by Andrew Sacher

Angel Haze

As you may know, Angel Haze and Azealia Banks got in a Twitter fight yesterday (1/3) which resulted in Angel Haze releasing a diss track aimed at Azealia. Azealia Banks responded today with the Machinedrum-produced "No Problems" and tweeted, "Lol I def used that energy to write a fly new jam tho. It's not even really a diss anymore! Haha !!!"

...well Angel Haze thinks it's still a diss because she already responded with a second diss track called "Shut the Fuck Up" and the message, "you get an unmastered diss...you aint worth my studio time." Choice lyric: "How much twitter feed does it take to wanna make you get into the studio and come up with a different flow, not try to recreate '212,' the only shit you know." Damn.

Listen to both tracks below...

Continue reading "Azealia Banks responds to Angel Haze's diss track (and Angel Haze responds right back)"

Jack White @ ACL 2012 (more by Glen Brown)

PRESS RELEASE:

Jack White has issued the following statement to correct an excerpt from his upcoming cover story in British Esquire that was taken completely out of context--and actually edited to change its original meaning--in an NME.com news post.

The original quote referred to the state of image-based celebrity in general was twisted by the NME who changed the original quote, tacking the words "Lady Gaga's music" on to the original quote--words Jack never actually said.

White commented in full:

I'd like to address the recent tabloidesque drama baiting by the press in regards to Lady Gaga. I never said anything about her music, or questioned the authenticity of her songs in any way. I was in a conversation about the drawbacks of image for the sake of image, and that it is popular nowadays to not question an image in front of you, but only to label it as "cool" or "weird" quickly and dispose of it. I don't like my comments about Lady Gaga's presentation being changed into some sort of negative critique of her music. If you're going to try to cause drama, at least get the quotes right. I think journalists should also be held accountable for what they say. Especially publications like the NME who put whatever words they feel like between two quotation marks and play it off as a quote. maybe somebody with more lawyers can take them to task, but I'll just use the internet and twitter instead. I also think that kind of tabloid drama encourages artists to not express their opinions in the press, and instead give polite soundbites that don't stimulate thought about creativity and the consumption of art in its many guises. Peace to lady gaga and I fully congratulate and compliment her on her championing of gay rights issues and the momentum it's given to help create change.

Thank you.

Jack White III

Jack White's 2012 album has been named one of the best of the year by NME - and by MOJO, Rolling Stone, SPIN, Q Magazine, The Alabama Shakes and UNCUT

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.

17 year old Chief Keef's recent accomplishments include playing both Pitchfork and Lollapalooza, making the cover of FADER, and signing to Interscope Records who at least one writer suggests should drop Keef who he calls "garbage wrapped in human skin."

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.

You can watch the video interview with Lupe below.

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""

by BBG

Jeff Tandy, creator of the above photo, writes:

"I'm calling you out, Hunt-Hendrix! I'll be at Martyrdoom Fest in Brooklyn on June 30, 2012. I hate you. I hate what you do. Come down and we'll fight!... I will feed you all the Brooklyn sidewalk you can eat, HHH. I'll show you the side of black metal you don't have the fortitude or will to explore. Seriously, I will fuck you up."

The above challenge was issued to the the Liturgy frontman in a Facebook group called "Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, come fight me." The creator, Jeff Tandy of Birth A.D., Averse Sefira and an ex-live member of Krieg, is not making his feelings about the Liturgy frontman secret, though it's hard to take the group completely seriously with photos like the one above. I hope it's not real though. Exerting your energy into bands you don't like takes away from finding bands that you do.

UPDATE: The Facebook group has been removed.

Though Jeff Tandy will be there, neither Jeff nor Hunter will be performing at the Martyrdoom Festival on June 30th at Public Assembly. Tickets are still available (no word on whether Hunter plans to attend).

Hunter will be performing at Metallica's Orion Festival in June though... along with bands like (?!?) Modest Mouse and Arctic Monkeys.

As many are posting, James Blake told Liz Pelly at the Boston Phoenix that:

"I think the dubstep that has come over to the US, and certain producers-- who I can't even be bothered naming-- have definitely hit upon a sort of frat-boy market where there's this macho-ism being reflected in the sounds and the way the music makes you feel. And to me, that is a million miles away from where dubstep started. It's a million miles away from the ethos of it. It's been influenced so much by electro and rave, into who can make the dirtiest, filthiest bass sound, almost like a pissing competition, and that's not really necessary. And I just think that largely that is not going to appeal to women. I find that whole side of things to be pretty frustrating, because that is a direct misrepresentation of the sound as far as I'm concerned."

As many would agree, that means you Skrillex (who lots of people hate and who collaborates with KORN who... have a new DUBSTEP ALBUM COMING OUT and who are playing Radiohead's favorite venue Roseland soon too) (And though he's Canadian, James might also be referring to Datsik who also collaborated with Korn and who plays Webster Hall tonight).

Speaking of James Blake, who recently played ACL, didn't win the Mercury Prize, collaborated with Bon Iver, and will be back in NYC soon, I saw him play in a church (the perfect setting for him) at the Way Out West Festival in Sweden back in August with Low (perfect for them too). I posted one picture the next day, and a few more to Facebook, but never the whole set, so here they are. They continue with all dates below...

Continue reading "James Blake talks frat-boy dubstep (aka Skrillex), played in a church in Sweden with Low (belated pics)"

Earlier this week 50 Cent called off his Aug. 30 performance at the "40 Day" aka "Family Day" event in Queens, N.Y., after community members and law enforcement officials voiced fear over a possible shootout.

However, a new, more peace-inspired rumor has surfaced on the street: If 50 had, in fact, taken the stage at the G-Unit-helmed neighborhood party, he hoped to have Cam'ron join him. This seemed like an unlikely move from 50 Cent's camp considering the war of words that the G-Unit and Dipset members exchanged a few years ago. But before this story had time to gather too many legs, Killa Cam confirmed to MTV in a video interview that he had no plans of making the trip to Queens, where his beef with 50 first began.

"Nah, I'm not going to no show in Queens," Cam'ron said. "I don't know how true it is ... a few of my people -- associates -- said [some of 50's associates] was trying to reach out. But, I ain't going to no concert in Queens. Come up to Harlem Week. We could sit down and have the roundtable meeting if you really wanna be serious. Or meet anywhere ... we can meet in Benihana's if you wanna be serious. It don't matter. I'm not squashing a problem we had in Queens at your event." [The Boombox]

50 Cent may not be playing the Queens event, but he is playing the Beach on Governors Island on October 3rd. Tickets go on 'Internet Presale' today (Friday) at noon, and general sale on Saturday at the same time.

More importantly, if you haven't seen it already, check out the video of Mike Bloomberg discussing the "50 Cents" situation (and other related videos) below...

Continue reading "'50 Cents', Cam'ron not playing in Queens (Bloomberg video)"

Vampire Weekend are playing Bowery Ballroom on January 29th. Tickets are on sale. All tour dates at the end of this post.

Wu-Tang Clan are (still) playing Hammerstein Ballroom on January 12th (and Toad's Place in CT the next day). Tickets are on sale.

Ghostface Killah, Brother Ali & Rakim played Nokia Theatre on November 16th. Reviews @ NY Press & MTV.

ODB passed away exactly 3 years and 2 weeks ago. RIP.

Gza is (still) playing 'Liquid Swords' at Knitting Factory on December 13th & 14th. Tickets are sold out. He's also doing it even earlier at ATP (with Portishead)

RZA addresses Raekwon rumors, and the beef surrounding 8 Diagrams (out December 11th), in the video below.....

Vampire Weekend's new video for "Mansard Roof", and all tour dates, below too...

Continue reading "updated VAMPIRE WEEKEND & WU-TANG CLAN tour dates, RZA vs Raekwon, new videos"

Disturbing, Funny, Mean, well written, etc..

Deerhunter at Satellite Ballroom - July 7, 2007 (CRED)

Deerhunter play a free NYC show this Friday! (August 31, 2007)