Cool Kids – Dinner Time

New Cool Kids track fromThat’s Stupid, the mixtape that disappeared, now resurfaced. Spotted over at FSD.

Download: Cool Kids – Dinner Time

Oh, and to get on my soapbox for a minute…. people’s comments on Nah Right crack me up. “I’m from the Chi and I’ll never listen to a Cool Kids song…”.

Sigh…

“Do you fools listen to music, or do you just skim through it?” © Hov

Mr. Blog Commenter… maybe you should sit down and listen to a track or two prior to casting stones. But you know what, nevermind… stick with your un-warranted/educated opinion.

But this guy (meaningless? GTFOHWTBS), and other people that try to use the term “hipster rap” as a limiting box to categorize something, remind me of the pissed off guy at a party going home alone. Out of all the things wrong in the hip hop industry, people are focusing on some kids with funky beats, fresh styles & party music… who know their history!? I don’t get it. At least Ice-T is focusing his hateful energies on more pressing issues.

The only readable criticism I’ve read is from Rusty, and he’s merely focusing on the history aspect.

1992 – Dream Team cups from McDonalds

Marc and I were talking about these classic collector items today. I think I had 6 out of the 10… which made me 60% cool in 1992.

As I was looking for a picture of these gems, I found a Dream Team drinking game from 1992… hahaha, I love the Interweb. Full game description after the jump

Barry Bonds x Spaz (Dub Floyd Screamixx)

Drew the Barber at Fake Shore Drive has had a LOT of unreleased exclusives lately, too much for me to re-purpose here. So make sure you go over to FSD and “Get familiar!” © Clinton Sparks

I just downloaded the above Kanye mixtape, from Hevehitta and Dub Floyd. It’s a nice collection of Kanye raririties and remixes. Some are familiar (Livin a Movie), some I’ve never heard (Plastic ft. Really Doe), and some came from the Go-Getters album (World Record Holders). And a little bonus track of Colin Monroe’s version of Flashing Lights with Little Brother’s verses from “The Way You Do It”?? Ok…. OK Dub Floyd. I see you.

I digress… My favorite mix on the tape is the Dub Floyd remix of Barry Bonds.

Download it and spaz out: Kanye West – Barry Bonds (Dub Floyd Screamixx) Feat. Lil Wayne

Beat Stevie – Sets, Sweats & Silhouettes Part 1

This is Mike Skinner’s (from The Streets) internet TV show, that can now also be seen on Channel 4 at 1am in the UK.

For all you fellas out there, just in time for the weekend, this episode is about the “pick-up artistry” featuring Ted Mayhem. Welcome to Beat Stevie….

Calm Before The Storm

alpha. – Obama ’08 (Do The Knowledge)

Rusty put me on to this new track from Indianapolis-based MC alpha., from Class of ’93 (w/ DJ Metrognome). I saw a video of alpha. on the mic for the got SOLE? Grand Opening, and he really caught my attention. Then I saw Class of 93 open up for the Cool Kids at the Vogue in April, which”fuuuuuuuurther let me know” (© Steve Harvey) that alpha. spit hot fiya like Dylan on Chappelle’s skit.

He entered in, to Harvard Law, at 88
And while I’m here on the subject, let me set it straight
What he did wasn’t easy to do,
(bein) the first black prez of the Law Review”

This song is a well spit history lesson about our future President of the United States. Download the zip, which includes artwork, lyrics and the mp3:

alpha. – Obama ’08 (Do The Knowledge) (prod. by J. Brookinz)

… and a bonus sneaker head anthem

alpha. – 12 steps

And Download the Rhymefest Man in the Mirror mixtape, featuring alpha.

Kinetik’s Workout Plan

(Click the picture to download “Kinetik’s Workout Plan”)

Mr. Soul Sincere writes:

Plenty to hear all the way from Mr. West to Roy Ayers to Danity Kane to Uncle Luke to Kinetik to…well just go get it.

60 minutes of sweat-creating jams. Download the mix, cut the fat out, keep your caloric intake low, watch ya sugars, ya cholesterols, ya proteins and thangs and be nice to ya body…you only get one and when its done ITS DONE.”

Shaq freestyle (Kobe dis)

Shaq is definitely the most entertaining athlete-turned-rapper, closely followed by Deion Sanders.

From Pamoja: Culture or Consequence?

Read: Culture or Consequence? from Pamoja, chronicling a Yale student’s time in Malawi and Kenya.

“….I was literally seeing a single disease kill an entire generation, and leave the next uneducated and jobless. However, were it not for all the grandmothers, aunts, and neighbors, millions and millions of children would be homeless. Literally, millions. What if this was America, I thought? Would orphanages be as common as Starbucks? Who would take care of all these kids? I actually had the thought that if this horrible tragedy was to happen anywhere in the world, Africa at least had a culture of sharing, of providing for and helping relatives no matter what, of sharing with your neighbors whatever is needed… and ultimately, of taking in and raising children whose parents have died.”

New York Magazine, The Summer Issue

McCain and Obama: terrorist fist jabs all summer long…. (thanks to JZ for the link)

If you somehow missed it….

RIP George Carlin, 1937-2008

Listening to Mike & Mike this morning and heard that George Carlin passed away last night. I’m speechless.

This was one of the first comedians (along with Richard Pryor) that my dad introduced me to at a young age. We got to see him at Butler University in Indianapolis in 2004, which was everything I thought it would be. Never lost his timing, even in his late 60′s. If you haven’t seen the 7 Words You Can’t Say On Television, go watch it now.

RIP George Carlin, one of the greatest of all time.

Be Like Jud

“Sometimes I dream…. that he is me….”

Granted, Jud was the lowest paid player on the Bulls, and he didn’t have Gatorade commercials. But he still set some solid screens, and was arguably the most fundamental jump-stopper on the team. Very few travel violations. I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be like Jud. I’ll take $500k a year to play with Jordan and Pippen any day.

1996-97 Chicago Bull’s Payroll:

1. Michael Jordan $30,140,000
2. Dennis Rodman $9,000,000
3. Toni Kukoc $3,960,000
4. Ron Harper $3,840,000
5. Luc Longley $2,790,000
6. Scottie Pippen $2,250,000
7. Randy Brown $1,300,000
8. Dickey Simpkins $1,040,000
9. Robert Parish $1,000,000
10. Bill Wennington $1,000,000
11. Steve Kerr $750,000
12. Jason Caffey $700,000
13. Jud Buechler $500,000

Total $58,270,000

The Young (Buck) and The Restless

I have a taped conversation with Steve that’s going to expose him as a closet Mailey Cyrus fan….

Illegal Art + Girl Talk

Big thanks to my good friend Kristin for supplying me with a link to Illegal Art, which houses Girl Talk albums among other things.

I saw Girl Talk last year in Indianapolis, and it was one of the most energetic, sweatiest shows I’d ever been to. A mix of hipsters and hip-hop heads, everyone was going nuts to his mash-ups. If you’ve never heard a Girl Talk mix… download these:

Girl Talk – Bounce That

Girl Talk – Hold Up

RELATED: Download new Girl Talk Album – Feed The Animals

Wale – Hey Mr. Carter

Wale is here. “You can’t stop the inevitable”

Sometimes I wish it was ’03
OG Rocafella, throwin up isosceles
And I aint ridin, I’m just payin homage
If ain’t strive to be Shawn, I’d end up like Ki-Jana”

He had to throw a jab at Ki-Jana Carter on the Mr. Carter beat… awww man. Wonder how many people will be Googling “isosceles” and “ki-jana”…

Download: Wale – Mr. Carter

from Nah Right, via Elitaste

Thou Shalt Not Worship False Icons

This is over a year old, but still so genius. In case you missed one of the most creative stunts in music/pop culture, Banksy, the enigmatic artist from the UK, and Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley) teamed up to “remix” Paris Hilton’s CD. Classic.

Video below, and article at SPIN that describes this necessary remix album.

Coolio Comeback?

“All you old rappers trying to advance, it’s all over now, take it like a man” © Tupac

I saw this on AllHipHop this morning. And as if the album wasn’t bad enough, he actually said this:

“I have to say I have been blessed to be one of the most well-known rappers to ever live and the most recognized — as long as I keep my hair.”

Elzhi – Europass

Trav P is the archetype of musical conversations that I love. In high school, there was a limited amount of people who I could really have meaningful conversations with regarding music that I cared about (esp. Goodie Mob and early Outkast). Trav was one of the few people that would appreciate similar stuff, we’d put each other on to “the NEW!”

He made me listen to Slum Village’s CD with Elzhi and T3 (sans Dilla) a few years ago, despite my hesitations. This was my first introduction to Elzhi, who is one of the best lyricists for your money (or free download). Go watch the video of El breaking down his rhyme patterns if you missed it.

Trav emailed me today with the article about Europass, Elzhi’s newest collection of sounds, which was his excuse for not having heard NERD’s Seeing Sounds. I was mad at first, but after listening…. I understand.

Read this article from LA Weekly’s blog.

Download: Elzhi – Europass (zip) (production from Black Milk) Link updated… thanks to Cool Hand Lex

Why Albums Used To Matter

So, two dudes who I really respect when it comes to this music and how it operates on a grand scale, are Mr. Jay Smooth, and Mr. Russell Redenbacher.

Both have recently spoke on the topic of albums and how that excitement of a release date is slowly fading, if not already gone forever. (“Tuesday’s used to matter, now the only thing that happens is, you, you and you sayin “shit i been had that”, “shit i been heard that” © Wale, Conclusion)

Watch Jay’s video if you have eyeballs, otherwise I expect no excuses. (And I realize I contribute to what Jay speaks of, but I’m simply a product of my generation!)

Blockbuster “if you liked that, you’ll like this” alert. Go read Rusty’s blog (with special guest Jack Black) on this same topic

New World Water

My good friend and international ADK correspondent, Tim, is doing incredible things in Africa, regardless of his humble persona. He’s keeping a blog, and I’m forever grateful for him sharing his efforts with the world. To me, that’s the only way to change things — connect human beings with stories.

Sometimes we take the littlest things for granted, such as water.

Quite possibly the cruelest consequence of this harsh reality is that too many HIV-positive mothers are forced to decide between breastfeeding and possibly transmitting the virus to their newborn, or mixing formula powder with contaminated water, risking dysentery, typhoid, bilharzia, cholera, or other water-borne, diarrheal diseases that account for 18% of the under-five mortality worldwide

Head over to Pamoja to read more about Women & Water in Malawi, along with other compelling stories from the “cradle of civilization”.