UGK's Pimp C: An Underground Legend Who Defied The Mainstream

(Swiped from MTVNews)

'I didn't want to do it,' MC told MTV News in 2005 about 'Big Pimpin',' the duo's landmark collaboration with Jay-Z.

Pimp C, who was found on dead Tuesday (December 4), and his loyal UGK partner Bun B reached their highest peak in 2007 as far as mainstream love was concerned. The Port Arthur, Texas, natives' latest album, Underground Kingz, debuted at #1 on the Billboard albums chart, they were voted into the top 10 of MTV News' Greatest Hip-Hop Groups of All Time, and their single "International Players Anthem" was easily their most successful song. It was the culmination, and you could say coronation, of years of respect from their peers and the press for gritty verses and enduring opuses.

Pimp (real name: Chad Butler), who produced much of the group's catalog, was the eye-catcher of the duo because of his flashy ways. Minks, diamonds, grills and Bentleys were the minimum for him. But despite all of their influence, respect and success, UGK rose up from the underground and often resisted mainstream compromise.

"We dropped [Too Hard to Swallow, the group's major-label debut] on February 21, 1992, and it sold, like, 40,000 copies in two and a half months, mostly in the Texas region," Bun B told MTV News in a 2005 interview about his group's origins. "Lake Charles, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; places in Texas — those were primarily the first cities to support us. Because we were small-town cats, we spoke from a small-town mentality, and a lot of the small-town people felt that and latched onto it immediately."

"Pocket Full of Stones" was the overwhelming crowd favorite from the release. "Everybody in my family was clockin' loot," Pimp rapped. "Sold my Cadillac and bought a Lexus Sports Coupe/ I got a house on the hill, got a boat on the lake."

During the next half-decade, UGK would garner a reputation as one of the most sonically reliable acts in rap, with back-to-back classics: 1994's Super Tight and 1996's Ridin Dirty. While multiplatinum plaques evaded them, UGK were heralded in the streets as if their albums were diamond-certified.

Pimp and Bun, friends for most of their lives, were not just Southern superheroes or ghetto superstars — the absence of artifice in their music and the integrity in their voices inspired the new generation of MCs that we hear today. Nearly every artist from the South will say they have been influenced by UGK.

"You know how Jay-Z is to New York? UGK was Jay-Z to us," David Banner told MTV News in 2005. "Pimp C by far is one of the tightest producers ever."

And while down-bottom heavyweights such as Banner and Lil Wayne might say UGK laid the foundation for the South, Pimp and Bun's reach extended far beyond any one region. Jay-Z loved the group's grit so much that he asked UGK to appear on one of his biggest-ever singles, 1999's "Big Pimpin'." Pimp C was hesitant at first.

"It sounded like a pop record to me," Pimp told MTV News' Sway during a prison visit in 2005. "I didn't want to do it. It scared me, because I didn't know how people was going to take us going in that direction. But I remember Jay telling me, 'Look, family: It's going to be the biggest record of your career. If you don't do it for yourself, just do it for me.' That was good enough for me, so I jumped on it."

Superstardom eluded Pimp and Bun because they weren't able to capitalize on their momentum. Feuding with their label, Jive, led to them not dropping another album until 2001, long after "Big Pimpin' " had made its big splash.

A year later, UGK's most lengthy hiatus began when Pimp was sentenced to eight years in jail for aggravated assault. With Pimp incarcerated, Bun B proudly held his team's banner by igniting the "Free Pimp C" movement in Houston with hats, T-shirts and shout-outs conveying that message. While Bun flourished as a solo act with a myriad of guest appearances, underground freestyles and his acclaimed LP, Trill, neither he nor the fans doubted that UGK would ride again.

The ever-flamboyant Pimp was released from prison in December 2005 and made his impact felt almost immediately. Artists such as Ludacris, Chamillionaire, Scarface and Gucci Mane all called on him for guest verses. His latest solo album, Pimpulation, came out in July 2006 (The Sweet James Jones Story was released in 2005 while Pimp was incarcerated). Pimp also introduced the combination of Lil' Boosie and Webbie, who have had a string of big street bangers such as "Wipe Me Down."

Recently, C caught some controversy because of his forceful comments on topics such as drug rap, Atlanta, the South itself and New York rap, but his O.G. love remained intact. His death is obviously a shock, and most of the people MTV News reached out to on Tuesday to speak about UGK's legacy were too distraught to comment. He's definitely another hip-hop legend gone too soon. Pimp C was only 33.

The "C" in Pimp's name stood for his real name, Chad. He and fellow Port Arthur, Texas, native Bun B — real name: Bernard Freeman — met in high school. Pimp, whose rap alias was Sweet Jones, loved music from an early age, and the influence of his trumpet-playing father (who played with soul legend Solomon Burke) had a profound influence on the music he went on to make. The sounds he heard as a child, which ranged from Motown to Bobby "Blue" Bland, served as muses for Pimp's beats and rhymes — influences that will be heard in hip-hop forever.
Head here for an in-depth feature on UGK from 2005.

RIP Pimp C of UGK (1974-2007)

(Swiped from MTVNews)

Pimp C of the long-running Texas hip-hop group UGK was found dead Tuesday (December 4) in a Los Angeles hotel room. He was 33.

Few details were available at press time, but according to TMZ, the rapper's body was found at the Mondrian Hotel Tuesday morning after the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a 911 call. The MC (real name: Chad Butler), was reportedly dead when officers arrived on the scene.

A press release issued on behalf of his family Tuesday reads as follows:

"It is with great regret that I must confirm that Chad Butler, a.k.a. Pimp C, one half of the legendary UGK, was in fact discovered dead this morning.

"Manager Rick Martin is asking that everyone please respect his family and those close to him at this time and refrain from rumors and innuendo.

A formal statement will be released later this afternoon. Thank you all for understanding."

Inquiries made to the West Hollywood Police Department and the Mondrian Hotel by MTV News were inconclusive at press time; a police spokesperson said the body has not been officially identified.

Based in Port Arthur, Texas, UGK — Pimp C and Bun B — formed in the late 1980s and released their first album, Too Hard To Swallow, in 1992. While the group long enjoyed a strong underground following, Pimp C was perhaps best known in recent years for the "Free Pimp C" campaign launched by Bun B. Butler was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2002 for failure to comply with probation restrictions following a conviction for aggravated assault, but was released late in 2005..

In the wake of his imprisonment, Bun B. brought greater fame to the group as scores of hip-hop fans donned "Free Pimp C" T-shirts at shows and shouted the refrain in call-and-respond chants lead by Bun B.

The buzz helped the group's comeback LP, UGK: Underground Kingz, debut at #1 on the Billboard charts upon its release in August. The album spawned the hit single "International Players Anthem," the video of which featured an all-star cast including OutKast, Three 6 Mafia and others.

Early this year, UGK was voted the #10 Greatest Hip-Hop Group of All Time in an MTV News feature.

UGK entered the mainstream in 1999 after collaborating with Jay-Z on the single "Big Pimpin' " from the Brooklyn rapper's Vol 3: Life and Times of S. Carter. Pimp C said the song, UGK's most mainstream track, was a collaboration he wasn't entirely fond of at first, as he felt the track was too soft for his group's image.

MTV News visited the rapper in prison and spoke with him regarding his tribulations while being incarcerated. Upon his release from prison, Pimp C became an outspoken critic of hip-hop glamorization of jail.

"It's not a party. It's not fun," Pimp said. "Jail affected my whole family. My family got locked up. My group got locked up. I lost when I went to prison. That's something to be ashamed of, and that's not a badge of honor. My youngest son was 8 years old when I went in. I came back and he's a teenager. I can't get them years back."

Nas Exclusive: MC Reveals Details, Song Titles From Controversial Upcoming LP

Rapper unleashes even more strong words, but emphasizes that album is 'not an attack on any race.'

(Swiped From MTVNews)

If you thought Nas was being controversial with an album titled Nigger, wait until you hear some of the song titles he has for the project. The MC reached out to MTV News earlier this week to reveal a bit more about the work-in-progress.

"I have a song called 'The Fear,' " he said. "The full title of the record is 'The Fear of the Black Man's D---.' That's some sh-- you can get comedy [from], or you can get some seriousness from it when you talk about the barbaric castrations that happened in our past — which is very serious, nothing to laugh at."

Nas also said that despite the serious name of his project — which has already set off a firestorm of controversy — the LP will be balanced, and he emphasized that he is not singling out any one race.

"It's not an attack on white people at all," he promised, regarding the record's content. "It's knowledge; it's understanding for all people. It's not an attack on any race."

Nas clarified that he will be combating a myriad of racial slurs, not just the one after which he named his album.

"It's about the attacks that have happened to blacks, whites, all ethnicities," he continued. " 'Mick' niggers, 'guinea' niggers, 'kike' niggers. I have a song called 'You a Nigger Too.' "
"It's all over the place," he added. "Balance is so important because there's a fun level to the [album] too. There's an attractive, sexy, aspect to it; a stylish aspect, a flashy aspect. It takes negatives and makes them good."

While Nas had originally hoped to release the album next month, rather than rush the project, he decided to take his time and rescheduled the album's drop date for February: Black History Month.

"Just to get the sh-- all the way right," Nas said of what caused the delay. "I was still working and it was a few weeks away from a release date. It was impossible, the timing was off. I was running into the holidays. I'm always coming out in December so I guess I was used to it, but I had to force myself out of that. I couldn't force the album out if it wasn't done."

The album's production is almost over, however, and Nas said Jermaine Dupri and Diddy will be helping him to close out.

"It's in the developmental stages," he said of the tracks Diddy is bringing to the table. "The potential could go anywhere. I'm writing a lot of sh-- down, and it just sounds crazy. The direction is totally right. Sometimes when you sit down and write, you don't know how it will go. But this is totally right."

Thus far, Salaam Remi, Stargate and DJ Toomp are the most notable names who have delivered beats to Nas.

"DJ Toomp is a humble cat," he said of the Atlanta producer who has earned his biggest credits working with T.I. and more recently Jay-Z. "He has talent way beyond his years. He's got every style you need: rock joints, R&B joints. I don't wanna give it all away, but he's the type of dude that can go anywhere. Toomp is my man, he's got knowledge and that's important when you're working on your umpteenth album. It means something.

"Working with this music, if you don't have no knowledge of self, I can't work with you," he continued. "You have to have some knowledge of who we are. You can't just go in there and throw on a beat like, 'Here's a hot beat.' That don't mean anything. I need a producer. All the tracks were made for this record — you can feel the passion in the beat-making. It's time to build, '08, this the movement we on."

Nas said that no one he reached out to was reluctant to work with him on this project, and said he has not been surprised by the support he's gotten from his peers, despite the controversy surrounding his choice of album names.

"They get it," he said of supporters such as Alicia Keys, Method Man, Russell Simmons, as well as Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid. "We know what time it is. This [album] is a small thing. [Making music] is what I do, so this is part of the way I fight. But people all know what we been going up against this year and the year before and the year before. I ain't saying nothing that's foreign to them."

Lupe Fiasco Talks The Cool, Cheeseburgers, Retirement

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Lupe Fiasco's got a mind that runs a mile a minute, and a mouth that can keep up with it. The sharp-tongued Chicago MC will follow-up last year's well-received Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor with Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, due December 18 from 1st & 15th/Atlantic. We phoned Lupe and did our best to keep up as he talked about the character-based concept behind The Cool, the album's darker hues, the infamous cheeseburger track, radio and comic book spin-offs, Child Rebel Soldiers, Cornel West, and his plans to "retire" after his third album.

There's a lot going on on The Cool, but the basic idea revolves around three previously mentioned characters-- what Lupe calls his "three evil angels"-- depicted in symbol form on the record's cryptogram cover. The first character, the Cool, is a zombie hustler of sorts based on the Food & Liquor song of the same name.

"I expand on the story," Lupe explained. "I introduce two other characters, the Game and the Streets. The Streets is a female. She's like the action personification of the streets, the street life, the call of the streets. The Game is the same way. The Game is the personification of the game. The pimp's game, the hustler's game, the con man's game, whatever."

He continued: "Then they've got supernatural characteristics. Like the Cool, his right hand is rotted away. The only thing that rotted away was his right hand. It represents the rotting away of his righteousness, of his good. And the Streets and the Cool kind of have a love affair going on. So she's represented by this locket. And the locket has a key and it's on fire. And as a gift to the Cool on his rise to fame, she gave him the key. And the key represents the key to the Streets. So she wears a locket around her neck at all times.

"And the way the story goes, she has given that key to tons of people throughout time. Al Capone, Alexander the Great, whatever. She's giving them the key to the Streets. Fame and fortune-- but also the prices.

"The Game, he's represented by a stripped-down skull, a skull with dice in his eyes and smoke coming out of his mouth. The billowing smoke is actually crack smoke."

"It's not a full concept album; it's more spread over like five [tracks], really abstractly."

It's also apparently going to spawn a franchise. According to Fiasco, there are plans afoot to spin The Cool into a horror-themed radio program, complete with Vincent Price-inspired voice-overs. "To really tell it," says Lupe. "Because I think it would be corny to try to be spooky on a hip-hop record. We're actually going to tell it as it is, like a horror psycho-thriller kind of situation."

Indeed, folks will notice a less-than-sunny vibe to the new disc on the whole. "This album was influenced more from the dark side. It's more because of the loss I experienced at the beginning of the year," Lupe explains, referring to the deaths of several loved ones. "I'm in a dark, melancholy mood. I'm not a happy camper right now."

After the radio show, according to Lupe, "we're going to do a comic book."

To bring his characters to life, Lupe linked up with California-based artist Nathan Cabrera. "He did the album cover, and when you actually see these characters, you're going to flip. Like the Streets has dollar signs in the eyes; they glow when she gets angry. [And the Game is] so vivid and so fucking terrifying, yo. It's crazy."

Then there's the track "Gotta Eat", on which Lupe, yes, personifies a cheeseburger. Turns out the man is not kidding.

"On this album, I wanted to talk about five or six things directly," Lupe explained. "I wanted to talk about the environment-- which I didn't really get a chance to do-- immigration, rape, drug abuse, and health. And it's like, damn, how do you talk about health dope, though? How do you make it cool?"

"[Part of] the inspiration for The Cool actually was Cornel West. The guy was like, 'If you really want to effect social change in the world, you have to make those things which are uncool, cool. You have to, in essence, make it hip to be square.' And it's more about how you deliver those things, how you package those things for people to digest them.

"Dead Prez did it on one of their albums, but they did it directly. It was like 'Yo, you should eat tofu.' It was dope! But it was like, 'Damn, niggas aren't gonna listen to that.'"

So Lupe had a revelation: "I'm gonna make this cheeseburger a fuckin' Tony Soprano mafia boss. His whole goal is to kill the entire world. He's fast food, trying to kill the entire world. It's really Tony Soprano shit.

"But it's basically about how you gotta watch what you eat 'cause this shit will kill you. If you go through the hood, drug abuse is one thing, fathers not being there is another thing, but then there's also the situation about health. We eat a lot of bullshit. There's no Whole Foods, none of this, none of that. There's like fuckin' hot dog stands and Italian beef places and cheeseburgers and pizza puffs and fried food and shit like that. We're destroying it on all angles."

Fiasco doesn't just talk health, however, he lives it. Articles on the MC often note his refusal to drink or smoke, and that stance still holds true for Lupe. "I don't have a genuine interest in it," he explained. "I don't have a genuine curiosity for it. I don't want it."

You'd think a guy would take a lot of flak for sticking to principles like that, but Fiasco's associates have come to respect his views. "They actually look at it like, 'Damn, I wish I could do that.'"

Yet the music profession has weighed on Lupe, and his plan at the moment is to throw in the towel very soon, at least in part. "Retirement", of course, is a word too often bandied about among rappers, but Fiasco seems to have thought his through. On The Cool he alludes to his next and final album, titled L.U.P.End-- derived from the initials Fiasco would habitually enter into arcade game high score lists.

"I'm at a creative end," he explained. "I really don't think I have that much to say. And I don't want to get to the point where I'm putting out music just to put out music. Especially recording music. I'll still perform as long as a venue will have me and a promoter will have me. Always. Until I'm 100 years old. "But actual recorded music is another thing in itself. The interview process, the radio process, the video process, the budget process-- that shit wears at you, tears at you. And I've been doing the music business for like eight years. And prior to that, on the underground level trying to get to a professional level, about 10-15 years. It's a heavy process and you just get to the point where you're just like, 'I don't know.' It's just like three is enough."

So where will Lupe turn his efforts once he's sworn off recorded music? "I'm going to step back and run my label [1st & 15th]. I've got Matthew Santos, who's my artist. Gemini, Sarah Green, Soundtrakk, just on a more production side. So I've got a full-fledged credible label with credible musicians on it. So I'll sit back and do that. And then I'll talk to different people and get inspired."

And like most hip-hop "retirements," this one seems provisional. According to Lupe, we can still look forward to "a couple concept records" and, "god-willing," an album from the previously mentioned hip-hop supergroup Child Rebel Soldiers, which brings Fiasco together with Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

What's the word on CRS? "Waiting. Everyone's focused on something else at the moment. [We're trying to find] two or three weeks to sit down and hammer it out. We're all kindred spirits; let's get together and unify that and see what happens."

Lupe's got a few shows lined up to close out the year, including a December 18 album release bonanza at New York City's Irving Plaza with a full live band. A House of Blues-sponsored tour is in the works for January. Finally, The Cool's tracklist has undergone a few revisions since our last report; check that just below.

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool:

01 Baba Says Cool for Thought

02 Free Chilly [ft. Sarah Green and Gemstones]

03 Go Go Gadget Flow

04 The Coolest

05 Superstar [ft. Matthew Santos]

06 Paris, Tokyo

07 Hi-Definition [ft. Snoop Dogg and Pooh Bear]

08 Gold Watch

09 Hip-Hop Saved My Life [ft. Nikki Jean]

10 Intruder Alert [ft. Sarah Green]

11 Streets on Fire

12 Little Weapon [ft. Bishop G and Nikki Jean]

13 Gotta Eat

14 Dumb It Down [ft. Gemstones and Graham Burris]

15 Hello/Goodbye (Uncool) [ft. UNKLE]

16 The Die [ft. Gemstones]

17 Put You on Game

18 Fighters [ft. Matthew Santos]

19 Go Baby [ft. Gemstones]

Live Lupe:

11-30 Urbana, IL - University of Illinois

12-02 Champaign, IL - University of Illinois

12-06 Los Angeles, CA - TBA

12-07 Los Angeles, CA - TBA

12-18 New York, NY - The Fillmore at Irving Plaza

12-27 Honolulu, HI - Pipeline Cafe

Stream: Lupe Fiasco [ft. Matthew Santos]: Superstar [from the forthcoming Lupe Fiasco's The Cool LP]

Video: Lupe Fiasco [ft. Matthew Santos]: Superstar [from the forthcoming Lupe Fiasco's The Cool LP]

Are you listening?

Background Noise is my new venture, for which I operate as a producer and CEO.

The first release off the label: Green Sketch, which consists of T.Q.D. and Phingaz on the raps, and Phingaz on the beats.

They will be the first release on the label, out on X-Mas Day. Tis' The Season! The name of the EP is "So Long...For Now" which is an excellent way to kickoff the new venture. And after you hear the song "Countdown," you'll come to the same conclusion too.

If you're in town, we'll be having a label showcase on 12/29 at the Terminal Bar with many other folks to celebrate the showcase and the release of Green Sketch. Such luminaries as Ernie Rhodes, Ruthless, Wide Eyes, Cleva & FIC (of the Chosen Few) will be performing along with all of the Background Noise Family.

Click on the picture to hear the songs from other members of the Crew.

Peace to y'all.

Snoop Dogg "Sensual Seduction"

Wow.

Just..wow.

Wu-Tang Clan Reveal 8 Diagrams Tracklist, Add Dates

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the mad rush to whatever winter holiday you may celebrate has begun. Yet, in the midst of it all, Wu-Tang Clan are making it pretty hard to forget that their new album, 8 Diagrams, comes out December 11 via Loud/Universal/SRC/Wu Music Group.

The album now has an official tracklist on which our eyes can feast, so mind the jump and check it out. Guests include Erykah Badu, George Harrison spawn Dhani Harrison, and John Frusciante (as you know), plus George Clinton and others. There's also the December 4 release of Ghostface's The Big Doe Rehab to tide you over for the week before 8 Diagrams.

What's more, the Clan have added dates to their previously reported winter tour, and GZA has his four solo shows in December.

8 Diagrams:

01 Campfire

02 Take It Back

03 Get Them Out Ya Way Pa

04 Rushing Elephants

05 Unpredictable [ft. Dexter Wiggles]

06 The Heart Gently Weeps [ft. Erykah Badu, Dhani Harrison & John Frusciante]

07 Wolves [ft. George Clinton]

08 Gun Will Go [ft. Sunny Valentine]

09 Sunlight

10 Stick Me For My Riches [ft. Gerald Alston]

11 Starter [ft. Sunny Valentine & Tash Mahogany]

12 Windmill

13 Weak Spot

14 Life Changes

Tang:

11-30 Oshawa, Ontario - The Big Sexy (Wu-Tang Super Show with Raekwon, U-God, GZA)

12-15 Chicago, IL - Metro

12-16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

12-20 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium

12-23 Hollywood, CA - House of Blues Sunset Strip

12-30 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo

01-03 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues

01-09 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!

01-10 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory

01-12 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom

01-13 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place

01-18 Richmond, VA - Toad's Place

01-24 Orlando, FL - Club Firestone

01-25 Miami Beach, FL - The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater

01-26 St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Landing

GZA:

12-07-09 Minehead, England - Butlins Holiday Park (ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas)

12-09 London, England - KOKO *

12-13 New York, NY - Knitting Factory *

12-14 New York, NY - Knitting Factory *

* performing Liquid Swords

MP3: Wu-Tang Clan: 8 Diagrams mixtape

DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist Join for "Hard Sell" Tour

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Ever hear Brainfreeze? It was a mostly seamless, ultra-rare hour-long mix DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist crafted "live" around the turn of the millennium from their untold wealth of funk and soul vinyl. And it was amazing, a proto-Night Ripper all-jam-fricassee with a killer long-term memory.

They did it again (to slightly less revelatory effect) a few years later with Product Placement, but it's been a while. Still-- even after the recent, reasonably lackluster Outsider/Audience's Listening LPs Shadow and Chemist have respectively released on their own-- crate diggers the world over should unite for the joint tour these two old pals will embark on in the coming spring.

The tour kicks off January 18 in Austin, and each performance will be an "expanded" version of the "Hard Sell" show the two put on a bit earlier this year. Sounds like a pretty easy sell to me, fellas. Full dates after the jump.

Shadow/Chemist:

01-18 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
01-19 Dallas, TX - House of Blues

01-21 Atlanta, GA - The Loft at Center Stage

01-23 Baltimore, MD - Sonar

01-24 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

01-25 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

01-26 New York, NY - Irving Plaza

01-27 New York, NY - Irving Plaza

01-29 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis

01-30 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre

01-31 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues

02-01 Chicago, IL - Park West

02-04 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue

02-05 Kansas City, MO - Harrah's Casino

02-07 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre

02-10 Seattle, WA - Showbox

02-11 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom

02-14 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues

02-15 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern

Video: DJ Shadow: This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way) [from the The Outsider LP]

Sly Stone makes his first NY stand in 32 years

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the horns blare with a syncopated rhythm and singers call to the crowd of about 1,000 to dance, a hunched man hidden in the wings of the stage smiles broadly, watching his band like a proud father.

After decades away from the spotlight, Sly Stone has returned to the stage with his band Sly and The Family Stone, performing in Europe this summer and this week making his first New York appearance in 32 years.

Dressed in a white sweatsuit trimmed in silver, sunglasses and Mohawk hairstyle, Stone fills the club with his rich, mellifluous voice as the band spends an hour cycling through their greatest hits, including "Everyday People," "Family Affair" and "Stand."

For those who have followed the career of 64-year-old Stone -- who was born Sylvester Stewart -- the shock is not the fact that he can still sing but that he showed up at all.

For after reinventing rock and roll in the late 1960s as a pioneer of funk, rock and rhythm and blues, Stone disappeared into a haze of death threats, financial problems and drugs.

Stone, who declined to be interviewed for this article, began missing concerts in the early 1970s on a regular basis. He has not released an album of new material since 1982.

Between 1973 and 1989, there was a steady list of arrests on drug and gun charges -- but for the better part of the last 20 years, there's been little more than silence.

However after appearing at the 2006 Grammy Awards, Stone returned to the stage this summer for a European tour and his agent, Steve Green of Artists International Management, says he how has a stack of offers including for the Super Bowl in 2008.

"He can do it," Green told Reuters in a telephone interview, sounding part salesman and part motivational speaker. "But he's got to want to do it."

FREE SPIRIT

Sly and The Family Stone emerged out of the San Francisco scene in the late 1960s, with anthems that came to define both the free spirit and the political turmoil of the era, with the band containing blacks and whites and also men and women.

But after a string of hits from 1968 to 1970, Stone's behavior turned erratic. He'd show up hours late for gigs, if at all. Financial problems tore the band apart.

And his own obsessive nature delayed the next album "There's A Riot Goin' On." The album is now considered a landmark, laying the blueprint for the funk sound influencing many from the Temptations, the O'Jays, to Miles Davis.

Despite a couple of flirtations with chart success in the early 1970s, Sly slipped into seclusion in California.

The turning point came a few years ago when his youngest sister, Vaetta, who sang on the Family Stone albums, was sent by his parents to care for him. She had a tribute band that played the group's old hits and cajoled him into attending one of their Los Angeles shows in 2005.

"I looked up and I saw him dancing to his own music. Since then he's been showing interest in wanting to play gigs," she said in an interview.

She said the biggest challenge was convincing agents that Stone would meet his obligations but her persistence paid off and this year's European tour was booked.

"He did all 14 shows on time," she said proudly.

Green said Stone was the most difficult act he had handled, recalling a story of Stone buying a puppy while in Europe which ended up in quarantine in London, in danger of being destroyed. Green had to intervene and find the dog a home in England.

"Sly has an amazing mind. He still comes up with lyrics that are unbelievable. But the other side of Sly is 'me, me, me'," he said.

In the meantime, Vet says Stone has a treasure trove of new music he's worked on for years. Will it be released?

"I certainly hope so," she said. "But it's got to be his decision. No one can make him do it when they want it done."

The best rapper alive this year. Don't even try to front.

Dude's got the hot fi-yah! (No Dylan).

Happy thanksgiving (thankstaking to some) to everyone.

Lupe Fiasco Reveals The Cool Tracklist

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Lupe Fiasco has descended from the parapets of his mind and found his way out of the maze of all those tongue-twisting extended metaphors to deliver actual concrete info about his sophomore album, The Cool. Thanks to a report from Billboard.com that was confirmed by his publicist, we now know the Food & Liquor follow-up's tracklist.

Due December 18 via 1st & 15th/Atlantic, The Cool features production from Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump, UNKLE, Chris & Drop, and Soundtrakk, according to Billboard.

True to form, the report says Lupe has fashioned The Cool as a concept album of sorts, featuring recurring characters such as Michael Young History, the Game ("a male personification of a hustler's damaging influences," not the Compton rapper), and the Streets ("a female embodiment of an urban area's corrupt allure," not Mike Skinner). Billboard also says The Cool features two mentions from Lupe of his plan to quit music after releasing the album's follow-up, titled L.U.P.N.

And yet, out-wtf-ing every other detail related to The Cool in the article is this morsel: "Perhaps the oddest song is 'Gotta Eat', which is apparently written from the perspective of a cheeseburger and is rife with food/life metaphors."

The Cool:

01 Iesha Poem
02 Free Chilly
03 Go Go Gadget Flow
04 The Coolest
05 Superstar [ft. Mathew Santos]
06 Paris Tokyo
07 High Definition [ft. Snoop Dogg and Pooh Bear]
08 Little Weapons
09 Hip-Hop Saved My Life [ft. Nikki Jean]
10 Gold Watch
11 Street on Fire [ft. Matthew Santos]
12 Hello Goodbye
13 Gotta Eat
14 Dumb It Down [ft. Gemini and Graham Burris]
15 The Die [ft. Gemini]
16 Put You on Game
17 Fighters [ft. Matthew Santos]
18 Go Baby Go

Video: Lupe Fiasco [ft. Matthew Santos]: Superstar [from the forthcoming The Cool LP]

"Family" feud afoot for Fox cartoon

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fox is producing fresh episodes of its animated comedy "Family Guy" without the participation of its striking creator Seth MacFarlane, who does many of the main voices, sources said.

The last episode completed before the Writers Guild of America strike began November 5 aired Sunday. Fox and sibling studio 20th Century Fox TV had the choice of going into reruns or continuing the show without MacFarlane, whose outspoken defiance of his employers has made him a cause celebre for striking writers.

After a large writers rally outside the Fox lot on Friday, where he was one of the speakers, MacFarlane said the studio could proceed without him, though he hoped it would not.
20th TV had no comment on the matter Tuesday but confirmed that it remains in production on new episodes. The first episode finished without MacFarlane's blessing has been delivered to Fox. Sources said it is one of three very close to completion, with others in various stages of production.

In addition to executive-producing the show, MacFarlane voices the characters of Peter, Brian and Stewis Griffin, the male members of the hapless Rhode Island family at the core of the domestic satire.

PLEASE EMAIL/SNAIL MAIL/CALL FOX AND TELL THEM NOT TO RUN NEW EPISODES OF FAMILY GUY WITHOUT SETH MACFARLANE'S PERMISSION. IN ADDITION, SUPPORT THE WRITER'S GUILD IN THEIR STRIKE.

FOX NETWORK SHOW MAILING ADDRESSES:

Paper Mail address only:
(NAME SHOW HERE)

P.O. Box 900

Attn: FOX BROADCASTING Publicity Dept.

Beverly Hills, CA 90213-0900

Ghostface Unveils Big Doe Tracklist, Guests, Cover Art

(Swiped From Pitchfork Media)

With anticipation levels surrounding Ghostface Killah's forthcoming The Big Doe Rehab fast approaching a boiling point-- particularly since we no longer need divide our anticipation between Big Doe and the Wu-Tang's 8 Diagrams-- Ghost has gone and added some kindling to the fire. Album details, people! Have a look.

First, of course, is that classy cover art you see up there, set to adorn copies of Big Doe that Def Jam delivers on December 4.

Next, the tracklist, reprinted in full below. Of note: Kid Capri-featuring first single "We Celebrate" (not just "Celebrate", as reported prior), which samples Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate"; Raekwon-boosted "Yolanda's House" and "Shakey Dog Starring Lolita" (an epilogue to Fishscale standout "Shakey Dog"!); a pair of tracks featuring Ghostface's tourmates Rhythm Roots Allstars; a track called "I'll Die for You" and another called "!".

Then, naturally, there are the guests, including the aforementioned along with Ghost's Wu associates Method Man (as you know), U-God, Masta Killa, and Cappadonna, plus Ghost's posse and More Fish co-stars Theodore Unit, Beanie Sigel, Styles P, and more.

And while Ghostface and the Wu seem to have settled their beef, Ghost apparently isn't the only one upset with the way camp Wu is being run. Billboard.com points us to a MissInfo.tv interview with Raekwon, who revealed his own misgivings. "Bottom line," said Raekwon, "it's a lot of business that's fucking up the creativity." Is that why we haven't seen a second Cuban Linx yet? Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Finally, since Ghostface has been blowing up the Pitchfork news ticker in recent weeks, here's a quick, updated roundup of recent happenings:

* Ghostface doll: available now

* Ghostface book, The World According to Pretty Toney: due January 8 from MTV Press (moved from previously reported December 4 date)

* Ghostface's Walk Hard collaboration with Jewel, Lyle Lovett, and Jackson Browne: soundtrack in stores December 4, film in theaters December 21, collab's very notion still blowing minds

* Ghostface-boosted Beatles-interpolating track: set to appear on Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams, out December 11 via Loud/Universal/SRC/Wu Music Group

* Ghostface, Rakim, Brother Ali, and Rhythm Roots Allstars on the Hip Hop Live! tour: happening now, dates below

Phew!

The Big Doe Rehab:

01 At the Cabana Skit [performed by Ghostface Killah and Rhythm Roots Allstars]

02 Toney Sigel a.k.a the Barrel Brothers [ft. Beanie Sigel and Styles P]

03 Yolanda's House [ft. Raekwon and Method Man]

04 We Celebrate [ft. Kid Capri]

05 Walk Around

06 Yapp City [ft. Trife Da God and Sun God]

07 White Linen Affair (Toney Awards) [ft. Shawn Wigs]

08 Supa GFK

09 Rec-Room Therapy [ft. Raekwon and U-God]

10 The Prayer [performed by Ox]

11 I'll Die for You

12 Paisley Darts [ft. Raekwon, Sun God, Trife Da God, Method Man, and Cappadonna]

13 Shakey Dog Starring Lolita [ft. Raekwon]

14 ! [performed by Ghostface Killah and Rhythm Roots Allstars]

15 Killa Lipstick [ft. Method Man and Masta Killa]

16 Slow Down [ft. Chrisette Michele]

Hip Hop Live! dates:

11-08 Denver, CO - Ogden Theater *

11-09 Aspen, CO - Belly Up *

11-10 Kansas City, MO - Beaumont *

11-11 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *

11-12 Chicago, IL - House of Blues *

11-13 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Theater *

11-15 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place *

11-16 New York, NY - Nokia Theater *

11-17 Baltimore, MD - Sonar *

11-18 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *

11-21 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero *

* with Rakim, Brother Ali, Rhythm Roots Allstars

Stream: Ghostface Killah [ft. Kid Capri]: We Celebrate [from the forthcoming The Big Doe Rehab LP]

Del the Funky Homosapien Signs to Def Jux for New LP

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Because of his involvement in records like Deltron 3030 and the first Gorillaz album, it's easy to think of Del the Funky Homosapien (formerly Del tha Funkee Homosapien) as just a sci-fi rapper. But dig a little further back in his catalog (like back to his killer 1991 debut, I Wish My Brother George Was Here), and you find an MC geeked on making genuinely quirky everyman anthems-- like "Pissin' on Your Steps", "The Wacky World of Rapid Transit", and "Sleepin' on My Couch".

We're not sure which of the two Dels (or maybe an amalgamation of them both?) will appear on his forthcoming full-length, The 11th Hour, but we're psyched that it exists and is coming out via Definitive Jux on February 26.

Produced entirely by Del himself, The 11th Hour is the Hieroglyphics crew member's first solo record since 2000's Both Sides of the Brain. And while February is still a little ways away, Del is currently touring the U.S. in front of the album's release, alongside Devin the Dude and friends.

The tour's next stop is November 8, in Portland, Oregon.

Dates (all with Devin the Dude):

11-08 Portland, OR - Roseland

11-09 Seattle, WA - Showbox

11-10 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall

11-11 Chico, CA - Senator Theater

11-13 San Francisco, CA - Slim's

11-14 San Francisco, CA - Slim's

Stream: Del the Funky Homosapien: Various Tracks

Hear ye, Hear ye...

One week away! Prepare for good times :D

The Clipse Signs With Columbia

(swiped from Billboard)

This time last year, the Clipse complained to anyone who'd listen how unhappy it was on Jive Records. Now, the act's wish to leave has been granted. Sibling MCs Malice and Pusha T have ended their deal with Jive and the Neptunes' Star Trak Entertainment in favor of a new arrangement with Columbia, Billboard has learned.

The Clipse emerged early this decade on Star Trak, which at the time was distributed by Arista. The duo's 2002 debut, "Lord Willin'," was a critical and commercial smash, and has sold 948,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

When Arista was restructured in 2004, the label's artists were split between J and Jive. But Star Trak joined Interscope, leaving the Clipse behind at Jive. The act lobbied to be allowed to follow Star Trak to its new home, but Jive refused, resulting in a lawsuit that sought to break the Clipse's four-album deal (Jive had no comment at deadline).

Although the suit was settled after Jive agreed to a distribution deal for the Clipse's own Re-Up Gang Records label, the relationship continued to deteriorate, with release dates for the group's sophomore album constantly shifting. That set, "Hell Hath No Fury," emerged last November via Jive, but struggled out of the gate. It has sold just 194,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.By then, the Clipse was in talks with a variety of labels about a new deal, eventually settling on a five-year, 50/50 profit-sharing arrangement with Columbia for Re-Up Gang Records.

The Clipse will own the masters for its Re-Up Gang artists, Ab Liva and Sandman. Next year, the Clipse will issue a Re-Up Gang album as well as a new studio disc, but for the first time, the latter will not be produced solely by the Neptunes. Instead, the brothers are anticipating working with Timbaland, Danjahandz and Dame Grease."I can honestly say that we were all friends before the music and will be friends to the end," Malice says of his relationship with the Neptunes. "Everything is business. If we had our way, we would always be on Star Trak. But it's what's working for you and what's not. We just want good energy, and Columbia has both the urgency and the muscle."

Saul Williams Gives Away New Reznor-Produced LP

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Activist, poet, and musician Saul Williams has laid out the unique circumstances surrounding the release of his latest LP, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!.

The Trent Reznor-produced album will be issued digitally through Williams' website under the aegis of the Fader Label, with an In Rainbows-esque payment mechanism: listeners can opt to fork over a $5 "contribution" via Williams' website and get NiggyTardust! in their choice of DRM-free 192kbps or 320kbps mp3s, or the giant, uncompressed FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format. If you're a bit light at the moment, Saul's got you, though you cheapskates will have to settle for 192kbps mp3s.

Preregistration for the album is open now, and what's more, you'll only have to wait until Halloween (October 31, duh) to get it. As Reznor tells it on the Nine Inch Nails website, "There are obvious similarities in how Radiohead just released their new record and the way we've chosen to. After thinking about this way too much, I feel we've improved upon their idea in a few profound ways that benefit the consumer." Particularly the nerdy customer up in arms about a couple of kilobits per second.

Enough business; let's talk music. NiggyTardust! features guest turns by Reznor, CX Kidtronik, Thavius Beck, and others, and was mixed by Alan Moulder. As Williams tells it in the press release, though, it's really a joint effort between himself and Reznor. "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! is the lovechild of Trent and me," Williams said, and Reznor agreed, adding that this is the "most involved [he's] been with any project outside NIN since [Marilyn Manson's 1996 LP] Antichrist Superstar." Williams believes the album's overarching theme gives him more room to expand on the album's content onstage. "The NiggyTardust! concept sets me free to do more on stage with costume, etc. than one might expect from a regular Saul Williams show. It allows me to put my theater training to use. I've also thought long and hard about all the discussion surrounding racial epithets etc. and chose this title as a means of furthering the dialogue while also showing how creativity will outlive and outshine hatred of any kind." Plus, you can, like, dance to it!

Williams has a number of live appearances on the way. Those dates-- and the NiggyTardust! tracklist-- after the jump.

The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!:
01 Black History Month
02 Convict Colony
03 Tr(n)igger
04 Sunday Bloody Sunday
05 Break
06 NiggyTardust
07 DNA
08 WTF!
09 Scared Money
10 Raw
11 Skin of a Drum
12 No One Ever Does
13 Banged and Blown Through
14 Raised to be Lowered
15 The Ritual



Saul:
11-02 Pullman, WA - Washington State University
11-07 London, England - Bardens Boudoir
11-09 Zurich, Switzerland - Tonhalle
11-12 New York, NY - The Box
11-13 Storrs, CT - University of Connecticut
11-14 Bridgeport, CT - Housatonic Community College
11-17 Chicago, IL - Studio E
01-23 Laramie, WY - University of Wyoming
02-01 Fairfax, VA - George Mason University
02-15 Tacoma, WA - Pacific Lutheran University

Video: Saul Williams: List of Demands (Reparations) [from the Saul Williams LP]

Nas Talks Greatest Hits, New Album...

Until he finally made nice with Jay-Z and found himself in the Def Jam fold for Hip Hop Is Dead, Nas was a Columbia man. The ace MC's former label has compiled a dozen of Nas' pre-Dead "greatest hits," tacked on two bonus cuts, named it Greatest Hits, and pressed the collection for release on November 6. Not surprisingly, the set leans heavily on Illmatic, with a few highlights from the rest of Nas' Columbia catalogue thrown in for good measure.

There's a pair of new tracks, too, sort of: the Cee-Lo laced "Less Than an Hour", which first appeared on this summer's Rush Hour 3 soundtrack, and opener "Surviving the Times", which appears here for the first time anywhere.And, as any frequent peruser of the world wide interweb is no doubt aware by now, Nas has stirred up quite some controversy with the title he's chosen for his next LP of new material: Nigger. Nas stood by his choice in a recent interview with mtv.com, however, concluding "We're taking power from that word." It's well worth reading the whole interview; at the very least, check out the portion excerpted here:

"I'm a street disciple. I'm talking to the streets. Stay out of our business. You ain't got no business worrying about what the word 'nigger' is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me. Whether you in the NAACP or you Jesse Jackson. I respect all of them...I just want them to know: Never fall victim to Fox. Never fall victim to the shit they do. What they do is try to hurry up and get you on the phone and try to get you to talk about something you might not know about yet.

"If Cornell West was making an album called Nigger, they would know he's got something intellectual to say. To think I'm gonna say something that's not intellectual is calling me a nigger, and to be called a nigger by Jesse Jackson and the NAACP is counterproductive, counter-revolutionary."I wanna make the word easy on muthafuckas' ears. You see how white boys ain't mad at 'cracker' 'cause it don't have the same [sting] as 'nigger'? I want 'nigger' to have less meaning [than] 'cracker.' With all the bullshit that's going on in the world, racism is at its peak. I wanna do the shit that's not being done. I wanna be the artist who ain't out. I wanna make the music I wanna hear.

"We're taking power from the word. No disrespect to none of them who were part of the civil-rights movement, but some of my niggas in the streets don't know who [civil-rights activist] Medgar Evers was. I love Medgar Evers, but some of the niggas in the streets don't know Medgar Evers, they know who Nas is. And to my older people who don't now who Nas is and who don't know what a street disciple is, stay outta this muthafuckin' conversation. We'll talk to you when we're ready. Right now, we're on a whole new movement. We're taking power from that word."

The LP is due December 11 via Def Jam and is expected to feature production work from Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp, and long-time Nas associate Salaam Remi, according to mtv.com.

Though Nas' tour itinerary-- like that of most rappers-- is a little tough to pin down, he's got a few Australian shows lined up in the weeks to come. Hip-hop may be dead, but those frequent flyer miles don't expire until the new year.

Greatest Hits:
01 Surviving the Times
02 Less Than an Hour [ft. Cee-Lo]
03 It Ain't Hard to Tell
04 Life's a Bitch [ft. AZ]
05 NY State of Mind
06 One Love
07 If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) [ft. Lauryn Hill]
08 Street Dreams (Remix) [ft. R. Kelly]
09 Hate Me Now [ft. Puff Daddy]
10 One Mic
11 Got Ur Self a...
12 Made You Look
13 I Can
14 Bridging the Gap [ft. Olu Dara]

Nasty:
11-24 St Kilda, Australia - Palais Theatre
11-25 Perth, Australia - Metro City
11-26 Adelaide, Australia - Thebarton Theatre
11-30 Sydney, Australia - Luna Park
12-01 Brisbane, Australia - The Arena

Video: Nas: Can't Forget About You [from the Hip Hop Is Dead LP]

Author Mailer has lung operation

(Swiped from BBC)

Author Norman Mailer is recovering in hospital following surgery to remove scar tissue from around his lung.

Mailer, 84, had an operation about a week ago, said his editorial assistant Dwayne Prickett.

"He had some breathing problems," he said, adding that Mailer was improving every day.

The writer has won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize twice, for The Armies of the Night in 1968 and The Executioner's Song in 1979.

Mr Prickett said everyone "was cautious" because of Mailer's age.

Biting prose

Mailer's daughter Salina said her father was "getting better every time I see him".

Mailer's latest work, The Castle in the Forest, was published earlier this year.

Born in 1923 in New Jersey, Mailer has written dozens of books as well as plays, poems, screenplays and essays. He was co-founder of The Village Voice alternative newspaper in New York.

He is known for his biting prose and as an antagonist of the feminist movement.

His first major success, the novel The Naked and the Dead, was a fictionalised account based on his experiences in the Army in World War II.

"Movement 4:6" out 10/31!

The countdown begins.

Phingaz + Phaust + Phorest + Vividend = Sinthesis.

Sinthesis + T.Q.D. + Carnage + Ecid + Eyedea + Many more = Movement 4:6.

Movement 4:6 is out on 10/31/07 via iTunes and various other outlets you can find them at.

They'll be doing an in-store at Uprok Records in Salt Lake City the day of it's release, with a show to follow at good ol' Liquid Joe's that same night. Special guests? Giveaways? Ballin' costume parties? You never know.

Egypto highly suggests you support the homies from SL.UT and get your copy! CHEA!

Thousands Start Day With Radiohead's 'In Rainbows'

(Swiped from Billboard)

Radiohead's new "In Rainbows" album is finally available online from Radiohead.com today (Oct. 10), with thousands of fans downloading the 10 new tracks early this morning.Billboard's unique download activation code arrived at 7:38 a.m. British Summer Time and -- in contrast to ordering, which was slowed by Web site failures and a clunky interface -- the downloading process was swift and glitch-free.

Within two minutes, the first track, "15 Step," was flickering into life, a minimalist-yet-funky throwback to Thom Yorke's recent solo record, "The Eraser."

Forty-two-and-a-half minutes later, it's clear that while the business model may have shocked the music industry, the album represents solid progression, rather than radical departure, from previous Radiohead albums.The trademarks of Radiohead's post-"OK Computer" sound -- electronic effects, intricate guitar work and Yorke's eerie falsetto -- are all present on songs like "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" and "Nude."

Yorke's vocals and lyrics are more prominent than on the likes of "Kid A," and there is a more accessible edge to songs like "Faust ARP," "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" and "House of Cards," which features the unusually direct Yorke lyric "I don't wanna be your friend, I just wanna be your lover."No figures are yet available for how many downloads have been sold, or the average amount paid under the band's "honesty box" pricing policy. However, unofficial sources suggest most customers have chosen to pay around £5 ($10.17) for the download edition. The album will not be U.K. chart eligible, according to the Official U.K. Charts Co

In anticipation of the new Radiohead...

After placing my order to get Radiohead's new album, "In Rainbows," I just get an email today stating that they will begin emailing the faithful who are in anticipation of recieving their download this evening not to fret, that e-mails with unique authorization codes for each person who bought one will come tomorrow morning, UK Time of course. I'm so geeked!

However, a part of me wants to splurge the $82 and get the limited edition giftpak with the 2LP album, the CD and also another CD with some never heard before tracks on it. I probably will, but I'm psyched all the same. More on this story as it develops.

I'm psyched!

Reznor Puts Another Nail in the Industry's Coffin

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

For the second time in a little over a week, a major player on the alt-rock scene has announced their departure from the mainstream music industry, as Trent Reznor announced today via the Nine Inch Nails website that he is no longer signed to longtime label Interscope, and may perhaps be choosing to go it alone:

"Hello everyone. I've waited a LONG time to be able to make the following announcement: as of right now Nine Inch Nails is a totally free agent, free of any recording contract with any label. I have been under recording contracts for 18 years and have watched the business radically mutate from one thing to something inherently very different and it gives me great pleasure to be able to finally have a direct relationship with the audience as I see fit and appropriate.

Look for some announcements in the near future regarding 2008.

Exciting times, indeed."

Reznor very publicly clashed with Interscope over the release of the last NIN record, Year Zero, leaking pieces of the album himself and encouraging fans to download it for free. So it would be unlikely that he would sign with another major, or even any label at all-- given Reznor's large and rabid cult following, he could very easily pull a Radiohead and take matters into his own hands. (Perhaps that is what is alluded to by that "direct relationship with the audience.") Regardless, we sure hope that remix album comes out soon.

Thanks to Theninhotline.net for the heads up.

Ghostface/Rakim/Brother Ali Tour Features Live Band

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

It's not quite the animated mayhem Ghostface is currently enjoying on his Adult Swim tour, but with Brother Ali and legendary old-schooler Rakim in tow, the first annual Hip Hop Live! Tour is hardly sneeze-worthy.While we've already reported most of the tour's dates, the new dirt is that 10-piece band Rhythm Roots Allstars will provide the live licks for all three MCs. Those who attended Rakim and Ghost's set at SXSW in March got an early taste of the tour, as the Allstars played with both gentlemen there. They have also performed and recorded with a few other notable names: Outkast, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera, among others. So if the R busts out a tongue-twisting freestyle over "Beautiful", don't say you weren't warned.

Rakim's place on the tour is in support of two forthcoming releases, the Live DVD and new album The Seventh Seal.

Brother Ali is also touring his ass off this fall; he's in Canada right now, and hits NYC for CMJ. He's touring in support of his new album The Undisputed Truth.

Ghostface also has some other stuff going on.

Hip Hop Live! Tour:
10-29 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues Sunset Strip
10-30 San Diego, CA - 4th & B
10-31 Long Beach, CA - The Vault
11-01 Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
11-02 San Francisco, CA - The Mezzanine
11-03 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
11-04 Seattle, WA - Showbox
11-07 Park City, UT - Harry O's
11-08 Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
11-09 Aspen, CO - Belly Up
11-10 Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont Theatre
11-11 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11-12 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
11-13 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird Theater
11-15 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
11-16 New York, NY - Nokia Theater
11-17 Baltimore, MD - Sonar
11-18 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11-21 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero

Ghostface:
10-09 Washington, DC - American University *
10-10 Atlanta, GA - Georgia Tech *
10-11 Orlando, FL - University of Central Florida *
10-14 Norman, OK - University of Oklahoma *
10-16 Los Angeles, CA - UCLA *
10-17 Tempe, AZ - Arizona State University *
10-19 Albuquerque, NM - University of New Mexico *
10-28 Las Vegas, NV - Vegoose Festival
11-05 Bellingham, WA - Nightlight %

* with Witchdoctor
% with Little Brother

Brother Ali:
10-08 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Odeon Events Centre
10-09 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Pyramid Cabaret
10-11 Kingston, Ontario - The Elixir Nightclub
10-12 Ottawa, Ontario - Babylon
10-13 Toronto, Ontario - El Mocambo Club
10-14 Montreal, Quebec - Coda
10-17 Halifax, Nova Scotia - The Attic
10-20 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom

Ja Rule To Release First Album In 3 Years

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Ja Rule is back on the promotional trail, three years after he released his last album to disappointing sales.

The Queens, N.Y.-bred rapper's new album "The Mirror," due November 13, is the follow-up to 2004's "R.U.L.E.," which has sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. At his peak, Ja Rule sold 3.6 million copies of 2001's "Pain Is Love," his third album.

He describes "The Mirror" as a reflection of a professionally and personally turbulent period that included a public feud with rapper 50 Cent and an FBI money-laundering case against the two principals of his label The Inc. (Irv and Chris Gotti were both exonerated in 2005.)

"When you've been in this business a long time, things sometimes spiral into something bigger than you expected," he says. "Coming through that has made me wiser and more open-minded. Such situations not only build character, but show other people's character."
The album is "very grown-up ... expressing a lot of true feelings. But it's a fun album as well -- a dramedy."

Tracks include the self-explanatory "Judas," which samples the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" ("We got the clearance -- that's a win in itself") and "Damn," a song Rule says he wrote with Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Milian in mind. "I did it in a way that's real subjective but clever," he says.

Playing now on the video circuit is a clip for "Body," the album's formal first single featuring R&B newcomer Ashley Joi. The sex-sizzled track ("There are a lot of women in the video so I'll probably take some more heat," Rule says with a laugh) follows on the heels of "Uh-Ohhh!!" featuring Lil Wayne, which stalled at No. 69 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"I leaked it to get people used to hearing my voice again and hearing good music," Ja Rule explains. "People loved 'Uh-Ohhh!!,' but because of budgets you can't push records the way you want to sometimes. So you choose your fights."

Frank yet jovial, Ja Rule waxed philosophical on other subjects:

- The feud with 50 Cent (addressed on Rule's 2003 album, "Blood in My Eye"): "It wasn't really a beef, just something he was doing on record. It didn't phase me except when the public reacted. Then it was like, 'I've got to talk back.' But I never felt threatened; it was just words. People didn't understand that."

- On still using the b- and h-words: "We have freedom of speech and expression. I don't think those words are hurting people as much as the media makes them out to be. There are bigger issues -- the war, Jena 6, the election -- than rap lyrics."

Why The VMA's had one bit of relevance to Egypto

HEAT. FUCKING HEAT.

Get familiar.

Cool Kids "Black Mags"

Current jam of the moment. Happy Friday y'all.

Kanye West's Skit on SNL

Kanye gets cool points for this. He's certainly earned them.

Lupe Fiasco "Dumb It Down"

LUPE!

Brother Ali - Take Me Home

Heat. Support it and buy "The Undsiputed Truth" available at retailers everywhere.

Jay-Z Reveals American Gangster Tracklist

(Swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Kingdom came and went, and most of us are pretty unaffected by it at this point, either psyched at the time to have new Jay-Z jams no matter the quality or bummed that the comeback was closer to Michael Jordan's minor league baseball career than his return to the Bulls for a second three-peat.

Thus, the prospect of hearing a gritty, hungry-again Jay-Z on his forthcoming new album, American Gangster (inspired by but not the official soundtrack to the Ridley Scott film of the same name), is an exciting one.

While not quite at Radiohead levels of spontaneity, the album nonetheless comes out soon, November 6 via Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam. What's more, it even has a tracklist, thanks to the wonders of iTunes. As previously reported, it includes "Blue Magic" produced by Pharrell, "The Return" featuring Nas, "American Gangster" featuring American Gangster movie actor T.I., and "Vietnam War" featuring Kanye West. And that great "I Get Money" remix!

Also, Jay-Z is trying to rename the Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey after Rocawear, his clothing label. Now THAT's gangster.

Check it out after the jump.

American Gangster:

01 Amen

02 Blue Magic

03 Untitled

04 Alright, Alright

05 You Don't Know

06 And the Winner Is

07 American Gangster

08 Welcome

09 Ignorant Shit

10 The Demise

11 I Get Money (Remix)

Radiohead tells fans to pay what they want for album

LONDON (Reuters) - Radiohead, one of the world's most influential rock bands, plans to sell its new album from its Web site as a digital download and let fans choose what they want to pay.

With music sales in decline globally for seven successive years, the industry is engaged in a debate over how best to reverse the trend.

Radiohead said its seventh studio album "In Rainbows" would be available from Radiohead.com from October 10 in MP3 format, meaning it can be played on all digital devices. In the latest twist in the move to digital music, fans can choose how much to pay, or can pay nothing if they prefer.

The band will also offer a special edition boxed set for 40 pounds ($82) which will be available later and will include two vinyl albums, a CD version of the new album and a second CD with additional new songs, artwork and photographs of the band.

Music observers said the British five-piece, which is no longer signed to a record label, is able to sell directly to its fans because it has such an established support base.

"They are the first band to put their money where their mouth is," Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q music magazine, told Reuters. "I think other bands that have been similarly successful will look and, if it is deemed to have worked, will do the same."

The traditional music business model has been under pressure as piracy and the move to digital sales has cut into album revenues. A strong area of growth, however, is live music and any subsequent tour by Radiohead would be boosted by the interest generated by the album.

"The traditional business model had been ruined by the Internet," said Grundy. "The industry is still trying to work out what on earth the new model or models should be and this is just one option."

Radiohead's digital or boxed set versions could be pre-ordered from the group's Web site from Monday and a spokesman said the box set had so far proved the more popular.

The group is planning a traditional CD release of the album in early 2008.

A decision by U.S. music star artist Prince to give his latest album away free with a British newspaper was met with fury by retailers and the industry who said it undermined the value of recorded music.

Prepare for Movement...

Sinthesis
Movement 4:6
(rainCLOUD)

Words by Ali Elabbady aka Egypto Knuckles

Phaust, Phorest, Vivid and Phingaz from the heart of Mormon central wanted to make some music. Understand the focus of that last sentence. They wanted to make music. They didn’t set out to make hip-hop, nor use an interesting palette of genres that seems to intertwine with their overall setting for the music they’ve created. So we heard Product and Phree Cognition, which were their first two efforts, and they were really all over the place to begin with. Phree Cognition alone was 27 tracks chalked full of interludes Prince Paul himself would be proud of. And all over it a different style was presented using previous genres that the crew was inspired by. And now we’ve come to their third full length, aptly titled “Movement 4:6.”

Let’s get a few things straight. Movement 4:6 doesn’t match any of their previous efforts. This effort was strictly begun as every effort was, improving upon what they as a crew have released. But it’s not a Hip-Hop record in the traditional sense. Nor is it Hip-Hop in the experimental sense. What this record represents is simply that, a journey. Sinthesis’s musical journey if you will. But the record is an amalgam of sounds, thoughts, experiences, and experiments. They are well documented, well executed, and very fluid in the listening. Sure, Phree Cognition came in at 27 tracks and was about 80 minutes long, but this is much more subdued and focused. And when it’s subdued and focused, there’s several points made within it.

The main credit to making it a much more focused and tighter effort goes to Phingaz. The soundscapes and palettes are eerily quiet and dark, stark and to the point, encompassing and surprisingly quaint. Phaust on the other hand, raps as if there’s a fire in his belly, as if he’s coming out the gate firing scud missiles of rhymes to his audience, such a passion about him that is whimsical to even fathom. He’s hungry, and you can tell it in the way he spits. Movement 4:6 does take its title from a good reference. In addition to that, if you listen closely to the record, every few minutes there’s a sprinkled in sample stating, “For every action, there’s an equal but opposite reaction.”

If there’s a lesson to be learned in Movement 4:6, it’s the lesson that you should expect the unexpected. No, no wait, that’s wrong. The point taken away is that you should formulate your own experience based on the experience within the music. But even that wouldn’t be as broad a point that Sinthesis wants to make. The point is that interpretation is what it is, and does what it can to paint a picture for the listener. What type of picture could you define it as? Dali’s dripping clocks? The Mona Lisa? Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel? Who knows? But the bottom line is that Movement 4:6 is just that. It’s a movement. A movement that Phingaz, Phaust, Phorest and Vividend want you to get in tune with.

Wanna hear clips of the album? Click here.

"Movement 4:6" is out on 10/31, with a release party to be held at Liquid Joe's that evening. Can't make it out? Then go to Uprok Records in Salt Lake City for their album signing.