President Obama was a guest on The BS Report with Bill Simmons this week, talking nothing but sports. It’s a great conversation, and they dive into everything from Obama being up on Jeremy Lin before Linsanity to throwing out the first pitch wearing a bulletproof vest to the ’85 Chicago Bears visiting the White House. Watch a few clips below, and get the full audio/video and transcript HERE.
Harrison meets Yonkers as the Rosenthal brothers from ItsTheReal interview Jadakiss over NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando. This is a true Westcheddar connection…
More NBA All-Star Weekend The Check-In interviews with everyone from Dwight Howard to comedian Kevin Hart HERE. And for those missed it, peep my Westcheddar interview with the Rosenthals, and my Complex interview feature with Jadakiss. Ahaa!
Big Sean is a big deal. When I told the high school kids I work with that I was interviewing him, they were like, “Word?!?!!?” I first heard him on Kanye’s Can’t Tell Me Nothing mixtape, and I thought his song “Get’cha Some” was dope. Kanye kind of snuck it on at the end of the tape to give his new artist some shine. Who knew five years later he would be named one of MTV’s Top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game for 2011. Check the summary and link to the interview below:
In this revealing interview, Big Sean talks about his unique upbringing in Detroit and how it shaped his perspective on the world, the lessons Kanye West taught him about making music, the tanning moment he had watching a mostly all-white crowd jam out to “Dance (A$$),” and the love he’s gotten from megastars like Chris Brown and the NBA’s 2011 MVP, Derrick Rose. He also shares his thoughts about the buzz surrounding the emergence of another NBA star, Asian sensation, Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, and making MTV’s “Top 10 Hottest MCs in the Game” list.
I had the pleasure of interviewing my favorite new band, Electric Guest, for Pigeons & Planes. These dudes are dope, and Danger Mouse produced their entire debut album Mondo, which drops in April. Plus, their lead singer/songwriter Asa Taccone (above left) is from Berkeley, California, my original hometown (I moved to White Plains, New York when I was five). Here’s a little synopsis, and the link to the interview is below:
We got on the horn with the duo behind Electric Guest, Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton, to talk about their musical roots, their artist/producer relationship with Danger Mouse, their home-grown recording process, and the development of their live show. We also discussed the concept behind their disturbing video for “American Daydream” (it was directed by Asa’s older brother Jorma Taccone of The Lonely Island), how local radio helped build their buzz, and how they plan to not compromise their integrity for the sake of success. These are the trials and tribulations of a hard-working new band, led by two extremely passionate musicians with solid industry backing, just trying to be heard by doing the one thing they know how to do best: be themselves.
I had an interesting interview published last week on Complex with battle rap monster Iron Solomon, who told me the stories behind his Top 5 battles of all time. It’s an interesting read, and you can watch all the battles above each story in the feature. Here’s my intro, and the link is below…
You probably remember the first time you saw Iron Solomon in a rap battle. Whether it was live on the streets or online, there’s no question you were instantly captivated. Sure, he’s a white guy with glasses who can rap his ass off, but that’s not the only draw. With Iron Solomon, it’s deeper than rap, and larger than race. He has the ability to break down any opponent, on the spot, all the time, with no fear.
Iron Solomon, who grew up in Manhattan on the Upper West Side aka South Harlem (shout to ItsTheReal), started on the battle scene in his late teens by hitting up well known Manhattan-based open mics and competitions like Braggin’ Rights and End of the Weak, making a name for himself as a skilled lyricist with a knack for humorous couplets and witty punchlines.
After taking out underground legend Immortal Technique in his late teens, Iron Solomon got the taste for blood, and went on to verse anyone and everyone who presented a challenge, eventually dethroning the Asian assassinJin at New York’s premiere battleground Fight Klub with thousands of dollars on the line.
From there, Solomon was in high demand for big-time rap battles. He made an unforgettable appearance onSmack DVD at Fat Beats in New York against the roughest, toughest battler on the scene, Math Hoffa (who had literally knocked out his previous opponent with a fist to the face). He jaw jousted with 106 & Park championAvalanche in Detroit. He went toe to toe in Miami with Philly street sweeper (and MTV’s Making The Bandalumnus) E. Ness, all of which garnered hundreds of thousands of video views (his battle with E. Ness currently clocks in at 1.3 million clicks). Thanks to YouTube, we can all enjoy his various roastings endlessly.
Iron Solomon has been planning to step away from the battle scene to focus on recording for some time. Now he’s gearing up to release his debut album Monster on March 27th through Royal (Iron’s imprint) and a partnership with 3D (a subsidiary of Duck Down).
As he makes his transition from the streets to the studio, we asked him to tell the tales behind his Top 5 Battles Of All Time. From the set-up, to the comeback, to the final punchline, it’s all here.
As part of Complex’s J Dilla Tribute Week, I interviewed this dude Brian “Raydar” Ellis, a teacher at Berklee School of Music in Boston who leads the first and only J Dilla Ensemble, where students re-interpret music from Dilla’s catalog using live instrumentation. I’ve never been the hugest Dilla fan, but I certainly respect his work and what he contributed to hip-hop, and think it’s really cool that a traditional music institution like Berklee is branching out a bit and offering courses like this to its students. Raydar and I had an interesting discussion about the J Dilla Ensemble and its inception, and what goes on inside the classroom. We also talked about what sets J Dilla apart from other legendary hip-hop producers, and his contributions to A Tribe Called Quest’s catalog. This is a must read for Dilla fans, and people who may not know enough about his greatness. Take a glimpse at the future of music education, hip-hop style!
Check out my boy J Swiss’ Dilla tribute song/video, “Geek Down,” off his This 1 Is 4 Dilla mixtape, which dropped the same day as the feature above. Swiss is doing his thing down at UNC-Chapel Hill, and still reppin’ Dobbs Ferry and the 914 heavy…
My boy Matisyahu shaved his beard last month, and it was big news! The pics he posted on Twitter were all over the Internet, from the Huffington Post to the Washington Post to Billboard Magazine. Crazy. What’s funny is that I was just with him over Thanksgiving, and a few days before we got up I had a dream that he shaved his beard! True story!
So now the dust has settled a bit (pun intended), and Matis is in the lab working on his new album, Sparkseeker. And he’s been sending me songs to put verses on, so look out for your boy possibly being on there.
Matis recently did an interview with DJ Whoo Kid, one of my favorite mixtape DJs and hip-hop personalities of all time, and they discussed the shave (he got it done at Supercuts LOL), his influences, and his thoughts on current artists that are out now. He also talks about the show we did in Mount Vernon in 2000 (the picture from that day is the Westcheddar header see above) and mentions Stanley Ipcus, which is crazy because I met Whoo Kid on a plane coming home from doing a show with Matis at Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Whoo Kid’s reaction to hearing my name is awesome. Very cool that he knew who I was and remembered me. Check the clip above. Pow!
It’s been a crazy past couple of days in the NBA. Chris Paul trade rumors were flying, and Knicks fans like myself were psyched at the possibility of landing him, but nervous about losing our leader Amar’e Stoudemire in the process. Then, the three team deal with the Lakers and Rockets popped up, sending Chris Paul to L.A., Pau Gasol to Houston, and Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, and Luis Scola to New Orleans. As a Knicks fan, I took a deep breath, happy that Stoudemire wasn’t going anywhere, but a little deflated about not landing Chris Paul. Then, the trade got vetoed by David Stern and the NBA owners. What? That can happen? Crazy! But amidst Chris Paul stuff, the Knicks acquired big man Tyson Chandler (who just won a championship with the Mavs), which is a guy I’ve been saying since last season they needed to go after. They had to get rid of Chauncey Billups in the process but I’m not sweating that. In the end, as a Knicks fan, I’m happy with what has transpired. We needed a true center, and we got the best one on the market. And as I write this, it sounds like the Chris Paul three team trade deal is being re-submitted for approval by David Stern. So we’ll see what happens with that. It’s going to be an interesting NBA season to say the least. I’m fired up for the Knicks, and psyched for the Westcheddar Hoops League fantasy season to get underway as well.
On Friday afternoon, in the aftermath of the big trade veto, ESPN’s Bill Simmons sat down with Michael Rapaport, a major New York sports fan and one of my actors, on Simmons’ podcast The B.S. Report. Rapaport, who also directed the excellent A Tribe Called Quest documentary that came out on DVD in October, talked to Simmons about the Chris Paul trade veto, the state of the NBA, the Knicks, classic sports movies, ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, parenthood, playing against Justin Bieber during All-Star weekend, the Tribe doc, and much more. This is my first time listening to The B.S. Report, and I thoroughly enjoyed this episode. Simmons is a cool guy, and of course Rapaport, who name drops old school New York players like Herb Williams and Mark Bavaro during the podcast, is the man. Love that guy. Link below…
If you don’t have it already, get yourself a copy of Bill Simmons’ The Book Of Basketball HERE. It’s a must own for any true NBA hoops fan. And stay tuned to Westcheddar for more NBA coverage throughout the season…
*BONUS*
Got a couple Michael Rapaport related bonuses. First, a classic appearance with him on Conan O’Brien in 1997. Rosie Perez was also a guest. Fun clip…
Also, here’s Rapaport with Stones Throw captain and Tribe doc music supervisor Peanut Butter Wolf on Amoeba Records series What’s In My Bag?
My latest Complex Magazine 25 Essential Songs online feature is with none other than Bronx legend Fat Joe, one of my favorite rappers of all time. He spits hard, has plenty of charisma, and he knows how to make hits. And he had plenty of great stories to tell about working with guys like Big Pun, Nas, Kool G. Rap, Big L, and Eminem, and even had me cracking up on the phone a few times too! Plus, he got on speaker phone when the interview was over to say what’s up to a few of my middle school kids at the BGC and show them some love. Here’s the link to the feature. Enjoy…
And here’s a clip of Fat Joe I dug up (that he referred to in the interview) backstage at The Fever on Video Music Box with Ralph McDaniels before his first album dropped. And everybody is in the building with him! KRS-One, Kool DJ Red Alert, Dres from Black Sheep, Showbiz and A.G., Lord Finesse, DJ Premier, Sadat X, etc. Pretty ill…
Thanks to Macho and the god Fat Joe for making the interview happen. And special shout to my boy Kam down in Miami for the connection. Cheah!
My latest interview for Steve Stoute’s The Tanning Of America website was with pro skateboarder/DGK brand owner Stevie Williams, the self-proclaimed “Jay-Z of skateboarding.” We had a very in-depth and candid discussion about his career, race, business, and hip-hop. Here’s the synopsis, with link below…
When Stevie Williams asserts that he is the “Jay-Z of skateboarding,” he doesn’t mean it as a hyperbole. After obtaining his first sponsorship at 11, a 15-year-old Williams left his humble Philadelphia roots to pursue a pro career in the popular skate hub of San Francisco. He lived homeless in The Bay for almost four years, sharpening his skills and making connections, and eventually his grind paid off. As skateboarding grew in popularity through the late ‘90s and early aughts, Williams bubbled along with it, building relationships with sponsors, touring the world, and founding his own brand, DGK (Dirty Ghetto Kids), which he eventually licensed to Reebok. Now with the popularity of skateboarding at an all-time high, and an inner city skate movement continuing to blossom due to hip-hop co-signs from artists like Pharrell Williams, Lupe Fiasco, Lil Wayne, and new kids on the asphalt, Odd Future, Stevie Williams’ fame is sizzling, and his DGK brand is more prominent in the marketplace than ever.
In this extensive interview, Williams brings us back to how he used to get made fun of by other black kids in his Philadelphia neighborhood for skateboarding, his early bouts with racism as a professional skateboarder (though he maintains there is no internal racial tension in the skate community), and how he got invited to hang out with Michael Jackson at Neverland Ranch. He also explains how he learned the hard way to embrace Pharrell’s efforts to help skateboarding grow in the inner city, why he’s inspired by Lil Wayne’s dedication to the sport (they skate together all the time), and how listening to Jay-Z’s music helped him in the business world.
One topic that came up in the interview was Philly rappers. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Stevie Williams favorite Philly rapper is Oschino from State Property. How real is that? So to celebrate Stevie’s favorite rapper, and his Philly roots, here’s a video for one of my favorite State Property songs featuring Oschino, Sparks, and Young Chris, “Do You Want Me”….
And how could I post Philly rap videos without putting a clip up of Peedi Crakk?!?! Check this footage of him going in for almost twenty minutes on the radio in Delaware. This is how you’re supposed to spit when you’re live on the air. No Blackberry, no major flubs, no excuses. Just endless bars. This is crazy….
Plus, some brand new shit from Peedi Crakk’s right hand man, Indy 500, featuring Freeway and PC, called “Run It.” Shout to my dude Ariel, a WP native turned Philly resident, for putting me on to this. Indy 500 and Peedi had some shit on this Best of Peedi Crack mixtape I made with DJ ROZ. Check it out…
Thanks for the flavor, Philly. Haven’t been to visit in a while, but hopefully I’ll see you soon. Oh yeah, if you missed my interview on Complex with Philly rapper Asher Roth, read it HERE. Uno.
Westcheddar 