This freeEP is starting to show up around the nets.  Wild, man, wild.  Here’s the explanation from bandcamp:

In 2006, during a stint out west to promote his then new movie, Sacha Cohen, (aka Borat) met Daniel Dumile, better known as Zev Love X, or MF DOOM. Their blazing freestyle ciphers and mutual love of Purple Kush led to an impromptu recording of Doom’s ‘My Favorite Ladies’ verses (see Herbalisers’ Something Wicked…album) over a beat Borat had made back in ’05 with Kulki Boolchek, a Khazak producer. Later that year Doom ventured east, and recorded three more gems with Cohen at the castle of Rudolf II in Prague, renowned for its stone acoustics. DigDug bought the master off a based-out gypsy in East Oakland and the rest is history! **Please FREELY DOWNLOAD THESE GEMS**, as they have been labeled ‘Degenerate Music’ by the Putin administration and the whole album is banned in the greater East. Censorship will never extinguish true heat!

Tracks:

1. Bing Bong Bing
2. Dedicated To Love (feat. Samantha Alexes)
3. Rescue Khazakstan (feat. Aretha Franklin)
4. So Good To Me
5. Tower of Ears (feat. Diana Ross)

link.

• The NJ Underground writes about The NJ Pop Punk revival Tour, and offers a free compilation, here.

• Wow.  I never thought my kids would see the day when The Rolling Stones, ACDC, and a Marley all had albums in the Billboard top 20.

• Go here to learn about why rappers hold their guns sidewayze.

• I don’t support the vandalism, but I do support this sentiment.

• This guy says he’s a Republican for a buncha reasons that don’t even makes sense . . . I’m not saying I’m anti-Republican, but self-righteous hypocrites drive me crazy.  He says:

* I believe in freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. But prominent Republicans like Pat Robertson and Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann openly ridicule the Muslim religion and attempts by the Obama administration to hire Muslims.

* I do not believe in big government; and * I believe higher taxes are part of the democratic agenda and lead to a dependence upon a large government.  But the Bush administration grew government more than any administration since FDR (he created a whole new Cabinet-level Department!), and he also raised taxes to a higher per capita rate than Bill Clinton and spent way way waaaaaaaay more money!  At the same time,  Obama has delivered the biggest tax cut since before Ronald Reagan, yet workers are worse off than ever.

* I believe government control of the healthcare industry will destroy the best healthcare in the world; and * I believe that a large standing army is the best deterrent to violence in the world today.  Yet increases in the budget of the Department of Veterans Affairs–Government-run healthcare–are always supported by Republicans (and in fact VA health care has been found by independent international review agencies to be the best run large health care system in the world).

* I believe that marriage has always been and should always be between one man and one woman.  Yet Republicans in Congress divorce at a higher rate than Democrats–and many of them get re-married.

• Is it too soon to note that Gary Coleman died of a stroke?  Get it?

• I love the idea for this post–”popscurities“….

• The Rolling Stones get the Covered in Folk treatment.

• Cover Me has wisely left Blogger before Blogger killed the site.  Update your bookmarks, and check out the terrific new look.

• Keane-My Shadow (Danny Dance remix)

For a complete collection of great pix like this, go here.

Music interpretation:

Meatgrinder (Four Tet remix)-Madvillain (direct dl)

Another point: I debated whether to segregate out rap records, and decided to do so only because I haven’t seen too many bloggers writing decade-rap lists, so I thought this might help fill a void.

Okay, now you can tell me how little I know about rap and what a hater I am and blah blah blah. You bore me. Of all the rap albums that came out between 2000 and now, these 15 moved me the most.

Period.

THE TOP 15 INDIE HIP HOP ALBUMS OF 2000-2009

15 (tie). D.J. Cinema and D.J. Mello-The Commission (a.k.a.-B.I.G. and Jay-Z, The Album that Never Was) (2005-Mixtape) and Bobb Deep-Queensbridge (200?-DJ Swindle). These are both “blends,” but they’re the two best blend tapes I’ve ever heard. You can still get Bobb Deep for free here, and I’m sure if you dig around datpiff you’ll find The Commission, too.

14. Dangermouse and Jemini-Ghetto Pop Life (2004-Lex). Find better beats. I dare you.

13. DJ Muggs and GZA-Grandmasters (2005-Angeles). Tough and rugged, this is RZA and Muggs at their finest. And they didn’t need a major label to do it!

12. The Coup-Pick a Bigger Weapon (2006-Epitaph). A duo that is consistently challenging, raw, conscious and hilarious. The Public Enemy for 2000s underground rap.

11. Brother Ali-The Undisputed Truth (2007-Rhymesayers). It breaks my heart that this one didn’t make it into the top ten, especially since I voted it best rap album of the year in 2007, but I had to be honest and Ortiz edged Ali out. But just barely. A rare example of an intelligent, challenging rap album that also has great beats and flow.

10. Joell Ortiz-The Brick: Bodega Chronicles (2007-Koch). Big Pun lives!

9. Masta Ace-A Long Hot Summer (2004-Yosumi). Was Ace done by the end of the 1990s? No f-in’ way. He also gets my vote as one of the most important rappers of the entire decade. Just sayin’.

8. Atmosphere-Lucy Ford:The Atmosphere EPs (2001-Rhymesayers). My favorite Atmosphere release, hands down. Slug is a champ.

7. Joe Budden-Mood Muzik 2: Can It Get Any Worse? (2002-DJ On Point). Joey! It’s . . . It’s . . . It’s that on top MU-zik!

6. Lil’ Wayne-Dedication 2 (2006-DJ Drama). Not a huge fan of Weezy, but this mixtape is undeniable.

5. MF DOOM-Operation Doomsday (2008-Metal Face). Dumile is on the list twice, and both in the top 5. You got a problem with that?

4. Clipse-We It 4 Cheap Vol. 2 (2005-Mixunit). In Volume 1, Clipse released a world of anger about issues with their label, but in Volume 2 they hit a groove I’ve never heard them hit before or since. They took over great beats and made them their own. Check out “Hate It Or Love It,” “The Corner,” and “Daytona 500,” and tell me the Clipse versions aren’t as good as the originals.

3. Lupe Fiasco-Fahrenheit 1:15 Vol. 2, Revenge of the Nerds (2006-Mixtape). I’m picking this one, but really any of his pre-official-release mixtapes are great. I loved his first album, published on a major label, but his second one, “The Cool,” left me cold. Fastest burnout in hip hop history.

2. 50 Cent-Power of the Dollar (2000-Mixtape). It’s trendy to hate on Fiddy these days—and with good reason. He hasn’t done anything worth listening to in years. But the power of his first street album is undeniable. It was so good, it got Columbia records to sign him and then force him to change everything about himself that made this album so good in the first place.

1. Madvillain-Madvillainy (2004-Stones Throw). MF DOOM also got my vote for most important rapper of the decade, based on the consistent quality and groundbreaking nature of all of his official releases and collaborations. He seems never content to do the same thing twice. As for Madvillainy, even some of my rap-hating friends dig it.

“Unexpected Guests” will not be for hardcore fans, but if you don’t have everything Metal Face ever did, if you’re curious, or if you’re a dabbler, you NEED to get this record.  It’s him with, as you’ve probably guessed, a bunch of guests.  Tracklisting after the jump, and a taste:

1. Fly That Knot (Talib Kweli Feat. Doom)
2. Sniper Elite (J. Dilla & Doom)
3. Yikes Scienz of Life (Feat. Doom)
4. Sorcerers (K.M.D)
5. Da Supafriendz (Vast Aire Feat. Doom)
6. Quite Buttery (Count Bass D Feat. Doom)
7. ? (DOOM Feat. Kurious)
8. All Outta Ale (The Prof Feat. Doom)
9. E.N.Y. House (Masta Killa)
10. Bell of Doom (The Prof Feat. Doom)
11. My Favorite Ladies (Doom)
12. Street Corners (Doom Remix) (Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, & GZA)
13. Angels (Doom & Ghostface)
14. Fire Wood Drumstykx (J. Dilla & Doom)
15. The Unexpected (Babu Feat. Doom and Sean Price)
16. Project Jazz (Hell Razah, Talib Kweli & Viktor Vaughn)
17. Black Gold (John Robinson)
18. Bonus Track: I Hear Voices (Live) (Doom)

MF DOOM, from “The Mask of Doom: A Nonconformist Rapper’s Second Act,” from last week’s New Yorker Magazine.

If Kurious’s new album, “II,” sounds old-school, he can be forgiven.  The Harlem Latino has been around since the 1990s . . . When he released his first album.  He’s been affiliated with the likes of MF DOOM, The Beatnuts, Pete Nice, KMD, House of Pain, 3d Bass, Del The Funky Homosapien, MF Grimm . . . It might be easier to ask if there’s a ‘90s underground rap legend who he didn’t mix with.  And yet it’s taken a decade-and-a-half to put out a sophomore album (the follow up to 1994’s “A Constipated Monkey”).  Does he still have skills?  Yes.

In fact, he hasn’t changed much.  Track one, “Back with Vic,” is basically a turntable showcase for producer Vic Padilla, supported by Kurious’ verses.  It’s also the most interesting track, beat-wise.  These are old-school beats, and old-school rhymes that rely more on vocabulary than profanity, more on retrospection and nostalgia than bling or banging.  Of course, the must-have track here is “Benneton,” featuring MF DOOM and MC Serch.  To my knowledge, those two haven’t played together in a very, very long time.  And they reminisce, with DOOM gratefully thanking Serch for that MC’s role in his career.  Couple this with the chipmunk Journey wail, and you have a gold star single, one of the best of the year.

“Rain On Me” samples The Who’s, “Reign O’er Me” (these samples can’t be legal), and it’s a solid track as well.  Another one of the standouts, particularly since it’s a love song—a form of rap usually reserved to LL Cool J or silly crap.  Kuri sends shout outs to loved ones and victims of molestation—that’s something you don’t hear often in hip hop.  As he says, “I ain’t sugar coating shit.”  He’s also got a song on here about family (“Mysterious”), and on “Prosperous” he replaces the idea of monetary riches with those of fatherhood, advising that rap should “make kids more intelligent,” and confessing that he takes the trash out every week and apologizes for the stupid things he’s done in the past.  Kurious Jorge is back, and his album is a great reminder that hip hop can have meaning, and can be optimistic at that.

Benetton Kurious with MC Serch, M.F. DOOM and Kadi Amin

BONUS: KLASSIC KURIOUS

? (Questionmark) MF DOOM and Kurious from Operation Doomsday (one of the best indie rap albums of all time)

This is a pretty rare mash album of MF Doom and Nas.  That’s right, the dude who says hip hop is dead and a dude who I think may actually be dead.  Cool, huh?  But if you don’t like these artists, you’ll hate this.  If you do like them, you just might dig it.

Track listing:

Come and Get Me

Family

Hate Me Now

Last Words

Life We Chose

Nastradoomus

One Love

Project Window

Shoot Em Up

Street Dreams

If I Ruled the World

ZIP!

I guess this isn’t new–it’s been around for years–but I just phound DJ Phonetic’s brilliant mashblend of MF DOOM and Mos Def.  I’m gonna say something to make all the hip hop headz hate me: I’ve never been a huge fan of Mos Def, aside from the Blackstar album he did with Talib.  I dig his lyrics and his flow is all right, but I’ve never connected with the whole picture and mostly I don’t like his beatz.  But matched up with DOOM and he sounds great.  Check it out.

1. Intro (Frontin’ On That M.O.N.E.Y.)
2. What Is Beef + Beef Rapp = Double Beef Rap
3. Skit (Go Back Home DOOM)
4. Change The Beat + Definition = Define The Beat
5. Workin’ It Out + Fo Ti = Herbal Work Out
6. Dedicated To + Hip Hop = Dedicated To Hip Hop
7. Skit (DOOM & Def On Hip Hop)
8. Two Words + Supervillian Theme = Words Of The Day
9. Skit (DOOM’s On The Influence)
10. Ms. Fat Booty + Fancy Clown = She Dippin’ Around
11. It Ain’t Nuttin’ + Oh No = No It Ain’t
12. Bright As The Stars + Bergamont = High As The Stars
13. A Brighter Day + A Constipated Monkey = Stayin’ Regular
14. My Melody + Do It Now = On The Spot
15. Love Rain + Doomsday = Operation Rainy Day
16. Skit (Ain’t Afraid Of Women)
17. Ms. Fat Booty Pt. 2 + Go With The Flow = Go With The Hoes
18. My Favorite Ladies + Ms. Fat Booty = Rollin’ A Ms. Fatty
19. Summertime + Sorcerers = Summer Magic
20. Wanna B Where UR + Fastlane = Wanna B N Ur Lane
21. High Drama Pt. 3 + The Fine Print = Summon All Drama
22. Skit (DOOM Pulled A Switch)
23. Mathematics + Dragon’ Blood = Count The Casualties
24. Rock Co. Caine Flow + Brown Sugar = Nose Candy
25. Skit (Y’all Embarrassing & Ignant)
26. Ghostwhirl + Mr. Nigga = Mr. Spook
27. Skit (It’s Over)
28. Travellin’ Man + Vomit Spit = Air Sick

GIT IT!

A few weeks ago, I got a cryptic e-mail from a rep of Lex Records asking me not to leak the new DOOM album. I responded, as I always do, that I never post full rips, and only post a few songs at most of every submission. Then, a few days ago, I received a CD with DOOM’s mask on the cover and a promise of five tracks.

DOOM (he seems to have dropped the “MF”), has a lot to answer for, after pulling a Gallagher at a string of shows last year and leaving the stage early at others, and for promising a project with Ghostface but never delivering. The question is, can he win his fans back?

Based on the sampler, signs point to yes. “Ballskin” is an odd, disjointed piece that cuts off quickly. All of DOOM’s work is thick with words—it’s his trademark—and his flow is always flat, no-nonsense. That hasn’t changed. I’m not loving this first cut, but I’m also thinking it’s just a snippet. “That’s That” seems to be a snippet, too. DOOM isn’t an artist you want to hear pieces of. He takes his time to spread out, and often it’s hard to “get” one of his tunes until you’ve heard the whole thing.

The promo CD offers the full version of “Angelz,” and that’s a cut I’m really digging. It’s an update of Charlies Angels, complete with a sample from the theme. “Cellz” is also interesting, but it seems to end abruptly by fading into one of DOOM’s trademark sound bytes.

The track everyone is writing about is “Lightworks,” which is produced by J. Dilla. And it means produced here—DOOM didn’t just rob one of Dilla’s beats. The song is magical, with a fantastically surreal hook. Unfortunately, it’s a snippet. But this one gets me excited.

Can’t wait for the record to drop, but I wonder it’s coming on a U.K. imprint label? Why does he release what seems to be an outtake from MF DOOM’s stonesthrow project with Dilla? Why have his live shows featured imposters? Is it significant that he samples beat poet Charles Bukowski on, “Cellz,” which MF DOOM also did on his MF Food album?

I’m still wondering, in all frankness, whether DOOM is still alive. Because if he’s dead, this album should move units. Nobody sells rap like dead guys. Seriously, though, this promises to be another winner from one of the most intelligent, agile, and fascinating MCs in hip hop history.

Preorder!

Taste it!

Lightworks (YSI)

Angelz (YSI)

Classic Doom!

Da Superfrendz (With Vast Aire) (YSI)