Never-Before-Seen Photos of the Late Notorious B.I.G.
Photos from the personal archive of Rob Stone
This past week, The Fader, released never-before-seen photos of the late Notorious B.I.G., as May 21st marked what would have been the rapper's 42nd birthday. The photos are from the personal archive of The FADER's co-founder Rob Stone, who served as VP of promotion during the promotional run for Biggie’s debut album, Ready to Die.
The article includes an excerpt where Stone recalls memories with Biggie, specifically in the early days when they were first trying to get the rapper's music played on a mainstream radio station in LA. The rare photos take you back in time to B.I.G.'s early era in the industry, in true 90's fashion, including other friends and artists such as Craig Mack, Sway and Funkmaster Flex.
Check out the following photos and be sure to check out The Fader's Notorious B.I.G. Icon issue here.
[Via The Fader]
[Video] Jerzee Tha Icon: "Give You More"
Billboard Canada Hot 100 artist Jerzee “Tha Icon” launches his official music video for “Give You More,” coming through visually and melodically as a smooth transition into summer 2014. The song itself has a dance feel with a quick beat, blended in with evocative rhymes and vocals, and a resonance of electronic rock. The vibe of the music video presents us with the musical hybrid fittingly, combining playful silhouettes, sunset-like colors alluring to the eye, and a fusion of summertime-in-the-city elements.
Jerzee “Tha Icon” has been headlining and selling out his own shows, while also performing with artists such as Pitbull, Nelly, Sean Kingston, The Roots, T-Pain, Trey Songz, and many others. The music video for “Give You More” provides a taste of what he has planned for us, and we’ll be on alert, waiting for him to give us more in the meantime.
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[Video] At Home With Earl Sweatshirt + "Chum" (Left Brain Remix)
Doris was my most anticipated hip hop album last year. I got swept up in the Odd Future hype just before Tyler, the Creator's Goblin hit, so the years of pent-up anticipation surrounding the "mysterious" OF member's debut was at an all-time high from independent blogs to major outlets. When Doris came out, it represented both what was expected of him, but also a (positive) departure from the young artist we were all introduced to on EARL. Doris was best represented, in my opinion, by the album's first single, "Chum," introducing a darker, more personal side to Earl Sweatshirt that wasn't apparent on EARL. For a Fader exclusive drop, OF producer Left Brain remixed "Chum," which you can listen to below.
To further the Fader connection, the outlet has begun a video series entitled "At Home With" in which they follow an artist around in their abode, similar to MTV Cribs, albeit less flashy and unnecessary. The installment with Earl Sweatshirt illustrates some of the man behind the words as he gives insight to his life of full waste baskets, a walk-in closet full of skate shoes and shirts, exfoliating shower gloves, and some of his literary choices. You can check out the video below, as well.
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[via The Fader]
NAS: "Illmatic XX" Stream and Documentary Trailer
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nassir Jones' classic Hip-Hop album Illmatic. Today, Nas drops Illmatic XX, the 20th anniversary edition of the '94 debut of one of the most prolific rappers of our generation. Nas not only dropped a classic album, but changed hip hop as a whole with his gritty poetic street rhymes with a real message. Illmatic appears on best hip hop albums lists and many note the rapper as being one of the most influential rappers. This past weekend, Nas performed the classic album front to back at Coachella (video below), bringing out Hova to assist on a few tracks. That performance couldn't have been better, as you can see that no matter what, the Queensboro MC, 20 years later after dropping his debut, is still one of the most relevant hip hop artists today.
I was 11 years old when Illmatic dropped, and I remember listening to it like it was yesterday. My older brother had it on cassette, and I used to sneak into his show box of tapes while he was gone and listen to them on my Sony Walkman (remember those kids?). Not until a few years later did I really understand what Nas was rhyming about and really understand the rhymes and message he was conveying. 20 years later, the albums is still as relevant as it was in '94. Not only did he shape his career, but Nas shaped and changed hip hop culture as a whole.
To continue the celebration of the 20th anniversary, Nas will be premiere the documentary Time is Illmatic at the opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival tomorrow. If you can make the opening night, I would suggest it or just wait until it hits Netflix like the rest of us. You can buy Illmatic XX now on iTunes.
"I gave you what the streets felt like, what it tasted like, sounded like, smelled like, all on that album, and I tried to capture it like no one else could," the rapper says in the trailer.
Stream Illmatic XX and the trailer for the documentary below.
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Illmatic XX Tracklist:
Disc 1: Remastered original album
01. The Genesis
02. N.Y. State Of Mind
03. Life’s A Bitch
04. The World Is Yours
05. Halftime
06. Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)
07. One Love
08. One Time 4 Your Mind
09. Represent
10. It Ain’t Hard To Tell
Disc 2: Demos, Remixes & Live Radio
01. I’m A Villain (previously unreleased)
02. The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR October 28, 1993 (previously unreleased freestyle)
03. Halftime (Butcher Remix)
04. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (Remix) (promo single)
05. One Love (LG Main Mix)
06. Life’s A Bitch (Arsenal Mix) (promo single)
07. One Love (One L Main Mix)
08. The World Is Yours (Tip Mix)
09. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Stink Mix) (UK single)
10. It Ain’t Hard To Tell (The Laidback Remix) (UK single)
[Video] ShowYouSuck: "All Wavy Everything"
I've known ShowYouSuck for awhile now, yet whenever I feel like I have a grasp on what he's going to do next, he drops something like the music video for "All Wavy Everything." Serving as the third song from the Dude Bro EP to receive the music video treatment, "All Wavy Everything" (directed by Aaron Perkins, Jr./APJ Films) is a throwback to worn-out VHS tapes, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, and an obsession with all green screen everything. Any fan of ShowYouSuck will also recognize the video's intro as a reference to Jim Henson and Frank Oz's Dark Crystal that Show has been more than happy to spread out across social media.
The "All Wavy Everything" video not only represents ShowYouSuck's heavy pop culture influences, but also an appeal to the [adult swim] crowd (with the aforementioned Tim and Eric feel, plus poorly-made polygonal characters akin to Xavier: Renegade Angel) that transcends past the typical Chicago hip hop crowd... but you've already come to expect that from the One Man Pizza Party by now, right? With co-production by Mike Jaxx and Peter CottonTale, "All Wavy Everything" is just what Chicagoans will need to get their minds off of this depressing, mid-April weather.
If you crave more to fill your ShowYouSuck fill, you can catch him playing at Reggie's on Friday with Kid Sister, Syd tha Kid, Angel Davanport, and Mr. E. Tickets for that show can be found on the Reggie's website. Be sure to purchase Dude Bro on iTunes and wish the rapper the happiest of birthdays this Sunday!
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[RH Photos] Deltron 3030 at Emo's in Austin, TX (3/27/14)
Photography by Virgil Solis
Last Thursday, super hip hop group Deltron 3030 hit a packed Emo's in Austin. Kid Koala fit in as the opening act along with playing with the group, also playing during a small intermission. I was somewhat familiar with some of Kid Koala's work (mostly the Deltron 3030 stuff), but I was really impressed by his work ethic that night. The guy pretty much played the whole show. As with any Deltron 3030, show the crowd was packed with fans who knew every song from their catalog. I hadn't seen Del perform in over five years, and he did not disappoint. Del is what I would consider a real rap professional. Dude has been putting out music and performing for over 20 years. The super cool Dan The Automator also did not miss a step with playing a few instruments and beat pads. Dan kept his cool the first half of the show, walking back and forth on stage until he finally cracked a smile and showed his excitement, returning the energy back to the crowd. If you haven't seen Deltron perform, I suggest you do so next time they are in you town. Until then, check out some of my photos from the show below.
[Songs of the Day] 3/26/14 (Feat. Chance The Rapper, SZA, Sam Smith & More)
Alright, an post-SXSW Song of the Day is back with a ton of good tracks to get you through the hump of the week. Leading things off is Chance The Rapper's latest, "Home Studio", produced with his team, The Social Experiment in his California-based home studio. The track features more of Chance's evolution into singing and adding vocal runs which seems to get better with every track. Chano also popped up on TDE-affiliate SZA's latest track, "Child's Play" which dropped the same day, alongside another familiar face in Vic Mensa who got on Asher Roth's latest, "Live Fast" off his upcoming project, RetroHash. Jerome LOL offered up a screeching, up-tempo electronic jam in "Feel It For The First Time" while The Code gave fans an ambient feel with their latest in "Her". SaudiMoney linked with another TDE member in Ab-Soul as he offered up a mouthful of a track on "Alejandro Jodorowsky Flow" and California product by way of Chicago, Lee Woods, put her own unique spin on The Spice Girls' iconic track "Say You'll Be There" as she resurrects the 90s on her recently-released Girl Power project. Bringing up the end is none other than British falsetto Sam Smith who offers up something new on "Stay With Me". It's all streaming below, folks.
Track of the Day: Chance The Rapper & The Social Experiment: "Home Studio"
Chance The Rapper & The Social Experiment: "Home Studio" (Back Up In This B*tch)
Asher Roth: "Fast Life" (Feat. Vic Mensa)
SZA: "Child's Play" (Feat. Chance The Rapper)
Jerome LOL: "Feel It For The First Time"
The Code: "Her"
SaudiMoney: "Alejandro Jodorowsky Flow" (Feat. Ab-Soul)
Scotty ATL: "Trash & Treasure"
Lee Woods: "Say You'll Be There"
Sam Smith: "Stay With Me"
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[SXSW Journal] Day 3
Photo by Kristen Wrzesniewski
After a whirlwind Wednesday that had me crisscrossing the town chasing interviews left and right, Thursday took on a bit of a different tone. The festival continued on in the wake of the terrible accident that took the lives of two on Red River Street the night before as a car plowed through crowds to avoid a DUI check. With that in the back of their minds, festival-goers stormed the streets of Austin en masse. Seriously, en masse. The sheer number of people who made it out for either SXSW official and unofficial showcases, the iTunes Festival, the MTV Woodie Awards or one of the dozen parties taking place was pretty astounding. Deciding to experience a little more of what was happening everywhere, I hopped the ATX version of a Divvy bike and headed into town where I made my first stop at the Fader Fort for some much needed early cocktails and people watching. After awhile, I left to see what the Woodie Awards was all about since Austin Vesely was a strong favorite to capture his first major film award for ‘Best New Video’ for his work on Chance The Rapper’s “Everybody’s Something”. Before any of that could go down, or I can continue further with the story, I have to mention that the Woodie Awards really have no business being in Austin during SXSW. There is plenty to do and see without quite literally another festival being dropped right inside of it. But, Vic Mensa took the stage to screams as he opened with “Orange Soda” and moved into his up-tempo hit “Feel That”. I left there to head down to the Complex House where Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul took the stage to a packed house that seemed to know more of the words to their songs than they did. In the middle of the Schoolboy Q show, a fan got punched in the face, only to get called out by Q for not fighting back. “Don’t act like a bitch and let him fuck up your day! Do You!” Shouted the TDE rapper before launching into “Man of the Year” which popped the top off the party in a hurry. Scurrying out of there, I met up with a few local Chicago acts and stopped in the Columbia College AEMMP Hip-Hop Showcase which put on for the full breadth of the burgeoning scene in the city. Later that night, standing near where the accident happened a night before, a wall of people, shouting and walking with intense purpose began marching down Red River in a huge crowd. The crowd turned out to be none other than the A$AP Mob, with General Rocky leading the charge. It was weird, but I guess an interesting show of force. Thursday was slow, but Friday is going to be turnt, stay tuned for more and keep up with my experience at SXSW.
