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.

The Chef

What we can count on when it comes to Hip Hop album release dates is that you can't really count on them. It's been a few years now since the Cuban Linx sequel was suppose to drop and Raekwon is confident that it will actually drop this year, tentatively in June. And I use the term "tentatively" very loosely.

CBRAP put up a list a while back on building your own Cuban Linx 2 and dropped a couple of woozies that, in all likelihood, are not going to make the final cut (if a final cut actually exists). I've already heard most of them but there are two cuts that are new to me that I hope will make it on the album.

"Kids That's Rich" - Produced by Pete Rock. Chef puts his lyrical skill and wordplay on major display here. I think a Pete Rock and Raekwon collabo album should be seriously considered by both camps. By the way, Raekwon apparently knows nothing about this track so I think it's going to be on the album with a different title. It's too good to be excluded.

"Blue Eagles" - There's a complete version of this floating around out there somewhere. This is a snippet. If I can't find it I'm hoping it makes the album.

This goes out to you, and you, and you...

And you.

And you can get the lyrical remix.

You can even get the Gasface Rebuttle.

The Nat King Cole Remix Project

I've heard some scattered remix projects created for legends of the past. For instance, I really enjoyed the Sergio Mendes Timeless project. It's got one of only a handful of Wil.I.Am productions I like on it by way of "That Heat", a f--kin' scorcher.

The Nat King Cole project Re:Generations sounds promising. I've heard "Walking My Baby Back Home" featuring The Roots and wasn't much impressed. But "The Game of Love" featuring Nas and reinterpreted by Salaam Remi? Excellent. It's short and wastes no time. Nas follows Nats lead and goes in. The tracks whimsical sound is a definite winner here and doesn't make either artist come off awkward.

Nas: "The Game of Love"

For the record, after watching the above trailer, I'm actually looking forward to the Wil.I.Am and Natalie Cole collabo.

And the Just Blaze track sounds hot as well.

The Blaq Out

Wow. Now this is the Primo production I've been waiting for. From the other half of Queensbridge's own Screwball.

Blaq Poet: "Ain't Nuttin' Changed"

The album The Blaqprint set to drop via DJ Premier's Year Round Records this spring.

Nothing mind blowing with the video but still, the track is ridiculous.

March On

What I love about Beirut is that the music takes me someplace unfamiliar. From the instrumentation and nuanced vocal stylings of Zack Condon to the wistful worldliness that comes through in his lyrics, Beirut is simply good listening.

Although not as strong as the previous two releases, the EP combo of March of the Zapotec and Realpeople: Holland is consistent with Beirut's sound. There's a little dabbling of electronic stuff thrown in the mix but I still enjoy it overall. I'm throwing "The Concubine" out there cause it's my favorite of the set. My daughter's fond of "The Shrew".

Beirut: "The Concubine"

It's Curtains...Really?

"Whether you describe it as the dawning of a post-racial age or just the end of white America, we’re approaching a profound demographic tipping point. According to an August 2008 report by the U.S. Census Bureau, those groups currently categorized as racial minorities—blacks and Hispanics, East Asians and South Asians—will account for a majority of the U.S. population by the year 2042. Among Americans under the age of 18, this shift is projected to take place in 2023, which means that every child born in the United States from here on out will belong to the first post-white generation."

I'm a little late getting to this but it's an interesting observation. Read Hua Hsu's full essay in The Atlantic here.

Get It

Incredible mixtape from start to finish. I'm enjoying this more than J.Period's Lauryn Hill endeavor.

The blends are perfect, the music is still incredible to this day and relevant as ever. The Q-Tip commentary is great as well.

I've usually stayed away from the mixtape circuit for numerous reasons but I have to give it to Tip and J.Period for putting together a fantastic mix of unforgettable Hip-Hop.

Definitely on point here.

And it's free in case you ain't heard...

Don't sleep.

WTF????

You know, I (We) should be dumbfounded at how someone like this has served, not one, but two terms as the President of these United States, elected by the people for the people. And we're supposed to be one of the more educated societies of the world. Are we??? I think that's a legitmate question.

(Footage brought to you by way of Poplicks)

Amerie

What happened to this album's official U.S. release???

The Donna Cappa Goines

The Cappatilize Project is better than some of the other Wu member's projects that have dropped. I'm not saying it's any good. Two of my favorite tracks clock in under the 2-minute mark.

"The Annointing"
"Peace God" feat. Born Divine - (Somebody actually flipped the Bee Gee's "Nights On Broadway" and layed it down quite flat).