Year: 2011

Unfinished Business

My Dudes

White Plains native and DMV representative DJ ROZ is back with his latest mixtape, Reggae Volume Three: Unfinished Business. You know ROZ always comes correct with the mixtapes, and this one is perfect for the summer. Nothing but dancehall bangers and signature blends. This is modern day street style reggae music at its finest, featuring island stars like Mavado, Serani, Elephant Man, Vybz Kartel, and many more . Back cover with tracklist and download link below. This is a Westcheddar and Dirty Jax Clothing exclusive so get it while it’s hot!!!!!

Download DJ ROZ Reggae Volume Three: Unfinished Business

Big congratulations to my man Josh from Dirty Jax on the birth of his baby boy! Cop that fresh new Dirty Jax gear HERE. And catch Stan Ipcus and DJ ROZ live at the 1st Annual Saxon Woods Music Festival on Sunday July 31st in White Plains. Bow!

Lockout Laugh

My Dudes, Sports, The Good Old Days

With both the NFL and NBA in the midst of a lockout, there’s been a lot of talk about what will happen if the players and owners do not come to an agreement once their seasons start. Will the leagues use replacement players like the MLB did during 1995’s Spring Training? We will have to see. In the meantime, check out this classic clip from Prime Time with Dan and Andrew (our public access TV show we had back in high school), where my buddy Andrew and I spoof the idea of having replacement players in major league sports. This is sooooooo silly, but you have to admit, it’s genius!

An Oral History of Friday Night Lights

Interviews

Friday Night Lights is one of the greatest television dramas of all time, if not the best. Last night was the official end of its last season, and like many fans out there, I am sad to see it go. I highly recommend if you’ve never seen it, get a hold of Season One and dive in. You won’t be disappointed. And for those of you that have seen it and are junkies like me, please read this amazing oral history of the series, featuring interviews with all the stars, writers, and producers of the show….

Grantland: An Oral History of Friday Night Lights

Thanks for the memories Friday Night Lights. I think it’s about time I go check out the movie with the same name, I never saw it. Enjoy your Saturday, Westcheddar.

*Bonus*

Since we’re talking TV, the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm is underway, and Larry David just talked it up with the Huffington Post. Read the interview HERE.

Diamond In The Rough

Interviews, Published Material

When I first got the assignment from Complex Magazine to interview Diamond D for a producer feature, I was open. Diamond D was one of my favorite rappers and producers back in the 90’s. Not only was his solo album Stunts Blunts & Hip Hop a classic, but he would have these amazing guest verses on songs that I would recite in my head over and over, plus he produced some of my favorite tracks of all time (like Fat Joe and KRS-One’s duet “Bronx Tale”). I think the first time I ever heard of him was when he rapped on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Show Business,” which was one of the 40 plus songs we discussed for the interview that he produced and/or spit on. Dude was mad cool, and enthusiastic about his catalog, which made the whole process of putting this piece together one of my favorite experiences as a hip hop journalist. Lots of interesting, funny, and insightful stories to go along with two decades of amazing hip hop music made with the most legendary of artists, like Brand Nubian, Outkast, Big L, Lord Finesse, Busta Rhymes, The Pharcyde, and so many more. Enjoy…

Diamond D Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records

Oh, I have to post his video for “Best Kept Secret,” the first solo song he ever released which ended up being the lead single off his debut album. Peep New York Knicks monster Anthony Mason in the video!

And check out all the features I’ve done for Complex Magazine thus far HERE. I’m out!

All The Way Live with Matisyahu

My Dudes, Published Material, Stan Ipcus

I documented my recent appearance with Matisyahu at his Benefit Concert in NYC for a new ticketing and live entertainment site called Charged.FM, whose online magazine is being managed by my buddy Tommy Dee. Great night indeed, with Matis, Moshe, Aaron Dugan, and the rest of the gang (see pic below of heads backstage putting together the set list). I sat in for “WP” and a really dope rendition of my own song “Let’s Walk”. Read the entire story, and see pictures and video from the night, in the link below…

All The Way Live with Matisyahu: Unplugged and Personal

Thanks to my brother Matisyahu for inviting me to perform, and giving Charged.FM all exclusive access. Finger point to Tommy Dee for the assist, and shout to Johnny Ritchie for the sick photos. Here’s the video clip of “Let’s Walk”….

For all that is Matisyahu, including info on his summer tour, visit Matisyahu World. Hollerrrrr.

Summer Smoke

Uncategorized

Nas hopped on Raekwon’s latest album Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang after missing out on the opportunity to be on Only Built For Cuban Linx II. The track, “Rich & Black”, now has a video, filmed in Oslo, Norway, where the two linked up while on tour. Shit’s pretty live. Nice to see two OG’s enjoying themselves overseas and killing it…

Some more smoke, from Curren$y and his boys Trademark Da Skydiver and Young Roddy, called “Still”, from Weekend at Burnie’s. I like these dudes…

This is hot too, roll up to this. The first song/video off Weekend at Burnie’s, “#JetsGo”…

And finally, Prodigy drops something for the hood chicks called “Pebble Beach”. My type of shit (sorry, no video but stream away)…

Download it free HERE. Now go burn something kid!

*BONUS*

Check out this great two-part Ghostface interview from across the pond with Tim Westwood (who is hilarious), live in the back of a limo. Ghost is in rare form for this. Super animated, amazing chi…

Kapow!

Marvin’s Room

Uncategorized

Drake’s a dope rapper, but I prefer when he sings. He kills melodies and R & B flows, especially over the eloquence of his boy 40’s production. I liked this song “Marvin’s Room” when it came out (and all the middle school kids I work with are obsessed with it), but the video took the track to a whole new level. Very well put together. Props to Drizzy. Enjoy.

Oh, and click HERE to check out his other new shit “Trust Issues”, it’s hot. Later.

Sports Posters from the 80’s

My Dudes, Sports, The Good Old Days

My cousin CI over at No Mas NYC and now also Doubleday & Cartwright is part of a very cool event on Thursday, featuring sports posters from the 80’s that many of us had on our bedroom walls back in the day. Here’s more about it, courtesy of Sports Illustrated:

On June 23, Salon 94 in Manhattan is opening its “For The Kids” exhibit, which will feature the classic sports posters of John and Tock Costacos. The brothers were originally sports t-shirt manufacturers, but started a side business creating “fantasy” sports posters that gave professional sports heroes a larger-than-life look and appeal. Here is a sneak peek at some of the posters that will be on display…

I took the liberty of picking out my favorites from the SI event preview. But you can see all 16 they posted HERE. Stay classy Westcheddar.

*Bonus*

I’ve posted this on Westcheddar before, but I have to show it some love here. Not sure if the Costacos brothers are responsible for this one, but I had it on my wall well into my 20’s. Shout out to Don Mattingly, my favorite baseball player and athlete of all time. Go LA Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!

Chocolate Boy Wonder

Interviews, Published Material

My latest feature for Complex Magazine’s website gave me the opportunity to talk with one of my childhood idols, Mount Vernon producer Pete Rock, for over two hours about all his classic records. Man, this guy’s catalog is so crazy, I venture to say I’d put it up against any hip hop producer from this generation. Read all the stories in the link below. Enjoy…

Pete Rock Breaks Down All His Classic Records

And check out this video featuring Pete Rock recording “Tha Game” with Prodigy, Raekwon, and Ghostface, off his Soul Survivor album, which is one of the songs we talked about in the interview. Ill footage from the good old days…

Got more crazy Complex interviews coming soon. Excited to share them with you. Peace.

*UPDATE*

This just went up yesterday. A feature I did with the highly underrated Mr. Porter from Eminem and Dr. Dre’s camp. Read/listen/watch HERE.

Gucci Gucci

Uncategorized

My homegirl Leah Rose recently moved back to the Bay Area, and in our latest email correspondence she told me to check out this white rap chick Kreayshawn’s new song “Gucci Gucci”, which is supposedly making a lot of noise out there. Yo. This shit is ill. “Swag pumpin’ out my ovaries…” What?!?!? And she’s from Oakland, where I was born! I’m repping for this girl hard body from this moment on. Check the video, it’s b-a-n-a-n-a-s. Learn more about her HERE. Peace to all my family in California. Uno.