More Obama omages, collages and homage

Here go a few more tracks paying tribute to Obama and the making of history. First off is will.i.am's latest viral ode to change and Obama, "It's a New Day." The Common and Dizzy joints are also very Obama/Change centric. Ya Boy tries, incorporating some of Barack's oratorical grandeur, but he inevitably devolves to talking about how amazing Ya Boy is. The track is real hot though. The new Jay is potentially going to be on the indefinitely delayed Blueprint 3. It focuses more generally on the making of history, but is relevant to this post for obvious reasons.



"Change"- Common Sense

"I Can Be President"- Joell Ortiz feat. Novel

"Black Emperor"- Diz Gibran

"I Got the Power"- Ya Boy

"History" (CDQ)- Jay-Z

In other news, Rahm (Rahmbo) Emanuel has been selected to be President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff. The Chicago native served in the White House under Clinton and is the fourth highest ranking Democrrat in the House. He is known for his abrasive hard nosed attitude, just like his super agent brother Ari Emanuel (the inspiration for Entourage's Ari Gold). Some critics call him overly partisan, but he's got balls of steel the pussy ass Dems are gonna need.

Also Sarah Palin apparently didn't know that Africa is a continent!!!!

Jay & LeBron campaign for change in Ohio

"Martin Luther King walked, so Obama could run, so we could fly."

Viva la Hova: ColdJay Remix Album (Updated)

I know this isn't Bay or Presidential in nature, but if you know me, you know that I love Jay-Z, so here we are. Not to mention that the last post provided a nice segue. Today's British rock/ hip-hop thread brings us to Viva la Hova, a Jay-Z/ Coldplay remix project put together by a variety of producers including 9th Wonder, 6th Sense, Terry Urban, Mick Boogie, Cookin' Soul and Coldplay. The end product is a cohesive, smooth and soulful genre-bending opus.

What I love about albums like this is that they open up segregated audiences to new genres. I still remember digging through my dad's vinyl and discovering first-hand the R&B/Soul foundation of hip-hop. Coming across "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City" on Bobby Blue Bland's Dreamer changed my life. It wasn't just that Kanye had sampled it for The Blueprint, it was that Bobby Bland subsequently became one of my favorite artists.

Rap and rock have been colliding since Rick Rubin touched the game, but with each subsequent generation, both genres reinvent themselves. It would seem that rock and rap would diverge, the rift between them too great to bridge, yet somehow they continue to rendezvous on the fringe of genre definitions. Jay-Z and Chris Martin seem to be taking it a step further though.

Hip-hop's former favorite white boys' Adam Levine and John Mayer were novel, but they didn't bring too much of rock to hip-hop. Listening to Hov and Coldplay's two official collabs, "Beach Chair" and "Lost" however, I'm struck by the amount of Coldplay that comes through the mix. Chris Martin isn't just tacking a hook on a lackluster synth beat, Coldplay is painting the canvas with Jay. And Jay knows how to defer to the power of raw musicanship, due to his incessant touring with a great live band and his amazing ear.
This album showcases how amazing the fusion of rock and rap can be, and hopefully continues the trend toward hip-hop utilizing live instrumentaion. The Roots have long carried the torch alone, but the Bay's Crown City Rockers, Getback Crew, Hi-Lifes and others are bringing increasing validity to the concept of a "rap band." Even on the mainstream level, Jay's Roc Boys and Kanye's symphony are enriching live rap shows to the Nth degree. Let Viva la Hova continue the evolution . . .

Viva la Hova- Jay-Z & Coldplay

BONUS UPDATE!!!
"Heart of the City" Live feat. Chris Martin in London

"Heart of the City (U2 Remix)" Live in Dublin

He ain't pass the bar, but he know a little bit

Jigga giving folks the skinny on how to vote. He even adds the non-prescription specs for effect. Jay has done a lot for the cause of late, including giving free concerts for registered voters in Florida and Michigan. Just to add onto what Jay says above, don't wear anything political to the polls or you will be turned away. For instance, if you show up wearing an Obama tee or button, it is considered campaigning at a polling place, which is illegal. Words for the wise.

Bonus track just cuz I heart Jay

"Lost Remix"- Coldplay feat. Jay-Z

"The same sword they knight you with, they gonna good night you with."

New leaks off the Yes We Can mixtape

Here are couple of tracks that were just leaked from the Russell Simmons and DJ Green Lantern helmed Yes We Can mixtape. The mixtape features many of hip-hop's big names throwing their support behind Barack Obama (also known by his rap name That One). The mixtape will drop on Monday when Green Lantern returns from Asia. And don't worry these tracks will not be reminicent of Ludacris's flawed endorsement track that tore into Dubya, Hillary and Johnny Mac. Even the Jay song below, despite its title, is fairly docile.

"Lick a Shot for Obama"- Jay-Z

"Black President Remix Pt. 1"- David Banner, Busta Rhymes & Talib Kweli

BaRoc Boys in the building tonight

Wyclef and Jay-Z perform for newly registered voters in Miami. Lol at Pitbull coming out to endorse Obama despite the fact that he has already backed and publicly appeared with John McCain.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Damn. This joint is like an hour long but I had to post it cuz Jay is my idol and Reasonable Doubt is a timeless classic. The documentary explains the album and features the commentary of Jay and several of the producers that worked on it. They delve into the particulars of each track and try to capture the essence of each song and the album in general. Its definitely an exclusive look at RD and brought me back. It really got me reflecting on what makes the album so special. Some of my rambling thoughts can be found below.

Reasonable Doubt is an epic piece of gritty artistry that reveals a complex hood mentality not yet glorified and reproduced by a generation of half-assed copycats. Jay finds his genius by vacillating between the confident braggadocio of a young hustler and the introspective nature of a guilt-ridden young man. Songs like "Regrets" reveal the conflicted nature of a hustler- the inner struggle between making a better life for yourself and the realization that you are doing so at the expense of others. That said, Jay knows he has to do what he must to make a life for himself as he recites, "I'd rather die enormous than live dormant, that’s how we on it."

Too many rappers out now feel a need validate themselves by spouting rags-to-riches clichés, but Jay comes off as a real dude just trying to navigate the streets and life. Jay didn't release his first album until he was in his mid-twenties and that maturity shines through. Jay may be introspective, but he is also the smooth talking hustler we've grown to love. "The ghetto's Errol Flynn." The corner drug peddler come social elite. This was the birth of that. To borrow a Miles Davis album title, Reasonable Doubt is the Birth of The Cool.

Jay's smooth conversational flow paired with a deep vocabulary and excellent metaphors and couplets also stand out as deal breakers. The self-proclaimed "Kingpin of the Ink Pen and Monsta of the Double Entendre” takes a savvy lyrical game reminiscent of Big L, matches it with the story telling of a grittier Slick Rick, the humor of Biggie Smalls and the swagger of Big Daddy Kane and out comes the legend- Hova.

Do yourself a favor and watch this documentary and then listen to Reasonable Doubt if you never have. Jay has critics galore, but once you get past the radio singles, Jay's catalogue is impossible to dispute. Jay is the greatest beyond a Reasonable Doubt.

Jay-Z gives free concert for registered voters

Jay out stumping for Obama in Detroit doing one of his free shows. Attendance hinges on concertgoers' registering to vote. Here is footage of Jay performing "Minority Report" accapella.

Below is a link to an interview that Jay did with the always annoying DJ Khaled on 99 Jams in Miami. He discusses the importance of registering, voting and getting involved in changing the country. He also speaks briefly on his upcoming Miami show and the UN Humanitarian award he just received for increasing access to drinking water in Africa.
Full Audio here

Hip-hop elite continue to Barack the vote

via XXL

"Diddy, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige and Warner Music executive Kevin Liles have written an open letter to the hip-hop community together urging people to register to vote by the national deadline this Monday, October 6.

“We are in a state of emergency,” the letter begins with an exclamation. “You must register to vote by Monday, October 6, 2008!” . . ."

Full Story here

This investment by the hip-hop community in Obama has definitely transcended the fad faze. In the beginning there was no doubt that he was the darling of the moment and name dropping him was the thing to do. DJ Drama started using the moniker Barack O'Drama, Diddy went with Ciroc Obama after his vodka label and LA rapper Crooked-I released the Block Obama mixtape among many other examples.

Now however, with artists heading up voter registration drives, releasing public service announcements and donating money there is a new energy. It may still be "cool" to be associated with Obama, but many have graduated to actual action. Hip-hop has for too long been viewed as something antithetical to progress by many in the mainstream, so its great to have it being used for a recognized undeniably positive purpose.

The Audacity of Hov: Barack receives a little help from his friends

So basically Jay is donating free concerts to newly registered voters in Detroit and Miami given that they are urban centers in key swing states. Why do all the cool things happen to the people that didn't register yet?? Its like because I'm on top of my civic responsibilities I can't come up on some free Jigga tix.

I kid of course. Its just good to see successful artists take a vested interest in a presidential election. Funny that their preferred candidate is gonna screw their tax bracket, but I'm just glad that they can see beyond themselves. Charles Barkley infamously conceded that he is "too rich to not be a Republican," but thankfully many (including those in the post above) see that the stakes are a tad bit higher this time around.

Hov's Blueprint 3 produced by Kanye

via Pease Don't Stare
"Okay just got the news on the new LP. The Tracklisting on the internet is completely false, with the exception of possibly Most Kings but even that has been changed as Jay gave Chris Martin the original verse for a Coldplay song. Kanye West produced the entire album with a sound that combines the best of Kanye, Swizz, and Dilla. Think about how Swagga Like Us has the vocal sample with the Swiss Effect, the drums of Dilla by not being on some straight up boom boom bap sound, and the Electronic/European sounds of the keyboards used on the swagger joint. . ."

Full article here

I'm oh so juiced for a new Jay Album, and it will be out just before my birthday (hint hint). There has been much yammering about how this album will change the game again, but Jay has done it before.

Speaking of old people, I was at the Too $hort party last night at Katra and its interesting to compare how over an even longer career $hort has not adapted or taken any different approaches and yet stayed mildly relevant. I guess he has The Town and strip clubs to thank for that.