In a bizarre twist of fate, I was recently sent a couple of books to check out from an indy publisher, and the first one I tackled appeared to be one of those corny “rap business guides” at first glance, but actually turned out to have a major connection to my on-going series looking at…
Category: Video Clips
Video Killed The Radio Star?
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em – Marco Polo Interview
Even though he hasn’t gotten wasted in over ten years, I get the impression that Marco Polo used to get tore-up with the best of ‘em, so I’m willing to give him a pass from my standard “Don’t trust anyone who doesn’t drink” policy. Fueled by a constant intake of caffeine and loosies, MP has…
KRS-One – The Unkut Interview
One of the all-time highlights in my Unkut Dot Com experience would have to be speaking to DJ Kenny Parker last year, and when I recently had the chance to speak to his younger brother Kris a week or so ago, it was on like Donkey Kong. The problem was, unlike the three hours I…
Hydra Special – Mike Heron Interview
A little while after I posted an article on Hydra Entertainment on this site, I received an email from Mike Heron, who as it turns out started the label with Jerry Famolari in 1997. Their debut release, “Screwed Up/They Wanna Know Why” was also the first of many dope records from Queens super-group Screwball, in…
Big Men On Campus: John Belushi Vs Biggie Smalls
Two fatties at the height of their respective powers were taken from this small planet in the month of March – one, a waffle-guzzling comedian with an appetite for destruction. The other – the brother of the guy from K-9. Ten and twenty-five years ago, respectively, these two hedonistic maniacs checked-out, leaving gigantic shoes that…
Jersey Has Breaks! K-Def Interview
Just before he released what turned out to be the best album of 2006, I talked to producer K-Def about working with Marley Marl, his first group, a run-in with D.I.T.C. and the science of breaks. Look out for his album with El Da Sensai and a second instrumental full-length in 2007. Robbie: The stuff…
Hip-Hop Music Was Perfected in 1986
For the proof, listen to this… I’ll get into this in more detail soon, but here’s a few reasons why 1986 was better than ’88 and ’94: 1. Just-Ice and Mantronik created “Cold Gettin’ Dumb”, which is without a doubt one of the greatest songs ever created in the history of modern music. 2. You…
“Lynched” Video Banned By YouTube
After getting over 5,000 views in one day, YouTube removed this “anti-cooning” video from Staten Island’s NYOIL. I guess Google are throwing their weight around over there already, huh? Sounds like the Black Bastards cover controversy all over again… Dude’s not biting his tongue for no one by the looks of things, as the clip…
“Club Music Is Cute, But Rap Is My Vocation” – Chill Rob G
In terms of vocab, concepts, flow and style, Chill Rob G was the top dog in the Flavor Unit wolf pack. His first record remains as one of the finest selections in the impressive Wild Pitch catalog, as all three songs hit equally hard. “Chillin” didn’t end up making the album, but provides a perfect…
Rap Videos Are Corny
When I was younger, I tried to steer clear of rap videos, since they were almost always a let-down. A song such as “Follow The Leader” paints such a vivid visual picture in your head when you hear it that some low-budget Untouchables style video could never hope to do it justice.1 Admittedly, the introduction…
Random Percee-P Sighting
Early Pete Rock – 1991 Source Interview
This really takes me back…this piece dropped just before Pete began his reign as the most in-demand producer/remixer of the moment, not to mention the impact of the Mecca & The Soul Brother LP. I wonder what happened to that D-Nice, Heavy D and Ice Cube posse cut that he mentions?