by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Chief Keef - "Love Sosa" (RL Grime Remix) (MP3)

One of the best parts of RL Grime's recent sets (like his set at HARD Miami) is his remix of Chief Keef's "Love Sosa," and he's just blessed us with an MP3 of the official remix, which you can download above or stream below (via FADER). If there's anything we learned from Keef's mostly-disappointing Finally Rich, it's that he's more of a hook guy than a verse guy, and on its best moments (like "Love Sosa"), he essentially got away with carrying those hooks on for the entire song. But on this remix of the track, RL plays with the hook, introduces plenty of dynamic changes, and throws in his fair share of trap thrills, arguably topping the original song.

RL Grime is currently on his previously mentioned North American tour, which hits NYC on May 9 at Le Poisson Rouge. Since we last spoke, it's been announced that the LPR show will be opened by Fool's Gold DJ Nick Hook and Maxiavelli. Tickets for that show are still available.

Chief Keef just announced a NYC show too.

Updated dates are listed, along with the remix, below...

Continue reading "RL Grime remixed Chief Keef's "Love Sosa" (MP3); Nick Hook and Maxiavelli opening his LPR show"

The Harlem MC and king of nonsensical rhymes this side of Kool Keith, Cam'ron, made an appearance at a recent Kenny Dope/Solange DJ set at the Boiler Room party in the W Hotel in Times Square on April 25. The Dipset MC blessed the cowd with snippets from his classic "Hey Ma" and the Diplomats favorite "I Really Mean It." Video from his performance is below. If you missed the show, make sure and head to SOB's on May 30 to catch him, tickets are on sale.

Though the SOB's show doesn't feature any fellow Dipset members, another favorite hip hop crew have announced their return to the stage. The Lox (Jadakiss, Styles P and Sheek Louch) will celebrate their anniversary at BB Kings on June 17, snagging support from Funkmaster Flex. Tickets are on sale. Speaking of anniversaries and Jadakiss, look for J-A-to the mwah to play the Doo Wop anniversary party next week.

In other hip hop news, just two days after Cam'ron blesses SOB's, look for Chief Keef to headline the much larger space at Best Buy Theater on June 1. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (May 3) at noon.

Continue reading "hip hop roundup: Cam'ron, The Lox anniversary and Chief Keef playing NYC shows (separately)"

Jay-Z, who is allegedly selling his "minuscule stake in the Brooklyn Nets" and moved Roc Nation to Universal, just recorded the track "Open Letter" with producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. FADER writes:

On the track, debuted this morning on New York's Hot 97 and Jay's Life + Times, Jay expresses disgust at the outsized interest in his recent Cuba anniversary trip, which was criticized by by three Republican members of Congress and approved by the U.S. Treasury Department. "Open Letter" also acknowledges Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite rapper Chief Keef, quotes Bob Dylan's 1975 track "Idiot Wind" and brushes off reports that Jay is looking to sell his small stake in the Brooklyn Nets and become an NBA agent. Would have brought the Nets to Brooklyn for free/ Except I made millions off you fuckin dweebs/ I still own the building. I'm still keeping my seat, he says. By "seat," he may mean the exclusive $5550,000 per year suite which he's used for free since the opening of the Barclays Center.

You can stream "Open Letter" and read the lyrics below...

Continue reading "listen to Jay-Z address his Nets ownership, 'fucking dweebs', Chief Keef, his Cuba trip & more in new song "Open Letter""

"XXL has revealed their Freshman Class cover for 2013. The cover features ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul and Action Bronson, among others. They join a list of emcees to be on the Freshman Class list over the years that includes Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller and more." [HipHopDX (via)]

Many of the rappers featured in this year's Freshman Class were just down at SXSW including Angel Haze who we just posted some pictures of on BV Austin, and Action Bronson who we caught at Viceland and at a Warner showcase.

London's Mount Kimbie will be in Austin next week for SXSW, playing the Ray Ban / Boiler Room Warehouse on Saturday, March 16 with Chief Keef & GBE Squad, Mount Kimbie, Death Grips, Lunice, and Baauer b2b RL Grime, as well as Shlohmo, Skream, and "very special guests." For those not in attendance but will be near a computer, the show will stream on line at Boiler Room's website. And if you are going to be in Austin, you can RSVP here.

Meanwhile, Mount Kimbie have been hard at work on the follow-up to 2010's Crooks & Lovers which they say is "nearly there." Hopefully status will have changed to "out now" by the time of the electronic duo's full North American tour with Holy Other, that kicks off here in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on May 30. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (3/8) at noon. All tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Mount Kimbie working on LP #2, playing SXSW, and touring with Holy Other (dates)"

Hard to believe, but our BrooklynVegan "Blog Radio" show has been airing weekly on satellite radio for over 6.5 years. It started on Sirius which then merged with XM and became SiriusXM. The station, which was originally "Left of Center" on Sirius, is now called SiriusXMU (on SiriusXM). You can currently hear the two hour show on the "indie/college" station every Wednesday at noon EST and again at midnight that night (which is technically Thursday morning in Eastern Standard Time).

At some point years ago I brought on like-minded music lover Dominic (Nick) Masi to be my co-host, and to cover when I couldn't make it. Now, though I still may pop in occasionally (my New Year's resolution!), Nick has taken over completely, hosting the show week to week with a selection of music you'll find on BrooklynVegan.com and on his own iPod. Recently Nick also started hosting a show called "Cover Me" (all cover songs) on Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, and other programs on the network too.

In his spare time, Nick now tour manages members of Odd Future - a job which was an offshoot of his huge passion for hip hop (and traveling around the continent in a van).

What were Nick's favorite records and songs in 2012? We asked him and he gave us a list of his top 10 albums and "top 15 hip hop songs of the year that don't feature 2Chainz, Kanye, Drake, Rick Ross or (fill in the blank with your favorite rapper you've seen on every remix this year)."

You can check out both of Nick's lists, along with videos or streams for each song on his hip hop list (Odd Future songs included), below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan SiriusXMU host Nick Masi's Top 10 Albums and Top 15 Hip Hop Songs of 2012"

Small Black at Brooklyn Museum in June (more by Jessica Amaya)

Today we've posted year-end lists by Andy from Cake Shop, Mark Eitzel, and James from Veronica Falls. Now we've got one from Josh Kolenik of Brooklyn chillwavers Small Black giving us a rundown of 12 singles he loved in 2012.

Based on Small Black's own sound, it's got an unsurprising amount of indie pop, R&B, electronics, and Young Chop-produced hip hop. But he also sneaks in the inclusion of some vintage-sounding psych folk courtesy of Jessica Pratt. Check out his full list of songs, along with streams and/or videos for each track, below...

Continue reading "Josh from Small Black's top songs of 2012"

by Bill Pearis

Pitchfork just posted their much anticipated list of the top 100 tracks of 2012. The #1 slot went to... Grimes! Whether you thought the whole of her album Visions was good or not, it was hard to deny the charms of "Oblivion." (Having that great video didn't hurt either.) Do you think it deserved to top the list? If not then what song should've?

You can check out P4K's entire hot 100 of 2012 below.

Continue reading "Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2012 (Grimes' "Oblivion" is #1)"

by Andrew Sacher

After much delay, rumors proved true and false, and some uncertain info, Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music compilation album, Cruel Summer, is fully confirmed and will be out this Tuesday (9/18). Many of its tracks -- "Clique," "Mercy," "New God Flow," "Cold" (previously titled "Theraflu"), and his guest-filled remix of Chief Keef's "I Don't Like" -- have been floating around the internet for some time now. You can stream all of those and snippets of every album track below.

Though Kanye only actually raps on about half the album, his presence is felt throughout and Cruel Summer succeeds at playing from start to finish with an album flow, despite it technically being a compilation. It opens as huge as you expect any Kanye related release to open, addressing the album not just to his fans, friends or family, but of course, "To The World." The track brings together beat master Hudson Mohawke (who's been having a great year as one half of TNGHT) with R. Kelly and Ye. It immediately follows with the album's strongest track, "Clique," which features one of the best Jay-Z verses in recent years and a towering beat from Hit-Boy, who is also behind Cruel Summer tracks "Cold," "Higher," and of course you may know him as the guy behind "Niggas In Paris."

After it continues colossally with previously released singles "Mercy" and "New God Flow," we get the first track on the album without Kanye's voice, "The Morning." However, there's no lack of all-star rappers on the track. We get killer verses from vets Pusha T, Common, and Raekwon, and if guys like Kid Cudi and 2 Chainz are your thing, well they're there too. Cudi, though not the strongest of Kanye associates, does have a shining moment on the album though. Over a clattering beat in "Creepers," he delivers a solo vocal performance making for a rare standout personal moment from not-Kanye in the midst of Ye's encapsulating ego. That's followed by "Bliss," which sees the return of Hudson Mohawke to the boards and is the album's sole track with all singing, no rapping. A distinct contrast to the hanging out and freestyling feel of the closing "I Don't Like" remix.

Streams and tracklist are below.

Continue reading "Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music album 'Cruel Summer' is out next week (tracklist, streams & more on the album)"

Sasha Go Hard is yet another rapper to emerge from the burgeoning Chicago rap scene, having begun to pick up buzz with her second mixtape, Do U Know Who I Am, which she dropped over the summer. Like fellow Chi Townie Chief Keef (who Sasha has collaborated with in the past but hasn't talked to in a while, and whose grandma says he isn't a gangster), Sasha has been produced by the talented Young Chop (who also helmed the beat on Keef's "I Don't Like") and also by DGainz (who directed the video for "I Don't Like" and also contributed production to the upcoming King L).

In addition to those two guys, the rest of the tape features production by Absolut P, Ur Boy Black, Block On Da Track, DJ Kenn, Southside and J. Hill, in addition to including a few guest rappers from the scene, most notably Katie Got Bandz and Chella H, on closing track, "I'm Hotta." You can download the mixtape for free HERE and stream it, along with the videos for the Young Chop-produced "I Think I Like That" and the DGainz-produced "Tatted," below.

Sasha will be making her way to NYC for the 9th Shortcuts party at Santos Party House on September 20 with LE1F. Tickets for that party are on sale now. The flier is below. She'll also stick around to play 285 Kent on September 22.

The Santos show happens right before LE1F heads out as a support act on the previously discussed Das Racist tour, which also includes support from SAFE and Lakutis, the latter two of who just played Glasslands on Monday (9/10). That tour hits NYC on September 27 at Irving Plaza. Tickets for that show are still available.

An updated list of Das Racist tour dates and the tour flier, plus the Sasha Go Hard streams and videos are below.

Continue reading "Sasha Go Hard playing shows, 1 w/ LE1F (dates, videos & free mixtape)"

Lil JoJo RIP

To quote The Smoking Section:

A little over a month ago, we saw Lupe Fiasco overcome with emotion as he watched video of friends whose young lives were snuffed out by violence. A week ago, the Chicagoan stated that the culture Chief Keef represented scared him. Today, we see more hard evidence as to why Lupe fears for the direction of his hometown, and the young people who populate it.

[An 18]-year-old rapper named Joseph Coleman, otherwise known as Lil JoJo, died from gunshot wounds late last night. Coleman had been embroiled in a rivalry withChief Keef associate and fellow rapper Lil Reese, even having an angry exchange with him in a video was posted on YouTube only a few days ago. In the clip, someone yells the words "I'mma kill you."

In a seemingly related set of tweets following Coleman's death last night, Keef seemed to be laughing at the tragedy that befell his teenaged rival.

UPDATE: The police are investigating Chief Keef (and much more too)

Chief Keef

Young Chicago rapper Chief Keef has been blowing up, and though he's gotten love from some veteran rappers like Kanye, Pusha T, and Jadakiss, others, specifically Lupe Fiasco "don't like" him. In a video posted to FakeShoreDrive (via HipHopDX), Lupe said:

Chief Keef scares me. Not him specifically, but just the culture that he represents. Specifically in Chicago. And I don't speak this about any other city because I'm not from there. But like my family lives in Chicago. So my nephews, my cousins, my friends, and my peoples they all in those hoods that he represents. When you drive through Chicago...The hoodlums, the gangsters, and the ones you see killing each other. And the murder rate in Chicago is skyrocketing and you see who's doing it and perpetrating it, they all look like Chief Keef.

In related news, Chief Keef recently dropped the track "Appreciation" off of his upcoming mixtape, Finally Rich. You can stream the track below.

Continue reading "Lupe Fiasco: "Chief Keef scares me""

Cloud Nothings at Central Park last Saturday (more by Chris La Putt)

today in NYC
* DIIV @ The Hester
* Andy Statman @ Barbes
* Guards (DJ) @ Ace Hotel
* Questlove @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Charles Perry @ Joe's Pub
* The Spanish Donkey @ The Stone
* Stevie Nicks @ Mohegan Sun (CT)
* Erika Spring @ Ivana Helsinki
* Cloud Nothings, DIIV @ 285 Kent
* The English Beat @ The Bell House
* Dusted, Happy New Year @ Cake Shop
* Booga Sugar @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise
* Loser's Lounge @ Midsummer Night Swing
* H2O, 7 Seconds, Tournament @ House of Vans
* Dan Deacon, John Maus, Roomrunner @ Pier 84
* Shemekia Copeland, NRBQ @ MetroTech Commons
* Young Empires, The Suzan, Humans @ Glasslands
* New York Philharmonic @ Cunningham Park in Queens
* Matt Darriau's Yo Lateef meets Nigun @ Barbes
* Filter, Fuel, Slunt, Static Summer @ Irving Plaza
* Start Making Sense (Talking Heads cover band) @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise
* Steve Baczkowski, Bill Nace, Chris Corsano @ The Stone
* Chicha Libre, Karikatura, People's Champs @ SOB'S
* Spoek Mathambo, Pegasus Warning @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Nouvellas, Fletcher C. Johnson, The Waivers @ Union Pool
* George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ Rockefeller Park
* Paperhead, D. Watusi, Turnip King, Strip Mall @ Death By Audio
* Five O'Clock Heroes, Eytan & The Embassy, Basik @ Bowery Electric
* Hop Along, Norwegian Arms, Savages (NYC) @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* DJ Chuck Chillout, DJ Uncle Ralph, DJ Sucio Smash @ Public Assembly
* Grandfather, The Hobs, Chumps, Man Made Sun, Mandy Lee, Ashtree @ Pianos
* Steve Earle, Rachael Yamagata, The Wood Brothers, Allen Toussaint @ City Winery
* Neko Case, Charles Bradley, He's My Brother She's My Sister @ World Financial Center
* Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, The Trammps, Rose Royce @ Seaside Summer Concerts
* Vast Aire, OutofaWhole, Kenyattah Black, Kev Bars, Warlock Asylum @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Island Twins, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, Pale Lights @ Shea Stadium
* Madam Robot and the Lust Brigade, Pants Velour, Your 33 Black Angels, The Sanctuaries @ The Paper Box
* Miho Hatori's New Optimism, Zs, Bachanalia, JG Thirlwell (DJ), Ann Liv Young @ Secret Project Robot
* The Bj Rubin Show, American Liberty League, Sexy Thoughts, Moppa Elliott's Tragedy and Statistics @ Zebulon
* Seth Faergolzia, Berth Control, Alyson Greenfield, You Scream I Scream, NYBD (New York Bike Dance) @ Knitting Factory

"To Kill a Mockingbird" screens in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox" screens for free in Tompkins Square Park.

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A few weeks back, Chief Keef made his NYC debut at SOB's. While he was here, he made a video of his promo run through the city. Check it out below.

Mariachi El Bronx covered The Decemberists' "Los Angeles, I'm Yours" for AV Undercover. Watch the video of that below.

Check out a video below of Aziz Ansari, Reggie Watts, Nick Kroll, Jason Woliner, and more discussing LCD Soundsystem for LCD + THE HITS, the second in a four-part series surrounding LCD's new documentary, Shut Up and Play the Hits, which premiered in NYC this past Tuesday (7/10), and gets a national premiere on Wednesday, July 18.

In related news, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy was on 'Fallon' last night to talk about the documentary, jam with The Roots and more. Watch a video of that below.

Azealia Banks' Fantasea mixtape is out now. Download it for free at her twitter.

Faith No More covered Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Niggas in Paris" at a recent live show. A video of that is below.

tUnE-yArDs made a mix for okayafrica of primarily East African music which has influenced her own. You can stream it or download it for free below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"