Flying Lotus Announces Remix EP, Tour, DJ-Kicks

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

SoCal beatmaker Flying Lotus will continue his love affair with Los Angeles on the second EP in his L.A. trilogy. L.A. EP 2 X 3 consists of other folks' remixes of tracks from Flying Lotus' 2008 full-length Los Angeles, and Warp will release the disc on December 9. You can check out Nosaj Thing's remix of "Camel" by downloading the free mp3 below.

Mr. Lotus also has some European dates scheduled for November, but before those begin, he has two installments of his "Brainfeeder" party taking place in San Francisco and, you guessed it, Los Angeles. In addition to Flying Lotus, these events will feature appearances by Daedelus, Switch, Kode 9, Martyn, Samiyam, Ras G, Hudson Mohawke, Kutmah, and the Gaslamp Killer.

Finally, Flying Lotus is on deck to craft an upcoming installment of !K7's DJ-Kicks series for release next year. He has also created a track, tentatively titled "Buried", for inclusion on Burial's forthcoming DJ Kicks mix.

L.A. EP 2 X 3:

01 Robertaflack (Martyn's Heart Beat Mix)
02 Sleepy Dinosaur (Ras G Mix)
03 Camel (Nosaj Thing Remix)
04 Grapesicles (Samiyam Remix)
05 Robertaflack (Mike Slott Reflunk)
06 Secrets (Soundmurderer Refix)

Flying Lotus:
11-07 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex (Brainfeeder LA)
11-08 San Francisco, CA - 1015 Folsom (Brainfeeder SF)
11-18 Berlin, Germany - Ostgut
11-19 Munich, Germany - Die Registratur
11-20 Norwich, England - Po Na Na
11-21 London, England - Electrowerks
11-22 Manchester, England - Manchester Warehouse Project
11-25 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
11-26 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique
11-27 Dudingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn
11-28 St. Gallen, Switzerland - Palace St. Gallen
11-29 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso

MP3: Flying Lotus: Camel (Nosaj Thing Remix)
Video: Flying Lotus: Parisian Goldfish [from the Los Angeles LP]

Video: Loonatix TV Episode #1 - Oh Hai, I Can Haz Phatty McGee Now?

You can also watch it in high quality by going to the page straight up.

Don't forget to visit the Loonatix guys!

Black Sheep: The Choice is Yours (Taster's Choice Remix)

Black Sheep remake their '91 hip-hop anthem "The Choice Is Yours" in support of Barack Obama. Don't forget to vote November 4!

Video: Jake One & Brother Ali on Sound Session

(via Okayplayer)
Part 1:


Jake One & Brother Ali on KUBE 93's Sound Session (Part 1 of 2) from DJ Hyphen on Vimeo.


Part 2:


Jake One & Brother Ali on KUBE 93's Sound Session (Part 2 of 2) from DJ Hyphen on Vimeo.

A few weeks ago, Jake One & Brother Ali stopped by DJ Hyphen and J. Moore's Sound Session radio to talk about Jake's White Van Music album. In these videos, Jake gives an in-depth look at how he created the project, and gives some behind the scenes stories for every song. Brother Ali (who is featured on the album) is there to chime in with his perspective. White Van Music is in stores now and is one of many albums I have in regular rotation. Follow me after the jump for part 2. Don't forget to check OKP Dr. Brown's Celray's interview with Jake One.

Q-Tip, the Cool Kids Lead NBA 2K9 Tour

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Screw the Madden franchise and every baseball video game in existence except for EA's MVP Baseball 2005 (Kaz Ishii = dirty). In my incredibly unqualified opinion, 2K Sports' NBA 2K8 was the best sports-related video game to come around in a while.

And hey, what do you know, NBA 2K9 is in stores now, and the folks at 2K have assembled a bunch of rappers to go on the "2K Sports Bounce Tour" in support of the new game. Man, the only other things I need are weed and a couple trips to McDonald's, and I could hibernate for the winter.

Q-Tip, the Cool Kids, DJ Scratch (EPMD), and the Knux will appear on all dates of the tour, with Pacific Divison and Janelle Monáe showing up at just a few.

The tour begins November 5 in Chicago.

Full disclosure: Pitchfork helped curate the soundtrack for 2K Sports' Major League Baseball 2K8 game.

2K Sports Bounce Tour:
11-05 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
11-07 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
11-08 Denver, CO - Cervantes Ballroom
11-11 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
11-13 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine *
11-15 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues *
11-16 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
11-17 Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
11-19 Dallas, TX - House of Blues
11-20 Austin, TX - Stubb's
11-21 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
11-22 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
11-24 Atlanta, GA - Centerstage #
11-26 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
11-28 Orlando, FL - House of Blues
11-29 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
11-30 Washington, DC - Nightclub 9:30 *
12-02 New York, NY - Nokia Times Square *
12-03 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero *

* with Pacific Divison
# with Janelle Monáe

Video: Q-Tip: Move [from the forthcoming The Renaissance LP]
Video: The Cool Kids: Delivery Man [single]

Amy Poehler = The GOAT Emcee Comedian

And this is why.

Video: Toki Wright AKA Mr. Wright "State of Emergency" (Produced by PC)

You can download the track and visit Toki's site by going here.

His album "A Different Mirror" is coming soon!

Video: Mac Lethal "Calm Down Baby" (Produced by Lazerbeak)

From the album "11:11" out on Rhymesayers NOW!

Support the homie Mac Lethal.

Video: The Faculty "Faces In the Crowd"

The Faculty is made up of Mo & Taqee, two good college friends of mine. The video is directed by another homie of mine, Moody Mohamed. The track was produced by and features guitar work by Phingaz of the Background Noise Crew.

Check that out, support that good music homes.

Video: Heiruspecs "Get Up"

New album coming December 13th, and the album release party is that day at First Avenue with Big Quarters and countless others.

Big ups to the Heiruspecs family.

R.I.P. Levi Stubbs, Four Tops Vocalist

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Motown legend and Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs passed away in his home today (October 17) following a series of illnesses, according to Billboard.com. He was 72.

Stubbs and the Four Tops were responsible for some of the most enduring songs in pop and R&B history, from "Baby I Need Your Loving" to "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" to "Reach Out I'll Be There". Over their storied career, the Tops sold more than 50 million records and scored 45 chart hits, maintaining their original lineup of Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton for more than 40 years.

Stubbs continued regularly performing with the group until 2000, when illness forced him off the road. He appeared with the Tops for the last time at a 50th anniversary show in 2004. In addition to his singing work, Stubbs lent his voice to Audrey II, the foul-mouthed man-eating plant in 1986's Little Shop of Horrors.

Stubbs is survived by his wife of 48 years and five children.

"Baby I Need Your Loving"


"When She Was My Girl"


"Reach Out I'll Be There"

Throwback Saturday: The Roots & A Tribe Called Quest with Consequence - Freestyle on Lorna's Corner

Enjoy your weekend folks!

Video: M.I.A. Interview (Part 2 of 2)

Radiohead's In Rainbows Successes Revealed

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Photo by Kirstie Shanley

Over the next couple days in Reykjavik, Iceland, music industry sorts will gather for You Are in Control, an international conference dealing with issues in music and media. One such presenter is Jane Dyball, head of business affairs for Warner/Chappell, the publishing company responsible for the work of that Radiohead band. Dyball's presentation concerns all kinds of data surrounding last October's release of In Rainbows, which, as you may have heard, completely changed the music business forever and stuff.

Well, not really; but according to a report on Dyball's figures from "digital music business information and strategy company" Music Ally-- which has been confirmed by Radiohead's publicist-- In Rainbows certainly worked out well for the band.

The writeup suggests that there have been three million purchases of In Rainbows thus far, from digital sales through the band's webstore in the run up to the album's release, the discboxes, the eventual physical release of the album on CD, and through other digital outlets. More specifically, the band moved around 100,000 of those (very nice!) discboxes, and the physical CD has sold 1.75 million units to date worldwide. Not bad for a thing you could get for free.

The report characterizes the In Rainbows experiment as a success, noting "for Warner it served to prove a point that by licensing directly (i.e. outside the collecting society network) and by offering a genuine one stop shop for licensing (i.e. combining all the digital rights into one offer from a single entity) the publisher was able to generate far more money for both themselves and the band than would have been possible under the traditional system."

Music Ally also notes that the last several Radiohead releases sold in the hundreds of thousands, not millions, so the buzz-building nature of the band's release plan certainly lit a fire under consumers. To that end, the report offers that "the fact that Radiohead had made more money before In Rainbows was physically released than they made in total on Hail to the Thief is surely evidence enough that the initiative was a tremendous success." Better album, too.

There were, of course, some hang-ups; the thing hit BitTorrent almost immediately after its release, and it's "clear that the BitTorrent downloads did indeed greatly outnumber those from Radiohead's official site." In fact, the band and their management kept a pretty keen eye on the digital sales of the disc through their website, "and were watching the average price daily with a view to potentially withdrawing it any moment should it drop too low."

They did, eventually, pull the free download option off the site, but the point seems to be this: what they did worked awfully damn well-- for Radiohead, for this particular album, at this particular moment. The article notes this as well: "In fact, if anything, the only trouble with the whole thing was that it was just arguably too successful. The whole 'pay what you like' experiment became the story rather than the music itself. And that's not so Radiohead. The band and Thom Yorke initially found themselves answering questions about why they chose to do what they did rather than being asked about the music itself."

So, back to the music, then. Thom's on that new Björk single, and the band recently joined the artist advocacy group Featured Artists Coalition. Having finally wrapped that Japanese tour, they've got no live dates on the way at the moment, opting instead to work up the successor to In Rainbows. New Radiohead album? AAAAAAAHHH!!!

• Video: Radiohead: Reckoner [from the In Rainbows LP]
• Video: Radiohead: Bangers & Mash [Pitchfork.tv]

Kanye Premieres 808s & Heartbreak at Weird L.A. Party

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Photo by Joseph Mohan

Someone from The FADER made their way to a listening party for Kanye West's forthcoming 808s and Heartbreak at Los Angeles' Ace Gallery last night. To the surprise of no one, the whole affair was very lavish, and totally weird. Things went down in a stark room packed with 40 naked ladies-- wearing masks ostensibly made of fake lamb's wool, obviously-- who were backlit by glowing lights as the music went on. The evening's visual portion was designed by Italian artist of note Vanessa Beecroft, and Mos Def, will.i.am, and Rick Ross were all reportedly in attendance [via Idolator].

As for the album, 808s and Heartbreak apparently has Mr. West singing in his beloved Auto-Tune on virtually every track, and features a relatively pared-down selection of guests, with cameos from Young Jeezy (not singing, we imagine) and Lil Wayne (who knows anymore). As the title might suggest, it's a breakup album, with the exception of closer "Coldest Winter", which is about Kanye's late mother Donda West. The Fader report likens the sound of the disc to that of "ADULT. or Thom Yorke solo, with the dispassionate electro beats playing against the plainspoken ache of the vocals." Well all right then.

West then showed up as things were winding down to note that 808s and Heartbreak concerns "emotional nakedness," that the album is "about the freedom to do what you want to do," that Auto-Tune is "the most fun thing ever," and that he'll be issuing another new LP in June. Perhaps he will rap on that one.

808s and Heartbreak, whether you're ready or not, hits stores November 25 from Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam. Kanye, meanwhile, hits the road on Friday for the first of many fall tour stops.

And finally, one more intriguing Kanye tidbit: Lykke Li is set to join Kanye on his contribution to N.A.S.A.'s batshit forthcoming LP, according to a report on Swedish blog PSL confirmed by N.A.S.A.'s publicist. The track is reportedly still in the works.

Kanye:

10-17 Mexico City, Mexico - Palacio de Los Deportes
10-18 Monterrey, Mexico - Arena Monterrey
10-22 São Paulo, Brazil - Auditorio Ibirapuera
10-24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Marina da Gloria
10-29 Singapore, Singapore - Singapore Indoor Stadium
11-01 Beijing, China - Wukesong Olympic Basketball Gymnasium
11-03 Shanghai, China - Hongkou Soccer Stadium
11-08 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Odyssey Arena *
11-09 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Simmonscourt *
11-11 London, England - O2 Arena *
11-12 London, England - O2 Arena *
11-13 Newcastle, England - Metro Radio Arena *
11-14 Sheffield, England - Sheffield Arena *
11-15 Birmingham, England - NEC Birmingham *
11-16 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC *
11-17 Manchester, England - M.E.N. Arena *
11-20 Paris, France - Bercy *
11-21 Brussels, Belgium - Vorst National *
11-23 Oberhausen, Germany - König Pilsener Arena *
11-26 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Ahoy *

* with Santogold

• Video: Kanye West: Love Lockdown [from the forthcoming 808s and Heartbreak LP]

Beastie Boys Add Swing State Shows

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Beastie Boys have expanded their previously reported "Get Out and Vote '08" tour by a factor of two. The number of shows in swing states is at six now, thanks to the addition of dates in Charlotte, Dayton, and Youngstown (Ohio). The new shows will also feature sets from Sheryl Crow, Santogold, Norah Jones, and Ben Harper.

Beastie Boys' political fascinations don't end with this tour. Today (October 15), Beastie Adam Yauch's film distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories released Frontrunners, a documentary film about the student council presidential campaign at NYC's Stuyvesant High School, to theaters. The film's soundtrack includes selections from various Elephant 6 bands and the Album Leaf.

Frontrunners is just one of many movies Oscilloscope is releasing this fall, both to theaters and on DVD. On October 21, Yauch's basketball documentary, Gunnin' for That #1 Spot, comes to DVD. On Halloween, the company will release a true crime documentary called Dear Zachary to theaters. Finally, on December 10 comes Wendy and Lucy, a new movie from Old Joy director Kelly Reichardt starring Michelle Williams and featuring songwriter/Old Joy actor Will Oldham "as a face-tattooed gutter punk," according to a press release.

Yauch will appear at the Virgin Megastore in NYC's Union Square on October 21 to promote the release of the Gunnin' for That #1 Spot DVD.

"Get Out and Vote '08":

10-27 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend *#
10-28 Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum #!%
10-29 Youngstown, OH - Chevrolet Center *!$
10-30 Dayton, OH - Hara Arena *$
11-01 Saint Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium $^
11-02 Milwaukee, WI - U.S. Cellular Arena $^~

* with Sheryl Crow
# with Santogold
! with Norah Jones
% with Jack Johnson
$ with Ben Harper
^ with Tenacious D
~ with Crosby & Nash

• Stream: Beastie Boys: Various Tracks

Video: Pitchfork.TV's interview with M.I.A.

Part 1:



Part 2 to be posted when it comes up.

Video: Pitchfork.TV Interview with Stereolab!

Part 1:


Part 2:


Chemical Chords is in stores now!

Download: The Roots: "Things Fall A Preview" (Mixtape by DJ Jazzy Jeff)

(download link & text provided via Okayplayer)

First of all, and we generally say this every year on this day, F$*@ CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. And now that that's out of the way, it's time for another OkayThrowback. Here we have OKPs tREBLEFREE and handle to thank for liberating The Roots' 10 year old Things Fall Apart album sampler mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff from its cassette form into digital download.

The Roots: Things Fall A Preview (MCA-4P-90170)
Mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff

>>> MP3 archive (64MB): http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/tfap_mp3.zip
>>> FLAC archive (249): http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/tfap_flac.zip

Links to scans of the front and back of the sleeve as well as the cassette itself, after the jump. I have one of these, somewhere. Oh, and I probably have about 20 of the "running girl" posters at the crib. Ginger suggested we get ?uesto to sign them and put them in the store.

Front: http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/front.jpg
Back: http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/back.jpg
Side 1: http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/side1.jpg
Side 2: http://www.therootsarchive.com/encoded/tfap/side2.jpg

Rocksteady Legend Alton Ellis R.I.P.

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Alton Ellis, the Jamaican singer known as "The Godfather of Rocksteady", passed away Friday, October 10 at Hammersmith Hospital in London. He was 70 years old.

According to an AP report citing hospital officials, "Ellis died peacefully," and "his family did not wish to release details." However, an obituary on the Trojan Records site points to a longstanding battle with cancer of the lymph glands as the cause of Ellis' death.

Ellis rose to prominence in Jamaica as a ska singer for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One label in the early 60s, but his most influential contributions to Jamaican music came with his jump to Arthur "Duke" Reid's Treasure Isle in the mid-60s. It was there that Ellis pioneered rocksteady, which preceded reggae by slowing down the tempo of ska, putting more direct focus on the bass, and aping the sweeter, lighter singing style of American R&B stars.

Both solo and with his vocal group the Flames, Ellis' hits for included "I'm Still in Love With You", "Get Ready - Rock Steady", "Cry Tough", "Girl I've Got a Date", "My Willow Tree", and "Dance Crasher".

In the 70s, Ellis moved to England, where he started his own Alltone label and record store. In 2006, he was inducted in the International Reggae and World Music Awards Hall of Fame.

"I'm Still in Love With You"

"Cry Tough"

"Get Ready - Rock Steady"

Stream: Alton Ellis & the Flames: Cry Tough

20 Incredible Links You Should Click On ... Right Now (Courtesy of OhWord.com)

(via OhWord.Com)

And here are the 20:

100 Great Obscure Rap Songs

Large Professor Discusses Main Source, Nas, New Album (Video)

The Sample From Nas’s “Life Is Like A Dice Game” Revealed

Junior Mafia “Player’s Anthem” Beat Deconstructed

A Buyer’s Guide For Out Of Print Rap Albums

Pete Rock Discusses Sampling Techniques (Video)

The Entire Fondle ‘Em Discography Available For Download

A Guide To Assessing Vinyl Rarity

Seven Volumes Of KRS-One Songs Not Included On His Albums

RZA Breaks Down The Science of “Bong Bong” (Video)

4 Hours Of Biggie Songs Mixed By Mr. Cee

DJ Clark Kent Discusses Crate Digging, Sneakers, Jay-Z

Large Professor Interviews @ Cocaine Blunts

Latin Party Starters Selected By O-Dub

Cypress Hill Temples Of Boom Reviewed Track By Track

An Audio History of NYC Hip Hop Radio

DJ Evil Dee “Pure Dope Mixtape” (Podcast)

Illmatic Promo (Video)

Rosenberg Radio – De La Soul mix & Interview, Large Pro Interview

Source March 1995 Issue w/ Slick Rick (downloadable .pdf)

Video: Ski of Rok-a-Blok re-making Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" beat

Wow.

Just...Damn.

Check Ski on MySpace or his Website.

Old School Saturday Throwback: Channel Live Featuring KRS-One "Mad Izm"

Man, I need to pull Station Identification back out once again.

Maxwell Unveils New Songs At Radio City

(swiped from Billboard)

Maxwell introduced several new songs last night (Oct. 9) during a hometown show at New York's Radio City Music Hall, part of his first tour in six years. "Pretty Wings," "Bad Habits" and "Comb" will be included on the forthcoming Columbia album "Black Summers' Night." No release date has been announced.

"This song, it's about wanting to be with somebody but meeting them too early," Maxwell told the audience of "Pretty Wings." The moderately paced "Bad Habits" found Maxwell asking in the chorus, "Will you forgive me?," while "Comb" showcased a two-step drum pattern with a strong horn section and a smooth guitar roll.

Flanked by a nine-piece band in black and white suits, Maxwell began the show with "Get To Know Ya" from his third and last album, 2001's "Now." The crowd, made of mostly couples and single ladies, sang along to each word as he ran through his most popular singles "No One," "Lifetime" and "This Woman's Work."

By the time he reached "Everwanting: To Want You To Want," he'd also reached the floor -- to hump his microphone stand. The band improvised "Sumthin Sumthin," adding the beat from Jay-Z's "Can't Knock the Hustle," before the crooner introduced "Pretty Wings."

Just as he was about to launch into "Til The Cops Come Knockin'," Maxwell stopped the music and said, "There are not enough panties on my stage right now!" One woman promptly threw a blue rose on stage and another threw a rather large pair of white panties, which Maxwell tossed over his shoulder as he finished the song. "Go get drunk, go have sex, we love ya!" he said to close the evening.

Maxwell's tour will return to New York for a Nov. 23 finale at United Palace Theater.

Beastie Boys Plot Star-Studded Vote Shows

(swiped from Billboard)

The Beastie Boys have drafted Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson and Ben Harper to join them on the Get Out and Vote tour, which will begin Oct. 28 in Richmond, Va. Shows are also set for Nov. 1 in St. Paul, Minn., and Nov. 2 in Milwaukee.

"This election is too important to stay at home," the rap trio said this morning (Oct. 10), adding that it is endorsing Barack Obama for president. "We hope that you can come out, have a nice night, dance, sing, get your freak on, and then wake up the next morning and get everyone that you possibly can to get out and vote."

Crow, Jones, Johnson and Santogold are on the bill for the Richmond show, while Harper and Tenacious D will support in St. Paul. Harper, Tenacious D and David Crosby and Graham Nash will join the Beasties in Milwaukee.

For ticket information, visit the Beasties' Web site.

"Dre's getting piano lessons from Burt Bacharach" --DJ Quik on Detox, many other projects...

You're welcome. (C) Stewie Griffin

Video: DJ Muggs & Planet Asia "Lions In The Forest"

This is from the Planet Asia & DJ Muggs album "Pain Language" which is out NOW! Get your hands on it, as its so fucking incredible that you need to hear this album, pronto. Very welcome return to form for Planet Asia.

In addition, the video for Pain Language as well:

(via OkayPlayer)
Circa 91-92, and straight from FSD, this is Common Sense's demo tape that got him in The Source Magazines' Unsigned Hype column. In other Common related news, while it seems very premature to even be talking about it while we wait for Universal Mind Control (Which has been been moved to a 12/9 street date), word has it that Com's album to FOLLOW (his 9nth) that will be produced by No ID and Kanye West. So for those of you hatin' on the Pharell production on UMC, you have something to look forward to.



Download: Common Sense Demo Tape

Video: MURStravaganza Post

Two videos from the homie MURS, who just cracked the top 50 of Billboard with his major label debut, "Murs For President."

"Can It Be"



"Lookin' Fly"

Video: Big Jess "High Rule" Trailer

It's out now. Don't forget about that release party! Gonna be sick!

McCain: Out Of Touch?

According to Reuters:

"Stocks plummeted for a seventh straight session on Thursday as investors bet recent moves by authorities worldwide to thaw frozen credit markets would not be enough to avert a global recession.

An avalanche of selling at the close left the Dow below 8,600 for the first time since May 2003. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 each also fell to levels not seen in more than five years."

And What's McCain talking about?

Republican presidential nominee John McCain questioned whether Democrat Barack Obama is "telling the truth" about his ties to a former left-wing radical on Thursday as he tried to raise doubts about Obama's character.

His goal was to tie Obama to William Ayers, a founding member of the Weather Underground, a radical left anti-Vietnam War group that bombed the U.S. Capitol in 1971 and the Pentagon in 1972. He spent 10 years as a fugitive and his ex-radical wife Bernardine Dohrn, spent time on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

"We don't care about an old washed-up terrorist and his wife," McCain said. "That's not the point here. The point is Sen. Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood. We know that's not true. We need to know the full extent of the relationship because of whether Sen. Obama is telling the truth to the American people or not."

"The issue is Barack Obama's judgment and candor," the announcer in the ad says. "When Obama just says, 'This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood,' Americans say, 'Where's the truth, Barack?' Barack Obama. Too risky for America."

Point being: McCain is fuckin' up! (C) Dave Chappelle

This is not an endorsement for any candidate. I just wanted to shed a little light on some truth, calling an ace like I see it.

Video: Kanye West "Love Lockdown"

From the album, 808's & Heartbreaks.

Out November 25th on Def Jam.

Should be interesting.

Video: The Mighty Underdogs "Want You Back"

Their debut album, "Droppin' Science Fiction" is out next week (10/14) on Definitive Jux Records. The group is comprised of Lateef The Truthspeaker, Gift of Gab and Producer Headnodic.

Other folks who make appearances: DJ Shadow, Mr. Lif, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, and MF Doom, as well as many more. You can stream the album right now on Definitive Jux's site by clicking the link.

Good God, tons of good Hip-Hop out this year.

Video: Atmosphere "You"

From the new album, "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold."

Out now on Rhymesayers Entertainment.

Kanye, Ghostface, Chuck D Join Insane N.A.S.A. LP

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

It's been over a year since we first reported that David Byrne, Tom Waits, M.I.A., and members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Yeah Yeah Yeahs would appear on the debut album from N.A.S.A. (North America/South America), along with a heap of other notable guests. Corralling all those folks onto one record was no easy task, but the duo is finally ready to reveal the album's title, official tracklist, label, and release date. It's a bonanza of album details!

The album is called The Spirit of Apollo, and it's due to hit shelves via Anti- on February 17.

As previously reported, The Spirit of Apollo features beats crafted by the duo of Squeak E. Clean (aka DJ/producer/composer Sam Spiegel, brother of director Spike Jonze) and DJ Zegon (aka DJ/producer/professional skateboarder Ze Gonzales), plus contributions from the aforementioned artists as well as Kool Keith, CSS' Lovefoxxx, Spank Rock, John Frusciante, Fatlip and Slim Kid Tre from the Pharcyde, E-40, Gift of Gab, Chali 2na, KRS-One, George Clinton, Seu Jorge, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Amanda Blank, Z-Trip, and DJ Qbert.

But wait, there's more. Since our original report, there have been plenty of big-name additions to the guest list, including Kanye West, Chuck D, Ghostface Killah (a previously unreported Wu member), the Cool Kids, Scarface, and Santogold.

N.A.S.A. have a single show scheduled for Halloween in Los Angeles. Zegon, however, has plenty of DJ dates for himself.

The Spirit of Apollo:
01 Intro
02 The People Tree [ft. David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab & Z-Trip]
03 Money [ft. David Byrne, Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge & Z-Trip]
04 NASA Music [ft. Method Man, E-40 & DJ Swamp]
05 Way Down [ft. RZA, Barbie Hatch & John Frusciante]
06 Hip Hop [ft. KRS-One, Fatlip & Slim Kid Tre]
07 Four Rooms, Earth View
08 Strange Enough [ft. Karen O, Ol' Dirty Bastard & Fatlip]
09 Spacious Thoughts [ft. Tom Waits & Kool Keith]
10 Gifted [ft. Kanye West and others TBD]
11 A Volta [ft. Sizzla, Amanda Blank & Lovefoxxx]
12 There's a Party [ft. George Clinton & Chali 2na]
13 Whachadoin? [ft. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santogold & Nick Zinner]
14 O Pato [ft. Kool Kojak & DJ Bãboa]
15 Samba Soul [ft. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien & DJ Qbert]
16 The Mayor [ft. The Cool Kids, Ghostface Killah, DJ AM & Scarface]
17 N.A.S.A. Anthem

N.A.S.A.:
10-31 Los Angeles, CA - HARD Haunted Mansion @ Shrine Expo Hall

** with Justice, Soulwax, Simian Mobile Disco, Crystal Castles

DJ Zegon:
10-08 Balneário Camboriú, Brazil - Djunn
10-10 Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Deputamadre
10-11 São Paulo, Brazil - Crew @ Gloria
10-11 Caxias do Sul, Brazil - Chocolate @ Hip
10-14 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
10-16 Mexico City, Mexico - TBA
10-18 Goiânia, Brazil - What's Up? @ Fiction
10-21 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
10-24 New York, NY - TBA
10-25 New York, NY - TBA
11-04 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
11-07 São Paulo, Brazil - Baixaria @ VEGAS
11-08 Florianopolis, Brazil - Chocolate @ Confraria das Artes
11-11 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
11-15 Goiânia, Brazil - What's Up? @ Fiction
11-15 Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Creamfields
11-18 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
11-22 Florianopolis, Brazil - NY Feelings @ Confraria das Artes *
11-24 São Paulo, Brazil - On the Rocks @ D-Edge *
11-25 São Paulo, Brazil - Chocolate @ CLASH
11-29 Florianopolis, Brazil - Chocolate @ Confraria das Artes
12-08 São Paulo, Brazil - On the Rocks @ D-Edge
12-13 Florianopolis, Brazil - Concrete Vibe @ Hi Adventure
12-14 Florianopolis, Brazil - Concrete Vibe @ Hi Adventure
12-20 Goiânia, Brazil - What's Up? @ Fiction
12-27 Florianopolis, Brazil - Chocolate @ Confraria das Artes

* with Steve Aoki

Stream: N.A.S.A.: Various Tracks

New Big Jess Album "High Rule" on iTunes!

Big Jess's long awaited 3rd effort, "High Rule" just ended up on iTunes.

He's been a personal friend of mine since my days at The Beat Box on Radio K and is part of another awesome group from the Twin Cities, Unknown Prophets.

Don't sleep! And while you're at it, attend the release party. Flyer after the jump.

P.S.: He makes ill fuckin' bangers.

JSL "Score"

Coming out on the [301STUDIOS] label soon.

Get that shit when you can. His music is HELLA fresh.

Video Dance Floor Dale B/W Flying Lotus "Parisian Goldfish" (NSFW)

Directed by Eric Wareheim (Tim & Eric) in association with Warp Records and Warp Films. Music by Flying Lotus. Co Directed/ Animation by Devin Flynn. Co Directed/ Edited by Eric Fensler. More info at dancefloordale.com

EGYPTO'S LAMENT: You need to watch this at least once. Whether you view it twice or three times is up to you, but at the very least, watch it once, won't you?

Video: Lazerbeak (Doomtree) In The Lab

He'll be performing at Last of the Record Buyers on October 16th, 2008 at the Dinkytowner.

Go down there, drink some brewskies, and conversate.

And don't forget, if you're in the area go to this right here TOMORROW! (10/2):