It takes a lot to get my lazy ass out of the house. A DJ Premier set and free french fries constitutes a lot.

Re:Generation is a documentary in which five DJs collaborate with artists well outside their respective genres. DJ Premier worked with Nas on a song with the Berklee School of Music Orchestra, Pretty Lights worked with Leann Rimes and Ralph Stanley, the Crystal Method worked with Martha Reeves on an R&B song, and Mark Ronson went to New Orleans to record a jazz song with the Dap Kings, Trombone Shorty, Erykah Badu, and Mos Def.

Director Amir Bar-Lev and DJ Premier appeared at an event last night in New York to debut the trailer, an extended version of the one that’s already online. There was booze and hors d’oeuvres (mini-burgers and boxes of fries from Pop Burger) and Bar-Lev and Premo participated in a Q&A where they talked about how making the movie increased their appreciation of music of all genres.

In the spirit of the night’s eclecticism, Premier played a set spanning Ann Peebles, Paul Simon, and A Tribe Called Quest. He played an unfinished version of the song he made for the movie. Often, when rappers do projects like these, they put on airs because they’re in the same room as a cellist. But the track still sounded Premo-ish and not too self-important. A wave of content hit the crowd when Premo dropped “Unbelievable” and went into some of his classics. A fun night, if a little bougie.

Oh, and Pete Rock showed up.

Adrien Brody was at the Academy of American Poets at the Lincoln Center in New York last month.  The actor must be diligently at work towards achieving a coveted Hood Pass because he decided to recite The Ten Crack Commandments. I tried really hard to listen but his flaring nostrils were a huge distraction. Anyway, it’s not like I need a reminder on what the commandments are, as I have them tat’d on the belly. On a fun personal note: I am currently messing up like 4 of the commandments in my daily life. #losing.

The hierarchy of the online rap community goes like this:

1. Photoshoppers

2. Rap bloggers

3. People who leave comments on old school rap videos on YouTube

Props to Kuci06, HHReloaded, Talyban, and wilde who have been trading Young Jeezy-themed movie posters in a legendary thread on the ProjectCOVO.com forums. Many more after the break.

Train! Fight! Die?!

DJA and Dirty South Joe have distilled the essence of motivation and physical and mental exertion into musical form. The product of their labor is Heaven 2 Hell, their second 80s action soundtrack mix. As with any action sequel, the stakes are higher and the danger level has doubled (maybe even tripled). Put this on and get inspired.

Find the track list after the break and don’t forget about part one. Keep it locked for Blood Bros 3!

via Mad Decent

This whole weekend I have been laid up sick (my cold is perfectly coinciding with next level/amazing weather occurring right out side of my sunroom). There was one good thing about this however; I was able to work my fingers into tip-top shape with the TV remote buttons and clicking of the computer mouse. Now when I wasn’t watching some hockey or playoff beisbol, Kanye West seemed to have my attention on either the TV or the computer screen. First, Kanye West premiered his artsy film, Runaway (pure coincidence the single shares the same title!), set to the score of his new album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I took the movie as a canvas to show off the new(ish) music, and for that purpose the  beautifully shot visuals worked. What I enjoyed more was the post-movie interview he did with Sway of MTV. The interview was unedited/live which showed off Ye’s train of thought and his passion for his work. When the interview was ending, Sway blew up the spot, by mentioning his surprise appearance he was going to do later in Brooklyn. Covering his face when he heard Sway spoil the surprise, Kanye’s reaction made the whole interview worth watching.

Check the movie & the interview that follows at the top.

Judging by the youtoobs and tweets, the aforementioned surprise show at the Brooklyn Bowl went off like a bomb blast, Rap Radar has footage of Kanye jacking the stage from CyHi Da Prynce for ‘So Appalled‘. Be sure to note how Kanye has the stage cleared of all Weed Carriers/Photogs/Etc.  Fools Gold DJ Sammy Bananas shot this footage of ‘Monster‘ which seems to translate very energetically in it’s live form.

Action has a new hero.

Blood Bros (DJA and Dirty South Joe) have created the soundtrack to your next arduous challenge. They compiled the greatest moments in 80s action movie soundtrack history for a mix that will get you pumped in times of adversity. Now go chop some firewood!

via Mad Decent

Via The New York Times

Melvin Van Peebles is a pioneer in black cinema, having directed, written, produced, scored and starred in what many people consider the first blaxploitation film, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasss Song. The New York Times recently published a fantastic profile of Peebles’s attempt to turn Sweetback into a stage musical that’s essential reading, if only for passages like this:

In person Mr. Van Peebles is a throwback to the era of Afros and revolutionary rhetoric. His beard has gone ash white, but he still sports black leather vests and pants, purple-shaded glasses and vintage high-tops. He is rarely without a soggy cigar — occasionally lighted — or a bellicose zinger, like: “If somebody messes with me, it’s not a lecture they need. It’s a brick.”

Read the whole piece here.

Hip-hop fans may be more familiar with Peebles from Madlib’s prominent sampling of his music on his two Quasimoto albums; allegedly ‘Lib and Peebles were supposed to do a double album together back in ‘05, I wonder what happened to it?

Download: Quasimoto – Bad Character

Get up on a little of Peebles’ music too. Here’s “Come On Write Me” from his 1974 album, What The . . . . You Mean I Can’t Sing?!

(image source)

RZA gave an exhausting interview to the A.V. Club as part of his book tour for The Tao of Wu, his compendium of wild philosophical interconnections. If you skip all the mumbo jumbo, RZA actually talks about music and makes some surprising claims/revelations. It’s a daunting read, but c’mon, it’s The RZA.

On how he came up with the idea for Ghostface’s “R&B” album four years ago,

Ghost, I think, took my advice. I said, “Yo, we should do a love album.” I told him this four years ago, we should do a love album. I was going to produce it, he was going to rap on it, and we’d make it strictly about love. Just bring love. Everybody keeps bringing violence, let’s bring love. He wasn’t feeling it then, but now he has an R&B album where he’s bringing songs more sympathetic and shit.

On how “Gravel Pit” was originally meant for Aaliyah,

People thought that “Gravel Pit” was a bad decision. Now, I don’t think “Gravel Pit” was a bad decision, it was our first top 40 record as the Wu-Tang Clan. It was during the period where top 40 was important, and during the period that the European scene was really coming strong, and our sales were equal in Europe and America, and I wrote the song for Aaliyah, who we lost before she could do it. But it was written originally for Aaliyah, who was my favorite artist, and I felt every single she made was great.

On the possibility of an Ol’ Dirty Bastard biopic,

We have talked about it. His estate is pretty confused, like any estate is in our country. The estate is kind of confused on what to do, and all the rights and all that shit, but it’s definitely been talked about. There’s also been talk about a Wu-Tang Clan movie. So we’ll see what life brings. In my opinion, I’d rather see an ODB pic than a Wu-Tang Clan pic, because Wu-Tang is still alive, and may be active for a few more years. But an ODB pic, just to really describe his life, would be good. Right now, there is a documentary that’s done that’s pretty good. It ain’t a knock out of the park, but it’s pretty good, it gives a nice piece of him. Then you start with that, and we can build more awareness about his life, and build more interest in people seeing a movie about it.

What would be weirder, RZA x Aaliyah or Raekwon x Timbaland?

The A.V. Club via The Playlist

Bonus: RZA – You Can’t Stop Me Now (ft. Inspectah Deck)

off Digi Snacks

P and Buckshot link up over a 9th Wonder/Dan the Man thumper for the Black Dynamite soundtrack. Price kills this and those dialogue samples are a nice touch.

DOWNLOAD: Sean Price & Buckshot – The Feeling

Black Dynamite is an affectionate tribute to classic Blaxploitation flicks that comes out later this month. Here’s the very awesome trailer.

Via OnSmash

Looks like Minority Report meets The Matrix. Directed by Christopher Nolan, who has been on a roll since Batman Begins. The Prestige  was dope (beefing magicians? hell yeah) and of course everyone and their mom has seen The Dark Knight three times. I’m interested to see what he can do with a sci-fi flick.