New Gnarls Barkley track

Get ya sneak on:

"Justify My Love" by Gnarls Barkley

Definitely not hip hop and damn sure not indie, but it gets some cool points.

Indy Hip Hop Festival

Okay folks ... I received an email today from Guerilla Union. They produce the Rock da Bells Festival. Along w/Murs, they are bringing the 3rd Annual "Paid Dues" indy hip-hop festival. So, for the record, I am not affiliated w/this show.

This will be a nice little set - for real. If underground hip hop is your thing, then this is your thing too!
So check out a portion of the line up:

• Sage Francis
• Little Brother
• Dilated Peoples
• Jedi Mind Tricks
• Visionaries
  
• POS
• Fatlip & Omni
  
• Murs and many more
  

This west coast show is on Saturday, March 22 @ the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.

Jay-Z's "American Gangster" :: Times Three

I've been listening to three different versions of Jay-Z's "American Gangster".

The Jay-Z version is quite likeable. Good thing he did not really go into retirement, eh? I am a lover of beats and there is a barrage of that. But Hova's real skill is in the lyrics and he does not disappoint (I know that this is all old news, but ... well, I'm tardy).

The next version is from dj extraodinaire Mick Boogie. He mixed up an edition that is backed by tunes from the legendary Marvin Gaye. This is slick. I wanted to listen solely because I love Marvin Gaye and I thought the infusion of both artists would work. It does. What I like about mixtapes is how the songs are arranged in an order that is different than the original. Some of the slower Marvin Gaye beats give a sultry vibe that was absent on Jay's version. You can get a comp download of this one here.

I can't really recall how I got my hands on the Jay-Z and Chief Sneed version. I think it came by way of Oh Word. I just know that I was quick to download it and check it out. I love how each dj makes the song different yet recognizable and still likeable. In Sneed's case, he takes "Roc Boys" and makes it thinner; he removes the horns, which I really liked, but Sneed's version holds strong - or it could be Jay's lyrical presence is that much stronger. Sneed's edition just goes in a direction, that for me was, unthinkable but not in a way that makes me say, why the heck did they do this?

I like the creativity of the mixtape world. I'm glad that copyright restrictions isn't hampering this genre.

Time to get down w/the get down hip hoppers. --kfox

Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar", "The Cool" and David Letterman

It's true that I have sort of lost my musical focus, hence, my infrequent posting on this here blog. However, I did receive Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool" as a Christmas gift (somebody got it right).

I've listened to and I like it, but I'm at a loss for giving any more details - again a lack of focus. Oh, but I did see Lupe perforn on David Letterman last week (on Letterman's first show since he returned from the strike). The performance was okay - Matthew Santos was with him and they did "Superstar". I really like the music on "Superstar" because it is so unlike hip hop - no blaring beats and crazy bass.

Here's the clip from Letterman:

The Roots and Hova - "Roc Boys" Rehearsal

I love to read ?uestlove's blog. You can sign up for them on MySpace.