Aziz Steez
April 9, 2012
Aziz Ansari is probably my favorite stand-up comedian on the scene right now. He’s got great energy, awesome material, and he’s relatable to my generation. One of my favorite things about him is his ability to tell stories about his interactions with famous rappers. He talked about hanging out with Kanye West on his first DVD, and told a hilarious story about how Jay-Z doesn’t like the movie E.T. on his Juan Epstein appearance a few months back. And now, on his new online special Dangerously Delicious, which you can cop HERE for $5, he tells a story about how he eavesdropped on 50 Cent in a restaurant and discovered that 50 didn’t know what a grapefruit was. LOL on a hundred thousand trillion…
And for those of you who like to read interviews (I DO!), check out his sit-down “Dinner with Daniel” on Grantland HERE. It’s a fun read! Aziz came back to Juan Epstein last week too, which you can download HERE. I might have to go check this dude one night during his new tour (see poster above and click HERE for dates). I haven’t seen a comedian live in concert since Dave Chappelle came to the University of Maryland in the late 90s. Good shit Aziz!
Thai Joint
April 2, 2012
I stumbled upon this video by rapper Denmark Vessey called “That One Thai Joint” on Egotripland a week or so ago (watch above), and I love it. The beat is SICK. And dude can spit too. I immediately dug deeper to see what he was all about. Turns out he’s a Detroit native now holding it down in Chicago, and he’s starting to build a buzz with his “Leakly Weeks” series where he drops a new video every Monday. Check out “Green Party Swishercrat” below also, a smoker’s song of his that I’m feeling…
More on Denmark Vessey HERE, and follow him on Twitter to stay up on all his new shit. One.
*UPDATE*
#CultClassic
Leaders of the New School 2012
March 23, 2012
The next generation of really, really dope rappers is starting to emerge. Thank god. I was getting worried, but it makes sense that these guys who were born during the 90′s when shit was so pure and rugged are coming around full circle to make the same type of shit. Their parents probably played Wu-Tang and Nas and shit like that when they were in the crib (literally) and it soaked in to their brains or something. As a parent, I know I try to put my kids on to the ill shit, even though they’re both under two. Fuck it. My older son Luca feels beats. He bops his head hard and all that. It’s hysterical.
The first guy who really caught me by surprise is Wiki, who’s from Uptown and spits like a young Eminem but with an NYC flair. His video for “Wikispeaks” is excellent, and it’s apparent with this one song that he’s one of the most talented young rappers out right now. It’s actually mind-boggling how nice he is. And he’s definitely on some throwback shit. He looks like a kid from the movie Kids, seems to have a preference for beers and blunts, and “Wikispeaks” sounds like something from an old Stretch and Bobbito radio show. Watch the video above, and then check out his EP 1993.
Somehow, as I explored Wiki’s Twitter page and other posts on the net about him, I came across another young rapper from NYC, Brooklyn to be exact, named Joey Bada$$ (picture above). Yo. This dude is sick. He reminds me of my boy Nef from the BX that I went to Maryland with, who I always tell people is the nicest rapper I ever exchanged bars with. Anyway, Joey Bada$$ is down with Smoker’s Club (Smoke DZA, Johnny Shipes is his manager, etc) and is only a Junior in High School, but is super duper dope, with smart, clever lyrics, tons of flow, and a great rap voice. His song “Waves” is my favorite shit out right now hands down. Listen above, and then watch his video for “Survival Tactics” with his boy Capital STEEZ below…
Kid is nice, right? Finally, Cali collective Odd Future, who I admit I was never the hugest fan of, is back at it, especially with the return of Earl Sweatshirt, their most talented and lyrical rapper who had been missing in action for the past year. Check the video for their posse cut “Oldie” led by Tyler, The Creator and featuring their whole crew (off their new album coming soon), including a top notch verse from Earl towards the end. These kids are off the chain (they basically just fuck around at a photo shoot in the video), and the beat is straight boom bap…
Finally, I never really posted A$AP Rocky’s shit, but him and his A$AP crew from Harlem are making a lot of noise, and it would be irresponsible of me not to include them in this post. He covered the last issue of Complex, and has lots of new material starting to surface. My favorite shit of his is easily “Peso” which you’re probably up on by now since they play it on Hot 97 and the video’s been on every blog in the world. He’s not the most amazing rapper, and is more on some next shit than some throwback shit, but for good measure, I’m including him here, because this song/video is hot and he’s for sure one of the leaders of the 2012 new school…
Yes, the next generation of spitters is here, and they’re ready to make their mark. We’ll have to see how far they can take it. Regardless, it’s nice to see that the hip-hop community is embracing that realness again. Enough with the party and bullshit, right? Cheah.
*Related*
Odd Future vs. Joey Bada$$ (MTV Rap Fix Live)
Peter Rosenberg interviews Earl Sweatshirt for the first time since his return
Nardwuar vs. A$AP Rocky (and A$AP crew)
*Update*
Watch this mini-doc Vice Magazine did with Joey Bada$$, where they visit him at school and kick it with his crew too. Dope…
ALSO, MUST READ: Who is Wiki? | Complex
The Godfather Turns 40
March 15, 2012
40 years ago today, on March 15, 1972, the epic Mafia movie The Godfather was released. I think I saw it for the first time in when I was in my late teens, and I remember a period during my sophomore year of college where I was completely obsessed with both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II. I love Goodfellas, and Carlito’s Way, but The Godfather trilogy (minus Part III lol) is where it’s at. Every time I watch the first and second Godfather, I notice something new that I never picked up on before. To celebrate the film’s 40th, I encourage you all to read this in-depth story from Vanity Fair (originally published in 2009) about the making of the film. It’s an excellent look behind the scenes of how arguably the greatest movie of all time came to be…
The Godfather Wars | Vanity Fair
Shout to AMC, who has been running The Godfather trilogy all month. Keep your eye out for it. Later gangsters.
*Bonus*
What’s Woody
March 12, 2012
Being a huge Woody Allen fan, I was hyped when his new documentary arrived on my doorstep last week. Turns out my Mom saw it on Amazon and had it shipped to me as a surprise. How cool is that? Anyway, after a long week of work and being a Dad, I finally found some time over the weekend while the kids were napping and my wife was out shopping to watch the two part doc in full. And though I admit I dozed off towards the end of part one with my younger son asleep on my chest (shit I was up on the morning shift feeding the kid at 6 A.M. what do you want from me?), I loved every minute of it. Check the trailer…
There are some great parts of this doc. Of course, the interviews with everyone are interesting, from Scarlett Johansson to Larry David, but the best is the behind the scenes access we get to Woody’s private life. He shows us the old ass typewriter he’s written every one of his movies on, and how he literally cuts and pastes his scripts together. Plus, he pulls out a pile of scrap papers he has compiled next to his bed, filled with notes and ideas that he turns into movie magic. Lots more stuff too as the doc runs through Woody’s entire career. Yo, dude has so many movies! There’s lots I need to catch up on for real for real. Stuff I not only hadn’t seen, but never even really heard of. Anyway, to get you warmed up some more, watch Filmmaker Robert Weide’s 12 Question interview with Woody Allen…
Cop the DVD HERE. Thanks Mom!
Biggie Remembered
March 9, 2012
The greatest rapper of all time, Biggie Smalls aka The Notorious B.I.G., died 15 years ago on March 9th, 1997. To celebrate his life and remember his contributions to hip-hop, various sites have been paying tribute to B.I.G. today. Thanks to UpNorthTrips, who I helped put a Biggie Tribute together with in 2010, we can check out 15 of the most important links on the 15th anniversary of his murder, including a chilling interview done with a former LAPD detective by Complex Magazine’s Rob Kenner (who I work very closely with on the reg) uncovering who exactly is responsible for killing Biggie. Check the links, courtesy of UpNorthTrips…
15 YEARS | 15 LINKS
The Notorious B.I.G. “ego trip” Magazine Article (1997) (via @egotripland)
Biggie’s Top 10 Jamaican References (via @LargeUp)
Former L.A.P.D Detective Says He Know who Killed Biggie (via @complexmusic/ @boomshots)
Biggie’s Best Bball References (via @SlamOnline)
Top 5 Notorious B.I.G Trademarks (via @villagevoice/@soundofthecity)
The Notorious B.I.G.: From Unsigned Hype To King Of NY (via @hiphopwired/@Dart_Adams)
J. Period & G. Brown’s Complete B.I.G Tribute Collection (via @jperiodBK)
How Ya Livin Biggie Smalls? (via @thefader)
Ready To Die: By The Numbers (via @XXLstaff)
The 50 Best Notorious B.I.G Songs (via @complexmag/@fakeshoredrive)
Machine Gun Funk: Producers Remember B.I.G (via @nodfactor/@JLBarrow)
Was The Notorious B.I.G’s “Hustler’s Prayer” Answered? (via @tsscrew/@justintinsley)
Lil Kim, Lil Cease, Mister Cee, DJ Premier and More Tell Biggie’s Life Story (via @vibemagazine)
What IF Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Had Lived? (via @allhiphop/@chuckcreekmur)
Notorious B.I.G’s 15 Biggest Billboard Hits (via @Billboard)
Shouts to my dude Ev Boogie at UNT. We got some shit cooking up for ’12 so stay tuned…
*BONUS*
Mr. Cee’s 3 Hour B.I.G. Tribute Mix | Hot 97 (via RapRadar)
RIP B.I.G.
The Shins Live in Manhattan
March 8, 2012
In association with NPR Music, The Shins played a private show at le Poisson Rouge last night to promote their upcoming album Port Of Morrow which drops March 20th. I know, I’ve been posting mad Shins shit, but fuck it. This is my favorite band, and them coming out with a new album after a five year hiatus is a big deal here at Westcheddar. Last night, the show streamed live on the NPR Music iPad app (which is free and super dope), and I tuned in happily, enjoying every minute as they played the perfect mix of classics and new tracks from POM. It was a pleasant alternative to watching the Knicks stink it up for a second night in a row. And now, the entire show is available to watch on the NPR Music website! Yes!
The Shins Live at le Poisson Rouge, March 7th, 2012 | NPR Music
By the way, I was sent a copy of the new Shins album this week, and I really like it. At first, it’s hard to hear songs that I was introduced to originally through live recordings and YouTube footage. But the production is great, and it’s totally my speed, so I’m slowly but surely starting to prefer the album versions to the live ones I previously had in heavy rotation. Def go get it when it comes out. Peace.
Bam Bam Bronson
March 2, 2012
Action Bronson has a new project coming out this month with producer Party Supplies called Blue Chips, sponsored by Complex and Reebok. To promote it, they put out a short video showcasing Bronson going in while Party Supplies freaks a sample on the MPC. Shout to my boy Kaliph for using this sample a couple years ago on a track we did together called “Shoot The Breeze.” Maybe one day I’ll release that. For now, here’s Bam Bam with the blam blam…
One more from Bronson (not on Blue Chips), featuring crazy ass white rapper RiFF RaFF, called “Bird on a Wire.” The video features Bronson rapping with two humugous spliffs dangling from his mouth and RR frontin’ on the 80′s celly while the rest of their pound walks the streets of Los Angeles with them in a drunken, smoked out haze. Hypnotically fun…
Blue Chips drops March 12th. Chhhhhhhhhheah.
*BONUS*
Watch fellow Queens native Prodigy perform “Keep It Thoro” on East Village Radio with Elliott Wilson…
*UPDATE*
Watch the first official video off Blue Chips called “Hookers at the Point” HERE.
*UPDATE PT. 2*
FREE DOWNLOAD- Action Bronson & Party Supplies BLUE CHIPS (via Complex)
Action Bronson x Complex Interview
Tough Break-up
March 2, 2012
Robin Pecknold of the Fleet Foxes let this break-up song he wrote and recorded fly on his Soundcloud page recently. He pulled it down shortly after, but someone put it on YouTube (nice job). This is as sad and melancholy as a song can get. Check it out, it’s called “Olivia, In a Separate Bed.” What a beautiful heartache.
Ghost Clips
February 29, 2012
Every once in a while, I get the urge to post some throwback hip-hop shit. Tonight, I’m in a Ghostface Killah mood. Here are two clips that never really surfaced on the mainstream hip-hop video shows, but nevertheless are classics. First is “Mighty Healthy,” followed by “Cobra Clutch.” Two of my favorite Ghost songs ever. Enjoy…
“Mighty Healthy”
“Cobra Clutch”
Don’t fuck with Ghost, you’ll feel sorry!!!!! Yo, for the real heads, UpNorthTrips (where I got the pic above) posted a record with some unreleased Ghost gems a few months back. Get that HERE. I’m out. One.
*BONUS*
I just got put on to this project my boys at The Diggers Union put out this week, featuring blends of Ghostface rapping over DJ Premier beats. They also did a couple sweet little mini-mixes of original samples used by Ghost and Preem. Check it out for free HERE.
