June 2010
Rude Boy (Soulforce & Rootdown Reggae Remix) | Rihanna
(C-C-C-Chrome Music)
I don’t usually dig Rihanna, but Rootdown & Soulforce put a much-needed reggae vibe into her “Rude Boy” single. I just always thought that the original version of the song was weird, seeing how it talked about rude boys, but the music didn’t really reflect the subject…that’s sort of what I’m waiting for with Kanye West’s new “Power” joint: A remix with a beat that reflects ‘Ye’s vitriol. It’s just a matter of time.
ADD SUV (Armand Van Helden Vocal Remix) | Uffie ft. Pharrell
(pre-order @ Amazon)
I don’t know how I haven’t already posted this bangin’ remix…it’s pretty much a daily staple in my audio diet.
May 2010
Canto de Ossanha | Jurassic 5
(Amazon)
Everytime that this song comes up on my iPod, I can’t help but just get into it. DJ Nu-Mark just kills it with this beat. There aren’t a lot of hip-hop songs that make me want to get a girl and cha-cha with her.
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Unrelated: I had a weird dream last night. It was about a girl. It wasn’t one of those typical dreams about a girl where we end up banging (or where I wake up right before that part), but instead, I was being, like, supportive of this girl’s goals and aspirations. Healthy relationship dreams are a lot weirder than sex dreams.
Storytelling | Belle & Sebastian
(Amazon)
Currently.
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Unrelated: I’m pretty sure, at this point in my life, that if I’m faced with someone around my age having a temper tantrum, I’ll just go into full-patronization mode and say something like “Aww…wook at you widdle buddy! Wooks wike someone needs a turkey sammich and some naptime!”
What About Your Friends (Extended Remix) | TLC ft. Outkast
(via my shoeboxes and crates)
So, Hi-Stakes just released a mixtape with a bunch of Outkast’s early appearances—including their debut appearance on this TLC remix. I didn’t realize that it was their debut until today…damn, how those dudes evolved. It’s really incredible to hear Big Boi and Andre3000 spit these ragga/Das-EFX style rhymes…it’s definitely worth the listen.
Hop over to The Smoking Section for more information and links to the Hi-Stakes mixtape: Hi-Stakes presents Outkast Deep Kuts (Vol. 1) 1992-1999
I wonder how a culture gets to a point where information and those who possess it are feared and vilified, while it seems like those who are blissfully unaware and/or don’t care are socially rewarded.
It’s as if the curve-setters and the ones who take the time to learn a thing or two are seen as snobbish intellectuals who look down on everyone else and have to constantly apologize for pursuing an enriched life through education.
Opinions are easy. Opinions raises furor and rally the crowds…but opinions aren’t gospel, yet the uninformed seem to take opinions as facts.
Cheap, low-brow humor is easy. While Deadspin’s recent focus on dick jokes might be an appeal to the masses, it’s almost insulting to assume that the material needs to be dumbed-down for the audience.
I’ve dated girls who’ve said they’ve needed to dumb themselves down for social advancement…it’s conflicting, because I typically lose respect for people who dumb themselves down, but on the other-hand, it really leads back to this question of why people feel threatened by information and those who work to attain it.
Caught Out There | Kelis
(Amazon)
The first time I’d heard this song, it was like no other hip-hop/R&B song I’d ever heard…that hook was just bananas, and the beat was so new to me. I mean, I don’t think I realized what the Neptunes sound was when they came out with N.O.R.E.’s “Superthug” and “Nothin’,” but this single was so in-your-face that it let me know: “Okay, this is what’s up. These guys are the Neptunes.”
Exhibits G, F, & P | Just Blaze
(song and .gif from 2DopeBoyz)
Just Blaze might be from Jersey, but he’s responsible for my recent interest in the Baltimore Club sound…his remix of The A-Team theme was dope, but this is just a bit more enticing (and hilarious) once you figure out what “GFP” stands for. The .gif below should tell you what it means.
Simon Says (Remix) | Pharoahe Monch ft. Lady Luck, Redman, Method Man, Shabaam Sahdeeq, & Busta Rhymes
GET THE FUCK UP! SIMON SAYS: GET THE FUCK UP!
This track satisfies my penchant for:
- Hip-hop posse tracks.
- Incredible samples—in this case: The theme from Godzilla
- Clever wordplay: “You’re plaid, I’m stripes, together we be clashin’.” —Meth
This is such a quintessential head-bob joint…good God, I love Busta’s reference to Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the beginning of his verse.
