Kendrick Lamar is Real West Coast Hip Hop

If you haven't heard of Kendrick Lamar yet, I'm happy to be the first to put him on your radar. Lamar is one of the latest hip-hop prodigies from the City of Angels, with a style more like the chilled out strangeness of Pharcyde or Souls of Mischief than the gangsta-funk of Dre or Snoop. The Compton-based artist popped onto the scene in 2010, with the release of his mixtape O(verly) D(edicated), and kept the buzz around his skills going with the 2011 album Section. 80, recently released exclusively on iTunes. My buddy Evan put me onto this album a few weeks ago and it keeps on surprising me.

Here are  Rigamortus, Hol' Up, A.D.H.D., and Ronald Reagan Era, four of my favorite tracks from Section.80 for your download/listening pleasure.



Lamar is a lyrical talent, alternating between a staccato rapid-fire flow reminiscent of Bone Thugs and a smoothed out style with the poetic depth of someone who clearly spent a lot of time listening to Tupac.  Lamar actually credits a visit he had with Shakur in a dream with the inspiration and motivation for Section.80 . Layered over a mix of old-school jazzy horn/keyboard riffs and modern electronic sounds, the tracks on this album emphasize introspective exploration of themes like self-hate, oppression, and revolution in a mellow chilled-out way that never seems overbearing. These themes certainly have been tackled in hip-hop before, but a good listen reveals something unique in Lamar's work. The music is anything but formulaic, each track deserving time to explore the layers of the complex muted production, and thoughtful lyrical construction. The dude has a lot to say, and does so in a way that is not gonna find its way onto your radio. The good news is that by continuing without a major record contract, his future work is not likely to be constrained by a need for mass public appeal. Hopefully this encourages Lamar to keep producing the slightly strange, high quality work that has already made him a great example of fantastic modern hip-hop.


Shout out again to Evan, for always having something awesome to listen to.

Top 10 Playlist, Vol. 4

And now for the latest addition to the Top 10 Playlists! The tracks below are all winners.  Some are from artists already included in this blog, and some are artists you will see posts about in the future. So, click 'play' below and add some fantastic music to your weekend. 

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3 Reasons the Grammy's Should be Worth Watching (Jan. 12th)

1. The award for "Best Dance Recording"
Nominees: Raise Your Weapon -Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech; Barbara Streisand - Duck Sauce; Sunshine - David Guetta & Avicii;Call Your Girlfriend - Robyn; Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites - Skrillex; Save The World - Swedish House Mafia

It has been a particularly awesome year for dance music. The Grammy's seem to have noticed, and are responding with a performance mash-up of David Guetta, Deadmau5, Lil' Wayne, & Chris Brown in a tribute to the genre. I have serious doubts about this particular line-up. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I'm predicting a train wreck.

What is actually awesome is the field for the award for "Best Dance Recording". The competition in this category is fierce! Yes, dance-pop is a simple and indulgent approach to music. And I certainly question my new-found love for it, as I am a grown-ass man and all. But I'll be damned if this electricity-fueled-dance-meth doesn't get asses out on the dance floor. All the nominees are pretty great songs, but all my money is on Robyn. She is the sauce. Three of the nominees have absolutely awesome videos that you should check out below.

You gotta see the heroic pooches of Save the World by Swedish House Mafia.



Duck Sauce's video for Barbra Streisand, an unabashed love-letter to New York, is also fun.
You can see it here

And of course Robyn's original Call Your Girlfriend I posted about earlier. Here is a hilarious rendition by Taran Killam of SNL, caught behind the scenes at 4:00 a.m. the week Robyn was the musical guest.



2. Adele is scheduled to perform
This is, for me, the most anticipated moment of the coming show. At first look, 2011 certainly seemed like the year of Adele. She followed the huge breakout success of her first album with a strong sophemore effort, "21". The album earned her six Grammy nominations, her music is played on all kinds of radio stations, and is topping charts across the world. And then came the news that she ruptured a vocal cord. Think of that. Seriously. Ruptured vocal cord. She underwent serious throat surgery, and the future of her singing career has been in doubt ever since. The Grammy appearance marks her first public performance since surgery and 8 weeks of doctor-ordered silence. Here is to hoping her recovery allows her to still sing like this.



3. Grammy Drama: Cutting the Awards Categories

There is usually a juicy story or two attached to the Grammy's. This year one of the most interesting things about the Grammy's is something that may not even get mentioned in the show itself. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences who run the event streamlined the award categories, cutting the number to 78 from 109. The once male/female categories in Pop, Rock, R&B, and Rap are no longer separated by gender. A bunch of categories were eliminated all together, including Latin jazz, zydeco, traditional blues, American Indian and gospel music. These changes have a lot of artists and fans pissed off, with the argument being that these moves further degenerate an awards event already overly-focused on popularity and record sales versus quality music. The anger around this has sparked enough frustration that there is going to be a protest against the alterations outside the Staples Center, followed by a concert called, "The Not Those Awards All-Star Latin Jazz Jam". I doubt any of this will get airtime, but I am curious to see if any award winners take a minute onstage to call out the controversial changes.

Bob Marley :: Birthday Tribute

Today we celebrate the life and work of Bob Marley, born on this day 67 years ago(6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981). So much has been said about Marley, and his impact on this world. Personally, I'll never forget the day I was walking on a beach in South East Asia, chatting with a local in a little fishing town. This place barely had electricity or paved roads. He didn't speak my language, and I didn't speak his. Within minutes, though, he said the name Bob Marley, and began singing Stir it Up. We both smiled, and shared some time quietly singing lines back and forth to each other. To have a moment of clear communication like that while visiting the other side of the world blew my mind. Marley's legacy is undeniable, as his music is magically capable of simultaneously serving as a celebration of spirit, expression of love, and spark for revolution.

Below you will find a documentary on the making of the album "To Catch A Fire". Its long, but well worth your time. Great footage of The Wailers back in the day, and great dissection of the legendary tracks on this album. Its crazy to me that the album only sold 14k copies in its first year.



Here are a couple of my favorite Marley tracks for your listening/downloading pleasure.

High Tide or Low Tide


Mr. Chatterbox


Slave Driver (Jamaican Version)


One Drop

Pick your Grammy winner for "Song of the Year"

The 54th Grammy's are almost upon us (Jan.12), and for once I can say that I actually think all 5 songs nominated for "Song of the Year" are good songs. In case you have somehow managed to slip through 2011 without hearing them, check below.

Which do you think deserves the prize? Vote for your favorite in the poll to the right.

1. "Rolling in the Deep" - Adele - 21


2. "Holocene" - Bon Iver - Holocene


3. "All of the Lights" - Kanye West - My Dark Twisted Fantasy


4. "The Cave" - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More


5. "Grenade" - Bruno Mars - Doo Wops & Hooligans