Biggie Remembered

Events, Interviews, My Dudes

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

Events

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

Uncategorized

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

Talking Sports with President Obama

Interviews, Sports

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.

On Jeremy Lin and the Bulls…

On throwing out the first pitch…

On his crossover…

Vote Obama ’12. But you already know. Peace.

Tough Break-up

Uncategorized

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.

The Check-In with Jadakiss

Events, Interviews, My Dudes, Published Material

Harrison meets Yonkers as the Rosenthal brothers from ItsTheReal interview Jadakiss over NBA All-Star Weekend in Orlando. This is a true Westcheddar connection…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

via MTV

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!

Ghost Clips

Uncategorized

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.

Mercer Lounge

Events

The Shins’ frontman James Mercer has been on a radio tour supporting their upcoming fourth album Port of Morrow, due out March 20th. As all my loyal readers know, Mercer is my G, so I gotta post some highlights from his on-air acoustic sets. I blessed you a couple weeks ago with an exclusive live clip of “It’s Only Life,” a POM album cut that has yet to be released. Now, here are a couple more recent performances. First, one of my all time favorite Shins tunes, “Young Pilgrims” off Chutes Too Narrow. Then, the beautiful “September,” which is on the new album. And finally, live from WFUV at Fordam University in New York, a very cool acoustic rendition of Wincing The Night Away‘s “Australia.” Enjoy…

“Young Pilgrims” Live at 101.9 KINK.FM in Portland, Oregon

“September” Live at 107.7 The End in Seattle, Washington

“Australia” Live at 90.7 WFUV in the Bronx, New York

To hear the entire hour long James Mercer appearance on WFUV’s Words and Music, click HERE. Nice interview, and a couple more live songs too. Can’t wait to hear this album!

*BONUS*

The Spin Interview: James Mercer

*UPDATE*

Mercer brings his band along to perform “Bait and Switch” off Port Of Morrow live from some sort of music den in Portland, Oregon. I remember when they debuted  this song live a couple years ago. Super sick.

The Tanning Interview with Big Sean

Interviews, Published Material

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.

The Tanning Interview with Big Sean

Cheah.

Electric Energy

Interviews, Published Material, The Good Old Days

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.

Interview: Electric Guest | Pigeons & Planes

Cop their album when they drop it. I got an advanced copy, and it’s got some dope tracks on it. Uno.