New Common – Universal Mind Control
Old buddy and ACL partner in crime Chris sent me a link to this new Common joint featuring Pharrell. “Universal Mind Control” is the title track from Common’s upcoming album, due in stores November 11. Anything that sounds futuristic and…
Public Enemy at Pitchfork’s Festival
In the annals of classic hip-hop, last week’s Public Enemy show at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago has to go down in the books as Historic. Chuck D., Flava Flav and the boys performed their classic, It Takes a…
Roots Rising
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-nyyQrmiQ0 336 278] The Roots – Rising Up (feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele) (Video) It’s been a long time since I’ve exclaimed “that’s my JAM” but after hearing this record I did not walk, I ran to get my hands…
Hot Stuff: Santogold
A few months ago I caught some buzz on Santogold as someone to check out. At the time, her record wasn’t out, and I simply forgot about it. This week I found a slip of paper (amongst many) on my…
Transforming Hip-Hop: Flobots
It’s been awhile since a tune I heard on the radio made me sit up and pay attention but that’s exactly what happened the first time I heard “Handlebars” by the Hip-Hop collective Flobots. Socially conscious and politically charged and…
Can I Kick It?
Yes you can! The annual Rock the Bells tour line up has been announced and it is, for my dollar, the most jam-packed bill of any tour crossing North America this year. Headlining the trek is the reunited members of…
Ohmega’s Platypus Strut
Ohmega Watts is a hip-hop producer / MC from Brooklyn. Nestled within his impressive most recent release, Watts Happening, is this funky, old-school, afrobeat-licious instrumental groove called “The Platypus Strut”. Everyone should have a personal theme song or two to…
Help Take Hip-Hop to the Super Bowl
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64JGSpSSqnE 450 400] Internet buzz can take you a long way, maybe even to a 60 second clip during the Super Bowl. That buzz is reaching a fever pitch for the New York based Indian influenced Hip-Hop act Nivla Feat.…
What the Kids are Listening to: Flo Rida
The # 1 song in the country, folks, is “Low” by Flo Rida. It’s your basic club hit of the month. The same machismo / underlying misogyny, the same “baby girl” references, the same drum machine programming. Same same same.…
Ickmusic Giveaway: DJ Axel – Breakin’ the Law
Okay, so here’s the deal. This is not quite a “giveaway”; dear friends of Ickmusic you are going to have to work for this one. There are 52 faces on that record cover and whoever can name the most faces…
