Merry Mutha'Uckin' Xmas

[MP3] Eazy E :: Merry Muthafuckin' Xmas
{About as gangsta of a Xmas as they come.}

And a Happy New Year.
::MH::

Get Up

You all remember that scene in Coming To America, when Eddie Murphy wakes up to a small orchestra (sorry no clip to illustrate), well I've always wished that could be me (don't forget about the bath scene either) and frankly I'm getting tired on hearing the wack ringtone version of "The Entertainer". So I found the clip above and since I have no life (can't you tell by the amount of posts I put up) I went through the process of taking the sound out of the violin portion at the beginning of this clip, looping it up and now I have something to wake up to & conquer the world. Now if I could only find my Darth Vader mask that would match with my gear for the day!!!

My girl probably won't like this.
::MH::

The Great Depression (Dedicated To The Hulk)

[Hippo's note: They say imitation is the highest form of flattery.]

So it's been raining again and I don't know if it's the combination of the cold weather with the rain or the fact that it gets dark at 4pm now or whether I'm just getting older...but I feel sullen somehow.

[MP3] Wu Tang Clan :: Life Changes
{This post wouldn't be an homage without the Wu. Overall, I'm not really feelin' 8 Diagrams...disappointed.}
[MP3] Andrew Bird :: Imitosis
[MP3] Lupe Fiasco feat. Sarah Green :: Intruder Alert
{I don't like The Cool as much as Food & Liquor...another disappointment.}
[MP3] Tracy Chapman :: The Promise
{So sad.}

I think I still need a tissue.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Why Boys Will Be Boys Pt. II

It seems like some people got the wrong impression from my last post - things really aren't bad, I just think that it's been tough coming to terms with the fact that I and my friends are 29, and maybe boys won't always be boys. Over some beers in Little Tokyo's Far Bar and some shrimp tacos at Senor Fish, Muttpop and Hippo fortunately proved me wrong with their stories about porn, mega-cankles, and masturbation that would've put Chris Rock to shame (skip to the 4:30 mark to see what I'm talking about). Not one to be subtle or tell a story without the full use of expletives, gestures, and exquisitely grotesque detail, I seriously think that Muttpop's double-date-gone-bad story cleared out the restaurant, which was completely empty by the time we left (it was only 8:00pm). Add to that his analogy of women's aging like the ripeness of fruit, and it was a pretty interesting evening to say the least.

Even though we were all beat and ready to go home by 11:30pm, it was reassuring to know that getting older wasn't going to be one big, long, bitching session and that there's still a little room for immaturity, debauchery, and trash-talking. The night finally ended with me and Muttpop getting back to my apartment just in time to avoid a drive-by across the street and seeing a mob of teenagers running from a nearby house party followed by an LAPD chopper minutes later...So maybe being an adult and not having to deal with that kind of drama isn't such a bad thing.

Anyways, since then, I've been feeling a little less pessimistic and decided to call in sick for work tomorrow and go out for some midday drinks and relive my high school days by kicking it at the mall. My playlist today has changed up with my mood, so here some of that good ol' boom bap that everybody loves.

[MP3] Ghostface Killah :: Yolanda's House (feat. Meth & Raekwon)
If you haven't heard this one already, it's my favorite off of the Big Doe Rehab album. I didn't think anyone could've flowed better over this beat than Pharaohe, but this trio shows why they're still at the top of their game with some classic Wu storytelling...from running from the cops to shittin in his pants and leaving footprints on the ceiling how can you not like Ghost?

[MP3] Supastition :: Fountain of Youth
I copped this one off of my favorite hip hop blog, Wake Your Daughter Up; Travis put together this dope Grown Folks Mix for all of us dealing with getting old[er]. Even though I'm still in denial, no other song better suits my current state of mind than this one.

[MP3] Jay Electronica :: Bitches & Drugs (Prod. by Dilla)
In this anti-hip-hop hip-hop song, Jay Electronica churns out some propulsive flows over a chunky, warm, Dilla beat that defies the mainstream with rhymes like "If rap was like blacks in the '60s, / I'm a white cop in riot gear ready to hose down." Damn.

|bruce banner|

Get Uppp!!!

{Hopefully this will help get banner out of his funk. Y'all know how much we love Supercar around here. And yes, this is the real video. I never would have pictured this video for this song. Gondry-esque? If that doesn't do it, read about this 12-year-old wunderkid/entrepreneur-in-the-making.}

::MH::

What The F*#K?!?!!!?? Pt. 2

You can't be a G forever.

::MH::

Do You Feel Me?

I can't tell if it's because I'm getting older or if it's the creeping onset of winter rains, but I've been thinking a lot more than I'm used to these days, and it's really starting to bother me. And when I say thinking, I really mean reflecting on life, work, and relationships, and expectations of where I thought I'd be versus where I am now. Not to say that I'm not happy with where I am now, but I still haven't gotten over how my life hasn't quite unfurled so neatly as I expected.

When you feel like you do everything as you should've and things still haven't worked out, it really makes you question yourself and the logic of life. Lately, it seems like this is how 80% of my conversations have been with friends - I mean, nowadays talking about girls and music are secondary to bitching about life and getting older, and that's just wrong on too many levels. The weird thing is that I knowww that this is how life is supposed to be - I tell my kids everyday that you can't expect life to be fair or to turn out as you expected, but I can't help getting stuck on this myself.

Somehow, this post was supposed to wind itself to the point that all this thinking requires good music to accompany it, but since I guess nothing ever goes as planned, let me just end the confusion here and present the music:

[MP3] Nina Simone :: Wild is the Wind
No doubt, my favorite artist of all time. Her virtuoso piano playing, impassioned singing, social consciousness, and the depth and breadth of her catalog are truly unsurpassed in my mind. Though this one clocks in at 7+ minutes, each line and note is delivered with a searing intensity that won't let you go.

[MP3] Anthony Hamilton :: Do You Feel Me
Definitely my favorite song by Anthony Hamilton, I love the warmth in his voice and organs on this one, and I'll admit, this one speaks personally to me.

[MP3] Cunninlynguists :: What'll You Do
As always, Cunninlynguists come with thoughtful flows and lyrics that every backpacker can appreciate over jazzy guitar licks and warm southern beats. I had to include hip hop somewhere in this post - who says hip hop is about nothing but drugs, pimpin' and violence?

|bruce banner|
I can't wait to visit Hippo in Hawaii and make all this thinking melt away under a gentle sun, blue skies, and a plate of loco moco drowned in gravy...17 days to go!

Movement 101

{Classic song, classic video.}


{Hopefully this will hold us over until next season's So You Think You Can Dance (DANCE, DANCE, DANCE). Thanks MPB for the clip.}


{Another classic, 2x.}


{You've probably seen him before here. Illness.}


{Me on Monday nights. I can't believe this guys has been in the L for 11 years now. I'm glad he gave up the rap (only Shaq).}


{I think this takes the cake...or this...and then there's this(not for the faint hearted) which of course, comes from this.}

Get your groove on (but please be careful).
::MH::

What's Next: Ken Oak Band

I never thought it could be like this. Not in my most far fetched imagination. But here is another What’s Next installment (finally, and without the ugly "Ju-on" kid). Some of you are probably thinking, ‘Great, somehow this guy thinks he’s found something new and now its show-and-tell time.’ But it’s because you, the GETDOWNNN fans, keep sending me stuff to check out. So many thanks. It’s been cool so far, because I haven’t disliked anything that you’ve pointed me to, and at the very least my music library continues to grow. So please feel free or continue to hit me up with songs and suggestions (maybe I’m asking for trouble?). And if I like it I’ll post it up for sure...just might take some time, like this one (over a year late).

With all that being said, a loyal GETDOWNNNer whose been checking us out since basically the beginning, suggested that I try listening to some of the Ken Oak Band. I thought she had good taste in music, so why not. At first, it reminded me of the overall sound of Yellowcard, but instead of a violin a cello is used. But with time, I think the mood of the music is much darker and deeper. Check them out for yourself:

[MP3] Ken Oak Band :: Summer’s Kiss
[MP3] Ken Oak Band :: Long Ride
[MP3] Ken Oak Band :: Intangible
[MP3] Ken Oak Band :: Midnight Cries
[MP3] Yellowcard :: Ocean Ave. (acoustic version)

Website.

Solid Oak.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Slept On: Transportation For The People

It's been a minute since the last time I did a Slept On post (ok, more than a year), but I thought the timing on this one is appropriate (and please continue to be patient, I will get around to doing another What's Next post soon). I just picked up the new Freeway album, Free At Last, and speaking in minutes, it's been more than a minute since Free dropped his last/debut album, Philadelphia Freeway (4 years ago). And there have been many reason, including the fall of the Dame Dash/Jay-Z Rock-A-Fella Records and some beef with Just Blaze (if you haven't checked out his blog, we have Megatron Don linked up here, and it's definitely worthwhile.) Anyways, listening to Free At Last, just confirmed what MPB was trying to tell me back in 2003, Freeway has it on lock down, especially when it comes to intensity. Not since the heydays of Ice Cube have I felt like playing ball to this. And even though the album could have used a little Blaze and Kanye, it's solid.

[MP3] Freeway :: It's Over
{I know this isn't Just Blaze, but damn it sounds awfully close. Jake One jacked one?}
[MP3] Freeway :: I Cry
[MP3] Freeway :: Nuttin' On Me
{Again, did Needlz poke J. Blaze?}

And that brings us to the Slept On portion of this post. Like a lot of people I really missed the boat on Philadelphia Freeway. I think I was still blinded by the light that Jay-Z's Blueprint brought a few years earlier. With primary production by Just Blaze and Kanye West (before 'Ye was 'YE), you can't go wrong there. I still remember MPB bumping this sh*t out while we drove through Pasadena.

[MP3] Freeway :: Alright
[MP3] Freeway :: Hear The Song
{Kanye comes with it.}
[MP3] Freeway :: Line 'Em Up
{Something bout that Blaze & Free mix, that makes me want to Work It Out.}

Speaking of missing Just Blaze, look out for the new/debut from Saigon. You've probably heard of him from 'unsigned hype' or Entourage or somewhere underground. But he's supposed to bring the heat to hip-hop like Lupe has. With some setbacks, he's finally getting down with most of the production done by his buddy, J. Blaze. Just a little tease, from the street tape The Moral Of The Story, of what's to come very soon (The Greatest Story Never Told in 2008?):

[MP3] Saigon feat. Al B. Sure :: Homegirl
{I've been waiting since '88 for a dope track with Al B., this is it.}
[MP3] Saigon :: Wake Up
{Exactly. Can't you see Pharoahe Monch just killing this beat?}
[MP3] Saigon feat. Memphis Bleek :: Ryders (Da Ville To Da Stuy)
{Something bout that Blaze & Sai mix, that makes we want to Work It Out.}

Even a hippopotamus sleeps.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Pop R&B Acoustic Covers

I was bored on YouTube and discovered a handful of beautiful acoustic covers to Pop R&B hits. I love the purity that a good acoustic performance can convey. And, in capable hands, an acoustic cover brings new perspective to a Pop Hit.

Here's Outkast's "Hey Ya" as performed by Mat Weddle and Rihanna's "Umbrella" by Marie Rigby:

-MPB