Ni**as in Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West (Watch the throne, 2011)

Don’t get in the zone! Not the zone! Somebody throw a fillet at them!

The funniest, braggiest, catchiest, illest song on Watch the throne is also the best that Ye and Jay have to offer on their latest collaboration. They took turn counting the ways honey lined their path to rap’s throne, with Kanye occasionally one-upped Jay for good measure (Ye’s response to Jay’s braggin’ about having a hot chick at home? “You know how many hot bitches I OWN?” - maybe he’s talking about female dogs? Or are we back to owning people now?) They threw in dubstep 2/3 of the way through, just because.

While Ye and Jay are front and center, this album is far from a two-men affair. A few other collabs - Beyonce, La Roux’s Eleanor Jackson, Frank Ocean, Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, and Q-tip - made more than the line notes. Admittedly, Ye’s last brilliant album makes this less than spectacular for me though. They can’t be all twisted fantasies eh?

P.S. I don’t get Frank Ocean’s hype.

P.P.S. Please drop Mr. Hudson from your roster, Jay. Chipmunk singing is NOT balling.

P.P.S. H.A.M. sux.

(Source: heavensrejection)

imnumber8:

“I’m liable to be go Michael, Take your pick, Jackson, Tyson, Jordan”

Jay-Z, Niggas in Paris, 2011

“I perform like Mike, Anyone – Tyson, Jordan, Jackson” 

Notorius B.I.G, Victory, 1998

So??? What you think?

There’s a history of this.

Best of 2010 .::. 50 Refixes/Covers | 25 Remix/Refix (minus the Xx)

The Xx is probably the most remixed band I listened to in 2010, so I have dedicated 5 spots on the list to all things Xx. This “25 Remix” list is for the rest of the field.

#01. Jump on stage - Girl Talk

“”Listen to the hits,” (This is the remix) indeed. Girl Talk released his brand new album yesterday FREE of charge, and it’s true that the best thing in life is free, especially music and money. This is, without a doubt, the most fun I’ve ever had listening to Girl Talk. It helps that he decides to let samples breathe a little and not be too finicky about jamming as much into one “song” as possible. I kinda want to have a party just so I can play this. Mash-ups are not over until Girl Talk says so.

It’s hard to pick a track as a favourite since they all sort of flow together like a DJ set. However, I’m partial to Jump on stage because of Skee-Lo’s “I Wish,” for sentimental reason. But really, the rest of the album is so deftly arranged and lively that it’s totally worth bothering to click on the link and download. I’d have even paid my many invisible ruble for this.”

The rest of the remix of the year:

01. Jump on Stage – Girl Talk           

02. Teqkilla (Remix feat. Nicki Minaj) – M.I.A.           

03. Power (Remix feat. Jay-Z) – Kanye West

04. The Phoenix Alive (Disco Bloodbath Vocal Radio Edit) – Monarchy

05. Indestructible (Laidback Luke Club Mix) – Robyn           

06. Obsessions (Ocelot Remix) – Marina and the Diamonds           

07. All Delighted People (original) – Sufjan Stevens           

08. Rill Rill (George Lenton remix) – Sleigh Bells           

09. Baby (Ft. Prince Zimboo & M.I.A. / Switch Remix) – Major Lazer           

10. Chaos (Rory Phillips Mix) – New Young Pony Club

11. I’m Not Your Lemonade + Heroes n Villans (feat. Gucci Mane Remix) – Major Lazer & La Roux        

12. Born Free (High Contrast Remix) – M.I.A.   

(DL Pt1)                    

13. I’m the one / money on my mind (jj remix the Xx) – The Xx & jj

14. NY is Killing Me (Jamie X remix) – Gil Scott-Heron           

15. Lookin’ 4 Ya (Feat. Andre 3000 / Jedi Remix) – Big Boi           

16. As We Enter (Tinie Tempah Remix) – Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley

17. The Afterlife (The xx Remix) – YACHT

18. Madder Red (The Golden Filter Remix) – Yeasayer           

19. 6669 (Aislyn Remix) – Neon Indian                       

20. Alors On Danse (feat. Kanye West & Gilbere Forte Remix) – Stromae & Kanye West           

21. The Black & Gold (Wale remix Sam Sparro) – Sam Sparro & Wale           

22. I Am Not A Robot (Doorly Remix) – Marina And The Diamonds           

23. Beam Me Up (Jacques Renault Remix) – Midnight Magic           

24. Wonderwall (Questions Version) – Oasis          

25. Oh My Kids (Usher vs Sleigh Bells) – The Hood Internet   

(DL Pt2)

Best of 2010 .::. 50 Refixes/Covers | 25 Remix/Refix (minus the Xx)

#03. Power (feat. Jay Z Remix) - Kanye West

This track may feature Jay Z but it’s Kanye who absolutely kills it. About 3:20 in, listen and weep.

Monster (ft. Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj) - Kanye West (My beautiful dark twisted fantasy @ Amazon)

‘Ye appeared on NBC’s Today Show and did the most ridiculous thing - apologizing for telling a rich, conservative, white old man that he didn’t “care about black people,” because he apparently felt some sort of guilt about it. At least, that’s what Matt Lauer was trying to get out of him: remorse for being an outspoken rapper.

Guilt. Are you kidding me? He’s a frakkin’ BLACK (for emphasis) rapper, not some yuppie constantly having to worry about eating organic vegetables and needing token black friends. Bush was feeling sad about it? Boo friggin’ hoo. Judging from the hoopla that followed one of the most chilling moments in US’ TV history, ‘Ye seemed to have spoken from a place that was shared by a lot of people. There was NOTHING to apologize for. If anything, Matt Lauer should’ve been the one to apologize for using that Barbara Walters’ sensationalistic interview technique to coax an unnecessary, inappropriate apology out of him. It was ridiculous that people accused ‘Ye of being racist for that infamous Taylor Swift incident. You can’t be racist against a dominant ethnic group of greater SES power - the word ‘racism’ is meant to be used in the social power context. Perhaps someone should talk to ‘Ye about all these splatters of apologies for nothing. I’m appalled, to use the title of a ‘Ye track. May be he IS turning white, plagued by a vague sense of guilt that he had done something wrong but couldn’t point to what it was?

Speaking of his latest album, nobody touches My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. For all his arrogance and public supersized ego that often come with the territory of being a rapper, it has always warmed my heart to see how reactive he is to everything. He put himself out there to the world, with little filtering between the private self and the persona, not because it gained him some notoriety but because he didn’t think he needed to. His priority as an artist was the product - he worked hard, created superior work, and expected the same of others. I don’t doubt that he’s an intelligent, compassionate person, but being nice for the sake of being nice just ain’t his thing.

However, all these struggles fueled his creative energy on the latest masterpiece, so perhaps it’s a good thing that ‘Ye also had in his head that he wanted to be an “empathic, understanding person.” He brought this new found vulnerability to his work (Bon Iver should’ve been a sign). Fantasy is many opposing things working miraculously together: overloaded and singularly composed, complex and easy to love, raw and impeccably produced, beautiful and bad-ass. It’s so big, it should’ve crumbled under the weight of all the personalities involved. Instead, it wears its loudness proud and soars beyond expectations. ’Ye’s response to his public anxiety is something like a peacock reacting to fear by showing how big it is, with its stunning plumage on full display. There’s nothing like an antagonist to keep the hero at his best huh?

I wish I could post all the gems on this album, but Monster should whet your appetite if you haven’t already been drooling all over the rest of it. Nikki Minaj owns them all on this track, though, ‘Ye included. Listen and weep.