We are in a new stage of hip-hop where we can have a new single from an artist like Mos Def and at the same time have the original sample be revealed (see above)…and it takes nothing away from the magic of the music.

This has been done before (ghostface rhyming over “LALALA means I love you” comes to mind immediately) and 9th Wonder teaches a class on hip-hop with a section in his syllabus called “Santa Clause ain’t real” where he shows his students the line between the original sample material and what their favorite artists actually create in their music. Some students end up disappointed when they find out that certain songs aren’t made from scratch by an artist. Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean” was given as an example, as was Alicia Key’s You Don’t Know My Name.

Actually, better DJs have been playing the sampled and and the source material from the earliest days of hip-hop and it only enhances both compositions. Right now, listening to Banda Black Rio’s “Casa Forte” only makes me want to hear Mos Def’s “Casa Bey” even more. They are both strong cuts in their own right.

side note:

This has got to be the best fan vid ever! Ghostface as Racer X! Daytona 5000. JediDan has hit all the marks with this Speed Racer mash-up video. too dope.

The overall vibe of most of the 808s & Heartbreak reviews I’ve come across is this: It’s kind of a mess, but isn’t it great that Kanye is experimenting?  We need to support that.  Interesting.  While music journalism often runs pithy to downright vicious, what is it about Kanye that inspires such admiration cum generosity (or is that vice versa)?  The threat of being called out by a loud-mouth who’s much cooler than you?  Solidarity amongst those of artistic leanings?  Maybe he’s just done a good job selling the whole “heartbreak/art” angle.

New Mos Def single drops November 4 (ask me later what I think about people releasing music on Election Day, I mean, I know it’s a Tuesday, but when Fall Out Boy has the best idea…), but you can stream it now via RCRD LBL.  Myself…I don’t love it.  The whole plodding, anthemic thing is best used for intro’s – didn’t Jay kinda already do this in “The Ruler’s Back” (basically a 4-minute intro, c’mon)?  Just with a lot less synthesizer.  Damn you Daft Punk!  You done fucked hip hop up!  Are you happy now?

Did somebody pass an old Goldfrapp CD on to Christina Aguilera? (Really, have a quick compare of the new Xtina and the old Alison.) Is electronica R&B the new thing? Don’t answer until you’ve heard the new Solange songs where she’s singing over old Boards of Canada tracks.

And…thoughts on the new Kanye? Another victim of the auto -tuner craze?

Came across this strange ad on the subway the other day. No mention of it on Kanye’s site, but I did find this commercial. It ends with the ominous “a vision by kanye west”. I can’t believe someone green-lit this!

Thanks to kemba for putting me on to the new gnarls barkley video for “whose gonna save my soul”. Wow. She knew I’d like it. Her words: “picturesque and very appropriate. Shout out to all the lovers out there!” It’s almost like an anti-video with the acting taking center stage over the song itself. I thought it was a commercial for MTV at first. It looks like something they would do in between their many shows. An amazing drug-induced concept that definitely has people talking.

And finally, this made my day:

My two favorite things – muppets and M.O.P.

“Because here’s the crux of why everyone soured on hip-hop in 2007: The last song on the highest-ranking Pazz & Jop rap album ends with a track describing how the two biggest MCs in the world bickered over who had the idea to collaborate with Coldplay first. This is not acceptable.”
- Rob Harvilla, Village Voice 1/23/08

(Pazz & Jop list-toppers, btw – #1 album: LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver; #1 single: Amy Winehouse – Rehab)

At some point last month, I thought it would be a good idea to try and flip a quick drum and bass remix of this Kanye track. But due to my one hour rule/excuse when making stuff on the computer, it kind of ended up sounding like Aphex Twin or Squarepusher or something. Actually, the photoshop here took about as long as the track, which speaks to: a) my photoshop skills (nil) b) my skills with music software (questionable) or c) my lack of commitment to getting things closer to how I want them to sound.

Goodnight (Ragga Loud)

I made a “ragga louder” version, which is sonically a little more consistent, but you can’t here the vocals for all the bass. Delicious.

This is hilarious. If you haven’t seen the original footage of Kanye storming the stage at last year’s European VMA’s, try and track it down and watch it first. Fam.

Big Pooh and Phonte of Little Brother on the cover of their soon-to-be-released third album “Get Back“.

Tigallo goes to the movies

I always find myself checking in on the blogs of Phonte Coleman. A major creative force as part of Little Brother and The Foriegn Exchange, he has been guesting heavy on a variety of projects of late. My favorite being 4Hero‘s “Give In“. And credit has to be given to his inspired rendition of Toto’s “Africa” with Zo! (stick around to the end where the magic begins!).

What i really appreciate is that he is a true multimedia artist, like ?uestlove before him and now kanYe and even Just Blaze have followed.

Phonte gives so much more to his fans than just the music. Track back on the above link and you’ll find videos and diary-like entries from LB’s experiences on tour in Europe as well as Phonte’s music recommendations and championing of the work and web presence of Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor.

Now that’s a multi-layered portrait of an artist and a scholar. This Coleman boy’s done good! (boy as in no-relation fam, not as in “white racist word!” ©Michael “Good Times” Evans)

These are some songs and videos that i just can’t get enough of:

The GAME f. kanYe West – “WOULDN’T GET FAR”
The wardrobe malfunction in the beginning of the video is more telling of the state of hip-hop today and the characters these rappers play than anything since Slick Rick’s “It’s a Boy” and Biggie & 112′s “Sky’s the Limit” videos that had little kids dressed up as the rappers of the day.

Kanye West – “throw some D’s” REMIX
“That’s why i respect Alicea Keys,
she said effit i’ma just ride with these!”
How many rappers you hear saying they respect
any other woman than their momma?!

Once again a rapper playing a role. but this is more tongue-in-cheek. Maybe this is Kanye getting himself in “dirty old man” mode. I love the motion graphic puppets in this aswell. Great concept. So simple and SO well executed!

and
Read A Book
Written, performed and Produced by Bomani Armah.
Video produced by Six Point Harness – “Read A Book”
“Buy some land…F#@K spinning rims!”
‘nuf said.

or even better:
Read A Book LIVE (as hell!)

and one more!

UGK & Outkast – Int’l Player’s Anthem (Extended Cut)
This is what makes Outkast great. The yin and yang, spacey vs. down-to-earth bookends of Three Stacks and Fat Sacks (love that! Andre 3000 and Big Boi respectively) add so much personality to a simple song about pimpin’.