200 Murders? Let me get that iPhone

You gotta love it when the mayor of a town that currently has 200 murders on their plate (they are currently in the lead for 2006) finds time to wait in line for the iPhone. I mean you can't fault a nigga and his hobbies - he owns 3 iPods, rocks Bose headphones, and probably downloads pornos to his Blackberry during briefings. Again, every nigga has to have his hobbies. The thing that makes this nigga a punk is when he's confronted about the 200 murders Philly currently has, he downplays it like "fuck you, I'm working"... THEN LEAVES THE LINE! He spent 8 hours of his life lounging with smelly technodroids, waiting for a "flawed", buttonless contraption, then when he's confronted about his real job, he skates? Bad move, dog. Real mayors would have stood their ground, got your whip ticketed, and walked out with 3 of those new fangled doohickeys. Or at least had a government gopher wait in line with the City Hall Visa Black card. He fucked the game ALL THE WAY UP! Oh wait, that's exactly what ended up happening! Should have done that from the rip, nigga.

Benoit Tragedy News (06/29/2007)

Another day, another dive deeper into this horrific tragedy:

• Chris Benoit's father awaits the toxicology tests, says he did not see this side of Benoit coming
• Bruce Hart (son of Stu Hart, brother of Bret Hart) called Benoit a "juice freak" and said he wasn't shocked by the outcome of this situation at all. He does make an interesting observation: he truly believes that steroid abuse, in combination with delusional behaviour, painkillers and failing health -- "almost all the people we started out with (who did steroids) began breaking down around 40".
• 1Wrestling.com posted about the Wikipedia poster who said that Nancy Benoit was dead before the official word came. Based on this Wikinews page (scroll down to the "I posted the comment we are all talking about and I am here to explain that it was A HUGE COINCIDENCE and nothing more" convo), dude (possibly one of 3 college students) says it was a very slim chance and a coincidence. It sounds like dude was just being immature and ridiculous.
• Slate asks if 'roid rage could have been the cause (Explainer stays on point).
• Side note: Smackdown! and ECW are coming to Trenton, NJ in August. They need to fix the commercial, which shows both action shots and name checks Chris Benoit.

Anything else going on has already been covered on my blog. Question to you wrestling fans out there: will you be able to watch a Chris Benoit match now? I mean, WWE 24/7 has the "Monday Night Wars" on, showcasing old Nitro and RAW broadcasts - Benoit and Nancy are two of the primary characters in Nitro during that time. Do they stop showing that? Why or why not?

Here is the video of the infamous Nancy Grace/Bret Hart interview I spoke about yesterday:

Friday, June 29th 2007 playlist

Word. No real top 10 day, not because I haven't been peepin' new music, but I've been into some singular shit, like rockin' some old school Tricky (I'm gonna be working on a mixtape of his - watch this space), a bunch of tracks for the 2007 July 4th rock the dub mixtape (again, watch this space), and the Chris Benoit/jungle mixtape I made which I doubt I'm gonna release. Anyways, peep the leaks and mixes and get to fixin'.

****

Papoose ft. Snoop Dogg "Bang It Out" (prod. by Scott Storch)
T.I. ft. Jay-Z "Watch What You Say" (CD Quality) (also from T.I. vs. T.I.P.: "Tell 'Em I Said That", prod. by Danja)
Joe Budden "Can't Control It"
Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & Big Shug "DJ Premier/Sirus Radio Freestyle"
Uncle Murder "Suicide"
Shouts to Unkut.com for this KRS-One interview, and two bonus cuts from Hip-Hop Lives: "U Thug" & "On Top Of My Game"
Coldcut "Autumn Leaves (Irresistable Force Mix Trip 2)" (old cut, classic chillout groove)
Cham "Conscience"
The Earlyman ft. Kombo "Alpha"
Nelly ft. Pimp C & Sean P "Cut It Out"
Two cuts from Wise Intelligent's The Talented Timothy Taylor: "Go With Me" & "A Genocide" (spotted @ cocaine blunts)
Sheek Louch "Danga Zone"
The Gypsies ft. Wildchild, Oh No, Dudley Perkins, Roc C & DJ Rome "Interplanetary"
Evidence & Termanology "Low IQ" (prod. by Evidence)
Two tracks from NORE's Cocaine On Steroids mixtape: "Drink Champ" (prod. by The Alchemist) and "I'ma Get Ya" ft. Kanye West
Fabolous ft. Ne-Yo & Raekwon "Make It Better (Remix)"
Crooked I "Hip-Hop Weekly #13 (International Players Anthem)"
Ashanti & Nelly "Switch"
A few cuts from the forthcoming UNKLE album: "Chemistry" and "Persons & Machinery" ft. Autolux (these and more spotted at Discobelle)
Famouz ft. UGK "Twist, Twist"
Hurricane Chris ft. Jadakiss, The Game,Lil' Boosie, Baby & E-40 "Ay Bay Bay (Remix)" Lil' Boosie ft. Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Jim Jones & Webbie "Wipe Me Down (Remix)"
Talib Kweli "Hot Thing" (prod. by will.i.am)

***

eskay posted up the recent Barack Obama interview with Angie Martinez on Hot97. (MIRROR)

***

Check out Scuba's N16 Mix for June of 2007. 53 minutes of serious DUBSTEP PRESSHA:

1. Spherix - Crack Kings (dub)
2. SLT Mob - No Big Deal (forthcoming Hotflush)
3. Gravious - Stomper (forthcoming Hotflush)
4. Migrant - Untitled (dub)
5. DZ - Strong on Ya (forthcoming Scuba)
6. Vaccine - Side Effects (forthcoming Hotflush)
7. Shackleton - Ndoki (dub)
8. Modular - Sedated Sheep (dub)
9. Innasekt - Cluster (dub)
10. Vaccine - Breathless (forthcoming Hotflush)
11. DZ - Slums Dub (forthcoming Scuba)
12. Si Begg - Hard Like Funk (Noodles)
13. 2562 - Channel Two (forthcoming Tectonic)
14. Shackleton - Tin Foil Sky (Skull Disco)
15. Toasty - Angel (Si Begg remix) (forthcoming Hotflush)
16. SLT Mob - Splurt (Skream dub mix) (forthcoming Halo Beats)
17. Vaccine - Anaesthetic (forthcoming Hotflush)
18. Matty G - 808 (dub)
19. TRG - Mercury Dub (dub)
20. Wolf & Cub - Conundrum (Boxcutter remix) (dub)
21. Scuba - Respirator (Soul Jazz)

OUCH!

***

Grab DJ MK & A-Cyde's "No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs" mix. Haven't heard it, but Spine Mag reps it, so give it a twirl.

***

Looking for a feel good summertime mix? Cosmo Baker has you covered with his "Feeling Good" Mix:

Benny Golson “I’m Always Dancin’ To The Music”
Maze feat. Frankie Beverly “Golden Time Of Day”
Brenda Russell “In The Thick Of It”
SSO “Faded Lady”
L.T.D. “Don’t Stop Loving Me”
Toto “Waiting For Your Love”
Harvey Mason “Till You Take My Love”
Eddie Drennon & The BSS Orchestra “Do What You Gotta Do”
Patrice Rushen “Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go)”
Brass Construction “Get Up To Get Down”
Roy Ayers “Love Will Bring Us Back Together”
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway “Back Together Again”
Mtume “Love Lock”
Bernard Wright “Spinnin’”
Teena Marie “I Need Your Lovin’”
Stevie Wonder “Love Light In Flight”
Karen Silver “Nobody Else”
James Mason “Sweet Power of Your Embrace”
Donald Byrd “Love Has Come Around”
Chaka Kahn “Clouds”
Coke Escoveo “I Wouldn’t Change A Thing”
Black Ivory “Mainline”
Change “A Lover’s Holiday”
D-Train “Keep On”
Earth Wind & Fire “Runnin’” (Danny Krivit Remix)
John Paul Young “Love Is In The Air”
Norman Connor presents Aquarian Dream “Look Ahead”
The Isley Brothers “Harvest For The World”

Big up Discobelle each and every.

***

Need some DNB in your life? Hit up the DPD's "FYLP" for June 29th 2007. Mixes from DJ Vapour, Matt Domino, Marcus Intalex & Calibre and arQer. Enjoy yaself.

****

I already told you guys I've been on a Tricky fix. Back in 1995/1996, when I was discovering the "Bristol sound", Tricky, Portishead and Massive Attack were the pinnacle. I delved into Tricky more, mainly due to the loss of my grandmother (which I didn't realize until JUST NOW), with his blues-y depressed vibes. His first two albums were masterpieces, and I have a podcast/mixtape I'm working on. Watch this space.

In any case, here are some LIVE Tricky clips for you to consume:

"Black Steel (LIVE)"


"Ghost Town/Poems (LIVE at the White Room)"


Boh. Keep it concise. And stay righteous... until next time.

Ireland has a Nigerian mayor

It's true. $20 says that all of the 419 e-mail scams will have IPs from Ireland.

Just kidding.

Sort of.

Quick Benoit tragedy news

Here's the newest latest:

• Word is Nancy and Chris had been arguing over the care for their son Daniel, who had a mental disability called "Fragile X Syndrome"(?), that can lead to autistic behavior.
• Chris passed a drug test administered by the WWE in April of 2007. This doesn't mean much, b/c however random, he could have picked the habit right back up after this test...
• Rumors are swirling about the Wikipedia page on Chris Benoit, saying that an IP address from around the Stamford, CT area (where the WWE offices are located) had posted a change to the entry that suggests that the WWE knew about the scene at the Benoit house before the bodies were found. WTF!?
• Speaking of WWE's offices, Forbes has an article breaking down the bad taste left in the mouths of many due to the Monday Night Raw tribute to Benoit.
• The doctors who allegedly supplied Benoit with his steroids are being investigated, and raided.
• Nancy Grace tried to do some 2 minute research before interviewing Bret Hart for CNN Headline News, but then made a comment asking Bret if Benoit was upset about "being demoted from the Four Horsemen to RAW".
• Guys like Lex Luger, Dory Funk Jr., Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy, Eric Bischoff, and Kurt Angle are giving their condolences and other words of hope/wisdom. Steve Austin's ex-wife, Debra Williams, is using this tragedy to speak about her situation with domestic abuse, what could have happened, and to ask for the WWE to do something about steroid abuse.
• On the Talk page of Kevin Sullivan's Wikipedia page, people are trying to be Sherlock Holmes, coming up with weird scenarios (like Kevin Sullivan murdering the Benoits and making it look like Chris did it, for revenge on Chris stealing Nancy away from him years back). I admit, that thought crossed this nigga's mind, but really, with no proof, why even speak on it?

One reality show I WILL be watching

Beauty In The Beast.

Damn. I mean you thought the album cover was wild, but now Ice-T is really putting their relationship all the way out there! And I think it's dope. Seeing them on different shows, and on the red carpet, you know two things: one - their sex life must be OFF THE CHAIN! And two - they really do look like they are in love.

The thing is, I know most people might think "Damn, yo, I know CoCo has a fatty, but you gonna watch a whole show with her and Ice on it?"

Yes. Contrary to popular belief, I am a big Ice-T fan - not of his music, but of the nigga who walks around named Ice-T.

Did you see him on MTV Cribs? With the snack machine in his house? Or the camera in the bedroom?

Which one of you niggas watched Rap School? He was showing how he could be PG(-13) and still rock those rich white kids into Hip-Hop shape. And they really weren't half bad.

What about The Cult Shit? None of this shit had to do with Ice as that nigga on the mic, it just vibed off the strength of his character and swagger.

And this is why I will be watching the show. It has nothing to do with CoCo's bumper.

Sort of.

In any case, they didn't release who will be showing this reality show, but come on, if it's not on VH1, where the fuck will it end up? Playboy?

BONUS VIDEO:

Ice-T "New Jack Hustler"

REAL TALK: Paris Hilton, ADD sufferer

OK so do you remember when Paris Hilton was allowed to leave jail due to a medical condition, then was told to go back to jail? On last night's Larry King, she let the world know what he medical condition(s) were:

The tone changed when King questioned the heiress about the medical conditions - claustrophobia and ADD - that allowed her to leave jail initially. When asked if she has been cured of claustrophobia, she coyly replied, "Well, now that I'm out of there, yes," and when asked how her ADD affected her time in jail, she smiled, "I don't know, it's something I've dealt with my whole life."

Yo, you can get out of jail early for having ADD? And being claustrophobic? That's some new news! I swear to God, I thought Paris was on some "I have the clap" shit, or some "I have ebola and could infect the entire prison" shit. Nah, she was just another Ashlee Simpson: using "medical conditions" to get their way when they've fucked up. No wonder the judge ordered her back to jail so quick: he probably heard this bitch say "My ADD prevents me from being in jail" and almost smacked her. And her cries of "it's not fair", over being claustrophobic? Try being a nigga on the Row, being accussed of a murder you didn't commit, and the prosecutor won't give you the opportunity to submit your DNA to be tested. That's not fair.

I sincerely hope she turns her life around, but I have a sneaky suspicion we haven't had our fill of Paris just yet...

REAL TALK: Saigon, slow down!

So I kept quiet with all of this bru-ha-ha over Saigon's sample clearance woes and his bitching out Just Blaze, Atlantic Records and others via his MySpace blog. For someone to be so smart and act so stupid, I thought it was a bit out of character.

Then I see this nugget of funk, found over at XXL's news section:

As Saigon prepares to release his debut solo album on Atlantic Records, The Greatest Story Never Told, The Yardfather told XXLMag.com in an exclusive interview that he wanted to reach out to David Banner after hearing the Mississippi native was going to call his upcoming album, The Greatest Story Ever Told. “I just seen a David Banner ad and it said his album is called, Greatest Story Ever Told,” Saigon told XXLMag.com. “I wanted to speak to David so we can clear that up. So if you’re reading this, please reach out to me brother. That’s my friend. We’re cool. When we see each other it’s a lot of love. [But] that’s too close for comfort for me.”

Let me repeat that last part one mo' 'gin:

“I just seen a David Banner ad and it said his album is called, Greatest Story Ever Told,” Saigon told XXLMag.com. “I wanted to speak to David so we can clear that up. So if you’re reading this, please reach out to me brother. That’s my friend. We’re cool. When we see each other it’s a lot of love. [But] that’s too close for comfort for me.”

Dog, you haven't released ONE FUCKING ALBUM, and you are ready to step to David Banner over a similar title? Not even the same one (where was KRS when Jay dropped the blue album?), but a similar sounding title? And what does he expect Banner to say? "Oh, my bad, Sai Giddy! I know you been lunching on putting this album out, and I'm 3+ deep, but let me rename mine so you can get some shine"? Give me a fucking break.

Sai, instead of trying to garner more buzz, just finish the damn album, and let your words speak for themselves.

Stupid.

WWE apologizes for Benoit tribute

Big up to Vince McMahon and the WWE for that one. There was really nothing else to say...

It is also good to clarify that the tribute show was something that was created prior to knowing the full details of this tragic end to Nancy, Daniel and Chris Benoit. I do think its wrong to criticize them, only b/c no one really knew what the real deal was until Monday night, which was after the WWE probably knew what it really was. I wouldn't consider what Vince did a "non-apology" at all. WWE.com has taken down Benoit's tribute page, but has released a detailed timeline (then released an even more detailed timeline).

In any case, Jim Ross posted his thoughts on the tragedy involving Chris Benoit on his blog; he doesn't say a lot, but his words are always welcome.

Last night, I made a "lament" for Chris Benoit, which had a bunch of mid-to-late 90s Jungle cuts thrown under audio of Benoit moments: from the time he broke Sabu's neck in the ring to the different tributes from Raw this past Monday. I'm not sure if, in light of this tragedy, it is the right thing to do, but it helped me get over the image I have of Benoit. Might just keep it for myself, for now anyways. Not really something people would want to get into.

I'm not sure if I need to delve into "'roid rage" or any of that stuff. It is what it is. If any new pieces of info or what have you come out, I got you.

EDIT: The Atlanta-Journal Constitution has a new article up today, with fans and Fayetteville, GA, residents reacting to the tragedy, as well as sharing personal stories about The Benoit family.

TMZ details on Benoit deaths

If this is true, this is very disturbing, and unexpected:

TMZ has learned more about the deaths of WWE wrestling superstar Chris Benoit, his wife and son -- and the information is extremely disturbing.

Several Atlanta-based law enforcement sources have told TMZ Benoit may have strangled his wife on Saturday, then smothered his son in his bed a day later.
Investigators refuse to officially comment, pending final confirmation by the
coroner on the cause and time of the deaths.

One source told TMZ that Benoit was texting friends during Sunday's WWE "Vengeance" Pay-Per-View program -- possibly watching the show with his son, who may have been alive at the time.

According to sources, Benoit then hanged himself Monday in a weight room
inside the family home.

A police investigation is ongoing.

That's just not what I was expecting. Again, this isn't the final word on this tragic situation, but if it is, what was going on in Benoit's head to make him do this? I'm at a loss for words, honestly. More on this when I get more info.

EDIT: First off, shouts to Melody for keeping people informed. In any case, PWTorch.com is reporting the possibility of Nancy's death being an accident, and Chris murdered his son to save him from a life without a mother and a father who is a murderer. Sounds like it could go either way... could be complete shullbit, but it is plausible. Here's an Atlanta-Journal Constitution article detailing all of the info made available up to this point, including the turbulent relationship Nancy & Chris had.

EDIT: Sports Illustrated has posted the AP report on this tragedy. Confirmations: Nancy was found to be strangled. Daniel was smothered and in his bedroom. Both seem to have been killed durign the weekend, while Chris hung himself in the weight room on Monday. "'Roid rage" is being looked at as the primary cause, but toxicology results won't be available for weeks, supposedly. Bret Hart has been speaking out about Benoit, being a "good guy" and other kind things - which look good, but given the situation, might not matter in terms of how people are starting to react to what Chris did. I am torn - I am upset over the loss, but my perception of Chris Benoit has done a complete 180. More info on this when I get some.

EDIT: This is it. 1Wrestling.com posted up the, um, highlights of today's press conference. TMZ.com has the video. I'm really done with this for right now.

RIP Chris Benoit

I was just getting my son to sleep last night, and turned on Monday Night Raw to see the next saga in the "Mr. McMahon limo explosion", and my jaw dropped when I saw the "In Memory Of Chris Benoit" graphic on my TV screen. Being a Wrestling fan since I was in Spiderman underoos, I was immediately skeptical, as I had not heard anything on this during the day. Seeing that empty arena, with Vince McMahon in the middle of that ring, on the verge of tears, I knew it was too good to be true. I asked wifey to hit up armbar, which sure enough had links to Bill Apter's initial reporting, something about Chris, his wife Nancy (aka Woman) and their son Daniel coughing up blood, but nothing new came out of it. As of right now, the police are saying it's an apparent double homicide/suicide deal. From what I gather, dude killed Nancy and Daniel, then offed himself the next night... WHY!??! Who knows... I guess they were going through something serious. He was set to win that ECW strap, though, at Vengeance, you just know it!

In any case, I wanted to just shout my appreciation for Benoit as a wrestler. I mean, he got his licks in, and was just a pure technical wrestler. Anytime I saw him wrestle, whether it was against Kevin Sullivan in a bathroom, or against 2 Cold Scorpio at Superbrawl III (which I oddly enough just watched a week or so ago on WWE 24/7 On Demand), or in the plethora of matches they highlighted on Raw last night, dude was just awesome. I imagine he had his own demons, especially with the whole Woman/Kevin Sullivan love triangle that went from the script to real life, but what made that turn into murder/suicide? Only time will tell - I'll update with more news when I get it.

It's just crazy. I've been watching a lot of old ECW on WWE 24/7 as well, and seeing Woman with that singapore cane alongside Sandman. I actually used to crush on her when I was a shorty - infatuated might be the word. I don't even know what to say...

Check out some YouTube finds of some of Chris' work:

Chris Benoit vs. Steve Austin


Chris Benoit vs. The Great Gama (his first singles title win)


Chris Benoit vs. Sabu

(infamous match where Sabu broke his neck - basically the invention of "The Canadian Crippler")

Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero (WCW 1997)


Classic. For more info on Chris Benoit, point your mouse at the following links:

WWE's official press release regarding the deaths of the Benoit family
WWE's Chris Benoit career retrospective
Wikipedia: Chris Benoit
Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story DVD at Amazon
SLAM! Sports page on Chris Benoit

And again, I'll be bringing updates on this story as I get them. RIP.

"Bad review? I sue!"

Over @ T.R.U., Riz threw up this link, which calls into question the idea of suing for bad reviews, and the training that goes on between musicians in comparison to the training/credentials critics need. All of this is good, but it made me think of one thing:

If musicians could sue for every bad review I ever gave them, I would be put into the super-poor house by artists like Lupe Fiasco, Shop Boyz, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell and many other artists... and that's just on this blog! This hasn't even scratched the surface of the DNB scene - but then again, them niggas ain't got no monies anyway.

I do have a problem with critics who aren't qualified - like country music critics writing a piece on Hip-Hop; but those who have knowledge about the field (whether it's as a long fan or someone who is in the industry), and they are giving an unbiased opinion (payola is a no-go), why diss on them for dissing on you? Especially MCs, who will spit and claw and cry over free speech - until it says something about them not hitting right, or whatever the case may be. Keep it real - grown folks accept criticism. That's how it works. Deal with it or don't read it.

False Media

The Fader was thinking the same thing I was thinking when I read ?uestlove's proclamation of The Roots' being on their 10th album: Huh? (Do the math... do compilation discs and live albums truly count?)

For good measure, peep out Black Thought saying all of The Roots LPs are his solo albums.

Friday, June 22nd 2007 playlist

You already know...

USDA ft. Fabolous, Lil' Wayne & Rick Ross "White Girl (Remix)"
M.I.A. "Boyz"
Guilty Simpson "Man's World"
Cassidy ft. Swizz Beatz "Drink And My Two Step"
Talib Kweli "Hostile Gospel"
Saigon ft. Blam "Don't You Be Da Nigga"
WC ft. The Game "Westcoast Voodoo"
Uncle Murder "Faggots"
Ne-Yo ft. Mary J. Blige "Do You (Remix)"
The Nextmen ft. Naledge "Knowledge Be Born"
A couple Trae tracks, courtesy of Rizoh: "Rock & Roll" and "Bartender (Freestyle)". Peep out "Smile", which features Jadakiss & Styles P, as well.
Sean Paul "Watch Dem Roll"
Crooked I "Hip-Hop Weekly #12 (Big Shit Poppin')"
A few T.I. cuts: "Watch What You Say" ft. Jay-Z (includes HipHopDX drops and "Help Is Coming" (prod. by Just Blaze).
Turntablerocker "Rings (Simon V Remix)"
Little Brother "Good Clothes"
Sean Price ft. Buckshot "Frankenstein"
Young Buck "Not Gon' Play With Y'all *DJ Khaled Diss*"
Freeway "Money In The Bank Freestyle"
Freaky Zeekey ft. Lil' Wayne & Jha Jha "Beat Without Bass"
Ja Rule ft. Lil' Wayne "Uh Ohhhhh"
BG ft. Young Jeezy "Hustle"
Kelly Rowland "Flashback"

___

Dubstep wunderkid Skream graced the BBC Radio 1 studios with his Essential Mix; check the massive tracklisting on this beast:

1.Skream-Hedd Banger-Dub
2.Skream-Percression-Dub
3.Skream-Shake It-Dub
4.Skream-Hurt Them-Dub
5.Skream-Movin Snarez-Disfigured Dubz 001
6.Mark Ashken-Size 3 (Skreamix)
7.Skream N CLue Kid-SandSnake-Disfigured Dubz 001
8.Skream-Lemon-Dub
9.Warrior Queen-Take Time-Dub
10.Skream-Chest Boxin-Tempa
11.Skream-Dubbers Anonnymous2-Tempa
12.Skream-2D-Tempa
13.Zinc featuring Slarta John-Flim (Skreamix)-Dub
14.Coki-Untitled-Big Apple Music
15.Skream/Mala-Anti-Tapped-Dub
16.Unknown-Alicia-Promo
17.Skream-Nemesis-Dub
18.Skream-The Line-Dub
19.Skream-Tortured Soul-Tempa
20.Benga-Skunk Tip(Skreamix)-Tempa
21.Skream-Skwelcha-Dub
22.Skream-Sine-Us-Dub
23.Distance-Nightvision(Skreamix)-Dub
24.Black Ghost-Find Some way(Skream N Plastician Refix)-Southern Fried
25-Rusko-Jah Hova-Sub Soldiers
26-Skream-Losin Control-Tempa
27.Magnetic MAn-What's Happenin?-Dub
28.Coki-BloodThirst-Dub
29.Skream-Wobble That Gut-Dub
30.Slazenger-8ateBall
31.Skream ft Warrior Queen-Check It-Tempa
32.Coki-SpongeBob-Big Apple
33.Skream-Oskillata-Dub
34.Skream-Murdera-Dub
35.Neon Hitch-Derek(BiPolarMen Refix)-The Beats
36.Skream-Make Me(DistanceRemix)-Dub
37.SeventeenEvergreen-Ensoniq(BiPolarMen Refix)-Dub
38.Skream-Krash-Dub
39.Skream-Midnight RequestLine-Tempa
40.Skream-C.R.O Dub-Dub
41.Klaxons-Not Over Yet(Skreamix)-EMI
42.Benga-Untitled

Cot-DAMN!

***

The J-Love & CNN mixtape, Still Reporting, should still be available to you. [NahRight]

PalmsOutSounds' Mix Series vol. 2 has Them Jeans featured. No joke, party starter. Don't sleep.

Over at Che Sing The Cool, a Juneteenth mixtape celebration came about. Very inspiring.

If DNB is what you need, check today's FYLP over @ the digest: new Lifted Music podcast, as well as mixes from ShockOne, Phetsta, High Rankin, Realtime and Thew0rks. HEAVY BIDNESS!

***

That's it for this week. Enjoy your weekend. I hope to get a few winks in mine.

Until next time... namaste.

Summertime Has Begun

Let's bring it in with style...

Mungo Jerry "In The Summertime"

Shaggy, eat your heart out.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Summertime"

classic Summer anthem

Go put some sun on ya face.

MF DOOM Nike SB Dunk High

Pic jacked from SMARTENUPNAS (via skatehere.com). Not sure how I feel about these, personally, but DOOM DUNKS is a good look, regardless. I just wouldn't wear them.

More info @ Hypebeast.

And now, the perfect opportunity to play MF Doom's "I Hear Voices" video:

Duck Down 2K7 Info

No wonder the new LP ain't out yet...

I've been a fan of Buckshot, the BCC and all of the Duck Down Records family since I heard Black Moon's "Who Got Da Props?" back in the day. We're talking about classic Hip-Hop, when "backpacking" was about carrying stolen loot in ya knapsack, not books. Talking about grimey spitting when the only nasty niggas was ODB and Onyx. In any case, with a new, revamped website, the Double D is set to take 2007 and make it their year. Here are some projects they have forthcoming:

• First off, they are now getting their distro from Koch, so hopefully their release-game steps up
• Sean Price's Master P mixtape is set to drop in a bit (I'm loving that Pen & Pixel-style cover); he also has a title for his next solo album, Mic Tyson, but hasn't started work on that just yet. He's been getting courted by majors, and is also working on a project with Guilty Simpson & Black Milk. Say word. (check this interview for more P from P)
• Steele has a mixtape coming, entitled Hotstyle Takeover. I can only imagine...
• The Boot Camp Clik's compilation disc, Casualties of War, will be dropped previously-unreleased gems from The Last Stand and other knockers
• Sean P and Rock are also working on a new Heltah Skeltah album, D.I.R.T., but there's no release date set as of yet
• Coming in the Fall of 2007 will be a new Smif-N-Wessun album, as well as The Formula, which is the title of the follow-up to 9th Wonder & Buckshot's Chemistry album. Big tings.
• Be on the lookout for Duck Down to start branching out, and giving looks to non-BCC bredren: the first fruits of that labor is an Ed O.G.-helmed collective called Special Teamz, with their Stereotypez project, which is slated to drop in September of 2007. This project is set to feature production from DJ Premier, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, Marco Polo, Jake One, Ill Bill and others, with guest mic work from Devin the Dude, Sean Price, Buckshot, Ill Bill, Akrobatik and more!

Seeing as though we are on a BCC/Duck Down mode right now, I am going to take this opp to YouTube-link some of my fav BCC-related videos from them. Let's take a look back...

Smif-N-Wessun "Sound Bwoy Buriell"


Fab 5 "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka"


Black Moon "How Many MCs"


Sean Price "Boom Bye Yeah"


Smif-N-Wessun "Won On Won"


For more Duck Down/BCC videos, hit up their YouTube Channel.

For more Duck Down/BCC related info, hit up Duck Down's website. You can also point your mouse to the Boot Camp Clik MySpace page.

Kimbo Slice: out of the backyard?

Kimbo Slice = The Man. Plain and simple. This dude is RAW in terms of his knuckle game, but I figured neph would just be a celebrity internets. I had no idea that when I peeped the Sports section of my local paper, I'd be hearing that Kimbo was fighting in Atlantic City for the Cage Fury Fighting Championship... this Saturday! Against Ray Mercer... this will be his MMA debut, and should be an interesting matchup.

I don't doubt Slice's skills... I think he could take anyone. The thing I doubt is Mercer's mental state. Dogs, you're 46 years old, taking on KIMBO FUCKING SLICE, IN A CAGE!??!!

Mercer must not have les internets in his cribbo. Peep Slice doing his dirt and getting that gwap:







and here is the infamous loss of Kimbo's to Sean Gannon:


Kimbo owns. Peep out this interview he gave back in March; he sounds like a humble dude. I bet he'd smack fire out'ya ass, though. My money's on Kimbo whupping Mercer like WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

Happy Juneteenth!

Get your freedom on! For more Juneteenth info, just Google the shit.

Is this still news?

On my lunch right now, I'm peeping out the Entertainment section of Google News, and saw two links that just don't seem like news: Michael Moore's Sicko has been pirated on your internets two weeks before release... as has Kelly Clarkson's forthcoming album.

Now, without getting into specifics on how I might know any of this info, neither of those headlines is very striking to me. If the Entertainment industry knew what really went down in terms of pre-release leaks, their collective heads (and bank accounts) would explode. I know why these two releases in particular have been targeted: they have BEEN targeted, from Moore's recent dustups and the whole Kelly Clarkson Vs. Clive Davis fiasco. But really, its not like other entertainers have been idle - beef sells, just ask 50.

I'm just wondering if the fact that we still need "OH SHIT, XXXX HAS JUST BEEN LEAKED ON THE INTERWEB" headlines is part of the reason why P2P trading is still such a big issue, or an issue that can get blown out of proportion. Or maybe situations like these will help the MPAA/RIAA/whomever rethink how they distro releases, to help persuade the ones who might happen to download the thing after reading about it in the news to not grab it for free, but go see the movie or go cop the CD.

Silly bitches.

EDIT: Ask Jive Records and Chris Brown what can happen when your single gets leaked 4 months before the CD drops...

Friday, June 15th 2007 playlist

Busy weeks turn into busy weekends... when will this train slow down? Got a few job prospects at one company(!??!?!) going on, so we'll see what goes down for the kid. Some nice tunes out this week... nig been doing his homework - CHUUUCH!

01/Vaccine "Signal To Noise" [dutty, gritty dubstep funk. more on Christine Vaccine HERE.]
02/Theory "Burn Dem" [chilled ragga freshness]
03/Hobzee & Zyon Base "Blue Lotus" [bridging the gap between old school skills and new school ills]
04/Styles P ft. Kool G Rap "Come One, Come All" [Fizzy Wo on that DJ Premier-lite shit. Sick though.]
05/Spirit "Tone Track" [this man can do no wrong as of late]
06/Naphta "Soundclash II" [one of the illest new school jungle tunes out there]
07/Roy Ayers Ubiquity "We Live In Brooklyn Baby" [classic. do your homework.]
08/Contour "Masquerade" [tugs at the heart strings. XO sure knows how to pick 'em!]
09/DQ1 "Gud Money" [slow crawl... really heavy. audio HERE.]
10/Illfingas "Another Sound (Remix)" [dude is just sick. and is about to put out a new version of the "Whitney Dub"?!?!? GIVE US US WHITNEY!]


***

The waterpipe stays loose:

Voreheez ft. B.O.B. "All Night Everyday"
Soulbrotha ft. RUCKUS "Circus"
Havoc (of Mobb Deep) "I'm The Boss"
Benzino "Back On My Grizzy"
Chemical Brothers ft. Fatlip "Salmon Dance"
The Alliance ft. Lil' Boosie, Foxx, Webbie, Gucci Mane & Juvenile "Tatoo (Remix)"
Rihanna ft. Jay-Z & Chris Brown "Umbrella (Remix)" (here is the Travis Barker RMX of the original... meh.)
Saigon ft. Tre Williams "What A Life"
Rick Ross "Shot To The Heart"
A few new Mic Geronimo cuts: "What Makes You Think" and "I'm Up Now"
Dabrye ft. J Dilla & Phat Kat "Game Over (Flying Lotus Remix)"
A few new Big Shug tracks: "Play It" (prod. by DJ Premier) and "Legbreakers", ft. Big Twin & Sean Price (prod. by MoSS)
Tragedy Khadafi "Dejavu"
Paradigm X "We Both Are Lost"
A couple of Benja Styles remixes: Lil' Mama "Lip Gloss (Benja Styles Reggae Remix)" and T-Pain ft. Akon "Bartender (Benja Styles Remix)"
T.I. ft. Wyclef Jean "You Know What It Is"
DJ Benzi presents The Cool Kids & Lil' Wayne "Gettin' It"
Freeway ft. Jay-Z "Big Spender" (prod. by Dame Grease)
Camp Lo "Black Hollywood"
SunN.Y ft. Biz Markie "Girls"
Evol Intent ft. Meatwad "Damn! That's A Big Hot Dog" (read this blog post for details on this monumentous collabo)
Sean Kingston ft. Sheek Louch "Beautiful Girls (Remix)"
Joe Hound "She Likes It"
Akon "Sorry, Blame It On Me"
a few new tracks from Lil' Wyte's forthcoming LP: "Talkin' Ain't Walkin'" and "I Got That Candy"
Accident & Emergency "Buckaroo"
Monsta "Break"
Swizz Beatz "Top Down"
LL Cool J ft. Kool G Rap, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent & Tony Yayo Queens"

***

There's a few mixes and mix-tapes floating about as well:

Ivan, who has been filling in for a vacationing Rizoh, has been doing his thing this week over @ TRU. They have a slick "TRU Summer Soundtrack 2007" up (see this pic for the tracklisting), featuring a load of Hip-Hop tasties for these warm months. Peep the mirrors for dload: zShare : sendspace : Megaupload.

++

For you Justice fans, they have a BBC Radio 1 "Essential Mix" about. I got the scoop from Mike KIR and his fantabulous blog. Peep it for tracklisting, links (via Discobelle) and all other kinds of funky shit.

++

Speaking of Discobelle, they posted a special mix that DJ Ayers and Tittsworth did exclusive for their blog.

++

Did you need some DNB? Over at the DPD, today's "For Your Listening Pleasure" features a Santa sack full of top notch mixes from DJs like Jem One, FRISKe, Paul Reset, Subsonik, Accident & Emergency, Danny Intrikut vs. Just Jeryl and the one like Fanu. Something for everyone in that one, go gobble up the goodies.

++

For those of the dubstep persuasion, Forensics has mixed his final "months" mix, this one being for July 2007. 40 minutes of dubby heaven:

1 Code Tripper – Deserted Cities
2 Code Tripper – Holdback
3 Code Tripper – ydE
4 Ekaros – Thru your dreams
5 Ekaros – Eden
6 Ekaros – Above the mountains
7 Nine Inch Nails – The hand that feeds (Dreadless remix)
8 The Sub Division - Apocalypto
9 The Sub Division – Just Can't Fight
10 Forensics – Vanishing Point (remaster)
11 Two Oh One – Ghost Train (Wet Wednesday mix)
12 Rogue State – Bounce Step
13 Rogue State – Sawing Eagle
14 Rogue State – Back then
15 The Bug ft. Flowdan – Jah War
outro: Cutty Ranks, from Hand Grenade

Boh.

***

I even have a few bits of misc. shit, like an interview with El-P, for no good reason. Or Stretch Armstrong reminiscing on Redman and Biz Markie freestyling WAY BACK. Or news bits (whattup, Idolator?) about a record label that is trying to release music for FREE, and use the power of ad revenue as its driving force. Just Blaze also wanted to let us know why Saigon's LP is delayed... oh and RIP Stack Bundles.

***

For this week's final thought, I want to take it back a smidge, and throw out some of my favorite Prince videos, due to dude hooking back up with Wendy & Lisa for his forthcoming Columbia Records album... or I was going to, but the po' man's video store, YouTube, is hatin' on a playa... regroup...

Been in a Bill Laswell mood, peep this video from one of his many groups, PRAXIS. This video is entitled "Animal Behavior".



You Like It Like That.

Boymerang "Soul Beat Runna"


Until next time, space travelers, keep it locked.

RIP Mr. Wizard

The other day I heard some deep news: Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert passed away. I grew up on Mr. Wizard's World. That show taught me that if I blew up a balloon and put a piece of tape on it, I could stick pins in the piece of tape without popping the balloon (the tape held the rubber balloon together so it wouldn't rip, or something like that). Dude's show was just too much for a wild dork like me. Although I never really performed a lot of the experiments he did, I watched his show and loved it!

I can't find clips of his work, though! Peep his official website, though, and you can order DVDs of his shows.

Damn, Mr. fucking Wizard. Fuck Bill Nye, and that punk Beakman! RIP, dun.

Shop Boyz Rockstar Mentality [review]

In listening to this disc and trying to figure out how to start this review off right, I got to thinking about ATL rappers and the need to distinguish yourself from the rest of the Rap scene in this climate. "Ringtone Rap" is one thing, but it seems as if every new rappers to come up with some "new sound" (e.g. Crunk, Snap Music, et. al.) to set themselves apart, to varying success. The thing about it is, for the most part, what Lil' Jon and the 'snappers' did was fresh, something that not too many heads outside of that area new of. The Shop Boyz, who's debut LP, Rockstar Mentality, drops on the 19th of June, has something called "hood rock", which is what they call the sound you hear on "Party Like A Rockstar": Rap with guitars. Well, it's more like Crunk Rock - oh wait, didn't Lil Jon already establish this? As did Mos Def? In any case, this "hood rock" sound is more poseur and put-on than legit creativity, anyways, and Rockstar Mentality is a lump of coal that is desperately being squeezed to become a diamond - only to be crushed by too much pressure.

Take their initial hit, "Party Like A Rockstar" (who woulda thunk it - a video that is better than the song its promoting!): the fact that you are driving a fast car, wearing "skulls" and chains and bopping over a repetitive guitar does NOT make you party like anything other than a moron. Most rockstars just give off the aura of glamor, the essense of mystique, and the feeling that you are with someone big. SB comes off sounding like a bunch of followers who happened upon a record deal. And why would a Black man be on a boat getting a tan with Marilyn Manson? The other thing that comes across initially in this track, and is more evident than ever, is that while there are 3 guys in the crew, I couldn't tell which one is which. I know their names b/c it is spelled out in the liner notes (big up THINKTANK for the promo btw), but they all share the same "voice", nothing real distinctive between the 3 of them, which is a crying shame. They follow this up with a "rep your hood" by numbers track, "Bowen Homes". This is apparently where they grew up in the dirty, but you could substitute the street and project names and rep your own hood! Their favorite track, "Rollin'", sounds like they were trying to be in the Chevrolet campaign that popped up around the Super Bowl, with their un-subtle Chevy drop and the ridiculous Kentuck fried country backdrop, it just comes off as forced and foul.

In terms of "hood rock", its a mixed bag: you either get heavier rock sounds like "Party Like A Rockstar", or the driving sound on "Flexin'"; you then get ska-esque skanks like the "Baby Girl" or the lone guitar riff in "Totally Dude". The thing that kills me about this is, we have seen Rock and Rap link up countless times. "Showin' Me Love" is probably the most decent mix of the rock and rap - it has the dope rock guitar on the chorus, but still maintains a nice thump and bounce that truly makes it "hood". Just don't expect them to handle these beats with anything you haven't heard before. Not only do the 3 of them sound like any 3 rappers from the South, but they can't even write a dope chorus, EVEN OVER A BEAT BY DAVID BANNER! I guess when you are trying to capitalize and drive in Lil' Jon's lane, you are given a certain leeway when it comes to, oh I don't know, making sense. In one song they are trying to make this female their "baby girl", but in another they are down for the chicks who go down when the see the ice "like the Titanic". They speak on it not being all good in the hood, but try to then sound country as fuck (not ignant sounding, like Willie Nelson steeze). Essentially, they want to make their own lane - and use your lane to get there.

At the end of the day, coasters like this make it hard to take Rap seriously these days. Monotonous hooks, mundane lyrics, snoozecore on the beats... and the record labels are trying to figure out why people won't buy music? It's BECAUSE OF THE MUSIC THAT'S OUT THERE! Stop producing CDs by heads who want to do $1Million in ringtone sales, and end up producing a CD that doesn't even break the 48 minute mark. How the FUCK is your CD not even an hour long? You could have just put out an EP and picked the 6 best tracks - but in this 13-song litter, there's nothing that ain't shitty. TOTALLY DUUUUUUUUUUDE!

rock the dub gives this disc a 2 out of 10. A lack of quality raps + a boatload of boring beats = a new coaster for my Super Big Gulp.


For more info on the Shop Boyz, check out these sites:
Shop Boyz Online
Shop Boyz on MySpace
Rockstar Mentality drops on June 19th. Check out Amazon.com for more info on this disc.

WWE trying to be The Sopranos?

(NOTE: this thread was to have a YouTube vid to go with it, but the WWE shut YouTube down for no good reason, but MySpace got the hookup.)

World Wrestling Entertainment

Add to My Profile More Videos

Watching this, am I to NOT think that Vince/the WWE was trying to give fans what they wanted, what they expected to happen to Tony Soprano during the finale of The Sopranos? WWE.com is covering this thing like it's the real thing. From what I've read online, it looks like the consensus is that the WWE is set to go through a major change, and "destroying" the "Mr. McMahon" character is the biggest hurdle to jump. This is a good set-up, but there's no way dude is dead. Don't fans realize that if he truly died, it'd be all over the news?

In any case, check out one of my other blogs, black rasslin', to see how this will affect the niggas of the WWE. Holla.

RIP Stack Bundles

Hip-Hop has lost another one. Not the best, far from the worst, but the boy did his thing.

Here's some video for those of you who didn't know what Stack could do on the mic:


Stack Bundles Vs. Nah Jordan:


"Streets of Far Rock"


"Temper, Temper"


Here's a few jewels I found on the 'Net, MP3 style (note - I am unsure how long these files/mixtapes will be up, so grab sooner rather than later!):

Stack Bundles "Fully Loaded Clip"
Jim Jones ft. Stack Bundles "Your Majesty"
Ransom ft. Stack Bundles & Fabolous "What Ya Hood Look Like"
Stack Bundles "Cake Freestyle"
Stack Bundles "All Eye On Me Freestyle"
Fresh Off The Block mixtape

You guys have any more favorites? Get at the kid...

"Rockit" LIVE!

Loving that pre-turntablism intro. Classic. Excuse me, I've been a lil too into Bill Laswell as of late. Grab Panthalassa and get back to me.

Dallas & Rafi are Internets Celebrities

I told you guys about the Ghetto Big Mac first. They then had the internet goin' nuts with BODEGA, which ended up getting some serious critical acclaim, sending them to Sundance, and thus birthing the INTERNET CELEBRITIES.

They have been getting burn all over, with strength from TheDailyReel.com, and are now set to slice an even bigger chunk of the Internet Celebrity Pie, or cake, or whatever the fuck innanet celebs eat. In any case, if you are in the Tri-State area, you should think about hitting up NYC on the 15th of June: Rooftop's New York Non-Fiction is going to be screening BODEGA on the big screen, with many other top-notch flicks (more info HERE). How ill is that?

So, we (me?) at rock the dub would like to shout out Dallas and Rafi: you have ventured where no other Hip-Hop bloggers have gone, I think. Keep doing what you're doing!

The next round of quarter water's on me.

The Sopranos, Season 6B "Made In America" [recap]

While picking the picture to throw at the top of this recap, I realized this is my last recap, ever, of The Sopranos. Kind of deep when you think of it. I mean, while I KNEW that the show would end the way it did (although I, like many others, was half-way confused when the screen CUT to black and lulled before going to the credits), it hadn't truly hit me. I wanted to laugh, cry, fuck, freeze, scream... I was a ball of emotions in an instant.

And then I realized, David Chase (who wrote & directed this episode, something he hasn't done in a bit) won. Good for him, too. For as much as The Sopranos changed, the more it stayed the same. And for the legions of viewers upset with there being no "true" conclusion ('did they get whacked in the diner?' and other theories), listen up: Chase & company have been doing this since day dot. Let me ask you: whatever happened to the Russian in the "Pine Barrens"? That's just one question... I was waiting to see if the smell in the house Carm and the kids stayed in was Adrianna's dead body decaying.

This episode, however, played up all of the suspense and underlying drama that has been constant for six seasons. The cat staring down Chrissy's pic (and pissing Paulie off to boot); Paulie's most on-point insight about all of the heads of Ralphie's old crew dying off; Carmela's spec-house flipping used as a mask for what she won't face; AJ's descent into depression, and subsequent return to the spoiled little rich kid (you like how quick he flipped from G.I. Joe to Hollywood Ho); Meadow still being the smartest one of the bunch, with her dead-on commentary during the sake-bombs that seemed to almost make T cry; Uncle Junior, stuck in his rut (I mean damn, dude didn't remember running that crew!?); Janice still being the money-hungry bitch she always was; Phil still being heartless and cold in the face of opposition... the only change was Lil' Carmine finally growing a pair and speaking out to NY in favor of Tony. Good show.

Funniest part of the show? That would have to be proud granddad Phil Leotardo getting popped then the still-in-drive-SUV crunching that skull. Totally saw it coming, but it was handled so well, with the reactions of the gas station patrons accenting the way I was feeling. Good riddance to that heartless prick.

Saddest part of the show? There's two: Tony seeing Sil, who he came up with as a lil' roughneck, in the hospital, seemingly living the rest of his life not really living, and towards the end when T's eyes watered for Corrado. I felt the same way, b/c unlike the situation with Livia, where the perception was that she was faking her illness, there was no glimmer in Corrado's eyes. He was more concerned with the birds than whomever came to see him - although the scene with Janice where he saw Nica's pic and went on about the stove with the wet rag was priceless.

Now, the guy in the diner, the one with the Members Only jacket on who went into the bathroom, was that a nod to Eugene, who murked himself at the beginning of season six?

How choice was it for AJ to harp about foreign relations, and when his SUV burns up due to his error, his main retort is "we need to stop depending on foreign oil"? LOL... come to think of it, its telling how much real life mirrors this show, with the countless references to the Middle East and terrorism in this episode, as well as the entire season. And Agent Harris' "we're gonna win this thing!" exclamation had me ROLLING!

I could keep going on, but I won't I mean, I will just leave it at this:

As much as I love how Chase ended it, leaving things upto the viewer's imagination, and I would love to see a new series featuring some or all of the cast, or even a MOVIE (which was hinted at during the cast's viewing of the finale), I think they should just leave it the way it is. The show doesn't need to come back with the #45 on, for they ended on a great note. Do you think Adrianna's spirit is in the cat? HEY, go with it. Do you think the immediate Soprano family got knocked off in Holston's? HEY, run dat. Just let us keep it moving... in our own minds. My ending has Tony going on... Carlo (who I thought flipped to NY, but really flipped to the feds!) and his snitching gets Tony indicted, but T beats that one... but the cycle still goes on. Some day he might end up like Uncle Junior, he might end up like Johnny Sack. Hell, he might just grow old and die peacefully. Who knows!? I am just glad that I can ponder these questions, and the show didn't end on some definitive point. Life isn't like that... and neither is The Sopranos.

More Sopranos-related reading:
*EW gets the "no more fucking ziti!?" award with this one
*peep HBO.com's synopsis of the final episode
*dude at Slate.com seems to have hated this one
*do you really care about how a load of reviewers feel? they all end up sounding the same.
*Jeff Edlestein, a local columnist in Trenton, is on the right track - peep his catalytic converter spin
*some still question if that was really it...

So, unless there IS some kind of new Sopranos show or movie, this is khal, signing off for the rock the dub Sopranos recaps. For good.

Friday, June 8th 2007 playlist

Been on a DNB kick this week. Can't help it. All the Hip-Hop I've rocked too isn't new. Doesn't help that I don't spend my Saturday night digesting new music AND writing the shuffle (it will be back at some point, trust. Just been working.)... In any case, peep these new DNB cuts:

01/Loxy & Perpetuum "Hope Found" [tough outershell, warm cookie center.]
02/Martyn "Shadowcasting" [nice to see Revolve:R stepping up outside of the DNB realm... sick Detroit meets Dubstep flavours.]
03/System "Planet Ogo" [crazy 12 Monkeys sample. Very chilled vibe.]
04/Ram Trilogy "Titan" [classic.]
05/Jamal "Screwheadz" [loving the intro on this one. Sickness from Rufige #1.]
06/Paul T "Direct Action" [crazy Amen bidness by someone I've never heard of.]
07/Mutt "Hips, Thighs & Alibis" [best DNB track title ever.]
08/Digital "Daylight Robbery" [had that Tilos Radio mix from 2001 on this week - gems!]
09/Steve B'Co "Blood Wise" [Ascenzion bringing that upfront junglistic flavor back; big up the Junior Reid sample as well]
10/Tactile "Techion" [rollin' sound from the Tactile crew's new label.]

***

Not even a load of leaks this week, but here's what I got that's poppin':

Dizzee Rascal ft. UGK "Where Da Gs?"
Kanye West's "Stronger": full radio rip / CD quality rip
Kyle Spratt "Slim Sellout" (more info on this HERE - biggup eskay)
Lemiwinks "Fuckin' Gangsta"
Cassidy's got a new mixtape out, hosted by Big Mike & DJ Thoro. Always count on Get Right for that fire: The Hustla's Home
Kid Sister "Damn Girl (Cadence Weapon Remix)"
T-Pain ft. Akon "Bartender (Manny Faces Remix)"
Rainman ft. Lil' Flip "Country Girl"
Crooked I "Hip-Hop Weekly #10 ('You Know My Steez' Freestyle)"

***

The boy named claw has a SERIOUS Dubstep mix on the under, entitled "The Daily Grind". I've only been able to give it a brief listen, and skimmed through it, but what I heard was serious. He was speaking of taking Dubstep to another level, a diff. level, and I think he (and like-minded artists) are scratching at something substantial here. Download the mix HERE; grab the front and back covers, done by the one like MONSTA.

***

That's it. Cutting this one super short... gotta skate though. Enjoy!

Get Well, Marley Marl!

We're praying for you, homey. Go grab the album, too. And for all you suckers who don't know who I'm talkin' about, get educated.

khal & DOA link up

Just dropping a lil nugget of good news on my faithful readers: ya boy khal is now the Assistant Editor of the DOA News/Content section, right up under the man like Jeryl. Seriously, read for yourselves. It feels like a long time coming - I've been doing the dubplate digest and this very blog, trying to give the people the info they need. I've also been writing reviews for DOA for a bit, even though I've kind of slacked off (my bust, XO!).

I wanna shout out Jeryl and Sacha for giving the kid a break. And you shouldn't be disappointed: I've already posted up new bits on Metalheadz AND Guerilla Recordings. More to come, seen?

So, any of you DNB label heads/DJs/producers/etc. - send your news bits/tunes/press packages to news@dogsonacid.com. I read everything.

EZ!

The Sopranos, Season 6B "The Blue Comet" [recap+]

Bacala and those fucking trains. That makes twice now that him worrying about those trains got someone shot - only this time, he died over it. (One side note: I was wondering, while watching that scene, why they so dramatically dropped their guns. Slate explains the phenomenon.)

In any case, this episode was class. You guys have already seen it - and for the lot of you who have stopped watching The Sopranos for whatever reason, you've missed out on some of the best episodes of the series.

Do I have any idea on how this tale might end? No. I have suspicions that Paulie Walnuts flipped on Tony to Phil Leotardo, but that's just talk. When you think of it though, from Paulie snitching to Johnny Sack seasons ago, to the infamous painting re-touch to Paulie & Chrissy's battles - I think Paulie might feel he is owed more than he is getting. He has been both loyal and disloyal, so it's hard to pinpoint, but he is the most likely flipper.

It's wild to think that there is only one episode left. I kept telling myself "Oh, they never tie up loose ends - don't even look for it", but now I'm kind of upset that they won't, but I think that's mainly due to just missing one of the best shows I have ever witnessed. One of the greatest dramas ever to hit a television is leaving us in one week, and there is a heaping helping of unanswered questions. I could write a laundry list for a small African village, but what would be the point? The main concerns:

1) What will happen to Tony and his family?
2) How will this affect the rest of the families?

That's pretty much it. You watch a rerun on A&E and see how many of those main characters made it to the end. It's kind of wild when you really do the math...

The one thing that did get my goat was Melfi dropping Tony. No matter what the fuck he has done or said in the past, she stood by him. 7 years, and she was there. If she was uncomfortable, she had plenty chance to end it. Why end it now over one study? And do it so cold hearted. She fucked him and didn't even kiss him, then made him out to be the one in the wrong.

I don't know, I really don't know what else to say... Phil's a prick? We know that. Tony's in a world of shit? No wonder he has the AR-10 close! What more can I say but...

until next time. Finale this coming Sunday.

Mark Ronson/Hard Rock contest CD GIVEAWAY!

I have a special competition where the winner will receive a pretty slick compilation from DJ Mark Ronson and the good folks at Hard Rock (you know, the people with the cafes and shit). The CD, entitled Mark Ronson Presents Hard Rock Vol. 1, is a 14-track disc of songs hand-selected by Mark Ronson, who has not only been a monster on the NYC club scene for the last decade, but through his Allido Records label, has helped usher in artists like Rhymefest, and films like the Jay-Z documentary Fade To Black. He is also affiliated with the one like DJ Jus Ske.

This compilation is the first of the Allido/Hard Rock partnership, which is trying to bring "a definitive collection of 'modern' Rock for the new millenium". Here is the tracklisting:

1. “Black Tambourine” - BECK
2. “I Like the Way” – BODY ROCKERS
3. “Everyday I Love You Less and Less” – KAISER CHIEFS
4. “To Be Young” – RYAN ADAMS
5. “Take Your Mama” – SCISSOR SISTERS
6. “Island in the Sun” - WEEZER
7. “Dimension” - WOLFMOTHER
8. “Destination Diamonds” – DIAMOND NIGHTS
9. “Black Betty” - SPIDERBAIT
10. “Bout to Get Ugly” – MARK RONSON feat RHYMEFEST and ANTHONY HAMILTON
11. “June Gloom” – THE LIKE
12. “Tropical Moonlight” - DOMINO
13. “Wicked Game” – GIANT DRAG
14. “Lit Up” - BUCKCHERRY

Not your everyday Rock mix, but trust, it works VERY well. Plus, $1 from each CD sold is going to Jay-Z's Water for Life campaign, which is one of the best causes out there.

This competition is simple: the first person to e-mail me (khaldub@gmail.com) with RONSON COMP in the title will win the prize pack: one copy of the Mark Ronson Presents Hard Rock Vol. 1 CD AND a copy of the Mark Ronson "Stop Me" Single. I also have 4 copies of the "Stop Me" single (audio: Windows [hi : low] / Quicktime [hi : low] / Real) which will go to the next 4 people. So, get your e-mail to me quick. I will alert the winners on this site and via e-mail. This competition will end in a week's time.

Shouts to Mark Ronson, Hard Rock, and by boy Mike @ Cornerstone for making this happen.

Friday, June 1st 2007 playlist

khal reporting for duty. Double duty. Triple duty. Big announcements on the way, in terms of my affiliations anyways. Today, though, I've actually been listening to music. Really. Look:

01/Perpetuum "Obscura" [intro tune to his March 07 EXBC Mix. Twisted.]
02/Digital "Dennis The Menace" [long live the king of dub-influenced DNB!]
03/DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. J-Live "Practice" [these guys took the funniest Allen Iverson interview ever and made a hot track out of it.]
04/Jadakiss ft. Sheek Louch & Rick Ross "Down South" [The Runners provide some down bottom heat. Shame Kiss is @ the end, but I guess you save the best for last.]
05/Tes La Rok "Gunshot" [debut 12 for Juju's dubstep label. HEAVY!]
06/The Fix "Brooklyn" [Canada's up and comers dedicating a runnin' DNB lick to the THORO BORO!]
07/Fabolous ft. Jay-Z & Uncle Murda "Brooklyn" [can't get enough of this one.]
08/D12 "40oz (DJ Nappy Vs. Lurk'N'Gully EXTENDED Thugstep Mix)" [you guys could be rich is you just stopped sleepin' on us.]
09/Chris Inperspective "Each Twin Unique" [Inperspective head comes correct with this chilled number.]
10/Phat Kat "Don't Nobody Care About Us" [J Dilla provides the sonics for this beautiful cut.]


***

Leakage:

/Hot off the press, here's a few Three 6 Mafia related cuts (I believe these are coming out on their Last 2 Walk LP, or the new Project Pat joint: "Like Money", "Suga Daddy" ft. Diamond & Princess of Crime Mobb, and "What Cha Starin' At", ft. Project Pat & Lil' Jon (fans of their show will remember the intro to this one).
/Kanye West ft. Young Jeezy "Can't Tell Me Nothing (Remix)"
/InsideInfo "At Night" [big up to Sparfunk and this Terrafunk giveaway!]
/Rhymefest "Angry Black Man On An Elevator" (prod. by Lil' Jon)
/Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West & Pharrell "US Placers"
/The Lady Tigra "Pinkberry"
/Evidence ft. PMD & Rakaa "Mr. Slow Flow (Remix)"
/Crooked I "Hip-Hop Weekly #9 (Deep Cover Freestyle)"
/Cassidy "Get Retarded Freestyle"
/Here's a few Big City (AKA Psycho Les, Al Tariq & Problemz) cuts from their forthcoming LP: "Boy" & "Big City".
/Realtime "Girls Gone Wild"
/Fabolous ft. Joe Budden, Paul Cain, Ransom, Red Cafe & Freck Billionaire "This Is Family"
/Jill Scott "Hate On Me"
/Termanology ft. Reks "Hardcore (So You Wanna Be)"
/Capone "Talk My Shit"
/AC ft. Skyzoo "Good Lookin'" (prod. by Hi-Tek)


***

Kanye West released the official Can't Tell Me Nothing mixtape, which is getting props from ya innanet bloggers. I haven't dloaded it, but might have to if people keep giving it props. Or maybe you should grab it and let me know what it do; NOTE: a load of the sites that had it up have non-working links - I think the torrents are alive and well, though! Get a tracklisting and audio of a handful of tracks HERE. EDIT: Gotta love GETRIGHT.

***

Kuttin Edge dropped a dope dubstep mix LIVE on Radio X @ Atelier Frankfurt. Peep game:

01 Shakleton - Blood on my Hands
02 Amp Fiddler Bootleg
03 DMZ - Wait
04 Reso - Unknown
05 Appleblim - Vansan
06 Kode 9 - Double Shadow Rmx
07 Djunya - Coagulated Dub
08 Rusko - Cockney Flute Rmx
09 Kode 9 - Find My Way Rmx
10 Marc Ashken - Size 3 (Skream Mix)
11 Skream - Losing Control
12 Gatekeeper - Tomb
13 Skream - Chest Boxing
14 Skream - Make Me
15 Elemental - Soul Fire
16 Benga - Crunked Up
17 Skream - 0800 Dub
18 Skream - Dutch Flowers

Smooth.

***

Over at the dubplate digest,this week's "FYLP" is dedicated to these live mixes from SR18, hosted by Jungletrain.net. The Paradox "set" inspiried this monstrous post on DOA. *sigh*

***

That's about it. I've been slackin', but I have a competition for this new Mark Ronson CD. I have 1 copy of the full release and 5 copies of the single. More on that on Monday.

***

I leave you with the video for Phat Kat's "Cold Steel", again produced by J. Dilla. Enjoy your weekend.

FOTM: THUGSTEP #2 (06/2007)

This one gets hyper, fusing Detroit's Dirty Dozen and the Canadian duo Lurk'N'Gully. I linked a dubstep mix that DZ (AKA "Lurk") did last week, and I am a big fan of their work. The intro to the dubstep cut, "Crime Spree", works so well with Bizarre's violent rant ("I'll have my wife... cut your throat"), and to hear guys like Eminem coast over heavy, stomping beats like this is just dope. He didn't write to it, but his cadence and flow just works wonders to that track. The "crime" sounds in the beat (guns cocking, police sirens, etc.) really add something to D12's abrasive lyrics as well. Big Proof does his thing at the end, to eerie perfection ("I'm in the club to beef, you gotta murder me dead")... just too deep.

This is an EXTENDED mix as well, perfect for mixing for all of you DJs out there. No one services you better...

DJ Nappy does it again? I think so. And now you can have it, too!:

D12 Vs. Lurk 'N' Gully "40oz (DJ Nappy Vs. Lurk 'N' Gully Extended Thugstep Mix) (zShare stream/dload link) (sendspace link) (megaupload link)

Keep it locked...