Takanye Murakawest

As if Godzilla reemerged from a hip-hop art gallery, in walks Takanye Murakawest!!! *insert thunder and lightning here* The hype surrounding West’s 3rd album, “Graduation” has been over the top. Particularly the “feud” between him and Fiddy but we all know it’s a publicity stunt for both their releases. Anyhoo … AllHipHop.com has a rather informative (and hilarious) preview on West’s upcoming album. Check it out. [EP]

Common Come On!

As if you wanna see it … for those who missed it … I’m sorry. More vids from Aug 4th in the EVENTS section. [GR]

Dance the night away

Yes we know it’s still 8 months away but without a doubt, WMC’08 will be upon us in a blink of an eye. Our friends at Flavorpill devised this quirky-quick video-mentary on what one expects from a week-long debauched excursion through electronica eventica on the sandy shores of Miami Beach. Heaven only knows what 2008 will bring. [EP]

Badu as I wanna be …

Let’s go back … way back … official Throw-Back vid. of the week … is anyone else unbelievably psyched for this Common + Badu show this Saturday? *Pause* Nah, just us, I guess.

Love of my Life …

Amidst rumors of bad breakup and cheating hearts, Common and Erykah Badu still continue to ride that awkward “ex-lovers/now-friends” line. Who can forget their Billboard hit, Love of My Life, which, for many hip-hop fans, gave hope that these two would one day manifest a child that would be the second-coming of Tupac. Ah but good things never last. After three years since their visible break-up, Common and Badu are mature enough to still work together, musically. (We’re glad some people are!) Even though they are slated to perform separately, the reigning conscious Afro-abiding hip-hop stars will share the same stage for one night only. Both heavily promoting their next endeavors, Common coming out with “Finding Forever”, his 7th LP and Badu, releasing 3 (that’s right, 3!) full-length albums slated for this year and next. Rest assured, this double-header will knock out a memorable performance that will be a must-see for true hip-hop aficionados out there. Oh and did I forget to mention it’s free? The event is held at Chakra, a high-end deluxe nightclub on South Beach and it’ll be by the doorman’s discretion who gets in and who doesn’t. So leave the baggy jeans and Ecko wear at home and invest in some Derek Lam. It’ll be worth it. [EP]

The Brothas Gunna Work it Out … again

The Chemical Brothers are back … thank god! After a 2 year hiatus (their last big hit being the Q-Tip featured “Galvanized”), the big-beat duo gone done it again! It’s fairly crazy to think that “Exit Planet Dust” was released 12 years ago (!!!) yet the Chem. Bros. are far from being over. Still pushing bass and beats like a rhythm pimp, “We Are The Night” is a clear shot of why these guys still got a lot to give and a lot more drugs to take. Their first single off the album, “Do it Again” is as if Timbaland transmuted into 2 British lanky fellas on cocaine. It’s a hot, synth-induced dance track that is sure to blaze any dancefloor from the UK on. July 17th is the official release date on Astralwerks but you can get a sneak peak here. Keep on dancing. (EP)

Pardon My French

Paris based hip hop crew, TTC is dropping their fourth album and they are ready for respect in their backyard and abroad. If you haven’t had a chance to check out TTC, you don’t know what you are missing. Teki Latex, Cuiziner, Tido Berman, Orgasmic and sick producers Para and Tacteel are looking to take over with “3615″ and they aren’t exactly going about it in a nice way. According to Latex, “that’s the way we plan to take over the fucking industry, we’re going to force it down their throats and if they’re not ready, then fuck it, we’re tired of making compromises.” Are you ready? Check out their style and judge for yourself…just know we can’t be responsible for what the Latex might do if you aren’t feeling it. www.myspace.com/inbedwithttc (JV)

What’s Goin’ On!

What do you get when you have one of the greatest soul singers of our time and the most recognizable tune in the history of the United States? It’s Marvin Gaye singing the Star Stangled Banner, of course! This rendition might just be the most perfect singular rendition of any song written in the English language! God bless America and God bless Marvin Gaye. (EP)

This is sick …

It’s called “Flutebox” and his name is Nathan Lee, he plays the flute and beatbox at the same time. One word to describe this feat: AMAZING! (EP)

Like Clockwork …

Talent these days are hard to come by. Thom Yorke, on the other hand, has never had a problem in regards to talent-letting. His stripped down performance of the song “The Clocks” off his solo album “Eraser” is but a small glimpse of the man’s raw musical gift. In an age where American Idols and lip sync popstars are a social norm, we applaud the likes of Yorke who keeps it bare minimum to which real talents are put to test, like clockwork. (EP)