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.

Questlove and Black Thought sat down with the folks at VEVO and three videos from the session were posted on YouTube today. In the clip above, Black Thought recounts his teenage years and how he got kicked out of school and started doing deals on the block before a life-changing intervention put him on a different track. After the jump, Questlove talks about viral-pop sensations Karmin and their covers of radio hip-hop hits, and jazz pianist DD Jackson, whose “incredible, violent” style captivated Quest enough to invite him to play on their new album undun. read more »

Manny Fresh has been making beats for 25 years—let that sink in for a minute. Fresh has been making beats since he got inspired by Afrika Bambaata’s “Planet Rock.” With a history like that, you can easily fill a two hour-long lecture session with his reminiscance, like Red Bull Music Academy did when they invited him for interview session in Madrid earlier this year. Fresh spans the entirety of his career, from how he got started, what hip-hop was like in New Orleans in the 70′s, his issues with Cash Money and Def Jam, all while playing clips of tracks to illustrate his stories. Flip this on and listen to the audio in the background while you work—he goes through some very interesting material for any interested in New Orleans hip-hop or just the evolution of hip-hop in general.

By now you should be aware of the DJ Qbert and Mix Master Mike reunion show November 10 at the Independent SF, but neither will be the man of the hour. No, that distinction will be solely held by Justin Bua, hip-hop fine arts painter, whose release of his new book The Legends of Hip Hop is the reason for the celebration. We talked to Justin about the book and the inspirations behind it and here is part one of the interview. Part two will be coming later this week, where we cover Justin’s thoughts on the show and what else he has in store for us.

Legends of Hip Hop is a collection of painted portraits accompanied by essays describing the impact of each legend had on me, hip-hop, and world culture. Each spread includes sketches, color keys, and photographs, and more. This is the only book in the history of hip-hop that visually documents this great culture. In the legacy of the master painters that came before who painted Kings, Popes and the important figures of their time, I am painting the important icons who have influenced our culture. read more »

And another one for you backstage at Rock The Bells 2001. B-Real and Davey D talks about the evolution of Cypress Hill on records and on stage, and how they are straddling the lines between hip-hop and hard rock.

Common’s chosen professional name is quickly becoming a misnomer, as it’s quite uncommon for anyone to rubs shoulders with Hollywood and The White House like he has. Davey D takes a moment to ask Common backstage at Rock The Bells what’s its like to be a rap and movie star, and what he could contribute to the Obama 2012 campaign.

Del tha Funkee Homosapien sits down with Davey D and talks about working with Ice Cube again, his line of headphones (sorta), and his inspirations, inside and outside of hip-hop.