Home For The Holidays
November 24, 2009
My high school buddy Andrew Goldberg, who is now a writer on Family Guy, is in town for Thanksgiving with his wife, staying in his old bedroom in the house he grew up in, just south of Rosedale Avenue in White Plains. Other than the new king size bed, his room looks just like he left it when he went off to college in the fall of 1996. Andrew was kind enough to give us a tour of his room, and let us see all his vintage 80’s and 90’s stuff. Check the video above. And below, watch a bonus video of Andrew showing off his baseball card knowledge (he does it in the tour above too, but is even more impressive below)…
If you missed Andrew’s interview with Westcheddar, check it out HERE. And to see clips of the TV show we did in our White Plains High School days, Prime Time with Dan and Andrew, click HERE.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Candid Carter
November 23, 2009
Lil Wayne is not my favorite rapper, but he’s nicer than the guy who is. I respect his skills, his work ethic, and his creativity. He’s got clever metaphors for days, and he can flow on any beat. His latest mixtape No Ceilings has too many quotables to list, and his verses are so long it’s almost ridiculous. And after watching the all access, behind the scenes documentary about his life, The Carter, I like his music even more. Maybe it’s because he’s so passionate about it. All he ever really wants to do is record. He does it no matter where he is. In studios of course, but also in hotel rooms, on his tour bus, and anywhere else he can set up a microphone. He’ll even push the buttons himself, and he doesn’t write any of his lyrics down. And yo, he smokes weed and drinks sizzurp out of doubled up styrofoam cups all day and night. During interviews, recording sessions, hanging out on the bus, getting tattooed, you name it. The guy loves getting fucked up. It’s kind of impressive. I really suggest checking out this documentary when you get a chance, whether you like his music or not. Here’s a preview of it. The producers of the movie leaked the first 10 minutes, which shows him out in Amsterdam, and it will give you a feel for what it’s all about…
Oh, and if you want to check out No Ceilings, DOWNLOAD IT HERE…
Battle Bars
November 20, 2009
I love watching rap battles. This one is classic. Iron Solomon vs. Avalanche, live from Detroit. Iron Solomon is a beast, and if you’ve seen him before, you know he straight murders dudes. And he’s the obvious winner here. But this guy Avalanche is hilarious! His delivery cracks me up, and he has some really funny lines, especially in his second verse. And he’s even funny when he messes up, like in the start of his third verse, which also has a couple zingers. Very entertaining battle…
Fern Fun
November 18, 2009
Zach Galifianakis is back with another hilarious episode of his quirky talk show Between Two Ferns. This episode features special guest Conan O’Brien and appearances from Andy Richter and Andy Dick. Awesome. I totally LOL’d when I watched this…
BETWEEN TWO FERNS WITH SPECIAL GUEST CONAN O’BRIEN
For more Zach Galifianakis and Between Two Ferns episodes, CLICK HERE!!!!
Olympic Gold
November 18, 2009
NBC is using Matisyahu’s “One Day” as part of their promotion for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics. Very cool. Check the commercial above for a taste. I hope they give him a chance to perform this at the opening ceremony or something. And yo, Matis just told me the other day that he recorded a “One Day” remix with Akon. Wow. Keep your ears open for that.
Measuring Up To Her Dad
November 18, 2009
I’d like to think I have a good relationship with my father in law. We’re not BFF’s, but we get along very well, and I can make him laugh (with me not at me) which is a good thing. And we’ve had our male bonding moments too, you know, moving furniture together and stuff like that. But being a son in law can be tricky, so I try to stay on my toes and prove to him how manly I am when I have the opportunities to. I admit, it’s an intimidating relationship at times. But most importantly, I always make it very clear that I love his daughter.
My buddy Jonathan Lesser recently wrote a story in this month’s Men’s Health magazine describing his own relationship with his father in law, and how they became close through working together on remodeling his new home (a fixer upper). It’s a great story. And yeah dude, I can relate. Give it a read…
The Young Professional
November 11, 2009
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you….drum roll please!!!!! The brand new Stan Ipcus album. The Young Professional. This is my most personal work to date. I’ve matured.
The Young Professional is the story of a 31 year old married man living in the suburbs of New York City (Westcheddar 914), with a baby on the way, reflecting on his past and looking to his future, cleaning up his act, handling responsibility, working full time, and still having fun and making rap music.
Here’s my track by track breakdown…
“Intro”
When I was on my honeymoon, I copped this CD at this little record store on our layover in Laguna Beach by Martha Velez that was produced by Bob Marley. Once we finally got out to Kauai, I popped it in the rental car while we were driving around to check it out, and this one song on there hit me. It was too slow to rap too, but I looped it up anyway when I got home and figured I’d use it for something. So when it came time to put together an intro for the album, I reached for it. As for my ramblings, well I just wanted to say “thank you” to my family and everyone who has supported me over the past ten years I’ve been been releasing music, and shout out all the places I’ve lived that made me who I am today. This album is like the culmination of my life thus far. I’m looking back as I look forward. Like I said before, it’s personal.
“Auspicious”
That’s a dope word. This song is almost two years old, but I kind of stashed it away, knowing that I would use it for something special. I had one of the kids I work with read the definition of the word in the beginning of the song, which I recorded at my studio where I work. It sums up the meaning of the song. And yeah, that’s an Alchemist beat. I usually always jack something of his for all of my releases because he’s my favorite producer. At first, I had this in the middle of the album, but realized it was the perfect song to start everything off with. It’s lyrical, but not too heavy or topical, and it’s straight hip hop, with the vocal scratches and all. Plus, it was the first song on the album I recorded.
“A Pimp’s Proposal”
This is another one I had in the stash. Don’t let the whisper flow throw you off, I went in on this song lyrically. It’s funny, my wife, well we weren’t even engaged at the time but still she’s my wife now, she was sleeping in the other room and I was up and I was kinda twisted so I wanted to record this, but I didn’t want to wake her up. So I was like whispering into the mic! The beat is like your floating or something. Shout out to my boy Tic for putting me on to the song I got the loop from. Anyway, this is basically the story of how I dreamed of proposing to my wife. How I would do it and all that. But also, what the proposal really means. What the significance of the ring is, and us being married, and all that good stuff. The day I bought her engagement ring I was thumping this shit in my whip. It had me amped to get down on one knee.
“The Working Man Is A Sucker”
I shaped the concept of the album around this song. I looped the instrumental from The Menehan Street Band, who are the dudes that Jay-Z got the “Roc Boys” sample from. I don’t really program drums and all that, but I’m nice at finding loops to rap to and creating an intrumental format from them, with a hook and all that. I do that alot on this album. Kinda like what I did on my first album Pu Click Poetry. I guess I’ve come full circle. Anyway, this song is about what it’s like to be a rapper who has to work full time. I’ve always worked full time to make a living, which I’m proud of but in a way it held me back from really putting my all into my career as a rapper. But hey, I had to do it to live. This song explains the lifestyle of the young professional. There’s lots of us out there, who have to work hard to make a living. Sometimes our dreams suffer for it, but in the end of the day, it’s okay.
“Happy Hour”
This was fun to make. I looped up this new funk song I like and wrote a story to it about getting out of work and going to happy hour in NYC. I did the voice for my boss Fitz Winkleman, which is one of the old characters I used to do back in high school on my TV show Prime Time with Dan and Andrew. I gotta shout out my boy C Bats who inspired this song. He works in Manhattan and is always popping it off during the week like this. I come get up with him when I can. This is some real Westchester white boy shit though, in terms of the slang, behavior, and the overall story line of how a night after work can go down.
“Delegate of Hell”
I made this beat on Garage Band. True story. Fall back. Nah Right posts alot of my stuff, but I was proud when they posted this because I made it from scratch. The first verse is one of the best verses I ever wrote. This is probably my favorite song on the album. It’s dark, and lyrically vicious.
“College Park Homecoming”
This was the last song I recorded for the album. I downloaded Oddisee’s Odd Autumn, and once I heard this beat this story came to my mind. I know Oddisee from back in my University of Maryland days, which made the connection to telling the story of returning to my old stomping grounds in College Park perfect. It’s been a decade since I started doing official shows in October 1999, which is crazy to me. This beat gave me the canvas to paint that picture. It’s a really nostalgic little song. Those years were so important to my development as an artist and a person. It’s about time I revisited them. Shout out to the University of Maryland class of 2000.
“Picket Fence Dream”
I’ve never played this song for anyone. I played the beat for my boys when I first made it though, and they loved it. I made it like two years ago, and wrote the lyrics about a year ago. It’s funny, because I wrote it looking into the future, and it’s what actually ended up happening. I mean, we really do have a baby on the way, but back then, it was just a dream and something we always talked about. And it describes our wedding, which was pretty similar to the way I rap about it in the first verse, at least the feel of it. I was gonna flow more laidback on this, but the sample on the hook is sung with such emotion that I had to go harder, and I think it actually came out ill. It’s soulful. I put my all into this one. Hopefully people can hear that.
“Killin’ Time”
There’s so many dope blogs out there that post old soul gems from the 70’s that I never heard before. This is one of those songs. I extended the intro so I could rap to it, and I felt like the concept of the song fit with the album. My verse is about how I like to kill my time, back in the day and now, in terms of chilling and making music and stuff like that. ”This ain’t a hobby, it’s a lifestyle”. I say “remix” in the beginning because it’s structured how a modern day R & B song remix would be, with a rapper adding a verse to the beginning. I’ve been holding this one for a while too. Peep the slow flow.
“The Good Old Days”
This is my remake of Biz Markie’s “What Comes Around Goes Around”. Such a dope old hip hop track. I’m telling the stories of a couple of my old girlfriends and I how I first got with them. I’m spitting young G on this! True stories though. This is about as radio friendly as I get on this album, though the quality is kinda wack because I had trouble finding a good version of the instrumental. But I did find it, and the final product sounds kinda like some old tape from back in those days anyway so I guess it’s kind of fitting. I had this in the middle of the album before but then I decided I liked it at the end. I don’t know, it just ends nice. Like, those were the good old days, but now I’m looking to even better days in the future.
DOWNLOAD STAN IPCUS THE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
STREAM STAN IPCUS THE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ON IMEEM
Thanks to my dude David Roy for hooking up the album cover, and thanks to everyone else for their continued support. Enjoy the music. Peace and love.
FULL IP DISCOGRAPHY FREE DOWNLOAD 1999-2009
*UPDATE*
Decade Dingers
November 9, 2009
As we approach the end of the decade, the first of the 2000’s, there will be many “best of the decade” type lists and projects popping up. Every hip hop blogger is going to weigh in on what they feel is the best music from this decade. And rightfully so. I mean, the end of a decade is an appropriate time to reflect on the past. And for hip hop, well, it’s been an amazing ten years. As much as I love 90’s hip hop music, I think some exceptional material was released this decade, on albums, mixtapes, and more recently via the internet. So on that note, Westcheddar presents DECADE DINGERS, a compilation of 21 of some of my personal favorite cuts from the past ten years of hip hop music. There’s some mixtape gems, slept on album tracks, rarities, and even a couple blends, all which I would label as excellent post-90’s rap music. Don’t be upset if you don’t see your choice of songs or artists on here, you can make your own CD too. In fact, I encourage it. But this is how I will fondly remember the 2000-2009 hip hop. This CD represents IP’s taste buds for beats and rhymes. These are some of the tracks that got a lot of airplay in MY whip. I think you’re gonna like it. Some of it may be familiar, and some of it mat not. Or you might say, “I forgot about that joint!” Check the tracklist and then click the link below it to download…
DECADE DINGERS
1. Jay-Z “People Talking”
2. Jadakiss “From Now Til Then”
3. Cam’ron “Wet Wipes”
4. The Clipse featuring Pharrell Williams “Hello New World”
5. Nas “2nd Childhood”
6. Ghostface Killah “Outta Town Sh*t”
7. Raekwon “Who Woulda Thought” (Doo Wop and Thoro)
8. Mobb Deep “What Can I Do”
9. Prodigy “I Want You”
10. Lupe Fiasco “Lupe The Killer”
11. Kanye West “Late”
12. Common featuring Kanye West “Punch Drunk Love”
13. Beanie Sigel featuring Sparks “Tales of a Hustler”
14. Peedi Crack “What’s The Scenario?” (Green Lantern)
15. Jay-Z “Allure (Lt. Dan Blend)”
16. 50 Cent “Many Men (Pudgee P Blend)”
17. 50 Cent featuring Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo “Paper Chaser” (Whoo Kid)
18. Nas “Star Wars” (Whoo Kid premiere)
19. Camp Lo “Ticket For 2″
20. The Cool Kids “Delivery Man”
21. The Roots “Thought At Work (Original Version)”
I’m already working on a sequel to this, so stay tuned for that. I mean, it’s tough to sum up 10 years on one disc. What’s on your DECADE DINGERS?
*Bonus*
Hot 97’s Peter Rosenberg’s Top 13 Hip Hop Albums of the Decade on The Top 13
Behind The Blog
November 7, 2009
It’s no secret that Nah Right is my favorite blog. I check it every day without fail, and have been doing so since I found out about it a few years ago. It’s always early with the latest songs, videos, and web content from all my favorite hip hop artists and underground dudes to that I might not be up on yet. And Eskay (above), the dude who started the recently rated #1 hip hop blog in the world by both XXL and Vibe Magazine, is a Westcheddar native. He was raised in Yonkers (though he now lives in Queens he still reps YO hard), and had a similar 914 hip hop upbringing as I did, dubbing late night radio shows like Stretch and Bobbito, and venturing into the Bronx to cop mixtapes on and around Fordham Road. And I have to credit him for giving me my first big blog look when he debuted my video for “My Ferris Buellers” in the summer of 2008 after Cipha Sounds started playing the song on Hot 97. It was a thrill for me, especially since I’m an unsigned artist who had been trying to get my music on there for a while, and also because I am such a big fan of his blog. Since then, I’ve had lots of songs, videos, and my last two mixtapes posted on Nah Right, and it continues to be the most credible blog in hip hop. I am always excited to see my music posted up there. Even Jay-Z said he checks Nah Right regularly. Anyway, Unkut (another dope hip hop blog) recently did an in depth interview with Eskay, and it’s thorough. Check it out by clicking the links below…
Thanks to Eskay for all the love and support on Nah Right, and for always coming correct with all the latest exclusives. You changed the hip hop game for real for real. Who needs to go downtown to cop mixtapes now when we can just log on to your site and get ALL THE NEW SHIT?!?!?!? And also, a big shout out to Nation for holding me down with the posts on there too. I appreciate it fellas. Keep doing it. Hollerrrrrrr.
The Rumble
November 6, 2009
No Mas NYC aka “The Mas” recently gave their website a facelift, and added a bunch of new products to their store, including some great new Ali vs. Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle” inspired paintings by David Rathman (example below). They also have a new blog on the Sporting News website dedicated strictly to boxing called The Rumble. Check the links. Shout out to my cousin CI (pictured above in The Fader Magazine 2002)….
I need that painting for my new crib…
*UPDATE*
No Mas just released their latest video, which is an animated tale of when Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no hitter on June 12th, 1970 while he was on LSD. The video is narrated by Ellis himself (the audio was taken from an interview with NPR), who passed away last year. Awesome story, great visuals. Classic Mas…
