In an effort to further explore the myriad and "Komplicated" musical tastes of the modern "post-Black" denizens of the world, we present Spin City, which will feature recommendations from some of the world’s finest DJs, headlined by the selections of our own "resident DJ," comic book fan, Star Wars and wrestling aficionado and all around swell guy, the world famous DJ Jedi [Facebook, Twitter and podcast]. He's graciously agreed to drop the science on musicology for you …
Heat for the week.
- Azealia Banks, "Runnin'"
She's got a mouth that would make a sailor blush, but the wordplay and flow on this are undeniable. That Lunice beat is a winner too. This unsigned Harlem lyricist has the interwebs on fire at the moment, and with good reason. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Ms. Banks in the coming year.
- B.o.B. feat. Andre 3000, "Play The Guitar"
I'm just here for the Dre 3 Stacks verse. Which he absolutely murders. As usual. F*** with this.
- Phonte, "Dance In The Reign"
"I do this all for hip hop. I'm lyin' like sh*t. I do this sh*t for my goddamn mortgage, n****." © Phonte I wish more rappers were this honest in their music. Anyway, that's the first 20 seconds of the song. Everything thereafter is Phontigga spittin the classic, witty, everyman flow that longtime fans have come to expect from him. "Reign" is one of the better joints off the Charity Starts At Home album. Go grab that if you haven't already … New Tigallo New Tigallo New Tigallo! LOL
- Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No), "Vodka & Ayahuaska"
When it's all said and done, I'm actually REALLY easy to please when it comes to my hip hop: Dope beat. Dope flows. Dope wordplay. A catchy hook or some decent scratching is a plus. That's it. "Vodka & Ayahuaska" fires on all cylinders in this regard. The upcoming album might be a PROBLEM if this is the type of stuff we can hope to expect from them. EDITOR'S NOTE: Available now in our #musicmonday column)
- Black Star feat. The Roots, "Little Brother" Live on Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon
This right here made my week. Regular readers of this column may remember me highlighting this song a few weeks back on when I did my Roy Ayers tribute column. This long lost rarity was originally an album cut on 1999's Hurricane soundtrack. Remember back in the day when soundtracks were often better than the movie? Remember back when record labels would put together compilations of throwaway/contractual obligation songs from various artists a "soundtrack," even though none of the songs on the "soundtrack" ever actually appeared in the movie they allegedly pertained to? But every once in awhile you'd stumble across a GEM from one of your favorite artists that justified the $15 purchase, even though the cd wasn't even worth the plastic it was manufactured on, beyond that one song you bought it for? Yeah so that's what "Little Brother" was for me. The song is 12 years old at the time of this writing, and while it's one of my favorite Black Star joints ever, it was never a single. So imagine my surprise when I got the news that they'd perform this long lost underground treasure on national television. The always-dependable Roots do a stellar job of covering Dilla's masterpiece. See for yourself.
Busy week ahead. Hope to see you at one of these …
TONIGHT: 1.9.12
MOM: Motown On Mondays
(DJs spinning originals, covers, remixes, & close relatives of your favorite Motown jams)
10pm-2am
Free admission
Location: The Shortstop
1445 W. Sunset Blvd.
Echo Park, CA
1.10.12
Downbeat 720
(Open mic/stage/performance space for high school teens)
7pm-9:30pm
Free admission
Location: Miles Memorial Playhouse
1130 Lincoln Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
1.11.12
Cherrypoppin'
(DJs Jedi & resident Tailwind Turner spin 80s & 90s hip hop, soul, and house classics)
9pm-2am
Free before 10:30pm $5 after, 21 & over
Location: The Room
1626 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
Barring unforeseen challenges, Spin City should be waiting for you, right here on Komplicated.com, every Monday afternoon.
[Source: DJ Jedi]