this ish is crazy!

Without further adieu, los links.

old critisized SFJ post: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2007/10/22/071022crmu_music_frerejones

the problem with rap critics: http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/2009/10/problem-with-these-kids-rap-critics.html

das racist response to sfj post: http://flavorwire.com/45316/das-racist-to-sasha-frere-jones-stop-trying-to-kill-rap

og sfj post about the death of rap: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2009/10/26/091026crmu_music_frerejones

more sfj criticism: http://gordongartrelle.blogspot.com/2009/10/long-ass-email-about-sasha-frere-jones.html

nyt background on das racist: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/arts/music/24das.html?_r=1

coverage on white rappers: http://www.illdoctrine.com/2008/07/how_to_tell_people_they_sound.html

response to das racist response: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/general/2009/10/23/das-racist-goes-after-sasha-frere-jones-for-being-white-n-educated/

The times, they are a changing. But, if you’re like me, you don’t really know what to make of it all.

Still though, there was and is lots of good music floating around – it’s just harder to find.  The music industry, and the listeners along with it, are in a state of confusion. The problem, I figure, lies in the fact that radio listenership is down 18 percent from 1998 among 18- to 24-year olds. People no longer make trips to the local music store. Finding music has been reduced to a solitary pursuit, scattered among the millions of blogs, MySpace pages, message boards, online music magazines, and endless commentary. There are no singular tastemakers, no all-powerful all-reaching influencers like there used to be. That leaves music fans drawing numbers out of a hat. And everyone’s drawing a different number.

Maybe it’s just me, living in a big city, surrounded by all different cultures and tastes, but when I ask anyone what kind of music they’re into, invariably, I’ll have no idea what they’re talking about. It could be I’m just out of touch, spending too much time with dusty vinyl and golden-era hip-hop.

For those not able to make sense of the new music landscape (or without the url to Turntable Lab), I’ve prepared a list of some of my favorite releases as of late. With the exception of the Metro Area LP, all came out in 2008, although at only about 10 titles deep, not complete or well thought out enough for a best-of-the-year-list. Hopefully, you can find that special something for that special someone, or a few new tacks to accompany you on your holiday travels.

Download “Gold” Dam Funk – Rhythm Trax Vol. 4, Stones Throw

Download “Can We Hang Out Tonight” Count Bass D – L7 (Mid-Life Crisis), 1320

Download “Apples and Pears” Canyons – The Lovermore EP, Hole in the Sky

Download “Atmosphrique” Metro Area – Self Titled, Environ

Download “Detroit” Morgan Geist – Double Night Time, Environ

Download “Downtown” Osbourne – Self Titled, Spectral Sound

Download “Parisian Goldfish” Flying Lotus – Los Angeles and 1983, Warp

Download “Track 2″ James Pants – Rhythm Trax Vol. 1, Stones Throw

Download “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” Mayer Hawthorne & The Country – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out 12″, Stones Throw

Shouts to DJ Ayers and the Rub Crew for holding me down with the Rub Radio (here and here), Diplo with the wild podcasts, Truth and Soul Records, and Daptone Records (Sharon Jones coming to LA!).

My favorite hip hop blog just finished off a week of articles and album reviews of one of the great years of hip hop – 1998.

Then..

I turned 12 that year, and just finished 6th grade as the new kid in my middle school. I met one of my best friends, who I’m sharing a house with 10 years later. We had uniforms at my school, but every month we had ‘free dress’ days. Everyone else would be dressed in Abercrombie, I was the only one rocking Ecko, Fubu, and anything else I could get at Mr. Rags (Urban Warfare brand for the win). I remember throwing on the Love Movement in my 5th or 6th period art class and no one feeling it while I ran through the ‘Find A Way’ lyrics in my head. Jigga and DMX killed it on my portable CD player, eating up double A batteries. Redman’s ‘I’ll Bee Dat’ got put on repeat when I wanted to go crazy in my room. I was introduced to the Wu through Outkast’s ‘Skew It On the Bar-B’ with Raekwon. I listened to ‘Rosa Parks’ over and over to figure out Three Stacks’ verse. I’m pretty sure this is the first year I got shut down by a shorty too. My dad bought DJ Quik’s Rhythm-Al-Ism and Big Pun’s Capital Punishment for… himself after I put him on ‘Hand In Hand’ & ‘Still Not A Player.”

Now…

I just wish I could tell my 12-year old self, ‘you’ll do alright, kid’ and end up with stories that you never thought you’d ever have the luck of telling.

When…

In 2018 I’ll be 32, but I’ll look like I’m 24, so it will be alright. I got carded for a rated R movie a couple weeks ago and some old lady thought I was still in high school at a dinner party. Hopefully I’ll be married or engaged by then and be doing something crazy ill with design. I should be on my second or third trip to Japan by then too. Other than that, who knows, it never works out as you planned does it?

Peace from ’08 ’til Infinity.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/X_PDns23RWY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
fresh prince and jazzy jeff – summertime

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/5LxXMkQ8tUY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
lost boyz – summertime

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/wNsDs0kBT_A" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
onyx – slam harder

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/aXFL4dYH9Ik" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
black star – brown skin lady

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/jooJca4sXyY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
dominoe – sweet potatoe pie

[kml_flashembed movie="http://jp.youtube.com/v/CwSXfocnt48" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
ex girl to next girl – gangstar

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/gIwFlGtkdgc" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]rest in piss by brotha lynch hung
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/h016eNYDw_U" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]1-800 suicide by the gravediggaz (includes the rza and pp)
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/56X515mOU0U" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]why you gotta lie by natas (hear that metallica sample?)
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/oOcvRuwQyGY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]nightmares by king gordy
[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/A7sp63P3NLI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]american psycho by esham