Kid Sister Rocks Chucks for Converse

Chicago's homegrown homegirl Kid Sister joins the likes of Santogold, Pharrell and Julian Casablancas in the latest ad campaign by Converse. Check out the photo she appears in along with Chad Hugo (The Neptunes/N*E*R*D) and Frank Carter (Gallows):

Great pic. Go Kid Sister!

Check out http://www.converse.com/connectivity for more on Kid Sister and all the other artists who appear in the latest Converse ads. Or just shop for a new pair of Chucks. Whatever's clever mayne.

Versions: Estelle/will.i.am

British R&B siren Estelle has been making a lot of noise in the U.S. with her latest album Shine (2008), thanks in part to the single "American Boy" with Kanye West:

Estelle - American Boy (featuring Kanye West).mp3

However, I was really diggin' on a primarily instrumental version by will.i.am called "Impatient" which appeared his album "Songs About Girls" (2007):

will.i.am - Impatient.mp3

I really didn't like "American Boy" when I first heard it, but it's grown on me. I'm just really attached will's version because of the way it caught my attention as a stand-out track on "Songs About Girls." The composition and layering of sounds are impeccable (to me anyway) and it makes me appreciate will.i.am as a producer just that much more. You lose a lot of the intricacies when you add vocals to the track, which is why "American Boy" didn't sit well with me at first. I'm just a sucker for the nostalgia and imagery that "Impatient" invokes, so don't mind me.

Esperanza Spalding

What do you get when you combine a hot Thandie Newton lookalike with a dope curly 'fro, a voice that's smooth as eggs and an upright bass? You get Esperanza Spalding, that's what: