Hip-Hop.com

Vancouver B.C. radio DJ Nardwuar has one crazy schtick—he’s your stereotypical AV nerd with a side of Canadian Bacon (the movie) backed up by legitimate music knowledge and ample research. Ghostface Killah is our subject for this installment of his antics, as in this video interview he plays the straight man while Nardwar asks reverent, relevant and interesting questions (about Solomon Burke, Sylvia Robinson, classic soul and Staten Island hip-hop) in an idiotic fashion. To his credit, Ghostface gives it his all, answering sincerely and gives some nuanced and informative responses, but can’t remember his line in “Tooken Back” about merlot for some reason.

Rock The Bells, the hip-hop superfestival that has also become a Bay Area fixture every summer since 2005, just concluded west coast run last weekend with a show at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, Calfornia. We’ll have backstage interviews and other exclusive materials from the show later, but for now, take a look at the photos that Madelynn and Amari Kenoly took for us in the crowds and press pits.

In case you were wondering why we don’t have any pics of Ghostface on stage last night at Questlove’s DJ set at Mezzanine, we had the camera busy rolling film on the whole set. Well, here’s the proof: Ghostface Killah surprises the hell out of the crowd and performs “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Cherchez LaGhost.” Ghost will have his own show next weekend, on April 29 at Mezzanine as well. Tickets are still available.

Questlove lived up to his (legendary?) reputation Friday night in the city. In a set over three hours long, he kept a packed house at the Mezzanine dancing and partying till the next morning that befitted his growing reputation online.

So, tweets aside, what was a Questlove set like? An immense blend of comic timing, machine-like precision, astuteness and a dash of mischief. Never with a missed beat, with effortless blends and cuts that seem to roll off his fingers like dice. His hands, for hours straight, adjusted knobs, faders, and records with a precision that yielded no wasted movement. Songs rarely stayed on the deck for longer than a verse, but each song seemed so effortlessly picked. The man knows his music, and at times the crowd was clueless on what he was playing, other times they can’t believe he just played that. read more »