Gilles Peterson has been a champion of new music for the past 10 years thanks to his BBC Radio 1 program, Worldwide, as well as being the head of several influential record labels, the latest being Brownswood Recordings.  But the music isn’t just new, like…it’s not the new Justin Bieber or Katy Perry record.  The music is hot nonetheless.  It is usually unique, urbane, and unheard of by the masses.  It is music that has that thing that transcends language, race, and other cultural barriers that we inflict upon ourselves.  With this newest retrospective compilation, Gilles Peterson presents:  Worldwide, billed as “A celebration of his syndicated radio show,” we get a glimpse into the world of newness that Gilles has been exposing us to throughout the years, as well as a hint of where music will be heading in the near future.

As a retrospective, it highlights just how influential Gilles has been and still is.  Artists who may have floundered in the underground trenches of the music scene are given a chance to see daylight and get the praise that they are due.  As a compilation, it’s a well-rounded, groove-minded collection with an unabashed display of diversity.  The songs all represent the progressive vision of soul, jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat , and electronic music. I like the fact that the songs are not so eclectic that you end up saying to yourself, “What the fuck is this?” but moreso “Hmmm…that’s kinda hot.  Where can I get more of that?”  Your head will stay in “bop” mode for the majority of this set.

Jay Dee – Rico Suave Bossa Nova
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Amy Winehouse  – Take The Box
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

These songs that Gilles has chosen stand on their own as studies in quiet confidence.  As a cohesive unit, the songs paint a picture of the man that chose them.    Gilles proves time and time again not only does he have an extremely discerning ear, but he also has a sense of who may end up having longevity in the game.  There are a lot of artists on this 2-disc album that you guys may recognize:  Dwele, Vikter Duplaix, Jose James, Herbert, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Jay Dee, Amy Winehouse, M.I.A.  and Jill Scott to name a few.  The common denominator is that Gilles has been right there supporting their music from the very beginning of their careers, constantly  having his finger on the pulse of greatness, and a lot of these artists have moved on to higher levels of musical prominence.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Quasimoto – Come On Feet
[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

The thing that makes listening to this album fun, as well as most compilations really, is researching those names that you don’t instantly recognize.  By doing this, you will either uncover some other hidden gems by the individual artist, or you will make it a point to remember the artist so that you can keep up with any upcoming projects they may have.  Which is just another way of saying you’ll become a fan, and fans are what artists need to survive.  What better fan can an up-and-coming artist have than Gilles Peterson?  He is the consummate tastemaker, and by opening our ears to new music, he is doing both the artist and the listener a huge favor.  Here’s to another 10 years of fresh new sounds from the worldwide underground.

Tracklisting
CD 1

01 – Nitin Sawhney – Tides
02 – Cinematic Orchestra feat Roots Manuva – All Things To All Men
03 – Quasimoto – Come on Feet
04 – Qtip – Lets Ride
05 – Erykah Badu – Green Eyes
06 – Jill Scott – He Loves Me [Lyzel In E Flat]
07 – Herbert – The Audience
08 – Jay Dee – Rico Suave Bossa Nova
09 – Dwele – Too Fly
10 – Amy Winehouse – Take The Box
11 – Gotan Project – Triptico
12 – Dizzy Rascal – I Luv U
13 – M.I.A. – Galang
14 – Vikter Duplaix – Manhood

CD 2

01 – Sa-Ra – Rosebuds
02 – Steve Spacek – Dollar
03 – Outlines – Just a Lil’ Lovin
04 – Recloose – Dust
05 – Amerie – 1 Thing
06 – Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – Many Things
07 – RSL – Wesley Music
08 – Sebastien Tellier – La Ritournelle
09 – Little Dragon – Twice
10 – Jose James – Dreamer
11 – Theo Parrish – Goin’ Downstairs (Part 1)
12 – Benga – Emotions
13 – Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer

Download: Kanye West and Perajok Present: G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape

G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape is a sprawling 30-track collection that was put together by Russian blogger/Kanye fan/ MTV Russia Host, Perajok. This unofficial mixtape includes music from all G.O.O.D. Music members and is a compilation of recent leaks and releases from the G.O.O.D. fam.

G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape succeeds in exposing less experienced G.O.O.D. Music fans to the other members of this group and some of their recent work. Although the latest releases from Kanye (“See Me Now”), Big Sean (“Bullshittin’”) and Kid Cudi (“Mr. Rager”) are compiled on the G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape, the best cuts are from the artists that aren’t featured on blogs daily.  Falling under this category are GLC, Tony Williams, Really Doe, CyHi Da Prynce (the newest G.O.O.D. member) and potential signee Pusha T. Chicago native GLC, known by most for his features on The College Dropout, has two real good songs featured on this mixtape, “Get Me Gone” and “In It For Keeps.” Both tracks feature his leisurely flow as well as piano-based production, and pique interest in his previous work. He is also featured on the Really Doe track “Chicago” which has a chipmunk-voiced soul music sample that’s reminiscent of Kanye West’s old production work, and still works well for Doe and GLC.  The Mr Hudson and Caspa song “Love Never Dies” is also a standout feature on G.O.O.D. Ass Music. Their collaboration CD is disappointingly only to be released across the pond, but the single “Love Never Dies” has luckily made its rounds on the internet and is now at home on this mixtape. “Love Never Dies” is an electo-infused R&B song, similar to those found on Mr Hudson’s Straight No Chaser, and is yet another track that makes this mixtape well worth your hard-drive space.

The weakest points of the G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape come when Taz Arnold or Fonzworth Bently are on a track. I have never enjoyed Bently’s pseudo rap/singing, and his two tracks “G.O.O.D. Bye Love,” and “Fireside Chat” don’t do anything to change my opinion. Taz Arnold also fails to better his musical name on this mixtape with his one track, “ South$ide Blood Cuz’n;” which is actually hard to listen to.

Perajok’s G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape lacks new material but serves as a good introduction to some of the lesser-known artists in Kanye’s camp, as well as an appetizer to wet the appetites of everyone awaiting this falls upcoming G.O.O.D. Music releases.

This joint right here is real sexy-like.  Your body will automatically go into autopilot:  your head will start boppin’, and you’ll break into a soulful yet swingin’ two-step (think of the Robert Palmer video girls…on speed).  The very beginning of the song reminds me of Supernature-era Goldfrapp with heavy synths keys, some la-la-las, and a kick-ass boom-kick drum beat, followed by harmonic oooh-ing that subtly invokes spirituality.  After a while, the song becomes more of its own entity and takes on an original persona reminiscent of no one but Just a Band.

This song just works for me.  It makes my toes tap just enough that I could maybe burn a few calories without a whole lot of effort.  The idea that this is an electronic band of Kenyans gives me much pause.  It’s African music, but not that traditional tribal sound that you think about when you usually think of African music.  This song could bump in pretty much any international lounge scene and wouldn’t be out of place.  The synth work is impressive, and when they declare that they’re gonna “huff and puff and blow the house down,” you can hear an uncanny undertone of malice, joy, and swag in equal amounts.

The last time I can recall African music being this cosmopolitan was when Fela Kuti was popular, but that was in the 70s.  Mind you, I am not that well versed in contemporary African music so there may be some real gems out there for me to dig up, but this right here is on some ole’ transcendental Afro-electro vibe.  If this track is any indication of how they get down in Kenya, then I will definitely be checking for more music from there, as well as the rest of Africa.

Disclaimer: The Couch Sessions is a part of the MOG Music Network

MOG All Access can be found at MOG.com.

Music in the Cloud. If you’ve frequented music business websites like I have you might have heard of the that term being the “next big thing” in music. A revolution that will have a greater impact than iTunes and Napster combined. But is it true?

In a word? Yes.

Music in the cloud means that you don’t have to purchase music ever again. Instead of physical downloads, you stream your music collection over the internet, either via your computer or your mobile device, while the physical files lie in the could, a geek term to refer to a central server instead of your hard drive.

UK’s Spotify has been heralded as the next big thing. WIth that service you can stream music either free (ad-supported) or upgrade to the premium service that will allow you offline access to your music as well as higher bitrates (quality) files.

But alas, Spotify is Europe only, with no immediate intentions of coming to the US. So what is a music lover to do?

Fortunately for us Stateside, there is MOG All Access, which is cementing itself as a viable alternative in the streaming genre. Launched earlier this year, and backed by all four major music labels (Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, the Warner Music Group and EMI Music) the service is no doubt a viable alternative to Spotify in the United States.

The heart of MOG is the web interface, which allows desktop streaming. What’s more interesting is the fact that you can add several albums into your queue for continuous playback as well as shuffle songs, save and load playlist in addition to social functionality via Facebook and Twitter.

The “the killer app” functionality of MOG lies within the mobile client however. Available for iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android, the mobile client allows for streaming on the go as well as the ability to download tracks to your mobile device for use offline. The latter might be one of the more interesting things about the service as you have unlimited album downloads of some of the top names in the music industry, just like Spotify.

The downside to the downloads however is that they are not synced to your iTunes account and can only be played through the Mog player, and the tracks are stuck on your mobile device until you delete them. Not a bad thing, however, as you can always re-download these tracks again.

I didn’t get a chance to play with the social components as much as I would like, but I do like the fact that you can preview similar artists right within the queue as well as skip tracks backwards and forwards, unlike Pandora. However, there is no way to skip through a track, event ones that are downloaded on your device, which is a major fail in my book.

Also, since I have an iPod Touch over wi-fi, I wasn’t able to test MOG over a 3G Connection. However, I’ve not had a problem running Pandora over the Blackberry without an interrupted connection for a 2 hour trip, I forsee MOG being similar.

But what really makes the service shine is its content. With the backing of all four labels you get chart toppers like Lady Gaga and Eminem all the way down to Curren$y and Slum Village. In addition you get classic albums such as A Tribe Called Quest and Nirvana. Not a bad look.

I know this might be fanboyism, but I’m really impressed by what MOG has been able to accomplish here. The fledgling music service not only has been able to get the blessing from all four major labels but also has been able to create a cloud-based music service that brings together the best of Pandora, Spotify, and yes, even iTunes.

For $9.99 the price is not a bad look and when you think about all of the money that you’re saving on music, and the fact that you can download it to your mobile device is definately a game changer.

So, will this shift our thinking about music in the future? Quite possibly. However, with physical copies already sliding, I doubt that the industry will support this model in the future. But until then, I can free up space on my CD shelf in the meantime.

Let’s all be glad this isn’t 2004. If it were, suburban Detroit native and Duke graduate Mike Posner would have just graduated from the Mickey Mouse/Lou Pearlman factory into a rosy cheeked R & B album that, since not likely produced by Timbaland, would have flopped, and left him to be a soulless J.C. Chasez instead of Justin Timberlake, the inaugural blue eyed soul champion of the 21st century. Well, it’s 2010, and the tweenage dance pop synths that pushed N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys to celebrity and fame are now firmly entrenched in the realm of mature sounding R & B, which means that for rapper turned singer Posner, his solo effort in trending mainstream can be an epic victory of dance pop AND traditional R & B, saccharine pop with an edge. In blending the best of the worlds of “Bye, Bye, Bye” and “My Love,” and creating a blueprint for pop’s next generation, Posner‘s 31 Minutes to Takeoff could be a sleeper pick as one of 2010′s best albums.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Outside of great mainstream radio friendly single “Cooler than Me,” the true success of this album may be between producer Greg Kurstin (of indie band The Bird and The Bee fame) and Mike Posner. Timbaland was ultimately the key that took Justin Timberlake from a handsome face in a top selling boy band into becoming a 21st century pop institution. Well, JT is off making movies and Timbaland is at a career crossroads, so in steps this new power duo to take the reigns. “Drive your high heel into my heart, I don’t even care/cause my pride is worth much more than yours, you stupid little love.” On album finale “Falling,” with one couplet of lyrics over a barren piano that fades into a keyboard programmed to sound like an elegant harpsichord, and a quiet and respectful synthed out bassline, Posner‘s pop face melts away into a bare and honest reality, a broken-hearted love song elevating the performer from least anticipated to the most wanted. Where Timbaland needed Beethoven-styled orchestral histrionics to elevate JT, Kurstin employs a bare bones production method to underscore Posner‘s melancholy. Yes, he also goes the TImbaland route with complex drum fills on the chorus of “Save Your Goodbye,” but for the era of the melancholy pop rapper, Kurstin has set the standard.

In employing Gigamesh, The Smeezingtons, Benny Blanco and Cisco Adler on this record, there was clearly a “spare no expense” edict laid out by J Records to give Posner the best chance possible to stake control over a thawing consumer market. Even Boyz II Men are pulled out from the moth balls to add an especially soulful touch to the chorus of “Deja Vu.” Cisco Adler especially, when not attempting to copy mainstream trends as he did on weak Shwayze follow up album Let it Beat is a phenomenal pop producer. Shwayze’s “Corona and Lime” and “Buzzin’” are two of the best pop songs of the past five years, and he adds “Gone in September” from Posner‘s debut to that bunch as well. Posner‘s selling sun kissed fun times with polite depression here, not the father deprived manic depression of Drake or the overwhelming doubt of Wale, but an album that is a great representation of the nary a soul quaking care suburban experience.

Hip hop music is experiencing a renaissance, and sorely needed pop heroes for the mainstream. Between the likes of Wale and Tabi Bonney, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Mike Posner, the cavalry has arrived.

Trek Life – As the World Turns | Buy from iTunes

Trek Life’s latest CD, Everything Changed Nothing, was released digitally July 27^th. On August 10^th the California-based rapper will release the physical version of the same CD and his second single, “As the World Turns,” marks this event.

On “As the World Turns” the DMV producer Oddisee supplies Trek Life with a futuristic beat that is comprised of ethereal instruments, hard snares, and synths that continuously fade in and out. Oddisee’s work on this track is top-notch and Trek Life KO’s this track with his strong delivery, quick cadence, and thoughtful lyrics. Trek uses “As the World Turns” to declare his aspirations as an emcee, “My intention is to raise the status quo of this rap shit // bring it back to the street origin that brought it to fruition // I’m a long distance from where I’m headed, but well equipped for the journey…”

On a song that is great in all of its other facets, it seems as if Oddisee and Trek Life got lazy with the chorus that is reminiscent of those found on Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle. This could be an intentional homage to a fellow left-coaster but either way, the chorus brings an otherwise exceptional track down a notch.

“As the World Turns” is a clear example of Trek Life’s potential to be a purveyor of quality music for year to come.

Wale – The Guilty Pleasure (feat Waka Flaka)

Let’s face it, there are mixtape artists and there are album artists and Wale is the former.

However, being a “mixtape artist” is not a bad thing in 2010. With album sales at an all time low and production values shrinkin,g mixtapes have circumvented albums and in many cases sounded better than what you’re supposed to pay money for.

That’s the case with Mr. Forlain, who’s debut Attention Deficit was quite simply too safe for the hip-hop masses. FIlled with several head scratchers–the inclusion of a then unknown LadyGaga on “Chillin” and a song with Crisette Michelle about skin color for starters–Wale felt like a caged animal, denied the right to let his

The greatest evidence of this was the fact that all of the songs that he leaked after the album dropped (including the glorious “My Sweetie), are better than the songs on the actual album. Far from label focus groups, Wale gets to express everything from his emoness, his African-ness and his DMVness, giving the world some of the most original material to date.

Which brings us to his latest work, More About Nothing. As a continuation of the excellent Mixtape About Nothing the Seinfeld theme seems to be stretched thin, but it doesn’t distract from the fact that Wale is hungry and more motivated than any MC in the game right now.  “I fuck the world, fuck your girl and leave them both with an orgasm,” Wale screams on the track The Breeze, showing the world a fiercer, version of the MC, wtih every track having the same level of ferocity.

Production was handled by a great group of unknown yet talented knob-turners. Philly’s DJ Omega (best known for Ron Brownz–yeah that dude’s–Jumpin’ Out The Window–leads a proficient crew of young talent. DC’s Best Kept Secret, the Bassheads, Kosmik, Anlo, Yogi, and Maryland’s Osinachi provide a diverse palate of beats, from electro to dirty South, with the MC rapping proficiently over all of them.

In fact, other than the dated (and downright misplaced) track Eyes of The Tiger, there really isn’t a bad track on this Mixtape. Even the Waka Flaka track (which would lead some to cringe) is executed to perfection.

It’s good to have Wale back in the limelight, and this effort might just prove to be one of the best mixtapes albums of the year.

Download: Exile – Radio Bonus

On this latest remix effort from Exile, there are some hits and misses.  Now the purpose of a remix album is sometimes to be a little more experimental in nature, but since the original “Radio” contained so many samples, this remix seemed a bit excessive.  Throughout this album there was way too much fiddling around with sampling to the point where it was distracting.

One of the “hits” was the well-done remix of Frequency Modulation. It is a great remix adding Tore & Ruste Juxx’s gangster-style lyrics to the original version that contained no vocals other than from samples and was a little more laid back than the hard hitting beat of the remixed track.  I also liked the quick opera/hip-hop mashup track “OPERAtor Radio.”  It was one of the first mashups including opera themes that I had ever heard.  Kudos to Exile on that one!

As an ambassador of the chillout scene, I enjoyed the downtempo tracks of this album and believe some of them could fit nicely in a chillout compilation.  The first track “So We Can Move” is a terrific, dream-like downtempo track. “In Love” includes a great standup bass groove, a light drum beat, and a dream-like repetitive chorus.  The synth-filled “So We Can Move- Pollyn Remix” was a nice ambient track that seemed out of place mixed in with all of these hip-hop remixes.  I also enjoyed “The Machine” which was a fun electronic dance track that featured a nice upbeat groove, simple bass line, and some nice work on the synth keys.  ”GB” was another quick little bossa-style ditty which was a fun listen as well.

The misses were just a few.  Watch out for “Watch Out”  WAY too much sampling on this one.  Same goes for “Exbox Radio, “We’re All in Power,” and “Population Control.”  If you’re really into sampling, these tracks are right up your alley, but they just weren’t my cup of tea.  I like to focus on a groove and then listen to different elements, but some of the tracks had no discernible groove and were just filled with so many samples.

I think if the album were split up into two sides…one more experimental and one downtempo, I think it would have flowed better and could have been a bit more interesting of a listen.  I would definitely be interested in checking out more of Exile’s stuff to get a better sampling of his work than judging his work on this release.  You can get the free download here-

Keep Chillin’

Chris  www.chilloutscene.com www.facebook.com/chilloutscene www.twitter.com/chilloutscene

Rating: 3/5

Tracklisting:
1. So We Can Move (Teebs Remix) – 02:44
2. It’s Coming Down (DJ Rhettmatic Remix) – 03:36
3. Population Control (Dibia$e Remix) – 02:15
4. We’re All In Power ft. Lessondary Radio (Von Pea, Donwill, and Elucid) - 02:46
5. Frequency Modulation (Marco Polo Remix ft. Torae & Ruste Juxx) – 02:53
6. In Love (Kan Kick Remix) – 03:34
7. GB (Radio Medley) – 02:19
8. Watch Out! False Prophet ft. ADAD & Johaz - 04:04
9. The Machine (DiViNCi Remix) – 03:09
10. In Tune Static (Mike Gao Remix) – 01:59
11. So We Can Move (Pollyn Remix) – 03:49
12. Exbox Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:31
13. OPERAtor Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:41
14. Forbidden Radio (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 01:29
15. I’ve Been Dreaming of You (Radio Reject – Bonus Cut) - 02:45

“The Half” is actually unique; that simple statement speaks volumes of the lyricist behind this single, Eternia. The rapper, originally from Toronto and now in New York, Eternia teamed up with Toronto producer MoSS in order to create her fourth and most recent full-length release, At Last. Throughout At Last MoSS produces beats that snugly fit Eternia’s pronounced style of rapping and her knack for spinning personal narratives into bona fide hip-hop. The song, “The Half,” is only one chapter from this strikingly autobiographical CD, but it is exemplary of Eternia’s abilities as a rapper, and MoSS’ production expertise.

The single “The Half” is possibly the only rap song that discusses and celebrates half siblings, and is archetypal of Eternia’s unique brand of music that pervades At Last. “The Half” shines a bright light on Eternia’s family life, the complications that often surround it, and her appreciation for everyone related to her. Lyrically Eternia can hang with the best of them, and “The Half” is a showcase of her ability. She ends her first verse discussing the feelings involved with half siblings, “One knew he was loved, the other not so much // and that hurts more than any bullet from a gun // papa was a rolling stone, what’s done is done” before entering the chorus which proclaims half-siblings’ importance and adds yet another well-executed facet to “The Half.”

With MoSS’ snare and reverb-heavy production to back her up, Eternia takes this unique concept for a song and produces a track that is both memorable and thought provoking.

BONUS: Eternia and Moss – Goodbye

Rick Ross feat. Kanye West – Live Fast, Die Young

After being publicly outed as a corrections officer, having 50 Cent vow, then try his damnedest to “ruin your life, for fun,” and shooting one of the most ridiculous rap videos of all time for “Magnificent,” in which you proclaim your love for the equestrian arts, a weaker rapper than the living embodiment of Al Pacino’s turn as Tony Montana inScarface, Rick Ross, would’ve retired. But apparently, in hearing his latest release, what doesn’t kill your career only makes you stronger, and in his strongest performance from beginning to end on an album to date, the recently unleashed Teflon Don succeeds as one of the better produced hip hop releases of 2010.

This accomplishment has as much to do with Ross’ development as an emcee to a level just below his most lyrically adept collaborators on this album, that being 2/3 of the L.O.X. in Styles P and Jadakiss, Kanye West and T.I. His lyrical content, that of a vividly imagined life as a drug kingpin, leaves little in the way of next level wordplay, and instead emphasizes cliched lines about a life being lead in the shadow of dead or incarcerated name checked criminal masterminds. However, Ross’ playground for his potent imagination is in his words, as he kicks flows that give the impression that you too are a crime lord cruising the streets of the 305 in a Grand Theft Auto feeling dream scape. Ross’ music after all has the moniker of being “Maybach music,” and you indeed feel like the king of the streets with the whip to match after a listen to this album.

The real key so Ross’ hyper-stylized universe are the beats. Yes, the orchestral wonders of the Grammy award winning J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League are present, especially on the old school hip hop remix feeling Maybach Music III, where special guest Erykah Badu being a controlling presence on the hook keeps the disparate nature of the flows on the track from Ross, T.I. and Jada unified. The idea of having a NY, ATL and MIA trap star on the track was smart, but given the extreme differences in flow, approach and feel of all three, the track, while lush and magnificent, suffers from top notch but flawed execution in delivery on record. Timbaland’s best student Danja is wasted on the Diddy and Trey Songz collaboration “No. 1,” as the as of late under-motivated appearing Songz is here, and Diddy gets handed a flaming and tired turd of a rhyme here, even by his “can’t stop, won’t stop” 1996 hypeman standards that he delivers with the lyrical gusto of a whistle in the wind. “Free Mason” featuring Jay-Z is perfunctory, the lyrical equivalent of Babe Ruth doffing his cap at the crowd as opposed to the Reggie Jackson at the plate in the ’77 World Series that he was on his own release. Jay has attempted to dull his usually sharp and potent lyricism for neophytes and the less talented as of late, using his star power instead of his lyricism to advance the career of his collaborator, a canny, veteran move.

This album is greatest when it intentionally underwhelms. Newcomer producer Lex Luger, a more polished member of the same school as Gucci collaborators Zaytoven and Fatboi, may not be the “Total Package” like the legendary pro wrestler his name suggests, but in providing Ross the ability to step out of his Maybach into a Coupe de Ville for cruising in Liberty City, he gives Ross a certain depth and legitimacy he hasn’t had since the Runners’ production of “Hustlin’.” “MC Hammer” and “Blow Money Fast (BMF)” are hook driven pearls of ignorance, the type of songs that cause the average urban blogger to run screaming to their 20 most recently noted songs on blip.fm and listen to Lupe and Cudi’s latest. Gucci Mane and Rick Ross on “MC Hammer” is a match made in trap star heaven. “My gun dirty/my brick clean/I’m ridin’ dirty/my dick clean/she talk dirty/but her mouth clean/bitch I’m MC Hammer, I’m about cream.” It’s the most ridiculous hook of the year, and easily part of all around, probably the best street hip hop track of the year. Radio friendly singles “Live Fast, Die Young” with Kanye West, and the extra marketable “Aston Martin Music” with Chrisette Michelle and Drake at his faux reflective and melodramatic best imbues the album with a sense that hip hop’s mainstream, is boring, understated, terrifically formulaic yet a guaranteed moneymaker when produced with excellence.

In final, Rick Ross completely understands his niche, and in not deviating from form, has melded his formula for success quite well here with disparate hip hop methods. Teflon Don isn’t the year’s best mainstream hip hop album, but absolutely has the year’s best mainstream hip hop record. In this economy and industry, that’s pretty much all you need to get by.

Let’s face it. Your $9 earbuds from Radio Shack are becoming obsolete. But that’s a good thing. We spend so much time listening to music that we sometimes forget how valuable headphones are to the musical experience.

And the high-end headphone market–once reserved for audiophiles and recording studios–has taken off. First there were the Dres. Then the Roc Nation Aviators, and now V-Moda is getting in the game with their Crossfade LPs.

What’s In the Box?

For $250 there have to be some bells and whistles, and V-Mod

a steps up to the plate. In addition to the headphones, they include a The hard plastic carrying case is a good look while the Kevlar-reinforced removable canvas headphone cable is rather revolutionary. I’ve not yet had the cord tangle on me yet. Just remember to always have it on you or store it in the carrying case or you will be SOL.

There are not one but two cables. The second cable has remote control and microphone capability for use with most iPods and iPhones.

But is it worth the price? Let’s break it down…

Appearance – 4.5/5 The designers at V-Moda somehow created a very striking headphone unit while still making it low-profile at the same time. Unlike some headphones which almost look like it grows out the side of your head, the slab side cups create a slender look. It’s not as subtle as the Beats By Dre phones or as fashion forward as the Aviators but it stands out nonetheless.

Fit – 5.0/5 Very comfortable. These might just be the best feeling headphones I’ve ever had. The leather cushions really do a good job of providing comfort and there isn’t any irritation after hours of prolonged use. The ultra padded band provides much needed support at the top and the unit adjust to fit any type of head shape.

Sound – 3.0/5 The guys at V-Moda say that they consulted the worlds top DJs and musicians to craft the sound of their product. However, I found that I got ultimate sound experience while watching movies and not listening to music.

I really wanted to love the sound of these headphones, but it seemed like it was engineered to everything on the lower rungs of the musical spectrum. In other words, there was entirely too much bass, so much to the point that it would drag out other elements of the song. It wouldn’t be a problem if you had an EQ handy, but who has one of those?

Honestly my $18 Ear Pollution headphones do a better job of balancing bass and treble.

Listening to movies is an down right different experience however, with the V-Modas were able to bring out the best in action sequences and even documentaries.

On the plus side, the V-Modas do a great job at noise cancellation, and the sound is a lot crisper than anything else I’ve heard on the market thanks to their integrated sound drivers. Even with the bass, going to a lesser headphone made me notice the difference.

Value 3.5/5 – This is where things get tricky. Even with the gripes stated above, these headphones are a joy to own. They look good, sound good, and are light years better than the headphones you have in your possession right now. But are they worth the $249 price tag? It depends.

Compared to the the more expensive Beats By Dre and other high end Bose headphones, the V-MODA is a value. The noise cancellation better than anything I’ve heard before and the accessories, design, and carrying case give it the edge over its competitors. Apple lovers will love the iPod and iPhone integration as well.

If you have iPhone earbuds or Radioshack specials, then the price tag is more than off-putting. There are better headphones to upgrade to and I would suggest the Ear Pollution series from iFrogz.

The V-Moda Crossfade can be purchased through Apple’s retail stores, the Apple Store® (www.apple.com) and online at shop.vmoda.com.

Kid Cudi, Best Coast, and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend have teamed up with Converse (yep, the shoe company) to deliver a smokin’ track called All Summer” just in time for the hottest time of the year.  It appears Converse is looking to bring its brand to the forefront of pop culture by becoming more involved in promoting/producing various genres of music using the “Three Aritsts, One Song” theme.  This is the second of such efforts, the first being “My Drive Thru” which was released two years ago and involved Pharrell Williams of N.E.R.D., Santigold, and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes.

The track opens with a harmonious intro and then Kid Cudi’s lyrics start in with a thumping bass drum kick beat.  The chorus features the vocals of Bethany from Best Coast accompanied by some fast surfer punk guitar.  The overall production by Rostam maintains that breezy Vampire Weekend sound with the similar use of harmonies.  I believe the hip-hop rhymes of Kid Cudi, the surfer punk style of  Best Coast, and the harmonies of Vampire Weekend blend together nicely to form a very unique hybrid of musical style.  It definitely makes for a great soundtrack to enjoy this summer with your car stereo blaring and windows down.

There’s also a very well done video where the principle players all wear HUGE masks of themselves.

Track is available for free download at Converse.com.

Keep chillin’

-Chris
www.chilloutscene.com
www.twitter.com/chilloutscene
www.facebook.com/chilloutscene