D’Angelo, last seen allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover police officer, makes his triumphant return on Mark Ronson’s Record Collection sounding liked a drugged up Cee-Lo. When the collaboration was first announced, Ronson said the song was “basically” his favorite on the album.
The Virgin Mobile FreeFest is tomorrow in Columbia, MD at the Merriweather Post Pavillion, and since ML has covered many Virgin Festivals in it’s history. We think it’s appropriate that we share our picks on who to check out this year.
If you are looking for some non-music things to do, my guy James from Fanscape suggested ML readers check out State Farm’s Club 17k where they will hook you up with chair massages, custom t-shirt printing and a boat load giveaways (trust me, it’s their job to giveaway stuff.). If you click that aforementioned link and install a ringtone they’ll even bless you with some VIP treatment at their compound.
ML’s attendance this year can be best compared to a star football player coming back from an injury– a last minute decision. So if ML does end up crashing the Virgin Mobile Fest gates, we’ll be sure to rant on twitter.. or mess around, and *gasp* make a review post.
While the free tickets are long gone, there have been some $30 tickets released, and that craigslist site is sure to be flooded with them. Lastly, check out the nice preview Express put together.
Sphere: Related ContentOn Friday evening (I know, I know) I was aimlessly flipping through the ol’ cable box, ready to turn the TV set off, when I saw RZA’s face on NBC. Apparently, RZA was guest starring on a new NBC show starring Jimmy Smits (of NYPD Blue fame). I only saw the tail-end of the episode but RZA was playing.. a wait for it..a person jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. Anyway if you care to see RZA’s acting the embed is below.
Now, these days, a rapper appearing on a TV series are more common than bedbugs in Manhattan, but then I stumbeled across this on youtube.
Late pass please.
RZA co-starring with Joe Jonas (Jo Bros!!), Jake Gyllenhaal, & Lil’ Jon in a video for indie darlings Vampire Weekend’s Giving Up The Gun?
Yeah.. all of that combined let me to ask the question that you see in the title of the post. I’m not in the least bit upset or worried about RZA doing all this stuff, I’m just saying, hopefully there is enough beats to do a 2nd Beat Drop this decade.
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The great Kanye, Raekwon, Justin Bieber collaboration is actually a mashup of “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit” and young Bieber’s “Runaway Love.” The story begins on Twitter when Kanye shouted out Justin. The two got to patting each other on the back and Kanye suggested they work together… along with Raekwon.
An I’m honored that you like my Music @JustinBieber!!! You gotta hear the album. Maybe we can do something together. Me, You and Raekwon
Kanye West
kanyewest
Justin Bieber, a throwback to virginal Mickey Mouse Club pop, recognizes the irony aligning himself with big scary rappers. Both he and Kanye understand the pop culture magnitude and humor in remixing “Runaway Love” with Raekwon the Chef. Delighted to see his name mentioned by two of the biggest artists in the world, Rae got his ass over to Kanye’s studio.
Kanye is the master of making authentic yet mainstream rap music and thus the ideal candidate for such an undertaking. Raekwon raps his heart out because he knows what it means for his career to make headlines with Kanye and Justin Bieber. Kanye breaks out his sharpest Wu references to keep up.
Heads can rest easy. The “Runaway Love” remix is unfettered Wu-Tang with Justin Bieber doing his best Michael Jackson impression. Not only does the song work, it sounds eerily natural. Justin appears as a sample on the hook and Raekwon doesn’t strain himself to accommodate the teenyboppers.
The track is more a quirk of the Internet age than a major crossroads in popular music, but if Team Bieber starts bumping Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, we can look back on “Runaway Love” as “Walk This Way” 2010.
City of God and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, two of my all-time favorite movies, have one man in common: the throaty, gravelly-voiced Brazilian crooner Seu Jorge. For the latter, Jorge recorded an entire album of acoustic David Bowie covers, which I listen to whenever I’ve had my fill of obnoxious rap music. His first two albums, Samba Esporte Fino and Cru, also get regular rotation when I’m trying to shake stress. For his latest album, Mr. Jorge connected with band Almaz to record covers of American pop hits as well as famous Brazilian songs, all with a deep psychedelic slant.
Seu Jorge & Almaz drops July 27. And what better home for their mind-expanding journey than Now-Again Records? Their global psychedelia compilation Forge Your Own Chains is another must-have.
The album also contains a cover of MJ’s “Rock With You.” I’d post it, but y’all ain’t ready.
And the original:
Tour dates after the break, yo.
Read the rest of this entry »
Estelle’s new single sounds like “American Boy” lite, but it’s still an essential on my slumber party mixtape. Very clubby poppy, but without today’s compulsory electro inclination. Nas put more vigor into this verse than anything on his latest African hippie excursion with Damian Marley. Something about pop tracks entices rappers to punch the beat in the face.
Update: video here.
It don’t matter what the blogs say,
I go hard like ain’t nobody signed me
O RLY? I’ve got a dozen Distant Relatives email blasts that say otherwise. And “say” doesn’t rhyme with “me.”
Sphere: Related ContentYou may remember last week I posted the Chat Roullete Piano Improv video? Well, a lot of the internets theorists were saying that Merton in the video was Ben Folds. It’ wasn’t, but all of this buzz didn’t go unnoticed by Mr. Folds, who decided to perform a hilarious tribute/rendition of the Chat Roullete Improv Piano thing live during a concert in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Be sure to watch it through.
Sphere: Related ContentIn late December I found out about a little site called ChatRoulette, a site which pairs you with random strangers in the world that have video cameras and have nothing better to do with their lives than talk to strangers (if you didn’t know this you might live under a rock, age can’t be an excuse because old dudes stay posted up on CR). I wish I documented all of my interactions on there, I’ve had Frat Brahs curse me out for a few minutes to talking to Mainland China residents (who were wearing heavy winter coats indoors) about Yao Ming. I’m still trying to convince KnobbzXL to give it a whirl, I think it would transform his life. Anyways, this video is one of the most hilarious things I’ve seen in a bit. It’s some guy serenading random people on the piano, and doing it with amazing wit. I had to play it back a few times (I mean you guys probably don’t remember when I wrote a full paragraph about something, right?!). I hope more videos come out soon.
After the jump I’ve added a few things CR related that I’ve come across over the past few months you might have missed.
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A perfect slice of rolling, summery funk backed by a killer Big Boi verse. Bit confused why they’re leaking this now; “Tightrope” was clearly made for BBQ season. Janelle’s debut on Bad Boy, The Arch-Android, drops on May 18.
BTW, go see Janelle live if you ever get the chance, she puts on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. Hit the jump for some upcoming tour dates.
J. Rocc is the second DJ in two weeks to pay tribute to Michael Jackson, but unlike DJ Jazzy Jeff’s spectacular mixtape, J. Rocc’s project is equal parts Dilla and MJ.
Calling this track a mashup isn’t doing it justice. J. Rocc didn’t just slap the “Butterflies” a capella on a Dilla instrumental, he carefully mixed the two with sexy results.
The project is called Share My Bed and I’m going on a hunger strike until it drops. Think about that when you go to sleep tonight, J. Rocc.
Update: DJ Babu to battle J. Rocc with his own MJ x Dilla mixes?
