Not content to kill it at XXL last week, Robbie takes the cake with a Nyoil interview. If you haven't seen the video that all the fuss is about, the preceding post on unkut.

This is that next shit. Believe that. Imagine, if you will, a world where Kanye West didn’t drop out of college or disappear up his own arse, but kept his talent, sense of humour and ability to craft conceptually outrageous songs and albums. Turns out this parallel universe Kanye has a name: Raydar Ellis. The Boston-based emcee/producer caused some noise with his ‘Graffiti Rock’ twelve-inch. Whatever, I hear you yawn, another underground rap joint about graf. Who cares? Hold that thought. Raydar traces the history of visual expression from prehistoric times, through ancient Egypt to the Renaissance and finally to the work of Taki 183 and the movement he spawned in New York. There are a dozen such thoroughly developed concepts on ‘Late Pass’, his debut LP, all couched in the overarching context of Raydar being woken by a phone call from his label telling him his album is due in two hours. Mostly self–produced and with sparing guest appearances from Ed O.G., 7L & Esoteric and Project Move, ‘Late Pass’ is the indie rap debut of the year.

Jacking for Threats

Nike Skateboarding (schyeah) has used a more or less exact copy of the art from Minor Threat's self-titled 1984 EP to promote their, umm, Major Threat skate tour. Don't tell me Americans don't do irony.

"To longtime fans and supporters of Minor Threat and Dischord this must seem like just another familiar example of mainstream corporations attempting to to assimilate underground culture to turn a buck. However it is more disheartening to us to think that Nike may be successful in using this imagery to fool kids, just beginning to becoming familiar with skate culture, underground music and DIY ideals, into thinking that the general ethos of this label, and Minor Threat in particular, can somehow be linked to Nike's mission."

Summary Of The World: Googlezon And The Newsmasters EPIC -

Along with Headmap's visionary musing, this is keeping me fascinated right now.

SOHH.com Sascha Jenkins sues The Source for claiming he once wrote for them:

"'I have never in my life written or edited for The Source and I take offense to them saying that I in any way owe my career to them,' Sacha told SOHH.com. 'What's insulting is that the piece is about the history of Hip-Hop journalism and sadly, The Source doesn't even have enough sense to fact-check their own history.'"

Fantastic. Seriously. That's some proper defamation right there.

DUB + SCIENCE

Genomic Dub Collective: "The Genomic Dub Collective consists of two individuals who make the music, with two others who assist with organiztion and mixing. What follows is a manifesto we wrote in support of an application to the Wellcome Trust's SciArt scheme. We aim to create a new musical genre, Genomic Dub, that celebrates recent successes in the field of genomics and evolutionary biology. We also aim to highlight common threads that link current scientific, artistic and social issues with the past (e.g. the Darwins' involvement in the anti-slavery movement), and to explore the potential for encoding macromolecular (protein and DNA) sequence data into dub music."

Via Spine.

Zen And The Art Of Audience Devastation



From the grains of sand in his crates and sampler memory, DJ Krush blows a gust of heady steam through Family's monstrous system. The distinctive and gentle Japanese elements that infuse his recorded work like a soothing herbal tea are buried in the avalanche, yet he retains an element of zen in his beats even as he unleashes a tsunami that washes to the back of the room, dragging listeners into the swirl of the dancefloor. There's little room for vocals, but Krush adds Mr Lif's performance of Nosferatu as an extra layer to the dissolving architecture between manic punches on his pads and the shotgun punctuation of long, jagged cuts. Intense.

You better believe they're one of the brightest

People are thinking "I can hear Slug, but when is he going to come onstage?"

I was expecting Atmosphere to incarnate live as Slug and Mr Dibbs. On this tour, though, the instrumental section is held down by a four-piece band that recreates and fleshes out Ant's minimalist beatscapes. They're thin on big singles, but delve into the back catalogue for absorbing material like Woman With The Tattooed Hands and Shrapnel.

TORTOISE

Tortoise's set list. Less cryptic than the liner notes for Standards.

It's a good measure of artistic endeavour when a performance imprints itself on your dreams. After this concert, I find myself at an isolated desert compound, helping Tortoise dig an underground bunker/studio in which to record their new album. Working a pickaxe into a bitter rockface to Tortoisesque strains, I look up to see two black helicopters approach from the horizon. The first lands and the late Darrell Abbott disembarks like a lost cowboy, his own axe slung over his shoulder. The FBI are close behind in the second percussion powered chopper, no doubt armed with some searching questions for the resurrected Dimebag and perhaps some suggestions for Tortoise's direction on future recordings.

Polyphonic HMI: Hit Song Science

I first peeped Hit Song Science about a year ago while researching my present manuscript. It popped up this week on Slashdot, via The Guardian, which lead me to further reading on PHMI's FAQ. That this software is in widespread use seems, on one hand, to be a sign of the forthcoming apocalypse. On the other, it doesn't matter an iota if the bland shite on commercial radio is chosen by machines instread of humans, does it? That said, I find the 'Human' in 'Human Media Interface kinda ironic.

"What about songs that are hits based on their lyrical content such as hip hop or The Angry American by Toby Keith?
Our analysis program does not take into account the lyrical content of songs. So yes, sometimes the lyrics can be the most powerful thing in a song and propel it up the charts. However good lyrics coupled with music that has optimal mathematical properties for today's market will have it much easier. "

Speaking of signs of armageddon, I had to look up this Toby Keith cat and discovered that his eloquent pen wrought forth, amongst other searing geopolitical insights, the following:

"Oh, Justice will be served and the battle will rage.
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
You'll be sorry that you messed with the US of A
'Cuz we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way."

Can I get an amen?

HOW MANY IS TOO MANY?

Two too many, I thought, when I saw 2 Many DJs supporting DJ Shadow at the Brixton Academy in November 2002. I was resistant to their poncing gumbo, but by the end of that set, my feet were moving and my head was bouncing. I was infected. I can take or leave the mash-up craze as a whole, but these guys certainly do it right. And they did it right again on NYE in Melbourne, thankfully lacuning from my memory a certain atrocious support act (I can handle some cheese, but motherfuckers I do NOT need to be bringing in the New Year to I've Had The Time Of My Life, capice?). Hats doffed to the brothers Dewaele.

LET'S JUST SAY IT WAS MURS

It's about that time for real rap to rise up again
Up out the rut that these suckers done stuck it in
If one more dies, then it's one too many
In these third world countries where they killed so many
Fuck a third world war, it ain't a second to waste
When no one knows what we're fighting for in the first place

He's down with the Living Legends, Rhymesayers and Definitive Jux. He's got a back catalogue as long as his beard used to be and has the rare gift of constant elevation: cat is always getting better. From Good Music and work with the 3MGs through Rules The World and the Felt project with Slug, Murs has always showed a sense of humour, modesty and lyrical insight. His first LP on Def Jux, The End of the Beginning spread thirteen different producers over its eighteen tracks and was disjointed for it. Not to say it was a collection of poor songs or that Murs slumped in any way, but 2004's 3:16: The 9th Edition felt more like a complete album. It was short, tight and highlighted Murs growing consciousness and willingness to tackle topics like the racial make-up of hip-hop's audience and the unhelpful attitude of some white fans (And This Is For...). More recently, he's dropped two excellent tracks produced by that other producer du jour, DJ Dangermouse. To A Black Boy and Paint By Numbers look at big issues (statutory rape and America's attitude to brutal violence in the non-white world) without simplifying or preaching. Most significantly, he manages to encapsulate multiple perspectives and a personal uncertainty on these issues. Murs is also a hard working, enthusiastic live performer who must have some hip-hop high jump records to under his belt. He was a little less hype when I saw him at Melbourne's Revolver on New Year's Eve-Eve with Luckyiam.PSC than when I caught on a DJX tour in London a couple of years ago, but he was on holiday, so I can forgive him a more laid back presentation.

Welcome to the future.

"The rumors are true... El-P and Ghostface have recorded a song together. 'HYA' (featuring Ghostface and El-p) will appear on the new Prefuse 73 album comming soon on Warp Records. The album version is produced by Prefuse 73, while the vinyl only remix is produced by EL-P himself."