Metal Lungies

I just came back from a nasty bout of the flu and as soon as I find something newsworthy it has to be this………N*E*R*D* is no more. The Supergroup broke up after a stream of management conflicts at Virgin Records. This is a sad day in music history, N*E*R*D* was a group who broke out of the boundaries of Rock and Roll, mixing the musical genius of the Neptunes (which Chad and Pharell are also part of) with a talented band whose members looked good on paper and sounded great on wax. They could play hip hop, rock, r+b, techno, and just about anything else. The group has no animosity towards each other and do not cite personal differences as a reason for disbanding the group. On Radio1 (where the split was announced) the group said they might still release songs they record together and bootleg them to the internet. I hope they do this and show that bastard record company that the label does not control the music. Don’t get me wrong I would kill for another studio record, but if that means compromise, then fuck it. On the other hand, if no new music ever comes and I am forced to listen to “Fly or Die” and “In search of….” in a constant loop then I will claim the head of a Virgin Music Executive.

If you love producers, and I know you do, then you need to cop that upcoming Motown Remixed album. This album is basically taking 15 Motown classics and remixing them for the Hip-Hop Heads. The album will feature:

– The Randy Watson Experience: Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson and James Poyser – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight & The Pips)

– DJ Green Lantern – “Mary Jane” (Rick James)

– Salaam Remi – “ABC” (Jackson 5)

– DJ Z-Trip – “I Want You Back” (Jackson 5)

– DJ Jazzy Jeff – “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” (The Temptations)

– DJ Spinna – “Keep On Truckin” (Eddie Kendricks)

– Hank Shocklee – “Smiling Faces Sometimes” (Undisputed Truth)

– Easy Mo Bee – “Just My Imagination(Running Away With Me)” (The Temptations)

– Mocean Worker AKA Adam Dorn – “I Just Want To Celebrate” (Rare Earth)

– Hotsnax AKA Full Phatt – “The Tears of A Clown” (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles)

– King Britt – “War” (Edwin Starr)

– DJ Smash – “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” (Stevie Wonder)

– Da Producers, including Paul Simpson – “Let’s Get It On” (Marvin Gaye)

– Rafe Gomez and David Baron as The Groove Boutique – “Quiet Storm” (Smokey Robinson)

– Tranzition (everyANYTHING) – “My World Is Empty Without You” (Diana Ross & The Supremes)

The album, which will also be complemented by an Unmixed Version, will drop May 24th.

Speaking of producers, you also need to head over to the Priceless Productions webpage. These are some MoCo guys who make some hot beats. My Four Favorites from their new shit are: Late Night, Girl, How I Feel, and Dismatled. “Late Night” sounds like the beat for the next Dipset single, classic. Check Em’ Out and tell em’ what you think.

Track of the Day (In Memory): N*E*R*D*- Maybe