If this isn’t Hip-Hop, I don’t know what is. Now I have to drive around this weekend looking for these cats. Picture set and video after the jump. Link (via) [editors note: use of the word gang is supposed to be sarcastic, unfortunately doesn't come off that way]

Idris Intifada interviews Kwest Tha Madd Lad for Unkut. These Are My Unreleased Recordings is out now on No Sleep Recordings. He’s still a funny dude. Link

Screening of From Mambo To Hip-Hop tonight at Columbia University. Admission to all films is free. The director will be present at each screening! Link (via Soul Bounce)

Friday, November 30
8:00–10:00 p.m.
Davis Auditorium,
Columbia University
500 West 120th Street
between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue

previously:
[video] From Mambo To HipHop - updated
Update On Mambo To HipHop DVD
Mambo To HipHop Screening + Q&A (Netherlands 11/26 @ 7pm)
Henry Chalfant’s and City Lore’s Mambo To Hip-Hop
Film Screening: Henry Chalfant’s Mambo To Hip Hop
Mambo To Hip Hop Film Screening

The boards and blogs I have visited since 8 Diagrams has leaked has provided me with mostly sour and disappointing reviews of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Rza’s latest opus. I’m glad to learn that Mr. Breihan has not jumped on the bandwagon. He provides a very thoughtful review of the album, pointing out many things I noticed and greatly appreciated, like Method Man’s rejuvenated performance on the mic and Rza’s musical innovativeness. I feel strongly that this is a solid album with excellent production. And I’m really surprised by the initial reactions from the community. But I guess there’s still time to see what happens, the freakin’ album hasn’t even officially dropped yet.

Recent Reviews:
8 Diagrams: Rza’s Drug-Rap Masterwork by Tom Breihan from Village Voice
Wu Woes by Robbie from Unkut.com
A First Listen: Wu Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams by Travis from WYDU
Putting The Rza Out To Pasture by Bol from XXL

Updated: More Reviews
Leaked: Wu-Tang Clan’s ‘8 Diagrams’ Doesn’t Disappoint by Ben Westhoff for New York Magazine
Wu Tang Clan: 8 Diagrams By Jason Newman for allhiphop
The 8 Diagrams: Wu-Tang Clan by Christian Hoard for Rolliing Stone
Wu-Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams (SRC/Universal Motown Records) by Ivan Rott (from hiphopisread.blogspot.com) for about.com [best review I've read yet!]
Anything That RZA Throw by Noz for XXL
Wu-Tang Clan drops hip-hop excellence by Glenn Gamboa for Newsday
Wu-Tang Clan: 8 Diagrams by Dave Heaton for PopMatters
Ten Favorite Moments From the Wu-Tang Clan’s 8 Diagrams by Tom Breihan for Village Voice
Wu-Tang’s new album redefines its sound, image by Kyle Thacker

Finally! Video of the ‘07 Scribble Jam finals. I thought Franco dropping his mic was a joke, guess not.

All you dads stand up.

Supposedly off his upcoming album Dialogue. Portrait by Mathieu Laurent.

Download Money (instrumental) by Thavius Beck

We gave a brief mention of this documentary on The Good Life Cafe back in September, when Terry interviewed Omid. Well it looks like the film is done and ready to hit the film festival circuit. No trailer available yet but the official site is under construction and the mysp*ce page is open for friendlies.

goodlifelove.com
mysp*ce.com/goodlifelove

THIS IS THE LIFE is a feature-length documentary that chronicles “The Good Life” emcees, the alternative music movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.

Featuring new interviews with: Myka Nyne and PEACE of Freestyle Fellowship, Chali2na and Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5, NgaFsh, Riddlore, Tray-Loc & Wreckless of CVE, Abstract Rude and Zulu Butterfly of ATU, Ellay Khule of Hip Hop Klan, Medusa of S.I.N, Born Allah, Gangah K, Fatjack, JMD, Omid, Pigeon John, 2Mex of OMD, Jyant & Eve of Figures of Speech, T-Love of Urban Props, Sheena Lester & B+ of Rappages, Mear One, Mike Nardone of KXLU’s We Came From Beyond, Garth Trinidad of KCRW’s Chocolate City, Monalisa Murray, Jah Orah, Hines, Busdriver, Monique Matthews, Keen and B. Hall & R. Kain Blaze, co-founders of The Good Life.

Directed by Ava DuVernay

Coming to a Film Festival Near You in 2008

Interesting interview with tube amplifier and electronics designer Tim de Paravicini. He breaks down the reasons why analog media provides a superior listening experience. Think digital radio is the sh*t? Think again. Link

When CD arrived in the 1980s, Tim de Paravicini was among the first to explain the shortcomings of the new format’s sound quality by pointing out that existing analog media were superior when analyzed in terms of sampling rate. He argued then that a digital medium would need a much higher sample rate than 44.1kHz (and a higher bit rate than 16) to match the resolution of analog tape or vinyl. I asked him to explain this again.

Well, the quick nutshell of it all is this. An analog microphone we all understand, and a valve or transistor amplifier is linear in its working range. On a vinyl record, when you are cutting an acetate, there is no modulation or chopping it up—you are down to the molecular level of the acetate to store that information. It’s a totally random but very minute-resolution storage system.

When it comes to digital, it’s how to operate it, how many bits we devote to it, and the sampling frequency, as to how we store that information. The original digital system of CD, with 16 bits and 44.1kHz sampling, was what the mathematicians deemed to be the minimum acceptable to human hearing for so-called hi-fi. They never looked at all the artifacts and all the problems. And they never did enough analysis of the human hearing mechanism to realize that we don’t stop hearing at 20kHz—people can discern and detect sound up to 45kHz. We have, as I say to people, an equivalent risetime of 11 microseconds in the hearing mechanism. And the ability to resolve detail in those digital systems wasn’t quite good enough.

Read more »

Got to see Big Noyd perform at Cormega’s album release party a week or two ago. Although the set was short, he ripped it. And Lil Dap kicked a verse or two at a recent Jeru The Damaja show. Dopeness. Stay tuned for a whole bunch of videos from the Cormega show. Link

Big Noyd, Infamous Mobb, Lil Dap (Group Home), DJ Skizz (Halftime Radio)

Saturday, Jan 5, 2008 // DOORS 9:00 PM
ADV $12// DOS $15

Knitting Factory
74 Leonard Street
New York, NY 10013

see also:
Cormega Album Release Party in NYC (11/20, 7pm)
Jeru The Damaja Live @ Roseland Ballroom 10.12.07

Dj Doo Wop still doing his thing, touring worldwide and working on an album with Pete Rock. We were gonna up the intro to ‘95 Live but I’m sure you’ve all heard that by now. Link

mysp*ce.com/bouncemasta

I started making mixtapes in 1989 but in 1991 is when my name became pretty well known in the game and that was because the already famous DJ Kid Capri & me had the first ever “mixtape beef”. Fast forward to 1993. I’m dropping tapes on a regular basis & now my fan base is growing. Today’s game lacks what it had back then. Every popular mixtape DJ had their own niche. If you wanted exclusives you cop a DJ S&S/Craig G joint. If you wanted blends then you cop a Ron G. As far as my tapes, they were like no other because I was the only DJ that rhymed on his joints & on top of that I created a crew called The Bounce Squad. People use to look forward to hearing what kind of intro we were going to come up with next.

We actually got a major record deal with Virgin Records just off our intros. We never shopped a demo. Anyway, in 1994 the label wanted us to move to Los Angeles for a year to record our album. I said ‘HELL NO’, because at that time, the only reason we were winning is because we stayed dropping tapes on a monthly basis in NY. I felt that we could lose touch with the thing that made us and if that happened, the album would be worthless. So I requested a release cause I felt they didn’t get it. The reason I’m explaining this is because me asking for a release caused turmoil within the squad & shit got all fucked up. January 1995 was the turning point for me in this game.

Me and my squad had the streets locked from 93-94.

Scraps is a collection of unreleased material that was touched in one way or another by Bomar (Restiform Bodies). Features solo material and remixes for artists like Sole and Ellay Khule. If you like some of this you might also like his fun remix of Lil Mama’s smash hit, Lip Gloss. Link (via)

1. Untitled (w/ Clovis Heald)
2. Trike
3. Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Song
4. Happy Slapping (Superargo’s Powerslappin’ Mix)
5. Telephone Jim Jesus & Bomarr - Chapel of the Chimes (Cars and Trains Remix)
6. Of Montreal - My British Tour Diary (Restiform Bodies Remix)
7. Ellay Khule - Battle / Riflediss (prod. by Bomarr)
8. Mossman (w/ Circus)
9. This Perfect Day (w/ Passage)
10. Atur (w/ Passage)
11. Sole - Sin Carne (Bomarr’s Tongue-In-Cheek Remix)
12. Alan Astor - Fantastic Fantasy (Restiform Bodies Remix)
13. The Return of Mental Illness
14. Smyglyssna - Tea With Angela (Restiform Bodies Remix)
15. Jikop

previously:
Brand New Music From A Variety Of Artists We Respect [audiocast volume 26]
The Bomarr Monk - What Kept Grandpa Up (video)
Wild X-Mas With The Bomarr Monk, Vol. 2
Bomarr Monk Video From Surface Sincerity

Vulgar Records’ own Pseudzero offers us his How To Make Friends mix. Link (via Lazerus Pit)

Tracklisting:
Morgan Caney And Kamal Joory - take my light
Eyedea And Abilities - a murder of memories
Sach - i live on
The Notwist - solo swim
Sole - dismantling of sole’s ego
Sebutones - flux capacity
Console - mount everest horizontal
4am - modern chairs accapella
Corker/Conboy - akka
Ebgerto Gismonti - selva amazonica
Vincent Gallo - lonely boy

via IKEtv

From upcoming Act 2: Patents Of Nobility (the turn)

Download A Prayer For Michael Vick and T.I. (We Love You Family) by Jay Electronica

previously:
Jay Electronica Dreams His Verses, Getting Ready For Act II and III
Act 1: Eternal Sunshine (the pledge) by Jay Electronica
Dimethyltryptamine by Jay Electronica

Rza responds to some inquiries regarding Raekwon’s rant a few weeks back. via Nah Right

Nocando, Rheteric and Dumbfoundead talk about battlin’ for money, their Project Blowed influences and their upcoming releases. Link