Ever wondered what the Midnight Marauders album cover might look like in Lego form? I thought so. (Via URB via Format Mag.)
Sundays with A Tribe Called Quest: Vol. 18
Category Archives: hip-hop
Murs on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic
In support of his 2008 album Murs for President, the man himself dropped by KCRW for a set on Morning Becomes Eclectic.
If you haven’t heard, Jason Bentley has taken over for Nic Harcourt on the show, and I gotta say, I found this interview to be really refreshing and not the humdrum “who are your influences?” and “how did you meet?” line of questioning. And would Murs ever be on this show if Bentley weren’t the host? Something to think about.
ALSO: I recently realized that Murs didn’t include Dreadlocks, a track that was met with tepid response, on his new album.
Related:
Murs: Can it Be (video)
Living Legends: She Wants Me (video)
New Murs and 9th Wonder: Sweet Lord
Jurassic 5: Ducky Boy (video)
On the heels of Jurassic 5’s deluxe reissue of the group’s debut EP (a very worthwhile purchase, by the way) comes the official video for Ducky Boy, one of the 15 tracks on the second disc of unreleased material.
I guess it was easier to just animate a video than actually get the group back together. (Directed by Decon’s Yoram Benz.)
Sundays with A Tribe Called Quest: Vol. 17
One of the great tracks on Q-Tip’s The Renaissance isn’t really even its own track at all. It probably would be called a hidden track, if such a thing is possible in the middle of an album.
Renaissance Rap is hitched to the back end of Move, a two-part suite of sorts. I swore my iTunes tags were screwed up or something when I heard it the first time. Move comes to a sudden end at about 2:49, leading into a scratch break that introduces Renaissance Rap, on which Q-Tip steamrolls through his verses, reminding everyone who’s in the house: “It’s the midnight marauder on the scene / geographically earthed in a place called Queens.”
Check the Bourne-esque video, directed by the ubiquitous Rik Cordero.
The Cool Kids: Gold and a Pager (live in Atlanta)
The Cool Kids have a pretty solid Vimeo page with live performances and at least one video of a day off spent wakeboarding.
Below is a clip of the guys rockin’ Gold and a Pager at the Loft in Atlanta from this year’s 2K Sports Bounce Tour. Speaking of, the Cool Kids — like most everyone I know — didn’t care for the Marquee Theatre in Tempe: “It’s basically a giant concrete room making it bad for acoustics.” Bingo.
Related:
The Cool Kids: 2K Pennies
Leaders of the New Cool mixtape
The Cool Kids: Delivery Man (9th Wonder remix)
Wale: Nike Boots (video)
Wale just dropped a video for Nike Boots, a single that seemingly came out eons ago. No matter. Time hasn’t taken the shine off this track.
The Mighty Underdogs: Want You Back (video)
Following their first video for Gun Fight, the Mighty Underdogs now hit us with some visuals for another track – Want You Back – off the great Droppin’ Science Fiction.
Of all the combinations the Quannum collective could produce, Lateef and Gift of Gab are starting to feel like the perfect match.
Digable Planets, Club Red, 11/20/08
Plain and simple: Digable Planets can still bring it. A small part of me feared I’d let nostalgia get the best of me. I think that’s natural, especially when you hear those opening bars on a song like 9th Wonder (which I woke up with in my head). But the DPs, who played almost two hours, were clearly geared up, not resting on the credit they’ve built from their good name over the years. It didn’t hurt that a spirited crowd of about 300 packed into Club Red. (Kudos to the Blunt Club guys for such a great night.)
Planets is the joint this year, right?
The Cool Kids: 2K Pennies
As you might imagine, the advertising/promotion at Monday’s 2K Sports Bounce Tour with Q-Tip, the Cool Kids and the Knux at Marquee Theatre had all the subtlety of a jackhammer on concrete. Game kiosks in the lobby/bar area were trumped only by two screens on the stage showing highlights of the NBA 2K9 game.
Who has money to buy a video game after paying $33 for a concert ticket anyway? At least the folks at 2K Sports were kind/smart enough to dole out some freebies, including a sampler CD featuring artists who appear on the soundtracks to their games.
That includes the Cool Kids, who put on an impressive set with their decidedly minimalist style (love the dip-and-duck dance with Pac Div during Black Mags).
Naturally, 2K Pennies (on the NBA 2K9 game) finds the duo coolly tossing out basketball references. I’ll even forgive Chuck Inglish (originally from Michigan) for name-checking famous Bulls nemesis Rick Mahorn. Hey, if it’s good enough for Kevin Garnett, it’s good enough for me.
- The Cool Kids | 2K Pennies
Read Martin Cizmar’s review of the 2K Sports Bounce Tour show at Phoenix New Times.
Leaders of the New Cool mixtape
As I mentioned Sunday, tonight is the Q-Tip extravaganza with the Cool Kids and the Knux.
Weiss, who saw the show in Los Angeles, was kind enough to give me a heads up to get to the show early to catch the Knux. Also, of Q-Tip, he said, “He tore it down last night.” No surprise there. Can’t wait. (Keep checking back with Passion of the Weiss, as I’m sure Jeff will have a detailed/in-depth review.)
As a teaser for the openers, check out the Leaders of the New Cool mixtape, presented by Mick Boogie and DJ Treats, a celebration of the youthful hip-hop talent rising to the surface. The Knux, the Cool Kids, 88-Keys and Charles Hamilton are among those featured on the mix.