Jesse Marco has got some new music for you to preview that we’re really excited about! Following up the success of his remixes for The Knocks and Kings of Leon, Jesse’s got 2 original tracks coming out in the New Year, as well as a bootleg for your listening pleasure. Look out for “Daddy Cool” on Big Beat/Atlantic Records in January and “Superstar” coming out in 2012. In the meanwhile, we’ve got a sneak peak at the tunes for you right here after the jump.
The “I Am Still Music” hip-hop tour drew impressive crowds as it made its way across the country for its 2011 run. The tour (headlined by Lil Wayne and featuring Keri Hilson, Far East Movement, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and more) ended its run on September 11th in Woodlands, TX. While Wayne took front and center, the rest of the performers, including Ross, held their own, contributing to the aura of the traveling festival.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ross, allow me to bring you up to speed. Ross is an artist who has dominated large parts of the hip-hop scene for years. Ross was one of the forerunners in revamping Miami’s rap scene and putting it back in the national spotlight. Predominantly influenced by Luther Campbell and the Notorious B.I.G., he began rapping in the 1990’s, fronting the group, Carol City Cartel. Their sound took its cue from Ross’ unique baritone voice; makes sense considering Ross is an imposing six feet at 300lbs.
Chiddy Bang’s “Chiddy” grew up in Newark, New Jersey, listening to New York radio station Hot 97. We sat down with the Guinness World Record holder to get his Top 5 Songs on the Radio when he was growing up.
Friday you have boundless energy. Saturday you’re crisp from the sun and mildly hoarse, but you’ve still got your legs underneath you. Sunday, however, is when the battle is won or lost; when true heroes are made (or broken) on the grassy proving ground of the Indio desert. It’s Day Three. Do you know where you parked your car?
When it comes to a collaboration between Sade and Jay Z, it’s pretty much impossible to go wrong or disappoint (according to the ever reliable and trust worthy pandabook). “The Moon and the Sky” (Remix) actually surfaced last Friday (after my glorious post was published), so if you’ve already heard this track, well, here’s a chance to bask in it once (or multiple times) more!
The soundtrack for the film “Hanna” (side note: really want to see it), scored by the Chemical Brothers, was released exclusively through iTunes last month, but I only got around to checking it out this week (and it subsequently became my unofficial soundtrack; listened to it constantly). If you haven’t given it a listen / downloaded it yet, I highly recommend doing so because it’s awesome. Favorite tracks are: “Hanna’s Theme”; “Container Park” and “Escape 700”. Grab it here and / or watch the trailer after the jump.
Apologies to all you gorgeous party people, I’m afraid this week’s post is going to be a bit on the short side; was one of those highly infuriating weeks where there just wasn’t that much to write about and very few new tracks that I actually enjoyed. Although Sade (who doesn’t love a little Sade action?) announced the release of a second greatest hits album (no released date yet) and she finally agreed to collaborate with my future BFF Jay Z on a track for it. So that’s rather magical.
Though the South spawned such top-notch lyricists as Scarface, Big Mike, 8Ball & MJG and OutKast in the 1980s and 1990s, the region was never regarded as a lyrical hotbed. Lil Wayne is doing his best to correct this wrong.
Dee-1 may be next in line. The New Orleans rapper set the Internet ablaze in late 2010 with “Jay, 50, and Weezy,” an inventive cut where he imagined a conversation he would have with each artist. But rather than just begging to be signed, Dee-1 saluted each rapper before pointing out ways they could help their communities and the rap community.
Virtually instantly, Dee-1 became a rare Southern MC: a rapper known for his lyrics, his creativity and his musical agenda. “When you have a calling and a mission, it doesn’t matter where you’re from,” Dee-1 says today. “I think it’s just all about exposure to people and that’s what I’m focusing on, just getting exposure to people. I think that regardless of me being from New Orleans, being from the South, whatever people might label me as, I think it’s just a connection that people are going to make to my purpose and to my movement. So I don’t think that geography is going to matter.”
And how is everyone doing on this fine Friday? Doubtless even better now that you’re reading this gloriousness, no?
So the first single off Watch The Throne, the collaboration album between Jay-Z and Kanye West, “H.A.M.”, was released this week and it’s such a let down. The beat, produced by 19 year old Lex Luger, (I know, ridic.) is gorgeous but Kanye’s first verse doesn’t flow with it at all, Jay’s was good but nothing spectacular… I don’t know, I guess considering the immense talent these boys possess, I expected something better. Paws crossed the rest of Watch The Throne is far better. Check it out for yourself below.
I’m a week into my three-week holiday in lovely London Town, and though I didn’t think it possible, I’ve fallen even more in love with this city (which is quite something considering it was rather stressful to begin with: first and second flights canceled due to the epic blizzard in New York; third flight massively delayed; didn’t get my luggage until this past Monday; phone completely broke – yay for my friend having a spare Blackberry). However, overall it’s been wonderful and me and London seem to get on pretty damn well. But more on my adventures later, let’s get to this week’s music news, shall we?