Ivan

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Homepage: http://hiphopisread.blogspot.com/


Posts by Ivan

Dru Down – Can You Feel Me? | Insomniacs Club

March 4, 2010 - 2:51 am

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(B)AY!


Race-Baiting Twitter Spam?

March 3, 2010 - 4:59 pm

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What the hell is this?


Kurupt – Tha 4:20 Mixtape (Prequel to Streetlights)

March 3, 2010 - 3:53 pm

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Been lazy as hell. Forgive me for that. Here’s a Kurupt mixtape to hold you down though! New album by Mr. Young Gotti, titled Streetlights, is set to drop on 4/20 (how convenient)…


?uestlove on Fela & More: Free Promo for HHIR!

February 25, 2010 - 4:35 pm

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Check out 1:42

Shouts to Mayse Windu for the heads up!


Wu-Tang Wednesday #1

February 25, 2010 - 1:53 am

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New feature inspired by the awesome-but-inactive Wu-Tang Mountain. Weekly updates on all things Wu. Su.

Meth, Ghost & Rae – Wu-Massacre

Inspectah Deck – Manifesto

Masta Killa – Live

Plans for the Future


The 24-Carat Black – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth | Soul Sample Sunday

February 21, 2010 - 3:00 am

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Remember Soundtrack Sunday? It was a HHIR feature that kicked off just around the time that Blaxploitation Pride was popping off. As Self-Science’s site continued to pick up steam in the blogosphere, I decided to back off from the Soundtrack Sunday feature since it was Self-Science himself who shared the gigs upon gigs of soundtracks I downloaded off of Boxden (and shared here on HHIR). So… You want some Blaxploitation OSTs? You know where to find ‘em!

After some thought, I’m gonna (hopefully) try to stay consistent with a new feature called Soul Sample Sunday to substitute for Soundtrack Sunday. Soul Sample Sunday will highlight a soul album which was sampled heavily in hip hop. No download links (unless you request them/can’t find them elsewhere)! ;-D

The first installment in the new Soul Sample Sunday feature will take a quick look at The 24-Carat Black’s 1973 release Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth. This Cincinnati soul group was originally known as The Ditalians, but changed their name upon the request of Dale Warren who helped them with their sole album – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth. A dark concept record which focused on urban poverty, Ghetto’s brilliance was overlooked in its own time. As fate would have it, the album witnessed its own resurrection in the 90s, sampled thoroughly on classic hip hop beats. The album was finally released on CD format in 1995.

One of the earliest hip hop tracks to sample The 24-Carat Black was Eric B. & Rakim’s “In the Ghetto”, off their 1990 album Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em. Submerged beneath a drum break from Bill Withers’ “Kissing My Love”, “In the Ghetto” features a looped portion from the beginning of The 24-Carat Black’s album’s title track. Other songs to lift from this particular song include Jill Scott’s “High Post Brotha” (featuring Common), Termanology’s Statik Selektah-produced “Nobody’s Smilin’” (a tribute to the aforementioned Eric B. & Rakim cut), Scarface’s 1998 track “The Geto” with K.B., Ice Cube and Willie D (the usage of the sample on this track is different from the rest) and more.

“Poverty’s Paradise” is another 24-Carat Black track which has been sampled frequently. In fact in 1995 it was on two Naughty by Nature tracks – kind of. Not only was “Poverty’s Paradise” sampled on the Naughty interlude track “Poverty’s Paradise” (on the album – you guessed it(!) – Poverty’s Paradise), the track was also looped on “Ain’t Nobody”, a Monica single featuring Naughty lead Treach. “Poverty’s Paradise” was also sampled twice by Three 6 Mafia: once in 1996 (“In-2-Deep”), and again in 2000 (“Lock Down”). Thankfully, Three 6 didn’t sample the same portion of the track, which boasts a lengthy runtime of over 12 minutes – plenty of room to find new sample-able material. Later in 2003, Bronze Nazareth sampled two separate portions from “Poverty’s Paradise” for RZA’s “The Birth” from his third solo album Birth of a Prince. The track features the intro portions from “Poverty’s Paradise” and later cleverly samples the vocals “ever since my birth I’ve had no one to care…” for the hook.

In 1996, Dr. Dre teamed up with the east coast’s golden boy, Nas, for the It Was Written track “Nas Is Coming”, deceptively covering The 24-Carat Black’s repetitive “mama’s coming” vocals off of “Synopsis Two: Mother’s Day” – a nod perhaps to the upcoming album by The Firm which was soon to follow. Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth also features a track titled “Mother’s Day” – not to be confused with “Synopsis Two” – which was sampled on Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt re-issue bonus track “Can I Live II” by K-Rob (the same producer who supplied Jay with the intro and outro tracks for Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter).

Epilogue

There are plenty more hip hop tracks where these came from and I’ve included some more below. But before that, I’d like to leave some room here for an unpaid-for advertisement for the Numero Group, an archival record label that has been cranking out soul gems since 2003/2004. A year ago they put out their 25th official release, Gone: The Promises of Yesterday, a collection of never before heard rarities from The 24-Carat Black. You can read more about the album here, as well as purchase it on MP3, CD and marvelous vinyl. Shouts to Aquarium Drunkard for the heads up!

More

C.L. Smooth – C.L. Smooth Unplugged
Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
Dynas – Family Jewels (feat. Slick Rick)
Jay-Z – Reservoir Dogs (feat. Beanie Sigel, Sauce Money & The Lox)
Keith Murray – Herb is Pumpin’
Leaders of the New School – What’s Next
Wale – The End Credits

Props as always to The-Breaks!

Purchase

The 24-Carat Black – Ghetto: Misfortune’s Wealth
CD (reissue, 1995) / Vinyl (imported, 1999) / Canvas Poster Print

The 24-Carat Black – Gone: The Promises of Yesterday
CD / Vinyl


Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx – The eXXecution | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 2:06 am

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The eXXecution
by
Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: March 23, 2010
Label: Duck Down Records

Ruste Juxx has been grinding on Duck Down joints for a decade now. He comes straight out of the Heltah Skeltah school of hip hop, with hints of early Prodigy in his lyrics and flow. Back in 2008, Ruste dropped his severely-overlooked debut album Indestructible but I feel like this record right here with Marco Polo should seal the deal in getting him the shine he deserves. Hardcore, gritty Bucktown rap is is still alive and well!

Tracklisting + Preview Track + Teaser Video + Full Album Snippets:

1. The eXXecution Intro (feat. DJ Revolution)
2. Death Penalty (feat. DJ Revolution)
3. Rearview
4. Take Money (feat. Rock of Heltah Skeltah & Freddie Foxx)
5. I’m On It
6. Let’s Take A Sec (feat. Black Moon)
7. Bread On Ya Head
8. Wings On Your Back
9. Nobody
10. F*ckin Wit A Gangsta (feat. Sean Price)
11. Watch Yo Step
12. You Can’t Stop Me


Kidz in the Hall – Land of Make Believe | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 2:05 am

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Land of Make Believe
by
Kidz in the Hall

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: March 9, 2010
Label: Duck Down Records

I haven’t played this one nearly enough to give a full-on review, but I can say with certainty that this album’s got more replay value than the comparable, new-ish album by the Clipse.

Tracklisting + Preview Tracks + Full Album Snippets:

1. Intro
2. Traffic
3. Flickin
4. Out To Lunch (feat. The Kid Daytona)
5. Bougie Girls (feat. Russoul)
6. Jukebox (feat. MC Lyte)
7. L_O_VE
8. Will II Win (feat. Marsha Ambrosius)
9. Take Over The World (feat. Just Blaze & Colin Munroe)
10. Fresh Academy (feat. Chip The Ripper & Donnis)
11. Simple Life (feat. Amanda Diva)
12. Running (feat. Tim William)
13. Do It All Again (I Am)
14. I Am (Reprise)
15. Rise And Shine (feat. Russoul)


B. Dolan – Fallen House Sunken City | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 1:57 am

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Fallen House Sunken City
by
B. Dolan

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Label: Strange Famous Records

Tracklisting + Preview Tracks + Full Album Snippets:
1. Leaving New York
2. Fifty Ways to Bleed Your Customer
3. Economy of Words (Bail it Out)
4. Earthmovers
5. The Reptilian Agenda
6. The Hunter
7. Marvin
8. Kitchen Sink
9. Border Crossing
10. Fall of T.R.O.Y. (feat. P.O.S. & Cadence Weapon)
11. Mr. Buddy Buddy
12. Body of Work
13. One Breath Left (Bonus Track)


The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble – Miles Away | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 1:46 am

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Miles Away
by
The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Label: Stones Throw Records

Tracklisting + Preview Track + Full Album Snippets:
1. Derf (For Derf Reklaw)
2. One For The Monica Lingas Band
3. Horace (For Horace Tapscott)
4. Waltz For Woody (For Woody Shaw)
5. Shades Of Phil (For Phil Ranelin)
6. Black Renaissance (For Harry Whitaker)
7. Tones For Larry Young
8. Mystic Voyage (For Roy Ayers)
9. Two Stories For Dwight (For Dwight Tribble)
10. The Trane & The Pharoah (For John Coltrane & Pharoah Sanders)


DJ Khaled – Victory | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 1:36 am

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Victory
by
DJ Khaled

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Label: E1 Records

Tracklisting + Preview Tracks + Full Album Snippets:
1. Intro (feat. Diddy & Busta Rhymes)
2. All I Do Is Win (feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross)
3. Put Your Hands Up (feat. Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Plies & Schife)
4. Fed Up (feat. Lil Wayne, Usher, Drake, Young Jeezy & Rick Ross)
5. Victory (feat. Nas & John Legend)
6. Ball (feat. Jim Jones & Schife)
7. Rockin All My Chains On (feat. Birdman, Bun B & Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em)
8. Killing Me (feat. Buju Banton, Busta Rhymes & Bounty Killer)
9. Bringing Real Rap Back (feat. Rum)
10. Bring The Money Out (feat. Nelly, Lil Boosie & Ace Hood)
11. On My Way (feat. Kevin “KC” Cossom, Ace Hood, BallGreezy, Desloc, Piccalo, Iceberg, Bali, Gunplay, Rum & Young Cash)
12. Rep My City (feat. Pitbull & Jarvis)


Rob Swift – Architect | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 1:24 am

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Architect
by
Rob Swift

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Label: Ipecac Recordings

Tracklisting + Preview Track + Full Album Snippets:
1. Overture
2. Introduction
3. The Architect
4. Principio f/Breez Evahflown
5. Story of A Man
6. Sound The Horn
7. Prelude To The First Movement
8. Rabia- 1st Movement
9. Rabia- 2nd Movement
10. Rabia- 3rd Movement
11. D.R.E.W.
12. Intermission
13. Lower Level- 1st Movement
14. Lower Level- 2nd Movement
15. Lower Level- 3rd Movement
16. Spartacus
17. Sound The Horn (Reprise)
18. Ultimo f/Breez Evahflown


Planet Asia & Gold Chain Military – Chain of Command | First Peek

February 20, 2010 - 1:04 am

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Chain of Command
by
Planet Asia & Gold Chain Military

Purchase: CD / MP3
Release Date: February 23, 2010
Label: RBC Records

I don’t know a damn thing about these weed carriers guys, but new Planet Asia is always a good thing.

Tracklisting + Production Credits + Preview Tracks + Full Album Snippets:

01. Intro (GCM Dateline) (Feat. Rich Curry) (Prod. By Tristate)
02. At The End Of The Day (Prod. By Jazmoto)
03. Riding For (Prod. By J Thrill)
04. GCM Meets ALC (Prod. By Alchemist)
05. 6 Percent (Skit) (Feat. Rich Curry) (Prod. By Tristate)
06. Calzoni (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
07. Sadams Mansion (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
08. All Of The Above (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
09. It’s The Chain (Feat. Denise Janae) (Prod. By Dirtydiggs)
10. Detention (Prod. By Evidence)
11. Gold Chain War (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
12. Love 4 Gold Chain (Skit) (Feat. Walt Liquor)
13. Mad As Hell (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
14. Chocolate Honeys (Prod. By Thayoo Ausar)
15. Pleasure & Pain (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
16. Blood Lust (Prod. By Architech)
17. Organic Food (Prod. By Large Professor)
18. Back It Up (Prod. By Masterkraftsmen)
19. Chain Of Command (Prod. By DJ Babu)
20. Future Shock (Prod. By Universal Subjective)


Protect the Plant!

February 19, 2010 - 7:20 am

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It’s HempCon week here in Los Angeles, and though I’m not a smot poker, I’m all in favor of the legalization of Mary Jane. Simple and plain, I don’t believe that a plant should be made illegal – the concept just seems ridiculous to me. That’s why I’m distressed over some shit that’s been going down in Los Angeles for some time now: marijuana dispensaries/cannabis clubs are getting shut down and raided left and right thanks to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich (pssst… I voted for the other guy).

Even though President Obama ended all federal raids on these facilities, the L.A. City Council voted in favor of shutting them down. One of the justifications being that some of them were near schools. That’s hilarious to me, since every school I’ve ever been to had a liquor store (or two) just around the corner. Are you telling me that it’s easier to walk into a liquor store to snag some cheap wine or beer than it is to walk into a cannabis club and walk out with a prescription? You can forge an I.D., sure, but a doctor’s prescription? Not so simple. Anyways, Los Angelenos will have the opportunity to overturn the ruling with a ballot measure later on in the year. That’s why the legalization movement needs some organizing, and that’s where sober people like me come in.

Promoting HempCon 2010 and his new film Light Up America, legendary stoner Cheech Marin spoke at the L.A. Convention Center on Thursday and said: “It’s a movement whose time has come. It’s inevitable. Society since the Bible has needed a socially acceptable intoxicant, and here it is. This has been our drug of choice. It’s … much healthier, has more benefits than alcohol.” I don’t disagree with anything he said. But if pro-legalization activists are serious about their cause, they’re gonna need to find a respectable voice to convey that message to voters. We need a pro-marijuana advocate whose eyes aren’t glazed. That leader has yet to reveal him or herself onto the scene. And that’s the problem with (us) liberals. We fawn over our own idealism before facing the realistic prospects of victory and failure. That’s why when we do win – even on that rare chance when we do win, like getting Obama elected – we don’t know what to do with it afterwards… ‘til we lose everything we worked so hard for all over again. Wake up everybody.


LMFAO vs. Mitt Romney

February 19, 2010 - 5:54 am

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That’s right… ^ these guys ^ vs. Mitt Romney

Sorry, but this literally made me LMFAO:
The mystery man who was tossed off an airplane for allegedly attacking Mitt Romney has finally been revealed — it was one of the guys from LMFAO … and he claims Romney is the one who got physical first!

It all went down shortly after the two parties boarded a flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles on Monday.

According to a video confessional from LMFAO’s Sky Blu, it all started when he leaned his seat back while the plane was still on the tarmac … and Romney, who was sitting behind him, started yelling at him to put his seat back up.

Sky Blu claims Romney then reached forward and grabbed his shoulder … so he slapped the Presidential wannabeen’s hand away. Shortly after, authorities boarded the plane and escorted Sky Blu off the flight … and the other member of LMFAO got it all on tape.

On Tuesday, Romney’s spokesperson said Sky Blu became “physically violent” when asked to put his seat up … but the spokesperson never mentioned whether or not Romney puts his hands on him.

Sky (a Democrat) says it was an “unfortunate situation” and he’s sure Mitt (a Republican) is a “nice guy” … but not someone he’d vote for.

via TMZ


Michelle Trachtenberg Doing Nicki Minaj’s “Shaking It 4 Daddy”

February 19, 2010 - 3:18 am

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I been liking this HHH since Harriet the Spy, shit…


Larry King Interviews Bill Maher

February 18, 2010 - 3:29 am

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Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5

Bill Maher is back on the air this Friday!


Boogie Down Productions – You Must Learn | Insomniacs Club

February 18, 2010 - 2:56 am

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I believe that if you’re teaching history/
Fill it with straight up facts no mystery/


Meth, Ghost and Rae – Wu Massacre | First Peek

February 17, 2010 - 2:27 pm

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Wu Massacre
by Meth, Ghost and Rae
(Method Man, Ghostface Killah & Raekwon the Chef)

Purchase: CD / Vinyl
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Label: Def Jam

After searching for a group name, it seems like Meth, Ghost and Rae settled for… ‘Meth, Ghost and Rae’. I was rooting for ‘The Brothers from the Grain’, but whatever… As it stands right now, we’re still waiting for more info on this highly-anticipated album. What we have at the moment is a beautifully designed cover (above) and a confirmed tracklisting (below). As the preview tracks, album snippets and production credits come rolling in, I will continue to update this post. Can I get a suuu? ’til then, here’s what we’ve got:

Tracklisting + Preview Tracks + Production Credits:

1. Criminology 2.5 (Prod. by BT)
2. Mef vs. Chef Part II (feat. Rhythm Roots All-Stars) (Produced by Allah Mathematics)
3. Ya Moms (Skit)
4. Smooth Sailing (Remix) (feat. Streetlife & Solomon Childs) (Produced by Ty Fyffe)
5. Our Dreams (Produced by The RZA)
6. Gunshowers (feat. Inspectah Deck & Sun God) (Produced by Digem Tracks Productions)
7. Dangerous (feat. Rhythm Roots All-Stars) (Produced by Allah Mathematics)
8. Pimpin’ Chipp (feat. Rhythm Roots All-Stars) (Produced by E Meal)
9. How to Pay Rent (Skit) (feat. Tracy Morgan)
10. Miranda (Produced by Allah Mathematics)
11. Youngtown Heist (feat. Trife Da God, Sheek Louch & Bully) (Produced by Scram Jones)
12. Breaka Breaka/It’s That Wu Shit (Produced by Scram Jones)
13. Made Men (Bonus Track)


I Call Bullshit on AskMen.com’s Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2010 List

February 17, 2010 - 2:29 am

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About a month ago, AskMen.com revealed their – emphasis on “their” – list of the top 99 most desirable women of 2010. The winner was Emmanuelle Chriqui. Now I’m all for seeing a hot Hebrew honey get her props, but the number one spot? Really? That’s when I got to investigating – because really, despite my troubling penchant for procrasturbation procrastinating, an urgent call to task like this demands my full attention. Paying notice to AskMen’s rating system reveals that the ultimate score that each women can earn is calculated by averaging the readers’ score with – get this(!) – the AskMen.com’s staff score. That doesn’t sound very democratic, now, does it? AskMen.com boasts that over 6 million votes were cast in this “election.” But what significance does that hold if the staff can tip the scales in favor of one woman over another? I crunched the numbers and it ain’t pretty.

AskMen.com’s Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2010 Data @ Google Docs

As you can see from this spreadsheet that I created, Emmanuelle Chriqui earned a 92.9 from the readers. (She was ranked #6 overall, based on readers’ scores alone.) AskMen.com’s staff gave her a 96.9. That’s a four point spread! And those four points are what boosted Chriqui to the number one spot! Now here’s where it gets absolutely sinister: Marisa Miller scored a 95.2 from AskMen.com’s readers. That was the highest score amongst all women, earning her the #1 spot as far as readers’ scores are concerned. But interestingly enough, the AskMen.com staff gave her a lower grade than that: 94.3. That’s a 0.9 spread.

Now let’s do the math: Emmanuelle Chriqui’s averaged score (between AskMen.com’s readers and staff) was 94.9. Marisa Miller’s averaged score was 94.8. Emmanuelle Chriqui “won” by a decimal point! But again let’s remember: Chriqui was assisted by the AskMen.com staff’s generous 4 point (2 points when you consider the averaging math) boost. Miller on the other hand took a hit from the staff’s 94.3 rating. Isn’t it convenient that the AskMen.com staff gave her a 94.3 and not a 94.4 (which would have made it a Miller/Chriqui tie) or 94.5 (which would have secured Miller’s #1 spot)? Of course it’s not. I call shenanigans! Who’s with me?

In conclusion, AskMen.com’s staff single-handedly robbed Marisa Miller of her Most Desirable Woman crown! Don’t get me wrong, I have no real interest in the results of these meaningless lists. (I would’ve expected Megan Fox to have won by the way.) But injustice – that’s right, injustice – must end, once and for all!

Here are some more examples of reader/staff score discrepancies:

Lakshmi Menon
Reader Rating: 75.2; Staff Rating: 92.2; Spread: 17(!)
Winner (in my opinion): Neither. An 83.7 average seems fair to me.

Emily Scott
Reader Rating: 91.4; Staff Rating: 76.2; Spread: 15.2
Winner (in my opinion): Readers.

Grace Park
Reader Rating: 78; Staff Rating: 88.9; Spread: 10.9
Winner (in my opinion): Readers.

Halle Berry
Reader Rating: 73.2; Staff Rating: 84; Spread: 10.8
Winner (in my opinion): Staff.

Olivia Wilde
Reader Rating: 87.2; Staff Rating: 78.9; Spread: 8.3
Winner (in my opinion): Readers.

AskMen.com’s Readers’ Top 10 for 2010:
1. Marisa Miller
2. Alessandra Ambrosio
3. Kate Beckinsale
4. Megan Fox
5. Jessica Alba
6. Emmanuelle Chriqui
7. Kristen Stewart
8. Erin Andrews
9. Scarlett Johansson
10. Olivia Munn

AskMen.com’s Staff’s Top 10 for 2010:
1. Emmanuelle Chriqui
2. Marisa Miller
3. Penelope Cruz
4. Beyonce
5. Eva Mendes
6. Cheryl Cole
7. Gisele Bundchen
8. Bar Refaeli
9. Kate Beckinsale
10. Paz Vega

Readers or staff: You decide!


Tehmeena aka Ms. Meena on MTV’s Silent Library

February 17, 2010 - 12:49 am

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I’m guilty of keeping my mouse cursor at the 0:58 mark and clicking it over and over and over again once every three or four seconds while Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” plays in my head. #justsaying

Get some more of Tehmeena at Cutie Central.


The Road to Recovery

February 16, 2010 - 7:27 pm

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I just received a mass e-mail from David Plouffe, the organizing genius behind the Obama 2008 campaign. The e-mail includes the above chart, contrasting job loss rates between the Bush and Obama administrations. The Obama supporter in me wants to say: “Haha! See that? Buck Fush. Obama’s come to save the day.” But my inner skeptic sings a different tune. The chart does an effective job in mirroring Bush from Obama (or vice versa), with the message being: A) Bush = bad; Obama = good, B) Bush = down; Obama = up. Right? But that’s kind of misleading. Could it not be that the exorbitant job loss rates at the end of 2008 until the beginning of 2009 were simply the absolute zenith? Would we imagine job loss to have ever been over 1,000,000 per month? Unlikely (but what do I know). Bottom line: While this chart is reassuring in presenting dwindling job loss rates, it’s safe to be skeptical until job loss is reversed (i.e. when we’re talking about job growth, not job loss). Just my two cents.


In the Beginning, There Was Justin Bieber

February 16, 2010 - 5:47 pm

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…and that’s the image that prompted me to rush out of my bedroom, into my bathroom, in a somatic effort to puke out my innards with a violent rage unmatched by the very earthquake that struck Haiti. Okay. That’s a stretch. But boy, oh, boy was “We Are the World 25” an epic fail or what? Quincy and Lionel should be ashamed of themselves. Hasn’t Haiti suffered enough? Mike must be moon rolling (?) in his grave right now.

Was is that bad? Yes, yes it was. Oh, and by the way, Jay won. Again.


In Stores Today: February 16, 2010

February 16, 2010 - 3:30 am

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Another slow week! Today we’ve only got two hip hop albums to discuss: Freeway & Jake One’s The Stimulus Package and DJ Mathematics’ Return of the Wu & Friends. I’ve written about the former album, but I might as well have reviewed the latter too, because both of these releases were equally underwhelming. Next week we’ll be digging deeper with releases from Georgia Anne Muldrow & Declaime, DJ Babu, Madlib, Planet Asia & Gold Chain Military, The Last Electro-Acoustic Space Jazz & Percussion Ensemble and more!

Also in stores and worthy of mention:

The Souljazz Orchestra – Rising Sun
Thee Silver Mount Zion – Kollaps Tradixionales
Tindersticks – Falling Down a Mountain
Various Artists – Everybody Hurts (Help for Haiti)


Freeway & Jake One – The Stimulus Package | Album Review

February 16, 2010 - 3:00 am

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Freeway & Jake On
The Stimulus Package
Rhymesayers Entertainment

Preview
Purchase

The Roc-A-Fella creed during the early 2000’s was simple: dominate the game. Like Wu-Tang and No Limit before them, the leader(s) of the pack were easily distinguishable. But at the end of the day, it was always a team sport. Jay-Z, the MVP and future all-star, was accompanied by a roster of talented role players (Bleek, Sigel, Freeway and Kanye) and a solid bench (the rest of State Property). It seemed like there was either a new album or single tearing up the charts each month. Of course, Jay was the human highlight reel. But commendable (and often overlooked) gems by his teammates shone bright as well, Freeway’s debut album being a key example. Philadelphia Freeway featured all the big names like Nelly and Snoop and it had Just Blaze in his prime handling the boards. Quality wasn’t held back one bit. If it was a Jay-Z album, it would’ve been considered one of his finest. And therein lies the predicament that Freeway (and Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel) found – and continues to find – himself in: they weren’t really “changing the game”. No, they were simply riding along Jay-Z’s wave. They never defined themselves apart from Jay’s image and brand. Kanye West was the only Roc-A-Fella artist who successfully stepped out of Jay-Z’s ominous shadow. Call it the gift and the curse.

If any artist of the old Roc Army has been trying their hardest to emblazon a new image for themselves post-Dynasty breakup, it’s Freeway. From his Month of Madness campaign to a growing internet following, Freeway has managed to evolve alongside a changing musical landscape. His move to Rhymesayers is definitely a good look – they’re one of the hippest independent hip hop labels to call home. Freeway’s latest challenge – unmet thus far – is redefining his persona as an artist.

Take Brother Ali, for example. He’s a skilled emcee who can approach the mic from many different angles, but he chooses what he’s good at. He discusses his faith. He digs deep into politics. He’ll unleash his fair share of braggadocio from time to time, but his raps are fairly niche: he’s a “conscious/backpack rapper”. At first, that may seem a bit artistically constricting – but it might not be such a bad thing. Jay-Z or even Raekwon hold tight to their status as “Don” rappers (for lack of a better word). They’re known best for what they do and what they do best is what they’re known for. Freeway finds himself on the opposite end of this spectrum. He’s known for having an “ambidextrous flow.” He’s practically indefinable. That’s a problem.

Misguided, misdirected, and lacking a central theme and focus, The Stimulus Package is far from the blue-collar manifesto its concept album-like title suggests. The tracks sling back and forth from menacing threats, tales of sexual exploits, drug narratives and paper stacking flashiness. All the while Freeway strings along these subjects with vague and useless isms: “Who’s bad? I’m bad/ I am Michael Jackson, Puff Daddy Bad/”; “Take a smell/ Sniff from the shit like feces/ The GT too quick/”. At times, Freeway seems fixated on light-hearted, catchy hip-pop. Other times, it’s evident that he’s trying to be like Raekwon with the gritty narratives. Case in point, The Stimulus Package fails where Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt. II succeeds: solidity. The only thing holding this project together are Jake One’s soulful beats. I’m tempted to call this All in a Day’s Work, Pt. 2.

Free and Jake’s collaboration is a nice exercise in emcee/producer chemistry and highlights the importance of this generally successful dynamic. But overall, the package itself is far from stimulating [||].


The Tape Deck ‘10: Volume #14 (Instrumental Edition)

February 15, 2010 - 8:30 pm

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The Tape Deck ‘10: Volume #13 (Instrumental Edition)

February 15, 2010 - 7:00 pm

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The Tape Deck ‘10: Volume #12

February 15, 2010 - 5:30 pm

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The Tape Deck ‘10: Volume #11

February 15, 2010 - 4:00 pm

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The Tape Deck ‘10: Volume #10

February 15, 2010 - 2:30 pm

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