Celebrating the release of his new album, Poor People’s Day, Bigg Jus is set to perform at the Knitting Factory on December 8th. I’m not sure how many people have heard the album but it’s one of the best releases of the year, which is no surprise (see: Black Mamba Serums 1.0 and 2.0 & the NMS project). And if that isn’t enough to get you out of the house, accompanying Jus is an incredible line up you should not miss: Busdriver, Thavius Beck, D-Styles, Wise Intelligent, Orko Eloheem, Lil Sci and Dj Gman. Link

Has anyone else heard about El-p, Mr. Len and Bigg Jus recording again? Link

New York-based hip-hop label Definitive Jux has acquired the masters of Company Flow’s 1997 album “Funcrusher Plus,” originally released on Rawkus. With its minimalist atmosopherics and left-wing politics, the group — founded by producer El-P, Bigg Jus and DJ Mr. Len — is considered one of the more defining acts for underground hip-hop.Def Jux is in the process of readying a 10th anniversary reissue of “Funcrusher,” complete with a bonus DVD of Company Flow’s final show. If all goes as planned, the album should be out by the end of 2006, but Def Jux COO Ameachi Uziogwe tells Billboard.com the act may record some new material for the release, making early 2007 may a more likely target date.

This interview with System Of A Down’s bassist, Shavo Odadjian, pretty much confirms the rumours regarding the album with the GZA. Lets hope it pans out. Link

What have you done with them?

I did three songs on the new record. We have future projects. I’m working with the GZA to do a record. We’re going to put a record together. I’ll bring in Meth (Method Man) and RZA. It’s an album. It’s a story that GZA is writing, and I’m writing all the music to it. Each song’s going to be a chapter. We’re working on it separately. But right now–when this tour ends–I’m going to go and we’re going to work in the studio.

How did you meet the Wu-Tang Clan?

I’ve been a huge fan ever since I can remember, when RZA used to be Prince Rakeem. What happened was we got offered to be on this compilation for Loud Records. They asked us to either pick a Mobb Deep song or a Wu-Tang song. I really wanted to do it, and the band was just, “We don’t do rap.” I said, “I know we don’t but we can do it System style. Let’s do a Wu-Tang song. It would be cool to do for me.” We decided to do “Shame on a Nigga,” which, with four white-looking dudes, we did it and I was kind of leery of yelling the word “Nigga.” I was friends with Method Man because we toured together and we became friends after the tour. I was at a Method show, I saw RZA there, and I said this is what we did. He said, “Well, I’ve heard it.” He said it’s good. I said, “Can you be on it please?” He said “It’s good the way it is, but I will if you want me to.” A week later, we go in the studio, and I met all of them. We did the “Shame” song, and I guess I got some [phone] numbers. We’ve been contacting each other ever since. Right before this tour started, they were in L.A., RZA called me and said, “I’m in L.A. come hang out and we’re doing a new record.” I went the first day and they were like, “Do you want to play on this thing?” I went home, got a bass for the next day. I went in again and we recorded until 7 a.m. And, man, RZA was really cool. We jammed, really. Then GZA asked if I wanted to do a record and I said, “Hell, yeah.” If you asked me a year ago or two years ago, who would be my dream lyricist to work with, I’d say probably GZA because I’d say he’s amazing. He’s not just a rapper. When everybody’s hanging out smoking weed, he’s reading the dictionary. They don’t call him the genius for no reason. I’m looking forward to it.

Escrito En El Agua, the mp3 blog that sh*ts all over the RIAA, put up a Kerouac post a few days ago. Follow the links to reach a directory of audio with different people reading his pieces but make sure to also follow the second link which includes audio of Kerouac himself. Link, official site

MF GRIMM declares war. Not sure when this track was put up but does it matter? Dope.

DOWNLOAD MF GRIMM - STREET GENERAL

via free tacoma

First appeared on the Sage Francis DVD entitled Life Is Easy. Brought to you now in digital form by the creator, David Twigg. Source, Video

Extensive new interview with ESP founder, Bernard Stollman. If you’re into Jazz and want to read about the development of the now famous label and its historic roster, check it out. Link

Good looks to Diggin’ Music for shouting us out recently and, more importantly, giving some shine to Reanimator’s wonderful record - Music To Slit Wrists By. As discussed in the post the record was originally available in very limited quantities sometime circa 2003. We landed a copy after orchestrating a successful manhunt to catch the omnipresent yet eternally elusive Reanimator. Once we listened to the record, and after renewing our prescriptions for Prozac, we decided other people should be exposed to the beautiful, subtle yet energetic misery we had experienced. So we pressed it up. Diggin’ Music has posted two tracks from the album so go check those to get a taste for what you’ve been missing. You can also check Sage Francis’A Healthy Distrust album (on Epitaph) to hear a few tracks produced by Reanimator. Now, here’s the really good and unbelievabe news. In order to fund his mission to [omitted for purposes of your own protection] Reanimator has put up 55 tracks (that’s not a typo) for sale. Some have already been bought and are no longer available so get crackin’. Literally, go sell crack to buy these beats ’cause once more people figure out where Reanimator’s been hiding, his beats will no longer be affordable for common working class type folks. Link to beats

He is one funny motherf*cker. He’s been making headlines recently for putting up his sperm for sale on his website. Check out this other item he posted, Chris Squire’s LP on 8 track. Link

Autographed by Vincent Gallo

$200.00*

Only One Available.

This is Chris Squire’s solo masterpiece LP “Fish Out Of Water” on 8 Track format (extremely rare). Vincent Gallo has been a huge Yes fan since he was a young kid, and Yes bassist Chris Squire has always been one of his idols. At the age of 13, Vincent began a highly sexual affair with a 19 year old Buffalo slut who had her own car. Unfortunately, the slut’s car’s only music source was an 8 Track tape player. Though Vincent, already huge, and already a huge record collector, was famous in Buffalo for making mixed tapes, they were all mixed on cassette and could not be played in the slut’s car. During these crude sexual encounters Gallo was starved for music, something to distract him from her alcoholic breath. So Gallo went out and purchased a copy of his idol Chris Squire’s new and latest solo recording “Fish out of Water” on 8 Track. With the over-aged drunken slut, Gallo performed every possible sexual act. Since he only owned a single 8 Track (the one being offered), technically these bizarre sexual encounters were all performed to this actual 8 Track. With some forensic work I’m sure some traces can be found of Gallo’s sexual DNA. Though Gallo still loves to do it in a car, all of his high performance and luxury vehicles now have CD players. Thus, this rare chance and remarkable offering of Chris Squire’s “Fish out of Water” on 8 Track tape. Autographed by Vincent Gallo.
Hold Out Your Hand You By My Side Silently Falling (Part 1) Total Time: 10:27
Silently Falling (Part 2) Total Time: 10:15
Lucky Seven Safe (Canon Song (Part 1) Total Time: 10:53
SAFE (Canon Song) (Part 2) Total Time: 10:53
Domestic Shipping and Handling is $3.00

*International shipping charges and California Sales Tax billed separately.

New Waxpoetics website looks sweet. They also made the popular Axelrod interview available, check it out. Link, previously: Waxpoetics Issue 14 + New Site Coming Soon

Due to hosting issues, all GrandGood (dot) com email messages for the past week or so have been lost and are not retrievable. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Any inquiries regarding orders or anything else deemed important should be re-sent. Especially those messages sent between the following dates: Monday November 7th - Tuesday November 15th. Thanks.

Chill,

People (at) GrandGood (dot) com

Update: Copied below is an example of a message I would not classify as important or worthwhile. Please do not resend these.

“I have not heard the CD about hip hop, I just heard some comment he made a=on a radio show he had. I have to agree with on a spiritual level, that Hip hop is from the devil because the bible says; If you are not for me you are against me and I truly believe there is a THIN (knife sharp thin) line between what is of God and what is of the devil. Hip Hop is about marketing the life of self exultation fron it’s inception, Murder, Sex. The Question we need to ask ourself, Is hip hop GODLY INSPIRED? if no! then IT is DEVIL INSPIRED! there are two forces working on earth, and satan is the prince of this world. with that said We can even look at Gospel music itself, the origins are from africa where people worship many spirits, they are anamism, polytheism,and voodootheism while christianity is monotheism. Before I listen to anything that the EXministries did by myself I knew that The origins of hip hop culture was of the devil. We have to stop looking at the devil as some hideous creature with a pitch fork and a red leotard, He is the most beautiful creature to ever been created, and God in his infinite wisdom ssaw it fit to leave satan with all the beauty and magnificence he had in heaven before he was cast down. SATAN IS BEAUTIFUL AND CUNNING AND HE WANT TO MESS USS UP, SO THAT WE WILL NOT BE WILLING TO CHOOSE GOD ANYMORE. HE want to extinguish the God in his world called Earth.”

As we’ve mentioned previously, after viewing the trailer a lot of us have been patiently waiting for the opportunity to watch Tragedy for some time now. Well, a few nights ago I had the honor of watching this film in it’s entirety at the H2O International Film Festival being held here in NYC. In case you don’t know, the doc revolves around the tumultuous life of Percy L. Chapman, aka Tragedy Khadafi, with the six-block housing project commonly referred to as Queensbridge serving as the backdrop. With commentary throughout the film from QB figures such as Marley Marl, Havoc (of Mobb Deep) and Capone (of CNN) amongst others, we get a glimpse into Trag’s upbringing and major influences. I don’t want to give away too much but throughout the film there are countless stories presented that capture the viewer’s attention, such as the touching account of the death of Tragedy’s mother, an uncomfortable Vibe Magazine interview and Khadafi’s reaction to the September 11th terrorist attacks. Much props to the director Booker Sim. Hopefully this film will be available soon on a wider scale, whether that be in theatres or on DVD. So if you have a chance to watch this, make sure you do! For more information check out h20.

Of course that’s not all Gza comments on. In between the MC schooling he talks about an upcoming collabo album with Shavo from System of a Down, writing movie scripts and how chess relates to hip-hop. But the most interesting part of the interview is his explanation in detail of the rhyme writing process. Check it out. Interview

HHG: “Queen’s Gambit” is another one of your dope conceptual songs, where do you get your inspiration to write songs like that?
Gza: The inspiration can come from anywhere, anything, at any given time. It’s just a thought. It can be something I hear, something I see, something I think about. Usually with songs like that, they’re not pre-planned…there’s a way to lay it down. I love the way I rhyme and I always have to give examples. I don’t want it to seem like I big-up myself because I don’t want to talk about myself all the time, but I just give examples so I can show the difference between the styles and levels of MC’s. A lot of songs like this, like if I use magazines and publicity, the magazines aren’t just nouns. I use them as verbs. I didn’t say “remember that time when we took a photo in the Vibe?” I used the word “vibe” as an action word, “vibe” is an action word, he caught “vibes.”

Artists need to create worlds that the listener can really walk into and experience, like a three-dimensional setting. People buy houses nowadays and can create their house on their computer. It’s like walking through it. That’s how the songs come about. A lot of time is put into the song so I can create these worlds and environments so people with a tuned ear can appreciate it on that level.

How many cars you’re driving, what’s in your driveway…I’m not knocking those who got all of that, it’s not important. To them, it may be important and they want to rhyme about it. But it’s not visually creating a great story. How can you rhyme about being in a Bentley without saying you’re in a Bentley, where you describe it and it’s so fly, but you may not even be in a Bentley. You may be in a fly apartment or someone’s office. But they don’t know. It’s when you roll the window down and pay the toll. It’s when you create worlds where you let the imagination flow. That’s what writing is about for me, and that’s what it’s always been about. It’s about describing things.

The new Bigg Jus LP - Poor People’s Day is out now via Mush Records. Catch him live with Busdriver, D-Styles, Orko, and others on November 28th at the Knitting Factory in LA to celebrate the release of Poor People’s Day.

Best known for being the beatmaker for the duo Non-Prophets, Joey Beats is set to release his “uninterrupted collage” of remixed indie rock tracks. If the snippet for Coxcomb Red is any indication, be ready for some hard hitting drums over melancholy vocals by the likes of such artists as Belle & Sebastian, Andrew Bird and Neutral Milk Hotel among others. Hopefully, a tour will be involved as well because I really want to see how the combination of “Gavin Castleton (from Grüvis Malt) on Rhodes and keyboards, DJ Signify (Lex/Warp Records) on CDJ, [Joe Beats] on twin SP-303’s and twin portable Fisher Price turntables” rock the stage. As of right now, you can only purchase the CD from his new and revamped website so don’t sleep.

This mix is pretty old but it’s the first I’ve heard about it. Nevertheless, it’s a nice blend that aired in December 2004 on BSR Radio in Providence, Rhode Island. From the website: “Joe Beats - beatmaker extraordinaire for the Non-Prophets, Sage Francis and his own damn self, and all-around nice guy - reveals some of his secrets. Well, only some.” Link (streaming mp3)

Sometimes it’s so easy to get caught up in the politics of this business that we forget it’s all about the music. Well, then again, we forget that we wish it was all about the music, ’cause in reality it’s not. In reality, just like any other business, it’s about getting paid and not getting paid. In reality, it’s about marketing and stylized images. It’s about relationships and leverage. And the bigger the cake gets, the thicker the layers of crap that go into it. I can just imagine what goes on between the majors and those that aspire to be majors. Anyway, hopefully everyone out there can find that balance that’s right for them. Here’s your monthly reminder for what it’s all about. All of these songs are currently available for sale or will be very soon. Please go out and support your favorite artists and they will support you. If you can’t find a release just drop a comment and we’ll point you in the right direction.

Chill,

People (at) GrandGood (dot) com

Playtime:70:09
Size:96.3MBs

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Public Enemy, Paris - Make It Hardcore Link
Casual, Rock Marciano, Vordul Mega, Tragedy Khadafi - Think Differently Link
Cormega - Dirty Game Link
Spider Loc, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks - Things Change Link
Rhymefest, ODB - Build Me Up Link
Fatlip - Writers Block Link
Old School Vendetta - All About The Timing Link
Shyheim - No mercy Link
MOP - Muddy Waters Link
Bugout - What Up B Link
Onry Ozzborn - Digest The Hardcore Link
Necro, Ill Bill, Goretex, Mr Hyde - Severed Organs Link
Disflex6 - Dream Sequence Remix Link
Candy 22s - Lonely Nights Link
Mikah 9 - The Beretta Factor Link
Andre Nickatina and Equipto - Caught in a verse Link
Bigg Jus - Night Before Link
Dooley-o - I Don’t Wanna Lose You Link
OC - Challenge Y’all Link

Audiocast: Generally, newly released contemporary HipHop with not enough press. As played by GRANDGOOD. Broadcasted on the eleventh of each month. Every now and again grandgood friend Lapu Patiño also blesses us with random audio. Visit www.grandgood.com for more info.