Jadakiss once wondered why rappers lie in 85 percent of their rhymes, and here's the answer: because they don't have the audacity of Rick Ross, who lies in 95 percent of his. Last year, the Florida don, who'd built his entire persona on his status as a criminal kingpin, was outed as a former corrections officer. For most gangsta rappers, this would be career-crippling, but Ross shook everything off—jeers from the Internet peanut gallery, 50 Cent's bullying, his own limitations—and released Deeper Than Rap, easily one of 2009's best rap records. He began rapping more cleanly than ever before, forgoing his previously favored Hall-of-Bosses punch-in echo chamber that made it feel like five fat guys were yelling at you simultaneously. His writing, too, turned startlingly vivid, and the production was incredible—late-'90s grandiosity taken to even greater heights, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy score repurposed for Ricky's Vice City home. It was like watching the portly kid in gym class suddenly high-step his way flawlessly through a field of tires.
So now Ross is enjoying a weird, wonderful renaissance: Once the very face of undeserved commercial-rap entitlement, he's now almost an underdog. Not commercially—Deeper went to No. 1, just like 2006's Port of Miami and 2008's Trilla before it—but critically, especially among the inner circle of rap-nerd gatekeepers. Recently, Pete Rosenberg, the earnest, affable spokesperson for all-consuming late-'90s New York rap fixation, told a roomful of like-minded followers—during a public sit-down interview with Diddy at 92Y Tribeca—that, in terms of consistency and commitment to craft, Ross was the best rapper working right now. Diddy had to quickly step in to calm the quietly seething masses.
The ridiculously extravagant and extravagantly ridiculous new Teflon Don is certain to only rile folks up further; in its sound, scope, ambition, and arm's-length relationship to reality, it's essentially Deeper Than Rap 2: Even Deeperer. The production is only more towering; Ross evidently decided the beats on Deeper weren't over-the-top enough, so for "Maybach Music III," the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League furnish him with a full orchestra to rap over, and after verses from T.I. and Jadakiss (plus a hook from Erykah Badu), Ross enters to darkening strings and a key change heralding his arrival. "Cigar, please," he barks, over a hilarious and awe-inspiring cascade of strings, flutes, xylophone, and Weather Report jazz-funk guitars that recall nothing so much as the scene in James Bond's You Only Live Twice when the volcano opens up to reveal the villain's secret lair.
This is the Ricky Rozay aesthetic—lifestyle music for escaping the state police via speedboat—and Teflon Don is even more utterly devoted than its predecessor, which was perhaps saddled with a couple more "ladies' tracks" than was strictly necessary. Those are gone now. All that's left are 11 unadulterated dispatches from BossWorld, an imaginary kingdom that only grows more vivid the more Ross visits it. If the cold-water shock of hearing Ross rap nimbly has worn off somewhat, he more than compensates with the new lunatic conviction in his voice: "Quarter-milli for the motherfucker!" he spits on "Tears of Joy" (referring to the cost of his watch), and you can almost hear his gut convulsing. On "Free Mason," he raps feverishly about ancient symbols, codes, and pyramids over a tangled bed of bluesy organs and a howling John Legend in the background: "I understand the codes these hackers can't crack," he concludes. Indeed. Ross the Boss has grasped the key to success: He used to simply refute reality, but now he transcends it.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Dame Dash....
peep the article on Dame. Always one of my favorite guys in the music industry.n a recent muggy evening, veteran Houston rapper Bun B performed in the basement of a luxe Tribeca gallery. It was a dark, crude space, packed to the gills, as if a Bushwick loft party had burrowed up through Manhattan topsoil.
Empty Budweiser cans collected in corners, smoke clogged the air, and condensation gave the walls the slick glisten of a slug's belly. "This is the hottest place in the world," Bun marveled, a sheen of sweat reflecting off his bald head. His live backing band eased into the opening bars of "International Players Anthem," and the crowd voiced approval. Among that congregation was Damon Dash, grinning, giving out hugs, and chortling with laughter, back in the thick of things.
Dash's new gallery, DD172 (his initials and the Duane Street address), is a different world from the dank catacombs beneath. The hardwood timbers are spotless; the white walls of the ground-level exhibition area soar upward into the airy office space where he now works. Six years have passed since the splintering of Roc-a-Fella Records, the hip-hop label Dash and Jay-Z built into a sprawling entertainment empire. Jay long ago ascended to a rarefied plateau of celebrity where the absurd is normal: He fraternizes with Russian billionaires, taunts Noel Gallagher at Glastonbury, and makes sweet love to Beyoncé on a mattress stuffed with unicorn hair. Dame has not been so fortunate: One by one, his flotilla of business ventures—in music, fashion, sports promotion, publishing, and film—have sunk. Following a much-publicized fall-out with his former cohort, his reputation as a cagey entrepreneur was tarnished, his fortune stripped clean, his marriage to fashion designer Rachel Roy torn asunder. And he is happier than ever before.
Morning sunlight spills into Dash's office, the man himself splayed across a furry white couch beneath a large, feathered Ojibwa dreamcatcher. He wears a fuchsia T-shirt with diagonal yellow stripes, jeans, and tortoise-rimmed glasses that, when coupled with the flecks of gray in his beard, give him a "rad dad" look. He shares the space with a pair of women in their early 20s who have ascended, in the manner of a metastasizing start-up, from assistants to heads of divisions. The woman who presides over the music wing is also a singer; the one running the magazine America Nu, Dash explains, "loves taking photos and doing artistic things." He says he prefers working with women because they're harder to yell at.
In a few hours, the compound will pulse with creative energy: Such up-and-coming rappers as Curren$y and Stalley will record in the music studios, while a video production team called Creative Control works from editing bays. Enjoying the morning's relative calm, Dash wanders from his office into a wider area where a few people quietly tap away at laptops. "I'm not surrounded by posters of guns and Scarface here," he notes. There's no sign of Tony Montana, true, but the gallery walls are covered with stylized portraits of marked militants wielding Kalashnikovs. This is the evolution of Dame Dash.
Born and raised in Harlem, Dame seemed to have hustling in his bloodstream. His mother sold clothing out of their apartment. His cousin, Darien Dash, was the first African-American to take a dot-com public. Actress Stacey Dash is a cousin. Discipline problems kept Damon bouncing around private schools like Isaac Newton and South Kent on scholarship, but he eventually earned his GED, and began promoting parties and managing musicians in the early '90s. "He was an undeniable ball of energy," says Clark Kent, the Brooklyn DJ and producer who worked with Dame at Atlantic Records and first introduced him to Jay-Z in 1994. "I saw that he had a relentless approach to having his way. He approached everything with an independent spirit that makes people either get down or lay down."
Roc-a-Fella became a record label that same year, a partnership between Jay, Dash, and Kareem that quickly led to a pressing and distribution deal with Priority Records; after achieving critical acclaim and moderate commercial success with Jay-Z's 1996 full-length debut, Reasonable Doubt, the Roc-a-Fella trio retained their independence and signed a co-venture deal with Def Jam for a reported $1.5 million in expansion capital the following year. "It wasn't like it was built to be this record label," says Kent. "Everything they did was like homeboys. The premise was to make one album, but it was too good and too easy."
Money started pouring in when Jay-Z's third album, 1998's Vol. 2 . . . Hard Knock Life, sprinted to the top of the charts and sold five million copies domestically. The LP's club-friendly combination of dexterous lyrics and sparse, spacey beats made Jay a star, and his reflected glow was enough to help Memphis Bleek's Coming of Age (1999) and Beanie Sigel's The Truth (2000) become gold-certified debuts. Roc-a-Fella was further legitimized as more than just a one-man show with subsequent signings: At full strength, the roster also included Kanye West, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, State Property, M.O.P., and, strangely, Samantha Ronson. Other labels were crossing the Mason-Dixon Line in search of fresh talent, but Roc remained an obelisk of street-oriented East Coast lyricism and soulful-yet-punchy production in the face of the rising Southern tide.
Empty Budweiser cans collected in corners, smoke clogged the air, and condensation gave the walls the slick glisten of a slug's belly. "This is the hottest place in the world," Bun marveled, a sheen of sweat reflecting off his bald head. His live backing band eased into the opening bars of "International Players Anthem," and the crowd voiced approval. Among that congregation was Damon Dash, grinning, giving out hugs, and chortling with laughter, back in the thick of things.
Dash's new gallery, DD172 (his initials and the Duane Street address), is a different world from the dank catacombs beneath. The hardwood timbers are spotless; the white walls of the ground-level exhibition area soar upward into the airy office space where he now works. Six years have passed since the splintering of Roc-a-Fella Records, the hip-hop label Dash and Jay-Z built into a sprawling entertainment empire. Jay long ago ascended to a rarefied plateau of celebrity where the absurd is normal: He fraternizes with Russian billionaires, taunts Noel Gallagher at Glastonbury, and makes sweet love to Beyoncé on a mattress stuffed with unicorn hair. Dame has not been so fortunate: One by one, his flotilla of business ventures—in music, fashion, sports promotion, publishing, and film—have sunk. Following a much-publicized fall-out with his former cohort, his reputation as a cagey entrepreneur was tarnished, his fortune stripped clean, his marriage to fashion designer Rachel Roy torn asunder. And he is happier than ever before.
Morning sunlight spills into Dash's office, the man himself splayed across a furry white couch beneath a large, feathered Ojibwa dreamcatcher. He wears a fuchsia T-shirt with diagonal yellow stripes, jeans, and tortoise-rimmed glasses that, when coupled with the flecks of gray in his beard, give him a "rad dad" look. He shares the space with a pair of women in their early 20s who have ascended, in the manner of a metastasizing start-up, from assistants to heads of divisions. The woman who presides over the music wing is also a singer; the one running the magazine America Nu, Dash explains, "loves taking photos and doing artistic things." He says he prefers working with women because they're harder to yell at.
In a few hours, the compound will pulse with creative energy: Such up-and-coming rappers as Curren$y and Stalley will record in the music studios, while a video production team called Creative Control works from editing bays. Enjoying the morning's relative calm, Dash wanders from his office into a wider area where a few people quietly tap away at laptops. "I'm not surrounded by posters of guns and Scarface here," he notes. There's no sign of Tony Montana, true, but the gallery walls are covered with stylized portraits of marked militants wielding Kalashnikovs. This is the evolution of Dame Dash.
Born and raised in Harlem, Dame seemed to have hustling in his bloodstream. His mother sold clothing out of their apartment. His cousin, Darien Dash, was the first African-American to take a dot-com public. Actress Stacey Dash is a cousin. Discipline problems kept Damon bouncing around private schools like Isaac Newton and South Kent on scholarship, but he eventually earned his GED, and began promoting parties and managing musicians in the early '90s. "He was an undeniable ball of energy," says Clark Kent, the Brooklyn DJ and producer who worked with Dame at Atlantic Records and first introduced him to Jay-Z in 1994. "I saw that he had a relentless approach to having his way. He approached everything with an independent spirit that makes people either get down or lay down."
Roc-a-Fella became a record label that same year, a partnership between Jay, Dash, and Kareem that quickly led to a pressing and distribution deal with Priority Records; after achieving critical acclaim and moderate commercial success with Jay-Z's 1996 full-length debut, Reasonable Doubt, the Roc-a-Fella trio retained their independence and signed a co-venture deal with Def Jam for a reported $1.5 million in expansion capital the following year. "It wasn't like it was built to be this record label," says Kent. "Everything they did was like homeboys. The premise was to make one album, but it was too good and too easy."
Money started pouring in when Jay-Z's third album, 1998's Vol. 2 . . . Hard Knock Life, sprinted to the top of the charts and sold five million copies domestically. The LP's club-friendly combination of dexterous lyrics and sparse, spacey beats made Jay a star, and his reflected glow was enough to help Memphis Bleek's Coming of Age (1999) and Beanie Sigel's The Truth (2000) become gold-certified debuts. Roc-a-Fella was further legitimized as more than just a one-man show with subsequent signings: At full strength, the roster also included Kanye West, Cam'ron, Juelz Santana, State Property, M.O.P., and, strangely, Samantha Ronson. Other labels were crossing the Mason-Dixon Line in search of fresh talent, but Roc remained an obelisk of street-oriented East Coast lyricism and soulful-yet-punchy production in the face of the rising Southern tide.
Tabi Bonney "Nuthin but a HERO"
One of our fav's... DC's OWN Tabi Bonney has another one... Check it out!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
INDY MUSIC MONTH!
August will be the INDY music month on Mindless Souls! All Kinds of goodies on the way for u bitch's!
The NEW age of Punchlines
A few weeks ago, Drake made comments about a certain style of rhyming that he has become known for in his recent rise to superstardom. You know. The Simile’s Younger Cousin flow. The Not Quite a Full Punchline flow. The Let’s Pause Instead of Saying “Like” flow.
Drizzy said he felt that it was overused on the whole and, moreover, that certain rappers had no business using it, cause they weren’t doing it the right way. “A bunch of rappers started doing it and using the most terrible references in the world,” he said. No argument here; there’s definitely been some questionable uses.
But much like Drake, I feel like this specific kind of rhyming can, in some cases, foster some of the most creative rhymes, but in others encourage lazy and weak ones. Plus, they seem a bit easier to concoct than you’re typically well thought out punchline. A few months back, #fakedrake lines was a hashtag that was picking up some steam on Twitter. Jay Smooth over at ill/nildoctrine compiled some of what people were saying and talked a little about the use of the style, offering some criticisms. My personal favorite of the Twitter lines was, “I stay with a quarter in my system, payphone.”
I then made up a few with my friends, and I though they weren’t all that bad.
“I ride around all day with a Mac and cheese, Annie’s”
“I’m telling stories that are timeless, Brothers Grimm”
“Hit me and you won’t like what happens next, funny bone”
“None of these rappers can touch me, Shomer Negiah” (Look it up).
I think these lines are halfway decent, and I definitely don’t rap, nor do I attempt or pretend to. As a general rule, I like my rappers to be more skilled at their craft than I am. With this flow, sometimes they don’t need to be. That’s where I take issue with it. I like it often times. But others, it leaves me wanting more.
In that same quote, Drake said that the best way it had been used was in “Forever.” Not quite. “Forever” is a great song. After being beaten to death with it for a while there, I hadn’t heard it for a long time until I listened this morning. And that joint is sick. But it’s not the best use. However, Drake does mention the song that best used it in his quote, he just doesn’t say or realize that it was the best use.
The best use was, by Drizzy’s and most other’s accounts, also the first. On “Supa Dupa,” from his mixtape UKNOWBIGSEAN, Big Sean gives birth to and murders the style in a matter of three minutes. Instead of just dropping isolated lines, Sean does cartwheels and backflips, often connecting one line/semi-simile to the next, all while sprinkling in some double-entendres. To me, despite it’s use in numerous songs in the time since, the verses on “Supa Dupa” remain the best example of the style being all it can be. Army. A few excerpts:
“When they see me on my high horse, polo
See what I’m wearin’, I know those
Hoes’ll want the same thing, homo, Elton, Jojo”
Later…
“The story of my life is to get glory off the mics (Mikes), Quincy”
In this songs, the rhymes flow seamlessly from one line to the next, like it’s a perfectly dreamed stream of consciousness.
Now, in “Maybach Music 2,” Kanye used the style once, when he said, “So all the shit you talkin’ dead, coffin.” Maybe Kanye actually fathered it. Deeper Than Rap, the album that track appeared on, came out on April 21 of last year. UKNOWBIGSEAN came out five days earlier, on April 16. It’s likely the G.O.O.D. music mates heard one another doing it, played around with it, and talked about it together.
Whether or not he’s the father of it, which it seems he is, Big Sean certainly bodies the flow. But not everyone does.
What do you guys think of this rhyme style? Does it need to go? Is it a lyrical revolution? Or does the answer lie somewhere in the middle? Stuffing.—Adam Fleischer
Drizzy said he felt that it was overused on the whole and, moreover, that certain rappers had no business using it, cause they weren’t doing it the right way. “A bunch of rappers started doing it and using the most terrible references in the world,” he said. No argument here; there’s definitely been some questionable uses.
But much like Drake, I feel like this specific kind of rhyming can, in some cases, foster some of the most creative rhymes, but in others encourage lazy and weak ones. Plus, they seem a bit easier to concoct than you’re typically well thought out punchline. A few months back, #fakedrake lines was a hashtag that was picking up some steam on Twitter. Jay Smooth over at ill/nildoctrine compiled some of what people were saying and talked a little about the use of the style, offering some criticisms. My personal favorite of the Twitter lines was, “I stay with a quarter in my system, payphone.”
I then made up a few with my friends, and I though they weren’t all that bad.
“I ride around all day with a Mac and cheese, Annie’s”
“I’m telling stories that are timeless, Brothers Grimm”
“Hit me and you won’t like what happens next, funny bone”
“None of these rappers can touch me, Shomer Negiah” (Look it up).
I think these lines are halfway decent, and I definitely don’t rap, nor do I attempt or pretend to. As a general rule, I like my rappers to be more skilled at their craft than I am. With this flow, sometimes they don’t need to be. That’s where I take issue with it. I like it often times. But others, it leaves me wanting more.
In that same quote, Drake said that the best way it had been used was in “Forever.” Not quite. “Forever” is a great song. After being beaten to death with it for a while there, I hadn’t heard it for a long time until I listened this morning. And that joint is sick. But it’s not the best use. However, Drake does mention the song that best used it in his quote, he just doesn’t say or realize that it was the best use.
The best use was, by Drizzy’s and most other’s accounts, also the first. On “Supa Dupa,” from his mixtape UKNOWBIGSEAN, Big Sean gives birth to and murders the style in a matter of three minutes. Instead of just dropping isolated lines, Sean does cartwheels and backflips, often connecting one line/semi-simile to the next, all while sprinkling in some double-entendres. To me, despite it’s use in numerous songs in the time since, the verses on “Supa Dupa” remain the best example of the style being all it can be. Army. A few excerpts:
“When they see me on my high horse, polo
See what I’m wearin’, I know those
Hoes’ll want the same thing, homo, Elton, Jojo”
Later…
“The story of my life is to get glory off the mics (Mikes), Quincy”
In this songs, the rhymes flow seamlessly from one line to the next, like it’s a perfectly dreamed stream of consciousness.
Now, in “Maybach Music 2,” Kanye used the style once, when he said, “So all the shit you talkin’ dead, coffin.” Maybe Kanye actually fathered it. Deeper Than Rap, the album that track appeared on, came out on April 21 of last year. UKNOWBIGSEAN came out five days earlier, on April 16. It’s likely the G.O.O.D. music mates heard one another doing it, played around with it, and talked about it together.
Whether or not he’s the father of it, which it seems he is, Big Sean certainly bodies the flow. But not everyone does.
What do you guys think of this rhyme style? Does it need to go? Is it a lyrical revolution? Or does the answer lie somewhere in the middle? Stuffing.—Adam Fleischer
Pusha T to GOOD MUSIC?
will there be another name added to the fold? The Clipse's Pusha T is putting out his first solo mixtape, The Fear of God, that day as well, raising speculation that he's doing it as part of the Louis Vuitton Don's roster.
"That's just a good day," Pusha told MTV News on Wednesday night in New York at an EA Sports event to promote the game "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit."
"A great day for music, but it's a 'good' day," he said, slyly repeating the word. "I mean, you know. I been to Hawaii. Hawaii is a nice place. Good music is made down there, ya know. So, yeah, I was there. I can't say too much about that. I think everybody's gonna be in for a big surprise. A very big surprise."
Hawaii, of course, has been the primary location where Kanye has been making albums for the past several months with his roster of artists. When Pusha was asked straight up if he is signing with West, he answered with a grin, "Who's to say, man? But the Pusha T solo album is definitely coming out."
His LP won't be out until February at the earliest. Right now, the focus is on The Fear of God. The VA native is recording both projects simultaneously however.
"I just feel like, you know, everybody's waiting on it," Pusha said about going solo. "I think it's time to expand the Re-Up Gang brand. The only way to do that is expand the music. Make the music more diverse. They been seeing the Clipse for a little while. We got our own different perspectives. Myself and Malice. It's good. It's good for us to do this and show the world just how our minds work."
Asked to explain why the mixtape is called The Fear of God, he replied, "I feel like a lot of MCs are scared of it. A lot of MCs are scared of a solo project from an MC such as myself. I believe that. I was writing and I felt like, 'Woooo. I'm gonna invoke the fear of God in these people.' "
Push already put out two freestyles in the last few days, "Dearly Beloved" and "Bidding War."
"If you haven't heard it, it's called 'Bidding War,' " he explained of the latter, where he raps over the beat of Jay Electronica's "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace." "Just a day. A day in the studio. It's a lot going on in my mind right now. The music is flowing, the rhymes is flowing, and you're gonna keep hearing from me. I'm feeling like a rapper right now. ... I haven't felt like that in a long time in my career. I'm feeling like that. That's where I am. Let's go play."
"That's just a good day," Pusha told MTV News on Wednesday night in New York at an EA Sports event to promote the game "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit."
"A great day for music, but it's a 'good' day," he said, slyly repeating the word. "I mean, you know. I been to Hawaii. Hawaii is a nice place. Good music is made down there, ya know. So, yeah, I was there. I can't say too much about that. I think everybody's gonna be in for a big surprise. A very big surprise."
Hawaii, of course, has been the primary location where Kanye has been making albums for the past several months with his roster of artists. When Pusha was asked straight up if he is signing with West, he answered with a grin, "Who's to say, man? But the Pusha T solo album is definitely coming out."
His LP won't be out until February at the earliest. Right now, the focus is on The Fear of God. The VA native is recording both projects simultaneously however.
"I just feel like, you know, everybody's waiting on it," Pusha said about going solo. "I think it's time to expand the Re-Up Gang brand. The only way to do that is expand the music. Make the music more diverse. They been seeing the Clipse for a little while. We got our own different perspectives. Myself and Malice. It's good. It's good for us to do this and show the world just how our minds work."
Asked to explain why the mixtape is called The Fear of God, he replied, "I feel like a lot of MCs are scared of it. A lot of MCs are scared of a solo project from an MC such as myself. I believe that. I was writing and I felt like, 'Woooo. I'm gonna invoke the fear of God in these people.' "
Push already put out two freestyles in the last few days, "Dearly Beloved" and "Bidding War."
"If you haven't heard it, it's called 'Bidding War,' " he explained of the latter, where he raps over the beat of Jay Electronica's "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace." "Just a day. A day in the studio. It's a lot going on in my mind right now. The music is flowing, the rhymes is flowing, and you're gonna keep hearing from me. I'm feeling like a rapper right now. ... I haven't felt like that in a long time in my career. I'm feeling like that. That's where I am. Let's go play."
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Big Boi album review
MUST GET!
For years, André “3000” Benjamin has been valorized as OutKast’s engine, its creative heartbeat, its auteur, and its soul. But Dre is nowhere to be found these days. So his partner did what he had to do: disprove conventional wisdom. From the first moments of the intro, “Feel Me,” the whistles, wah-wah guitar, and liquefying talk box announce a uniformity of purpose—funk is the game and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton is not playing. Aided by producers Organized Noize and Mr. DJ, Sir Lucious Left Foot is a monster of an album.
This isn’t exactly a solo debut—that was the flip side of OutKast’s 2003 double LP, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But even more than that multiplatinum slab of funk, there is an enveloping heaviness here. You sink into the bass, as if drowning in a pulsating pool of quicksand, spiraling deeper toward the bottom end. Big Boi has always been a deceptively elegant rhymer—“I’m like a crocodile walkin’ around with alligator skin,” he purrs on “Follow Us”—and he’s in top, post-pimp form.
Handing off massive choruses to Janelle Monàe, Jamie Foxx, and B.o.B, he steals your girl, your dignity, and then your couch—in that order—and what’s more, you’re fine with it. It takes an extra special sort of swagger to pull this off. But then, Big Boi has always been the best-kept secret.
For years, André “3000” Benjamin has been valorized as OutKast’s engine, its creative heartbeat, its auteur, and its soul. But Dre is nowhere to be found these days. So his partner did what he had to do: disprove conventional wisdom. From the first moments of the intro, “Feel Me,” the whistles, wah-wah guitar, and liquefying talk box announce a uniformity of purpose—funk is the game and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton is not playing. Aided by producers Organized Noize and Mr. DJ, Sir Lucious Left Foot is a monster of an album.
This isn’t exactly a solo debut—that was the flip side of OutKast’s 2003 double LP, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. But even more than that multiplatinum slab of funk, there is an enveloping heaviness here. You sink into the bass, as if drowning in a pulsating pool of quicksand, spiraling deeper toward the bottom end. Big Boi has always been a deceptively elegant rhymer—“I’m like a crocodile walkin’ around with alligator skin,” he purrs on “Follow Us”—and he’s in top, post-pimp form.
Handing off massive choruses to Janelle Monàe, Jamie Foxx, and B.o.B, he steals your girl, your dignity, and then your couch—in that order—and what’s more, you’re fine with it. It takes an extra special sort of swagger to pull this off. But then, Big Boi has always been the best-kept secret.
Spin Mag article on Jay Electronica
My main man Free met the guy... and had nothing but good things to say. Here's the Spin article
Jay Electronica lives in a third-floor walk-up around the corner from a street lined with bodegas, liquor stores, and hair salons in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, one of New York City's last neighborhoods untouched by gentrification. Barefoot, wearing a white polo T-shirt and gray sweatpants, the rapper rummages through what he calls his "bedroom-slash-studio-slash-cave," i.e. a small, nondescript office next to the living room.
He lights a cigarette, takes one drag, then leaves it to burn down in the ashtray. Tiny scars cover his fingers. "+ god –" is tattooed cryptically behind his left ear. His girlfriend, the neo-soul superstar Erykah Badu, described him thusly on his 2007 mixtape Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge): "[He's] a weird-looking cat. His ears are kind of pointy. He has a square head. He looks like he's an alien…but in a very beautiful way. Like some kind of mythical creature who would have a bow and arrow on his back and wings under that bow and arrow."
Jay eventually settles onto a futon, and I ask him to explain the lyrics of his breathtaking 2009 single "Exhibit C," which hint that his path is destined. "I used to get dizzy spells, hear a little ring / The voice of an angel telling me my name / Telling me that one day I'm-a be a great man."
"Yeah, it's funny," he says. "You write these things, but you never expect to be questioned on them." A nervous laugh is followed by a long silence. "I can't say this. This is going to be absolutely crazy if I say this. If I told you, it would have to be off the record. Matter of fact, you are going to have to sign a nondisclosure agreement and then I can tell you. This is personal personal. People will be like, 'Oh, that nigga is crazy.' "
I think he's joking. But suddenly, Jay gets up and starts poking around purposefully in the closet. Nothing but four pairs of sneakers and a charcoal-gray suit. He scans a table. Just a digital camera, candles, and a pair of dice. He moves to the living room. No agreement. Jay never finds a hard copy, so he punches it up on his iPhone. (Yes, the document actually exists.) Alas, he decides against me even reviewing it, saying that if I read it out loud, the entire interview will be off the record.
"I'm hearing that he is kind of a weird dude," says DJ Enuff of New York City's Hot 97 FM, speaking diplomatically. Enuff is credited with breaking "Exhibit C" on commercial radio. "I've met him twice. He seemed cool to me. But I hear that he's out there."
Here is why people think Jay Electronica is "out there": He goes on spiritual retreats to the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple and the Bodinath Buddhist Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. He and Badu Tweeted during the birth of their daughter, Mars Merkaba, in February of 2009. (Sample: "I see the head, full of hair.") He is a former homeless drifter.
From Biz Markie to Kool Keith to MF Doom, extraordinarily talented eccentrics have always populated hip-hop. But none ever stood on the verge of stardom like Jay Electronica. He combines the presence and aura of early Rakim with the smoothly assaultive flow of Illmatic-era Nas, and his recent success is proof that one song can truly alter a career.
Jay Electronica went from blog curiosity to budding sensation after the release of "Exhibit C," a head-snapping banger built on a sample of Billy Stewart's "Cross My Heart," with no inkling of a hook but a profusion of deep lyricism. (The deft wordplay -- rhyming "Electronica" with "Hanukkah," "yarmulke," and "Asalaamica" -- has already been immortalized on T-shirts.) "The hairs on my arm stood up," Enuff says, of the first time he heard the song.
When the record debuted in iTunes' Top 10 and was later added to Hot 97's rotation in January, a major-label bidding war began to intensify. Since then, he's headlined a European tour with sold-out London shows and opened for N.E.R.D. But as of now, Jay Electronica remains unsigned and uncompromising.
"Labels know that they have to deal with my terms," he says, without ever specifying what those terms are. "I recognize that it's a blessing. I'm not saying it in an arrogant way. It's just, the rules do not apply."
Jay Electronica lives in a third-floor walk-up around the corner from a street lined with bodegas, liquor stores, and hair salons in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, one of New York City's last neighborhoods untouched by gentrification. Barefoot, wearing a white polo T-shirt and gray sweatpants, the rapper rummages through what he calls his "bedroom-slash-studio-slash-cave," i.e. a small, nondescript office next to the living room.
He lights a cigarette, takes one drag, then leaves it to burn down in the ashtray. Tiny scars cover his fingers. "+ god –" is tattooed cryptically behind his left ear. His girlfriend, the neo-soul superstar Erykah Badu, described him thusly on his 2007 mixtape Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge): "[He's] a weird-looking cat. His ears are kind of pointy. He has a square head. He looks like he's an alien…but in a very beautiful way. Like some kind of mythical creature who would have a bow and arrow on his back and wings under that bow and arrow."
Jay eventually settles onto a futon, and I ask him to explain the lyrics of his breathtaking 2009 single "Exhibit C," which hint that his path is destined. "I used to get dizzy spells, hear a little ring / The voice of an angel telling me my name / Telling me that one day I'm-a be a great man."
"Yeah, it's funny," he says. "You write these things, but you never expect to be questioned on them." A nervous laugh is followed by a long silence. "I can't say this. This is going to be absolutely crazy if I say this. If I told you, it would have to be off the record. Matter of fact, you are going to have to sign a nondisclosure agreement and then I can tell you. This is personal personal. People will be like, 'Oh, that nigga is crazy.' "
I think he's joking. But suddenly, Jay gets up and starts poking around purposefully in the closet. Nothing but four pairs of sneakers and a charcoal-gray suit. He scans a table. Just a digital camera, candles, and a pair of dice. He moves to the living room. No agreement. Jay never finds a hard copy, so he punches it up on his iPhone. (Yes, the document actually exists.) Alas, he decides against me even reviewing it, saying that if I read it out loud, the entire interview will be off the record.
"I'm hearing that he is kind of a weird dude," says DJ Enuff of New York City's Hot 97 FM, speaking diplomatically. Enuff is credited with breaking "Exhibit C" on commercial radio. "I've met him twice. He seemed cool to me. But I hear that he's out there."
Here is why people think Jay Electronica is "out there": He goes on spiritual retreats to the Pashupatinath Hindu Temple and the Bodinath Buddhist Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. He and Badu Tweeted during the birth of their daughter, Mars Merkaba, in February of 2009. (Sample: "I see the head, full of hair.") He is a former homeless drifter.
From Biz Markie to Kool Keith to MF Doom, extraordinarily talented eccentrics have always populated hip-hop. But none ever stood on the verge of stardom like Jay Electronica. He combines the presence and aura of early Rakim with the smoothly assaultive flow of Illmatic-era Nas, and his recent success is proof that one song can truly alter a career.
Jay Electronica went from blog curiosity to budding sensation after the release of "Exhibit C," a head-snapping banger built on a sample of Billy Stewart's "Cross My Heart," with no inkling of a hook but a profusion of deep lyricism. (The deft wordplay -- rhyming "Electronica" with "Hanukkah," "yarmulke," and "Asalaamica" -- has already been immortalized on T-shirts.) "The hairs on my arm stood up," Enuff says, of the first time he heard the song.
When the record debuted in iTunes' Top 10 and was later added to Hot 97's rotation in January, a major-label bidding war began to intensify. Since then, he's headlined a European tour with sold-out London shows and opened for N.E.R.D. But as of now, Jay Electronica remains unsigned and uncompromising.
"Labels know that they have to deal with my terms," he says, without ever specifying what those terms are. "I recognize that it's a blessing. I'm not saying it in an arrogant way. It's just, the rules do not apply."
Thank me Later review(xxl mag)
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Err…sort of. Despite its debut status, Aubrey “Drake” Graham’s Thank Me Later is no introductory effort. Since the release of the Toronto native’s free mixtape, So Far Gone, in February 2009, Drizzy’s been able to rattle off a veritable checklist of career highlights in just over a year. The project’s success earned him a reported multimillion-dollar deal with his mentor Lil Wayne’s Young Money label, it spawned two hit singles (“Best I Ever Had” and “Successful”), and the shortened EP version went on to sell over 470,000 copies. With his newfound celebrity status, Drake’s been embraced by hip-hop’s greats, lending a hook to Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 (“Off That”) and collaborating with Eminem on “Forever.” He’s also been party to a bevy of Cash Money–affiliated projects (Young Money’s We Are Young Money LP and Birdman’s Pricele$$), headlined awards shows, graced magazine covers and appeared in a Sprite commercial. A year makes a world of difference, and things definitely done changed for the former star of the popular teen TV series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. So now what?
When an artist delivers a critically acclaimed project—be it a mixtape or an album—they’ll always be measured against it. Such is the case here, as it’s difficult not to compare Thank Me Later with So Far Gone. Luckily, Drake largely sticks to what’s worked for him in the past—which is to say a healthy mix of singing and rapping, elaborate arrangements that find whole new songs almost tacked on to others, and deeply reflective subject matter. Perhaps the best example of this is “The Resistance,” where Drizzy laments, “What am I afraid of?/This is supposed to be what dreams are made of/But people I don’t have the time to hang with/Always look at me and say the same shit/‘You promised me you’d never change.’” He’s equally revealing on “Fireworks,” where he alludes to his brief fling with Rihanna, and “Unforgettable,” which finds him celebrating his carpe-diem ethos as he experiences his meteoric rise.
The project has a bunch of surefire hits. The Kanye West–produced “Find Your Love” is all lo-fi drums and rich piano chords, not unlike something that might have appeared on ’Ye’s 808s & Heartbreak. But with Drake, who has a better command of his voice, it’s a straight-up summertime R&B smash. Similar R&B territory is explored on the slow-jam-ish “Shut It Down,” a duet with The-Dream that finds Drake imploring, “Put those fucking heels on and work it, girl/Let that mirror show you what you’re doing.” He’s equally encouraging on the Swizz Beatz–produced “Fancy,” which, for the better part, is just a nod to beautiful women, but then veers off into an experimental, ambient mix, which Drake just raps over. Very cool. And if there’s any doubt the kid can flat out spit, there are the obligatory Young Money collabs “Up All Night” (with Nicki Minaj) and “Miss Me” (with Lil Wayne).
Perhaps the only thing that takes away from what is essentially a stellar debut LP is that, much like the fact that he both rhymes and sings, Drake sometimes sounds kind of confused about what he wants. “Light Up,” with Jay-Z, is all about not getting caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle, but then “Karaoke” finds him reflecting about a past relationship gone sour under the flashing lights. Luckily, instances of this confusion are few and far between.
Drake initially endeared himself to fans by combining lyrical skill with infectious melodies, all while maintaining an everyman’s sensibility. Just an upper-middle-class kid—yeah, perhaps a little well off, so what?—trying to make it. On Thank Me Later, he explores what it’s like to have done that—to have become successful. Turns out, it’s not exactly what he thought it would be. But it still sounds pretty damn remarkable.
When an artist delivers a critically acclaimed project—be it a mixtape or an album—they’ll always be measured against it. Such is the case here, as it’s difficult not to compare Thank Me Later with So Far Gone. Luckily, Drake largely sticks to what’s worked for him in the past—which is to say a healthy mix of singing and rapping, elaborate arrangements that find whole new songs almost tacked on to others, and deeply reflective subject matter. Perhaps the best example of this is “The Resistance,” where Drizzy laments, “What am I afraid of?/This is supposed to be what dreams are made of/But people I don’t have the time to hang with/Always look at me and say the same shit/‘You promised me you’d never change.’” He’s equally revealing on “Fireworks,” where he alludes to his brief fling with Rihanna, and “Unforgettable,” which finds him celebrating his carpe-diem ethos as he experiences his meteoric rise.
The project has a bunch of surefire hits. The Kanye West–produced “Find Your Love” is all lo-fi drums and rich piano chords, not unlike something that might have appeared on ’Ye’s 808s & Heartbreak. But with Drake, who has a better command of his voice, it’s a straight-up summertime R&B smash. Similar R&B territory is explored on the slow-jam-ish “Shut It Down,” a duet with The-Dream that finds Drake imploring, “Put those fucking heels on and work it, girl/Let that mirror show you what you’re doing.” He’s equally encouraging on the Swizz Beatz–produced “Fancy,” which, for the better part, is just a nod to beautiful women, but then veers off into an experimental, ambient mix, which Drake just raps over. Very cool. And if there’s any doubt the kid can flat out spit, there are the obligatory Young Money collabs “Up All Night” (with Nicki Minaj) and “Miss Me” (with Lil Wayne).
Perhaps the only thing that takes away from what is essentially a stellar debut LP is that, much like the fact that he both rhymes and sings, Drake sometimes sounds kind of confused about what he wants. “Light Up,” with Jay-Z, is all about not getting caught up in the Hollywood lifestyle, but then “Karaoke” finds him reflecting about a past relationship gone sour under the flashing lights. Luckily, instances of this confusion are few and far between.
Drake initially endeared himself to fans by combining lyrical skill with infectious melodies, all while maintaining an everyman’s sensibility. Just an upper-middle-class kid—yeah, perhaps a little well off, so what?—trying to make it. On Thank Me Later, he explores what it’s like to have done that—to have become successful. Turns out, it’s not exactly what he thought it would be. But it still sounds pretty damn remarkable.
Things to COME!
I know I know... we come and we go. We are sorry! 2 grown ass men, with grown ass men jobs! But... We promise to dedicate more time to this site!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Drake NYC concert Cancelled !
The Toronto-born hip-hopper along with boy band Hanson & DJ Ninjasonik, were scheduled to perform a free concert at the South Street Seaport Tuesday evening. But when thousands of people showed up at the "Feels Like Paper" event things got rowdy and chaotic, causing officials to cancel the show. The show was off to a late start, so fans began to throw chairs and get disorderly, witnesses told NBC NewYork. Pictures show tens of thousands of fans packed like sardines at Pier 17, where ambulance and fire trucks were parked ready for disaster
"Everybody was pushing up, trying to get to the front," said Tamika Johnson, 31, of East New York, Brooklyn. Johnson and her 6-year-old daughter were among thousands who turned out for the free show, part of a publicity blitz marking the release of the up-and-coming Canadian rapper's debut album, "Thank Me Later." "People in the front started leaving because they were getting crushed," Johnson said. "Then they started throwing bottles from the balconies." Fights broke out as rowdies tossed flower pots from the upper floors of the Seaport down onto the crowd on the street, said Jasmine Arroyo, 23, of Brooklyn. (NY Daily News)
"I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance and the release of Thank Me Later," Drake told MTV News in a statement. "I love performing for my fans, but unfortunately, the show was canceled by the NYPD due to overcrowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show. I'm thankful for the support that the fans have been giving me ... I thank you now." (MTV)
"Everybody was pushing up, trying to get to the front," said Tamika Johnson, 31, of East New York, Brooklyn. Johnson and her 6-year-old daughter were among thousands who turned out for the free show, part of a publicity blitz marking the release of the up-and-coming Canadian rapper's debut album, "Thank Me Later." "People in the front started leaving because they were getting crushed," Johnson said. "Then they started throwing bottles from the balconies." Fights broke out as rowdies tossed flower pots from the upper floors of the Seaport down onto the crowd on the street, said Jasmine Arroyo, 23, of Brooklyn. (NY Daily News)
"I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance and the release of Thank Me Later," Drake told MTV News in a statement. "I love performing for my fans, but unfortunately, the show was canceled by the NYPD due to overcrowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show. I'm thankful for the support that the fans have been giving me ... I thank you now." (MTV)
Drake commenting on Wayne
To him, there's a whole world moving out there that he hasn't seen for so long. He was just like, he told me something I never thought I'd hear him say, which was, 'You're the ultimate artist. You're better than me. You don't have the tattoos, you don't cause any trouble. People like you.' He was like, basically, 'Look at me and look at you.' He was like, 'Man, listen. You know what I think you're about to do? You're about to do 2 million.'You're about to do two million the first week. Whatever, man, whatever you do, do not get no tattoos never in your life. They gonna think you got it because you came around me.' He said the same thing to me [during the Rikers visit]: 'Don't change yourself, please. You got it. I've never met a young dude that has it figured out, but you got it. Don't mess it up. Just be you. Sing! Rap! Be you. Don't stop smiling.' That's what he said." (MTV)
Monday, April 5, 2010
REALLY?????
Last week, rumors swirled around the web about an apparent new track from Jay-Z and Dr. Dre. But since the story dropped close to April 1 and, last we heard, Dre's Detox LP was pushed back to 2011, we figured it was a lame hoax at best.
But according to a NESN interview with Dre and his Interscope boss Jimmy Iovine, the song exists and it's called "Under Pressure" (via You Heard That New). You can watch the chat-- which mostly involves Dre shamelessly plugging his custom Red Sox headphones-- below. (A plea: The world at large should collectively boycott those headphones until Detox actually comes out.)
No word on whether "Under Pressure" is one-off thing, tied to Dre's forever-delayed album, or even when it's supposed to come out, but at least it's not just a figment of rap bloggers' imaginations. The last time these two got together, on Jay's ill-fated Kingdom Come album, we got the woeful "30 Something" and "Lost Ones" along with underrated tracks "Trouble" and "Minority Report", so all bets are off. Also, we're not sure how Dre cozying up to the Red Sox is going to sit with Jay, who kinda likes the Yankees.
But according to a NESN interview with Dre and his Interscope boss Jimmy Iovine, the song exists and it's called "Under Pressure" (via You Heard That New). You can watch the chat-- which mostly involves Dre shamelessly plugging his custom Red Sox headphones-- below. (A plea: The world at large should collectively boycott those headphones until Detox actually comes out.)
No word on whether "Under Pressure" is one-off thing, tied to Dre's forever-delayed album, or even when it's supposed to come out, but at least it's not just a figment of rap bloggers' imaginations. The last time these two got together, on Jay's ill-fated Kingdom Come album, we got the woeful "30 Something" and "Lost Ones" along with underrated tracks "Trouble" and "Minority Report", so all bets are off. Also, we're not sure how Dre cozying up to the Red Sox is going to sit with Jay, who kinda likes the Yankees.
the video for the "How to Make it in America" theme song
In honor of the BEST new show on TV... heres the theme song!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Indie Review
We are going to try something new on MindLess Souls. Every week or so, we are going to Interview an up and coming Indie artist, post their music on the site. We want to get back in touch with the Indie side of things. Too much commercial bull shit out here, and we at MindLess Souls have always believed that Indie Music was the heart and soul of the industry any way. So our first artist is Privy Terentino. He hails from Raleigh, NC, and recently released a mix-tape titled "Glow Like LeRoy". So... ENJOY.
(here is the Link for "Glow Like LeRoy" http://www.zshare.net/download/74277784259fa77b/)
MindLess Souls- So being a NY transplant, and being in the south, how would you define your style?
Privy- Oh man, I feel as if I have the Best of both worlds you know? As far as appealing to both crowds, and different types of ears to hip hop. My music is really lyrical with a touch of bounce the southern cats can feel as well
MS- What style of music do you prefer? Lyrical, or beat/bass heavy?
Privy-I'm BIG on lyrics and word play, and the ability to create pictures and visuals with your words. Artists like Lupe Fiasco, Wale and J.Cole give the "goosebumps" when they spit because it's so advanced and thought provoking. You also need a dope beat too, but words are more important.
MS-Would that cater to a typical southern Market? Like NC where your at?
Privy- Yes and no. Being in NC is like the gift and the curse. There is no love out here. So many different sounds of music here, but no outlet to showcase it. The radio keeps the same five songs on rotation. It's like the city don't care about you until your a somebody. Some people want to dance, and some people want to hear lyrics.
MS-How does an artist stay "head above water" with that kind of situation?
Privy-It's all about marketing, staying innovative, and branding yourself. You have to think, there's a million other people just as hungry as you, making all different types of music. You have to be "Different", and I know that's cliche, but when your different, people remember your name, that makes them come to you.
MS-You just released "Glow Like LeRoy" tell us about that.
Privy- It's my first solo project apart from the group I been running with. the anticipation if you would say for it was crazy, I didn't know how many people actually supported me until i dropped it. It came out March 28th, and it is a concept mix-tape from the Movie "The Last Dragon". Behind it is LeRoy, and I'm trying to get the GLOW, and become the master, which is my style, and my inner self. Real Deep. lol
MS-How is your music different than others?
Privy-My music is different mainly becasuse my story is different. Coming from poverty, both parents being strung out on dope. This is my way of speaking to people, it's how I sleep at night. This is how I cry.
MS- So, You have a story to tell?
Privy-I have a story to tell, a life to change, and hearts to touch, hence my group, Heartfelt Music, rap is for your ears, music is for your hearts.
MS-So, that's your label?
Privy-It's something i going with a few close friends, that share the same view and passion as me. Great Production, and Engineering too. Vuittion Bond (Producer/Artist) is the Kanye West of NC, especially when it comes to beats.
MS-Can we expect anything from your team in the future?
Privy-Vuttion Bond has a mix-tape titled "Gladiator Armonie", I'm working on my second joint, "HeartBreak Hotel", and my dude Young Free got "The Best things in Life are Free" dropping on 4/20. So, we busy over here. lol
MS- The Scene is relatively unknown. shit, a lot of people don't know J.Cole is from Fayetteville! What's the hold up?
Privy- The Scene is still unknown, As far as J.Cole, he's building slowly, but steady. As far as the hold up, the state, it is full of players, they just need a captain. Everyone is putting on for they selves, instead of being an actual movement, like Miami, or the DMV(DC, Maryland, Virginia) or Atlanta.
MS- So what can we expect from you in the next few months?
Privy-I'm a keep working. The mixtape is fresh out, so that means a lot of promo. I have a few shows coming up, so I am happy about that. I'm starting to work on my new joint "Heartbreak Hotel", and i am shooting a video for my song "D.O.W.N" in May, and I'm also going back to NY to see if I can maket back home.
MS- Last question. Your working on your first album, who's executive producting it? what label are you on? Who are the guest appearances?
Privy- I would be signed to Roc Nation, or G.O.O.D. Music, Kanye would executive produce it, along with some assistance from my man Vuitton Bond. I would love to work with Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, Pharell, Chris Martin, and Mika Means.
We posted the link for to download Privy Terentino's "Glow Like LeRoy" (It's worth it too! Trust me!)
Wolf Parade Bitch!
Wolf Parade is BACK! I read an interview they did with pitchfork, and decided to post it. enjoy. (tour dates after the jump)Wolf Parade are back. Late last year, the members of the Montreal band took a break from their various other bands (Sunset Rubdown, Handsome Furs, Swan Lake, Moonface) and reconvened to work on their third album, which is titled Expo 86.
The follow-up to 2008's At Mount Zoomer is due for a late June or early July release on Sub Pop. We recently chatted with co-leader Dan Boeckner about the new album; he also calls it "more focused" than At Mount Zoomer and "definitely the most fun I've had recording a Wolf Parade record." Check out our interview below.
Also below: Wolf Parade's spring and summer tour dates, including a full North American trek.
Pitchfork: Is the new album finished?
Dan Boeckner: I think we have one or two more songs to mix, and then it's done. This record was definitely the most fun I've had recording a Wolf Parade record, ever. It got done really quickly, which felt nice.
Pitchfork: You did most of the songs live to tape. So were you all playing in a room together?
DB: Yeah, as much as possible. There's hardly any overdubs on this record. The vocals were tracked separately from the music, but almost all of it was recorded live to tape with very minimal overdubs. Any overdubs were just us going back in and fixing any mistakes that we made while we were playing it live.
Pitchfork: In an Exclaim interview, you said that it could turn out to be a double album.
DB: Yeah. We started writing in late October or early November, and we ended up writing about 15 songs . We tracked all of them. So we got about 80 minutes of music to work into a product, basically [laughs], into something. At this point, I don't know whether it'll be a double album. I'd really love to just release a single album and then, later on, an extended EP. But we're still trying to figure out what format to put all the stuff out in. We want to release it all. I don't feel that any of the songs are ugly cousins or duds. [laughs]
Pitchfork: Do you have a title for the album yet?
DB: The title for the record, as far as we know now, is-- unless we get sued for using it-- Expo 86.
Expo 86 was a World's Fair that happened in Vancouver in 1986. It's been this thing we all talked about as a band. We all grew up in British Columbia, and we were all at Expo, which lasted about three or four days. It's a weird little thought experiment-- basically, we were all young children at the same big event. I remember Expo 86 was as big as the Olympics were this year in Vancouver. They completely reorganized part of the downtown core, and they built this giant geodesic dome called "Science World". Now it looks completely, totally dated and a product of its time. They built monuments, built rides. It was something I don't think we're going to see in Canada ever again because World's Fairs have fallen out of favor, at least for the Western World.
Pitchfork: Do you have any particular memories of going to Expo 86?
DB: I remember going to the German Pavilion, which was totally terrifying. Each country had a pavilion showing off their prime exports or a little bit of the culture, and the German Pavilion was this super austere, really cold Bauhaus-style minimalist building. It freaked me out as a child.
Pitchfork: How does the album title interact with the album itself?
DB: Honestly, it doesn't really. I don't think there's any relation to the significance of the album title with the song content.
Pitchfork: How does this album sound different from the last two?
DB: It's a lot more focused than the last one. There's a lot more energy on it, and it's hard for me to even relate it back to Apologies [to the Queen Mary] because that album seems like a long time ago. I don't know if it's a blend of the last two records; it's definitely different from both of them. There's a lot more uptempo stuff on it than there was in the last record. But it's really dense. All the songs and arrangements are really, really dense. And it sounds like a band playing live. Parts of it are pretty noisy, too, which I'm pretty happy with. I really liked making the last record, and I felt like it was a good snapshot of where the band was at at the time we recorded those songs. But I think this one is a little more faithful to the main aesthetic behind Wolf Parade.
Pitchfork: How would you describe that aesthetic?
DB: Maximalism-- like, a kind of wall of counterpoint. There's a lot of melodies going on within the songs. Not just the vocal melodies, but there's an underpinning of drums. At any given time, there's five or six counter-melodies running against each other, with the vocals kind of fighting for supremacy. I mean, if we have a sound, I think that's it.
Pitchfork: Since you all have so many different projects going on, do you write together while you're touring or working with your respective bands?
DB: No, we don't write together when we're working on other projects. Spencer and I don't really generally get together and write while we're working on different projects. We just block timelines for writing for Wolf Parade. I was really, really happy with the writing process for this one. It moved along quickly. Every day in November and early December, we'd come into the studio, and Spencer would be like, "Here's something that might be a song." We rehearsed hours and hours a day to turn these songs into something. Some of them were more easy, and some of them took a little longer. This is the first record we've done with Dante [DeCaro] writing at point of conception for the songs, so that was really interesting. Arlen [Thompson], Spencer, and I always write the stuff together. Pretty much everything but the lyrics is a collaborative effort. So to have one more person in the mix that we hadn't worked with at the writing stage-- it was pretty cool. [Exclaim reports that keyboardist Hadji Bakara is no longer in the band, and is at the University of Chicago getting his doctorate in English literature. -- Ed.]
Pitchfork: Last week, you guested with Spoon at Radio City. How'd that feel?
DB: It felt great, actually. I've been a fan of that band since I was in high school. I bought the Telephono record, and I just adored that band. I'd already listened to all the Pixies and the Modern Lovers stuff. I just listened to the shit out of those records, and then this Spoon record came along. It was one more record I could listen to in this really specific canon of music. I've been a massive fan of that band.
Over the last couple years, I've become friends with Britt [Daniel]. He asked me to come down and play with them, and it was a pretty big honor. Deerhunter played, and they were fantastic. Eleanor from the Fiery Furnaces was there. Being part of that show felt like a major coup for indie rock, you know? The fact that Spoon could sell out Radio City Music Hall without a massive FM radio presence felt like a major coup. I know they're a huge band and everything, but ostensibly they're an underground band. The fact that all those people would sit and watch Deerhunter, whose set veered between really catchy and super challenging wild noise stuff-- that those people would sit and accept that was like this is a really positive thing. Spoon, Deerhunter, and the Fiery Furnaces are all very uncompromising in their own ways. That kind of restored my faith in music a little bit. It was an honor.
Pitchfork: Did your faith need restoring?
DB: Sometimes it does. I'll go through phases where I don't pay attention to what's happening in modern music, especially if I'm writing for Wolf Parade. I don't listen to other bands while I'm writing for an album. It's just this really self-focused, self-contained thing. But sometimes I'll pick up Spin, and occasionally it really depresses me. I totally love [Spoon's] Transference. I think it's a fantastic record, but objectively Transference is a difficult record for people who like them for their catchier singles. They're touring on that record and they doubled the venue capacity in New York, which is something really cool. I have a lot of respect for those guys, and that's something I kind of aspire to with Wolf Parade-- not necessarily playing at that exact venue or anything. But just the idea that if you just keep doing exactly what you want to do, playing the music that makes you happy without trying to predict what your audience wants or pander to this preconceived idea of what your audience is, what they want to hear from you, then you can actually have some kind of longevity in your career. That's exciting.
Wolf Parade:
04-03 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Paragon Theatre *
04-04 Fredericton, New Brunswick - The Market *
04-06 Kingston, Ontario - Ale House *
04-07 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre *
05-06 Pecs, Hungary - Europe Mania Festival
05-07 Krems an der Donau, Austria - Donau Festival
05-08 Leipzig, Germany - Pop Up Festival
05-09 Prague, Czech Republic - Matrix
05-11 Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
05-12 Bologna, Italy - Lokomotiv
05-13 Torino, Italy - Spazio 211
05-16 Brussels, Belgium - Le Botanique
05-17 Brighton, England - Concorde 2
05-19 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor
05-20 Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
05-21 Manchester, England - Club Academy
05-22 Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli
05-25 Lubijana, Slovenia - Menza Pri Koritu
05-26 Zagreb, Croatia - Teatar & TD
05-27 Milan, Italy - Salumeria della Musica
05-28 Gallen, Switzerland - Palace
05-29 Dudingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn
05-31 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
07-08 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
07-09 Montreal, Quebec - Le National
07-11 Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
07-12 Boston, MA - House of Blues
07-13 New York, NY - Terminal 5
07-15 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
07-16 Newport, KY - Southgate House
07-18 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
07-19 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Garrick Center
07-21 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Louis (University of Saskatoon Campus)
07-22 Calgary, Alberta - Republik
07-23 Edmonton, Alberta - The Starlight Room
07-25 Vancouver, British Columbia - Vogue Theatre
07-26 Seattle, WA - Showbox
07-27 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
07-29 Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Club
07-30 Oakland, CA - The Fox
07-31 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
09-15 London, England - The Forum
* with We Are Wolves
Erykah Badu Album Review (courtesy of Rollingstone)
Erykah Badu's husky drawl is one of pop music's most compelling sounds. She's also R&B's most dedicated bohemian eccentric, as she proves once more on New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. Her last album, 2008's New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War, was an electronica-based departure from the neo-soul warmth that made her a star. Part Two revives Badu's romantic side, and at its best it places her on a sun-splashed day in 1972: On the gorgeous "Window Seat," her supremely mellow voice is awash in jazzy Fender Rhodes keyboards and loping funk-soul grooves.
Problem is, Badu seems so taken by hazy texture — and so determined to play the weirdo — that she's neglected to write many actual songs. In "Love," a female voice intones, "There are only two emotions that human beings experience: fear and love," over a squiggly sound collage. Later, an instrumental number places tinkling harp arpeggios against drifting keyboard textures. That song's title? "Incense."
Part Two is most powerful when Badu goes for straight feeling: In "Out My Mind Just in Time (Part 1) (Undercover Over-Lover)," she stops in the cabaret, singing a torch song with some real feeling behind it. It's what New Amerykah Part Two needs: more angst, fewer ankhs.
Bol(from xxxlmag.com) Post about the Jae Millz/Freshmen 10' beef
I was in a grocery store the other day, debating whether to buy a pack of light bulbs or live in semi-darkness for a while to save money + the environment, when I figured I’d take a look at the magazine rack, even though I never buy magazines.
Every now and again, I’ll see an article in The Atlantic that looks like it might be interesting enough to read for free when I get home; and I notice the covers of women’s magazines are often more exciting to me than actual pr0n - probably because they have such high standards for their cover girls. A solid three-fourths of all women under a certain age, if they’re naked, are at least good for a semi-, as evidenced by my history tab in Firefox, but then you see a picture of someone who’s genuinely special, like Candice Swanepoel, and you wonder why you even bother with that shit.
Can you tell it’s a Friday afternoon?
I’d already been aware that J. Cole - in a development that’s arguably even more indefensible than OJ da Juice Man appearing on the cover of XXL twice, in the same year, even - is currently on the cover of both The Source and XXL. (Trust me, you don’t want to know what’s on the cover of the new issue of Vibe.) A few weeks ago, when I heard on Twitter that J. Cole got the cover of The Source, by himself, I quipped that Jay-Z bought it for him. Which, as far as I know isn’t actually (technically) true - though I suppose it could be. You’ll recall that the first issue of The Source under this current regime had a set of covers featuring hip-hop legends. One of them was Queen Latifah, who just so happens to have a financial stake in the magazine.
Not that I have anything against J. Cole. I’ve heard a couple of his songs on Sirius, and I genuinely kinda liked them. And Noz can’t stand the guy, which lets you know he might actually be worth a shit. I’m more concerned with who would buy a magazine with J. Cole on the cover. I know who he is, but my job, such as it is, involves sitting around in my underwear listening to rap music. What about people whose names aren’t on some sort of government list?
The only thing I can think is that rap magazines must be at the point where they can put pretty much anything on the cover, and it’s not gonna sell any worse than it would have otherwise. A few years ago, you could put Lil Wayne on the cover every three months and legions of mouth breathers would run out and cop it, probably because they were too high to realize they already had more or less the exact same magazine at home, but Lil Wayne somehow managed to smoke up his ability to even make those damn shit/toilet metaphors - and now he’s in jail. Gucci Mane was supposed to be his replacement, but he was never really as popular as Noz would have you believe, and now he’s in jail too.
Now might actually be the best time to be an up and coming rapper, as long as you’re cool with not making very much money. But you can have as much media coverage as you want. If you’re aligned with the right TIs, you can probably get on the cover of one of these Freshman 10 issues of XXL, or you could probably even get on the cover of The Source by yourself - just like Biggie Smalls! Or if all else, you could probably just shame and browbeat your way into some coverage. Drake and Nicki Minaj, whom no one other than Remy Ma had heard of in the fall of 2008, got all butthurt over not being selected for last year’s Freshman 10 cover, and now they’ve got the cover of XXL to themselves.
Bum-ass rappers like Jae Millz and Vado must realize it’s open season on these magazine covers. The old excuse, that you had to be someone people actually heard of, is obviously no longer valid. The other day, Jae Millz went on one of these radio shows that, counterintuitively, seem to only exist on YouTube, and complained that Vado, whom you’d have to still read Nah Right to be familiar with, wasn’t a member of this year’s Freshman 10 - and you have to wonder if Millz really went down the list of this year’s Freshman and decided that Vado was just as good as any of them, or if he thought this might be a good way to get Vado on the cover. Probably the latter, right? Didn’t he say he had even heard of some of them? Cam’ron, who was going to bring Jae Millz out at that Freshman 10 concert, before Millz was arrested, probably put him up to it. Cam’ron’s smart like that. He’s one of the few black people who watch Curb Your Enthusiasm. Him and Bun B.
Cam’ron and Vado were added to that Freshman 10 concert at the last minute, presumably because not enough people were interested in seeing Donnis, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Vado turns up on the cover of XXL somewhere down the line, perhaps along with Cam’ron, if he can’t come up with a song anyone likes. Jae Millz, even though he’s apparently cool with Cam’ron and Vado, won’t be able to join them, since technically he’s still Lil Wayne’s weed carrier. He might have to wait until Lil Wayne gets out, to appear in some sort of Young Money group cover. That is, unless he can somehow convince Lil Wayne to enter into an NBA-style trade agreement with Cam’ron. Millz could go carry for Cam’ron, in exchange for one of the non-Vado guys from the U.N. Maybe two, since I doubt any of you can name any of them without checking the world’s most accurate encyclopedia.
I’m sure Jae Millz has his fingers crossed. Even though he claimed to be pissed that Vado didn’t make the cover, you can tell he’s really just pissed that he’s way too old to be a member of the Freshman 10. Otherwise, why even run the risk of having them all pissed at you? Or maybe he just figured it wasn’t much of a risk. Yesterday, I saw where they asked J. Cole to comment on what Jae Millz said, and he was mad reasonable and diplomatic about it. Um, what part of hip-hop is that? I checked Wikipedia, and it says he went to school on an academic scholarship and graduated magna cum laude. They’d better hurry up and have him do something ignorant, before people find out. A random nobody on the cover of a rap magazine is one thing. Someone kids should actually look up to is just pain unheard of.
Every now and again, I’ll see an article in The Atlantic that looks like it might be interesting enough to read for free when I get home; and I notice the covers of women’s magazines are often more exciting to me than actual pr0n - probably because they have such high standards for their cover girls. A solid three-fourths of all women under a certain age, if they’re naked, are at least good for a semi-, as evidenced by my history tab in Firefox, but then you see a picture of someone who’s genuinely special, like Candice Swanepoel, and you wonder why you even bother with that shit.
Can you tell it’s a Friday afternoon?
I’d already been aware that J. Cole - in a development that’s arguably even more indefensible than OJ da Juice Man appearing on the cover of XXL twice, in the same year, even - is currently on the cover of both The Source and XXL. (Trust me, you don’t want to know what’s on the cover of the new issue of Vibe.) A few weeks ago, when I heard on Twitter that J. Cole got the cover of The Source, by himself, I quipped that Jay-Z bought it for him. Which, as far as I know isn’t actually (technically) true - though I suppose it could be. You’ll recall that the first issue of The Source under this current regime had a set of covers featuring hip-hop legends. One of them was Queen Latifah, who just so happens to have a financial stake in the magazine.
Not that I have anything against J. Cole. I’ve heard a couple of his songs on Sirius, and I genuinely kinda liked them. And Noz can’t stand the guy, which lets you know he might actually be worth a shit. I’m more concerned with who would buy a magazine with J. Cole on the cover. I know who he is, but my job, such as it is, involves sitting around in my underwear listening to rap music. What about people whose names aren’t on some sort of government list?
The only thing I can think is that rap magazines must be at the point where they can put pretty much anything on the cover, and it’s not gonna sell any worse than it would have otherwise. A few years ago, you could put Lil Wayne on the cover every three months and legions of mouth breathers would run out and cop it, probably because they were too high to realize they already had more or less the exact same magazine at home, but Lil Wayne somehow managed to smoke up his ability to even make those damn shit/toilet metaphors - and now he’s in jail. Gucci Mane was supposed to be his replacement, but he was never really as popular as Noz would have you believe, and now he’s in jail too.
Now might actually be the best time to be an up and coming rapper, as long as you’re cool with not making very much money. But you can have as much media coverage as you want. If you’re aligned with the right TIs, you can probably get on the cover of one of these Freshman 10 issues of XXL, or you could probably even get on the cover of The Source by yourself - just like Biggie Smalls! Or if all else, you could probably just shame and browbeat your way into some coverage. Drake and Nicki Minaj, whom no one other than Remy Ma had heard of in the fall of 2008, got all butthurt over not being selected for last year’s Freshman 10 cover, and now they’ve got the cover of XXL to themselves.
Bum-ass rappers like Jae Millz and Vado must realize it’s open season on these magazine covers. The old excuse, that you had to be someone people actually heard of, is obviously no longer valid. The other day, Jae Millz went on one of these radio shows that, counterintuitively, seem to only exist on YouTube, and complained that Vado, whom you’d have to still read Nah Right to be familiar with, wasn’t a member of this year’s Freshman 10 - and you have to wonder if Millz really went down the list of this year’s Freshman and decided that Vado was just as good as any of them, or if he thought this might be a good way to get Vado on the cover. Probably the latter, right? Didn’t he say he had even heard of some of them? Cam’ron, who was going to bring Jae Millz out at that Freshman 10 concert, before Millz was arrested, probably put him up to it. Cam’ron’s smart like that. He’s one of the few black people who watch Curb Your Enthusiasm. Him and Bun B.
Cam’ron and Vado were added to that Freshman 10 concert at the last minute, presumably because not enough people were interested in seeing Donnis, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Vado turns up on the cover of XXL somewhere down the line, perhaps along with Cam’ron, if he can’t come up with a song anyone likes. Jae Millz, even though he’s apparently cool with Cam’ron and Vado, won’t be able to join them, since technically he’s still Lil Wayne’s weed carrier. He might have to wait until Lil Wayne gets out, to appear in some sort of Young Money group cover. That is, unless he can somehow convince Lil Wayne to enter into an NBA-style trade agreement with Cam’ron. Millz could go carry for Cam’ron, in exchange for one of the non-Vado guys from the U.N. Maybe two, since I doubt any of you can name any of them without checking the world’s most accurate encyclopedia.
I’m sure Jae Millz has his fingers crossed. Even though he claimed to be pissed that Vado didn’t make the cover, you can tell he’s really just pissed that he’s way too old to be a member of the Freshman 10. Otherwise, why even run the risk of having them all pissed at you? Or maybe he just figured it wasn’t much of a risk. Yesterday, I saw where they asked J. Cole to comment on what Jae Millz said, and he was mad reasonable and diplomatic about it. Um, what part of hip-hop is that? I checked Wikipedia, and it says he went to school on an academic scholarship and graduated magna cum laude. They’d better hurry up and have him do something ignorant, before people find out. A random nobody on the cover of a rap magazine is one thing. Someone kids should actually look up to is just pain unheard of.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
We're BAAAACCCCCKKKKK!
ok we get it now! 2 re-launches in less than 3 months. This is the NEW and Improved Mindless Souls. We wanna focus STRICTLY on the MUSIC, and FASHION FUCK THE OTHER SHIT! dig? cool.... see ya MONDAY!
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