Metal Lungies

Watch Janelle Monae perform back to back smashes from her amazing debut LP The ArchAndroid as well as some older material. She performs not one, but TWO eye watering sets, with an interview in between.  If I were there, I would have jumped onstage and bagged her Borat style.

White people in full effect in the “Follow Us” video. Grab the audio and savor it. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty drops July 6.

Unexpected crack from Jazmine Sullivan. Missy Elliot flips the “Impeach the President” drums, “Affirmative Action” by the Firm, Biz Markie, and Dougie Fresh for a track that should send you stumbling down memory lane in multiple directions.

First rapper to spit over it gets a Metal Lungies fanny pack.

Standard, but well executed video for that song by that guy who I unnecessarily hated on that time. Laws sounds like Drake without the tampons. Maybe his meeting with DJ Khalil will spawn another smash.

My power went out for two days the last time I tried to post this track, so download at your own risk.

Forget Diddy’s corny new squad (“The Dream Team” featuring Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Busta Rhymes and, ooh! Red Cafe). Curren$y, Smoke DZA, and Big K.R.I.T. need to form the Green Team (no Green Team). Though I figure if the three of them got together they would be even less productive than Center Edge Territory (Curren$y, Mos Def, Jay Electronica) and CRS (Kanye, Lupe, Pharrell).

Update: Video

Backed by just a guitar, Janelle Monae impeccably covers “Smile” from Charlie Chaplain’s Modern Times with an angelic quality that stretches her already impressive range of styles. The ArchAndroid will make you dance and cry at the same time. Janelle, marry me. You’re Jewish, right?

via Billboard.com

I love it when big companies have good taste in music. If music sales ever completely dry up, it’s good to know that Adult Swim, Smirnoff, and Levi’s will commission a jam here and there. I know when I’m a billionaire, I’m gonna pay DJ Khaled $50 million to stop making music.

Today, Raphael Saadiq covers “It’s A Shame” by the Spinners for a song that would be right at home on his Motown-era throwback album The Way I See It.

Download: Raphael Saadiq – It’s A Shame

via Levi’s Pioneer Sessions

Donwill & Von Pea’s new video is down-to-Earth, carefree, and fun — everything hip-hop usually isn’t. Sandwich Shop EP here.

Peep the video for the best single of the year (so far, anyway).

We finally got some material from the New Jersey rapper that Premo told us about so long ago — other than the great verse he dropped on Blaq Poet’s album. Mr. Javas rocks an extended basketball metaphor with a golden era flow and a raspy cadence.

“Not a Game” is the b-side of “Opportunity Knocks.” The album, Destination Unknown, drops this year.

Download: Nick Javas – Not a Game (produced by DJ Premier)

via live from headqcourterz (Premier’s spot)