A New Day

As I was welcomed to Spring 2007 these past few days I considered if Global Warming was all that bad. I haven't seen an Inconvenient Truth yet, but I'm going to guess they do not attempt to put a positive spin to the whole thing. For example, ever since visiting the Bay Area there I've been thinking: "Wow the Bay Area climate is hella nice. I wish I lived somewhere with eternal springtime." But New York must consistently aggravate me with it's sickening climate. BUT if Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed! Global Warming has brought me Brooklyn blossoming in January and I walked around in a t-shirt! Craziness.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to put together some questions for DMC of the legendary Run DMC. As a Hip Hop fan I was thrilled and honored. Read an excerpt below and the full interview can be found here.

BV: Do you follow today's hip hop closely? Who are some of the newer artists you're checking for?

DMC: Not at all really. It's not interesting. Well, I'm not going to say it's not interesting. It's very interesting and creative. The problem with it - it's all monotonous. It's the same thing for the last seven years. LL (cool J) said hip hop today is like one long record and one long video. A lot of it is funny and creative – but it is not relative to the life I live. To be in hip hop [today] you gotta have your hip hop manual: I gotta have my posse – check. I gotta have my bitches and hoes – check. I gotta have my bling…NO!!! You don't need any of that. Hip hop is about what is here [points to heart]. For me hip hop is NWA, Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Eric B and Rakim. If you look at hip hop right now just from the concepts and images!?!?! It's frightening. Because it makes people think that is what hip hop is about. - Read the full interview here

Oh and by the way, you may have noticed the new look? Yes, I'm very pleased with it. My very first time ever building a CSS section plus blogger template from scratch! The background comes from the photo above, which I took at a Sufjan Stevens concert, you may know him from the inside of Ms K's locker.

Download
Sufjan Stevens - The Dress Looks Nice on You [live] (MP3) via TimeDoor

The Day After

Stein, the Netherlands (12.25.06)

Sidenote :: Spending a week at home with the 'Rents reminds me why I'm so happy to be a Mac user now.

James Brown is dead. You know this and it's sad, but have you ever heard the song James Brown Is Dead released 10 years ago? One of my favorite old school hardcore electronica/dance tracks. Obviously Dutch produced. Download below.

I recently got a chance to put together some questions to interview DMC of the famed Run DMC. He opened up about his personal life as a foster child, modern day hip hop, and more. Read the interview over at BrooklynVegan.

Speaking of BV I've made a top 10 list of my favorite Hip Hop Albums just appeared here. I didn't attempt to make an overall non-genre specific list because I can't focus on a group of records that big. However, what I can say is that Timbaland probably produced the majority on my favorite pop songs of 2006. He did some amazing things on the Nelly Furtado album (who I previously couldn't stand) and of course on the Justin Timberlake album. My Love gets all the love but my favorite song on the record is actually the second vignette of Lovestoned/I Think She Knows. Download below. Read someone else's opinion here

Now for those interested in Morrissey, there's a wonderful 4 part documentary on YouTube (God Bless YouTube) that I discovered through SneakMove. It includes Noel Gallagher, JK Rowling, Bono, Christie Hynde, Nancy Sinatra, Bowie and personal friends and family of the Moz. See below.

Download
LA Style - James Brown Is Dead (MP3) via Armagideon
Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned/I Think She Knows (MP3) via Cacaphony&Coffee

Part 1



Part 2


Part 3


Part 4