It’s hard to keep coming up with original names for remix albums, so well done to Delicious Vinyl for settling on RMXXOLOGY. Well done also for getting a pretty stellar bunch of folk to tinker with classic tracks from the label’s history, thereby resulting in some music to actually put on said remix album.
RMXXOLOGY features, among others:
- Eminem RMXXNG Masta Ace’s “Slaughterhouse”
- Hot Chip RMMXXXING The Pharcyde’s “Passin’ Me By”
- Diplo and Don Rimini RRRRMMMMMXXXNNNGGGG Young MC’s “Bust A Move”
Lady madhead Peaches is the co-curator of the album alongside Delicious label boss Rick Ross, so you can probably expect to encounter some quality weirdness alongside booty-shaking mentalosity.
If you’re a hep cat mofo you may already have encountered Aaron LaCrate and Debonair Samir’s B-more bastardization of Young MC’s “Know How”. It’s got a pretty impressive video, remixing a Young MC appearance on the Arsenio Hall show from umpteen years ago so that it fits perfectly with the remix.
Check it out after the JMPXX, and hear more tasters of the album at Delicious Vinyl’s MySpace.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Thursday September 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am

As puppet-based videos go, Kanye’s “Champion” is pretty darn good. The Kanye doll even has his now-trademark funny white glasses. If you thought using a cuddly version of himself was a novel move you’d be wrong though - it’s a tried and tested way for your busy/lazy/wasted pop star to produce a video without actually having to think about/appear in it.
You want a reminder? Head over to Complex Blog for a rather entertaining “Unauthorized History Of Puppets In Hip-Hop”. Until the authorised version is completed - ETA March 2010 - this little countdown will do nicely.
And yes, of course it features Bert and Ernie doing “Ante Up”.

Posted by Stuart Waterman on Wednesday August 27th, 2008 at 11:30 am

This year’s DMC UK DJ Championships final is being held at London’s Islington Academy, and has a pretty impressive line-up of MCs to keep you entertained.
Previous winners of the DMC UK Championships have included The Scratch Perverts and Radio 1Xtra’s DJ Blakey, while last year’s winner, JFB, will be in attendance this year to defend his crown.
Hosting the 2008 event will be MC Trip and Cutmaster Swift, with a live PA from Million Man and DJ Skitz. Le Shadow and beatbox prodigy Hobbit will be added to the mix also.
This is all in addition, of course, to the finalists of the competition itself. My favourite? Loop Skywalker, of course, just for the name.
Tickets are a mere

Posted by Stuart Waterman on Thursday June 26th, 2008 at 9:25 am

Not really. But any mention of Snoop Dogg or Willie Nelson has to by law be accompanied by references to weed - I mean by rights I should just be *dope* mentioning *grass* marijuana *doobage* in every sentence here.
Actually, I’ve just about managed that. Anyway, Snoop Dogg’s new single is called “My Medicine” and is all country, like. See why Willie’s in the video now?
It’s not actually all that revolutionary, as Idolator point out by mentioning Kid Rock and ex-House Of Pain man Everlast. Still, it’s better than a slap on the belly with a wet fish, and for that we should be thankful. Check it out after the bong.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Tuesday June 17th, 2008 at 11:07 am

After all that fuss over his plan to name his new album Nigga, Nas’s new track isn’t exactly shying away from using the N-word. Indeed what he’s saying, basically, is that black people are his niggers.
But it’s not just black people who are his niggers. Other people who are Nas’s niggers include:
- “KIKES”
- “CHINKS”
- “SPICS”
- “GUINEAS”
They’re all niggers together, see?

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Friday June 13th, 2008 at 11:10 am

If you’ve got an evening free over the next week or so, you could a lot worse than head out to catch Minneapolis hip-hop combo Atmosphere, who are touring the UK from June 15th-June 23rd.
While support comes from Rhymesayers labelmate Brother Ali, you can apparently expect a collaborative set between the two acts.
If you’re not familiar with Atmosphere, but are fond of the odd dose of real hip-hop, you’re missing out. Rapper Slug brings intense but dexterous lyrical introspection, which is laid over ceaselessly inventive tracks from producer Ant.
Their new album is called, rather magnificently, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. It sees Slug coming from a different but no less intriguing lyrical direction, with all of the tracks focusing on the narratives of fictional characters.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Wednesday June 11th, 2008 at 10:36 am

A chess and hip-hop community. There’s a niche you didn’t spot, eh? Of course, RZA, GZA, Meth and the chaps have always had a distinct pseudo-spiritual, bonged-out approach to matters. I believe their first two albums alone contained 83,199 references to Shaolin and kung-fu.
But now they’re “taking the game of life to the next level”. Well it’s about time someone did, isn’t it?

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Tuesday June 10th, 2008 at 12:42 pm

Who knew gangsta rap legend Ice Cube still did the whole performing-on-a-stage thing? I was under the impression he’d jacked it all in for weak movie franchises. Er… you won’t tell him I said that, will you?
Seems Cube is keen to get out there and promote his forthcoming album Raw Footage, so he’ll be performing a one-off gig at Camden’s traditionally goth-infested Electric Ballroom on July 14th.
Tickets are available now through Live Nation
And is this new not the perfect excuse to post a video of one his finest moments, “It Was A Good Day”? Click through to see no helicopter looking for a murdah…

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Monday June 9th, 2008 at 10:16 am

Just to round off today’s hip-hop theme, a lil’ bit of fun with Westwood. We’ve all tried to do his voice, but you have to be a real vicar’s son to pull it off convincingly, methinks.
At least now you can practice with this handy soundboard, which is chock full of soundbites of Mr. Westwood’s special brand of enthusiasm. It even has the exclusive “bomb” blast!
Click here for the Westwood Soundboard. You may want to warn your colleagues.
[image: bbc.co.uk]

Posted by Stuart Waterman on Thursday May 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am

What the hell’s Tricky been up to for the last ten years or so? Well, let’s not worry about that now, because his new single is, frankly, ‘mazin’.
For a start, the lyrics begin with him graphically describing his own birth. My mistake was to be eating cereal at this point in the song. Thankfully the video forgoes literalism for this particular verse.
“Council Estate” builds and builds with scuzzy guitar and pummelling beats, a bit of a semi-bassline interlude, and lyrics encouraging young men to not be rubbish and stuff. As comebacks go, it doesn’t get much better. Check it out over the page.

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Posted by Stuart Waterman on Thursday May 29th, 2008 at 10:35 am