) and the second official release from Duck Down Records and exclusively produced by Da Beatminerz. This album boasts "Bucktown", "Sound Bwoy Bureill", and "Let's Git It On" to name a few, but I always go back to this one.

If you're wondering why I didn't post these,

you
should
already
know

School of Hard Beats

Scratch Academy DVD: Beatmaking 101 from Hevehitta on Vimeo.

I don't even know who the other guy is (DJ Shok?). He seems a little jittery, probably because he's in the company of a couple of legends. Very good stuff from DJ Premier and DJ Evil Dee who provide some interesting insight on the art of beat-making.

Speaking of DJ Evil Dee, I've been meaning to post something on the Beatminerz. For some reason, the random shuffle of my iPod has been landing on some burners from Evil Dee and his brother Mr. Walt. I think it's a precurser for the heat that's about to hit this summer and I've got some Beatminerz material to match that. Stay tuned.

Simma down simma down now

Mos Def's full length The Ecstatic is set for a June release. Can't say that the first official single "Life In Marvelous Times" did much for me. The production (Mr. Flash) is a little snoozy. "The Glow" might have been a more solid choice but there's no confirmation that it will even be on the new album.

"Quiet Dog" is the second official single. Produced by Preservation, it's a stronger, uptempo cut that showcases Mos Def's ability to pretty much become the track he jumps on. Production-wise, it's basically a rhythm track anchored down by groovy percussion and, of course, Mos Def's steady and unwavering flow. Quiet dog bite hard!

Mos Def: "Quiet Dog"

On My Grizzly

Grizzly Bear is serving it up big and heavy with this one. From their new album dropping this spring.

Grizzly Bear: "Cheerleader"

Uptown Baby!

Random flashback here. I only put this up because I was listening to Steely Dan's essential Aja album this morning and kept going back to "Black Cow", probably my favorite Steely Dan song from one of the best albums ever recorded. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker created a masterful "Side One" that lines up "Black Cow", "Aja", and "Deacon Blues", a flawless 1, 2, and 3 song combo that I don't think any other "classic" album is able to match.

I'm not the biggest fan of Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq but "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" is intoxicating simply because the "Black Cow" break was used to such perfection.