Inspired by the documentary The Art Of Rap which was released today. Each one of the artists in this week’s playlist is represented hard in the documentary. Taking it back to the golden era, here is something we can learn from.
Jun 152012
Dec 292010
As Zachary Ross Brown IV once said, “Midnight is a half hour past 11:30″. Well, April is four months past January, and it will mark the one-year anniversary of the death of the legend emcee Guru. Here is Primo speaking on his fallen brother for one of the first time since he passed. You have to applaud his humility.
Nov 022010
The essence of hip-hop is displayed in this week’s list. It celebrates over twenty years and multiple generations. Enjoy it. It’s hip-hop. Download the Playlist below.
Aug 202010
90. The Tipping Point – 2004 – The Roots
The most air-time Black Thought’s ever gotten over a full CD, and the album thrives because of it. Check out the BDK/Kool G Rap impressions on Boom!; the man can spit. You can’t go wrong with any Roots material but this is a stand out.
Top Tracks: Guns Are Drawn | Star/Pointro | Boom!
89. The Format - 2006 – AZ
AZ get’s some of the freshest production of his career, with help from Emile, J. Cardim, DJ Premier & Statik Selektah. Just another reason why he should be considered one of the best ever, but rarely gets that recognition.
Top Tracks: The Format | Get High | Animal
Aug 202010
Today marks the 4 month anniversary of the death of a true hip-hop legend. While Fuck Off Fridays are designed to psyche you up for the weekend, I thought it was appropriate to pour one out for a fallen homey. If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m talking about Keith Elam aka “Guru” of the duo Gang Starr. While he made up only half of hip-hop’s most formidable duo of the past twenty years (the other being DJ Premier). During their alliance, the duo released six studio albums and two compilations that not only solidified them as hip-hop legends but taught a whole generation of people right from wrong while practicing hip-hop it its most pure form. So today, we salute Guru and hope he’s laying in peace where “the sounds are original“.
Take a listen and enjoy hip-hop the way it was meant to be made.
Download-Work-Gang Starr
Download-The Place Where We Dwell-Gang Starr
Aug 092010
So in accordance with the hopes that the yanks beat down on the sox today, today’s hatin on monday well be music about or from Boston. Since I’m leaving for the game in 20 min, I wont give you much about the songs, instead it’ll be just about the music.
First, a song that I’m sure everyone knows. Whether you know it from the best sports video game ever created, MVP Baseball 2005, from “Fever Pitch”, or from any Red Sox game you attended last decade, this is a quintessential Red Sox song, and so as good as it is, I must hate it.
Next, we have a classic track from Boston native Guru (R.I.P.) and DJ Premier, or for those of you who might be a little slow, Gang Starr. The song isn’t about Boston, but its a classic nonetheless.
Lastly, we have a tribute to everyone’s favorite indie-ish hipster All In My Head writer, thatyoungknockoutkid or as he’s better known, Harlan Schwartz, who recently admitted to me how much he loved this band, who happens to rep Worcester, MA. I think we can all agree that this song is just really, um, unique. Catchy as shit, prepare to hum it all day.
Jun 292010
Plain and simple, Entourage is one of the best shows on TV. I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to this (most of them surrounding the idea that the characters live an ideal life), but something that I love about the show that it took me some time to realize is that the soundtrack is impeccable. Now we’ve all watched movies and heard a song we like or something like that, and entourage does that, but somehow the music teams just find the perfect songs for the mood of the show, finding music from an unreal variety of sources (find me another show that will play Radiohead and Gang Starr in the same season, much less episode). While the in show music is great, where the show really shines is the end credits. If youre anything like me, you sit and the and stare and the bare bones credits, looking for the name of the celebrity guest appearances and reveling in the joy that filled the past 26 minutes or so of your life. I first really noticed this as I watched last season’s finale (which was a great bit of tv in itself), and I was just overjoyed as the characters flew/drove off in the sunset, all while Jay-Z’s 90’s groove “In My Lifetime” filled the soundwaves. Same can be send for the end of last week’s episode-without spoiling it (although it is Tuesday, if you haven’t watched the season premier by now than you probably don’t love the show like I do), the end credits featuring Gang Starr’s “Above The Clouds” just seemed to perfectly cap the show. While this had some additional meaning to me (RIP Guru, as well as the fact that the first time I really started listening to Gang Starr was in 9th grade after I heard “Work” in season 1, episode 2-its still my favorite Gang Starr Jam). Some of my other favorite endings include season 2 episode 13 as Ari danced with his wife in the streets to the tune of Stevie Wonder’s For Once In My Life“”. I still get goosebumps after hearing Radiohead’s “Fake Plastic Trees”. While this may have less to do with the sadness’ of Vince’s downwardly spiraling life in season 5 and more to do with the fact that “Fake Plastic Trees” is one of the most depressing songs you’ll ever hear, it’s just really demonstrates the versatility of the show. Its hard to believe that they lifted the career of Kid Cudi (check out Day N Nite in season 5 episode 10) the Cool Kids (Bassment Party, season 5 episode 3), and Charles Hamilton (Brooklyn Girls, season 5 episode 3). For more great Entourage tracks, check out this facebook group that I recently discovered (LINK) and rewatch the early seasons of the show, cause if anything its just damn good television.
Also, check out this fb group, arguably the inspiration for this post-http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-In-My-Head/115804375132761?ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=2975355050&ref=ts