Since my Terps didn’t make the NCAA Tournament this year, I decided to bring something new to March. IPCUS MADNESS. A tournament featuring a field of 64 Stan Ipcus songs, all fighting to be voted THE GREATEST STAN IPCUS SONG OF ALL TIME!!!! Peep the bracket below…
The first round starts today. To play, all you have to do is stay tuned to my Facebook, Twitter, or Soundcloud, listen to the two songs in each game that I post, and vote for your favorite! Posting your votes on Facebook underneath each game post is probably the preferred method, but if you aren’t on FB, use the other links below to follow along and vote by hitting me up with @ replys or DMs on Twitter or leaving your votes in the Westcheddar comments section…
(Souncloud is where all the battles are posted to scroll through)
I will update the bracket above with winners, and recap all the action on Westcheddar too. Thanks for participating. Enjoy the music, and most importantly, have fun!!!!!!!
I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my all time favorite rap artists a couple weeks ago, Raekwon the Chef, for my first Complex Magazine online feature. It was such a dope first assignment for Complex, wow. We talked for about two hours, going through a list of his 25 essential songs that I put together for the feature. He was completely cool and engaged, and had a bunch of crazy stories to tell about the making of his classic songs, videos, and collaborations (see Raekwon above with Mobb Deep and Nas during the creation of “Eye for an Eye”). Lots of funny moments too, and various other behind the scenes jewels. Plus, he signed an autograph for my son as “Uncle Chef”!!!!! So sick. Here’s the feature on Complex Magazine’s website…
Thanks to Raekwon and Complex Magazine for allowing me to put together this historic hip hop feature! Peep the picture of me and the god above. Salute! And make sure you check out Raekwon’s new album, Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang, it’s in stores now. Cop/preview it HERE. Listen to one of my favorite tracks off the album “Ferry Boat Killaz” produced by The Alchemist below, it’s a banger…
Also, make sure you flip through Complex’s Top 50 Hip Hop Magazine Covers HERE. And in memory of the late Biggie Smalls (he died on 3/9/97), read his last Source Magazine interview HERE.
*BONUS*
Rae and Ghost perform their banger “Rock N Roll” off Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon…
What’s a better activity for a Friday night than checking out some live music? Well, for those of us that are stuck in the unfortunate position of not being able to go out on this brisk March evening, Westcheddar presents Friday Night Live, a medley of some of my favorite live music clips, past and present. Enjoy the show…
Bob Marley “Bad Card” (Live rehearsal in studio, 1980)
This is one of the most slept on Bob Marley cuts, and actually the first time I heard it was when I saw this clip on one of his video biographies. Ill footage…
The Avett Brothers “Murder In The City” (Live in San Francisco 2009)
The Avett Brothers just tore it down at the Grammy’s (alongside Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan), and are certainly on my bucket list of bands to see live. Here’s the best song from their The Second Gleam EP, which is my favorite of their releases. Respect the fan footage, it makes you feel like you’re in the festival crowd…
Cold War Kids “Royal Blue” (Live on Jimmy Kimmel 1/11)
I’ve always liked this band. They have a new album out, Mine Is Yours, and this groovy rock tune is one of the standouts from it. When I play the intro, my son 9 month old son automatically starts rocking his head and body front to back…
Amy Winehouse “You Know I’m No Good” (Live on The DL Show, 2007)
Every Friday night needs a woman. Here’s Amy Winehouse, at the peak of her dopeness, just flat out going in on her first single from Back To Black…
John Legend “Stay With You” (Live in Philly 2002)
This was my wedding song. It’s cool to see him performing it before he blew up…
Eminem “Wake Up Show Freestyle” (Live, 1998)
My boy D-Noyd let me borrow his Wake Up Show VHS tape back in college, and this clip was on it. There was no doubt that Em was gonna blow up crazy back then, especially after seeing this shit. This might be the greatest rap radio performance in the history of, well, rap radio…
The Black Keys “Howlin’ For You” (Live on KCRW, 12/10)
The Black Keys just won a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. And they totally deserved it. This is one of the songs from Brothers that I’ve been pumping alot lately…
Stevie Wonder “Rocket Love” (Live, 1995)
Stevie Wonder is a musical genius! Say it like Eddie Murphy, it’s fun. You might recognize the melody to this song off his album Hotter Than July if you’re a Wu Tang fan. Click the vid below, and the link to Youtube will pop up (pardon me, it won’t play directly on the site but it’s so good I had to include it)…
Well, that’s it for Friday Night Live. Thanks for coming to the show!
*BONUS*
I heard Iron & Wine’s set/interview on WFUV’s Studio A sessions with Rita Houston the other night on my ride home from work, and wanted to add some footage from it to this post. This song, “Tree By The River”, is on his new album Kiss Each Other Clean. Peep the pretty, stripped down version below…
So the Knicks made it happen and got Carmelo Anthony. I can’t front, watching him be announced in MSG for his first game Wednesday night was one of the most exciting sports moments I’ve ever witnessed as a Knicks fan. I was sad to see my dogs get traded away, particularly Raymond Felton who I instantly became a huge fan of when he came to New York this past summer. And my wife was a little tore up about Gallo getting dealt away. But once the game started, the reality of Melo being here washed away any signs of lingering sadness. And Chauncey Billups is a strong pickup in the deal too! New York basketball was back when Amar’e got here, but now it’s REALLY back! And it only took about 24 hours for the “Black and Yellow” remix we were all waiting for to hit the internet, “Stat and Melo”. Props to the kid Judge Hyp who made this, he did a good job. Amar’e even gave it his co-sign in a tweet!
“Miami Heat? That’s nothin’…” Well, we’ll see on Sunday if Stat and Melo can shut down Wade and Lebron. Should be a super fun game to watch. For now, let’s savor the highlights from Carmelo Anthony’s first game as a Knick (watch below), and hope they can handle Cleveland tonight…
As always, for all Knicks related news and opinions, stay tuned to my dude Tommy Dee and The Knicks Blog. GO NY GO NY GO!!!
*UPDATE*
Tough loss to the Cavs on Friday night, but the Knicks beat the Heat!
It’s not often that I come across a stand-up comedian that I think is really funny. But this dude Hannibal Buress is hilarious. Quick bio: He’s in his late 20’s, from Chicago but now lives in New York, and he’s been a staff writer on both SNL and 30 Rock. And his jokes are legit, equipped with killer material and an offbeat delivery. Watch his recent set on Late Night with David Letterman so you can get a feel for his style…
Hannibal has a live comedy album out, titled My Name is Hannibal, that has been cracking me up on my rides to work this week. I suggest you check it out, especially if you enjoyed his Letterman clip above. Cop/preview it HERE. And for all else that is Hannibal, stay tuned to his Twitter and Tumblr. Cheah.
My homeboys Shem’s Disciples just put together a nice cover of Bruno Mars’ song “Count On Me”, and I’m digging it. Perfect for the little duns. Peep the video below of my dude Moshe and his guitarist going in. Tell me Moshe doesn’t have some of the best chi around…
So Shem’s Disciples asked me to hop on a remix of the song, and of course you can count on Big Ip to come through for my peeps. They sent the track over last night, and I wrote my verse early this morning. Here’s a little preview video to give you a taste of what’s to come. Pardon the sick voice (literally), I’m a bit under the weather…
Stay tuned for the official remix coming soon! Hollerrrrr…
My Pelham pal Jonathan Lesser is bald, but he’s hoping his son won’t ever have to worry about that. In his latest piece for The Good Men Project Magazine titled “The Cure for Baldness Is Almost Here”, Jonny tells us that our generation of men will most likely be the last to ever have to go bald. Good news for his son, but unfortunately his own head is still “follically challenged”. Click the link to read…
Nice work. And as a bit of a bonus, check out a couple related clips. First, in this hilarious Seinfeld scene, George gets a hairpiece to hide his baldness from a woman who ironically ends up being bald herself…
And here, Larry David discusses baldness with a potential chef for his new restaurant on Curb Your Enthusiasm (Larry fires him later in the episode after discovering that the guy actually wears a hairpiece on the low haha)…
One more. Larry is the victim of a “hate crime” against bald people after refusing to give teenage girls with no costumes candy on Halloween. Classic…
Shout out to all my balding brothers out there. I can’t front, I’m starting to thin out a bit myself up top. All good though. Sounds like science is looking out for our seeds. Oh, and if you missed it, read a great story that Lesser wrote a year or so ago for Men’s Health about his relationship with his father-in-law HERE. Toodles.
Knicks rookie Landry Fields took his talents to the local Modell’s sporting goods store in Greenburgh this week, and went undercover as a salesman in an attempt to try and move some new #6 Landry Fields jerseys. Keep an eye out for him when you’re around town in Westcheddar, he’s been spotted in White Plains a couple times recently too. And go cop a Landry Fields jersey man! That’s all Spike Lee rocks (see pic above). Check the video, it’s pretty funny. Definitely love the Stat impression at the end…
I Love You, Man is easily my favorite movie of the past few years. Paul Rudd’s character, Peter Klaven, is absolutely hilarious. His whole awkward schtick is unbelievable. Well, Peter and Sidney (Jason Segal) are back, and this time, they’ve returned to meet their favorite band Rush (weird!) backstage after a recent show. Let the awkwardness commence!
*Bonus*
Watch some Peter Klaven outtakes from I Love You, Man. Amazing.
Ok, I’m gonna let this one fly. My boy DJ Roz has a new mixtape coming out in a few weeks, and he asked me to do an exclusive for it. You know I had to come through for him with some crazy shit. Check it out, over Big Daddy Kane’s “Warm It Up Kane” instrumental. This is the illest rap I’ve spit in a minute, if I do say so myself. Enjoy…
And if you want a blast from the past, download that Stan Ipcus x DJ Roz classic mixtape Real BreezyHERE. And stay tuned for that new DJ Roz Champion Sounds mixtape coming soon. Holler at your boy!
Westcheddar 