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.

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.

Right before Red Bull EmSee battle rap royale in Boston a few weeks ago (no joke, we were at the Royale in Boston), our host Bun B and judges Jean Grae and Pharoahe Monch sat down and talked to Brooklyn Bodega and Tha Reelness about the tour, battle rap in general, and what they’re looking for when the battles happen. Red Bull EmSee is still ongoing, we have five finalists for the big Atlanta finale, with regionals in DC on October 24, Detroit on October 28, and Miami on November 16 to find the last three finalists in the field. read more »

I don’t think there is really an official “LA sound” since the heyday of G-Funk, but with the output of artists like Wax, Shwayze, and this track from K-Town representative Dumbfoundead, we’re seeing a style emerging where the vibe is undeniably Southern Californian. Dumbfoundead’s contribution here features laid-back vocals from himself and Andrew Garcia with live instruments backing.

The animation is a bit rough but the track is amazingly funky. The Physics is forcing me to break my unwritten rule to not post about a group twice so soon but I haven’t nodded my head this hard in years.

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.

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.

George Watsky dropped a new video on YouTube this morning. The YouTube superstar’s new video for his track, “Stupidass,” has a bit of a Memento feel to it, I think. read more »

Anyone came to see Theophilus London at 330 Ritch last week and wanted more? Well, here’s your fix—MTV premiered his new video earlier today, “Why Even Try”, and it features the lovely voice and presence of Tegan and Sara vocalist Sara Quin.

hat tip: Okayplayer.com