The Foreign Exchange - Daykeeper

Okay, I take back what I said about The Foreign Exchange being stingy - their first single "Daykeeper" featuring Muhsinah has finally dropped, and it gives a new meaning to the saying "Good things come to those who wait"...

The Foreign Exchange - Daykeeper ft. Muhsinah.mp3

Isht is not a game anymore. It's goin' down October 7th...

Manic Music Monday @ GangstarrGirl.com

It's no secret that Mondays are no fun. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to stop them, but Starr and I wholeheartedly endeavor to bring you at least one bright spot every week with Manic Music Monday. Check out the latest at GangstarrGirl.com and be sure to check back at the end of the week for Blaxploitation Friday - ya jive turkey!

Whoop Rico

I really wish this were a long-lost skit from the Chappelle's Show vaults, but alas...no such luck. This whole song + matching dance phenomenon is out of hand and this is further proof:

The premise of it is actually pretty funny and they look like they're having fun but...yeah. It's just a little special, that's all. Not to mention, the actual "Whoop Rico" song sounds a LOT like this:


Crime Mob - Knuck If You Buck.mp3
Yeeeeeeah. That gets the side eye - just a lil bit. Moving along...

Sampletastic: Brand Nubian & Jean Carne

Brand Nubian was slated to appear in Chicago last weekend for the 2008 African Festival of the Arts in Washington Park. I ended up missing the performance, but in the time leading up to the day of the show I had hopes that they would do this song:



The undeniable groove that underlay Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar's verses can be attributed to one Jean Carne who sang "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" in 1979. Talk about winners - this is a major one:

Getcha 2-step on to this why don'tcha...

J*Davey on Ellen

Backed by a full band that really enhanced their sound, J*Davey brings their act to the national forefront performing their latest single "Dollar or More" on Ellen:

I'm loving their latest joint - the strings remind me of "Raspberry Beret" by Prince:

Prince - Raspberry Beret.mp3

which is highly appropriate since they've opened for him. Now that I think about it, I pretty sure Prince and Jack Davey are the same height too. When I saw them live last February, I was struck by how effin' teeny she was. I knew she was skinny from the photos I'd seen, but she was also very petite. She couldn't have broken 5'4" and she was wearing 3" heels. That was a great show. I wish I'd taken pictures...

Leave It All Behind, Pt. 3

The third (and hopefully final) teaser trailer for the upcoming Foreign Exchange release "Leave It All Behind":

FE-LIAB-3

They've done a really good job of keeping the crucial aspects of the release under Sooper Top Sekrit wraps, but they've FINALLY given us a release date and some CD artwork:

October 7, 2008

This is one of those albums that I wouldn't listen to if it leaked. I'd wait for it to come out and cop it in hand. It just be like that sometimes...

Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't caught them yet. They give nothing away (unless I'm just really dense and completely missing something bigger and more concrete) but they definitely help to build intrigue - more intrigue on top of a 4 year wait for the 2nd album to drop I mean. Yeah...

James Franco: Geek to Chic

I'm really digging the September '08 cover of GQ Magazine:

For whatever reason, I never gave much attention to James Franco in terms of appearance until recently - but after seeing that magazine cover, and these shots from the GQ photo spread...

...he's got my full attention now ;) He was the only reason I didn't get up and walk out of Pineapple Express - not only did his spot-on performance and relentless delivery make up for what a massive tool Seth Rogan is, he was STILL hot as a greasy, dirty, stringy haired pot dealer. That's pretty impressive in my book, HAHA. Yeah, I know I'm weird. He's come quite a long way from Freaks and Geeks:


Beyond oogle-worthy cover and photo spread, the actual article on James Franco in GQ is really good - you get a sense for his intense work ethic and exactly what he goes through to be so damn good. Definitely check it out on the GQ website. They're not stingy - they actually post articles in their entirety online, unlike the tabloid magazines. HOLLER.

I Think He Can Dance

I've watched this several times since I first saw it, and I still can't find the words to describe it. "Amazing" just doesn't do this cat any justice:

Robert Muraine:
I Think He Can Dance - Watch more free videos

I think I'm in love *heart flutters* That made my Spidey senses tingle :)

Art Is Everywhere

Art Nouveau Magazine believes that art is everywhere, which is why they offer everything that's edgy, goes against the grain, or just plain cool and different in a stylish manner that's unpretentious. It also helps that they offer free mixtapes and go out of their way to seek independent/unsigned artists that run the gamut from hip hop to electronica to feature on the lineup. Check them out in their cool news widget below and on their website:

www.artnouveaumagazine.com

Republican Hater's Ball

The Truth hurts so good: