As the release date of Nas’ new untitled album draws closer, the anticipation is intensified.
Over the years, Hip- Hop MC’s have evolved from your standard b-boy’s to streetwise lyricists
D.C bred M.C.; Wale obviously knows the importance of swagger and bravado in hip hop. Every
The mythology of an artist in Hip Hop is just as paramount as their skills on the mic these
With eager anticipation and bated breath, fans of L.A. underground favorite J*Davey, have long
Last year around this time, the boys from Vampire Weekend took the blogosphere by storm with
With eager anticipation and bated breath, fans of L.A. underground favorite J*Davey, have long
Returning from the glory of the now famous party LP, Night Ripper, Girl Talk is back with
New Orleans MC and codeine enthusiast, Lil Wayne has sold over a million copies (1,005,545 to
Following the release of their critical success, but ultimately commercial failure Hell Hath No
From Rocky Balboa (almost) taking the belt from Apollo Creed, to the defensive line putting the unflappable Tom Brady on his back in the closing seconds in the super bowl, the plight of the underdog has been well documented. Fans and viewers are entertained by the prospect of a scrappy upstart or a skilled feisty veteran coming from behind to defeat the prematurely crowned victor. Such is the story of Royce da 5’9”. The Detroit native has garnered a rabid cult following since the late 90s for his lyrical prowess and battle tested verbal onslaughts as he literally rhymes complete stanzas in one breathless swoop. Royce’s affiliation with Detroit luminary Eminem almost assured that he would reach the level of super stardom that his rhyme partner has. However, several years and beefs later the two had a public falling out that saw Eminem’s star to continue to rise and regulated Royce to the indie circuit and back to underdog status.
However, like all good underdog stories this one doesn’t end there. While Eminem’s career sky rocketed his music went from battle ready witty raps to self deprecating tortured sonnets. In the mean time, Royce continued with the battle-centric metaphor and simile style that the two came up together using. Royce had time to perfect and tweak his craft until his use of punch lines became second nature and his flow got angrier and aggressive. As Eminem has become more reclusive and hasn’t released material in years Royce consistently brutalizes the mix tape circuit with bars that would have any self respecting MC a little shook to follow. On his latest conquest to own every beat in the rap game Royce takes on Lil Wayne’s “I’m Me” and completely demolishes it in a virtuoso display of words that will soon have him alleviating the chains of the underdog namesake. Or at least something to keep underdog fanatics entertained until “The Bar Exam 2” drops.
Listen to the track [HERE]
In a way the success story of UK born, electronic, big beat musician Quentin Leo Cook aka Fatboy Slim is a bit of an anomaly. At age 44 he is sort of long in the tooth for a pop star, that’s even in his late 90s peak of popularity. Sonically, he doesn’t have much of an allegiance to any musical genre, making him extremely hard to classify which is a nightmare for marketing purposes. He combines the blare of Burt Bacharach early 60s brass instruments, experimental 80s electronic drum thumps, emphatic 90s dance music and intricate Hip Hop record cuts and scratches. All of this is arguably genius to dance music enthusiasts and vintage record connoisseurs but bewildering to the MTV crowd who prefer their pop straight forward. Fatboy Slim’s infectious songs aside, it is his wildly inventive and innovative music videos that have made him a house hold name.
Fatboy Slim’s video for “Praise You” is a hilarious clip featuring director Spike Jonze leading what seems to be a rhythmically challenged dance troupe in front of a confused live audience. The award winning video for “Weapon of Choice” has veteran actor Christopher Walken energetically dancing through a hotel lobby and then literally flying from wall to wall. Fatboy Slim now hooks up with veteran New Wave musician David Byrne of Talking Heads fame to form the super group, Bridge Port Authority (BPA). While Byrnes’ expertise can be felt in their first single “Toe Jam” featuring Dizze Rascal, the video is vintage Fatboy Slim. It features feathered haired 70s era swingers striping down to their birthday suits and playing musical art with their censor bars. While the video shows no actually nudity it still may not be safe for work, unless your boss is into that kind of thing.
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