Tyler "The Creator" of OFWGKTA , the "Golf Wang" west coast skateboarding crew is pushing forth odd.future culture along with some awesome music and blogging to match.
Yonkers from Tylers upcoming album entitled Goblin is enough to make Lil Wayne and his "a milli" Young Money troupe of clowns actually sit down a write something mainstream that could possibly stand up with the greats, the hip hop narrators and poets, the rappers instead of the entertainers. An obvious artist, Tylers' word play and delivery are unlike anything that I have ever seen in West coast hip-hop. He's not rapping solely about weed and California girls, he's posing thoughts about masculinity, consciousness and absentee fathers.
An image that the youth is currently attracted to...dark, uninhibited, and strong enough to shock the lovers of indie-turned-commercial innovators such as B.o.B and Bruno Mars who had to change up their sound and style to adapt to mainstream music, art like this takes me back to a few questions I've posed on Art Star in the past.
Can you sell art without "selling out"?
I was watching a clip on T.V. One where Cathy Hughes (Founder of TV & Radio One) interviewed comedian Martin Lawrence and inquired on why producers always place black male actors in dresses, Many believe this is conspiracy to feminize black men in the media, something I don't believe is necessarily true as male comedians of all ethnicities have portrayed the opposite sex at some point in their careers, He responded with this: If they saw those fat checks I get for wearing a dress they wouldn't have nothin to say.
Would you "sell out" for a few bucks? Trade your dignity and values in for mere...stuff? What happens when public figures such as artists, journalists, and politicians start taking checks as opposed to informing and being the voice of the people? We are in a time where individuals are stepping up to be heard, voicing their opinions and fighting for their rights.
What happens when that voice is silenced, when people stop saying things that are worth knowing?
I heard Yonkers when it first came out and debated on whether I should publish it because of Tylers negative lyrics about Jesus and his obvious need to point out that he's an atheist (What is the point of constantly commenting on what you don't believe in?), over a million views (and 10 replays) later and its apparent that although "Tyler had to hang himself to get a million views" and his delivery is a bit atypical, people are now listening and I'm excited to hear what else he's got to say.
And pick up Stevie Wonder to be the wide receiver
Green paper, gold teeth and pregnant gold retrievers
All I want, fuck money, diamonds and bitches, don't need 'em
But where the fat ones at? I got somethin' to feed 'em
In some cookin' books, the black kids never wanted to read 'em"...
8<3Track Honey
Kanye West "Welcome To Heartbreak" Directed by Nabil
Young Jeezy "Circulate" Directed by Gabriel Hart & Terry Richardson
Cam'ron "I Used To Get It In Ohio" Directed By Duane "Bang" Holmes
Forgot About Me- Scarface Feat. Lil' Wayne & Bun B
The Cool Kids Set
Delivery Man- The Cool Kids
Uno's- The Cool Kids
Surprise- Gnarls Barkley
Love Bomb - N.E.R.D
KanYe West Exclusives!!!
Love Lockdown- Kanye West
Heartless- Kanye West
Coldest Winter- Kanye West
Here's a sample of the sets I did:
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT ON MY WEBSITE OR ON ITUNES:
Request Set
Put On- Young Jeezy Ft. Kanye West
Shoulda Known- Atmosphere
Bin Laden- Immortal Technique
L.E.S. Artistes- Santogold
Love You Gently -Usher
ADIDAS- Killer Mike
Shawty Say (feat. Lil' Wayne)- David Banner
Get Like Me (feat. Chris Brown & Yung Joc)- David Banner
RNB
Best Thing- Usher (feat. Jay-Z)
Your Smile - Bobby Valentino (ft. Lil Wayne)
Ride (remix) (feat. T-Pain, Rick Ross, & Juelz Santana)- Ace Hood
Forever (Produced By Polow Da Don)- Chris Brown
(Old Skool Song of the Day)-Paparazzi- Xzibit
Uzi (Pinky Ring)- Wu-Tang
Break You Off- The Roots
The Seed (2.0)- The Roots
Do You Feel Me- Anthony Hamilton
(Outro)- It's Over (Feat. Kanye West)- John Legend (off of John Legend's Evovler...IN STORES NOW!!!)
Brandy alexander nights when cinnamon slips past the lips
delicious milky kiss, liquid dreams, jazz bar scene
sippin summertime, texas was easy
living in a jeweled city,
bass guitar color of a peach martini
harmonica cues ragtime rules
scattered applause whenever words go off
holdin the mic cocky like music ain't enough
like you wouldn't trade a trumpet solo for a sculpted ass
like a hundred g's ain't better than jazz
like you don't wish you could be the immaculately dressed
too hot to retire lounge singer
who still has pipes enough to make young women cry
whose grandkids would rather listen to lil wayne
who is tucked away in the corner of a forgotten bar
singin' Stand By Me, holding a cigarette,
glistening as the band jams fun glam
what you wouldn't give to be that real
on nights as quiet as a timpani roll
I go to bars to find God
to find myself a stranger
black man singin Etta James, I like to feel
that blue struggle, the grimy love, interlocking melodies
the tug of war of the soul
the caress of a woman on my back
the unknown comfort of the stranger
those moments when you can sip your favorite drink
and find yourself lost in a breeze of piano chords
the bustle and laughter all around you
when you can be by yourself and still be happy
when you can find out what love really is
those sometimes when you close your eyes
and there are flowers all around you.
BET Awards Rap Up:
Usher started it out with a solid set of Love In This Club (check out this cover) that was disappointing only because of no cameo appearances.
Kanye wins Best Hip Hop artist over Lil Wayne, and then brings Wayne up on stage with him, praises Wayne, and leaves without saying Thank You to anybody.
T-Pain has a carnival circus performance that is all that is both good and bad about rap. Seriously I thought it was hilarious. Rick Ross is a joke. T-Pain is a joke. DJ Khaled is a joke. But damn it I love the I'm So Hood Remix.
Alicia Keys performs without a piano and then does a best of girl groups and brings out En Vogue... that took me back.
Somewhere in there there was this ridiculous spoof on Angelina Jolie and Madonna for adopting black children from Third World Countries where a black female adopted three white kids and challenged all the rappers in the audience to adopt white kids because it will help improve their credit rating.
It was ignorant as hell, but it was also pretty funny.
Then T-Pain and Kanye won an award and that was just coonage. Tpain approaches the stage in slow motion, while Kanye rants about how great T-Pain is and then adds insult to injury by reminding us that he is the King of this game and so we have to listen to him because his opinion counts. Once slow walking T-Pain (who is seriously going to be the next Flavor Flav) approached the stage he talked about how he couldn't get into this show two years ago.
I don't know it was a lowlight for me, very two years ago in fact.
But the Al Green tribute section was a real treat. Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, and Maxwell all sang covers and then the man himself took the stage and just really put on a show. It might have been a lifetime achievement award but Al Green put most of the young current performers to shame!
In a weird twist Weezy F Baby accepted the viewer's choice award with a passionate tribute to God. And he brought up his entire family. Did I mention the passionate tribute to God. Bizarre.
The only thing good about Lil Wayne's performance was the last verse of Milli. Seriously T-Pain ruined it. I think I would have rather have seen Kanye - say what you want but Kanye is going to give his 110% every time he steps on the stage - tonight Wayne seemed like he was still warming up.
Overall the BET Awards was really good this year. I never thought I would say this but BET is redeeming my faith in black people.
Oh, and I want to marry Alicia Keys.
We have been waiting for months for the newest Girl Talk CD "Feed The Animals" which was released today on the Illegal Art website.
For those who don't know the Album is available for free but you are invited to pay what you wish and get more stuff at the $5 and $10 margins.
Even if you download the album here please go the site and give some money because Girl Talk, aka Greg Gillis, is awesome.
This CD is not Night Ripper. It is a calmer more musically intense version of Night Ripper.
For me, Night Ripper was all about the first 7 tracks and maybe the last two - those were some of the most transformative music I have ever heard.
Feed The Animals just builds and builds and builds.
It really starts to take off six tracks in at "No Pause".
Then it reaches new levels on the track "In Step"
After that Feed The Animals laps to its joyful finish full of fun, joyful, dance, musical, genius.
What Girl Talk does for the song "Lollipop" in the last track should answer any questions people might have about the use of sampling - as ubiquitous as Lollipop is this is the only track I have heard that transforms it into something utterly different (and perhaps greater) than a Lil Wayne song.
Overall this is in my top 5 albums of 2008, and is pound for pound better than Night Ripper.
Seriously keep this CD on repeat all weekend; it will take a while to soak in.
Girl Talk we salute you.
There was a time when the real me wrote a dating column.
I was having my own Sex and the City moment with two of my best guy friends (no homo but damn right I kissed my daddy)
I learned two important things - first off random people (deans, teachers, grandparents) will read you articles if they are published.
Second - writing a dating column is terrible for one's personal dating life.
That being said, I've been thinking a lot about the topic of "nice guys" vs "assholes".
We all know girls prefer assholes.
We all know that girls say that it is confidence that they find sexy, not assholishness.
But what is more confident than the ability to be completely honest with a person, perhaps even a stranger.
I feel that 9 times out of ten we know if we like someone or not -probably after 5 minutes of talking to them.
We think they are funny, or cute, or clever, or witty, or intriguing, or maybe just damn sexy.
But we know.
However, most of us spend a couple weeks playing games with the other person just because we feel we have to.
A nice guy might simply say to a girl "Hey I think you are great, Do you want to go on a date with me?"
For whatever reason that probably will not make her want to lick him like a lollipop.
But isn't he being honest - isn't he confident enough to put himself out there - to make himself vulnerable?
Isn't that suppose to be sexy?
Yes. But its not.
Which brings us to the asshole.
The jerk.
The guy who won't admit to kissing his daddy.
He might be confident but it is probably just a front for his own insecurity.
He will probably seem like a chase because he fears vulnerability.
And he will probably keep getting girls, because most girls fear vulnerability too.
Most girls are insecure.
Maybe they like assholes because they aren't ready for a nice guy
Maybe they are still too "girl" for a real man.
Maybe the problem isn't that there aren't enough "nice guys" out there, but that most girls ignore them.
Maybe most girls only go after what they feel they deserve.
I figure I have the most diverse collection of music out of anybody who I know. (I know a big claim, but I will back it up if you challenge me) So I have decided to every once in a while just put my ipod on random shuffle and just list and comment on the tracks that play. The only rule is no skipping!! Here we go!
Mos Def "Traveling Man"
A chilled out beat and flow from by Mos. I swear I have heard this beat on another song. I can't place it though. Favorite part is the hook "memories don't live like people do". So true.
Mariah Carey "Heart Breaker"
The version I have has an intro by DJ Clue which is just special. The chorus is great and there are verses by Da Brat. What happened to Da Brat!?!?!!? Her flow on this track is better than 85% of rappers on the radio right now. The notes Mariah hits at the end of the song are just insane. And just have to throw it out there - Mariah Carey is so hot in the video. Is this what started dudes in the hood wantin white girls?
The White Stripes "Instinct Blues"
"Well the crickets get it, and the ants get it." A song about natural instinct versus human reason. The instrumentation and arrangements are great.
Jay-Z "A Million and One Questions (extended)"
"In the darkest night/ let out my gun for light" Jay-Z meanders through this track with his novacaine flow. Jay gives the Latin people a lot of love on this track.
Paul Simon "Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover"
Just a classic track. Seriously, listen to it right now.
Vast Aire, Timbo King, Prodiagl Sunn, and Byata "Slow Blues"
This a great song from a vastly underplayed mixtape called Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture. The Indie Culture on the mixtape is actually the underground rap scene and not rockers. It is a great mixtape and definitely worth checking out. The beat on this song is amazing!
The Shins "Young Pilgrim"
Great lyrics to a pretty simple instrumental. A really nice song. For whatever reason the guitar intro reminded me of Tenacious D.
Mary J. Blige feat. Jay-Z "Can't Hide From Love"
The Queen!!! This woman is so blessedly awesome. Just vibe out to this track.
Lil Wayne "Georgia Bush"
For me this song marked my transition into thinking that Lil Wayne might actually be the best rapper alive. It was so raw, morbid, and angry when it dropped right after Katrina. But the actual Georiga Bush part wasn't even the main event - part two is what got me:
"Money, money, money/get a dollar and a dick/Weezy baby that crack/muthafucka get a fix/got money out the ass/no homo but I'm rich/bout to go get surgery and put some diamonds on my wrist/yes!"
"I drink a lot of syrup/bitches say I'm sleep walking"
"Young New Orleans nigga/nigga just don't be retarded/we done lost everything and you're looking like a bargain"
"10 keys in the beamer/got a white girl drivin/couldn't do it much cleaner"
"and bring me that patron/I don't play/ no ice/ I like my drink strong not gay"
Journey "Don't Stop Believin"
One of my favorite songs of all time. I listened to this song as soon as my bus entered the city of Detroit for the Davidson versus Kansas game and it felt like I was in a movie.
"just a small town girl, living in a lonely world, she took the midnight train going anywhere, just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit, he took the midnight train going anywhere *music* a singer in a smoky room, the smell of wine and cheap perfume"
"everybody wants a thrill, paying anything to roll the dice just one more time, some will win, some will lose, and some are gonna sing the blues."
Barry White and the Love Unlimited Orchestra "Loves Theme"
Barry Barry Barry Barry!! What can you say just that baby making music. I feel like Kanye could do something with this sample. What is the instrument that makes that little porn movie "schwicga" sound?
Oli Clifford "Bum Breath"
This is a mash up of the Arctic Monkey's "Mardy Bum" and Beyonce's "Lose My Breath". The track is absolutely lovely - traditional mash up at its best! A perfect summer song for cruising around.
Okay first listen to the Carter III
And in the meantime here are my top ten anime series (in no particular order)
1. Berserk
2. Bleach
3. Dragon Ball Z
4. Fullmetal Alchemist
5. Gundam Wing
6. Inuyasha
7. Naruto
8. Rurouni Kenshin
9. Trigun
10. Yu Yu Hakusho
Still the best anime I've seen is Samuri X: Trust and Betrayal.
It is beautiful check it out.
And still just half through with Carter III but I want to say...it might be a classic.
Love these new tracks!
First is AC over Lil Wayne's Lollipop beat courtesy of nah right
Second is the Bling Crosby - Pinball Wizard mixtape courtesy of missingtoof.
If you aren't down with the 'Toof, you are seriously missing out on some of the best party music ever.
Here is the track listing for the Bling Crosby mixtape - crank dat mess all the way, find some beautiful people and party!
Bling Crosby - Pinball Wizard mixtape
- DJ Sega - Hit The Floor
- MSTRKRFT - Neon Knights
- Acid Jacks - Awake Since ‘78 (MSTRKRFT remix)
- Kill The Noise - Pull My Strings
- Ghostface Killah - Charlie Brown (Guns ‘N Bombs remix)
- The Count & Sinden - Stinging Nettle
- Ocelot vs. Bird Peterson (Akas remix)
- Villians - Rock It
- Black Ghosts - Anyway You Choose To Give It (Fake Blood remix)
- Kill The Noise - Kill Kill Kill
- Kill The Noise - Hey You (Le Castle Vania remix)
- Armand Van Helden - Playmate (Jesse Rose remix)
- Supreeme - Who We Are (Royal RUmble remix)
- The Presets I Go HArd, I Go Home (Ascii.Disko remix)
- HEARTSREVOLUTION - Switchblade (L.A. Riots remix)
- The Mystery Jets - Hideaway (Switch remix)
- Fischerspooner - Danse En France (D.I.M. remix)
- Boy 8-Bit - Fogbank
- Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak remix)
- Hostage - Roll On (Malente remix)
- Portishead - Nylon Smile (Scienticians remix V2)
- Fugazi - Long Division (Emynd’s Disco edit)
- The Futureheads - Skip To The End (Digitalism remix)
- Whitey - Stay On The Outside
Click here for AC Lollipop Remix
