Alright, last Nardwuar interview from SXSW…I just love these…and you can’t even front, they actually get the artists to reveal a little more about their history than most interviews.
Plus, this might be the best ending in a while. “Everybody Harlem Shake!”
Bronson was one of the few artists at SXSW that I hadn’t seen perform before so I was really excited to see him rock. Aside from being a dope MC, this dude is completely hilarious on and off stage. You can get a sample of that in this video with Nardwuar.
I was already planning on posting this video of Dee-1’s SXSW adventures and then I saw footage of myself guarding him in the HoopxHang Tournament hahaha. Let the records show that Team Hardknock dispatched Team Nola in that first round game, but on the real, chopping it up with one of my favorite new MC’s was a blast. Much respect to Dee for his music and movement. You’re gonna hear a lot from this dude in the near future…
Nardwuar hit a home run with all his hip-hop interviews at SXSW last year and this year was no different. Dude was everywhere. Here’s his clip with Kendrick Lamar, where K. Dot gives you a little insight into his history. Love the story about his dad driving him and his mom home from the hospital for the first time and blasting Big Daddy Kane because “he has to hear this.” Awesome.
I’m catching up on some videos I missed over the last few weeks (work x the Christmas madness) and I have to post this one up. Nardwuar caught up with Ghost during Deini’s first ever visit to Vancouver a few weeks back and as expected, hilarity and wisdom ensued. “Noodles is noodles.” What more can you say?
Speaking of Shad, here’s a great mini-documentary about a recent trip to his family’s homeland, Rwanda. As I always tell MC’s, and really any young people in general, think global, not local.
This clip of Shad talking to kids at a middle school in Surrey, BC exemplifies why he’s one of my favorite MC’s. It’s one thing to be an incredibly talented rapper and musician, but when combined with intelligence and the realization that you have an obligation to help make the world a better place, it takes it to the next level. I wish more MC’s were as forward thinking and intelligent as Shad, so they could speak to our youth as well. As it stands now, there are probably less than 20 MC’s around that I’d encourage they go speak to kids. And that’s horrifying.
Mac takes a lot of heat from hip-hop heads, mainly because his fan base is heavily comprised of young white kids. However, as his hype continues to build, he’s been winning over more and more cats, which is sure to continue when his upcoming mixtape with Jazzy Jeff drops. Plus, if he keeps making appearances like this, spitting a better, legitimate, off the dome freestyle at 2:25 than a TON of these underground lyrical miracle cats I know, he’ll be in great shape.
Go head Mac, killin’ em.
Seeing footage like this from the promotional campaign for Frank is bittersweet. While the challenges she faced a few years later undoubtedly contributed to the classic nature of Back To Black (her pain was our gain), it’s interesting to think what could have been if she never got too deep in to depression and drugs. Frank is a more upbeat record — emotionally, not necessarily tempo-wise — though “I Heard Love Is Blind” is one of the more caustic songs on the album. If the lyrics truly depict a situation she went through with her boyfriend at the time, I can’t imagine hearing anything more gut-wrenching coming from your lady.
We shouldn’t be surprised though, she was handing out ether left and right on that record. Sorry ladies, but she got at a TON of y’all with this one:
RIP Amy.
When “Otis” dropped this past week, I couldn’t help but chuckle at all the praise filled tweets and blogs, as if the track’s quality somehow caught folks off guard. It’s Hov and Yeezy! What do you expect?
This mini documentary really just teases us with what it might be like to live the uber-baller, can’t tell me nothin’ kind of life that Jay and Kanye exist in. When you live in this plane, whatever you want to do, you just will it and it’s done. Want to record a masterpiece with your friends in Hawaii? No problem, MBDTF is your result. Want to switch locales to Australia, rent castles, hang out with Russell Crowe, and immortalize him in music history? You got it.
Despite a few folks trying to get their attention, there isn’t any competition in hip-hop for these two. They live on the throne, we watch it.