August 13, 2008

Diversionary Tactics (August 13, 2008)



- First of all, don't forget: apparently at some point in August, I'm going to begin my search for the elusive "good" female rapper. I'm looking at a week's worth of posts starting August 24. It's nothing like a full month's worth of posts, I know, but I have to build myself back up to that level.

- Andrew over at Musical Essence sent over word that the first issue of a hip hop magazine that he and a bunch of other folks (including Heaps over at Musical Schizophrenia) is finished. The Find is available for free download at this link, and apparently if enough folks show interest or vote for it or something, it may actually be published and available in stores. You may want to check it out.

- I truly appreciate all of those two readers that take the time to drop me a line, provide ideas for new reviews, or generally question my musical taste. Keep it coming! As always, the e-mail link is on the right.

- Random songs that I have stuck in my head's playlist at the moment:
Coldplay - "Violet Hill"
Interpol - "Obstacle 1" (still stuck from last time)
Ghostface Killah & Trife Da God - "Fire" (this song actually fucking rocks)
Jay Electronica - "Be Easy" (this sounds like a beat Killarmy would, well, kill for)
Cannibal Ox - "Stress Rap"
Joe Budden - "Who" (parts 1 through 3 - essentially sums up my take on hip hop in about fifteen minutes)
Huey Lewis & The News - "Pineapple Express" (I'm just kidding, but I wasn't kidding about the flick when I first wrote about it - anybody out there seen it? Anyone? Thoughts?)
Weezer - "Say It Ain't So" (I'm going old-school at the moment)
Q-Tip - "Breathe & Stop" (they played this song in Step Brothers, and it's been stuck ever since)
De La Soul - "Plug Tunin'" (either version, they're both good)

- Song Max isn't really liking right now:
Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)"
I know that my two readers are shocked, since from day one HHID seems to have been all over one Shawn Carter. However, this song, allegedly from The Blueprint 3, doesn't do a thing for me, except make me fear that his new album will be a lot like the horsehit pile that was Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse. (Here's hoping for a bizarrely fucked-up subtitle for the new disc: The Tale Of The Dragon's Taint sounds good to me.) I won't believe that Kanye West is the only producer to appear on The Blueprint 3 until I'm holding the disc in my hands, though: does anybody out there remember the original print ads for The Blueprint that promised tracks by DJ Premier and Dr. Dre?

- Finally, rest in peace Issac Hayes (and Bernie Mac, although he's not exactly hip hop related). In his honor, here's a video for something that I'm sure he would have rather forgotten.


-Max

10 comments:

  1. raph here from apiobama.blogspot.com wanted to let u know we added ur site on our blog and would be honored if u could return the favor.

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  2. i just bought put it on the line and have been listening to fire (and the album's title track) all week. good call on that one. speaking of which, where is the review for that album?

    also, a suggestion, seeing the "rockish" music youre into right now, go older with the entire ok computer album.

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  3. "stress rap" has been very necessary for the last couple months.."starving ,happy yaadmen.."
    jah know

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  4. appreciate the link!!

    i didn't find anything special about "jockin jay z" either, and i tried...really hard.

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  5. Yay to Cannibal Ox. You should check out Jean Grae's new album Jeanius and Invincible's new album Shapeshifter (especially the latter, Invincible is a brilliant writer).

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  6. hey max, gza's come out with a new album and i actually hear it is pretty good ;o

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  7. Invincible's Shapeshifter is really good. She's earned inclusion in my top 5 female emcee's. She's basically an activist Jean Grae.

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  8. Really looking forward to your Def Jux/Cannibal Ox review now Max.

    The Live performance of Jocking Jay-Z at Kanye's Glow in the Dark sounded much better than studio version. Jay-Z may be looking for a 'big stadium' sound for BP3 like Kanye did for Graduation, as the money is in concerts and touring instead of album sales.

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  9. Good female rappers are elusive? Man, you've been missing out for decades if you've never heard some great rap records by female MCs.

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  10. Ladybug from the digable planets had some smooth abstract shit on blowout comb. Lauryn's sort of obvious... little kim only had a few decent songs, dessa from doomtree doesn't even rap, I don't think... most female rappers either sound like shit or act like shit.

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