Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Under The Bridge

     This is one of the best songs of all time from one of the best bands of all time.  The video might not be the most capturing but the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been one of the most consistent and invigorating bands of our generation, providing songs like this for the past couple decades.  This is the song that catapulted them into the mainstream and officially made them superstars.  Lead singer, Anthony Keidis, wrote this song in response to his own emotions about drug addiction and loneliness, and you can hear the emotion in the song with every listen.  This song was released in early 1992 from their fifth album, but arguably their best, Blood Sugar Sex Magik.    Legendary hip-hop producer, Rick Rubin, produced this album and pushed Keidis to write the song after finding a poem in his notebook.  The Chili Peppers have had hip-hop influences in their music, especially with lead singer Keidis's very quick, rhyming style that would probably sound just at home over drum and bass kicks than he does over his fantastic band which includes the infamous bassist, Flea.
     I'll always be a fan of the Peppers since it seems that we basically grew up with them and they produced some of the best music around.  I also had the luck to see them perform at Woodstock 1999 in Rome, NY where their rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Fire basically was the kickoff to the audience literally burning the venue to the ground.  I'll never forget the image of small fires being started throughout the crowd to full fledge giant bonfires and large trucks being set ablaze.  A visual that can never be scripted nor duplicated.
     This video was directed by Gus Van Sant in California, enjoy.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Mixtape Mayhem III

     Summer is always a great time of year filled with barbecues, pool parties, and days off at the beach.  Windows down, not really, windows up, AC blowing, but still a great time to turn up the volume in your whip and bump your favorite cuts.  As we get close to the end of this season, we reflect on the songs that made up the soundtrack to the summer and what music will get us through to the fall and football season.
As always, there's a bevy of free mixtapes out there from some of the most popular artists to up and comers that give a preview of what's to come.  Some of these have been out for a while, but good music is good music whenever you stumble upon it.
     Although it's been out for a minute, Young Chris released his second mixtape with L.I.FE. Ladies In Free Everywhere where you can download here.   As the title says, Chris goes in over R&B beats and his ode to the females everywhere.  He's definitely working hard to be a consistent artist, especially now under mega-producer Rico Love's Turn The Lights Out record label.
Fabo did something similar with his last S.O.U.L. tape (click here) where it's definitely a slowed down tempo that caters to the women, which of course, is all good as long as it's quality.  It wouldn't be Fabo if he didn't have his gansta cuts like "You'll Don't Really Here Me Though" and "That's Not Love" with Weezy.
     Next up is G.O.O.D Music's Cyhi Da Prince who came out with Royal Flush 2, download here.  He hasn't disappointed at all since signing with Kanye's label and seems to be a professor of metaphor as he continues to deliver original rap music.  He has great production on this mixtape and you can listen  from the beginning to the end. Quality, seriously, it sounds like a legit full release, you will have your favorites.  Check out "Woopty Doo" with Big Sean, "Dance", "1000 Pounds" for some official bangers.  28 tracks.  Yes, enjoy.
     As we keep it moving, the top names in the game have been on their self-promotion as they have major releases coming late summer, fall.  We had Lil Weezy release Sorry 4 The Wait, as he appeased his fans until Carter IV comes out.    He basically kicks it over the hottest beats of the summer and as it's nothing to go crazy over, its good enough to keep the uber fans at bay until the release in the fall.  Download here.  Right behind Weezy, comes Young Jeezy…..who released his usual mixtape with DJ Drama, The Real is Back, and his what you come to expect from Jizzle.  Hard knocking, bass kicking, drug flow.  I listened to Ballin with Wayne more than enough this summer.  As he's been in a bit of lull, he still has start power and until he fails, who can doubt. Download here.
     Right behind them dudes is The Game, who has been releasing tapes, since his label has had his major label release, RED, on hold forever.  The album will come out in a couple weeks, but he did release another mixtape a couple weeks ago, Hoodmorning Candy Coronas, download here.  Honestly, haven't gotten to listen to it with everything else out, cough cough, Watch The Throne.  I know he's got an "Otis remix" dissin Hov and his other mixtapes have been pretty good.  Facts are Game is talented and has skills.  Also has been blessed with thee best production as well, but he carries his own weight.  The RED album should be top notch.  Click below for the Maybach boys new mixtapes.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Heineken x UBIQ x Wale


       What was that heat wave that passed through South St in Philadelphia last Thursday?…Oh, that was only the Heineken Red Star Access concert series at the TLA with Wale as the headlining act.  With lines in front of the theatre all night, there was a buzz about the surprise concert that was only announced a few days before the show.  Tickets were distributed for FREE on a very limited basis with local streetwear boutique UBIQ co-sponsoring the event with Heineken and giving tickets away through Twitter and Facebook.  (Make sure to follow them.)  Heineken has been providing free concerts all summer all over the country with the hottest names in hip-hop, rap, and R& B.
     Upon entering, they had the Heineken "green" carpet for those wanting to get their paparazzi on, along with everything else in that familiar color.  The green continued as the sponsor provided free Heineken's all night long.  Doors opened at 9 pm and DJ Nice provided a great set of old school jams with current hits for a couple hours as the crowd anxiously waited for Wale to hit the stage.  Eventually, he erupted on the stage a little after 11 and the party then officially started.  Click below for more.