Nicki Minaj Outshines Jay & Kanye

Well the big news of the day should be that Jay-Z and Kanye are releasing a 5 track mini album Watch The Throne together. And West has released Monster- the decent first track from it.


HEAR/ DOWNLOAD MONSTER HERE

If this song is anything to go by the mini-album is more likely to sound like Kanye tracks with Jay features. But actually i'm over all that after hearing Nicki Minaj on the track.

Her lyrics are biting, satirical, filthy and just plain crazy. While her flow is twisted, it's thrilling when she affects different voices for each line- like Biggie and Slick Rick did back in the day. As she raps about getting $50k for a guest verse and shows "ten times your pay" it just makes me very excited for the album.

And the whole 'is she selling herself on her looks/ body/ sexuality debate?' is redundant when her rapping is this good.*

*She is also clearly very sexy.

Yeezy

Say what you want about Kanye West, and there is a lot to say, but he picks some great collaborators.

On Late Registration he brought in Jon Brion to co-produce and orchestrate the record, adding depth to the rapper's own beats. According to rumours he's brought DJ Premier and Q Tip in to work on his new album- which is possibly called Dark Twisted Fantasy. Of course he's also championed Kid Cudi, Common and Lupe Fiasco and worked with Daft Punk, Mos Def, Talib, Nas and Jay-Z.

West's Graduation cover was by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, while his recent Power sleeve is by respected painter George Condo.

On music vids he's worked with Spike Jonze (Flashing Lights and a still unreleased short film), Hype Williams (Stronger & others) and Michel Gondry (Heard Em Say). His spectacular new 90 second promo for single Power is artist Marco Brambilla- who has exhibited at the New York Guggenheim and also directed Stallone/ Snipes action movie Demolition Man back in 1993! Plus you gotta respect Kanye for sampling King Crimson.

WATCH THE POWER PROMO HERE

My Gigs Of 2009

A TOP THREE (in no order)

Phoenix- Brixton Academy

For some reason I never thought I'd see the French band live but they absolutely smashed it down the road from my flat. I actually paid for this one too which I think makes it even better. Listen to my own personal Best Of Phoenix on Spotify here...

Radiohead- Reading

Had almost forgotten that Radiohead are the best band in the world until this. In Rainbows is their most complete album and the tracks from it sounded perfect here. Plus there was still room for National Anthem, Everything..., Idioteque, Paranoid Android and Street Spirit. Proper magical. Read a full review at my day job here...

Blur- Hyde Park

The sun shone, the Essex boys wore Fred Perry shirts and played nearly all their best songs in central London. It was truly astonishing if you ask me. Just a shame that new material seems highly unlikely. Buy the CD here...

Three others...

Jamie T @ Electric Ballroom
New song Spider’s Web features ukulele and rhymes Intifada, Robert Palmer and er, pyjamas and yet somehow still doesn’t sound forced, while the killer chorus reminded us of The Clash’s pop moments. On 368 there were echoing 80s style guitars and a rapid Beastie Boys-a-like rap, coupled with a gently sung hook, and while new single Sticks N’ Stones loses some of its breakbeat clarity live it still showcases the solo star’s knack for writing choruses - boasting two so good they put a lot of indie bands to shame. (review here)

Jay-Z @ Ally Pally
Referencing his 10 successive number one albums in the US the rapper thanks his loyal fans before mentioning the previous record holder. He tells the crowd: “Elvis has left the building!” Jay-Z definitely hasn’t. (Full review here)

Kraftwerk @ Bestival
Backed by superb visuals, the four Germans ran through their often sampled bleepy hits including Tour De France, Man Machine and Computer Love. (Full review here)

"Allow me to re-introduce myself

My name is Hov!"



Saw Jay-Z live at Ally Pally this week and this track was my personal highlight. It's from The Black Album and is just an absolute banger right?

Read my review at my day job here

On a side note the producer of this track Just Blaze has done a lot of Relapse 2- Eminem's next disc. Will be interesting to hear some Shady tracks without Dre.

Blueprint 3 nearly here...

Jay-Z's just the most effortlessly cool person on the planet I reckon. Blueprint 3 has leaked in full now and i'll give you the Get Straight verdict in a week or so when i've had a proper chance to listen to it.

D.O.A

This song just gets better and better with more listens. And as if the lyrics weren't enough he's now blowing up ring tone rapper cliches. Literally. Bring on Blueprint 3...

Jay-Z's "D.O.A" Video!

Jay Z- Death Of Autotune

This week Jigga announced The Blueprint 3 will be out September 11. That's 8 years to the day since The Blueprint- which is probably the most accomplished and complete commercial hip hop album of all time.

Now the first track from the album has leaked- D.O.A. Until now it was thought Kanye had produced all the beats for B3 but this one is by fellow Chicago producer No I.D. I (of course) look forward to the full album....

UPDATE: GET CDQ MP3 AT RAP RADAR

A few tunes

To download:
M.I.A/ Diplo- Pop (Et Musique Pour Tous)
This is old but I hadn't heard it till now- should have bought Piracy Funds Terrorism back in 2004 I guess. Big. Well fucking huge actually.

Dizzee Rascal- Bonkers (First Up)
A radio rip of Dizzee's new single which (mark my words) will be top 5 by June. Saw him play the Armand Van Helden produced track back in early November at a gig in Liverpool. The crowd loved the commercial beats and Dizzee's strong hook.

Busta Rhymes ft Pharrell- Show Ya G-Stro (Nah Right)

Neither artists are at their best here but it's still a highly listenable tune. Apparently it's from the soundtrack to Fast & Furious.

Jay Z/ P Diddy- Maybe (Nah Right)

A half finished chilled out track which has just leaked but was recorded during the American Gangster sessions- and apparently meant for a Diddy album. Twitter king Diddy has been hanging out with Arctic Monkey Matt Helders and James Ford/Simian Mobile Disco this weekend. And they've been recording.

George Bush: Saviour Of Hip Hop?

I distinctly remember an NME interview with Jay Z around the time Blueprint came out. The interviewer was told that he couldn’t ask the ‘greatest rapper alive’ about anything politics-related because he didn’t feel qualified to answer and wasn't interested in the subject.

Fast forward seven or so years and Jay was on stage around the world (including Glastonbury and London) shouting ‘Fuck Bush’ and campaigning for Obama. Under Dubya it wasn’t just Mos Def, Talib or Dead Prez who went political. Eminem was suddenly a conscious rapper protesting against the Iraq war on Mosh. And after Katrina Kanye West announced on national TV “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

So I guess what I’m saying is- the former President was good for Hip Hop. Yes I said it. Songs about Barack are currently coming out but love-letters to the promising President will certainly get boring over four (or maybe eight) years.

Posted are two of my favourite anti-Bush tracks from Mos Def (certainly one of my Top 5 MCs) and Big Boi- who was never political on early Outkast albums.

MP3: Outkast/ Big Boi- War

MP3: Mos Def- Dollar Day for New Orleans