Someone hooked it up. Dozens of flyers from the early days. (via boingboing, broadband-friendly)

On a Wu-Tang fix lately as I’m reading The Manual, noddin’ my head to Ironman and watching a re-run of Wu Mansion MTV Cribs. Here’s a random Wu-Tang Mix:

01. The Charmels track…with the CREAM sample
02. ODB - Nigga Please
03. Raekwon - Rainy Days (Long Remix)
04. Ghostface - My Guitar
05. Rza - Future Flavas Freestyle
06. Inspectah Deck - Swordplay
07. Gza Freestyle
08. Some soul track from the Shaolin Sounds
09. Masta Killa - The Day After
10. Rza - Neva
11. Shyheim, Rza and Gza Freestyle
12. Gza and Rza - Third World
13. Instrumental from Shaolin Sounds

Last time we didn’t have instrumentals. What’s your flavor?

BUCKWILD

Reservoir Dogs - No Trust
Reservoir Dogs - No Trust (instrumental)

MCENROE

Mcenroe & Birdapres - Grumpy Old Men
Mcenroe & Birdapres - Grumpy Old Men (instrumental)

The US Copyright Office is accepting comments and suggestions on how to deal with “orphan” works. Basically this term refers to works (e.g. music, video, text etc.) where the owner(s) of the rights is practically missing which makes it virtually impossible to lawfully utilize the work in a secondary piece, even if the current artist(s) is willing to pay. Sometimes the original artists have passed away and the rights are lingering in some estate somewhere. Other times the artists are just out of the loop and would jump at the chance to have their work gain some exposure.

In an exciting move towards transparency, the US Copyright Office is actually soliciting people’s stories with respect to working through this recurring problem (where’s Shadow when you need him?). This site provides a user-friendly way to submit your comments, spread it if you can. LINK (via boingboing, courtesy of Eff and friends)

Update 03.28.05: Duke Law posted two great proposals on how to deal with orphan works. orphan works, orphan films

Inquiring minds want to know, what kind of management team sees any worth in a marketing campaign like this? Pimp My Burger (via adrants).

Following the average and multi-platinum Get Rich or Die Tryin, 50 Cent is set to drop The Massacre in the next few weeks. Nothing special for the most part other than the news that there’ll be some Nas and Fat Joe disses on this one and Buckwild produced a nice track. It’s no Time’s Up but its good to hear some DITC production on a big record like this. Get it while supplies last…

50 Cent - I Don’t Need Em (Beat by Buckwild)

Rhymefest - Jesus Walks lost verse
Rhymefest - 50cent vs Ghostface

Kanye West gets props for shouting out Rhymefest during his grammy acceptance speech and sharing the rights. Peep Rhymefest’s lost verse. That 50 vs Ghost track is just plain old fun.

Grandmaster Caz was recently in LA and Phillie touring with Busy Bee and KRS-One, getting ready to hit more cities with an overnight package of GrandGood 7inches in hand. We’ll post some dates when they get confirmed. As for our little project, we keep on getting the same question from record store buyers, radio guys, and the few listeners who actually appreciate something like Grandmaster Caz, Dj Signify, Steinski, Waterbed Kev and GrandGood (who?) working together to present something special. Is this just a 7inch? Is this leading to an album? This 7inch was always meant to be just 5-6 minutes of quality music at the request and under the slight direction of GrandGood. We wanted to get Caz coming from a different angle - different than what we’ve heard from the few recent Caz tracks of the past few years. If you’re familiar with Dj Signify and his LP on Lex you’ll probably notice this record is a bit more upbeat, but rest assured the drums are hard. Waterbed Kev had a big helping hand in the recording of GMC’s vocals and while in the mix-down phase Signify finally put away the giant multitrack recorder and stepped further into the Digidesign domain with help from Steinski.

Album? Who are we Tuff City? Some projects are shorter than others. Not every recording - hip hop or otherwise - has to be a 22 track album or fill 80 minutes of compact disc or even the 18 minutes per side for a 12″. We probably won’t do any more 7inch vinyl for anything else we work on. We were reminded of all this while reading an interview with Hardy Fox (”spokesperson” for the Residents) in the latest issue of TapeOP.

Just happened to come across this freestyle session that was recorded at SOBs in 2003 for the Zulu Nation’s 30th Anniversary. Order of appearance is Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, Luda and Jeru the Damaja. Enjoy…

SOBS Freestyle

Graffiti pool from around the globe. [via metafilter]

So I’m strolling down Lafayette Street here in NYC on Saturday on my way to buy some records when a man passes me that looks awfully familiar. Is that the Rugged Man? Nah no way. I’m just trippin. Must be some other big unshaven white dude. I just keep on walking and pay no mind to it until I reach the pole where he was putting up a flyer (posted above). That was R.A.! I look back and notice he is about half a block away and crossing the street so I start to head back, finally catching up to him at the corner, while he was putting up another flyer for the Nature Sounds show. We spoke briefly on some random topics, too bad I didn’t have a recorder or nothing. He seems like a really cool guy as we talked for a few about his current living situation (same as before it seems), the Big L tribute show (sounded dope although he didn’t perform and I couldn’t get a ticket!) and the Nature Sounds promotional budget (none). Anyway, he asked me to tell people about the show, sorry for the late notice. It’s at Joe’s Pub, too late for me on a weeknight but maybe some of y’all aren’t slaves to a 9-5 or scared of the snow.

Rollie points to an indepth and highly personal review of Buck65’s last project that’s being pushed as an album but, according to our ears, sounds more like a confused attempt at a fan-grab. But is the record as disappointing as this performance?

Legendary indie label ESP (http://www.espdisk.com) is getting ready to reissue and release some music.

ESP is now manufacturing its own cds and dvds, for the first time since 1968. In recent years, a succession of licensees made and sold our cds and vinyl. The most recent such arrangement , with Abraxas, ended on June 30, 2004. We have now digitally remastered our catalog to improve the audio quality, and introduced artist interviews on some cds, added more selections to others, (initially Marion Brown, Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker), and combined several cds by artists into double cds, enabling us to lower the retail price. Liner notes have been expanded as well. Our early albums by Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, Patty Waters, Pearls Before Swine, Frank Wright, Sonny Simmons, Marion Brown and others will now appear in this new packaging.

On January 23 through January 26, I attended the international music industry convention, the MIDEM, in Cannes, France. Record companies in Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Brazil, Japan, Korea and India will import ESP. Pending are agreements for Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russa, Bulgaria, South Africa, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria

Ellis Marsalis, father of the Marsalis brothers, recorded a solo album in June 2003, in Sonature 5.l surround sound. It is now being released by ESP as a cd and a dvd audio disk. For more information about our proprietary surround sound recording process, go to http://www.sonature.com

We are preparing box sets for Chet Baker (Live in the 50s), Miles Davis (Live in the 50s) and Albert Ayler, for release later in 2005. Other projects are pending.

With kind regards

Bernard Stollman

—– ESP is about to be distributed in the United States by Allegro Nail, North Country, Carrot Top, Revolver and Forced Exposure. The above was stolen without permission from here.

Most of you know him as your favorite DJ but J-Love’s portfolio of bangers has been growing steadily for the past few years. The artists he has produced for will surely ring a bell, Large Professor, Cormega, Rza, Ghostface, ODB, Big Punisher, Masta Ace, Tragedy Khadafi, O.C. Brand Nubian and the list goes on and on… And rest assured, they all bump hard!!! If ya don’t believe me, check out the mix below (excuse the volume jumps). Then you can peep the interview and go over to his site and cop some CDs (12inches are worth the shipping too). It’s nice to see talent being recognized - like we hinted to with our corny headline, you can tune into his radio station from almost anywhere in the US via Howard Stern-stealing Sirius (Sirius who?), Friday nights from 10-12pm channel 42 (or you can listen for free through their site).

Short J-Love Mix

Bump this:

Big Noyd - Louder [interview]
Busdriver & Abstract Rude & Ellay Khule - Map Your Psyche [review]
Edan & Mr Lif - Making Planets [cover]
La The Darkman - Darkman II Sampler [site]
M.I.A. - Freedom Skit [mia] [label]
Penny - Snippets [more info]
Rifleman - Extreme [ellay khule]
Three Years Apart - Sunrise Seance [heardrums]

Minnesota-bred rap group Oddjobs disband. Members, minus Bad Ronald’s Dj Deetalx, re-group into Kill the Vultures. Kill the Vultures LP out this spring through Jib Door/ Locust Music. They posted a new track and it sounds nothing like Oddjobs and better than anything I’ve heard from Oddjobs, which is OK with me being a big fan for years now. Here’s the Distance Song from their Absorbing Playtime EP (2000)…which works as an instrumental too. I know I just said they broke up but they appear to have an album coming out via Raptivism later this month.

[Link to Kill the Vultures interview - update 2.14.05]

After three years of continuously relocating themselves between different coasts and zip codes, embarking on multiple cross-country tours, and experimenting with diverse artistic philosophies and methods, former Oddjobs members, Anatomy (Stephen Lewis), Crescent Moon (Alexei Casselle), Nomi (Mario De Mira), and Advizer (Adam Waytz), have emerged as a new group, Kill The Vultures. Re-established in their original habitat of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, where Oddjobs formed in 1996, Kill The Vultures marks a new musical direction for the quartet, although it is one deeply rooted in underground hip-hop.Stripping themselves naked of past musical constraints and values, their self-titled debut, coming in late April on Jib Door/Locust Music, presents an organically and spontaneously formed collection of songs united by barebones pulp production provided by Anatomy, darkly comic lyrics from Nomi, Crescent Moon, and Advizer, and an overall urban noir sensibility. - Press Release killthevultures.com

Sage Francis, backed by several musicians, brought the fervor of his new album, A Healthy Distrust to the Bowery Ballroom Wednesday night. Through the one and a half-hour set, Sage entrenches the audience with his visions, moving through politics, personal space, and gripping commentary in a pace meant to stir.

Sage began his set under a dim red light, as a pulsating beat projected under the blare of a stoic narrative voice from an old film, declaring that “Sage”, by “analyzing the past, could project into the future.” While glaring heatedly into the hearts of the audience, Sage, partly concealed by an overgrown beard and jumpsuit, launches into The Buzzkill with a verbal assualt on apathy and the state of contemporary politics. He makes it clear that the flattery of the introductory audio samples hold true, as he cynically decries, “Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free? Take them back. Your homeless tempest-tossed to me? Take them back.” Sage heaves his lines to the crowd backed by band members matching his abrasive manner with production including guitar, drum-machine and back-up vocals.

Yet the abrasiveness gives way to moments of seeming delicacy. On the guitar-led Sea Lion, where the folk-like chorus peals as Sage peels off strips of himself, only to rebuild and thicken his skin - “I took it upon myself to crush it up and distribute the dust… build another castle out of the sand. Break it down and then get into the saddle again.” However, the resilience is marked with strains of past-doubts as Sage questions his role as singer and performer, “piano man got a checkered dance floor to grace and a painful look on his face.” The result is a breathtaking rendition as Sage paces the stage, the song moving at an urgent pace while the stirring lines hang in the air.

Sage continues his exploration of the intimate in Agony in Her Body, where he unearths the hidden troubles that eat away at both him and his partner; their tumor-like “agony”. The lines are estranging but compelling, almost perverse in their nakedness as he details their condition, “Untreated wounds through repeated moons are seeds soon to develop in your needy womb. Your feeble, ill cocoon.”

Sage makes it a point to explore and further his songs in their live frame, and with Bridle, he and band achieve something that was only hinted at by the song in its original recorded form. Building off the lush melancholy of a piano, a guitar is layered atop, and the soft crooning of his back-up vocalist brings the song to a new climatic level. Sage extends his verse and repeats the ending passage over the tumultuous buildup of drums and guitar work as it peaks to a close.

Sage leaps back onto political ground with his powerfully charged spoken word performance of Slow Down Gandhi, as he fiercely reproaches those who voice objections without committing to their ideals; “Who can pen a hateful threat but can’t hold a sword? It’s the same who complain about the global war but can’t overthrow the local joker that they voted for.” His icy glare travels across each face of their audience, engaging all with eye contact, making them his target. The absorption is only furthered under Sage’s steely look; witnessing his performance entwines us with his lyrics and his self, resulting in an extraordinarily personal, yet intimidating experience.