Videos of the Week November 11th

Let's call this the OG edition of videos of the week. Led by what can only be described as a must-see interview between Kendrick Lamar and Rick Rubin that merges generations of Hip Hop, there is more than enough content to get your eyes glued to the screen for minutes on end. Thanks to GQ, they talked shop casually for all of us to watch for a full 50 minutes. If you're curious about the inner workings of what makes Kendrick tick, you'll enjoy it. Then, there was that time Grandmaster Flash took us all back to school to on Hip Hop and what it takes to be a Hip Hop DJ. He even took to the white board to explain the intricacies of the physics behind scratching a record and the shapes of needles and wafers for turntables. Another full 57 minute watch chalked full of Hip Hop history.

If getting schooled on Hip Hop isn't as interesting to you, then you might enjoy the lengths that The Chainsmokers went to create their new lyric video for Setting Fires. There were stunt doubles and lots of cardboard signs, which made it a fun watch. If talent is what you want, then you need to get to know Lido. He's a jack of all trades and he shows you exactly why by putting on an instrumental show for his Dye video. And last but not least, we've got some Jimmy Fallon roasting by the Seattle Seahawks. Evidently Marshon Lynch was licking his chops to get back at him and he delivered a pointed message at the end of the video. Always entertaining to see some back and forth to remind us all that the famous people who are frequently the butt of jokes are capable of dishing it out too...#ThankYouNotes
That Time Kendrick Lamar Met Rick Rubin

Grandmaster Flash Talks the Theory of Being a Hip Hop DJ

The Chainsmokers - Setting Fires (Lyric Video)

Lido - Dye (Video)

The Seahawks Respond to Jimmy Fallon's Thank You Notes

Photo Credit: YouTube

Star Wars Embraces EDM on Headspace Album

It's a sign of the times that electronic music and nerdiness are becoming more and more intertwined by the day. Sure, you've got the whole part about how electronic music relies on a lot of digital manipulation, which requires a lot of skill and artistry with computers that nerds have been known to know how to use pretty well. But until recently when video games started knocking on a lot of EDM artists' doors, there hadn't been a lot of soundtracks that were predominantly EDM focused.

Keeping all that in mind, today was a big day for electronic music. You don't get much bigger whales than Star Wars when it comes to hardcore fan bases. The fact that big names like Baauer, GTA, Kaskade, Galantis, and Troyboi were all featured on the new Star Wars Headspace album is nothing short of awesome. After giving the whole album a listen, I thought the album as a whole was a really solid mix of Star Wars samples and synths. It was not easy picking a favorite, but if you held a gun to my head, I'd go with Röyksopp's Bounty Hunters. If you close your eyes, you might think for a minute that you're listening to the Tron soundtrack, but around the 4:30 mark, the beat fully hits its stride. Really dope track overall, but by all means, give the full compilation a listen because Rick Rubin did an excellent job putting together a top notch collection of new music...#Headspace

Röyksopp - Bounty Hunters

Videos of the Week September 13th

While everyone was raving over the new Eminem Berzerk video featuring the legendary Rick Rubin (no he's not one of the Robertsons on Duck Dynasty, even though he looks like it), I'm steady getting excited about Drake's new album after his last two singles went back to his unique mix of singing and rapping. If you're not as excited about Drake, though, you'll be hard pressed to not smile when you watch 4 year old producer KJ. My comment to my friend Travis who shared it with me was, "Little man is like a mini-araabmuzik. Get the kid an MPC!" The icing on the cake for me this week was the Timberlake and Fallon late night skit showing the Evolution of Endzone Dancing. Anytime those two get on stage together, it's more than worth your time watching...#ThankYouNoteFriday
Eminem - Berzerk (Video)

Drake - Nothing Was the Same (Album Trailer)

Justin Timberlake & Jimmy Fallon - The Evolution of Endzone Dancing

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - White Walls (Video)

KJ the 4 Year Old Producer
\

"Grow Your Beard Out, Just Weird Out and Go Berzerk"

We've been anticipating it all summer and it's finally here. The lead single of Eminem's upcoming Marshall Mathers LP 2 is here and it's as rowdy as you'd expect. On the track, Em takes it back to the 90s with a Beastie Boys sounding vibe that is crafted brilliantly with the help of the wise whitebearded Hip Hop legend Rick Rubin. The beat samples Billy Squier's The Stroke and there are a ton of great fiercely delivered one liners that Slim Shady has become know for. Check out the audio below...

I think my favorite one liner on the track has to be:

"They say that love is powerful as cough syrup and Styrofoam
All I know is I fell asleep and woke up in that Monte Carlo
With the ugly Kardashian
Lamar, oh sorry yo, we done both set the bar low"

I'll invite you to follow along with the lyrics thanks to Rap Genius because there are more than a few well conceived gold nuggets of wittiness on Berzerk.

In general, I've always been very black and white when it comes to Eminem. Half his albums are barely listenable, drug induced pop albums and the others are nothing short of classic Hip Hop. Based on his lead single, I'm gonna bet that on November 5th, I'm going to be a happy camper when his album drops...#MMLP2

Eminem - Bezerk (prod by Rick Rubin)

"We Can't Wait to Burn it To the Ground"

Even though I primarily post Hip Hop/R&B/EDM music on a daily basis, there are a few Alt Rock groups that I've always really enjoyed. I've always believed that the most consistent and awesome live show that I've seen multiple times is @311. Big or small venue, their wide array of sounds and flavors always translates to a great live performance. On the flip side, if you want to attack it from a more classic perspective, Rage Against the Machine will always be on my concert bucket list. Now if they'd only get back together and go on tour...#IWish

In that same upper echelon of high energy, slightly Hip Hop flavored rock is where @LINKINPARK lives. Even though @CHESTERBE gets a lot of the publicity for being the lead singer, the main reason I've always been such a fan of Linkin Park is @m_shinoda. From the start the way he's been able to produce and rap on the majority of their singles has been the highlight. Also, Linkin Park aside, his Rising Tied album that he released as Fort Minor will always be classic in my mind. I'd be remiss if I din't give a shout out to Linkin Park's resident DJ/Turntablist @joehahnlp whose scratches, keyboard work and background vocals give the group an added element that not a lot of bands have.

Their new singles below, Burn it Down, is a characteristically synth laden, melodic track. It's got a whole lot of harmony from Chester, a few well delivered bars by Mike Shinoda and production from the legendary Rick Rubin. It's the Top 40 single that'll give their new album Living Things a solid boost in hype and sales when it hits shelves on June 26th. I don't know about you guys, but I'm pumped to hear their new album...#Anticipation

Linkin Park - Burn it Down (prod by Mike Shinoda & Rick Rubin)
|iTunes

"Little Did I Know, Her Body Was One Delicious Vinyl"

It's hard to believe a half decade has passed since The Red Hot Chili Peppers released an album. To put things in perspective, their self titled debut album 27 years ago, before I was born in 1984! That's on some Rolling Stones type of longevity, crossing three decades with the length of their discography.

A few noteworthy items surround the release of their new single The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie. First off, it will be the lead single off their upcoming album I'm With You, due out August 30th. Secondly, the new album is produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, who produced their classic Californiacation album 12 years ago, back in 1999. You may also know him as the co-founder of Def Jam Records and current co-president of Columbia Records. Yeaaah, you could say he's been around the block and is probably one of the ten most influential record executives/producers in American music history.

Additionally, the video to the track below will be directed by @kreayshawn, who is more known for being an up and coming Hip Hop producer. She's become well known for her track Gucci Gucci which makes a pretty bold statement against expensive fashion as a whole. Not gonna lie, she looks like Gaga a lil bit and is every bit as audacious and in your face.

It's good to hear the fresh, pop-funk that the Chili Peppers consistently deliver. This one goes down smooth and will be available July 18th on iTunes, so feel free and go out and cop it legally since they accidentally let it leak a couple days ago...#Woops

Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
|iTunes

Throwback Thurs: Fort Minor - Tools of the Trade

Thought I'd mix it up a bit and throw a 2-0 curveball with a little Fort Minor aka Mike Shinoda aka that guy who raps in the Linkin Park tracks. On this track he proves all it takes is a little creativity to make a great beat. On this beat he uses a paper, toothbrush, lighter, bottle of beer, bottle opener and a pot from the kitchen to create the backdrop for the track. Queue the grandfatherly "I remember when I had to walk 4 miles in the snow to school" except throw in basic everyday items and the word beats. Sure he eventually adds in some kick/snare, guitar and heavy bass, but the ingenuity is noted. Makes me really wonder sometimes if all the fancy 808 drums and MPCs are always needed to survive in Hip Hop these days.

If you haven't given a full listen to Fort Minor's only full length album, Rising Tied, you're doing yourself a disservice and really missing out on a classic album. He's a big reason why Linkin Park is so dynamic of a group and has such a devoted following, the way he weaved an element of Hip Hop into an already great Alt Rock sound the band has. You may not be aware that Linkin Park has a new album coming out titled A Thousand Suns, due out in mid-September. What's notable is that legendary producer Rick Rubin (ya gotta love the old man winter beard) produced half the album, while the other half was produced by none other than @m_shinoda. Their first single is called The Catalyst and you may have already heard it since it was released recently. Check the video with lyrics below...

Yep...count me in on looking forward to that new album. You can hear the Shinoda production on the above track with the kick...gotta love it

Oh and don't forget about his other mystical creation below that I'm guessing you never heard back in 2007...

Fort Minor - Tools of the Trade (ft. Styles of Beyond, Celph Titled and Cheapshot)
| Download