[Video] Nardwuar Vs Diplo
Nardwuar has become a must-stop for any artist rolling through Vancouver on tour or for a show for awhile now, keeping a steady stream of Q+As coming from our neighbors to the north. Most recently, he linked up with Diplo, in town for Contact Festival back in late December, to discuss the ins and outs of strip clubs, take a trip down memory lane with an old photo of the two, and get into a spirited discussion over who really discovered a certain EDM DJ. Towards the end, Nardwuar gets a bit of a surprise before a fitting exit. Nardwuar interviews never disappoint, and this installment is no different. Check it out here below.
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[RH First Glance] Taylor Bennett
Alright, let's get it out of the way. Yes, Taylor Bennett's brother is Chance. Yes, that Chance; the rapper. With that out of the way we can get on to more important aspects of Taylor Bennett's life, such as his sold out debut headlining show last Friday at Reggie's Rock House on Chicago's south loop that had fans lined outside in the freezing rain.The 17-year-old high school senior took the stage to his frenetic "Speed Racer" after a solid lineup showcasing the next wave of Chicago hip-hop to flow from the city. As a packed crowd at Reggie's rapped and sang along to songs like "Heartbreaker" and "Dear Daddy" before turning up to "Rolling With The Gods", it became readily evident that Taylor Bennett is not happy being known only as Chance's brother. Friday night, he looked like he was ready to make his own moves going into the new year.
This year, artists in Chicago had reason to be pressed and hopeful at the same time as they collectively watched Chance rise from the guy down the block to one of the biggest stars in the country. Perhaps no one had a closer front row seat to the experience than the younger Bennett. While there's always competition with an older sibling, Taylor has set out to carve out his own lane in hip-hop with a unique blend of pure rhyming talent, personable nature and thoughtful prose. To be sure, things are very different for Taylor than his brother. Through his success, more eyes are on the younger Bennett, who received a write up in XXL recently and has become a regular on blogs across the country. While Chano was able to come up under the radar, Taylor has been squarely on the map of a lot of rap fans for a minute now. With all the attention, nerves and pressure would be easily understandable, especially for a 17-year-old, but Taylor's not sweating. I had a chance to catch him on the phone after his show, as he was working on his next project, Mainstream Music, to chop it up real quick about living in and out of other people's shadows, growing up in Chicago, his mixtape-The Taylor Bennett Show and more. Check out our Q+A below.
[RH First Glance] Kris Kasanova: "Tomorrow" (Feat. SZA)
Kris Kasanova has been building a steady buzz for himself in the New York market for a minute now. Since popping up on Peter Rosenberg's New York Renaissance mixtape released earlier this year and featuring a full scope of NYC acts such as, World's Fair, A$AP Rocky and Ferg, Action Bronson and Flatbush Zombies, among others. Kasanova has edged his way into the limelight in one of the most competitive markets in the world and today teamed up with TDE-signee SZA for "Tomorrow", which got a video treatment the other day. Currently, Kasanova is hard at work in the studio, preparing his next project with producers like Justin Rose. Across the country we're seeing hip-hop branch into many different angles, proof the "Renaissance" isn't just confined to one market or another. Definitely keep an eye out for Kris Kasanova, who should be releasing new content throughout early 2014.
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[Video] Eminem Interview with Zane Lowe
BBC 1's Zane Lowe is increasingly becoming the de facto interview for post-release public relations, if you're face belongs on the hip-hop Mount Rushmore. Eminem followed in Kanye's footsteps, appearing for an in depth, sit down interview with the British show host. Ever an interesting guest, Eminem opened up about the pressure of calling his latest album The Marshall Mather LP 2, what it was like to work with Rick Rubin and his own forays into production before doing a live performance of "Berzerk" in studio with a band. For his part, Em jokes that peeing on the floor might be the only way to top Kanye, I'd say the performance was pretty convincing. Check it all out for yourself below.
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[RH First Look] Justin Rose
Justin Rose does a little bit of everything. The 23 year old from New York City started off rapping before gravitating to what he calls the "addicting" process of crafting beats. I met him this past year at SXSW while hanging out at the Illmore after-party, wondering how I was still awake. Since then we have kept in touch as Rose has spread his forward-thinking production across his scene and city, linking up with the likes of NYC up and comer Kris Kasanova which garnered him a track on Peter Rosenberg's curated mixtape earlier this Summer, as well as doing in-house production for Nakim. When I met him on the front end of 2013 there were still a lot of question marks around both of our futures. Nearly a year later, Rose has found himself bouncing around the vibrant and bubbling New York scene that have many bloggers across the country learning how to spell the word 'Renaissance'. The growth and uprise of that scene in New York is due in large part to progressive, hungry and cross-platform artists like Rose who are eager to find a way to push the music and culture forward without apology. I was able to catch up with Rose over the phone recently as he was leaving the studio from working on his debut project, RoseWaVve Vol.1. to talk about what the year has been like, what he's been up to and where things are headed for the young crafter. In exchange, he sent over this video for his track, "PARTY4ME", which we are premiering here on Ruby Hornet. Give the video a watch below and get to know Justin Rose.
[RH Interview] The Tontons at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Photography by Niraj Mehdiratta
Bands, in large part, reflect the scenes from which they come. This sentiment rings true for indie band The Tontons, who helped to open this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas with a pair of sets opening for Kurt Vile on Thursday night and another on Friday, as well as dropping their new video "Veida" on the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog. The trip to Texas' capital for the 8th annual music, comedy and action sports fest wasn't a long one for the four-piece act from Houston, although it was the first time playing the three day end to festival season.
Together for nearly eight years now, The Tontons are indicative of a slow-moving yet supportive Houston music scene where dues are paid before garnering the city's full support. To hear Asli and the gang describe it, breaking through to the next level in their hometown is a little different than other places in the country. The Tontons, a hodgepodge of styles, interests and musical abilities, are hard to put a finger on, precisely, but that's how they like it. Their music could most closely be described as indie pop, but they have a co-sign from Houston hip-hop legend Bun B, who introduces them at shows and they're toying with the idea of adding some metal components to some songs after hanging around FFF's Black stage Saturday.
Things are really coming together for The Tontons as they prepare to release their next album in the spring and ready for a wild 2014. Having been around for awhile and earned their stripes in their hometown though, they are ready to make things happen on their own terms. I had a chance to catch the group backstage at Fun Fun Fun and sat down for a quick chat, read what they had to say about playing the festival for the first time, being different and drinking too much Red Bull.
[Video] Tyler, The Creator on "The Arsenio Hall Show"
Arsenio Hall welcomed Tyler, The Creator to his show last night and sat down with the Odd Future de facto leader to talk on a wide array of subjects, including the YouTube Music Awards, his latest music video as a director, and relationships. Tyler was very candid throughout the interview and dropped a few inspirational gems that are definitely worth listening to.
[CIFF Interview] Diego Quemada-Diez (La Jaula de Oro)
[Ruby Hornet will be attending the 49th Chicago International Film Festival from 10/10 - 10/24. Be sure to follow along as we bring you coverage from the longest-running competitive international film festival in the country. You can find all of our coverage from this year's CIFF here.]
La Jaula de Oro was one of my favorite films of this year's Chicago International Film Festival. The story about three teenagers escaping Guatemala to achieve their dreams in America was a captivating look at the struggle many migrants face in their journey for a better life. It was recently awarded the Chicago International Film Festival's Gold Hugo, which is given to films making their American premiere during the festival. I had the chance to meet with La Jaula de Oro's director Diego Quemada-Diez to discuss some questions I had about the film, the back story behind the film's production, and his personal thoughts on American immigration policies.