22 year old Brown student Nicolas Jaar has graced the musical world with a magnificent two hour mix. For those that missed it Friday night, stream here it for free (courtesy of BBC Radio 1). Among the artists seamlessly mixed into Jaar’s self-termed “bluewave” are Jay-Z, Marvin Gaye, Aphex Twin, Charles Mingus, The Field, Beyoncé, and Ricardo Villalobos. In true post-internet fashion, Jaar favors a diverse palette that includes minimalist-house, poetry, classical piano and strings, and jazz. The hybrid is both modern and impressionistic.

The vibe flows from sticky smooth beats to avant-garde sound play. Chainsaws and white noise carve out spacious atmospheres, low distorted voices add gravity. Sometimes the mix morphs into solemn storytelling or infectious pop or honeyed female vocals. Even though it’s such a mosaic, Jaar stitches it together with hisses and clicks: sounds of malfunctioning technology. From the washes of wind-chimes to the bold declaration “There is no god”, BBC Radio 1 aired one hell of a show Friday night.

Nicolas Jaar recently performed at MoMA PS1, produced one of the best albums of 2011, Space Is Only Noise, and has his own record label, Clown and Sunset. Oh, and he hasn’t even graduated from Brown yet.

Travis Barker has single handedly made himself relevant in the hip hop scene by making music with some of the biggest names in hip hop. From Lil Wayne to Techn9ne he has worked aside some of most talented and brightest stars and is coming off of the flame that is Give The Drummer Some. Completely produced by himself besides one track — “If You Want To” (Pharrel)– Travis Barker is solidifying a name for himself in the hip hop community.

A lot of casual fans in the hip hop scene may have never heard of Travis Barker — the drummer for Blink 182, Transplants and Box Car Racer to name a few — yet he has been working it since around two thousand and five. He has been cranking out high end remixes such as the latest “H.A.M.” remix that has blogs buzzing and is simply pure crack (the opera sample is ill). It may seem a stretch given the pop punk roots of one “TRVS BRKR” but in a short time he has amassed a very impressive hip hop resume and is currently one of the most sought out producers in the game; dude is hot right now.

After Blink and Transplants broke up about six years ago a time existed when Mr. Barker really had nothing going and was looking to just keep creating music as well as some sort of revenue. He got into more hip hop and drum and bass and had been hanging out with the late great DJ AM (rest in peace). Eventually he ended up producing “Late Night Creeping” — a track for one half of UGK’s Bun B on Trill — after Transplant was scheduled to do something on it but had broken up. After that he just never looked back and kept putting out fire and stacking tracks witch lead to the formulation of his solo offering the CD Give The Drummer Some.

His style is rather unique and all inclusive as no type of music is safe — he melds pop, synth, rap and rock with a splash of drum and bass when he creates. Genres are blurred when you hear songs like “On My Own” featuring Corey Taylor from Slipknot and “Cool Head” featuring Kid Cudi. It really is a breath of fresh air and it would seem the whole thing was a chance to begin with so he is not afraid to keep going that route i.e. keep taking chances. While it surprises no one that some people are going to be a tap skeptical of some of the music when you hear the serious 808′s that he has constructed you have to give props.

Blink 182 is superstar status in all fairness and has sold millions of records. It is really a testament to Mr. Barker and his artistic talents that he even feels a need to venture into other genres. He could just sit back and collect royalty checks but prefers to make hi end art. With a fresh outlook on the genre and, considering all the hollers of the stagnation in hip hop, you can then put two and two together and realize why he is so sought after. It is a copy cat league, sure, but for now I can not think of anyone who is making beats like him.

Currently on tour with Lil Wayne selling out venues all over and gearing up for another Blink 182 release, Mr. Barker is as relevant as ever and as any. With beats that knock you would have to be devoid of musical sense to deny the talent of the CEO of Famous Stars And Straps. If you do not like him I would wager a claim that your favorite artist does and like it or not he is here to stay.

“The joke about Canadian musicians is that no one gives a shit about them until they export themselves somewhere else.”

While that may not necessarily be an industry issue, it’s certainly not one being helped by the Junos. With exception to Meagan Smith (New Artist of the Year), all of this year’s broadcast awards were given to internationally recognized and popular artists. And that’s not to say that the Arcade Fire or Neil Young weren’t deserving, but what about Said The Whale or Matthew Good (winners of New Group Of The Year and Rock Album of the Year respectively). Why wasn’t Canada’s national upcoming talent showcased where people are more likely to see it?

And if that’s the case for your average pop or rock artist in Canada, its twice as bad for hip hop. Even with a big celebrity like Drake hosting the Junos, the Rap Recording of the Year award was non-broadcast.

That’s why when I had the chance to go to the CBC Hip Hop Summit concert in Toronto, I was ecstatic. On the bill was enough Canadian hip-hop legends and up-comers to make anyone turn their head. Maestro Fresh Wes, Kardinall Offishall, K-os, Saukrates and Shad were just a few of the crowd that graced the stage.

The whole thing kicked off with Classified and “Oh Canada” from his 2009 album Self-Explanatory. With everyone standing to attention and bobbing their head patriotically, he moved onto his duet with Maestro Fresh Wes on the (fitting) “Hard To Be (Hip Hop)“.

Michie Mee took the stage soon after and brought a few more people to the floor with her old school/ reggae style, complete with a dance breakdown. As someone who had never heard that much of her stuff, she made a big impression on me. She had a great sound and definitely knew how to work a stage.

Kardinall Offishall was next and he went the extra mile to get everyone to their feet. Surrounding himself in the crowd and getting us to chant the chorus with him, Kardinall belted out his ode to Toronto aptly titled “The Anthem“. Cadence Weapon threw the audience for a bit of a loop with his unique style (including screaming into a FX heavy microphone) but, with the help of Shad, showed that he’s just as capable to pull out the big hits with “Baby (I’m Yours)“.

Other notable moments included Skratch Bastid with a DJ set and a breakdance circle, K’naan stopping by to perform “Take A Minute“, and the Dream Warriors belting out the eclectic “My Definition“.

As great as everyone had been, the last 20 minutes was definitely when show came to it’s full potential, including Shad and K-os joining the Maestro onstage for “Let Your Backbone Slide“. Not one to disappoint, the original Can-con hip-hop icon was dressed in full suit and cummerbund as he tore through the ’89 classic.

The big number done, all of the night’s artists came back out for a freestyle session that was more fun than anything. Even Buck 65, who had been hosting the night and strictly stayed off the mic, was coaxed into the circle.

Then, as Kardinall dropped what was supposed to be the final rap of the night, the DJ played back the hook from the Rascalz hit “Northern Touch“.

I can honestly say that of all the shows I’ve been to, I’ve never seen anything like it. Led by former Rascalz member, Red1, and backed by track contributors Kardinall and Choclair, the stage came alive. The MCs were shoulder to shoulder rapping right in our faces as the dedicated crowd hit them with every word. It was a surreal moment that I think will be remembered for a long time to come.

And we need moments like that to sell Canadian artists to Canada again. While the concert had an excellent calibre and energy in the artists, it seemed as if the crowd that night was a little hesitant. At moments, I even felt that some of the greatest hip-hop artists in this country were struggling with their own home crowd.

So do yourself and this country a favour; support Canadian hip-hop and make people care. We’ve got to appreciate what we’ve got here at home.

———————-

If you’re dying to get you’re fix of hip-hop and you live in the Toronto area there’s an event running all day today at the CBC building with performances, break-dancing and, at 6pm EST, the concert being broadcast. If you’re not so lucky stay tuned to CBC Radio 2 who will be broadcasting the whole event over the airwaves also starting at 7pm ET.

Straight out of the Hustler hall of fame, Mickey Avalon, the man with the golden smile and the platinum frown took a few minutes to talk about life as it is, and how he leads lambs to water.

If you weren’t paying attention, Mickey’s self titled album dropped in 2006, doing extremely well with the help of his amazing street cred in LA, and his work with the Dyslexic Speedreaders; it’s no surprise that despite mentally deficient management complications, Mickey Avalon is still selling out gigs across the USA, Canada, and the entire world.

Giving new light to dropping names, famous for bringing catchy rhymes, beats born of brilliance, and some real art on the mic repping SoCal the way it deserves, Avalon appeals to different crowds for different reasons. To simplify: I’ll quote him in saying “I guess people show up, and most of the people show up to have a good time”. No doubt that’s how it goes down on the Mickey Avalon train. Well, everyone’s having fun except the guys in the front row, watching Mickey make out with their women. He writes songs about that, so everyone should have known what’s coming. There’s a lot of hype, and a fair amount of drama attributed to Mickey Avalon, the character, but let’s take a look at Mickey, the man.

Does Mickey really “smoke dust and fuck trannies”? Well, no one’s calling him out on his stories, and that said, there was a time he did. “Hustling’s part of the game,” right? The thing people might not get about Mickey, is that all that stuff he raps about was one stage of life, and that the hustle for Mickey is the music game now. Avalon’s at a stage in life where he’s now doing what he wants, and there’s almost an irony in the fact that the character of Mickey Avalon that made him what he is, is exactly what got him out of the darker patches of his life that he raps about. He’s gotta do what he ‘gotta. That included a remix dedication to Nate Dogg, how very pro.

There’s a lot more professionalism and determination than people that are out of the know might give props to Mickey for, but Mickey’s a performance artist, and he brings the performance.

Mickey’s a modern day folk singer, and rap is the music of the people, and how he tells his tale to relate to them. Considering the first album wasn’t written with much thought of tearing it up on stage, the fact that it’s taken him around the world, we can only look forward to “Stroke Me,” his second album that’s been on hold for as long as anyone can remember.

So, what happened with Dre? I’ll settle that one on Mickey’s behalf. The ex management told Dre that Mickey wasn’t interested in remixing “My Dick”. That’s not to say it’s a dead issue, but that’s what went down.

And what of the Dyslexic Speedreaders? All the hype and media paparazzi drama aside, it seems like they’re resting in peace for now. Dirt & André are still friends, and likewise Mickey isn’t holding too many grudges. But no one said it’s “cool” now, and amidst murky waters there’s no sign of the fog clearing. Though with everyone’s careers doing extremely well, there’s no doubt that at least their personas will cross paths again.

The newer tracks have gotten mixed reactions lately. “Too poppy” and “selling out” are a few of the ignorant nothings they’ve been called. According to Mickey, there’s a reason they’re being released to the public for free and for fun, and that’s because they probably won’t make the final cut of the album, but they’re music, they’re Mickey, and they’re in high demand.

To support Mickey’s point, the newer ‘poppy’ tracks were pretty much left out of his set at the packed Fortune Sound Club venue in Vancouver (which sold out almost a month before the show). Well known Speedreader sidekick DJ-Mackey was on the decks with Mickey as he artfully mixed up his very well known album of hits with an array of new beats that ranged from rumored, hinted, to completely unknown. Avalon had the entire venue moving from start to finish, which is just how he delivers, just listen to his words on “Dick like Jesus” about busting a nut.

Dr Dre has come a long way in life. From the mean streets of Compton to what many would still argue is his current position, affixed atop the rap game. He has evolved as an artist since forming Ruthless Records with Ice Cube back in ’86 and come a long way yet, with the upcoming release of his new album Detox, The Doc once again has the streets engulfed with flame. With his album around the corner some have wondered if his work is worth the wait. Will The Doctor “save the West”? More important still, is Dr. Dre still relevant, and how will his new album effect his legacy?

A lot of people believe in quantity over quality. If you subscribe to that you are not going to be a fan of Dr Dre’s method of putting work out. Maybe one album every decade is not enough for you, emphatically so even. Why though does The Doc have such a stringent once in a blue moon policy? One of the positives of putting out a album every ten years is it disallows artists to succumb to the Lil Wayne effect — see law of diminishing returns. Of course he is worth the wait; ninety percent of the work the man has done has been excellent.

As the the king of G-funk, The Doctor has been said to be the leader of the supposedly downtrodden West  — some have gone as far as saying the release of Detox will be the West’s saving grace, putting it back at the forefront of the rap world. The man is a legend who put Compton on the map.  He has worked with countless icons and put his stamp on rap as much as any of them. Respected in every circle of music, when Detox comes out it is going to be excellent by all estimations and is going to go plaque. How one could think he owes the West anything is beyond comprehension, he is synonymous with the left coast.

How can one say Dre has not been relevant even with out actual albums — look at his presence on recent heavy weight albums like 50′s Before I Self Destruct and Eminem’s Recovery. Asking where he has been is more akin to asking where have you been? Only a handful of artists have stayed as relevant as Dre over his platinum plaque studded career. The fact that “Kush” has done so well does not serve as any kind of surprise for anyone because Dre always puts quality tunes out and people like good music. He himself may not drop albums every other day like Lil B Da Base God but he does stay relevant by dropping timely material that even if found in a time capsule a thousand years from now will still be considered ill.

Should he have just stopped at The Chronic? Some think that Dre has nothing left in the tank and he is not his former self. He is not putting out enough content, he is not relevant, and he has let the West down… Oh ye of little faith! He is one of the few commercially viable artists out there that still delivers a quality product. The man is a meticulous perfectionist and that is why it takes him years to drop albums. He has an ear for beats and an eye for talent. Snoop, Em, and 50 all owe a great deal to the man for his work post The Chronic . Dre is tried and true and should continue to make music for as long as he sees fit.

The Doc does not ease everyone’s pain but that is a feat none can conquer. He still has what it takes to rock the charts and put out good to great work pending on your musical tastes. He is cemented in the game as one of the figures on the Mount Rushmore of rap. The man is still relevant even without dropping a ton of content and his music is always worth the wait. Even if his latest project is a tad underwhelming it shall only be likened to a aged Jordan with the 45 on. It is not going to tarnish any legacy and he will go down as one of the greatest contributors to the craft that the game has ever or will ever witness.

We link to a hell of a lot of videos from OnSmash, they were one of the urban music industry’s leading video hosts with exclusives daily. But have they come under fire by a larger source? This is definitely concerning as the site only served to promote music, not to bootleg or infringe upon copyright.

At this point we’ve heard nothing explaining whether this “seizure” is real or not, but needless to say, our OnSmash hosted video content is for the time being on hold and not being served – obviously if we’re embedding their material and it’s no longer there, we can no longer supply it either.

Since 2003, I’ve been a fan of Kanye. It wasn’t easy to begin with, my brother introduced me to his early mixtapes and I wasn’t gripped – at that point I was very much into rappers that had a more powerful voice, so truthfully Kanye’s lyrics went a little over my head. Then I revisited his songs and began my obsession. The fact that this man is such a talented producer, and a true fan of rap is evident.

His consistency in his albums, production, and who he aligns himself with further affirm where he’s headed. The self confessed ego that he has is justified and according to him propels him further, so where’s the issue?

After watching “Runaway” the film, which despite some of it’s awkward acting, I was extremely impressed. It came off as more of an arthouse attempt than your generic music video, plus a rapper promoting ballet? Ye is definitely a boundary breaker.

His forthcoming album continues to impress, and with G.O.O.D. Fridays (Kanye and friends always releasing a new song every week) being so consistent – right now I have “The Joy” lifting my mood – you can’t help but wait in awe for where Mr. West’s legacy will continue to.

And Beyonce did have the better video, be honest.

In an interview, the musician also disclosed he would like to party with the Britain’s Got Talent sensation, who has been reported to be shy towards her new found fame.

The 48 year-old Scottish spinster last week reached number one in the US album charts with her debut release, I Dreamed a Dream.

It has since held on to the spot on the album charts.

Boyle is said to have already made £5million in two weeks from 3.3m global sales of her debut album of the same name.

It was the best US opening for a female artist’s debut album, and the second best overall, since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, according to Billboard.com.

The original rendition of the song on the talent show has had millions of views on YouTube and attracted celebrity followers including Demi Moore.

Now 50 Cent, the 34-year-old rapper who was shot nine times in 2000 before finding fame, is the latest celebrity to praise Boyle.

“Susan Boyle is hot right now. I got to get her on a track, for real. We’d make a hit,” he told the Daily Mirror.

“Everyone is talking about her, the lady from Britain’s Got Talent.

“She’s got an amazing voice, and together we’d get everyone dancing. I’m always looking to do something new and she’s cool, so I’ll ask somebody to let her know.”

He added: “I’d love to take her clubbing, show her around my world. She’d have a great time.”

Boyle has also claimed topped the charts in Australia and Ireland.

Although she ultimately failed to win Britain’s Got Talent, her April audition for the show became an international YouTube phenomenon.

It has now been viewed more than 300 million times on the Internet.

Source: Telegraph

New feature. Biggest divas in the music world today, head to head. Let’s get to it.

There aren’t a lot of people who haven’t heard of Beyoncé and Mariah; they’re only two of the biggest selling female artists ever. Both multi-platinum artists came from well-documented (and marketed) beginnings: Beyoncé pulled a Justin Timberlake and after leading Destiny’s Child to all-time-best-selling-female-group success, branched out into an even more lucrative solo career, while Mariah Carey owes much of her earlier success to the sharp eye of music mogul and ex-husband Tommy Mottola.

The fascinating thing about these two artists is that they’re not just all-glitter and no-talent like your average pre-packaged pop star. They have pipes. Mariah is famous for her ability to break glass with her high notes, and even though Beyoncé doesn’t have quite as great a range, her vocal virtuosity has always earned much acclaim, even since the Destiny’s Child days. That doesn’t stop these two women from flaunting what they’ve got though; a few seconds of either’s music videos is enough to notice that sex appeal is just as strong a selling point as talent (who would’ve thought Mariah would still be going this road as she’s nearing the big 4-0?), and don’t they know it. Well, at least their management people do.

Tight race so far, but I have a feeling this debate can be settled by looking at how disgracefully divalicious their backstage demands are. Or… maybe not, since no list of outrageous requests made by divas these days is complete without Beyoncé and Mariah. Oh, I’ve got it now – this will definitely decide the winner of this Catfight: arm-candy. That’s right. Jay-Z may not be much to look at, but he’s certainly intriguing, and by intriguing we mean dirt-rich- all-powerful-hip-hop-king. Nick Cannon, on the other hand, can be counted on for a good laugh – he is (was?) a comedian after all. I think we can safely say that Beyoncé has chosen well, based on the Eminem Test: Eminem may enjoy picking fights with people, but he probably won’t be messing with Mr. Sean Carter anytime soon… at least, not in the way he disrespected Mimi and Nick. With her husband’s less than stellar career, her own waning popularity, and B’s sheer overpowering star power, Mariah Carey loses out by a hair in the battle of the divas.

Winning cat: Beyoncé

It’s not often that we take the time to take issue with a venue, but last night for the Swollen Members show, we experienced our fair share of bullshit and manhandling. Our photographer, a small 110lb woman, while in the middle of taking press photos was forcibly grabbed and completely removed from the venue. The beefy, 350lb security guard in charge of doing this was extremely aggressive towards her – a woman who was neither posing a threat, fighting or struggling, but trying to express to him that she was attending the show under the pretense of taking photos for an approved and requested review.

What this was to prove, or who this showed an example to is beyond me. No idiot in the audience that was hellbent on causing a problem or a ruckus would have been dissuaded to fight due to a small girl being removed. Plus, the fact that she wasn’t physically fighting him, but solely trying to speak with him was a reason for him to lose his temper and physically force her out of the club, damaging her clothing in the process.

Upon bringing this up with the club’s head of security that same night, and the management, we were met with excuses and claims of “That didn’t happen.” With “16 cameras” as we were told that were videotaping it, apparently it still didn’t happen. So to the people who run The Red Room, if you wish to refute the fact the she struggled while being forced, that she didn’t endlessly try to talk to the guy and she wasn’t forcibly pushed, please, show us the footage. But from what we experienced, the truth is that a show review that was otherwise going to go well, turned into a review of the club and the physically aggressive security picking on the wrong woman instead of the moshing, drunk and angered men who were intent on causing fights and actually making a problem for the club and it’s patrons.