The Full Clip

2011-12-13T22:32:00.004-05:00

We're back in business. But we've moved. All posts form this point forward live over at thefullclip.tumblr.comLet's git it.

Bronsoleenio

2011-11-21T19:56:00.017-05:00

Hustle til my fingers staying cheesy like a Cheeto.

^Where I've been for two years.

by DCide

Vinnie Panzini

2010-06-01T22:52:00.006-04:00

We back to eat your heart with a side dish of asparagus.

VINNIE PAZ - ROLE OF LIFE

Radiohead x DOOM

2010-02-08T11:56:00.006-05:00

"Like Jake the Snake on mescalines."
^ You said it, DOOM.

DOOM - GAZZILLION EAR (THOM YORKE REMIX)

Magical Mystery Chambers

2010-01-31T12:14:00.006-05:00

^ Cover design by Logan Walters, who has been tearing up the Wu-Tang "remix" cover design projects for a minute.

Since Danger Mouse dropped The Grey Album, every DJ and their mother has been attempting to catch their first break off mashup projects. While some have been mediocre and listenable (see Sinatra x Biggie), most have been overt cases of shitting the bed completely, and have also succeeded in discrediting the mashup as a genre.

So when I first heard of this new project with The Wu and The Beatles, I dismissed it immediately. But, being the music addict I am, I decompressed that .rar file and gave it one full spin. And, man....this is DOPE. Unusual sample choices, banging drums, perfect pairing of Wu verses (how do you make your own beat to work with "Hey Dirtay, baby I got your money!"??...the most offbeat hook ever), and consistency all mark this project.

Composed entirely by Tom Caruana, a completely unknown 28-year-old music teacher and producer from Brighton, England—who thought nothing much would come of it—the album has already seen 30,000 direct downloads, praise from The New York Times, and a shotout on Raekwon's Twitter page claiming the album is "completely ill". I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this project gets this kid some serious work, if not with the Wu, then with some cats of similar caliber.

I don't even get/like The Beatles and have been bumping this nonstop since I got it.

Full album here.

WU-TANG x THE BEATLES - DAYTONA 500

WU-TANG x THE BEATLES - R.E.C. ROOM

Caruana is planning his next attack with a mashup album between Dr Dre and The Rolling Stones, inevitably influenced by this.

Dear Moleskine,

2010-01-16T14:00:00.018-05:00

This isn't out yet, but expect it to be on Act II (the next official Jay Electronica x Just Blaze EP, featuring multiple cameos from Nas). The beat is so dope, and Im looking forward to this single, but isnt it a direct cop from De La Soul's Sunshine? How can Just Blaze say he produced it?

Regardless, Act II is coming soon, despite the fact that it is already two weeks late from its release date. Just Blaze mentioned in an interview yesterday that it is just being mastered since Nas was, as usual, late with his verses.

In the meantime&inbetweentime, for all my iPhone users, here's the iPhone formatted ringtone.

Sent from my flip phone

JAY ELECTRONICA - DEAR MOLESKINE (IPHONE RINGTONE)

.

Baron Davis x J Dilla

2010-01-16T11:01:00.004-05:00

Pretty much every day as I stomp through New York on the way to my daily basketball game I listen to this track at least twice.

J DILLA FT DIZ GIBRAN - MAKE IT FAST

Apparently Baron Davis is on the same shit. Except he traveles from The Brooklyn Bridge to Times Square, dribbling the whole time, and happens to encounter a few more important people on the way. Includes cameos from Jim Jones, Common, and Irv Gotti (<- totally unnecessary).

The More Revolutions Per Minute, The Better

2010-01-14T13:58:00.003-05:00

All you Biggie and Tupac stans can hate all you want on this, but Train of Thought is the best hip-hop album of all time. Based on what I have heard from the new Reflection Eternal album, Kweli and Hi-Tek are poised to drop an equivalent gem of an album on February 16th.

Here's a new track off of Statik Selektah's Reflection Eternal mixtape, which I believe will be featured on the official version of Revolutions Per Minute. This gives me faith that these guys haven't skipped a beat since '00.

REFLECTION ETERNAL - IN THIS WORLD

Gucci, Mane

2010-01-12T23:51:00.010-05:00

Nota bene:
Anyone who says "My watch is so stupid I can't tell what time it is" over a Diplo beat gets automatic shine on TFC, plus their own personalized Get Out of Jail Free Card.

GUCCI MANE - BREAK YOURSELF (DIPLO REMIX)

Wu '10 Clan

2010-01-11T21:22:00.005-05:00

Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface have a group album coming out in the next few months. Which is great, mostly because Cappadonna, U-God, Blue Raspberry Blackberry Stir Fry and the rest of the 90 other Wu members no one cares about are nowhere to be found.

Anyway, this trifecta doesn't yet have a group name, despite being in the studio and knocking out quite a bit of the album. They decided to opt to the fans, and you can currently text MethRaeGhost to 66937 if you have a name for the group in mind, and will be properly rewarded if your suggestion is chosen. My first thought was something like Bed Pan Clan, but then I heard this new joint, and reneged. These dudes somehow figured out how to rhyme like '94 again.

METHOD MAN, RAEKWON, GHOSTFACE - CLAP 2010

Oh and suggestions for the group name are definitely welcome in the comments section. The best one on their Myspace site is: Ironman, Iron Chef, and the Iron Lung. With the addition of two complete wtfs: 1) Docktor Jeep and the Collagen Kidnappers!; 2) The P Tone Experience ft. Tical Diamonds

Zion I-tis

2009-12-28T01:55:00.003-05:00

Things that make me happy:

• B-boy anthems
• Nina Simone
• Drums that sound like buckets in the subway
• B-boy anthems with subway buckets that are based entirely on Nina Simone classics

Hence...

ZION I - SAME OL

If this doesn't make your Christmas...

2009-12-23T12:30:00.002-05:00

I don't know what will.

REFLECTION ETERNAL FT MOS DEF, JAY ELECTRONICA, & J.COLE - ON ANOTHER LEVEL

Goings On About Town

2009-12-14T09:37:00.004-05:00

^ Full Clip supporter No-mas animates Dock Ellis' taking of LSD while pitching a no-hitter.

• Lil Wayne uses all the drugs in Mexico.
• College football players are really into narcolepsy.
• Omar from The Wire talks life outside the show.
• Dame Dash gets Mos Def rocking again.
• Tracklist to Jay-Z's new 40th birthday mixtape.
• After decades of misses, Adidas gets it right.
• NYC cop and hip-hop CD hustler have a shootout on 42nd st.

Stumblebum Brass Band

2009-12-12T19:27:00.008-05:00

I just saw these cats in the subway and they are hands down my new favorite band above or below ground. They are a true old school NYC LES act...rapid-fire yet guttural vocalizations, ferocious trumpet playing, raunchy and rough basslines...everything my neighborhood represents in personality, sound, and appearance.

I did a bit of Googling when I got home, and despite feeling bad for them being so talented and stuck with the rats, I realized that they have performed with The Roots, in addition to being booed off the always awful America's Got Talent (thank god...if David Hassellhoff and his posse of zealots liked this I would unpost it).

Currently there are no mp3s of their music available unless you buy their CD for $10 on the L train platform. But I guarantee you will be hearing more from them in the future.

The Meanest Thing I'd Never Say

2009-12-09T23:27:00.001-05:00

I've been wondering where El-P and Def Jux have been lately. But then I realized, oh, they're are just holed up in a tiny Brooklyn apartment for weeks on end writing incredibly complex, poetic, depressingly dope songs about pain and loss. Silly me.

This isnt brooklyn,
its a colony of wayward bees without a queen

and we are not people,
more like sims controlled by childish deities,

but see we're alive now,
and thats not time we're wasting, nah this is life

and you're so pretty,
like the gleam off that blade when you slipped my ribs the shivy,

this aint a breakup,
i like to think of it as a stay of execution,

and thats not the air im clearing,
its the wispy trails of our cumulus pollution,

and thats not despair you're feeling,
its the petchulant reaction of a wounded child

and thats not the door im looking at,
its an escape hatch to this zeppelin we're inside...

You're not a woman,
you're a piranha with cutlery for dentured up smile

and i'm not a man,
i'm an incomplete punchline to a joke i dont understand,

that's not your diary,
it's a cookbook and i'm you're favorite chapter when you're bored

and thats not a love letter,
its a recipe for the same slop you've served before

this aint an insult,
its the clearest truth i've ever had the misery to speak
but these arent words,
these are the terms of my surrender and defeat

but i'm not sorry,
beyond the sorry nature of existing with no plans,

please dont touch me.
just wave goodbye with that claw thats not a hand.

did I mention that I...

EL-P - HOW TO SERVE MAN

K-Os Wishes He Was Me

2009-12-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

For the record, I went on a date with Natalie Portman when I was 15. How you like them apples, Superstar?

K-OS - I WISH I KNEW NATALIE PORTMAN

All About My Bills Like Buffalo

2009-12-05T16:28:00.018-05:00

^ This is the entire new Lil Wayne documentary, The Carter, which won multiple awards at Sundance, and is absolutely worth a full viewing.

Apparently Wayne's people pulled their support for the project a week or two after it premiered, and although most of the film is positive, it's easy to see why. Aside from the blatant display of his drug habit and neglect of his daughter, the film accurately captures the insanity of Wayne's superstar status: unending interviews, recording, shows, syrup and weed, and the consequent lack of friendships or real relationships that surrounds it all. His only real friend, his tour manager, calls Wayne out on all of this too, which doesn't really help the cause.

Still, aside from the negatives, there's a lot to respect about Wayne after seeing this. His work ethic and dedication to his craft trumps 99% of the people on the planet (of course quality and quantity don't quite sync in Wayne's portfolio, but whatever). His energy and enthusiasm for the game is also unmatched, especially after everything is said and done the dude probably sleeps 1 hour a week.

And he still makes shit that I like, which I can't quite figure out yet. Off the new mixtape No Ceilings, yadig?:

LIL WAYNE FT GUDDA GUDDA - BREAK UP

Cinco Banking

2009-12-03T14:26:00.005-05:00

Your wife's new legal name is TAARGUS TAARGUS. Is this okay?

The best show on television second to The Office, is the newly-discovered Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job. If you haven't seen this yet you need to cop a bag of Pineapple Blueberry Express and get to it. Also great next to Cinco Banking is The Cinco Phone series.

I'm Back Bitches

2009-12-01T01:51:00.000-05:00

Ya I done been gone. What of it? I'm just following in the footsteps of those before me. The Black Sheeps, Souls of Mischiefs, and Ricky Williams' of the world who disappear without a trace to drive cabs or smoke weed at massage school, then arbitrarily reappear to kill it.

I got the turtleneck in Turkestan. - A-Plus

SOULS OF MISCHIEF - PROPER AIM

SOULS OF MISCHIEF - WONI

BLACK SHEEP - DOIN IT WRONG

PLUS!: Remeet Ricky Williams, if you haven't met him already.

Silencio

2009-11-24T19:29:00.001-05:00

I clearly dont have enough time or energy for the blog lately. So let's try something new. No talking. Just what Im digging at the moment....this blog is about tastemaking for the most part anyway, so if youve been following for long enough, who cares what I have to say anymore?

Fa Sheese

2009-10-19T18:24:00.007-04:00

It takes a lot of time to get new school MCs to impress me, and that is definitely true for Fashawn. He put out one dope single, which we gave him proper credit for, but more often than not these one hits don't turn into much.

His EPK (seen above), however, convinced me that he was a genuine dude, especially since he was willing to talk freely about his tough life and it's relationship to his album. I copped it, and it is definitely what he speaks. The single below with Evidence of Dilated Peoples only tells half the story.

Im going to assume Babu is on the beat and cuts on this, because it's old school 90s Dilated.

FASHAWN FT EVIDENCE - OUR WAY

Green Eyed Love

2009-10-17T23:24:00.008-04:00

I've been posted up in the apartment all day with a stomach bug that hasnt allowed me to move or eat. Aside from that, the heat isnt on in my building (NYC landlords, kill yourselves. Then reanimate yourselves and do it again). My only recourse for any sort of comfort is to move the couch close to the open gas oven, set it at 500°, and add carbon monoxide to today's 0 carb diet.

I was ready to chalk it up as one of the worst Saturdays in human history. But then the Mayer Hawthorne remix from Classixx arrived in my inbox.

MAYER HAWTHORNE - GREEN-EYED LOVE REMIX

Bold & Arrogant (CDQ)

2009-10-14T19:57:00.011-04:00

I done been waiting for this track to drop for about 3 months, ever since the 10.Deep fall promo video knocked it out of the park. Fucking bonkers.

If you copped the radio rip earlier today, get rid of it. Here is the official high quality album version:

EMILIO ROJAS - BOLD & ARROGANT

Belhaven Meridian

2009-10-13T13:29:00.007-04:00

^ If Jim Jarmusch made hip-hop videos.

This allegorical short film/music video for the fairly unknown Shabazz Palaces was shot in Watts, Los Angeles by Kahlil Joseph. Dope cinametography, an old reference to the 1977 film Killer of Sheep, and a barely visible cameo from a character from The Wire, combine to make this one of the most innovative and random videos of the year. These cats are now on our radar. Think Camp Lo, Digable Planets, and Outkast, if they were on Def Jux in Watts. Props, gentlemen.

The Blakroc Project

2009-10-11T09:39:00.004-04:00

Ever since Dame Dash was cut off by Jay-Z, he's been a ghost. For years. Invisible. I mean, without hip-hop's biggest cash cow, there's nowhere to go but down, right?

Wrong.

Dame has been secretly waiting in the cut to do something monumental—something that hasn't been done since the days of the Beastie Boys: Create a colossal rap-rock album. And not one to shake a stick at either. His concept is Blakroc: a collaboration between The Black Keys and heavyhitters like Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Raekwon, Jim Jones, The RZA, and Q-Tip. Bringing together the down-south bluesy rock sounds of The Black Keys with the gritty up-north sounds of New York's greatest MCs, Blakroc seeks to cross genres in a way that would be brand new.

The footage of this is bananas. Especially watching The RZA sit down with the guitar and lay out that loop.

Blakroc will be released on "Blak" Friday, November 27th. Here's a taste:

BLACKROC FT MOS DEF & JIM JONES - HOOCHIE COO

Joss x Nas

2009-10-10T14:50:00.003-04:00

While we patiently wait for the new Nas & Damian Marley album, here is a nice soulful new gem with Joss Stone. Joss' new album, released later this month, will also feature Full Clip favorite Raphael Saadiq.

JOSS STONE FT NAS - GOVERNMENTALIST

You dressin like you from the 80s, you was born in the 90s

2009-10-08T19:53:00.008-04:00

Qwel used to be one of my top MCs in the early 2000s, but quickly fell as he became obsessed with religion and Christianity only a few years later. His lyrics have always been crazy deep and intricate, but he got fairly preachy and overly-complex (a la Aesop Rock) on his recent solo projects.

His new album with Maker, luckily, features a handful of incredibly dope reggae dub-inspired beats, which have forced him to flip his style back to the days of those old Typical Cats joints when he was not only wise but incredibly raw.

QWEL - PAPER DOLLS

Dear Pops

2009-10-08T12:28:00.003-04:00

Instead of coming with his usual hate-filled, violent lyricism, Vinnie Paz eloquently tells the story of the sickness and eventual death of his stepfather.
The beat and hook (most likely provided by Stoupe) are perfectly crafted and beautiful, complimenting Vinnie's vivid storytelling. Who knew he had a heart?

A++.

VINNIE PAZ - SAME STORY (MY DEDICATION)

In With The New

2009-09-25T15:23:00.011-04:00

As a little experiment, things are going to change 'round here. Starting with: enough of these time-consuming single-song posts. They are boring for you and tedious for me to write.

So now we're going to hit you with a theme, and a number of songs that fit into that. You get the option of downloading them individually, or downloading them as a single zip file. This optio is akin to just trusting me that whatever Im posting is killing whatever else any other blog/friend/wifey/Pitchfork idiot is trying to sell you.

So without further ado, Theme #1:
Groups or artists that catch hate that are making dope shit.
Steady rotation at the new palace:

----------------------------------------------------
DRAKE - BARRY BONDS FREESYLE

Ya I know this kid was on Degrassi High as a child, is from Canada, and is more overhyped than Color Me Badd in the 90s, but I cosign him 100% with a straight Idontgiveafuck. This is one of my favorite beats ever, and Drake just completely nukes it. Plus dude said "You just mad cause your girl's at my house with her tongue sticking out like a Michael Jordan rookie card."

----------------------------------------------------
THE COOL KIDS - SUMMER VACATIONS

The Cool Kids have always been a bit of a gimmick for the new generation. They're on that "Hey look at us we're so throwback" shit that all the 16 year-olds are doing right now, even though there's no reference point...

Oh wait, what? This is basically the new Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff "Summertime" joint for '09? My bad, guys.

----------------------------------------------------
50 CENT - FUNNY HOW TIME FLIES

It's funny how time doesn't fly when I'm listening to any other 50 song.

----------------------------------------------------

The last dude getting unnecessarily hated on right now is Barack Obama. WTF is wrong with you people? Just look at that smile.

Be Ali

2009-09-15T21:03:00.006-04:00

Ant laces another gorgeous drunken guitar loop, while Ali arrives with his usual head on his shoulders wisdom.

Gotta deal with your demons before they deal with you.

BROTHER ALI - BABY GIRL

More Mobb Deep Letters

2009-09-12T00:58:00.007-04:00

Thank god Havoc is doing the letter writing this time around, instead of having to struggle through yet another all caps nonsensical Prodigy letter from jail again. It's a pleasure to have at least one of these guys spouting off over a nearly classic Havoc beat. Bout. Cotdamn. Time.

HAVOC - LETTER TO P

Man On The Moon

2009-09-09T07:25:00.002-04:00

Remember this? We premiered this a little over one year ago, and no one knew who he was.

Here's a new Cudder track off his debut LP Man On The Moon.

There really aren't any tracks quite as good as Day N Nite on here, but I would nevertheless recommend copping this album and meditating on it for a week or so before you make up your mind about it. There are a few jawns with MGMT and Ratatat, which are much appreciated, as well as some other hidden gems.

KID CUDI - HYYERR

Walk Wit Me

2009-09-06T09:09:00.003-04:00

As predicted, Raekwon's much anticipated Purple Tape 2 is a bust. Rae chose a few nice beats from Dilla and Dr Dre, but picked his usual set of uninspired ones as well, and failed to make his mark lyrically. The album has its moments on joints like 10 Bricks and Catalina, but the rest is...well...let's just say I'm not memorizing any of the lyrics anytime soon.

But this random UK bonus track is the real diamond in the rough (how does the UK always get bonus tracks that are better than the album itself?).

RAEKWON - WALK WIT ME

Empire State of Mind

2009-09-01T08:49:00.005-04:00

Jay-Z recreates every album cover in one shot in 60 seconds.

This would be even better without the Rhapsody ad at the end...i.e. if it was used as a promotion for the new album alone. Speaking of the new album, this is one of the better joints off The BP3.

I made the Yankee hat more famous than the Yankee game.

JAY-Z FT ALICIA KEYS - EMPIRE STATE OF MIND

World Tour

2009-08-29T16:56:00.004-04:00

Wale has terrible taste in kicks, but great taste in beats and hooks.

WALE - WORLD TOUR

And this marks the first post with a direct link. Just click on the blue song title for a straight-to-iTunes download.

Good Googley Moogley

2009-08-28T15:08:00.004-04:00

I start droppin jewelery,
Her eyes went googley
She went home & Googled me.

Peter Bjorn John and Hip-hop

2009-08-21T15:53:00.006-04:00

Peter Bjorn and John released Living Thing last spring, which was an unusual departure from their mainstay of indie rock into the realm of beats. Hip-hop heads took notice...especially Full Clip favorite Mick Boogie, who just put together a remix album titled Re-Living Thing (out August 27). Included are Talib Kweli, GZA, Wale, Little Brother, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and a handful of other top shotters.

On the lead single Jazzy Jeff keeps the "Summertime" vibe alive, while Pooh and Chaundon reminisce on being young and staying that way. I've been feeling old lately, so this is my new summer anthem.

PETER, BJORN, JOHN, AND LITTLE BROTHER - STAY THIS WAY (DJ JAZZY JEFF REMIX)

24k

2009-08-21T15:18:00.006-04:00

Havoc and Rae take over my favorite downtown gear stop, sell all the kicks, keep all the cash, and then float. Real NYC video for a serious NYC collabo track.

In case you missed this gem the first time around:

J DILLA FT MOBB DEEP & RAEKWON - 24K RAP

Wale x Apple Juice Kid

2009-08-16T09:36:00.005-04:00

Apple Juice Kid is a relatively new name on the production scene, but within the last year has produced the new Camp Lo EP, as well as that excellent Miles Davis remix project. He's flexed skills mostly on jazz beats thus far, but is proving with this new African dance beat for Wale that he's got much more fire in the future.

Got more green than Whole Foods.
- Wale Faloren

WALE - MY SWEETIE

Outside The Box

2009-08-09T15:15:00.002-04:00

It's amazing what a white Jew from Manhattan can do to positively affect the hip-hop game in a matter of less than two years.

Since he stepped into the scene working for Hot97, Pete Rosenberg has successfully brought real hip-hop back to the masses, heavily promoting unknown but great artists like Oddisee and Folk & Stress (in addition to putting on those dope interviews at the 92nd St Y).

Here he is again hosting a new mixtape from Folk & Stress—two white brothers from the Big (Crab) Apple—heavily influenced not by the Def Jux's or Asher Roth's of the world but by that late 90s New York boom bap. These kids can SPIT.

I literally have been listening to nothing but these two joints all week:

FOLK & STRESS - 3RD BASS

FOLK & STRESS - GETTIN BUSY

OB4CL2

2009-08-01T02:17:00.005-04:00

First single from Only Built For Cuban Linx II, produced by the man Dilla.

I was seriously disappointed on the first listen, since everyone is expecting something completely monumental from this release. The Dilla beat is known, and already released on a beat mixtape. The Wu hook is recycled, and expected. On top of that, this is the first single, and Rae knows that he better hit us with something that make his last few releases look like a joke.

That said, this has been on repeat all evening (gotta give it a 110% chance), and I agree with the majority of comments on the internuts, it's pretty fresh. It's nothing like anything on OB4CL, but there are moments. Ghost GOES IN. It's dope compared to most of everything else coming out right now. That's good enough, right?

RAEKWON FT GHOSTFACE, METHOD MAN, INSPEKTAH DECK - HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS

I Should Tell Ya Momma On Ya (Part II)

2009-07-28T00:27:00.009-04:00

Remember this guy? He appeared about 6 months ago in a raw Youtube video outside of a motel in LA, performing an original beatboxing masterpiece for a bunch of kids, one of whom had a camera and caught it. He was apparently looking for Dr Dre or Warren G, and mentioned he was homeless.

Even though the video caught a lot of attention, it was easily assumed that was the last we were going to hear from him.

Well, leave it to the geniuses at Stones Throw to search the streets for this cat, find him, and get his single on iTunes. They got the original version (worth the purchase alone), as well as two remixes from Chops and Dam Funk. He's still homeless, so I'm not giving you this one. Purchase it on iTunes, like I actually did, here:

RED - I SHOULD TELL YA MOMMA ON YOU (iTunes)

The Thornton Brothers

2009-07-26T12:17:00.007-04:00

Complete fire. These synths are from Mars.

THE CLIPSE - WARNING

We @ The Waffle House

2009-07-23T23:44:00.007-04:00

It's great when unknown MCs get really hungry...you never know what lengths they might go to. They might just pack their old Accord, head to Waffle House, and instead of going right in for the Monday special, they opt to rip up the parking lot just to show your internet-addicted ass just truly hungry they really are.

RAASHAN AHMAD - STAY

Yo I got a crazy idea for how to do legos this summer...

2009-07-23T12:59:00.003-04:00

Da Mystery of Chessboxin' video gets the full remake with legos. I'm not sure who keeps making these things but they are pretty genius...peep the video below for the shot-by-shot comparison between the original and the lego version.

Just like Ol Dirty said "Wu Tang is for the children."

Remix Contest: Heart & Soul of NYC

2009-07-11T13:17:00.009-04:00

Red does his thing on this one, but couldn't Pete have dialed up Nas to make this a gold classic? Imagine God's Son spitting that mellow flow inbetween the "heart & soul of New York City" sample...modern Illmatic.

I'm looking for one good producer to find this instrumental, a good BPM Nas acapella, and mixitup (© Mick Boogie). I know the instrumental exists because Young Buck used this beat in addition to Red Cafe, so it's out there. The winner will receive a direct link to your website from TFC, a "Producer's Spotlight" post, and some possible shine.

RED CAFE - HEART & SOUL OF NYC (PROD PETE ROCK)

Edit: My man E-Torn hit me up with his remix with Nasir. He didn't find the beat (I couldn't either) but mixed it off just the first few bars with some turntable additions. Check it at They Control Us.

Nina Simone x Cool Calm Pete

2009-07-10T08:52:00.004-04:00

...goes together better than peas x carrots, Ghost x Rae, blunts x 40s, Kanye x fishsticks. You get the picture. Snatch this one, it's the track of the month hands down.

Nowadays it's just search engines looking for dreams...
no time for the heart.
– Cool Calm Peteyatrics

COOL CALM PETE FT NINA SIMONE - HEART

Fo' Shawn

2009-07-08T22:45:00.009-04:00

A ridiculous 90s-sounding snap beat from Blu's producer Exile. Smart storytelling from a new clear and present danger young gun out of Fresno. References to Wu-Tang classics. What is not to completely love about this track?

FASHAWN - LIFE AS A SHORTY (PROD BY EXILE)

Sad Clown Back For a Bad Summer

2009-07-08T22:12:00.007-04:00

Slug is the kind of MC you would think would wither and die as he gets older. He's been around the game long over a decade, has a daughter and wife, and lately has been sporting a greased-up mullet. The drugs, alcohol, and flocking depressed women just don't provide the lyrical fodder they used to.

So it's only natural to expect Atmosphere to have already become irrelevant. But, strangely, they aren't at all. Each song off their new EP Leak At Will (that curiously isn't leakable because you have to sign up for a mailing list to get it), has the usual unique ANT beats and descriptive Sluggo attack that made us love Lucy Ford originally. Golf clap for you, old man.

ATMOSPHERE - THE ROPES

ATMOSPHERE - THEY ALWAYS KNOW

Just An Ordinary Day

2009-06-25T09:00:00.006-04:00

Not sure who exactly Hollyweerd is, and B.O.B. isn't an automatic cosign, but this one could be straight off Aquemini. If the south keeps putting out this kind of smooth Nappy Roots x Outkast x Arrested Development-esque (!) material like this, the east might just stay losing in '09.

Name the last known album the poet at the end of this track is on, and receive some free dap.

HOLLYWEERD FT B.O.B. - ORDINARY DAY

Crisp Like Film

2009-06-23T07:38:00.003-04:00

New Nas. Produced by the emerging 18 year-old beatmaker C-Sick, who was blessed with the opportunity to produce this track after winning the Big Tune Beat Competition. It's good to see Nas:

1) Not on another disastrous Salaam Remi beat
2) Giving the new generation a chance to make it

Heavy, heavy rotation.

NAS - FILM

McFly?

2009-06-20T00:55:00.014-04:00

After months of incessant internet bitching and complaining, a few leaks, and unending anticipation ... Wale's new album with 9th Wonder Back To The Feature is finally here.

And while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, this is no A Mixtape About Nothing. Maybe it's 9th's increasingly flat production, or a slew of features from high-end artists doing nothing special, or the four songs that are months old...it's hard to tell. The pieces aren't all there.

That said, we love Wale. And want to love this tape. And in some ways do. Like the collabo track with Wale, Mark Ronson, and K'Naan, who go together like Marty Mcfly, hoverboards, and Deloreans.

WALE FT K'NAAN - UM RICKA

Download:
WALE - BACK TO THE FEATURE MIXTAPE

Mr Solo Dolo

2009-06-18T09:06:00.003-04:00

Kid Cudi jacks Menahan Street Band's The Traitor. This is the second time they've seen shine from a major label artist, and hopefully not the last.

KID CUDI - MR. SOLO DOLO

Give This To A Blood, Let A Crip Walk On It

2009-06-10T05:01:00.002-04:00

New Hov. Technically the first single off The Blueprint 3.

I wonder how Kanye feels about this one after just putting his whole soul into 808s & Heartbreak. Jay basically denounces autotune music, even though he and Kanye were rumored to have put down nearly four mastered tracks for Blueprint in autotune before removing them from the album. Regardless, when Jay speaks, everyone listens. Expect autotune to take a flop after this one. Thank god.

JAY-Z - DEATH OF AUTOTUNE

Slaughterhouse

2009-06-09T18:47:00.004-04:00

The Slaughterhouse record is DONE. Expect a very pleasant surprise* when it drops.

If you haven't copped this absolute monster of a single yet, do it now. It is one of the best of the year, with some absolutely vicious Mike Tyson-style lyricism on all ends.

SLAUGHTERHOUSE - FIGHT CLUB

* Joe Budden's solo record was a serious bust (wtf happened Joey?), but it's usually a sure shot when the group huddles up.

The Mayer Is In Town

2009-06-09T15:15:00.003-04:00

Stones Throw's rookie of the year Mayer Hawthorne has announced the release of his album, A Strange Arrangement, on 9.9.09 (two days before Jay-Z's new opus drops). You might recall Mayer's simply perfect first doo-wop single Just Ain't Gonna Work Out, which has built his buzz until now.

Here is a nice preview joint off the new album. You can also check out the lo fi homemade video for this here.

MAYER HAWTHORNE - I WISH IT WOULD RAIN

Extras:
• More on Mayer Hawthorne, including a short biography.
• Preview 4 tracks on BBC 1xtra.
• See his heart-shaped record.

New Mos Def

2009-06-04T10:05:00.012-04:00

^Mos acapellas a new joint off the album in Osaka, Japan.

I can't say I was expecting very much from the new Mos Def album, since pretty much everything he has touched in the last few years has been a detriment to his past success. But after only one spin this is pretty damn redeeming.

It includes features from Talib Kweli and Slick Rick (!), production from the likes of J Dilla, Mos rapping in Spanish for an entire track, and a nice variety of bangers as well as some plain old classic Flaco. There aren't too many skippable joints on here. I'd like to drop about five tracks on you, but let's settle for two and a purchase.

MOS DEF FT SLICK RICK - AUDITORIUM

MOS DEF - TWILITE SPEEDBALL (PROD BY NEPTUNES)

Wahlay!

2009-06-03T14:23:00.005-04:00

New Wah-lay Falorin* off his project with 9th Wonder Back to the Feature, which is already three weeks late from its scheduled departure of May 7th.

WALE - FAMILY AFFAIR

*Fun fact: Wale's real name is Olubowale Victor Akintimehin.

Im rappin for real, you MFs rappin for play

2009-05-30T16:51:00.010-04:00

New Marco Polo & Torae album on top of Dilla in one day? The hip-hop gods have been making their sacrifices.

Listen to this one close, it applies to all of us self-proclaimed real hip-hop heads who don't buy albums and then complain about the state of hip-hop when the Lil Wayne's get paid. Just look at the picture above, that's Marco's house and recording studio (for real). Let's help him get paid.

TORAE & MARCO POLO - CRASHING DOWN

And a bonus leak off Marco's new upcoming "blend" project, featuring one of his best older beats from Port Authority (Copywrite originally killed this one). This time he blends the new Rae and Ghost track. Cross your fingers OB4CL2 beats sound this naturally perfect for the Wu affiliates.

GHOSTFACE & RAEKWON - MY PIANO (MARCO BLEND)

$tay Paid

2009-05-30T16:13:00.008-04:00

Just copped the new Dilla album, and it is fire on wax. Keep the record spinning, and it might damn near melt.

Even though there are some serious options to post—tracks featuring M.O.P., Blu, MF Doom—we're going with the real gem featuring someone you probably have never heard of. Diz Gibran, out of the left coast, goes in over the best beat on the album. After listening to this, I'm 110% on this kid...if you want to delve a bit Crooks & Castles just released Dizzy's latest project Soon You'll Understand.

Real track starts at 1:25.

J DILLA FT DIZ GIBRAN - MAKE IT FAST

Cru's Pop

2009-05-27T01:13:00.003-04:00

Rick's verse ain't funny, so don't you dare laugh.

CRU FT SLICK RICK - JUST ANOTHER CASE

Oh Hell Oh

2009-05-19T09:07:00.010-04:00

Cage is preparing to drop his new LP Away From Me this summer, which will most likely be his furthest departure from his old thugged-out morbid sound that initially built his career pre-Def Jux. For a taste of what we have in store in the new clean-cut, more indie, and matured Cage, we have a new one from the EP released for free on Twitter last night. Since then this track has been on steady repeat:

CAGE - HELL OH (PROD BY EL-P)

Actor Shia LaBeouf has taken an almost obsessive interest in Cage the last few years, going so far as to work on a documentary about him. Needless to say, it will probably be the most interesting and convoluted hip-hop documentary ever. As a teaser to that project, Shia directed the most recent video for Cage from his track I Never Knew You, which is a more than impressive directorial debut.

And if you're feeling the video and song...

CAGE - I NEVER KNEW YOU

Dilla x Raekwon x Mobb Deep

2009-05-14T22:56:00.005-04:00

Look at the title. This is oh so serious.

J DILLA FT MOBB DEEP & RAEKWON - 24K RAP

You Could Never Hang With Me, Even If Your Name Was Mr Cooper

2009-05-14T21:58:00.005-04:00

This one is a rare unreleased bonus cut off Company Flow's classic album Funcrusher Plus. Unique to the 2009 reissue.

This was back when El-P's style was gritty New York City without the whole depressed intellectual shtick. Back when being the one white kid in the strongest underground crew meant you had to step in the cypher with bullets. Super fresh throwback, especially for the 80s babies who grew up on this sound.

COMPANY FLOW - HIT ME WITH THAT SHIT (RARE)

More rare bonus material:

COMPANY FLOW - STRETCH & BOBBITO FREESTYLE

Same Old Song & Dance

2009-05-12T23:00:00.006-04:00

Off Em's new album Relapse, produced by the (still) talented Dr. Dre and Dawaun Parker. If you have the stomach for the auditory equivalent of Silence of the Lambs, enjoy. Otherwise puruse the rest of the site for something a little less, um, completely fucked.

EMINEM - SAME SONG & DANCE

Switch To Southpaw, Split Your Right Jaw

2009-05-11T19:51:00.013-04:00

^ They don't make em like they used to. - Old fogey praverb.

When Yo! MTV Raps was the only blog in town, real cats like Rakim actually ran the scene, Tupac was putting in stellar acting performaces, and hip-hop movies were about actually about turntablism, the art of MCing, and depicting a reality of street life in big cities (read: not Get Rich Or Die Trying)...this is what was defining the culture.

Can you imagine a song like this coming out in 2009? Your head would explode. It would make all of this garbage floating around the internet look like a complete waste of your precious zShare ad click time. This just doesn't happen anymore, even from the potential legends, and I'm not quite sure why.

I need answers.

ERIC B & RAKIM - KNOW THE LEDGE

All Up Under The Covers Day

2009-05-10T23:10:00.005-04:00

The Dick In A Box boys are back with more fire, this time celebrating Mother's Day.

It Never Entered My Mind

2009-05-09T20:26:00.008-04:00

I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning ... Every day I find something creative to do with my life.

Perfect inspiration for a rainy day.

MILES DAVIS - IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND

Props to Jaker.

Forever

2009-05-05T09:12:00.008-04:00

Another crunchy joint off the De La Soul x Nike run project, chopped and packaged from the 45-minute mp3 by yours truly, for truly yours.

De La in our hearts & souls forever.

DE LA SOUL - FOREVER

Wu-Tang Redesigns

2009-05-04T20:49:00.005-04:00

Though the scope of hip-hop graphic design is far too wide to generalize, it is for sure that it is a field that has not grown or taken the chances it needs to. Cheesy Photoshop techniques, graffiti themes, and braggadocio images have almost always taken the lead to real imagination, smart typography, and design that references classic techniques.

For the last few years my dream has been to bring a whole new flavor to hip-hop design. I was thinking: Why not step out of the box? Create a new vernacular that has nothing to do with the themes that have ruled hip-hop design?

But it looks like designer Logan Walters beat me to it with his new series of Wu-Tang design remixes (almost exactly what I imagine hip-hop design should be doing). Based on the old Blue Note album designs, these are smart, elegant, and straight out of left field, at least when it comes to hip-hop.

New De La Soul!?

2009-04-29T14:41:00.008-04:00

De La has been working with Nike for a minute now. First was the release of the Nike De La Soul Dunk Hi a few years ago. Now they are dropping the Are You In? running mixtape with Nike next month.

The first track was released today, and man is it a banger. Track of the month hands down. Featuring production that sounds like some of the better joints off AOI, and the usual maximalist De La flow.

Speaking of running mixes, where in the hell is that Full Clip Marathon Man mixtape?

DE LA SOUL - BIG MOUF

It's No Worries, Hakuna Matata

2009-04-28T08:04:00.000-04:00

The other day I rolled through the BMW dealership with the boss man to pick up the ride, and look who's there at 1pm on a Thursday. None other than Mickey Factz and a few other Supra'd up entourage members, checking out X5s.

I couldn't help thinking that Mickey was just a little out of his pay league shopping for a beamer already. But then again, it was just announced that Mickey signed a fairly big deal with Jay-Z and his new label Roc Nation. So we'll give him the benefit of the doubt on the X5.

This joint has already been seeing spins on Hot97 and could easily be the crossover joint no one thought Mickey had in him. Beat is serious fire.

MICKEY FACTZ - WHOS HOTTER?

Shameless Self-Promotion

2009-04-25T22:17:00.000-04:00

Often I wonder who is behind the blogs that I hit up on the RSS every day. When I recently read about how Dallas Penn was an construction contractor, I thought, huh, isn't that some shit? That guy works for a living?

Perhaps those of you who read this site have wondered as well "Who exactly is this apparition with too much time on his hands hustling mad MP3s to DivShare?" Though partially correct, I do have a life, and I'm going to share it today for completely selfish self-promotional means.

Currently I work as a designer for Milton Glaser in NYC. If you don't know who he is yet, let's get edumacated. Milton is the creator of, amongst other important iconic images of our times:

• The I♥NY logo (which he never made a penny on)
• New York Magazine
• The Brooklyn Brewery logo and all subsequent beer & advertising
• Bob Dylan's famous rainbow hair poster

and tons of other objects and logos that have surrounded your consciousness since before you took your first breath.

Currently I am finished developing our new website, which I have been hustling on for weeks. It features a ton of amazing art that spans over 55 years of Milton's work: posters, prints, silkscreens, books, and other ephemera. He is an artistic genius, and you would do well to purchase something that might be invaluable at some point in the very near future.

You can check out our new site at:
www.miltonglaserworks.com

or see what we do at:
www.miltonglaser.com

Here's a few things I do when I'm not here blabbering to you about "preserving the culture" and the True School:

Now back to hip-hop...

When the west is in the house, oh my god! Danger.

2009-04-25T13:52:00.007-04:00

The Living Legends link with left coast affiliates Blu and Flying Lotus for quite the trifecta. Off Grouch & Eligh's completely amazing new album G&E.

If life keeps asking you the same questions,
you ain't learning the lessons.

GROUCH & ELIGH FT BLU - OLD SOULS

Equally as good:

GROUCH & ELIGH - SAY G&E

Sleep Is The Cousin Of Death

2009-04-25T12:48:00.007-04:00

Ever since Peter Rosenberg premiered some behind-the-scenes footage of Oddisee prepping his new album, I have been waiting more than patiently for Mental Liberation.

And alas, I have it in my greedy little paws, and it is nothing short of dope. Featuring bangers like this remix of Full Clip favorite Invincible, and a slew of features from the likes of J-Live, Little Brother, and Black Milk as well, it would be in your best interest to not sleep on this.

INVINCIBLE & FINALE - DONT SLEEP (ODDISEE REMIX)

You Are You

2009-04-22T21:34:00.005-04:00

Why did Slick Rick disappear for three years straight and then reappear on the UK bonus track for this brand new white kid phenomena? (And ya, we know, Cee-Lo & Beanie Siegel co-signed Asher).

Truth is, who cares...The Nottz beat is bananas, Asher does his thing, and Rick is still the best MC of all time.

ASHER ROTH FT SLICK RICK - Y.O.U.

Will Ferrell Meets His Landlord

2009-04-21T13:33:00.003-04:00

I want my beers bitch!

Clipse x Kanye x Kaws

2009-04-20T13:07:00.003-04:00

This is definitely kinda like a big deal. Til The Casket Drops coming like kinda soon.

CLIPSE FT KANYE - KINDA LIKE A BIG DEAL

Noisemakers With Q-Tip

2009-04-19T09:22:00.003-04:00

Peter Rosenberg continues on with yet another Noisemakers series at the 92nd St Y, this time with the one and only Q-Tip. The program, if you haven't caught it yet, is basically the musical equivalent of Inside The Actors Studio.

This one in particular is a classic, just like the two before it (the first was with DJ Premier, and the second with Questlove a few months later). Featuring good behind-the-scenes stories from Tip on the golden era, and what it meant to be a player in mid-90s hip-hop.

On meeting J Dilla:

On possibly working with Miles Davis:

On how Busta Rhymes was going to join ATCQ:

The Break Room: Whitest Boy Alive

2009-04-18T20:45:00.003-04:00

Aside from this song being the perfect remedy to accompany today's weather, it's also pretty much our favorite non-hip-hop song of the month. And now with this video...ya huh.

After watching creative shit like this appear for pretty much every indie genre other than hip-hop, Im left with the burning question: Why don't hip-hop videos take chances like this? We can all agree Rik Cordero's videos are boring and trite, right? And that every other hip-hop video director has the same intentions and ideas, for the most part. How dope would it be if real artists, animators, and designers could lend a hand to hip-hop videos to make them some [finally] thought-provoking pieces of art?

Handrawn animation by Geoff McFetridge, who we like lots aside from this.

WHITEST BOY ALIVE - GOLDEN CAGE

Dilla x Black Thought

2009-04-18T11:33:00.002-04:00

Off an upcoming compilation of exclusive Dilla beats mixed by Pete Rock (!), which will also feature guest spots from DOOM, Raekwon, Blu, Havoc, and M.O.P. This whole project is going to be certified bananas.

Thought gets it in with reality television on this one...

J DILLA FT BLACK THOUGHT - REALITY CHECK

Reflection Eternal II

2009-04-18T01:17:00.005-04:00

In 2000, Talib Kweli & Hi-tek dropped possibly the best hip-hop album of all time (haters welcome to drop a line, but we are right), which I bought for about $50 in Japan the day that it dropped. That album is worth about, say, $300 to me now, or at least I would give up that much if my life depended on it for a final hard copy.

Despite every track on that album being a real gem, Kweli's solo career for years after that was a surprising exercise in mediocrity, while Hi-Tek, after signing with Dr Dre, lost his delicate touch on the boards. In layman's terms, they both became never bad, but never great.

That said, there is a new Reflection Eternal album finished and ready for pressing, outcome TBD. Keep your fingers crossed for the magic to still be there two diverged careers later.

REFLECTION ETERNAL - BACK AGAIN

Playoffs? Playoffs?

2009-04-16T05:05:00.002-04:00

NBA playoffs commercial ft Kanye's Amazing. Proficient advertising comes but once a year.

Double Barrel

2009-04-14T18:54:00.008-04:00

Torae was listed as one of The Full Clip's Top 10 Freshman of '09 based on this joint alone, while Marco Polo took the spot as one of the top producers of the year with Port Authority.

With the two of them uniting for an entire new LP, Double Barrel, our anticipation just can't get any higher. Torae just signed to Duck Down records (home to Black Moon and Boot Camp) so you best believe this is going to be that unusually focused underground hip-hop record of '09.

Here's just a taste of how these two are going to leave shotgun shells all over the game.

TORAE & MARCO POLO - INSANE

The AREchives

2009-04-12T18:37:00.008-04:00

More rare collabos from the crates. This one from the beat doctor himself, The ARE, featuring west coast legends Zion I. It clocks in at a disappointing 1:14, and should really be about 5 times as long.

I spit a Full Clip. -Zion I

THE ARE FT ZION I - WONT NO ONE COME AFTER

Break More Bread

2009-04-10T00:11:00.007-04:00

Now this is the kind of collabo the world needs more of. Hands down the two best live hip-hop groups in NYC meet for this soulful gem just in time for the sunshine and spring. This one reminds us of last year's Cool Calm Pete grab-a-brewski and a booby summer anthem:

DUJEOUS FT MENAHAN ST. BAND - BREAK BREAD REMIX

And don't sleep on the video for the original version either. A few heads in there we know & respect.

*See both of these groups live at some point before you die. Thank me later.

The Lost Tribes Of New York

2009-04-09T17:13:00.002-04:00

The city that never sleeps. Also the city that never shuts the hell up.

Poke Her Face

2009-04-06T00:11:00.008-04:00

Kanye, Cudi, and Com get confused after all this time hanging out with Perfect 10 models, seduce a mannequin at the Complex party by accident, take her home, and get all braggadocio about it. (Seriously, is that (^) a real person? I think it is.)

KID CUDI FT KANYE & COMMON - POKE HER FACE

The Grand Finale

2009-04-05T22:58:00.008-04:00

^ Fresh cover.

Finale's 2008 gem with Invincible first put him on the radar, and ever since we've been keeping one eye open for him to reappear. And...finally, finale-lly...here he is in '09 with the debut album, A Pipe Dream & A Promise.

Take a close listen to the two tracks below for a taste of hip-hop only the real heads will recognize: intricate beats, lyricism that is calculated and dense, music with substance. Production handled with a little help from (my friends) Flying Lotus, Black Milk, Oddisee, and M-Phazes.

FINALE - A PIPE DREAM AND A PROMISE

FINALE - ISSUES

Goings On About Town: The Recession Edition

2009-04-03T22:49:00.003-04:00

In our 2009 recession:

• Williamsburg kids resume their work as usual.
• Gang business cards are back in fashion.
• Mexican drug lords make the Forbes Billionaire List.
• Men prefer rotund women.
• Megalomaniacs post their bank accounts on Flickr.
• The NBA recruits children.
• More women are going from jobless to topless.
• Russians continue to tattoo their cats.
• Monkeys plan an inevitable takeover.

Bruno Trailer

2009-04-03T12:38:00.002-04:00

Sacha Baron Cohen is back as the gay Austrian fashion journalist Bruno in his follow-up to 2006's Borat. This time around with more nudity, dildos, and angry ignorant Americans to take on.

Cunnin/Lynguists

2009-03-31T22:25:00.005-04:00

The best part about Cunninlynguists (other than their name) is their diamond-in-the-rough producer Kno, possibly the best producer in the game period. Though the MC side to the crew is more than respectable, Kno is the core of this operation, especially on their new album Strange Journey Volume One. This one just as consistently great as when we first were feeling their shit in '03 through and through...tough to decide which joints to premier:

CUNNINLYNGUISTS - DIE FOR YOU (INSTRUMENTAL)

CUNNINLYNGUISTS - HYPNOTIZED

Bumbatrain!

2009-03-31T13:49:00.004-04:00

Dallas Penn once again turns shit into diamonds. AKA the hellhole of NYC into a humorous paradise.

This episode includes German smut filmmakers, broken ass subways, doo doo detective, and Dead Wrong Entertainment. Wait for around 4:30 in the subway. Dude sometimes has me dry heaving with laughter.

Why you charge me more money for no train, trainclot!

A Brief History of Kid Cudi

2009-03-31T09:09:00.011-04:00

• Sings in 88 Keys studio on TFC one year ago.
• Releases Day N Nite.
• Blows up.
• Drops one damn fine mixtape.
• Retires. Seriously.
• Unretires 2 days later. Seriously.
• Releases some of his best material to date today:

KID CUDI - SHE CAME ALONG

Side note: Does this sample remind anyone else of the intro to Twin Peaks sped up?

Night Of The Living Dope

2009-03-30T21:18:00.009-04:00

All you need to be a hip-hop star these days is an ALIFE wardrobe, a YouTube account, a few jacked Dilla beats, and an undying love for spamming bloggers your new "mixtape."

I always assumed CurT@!n$ was one of these annoying cats ... dopey name, uber-hip, not much buzz. But then this hard as nails Night Of The Living Dope video dropped and the kid jumped out in the first 5 seconds like Kardinal Offishall on steroids. I'm already running around my apartment looking for shit to break.

We pop pills like Mor-phe-us
More bank roll than Carlton does.

CURT@!N$ - NIGHT OF THE LIVING DOPE

Kanye Gets Complex

2009-03-28T14:58:00.017-04:00

Complex is one of the few large hip-hop magazine's/blogs that is still doing it right. Especially in the most recent issue featuring Kanye.

Yeez has a number of guest spots throughout, including a very dope cover from photographer and CGI artist Chris Milk. (When I first peeped this, even as a designer myself, I couldn't figure out how they had possibly accomplished it.) Apparently Milk scanned Kanye's face and body seperately, and rendered him in the computer for rare visual effect. The above film documents their photo shoot and process.
Inside the same issue is a breakdown of Kanye's new shoe, heavily influenced by Marty McFly, which will finally be available on April 4th due to customer request. Grab your American Express Black Card, these joints are steeply priced at $215. Complex has about 20 images up of the creation of these shoes, from prototypes to sketches and logos. Dont forget to catch the detail of the 3-prong lace loop on the tongue, which is shaped like a "Y".

These are hands down the most inspired and eclectic kicks since the original creation of Tinker's Air Jordans.

KANYE WEST - A MILLION WAYS

Mos ♥ Doom

2009-03-26T14:02:00.008-04:00

Who knew Mos was such a big MF Doom stan? From what my boy Roc says (his sister is engaged to Mos) Mos is pretty far behind on the times when it comes to current hip-hop. But...god damn...he knows every lyric by heart, as if it's been the only thing on the iPod for years.

Now all we need is the Mos Def / DOOM collabo album, which is bound to happen before we see the light of day with any Black Star or GhostDOOM album anyway. No f that, we need Mos to rhyme crazy like DOOM on his new album if he has the balls to make it happen.

He rhymes like I feel. - Mos

An oldy but goody:
GORILLAZ FT MF DOOM - NOVEMBER HAS COME

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-03-26T04:13:00.008-04:00

Where The Wild Things Are, the best children's book of all time, is now not only a movie, it is a Spike Jonze movie. There is no one better to do something this strangely beautiful.

Peep the trailer, with the accompanying on-point Arcade Fire theme song, realistic costumes (not easy to pull off with 35 ft tall wooly mammoth-like monsters), and predictably unusual Spike cinematography. The script is co-written by Full Clip favorite David Eggers, and the cast will include Forest Whitaker, James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), and Mark Ruffalo.

Due for highly anticipated release October 16.

I Get Toe Up

2009-03-25T09:25:00.005-04:00

What a three-headed monster. Banging beat, Bun B goes in, and Red even hops on the vocoder to stay with the times.

REDMAN & METHOD MAN FT UGK - CITY LIGHTS

Heaven x Spike Jones

2009-03-23T20:13:00.006-04:00

British trip-hop group U.N.K.L.E. (formerly including DJ Shadow) get the forever-unique Spike Jones treatment for their new video Heaven. Spike takes footage from the best skateboarding flick of the decade Fully Flared--which he originally directed--re-edits it, and adds a crazy twist.

Surprisingly no CGI was used and no one was injured. Don't be fooled by the first half being a bit slow...