There are a lot of wack rappers out, but Curren$y is not one of them. In fact, he’s one of the dopest in the game. He consistently drops new projects, and they’re always solid. I’m a big fan of his production style. He picks really nice, laidback, spacey beats. And he’s one of those guys that can rhyme about money, cars, weed, and chicks over and over, and continuously make it sound fly. I thought it would be fun to follow one of my favorite songs that he dropped this year, “High Tunes” off his Verde Terrace mixtape with DJ Drama, from the studio to the stage. Above, check the footage of him in the lab, getting smoked out laying his vocals down (he works on some other stuff in the clip too with Wale). And below is a front row video of him sitting on the stage performing it live with a broken foot or something at Highline Ballroom a couple weeks ago, shot by the boy Young B from White Plains…
*BONUS*
Here’s a couple new cuts I’m feeling off Curren$y’s crew mixtape, Jet World Order, featuring his boys Young Roddy and Trademark Da Skydiver who are both nice: “Excellent” and “Nothing Less.” Hollerrr.
*UPDATE*
New video: “1st Place” f/ Curren$y, Trademark Da Skydiver, Young Roddy, and Sir Michael Rocks. Off Jet World Order…
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!
Okay, we’ll all be arguing for the rest of our lives over who’s better: Jay-Z or Nas? Biggie or Tupac? But there’s one debate that’s been brewing for the past year or so, and I feel like now is a good time to bring it up, because I’ve been listening to both of their latest albums a lot recently in the whip with my family. Beyonce or Rihanna? To be fair, Beyonce’s kind of her elder, and she’s been around a little longer. But Rihanna has a few albums out now, and has been a part of enough hit records to compete. They’re both female R & B artists, but they’ve got different styles, swag, voices, production sounds, etc. The only person I’ve really had this discussion with is my wife, who maintains that Beyonce is better. And I can’t be mad at that. We’ve all seen her perform on award shows, and she’s ridiculous. And she’s got plenty of hits. Plus, she makes dope videos, and she’s hot as shit. But Rihanna, I don’t know. There is something super ill about her. Her voice, her look, her chi. She’s bad. And I’m starting to think that I just like her music better. I mean, her album Loud got nominated for Grammy Album of the Year, and Beyonce’s 4 didn’t. And Rihanna’s new album that just dropped last month, Talk That Talk has some of her best work to date on it. I don’t know. When its all said and done, can Rihanna take the crown from Beyonce as “hottest chick in the game”? Here’s their two latest videos to help aide this discussion. Check out Beyonce’s “Countdown” up top, and Rihanna’s “We Found Love” below. Each song and video is vastly different, but they’re both incredible….
Thoughts? Here’s one more from each of them to help. Both these tracks are my shit…
Beyonce “Party”
Rihanna “Man Down”
Well?
*UPDATE*
I knew I was on to something. Look, a few days later, and now Rolling Stone is breaking down the same debate HERE.
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.
I first connected with J-Zone back in the late 90’s, when he initially broke in to the underground NYC rap scene. We had some mutual friends from White Plains, because even though he was originally from Queens, he spent a lot of time in the 914, going to school in Mamaroneck as a kid, and attending SUNY Purchase (where he wrote and produced his debut album Music For tu Madre). Anyway, I remember sending J-Zone a copy of a live show I did at the Kaffa House in D.C. He actually listened to it, and he showed me love when we talked on the phone, but we never really linked up beyond that. Still, I was always a fan, and thought he was a talented dude. Here’s a throwback off his first album called “So Pretty” featuring his boy Al-Shid. This shit brings me way back…
Now it’s over ten years later, and J-Zone, who regularly contributes to Ego Trip’s website, just released a book titled Root For the Villain. It’s an autobiography of sorts, chronicling his successes and failures as a hip-hop artist, and contains some stories about his time spent in Westchester County. Definitely go cop this asap. You won’t be disappointed. Get to know the man behind the music below in this promo for the book, as he shows us the rules of Pay Phone Pimpin’…
And peep this episode of The 10s we did on UpNorthTrips with J-Zone, highlighting his 10 personal favorite outside productions…
Shout to J-Zone for being a true hip-hop artist and scholar. It was a pleasure catching up with him for the UpNorthTrips piece. We spent about a half hour or so talking about old school White Plains spots like Sam Goody and Music Plus, which was quite the trip down memory lane. Again, I encourage you all to check out his book. It’s excellent.
*BONUS*
Here’s a couple other episodes of The 10s I did recently…
My relationship with Asher Roth has gone through many stages. First, at the height of my hip-hop fame (after dropping “My Ferris Buellers”), I dissed him on wax, and it ended up on NahRight and all over the Internet. Then, a few weeks later, I saw him backstage at a Peter Rosenberg event and said what’s up, and it was all peace. At another Rosenberg event months after that, I met his boys Boyder and Brain Bangley, and his DJ Wreckineyez, and again, all peace, and lots of laughs even about the diss. Then, Asher dropped his Seared Foie Gras with Quince and Cranberry mixtape, and I loved it. So I wrote this post on Westcheddar called Deconstructing Asher, breaking down why I dissed him, and how I became his biggest fan. I tweeted the link to him, and he read it, and hit me back showing mad love and appreciation. Later that morning, we talked on the phone for about an hour, about everything, and ever since we’ve been friends. And now, with his new Def Jam deal signed (WOW!), and a new album and mixtape on the way, I reached out to interview Asher about what he loves to do most: perform live. Check the link to this exclusive Complex interview below, all about his live performance history…
Also, check out Asher’s latest video above for “In The Kitchen” produced by Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids, off his upcoming mixtape Pabst & Jazz due later this month. Shit’s dope, and it features a cameo from none other than Action Bronson. Shout to Ash and his whole crew, best of luck with the new deal! Oh, and if you want some seriously entertaining whiteboy rap shit in your life, check out Boyder and Brain’s new mixtape For The Story.
*BONUS*
Speaking of in the kitchen, The Fader Magazine paid a visit to Action Bronson’s crib last week to film him making leftover Thanksgiving sliders. If you saw his Bronson Burger, then you already know these things are off the meat rack. Peep game.
*By the way, this is my 500th Westcheddar post! Thanks to all my loyal readers who check out the site on the reg! Got something very epic (and I never use that word so you know I mean it) coming soon to celebrate….
Here’s another interview I did for Steve Stoute’s The Tanning Of America website. This round, I had the privilege of interviewing one of my favorite rap artists of all time: Common. I used to listen to his Resurrection album non-stop when I was in high school (I saw him live at Tramps back in those days too), and of course I’ve been a fan ever since. Here’s my intro, with the link to the full interview below…
There was a time in Common’s life when he was known simply as a rapper. Well, that young man from Chicago has come a long way since the release of his breakthrough album, Resurrection, in 1994, expanding his visibility from the Rap City countdown to the silver screen, appearing in films alongside Hollywood’s brightest stars, such as Just Wright with fellow rapper turned thespian Queen Latifah, and Date Night with Steve Carell and Tina Fey. He even landed himself a role in the new AMC television drama, Hell On Wheels, playing a post-Civil War freed slave, which has welcomed in a whole new audience for him as well. To boot, his memoir, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, was just released to stellar reviews, creating different opportunities for press and public appearances. Quite impressively, Common has successfully managed to maintain a reputable presence in the hip-hop community throughout his transformation from rapper to rapper/actor/author. In fact, his new LP, The Dreamer, The Believer, is one of the most anticipated albums dropping in the fourth quarter, largely due to his reunion with producer No I.D. We spoke to Common about the various “tanning” moments he’s had in his professional career as a rapper, actor, and now an author. We also got his take on the recent backlash he received for his poetry reading appearance at The White House, typecasting in Hollywood for black actors, and his friend and collaborator Kanye West’s VMA incident with country music star Taylor Swift.
DJ Clark Kent (above right) is not only the producer behind one of the greatest hip-hop duets of all time, “Brooklyn’s Finest” with Jay-Z and Biggie, but he’s also the man responsible for introducing the two legendary MCs who rap on the song to each other. And because of this connection, he had plenty of memories to share for my latest Complex Magazine feature Clark Kent Tells All: The Stories Behind His Classic Records. You may not know it, but DJ Clark Kent produced some of your favorite rap songs of all time (in addition to “Brooklyn’s Finest”), like Jay-Z’s “Cashmere Thoughts” and “Coming Of Age” with Memphis Bleek off Reasonable Doubt, and Biggie’s “Players Anthem” with Lil’ Kim and Lil’ Cease and “Sky’s The Limit” with 112. And that’s not to mention the various other classics he produced for artists like Rakim, Slick Rick, and 50 Cent. Check out the first part of the feature below. Brooklyn stand up!
And yo, I know the video is posted in the link above (along with the story), but I gotta give Jay-Z and DJ Clark Kent’s classic “Can’t Get Wit That” some embedded shine on Westcheddar too, because it’s one of my favorite early Jigga videos…
I listened to Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black today on my ride over the Tappan Zee Bridge up to Woodbury Commons with my family. It sounded fresh as ever. I also threw on the two leaks from Lioness: Hidden Treasures, her posthumous collection of unreleased gems that’s set to drop December 5th, “Like Smoke” featuring Nas (his first verse is super sick), and Amy’s brilliant reggae cover version of “Our Day Will Come.” They’re both incredible records. I’m so psyched for this release. Too bad she had to pass for us to finally get some new music from her. I’m definitely still grieving as a fan and music lover over this loss. Lucky for us, her music will live on forever. Here’s the official video for “Our Day Will Come”….
Westcheddar 
