Metal Lungies

Unless you were one of the few lucky ones like Tom to check out the show, MSN has the next best thing. They are streaming the full concert over here.

In the meanwhile don’t forget to enter the Wild Style contest so you have something to be thankful for (outside of AM joining the greatest internets team ever, we the Spurs/Senators (Canadia we see you!) of this shit).

Image Credit.

Free At Last drops today, so I thought I’d round up all the music videos he’s made in 2007. Free’s been busy, damn! Here we go!

His first video of ’07 was his appearance of Skillz’s "Don’t Act Like You Don’t Know". It sounds exactly like "What We Do" but I think that was the point. Love how they’re wearing each others’ t-shirts.

"Still Got Love" with a nice Curtis Mayfield sample, if I’m not mistaken.

"Lights Get Low" ft. Dre and Rick Ross: (sidenote: man, if Ross doesn’t have the second best beard in hip hop…)

"It’s Over" (dope production on this one):

Bonus: A freestyle.

Whew, I think that’s it. Don’t forget our recent roundup of 4 other recent Freeway tracks, none of which apparently made the album. Why did they take off the excellent "Where You’ve Been"?

Another new feature: guest appearances by rappers that make you scratch your head and say “WTF?”

I’m starting this off with a sublimely ridiculous pairing: KRS-One & nu-rap-metal 1 hit wonders Crazy Town on the latter’s song, “B-Boy 2000.”

I’m not even giving you an mp3 of this one because I’m so ashamed on KRS’s behalf.

The song starts with Crazy Town singer Epic (wish I was kidding) claiming “we’re taking hip-hop to a new level.” The then-34 year old Kris Parker sounds confused and old on this song, and his mercifully brief verse is not much better than Crazy Town singer’s verse. (I refuse to type his name again). Why is that?

If anyone has any other suggestions for future entries in the “WTF?” appearances, let me know in the comments or email me at aaron.shadescythe [at]gmail.com.

I’m using this post to start my new weekly series of posts, Remix Tuesdays.

Every Tuesday, I’m going to upload a dope remix and write a little bit about it. Today I’m writing about DJ Premier’s remix of Da King & I’s song “Flip Da Script”.

Da King & I was a Brooklyn based hip hop group, consisting of MC Izzy Ice and producer DJ Majesty. They put out one album together, 1993’s Contemporary Jeep Music, released on Dallas Austin’s record label (yep, Boyz II Men Dallas Austin). It’s an excellent jazz-rap album with virtually no filter and was very overlooked at the time.

Premo’s remix is based around a jazzy sax line that slips in and out of the mix and a smooth bass line. DJ Premier puts his signature scratches on the chorus, tearing up a sample from Grand Puba’s “Check It Out” , of Stud Doogie saying “flippin’ the script!” (thanks to Mike Czech for identifying the sample!)

The DJ Premier remix can be found here and here’s the instrumental.

Buy Contemporary Jeep Music, it’s worth it!

Bonus links: An interview on the awesome From Da Bricks with Da King & I producer DJ Majesty.

The link to the video for the original song (embedding disabled, unfortunately)

According to this site, GZA’s dropping a new album on Jan 8th, 2008. No big deal right? Only it’s supposed to be his follow up to “Liquid Swords“. Arguably the greatest Wu solo ever and the only one to have an appearance by every Wu member. So if this is the follow up, what are “Beneath the Surface” and “The Legend of the Liquid Swords” considered? Somebody help me out?

BTW welcome aboard AaronM!!!

I dunno, I kinda feel like the cold-blooded paparazzi posting this for some reason. Why are those crazy french cheering as he cries? That kind of strikes me as bizarre. As mentioned before our thoughts are with you ‘Ye.

[Before we get started, is it just me or does Just look a LOT like Dame Dash? With that out of the way, let’s move on…]

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia is probably the least recognized of Jay-Z’s solo albums, in large part because it’s the least solo of Jay-Z’s solo albums (2 songs didn’t even feature Jay). If that album taught us anything, it was that Rick Rock production, while dope in its own right, just isn’t meant for a (at the time) potential King-of-New-York.

However, nestled within the multitude of guest verses on that album were some of Jay’s finest performances to date. On “Soon You’ll Understand”, he put forth some of his most personal rhymes ever over a beautifully-somber piano melody, introduced by sounds of rain and thunder. On “Streets Is Talking”, he spit hard toward all the haters and gossipers over an intense, rumbling beat of horns and drums. Even the album’s intro was self-proclaimed “food for thought, you do the dishes”, over one of the tightest vocal samples this side of Shaolin.

Listening to the diverse styles of these 3 tracks, you would think that they were put together by 3 different producers… or, perhaps, by 1 soon-to-be-legendary producer. The Dynasty served as the springboard for one Justin Smith, a relative-unknown at the time whose resume didn’t extend too far past a couple production credits for Beanie Sigel, Busta Rhymes, and Amil (back before she permanently became a punchline in Fade To Black).

While Kanye West’s rapping ability got him the public recognition for helping make Jay’s follow-up, The Blueprint (and the trendy soulful sound that came out of it), as classic as it was, Just was raking up the behind-the-scenes recognition. The liner-note-readers among us don’t have to be reminded of the role Just played in creating Roc-A-Fella Records’ discography, back when Dame was still there and they were signing up free agents like the Yankees. The Reason, Come Home With Me, Philadelphia Freeway, M.A.D.E. (solid album, don’t front) — Just was like a one-man, modern-day Bomb Squad. And it only gets better — Just’s magnum opus, and the first release on his Fort Knocks Entertainment imprint, Saigon’s The Greatest Story Never Told, will hit shelves on December 4th in early 2008. (If you haven’t already, peep the “Come On Baby” remix with Jay-Z here.)

If only Just chose to pick up a mic in addition to producing, maybe he could be where Kanye is now, snapping flicks with Tom Cruise and throwing tantrums after awards show… the good life, indeed. Just, if you’re reading this*, remember that it’s never too late. I mean, Swizz Beatz can’t rap, and he made an album!

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MC Spank Rock of the saucy supergroup, did a fine job of keeping everyone entertained with alcohol-soaked antics at the taping of MTVu’s 4^th Annual Woodie Awards.  After hijacking the live blog area, drinking wine out of a shoe, throwing drinks onto the crowd, calling Keenan Thompson “Kel” and dumping a tray of beer on someone, Spank and his friend (who must hat shop at the same mall as K-Fed) get shown the door.  At least they know how to have a good time

Even the minor league awards have drama. We’ve posted pictures of the dude so I thought you’d be interested in seeing this:

PS, doesn’t the title of the entry sound kinda perverted in a weird way?

Watching this I have 2 thoughts:

• Does Mike miss this house’s 17 acres?
• What kind of  house would 50 get if Curtis went diamond?

The full episode airs November 29th @ 10:30 PM on MTV. Then it reairs Dec. 2nd @ 3pm on MTV2. That’s 2 airings, all you 50 groupies don’t have an excuse to not at least TiVo it.

Our hearts go out to the Kanye West and his family upon the loss of mother and manager Dr Donda West, who died of surgery complications on Saturday. Despite all the controversy surrounding the cause of her death, it is important we recognize her influence on her son’s career and music, and her role in being a pillar of support, a loving single mother and an inspiration to Kanye.