Tune Yards – Music Hall of Williamsburg, NYC

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New York City gets a much deserved rep for being a terrible city to watch live music. However, any type of jadedness was not present at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The vivacious crowd surprised even Ms. Garbus and she trated us with not one, but three encores. The only reason she stopped is because she ran out of songs.

Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes, and Kanye West, Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, NYC

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I’ve seen Kanye crash a few parties, but the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival? Aloung with a spirited session by Q-Tip and another surprise guest Busta Rhymes, Kanye’s crowd pleasing experience not only rocked the crowd, but showed that ‘Ye would not only rock Madison Square Garden but your own backyard as well.

TV On The Radio – The Mohawk, Austin, TX

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Maybe it’s because we bogarted our way into this over capacity show? Maybe it’s because the Mohawk patio is such an ultra small venue? Who cares, TV On The Radio brought it, and proved to be the higlight of a packed 2011 SXSW Schedule.

Death, Afropunk CMJ Show, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, CMJ

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This decade’s Internet success story, Death, make sure that they brought it during thier CMJ/Afropunk show. The crew were so tight, you wouldn’t think that the songs they were playing were over 35 years old. As 18 year olds moshed in front of them, the trio were more than happy to be on stage. And that’s the real meaning of music.

Katy B, The Studio at Webster Hall, NYC

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New York surprises me sometimes. What I thought would be just another industry show turned out to be a stunner. The pint-sized UK songstress confidently fronted an amazing live band, blurring through her debut album with a more than appreciative crowd being down all of the way. I stood in the middle of this show thinking I would be the only one jumping up and down to her music, but boy was I wrong.

Runners Up

Heineken GOOD Music Event with Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, etc
SBTRKT at Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Elle Varner, SOBs, NYC
Toro Y Moi, Klub Krucial, SXSW
Miles Bonny, DROM, CMJ
Quadron, The Malverde, SXSW

When it comes to all of this hoopla surrounding Jay Z and Kanye West’s new album “Watch the Throne” I’m probably the least excited person in the world. And everybody I tell that too looks at me like I’m buggin. But I have this philosophy that if as an artist you’re not hungry, it’s hard for you to make good music. And I just don’t feel like Jay is hungry anymore and hasn’t been for a while. Kanye on the other hand seems just as hungry now as he was when he first dropped. (which may explain why Ye has been rhyming circles around Jay whenever they’re on the same track) But after watching the behind the scenes footage of Jay and Ye recording the album…in a castle…in Australia…while chillin’ with Russell Crow (yeah, Russell Crow…I felt like Eddie Murphy’s pop in Raw like “what are you doing with Danny Tirreo?”) I REALLY don’t know what to expect from this album. I mean, can you REALLY make a dope hip hop album while in a castle, in Australia while chillin’ with Russell Crow?!?! I don’t think so, but we’re about to find out.

“No Church in the Wild” featuring Frank Ocean FLAT OUT knocks and sets the album off lovely. “Lift Off” featuring Beyonce is dope and I love the break down at the end of the track. I ain’t feeling “N-ggaz In Paris” and “That’s My B-tch” and “Otis” is, well…Otis. The Neptunes produced “Gotta Have It” has Jay and Ye going back and forth on some EPMD ish but just shows me how much their styles don’t match. The Swizz Beat’s produced “Welcome to the Jungle” is a banger and has Jay sounding real focused for once, “My tears is tatted/my rag in my pocket/I’m just looking for love/I know somebody got it/champagne for the pain/weed for the low/ damn I’m so high/where the f-ck did I go?” “Who Gon Stop Me” is legit and “Murder To Excellence” has Ye & Jay speaking on the senseless murders going on in our hoods. But my fave song on the album is easily the RZA produced “New Day” which has Ye going in with an open letter to his unborn son, “And I’ll never let my son have an ego/he’ll be nice to everyone, wherever we go/I mean I might even make him be republican/so everybody know he love white people/and I’ll never let him leave his college girlfriend/amd get caught up with the groupies in the whirlwind/and I’ll never let him hit the telethon/I mean even if people dyin’ and the world ends.”

While listening to “Watch the Throne” it’s like Jay is playing catch up to Kanye the entire album which sounds crazy but it’s the truth. This album sounds like a game of HORSE going on in the backyard and Jay can’t keep up with Ye…at all. It’s to the point I get pissed when Jay comes in to spit cause I’d rather hear more Ye…crazy right? Truth be told, it’s almost like this is Ye’s album featuring Jay Z. I always felt Jay’s downfall is that he plays to the level of the comp that’s around him. When Jay 1st dropped he KNEW he had to come with it cause BIG and Pac were still here, Nas was on fire so it’s no shock to me that “Reasonable Doubt” was the masterpiece it was. But then Big and Pac died, Nas slowed down and Jay became, well…human. And then when Jay and Nas had words, we see the “real” Jay again but once that blew over, I guess we’re back to the “dumbed down” Jay. At the end of the day, I don’t know if you can make dope “hip hop” in a castle in Australia but Ye and Jay do managae to make some good music while chillin’ in the outback with Mr. Crowe. By the way, did we ever find out why Eddie Murphy was hanging out with Danny Terrio?

7 out of 10

Cross one off the bucket list.

I go to almost 100 shows a year, and even with that startling fact I have never seen Kanye live. I own all of his albums and as a fellow middle class black dude I felt a connection to him, but when given the chance I chose Radiohead over The Glow In The Dark Tour (#kanyeshrug). So when I got my VIP invitation to the Heineken Red Star Access event I jumped at the chance. I even rearranged my vacation so I can be in the building.

The vast confines of Skylight One Hanson (aka where they hold the Brooklyn Flea Market in the winter) was a fitting location for Yeezy. The high ceilings (which are an acoustic nightmare) create the almost sanctuary-like settling that accompany most of his live performances these days.

Photos by Tim McGurr/13thWitness

Although doors opened at 9, the concert took place at 12 AM on the dot, as openers Mano and Q-Tip did their best to console an ever weary crowd. When Kanye took the stage, starting off with Power, it was clear that he was in command of the entire evening. Sure, this could’ve been just another a ‘Ye show, but it was more of a G.O.O.D. music showcase similar to the setup of the show 2 years ago at SXSW. It’s a shrewd move. Many a boutique label manager have let their artist whither on the vine, yet Ye is at lease using his er Power to give his signees some shine.

Pusha T, CyHi Da Prynce, Big Sean, Kid Cudi and even (surprisingly) Mr. Hudson were in the building for the night. Pusha (obviously the most veteran of the MCs) followed Kanye, mixing in tracks from his My God mixtape with the more obvious Clipse bangers. Sean and CyHi try to follow up but simply can’t match Pusha’s authority. Having that said, the obvious other star of the night was Kid Cudi. His extended set garnered the most excitement from the audience other than Yeezy himself and hands down the most comfortable on stage.

After the showcase, Yeezy returned to the stage, even taking request from the audience (dropping verses from “Through The Wire” and “All Falls Down,” before ending with his now trademark MPC track “Runaway.”

I know I’m supposed to be one of those jaded industry dudes right now, but honestly, I entered the venue as a fan and left…a fan. Ye is a consummate performer, and the only pop star in this world other than Lady Gaga. (Trust me). But the question remains, can his G.O.O.D. music counterparts achieve similar success? Only time will tell.

Every time it seems we want to count Yeezey out, the dude brings it. His set at Coachella was beyond EPIC, and this whets our appitties for his (supposed) national tour this Fall. Props again to the amazing blog Its All The Way Live for this one.

Setlist

H.A.M. (Intro)

Dark Fantasy (ft. Justin Vernon)
Power
Jesus Walks
Can’t Tell Me Nothing
Diamonds
Hell of a Life
Monster (ft. Justin Vernon)
Flashing Lights
PYT Intro
Good Life
Sirius Intro
Love Lockdown
Say You Will
Heartless
Swagger Like Us
Run This Town
We Will Rock You
E.T.
Homecoming
Through The Wire
All Falls Down
Touch The Sky
Gold Digger
All of the Lights
Stronger
Runaway (ft. Pusha T)
Lost in the World (ft. Justin Vernon)
Hey, Mama

Another stellar video from the Yeezy.

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Props to the homie Benhameen for this discovery. To be honest, Lost In The World is my least favorte track on Kanye’s MBDTF, but I love how Toronto’s LeVar Allen completely flips the track, drops the autotune, and essentially makes the song 1000 times better.

But what’s better than the track is the video, which uses some DIY special effects to maximum effect. Brilliant.

To be honest, I’m really vexed about music in 2010, but there are aritsts like Levar that restore my faith in music again. Check it.

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Kanye West x Jay-Z x La Roux – That’s My Bitch

Usually when I hear about superstar collaboration albums, I always doe the Kanye shrug. You see, most artists want to do these albums, but their labels don’t want to pay for them. Hence why the CRS album and the Mayer Hawthorne/Snoop Dogg project will never see the light of day.

However, the Jay-Z/Kanye West album might be something different. When I was on the (bleh) conference call with ‘Ye, he announced that he would be dropping Watch the Throne with Jigga in 2011. Whether it happens is up to label contracts and such, but if the rest of the project sounds like this track “That’s My Bitch,” then it would be a banger.

Quite simply, the beat is ridiculous. It samples two hip-hop mainstays–Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache, and James Brown’s “Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved.” But instead of falling into worn out boom-bap, the instrumentals are just as futuristic as anything on Dark Twisted Fantasy. Added to the hook is La Roux’s Elly Jackson–whom I hope Kanye is mentoring–who provides soulful, albeit phoned in, hook. All in all, the track is a surefire hit. In the internets at least. (via Diverse Hip-Hop)

Kanye West is the most important artist for hip hop during the last 10 years, and I don’t care what BET and their all star panel of judges have to say about that. No other artist has been able to put out the quality AND quantity of music that Kanye has. No other artist at Kanye’s level has been honest enough to let the world into his head to see all the demons that plague him. No other artist has been able to constantly reinvent himself time and time again like Kanye has. After the George Bush comments, everyone said he was done. “He just said the President of the United States doesn’t care about black people!?!?! He’s done”. After his moms passed away, everyone thought Ye was gonna lose his mind and sink. And after the Taylor Swift fiasco EVERYONE was saying Yeezy was done. “He did THAT to a WHITE girl!?!? He’s gonna get black balled!” Kanye has done what Jordan was always scared to do, which was pick a side. Say something important, even if it’s not popular. Mike was too worried about sneaker sales to actual take a stand for something…too shook of the backlash, but not Kanye. Not to mention his accident 10 years ago, which almost killed him but instead, ended up helping to launch his career with his hit “Through the Wire” with a video that HE paid for out of pocket to shoot because “they thought pink polos would hurt the Roc.” It’s like Kanye has 9 lives and I’ve lost count of how many more he has left but he had enough left to bless us with “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”.

“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is musically ALL over the place and I mean that in a great way. Nicki Minaj is the first voice you hear on this musical opus and then you’re blessed to hear Ye go in on a RZA (the father of Ye’s sped up soul sample style) track on “Dark Fantasy” and explain that “the plan was to drink until the pain’s over” and then ask “but what’s worst, the pain or the hangover? “Gorgeous” with Kid Cudi and the Raekwon the Chef is an electic guitar driven track that’s the perfect fit for Ye and Rae to get busy on.

“All of the Lights” is an all star buffet featuring over 10 artist that at first sight looks like a meal at Golden Corral, but once you digest it, it’s more like a great steak from Ruth Chris. “Devil in A New Dress” featuring Rick Ross is probably one of the best songs I’ve heard in my life. “Blame Game” featuring John Legend and Chris Rock (yes, Chris Rock!) and is musically flat out beautiful and is the shinning gem on “Fantasy”. And with lines like “And you aint finna see a mogul get emotional, every time I hear bout other n-gga’s stroking you, might say I hit you, he sitting there consoling you, threw the money, threw the mud, who’s provoking you, you should be grateful a n-gga like me even knows you, now you noticeable and cant nobody can control you, 1am and can’t nobody get a hold of you, I’m calling your brothers phone like what was I supposed to do?” you’ll see why on “Runaway” Ye told ya’ll “I don’t know what it is with females, but I’m not too good at that sh-t.”

Can I knit pick at “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”? No doubt. “Fantasy” has a RACK of guests appearances. In fact, some guests like Rick Ross, Pusha T and Jay Z show up twice! Could some of the songs be a little shorter? Yup. But why knit pick at great music? I’ll save my knit picking for the rest of the BS that the industry is putting out. But rest assured, as long as Ye has at least one of his nine lives left, he’s gonna give you every drop of his soul that he has left to give. He’s like the Allen Iverson of the hip hop, no nights off.

4.5 outta 5

By now, you probably wouldn’t find a lot of people who haven’t heard of La Roux or at least her huge hit Bulletproof. So naturally, with La Roux’s explosion onto the US scene and widespread popularity stateside this year, a remix featuring Kanye West would follow.

Overall, not a bad remix- the rap manages to add recent pop trend of vampire and werewolves in the 80′s inspired song. I’m glad there was some actual remixing done to the original song rather than just adding the Kanye verse into the track. Having been around for about two years now , La Roux’s U.S popularity remains relatively new considering Bulletproof became one of this summer’s more popular songs. Personally having been to exposed to La Roux relatively earlier, I hope they don’t become too dull after entering the annals of pop music and heavy radio play in the US. News of their second album being completely self-produced (just like their first album) should quell those fears though.

The latest and greatest from Kanyeezy, sampling none other than Curtis Mayfield.

Kanye West is an asshole. But who cares? He’s not here to make friends. That refrain, echoed by dozens of reality tv show contestants, is exactly what too many of us have forgotten in our condemnations of him. Like the wannabe-models on ANTM and the cuisiniers on Top Chef, he’s not here to find a BFF. He’s here to win. And, let’s be frank, that’s exactly what he’s doing.

West has been involved in his fair share of controversies over the years: 2005′s AIDS-is-manmade-and-intentionally-delivered-to-African-villages comment; “George Bush doesn’t care about black people”-gate; the whole Jesus thing on the cover of Rolling Stone; the paparazzi airport beatdown; and a handful of other mini-scandals duly accompanied by all-caps rants on his blog.

But the drama came to a head, as you certainly know, last September: Who could forget the Taylor Swift debacle? (Taylor herself certainly can’t, as she demonstrated pretty pathetically in her VMA performance earlier this month.) After the asshole-rapper-interrupts-young-country-star debacle made headlines and blog proclamations around the world, the vilification promptly began. Kanye West, once the perfect candidate to voice our collective angst, became the most hated man in the world. What he did was wrong, low, and humiliating. By his own admission, “Beyonce didn’t need that. MTV didn’t need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn’t want or need that.” But who died and gave us the right to moralize?

I repeat, Kanye West is not here to be our friend. Our relationship with him is pure capitalism: he offers up some goods and services, and we pay–or we should, at least–for the pleasure of enjoying them. He should therefore be evaluated on the basis of those goods and services and on his contributions to the genre, not on his manners.

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West’s most recent musical output, a smattering of tracks released through his G.O.O.D. Fridays initiative, has been as much about the tunes as about the method through which they’re delivered. Ever the self-aware and perspicacious artist, he’s been quick to realize that even his star power, as huge as it is, may not be enough to successfully battle the changes in the music industry. Given the dwindling of record sales, the growing threat of privacy and the mounting emphasis on singles over albums, West has devised an ingenious and impressively new-media plan to lead up to the release of his fourth LP later this year: every Friday, he releases a brand-new track, fresh off the presses, for free download on his blog.

For the past five weeks, he has delivered epic, if unpolished, tracks featuring the likes of Bon Iver, Raekwon and Nicki Minaj. Most of the songs have been no less than masterful (aside from an unfortunate verse from Swizz Beatz  on last Friday’s “Lord Lord Lord”). Seriously. I’m hard-pressed to think of another rapper who can on a single song weave between doling out advice (“Now we ain’t all gon’ be American Idols/But you could at least grab a camera, shoot a viral/Take the power in your own hands”), politics (“Bring our troops out if Iraq/Keep our troops out if Iran/…Now the question is how we gon’ stop the next Vietnam”) and, well, hoes (“She ain’t give you ass?/That p***y fictional”). But, I digress.

The real impact of the project has come from West’s knack for doing exactly what he wants. (He pretty much sums it up on “Power”: “No one man should have all this power.”) He gets his friends to jump on some tracks, bypasses the middle-man and, in the process, has managed to singlehandedly make music interesting again. It took, for a example, a handful of tweets and a couple of days for West to produce one of the most unlikely collaborations of the year: a remix of Justin Bieber’s “Runaway Love,” featuring Raekwon the Chef.

Of course, a lot of credit is due to his Twitter account, which quickly accumulated over a million followers and through which he’s managed to regain control of his message and his career. Over the course of some six hundred tweets, we’ve been introduced to self-reflective Yeezy, remorseful Yeezy, Yeezy the artiste and, of course, asshole Yeezy. And while bloggers, journalists, fans and haters sit around arguing over his merits and failures and pathologies, he’s laughing all the way to the bank. More power to the asshole.