Metal Lungies

This is why AM is there right now, true story.

(Love that single cover)

“Strobelite Honey” is a 1992 single released by Queens-based duo Black Sheep. The song was the second single released of the group’s debut, A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing.

The song received an incredible number of remixes on 12’s, most of them dance/house remixes, so I’m only tackling the album version and one of the remixes.

The album version, credited to the group, uses house-sounding claps and hi-hats, a guitar loop and a thick, bouncy bass line. The cut starts with some keys and percussion before breaking into the main beat. Dres tells a tale of spotting a honey in the club who looks good under the strobe light, and not so great outside of it. A very literal video depicts exactly what he’s rapping about. It uses a slightly faster, more danceable beat with horns.

The remix, entitled the “No We Didn’t Mix”, starts with wailing trumpets that loop a few times before the drums kick in. These horns reappear on the chorus; the verses employ a funky organ sample and a raw drum break. There’s a less raucous horn loop that blows occasionally. The lyrics are unchanged with a few minor exceptions (for some reason, Dres switches around a few lines in the first verse.) About 1:30, the beat strips down to just drums and some understated keyboards. The trumpet loops come in again in on the chorus and briefly at the start of the verses. An interesting remix that gives me a headache after a while – I think it’s the trumpets.

Listen to both versions:

Black Sheep – Strobelite Honey (Album version)

Black Sheep – Strobelite Honey (No We Didn’t Mix)

Step away for the long weekend and return to a new Wale video for W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. and 3 new tracks, nice. Dan & Wale don’t stop even for the Memorial Day!

All courtesy of Elitaste (plus an assist from Ges).

Wale-The Crazy

Wale-The Crazy (Nick Catchdubs Remix)

Wale Ft. Skyzoo-The Hacksaw Jim Duggan (Is it me or does a part of the bass remind you of The Wire theme song?)

XO Ft. Wale-Rid’n (Remix)

W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. video after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most underrated rappers on any coast, Casual is a beast. Here’s a collection of Casual videos, including a live performance with Handsome Boy Modelling School and an interview.

Here’s a direct link.

It’s the summertime, and Pete Rock’s production has never sounded better. All I feel like doing these days is breaking out The Main Ingredient and chilling in the sun. So I’ve compiled a list of links related to the great producer.

Flood has a dope mix of Pete instrumentals, ’92-’94, which he rightfully proclaims as the producer’s golden period. If it’s warm where you are, get an iced tea and listen to this in the sun.

Dan at From Da Bricks has a shorter mix, blending Pete productions with original samples and interviews with Soul Brother #1. Click the link for the full track listing. (zshare link)

Bonus: Rafi clowns blog readers in a post linking to the mix. The comments are golden.

Robbie interviews Pete

Cipha Sounds goes behind the boards with the Chocolate Boy Wonder on Shade 45

Pete Rock guests on Juan Epstein

Kurupt rips a Pete treat. Yessir!

It must be interesting documentary season. It’s kind of messed up that Cam’ron isn’t in this position instead. Tip of the hat to Eskay.

I’ll never forget Chino XL telling me there is only one live act he gets hype for, Kris.  If you are in the NYC area here’s your chance to get a real hip hop experience.

Sunday May 25th
Doors: 8pm
Show: 9pm
Admission: $20 Advance/$25 Day of Show

My most anticipated game at the moment is by far MadWorld for Wii. Announced last week at a Sega press event, Madworld is an action game noted for its over-the-top comic violence, stylized graphics (mostly black and white with red blood ala Sin City) and the incredible talent behind it. Developer Platinum Games consists of a group of designers that were responsible for some of the most original games of last generation, like Atsushi Inaba (Viewtiful Joe, Okami), Shinji Mikami (killer7, Resident Evil 4) and Hideki Kamiya (Okami, creator of Devil May Cry). Here’s the first trailer for MadWorld:

Sure to be excellent, bloody stuff, but one detail caught my eye at the end of an interview that I almost didn’t bother to read. Designer Shigenori Nishikawa mentioned to MTV that the game’s score will be primarily hip-hop and named Kanye and Jay-Z as his personal favorites. Damn! But what kind of hip-hop would befit MadWorld? Rap music is right at home in the urban setting of Grand Theft Auto IV and in any basketball game, but is there anything that wouldn’t feel totally out of place in a stylized Japanese action game? Something tells me RZA would be down; just tell him chess is involved.

via MTV Multiplayer

If you need more new Iron Mike content, director James Toback recently premiered Tyson, a documentary where Iron Mikes talks about Iron Mike. When it premiered at the Cannes festival last week it garnered a huge response. Popwatch caught up with both Tyson & Toback to talk about the documentary, read the insightful (some might say too insightful, but if you read the whole thing, guess what part I’m talking about in the comments.) at EW. Also, if any of you see the trailer for this floating around, hit us up!

Bonus: NY Times writeup on the documentary.

Next up for ML RapVid treatment: the Oakland-based hip hop group consisting of rappers Opio, A-Plus, Phesto & Tajai. You already know what it is.

Here’s a direct link to the playlist.