Last week my boy K-Wet and I went down to NYC to check out the first installment of Peter Rosenberg’s Noisemakers series, featuring legendary hip hop producer DJ Premier. It was a very well put together event at the YMHA in Tribeca, set up in a bar/lounge area, with a live band on stage playing Premier’s catalog perfectly (WOW!!!). Shout out to my dude Borahm who was playing keys, he used to tour with Matisyahu and we’ve done a bunch of shows together. He actually produced “Victory”, the song Matis and I perform fairly regularly at shows.
Rosenberg did a great job with the interview, asking questions based off the DJ’s pre-planned song selections. It led to some great stories of Primo’s work with Gangstarr and such great artists as KRS-One (supposedly there’s a version of “Outta Here” where KRS disses EVERYBODY), Nas, and of course Biggie, which was my favorite part of the interview. Biggie was the man. Here’s some footage of him talking about the making of “Unbelievable” and other B.I.G. tales…
After the show, we chopped it up with Cipha Sounds a little (he hosted the event and was wearing the Ferris Bueller Dunks!), and Rosenberg introduced me to Premier, who was mad cool and took my CD to check out. It was a dope moment in hip hop history for me. But the funniest thing was running in to Asher Roth backstage! Hilarious! I said what up and introduced myself, and I told him “I thought you were gonna come back at me”. He told me “he doesn’t buy into that”, and we shared a laugh and kept it moving. Whatever, you should see this guy in person, he’s a nice kid and all but he’s a herb. He’s always talking about “see me”, but he doesn’t want it when it comes down to it. Ha Ha! He can’t fuck with Stan Ipcus!
Check out a review of the event by Time Out NY HERE
Next Saturday December 20th is the 10th Annual Roundball Classic, a holiday basketball tournament at St. Bernard’s Church made up of local guys from White Plains. Ten years ago, when the tournament first began after a night of friendly shit talking at the local bars between rival crews, we were all young college guys. Now, a decade later, we are made up of teachers, firemen, young professionals, husbands, fathers, etc., and we’re all about 20-30 pounds heavier in weight. The actual basketball games are painful to watch, though it does get exciting at points and some dudes manage to pull off some nice plays. It gets competitive, as each team battles for the 1st place trophy and bragging rights for the year (that’s my team above, PU CLICK, from last year celebrating our first ever win). And the after party is a guaranteed good time, and full on WP reunion, where the winning squad takes turns drinking out of the trophy. Check out the promo video for this year’s tournament, “Roundball Moments with Matty B”, where he reflects on past RBC’s and looks ahead to the upcoming game…featuring a special appearance from his personal dietician and a little acoustic guitar from the man himself…
and check these other two, “Roundball Moments with Tic” and “Roundball Moments with B Duigs”…hilarious…
I became friends with comedian Nick Kroll back in high school through my buddy Andrew Goldberg. He was always a hilarious kid, cracking jokes and living it up. Currently, his voice can be heard co-starring in the new HBO animated series The Life and Times of Tim (which he also writes for), and you might have seen him making witty remarks about your favorite celebrities on Best Week Ever. But that’s not all Nick’s got going for him. He’s working on a new animated project, and continues to develop his stand-up act and various live stage and web shows, which include all sorts of crazy characters (see pic above LOL). Check out this exclusive Westcheddar interview with Rye, New York’s own comedy sensation…
IP: So Nick, you looked alot like McLovin from Superbad back in high school, you know, a skinny kid with glasses. Any similarities to him other than the striking resemblance? Ever hang out with cops or bang chicks at parties back in the day? Did you have a fake ID?
NK: Its so funny to think that I looked like McLovin growing up. I had no idea that’s what I looked like. I had a very different sense of how the world saw me. I hung out with cops when I was six when I took a self defense karate class with a bunch of Rye cops. They would break cinderblocks with their head and I would rush to the bathroom to unsuccessfully take my karate pants off before having some good ol’ kid diarrhea. I did have a fake ID, it was my brothers and said I was 25. The fact that it ever worked still amazes me.
IP: My bad dude. I didn’t mean the McLovin comparison as a diss. You were the man back in the day. Very handsome…
NK: I appreciate it. I know who I was and what I am…Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90210!!
IP: Ha! You were in an improv group at Georgetown University. Tell us about that. Your shows used to be packed when I would come see you perform.
NK: Being in G-PIG (Georgetown Players Improv Group) was the best thing I got out of college. I had never done sketch or improv comedy before and it opened my eyes to the possibility of saying whatever I wanted however I wanted. It definitely gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a career in comedy. I also met a bunch of people I’m still close friends with and regularly collaborate with: Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, Ed Herro, Brian Donovan, Jacqueline Novak, Conrad Mulcahy, Alison Becker and a few others. I only mention their names so it will come up in their google alerts and they’ll be mildly happy that I name checked them. They’re all doing quite well in the biz of show and it’s amazing that we all used to sit in classrooms, rehearsing ridiculous scenes for no one’s amusement but ourselves.
IP: The first time I ever saw you on TV was in a commercial for American Express where you played Andy Roddick’s “mojo”, and then shortly after that you were in a very well known Verizon commercial. How did you get those gigs?
NK: I auditioned for these and all other commercials I’ve had the genuine pleasure of being in. The AMEX campaign was an amazing experience because it was the first time that I was a part of something quite big in scale. They closed down blocks on Park Ave and the Brooklyn Bridge to film sequences. And then Roddick lost in the first round. It was an amazingly bizarre turn of events. The Verizon commercial was super cool because we flew down to Argentina to shoot it. Got to hang out with the Verizon guy and see that he was an actual human being.
IP: How often were you recognized on the street during the time those commercials aired? I mean, they were on all the time.
NK: I’m almost never recognized on the street for anything I’ve done over the years. Mojo for sure, because they dyed my hair blonde and i was wearing a cowboy hat.
IP: Were you in any other commercials I might not have seen?
NK: I did a few other fun spots along the way. A really fun one was with Anderson Cooper for CNN.com. I think its on youtube somewhere. He was very pleasant, good comedic timing and very cool to me even though I was a little green when I shot it. There’s a fun FEDEX spot out there too. I got to play a guy named Barry which has always been a dream.
IP: Being on Best Week Ever must be fun, popping wisecracks at the expense of the rich and famous. Any one in particular you really enjoy making fun of?
NK: I don’t really enjoy making fun of people who are famous because of something impressive they’ve done, like being quality actors or athletes. I much prefer making fun of people who are famous for the sake of being famous like people who lack discernible skills like reality show personalities or president elect Obama.
IP: Ha! OK, describe your personal dream Best Week Ever. What would you do?
NK: Eat fried chicken all day, every day.
IP: That Cavemen show you were in was off the air before I ever even got to see it. Was it any good?
NK: I thought Cavemen had some very funny moments. It was an experiment that had its ups and downs but I think for the people who actually watched the show, it provided some good, quality laughs. We shot 12 epsiodes and they aired 6 or 7 of them. They definitely got better as the show progressed. It was my first job in TV and I felt lucky to have it. The makeup took four hours every morning so I was not unhappy that it didn’t last 6 seasons.
IP: You’ve done some straight stand up comedy in your day. How does that compare to your other comedic work?
NK: I honestly love it all. The character stuff, sketch, videos. I fucking love comedy. I’ve been doing more and more standup recently, crafting an act, tweaking, adding bits, taking stuff out. I’m finding a lot of joy in making small changes. It’s like writing a song or a poem, you wanna get that shit to its essence.
IP: Ever bombed horribly?
NK: Bombed many a time. Makes you stronger. Never fun, though.
IP: You’re a voice actor on the new HBO animated series The Life and Times of Tim. I caught an episode of it last week, it was pretty funny. Your character is kind of a dork on the show though, what’s up with that?
NK: Its a blast. I encourage you to go back and watch the show on demand or whatevs. I play Stu and he’s a little less attractive than me both physically and emotionally. I try to love and simultaneously despise all the characters I play. The response from people about the show has been really, really awesome.
IP: Maybe dork isn’t the right adjective for Stu. I gotta check out some more episodes. Glad it’s getting a good response. I’ve heard a few friends talking it up recently. Anyway, you write for the show too, right? How did that all come about?
NK: The show has a strong improvisational side and I found that myself and Steve Dildarian, the super funny gent who created the show, got a long quite well comedically. Steve was nice enough to ask me to come in a bunch of times to help come up with episode ideas. One in particular is where my character Stu, Tim and Marie the HR lady have a terrible threesome. Classy stuff.
IP: Do you like doing just the voice stuff or is this just another stepping stone towards a bigger goal? What’s your dream gig? Your own show? Movie roles? A writer behind the scenes?
NK: I want to do it all. Write, act, maybe direct. Im really enjoying animation right now. I’m also voicing a character on a FOX show coming out in April called Sit Down, Shut Up, created by Mitch Hurwitz who also created Arrested Development. Josh Weinstein, who ran The Simpsons for many years, is running the show and the cast is ridiculous: Jason Bateman, WIll Arnett, Cheri Oteri, Keenan Thompson, Will Forte, Tom Kenney, Henry Winkler. It’s so much fucking fun.
IP: Sounds sick. You once played a Scandinavian Meth addict at one of my rap concerts at Joe’s Pub, doing bits in the opening of the show and in between sets. What was his name again?
NK: Ah yes, Yorgen Burnsen. Haven’t done him in quite some time. He was the fifth member of Ace of Base who was kicked out for being addicted to Meth. A real class act.
IP: You should bring him back out. As I recall he was a crowd favorite. What else do you have cooking right now with your comedic career?
NK: My friend Rob Corddry (watch out google alerts: Rob Corddry!!) wrote, directed, and stars in a hilarious web series called Children’s Hospital which is a parody of Grey’s Anatomy and all those shows. I play a 6 year old with aging disease. That series is gonna be hilarious.
IP: You’re living in L.A. now right? What do you miss most about New York?
NK: I miss so much about NYC. Mainly my family and friends who are all basically here. I miss classy NYC ladies. They are as beautiful as actresses or models but they’re teachers or social workers or artists. Getting a bone just thinking about them.
IP: How are the women in L.A. treating you? Do comedians have groupies?
NK: We dont really have groupies and i’m just fine with that.
Check out my intros on two of the hottest hip hop radio shows in the country. First, the Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg Hot 97 morning show intro with Matisyahu beatboxing. And second, the intro for Leah Rose and Angela Yee’s Shade 45 Lip Service Show with DJ Wonder on the live air cuts. Enjoy…
We’re about five weeks into our Wednesday night BGC Beat Club up at the Cultural Arts Center, and I must say, this last session I saw the original vision for the teen hip hop program come to fruition perfectly. I brought in Lord Judah (above right), my dude from White Plains who teaches hip hop workshops for kids all over Westchester and NYC, to help lead us from the very first week. We’ve worked together alot in the past (and performed together) and through a grant provided by the Westchester Arts Council I was able to pay him for his time. He brings all his beat machines (SP-505, SP 606, and we own a SP-404 at the club) and works with the kids on production, teaching them how to program drums and sample songs, and even dabbling in hip hop history and songwriting with them. With the use of Garage Band, which you can actually chop samples really easily on the low with, and all the other equipment, we created alot of possibilities for the kids to choose from to make tracks. Some are more into writing, so we work with them on their bars and hook them up with lots of instrumentals to write to while our beat team puts together original joints for them. And some just want to dance, like my dudes Team Highlite who I featured recently right here at Westcheddar. Check them out dancing to one of my new songs “Do the Dumb Out”…LOL at me going in at 2:50….
That video was made in one take, just a warm up of sorts. I played them the song last week, which they actually inspired me to make (I never made a dance song before!), and they loved it and couldn’t stop singing it. You should hear them imitate my voice, it’s hysterical. All they ever want to do is dance, and I support that completely, kna’ mean? I’m glad they felt it. We got some other great footage too that I’ll be helping the kids put together next week…
No that’s not a gang sign, that’s the Team Highlite symbol, ya heard? Check some other pics of what’s been going on in the lab. Our set up is tight. We have one room for dancing and a lab for making beats, recording, and writing…
I’ll keep you posted as we progress. We’re just getting started, but there’s alot of potential in this group. For now, just do the dumb out and poke ya thumbs out. NOW DO IT!!! HA HA HA HA!!!! Peace…
Ok friends, here is the footage from Matisyahu’s show at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore, MD on 11/1/08 featuring myself and Max B (don’t sleep the three of us have been doing this together for a while just check the picture at the top of the blog). Yes, it’s Matis Season, and here at Westcheddar we will continue to follow his tour up until he returns to New York for the Festival of Light. Big ups to my dog Pocheeze for the footage, nice effing job dude….
A bunch of the girls at the BGC come into the Cultural Arts Center rocking these new Pastry sneakers (above). They’re pretty fresh. Pastry is the brand started by Run’s House “Simmons Sisters” Angela and Vanessa. They actually have a spinoff starting soon of the popular MTV show (which I admit to watching, it’s fun and my fiancee loves it), called DADDY’S GIRLS. Check out a picture of the Angela and Vanessa with my dudes from Dirty Jax…
Well, by request, I revealed a new sneaker design coloring sheet called the BGC PASTRY, based off the sneaker at the top of the post. It’s become very popular with all the kids in the center, check it out…
There’s been quite a few kids that have come up with great designs and color schemes, but this one below is the hottest one I’ve seen yet. It was actually done by one of the college aged staff girls….
Her third grade group is really into the sneaker design, so she started a 3rd Grade Kicks wall in her classroom. It’s only a week old, so we’ll see how it grows, but take a look at it so far…
Stay tuned for more new coloring sheets. I’ve got my mind on some new sneaker designs. I think I’m gonna do a skate shoe next. And you can check out my past designs at the links below if you missed them, including “Sneaker of the Week” winners from the summer, and my full ’07-’08 coloring sheet collection that I posted a few months back…
Yo! I like what Matis is doing with his tour vlog. Just recently I posted his first one, “Pimp my RV“. Well, he released a new one already, and I guess I’m going to have to keep posting them so the loyal readers of Westcheddar don’t miss a beat. They’re cool, because they definitely give his fans a chance to get to know him on a more personal level, and what his life is like out on the road. This edition of his vlog is called “Juicing on Tour”, co-starring Nosson Zand. Enjoy, and stay tuned to Westcheddar for more Matisyahu…
And you know I got a bonus video for you, live from Piano’s in NYC July 2006, here’s me and Matis performing “WP” over Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain” instrumental. Smooth….
My dude Mike Halas (above, third from right with the medals on his coat) celebrated Veteran’s Day with students at Battle Mountain High School out in Vail, Colorado, speaking to them about what it is like to be a 29 year old Iraq War veteran. I’m so proud of him, and glad that he is out talking to the youth, helping them to understand what it really means to be a part of the U.S. military. Here at Westcheddar, we celebrate you Mikey. Keep up the good work. Check out the article below from the Vail Daily all about Mike’s visit to the local school, and if you missed my interview with him from last month about his time in Iraq, check that out too. Oh, and the pic is from my sister Becca’s recent wedding in NYC, with me, Mike’s brother John, all the Cuddy boys, my cousin Chris (No Mas), and Battle Hill legend Vito Fascilla. Peace…
My cousin Chris Isenberg of No Mas NYC interviewed Dwight “Dr. K” Gooden this week at a special Nike Sportswear Hall of Fame event celebrating New York City legends. Gooden was the man when we were kids, though he got himself in a bit of trouble with the law on more than one occasion. Still, winning the World Series with both the Mets and the Yankees (he pitched a no hitter for the Yanks in May ’96), a Rookie of the Year award, and the Cy Young Award, definitely earns him NYC legend status. Check some guerilla footage from the interview shot by an attendee…
No Mas also launched No Mas TV fairly recently, which is very cool especially if you’re into boxing. Check it out RIGHT NOW!!!
Westcheddar 