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Walk with me.

Give It To Me Right, Or Don't Give It To Me At All

I unplugged myself for a little bit, and it's taking longer than expected to get back into blogging. Without further delay, here's some heat...

Melanie Fiona is a new artist signed to Universal Motown,

and I'm really feeling her song "Give It To Me Right"...

The sample is pretty smart, although I've been hearing mixed opinions.

These three videos won't let me embed them, but they're worth a click:

Raphael Saadiq

"100 Yard Dash"

James Morrison

f. Nelly Furtado

"Broken Strings"

The Ting Tings

"That's Not My Name"

Also, my dudes Chester French finally dropped a video for "She Loves Everybody":

STD analogy portrayed through violence? Hmmm. Discuss.

So yeah. Thanks for sticking with me during this pseudo-hiatus of mine. The truth is that between the holidays, the new year, and then a mid-January vacation, it was almost impossible to blog. Blah, blah, excuses, excuses. Bottom line is that you'll be seeing a lot of interesting music and cultural commentary from Lacezilla this year, and since the site is currently undergoing structural changes as well, it's certainly in your best interest to stay in touch :)

There's A Lady Who's Sure All That Glitters Is Gold

I wanted to do a Best of 2008 list, but the truth is, I hate ranking things. If you know me or you read the blog regularly, you already know what the favorites are. Hopefully you've related to a post, been put on to an artist, or gotten something out of The Labyrinth from time to time. That's the goal anyway. So, rankings aside, here's a little summary of what Lacezilla repped, closed her eyes for, nodded with, and danced wildly to in '08...

SERIOUS IPOD BURN:

N*E*R*D, Seeing Sounds

Freindly Fires, Friendly Fires

Raheem Devaughn, Love Behind The Melody

MGMT, Oracular Spectacular

Kings of Leon, Only By The Night

Duffy, Rockferry

Wale, The Mixtape About Nothing

Gnarls Barkley, The Odd Couple

Kate Nash, Made of Bricks

Kid Cudi, A Kid Named Cudi: The Mixtape

Jasmine Sullivan, Fearless

Cold War Kids, Loyalty To Loyalty

Lykke Li, Youth Novels

Kanye West, 808s and Heartbreak

(These albums can get played all the way through and have multiple songs that should also be included in the list below.)

PLAYED LOUDLY, ON REPEAT:

(Songs decoded below... click to listen!)

Sam Sparro "Black and Gold"

Chris Brown "Fallen Angel"

Hercules and Love Affair "Blind"

Thriving Ivory "Angels On The Moon"

Lil' Wayne "Playin' With Fire"

Justin Nozuka "After Tonight"

Keane "Spiralling"

Cut Copy "Hearts on Fire"

Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love"

Flobots "Handlebars"

Ashanti "The Way That I Love You"

Black Kids "Love Me Already"

Max B. "Live Comfortable"

MGMT "Electric Feel"

MOST FUN TO PHOTOGRAPH:

Wale and Blu @ SOBs

(LINK to post)

Santogold @ Highline 

(LINK to post)

Lykke Li and Friendly Fires @ Bowery
(LINK to Lykke Li post)

(LINK to Friendly Fires post)

And don't forget Lykke's enchanting cover of Wendy Rene's "After Laughter":

N*E*R*D @ Madison Square Garden

(LINK to post)

Matisyahu (with Brett Dennen) @ The Music Hall of Williamsburg

(Post coming soon!)

VIDEOS THAT LINGERED IN MY MIND:

InnerPartySystem "Dont Stop" WATCH

Kanye West "Flashing Lights" WATCH

MGMT "Time To Pretend" WATCH

Gnarls Barkley "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" WATCH

Hot Chip "Ready For The Floor" WATCH BELOW:

LIVE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

Kanye West @ MSG and @ Essence Music Festival

The Ting Tings @ Bowery Ballroom

Janelle Monae @ Spotlight Live (pre-murder)

Gnarls Barkley @ Highline Ballroom

Lykke Li @ Le Poisson Rouge

Radiohead @ Lollapalooza

Adele @ Highline Ballroom

N*E*R*D @ Roseland Ballroom

Maxwell @ Radio City Music Hall

Madonna @ Roseland Ballroom

Bloc Party @ Lollapalooza

Janet Jackson @ MSG

State Property @ SOBs

and Thriving Ivory @ Mercury Lounge:

(Beatboxing Rahzel's "If Your Mother Only Knew," and then transitioning into Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." Oww.)

Although the scope of The Labyrinth has substantially widened over the past year, I'm sure to have missed a few albums/songs/artists/shows/videos along the way. I can't listen to everything. If you think I missed something, please please please enlighten me :) And as for 2009, I'm interested to see what transpires with the careers of Lady Gaga, Kid Cudi, Janelle Monae, The Script, and Eminem.

You Won't Take What I Have And Make It All Wrong

Do you watch Mad Men? In the mash-up below, audio and visuals from Peggy Olson and Peter Campbell's best interactions are pieced together really well, and the creator used one of my favorite artists for the background music...

The artist, Louque, has a sound that is eclectic and tangy, and his '04 release So Long mixes funk, soul, trip-hop, reggae and r&b into what he calls "faya." 

Listen to more of Louque's songs HERE. 

And FYI- Christina Hendricks (who plays Joan on the show) is my new girl crush.

Boz, this might be my Rihanna.

Since Mad Men is set in the early '60s, you constantly find yourself noticing how much things have changed since then. The role of women in the home, the workforce, and society. Race relations. The seriousness of alcoholism. And they're always smoking at the office- you could never do that now so openly. But buried beneath all these changes, there's one cultural practice that didn't seem to evolve as much as one might think: saving face. For instance, some of these characters literally live double lives just to prevent their personal issues from getting scrutinized by their peers. The private life and the public life were two separate entities, and social interaction was more of a strategic art than a natural, friendly act. How much has that changed?

I bring this up because someone recently told me that the future of blogging was to have blog authors get more personal. But he didn't mean we should just be allowing you to take a glimpse inside our homes- he meant that we should be giving you the key to the front door and let you take an intentional, good look around. If you're someone who's deeply immersed in the online world, then his suggestion to take privacy public is probably not a new idea to you- blogs are like reality TV, they're at their best when something real is being captured. 

Because I'm such a private person, I constantly battle with how much personal information to release over the internet. But this a music blog that also has a running dialogue with culture, so even though it's extremely blogger-cliche of me to say, I truly believe that our lives have some useful stories worth sharing. Unfortunately for me, something about being too open around the campfire makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe it's fear: If I reveal who I am -flaws and all- people might judge or pigeonhole me, so like the characters on Mad Men, I play it safe. Should I relax and spill all my secrets, or make like Betty Draper and keep it buttoned up? 

I posted this Lily Allen song in April when it was rumored to be called "I Don't Know." I think I like "The Fear" better as a title... and it certainly speaks volumes to this topic:

"I don't know what's right and what's real anymore... 

I've been taken over by the fear."

Sorry Baby, But I Gotta Do What I Gotta

People are so creative. The video below was made by duo Sniper Twins, who, instead of rapping and singing about stacking paper, are on that computer braggadocio with "Stack The Memory."

The hook is wavy, no? And they shot some of it at Tekserve- hilarious. Thanks to Mr. Jones for sending this my way weeks ago... I should have posted it earlier.

In the next clip, NY Magazine interviews a guy who took trash bags and made really impressive inflatable street art.

I want to commission him to make me a Zilla :)

And with his bright ideas from a few months ago, I'm not surprised that Mick Boogie dabbled with another good readymade project on this one...

"Adele’s album 19 set trends and created influence in the pop, rock and international worlds. But what would happen if the vocals and instruments of 19 were combined with the hip-hop sensibilities of the late 1980s, considered by many hip-hop’s golden age?"

Love songs and hip hop history: We are the mash-up generation.

Download 1988 HERE.

Speaking of love, it's likely that you've seen this already, but my appreciation for N*E*R*D continues to grow with their video for "Sooner or Later":

They turn a love song into a metaphor for the economic crisis... I guess money just broke up with us :( If you want more, watch them perform the song (and others) live at Roseland.

And this might be 2 years after 1988, but Special Ed's "The Mission" used to be my jammy jam.

This is a mission, not a smalltime thing.

I didn't have cable growing up, but my brother and I had some episodes of Yo! MTV Raps on VHS.

I was 6 when I first saw that video.

Gotta find those tapes...

I'm On The Right Path To Who I'm Gonna Be At Last

After running into 9th at the Highline show last Tuesday, I decided it was necessary to attend the Jean Grae in-store he'd be performing at on the following day...

In the PictoBrowser below, click the tabs to view my photos from Fat Beats:

They were there to promote the Jeanius album's re-release(s), and it felt really good to be among hip hop heads. I've said it before; Jean Grae is not only the best female MC in the industry, but she's up there with most males who rhyme as well. I felt horrible for missing her 11/30 Highline show, so I couldn't skip this intimate performance.

Footy via AnalectsBlog. 

They have more great footage on the Fat Beats blog, so if you want to see Jean performing alongside Talib Kweli and 9th, I suggested you go there. They were both signing albums after, but the line was crazy long, so I'll just support via Amazon- as you should. Thanks to Ls and Cani8a for coming with me!

That same night, 

10.Deep hosted their holiday party at Element...

KiD CuDi throwing me a deuce...

Disappointed at first, I'm now kind of glad the flash wasn't on.

Ahhh, con flash. Much better.

He ended up performing at the party too...

Hollywood Holt was hammer-, uh, having fun. (I'm not a fan.)

But how adorable are these three?!?...

Asher Roth in attendence...

Thanks to Boz y Brenda for the bracelets :)

"Dont Rush Me":

Rock Star, Bitch... Kurt Cobain Sh*t

The live performance is becoming more and more important for up and coming artists. As the music industry evolves and is further aligned with the digital world, what an artist does on stage can help separate them from the competition. Everyone has a Myspace page and a Youtube channel and a Twitter account. But during a live performance, the exclusive eyes, ears, and opinions go beyond the spectators in the venue; fans and critics can now see footage of artist's shows right after they end. One solid performance in the right city -with the right tastemakers- will have the blogs, magazines, and radio hosts buzzing like they were there in person. Luckily, Wale knows this. And how he executed last week's show at Highline made me realize that I might be a jaded NYC resident.

Unfortunately, I missed Colin Munroe's set, 

but I made it in time for KiD CuDi's...

He was joined by Capo to perform "Day N Nite":

I love how he goes into the "Crookers Remix" instrumental at the end, trying to get everyone to merge into a more electro lane. And trust, it wasn't the first or last genre-blending move of the night.

Peter Rosenberg and Mark Ronson 

entertained the crowd between acts...

But out the gate, Wale was full of that energetic, DC swag.

The crowd ate it up, proving that they were clearly there for him.

Chrisette Michelle joined Wale to perform their record with 

The Roots, "Rising Up."

After her, Clipse's own Pusha T joined him to perform "Back In The Go Go"

"That fly sh*t I been on..."

Each show, Wale takes time out to recognize historic Go Go band UCB, and in turn, educates the audience on DC music and culture. In the video below, you can catch a piece of that night's Go Go music lesson:

Embodying "regional" (DMV) celebrity: 

Wale with Tre, Mike and Marcus of UCB.

After the lesson, Freeway came out to represent for the Roc...

Wale didn't seem to mind.

And shortly after, Young Chris joined them on stage:

Along with Leo DiCaprio, the Roc was definitely in the building to support...

Hov amongst the spectators (and virtually impossible to photograph!)

Still, it appears as though The Dynasty is thoroughly intact.

Continuing the genre-crossing theme of the evening,

Wale performed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.," and then transitioned into Nirvana's 

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," testing the crowds ability to summon their inner rocker:

Overall, it worked.

Hip Hop, Electronica, Pop, Go Go, and Rock music, all under one roof...

And all there for this "Folarin" dude - via the Allido magician, of course.

"Name Wale, don't say Wall-E!"

Many thanks to Mjeema and JZ for the ticket! XO

Pin The Tail On The Donkey

Late to post about it, but JD and I went to see Jim Jones perform at Mercury Lounge two weeks ago. I'm a sucker for Capo's bafoonery, so I looked forward to the intimacy of the small venue, and my company. 

Juelz made an appearance... along with most of Byrdgang - sans Cam.

Mr. Santana got to showcase his artist, Starr...

I had heard a few of her tracks in early '08, and she can definitely sing. 

To his credit, Jim put verses on two great songs this year - "Electric Feel" and "Day N Nite" - and he took time out to perform both at the show.

Sa-Ra opened for him...

I was a fan of their funky vibe, but seeing them do their thing live?!? 

Those dudes are pretty wild...

Although Pitchfork is notorious for being overly critical, I'd unfortunately have to agree with their thoughts on SA-RA. Word to the wise: If you want to be misogynistic, at least make it big first, so that when you do it, we give you a pass...

Like Puffy, with his portable harem; I'm sure you've seen his 007esque I Am King ad on TV, in cabs, and on billboards:

A bit more tasteful, Dolce & Gabanna use Miles Davis' "Nuit Sur Les Champs-Elysées" in their ad for men's fragrance, The One (below). I had just left the room, and it was the music from this commercial that made me go back and look at the TV:

Luckily for me, A Time To Kill was a great book, and Matthew McConaughey playing the lead in the '96 film didn't bother me then, and this shirtless ad doesn't bother me now. Oww.

Lastly, and to prove I'm not completely boy crazy, here's Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle TV ad with Keira Knightley. Joss Stone covers Nat King Cole's song "L-O-V-E":

It's a good look for the british songstress, whose voice is always recognizable. Speaking of which... Joss, where are you?!? The game needs you!

I Want To Help You... If You'll Let Me

You know you love Podzilla.

You may have heard The Asteroids Galaxy Tour in the new iPod touch commercial:

Beyond that, the rest of the songs should speak for themselves...

Cold War Kids rule. Freekey uses One Republic's "Apologize" melody. Lily Allen covers Britney Spears- "I got your crazy." Wale and Brother Ali unite. Snow Patrol get intense. And Lykke joins Kanye on a track. 

Looks like Lacezilla, the civilized monster, has struck again.

Can't Stop Havin' These Visions...

Fred Hart, a student at University of Arizona (Fine Arts) made a series of song covers for Kanye's 808s and Heartbreak. They blew me away and I had to post my favorites:

Amazing. Truly. And there are more!
Jacked from Boz (thank you!), via GWHH.

It's The Law: Diminishing Returns

In 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono released a song called 

"Woman Is The N*gger of the World."

Australia's innocent-looking Ben Lee recently covered the record (as a B-Side for a single off his upcoming album) and made a video for it:

He discussed the implications of the song on his blog:

"Of course, back when it was released, and still now, many people are unable to get past the use of the 'N' word in the title to look at what the song is really saying. In the late 1970's, the Chairman of the Black Caucas, Congressman Ron Dellums, did much to shed light on this subject by saying:

'If you define 'nigger' as someone whose lifestyle is defined by others, whose opportunities are defined by others, whose role in society is defined by others, then good news, you don't have to be black to be a nigger in this society. Most of the people in America are niggers.'

The song is not just about women, or black people, or any other oppressed group. It's about all of us, trying to find a way of living our lives in an authentic manner in a world that seems intent on compromising our basic integrity."

I have to admit, this is all pretty wild to me since I had never heard the song before today. The argument is that women are forced into gender roles that keep them imprisoned... they give and give, but ultimately, they get nothing in return, SMH. Watch John and Yoko talk about the song and perform it on the Dick Cavett show...

"Would you two menaces to society do your number?" LOL

What do we think about this?

 Women's issues? Social hierarchy? The definition of slavery?

The evolution of the N-word? Using it for artistic/cultural expression?

Ben Lee's album is called The Rebirth of Venus, 

and he also posted the letter that Yoko wrote to him.

Sounds like he's sticking up for the ladies, huh? That kind of reminds me of a song I'm currently OBSESSED with... Cold War Kids "Every Man I Fall For," sung from a female's perspective. 

I cannot wait for a bitter female vocalist to cover this. 

Stepped It Up Another Level, Meditated Like a Buddhist

There's so much to write and post about, but there aren't enough hours in the day. And when I can't give something the full attention it deserves, I throw it on the back burner and turn the gas off. It's a bad habit, I know. But as you read this, I'm manning up. I'm gonna stop whining and find the time. Just have to harness some focus first! In the meantime...

air and light and time and space

"–you know, I’ve either had a family, a job,
something has always been in the
way
but now
I’ve sold my house, I’ve found this
place, a large studio, you should see the space and
the light.
for the first time in my life I’m going to have
a place and the time to
create."

no baby, if you’re going to create
you’re going to create whether you work
16 hours a day in a coal mine
or
you’re going to create in a small room with 3 children
while you’re on
welfare,
you’re going to create with part of your mind and your body blown
away,
you’re going to create blind
crippled
demented,
you’re going to create with a cat crawling up your
back while
the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment,
flood and fire.

baby, air and light and time and space
have nothing to do with it
and don’t create anything
except maybe a longer life to find
new excuses
for.

© Charles Bukowski, Black Sparrow Press

Poem via Cani8a, the kid who often asks me 

"What have you created today?"

Flyer Than The Rest Of 'Em

The evolution of Hip Hop? Watch a video from the dude who's arguably the best rapper of all time, and then watch one from the dude who is on his way to earning the crown... yeah, I said it.

Jay-Z "Brooklyn Go Hard" f. my girl Santogold

Wale "Nike Boots"

UCB, I see you!

Haven't been so excited for a show in a loooong time...

Ask Many Questions, Like Children Often Do

Stanford law professor and author Lawrence Lessig was on 

Charlie Rose Friday night promoting his new book: 

(New Yorker review HERE.)

In addition to discussing (and warning us about) the future of intellectual property and copyright law, he also talked about his interaction with Barack Obama when they were colleagues at Stanford. I totally recommend watching this:

Youtube video makers, song samplers, and photo jackers beware! Lessig argues that a "war" is being waged on "kids and others who create and consume art," comparing that war to the overly-criminalized and equally unsuccessful war on drugs. But through compromise, he suggests ways to bridge the gap between the two opposing sides: (1) politicians and artists' lawyers who cling to the copyright fundamentals of the past vs. (2) the generation of creative criminals who live and breathe artistic mash-ups.

I had never heard of Lessig, but I bought the book anyway. Technology has instigated a new kind of artistic renaissance, and as a blogging participant, I should probably educate myself and be more aware of the legalities surrounding the unlicensed media I use on this site. That, and it's really about the kids (lol)- the technology will only get better and our resources are bound to multiply -- if being artistic makes us all criminals now, then future generations are in a lot of trouble. 

Me, age 14, at Woodstock '98.

Photo courtesy of my Momzilla.

It's a weak analogy, but just imagine if they didn't let kids use tape recorders ten years ago... Kidzilla would never have conducted her first artist interview or written an article about it for her local newspaper. Like in Back To The Future, I'd get erased from the photo! Third Eye Blind and Dishwalla may not be super relevant today, but back then, they helped me figure out that I wanted to build a career in music. And coincidentally, the lead singer of Third Eye Blind was in my office a few weeks ago... My boss completely blew up my spot and (true story) had me show him the article I wrote. Ten years later, the whole experience came full circle- right before my very eyes.

Listen HERE.

You'll Never Find Nobody Better Than Me

We all have certain songs that we associate - by choice or by accident - with relationships, sex, and love. Maxwell's "A Woman's Worth," Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," Adina Howard's "Freak," and Keith Sweat's "Make It Last Forever" are just a few examples... I'm sure you all have many more, with stories too!

After reading "Love in the Time of Darwinism," an article by City Journal's Kay S. Hymowitz, I was inspired to reintroduce my music blogger self to my Carrie Bradshaw self: earlier this year, we tackled the topic of open marriage together, so why not back-track and collaborate on the chaotic world of contemporary dating? The Darwinism article defines itself as "a report from the chaotic postfeminist dating scene, where only the strong survive," and provides a thorough evaluation of what both males and females go through as participants in the ever-evolving process. Let's start with some male perspective:

"The woman may be hoping for a hookup, but she may also be looking for a husband, a co-parent, a sperm donor, a relationship, a threesome, or a temporary place to live. She may want one thing in November and another by Christmas. 'I’ve gone through phases in my life where I bounce between serial monogamy, Very Serious Relationships and extremely casual sex,' writes Megan Carpentier on Jezebel, a popular website for young women. 'I’ve slept next to guys on the first date, had sex on the first date, allowed no more than a cheek kiss, dispensed with the date-concept altogether after kissing the guy on the way to his car, fucked a couple of close friends and, more rarely, slept with a guy I didn’t care if I ever saw again.' Okay, wonders the ordinary guy with only middling psychic powers, which is it tonight?"

I guess that is rough to deal with, but NEWFLASH gentlemen: the ladies deal with it too! Men change their minds and send just as many mixed-signals as women do. It's human nature! In high school, I added the acronym BBD to my verbal arsenal - the Bigger Better Deal - representing the idea that people constantly want to upgrade their mate. AKA Darwinism, our inherent/biological desire to evolve (right, Boz?). Now, mix that madness with the current social climate, where technology plays such a large role in our day-to-day communication, and it's like adding yet another log to a fire that's already out of control...

"Women complain that instead of calling to ask them out, or even make plans for a date, men simply text, 'Heading downtown. Where r u?' as they walk to the subway. That may be deliberate. 'There is no longer any reason to answer the phone when a woman calls you or return her call when she leaves you a message,' insists one dating pro at World of Seduction. 'What should you do? Text message, of course.' Text messages, he argues, deflect unnecessary personal involvement and keep women on edge. Game goes even further, actually encouraging men to 'neg' their 'target' women—that is, to undermine their confidence subtly by ignoring or mildly insulting them. The hotter the woman, the more essential it is to neg her."

Awesome. SMH- but I'm not even mad! Although I believe I'm more direct and honest than most girls when it comes to communicating, I too am guilty of playing into these kinds of strategic tactics. But is it our fault, or a result of the technology? What came first- the chicken or the egg? All of these relationship woes leave so much to be discussed, which, if you ask me, brings it all back to the music. And since this blog serves as the soundtrack to current events, applying music to dating is no big feat. 808s and Heartbreak? - Literally. Good album title Kanye. Very fitting for my theme...

Kanye West "Heartless"

Dealing with some wishy-washy relationship drama, Ye asks his lady "how could you be so heartless?!" And who knows. Maybe she's a soul thief like he claims, or maybe his actions have worn her down to nothing. We'll probably never know.

Solange "T.O.N.Y"

Open and unapologetic in her lyrics, Solange lets us into her seemingly insecure world after a one night stand. "He wasn't just a regular guy," she claims, simultaneously noting her stubbornness- "but I still refuse to call his ass!" She said it herself: Damn this would make a real good song. PS- I'm loving the Kid Cudi and Cee-Lo cameos!

Lastly, and certainly not new to The Labyrinth,

Lykke Li "Little Bit"

Showing us that there are degrees of her devotion, Lykke admits that she's only a "little bit" in love. She'll even forget about her "tainted heart" as long as her boo reciprocates her legit, lukewarm feelings.

Apparently, Toronto MC Drake appreciated the "Little Bit" record... he hopped on it, pause, to sing and rhyme- leaking his version last week. Listen to it HERE.

I would do it

Push button

Pull trigger

Climb mountain

Thanks to Shamz for the link.

Are you the BBD, or are you looking for one? Or both?!? The more I listen to relationship-inspired music, the more I'm realizing that everyone's a mess! So if we're all confused, and it's a Darwinian rat race, and technology is warping and re-writing our paths of communication, how is a dater supposed to survive?

The Way We Connected, It Was Something Electric

Thursday night, I had the privilege of attending

Hip Hop Monologues:

The Life and Mind of Jim Jones.

I say privilege both seriously and sarcastically: Jim performed only two nights by invitation only, but... it's also Jimmy. Naturally, I was expecting a train wreck. But there was no such thing! In fact, the whole production was executed in a somewhat decent manner. That said, it's important to note that Jim's story is admittedly not too compelling. Okay, you were a hustler. Okay, you have haters in the hood. Okay, all the ladies want to hump you- we get it. If the musical showed me something I hadn't seen before, then I could let all the self-aggrandizing that came with it go. But it didn't. So I can't.

However, my love for Capo lives on despite this average theatrical experience. He did something amazing last week, and threw two verses on MGMT's "Electric Feel" - the song I constantly co-sign as my favorite this year.

I have to give Jimmy credit for this move... out for almost a year, the song is so hot, I'm actually upset he's the one who got to it first. Wale's manager posted the remix on Elitaste, admitting that it's a shame Mr. Folarin missed the boat. I wholeheartedly agree- Wale would have murdered that track. But then again, there is so much sex appeal and swagger on Jim's version, and it's actually not bad. MGMT + Capo Status = oww. Listen to the track HERE.

Other stuff I'm loving?

Friendly Fires "On Board"

Groovy percussion; definitely one of my faves on their album. Also, FYI, the lead singer's dance moves are out of this world! Peep their "Paris" performance on Later with Jools Holland:

He deserves a cookie for the hip action, and his voice isn't too shabby either.

And lastly, if you haven't checked it out yet, watch

Gnarls Barkley "Mystery Man"

Never disappointing, Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo continue to create magic. Learn more about it at Stereogum.

Oh yeah, and "Pop Champagne" is officially my guilty pleasure...
...making me a sucker for catchy club records, and a hypocrite :)

"I wanna see you dance- see you dance"... SMH.

Wipe Your Feet Really Good On The Rhythm Rug

After seeing Lykke Li perform A Tribe Called Quest classic "Can I Kick It" at two of her shows, I had been wondering if Q-Tip even knew who she was. And if he did, would he feel her sound? Both questions were answered on Tuesday when Tip surprised the audience at MTVU's Woodie Awards, and joined Lykke on stage to perform his group's song, duet style. The look on his face was priceless; it was obvious that he was extremely taken with her stage presence. And apparently, Q-Tip is one of her favorite artists, so she, too, was blown away to be performing with him. I didn't bring my good camera, but Zimbio posted photos - this one is my favorite:

For so many reasons, I want to know whose idea this was. The label, or MTVU?

Overall, I thought the show was really well done: From Q-Tip, to Emmanuel Jal, to Asher Roth, to Spank Rock- all the performers and presenters seemed relevant to me. Until the show goes live on the 19th, you can peek at these photos:

SPIN did a bang-up job summarizing the show- read about it HERE.

I'll upload my footage after it airs.

My President Is Black

Rahm Emanuel, Obama's newly hired Chief of Staff, is a total babe. Sadly, I'm not the only one who thinks this fiery, salt and pepper-haired hunk is great... just as I started digging up incredible articles from Rahm's past, the mainstream media also went to town. Gawker, it seems, is equally obsessed, and rightfully so! Didn't you hear about the steak knife?

"The best Rahm Emanuel story is not the one about the decomposing two-and-a-half-foot fish he sent to a pollster who displeased him... No, the definitive Rahm Emanuel story takes place in Little Rock, Ark., in the heady days after Bill Clinton was first elected President.

Revenge was heavy in the air as the group discussed the enemies - Democrats, Republicans, members of the press - who wronged them during the 1992 campaign...

Suddenly Emanuel grabbed his steak knife and, as those who were there remember it, shouted out the name of another enemy, lifted the knife, then brought it down with full force into the table.

''Dead!'' he screamed.

The group immediately joined in the cathartic release: ''Nat Landow! Dead! Cliff Jackson! Dead! Bill Schaefer! Dead!'''

I love him. F*ck Ruff Ryders and Sarah Palin; the meanest pitbull in a skirt is Rahm Emanuel- former ballerina turned political assassin. And now he's the Obaminator's right hand man.

And what a family!...

His brother, Ari Emanuel, is the Hollywood agent who inspired famed Entourage character, Ari Gold. If descriptions like "bad cop" and "watch dog" aren't enough to win you over, Slate had a great article on Rahm, and I'm sure you can learn more about him via Google.

OWW.

But before I let my hormones get the best of me, it's necessary to note how much Hip Hop has embraced Obama. In fact, NPR had an article on some rappers who've penned rhymes solely for his cause:

"Mark Anthony Neal is a professor of black pop culture at Duke University and a visiting scholar at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He says that in the past 20-odd years, hip-hop historically has been black America's first response to national news."

While the hip hop community may have known about these songs, it's refreshing to see the mainstream media point them out as well. But beyond music, there's plenty of other celebratory stories to be told. Check out Obama's Flickr album from election night, watch footage of him and Michelle doing a happy dance, and read a relieved letter from Fahrenheit 9/11 filmmaker Michael Moore. Of course, all of this media is just skimming the surface of the cultural domino-effect that Obama's campaign triggered, and like I've been saying all along, we can only hope that this momentum continues to inspire real change.

And lastly, it wouldn't be right to celebrate without bidding farewell to the elephant in the room, the frightening Sarah Palin- a woman who's religious beliefs stood to demolish the rights that women have fought for for decades; a woman who made feminist Eve Ensler have nightmares.

South Dakota's Measure 11, California's Proposition 4, and Colorado's Amendment 48 are just a few examples of state legislation that was proposed by Palin-like religious neo-conservatives, and all are detrimental to a woman's right to choose. According to Woman's E-News...

"California's ballot initiative would require a woman under 18 to notify her parents before having an abortion, and wait 48 hours between the time of notification and the procedure."

-and worse-

"The Colorado measure would alter the state constitution to define human life as beginning 'with the moment of fertilization,' giving full legal rights to the mass of cells formed immediately after sperm and egg meet."

Yikes! The South Dakota legislation was even more direct- calling for a complete state ban of abortion in circumstances outside of rape, incest and endangering a woman's health. In other words, death of Roe v. Wade. Luckily, none of that garbage passed, but not hearing about it in the news prior to election day is disheartening. I'm not sure about yours, but in my book, reporting on what rights you might lose trumps which politician might win.

But you know what, Sarah?

Your own Alaskan constituents didn't want to hear it a few weeks ago...

And neither did Americans on election day- thank god.

Putting those small, important victories aside, there was one outcome from election day that managed to really bother me... 70% of African Americans voted in favor of California's Gay Marriage ban, Proposition 8.

That's right. In a year that brought race and equality issues to the forefront, the majority of African American voters in California were unable to see gay marriage as a civil rights issue :( Again, I blame the influence of religion -not skin color- for this unfortunate reality check. It's truly sad that such an uplifting moment in history can be tainted by such a (is it wrong to say, "ironic"?) step backward.

I Hope It's Gonna Make You Notice...

Just some artists/videos/songs that you might want to check out:

The Knux "Bang Bang"

Feeling these N'awlins boys. Not what I expected, which is always refreshing.

Kings of Leon "Use Somebody"

By far, one of the best songs on "Only By The Night." I love that it starts out seeming broad and impersonal, but you eventually realize he's singing about one person in particular. I love him.

Jim Jones f. Ron Browz and Juelz Santana "Pop Champaign"

A friend sent me this record a few months ago when it still belonged to Ron Brownz, asking what I thought about it. I wrote back "Superstars, no Lupe" - it was clearly catchy, but I need more than that these days. I'd call Jimmy "Deebo" for making the track his own, but we already knew that's how he rolls.

All American Rejects "Gives You Hell"

Not a fan of the band's generic sound, but the lead singer is cute as a button, and the song is so hilariously bitter and anthemic, that I had to post it.

Keyshia Cole f. Tupac "Playa Cardz Right"

Keyshia and Pac sound perfect together. Too bad they had to go and ruin the song by spelling the title stupidly!

Matt & Kim "Daylight"

A dude at work directed this video. The treatment is beyond creative...

Q-Tip "Move"

Q-Tip proves that at almost 40-years old, he can still look flyer than most of these industry guys. Even if he is biting Michael. Pause.

And just as a bonus, my new fave band Friendly Fires covered

Lykke Li's "I'm Good, I'm Gone."

After touring together for months, I'm glad they got some kind of gem from her!

Listen to the song HERE.

Back Flipped On The Mattress They Slept On Me On

Watch his victory speech below, or read the transcript HERE.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress."

I'm so glad the guy who inspires people won. There's no doubt that many of us are now filled with hope, optimism, and the motivation to embrace and contribute to real CHANGE. This kind of social awareness is something I've wanted to see in people since I was a little kid- I just hope it grows and builds, and doesn't fizzle-out like a fad. There is so much work to be done... and personally, I need to see that change before I can fully hop on the bandwagon. Sorry! *Ducks rotten tomatoes*

"Just Might Be OK"