Joker at Sonar

So I am posting this for posterity, because it made my morning. Good times with Joker at Sonar, caught by Maryanne Hobbs of Radio 1. Peep the dude.

Grab the Sonar set at The Fader Blog

Gilles Grooves

Photo Credit

For some reason, I am no longer able to listen to things through BBC Radio, so I've been sorely missing my regular GP radio show, but I have been keeping up with his ace podcast Gilles Peterson Worldwide and wanted to give the latest one (Gilles Peterson Worldwide - Vol 02, No. 8 - Medi #2) a thumbs up. No idea about the names of most of the tracks, but it is an especially groovy ride through worldwide boogie.

Download: Gilles Peterson Worldwide - Vol 02, No. 8 - Medi #2

RIP MJ

Many generations of people around the world had MJ's incredible music to mark the highs and lows of their lives. His body is gone, but his work will shine on.

Rest in Perfect Peace, brotha.

Big Mike

Peace and Love shine through

Anuther Wale Mixtape?

So anyway, Wale is obviously on the Weezy job-track which means putting out a ton of free mixtapes, doing his fancy 8 bars for a trillion people, and then fiiiiinally releasing a mediocre album somewhere down the road.

This, his third mixtape, features artists like Black Thought, Daniel Merriweather, 9th Wonder, and Peter, Bjorn, and John. Unfortunately, it appears to not be the solid gold of the last mixtape, and we'll have to fast-forward past people like Lady Gaga and Duffy. But, whatevs, I ain't gonna hate, free is a good recession-minded price. (Click the cover to download)

Chin Chin - Go There With You

I think NYC's Chin Chin is trying to do this sorta updated Gap Band kinda thing and I am not sure exactly how I feel about alla that, but anyway I am really feeling this track. So, just, dig it.



btw, they are on US tour now and it looks like they put on a good retro funky kinda party situation. if that's what you're into

Album Cover Showcase: Wilfred Limonious/ Lemi Ghariokwu

In this age of mp3s, the idea and concept of an album cover has suffered immeasurably. David Byrne wrote a piece on the matter a couple years back. I felt the need to document here, a couple of album cover illustators whose work I've greatly appreciated over the years.

First, is Wilfred Limonious, who illustrated alot of the 70s and 80s reggae and dancehall LP covers. His style is very humorous and exagerated. Sometimes his works come off as casual sketches and other times, much more refined. They would be instantly recognizable to me digging thru the reggae bins, and if the album wasnt good at least youd get a good laugh from the cover art. They would also define that era of reggae art which still inspires today.


Check out more of Wilfred Limonious work here


Second, is Lemi Ghariokwu, illustrator and designer most known for his work with Fela Kuti. His shared political views with Fela afforeded him complete creative control in which he really expressed himself, often penning hard to read notations and small character narratives on the record covers. Alot of his work for Fela, pointed out the injustices and corruption of government and religious institutions, often pitting the state vs the struggling people. Much of his work, like the music of Fela, was banned by this same oppressive government. Lemi has gone on to work with many other artists.

Democracy in Dakar

I am usually pretty wary of hip hop activism documentaries and documentaries that are about hip hop in the "3rd World" so, of course, I am doubly wary of documentaries about hip hop activism in the 3rd World, but this one is not bad. Check it out!

African Underground: Democracy in Dakar - Episode # 1 from Nomadic Wax on Vimeo.

Summer's Coming - Jams Needed

Today as I was listening to SA-RA's The Bone Song and thinking about the impending summer, and of course the crucial summer jams. As I scrolled through my ITunes, I made a gruesome discovery: somewhere in the shuffle of crashed hard drives and file shifts, I'd misplaced my copy of Will Smith & Dj Jazzy Jeff's summer classique "Summertime".

Horror of horrors!

Luckily, we live in the 21st century, so I could get it back in a jiffy. It is now back in my stacks where it belongs. Summer barbeque disaster averted!



What are some of your favorite summer jams?

J rocc devastates

OMGoodness!!! Jrocc (of the World Famous Beat Junkies), one of my fav djs, just mercked the Benji B show- this is one for the ages right here. He played many an exclusive including unreleased J Dilla remix of Me' shelle Ndegéocello, Sa-ra's "Hollywood" w/ the Clipse, as well as a million other demos and exclusives that i had never heard. This mix defintely connected some dots to some unanswered questions for me as well. Thank You Jrocc!!!

Stream it here until next Sunday
or
download here

woot woot!!woot woot!!

Tony Allen Interview on Brownswood Basement(Gilles Peterson)

Great interview with Tony Allen, amazing Nigerian drummer, who played with Fela Kuti for 15-20 years and carved out the afro beat sound. Mr. Allen is amongst my favorite drummers and in this interview he waxes on various topics from the history of playing with Fela and Afrika 70, to his influences and current projects, and even his use of drum machine and accordion. Great stuff!

Check out/ dl(download) the podcast here

Mos Def on Letterman

Here's the Mighty Mos Def doing Quiet Dog (from new album, COP IT!) on Letterman

Daniel Merriweather - Love & War

So, for all you UK people, the Daniel Merriweather album Love & War is finally out and you should cop it. I am totally biased here because I've kicked it with the dude many times and just fucking love him. However, on a more even and objective level, I can also say that there are many choice tracks on here (Change, Impossible, Chainsaw come to mind right off the bat) and frankly Daniel is one of the most talented young singers on the pop scene at the moment. While I might sometimes come off as a music snob, I do still love good pop tracks.

Here is the (kinda weird) video EPK for the album. Try to ignore Mark Ronson's tics and gesticulations (wtf is he doing in this video? i think he wants to be getting outta dude's shine!) and get into Daniel's earnest goodness and talent. He will only get better with time and experience. Support the endeavours!

Daniel Merrriweather 'Love & War' EPK

True nuff : Mos Def back to form

photo credit

The other day I got a brief email from OKSG telling me that Mos was "back to form", there was a link attached but I didn't get a chance to click it. Skip to a few days later and I am on my second listen-through of Mos Def's new album The Ecstatic and I must concur that Mos is not half-steppin'. His flows are tight and the guests (Slick Rick, Georgianna Muldrow, Talib Kweli) and producers (Madlib, Chad Hugo, Preservation, J DILLA!!!) are top notch.

This album is heat and as much as OKSG hates me turning this blog into "hype of the moment" type blathery, I gotta big up it as already a 2009 classic -- fuck already a HIP HOP classic. It will be on steady BUMP this summer (and many other seasons to come) without doubt.


Stream it! Then cop it!

Erykah Badu and Janelle Monae

Just went to this AMAZING concert this weekend, Janelle Monae opening for Erykah Badu - 3 and a half hours of black music at its best!!! Janelle Monae is an amazing performer (do see her live if you get the chance)and Erykah Badu is the queen of this, yall already know.

Ignant Shit

Im just now hearing this song off of this Drake's So Far Gone Mixtape of late last year (early this year?) Anyways, dude is getting alot of hype really early on from media as well as current hip hop legends which seems to be the new trend, or perhaps maybe we are just all witnessing the passing of torch between two hip hop generations in a hyper technological world ? Allthe same, I really loved this Just Blaze produced instrumental (for Jay Z's American Gangster "Ignorant Shit") that Drake invites Weezy on here for his mixtape. Lovin Weezys verse, as for Drake we will just have to wait and see if the hype is merited.