Questlove on NPR's Fresh Air

Questlove on NPR's Fresh Air

This is a repeat and it's a good one in case you missed it earlier this summer. NPR's Terry Gross is an incredible interviewer and The Roots' Questlove has great stories and is a wonderful storyteller.

Listen as the two come together for a 40 minute interview segment on NPR's Fresh Air from June 2013.

PERFORMANCE: Sugar Tongue Slim

PERFORMANCE: Sugar Tongue Slim

Take hip hop and SXSW and NPR and wahlah ... funky feel good situation. And that's what we have here with Sugar Tongue Slim at the helm.

With all the hype about SXSW, I still haven't made it to the big dance - and it's not in my foreseeable future. So imagine my surprise to see this posted on the NPR site (originally posted in March 2012). Doesn't make a difference how old it is if it's new to me. Good music has that effect.

You're gonna like this set hip hoppers; and there's a free download of the audio. kfox.

The Roots "undun"

The Roots "undun" (2011)

It's time for another Roots project. This time amid the album hype, there's a bit of controversy: The Roots walk on song on "Jimmy Fallon" for Congresswoman and Republican Presidential Candidate Michelle Bachmann. Questlove is feeling a bit remorseful behind that guttural decision.

But they're trying to get the dust up to settle and to get us back to thinking about the new project "undun," their concept album. Thanks to The Roots and NPR, you can stream the entire album. It's only 39 minutes, but I'll take that. I think it'll only be available to stream until the project is officially released and that's on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. 

Another item in The Roots' holiday gift basket to us is an app for "undun." I haven't purchased it yet, but it seems there are some vids, interviews and other exclusive material.

• Article in Paste about The Roots "undun" app
• From NPR: First Listen: The Roots "undun"
• From Mediaite: The Roots' Questlove 'Deeply Sorry' for Michelle Bachmann music choice

Time to get "undun" hip hoppers, but don't over do it ... kfox.

The first single from "undun" is "Make My".

Beans: Spitting Rhymes With Consistency And Quickness

I hope I didn't already post this because I've been meaning to post it. And if I did post it a few weeks ago, good music gets a pass to be reposted again and again.

Love so much about it: good music, nice lyrics, killer hook. This jam is on point. Thanks Beans for doin it right.

Listen up hip hoppers; this is how it should be done. kfox.


From NPR: Beans: Spitting Rhymes w/Consistency and Quickness
by Erik Myers
NPR - March 11, 2011

It's hard to tell when the sweater transitioned from dad-wear to rap-wear. Maybe it was a generational imprint left behind by The Cosby Show, or an inevitable byproduct of the V-neck's reemergence. New York rapper Beans offers no answers in "Deathsweater," but he does give his get-up a full introduction: "Socks from Paul Smith, shirts from Steven Allen / Pierre Hardy for the shoes, in the mirror I'm stylin'."
When discussing the colorful cut off his new album End It All, Beans told The Village Voice that the title originated from the idiom "dressed to kill," and that the sweater happens to his weapon of choice. As "lethal" as a stylish cardigan or vest might be, it's hard to take it seriously when boasted about over DJ Nobody's summery beat. But when it comes to flow, Beans is as stylish and serious as a model making her way down the runway.

Beans developed his rapping skills as one-fourth of the hip-hop collective Antipop Consortium. He was the standout among that crew, and he comes across as untethered when going solo, spitting rhymes with consistency and quickness. But what makes him particularly compelling in "Deathsweater" is how he finds the right moments to step on the verbal accelerator, then drops back in tempo without pause. As a result, "Deathsweater" sounds flashy and fun, just as good fashion should be.
[Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

The Wu-Tang Clan is the Best!

This is interesting: I like the Wu-Tang Clan ("Wu-Tang Clan Forever" is one of my favs). But in the past two weeks, I came across two very interesting article about Wu-Tang:

Ten Reasons Why Wu-Tang Clan Are the Greatest Rap Group of All Time

and

NPR's "Nine Rappers, One Wu-Tang Clan"

Dolla dolla bill hip hoppers. kfox.

AUDIO: Fat Beats: The End of a Hip Hop Era

I heard this on NPR recently. Nice and short piece ... another record store closing its doors.

Hip hoppers, how are we gonna preserve hip hop's past? kfox.

RZA, The Writer

Wu Tang's RZA continues to add to his creative palette. In addition to being a producer, actor, director among other things, he's also an author.

Although "The Tao of Wu" is not RZA'a first stab at writing, he should garner some attention with this collection of tales and wisdom. His first book was "The Wu Tang Manual" in 2005.

RZA was recently on National Public Radio's (NPR's) All Things Considered to talk about his book, his life and how he learned to score movie soundtracks.

Get out your reading glasses hip hoppers, there's going to be a test. kfox.

The Roots Tour 2009 :: take 2

I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about The Roots Tour schedule. They are on it. They've posted a nice little note on the Okayplayer website with an update about their tour schedule.

Here' s the post:

• Okayplayer :: The Roots Tour Schedule
  

Also, check out this interview w/?uesto on National Public Radio's "Tell Me More".

• Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson interview on NPR's "Tell Me More"

Have you all had a chance to see The Roots on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon"? If so, what do you think so far?

Okay hip hoppers ... I'm giving you the leads, but are you following? kfox.
**image borrowed from Urban Daily

February is J Dilla Month

J Dilla was born in February and passed away in the month of February as well.
February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006

So while getting your Black History on ... you can also consume some J Dilla. As a tribute to Dilla's incredible life, Stones Throw, his record label has announced that February is J Dilla Month.

Who was J Dilla? To put is simply, he was an extraordinary producer. But that definition pales in terms of what he accomplished; you need audible examples to illustrate his capabilities and even then it's not enough.

Check out this article and story from NPR's Day to Day:

• Honoring J Dilla's Legacy

Also, check out this Dilla playlist on Imeem:

J Dilla

Go ahead hip hoppers and jam out the rest of February w/Dilla. kfox.

Ghostface Killah: Hip Hop for Valentine's Day

This is a quickie because it is a bit late. Just found this and since I am a fan of Ghostface Killah and the list is both interesting and has some humor ... I thought I'd share.

Sad Rap: Hip Hop Laments for Valentine's Day

So let's couple up hip hoppers. There's more love than you think out there. kfox.

Nas and the N-word

Many are taking note and Nas seems as if he can take the heat. His latest project will drop on April 22, 2008 and it's called "Nigger". Why all the hype? Didn't the legendary Dick Gregory write a book w/the same title in the 60s?

NPR's "News and Notes" assembled a panel to pontificate the album title.

In the mean time, check out Nas' last conversation starter "Hip Hop is Dead":