The 54th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Mawnstr (born Alex Christidis), one-half of the party-rap rascals Not the 1s , whose eight-track debut on Gold Robot , Why You Cryin? , features production from the likes of Daedelus, Mexicans With Guns, Monster Rally, Young L and more. Shit is as fresh as it is funny. Highly recommended (and be on the lookout for a track premiere here very shortly). Until then, peep [...]
No I.D., the producer behind Resurrection and the lion's share of Can I Borrow A Dollar , is working with Common again. Their upcoming album will be titled The Dreamer, The Believer , and its first single, "Ghetto Dreams," featuring Nas, just dropped. I'm psyched for this release because I think it's a chance to capture some of that old 902s hip-hop magic. In terms of pure, intelligent commentary on the mic (to say nothing of their excellent flow), Common and Talib Kweli (not featured here) particularly stand out in that decade's offerings. Here's [...]
The 53rd installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Los Angeles-based producer/mixer/engineer Chris Testa , who won three Grammys for his work on the Dixie Chicks' 2006 album Taking the Long Way. Chris' resume is extensive , and he's become the go-to guy for several Phoenix/Tempe bands, including Jimmy Eat World , Source Victoria , Kinch and Reubens Accomplice (2011 should be a big year ). [...]
The 52nd installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Kyle Rapps , the New Jersey-born and Harlem-based emcee who on March 29 released his debut EP, Re-Edutainment , his own take on the Boogie Down Productions classic Edutainment . The EP uses samples and loops from the BDP album and features KRS-One, which makes Rapps' post here all the more fitting. Kyle Rapps | Rent (remix, feat. KRS-One) [...]
Keith Murray, Jodeci, LL, and now D'Angelo, it's been an Erick Sermon kind of weekend. Brown Sugar 1996. D'Angelo - Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine (No I.D. Remix)
The 51st installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Kokayi , a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, emcee and producer. The Washington, D.C. native, who released Robots & Dinosaurs last year, offers his take two albums, one old and one new. Kokayi | RoxTar Kokayi | Autumn Rules Slick Rick, The Great Aventures [...]
The 50th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from NY-based writer Dan Mennella , a friend, former co-worker and fellow music/baseball devotee (see his info below). Dan surprised me with this one, providing a compelling argument to revisit an album with which I'd (probably unfairly) spent little time. De La Soul, The Grind Date (Sanctuary Records, 2004) It's funny, in a way, that this [...]
The 49th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Tucson rapper/ tattoo artist /convicted felon/all-around badass Isaiah Toothtaker , who in the past two years has become one of my favorite voices in hip-hop. That he's from my home state – and reps it to the fullest – makes it all the better. Toothtaker released Illuminati Thug Mafia – compelling as it is chilling – on Jan. 25 and is scheduled to perform at the [...]
The 48th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Curly Castro , the Philadelphia-based emcee who will be appearing with Zilla Rocca and Random on Friday at the Hidden House , where he will unleash a solo set and perform with Zilla as 5 O'Clock Shadowboxers . Check the new track, West Indian Rum , which Castro will debut on Friday. [ZIP]: [...]
Common Sense - I Used To Love H.E.R. (BusCrates Rmx) A great rendition by BusCrates, to Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." the original is one of my favourite tracks by Common. Common - I Used To Love... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The 47th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Paul Edwards, author of How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC , a 340-page book containing analysis, advice and guidance about, well, rapping, culled from interviews with more than 100 emcees. For his entry, Edwards picked five of his favorite tracks by emcees he interviewed for the book, which has a companion YouTube channel that features fascinating audio clips from his interviews. How [...]
The 46th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Chris DeLine, the man behind the long-running and rather prolific (not to mention excellent) blog, Culture Bully . Chris shares with us "a few songs that helped shape my interest in hip hop." Maestro Fresh Wes – Let Your Backbone Slide I don't remember where or when I first heard it, I just remember that Let Your Backbone [...]
The 45th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Sarah Barthel, keyboardist and singer of electronic-pop duo Phantogram , whose debut LP, Eyelid Movies, was released in February on Barsuk . Barthel and bandmate Josh Carter just this week released a video for the great track, Mouthful of Diamonds . I recently became aware of Barthel's interest in hip-hop , and here she tells us what drew her to the genre [...]
The 44th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from singer Van Pierszalowski of Oakland-based indie-folk band Port O'Brien , which just wrapped up a seven-week tour in support of its excellent 2009 album Threadbare . Having talked to Pierszalowski at the band's recent Phoenix show , I can tell you his enthusiasm for Lil Wayne is absolutely sincere. Port O'Brien | My Will is Good [...]
The 43nd installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from English multi-instrumentalist/producer Max Tundra (born Ben Jacobs), who opened for Junior Boys in Phoenix back in April in support of his 2008 release Parallax Error Beheads You (Domino). While he admitted he wasn't much of a hip-hop die-hard, he expressed an affinity for one particular song and its Spike Jonze-directed video. Max Tundra | Which Song [...]
Anyone who shares the sentiments of Common's classic "I Used to Love H.E.R." will appreciate this piece from Dustin J. Seibert. I've often fretted over my love-hate relationship with undeniably addictive hip-hop beats and their often unapologetically ridiculous lyrics. I know you've heard it all before, but Seibert is refreshingly eloquent and real here. (Apologies for [...]
The 40th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from producer Enoch of Gainesville, Fla., hip-hop quartet CYNE , whose excellent 2005 album Evolution Fight was followed in '08 by Pretty Dark Things (Hometapes). CYNE | The Runaway Black Sheep A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Mercury/PolyGram, 1991) This [...]
The 39th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Justin Tenuto, bassist/wordsmith for San Francisco's Birdmonster , which released its sophomore album, From the Mountain to the Sea , this fall. Read more of the group's musings at its blog . Birdmonster | Born to Be Your Man When Kevin asked me to do this here post, part of his continuing [...]
The 38th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from Belief , who in 2006 dropped his great debut Dedication (featuring the likes of Murs and C-Rayz Walz and previously discussed here ). Belief's newest project is a 40-minute mixtape, Let It Breathe, available as a free download at his MySpace page . In talking about his mix, Belief said he was "hoping to create a combination of the formats of Dilla's Donuts and Girl Talk's Night [...]
The 37th installment of I Used to Love H.E.R. , a series in which artists/bloggers/writers discuss their most essential or favorite hip-hop albums and songs, comes from MC/producer/writer Zilla Rocca , whose first solo project, Bring Me the Head of Zilla Rocca, was released Sept. 23 (a mixtape to which I give my highest recommendation). He's also got a blog, Clap Cowards , and is the co-founder of Beat Garden Entertainment . You can download Bring Me the Head of Zilla Rocca right here and get a taste below. [...]
So Much Silence
AudioCred
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The Word Is Bond
Crib Notes
Diplo - "Climax" (MP3 Stream)
Out This Week 2/14
Jack White – Love Interruption [Music Video]
Skrillex Uses Satanic and Homosexual Influence to Win Grammys
[listen] Diplo ft. Usher - Climax
