Justin Bua: an artist for a new generation
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

On Wednesday nights, Justin Bua teaches a basic drawing class (FA 207) at the Univerisity of Southern California in Harris Hall, room 210.

Outside the classroom, Bua is the best-selling living artist among college students and the pre-eminent visual artist of the hip-hop generation. In his spare time he's making music videos, starting his own shoe line, and trying to change the way America views art and treats our artists.

"It's unfortunate, but to a lot of people, art is associated with wealth. People think you need lots of money and education to go to an art museum, but my stuff is different. My art is rooted in street culture," explained Bua in an interview with The Heights.

Like a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, Bua's artistic world of colorful magical realism, seen in paintings such as The DJ and The Piano Man, reflect the racially diverse reality in which he was raised, interpreted from the distorted memories of his childhood.

"Forever, artists have been painting kings and military leaders. I am also painting the heroes of my time, whether the DJ, the graffiti artist, the baller, or the piano player," said Bua. "Growing up in New York in the '80s, I looked up to these people."

Despite his unconventional themes, Bua's art is structured in remarkably traditional methods. His class at USC teaches the basics of drawing the human body, and since attending the prestigious High School of Music and Performing Arts his own education has focused on classical techniques.

At 16, he took a year off from school to perform with a professional breakdancing crew, The New York Express, in over a hundred shows all over the world. Later in life, his passions for art and hip-hop culture collided to produce his urban-themed paintings.

"What we were doing in New York at the time, I mean, we weren't defining it as hip-hop, it was just our life," explains Bua.

"There was no real need to name it. Yeah, I was b-boying and emceeing and all that stuff, but I wasn't going around thinking, 'Yeah, this is hip-hop,' because it was all I knew."

In addition to his unique and immediately recognizable artistic style, Bua is most notable for his keen entrepreneurial business sense. He has made a name for himself in music videos, most notably Slum Village's "Tainted," and television commercials such as his recent campaign for the video game NFL Street.

Bua has recently expanded beyond the canvas into designing his own shoe line called the PF Flyer, which will feature his artwork. Only 1,008 pairs of the three different designs will be available, but Bua plans on expanding in the future.

There are also plans for an upcoming line of hats and a book of his paintings. "I didn't always have a good business sense, but it's a hustle and you learn along the way," said Bua.

Though this sort of business ambition is commonplace among musicians such as Jay-Z, Bua laments the fact that artists so rarely make money from their work. "I think artists aren't taken seriously in our culture and it's because our values are all f- up. I'm trying to open up the possibility for artists to be respected and appreciated like musicians or actors are. Part of that includes being able to make money."

Once someone starts making money from selling hip-hop culture, some will inevitably label the artist a sellout, something Bua promises he could never be: "You have to worry whether kids think you're selling out, but really that's not a really concern for me, because there are some things I would never do. I'm a vegan, so I will never do anything for McDonald's.

"It is simply not an option, not for a million dollars," he continued. "I would like to move into hemp shoes, but even now I know I would never use leather."

To Bua, there is a clear distinction between selling art and selling out. He said, "I am respecting and exalting my heroes, not just using them to make some money. I plan to keep being entrepreneurial and I don't think there's anything wrong with that, because I plan on changing the industry.

"I want to be a pioneer that changes the way people buy and sell products. I don't want to just put more crap in the stores and make a dollar."

Not a Common sight
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

This year's surprise end of year concert was a surprise for even the students in the Undergraduate Goverment who organized the event. While rumors spread around campus about who the secret performer would be (Spin Doctors? Maroon 5? Blues Traveler?), the real headlining act, Talib Kweli, canceled three days before the concert.

Liz Fulton, co-director of Community Events, scrambled to find a new performer at the last minute and miraculously managed to bring Chicago rapper Common to help Boston College students celebrate the last day of classes.

Throughout the afternoon giddy BC students enjoyed the carnival atmosphere in the Mod parking lot, where there was no shortage of free burgers, hot dogs, and fried dough. With classes finally over, students played on an inflatable obstacle course, escaped from the spring heat in the dunk tank, and took advantage of the caricaturist.

In the early afternoon, Kotter performed on the side stage while students enjoyed the festivities and beautiful spring weather. There was supposed to be a number of bands that were all going to perform, but like Talib Kweli, they all canceled at the last minute, leaving only Kotter to rock the stage until it was time for Common to perform.

During our interview, Common said he was excited to perform at BC. "Normally when I perform, everyone in the crowd knows me and all the words to my songs. They've been fans for like 10 years, so all I have to do is show up and everyone goes crazy."

"But somewhere like here, most people probably don't even know who I am, so that just means I have to give an even better show and earn myself new fans," he continued.

Common's performance was energetic and entertaining, filled with a variety of new songs from his latest, Electric Circus, and his upcoming album Be, along with old-school classics from Resurrection and Like Water for Chocolate. The crowd was most excited when the opening chords from "The Light" began, screaming and singing along with the chorus. Common's affable stage presence and good humor was the perfect match for the great weather and collective good mood of the students done with classes.

The DJ gave an impressive exhibition in turntablism, scratching up a storm as Common showed off his b-boy skills by break dancing across the stage. In contrast to most rappers today, Common has always worked to keep all aspects of hip-hop alive instead of focusing exclusively on the emcee.

Common then asked for a volunteer from the crowd to come up on stage and freestyle with him. Plenty of aspiring rappers raised their hands for the chance to rhyme with Common, but only one, Kahleil Blair, BC '04, aka Maverik, got to come up to exchange verses with him onstage.

Common opened with an amazing freestlye that must have been hard for Blair to follow, proving once again why even Jay-Z admits, "Truthfully/ I wanna rhyme like Common Sense."

But even Common, along with everyone in the crowd, was impressed by Blair's impromptu performance. Maybe if the headlining act cancels at the last second again next year, then BC could get Blair to perform instead.

Unfortunately, the entire performance lasted only an hour and Common quickly left after the show, leaving everyone wanting a little bit more. BC students took advantage of the great weather and lingered in the Mod parking lot, enjoying the moment of fun before studying for finals began.

Dwyer to release post-grad hip-hop album
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Beggars can't be choosers, which is why most young artists are forced to accept the undesirable terms and conditions of a music contract with a major label when offered the chance.

Sean Dwyer, on the other hand, demanded more than any record company would offer: "I want complete creative freedom and I want to own all of my own music."

In an industry where Michael Jackson, and not Paul McCartney, owns the rights to the Beatles' entire catalog, Dwyer quickly realized that he was going to have to record, release, and distribute the album himself in order to avoid sacrificing his artistic rights.

Trying to do all of this while still fulfilling his school responsibilities as a full-time student at Boston College Lynch School of Education proved nearly an impossible task and, as a result, his album remains unfinished as of gradation.

"I really wanted to have it all done by graduation so my friends could hear it, but trying to do it all by myself while I was still in school was just too much," he said.

Sadly, this means that only a handful of people have heard even the unmastered demo copy of his solo debut, tentatively titled Broken Spoke. The hip-hop album boasts production from Alec Tervenski, BC '04, who is known as Adept and also produced beats for fellow Boston College emcee Noah Dixon, BC '06. Noah's full length debut album will be released in September.

As a senior, Dwyer won't be back at college in September, so this summer he plans on finishing the album and finally releasing it. Most of the album is already complete and was recorded in BC's recording studio in Campion.

Dwyer said, "I had all of my classes in Campion and never even looked in that room. I certainly didn't expect there to be a recording studio behind those doors."

Dwyer's rhymes are careful poetic constructs delivered with a self-assured confidence that avoids the typical rapper's arrogance. Unlike many rappers, Dwyer's lyrical content doesn't hide behind the beat. Even if you took the beat away from his verses, they easily become poetry that can stand on their own merit.

As a result, you are just as likely to see Dwyer reading his work at an open-mic poetry show as you would be to see him freestyling at an emcee battle.

Or you might even see him without his rhymes all together, singing and playing acoustic guitar at a local bar with alum Ryan Read, BC '02. Before playing music together, they played football at BC before Read graduated and Dwyer quit the team.

During his junior year, Dwyer went abroad to Florence, Italy. He said, "In Italy, I was really removed from hip-hop culture, so I really focused on my writing and guitar playing. When I came back I was excited to get back into rapping again, because it definitely made me a better writer and better musician in general."

It was also in Italy where Dwyer first started playing music professionally: "I had been doing the open-mic thing for years, but in Italy I had a job playing guitar in local club. The idea that someone would pay me to do what I love, to play music, was crazy to me."

When Dwyer returned to BC, he began playing again with Read, performing at O'Briens, Becket's, and other bars around Boston. Dwyer also has an acoustic guitar album recorded with Read and there are plans for another in the making.

Now that he will be graduating, Dwyer says he can finally focus on his music. "Even though looking back on it, I know I had lots of time and I probably could have done it, trying to do all the business parts of it while still getting homework done and trying to write new music was just too much," he said. "Hopefully this summer everything will be done."

Careful with his words and yet strong in his delivery, Dwyer has a lot to offer as an emcee, but what distinguishes him from the rest are his impressive musical skills and ability to write a cohesive narrative. Especially today, hip-hop needs more musicians and poets like Dwyer.

Art For Awareness
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

When is art just art? When the Global Justice Project and UNICEF of Boston College sponsor a weekend of socially conscious art, poetry, and film in the Vanderslice Cabaret room to inspire and educate the community through artistic and verbal expression.

"Just Art was a small idea that was turned into an impressive reality last year," said Brigitte Hamadey, who organized Just Art with Gabriella Suau, UNICEF director. "This year we just tried to keep it going and make it better in order to give artists on campus a chance to share their talents."

The typically bare and sterile Cabaret room was transformed into an astonishingly beautiful gallery of painting and photography by BC undergraduate and graduate student artists. The artwork of student Eli Akerstein and alum Aimme Kallaugher were especially impressive and stood out in the multi-faceted art event, which lasted from April 22 until April 26.

Roberta Kaufman, BC '75, opened the weekend with a speech about her experience as a freelance photographer. Also performing on Friday was Long Division, a three-man Latin jazz band featuring Michael Collins, BC '07.

The highlight of the weekend was the open mic night sponsored by Naked Singularity. Spoken word poets Alixa Garcia and Naima Penniman gave inspired performances in addition to "Shades of Silence," a performance by internationally known spoken word artist and activist Carlos Gomez, sponsored by the Hip-Hop Culture Club. A member of Def Jam Poetry family, Gomez's poetry was entertaining and inspiring, and touched on issues of international injustice such as prostitution in third world countries, as well as personal issues regarding love and betrayal.

On Sunday, Just Art escaped from the confines of the Cabaret room and brought music to the courtyard of Lower Dining Hall. A celebratory drum circle, sponsored by the Music Guild, was followed by a live reggae band called Wildest

Drums brought hoards of students outside to escape from studying for finals. Soon jubilant dancers were bouncing around while others tapped away at drums. It was a rare site to see BC students break out of their shell and dance around with such excited abandon.

In addition to the music and art, there was a discussion on activism for social justice led by professor Charles Derber and a film festival featuring politically-themed movies like City of God, 1984, and Eyes on the Prize.

"Arts Festival is great, but it's only once a year," said Hamadey. "Just Art is a wonderful opportunity for all the hidden artists at BC to come out."

The weekend was in fact a great opportunity, not only for the artists, but for everyone who enjoyed the myriad beautiful and entertaining events.

Eminen shines, but his band bores
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Even Michael Jordan couldn't save the otherwise horrendous Washington Wizards, but at least he turned them into a decent team worth watching.

Similarly, even Eminem can't save the otherwise ignorable D12 album, D12 World, but at least you can skip around and listen to all the phenomenal verses from Eminem and decent production from Dr. Dre and Kanye West.

Part of Jordan's failure to bring the Wizards into the playoffs can be attributed to his old age and weak knees, but Eminem is obviously at the top of his game right now, so there is no one to blame but his teammates.

It's not that the other members of D12 are horrible rappers, but their generic content and delivery wither in the huge shadow of Eminem, the "lead singer of the band." The album opens with "Git Up" and an especially ridiculous verse from Eminem, who then unfortunately hands off the baton to his less-gifted crew.

Sometimes Eminem's verse is first and you can simply skip the rest of the song, but often a jewel is hidden in the heap of mediocrity, such as on "Get My Gun," in which Eminem's hilarious rap about a jammed gun is surrounded by the others' forgettable verses.

In terms of rapping, there isn't enough Eminem, but in terms of production, there's too much. Eminem has once again used D12 as a guinea pig for his continued experiments with production, but no one needs six songs produced by Slim Shady. Fellow D12 rapper Kon Artis, aka Denaun Porter, produces three tracks on the album; yet, his work for D12 never sounds as good as when he produces for 50 Cent ("Stunt 101" and "PIMP").

Kanye West offers an excellent beat for the title track, but the song ends forgettably without a verse from Eminem. Even Kanye's Middle Eastern violin melody outshines the bland rhymes from D12.

Unlike the hometown crews of Nelly or Cam'ron, most of D12 can actually rap surprisingly well, especially Proof. Their inability to shape interesting verses out of their natural talent proves that a nice delivery can't compensate for empty, repetitive subject matter.

Dr. Dre probably hates to waste one of his beats for D12, but he nevertheless obliged the requests from his white little brother and produced the ominous "American Psycho II," featuring B-Real from Cyprus Hill.

The surprise guest on the album is underground producer Hi-Tek. Best known for his classic collaboration with Talib Kweli, Reflection Eternal, Hi-Tek is instead paired with Bizarre, quite possibly the worst rapper of all time, for the album's only solo cut, "Just Like U."

It's always painful to hear a quality instrumental butchered by an ignorant, talentless emcee, but despite his utter lack of talent, Bizarre at least grabs the listener's attention.

It would be difficult to say whether it's because of his horribly disgusting and inappropriate subject matter (even compared to Eminem) or because of his laughable lack of skill, but Bizarre's verses are at least mentionable for the fact that they are difficult to ignore.

Unfortunately, that can't be said about the other, admittedly more talented members of D12. If you're the type of person who forgets someone's name 30 seconds after you've been introduced, then you have no chance of remembering the difference between a verse from Kuniva or Swifty.

For fans of Eminem, the D12 album is full of great verses from the best rapper alive, but it amounts to nothing more than a decent album with a catchy single to keep Eminem on the radio until his solo album comes out at the end of the year.

MixTape Friday: Spring Hope
By Canyon Cody
Originally Published in The Heights

Right when you think hip-hop finally sold the last of its soul, someone with soul to spare comes to save the day. The last few months have been full of decent but disappointing releases from Dilated Peoples, dead prez, and D12, but it now seems as though we are in a spring renaissance of quality hip-hop. While Usher soars in terms of sales, these artists are taking hip-hop to new heights in terms of quality. Backpackers rejoice! Could the second coming of hip-hop finally be upon us?

Talib Kweli - "Lonely People" The Beautiful Mix
Recently, an unfinished version of Talib Kweli's next album The Beautiful Struggle leaked on the Internet and got posted on Okayplayer.com. Kweli was furious and replied with a post on the site to vent his anger. To the guy that posted the mp3s he wrote, "Are you that much of a loser that you gotta live off another man's work?" He continued, "I will find out who you are and you will be dealt with accordingly." As a result, the album's release date will probably get pushed back even further, but in order to please his fans in the interim, Kweli has released a mixtape called The Beautiful Mix hosted by "Rick James, bitch!" (aka Dave Chapelle).

The standout track is "Lonely People," produced by Kanye West, featuring a John Lennon sample from "Eleanor Rigby." I bet Grey Album producer DJ Danger Mouse could offer Kanye some advice about the impossibility of ever clearing the Beatles' sample, but that's the beauty of underground mixtapes.

Pete Rock - "Appreciate" Soul Survivor 2
In my opinion, Pete Rock is the best producer of all time, with DJ Premiere, Rick Rubin, and Dr. Dre as honorable mentions. His classic collaborations with CL Smooth produced two of my favorite old school albums (Good Life and Mecca and the Soul Brother), so when I heard that his soon to be released solo album Soul Surivor 2 featured Talib Kweli, dead prez, Rza, Pharoahe Monch, and Little Brother, I thought it was too good to be true. Though I shouldn't have been surprised, the best track on the album turned out to be Pete Rock's reunion with CL Smooth, "Appreciate." If you're not careful, the catchy chorus will get stuck in your head forever: "2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate?" 9th Wonder and Kanye West are imitating today the smooth sample-based production origninally perfected by Pete Rock years ago.

Brother Ali - "Self-Taught" Champion EP
Don't sleep on Brother Ali! There isn't a more talented and less appreciated emcee in hip-hop than this Minnesota native. Like Eminem, you need to get over the fact that he's white before you can really appreciate him, but he's not just white; he's almost pink. The albino rapper addresses his uniqueness on "Forest Whitiker" from his Rhymesayers debut, Shadows on the Sun: "I'm albino man, I know I'm pink and pale/ And I'm hairy as hell, everywhere but fingernails."

Most importantly, Ali proves himself a truly talented emcee and not just a genetic gimmick, which makes the album one of the best in recent memory. Make sure to peep "Dorian" and "Blah, Blah, Blah" featuring Slug from Atmosphere. Just released was Brother Ali's new Champion EP with nine awesome tracks, including "Self Taught" where he explains "There's a thin line between anger and hunger/ and I ride a unicycle down the middle."

Danger Mouse and Gemini - "Ghetto Pop Life 2" The Twenty Six Inch EP
Ever since his Jay-Z remix project, The Grey Album, grabbed everyone's attention (including, unfortunately, the Beatles' lawyers), Danger Mouse has enjoyed more notoriety than sales. Fortunately for him, Danger Mouse's earlier album with emcee Gemini, Ghetto Pop Life, is finally getting the attention it originally deserved. Now Danger Mouse has the industry at his doorstep begging for a DM beat, but first he decided to release The Twenty-Six Inch EP with Gemini, featuring two new songs (including the sequel to his debut album's title track, "Ghetto Pop Life 2"), remixes of songs from their LP and guest appearances from Cee-lo and Sadat X.

Emerson students start records label
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

In terms of resume building, Emerson sophomore Molly Casey definitely has one of the most eye-catching extracurricular activities: president of a student-run music label, Emerson Records.

"The record label is run entirely by students, but nothing was really happening with it for the past few years. This year we really decided to do something," said Casey in an interview with The Heights.

In addition to their academic responsibilities, Casey and the rest of the students on the staff of Emerson Records have turned the inactive record label into a thriving young organization that recently signed its first band, Audible Mainframe. The label plans to release the band's first record next month.

"We don't really know what to expect in terms of sales because there's no precedent at Emerson Records for what we're doing. We're not getting paid or anything, so this is supposed to be a learning experience for us and it definitely has been. We're all really excited to hear the album once they finish mixing and mastering it," said Casey.

To promote the band's debut album and raise money for charity, Emerson Records brought old school hip-hop pioneer Jeru the Damaja to the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center in South Boston last Saturday.

The unusual venue wasn't an ideal location in terms of accessibility and acoustics, but Jeru and especially Audible Mainframe gave an inspired show for the small crowd of dedicated hip-hop fans.

In addition to the headliners, Emerson records brought the Deck Deamons, an amazing DJ quartet which includes DJ JayCeeOh, and the Floor Lords, who have been break dancing in Boston since 1981. From their youngest member (13) to the oldest (37), the Floor Lords left the audience in awe with their dance moves and their unique custom b-boy and b-girl sneaker from Saucony.

The graffiti of a local crew called Hi Cost Low Art complemented the music and the break dancing perfectly, making the entire experience perfect for true hip-hop fans.

Jeru the Damaga has been synonymous with quality old school hip-hop since his classic 1994 debut The Sun Rises in the East. Jeru's separation from Gang Star following his beef with Guru has apparently prevented him from performing all of his DJ Premier-produced hits

Despite a good set from Jeru, the star of the show was Audible Mainframe. The eight-person hip-hop band comprises guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, saxophone, with a DJ and emcee.

Their energetic live show and eclectic combination of rap, funk, and rock gives Audible Mainframe a contagious energy spilling into the crowd.

The band's politically progressive lyrics, musical virtuosity, and kinetic stage presence puts Audible Mainframe in good company with bands like The Roots and Ozomatli.

Audible Mainframe will be playing a live acoustic set on WAAF (107.3) on May 2 to promote its record release party at the Middle East Upstairs on Wednesday, May 5. Its debut album Framework will be available for $5, and local emcee Jake the Snake will perform.

Head to Lupo's
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Boston is blessed with a great assortment of music venues ranging from the edgy and always dependable Middle East in Cambridge to the fancy Wang Theater in the Theatre District.

The best local concert venue, though, unfortunately isn't that local. It's Lupo's at the Strand in Providence, RI.

Despite being only one hour closer to the musical epicenter of America, it appears as though many musicians would prefer to only travel to Providence if they have to leave New York, rather than coming all the way to Boston.

Or maybe it's just that Providence has the best live music club north of New York. Lupo's attracts a consistent flow of top notch performers who are too big to play in a smaller Boston venue like The Paradise, yet still not big enough to fill the FleetCenter.

In the next few weeks alone, Lupo's will host Bouncing Souls and Reel Big Fish on June 20, and Incubus on July 2. This week, BB King, whose Boston bar/club was closed last year, will be at Lupo's on May 1 in addition to Talib Kweli on April 28.

The arrival of Talib Kweli in at Lupo's is just one example of a fairly major artist coming to Providence who will not perform in Boston on the same tour. On the night after his Lupo's performance, Kweli heads back to New York for another concert rather than continuing on to Boston. This trend is especially noticeable among popular underground rappers. In addition to Kweli, The Roots and the fifth semi-annual freestyle battle called the Mic Wars will appear at Lupo's.

The superior hip-hop concert selection in Providence, despite the smaller city size, cannot be attributed to a greater demand in Rhode Island for urban music but is a direct result of how great of a club Lupo's is.

Though the Middle East and the Paradise are phenomenal clubs, they both have a reputation as primarily rock clubs, despite their often diverse schedule. The reputation isn't entirely undeserved though. The Paradise is, after all, officially called "Boston's Legendary Rock."

The ambience of Lupo's is comparable to the Middle East but considerably less claustrophobic. There is plenty of space in front of the stage for mosh pits and generally rowdy behavior without needing to worry about crashing into anything but fellow fans.

The balcony is the best view in the house and allows people to escape the crowded pit of fans near the stage. The acoustics and lighting are superior to just about anything in Boston. No matter where you are, you can hear and see the music on stage just fine.

Unlike the reputation of many other bars and clubs in Providence, Lupo's is a very strict enforcer of the legal drinking age and will only accept real identification. The beefy bouncers are not subtle with underage drinkers or anyone else causing trouble, which can add added entertainment to your visit as long as you're not the poor guy in trouble.

An announcer repeatedly reminds the crowd over the PA system that they are in a non-flammable building with plenty of fire escapes. The motivation is to calm patrons following the recent club fire tragedy in Rhode Island, but its more irksome than comforting.

For some reason, artists seem to stick around after the concert at Lupo's more often than they do here in Boston, and music fans aren't ushered out of the venue as hastily. As a result, Lupo's might be your best chance to get that coveted autograph from your favorite musician.

Though Boston offers plenty of concert options, the trip to Lupo's is worth the fast and cheap train or bus ticket to Providence. Find a friend at Brown with whom you can stay the night, and enjoy a nice night in Rhode Island.

Mixtape Friday: Classic Rock Remix
By Canyon Cody
Originally published in The Heights

"Hey DJ, got any classic rock?" I love classic rock, but it's not party music. There is something fundamentally wrong with partying to music that your parents still listen to. I'm glad your family can all agree on Billy Joel on summer road trips, but at a party the music needs to bump louder, dirtier, and a lot sexier. Nevertheless, I try to accommodate everybody's tastes - but like Atmosphere said, "I'm the type of DJ that only plays what I like." Here's the closest thing to classic rock that you'll hear me play while people are dancing.

Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil (Remix)
The original version of this song is just about as perfect as music can get. Fortunately, the Neptunes respected the basic structure of the classic on their remix but threw a thick bassline under Mick Jagger's vocals to make it even more danceable. The remix amounts to something like an Irish coffee: A nice cup of joe gets even better with an added shot of whiskey for the extra kick. If you don't immediately recognize the bongos because of the new beat, then Jagger's opening lines will certainly catch your attention: "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste." The Neptunes get points for self-restraint, but that's about it.

Sublime - Summertime (ft. Pharcyde)
In general, playing this ode to the Southern California sun while I'm here in Boston is kind of depressing. A Sublime song is perfect for warm weather and wafting weed at the beach, but it's a bit chill for serious partying. Once again, Pharcyde slightly alters the original to make it more appropriate for dancing, throwing some meat on the bassline and a few rapped verses in between Bradley Nowell's singing.

Public Enemy - "He Got Game"
There's something a bit sneaky about hip-hop. It's both exciting and a little disappointing to find the original song that Kanye West turned into a modern radio hit, because it seems like he's pretending he created the song all by himself. Producers need to be more meticulous with their bibliographies and cite for the public where they stole the hook for their new song. Or they should just include a whole verse of the original like Public Enemy does with Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth."

Jay-Z - Encore (Danger Mouse Remix)
The best part about DJ Danger Mouse's brilliant Grey Album was that it didn't sound like your typical mash-up, where a DJ superglues 50 Cent's lyrics to Britney's beat. These hybrids are surprisingly entertaining when done well (see below), but they ultimately sound hollow and uninspired. Danger Mouse, in contrast, made it sound like the Beatles actually went into the studio with Jay-Z to record this song.

Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ludacris - "Stand Up"
Here's your basic mash-up song: Take two unrelated songs and mash them together. What separates this song from the pack is that it actually works; the Red Hot Chili Peppers have (or at least used to have) quite a hip-hop sound to them already. Most of Blood Sugar Sex Magik, including "Suck My Kiss," was produced by Def Jam co-founder and hip-hop producer Rick Rubin, which makes it the perfect beat for Ludacris to rap over.

Jay-Z - "The Takeover"
When Puff Daddy released his painfully horrible version of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" for the Godzilla soundtrack, I blamed Jimmy Page for not only granting permission but for also actually going into the studio with Puff to re-record the guitar solo. In contrast, The Doors made the right decision to give Jay-Z clearance to sample their classic "Five To One." Though they rarely permit their songs to be sampled, The Doors' drummer John Densmore finally agreed after Jay-Z promised that he would donate a significant portion of his royalties to charity.

MixTape Friday: Radio Hell
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights.

I loathe the radio. I would be tempted to give up music altogether if I had to rely on Ramiro and Pebbles on Jam'n 94.5 to bring me my hip-hop. Am I just one of those obnoxious music snobs who dislikes a song just because everyone else likes it? No, it just turns out that the masses have pitifully poor taste in hip-hop. Nevertheless, in an attempt to better understand the musical taste of the proletariat, I sat down to listen to Billboard's Top 10 Rap Singles.

A-Side

#1 - J-Kwon "Typsy"
This song deserves my most venomous criticism, but I'll admit it: I can't help shaking my ass when it comes on. This week my roommate asked me, "How could everybody in the club get tips? Isn't the bartender usually the only one that gets tips?" Oh God.

#2 - Chingy "One Call Away"
This is the best proof that just because you have more than one hit, it still doesn't mean you're anything more than a one-hit wonder. If you hear a song like this every 20 minutes and you still can't remember any of the lyrics other than the catchy chorus, then it's not hip-hop, it's radio pop.

#3 - Ludacris "Splash Waterfalls"
I've got nothing nasty to say about Luda; unlike most rappers, at least he admits he's just a cartoon.

#4 - Jay-Z "Dirt Off Your Shoulder"
You should be embarrassed for yourself every single time you actually "brush some dirt off your shoulder" when this song comes on.

#5 - Cassidy, ft. R.Kelly "Hotel"
When you see R.Kelly wearing that silly Batman mask in the video, your instincts say there must be a joke there: "Maybe next time you videotape yourself pissing on a little girl you might remember the mask and avoid the lawsuit" Ha-ha! Good one.

B-Side

#6 - Twista "Slow Jamz"
Chuck D finally came out and said it: "I'm trying to understand how somebody gets top notch producer credits for speeding up old records." Obviously everything Kanye touches turns to gold (or platinum more likely), but turning goofy Jamie Foxx into Nate Dogg was truly impressive.

#7 - G-Unit, ft. Joe "Wanna Get To Know You"
I seem to remember 50 Cent rapping, "I don't dance around like Diddy." And now what's he doing in the video? Dancing around like a little girl. Eminem must cringe every time he hears this song.

#8 - Ying Yang Twins, ft. Lil Jon "Salt Shaker"
I refuse to listen to this song

#9 - Sean Paul "I'm Still In Love With You"
Is America incapable of enjoying more than one Jamaican musician at a time? We loved Marley for 25 years without feeling the need to learn about other reggae artists, and now it's the same with Sean Paul.

#10 - Petey Pablo "Freek-A-Leek"
Hearing Lil' Jon yell "What?" and "Yeah!" in a real song is even funnier and more ridiculous than watching Dave Chappelle make fun of him. I liked this song the first time, when Usher did it.

Murs Interview
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Canyon Cody: On your new album you say, "I wanna blow up/ but I don't wanna go pop." Why do you think some artists refuse to sell out, and why do others seem to have no problem with it?

Murs: It's just the respect you have for yourself and for hip-hop. I'm too proud of my music to do some stupid sh-.

CC: Do you think those other people, someone like Da Band or Loon, are proud of their music or do they just not care?

M: Loon is different situation. He's from my 'hood, he grew up near where I'm from. He's got some problems, decision-making stuff, and that's always been the case. I dunno, his brain wiring is all f-ed up.

CC: How has your life changed since you signed to Def Jux? Because even though it's an "underground" label, Def Jux still has the resources to really promote your album.

M: It's been good. Good and bad. I mean, I still haven't seen any money from Def Jux. In fact, I'll probably end up owing them money after this whole thing, but that's just the way the music industry is. I still haven't enjoyed the sort of success that I feel like I deserve, especially for how hard I work. I'm not blaming anyone; it's just not my time yet.

CC: On your last album you said, "If I don't go gold, then my people say I flopped/ But if I go triple platinum, I'm not hip-hop." What would be a success, in terms of sales, with your new album?

M: I'd be happy to move 100,000 units. I'd love to sell 13 million records of course; it's not like I'm trying to keep my album sales down because I'm in the underground or whatever. But I'm not 50 Cent, and that doesn't bother me. I'm not mad that I'm not friends with Ludacris. I like my group of friends. I'm proud to be friends with talented people like [Def Jux founder] El-P.

CC: How do you feel about people downloading your album from the Internet?

M: I totally understand why kids download. As long as they get my stuff and they like it, I can't really get too mad. I'm still a huge hip-hop fan like them. I go out and buy like three or four albums every Tuesday, but that's because now I'm in a financial position where I can do that.

CC: Has making hip-hop a profession affected your love for the music?

M: Yeah. I mean, that hasn't really happened to me yet, but I can see how the business could do that to you.

CC: Is that one of the reasons why you've been considering retiring?

M: Oh for sure. Really though, it's just that I don't really get along with others.

CC: Anything else on your mind?

M: Yeah, I wanna give a shoutout to John Cena and Trademark. And I'd like to say that Gordon from Sesame Street is an adulterer and a punkass b-. And you better come to the show.

Murs + 9th = Classic
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

To an underground hip-hop fan, a Living Legends, Definitive Jux, and Justus League collaboration is nothing more than a wet dream: something fantasized about but probably too good to be true. After listening to Murs' new album Murs 3:16 - The 9th Edition, which features production entirely from 9th Wonder, hip-hop fans will probably need to take their bedding to the laundromat for a cleaning.

A few years ago, Murs was traveling through Europe, showing up at rap concerts, and convincing performers on the night of the show to let him open for them. Halfway around the world, producer 9th Wonder was sitting in his bedroom, using Fruity Loops to layer an a cappella version of Nas' God's Son on top of his own mellow, fluid beats.

A year later, Murs signed to underground superlabel Def Jux, and 9th was the critically-acclaimed producer of the debut from indie favorite Little Brother. Murs and 9th were both bubbling just under the radar that defines commercial success, and they decided to do an album together.

Then Jay-Z happened. The reigning king of rap was impressed by one of 9th Wonder's beats and hired him to produce a song on The Black Album alongside Timbaland and the Neptunes. Suddenly, 9th Wonder was the hottest producer on the block and Murs, for a second, worried that 9th would forget about him.

Instead, 9th used the collaboration project as an opportunity to show off his producing abilities and, as a result, created a number of beautiful instrumentals, but at times, he also seemed to be trying to demonstrate his ability to produce radio-friendly singles. On "Bad Man," 9th Wonder and Murs jump on more bandwagons than an Amish hitchhiker, rapping about exaggerated sexual exploits over a high-pitch Jamaican dance hall sample, as if to say, "I can do the Kanye West thing, too."

In general, though, the production and rapping are superb, exactly what you expect from two artists of this caliber, but nothing more. The album doesn't astound; it is simply very good. At his best, Murs tackles the problems with underground hip-hop, such as on "And This Is For," in which he warns white fans against using "the N-word" and laments the fact that albums from white rappers sell so many more copies than his do.

On his last album, Murs declared that it was "the end of the beginning" of his career. "Now it's the end of that 'cause now I gotta do in-stores, photo shoots, interviews," he complained. Def Jux, his new superpower record label, expected him to contribute to the marketing of his album, and Murs seemed annoyed with the additional responsibilities that produce a commercial success. With increased exposure of his new album, Murs now hopes to reap the benefits of his efforts and enjoy increased sales.

Murs (which, among other things, stands for "Makin Underground Raw Sh-") brings a distinct West Coast flavor to Def Jux and the underground in general. He isn't as lyrically abstract as most Def Jux artists, such as Aesop Rock. He's also black, which in underground hip-hop is becoming something of a novelty. His West Coast upbringing also exposed him to fellow Los Angeles natives Sublime and Red Hot Chili Peppers, both of whom he references as major musical influences.

Murs' background brings a unique perspective to hip-hop: He's no drug dealing gangsta like 50 Cent ("I'm more Coldplay than I am Ice T," he raps), but he's not a daisy-wielding, suburbanite hippie like De La Soul, either. In fact, it's surprising that there aren't more rappers like Murs: He grew up in the 'hood and, as a result, personally experienced the issues that affect poor black Americans, but never actually started shooting people or selling crack. Murs comes off like a regular guy with some stories to tell, the best of which is "Trevor an Them," a hilarious story of a 7-11 robbery gone wrong.

"Walk Like a Man" is the most impressive demonstration of 9th Wonder's progressive production and Murs' unique storytelling ability. 9th divides the song into three separate movements to complement the mood of each verse. In the first verse, Murs decides to get rid of his gun ("I never did use it/ What's the point of holding heat if you're never gonna use it, stupid?"). 9th creates a somber mood for the second verse, which chronicles the murder of Murs' friend. In the final verse, Murs raps about the funeral and the retaliatory murder of the killer. Instead of bragging about his violent history, Murs admits, "Now I'm haunted with remorse, and I wish I hadn't done it."

Murs' new album won't disappoint those who eagerly anticipated his collaboration with 9th Wonder, but no one will be astounded, either. Both of them are capable of more, but until then, Murs 3:16 - The 9th Edition will keep the underground happy.

Cee-lo overflows with soul on classic new album
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

In the event of an emergency, when drowning in the bland wasteland of music in the TRL-generation, Cee-lo's new solo album, Cee-lo Green is the Soul Machine, can be used as a quality flotation device.

Following years as the standout member of Goodie Mob, Cee-lo broke into his solo career with his 2002 debut, Cee-lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections. The album was just that: perfectly imperfect. Despite quite a few unnecessary musical digressions, the album anticipated both the brilliance and sloppiness of Andre 3000's The Love Below, but lacked the radio-friendly "Hey Ya!" to boost its sales.

The critical success but commercial failure of his solo debut can be largely attributed to the fact that Cee-lo did all the production himself. On his follow-up, Cee-lo brought some of the best in the game on board and challenged the most successful mainstream producers to broaden their musical horizons.

Timbaland took a break from his day job (carrying Missy Elliot on his back) to produce Cee-lo's new single "I'll Be Around." The club song bounces on top of loud trumpets and African drum percussion and is accompanied by a great music video (though not as creative as his video for "Gettin' Grown" in which the egg-shaped rapper dresses up like a Teletubbie).

Cee-lo even conjured a few interesting beats out of the Neptunes, who could probably compose a hit song with nothing more than a stick and a hard surface but really haven't produced anything with much artistic merit in quite a while. "The Art of Noise" and "Let's Stay Together" are both demonstrations of the most dangerous quid pro quo deal in hip-hop: Pharell will give you a nice beat, but you have to let him sing on the hook.

Even DJ Premier breaks out of his characteric style of jazz samples and scratched hooks (which, by the way, no one has ever complained about) on "Evening News." Surprisingly, the best production on the album comes from fellow southern boys Organized Noize, who offer a silly, mischievous beat layered with a xylophone and a stuttering piano on "Childz Play." Here we see one of Cee-lo's many sides, when his fun, playful alter-ego comes to play with an equally puerile Ludacris, making one of the few guest appearances on the album.

Of course, the highlight of the show is not the amazing production but none other than Mr. Cee-lo Green. By force of sheer energy, God-given talent, and irrepressible freakiness, Cee-lo is truly funky.

Born to two preachers and raised in the streets of Atlanta, Cee-lo's personality overflows with so much zeal and soul that even when he falters, he sounds good.

On his last album, Cee-lo seemed preoccupied with showing off his "closet freak" eccentricities. Yet, on his new effort, from the infectiously catchy chorus on "Living Again" to beatnik spoken-word poetry of "Sometimes," Cee-lo seems confident of his unique place in hip-hop, and now he is just strutting around.

"My Kind of People" contains an entertaining interpolation of "Pass the Dutchie," the 1982 pop-reggae hit from Musical Youth. The best songs on the album are "All Day Love Affiar" and "Die Trying." The former is an endearingly simple but sweet serenade to his wife while in bed. Unlike the exaggerated braggadocio used by most rappers to woo their women (such as Usher, who apparently has the beat that makes the booty go clap), Cee-lo offers nothing more than to "make it a Blockbuster night."

From his outfits to his lyrics to his singing ability, Cee-lo is everything that Andre 3000 wishes he could be but fails to match. On his first album, Cee-lo showed the world he had beautiful music inside of him but was unable to present it in a commercially palatable way.

Cee-lo has followed through with the promise of his debut with his remarkable new album that deserves to reverse his former reputation as the "second-best Southern rapper."

On the album, Cee-lo raps, "Sometimes I don't think people think I'm as good as I really am." After Cee-lo Green is the Soul Machine, there shouldn't be any more confusion about it.

De La Soul is not dead
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Hip-hop pioneer De La Soul brought its left-of-center flow to the Middle East on Feb. 28 to support Music for America, a partisan, political nonprofit organization working toward getting one million new young voters to participate in the 2004 elections by promoting concerts around the country.

For years, De La Soul has being trying to shake its "hippy-hop" image earned after its classic debut Three Feet High and Rising, but De La Soul members Pos, Trugoy, and Maceo have resisted the temptation to exaggerate their gangster image to compensate for their undeserved flower child reputation. Onstage, De La Soul came off as it does on its albums: friendly, smart, fun, and easy-going.

Opening for De La was 4th Pyramid, who is promoting his single on the new compilation from underground hip-hop super-label Def Jux, where he recently signed. 4th Pyramid, an emcee from Toronto, caught the attention of the underground with an instrumental album he produced when he was just 16 years old.

In an interview with The Heights, 4th Pyramid said, "This whole thing is huge, but look, I'm still out here all on my own. I mean, I ain't got no tour manager, no DJ with me on the road. Right now, I'm a one-man wrecking crew, a one-man army. But just wait for [Def Jux] to roll through when we're on tour."

Also opening was Zonk, a trip-hop band from the Bay Area in California. They won a download contest with Music for America, which awarded Zonk with the chance to open for De La Soul. The band was filled with vibrant energy and played an excited set of diverse music, with lead singer Nic McFiendish bouncing across the stage with the microphone stand straddled between her legs the entire time.

The highlight of Zonk's performance was when two emcees, Bolo of Pawray and Mic Kaos, came up to give the band some hip-hop flavor. Like De La Soul in the '80s, Zonk's most enjoyable quality was that it seemed like they were having a good time along with the crowd on stage.

Once De La Soul arrived, the crowd exploded, but not in the raucous way one expects from a hip-hop crowd. Of course, De La Soul doesn't attract the typical hip-hop crowd and, as expected, the Middle East seemed to be filled with people drinking who probably used legal id. to get a wristband.

Despite recently releasing two great albums in the Art Official Intelligence trilogy, most of De La Soul's fans were initially attracted to its groundbreaking earlier work. As a result, the crowd reacted the most to classics such as "Me, Myself and I" and "Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays.'" During our interview, De La Soul frontman Posdnous said that a new album is finally set to come out later this year. "We had a lot of trouble with our last record company, who weren't going to release part three, but now we're pretty much ready to put it out there. We also have another album coming out after that, but it doesn't even have a name yet."

Unfortunately, De La Soul stuck to its popular old stuff and didn't bless the crowd with any tastes of the new album.

During an intermission, a video played with a brief segment put together by the concert organizers. They tried to convince the crowd to vote by reminding everyone how close the result of the presidential contest was in 2000. After the show, they handed out packets filled with 10 mail-in voter registration forms and information about such issues that are important to young voters, such as reproductive rights and education funding.

After the show, De La Soul stuck around to talk to fans, which mostly consisted of women who were invited on stage by Pos and Trugoy (who now just goes by Dave) for their closing ode to meaty girls, "Baby Phat." The show was entertaining and proved that De La Soul still has quite a bit of soul left in it and that it's not yet time to retire De La's number into the hip-hop Hall of Fame.

Hip Hop '85-'93
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Consider this a "Backpacker's Guide to the Galaxy."

In recent years, the term "backpack rapper" has evolved from a condescending term for nerd rappers to a proud label assumed by dedicated true-school hip-hop fans. Boston is a bustling metropolis of backpackers, filled with white college students and lacking a voice in the mainstream to claim Beantown as its hood. These are the songs from '85 to '93 that inspire the metamorphosis from a passive rap fan to a hip-hop fanatic. This era led up to next week's mix, which covers '94 to '96.

A Side

1985 - LL Cool J "Rock the Bells" Radio
The intro to "Rock the Bells" is one of hip-hop's most infamous battle cries: "LL Cool J is hard as hell!" LL Cool J's recent digression into R&B doesn't seem to be motivated by greed (a la Ja Rule and 50 Cent's cheesy love ballads) but by his libido; he has admitted to being uncontrollably addicted to sex. Until nymphomania got the best of him, LL Cool J used to be a mean dude (until he got that horrible TV show). The album boasts one of hip-hops most famous covers, with a classic '80s boombox. Someone should give LL Cool J some Blistex and tell him that licking your lips makes them even more chapped.

1987 - Boogie Down Productions "South Bronx" Criminal Minded
Before KRS-One turned into the hip-hop preacher/teacher, he revolutionized the battle rap. Anyone who thinks 2Pac and Biggie is a good example of beef in hip-hop needs to go listen to "South Bronx." Sadly, only after his DJ Scott La Rock was murdered did KRS move on to his more philosophical and pacifistic raps. KRS is also responsible for the backpacker mantra, repeated five times a day while facing the South Bronx: "Rap is something you do, hip-hop is something you live."

1988 - Public Enemy "Rebel Without a Pause" It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Chuck D scared the tighty-whitey underwear off America with Public Enemy's classic album. Instead of coming off as violent, ignorant gangstas like NWA, Public Enemy declared themselves violent, intelligent revolutionaries in the tradition of Malcolm X. They were some of the first rappers to be respected outside of the hip-hop community as legitimate and talented artists. When white punk rockers started heading uptown to Public Enemy concerts, the media predicted race riots, but instead hip-hop embraced its new fans. To this day, people are still confused by Flavor Flav. What is he doing? Nobody knows.

B Side

1990 - A Tribe Called Quest "Can I Kick It?" People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
Along with De La Soul, ATCQ pioneered the movement away from gangsta rap and diversified the hip-hop community. Though labeled "soft" by the media, ATCQ came with hard beats and impressive lyrics that DJs have been spinning before underground hip-hop shows for almost 15 years. Though "Bonita Applebum," "Scenario," and "Award Tour" all make regular appearances in a backpacker's WinAmp, the call and response of "Can I Kick It?" will forever remain the Tribe's classic. Six years later, on the last true backpacker's album of all time, Jay-Z references the "Can I Kick It?" on "22 Twos."

1992 - Pete Rock and CL Smooth "They Reminsce Over You (TROY)" Mecca and the Soul Brother
Ask a b-boy when he fell in love with hip-hop and there's a good chance he'll tell you it was Pete Rock. His mellow beats were years ahead of their time and are still imitated by producers like 9th Wonder today. Pete Rock is the ultimate producer for a backpacker: there is nothing flashy or distinctly remarkable about his music except its simple beauty. This is some of the best music of all time, but you'll never see it on 106th and Park.

1993 - Wu-Tang Clan "CREAM" Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang is the closest thing to a cult in hip-hop. Many fans will not even entertain the idea that 36 Chambers might not be the best album ever. Obessed with bees and kung-fu films, no one knew quite what to do with Wu-tang. After starting a few dozen solo careers, the Clan is the Wayans family of rap. And please, don't embarrass yourself: remember, Redman was never in Wu-Tang.

Mixtape Friday - I Blame Badu
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Erykah Badu should be banished from hip-hop.

I love her neo-soul and even respect her as a well-rounded b-girl (check out her break dancing, scratching, and freestyling in her video for "Love of My Life"), but she is single-handedly ruining hip-hop. Like the Sirens from Homer's Odyssey, her pretty voice tempts talented emcees into her bedroom, only to be stripped of their rapping abilities while they are sleeping. Rappers: Do not be tempted by her mellifluous voice and furry bush! Stay away at all costs!

Andre 3000 "A Life in the Day of Benjamin" The Love Below

For years, Andre was one of the most versatile rappers around, but then he met Badu and turned into a granola-eating hippie. The guy who used to brag that his "oral demonstration is like clitoral stimulation" basically gave up rapping altogether for The Love Below. I'm glad that white college girls who would otherwise never listen to hip-hop have found a place in their iPod for "Hey Ya!" but hip-hop lost a true emcee. Who is at fault? Ask Andre: "I started likin' this girl/ Now you know her as Erykah 'on and on' Badu/ We're young in love, in short we had fun/ No regrets, no abortion, had a son." Thanks a lot, Erykah.

Badu also committed the most notorious girlfriend atrocity: She came between best friends. When Outkast breaks up, thank the modern day Yoko Ono.

Common "Come Close" Electric Circus
Once Badu broke Andre's heart, she moved on to Common. Though he has always been an eccentric rapper, he used to temper his artsy rhymes with just enough venom to keep his respect. Once Badu touched his loins, his beef turned to tofu. He once said, "I rap with a chip on my shoulder," but now he just raps with a knitted hemp hat on his head. It makes me cringe to see Common in his video for "Come Close," drawing flashcards to express his love for his blind girlfriend. He raps, "The pimp in me may have to die with you." Sadly, the rapper in him died with Badu as well.

B-Side

dead prez "Mind Sex" Let's Get Free
Badu ditched Common and moved on to M1 from dead prez. M1 was on the rebound after being dropped by his record label and needed Badu's warm love. dead prez hasn't released an album since M1 was contaminated, but I would like to blame Badu retroactively for "Mind Sex," which is quite possibly the pansiest rap song ever. dead prez should stick to its black nationalist agenda ("Pimp the system, bang for freedom, f- the high schools, burn the prisons") and avoid oversentimental love songs. Real gangstas don't like salad. "How bout we start/ with a salad, a fresh bed of lettuce with croutons/ Later we can play a game of chess on the futon." I bet 2Pac didn't own a futon.

DOC "The Formula" No Once Can Do It Better
Recently, HipHopSite.com floated this rumor: "Badu: Pregnant or Fat?" To everyone's surprise, she's expecting and the father is old-school rapper DOC. In 1989, the DOC's debut album earned one of The Source magazine's coveted five mics (back when The Source was a reputable publication), but shortly thereafter the rapper suffered a near-fatal car accident that crushed his larynx and severely damaged his voice. Fortunately, he doesn't have much of a career for Badu to ruin, but if you see the DOC rockin' plaid thrift store pants, you know who to blame.

Mixtape Friday: Bliss
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Making a girl a mix is always a dangerous idea. If things don't work out, the painful memory could spoil the songs forever. I can never listen to Ace of Base again after a traumatic breakup with my fifth grade girlfriend. I think about us every time I hear "our song." If it's early on in the relationship, buy her a diamond or make her a card, but don't make her a mix and risk ruining a great Al Green song forever. If you really love her, share your music with your girl (but don't blame me when you get a subpoena from the RIAA).

A-Side

Blackalicious "Make You Feel That Way" Blazing Arrow
This song, arranged around light strings and horns, floats above your head near the altitude of enamored love. Gift of Gab raps about all the things that make you feel that way, including "Christmas day when your momma got your first bike/ type of feeling when you went and won your first fight/ How your team felt winning championship games/ Celebrate in a huddle, dancing in this rain." Gab seems to admit that love remains just beyond the boundary of speech and prefers to sing about the other parts of life that almost compare. He doesn't even mention love until the last line of the song, after he rather awkwardly and unsuccessfully tries to describe feeling that way: "It's love. It's love. It's love."

The Cure "Just Like Heaven" Greatest Hits
Some songs represent your love for your girlfriend or remind you of her. These are the dangerous songs because they are subject to the fickle tide of relationships. "Just Like Heaven" is safe from such contamination because it's about the abstract sensation of love, not someone in particular. My mom once told me she has never fallen in love without this song to accompany her.

The words, though beautiful, are rather unimportant compared to the emotion the song conjures. "Spinning on that dizzy edge/ I kissed her face and kissed her head/ And dreamed of all the different ways I had to make her glow." The only thing better than the original is the live acoustic version on Disc 2 of The Cure's Greatest Hits compilation, stripped naked to reveal its subtle, nervous emotion.

B-Side

Louis Jordan "Knock Me a Kiss" Greatest Hits
There are very few things that I can unequivocally state that I have loved my entire life, including muted trumpets, free parking validation, and most of all, cake. As a result, I understand just how much Louis Jordan loves his girl when he sings "I like cake, make no mistake, but baby if you insist/ I'll cut out cake, just for your sake/ Baby, c'mon and knock me a kiss." (I was equally, though very embarrassedly, amused by 50 Cent's promise, "I love you like a fat kid loves cake." This is the worst part about mainsteam rap - it tricks you into liking something that you actually hate with a passion).

Jordan knows the exact moment he fell in love: "When you pressed your little lips to mine, that was when I understood/ they taste like candy, brandy, and wine/ peaches, bananas, and everything good."

G. Love & Special Sauce "My Baby's Got Sauce" G. Love & Special Sauce
G. Love lacks the gooey Al Green croon, the poetic U2 lyrics, or the sexy D'Angelo bassline, but he loves his girl nonetheless. Endearingly off-tune, he sings, "My lady got the special sauce/ that's why she's my baby, my baby, my baby/ And of course I'll do anything for her." While rappers exchange unrealistic brags about how big their penises are and how often an assorted group of females have come into contact with the aforementioned penis, G. Love proves himself to be the truly enviable one: "My baby got sauce, your baby ain't sweet like mine."

Teen girls scream for Atmosphere
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

The crowd at Atmosphere's concert at the Roxy on Feb. 10 could be divided into two groups: hip-hop fans and Atmosphere fans. The hip-hop fans rapped along with classic Mobb Deep songs before the show and were impressed by the freestyle encore, while the Atmosphere fans sang along with Slug and were impressed by his sensitive lyrics and boyish good looks.

Atmosphere (composed of emcee Slug, DJ Mr. Dibbs, and producer Ant) has been the most recent underground darling to bubble up to the mainstream. After years of consistently releasing quality albums, promoting new talent and relentlessly touring, Atmosphere's Minneapolis indie label, Rhymesayers, could no longer manage to distribute its records to match increasing demand. Atmosphere didn't sell out; its popularity simply outgrew the infrastructure of the underground.

Instead of jumping ship by himself when major labels began courting him, Slug declared that his Rhymesayers crew came as a package. To get Atmosphere, labels needed to agree to distribute all of the artists on Slug's label as well.

Surprisingly, Slug found a willing accomplice in punk label Epitaph. Rappers often go back and promote their crew after they make it big, but Atmosphere jeopardized his own stardom by refusing to abandon them in the first place.

Opening for Atmosphere were label mates Eyedea and Abilities. Eyedea is a talented lyricist paired with the absolutely astonishing DJ Abilities. Abilities was the surprise highlight of the concert, outshining all of the emcees. He created entirely new beats for the rappers while onstage that would compete with some of the best underground production that's labored over in a studio for hours.

Eyedea unfortunately seemed to suffer from a little brother complex. Eyedea's style of slightly maniacal emo-rap seemed all too familiar. He's trying to do what big brother Atmosphere does so well, but it isn't his particular strength. Though his emotion seemed feigned and exaggerated, his lyrical abilities shone through the content, demonstrating his strength as a rapper despite his undeveloped song-writing potential.

When Slug came onstage, the girls went wild. He gave a passionate performance, accompanied by fellow emcee Blueprint. He opened his set with "Trying to Find a Balance," his current single that earned him his first-ever video on MTV2. Atmosphere enjoys a large body of work from which to choose and played songs from a wide variety of his albums, including Lucy Ford, God Loves Ugly, and his newest, Seven's Travels.

Halfway through the show, Mr. Dibbs surprised everyone and dropped a Rage Against the Machine song on the turntables. A circle immediately opened in the audience, but it wasn't a cypher with local b-boys, but a raucus mosh pit, which again demonstrated that Atmosphere's fans are not the typical hip-hop crowd.

Racial diversity at underground hip-hop shows is no longer a novelty. White kids at a Boston rap concert are certainly nothing to write home about, but white girls, on the other hand, are a rather rare occurrence. The hip-hop market tends to be male dominated, but Atmosphere's success can largely be attributed to his popularity with white college girls.

Don't misinterpret this as an indication that Slug is some sort of pretty boy pop sensation. Slug is definitely not very pretty. Nevertheless, his emotionally-charged lyrics about his tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend have attracted female fans who are otherwise uninterested in rap.

Slug seemed to recognize this and encouraged his fans to expand their musical tastes to other underground artists, such as Jean Grae and Cannibal Ox, which should end the ridiculous misconception that there is any sort of underground beef between Rhymesayers and Def Jux.

Slug ended the show by calling Eyedea out for an impressive freestyle session to remind everyone that Slug is still a great rapper under all that emotional baggage. After everyone else left, Slug told the crowd, "I'm not here to make money. I'm here because this is what I love. When I go home, I don't know what else to do.

"I suck at X-box, so I go on tour and rap for you people," he said.

Beatles Sing Back-up for Jay-Z
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

When John Lennon said, "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it," clearly he failed to anticipate underground hip-hop producer DJ Danger Mouse.

Danger Mouse (DM) has taken the anarchy of musical intellectual property to a new level by remixing Jay-Z's Black Album, using nothing but samples from the Beatles' White Album, creating an impressive and entertaining new remix, The Grey Album.

When Jay-Z released the a capella version of his entire Black Album on vinyl, he seemed to be offering his tacit approval for DJs remixing his vocals onto their own beats. In just a few months, no less than six major producers have offered their own versions of Jay-Z's final album.

The remix fad began with 9th Wonder, when he remixed Nas' God's Son, layering Nas' vocals on top of his own signature fluid, old school beats. The remix project earned the unknown producer so much buzz that when Jay-Z was gathering his all-star list of producers for The Black Album, he included 9th Wonder.

At first, Danger Mouse wasn't even going to do his own remix, since he knew that so many other DJ's would be doing the same. He was busy working on other projects, including the follow-up to his stellar debut album with emcee Jemini, Ghetto Pop Life.

Then, the idea of taking samples exclusively from the Beatles' White Album dawned on him. "I did it real quick," Danger Mouse told The Heights in an interview, "because I was afraid someone else was going to have the same idea." After just two weeks and over 200 hours of studio time, Danger Mouse released his remix.

The Grey Album is awe-inspiring collage of Ringo's snare, Paul's bass, Lennon's voice, and Harrison's weeping guitar that demonstrates the delicate art of sample-based production. Some songs are immediately recognizable as looped samples, while DM rearranges some songs to an almost indecipherable effect.

"It was basically just an experiment for me, like an art project," DM said. "I'm actually surprised people like it because I really just did it for me. It was a test, like 'For this song I have two loops and that's it, so let's see what I can do with that.'"

On "What More Can I Say," when Jay-Z's first verse drops on top of a slowed down guitar riff from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the collaboration at first catches the listener off guard. Fortunately, the quality of Danger Mouse's production eclipses the gimmick that initially piques listener's interest.

Many will listen to the album simply for the concept's novelty value, but this is no generic mash-up. On "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," DM takes "Julia," speeds it up, slices it in half and throws some meat on the beat until it's an entirely new song.

As Nick Hornby writes in Songbook, to accuse an artist like Danger Mouse of plagiarism is ridiculous: "You may as well make the same case against a writer whose book contain words that other writers have used before."

Unfortunately, copyright law does not agree. Sampling has been a rich man's game ever since Biz Markie was sued for sampling in 1991. The judge ruled that the Biz had violated "not only the Seventh Commandment, but also the copyright laws of this country."

Danger Mouse knew there was an insurmountable sample clearance issue that prevented him from releasing the album commercially and instead made the album available to friends and fans on underground hip-hop sites on the Internet. Recently, the album has even disappeared from these non-traditional venues.

Danger Mouse suggests, "Go find it on the Internet and make copies for your friends. I knew I was never going to make money off this, that wasn't why I did it."

On "Encore," DM's production reaches its most impressive point, with a looped breakbeat from "Glass Onion." Halfway through the song, DM switches the beat to a short drum-based sample from 1:08 into "Savoy Truffle."

On some songs, such as "Moment of Clarity," Danger Mouse falters and fails to create an engaging beat from the scraps of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun." Similarly, The Beatles' "Cry Baby Cry" doesn't seems to be able to keep up with Jay-Z's double-time rhyme on "My 1st Song."

The Grey Album shows what Danger Mouse and sample-based production in general is capable of, if not for the financial limitation involved in clearing samples. Most likely this sort of art will continue to flourish in the underground, below the radar of record label lawyers but just perfect for true hip-hop fans.

Mixtape Friday - International Hip-Hop
By Canyon Cody
Published in The Heights

Puff Daddy (I refuse to call him P. Diddy) once bragged, "I been around the world," but these emcees are from around the world. As technology increases the speed and ease with which music can traverse international borders, billions of ears around the world have fallen in love with hip-hop. By fusing regional style and international flavor, rappers from around the world have created some of the most innovate hip-hop in years. In the '80s, Slick Rick's British accent was a novelty; now KRS-One is rapping on a track with a teenage Japanese emcee, Lil Ai.

k-os "Call Me" Exit
Canadian rapper k-os (pronounced "chaos") raps in the tradition of fellow anti-Babylon revolutionaries Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill and combines large chunks of reggae, jazz, and funk. His debut album is quite simply one of the most impressive, beautiful pieces of music released in recent memory. Most notably, Exit is a complete album, with 11 diverse but thematically related tracks, with acoustic flamenco guitars, wailing vocals, and deep organic beats.

k-os explains the spiritual undertones of his tracks: "My parents are Jehovah's Witnesses so they go door-to-door with their messages. But for me, I've made a CD that has a chance to get into people's homes, and I don't have to knock on doors. People are taking me into their homes simply because they want to."


Lyrics Born "Callin' Out" Later That Day
When Rakim was rapping in New York in the '80s, he probably never imagined that people would be listening halfway around the world. Tokyo-born Tom Shimura moved to California and started making beats with friends at UC Davis. One of his friends, Josh Davis, is now better known as DJ Shadow, while another, Gift of Gab, later formed Blackalicious. On Later That Day, Shimura's debut under the moniker Lyrics Born, he proves UC Davis might be the next Berklee School of Music.

"Callin' Out," featuring pro-skateboarder Tommy Guerrero, offers a nasty beat for Lyrics Born to drop his breathless flow: "My life is the culmination of my past achievements/ with a lotta heavy liftin, a lotta deep breathin/ a lotta courage, a lotta doubt, a lotta mixed feelins/ a lotta love, a lotta luggage for a lotta reasons."

Orishas "537 CUBA" A Lo Cubano
"It's a goddamn hip-hop world, and now it has even invaded Cuba," complained Ry Cooder, producer of Cuba's most famous musical export, Buena Vista Social Club. For those excited by change and progress, rather then afraid of it, the Orishas are the future of hip-hop and world music in general. They rap in fluid Spanish over classic Cuban afro-jazz combined with contemporary hip-hop beats.

In their 2000 debut A Lo Cubano and follow-up Emigrante, the Orishas generally avoided sampling, but "537 CUBA" is a hip-hop remix of Compay Segundo's classic "Chan Chan." They also avoid the polemic issues of politics and communism in Cuba, preferring to focus on the personal experience of growing up on the island. Rapper Yotuel explains, "Adding a danceable rhythm to socially conscious lyrics is like the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down."

The Streets "Weak Becomes Heroes" Original Pirate Material

Mike Skinner, aka The Streets, recorded his debut album in his basement, while his mum screamed at him to turn the music down. His lyrics are filled with local lingo: Girls are "birds," guys are "geezers," and weak rhymes are "rhubarb and custard verses."

He doesn't even actually rap, but just kind of talks in some sort of syncopated rhythm, often apathetic to the beat. He is definitely not rapping about life in "the streets," but mostly about PlayStation 2 and ordering Chinese food with some serious munchies.