The 52nd Grammy Awards: Last Call for Predictions

Remember when I made my predictions back in December? Ha! Well, let's see if I was on to something... Here are my picks (my explanations are still here):

EDIT: I've updated this list with the official winners (marked in red).

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (Not yet announced)
Beyoncé & Kanye West – “Ego”
Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock You Down”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town” [WINNER]
The Lonely Island & T-Pain – “I’m On a Boat”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead and Gone”

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Beastie Boys & Nas – “Too Many Rappers”
Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – “Crack A Bottle” [WINNER]
Fabolous & Jay-Z – “Money Goes, Honey Stay”
Kid CuDi, Kanye West & Common – “Make Her Say”
Kanye West & Young Jeezy – “Amazing”

Best Rap Solo Performance
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Eminem – “Beautiful”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” [WINNER]
Kid CuDi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
Mos Def – “Casa Bey”

Best Rap Song
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Kid CuDi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead and Gone”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town” [WINNER]

Best Rap Album
Common – Universal Mind Control
Eminem – Relapse [WINNER]
Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Q-Tip – The Renaissance

What are your picks?

1 out of 5? Wow, I suck at this...

jj - "My Life" (Lil Wayne Cover)

Swedish indie pop duo jj has announced that they’ll release their second full-length album, jj n° 3, on March 9th. They’ve already dropped the teaser single “Let Go”, but the song I’m buzzing over at the moment is the album’s first track: “My Life”. I’m a fan of alternative takes on hip hop songs and, well, vocalist Elin Kastlander delivers the goods with this cover of Lil Wayne’s chorus off (The) Game’s third single from L.A.X. Why she added a bit of ATC’s “Around the World (La La La La La)” at the very end is beyond me though…

MP3: jj - My Life

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #8

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #7

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #6

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #5

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #4

The Tape Deck '10: Volume #3

Patti Smith at UCLA's Hammer Museum, Jan. 28th, 2010

This past Thursday night, I attended an event at UCLA’s Hammer Museum, commemorating the life and work of Harry Everett Smith – well-known to some, anonymous to most, mysterious to all. Smith was an admired figure of the counter-culture of the ‘50’s and onwards, best known for his obscure silent films and his important archival work to preserve American folk music. Patti Smith did the honors in this appropriately titled event ('Smith on Smith'), recounting some anecdotes about Harry, a relic of American lore, as well as sharing some interesting and funny tales of New York City in its yesteryears – describing the bohemian melting pot of poets, musicians, mystics and transients freely gravitating in and around the Chelsea hotel.

I’ve been to a few Patti Smith concerts before, but this event was particularly special: she interspersed readings of excerpts from her new book, Just Kids, with musical performances and spoken word poetry. Between stories about Allen Ginsberg mistaking her for a boy, hanging out at the Chelsea and bumping into Grace Slick and Jimi Hendrix, and more adventures with Harry Smith, Sam Shepard (then known to her as “Slim Shadow”), and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (he shot the photo for Patti’s debut album, Horses), Smith spontaneously dedicated a song to J.D. Salinger, soon followed by a politically-stirring reading of “People Have the Power” in honor of Howard Zinn. Overall, it was a very enlightening and fun event – yet another reminder that I was born two score too late.

Visit the Harry Smith Archives here.

Check out Patti Smith’s new book here. Purchase it here.

K-Def and Psycho Les X Beaterator

Loving these promo spots produced to promote Timbaland's beatmaking videogame, Beaterator. Shouts to Wax Poetics. More goodness here.

Nneka - Concrete Jungle | First Peek

Release Date: February 2, 2010
Label: Decon Records

Though she's been active on the scene since 2005, it was only until I heard J.Period's The Madness (Onye-Ala) Mixtape that I "discovered" Nneka. She's been compared to artists like Erykah Badu and Floetry, but she's definitely got a unique style of her own. It's refreshing to find artists who shun the hype and make natural and honest music.

Statik Selektah - 100 Proof: The Hangover | First Peek

Release Date: February 2, 2010
Label: Showoff Records

Another year, another ridiculous compilation album by Statik Selektah featuring a crazy roster of guest emcees.

Kurupt - Down and Dirty | First Peek

Release Date: February 9, 2010
Label: Death Row Records

I'm not sure what to make of this release. Is it simply a Death Row attempt to cash in on the Kurupt tracks they've held in their vault? According to Hip Hop Galaxy, "the songs on 'Down and Dirty' were recorded in 2002 and 2003 during 'The Row Era'." So... yeah, I guess so.

Wu-Tang Clan - Mathematics Presents Return of the Wu & Friends | First Peek

Release Date: February 16, 2010
Label: Gold Dust Media

Back in 2007, when I reviewed Mathematics Presents Wu-Tang Clan & Friends – Unreleased for About.com, I noted the absence of the main Clan members as a flaw. Return of the Wu & Friends is a follow-up of sorts to the Unreleased album, and from the tracklisting alone, you can be assured that this is a step in the right direction. Wu-Tang has been on fire lately! My personal bias notwithstanding, can I get a suuuu?

30 Interesting New Books to Read in February

RSS Readers: Enter the site for Apture links/previews.

If I had all the time in the world, I'd spend a lot of it on reading. You must learn! Since I can't have that luxury, the second best thing I can do is to throw you a heads up on the upcoming books that interest me - and hopefully you as well. Here's my list of thirty interesting new books hitting shelves in February. I like to stand by the principle "don't judge a book by its cover", but if you must, click the book title link for an Apture link/preview. Enjoy:

Timing FAIL: Gilbert Arenas FTL!

Did you know that Gilbert Arenas has an upcoming book? I sure as hell didn’t! In light of Hibachi’s gun-toting fuckery, the release and PR mishap of plugging Score Like Agent Zero should be a sight to behold. I kinda feel bad for DJ Gallo, the guy who I can only assume really wrote this book. Take a look at Score Like Agent Zero’s product description, copied from Amazon (with cynical emphasis added by yours truly):

Whoa... Raekwon's "Ice Cream" Sample Has Been Identified

Cue Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", 'cause it's been a long time coming for this one! Shouts to Skeme for the heads up! I'll re-up the OB4CL set... Some day...

Good Wood Jesus Piece: Natural, Maple, Black and Now… in Red!

I may be a secular Heeb, sure, but Jesus is still my homeboy. If Good Wood’s natural, maple and black Jesus Pieces haven’t caught your eye just yet (shouts to CJ for the early heads up), take a gander at their soon-to-be-released red piece, available on February 14th, Valentine’s Day:

In Stores Today: January 19, 2010

Eels
End Times
Vagrant Records

Preview
Purchase

Eels albums have traditionally been soaked with melancholy and self-pity. End Times is no different in this regard other than the fact that the subtleties here are more pronounced than ever. Self-produced by Mark Everett in his own basement, End Times is grimly cathartic and full of lonely morose, dealing with divorce and the prospects of old age. Emotional but far from emo, E’s lyrics are simple and sometimes even clichéd in a bluesy sense, but the aching delivery of his raspy elegies hit home with emotional honesty and vulnerability. End Times features its fair share of highs and lows from the rockabilly swing of “Gone Man” and “Paradise Blues” to introspective self-reflection on “In My Younger Days” and “I Need a Mother”. The album concludes with the tranquil “On My Feet”, suggesting that there may be a ray of hope on the horizon for the ache-ridden singer-songwriter after all.

RJD2
The Colossus
RJ’s Electrical Connections

Preview
Purchase

Earlier in the decade, upon the release of his debut album Deadringer, RJD2 was poised to contend with the likes of sonic architects like Dan the Automator, Cut Chemist and DJ Shadow. RJ effectively helped to boost Def Jux’s cred, bringing in a new audience to underground and alternative hip hop. Since his break with the storied indie label, RJD2’s artistry has headed towards a new direction which most would affirmatively pronounce as “south.” In 2007, he released the highly-ridiculed The Third Hand, RJ’s awkward foray into becoming a “performer.” On The Colossus, not much has changed for his second go-round. Providing tiny glimpses of Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz and even Sgt. Peppers’ soundscapes, The Colossus falls short, accomplishing nothing more but an exercise in laxity and squandered talent. One could compare RJD2’s scenario to Eminem’s mid-decade fall from grace once he dropped the pen and pad and redirected his attention towards the boards instead. Even RJ’s ephemeral moments of catchiness and groove (“The Glow”) amount to nothing more but a second-rate Jason Mraz impersonation. RJD2 was once synonymous with innovation and creative courage. Nowadays, hackneyed lounge music and “playing it safe” come to mind instead.

Also in stores and worthy of mention:

Aziz Ansari - Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening
The Hotrats - Turn Ons
Soundtrack - Crazy Heart
Soundtrack - Hurt Locker
Spoon - Transference
Various Artists - 2010 Grammy Nominees

Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday | Insomniacs Club

Happy birthday, Dr. King!
[Wiki]

Jay Leno, Certified A-Hole

Shouts to J-Dub for the link. I hope Jay Leno and Jeff Tucker choke to death while they're 69-ing themselves tonight. Too harsh? Who cares! Because...

Styles P & DJ Green Lantern - The Green Ghost Project | First Peek

The new album by the Ghost and Green Lantern drops on February 2nd on Invasion Music Group. I'm not too confident about the upcoming Lox album though....

Rappers Stay Making Sequels

According to this MTV article, CNN are planning to make a sequel to their classic ‘97 record The War Report:

"We had the idea for the War Report [sequel]," Nore said via phone from Miami late last week. "We was actually calling it Report the War. We was gonna do all the songs [from The War Report] in a backwards order. Like call a song 'Money Blood' instead of 'Bloody Money.' Instead of 'Illegal Life,' we would do 'Life Illegal,' so on and so forth. It was gonna be everything but backwards. Then what happened was, as we started to record for The War Report 2, I didn't want to force it. I didn't want to force calling a record 'Money Blood' if it wasn't that. The sh-- started flowing. You don't go to the ocean and say, 'The waves is flowing this way, but I wanna try to force the waves to go this way.' You don't do that. So the way we was recording it, I was like, 'I can't mess with Mother Nature.' It's flowing perfectly. We went and got Imam Thug, a person from the original. We got Mussolini. Tragedy [Khadafi] is on the album. As you know, he's incarcerated. But we got a couple of verses, and he'll appear on the skits. Then we gonna get some new features. I ain't gonna say who, 'cause it should be a surprise."

I’m not sure if this is a good idea. Sure, OB4CL2 is a great album that captures the spirit of the original, if not necessarily the same vibe – Rae’s not as hungry as he was on the Purple Tape, his current waistline aside – but it's not like the album needed a sequel. There isn’t a narrative thread that Rae was continuing from the first record, which is typically what you would use to qualify the title ‘sequel’. The War Report doesn’t need a sequel either, but N.O.R.E. thinks that by calling their new album a sequel to their best album, more people will pay attention.

He’s right.

Chef has opened the floodgates for a whole generation of aging rappers to try to harness the signifying power of their back catalog; now when rappers title their new albums after their most highly regarded albums, we take it as evidence of “No, really, they mean it this time”. Rappers are trying to channel the lingering positive feelings we as listeners associate with classic albums. Meth & Red did it, while Reggie has been working on Muddy Waters 2 for years now. This isn’t necessarily a new trend either: Nasir did it, Shawn Carter has technically been doing it from his second record onward, but you could argue he’s only been self-consciously making sequels to his classics recently.

Let’s remember that an album title, at the end of the day, is just a title. C’mon Joey. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you call your record. By all means, get inspired by the best work you’ve done in the past. Rae proved it can work. But remember that making quality music is a process that requires inspiration, and you can’t recapture inspiration by recycling an album title.

How do you feel about all these album sequels?

Massachusetts 4 Coakley

If you're a Massachusetts progressive, please do what you've got to do this coming Tuesday: make sure that the late Ted Kennedy's senate seat isn't filled and replaced by a Republican. The fate of this senate seat will directly affect the Obama administration's legislative ambitions. Coakley 4 Senate is a vote to uphold Massachusetts as a progressive stronghold.

I'm with Coco #teamconan

What’s bigger? Leno’s chin or the combined ego of him and Jeff Zucker? I dunno…

My thoughts on NBC’s late night schedule skirmish are predictable if you know me well enough. As my wife so eloquently put it a while back, I’d love to “roll up on NBC and smack the shit out Jeff Zucker.” For the record, I’m a Cone Bone fanatic. Late Night with Conan O’Brien influenced me greatly back in high school and onwards, contributing to my insomnia (really!) and my habit of ditching first period classes in the mornings (good times, good times). I was just finishing high school back when it was announced that Conan would take over the Tonight Show. Flash forward to 2009 when Conan’s last show in New York – coinciding with me finishing up college – was finally upon us! I was pissed to see him part with some of the staff, namely the always-hysterical Joel Godard. Families were upheaved to make this move; children were pulled out of schools. And therein lies yet another crux of NBC’s monumental FAILage and insensitivity. I can’t say I expected more from a big corporation, though…

When it was reported that Jimmy Fallon would get his own show with The Roots as his backing band, I saw this as a change in the right direction. “Finally”, I thought, “NBC is getting with the times and chasing a new demographic.” Or not. Upon moving to Los Angeles and trying to accommodate Leno’s “mature audience”, Conan’s show has admittedly been watered down. No more Masturbating Bear! S&M Lincoln? G’bye! This should have been a tell-tale sign from the beginning that at the end of day, NBC's brainless brass reigns supreme. As I write this short little post, rumors are buzzing that Jay Leno will be taking back the Tonight Show and squeezing Conan out of the late night rotation altogether. Ain’t that a b? Long live Consey Wonsey! Join the cause...

FACEBOOK: I'm With COCO
FACEBOOK: Team Conan

Reason #2784276 Why I'm Not a Zionist

Israel has a (ridiculous) policy of mandatory military service for every non-Arab (ahem) citizen once they turn 18 years old. This rule applies to both men and women. Men are required to serve for three years, while women must serve two. There are, of course, some exceptions. If you have a medical condition, either physical or psychological, you may be exempted from military service. Women who are married are given a pass as well. Additionally, and most controversially, you may defer from military service if you are an Orthodox Jew a “religious person.”

I’ve got some Israeli friends. Some of them are religious, some of them aren’t. The secular Israelis I’ve spoken to on this matter often express a deep resentment towards and against Orthodox Jews for their pussyfooting tendencies. Essentially, religious service dodgers are chickenhawks – hawks to the concept of war, chicken to their own participation in its practice. As a Jew who stands on the outside of this debate, I’ve always sympathized with the secular Israelis’ argument. Why must they bare the brunt of war and civil hostility – dead sons, daughters, brothers, sisters… – while these black hat dweebs snug their noses inside of the Talmud all day long?

Supermodel Bar Refaeli was recently called out by an Israeli army general, accusing her of deferring from the military. Apparently she joined into a sham marriage in order to dodge the service and then divorced the temporarily-lucky sucker soon afterwards. What was my initial reaction when I read this story? Good for her! She did whatever she could to avoid joining the army. I’d do the same if there was a draft in this country (unless it was a war I deemed just, like WWII). I’m not just supporting her decision because she’s a supermodel. Like I said, I would’ve done the same thing. But let’s kick the facts for a second, shall we? Smoking-hot model chick: must join the army. Haredi Jew: exempt. Huh? Why? Scratch the “smoking-hot model” part. Religious Jews get a pass but women don’t (unless they’re married)? That’s some ol’ bullshit. Israel is often called the “only democracy in the Middle East.” How so? Seems like a theocracy if you ask me…

The State of Israel was once conceived by secular Jews – many, if not most of them, were atheists – who envisioned a socialistic Jewish homeland. Then it got hijacked by right-wing fanatics who impose their primitive, religious beliefs on everyone else, conveniently covering their own asses from the problems they’ve created while making the innocent suffer the consequences. Yet another reason why I, a Jew, can never be a Zionist.

Teddy Pendergrass, 1950 - 2010

vector art by yours truly

As Ian put it, Teddy Pendergrass was like a smooth blend of Barry White and Luther Vandross. I couldn't agree more... A few years ago, before I started Hip Hop Is Read, I played around with some Teddy Pendergrass samples over the course of a weekend and came up with a few amateurish beats. I never really thought I'd make them available, but I guess now is a fitting time to do just that and share a couple of them. R.I.P.T.P.

Download:
MP3: Hurricane Ivan - Well
MP3: Hurricane Ivan - Westside

My Favorite Teddy P Jams...

They Reminisce Over You... Teddy Pendergrass

Theodore "Teddy" DeReese Pendergrass, Sr.

(March 26, 1950 - January 13, 2010)

Shep Smith Keeps It 100

How is this guy still on Fox News?!

Thoughts

Seriously considering making HHIR more diverse, i.e. not hip hop-exclusive. Hip hop-centric, maybe, but not exclusive. Gimme your 0.02, por favor.

D.I.T.C. with Mayer Hawthorne

"Mayer Hawthorne in San Francisco at Groove Merchant"

Lawrence O'Donnell Smacks Down Rudy Giuliani's Revisionist History

I haven't been dropping political posts recently because, quite frankly, I've been feeling very disillusioned by the whole political process. My state of mind right now rests somewhere along the lines of these Immortal Technique bars from "Caught in a Hustle":

Trying to fight the system from inside, eventually corrupts you/
But that's what you get when you put a corporation above you/
And it's the people that love you that seem to hurt you the most/...

What can I say? Props to those who continue to hold it down... I'm reading some Fromm and Lenin...

Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic | Book Review

I recently joined the roster of Combat Jack's ever-expanding Daily Math army. I'll let you know whenever I drop something over there; don't worry, I'll still be writing here (of course)! My first contribution to his site is a review for the eagerly-anticipated book Born to Use Mics: Reading Nas's Illmatic. As a Nas fan, I really enjoyed it. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates an analytical approach to hip hop. Swing on over to CJ's site to check out my full review. Peace!