Jay-Z and Kanye "Otis"
We pray that all their pain be champagne.
Showing posts with label Jay-Z. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jay-Z. Show all posts
Kanye, G.O.O.D. Music and SXSW
Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music project generally produces just that, good music. His performances are notoriously fantastic as well and this one at SXSW is no different. These are really worth your time as they include performances by Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and of course, Kanye.
A Short Catalogue of Recent Kanye Rumblings
Kanye West's performance at the VMA's the other day made me remember that there are several things I have been meaning to post. Since his return to performance, short video release, and recitation at twitter and facebook Kanye has under-convincingly performed one of the most promising tracks, lyrically speaking, called "Mama's Boyfriend."
On a better note, he has released a remix for the excellent track "Power" featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beats (who work well on their own too). The remix starts off normally enough with a (Taylor Swift name dropping) verse from Jay but then we get a new (lesser but still good) verse from Kanye wherein he gets political ("bring out troops back from Iraq/ keep the troops out of Iran) and drops a couple bars "in Islam". From there the track completely shifts and brings you back to the 90s ("I've got the power"). Kanye offers a few more verses demonstrating his ability to shift modes at the drop of a beat.
"Monster" is a song that I didn't really 'get' at first. Its a kind of seedy Raekwon-feeling back-beat that lets the actual rapping take precedent. Once you focus on the rapping however, the fact that Kanye works "sarcophagus" into his verse becomes entirely apparent. And then, of course, Nicki Minaj completely owns the track managing to sound like an angry schizophrenic thesaurus ("all up in the bank with a funny face/ and if Im fake I ain't noticed cause my money ain't!"). The track definitely took on an unprecedented intensity at Jay-Z's Yankee stadium performance this week. These people already know the words!
(For more of this incredible show including a performance of the "Power" remix, see here).
"See Me Now" is a definitely radio grabber. A summer feel good, cruising with the top down sort of track. Kanye gives us a few ringers ("Im Socrates/ but my skin more chocolaty" or "if you fall on the concrete/ that's your ass fault"). Beyonce attacks the song with her ferocious vocal prowess. The track clocks in at a little over six minutes and maybe drags on a little too long. "See Me Now" and the lustful rumination, "Devil in a New Dress," mark the weaker releases from the recent Kanye-internet complex. Both have their moment but would probably work better in the flow of an album.
And of course there is "Runaway" which West debuted at the VMA's (and which it looks like is the title of Kanye's new album?). It seems that the CD quality versions have been taken down but I have a demo version linked here. The lovable refain of the song; "Let's have a toast for the douchebags". Now we get the self-deprecating Kanye...Kan-yay! The recorded track is pensive and brooding but the VMA version (also the VMA closer) just feel really sad. Kanye invites us to hate him as much as he does. I don't think I really want to. Nice move Ye. Pusha T gives his verse and Kanye closes it out with a an auto-tuned interlude. Worth seeing.
Kanye West - Power
Kanye West - Power (Remix feat. Jay-Z and Swizz Beats)
Kanye West - Devil in a New Dress
Kanye West - See Me Now (feat. Beyonce and Charlie Wilson)
Kanye West - Monster (feat. Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj)
Kanye Apologizes + Performs w/ Jay-Z, Rihanna on Leno
If you live in a not-internet-gossip cave somewhere, maybe you didn't know why everyone still thinks Kanye West is a jackass. So, if you didn't see it, here is where Kanye stole the microphone from poor little 19 year old country music singer, Taylor Swift, squashing her moment in the spotlight (cause she probably never got attention growing up and all).Anyway, Ye went on Leno yesterday, as previously scheduled, which Jay is mighty thankful for. In the next couple uncomfortable minutes, Kanye gets all sincere and quiet and looks entirely shaken about the whole thing. He ends up dodging a question about what his mom would have thought by saying vaguely "I haven't dealt with pain..."
Then in a brilliantly strange transition, Kanye joins Jay-Z and Rihanna in a performance of "Run this Town" from Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, which dropped on tuesday. Featuring a live band, it was good to see one of my favorite tracks on the new album play so well live. Kanye has to self censor most of his verse (which is the highlight of the song, I think) but that actually seems fitting considering all the not-censoring he's been doing. The whole thing is rather emotional I think.
Jay-Z - "Run This Town" - The Blueprint 3 [2009; Roc Nation]
Jay-Z on Letterman!
Jay-Z is a legend. He basically doesn't have to do any of these TV appearances anymore. Yet he has a great agenda and is keeping himself in the public eye for good reasons. That being said, Hova has other talents as well. Somehow this interview comes off as a perfectly scripted/acted comedy sketch. Only I don't think it is either because I dont think either of them can act that well. Which means its simply a perfectly improved comedy sketch. Only I don't think it was meant to be that. I don't even know how this interview got to be funny. Most of the time Jay-Z looks like a shy, deer in the headlights looking out of the corner of his eyes at dave for direction (but somehow a badass shy deer in the headlights looking at dave for direction). He gives really short answers that kinda kill a lot of Dave's questions, but he seems to be conscious of the comedy in that fact, unlike another one of Dave's guests this year. In the interview itself we find out that Blueprint 3 is "3 times as better" as the other Blueprint album, he is not called Shawn anymore because people stopped calling him Shawn, Lettermen's real name is Dave-Z, Lettermen's marriage is "3 times better" than Jay's,Ha! "Jay-Z everyone! We'll be right back with Martha Stewart." That's gotta be two of the strangest interviews back to back I can think of. All in all, it was a great video though. It's pretty rad how the house band played hard knock life as he walked in. The best part though is when Dave says, "you're married to Beyonce" and some guy goes "Yeahhhhh" and Jay-Z just smiles. Perfect. But speaking of perfect, this man is wise (that's a great segue). I watched this whole 40 minute special from BET and I definitely recommend it for people who feel estranged from the hip-hop world. Jay-Z is a really smart guy, he's not all gangsta badass idontgiveafuck sorta person. Watch it. Unity! Brooklyn! Jay-Z!
Swagga Like Us
I don't know if you all caught the grammy's this year. Regardless, you have got to see this video. In all likely hood its not going to be up for very long, but its definitely worth seeking out. Starts out with a ridiculously prego M.I.A. singing the slumdog anthem, 'paper planes' and fades into T.I.'s 'Swagga Like Us" which features the most unbelievable lineup of T.I., Kanye, Lil' Wayne, and Jay-Z himself while M.I.A. held down the chorus. Incredible.I guess Kanye has to go first because he is the only one without punctuation in his name. At least if there was an olympics of badassery, this would be the '92 dream team. I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to hear Kanye and Lil' Wayne actually rapping for a change.
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