Kanye, Rhymefest Produce Puppet TV Show

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Looks like the video for Kanye West's "Champion" was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship between Kanye and puppets. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Champion" was just the beginning of a new partnership between Kanye, fellow Chicago rapper Rhymefest, and Jackhole Productions, the company behind "Crank Yankers" founded by Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, and Daniel Kellison.

West, Fest, and Jackhole have put together a pilot for a new puppet-centric TV show called "Alligator Boots", which The Hollywood Reporter describes as "hip-hop meets the Muppets." It will feature new music by West and Rhymefest, who, along with Kellison, are the pilot's executive producers. Kanye hosts the pilot, but the show will apparently feature a different guest host for every episode a la "Saturday Night Live" and "The Muppet Show". Comedy Central is considering the show for its 2009 schedule.

One has to wonder if this will have any effect on that Kanye reality-ish show he was working up with "Curb Your Enthuasiasm" producer Larry Charles for HBO, but doesn't puppet Kanye sound a lot more fun that rich, entitled Kanye? I mean, we get enough of that Kanye on the daily.

To that end, note that Kanye recently took to the blog to confirm that, yes, his new LP is indeed titled 808s and Heartbreak, and he's been working on it 16 hours a day. Speaking from experience, Ye, I have to say that working 16 hours a day (interrupted by frequent blogging) ultimately gives you maybe four good hours of labor, maybe. Kanye also notes that "I guarantee this will be 50's favorite album of mine. This will be gangster's album of the year."

Kanye has also snuck quite a few more dates onto his fall tour itinerary since our last report. Those dates follow the jump.



Kanye:

10-17 Mexico City, Mexico - Palacio de Los Deportes
10-18 Monterrey, Mexico - Arena Monterrey
10-22 Sao 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 - The 02
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

• MP3: Kanye West: Love Lockdown (studio version #2) [from the forthcoming 808s and Heartbreak LP]

Video: Hand Over Fist "CD Release Party"

Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak = Hand Over Fist.

Coming out 9/23/2008 on Doomtree Records.

Video: Hand Over Fist EPK

Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak = Hand Over Fist.

Coming out 9/23/2008 on Doomtree Records.

Video: Hand Over Fist "Funny Games"

Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak = Hand Over Fist.

Coming out 9/23/2008 on Doomtree Records.

Video: Hand Over Fist "Hot Tub Party"

Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak = Hand Over Fist.

Coming out 9/23/2008 on Doomtree Records.

Eminem recording new material, but no release set

(swiped from Reuters)

After several years away from the limelight, rapper Eminem may release a new album this year.

During a recent appearance on his Sirius XM satellite radio station, Shade 45, the MC admitted that he has been producing tracks for his Shady Records artists and himself. Eminem also interviewed MC Masta Ace, who he's long noted as an influence.

"I'm concentrating on my own stuff right now -- just banging out tracks," Eminem said. "The more I keep producing, the better it seems I get. I start knowing stuff, learning the boards like the back of my hands."

An Interscope representative said there is no official release date nor a first single but confirmed that an album may arrive before year's end.

Eminem's last effort, "Encore," was released in 2004.

Hip-hop artist 50 Cent, with whom Eminem has collaborated in the past, spoke to BBC Radio 1 this week and said fans will be "seeing (Eminem) shortly. He's working. I spent the weekend at his house. Even though he tries to relax and stay home, it's impossible for him to stay in."

Leading R&B drummer Earl Palmer dies at 84

(swiped from Reuters)

Leading R&B drummer Earl Palmer, best known for his New Orleans recording sessions with the likes of Fats Domino and Little Richard, died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles at age 84, his family said.

Palmer, who died after a lengthy illness, played on hundreds of hits during a career that ran from the 1940s through the 1970s and earned him an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

His drumming on such hits as Fats Domino's "The Fat Man," Richard's "Tutti Frutti and Smiley Lewis's "I Hear You Knockin'" featured the strong back beat that was his signature and helped transform the lope of rhythm and blues into the full-tilt thrust of rock 'n' roll.

"That song required a strong after-beat throughout the whole piece," Palmer wrote of his work on "The Fat Man" in his 1999 autobiography, "Backbeat -- The Earl Palmer Story."

"With Dixieland you had a strong after-beat only after you got to the shout last chorus," he said. "It was sort of a new approach to rhythm music."

Palmer also played drums on Domino's "I'm Walkin,'" the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin,'" Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High," and Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away."

His handiwork behind the drums was featured as well on a number of popular television themes, including "The Odd Couple," "77 Sunset Strip" and "The Brady Bunch."

In addition to his collaboration with R&B and blues artists in New Orleans, Palmer was a highly sought-after session player for recording stars ranging from Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan to Elvis Costello, Ray Charles, Dizzie Gillespie and Count Basie.

Video: Hand Over Fist 9/23/2008

Mike Mictlan + Lazerbeak = Hand Over Fist.

Coming out 9/23/2008 on Doomtree Records.

Get yours NOW.

Andre 3000's Solo "Concept" Album Due Soon?

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

He didn't exactly say much about it, but André 3000 of Outkast talked to Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Daily about his forthcoming solo album-- which we mentioned was in the works some time ago-- and it sounds like it's coming together nicely.

"It should be dropping by the end of this year or early next year," André said of the disc, which is still without a title or anything else one might consider substantive. "I've pretty much been working with myself," he then explained, adding, "I've never really been that big on collaboration." Wonder how Big Boi/the Dungeon Family/Organized Noize feel about that one.

And then, of course, there's news that the record will, perhaps inevitably, surround a theme of André's choosing. "I have a concept, and all the soundscapes are already in my head, so I just have to figure out how to get there." Less talk, more rock: that's how, partner.

You can see André this weekend in Battle in Seattle, Stuart Townsend's film about the 1999 World Trade Organization conference protests, which opens in select cities on Friday. As for Big Boi, his solo debut Sir Luscious Left Foot ... Son of Chico Dusty is due from LaFace/Zomba sometime this fall.

• Video: John Legend [ft. André 3000]: Green Light [from the forthcoming Evolver LP]
• Video: Battle in Seattle: Trailer

R.I.P. Motown Producer/Songwriter Norman Whitfield

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Norman Whitfield, songwriter, producer, and a chief architect of Motown Records' sound in the mid-to-late 1960s and early 70s, passed away in Los Angeles yesterday (September 16), according to various reports.

He had recently emerged from a coma after struggling with complications from diabetes. The Associated Press reports that he was 67.

Whitfield is best known for his hand in writing and producing several of Motown's biggest hits, including Gladys Knight & the Pips' (and, later, Marvin Gaye's) "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", and Edwin Starr's "War", all penned with frequent songwriting partner Barrett Strong. In addition to writing and producing material for the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and other Motown acts, Whitfield is credited with helping to usher the label's sound from its smoother early days into the headier psychedelic era, influenced by the likes of Sly Stone and James Brown.

Whitfield continued to work in the music industry after leaving Motown in 1973, and later struck chart gold with Rose Royce's "Car Wash", which he wrote and produced. He returned to the producer's chair at Motown in the 1980s.

"It's a very sad day," Whitfield's onetime Motown colleague Janie Bradford-- who spoke to Whitfield shortly before his death-- told the Detroit Free Press. "It sounded like he was fighting with everything he had to get it together. Just fighting back."

Marvin Gaye: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (live)




The Temptations: "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (live)

Edwin Starr: "War" (live)

Rose Royce: "Car Wash"

Video: The Cool Kids "Delivery Man

THAT. HEAT.

Video: Big Quarters - Barter System

Shouts to Brandon Allday and Medium Zach.

Go to the Big Quarters link on my page.

Kanye West Arrested At Los Angeles Airport After Scuffle With Paparazzi

Rapper, bodyguard both charged with felony vandalism; bodyguard also charged with battery.

(swiped from MTVNews)

Kanye West and his road manager and bodyguard, who has been identified as Don Crowley, were arrested Thursday morning (September 11) by Los Angeles International Airport police near the American Airlines terminal, a spokesperson for the airport's public relations office confirmed to MTV News.

Both were charged with felony vandalism, and the spokesperson confirmed that the incident involved paparazzi. Both men remain in police custody at press time.

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

According to the spokesperson, West and Crowley were waiting for a flight to Honolulu, Hawaii, when they were met by a photographer and videographer, who were taking their photos. An altercation ensued, and the cameras of both paparazzi were damaged. TMZ claims the photographer started calling out for help.

TMZ.com reported Thursday that West was arrested after allegedly grabbing a camera — which police said was valued at more than $10,000 — that belonged to a member of the paparazzi and throwing it to the ground, smashing it. According to TMZ, the photographer approached the rapper and began taking pictures of him. West confronted him, grabbed his camera and hurled the camera to the ground.

Another paparazzo began videotaping the incident, according to TMZ, which prompted the rapper's bodyguard to grab that camera. A struggle followed, and the bodyguard allegedly threw that camera against the ground, damaging it. When West and his bodyguard tried to leave the scene to make their plane, police stopped them both. When police asked the second paparazzo if he'd caught the incident on tape, he told them he had. West allegedly lunged for the tape, instructing the cameraman to "gimme that f---ing tape." But police restrained West and took him into custody.

Police said several witnesses were still being interviewed by airport police and that West and his bodyguard were transferred to the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division for booking.

At press time, representatives for West had not yet commented on the incident.

MTV News will have more on this developing story shortly.

EGYPTO'S RESPONSE: FUCK A PAPARAZZI!

Update from Pitchfork Media:

Guess those "Flashing Lights" don't always agree with Kanye West. According to TMZ, the rapper and his assistant were arrested in Los Angeles today after a bit of a dust-up with a photographer and a cameraman. Kanye was in the American Airlines terminal at Los Angeles International Airport when the photographer started snapping away. Allegedly, West "confronted the photographer and smashed his camera to the ground."

The ever-present TMZ were also on hand and began videotaping the scene, which caused Kanye's assistant to give TMZ's camera much the same treatment Kanye laid on the still photographer's. Kanye then "rushed" the TMZ cameraman, yelling, "Gimme that fucking tape!" TMZ says they have the tape, which they'll be posting shortly. UPDATE: Here it is.

TMZ claims that Kanye and his assistant will be charged with felony vandalism. UPDATE: TMZ reports that they are being held on $20,000 bail.

None of this activity seems to have affected Kanye's blog, however. Note that there have already been ten new posts today.

Kanye:

10-22 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Auditorio Ibirapuera
10-24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Marina da Gloria
11-08 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Odyssey Arena
11-09 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Simmonscourt
11-12 London, England - O2 Arena
11-13 Newcastle, England - Metro Radio 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

• Stream: Kanye West: Love Lockdown

New Kanye Album Gets Title and Release Date, Maybe

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)
Photo by Joseph Mohan

Is the new Kanye West album coming out December 16? And is it called 808's & Heartbreak? Release info for what is ostensibly the fourth full length LP from the rapper/producer/love locker-downer appeared on the retail sites of both Target and Amazon recently [via Stereogum]. It would seem that this is the very same disc hinted at in our story last week, and it just might include the single "Love Lockdown", which Mr. West premiered at the VMAs over the weekend.

Bear in mind, nothing about this album is confirmed at this point. Kanye's publicist did not return emails asking for more information, and Amazon lists Pendulum as the label releasing 808's & Heartbreak, which is pretty fishy.

In Kanye news that is indeed bona fide, West managed to sneak a pair of Brazilian dates onto his tour itinerary since our last report, which would explain the recent influx of South American women on his infamous blog. (Not, um, that we'd ever look at such a thing for any purpose beyond newsgathering. Ahem.) Also, Nah Right reports that Kanye showed up on stage at NYC's Knitting Factory last night, performing a brief set of old and new songs [via Idolator].

Kanye:

10-22 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Auditorio Ibirapuera
10-24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Marina da Gloria
11-08 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Odyssey Arena
11-09 Dublin, Ireland - RDS Simmonscourt
11-12 London, England - O2 Arena
11-13 Newcastle, England - Metro Radio 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

• Video: Kanye West: Love Lockdown [live at the MTV VMAs]

Common Renames New Album After Single

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

All of a sudden, the reason for Common's silence since announcing the existence of his new album, previously known as Invincible Summer, becomes clear: The Chicago MC was inventing the future. At least that's the conclusion we've drawn from seeing a trailer for the Hype Williams-directed video for the album's first single, "Universal Mind Control". In the clip, Common inhabits a virtual reality that includes an Iron Giant-like companion [pictured], and the song pops more than the first few times we heard it. Time to get excited again.

The excitement looks to come to a head in early November, the album's newly scheduled release target. Perhaps because it will no longer be summer by that point, Common has changed the name of the record to Universal Mind Control.

Common is currently controlling minds on tour with N.E.R.D. His next stop is tonight (September 10) in Dallas.

Common:

09-10 Dallas, TX - House of Blues *
09-11 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
09-13 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
09-14 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern *
09-15 Anaheim, CA - Grove of Anaheim *
09-17 Vancouver, British Columbia - Malkin Bowl *
09-18 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo *
09-19 Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater *
09-20 Berkeley, CA - Berkeley Community Theatre *
09-21 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues *
09-23 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium *
09-25 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave/Eagles Club *
09-26 Chicago, IL - TBA (Common Ground Foundation event)
09-27 Chicago, IL - House of Blues (Common Ground Foundation benefit) #
09-28 Detroit, MI - The Fillmore *
09-29 Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus *
10-01 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre *
10-02 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *
10-04 New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom *
10-05 New York, NY - Columbia University (New York Times Great Children's Read)
10-08 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle *
10-09 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live *
10-10 Miami Beach, FL - The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater *
10-23 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
10-24 Columbia, MO - Jesse Auditorium

* with N.E.R.D.
# with Talib Kweli, Pharrell, the Roots, will.i.am, Bilal, Marsha of Floetry

• Video: Common: Universal Mind Control (clip) [from the forthcoming Universal Mind Control LP]
• Video: Common: I Want You [from the Finding Forever LP]

Michael Eric Dyson to Edit Book on Nas' Illmatic

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

I hope I'm not the first person to tell you that Nas' 1994 debut Illmatic is one of the greatest hip-hop LPs of any era, a must-own record, a landmark in lyrical rap music, and very possibly the single greatest disc to come out of New York's fertile mid-90s renaissance.

But if anybody can have the final word in the long string of praise and analysis the disc has received in the near decade-and-a-half since its release, I'd certainly want it to be scholar and activist Michael Eric Dyson, author of excellent works on Marvin Gaye and Tupac Shakur, among many others.

According to Amazon.com [via Nah Right], Dyson's Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas' Illmatic is due January 9, 2009 from Basic Civitas Books. The tome, named after a line in the Illmatic track "N.Y. State of Mind", will feature writing from Dyson as well as scholars Sohail Daulatzai, Adilifu Nama, Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr., James Peterson, Marc Lamont Hill, Mark Anthony Neal, Kyra Gaunt, Eddie S. Glaude Jr., Imani Perry, and more.

There's a great video here of Dyson speaking about his goals for the book-- and rapping the hell out of the "N.Y. State of Mind"-- after a recent Nas show. Speaking about Nas, Dyson praises "the intellectual ferocity and the political relevance of a young man who's speaking truth to power in these postmodern, postindustrial urban spaces. Where truth is being squeezed out, this brother is rising up with a rebellion and a kind of serious, serious political power that is necessary." Dyson also mentions that his chapter in the book will concern "One Love", the Q-Tip-produced which narrates a letter from Nas to his incarcerated friends.

Nas is currently out on the road promoting his latest album.

Nas:
09-09 Sparks, NV - New Oasis
09-11 Chicago, CA - Senator Theatre
09-12 Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues
09-17 Richmond, VA - Toad's Place
10-10 Rochester, NY - Gordon Field House (Rochester Institute of Technology)

Video: Nas: One Love [from the Illmatic LP]

MINNEAPOLIS: Explode the Vote @ Coffman Great Hall

After viewing several of the inspirational speeches given at the DNC, it is vital that getting the word out about voting has become more important than ever. So one of my acts on my Background Noise label, Green Sketch, will be performing at an event called Explode the Vote with Brother Ali, Big Quarters, The Usual Suspects and Illuminous 3 at the Coffman Great Hall on Thursday, October 2nd. Click on the image above to purchase your tickets and support the cause. Proceeds will go towards re-electing Keith Ellison.

In addition, the Background Noise Crew made a song about voting called "Time for Something," and it features the homies Orikal and J.L. Magee. You can listen to it below:


Background Noise Crew F/Orikal & J.L. Magee "Time For Something"

Video: Common "Announcement" (featuring Pharrell)

Video: Who Is Niggy Tardust? (Episodes 1 and 2)

Episode 1:



Episode 2:

GZA Talks Pro Tools, State of the Wu-Tang Clan

"This guy had a tattoo on his face. A big fuckin' W. That W is probably the most known and the most famous brand in hip-hop."

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

If you have nothing invested in lyrical hip-hop in general or the Wu-Tang Clan specifically, you probably aren't going to find much to like about Pro Tools, the new album from the Wu's own GZA. Over a bevy of spare beats from the likes of RZA and a handful of talented, primarily under-the-radar producers, GZA spits tightly wound narratives amid the usual Wu family abstraction, generally unconcerned with things like tunefulness or hooks.

However, if you are into lyrical hip-hop of the Wu-Tang strain, GZA's Pro Tools is probably the best thing you've come across since, well, 8 Diagrams. And it's exactly how GZA, long considered one of the sharpest (if not the sharpest) lyricist in the Clan, likes it.

"I'm an MC," GZA reminds us. "It has always been about lyrics. I mean, even if you go back to when I first started, or if you want to take it to the mid-early 80s, when it was myself, Dirty [Ol' Dirty Bastard] and RZA in a group, it was all about being lyrical.

"It's just like when you read a book, you look for great writing. When you read an article or interview, you look for a great story. When you watch a movie, you look for a great movie-- you know, a great beginning, an ending, subplots, ups, downs. I mean, you know, you wanna be entertained. You want to learn from it as well."

Pro Tools apparently began its life as a very different project than the one sitting on a shelf down at your local record shop. "Originally it was supposed to be a compilation album and I was gathering songs for the last few years," GZA explains. "I was in and out of L.A., different cities and getting different artists. You know, in-house family. I was doin' a lot of songs, puttin' them on songs, just to fill it. And over the years some songs was getting used for other people's projects 'cause it was sitting for a while. Then some songs got missing and discs were lost, and I just regrouped. I scrapped everything.

"I started saying to myself, you know, I don't really want to do a compilation with 35 different people. The less I can have on, the better for me, 'cause that's how I like it. I don't really like putting on other artists. I mean, if I could be on an album by myself, I'd rather. I love to have my brothers with me. If they can come, that's even greater. But I always have to prepare myself in case they're not able to make it and do it. So I regrouped and I did new songs."

Ultimately, Pro Tools features relatively few guest spots. However, one of those spots is one of the record's most memorable moments: as the opening track begins, Wu-Tang spiritual leader RZA repeats GZA's name over and over. It's a powerful statement of Wu-Tang unity, and a declaration that this album is deeply rooted in the Wu-Tang aesthetic.

Still, one can't help but be reminded of last winter's 8 Diagrams tour, which saw the Wu-Tang Clan touring without the RZA and completely ignoring their then-new LP. The release of the wonderfully strange album and the resulting turmoil within the Wu-Tang has left plenty wondering just what the state of the Wu-Tang Clan is in 2008.

GZA seems as uncertain as anyone. "I can't really call it, man. It's definitely not the same. It's not what it used to be, as far as the vibe. These brothers need to still get amongst each other and get out some things. You know, you can become wounded, and then your wound heals, but the scar is still there. And that's pretty much what it is. There's still a few scars. That's obvious. And, you know, they showin', but we just have to work it out. It's better for us, man. I mean, the brand is so strong that we need to really pull it together and really pop it off. We really need to put all differences to the side and focus on what we do have in common, because that's how it started off.

"That may be one of the problems. I mean, that's a problem with people in the world, anyway, in general. We can find 1,000 things that make us different, but we can't find one thing that makes us the same. You know, some brothers voiced their opinion. I mean, it's still love. It's just the vibe is funny. The vibe is real funny lately. I do plan on doin' another album with RZA. I mean, the most incredible album that's ever been done. I plan on doin' that."

With a few RZA beats on Pro Tools and the prospect of a shared album between the two, it seems clear that if there are now two camps within the Wu, GZA has hardly split from RZA's. "Oh, yeah. I can't write him out. I can't write him out like that. RZA's one of the best producers that ever existed. I mean, I'm not sayin' I agree with this music that was on [8 Diagrams]. There were some songs I didn't like. I mean, hey, it's like that sometimes. I'm not gonna like everything. But then you gotta look at the time that was allocated. It wasn't really a lot of time that was allocated to do this album. Sometimes you have to sit down... we weren't around each other for a while. We just decided to do an album, to come into the studio. RZA had these beats, and some dudes weren't feelin' a lot of it.

"You know, I'd rather stick to the formula, get the vibe of probably some of the beats that we used in the past, that sort of element. It's just that you can go anywhere with this music. You just have to feel it, you have to bring the best out of it. And I don't think we brought the best out of him, because I don't think the time was there. For instance, once I get out with him, then I'm able to sit down with RZA for three weeks, and I think we can really pull something off. It just requires time, but I'm not gonna write him out. Just hearing his songs like [Pro Tools track] 'Life Is a Movie', you know, just the production on that, that way we did that together goes to show you our chemistry is another level, myself and RZA. So I'm not gonna write him out. I may not like a lot of the songs that he was presentin', but hey, that's cool. I'll find something that I like."

If Pro Tools is any indication, GZA feels like speaking his mind a lot lately. One target of his ever-sharp lyrical swordplay this time out is 50 Cent, whose artistic integrity GZA has publicly questioned in the past. 50 serves as the subject of much ire on the track "Paper Plate", though GZA's wrath isn't just reserved for one particular commercial rapper. "So far as what's above the surface, what we hearin' and what we seein', it's just like [sighs]. It's the same story. It's never been like that for me. There's so much to get inspired from, good and bad. Every day there's so much in the world to just be hearin' rhymes about the same shit all the time. Ridiculous. So, you know, that's why I keep it along that line, staying focused and being grounded, keeping it Wu. Keeping it GZA."

If ever there was a testament to the strength of the Wu-Tang dynasty, it's the skit that prefaces "Paper Plate", in which GZA recalls meeting a fan with a tattoo of the Wu-Tang's iconic W emblem on his face. "It's unheard of, right?" GZA wonders. "This guy had a tattoo on his face. I mean, on his face. A big fuckin' W. And then he had all this other shit carved in. He had a whole bunch of stuff on his face, but the W was the biggest. It was like, 'wow, damn.' It's like that. Wu has it like that. You know, Wu-Tang is just that special brand. That W is probably the most known and the most famous brand in hip-hop."

At this point, the Wu-Tang Clan's legacy has certainly been cemented, with a storied 15-year history and a handful of undeniably classic records under their belt. GZA alludes to his own experience in "Paper Plate", reminding the 50 Cents of the world, "I'm 10 years your senior, but I flow like I'm 21." As GZA notes, "I'm about 10, 11 years older than you, 12 years older, but I rhyme like I'm 10 years younger 'cause of my energy, vibe, and freshness. I'm not sayin' that I'm like a youngster and I'm immature and I'm an amateur. It's just that I have that kick of a 21-year-old. That energy, that vibe, that spark. It's not like I'm on the mic rhyming like [affects exaggerated Kurtis Blow-like cadence] 'you know I talk to the rhythm in the rock and roll.' But I come from that era, you understand? I don't deliver in that fashion. I did that, I rhymed like that, you know, in the 70s when that's what MCin' was. So that's my point. I'm up here, 10 years your senior. I've been doin' this when you was in Pampers probably. Before you was born, actually. But I'm still rhymin' like I'm fresh off the block. And I'm evolving. I'm only getting better."

GZA goes on to explain the rest of the "Paper Plate" lyric, "'I'm 10 years your senior, but I flow like I'm 21 / Straight from Medina, with the mass of many suns": "I set it straight for Medina because, you know, you have to make it all rhyme. So Medina's Brooklyn, we call that Brooklyn. And I say a supernova, 'cause a supernova, most of them has the mass of many suns, or the sun that's, you know, shinin' light within our solar system."

Somehow I doubt that much though went into "I Get Money".

There's an awful lot of knowledge dropped all over Pro Tools. In typical GZA fashion, the album's verses are densely layered with wordplay and narrative alike. The craftsmanship that goes into a typical GZA song is obvious, as usual. "I put a lot into it when I'm writing, normally," GZA says of his writing process. "That's how it is, man. It's about creative writing for me. When I sit down and write a verse, I sit down-- I'm not really one to write a rhyme in 30 minutes. Every now and then, maybe. There was maybe one round that I was able to pull off in about 45 minutes, and that was for the 'Pencil' song."

The beats on Pro Tools are laid back and largely unfettered, a far cry from the busy nature of most modern hip-hop production-- and even RZA's labyrinthine work on 8 Diagrams. Does GZA, who manages to cram what sounds like hundreds of bars into practically every song, seek out this sort of sound intentionally? "That's a good question," he says. "I mean, I don't look for a certain sound. I just have to hear it. When I hear it, I have to know that that's it. But normally I like open beats, and I do look for beats that allow room for me to be heard. I don't like a lot of stuff cluttered. I don't like a lot of this ping-pong, ping-pong pinball.

"I mean, I'm from the era where, you know, I was even sayin' on "Mic Trippin'" [from 1999's Beneath the Surface], "I'm a break beat fanatic / Crates deep in attics / 45s marked up, looped with static." So I'm from the era where I rhymed on break beats. Drums, strictly drums, and breaks in the middle of songs. These breaks came from rap records, pop records, disco records, R&B records. Hip-hop is all of that. But these were breaks that the DJs used to scratch. That's what I'm used to rhyming off because I come from that era. I mean, I can rhyme off R&B music. I can rhyme off anything if I'm feelin' it, but normally I like an open beat, so you can hear somethin' real simple, somethin' that's not overpowering. I'm not that kind of MC, you know.

"There may be a lot of others that need a whole bunch of music to put on their lyrics because they're not as strong. That's why a lot of people say, 'Oh, you know, the beat is hot, though.' The beat can be hot, and if the lyrics is whack, I might not even notice how hot the beat is. You're like, 'this dude is real corny, man." You know, you had MCs in the past-- especially from the golden era-- that was incredibly sharp lyrically and had the most bullshit beats. But you didn't even notice that, like, 'Damn, I didn't know how weak that beat was, he was just tearin' it up so bad.'"

Beats and rhymes rarely connect quite as brilliantly on GZA's classic 1995 LP Liquid Swords. After a triumphant set at the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival, GZA is taking Liquid Swords out on the road this summer and fall for a series of shows that feature him performing the album in its entirety. GZA doesn't see much of a conflict with the timing of promoting a new album while doing a tour highlighting an old one. "This was in the makings already," he notes. " If anything, this is a segue to launch this album 'cause, you know, I'm gonna be doing several songs off the albums. Promoters are paying for Liquid Swords, so first thing's first. What makes it great is that Pro Tools is out, so they like, 'I can get Liquid Swords, then I get a whole bunch of other stuff that's in this catalog, and then I get some of Pro Tools.' You're gettin' a whole lot."

GZA:

08-26 Seattle, WA - Neumos (performing Liquid Swords)

08-27 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards (performing Liquid Swords)

08-29 Salt Lake City, UT - Palladium (performing Liquid Swords)

08-30 Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (performing Liquid Swords)

09-01 Dallas, TX - Palladium Loft (performing Liquid Swords)

09-02 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live (performing Liquid Swords)

09-03 Austin, TX - Emo's (performing Liquid Swords)

09-04 Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze (performing Liquid Swords)

09-05 Grinnell, IA - Grinnell College (performing Liquid Swords)

09-06 Madison, WI - SoCo Music Experience (performing Liquid Swords)

09-07 Chicago, IL - House of Blues (performing Liquid Swords)

09-09 Oberlin, OH - Dionysus Club (Oberlin College) (performing Liquid Swords)

09-10 Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live (performing Liquid Swords)

09-11 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero (performing Liquid Swords)

09-12 New York, NY - Irving Plaza (performing Liquid Swords)

09-13 Boston, MA - Harper's Ferry (performing Liquid Swords)

09-17 Tempe, AZ - Clubhouse (performing Liquid Swords)

09-18 Flagstaff, AZ - Congress (performing Liquid Swords)

09-19 San Diego, CA - Street Scene (performing Liquid Swords)

10-24 Halifax, Nova Scotia - Halifax Pop Explosion

11-10 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club

11-12 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC

11-13 London, England - Electric Ballroom

11-14 Bristol, England - Academy

11-15 Nancy, France - L'Autre Canal

11-17 Paris, France - Elysée Montmartre

11-18 Marseilles, France - Espace Julien

MP3: GZA: Alphabets [from the Pro Tools LP]
Video: GZA: Duel of the Iron Mic [Live at the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival]
Video: GZA: Daytripping [Pitchfork.tv]

G-Unit Producer Jake One Signs to Rhymesayers for LP

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Mainstream meets underground in a big way on White Van Music, the debut studio album from Jake One. The Seattle producer is part of G-Unit's production team, and in the past, he has worked with 50 Cent, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg, Young Buck, E-40, and Lil Scrappy, among other folks.

For White Van Music, Jake has fused this world with the world inhabited by his new label, Rhymesayers. Thus, the record features appearances from a wide variety of hip-hop heads, including Posdnuos (De La Soul), Busta Rhymes, MF DOOM, Young Buck, Freeway, M.O.P., Slug (Atmosphere), Little Brother, Prodigy, Keak Da Sneak, Black Milk, Alchemist, Casual, Ish (aka Butterfly from Digable Planets), Royce Da 5'9", and Bishop Lamont.

Rhymesayers will release White Van Music on October 7.
White Van Music:

01 I'm Coming [ft. Black Milk and Nottz]
02 Gangsta Boy [ft. M.O.P.]
03 The Truth [ft. Freeway and Brother Ali]
04 Turn It Down
05 God Like [ft. D. Black]
06 Bless the Child [ft. Little Brother]
07 Oh Really [ft. Posdnuos and Slug]
08 Hi09 Trap Door [ft. MF DOOM]
10 Dead Wrong [ft. Young Buck]
11 Kissin the Curb [ft. Bishop and Busta Rhymes]
12 How We Ride [ft. Freeway]
13 White Van [ft. Alchemist, Evidence, and Prodigy]
14 Big Homie Style [ft. J Pinder, GMK, and Spaceman]
15 Scared [ft. Blueprint]
16 Great Sound
17 Get Er Done [ft. MF DOOM]
18 Feeling My Shit [ft. Casual]
19 Soil Raps [ft. Keak Da Sneak]
20 Glow [ft. eLZhi and Royce Da 5'9"]
21 RIP
22 Home [ft. Vitamin D, C-Note, Maneak B, and Ish]

Stream: Jake One: Various Tracks

Talib Kweli, David Banner Head Hip Hop Live! Tour

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

For the second consecutive year, a few excellent MCs will throw their best verses over a 10-piece live band accompaniment from Rhythm Roots Allstars as part of the Hip Hop Live! Tour.

This year's participants in the tour are Talib Kweli, David Banner, Little Brother, and B.O.B. Kweli and Banner are on board for all dates, while Little Brother will pass opening duties to B.O.B. midway through. The fun begins September 28 in San Diego.

Hip Hop Live! (Talib Kweli + David Banner):

09-28 San Diego, CA - Canes *
09-30 Los Angeles, CA - House of Blues *
10-02 San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom *
10-03 Portland, OR - Roseland *
10-04 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater *
10-05 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo *
10-08 Boulder, CO - Fox Theater *
10-10 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
10-13 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird *
10-18 Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre #
10-19 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel #
10-20 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club #
10-23 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero #
10-24 Boston, MA - Showcase Live! #
10-25 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre #

* with Little Brother
# with B.O.B.

Stream: B.O.B.: Various Tracks
Stream: Little Brother: Various Tracks
MP3: Talib Kweli: Momma Can You Hear Me
Video: David Banner [ft. Chris Brown]: Get Like Me [from the The Greatest Story Ever Told LP]

Trama's "Answer The Call" (used in Samsung Commercial) Video!

From my homie Trama.

Mr. Lif Releases New Album One Song at a Time

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Photo by Hibbard Nash

Mr. Lif has returned from the shadows to drop science. Political science, that is. In light of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Lif is using his new album, I Heard It Today, "to create awareness on current political issues and agendas for Americans and the global community," according to a press release.

To allow himself the flexibility to address issues as they present themselves, Mr. Lif has a non-traditional plan for the release of I Heard It Today, which is the follow-up to 2006's Mo' Mega. Starting with the release of "I Heard It Today" on September 9, Lif will write, record, produce, and digitally release one or two new songs every three weeks (September 23 and October 14) until Election Day (November 4). Afterward, he'll release one more single reacting to the election.

Lif will then compile these singles, along with additional unreleased tracks, for the full album, which will be released via his new label, Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises, on Inauguration Day (January 20). Production on various tracks will come from Edan, J Zone, Illmind, and others.

Here's the artwork for the "I Heard It Today" single:

MP3: General Elektriks ft. Mr. Lif: Requiem for a Neocon

Publick Enemy: It Takes A Nation of Millions (parts 2 & 3)

Part 2 (Built from Scratch): In installment #2, PE and the Bomb Squad look back at the building blocks used to construct their classic LP, exploring how their intimate knowledge of records shaped not only this record, but also hip-hop at large.



Part 3 (The Legacy): With the final installment of our three-part series exploring It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, we survey some of the more enduring contributions of this classic Public Enemy record.

Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation Of Millions... (Part 1 of 3): Beginnings

With this the first of 3 segments, Pitchfork.TV begin its in-depth look at the classic Public Enemy record It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Chuck D, The Bomb Squad, and others bum-rush memory lane, and give us a glimpse into the early days of P.E.

Giant of Internet Radio Nears Its 'Last Stand'

(swiped from The Washington Post)

Pandora, Other Webcasters Struggle Under High Song Fees

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Pandora is one of the nation's most popular Web radio services, with about 1 million listeners daily. Its Music Genome Project allows customers to create stations tailored to their own tastes. It is one of the 10 most popular applications for Apple's iPhone and attracts 40,000 new customers a day.

Yet the burgeoning company may be on the verge of collapse, according to its founder, and so may be others like it.

"We're approaching a pull-the-plug kind of decision," said Tim Westergren, who founded Pandora. "This is like a last stand for webcasting."

The transformation of words, songs and movies to digital media has provoked a number of high-stakes fights between the owners of copyrighted works and the companies that can now easily distribute those works via the Internet. The doomsday rhetoric these days around the fledgling medium of Web radio springs from just such tensions.

Last year, an obscure federal panel ordered a doubling of the per-song performance royalty that Web radio stations pay to performers and record companies.

Traditional radio, by contrast, pays no such fee. Satellite radio pays a fee but at a less onerous rate, at least by some measures.

As for Pandora, its royalty fees this year will amount to 70 percent of its projected revenue of $25 million, Westergren said, a level that could doom it and other Web radio outfits.

This week, Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.) is trying to broker a last-minute deal between webcasters and SoundExchange, the organization that represents artists and record companies. The negotiations could reduce the per-song rate set by the federal panel last year.

The two sides appear to be far apart, however, with Berman frustrated.

"Most of the rate issues have not been resolved," Berman said. "If it doesn't get much more dramatic quickly, I will extricate myself from the process."

"We're losing money as it is," said Westergren, a former acoustic rocker. "The moment we think this problem in Washington is not going to get solved, we have to pull the plug because all we're doing is wasting money."

The digital reproduction of works in print, audio and video has provoked waves of lawsuits over who should benefit from copyrighted works distributed over the internet. The media company Viacom sued YouTube for running clips. Record companies have sought to punish file-sharers. And in radio, the digital transformation has recharged long-standing disputes over how much performers and their record companies ought to be paid when a song gets played.

By contrast to traditional radio, which broadcast only one song at any given time, Pandora's technology allows listeners to create their own stations, through which hundreds of thousands of song are played simultaneously.

For example, if a Pandora listener expresses a preference for "Debaser" by the Pixies, Pandora will search its catalog for songs that have similar musical qualities and create a station accordingly.

Soon after its launch, Pandora drew raves and listeners. Revenue at the growing company, which is supported by venture capital investors, was slated to rise above costs for the first time in 2009, Westergren said.

Then came the decision by the Copyright Royalty Board.

"I was on the bus when I get this message on my Treo," Westergren said. "I thought, 'We're dead.' "

SoundExchange, the organization that represents performers and record companies, said it supports the higher royalties for Internet radio because musicians deserve a bigger cut of Internet radio profits.

"Our artists and copyright owners deserve to be fairly compensated for the blood and sweat that forms the core product of these businesses," said Mike Huppe, general counsel for SoundExchange.

The Copyright Royalty Board last year decided that the fee to play a music recording on Web radio should step up from 8/100 of a cent per song per listener in 2006 to 19/100 of a cent per song per listener in 2010.

Multiplied by the millions of songs and thousands of listeners Pandora serves, that means the company will have to pay about $17 million this year, Westergren said.

The effect may be even worse for smaller outfits. Many small webcasters have said that the royalties as determined by the copyright board would be 100 percent to 300 percent of annual revenue, said David Oxenford, a lawyer who represents some of them.

"Obviously, that's not going to work," he said.

Even more galling to webcasters is the fact that they pay more for playing a song than traditional or satellite radio, a result of patchwork regulation created as each technology emerged.

Traditional radio pays nothing in performance royalties, though SoundExchange is pressing to change that. Satellite radio pays 6 or 7 percent of revenue. And then there are webcasters, which pay per song, per listener.

Using listener figures from Arbitron for XM Satellite Radio, it is possible to estimate that the company will pay about 1.6 cents per hour per listener when the new rates are fully adapted in 2010. By contrast, Web radio outlets will pay 2.91 cents per hour per listener.

SoundExchange officials argue that because different media have different profit margins, it is appropriate to set different royalty rates.

Moreover, they complain, Internet radio stations have done too little to make money from playing their songs.

Pandora makes advertising money only from spots placed on its Web page, not on audio ads that run between songs. Other stations are similarly struggling to persuade companies to pay for advertising in the new medium.

"We're taking this challenge very seriously," Westergren said. "When we have our board meetings, the central topic is the revenue trajectory, not how happy our users are."

He said Pandora has a 30-person ad sales operation, or about 25 percent of its workforce. The company will soon start running subtler ads similar to those on National Public Radio, too, he said.

"Something like 'The next half hour is brought to you by . . .' " he said.

Westergren and other webcasters argue that Web radio, which generally plays a far wider range of music than is offered by traditional radio, provides invaluable promotion for many independent musicians.

Matt Nathanson, a singer-songwriter who has recorded for both major and independent record labels, said he is worried that the demands placed on Internet radio could "choke" the industry before it gets its footing.

"Net radio is good for musicians like me, and I think most musicians are like me," he said. "The promotion it provides is far more important than the revenue."

Westergren, seemingly wearied by the constant haggling over the issue, signaled that Pandora's investors may also be impatient for an end.

"We're funded by venture capital," he said. "They're not going to chase a company whose business model has been broken. So if it doesn't feel like its headed towards a solution, we're done."

RIP: Jerry Wexler - Producer, Mogul, Legend

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Legendary record man Jerry Wexler, who helped shape the sound of R&B, guided the careers of titans such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and Led Zeppelin, and helped launch Atlantic Records into a powerhouse, has died at his home in Florida, according to Rolling Stone. He was 91.

Wexler began his career in the late 1940s as a journalist, writing for Billboard magazine. He invented the phrase "Rhythm and Blues" for the publication for use on what was then known as their "Race Music" chart. In 1953, Wexler joined Ahmet Ertegun as co-head of Atlantic Records, a post he would hold until 1975. The two were instrumental in bringing the R&B music they loved to a wider audience, further incorporating it into the burgeoning sounds of rock'n'roll.

As both a record mogul and producer, Wexler was a tireless promoter of his wares, and in constant pursuit of exciting new sounds in modern music. Of his many successes with Atlantic, a mid-1960s distribution deal with legendary soul imprint Stax was one of his greatest. The arrangement brought Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MGs, and countless others into the fold, introducing the world to the gloriously loose Muscle Shoals sound that characterized the Stax catalog.

In 1966, Wexler signed a young singer by the name of Aretha Franklin, encouraging her to sing in a more natural, less measured style. Her subsequent work with Atlantic-- in particular, the recordings she completed in Muscle Shoals-- remain some of the finest albums of any era.

The late 60s brought a string of British rockers seeking to bump elbows with the soul musicians they'd been ripping off, and Led Zeppelin, Cream, and the like linked up with Atlantic, thanks to Wexler. In 1968, Wexler brought British chanteuse Dusty Springfield to Tennessee to record the legendary Dusty in Memphis, which Wexler himself produced. Also in 1968, Wexler and Ertegun agreed to sell Atlantic to Warner Seven Arts (later Warner Brothers), a deal that lost Atlantic a sizeable amount of money. He told Rolling Stone, "What a mistake. Worst thing we ever did."

Ertegun left Atlantic in 1975, eventually picking up some A&R work for Warner Brothers that netted the label new-wave pioneers like the B-52s and Gang of Four. He struck out on his own later in the decade, producing records for Bob Dylan, the Staple Singers, Linda Ronstadt, George Michael, and many others. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, becoming one of the very first non-performers to achieve the honor. It's not difficult to see why.

Wexler retired to Florida in the late 90s, where he largely cut himself off from the business elements of the music industry. He is survived by two children, and his wife, writer Jean Arnold.

Video: Aretha Franklin: Respect [live in 1967]

Atmosphere Extend "Paint the Nation" Tour

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)
Photo by Dan Monick

In an attempt to bring folks more Lemon-y freshness than a dish soap commercial, Atmosphere have added a second leg of U.S. dates to their "Paint the Nation" tour. The trek now extends into mid-November.

Before the nation-painting begins, Atmosphere have some European dates to finish, starting tonight (August 15) in Zurich, Switzerland. After "Paint the Nation", the duo has also added a trio of Australian dates.

Finally, Atmosphere will play the Take Back Labor Day festival in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention, as previously reported.

Atmosphere:
08-15 Zurich, Switzerland - Tonimolkerei
08-16 Munich, Germany - Ampere
08-17 Gothenburg, Sweden - Göteborgs Kulturkalas
08-18 Malmö, Sweden - Malmöfestivalen
08-20 Oslo, Norway - Bla08-21 Stockholm, Sweden - Nalen
08-22 Copenhagen, Denmark - Little Vega
08-23 Prague, Czech Republic - Hip Hop Kemp Festival
08-23 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
09-01 St. Paul, MN - Harriet Island (Take Back Labor Day)
09-10 Fargo, ND - The Venue *
09-11 Sioux Falls, SD - Sioux Empire Expo Center *
09-12 Omaha, NE - Slowdown *
09-13 Denver, CO - Monolith Festival
09-15 Boise, ID - Knitting Factory *
09-16 Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater *
09-18 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater *
09-19 Sacramento, CA - Empire *
09-20 San Diego, CA - Street Scene
09-21 Bakersfield, CA - The Dome *
09-22 Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst *
09-25 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern *
09-26 Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues *
09-27 Phoenix, AZ - Edge Fest
09-28 Tucson, AZ - KFMA Fall Ball
09-30 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live *
10-01 New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's *
10-02 St. Petersburg, FL - State Theater *
10-03 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution *
10-04 Orlando, FL - Firestone *
10-06 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade *
10-07 Ashville, NC - Orange Peel *
10-08 Richmond, VA - Toad's Place *
10-10 Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head *
10-11 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place *
10-13 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *
10-14 New York, NY - Irving Plaza *
10-15 Providence, RI - Lupo's *
10-17 Portland, ME - The Station *
10-18 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground *
10-20 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's *
10-21 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom *
10-22 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall *
10-24 Cincinnati, OH - Scribble Jam @ Annie's *
10-25 Nashville, TN - Wildhorse Saloon *
10-27 Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Theatre *
10-28 Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection *
10-29 Urbana, IL - Canopy Club *
10-31 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre *
11-01 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater *
11-02 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
11-05 Iowa City, IA - Englert Theatre *
11-06 Lawrence, KS - The Granada *
11-07 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom *
11-08 Austin, TX - Waterloo Park (Fun Fun Fun Fest)
11-09 Dallas, TX - House of Blues *
11-11 El Paso, TX - Club 101 *
11-12 Albuquerque, NM - Albuquerque Convention Center *
11-15 Columbia, MO - The Blue Note *
11-16 Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre *
12-30 Lorne, Australia - The Falls Festival
12-31 Marion Bay, Australia - The Falls Festival
01-03 Busselton, Australia - Sir Stewart Bovell Park (Southbound Festival)

* with Blueprint, Abstract Rude, DJ Rare Groove

Video: Atmosphere: Shoulda Known [from the When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold LP]

A break from our scheduled programming: A poem by Stewie Griffin

Oh squiggly line in my eye fluid.

I see you lurking there on the periphery of my vision.

But when I try to look at you, you scurry away.

Are you shy, squiggly line?

Why only when I ignore you, do you return to the center of my eye?

Oh, squiggly line,it's alright, you are forgiven.

Video: The Genius Speaks - Wu-Tang's GZA/Genius Speaks on the August 19th Release of "Pro Tools"

(via Babygrande) The GZA/Genius, Wu-Tang's famed lyrical swordsman, serves up some jewels regarding "Pro Tools," his fifth solo album, set for imminent release on August 19th. The notoriously elusive emcee opens up in this rare and exclusive interview, providing coveted insight into the new album (and his favorite tracks), the current state of hip-hop and also directly addressing the recently leaked, buzzing 50 Cent diss track ("Paper Plate").

Also...log on to www.myspace.com/gza NOW to check out an exclusive preview of the entire "Pro Tools" album. This is an exclusive opportunity to preview what notable blogger/tastemaker/critic Byron Crawford has already coined "shockingly good. The best GZA album since Liquid Swords...very well the best Wu-Tang-related album since Supreme Clientele."

Tune in to www.imeem.com as well for the "Pro Tools" album cover redesign contest for a chance to win a full CD DJ set-up from Stanton worth $1600:

http://www.imeem.com/gzagenius

Also look for GZA this summer/fall on the highly anticipated nationwide "Liquid Swords" tour which commences August 21st in Los Angeles at the El Rey Theatre. He plans to debut the new material for the first time ever following the performance of the entire classic "Liquid Swords" album.

GZA/Liquid Swords Tour:

Thu 8/21 Los Angeles, CA El Rey

Fri 8/22 Santa Cruz, CA Moe's Alley

Sat 8/23 Petaluma, CA Phoenix

Mon 8/25 Portland, OR Berbati's

Tue 8/26 Seattle, WA Neumos

Wed 8/27 Vancouver, BC Richards

Fri 8/29 Salt Lake City, UT Paladium

Sat 8/30 Denver, CO Cervantes

Mon 9/1 Dallas, TX Palladium

Tue 9/2 Houston, TX Warehouse

Wed 9/3 Austin, TX Emo's

Thu 9/4 Minneapolis, MN Cabooze

Fri 9/5 Grinnell, IA Grinnell

Sat 9/6 Madison, WI SoCo Music

Sun 9/7 Chicago, IL House of Blues

Tue 9/9 Oberlin, OH Oberlin Collge

Wed 9/10 Baltimore, MD Ram's Head

Thu 9/11 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero

Fri 9/12 New York, NY Irving Plaza

Sat 9/13 Boston, MA Harper's Ferry

Wed 9/17 Tempe, AZ Clubhouse

Thu 9/18 Flagstaff, AZ Congress

Fri 9/19 San Diego, CA Street Scene

Game Slams Jesse Jackson -- Twice -- On New Tracks With Lil Wayne, Nas

(swiped from MTV News)

MC also challenges Jay-Z, G-Unit (again) on tracks from forthcoming LP.

"It's a hundred different messages you can take from the song," Game said on Monday afternoon, cruising through Houston on his way to a radio station. "It's called 'My Life,' so tune in." The video for the song, from his forthcoming LP L.A.X.,premieres on "FNMTV" Friday (starting at 8 p.m. ET).

"And I ain't no preacher, but here's my Erick Sermon," he raps on the record. "So eat this black music, and tell me how it tastes now/ And f--- Jesse Jackson 'cause it ain't about race now."

Later he adds "Walk through the gates of hell, see my Impala parked in front with the high beams on/ Me and the devil sharin' chronic blunts/ Listening to The Chronic album/ Playin' backwards, shootin' at pictures of Don Imus for target practice."

It's very provocative — and he goes after Jackson even harder on a different track from the album, "Letter to the King," that leaked on Thursday (August 14).

The song — a duet with Nas — has bars that are lyrically astonishing, and will probably be the pair's most talked-about collaboration yet. Of course, the "King" the duo refers to is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At times, the two talk directly to the late civil-rights leader as if he were still alive; at others, they ponder aloud about what could have been.

"If Dr. King marched today, would Bill Gates march?" Game raps on the third verse. "I know Obama would, but would Hillary take part?/ I feel the pain of Nelson Mandela/ 'Cause when it rains it pours, I need Rihanna's umbrella/ For Coretta Scott [King's] teardrops/ When she got the phone call that the future just took a f---ing headshot."

If you don't remember anything else about the song, Game's controversial last line will stay with you.

"I wonder why Jesse Jackson ain't catch him before his body dropped," he asks. "Would he give me the answer?/ Probably not."

At press time, Game had not responded to MTV News' requests for comment on why he's going after Jackson — a longtime King associate, who was present at his assassination in 1968 — so hard, but he did speak with us at length about L.A.X. in Houston earlier this week.

Several other noteworthy tracks from the album hit the Net on Thursday (August 14), including "Angel," which features classic name-dropping from an outspoken Game while Common guest-drops metaphors. There's also a song called "Ya Heard" that features the Compton track-slayer engaging in some rap repartee with Ludacris.

Game described the album as "just me taking flight, man. This album is gonna be real special — from beginning to end, it's gonna knock."

Recently on KISS-FM in Phoenix, Game admitted that he's a fan of Jay's music, but predicted that a battle between the two of them would be one-sided — against Jigga.

"I'm young, stupid, disrespectful," Game said. "I haven't lost a beef. I killed a whole group limb by limb — see what happened to G-Unit."

Speaking of the Unit, estranged group member Young Buck appears in the video for "My Life," which also co-stars Lil Wayne.

"Buck is in the video for a split second, robbing the liquor store!" Game smiled. "Lil Wayne came out to California — he re-routed his tour bus, made a U-turn for me, [so we could] shoot the video. I think the video is gonna do some great things."

L.A.X. is due on August 26.