Katt Williams Gets Animated

Brought to you by Kush Comedy, we have some hilarious visuals to accompany two hysterically funny segments of Katt Williams' latest stand-up DVD "It's Pimpin' Pimpin'":

Po' lil Tink-Tink...

Someone You Should Know: Fundamental

Free health care isn't the only dope thing in Canada (sorry Michael Moore). As Canadian hip hop continues to etch out a distinct place within the global context, one young and stylish producer strives make his mark on the movement. Alex Canzoneri a.k.a "Fundamental" has a scope of understanding about crafting beats that gives off the impression he is well beyond his 22 years. He dropped an official beat sampler back in December 2008, called "Fundamental's Beatdown, Vol. 1":

You'd be doing yourself a favor if you went ahead and downloaded it. While you're in the downloading mood, cop G5 Clive's mixtape "The Social Class" because 'Mental's holding it down with 4 beats and a feature.

But that's enough out of me. He's here to give you the real deal about who he is and why he's the best thing to happen to Toronto since Caribana. Check out his questionnaire below...

In His Own Words...
Name: Fundamental

But People Call Me: Sexy Fundamental aka Extra
Extra aka Batman aka Just plain stupid fresh.

Age: 22

Location: Toronto

Originally From: Toronto

Occupation: Music Producer/Artist

Loves: Music, Basketball, Girls, Family,
Myself

Hates: Ignorance

Is Indifferent About: Anyone that doesn’t have my best interest at heart.

Is Puzzled By: People with no talent that get famous for being famous.

You in 3 - 5 Words. Go: I understand what others don’t.

Inspiration: J Dilla, fear of failure, fear of not standing out.

Motivation: 1). To have everyone understand exactly who I am from listening to my music. 2). To always stay fresh. 3). Make timeless music.

Idols: Alvin Williams

Why People Should F*ck With You: I promise that everything I do is fresh and unique. I respect the old school and the new school. If you want to have that excitement about NEW music, then fuck with I.

Website(s): www.myspace.com/fundamentalproductions

MySpace: www.myspace.com/fundamentalproductions

Contact: fndmntl4 (AIM), fundamentalproductions@hotmail.com (MSN, e-mail)

Feel Like Sharing Anything Else? Don’t be afraid of change and new shit. If you say hip hop is dead, then you’re killing it. Support! Even if they’re free downloads. Download, pass them around...force people to listen if you enjoy the music.

Last but not least, Stephanie, lets go get some chicken schwarma.

I have no clue what "schwarma" is, but if it's chicken then I'm sold.

Yezzur! © Pharrell

Ebrahim Mash-Up

Watch this cat Ebrahim kick back with a sampling machine and do a crazy mash-up of D'Angelo, Lupe Fiasco and Joni Mitchell (!!!) like it's nothing:

Dig his insane talent? Check him out at http://www.eebmusic.com. DO IT!

Guest Blog: George Lucas Doesn't Care About You aka "Darth Fucktard"

From the brilliant mind of Kevin Johnson, over @ The 410 Scrolls:

There is a certain type of dumb, a specific brand of stupid, that causes the inner most working of my rage to find nourishment and replenish its desire to hunt, and destroy. What follows is a conversation I had with Stephanie concerning this very case of idiot that she presented to me. The picture in question is here (via Gizmodo):



And what you will notice, quickly, is that it makes little to no sense. To summarize, the young man states the following:

"I got this tattoo about 8 months ago. I believe it perfectly sums up my feelings towards George [Lucas]. I love Star Wars but I wish George would retire and leave the series in better hands."

This is the conversation that followed:

Kevin: ....
Steph: What? Oh? That link? Haha.
Kevin: Wow.
Steph: Yeah! Dude is serious.
Kevin: But that's such a stupid idea. You could easily convey the same sentiment with a t-shirt. You get dude's face plastered on your arm because you hate him?
Steph: Right.
Kevin: Come on kid, that's like getting your ex's name on your arm after they gave you an STD... .. the eff outta here with that nonsense.
Steph: That's a really good analogy.
Kevin: The Star Wars series is a lot like that sometimes.. A gorgeous person with a massive herpes outbreak. Peel back some layers and you got question some ish.
Steph: Hell yeah.
Kevin: But no - just tattoo the FACE of someone you hate on your arm, and promote dude and his brand whenever you wear a short sleeve shirt. God I hate Diddy.. Where's that Sean John suit I own? Damn you 50, hating you leaves me parched.. better grab some Formula 50 Vitamin Water.
Steph: LMAO
Kevin: Spike Lee is such an ass, I'm going to go watch She Hate Me eight more times to make my hate that much more palpable. George Lucas sleeps on beds of money and children's tears, he ain't worried about the tattoo you got.
Steph: But you have his likeness on your body forever.
Kevin: Way to go guy - you win the coveted 'Sit Yo Dumb Ass Down Award' in the category of 'Best Way to Bend Over and Get Screwed by the Person You Hate w/ a Duo or Group'
Steph: **dead**
Kevin: It's like dude sat and thought about how he could be a joke, and went the lengths necessary to be remembered through the test of time as a complete and total tool. Like, when the world is bust dust and the last nomadic tribes of humanity circle the earth like children of the damned, the legend of his dumbassness with echo throughout. If I could possess a fraction of the liberating stupidity this guy possess, if I could touch the hymn of the garment of his rampant wtf-itude, maybe I too could feel the same sense of freedom to be an douche. I want that freedom. He obviously is fearless in the face of other's opinions. He doesn't know fear. He is Legend. They should make a biopic of his life because I want to follow the journey from conception of the idea of that tattoo until present day. I want to delve into the odyssey of his mine and withdraw the nougat of brilliance he obviously contains within his psyche. Because I have a feeling that the cure for all of the world's ills can be found there. Fucktard.
Steph: LMAO. Wow. That really stuck a nerve with you.
Kevin: It did. In the face of such fucktardacity - I get rubbed the wrong way. Doofy fuckbiscuit

Throwback: V-Day Mix '08

I came up with this compilation last year and it's pretty damn fly if I do say so myself. I've been totally out of it lately, so I didn't do a new one for this year, hence the throwback (though I'd like to think that it's timeless). In any event, this is how I show love:

*~*V-Day Mix '08*~*
(99 MB)

Raphael Saadiq ~ Skyy, Can You Feel Me?
Will.i.am ~ Impatient
J*Davey ~ Everybody Touch
Zap Mama ~ Call Waiting
Sade ~ Sweetest Taboo
Sara Tavares ~ One Love
Sabrina Malheiros ~ Love Sorte
J. Dilla ~ Love ft. Pharoah Monche
Talib Kweli ~ Never Been In Love
Jaguar Wright ~ Love, Need & Want You
Amy Winehouse ~ Best For Me ft. James Tyler
Donnie ~ Heaven Sent
Rufus ~ At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)
Donald Byrd ~ Dominoes
Steely Dan ~ Peg
Lenny Kravitz ~ I Belong To You
Justin Nozuka ~ After Tonight

It's one big mp3 file, so it might take a while to d/l depending upon the speed of your Innernets. Don't be scurred, it's worth the wait! Everyone have a good Valentines Day :)


(I had to do it. I HAD TO DO IT!)

He Will Write a Song About You For $25

Meet Sean Padilla:

He's an indie rock musician based in Austin, TX via Brooklyn, NY. His band (which is really just him) is called The Cocker Spaniels. He's one of the coolest, most intelligent, thoughtful and most laid-back cats you'll ever meet - just don't call him Lenny Kravitz or he'll be forced to go upside yo' hed foo! Er, yeah...

But anyway, he's got a really cool project on deck that I think people should know about. He's planning to do his third C. Spaniels album based entirely on patronage from ordinary folks around the way (that would be YOU there, o' faithful reader).

Here's an insight to how it works from the Mr. Padilla himself via the patronage info page over @ the C. Spaniels website:

Anyone who makes a donation of $25 or more to me, along with a story or anecdote about themselves, will get a Cocker Spaniels song written about them. The pricing scheme will be as follows:

$25-$49 donation = I will write a song based on your story or anecdote, with as much of your original wording preserved in the lyrics of the song;

$50-$99 donation = You'll get the song, with your name incorporated prominently in the lyrics;

$100+ donation = You'll get the song with your name in it, as well as a percentage of the royalties from the first pressing of the album when it's available for sale.

You can donate in one of two ways:

1) Paypal it to lovesickrockstar@yahoo.com, and send a separate e-mail to that same address with your story or anecdote

OR

2) Mail a check or money order with your story or anecdote to Sean Padilla @ 3018 S 1st St #201, Austin TX 78704.

Once I receive your donation and your story, I'll write a set of lyrics for it within seven days, and send them to you. If you approve the lyrics, I'll write and record the music within 21 days of your approval. You'll receive a CDR of the song, and I'll post an mp3 of it on my website. Once I have compiled an hour's worth of songs, I'll release a tangible version of the portrait album!

Although my primary motivation for doing this is money, I also consider this patronage system an artistic challenge to myself. Until now, most Cocker Spaniels songs have been based on things that I've directly experienced. This portrait album will be an opportunity for me to put more empathy into my music, to capture other people's thoughts and experiences in the same manner that I do my own. I vow to make these songs as true to my patrons' experiences as possible, and to craft them at the same level of quality that I have the previous two Cocker Spaniels albums.

Just to give you an idea of what you're in for, here's the first completed patronage song "Soso & Lola (What Day)" - how badass is that?

For more about Sean and/or The Cocker Spaniels, visit www.cspaniels.com or check out his MySpace page. It's not every day you have the opportunity to have a song custom written for and/or about you - most of us are never given a chance to witness the songwriting process of an artist at all. I strongly suggest you get on deck with this artistic endeavor and support independent music and art in its purest form.

A Brief Reflection...

Finally. 2008 has kicked rocks.

Generally speaking and on a very personal note, 2008 was a God-awful, shitty year. I was very much ready to send it packing off into the sunset, never to be seen again. Good riddance!

Despite 2008 giving me so much hell, I do have a major accomplishment that I'm very proud of: officially being free of all outstanding debts (student loans notwithstanding of course) as of Dec. 19, 2008.

Having that weight lifted from my shoulders has been immense. Now that the massive burden has been removed, I feel like I can take on other challenges that I've been struggling with and not merely operate on Survival Mode. Not only do I feel like I can take on existing challenges, I feel like I can address new challenges and I feel like I can conquer them. I actually feel optimistic about the upcoming year, which is an accomplishment in itself for me because I don't have the greatest outlook on very much in general.

Kevin (a.k.a Damn Shuggy Woo Woo) was kind enough to give me an Amazon MP3 e-gift card for Christmas. One of the songs I downloaded is by a Japanese singer named Monday Michiru. It's called "The Right Time" and I've loved it for some time now because it is sheerly epic in its composition and delivery. In context with what's going on in my life right now and what the rest of the world is facing at the moment, I think it's an appropriate song to serve as an anthem for the new year. If nothing else, it's a great song to dance to:

Hope everyone had a good and safe New Year's. When the dust settles and the debris is cleared away, let's get it. Let's build empires. Settle for nothing short of excellence.

Do NOT let this guy teach you how to do The Wop

Srsly.
He looks like he should have a handlebar mustache and sing in a barbershop quartet. Would YOU trust him to teach you how to breakdance?

Illa J - We Here

The Yancey family just can't be stopped. J Dilla is still stuntin' on mofos from the grave (See: "Move" by Q-Tip) and now we have his baby bro Illa J coming with more of The Essence. If you don't know what "The Essence" is, just take a listen to "We Here" from his debut release Yancey Boys:

If Illa J looks familiar, it's because he stood in for Dilla in the video for "Won't Do" from his brother's 2006 posthumous release The Shining. It's a little scary how much they look alike - it's as if Ma Dukes used a rubber stamp to replicate her boys. So what do you make of a ridiculously multi-talented family who all look just alike? There's only one plausible explanation: they're ALIENS. Frank n' Dank's Frank Nitty explains:

Well when you put it that way...
Nevermind.

Black Milk @ XXLmag.com

About a month ago, my homegirl Starr from over @ GangstarrGirl.com got to interview Black Milk, one of Detroit's emerging homegrown innovators of masterful beats and rhythms. XXLmag.com finally put the feature up, so check it out:

Black Milk: Respect Due

Hip-Hop first met Black Milk as a producer. He showcased his production on Slum Village’s Detroit Deli and Dirty District Vol. 2 as well as Lloyd Bank’s diss track “Death Wish,” amongst other projects. He eventually revealed more of his rapper persona with last year’s Popular Demand, and recently followed up with October’s Tronic. While the rest of hip-hop has come down with the Auto-Tune virus, Black Milk departed from the soul sample-driven sounds of his previous works and employed more live instrumentation, embracing the use of both vintage and modern synthesizers while exploring a more orchestral song structure without abandoning his trademark sound. Often touted as a pioneer of the future Detroit sound, he remains modest and low-key but allowed XXLMag.com to step into his world.

READ MORE...

Great interview - she even brought up AutoTune like I'd suggested on Twitter, HAHA. But whyyyyyyy did she have to bring up T-Baby/"So Cold in The D"? HAHA...as if Kwame "Mayor of Hip Hop" Kilpatrick wasn't bad enough for Detroit's already tarnished image, now we have T-Baby repping the face of Detroit on YouTube. Lovely.