In this issue of samples I just picked up on even though I’ve listened to both songs a million times…
Rza - A Day to God is 1000 Years
Nina Simone - I Loves You Porgy (I assume this specific recording of this song)
It’s subtle I guess, but my mind is blown!
Or maybe it’s just my iPhone, I don’t know.
I’m going to be really upset with Past Dolapo for not buying new soap before leaving the country for Nigeria. I’ll really want a proper shower and be upset that he was okay with using up all the soap and then leaving. What an asshole.
Before I get back, I’m going to be upset with him for not bringing: an extra camera battery, more pants, a pair of shorts, more socks, some traditional yoruba garb, a bigger suitcase to bring things back in. Rookie mistakes really.
One of my favorite samples is now playing on iTunes. Kanye West - The Glory samples Laura Nyro - Save The Country, among other things, I love both of these songs.
A random hip-hop post where I ultimately decide that I don’t yet like Wale as much as I want to.
It’s been a good couple of weeks in terms of backpacker/alternative/”hipster” rap releases. I’m not listening to any of them right now though, instead overdosing on the latest Cut/Copy album. It was on at Barrio Chino last night and has been on repeat since.
Back on topic.
First up, Kidz in the Hall, the rapper/producer duo that met while at school (UPenn), with The In Crowd. Yay for ivy-league grads/rappers! Yay for rap album release parties sponsored by wineries! The pairing (teehee) works well and Double-O (the producer one) is versatile enough to carry a whole album. Naledge (the rapper one) is… Naledge is technically good. His flow’s generally interesting, and he’ll drop a clever rhyme from time to time. Where this falls apart: Naledge is not all that likable, in fact he can be kind of annoying. Not because he’s not good, he just doesn’t seem to have much of a personality. It’s like he tries to be parts of Pusha T or Kanye, but comes off a little corny. The album is saved by the production, hordes of guest appearances (including the aforementioned Pusha), and the occasional gem from Naledge.
[Driving down the block] bass kickin man, sorta like Fred A-do. And I’m looking blessed, like I said A-choo. I’m so damn clean, polo rugby and Jordan 16s. While I’m [Driving down the block] wifey feeling intimate. Park up at the lake and turn the car into a cigarette.
Second. The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale. “What it is what it is come check the noise. it’s the new black version of the beastie boys.” They get points for the inspiration even though they weren’t alive during that era. You’d think rapping about bikes and clothes would get old, but the album is only 30 minutes long and we’ve heard most of the tracks before. The production is really minimalist… and I’ve had to stop myself a few times from dancing on the subway.
So I’m sitting on the couch holding the remote. Flipping channels, I’m a rebel eating a bowl of them fruity pebbles, fruity pebbles, fruity pebbles. How gangsta is that. Not gangsta at all. Are you judging me dog? Please, you shop at the mall. Me, I shop at boutiques, limited quantity sneaks…
I hate the terms “hipster-hop” and “hipster-hop” but Yay hipsters!
Watch a video
Watch another one, since this is such a brilliant idea for a beat.
Finally. Wale - The Mixtape about Nothing (Free for download here). An entire mixtape inspired by Seinfeld, including a guest appearance by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. On paper, I should really like Wale - clever multi-syllabic rhymes, obscure references, Nigerian! He’s ridiculous though, to the point where it takes multiple listens to catch everything he’s rapping about. On The Chicago Falcon Remix, Mark Ronson interrupts the track to ask him to slow it down and explain what’s going on:
Counting my bread. My account like a brunch at a synagogue. Get it y’all, that’s a whole lot of bagels… I get seinfeld with these rhyme skills, I’m Larry David. Give me my paper. It’s a cosmo like Jerry Sein’s neighor. My co-stanzas stand like Phantoms or Maybachs. You won’t get a lane if you came wack. I hate rap like Kramer hates blacks…
There’s just too much going on there, and the problem is that it can be boring. It’s like:
Yeah, I’m crazy. Hopping off the wall like Vega. They vaguely, decipher my language. Out of my mind, come and chase me. Picture off of grammar like I’m managing Frasier. Cheers. Psycho. Maestro. Orchestrate the life with the right flow. Write flows down and they might go nice. A low life’s plight. I give off my light like an interracial couple with a child. Or fucking Paramount. I hope they understand that. Light overheads means i’m right where their head is. Pause. Epiphany.
is that what he’s saying on that song? Maybe? Crazy. It’s hard to make that actually sound good. I kinda want him to stop trying to do so much and just work on his flow or something. Take a lesson from Lil’ Wayne who can spit absolute nonsense and still make it sound good. The mixtape is still pretty good though, and with Ronson producing his debut that should probably be good as well. Yay Seinfeld!
Watch a video
I tend to shake people’s hands a lot, I don’t know why. Sometimes I like to hug people, but only sometimes. The Yoruba custom when greeting elders is to kneel or prostrate. I’ve never been able to get used to this, it’s something that makes me anxious whenever I’m going to be in a group of Nigerian people. I can’t really bring myself to do either. As a sort of compromise, I tend to lower my head slightly and just shake hands. The same kind of compromising head-lowering that I use during unexpected prayers. It doesn’t really work. Besides having freakishly long hair at the time (see left, my cousin, right, with the more common haircut for people our age), things like this made me stand out during my trip to Nigeria in 2006. I had a pretty unnerving dream about this last night, one where I woke up sweaty with my heart racing. This reminded me of another dream I had earlier this week.
I’m standing outside with someone I can’t identify. Somehow part of my blood has been replaced with some sort of flower essence. This happens instantly and as far as I can tell, for no reason. Moments later I hear a horrible buzzing. Tens of bees swarm my face in what I understand to be an attempt to pollinate me. I’m freaking out, mouth clenched shut, eyes closed. They’re trying to crawl into my mouth, up my nose, into my ears. Their numbers are increasing. I’m being raped by bees and there’s not much I can do about it. I don’t want to be stung so I don’t try to kill them. Why isn’t my friend helping me out? The buzzing sound grows louder… and then I wake up. At this point, wide awake, I decide that what happens next is that I magically extract all my blood and live happily ever after. Crikey.
We may know Diane Neal as tough gal ADA Casey Novak on Law & Order: SVU, but there are plenty of things we don’t know about her real life. What are her hobbies? What kind of ice cream does she like? Does she like her margaritas with or without salt? Does she even like margaritas? We can’t trust imdb for answers to questions like these so we have to resort to other sources. According to wikipedia, http://dianeneal.hostbus.com/ is “the biggest and BEST Diane Neal website on the ‘net!” I bet they can provide us with the vital information we seek - the site is both “Diane Neal Tested” and “Mother (Colleen) Approved! (Hi Diane’s Mom!)”
I just learned that Diane believes Dick Cheney is dead. Did you know that? Neither did I! But here it is on the site, actual emails from Diane herself!
PS Dick Cheney is actually dead. Marcus and I think they’ve been “weekend at Bernieing” him for years. Whenever he’s shown he usually never speaks and is wearing a giant baseball hat and sunglasses. Coincidence? I think not.
First of all, I’m glad most of you agree about Cheney. And yes, I’m suggesting that’s he’s been dead for quite a while now. I think 4 years, Marcus thinks 2. Roughly. The only problem with our theory is the “shooting his friend in the face” episode. Perhaps it was a ruse by the Bush administration to throw off the public from his obvious corpsishness? We can only speculate. But I wouldn’t put it past them.
It all makes so much sense!
The Q&A section is my favorite though, especially this question from Katie. She passionately asks the question that we’ve all been wondering.
I read once that you liked the dog whisperer. That was quite possibly the oddest thing
I’d heard that day, and it stuck in my mind. Whenever do you have time to sit and watch the dog whisperer?! Who HAS TIME to watch the dog whisperer?! Do you MAKE time for the dog whisperer?I TiVo the dog whisperer. Marcus and I love him AND we just got his book. As I’m typing this RIGHT NOW my dog, Ted, is sitting on my lap and consistently nudging the keyboard for attention. This is one of the many reasons that I NEED Caesar Milan. Also, Annie Potts who was on our show a few time (she’s kick ass, by the way) is good buddies with Caesar and would humor me with crazy stories about him. It makes me feel slightly connected to him. Weird, I know.
Yes, who has the time?! Katie doesn’t! I know I don’t! How can Diane Neal of all people?! Thank goodness for TiVo. And thank you Diane for properly capitalizing TiVo.
Yes, I’ve been watching Law & Order. Writer’s strike be damned, they have “a stockpile of scripts” saved up and ready to go. I hope you’re ready too because it’s either L&O or the new American Gladiators.
While opening up a new brokerage account:
Part of me wanted to see what would happen if I selected either of these options, but I tend to lose all sense of adventure when money is involved.
Oh wait…
p.s. I still love you twitterrific.
Random things too tiny, and possibly too stupid, for individual posts
Movies I’ve watched in the past 8 days in 5 words. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls - Sexploitation! I really watched that? No Country for Old Men - Amazing, go see it. Now. Eastern Promises - Also awesome, avoid bath houses. Host - Koreans are lovable, tasty people. La Dolce Vita - Seven nights, Hedonism. Poor Rome.
This spinning beach ball of death is funny. It comes from Took my hands off your eyes too soon, at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea. Say what you will about contemporary art, but this gets a thumbs up in my book. It’s not worth a trip to the west side or anything, but if you happen to be in the area.
Snickerdoodles. Shortening or butter? Joy of Cooking is a butter recipe (is this because I have the new edition?) but I suppose I’ll have to try it both ways before declaring a winner.
I’ve been a recluse all weekend — I spent Saturday night listening to Lauryn Hill and making a new wordpress theme for the ol’ blog. It’s based on a recent photo and is supposed to be as minimalist as I can get away. No search, calendar, blogroll, shared items, widgets, etc. It should still feel a little like kubrick anyway.
And lastly, I’m going on a road trip from NYC to Austin mid-December. Are there any must-see attractions in any of PA, VA, MD, TN, AL, AR that I should know about?
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - If you are in Sudan it is a ‘missed call’. In Ethiopia it is a ‘miskin’ or a ‘pitiful’ call. In other parts of Africa it is a case of ‘flashing’, ‘beeping’ or in French-speaking areas ‘bipage’.
– Reuters
This was one of many insane things I noticed while in Nigeria last year. I can’t tell you how many conversations were interrupted by incessant phone calls. I’d ask my cousins why they weren’t picking up and the response was always “oh, he’s just trying to flash me.” It’s kind of funny really — from my understanding it’s put such a strain on the cell networks that MTN at least provides a free WAP push “this person is trying to get you to call them.”