Why Hip Hop Rocks In ‘06

Originally this post was going to be titled “Why Hip Hop Sucks In ‘06” as a play on DJ Shadow’s “Why Hip Hop Sucks In ‘96” track off his classic album Endtroducing. I mean, from all the sh*t I’ve been hearing on other blogs about how Shadow’s sold out on his newest project going all hyphy with David Banner and straight from the pages of URB Magazine Vol. 16, No. 138:
“I was driving in Vallejo the other day and I was at a stop sign and these kids were crossing the thing going, ‘Turf Talk and Keak da Sneak.’ That’s what you want. I don’t want dudes in their 30s sitting around pondering the significance of this or that. F*ck the dumb sh*t.”
And I was thinking, WHAT THE F*CK?!?!! I’m one of those dumb sh*t dudes in their 30s sitting around pondering, but I’m also one of those 30 year old dumb sh*ts that’s been down with Shadow’s music since day one, when no one else in the mainstream music scene was giving him the time of day. I mean the same crowd that listened to G-funk/gangsta music, which Shadow thought was Why Hip Hop Sucked back In ’96, is basically the same crowd that Shadow’s now trying to get recognized by. While dissin' his loyal constituent. Maybe he was misquoted?

And then I got my hands on the album. The Outsider, which is supposed to drop sometime in September, is the best thing I’ve heard since the Endtroducing & Psyence Fiction days. When I was worried that it would be an all out hyphy affair, he was generous enough to include tracks that we dudes in our 30s can ponder about. Even the hyphy tracks, like “3 Freaks” and “Seein Thangs” have a Shadowy sound to them. I included some of my favorites below for you Exclusive Heads. I also included a video of the Minnetonka High School band performing songs from Endtroducing. They had Shadow's blessings, but maybe this is what drove Shadow to do music for "the youth" (you know you're old when high schools study you). Anyways, this homemade video is better than the one for "3 Freaks".

[MP3] DJ Shadow :: This Time
[MP3] DJ Shadow :: Artifact
[MP3] DJ Shadow feat. Phonte Coleman :: Backstage Girl
[MP3] DJ Shadow feat. Sergio Pizzorno & Christopher Carloff :: The Tiger

DJ Shadow's site

Here’s to controversy & good PR.
:: MISTA HIPPO ::