Song of the Day: “Come Get It” – Yummy Bingham (Feat. Jadakiss)
YES. This song is just too ill to let lay in the dust. Yummy Bingham was producer Rockwilder’s muse (also the godchild of Chaka Khan and Aaron Hall) who recorded this heatwave of a first single in ’05 to little response. It’s a track that should never have been swept under the table. Her helium-like baby voice atop those european horns will never get old, really; especially considering that baby’s singing about pudding. No regular pudding – Yummy’s pudding. Homemade. You get the jist? Jada did and didn’t seem too interested, responding, Honestly, I’m ’bout ready to take a dip in the pool.. Ha. Same.
Song of the Day: “The Beat Is Hot” – Roscoe P. Coldchain (Feat. Clipse & Boo-bonic)
Roscoe P. Coldchain: the little-known lips to The Neptune’s Star Trak label, is some kind of rapper. He’s more than conversational. He’s more than confrontational. He’ll engross you in his monotone rambling about robbing banks, kicking your sister’s ass, and killing your Dachshund; no flinch. I’m Da Vinci – don’t make me draw your pain. Best line ever? His delivery is so careless, it’s untouchable. The Neptunes Present…Clones comp featured his flow genius first on “The Beat Is Hot,” featuring Pusha T of Clipse and Fam-Lay’s Boo-bonic. The track’s beat, courtesy of the space-pop production duo (Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams), consists of a trunk-rattling suction and tingling triangle. It’s undeniably simple, but compliments perfectly Coldchain’s unapologetic apathy. I’ve included a second track for further spit reference: “I’m Not You” (below) by Clipse featuring Styles P (of The LOX) and of course, Roscoe. It’s coke-rap’s finest hour. Culinary chemist!?Amazing. Peep some snaps from the Clipse concert Jackson and I attended (as unofficial Caucasian representatives) this past spring at The Studio at Webster Hall.
These pet rocks by Shane Sakkeus and Jonathan Zawada (part of the Glory Holes exhibition on view at the Monster Children Gallery, Sydney) remind me a great deal of the Rik Cordero-directed, Consequence & Cudi “Buggin’ Out ’09″ video (below). You may remember the song – it’s a revamp of the classic A Tribe Called Quest jazz-rap joint of the same name (orginally released on The Low End Theory album in 1991).
This is the start of a new post series. Ever wonder what’s behind that new Wayne track? And why it sounds so familiar? It’s likely a sample. Most samples remain as mysteries to the average listener… until now. For le first entry, I give you Janet’s “All Nite (Don’t Stop)” and its aural DNA, “Hang Up Your Hang Ups” by Herbie Hancock.
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.3065090&w=425&h=350&fv=] Song of the Day: “Everyday of the Week” – Jade
Jade was one of those R&B groups from the 90′s that never fully took off. Like many of the sort, they had their one-hit and it was over. This track came out right around the time MTV (circa ’94) was weaning its audience away from dance music and into the realms of east coast, west coast rap acts. The song’s stuck with me since my car pools to and from Sunday school with Casey Kasem and remains to be of the era’s most enticing.
I feel a summer breeze. Freeway’s grizzly bear flow sounds fresher than ever atop Phoe Notes’ slap-synth beat. His chauvinist chants and cash-strapped growls are nothing short of hilarious (as always). Whether you call it reality rap or recession special, the shit is tax free.
This goes out to all the women in the world (especially her). It don’t even matter yo age, don’t even matter yo color… when this hit airwaves in ’95, booty bounce had officially landed. I remember singing this with other 8-year-old campers at theater camp clueless of its meaning. The video is straight All That and takes me back to the days of Lori Beth Denberg and Keenan & Kel. Makes me crave a Good Burger to go with all that booty. Orange soda, anyone?
If I had to choose only one look for myself from this past spring – it would have to be this one.I was reminded of this Times piece when Gareth himself made a visit to the V offices in SoHo this past week… Peep it here.
[vodpod id=Groupvideo.3051192&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Detroit MC, Royce Da 5’9, is an enigma. Is he signed or isn’t he? Is he on lock or not? He’s released each of his albums on different record labels. His upcoming album, Street Hop, should set shit straight when it drops this September. The first two singles are of the fiercest hip-hop has to offer. “Shake This,” (above) produced by DJ Premier, is comprised of a fiery David Axelrod sample only your dad would recognize. “Part of Me” is a farcical, Pied Piper-esque foray into streetwise storytelling (try watching the video without your jaw hitting the floor). Included below as well is a mixtape track of his from last year entitled “Crazy (911).” It came out just as Obama was taking office and plays like hip-hop’s official wakeup call. Go on, show dem mothafuckas…
People have been asking me to explain why in god’s name I’m so un-in-love with Lady Gaga. “She’s fashionable dance music,” I hear frequently, yet I’m still under the impression she wears those outrageous outfits and orbiting headpieces to cover up her busted face. It’s not her style-over-substance jig that itches at me, it’s the fact that she’s a direct knockoff of Klaus Nomi. Even her crew of stylists [House of Gaga] know it. I think a friend’s blog, Haute Shit NYC by Michael Scanlon, explains the mutual distaste amicably (read the the entry in its entirety after the jump…) Continue reading →
I can’t tell if Moncler’s latest ad campaign shot by Bruce Weber is a statement against stick-thin models or a snapshot from a bomb-sniffing canine training camp. Does Moncler outfit the airport sniffers overseas? ‘Cause it sure ain’t in the budget stateside.
It seems like for the last hundred years, little bitty Sweden has been the center for all things pop music. Besides cheap furniture, fast fashion and myself, the country’s known for putting out some of the freshest sounds in music. From ABBA to Robyn and Lykke Li, The Cardigans to Britney (yes, she recorded “…Baby One More Time” with Max Martin in Sverige), Sweden has cemented itself as the pop hub. See Adiam Dymott, for instance… The female-fronted rock band has a sound fit for a fashion show. Her mushroom cut is ultra YSL. The indie andro-rocker could become competition for East Ville’s own, Lizzie Trullie, if she releases her debut LP stateside. Watch the video for her second single, “Pizza” here first and see for yourself.
Jay-Z’s new favorite MC sounds strikingly similar to Wayne’s and Ye’s recent signs (Drake and Big Sean). Since Drake and Cudi blew up on the blog circuit, each hip-hop heavyweight has put a bid on their fave teeny-hopper. Considered “the freshman class of rap,” they tote similar interests – girls, toys, and team sports. Trend aside, J.Cole’s “Lights Please” is a monster. It plays like a contemplative sexcapade, pitting meaning against booty for a new generation of thinkers. The beat, complete with piano stabs and a Dilla-fied vocal loop, rides beneath Cole’s wiser-than-your-average flow to make the track pop. Watch out kids, the boy’s just warming up.
I’ve had the Margiela couture syndrome lately and can’t seem to get over it. This piece, especially, has had my head in a tizzy. It reminds me a great deal of a vintage fox fur coat I acquired awhile back that looks like the stylish stepchild of Carine Roitfeld and R.Kelly. It also happens to be my exact hair color match. Direct hit! / Big ups to cousin Nina /
Song of the Day: “Paper Chaser” – Big Sean (Feat. Jay K)
No exceptions – Rihanna’s the only one that can get away with the half-shave. She’s also the only one that can wear Balmain out to dinner and then never wear it again. Why? ‘Cause she a paper chaser. She’s gotta be, considering those $14,000+ shoulder pads she’s been seen in lately. In chasing, she’s inspired the likes of Big Sean‘s money-hungry, skaterboy flow on this mixtape track featuring Jay K. It’s got Ri-Ri’s T.I. hook ripped to shreds and sounding hotter than ever. So hot, in fact, it could’ve easily replaced the theme to Miami Vice without second thought. Consider it the closest you’ll ever get to owning your own Balmain one-off. You can thank me later.
I’ve always loved statement oxfords, loafers, slippers, dot – dot – dot. Recently, I’ve been really feeling these Raf Simons oxfords. They remind me of sprinkles, jimmys, or whatever you wanna call ‘em. The fact is, the shoes are embroidered with black waxed thread to evoke a barbershop floor. Below are the Louboutin Rollerball slip-ons… which don’t make sense in only women’s sizes. Come on Christian.
I had heard Big Sean’s hype-single “Getcha Some” two summers ago, just months before Kanye released Graduation, on his Can’t Tell Me Nothing /G.O.O.D. Music (‘Ye’s record label) compilation. He was brought back to my attention recently when my cousin James (congrats on the engagement btw) asked me if I had heard his new material. I was under the impression the cat had fallen off (as many new rappers do in their pre-album endeavors), knowing how ‘Ye had taken Drake under his wing as of late, and remembering just how similar Sean had sounded to him. Sean, though, is an ’88 baby, whereas Drake is two years elder. At times a straight Drake replica, Sean sounds adolescent to the extent that ‘Ye should probably start contemplating his pre-fab inklings. Could Kanye have been too early in the game? Sean’s verses are so unwarrantedly egocentric and cash-driven, it seems his mother may not have passed him the recession memo at breakfast. I suppose there’s no crying over G.O.O.D. Music now… it took two years for this song to become Sean’s first single/video. And within that time, the world’s changed. No longer is BAPE a big deal when your home’s been foreclosed. In the time it takes for Big Sean to finalize his Finally Famous debut, hopefully he’ll come to terms with reality.
World Premiere: “Run This Town” – Jay-Z (Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West)
I don’t know how I feel about this recently leaked Blueprint 3 track. The Kanye-produced cut features a hook by Ri-Ri and a few guest bars delivered by ‘Ye himself… and still, it sounds as if they band together in a desperate attempt at a hit. I dig the ragged guitar beat and all, so I’m not entirely hating. The song sounds as if the economy depended on it – seriously, can we get Beyonce and Nas on the track too? And did Hov really just plug Margiela? Well, I suppose ad sales are down.
Couture by the Numbers: Maison Martin Margiela, Fall 2009 Collection Materials: Lambskin Leather, Goatskin Leather, Wool
• Number of Pen Caps: 2,000
• Number of Fake Eyelashes: 245
• Amount of Chain and Vintage Jewelry: 20 meters
• Number of Bicycle Reflectors: 300
• Number of Fans: 24
• Average Number of Hours Seamstresses Clocked in Per Piece: 20 to 26 [fake eyelash vest] to 30 [pen cap smoking jacket] to 42 [chain biker jacket]
• Furs Used: Vintage Rabbit and Fox
via “The Cut”
Janet Jackson has gotten away with more blatant explicitness on the radio than perhaps any other artist. Pre-Nipplegate, the industry icon could release anything and get it played on FM without flinch. She was a sleazy, empowered pop superhero, much like Madonna, but nastier. This track, off her slept-on Control commemoration LP, 20 Y.O., could have hit airwaves as “All For You,” “If,” or “You Want This?” once did, had she not taken her titty out on primetime. At her peak, the woman had 8-year-old girls singing I’m gonna have to ride it tonight as if referring to carousels, and their mothers not caring because it was Janet fucking Jackson. “Get It Out Me” is too catchy to scrap for its inordinate inappropriateness and reads like code for her ability to surpass any FCC regulation. With her signature Jackson coo and shy-girl determination, Janet could once get past any ear. The track’s Jock Jams beat and freestyle melody mask its raunch so well it could easily make the next Kidz Bop compilation. There’s no way this song is about anything other than ejaculation. But who really cares when you know she has some crazy dance routine to guise the fact? We may never know, considering the cut never saw an official single release and didn’t made the Rock Witchu Tour setlist. Dreams will have to do.
I’m gonna be honest – Stella McCartney’s grown on me. She was never one of my favorites, and still isn’t, but her looks have finally blossomed into a bonified brand aesthetic; something even legacy labels struggle and strive for. Her latest Fall ’09 adverts capture the brand’s eco-girl awareness to a T. Even Bambi came out to support her fellow treehuggers. I just wonder how Disney feels… unless daddy owns Bambi‘s rights too.
Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa are blessed and cursed. They’re just too good to go major. Every time they sign to any mainstream record label, months later, they’re back on the streets releasing unofficial mixtapes again. I just don’t get it. Wiz is one of my favorites of all time and he’s undoubtedly Pittsburgh’s king of rap. His voice is too street to subdue. And to think he’s my age? It’s insane to know Soulja Boy and Flo-Rida are signed and going steady when you hear this kid’s tracks. He’s got nothing more than an indie body of work that could easily sit beside the most established hip-hopper. I’ve been pushing his shit since I heard it in the fall of ’06 and still… no official album release. Even Rolling Stone raved to no avail. The kid just can’t catch a break. Lately, the rapper’s teamed up with his equally cursed counterpart, Curren$y, to record a duo-mixtape based on weed, jets, and babes, expected to hit streets at the end of this month. I’ve compiled my favorite rapper’s best tracks below. His latest work hasn’t been up to par considering his early masterpieces, showing just how Warner Bros fucked with his nerdy flow. His skinny-boy delivery sounds best atop shiny street instrumentals laced with screwed soul or flash-rock samples. Below plays like a mixtape rundown of his best cuts to date…
First up, is likely his best single-ready sound to date – “Keep The Conversation.” The Billy Joel sample is tremendous…
Next is “Pittsburgh Sound.” Think Parliament funk meets Kanye hypersoul. It’sWiz Khalifa, man!
Welcome to pistol bangin’… “Walk With Me” is a somber, piano-led hometown tour. Swirly and mysterious, you can almost taste his slum…
“Youngin’ On His Grind” is a ghetto narrative with a bassline to end all basslines. Speed that ish up and Ciara could take it…
“My Thing” is pure bang. The beat is outrageous and can only be played at full volume. He slyly remarks, Make it look easy, like we do this shit for fun, but we do this shit for funds atop a video game background like nothing at all.
“Burn Something” could be an inspirational people’s anthem, but then again, it’s about hustling. At least he tried…
“History In The Making” is violent. Its over-the-top [Europe] “Final Countdown” loop is hilarious. The seven-minute diary entry will eat through your flesh. So beware.
Lastly, hear Wiz play Cassanova on “Sometimes.” The kid does it all…
Song of the Day: “Throw It In The Bag (Remix)” – Fabolous (Feat. Drake & The-Dream)
I’m shocked that the new season’s Balenciaga bag incarnate hasn’t caught on in the press. It’s no Motorcycle bag, but still, I’m obsessed. Dear Mom, Dad, Friends With Money, and Family Members That Like Me: This is what I’m asking for this birthday. And while you’re shopping, go ahead and indulge your inner Bravo Housewife with a little Loso. I wasn’t excited about his new album until now. His remix to “Throw It In The Bag” has Drake, a sped-up Dream sample (remember “Fancy”?), and plenty of poppin’ taglines to keep you unaware of the actual price.
Who woulda thunk Lady Gaga sounded better accoustic? Proof is in the potion. Peep Cudi’s latest clip for his mixtape-turned-album track (formerly titled “Poke Her Face”), “Make Her Say,” featuring ‘Ye, Common, and a live “Pokerface” rip. The video is amazing in itself. I love watching Kid play Kerouac, driving top-down on the freeway. The flipped split-screen effect plays well in setting it apart from the rest. If Cudi keeps this up, his long-awaited debut could come out by 2012.
Wow. Whatta you know. A day after posting Akon’s co-sign, French Montana’s first single, out pops a remix that’s a hundred times hotter than the original. Could this be summer’s New York anthem, you ask? I really couldn’t tell you, other than that the added horn track and guest verses do the track some good. Sad for French, he’s totally upstaged by his features on what may be the street single of the summer, but, hey, at least N.O.R.E.’s happy. No matter what, the Eagles sample’s sure to get your mom’s lighter up. And that’s all that really matters to me.
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Song of the Day: “Pizza” – Adiam Dymott
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