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Sunday, February 25, 2007

Gone Bananas!














This studying is getting to me. Everyday work and study, work and study...but I can't complain, I do have a sh*tload to make up cause I was havin' a crazy time in Vegas (see post below). You pay to play. Anyways, for my 10 minute break I decided to post this for all the BAPE fans (or Kanye fans for that matter) who keep asking for the instrumental version of "I Still Love H.E.R." by the Teriyaki Boyz featuring Kanye West (I haven't gotten around to translating the lyrics into English yet, so please be continue to be patient. I'll get to it). Also wanted to throw in a few extra goodies, since I just picked up Nigo's (the founder of everything BAPE) Nigo-lden Hits, a comp. of some of the best of the early music that he released on 12" back when BAPE was just flippin'/rippin' Air Force 1's.

[MP3] Teriyaki Boyz feat. Kanye West :: I Still Love H.E.R. (INSTRUMENTAL)
[MP3] Cari Wong :: Kung Fu Fighting (Deadly Avenger Ape Fury Remix)
[MP3] Money Mark :: A Simple Song (Tommy Guerrero Remix)
[MP3] Ben Lee :: Freediving (Stereo MC's Remix)

KANYE GA M-SUTE DE NIHONGO!!!

BAPE mascot #1.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

VEGAS BABY!!!


[HIPPO's NOTE: If y'all liked the Biz mix, you should make sure you check this out. It's not live, so it doesn't vibe like the mixtape I posted below, but the sound quality is obviously better.]

I just got back from NBA All Star Weekend in Las Vegas. What a blast! Never have I seen so many people in one place at the same time, except for maybe Times Square in New York on New Year’s Eve and The Bund in Shanghai during Chinese New Year. It was like the CES of Freakniks! And never have I been so tired. Went to as many games/events as I could and tried to do a little work as well. The highlight had to be Charles Barkley racing 67 year old referee Dickie Bavetta. Here are some of my favorite “pre-fight” smack talkin’ clips and of course, The Main Event!


{My kind of training}

But since this is a music blog, I thought I should mention that I went to a couple of the parties out there and, let me tell you, they were off the hook. Never thought I’d see Grand Master Flash spin one night and then Biz Markie the next. And it made me realize that even though a lot of these Ol’ Skool DJ’s might not be able to do the crab scratch or the flare or whatever the latest and greatest technique is, they can still cold rock a party!!! So here is an example of this, with Biz Markie’s mixtape (that’s right and I dug up an audio cassette for y’all who can still remember what that is) rockin’ a party Live @ Q-Club. So please bear with the sound quality (every time the sound drops out that’s Biz queuing the crowd to jump in on the lyrics of the song…go ahead, no one’s looking) and the fact that its one long 45 minute track. I think you’ll enjoy it though.



{For all you Dilla fans, J-Rocc gets on the decks one more time to pay tribute. I prefer this mix to Act 1. Stones Throw always brings it with their free podcasts!}

No one wins with censorship (banner).
::MISTA HIPPO::

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Mix Mania & Some Reminiscing



















Earlier today at work I was looking for pictures of cassettes to put up on the blog and came across this nostalgic post reminiscing about tapes, which brought back a lot of my own memories...I remember picking up my first tape (Beastie Boys License to Ill) when I was in 4th grade at Sam Goody back in Canada and popping it into my boombox as soon as I got home, freaking out my mom. You have to remember, this was back in '88 and my mom had never even heard of hip hop. In fact, I only heard of hip hop a few months before I got License to Ill from my friend Greg. Greg was the kid on the block who, in 4th grade, already had posters of sweaty bikini-clad models on his wall and knew all about sex. In fact, I had my first real peek at a sex book at Greg's house. Not quite a real look at sex, I mean, it wasn't a copy of Hustler stolen off the high-up racks at the liquor store, but it was one of those "Where Did I Come From?" books that FULLY illustrated the baby-making process (I still remember the pasty, chubby, slightly-too-anatomically-correct prospective mommy and daddy, hand-drawn curly pubes and all).

Needless to say, it was fun and enlightening hanging out at Greg's place.

Anyways, I'm digressing, but it made sense that this little perv was also the first to introduce me to the world of debauchery from which License to Ill was born. What can I say, I always learned something new at Greg's place...the first time he played Run DMC's Tougher Than Leather, my first exposure to hip hop, my 9-year old mind was blown, then he bumped the Beasties' "Brass Monkey" and I was hooked. The next time I went to Richmond Center Mall, I went straight to Sam Goody to pick up the Beastie Boys and Run DMC album, but my mom didn't let me buy both. I took one look at Tougher Than Leather and another at License to Ill and, liking the jet plane tail picture from License, picked the Beastie Boys.

Nearly 20 years later, I still have License to Ill, and looking at my tape collection brings nothing but good memories of mix tapes, audio letters our family sent to our dad in Japan, and some of my favorite cassette singles from back in the day - ABC's "Iesha," Bell Biv Devoe's "Poison," Biz Markie's "Just a Friend," and Young MC's "Bust a Move." The great thing about tapes was that it was so easy to record anything and everything you wanted...I remember sitting by my radio to record my favorite songs from the "Top 10 at 10" show on KSFM, my fingers poised on the play and record buttons to get Paperboy's "The Ditty" or Hammer's "Too Legit to Quit." Not only that, but tapes were so compact and rugged that you could easily throw them in your back pocket or on the car seat, and they won't scratch and end up skipping like CDs. Of course, sound quality was an issue, but when reminiscing, I only focus on the positive.

Getting back to what I really meant to talk about, here's some songs off a recent mix...and although I rarely put up music from new or upcoming albums, this one is chock full. I actually really liked this mix, and I've been having too much fun bangin' the hell out of my beat-up computer speakers with this one, so I knew I had to share this one with you all.

[MP3] Clap Your Hands Say Yeah :: The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth
[MP3] Arcade Fire :: Antichrist Television Blues
[MP3] Lali Puna :: 40 Days
[MP3] Junior Boys :: First Time
[MP3] Amandine :: For All the Marbles
[MP3] Bloc Party :: I Still Remember


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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Let Em Breathe Y'all













I recently received an email from yet another screaming, adoring, tearing-her-clothes-off fan (ok, not really) of Getdownnn asking that I put up her response to my post on hip hop love songs...apparently she felt that us "boys" (?!) might appreciate a female voice on the topic...although she may be a bit off to think so, her point of view might actually help those of us who wonder why we're always getting dissed at the club. Since this is the only mail we've ever received, I guess I have to put it up even though she sounds like someone from Pigeon John's street marketing team.


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Bruce Banner's post on Hip Hop Love Songs got me thinking about the portrayal of women in hip hop. While I appreciate our fellow brothers' eternal quest for understanding the female species, let's be frank - the pickings in hip hop as a female consumer range from pathetic to derogatory. And no, the obligatory "This one's for the ladies! Ladies make some noise!" is not cutting it for me when it's followed by someone yelling about how they want to smack my ass. While I understand that certain female artists propagate the same problematic image of women (as in, Nelly Furtado in "Promiscous Girl"), I think the majority of us women feel good when we hear an artist speak to us like we're - human. Just talk about you and stop frontin' about what you want to do to me.

Enter Pigeon John and his newest album "Pigeon John ... and the Summertime Pool Party." Listening to Pigeon John's album make you wonder how he became the artist he is today. You gotta figure that he rolled out of bed one day and said, "Fuckit. I'm just gonna be who I be" and then he rolled out with a song like "Do the Pigeon" ("All these dudes telling lies for the fame and wealth / I'd rather kick back and just be myself / Enjoy the good times and enjoy the hell").

It's tiring being a badass gangsta rapper, and Pigeon John knows that not every artist was born with a woman dangling from each arm (not even LL Cool J). Ever been rejected at a bar and lived to tell about it? Yes, it's a universally shared experience, so it makes me appreciate an artist like Pigeon John who is witty and unapologetic about the situation ("Excuse me can I buy you an orange juice? / No? Wow you're honest aren't you?").

Then again, the Pigeon John on CD doesn't really do him justice cuz you gotta see him live. If you ever have a chance to check out one of his shows, don't think twice. It's one of the most entertaining and fun live shows I've been to. He's honest and charismatic and weirdly likable all rolled into one mess of a human being. Best part is when he raps, "Ladies - put your hands up / Put your hands up", he follows it up with "Fellas - let 'em breathe ya'll / Let 'em breathe ya'll it's what they need ya'll".

Yup, it's all I really ask for.

[MP3] Pigeon John :: Life Goes on feat. Abstract Rude
[MP3] Pigeon John :: Money Back Guarantee

|ds|

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Long Over Due…RESPEK Vol. 2: The Family


Is it safe to assume that everyone in the world saw the Prince halftime show this past weekend during Superbowl XLI? It just got me thinking that everyone loves Prince and even The Time get their props (from all kinds – see video above), but nobody ever, ever mentions The Family. What’s up with that? They are just as dope. Made up of the leftover members of The Time, after Morris Day left, and a few relatives and friends, they put together another outlet for Prince’s musical genius. And even though it may have been short-lived, they only came out with one album, their work stands the test of time. If you like the Prince-sound, then don’t miss the boat on this one. Here are some of my favorite tracks off of The Family.


[MP3] The Family :: Nothing Compares 2 U
{Yes, that’s right, the original…before Snead O’Connor made it a global hit.}
[MP3] The Family :: Desire

Ok, so maybe their music video isn’t timeless.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Sunday, February 04, 2007

REmixed Nutz Chapter 2: Black Eyed Peas Renegotiate (But They Should Have Just Stayed Original)

Today is your lucky day, I’m so pissed that I actually wasted time ripping this Black Eyed Peas Renegotiations remix album. You’d think with remixes by Large Professor, Jazzy Jeff, DJ Premier, Erick Sermon, and Pete Rock it’d be something special...not this time. It sounds as if all these great producers give the Peas their table scrapes. Did Will even check ‘em before he bought ‘em? Below are some of my favorite remixes that the Peas did pre-Fergielicious (when Taboo used to hand out invitations to his own birthday party to the crowd & when they used to jump into the pit and start a dancin' cypher...aka when they were dope). Also an example of Renegotiations, aka Primo not even trying & the Peas not even giving a sh*t. To give them the benefit of doubt, we all got to feed our kids.

[MP3] BEP :: Fallin’ Up (Live Remix)
[MP3] BEP :: Joints & Jams (Billions Mix)
[MP3] BEP featuring Justin Timberlake :: My Style (DJ Premier Remix)
{Is it just me or does this style suck?}

If you can't tell, I liked them better when there was just 3 of them.
::MISTA HIPPO::

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Mixtapes : Hip Hop Love













A while back, I was asked to put together a mix of hip hop love songs. I was really lost at first, wondering how many decent hip hop love songs I could find...Ok, there's "You Got Me"... ummm, "I used to Love H.E.R." ...but what else?

In my mind, hip hop was never really about love, and the genre, built on battling and braggadocio, just didn't quite seem fit for looove. Yet after a little digging, I actually realized I was way off, there's not only a quite a few hip hop love songs, but a lot of dope ones that have been in my rotation. I just never thought of them as love songs since they never came off as sappy as most songs of that sort...so here's a list of some of the joints I included, along with some for download. I'm sure I've missed a lot, so if you know of any other noteworthy songs, let me know...

The List (in no particular order):

1. Busta Rhymes :: This One
2. Slum Village :: Closer
3. Common :: Come to Me
4. Slum Village :: Fall in Love
5. [MP3] Common :: Love of my Life feat. Erykah Badu (This one has to be one of my favorites)
6. Common :: Love Is
7. Blackalicous :: Make You Feel That Way
8. The Roots :: You Got Me
9. [MP3] Pharcyde :: She Said (Jay Dee Remix)
10. Jurassic 5 :: Thin Line
11. Felt :: Woman Tonight
12. Talib Kweli :: Beautiful feat. Mos Def & Mary J. Blige
13. [MP3] Cee Lo :: Basshead Jazz (I know, not really a hip hop love song, but that horn over those warm, lazy beats? Ooh, it melts me.)
14. Aceyalone :: Everything Changes
15. A Tribe Called Quest :: Find a Way
16. [MP3] The Coup :: I Just Wanna Lay Around All Day in Bed With You
17. Common :: I Used to Love H.E.R.

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