Lupe Fiasco

Chicago's Lupe Fiasco has been passed the torch for the backpack/skateboard rap crowd, a genre started by Skateboard P himself and Lupe's label chief Mr. Kanye West. His raps are a breath of fresh air, mainly because he is not trying to be something he's not. His highly slept-on debut Food & Liquor featured beats by Kanye and others and was the perfect showcase for young Lupe to showcase his laid back flow.

Download: Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell- Kick Push (Remix)
(Buy)

Download: Lupe Fiasco ft Jill Scott- Daydreamin'
(Buy)

Download: Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West & Pharrell- US Placers
(Buy)

Barbeque Songs

I know there will be a lot of grilling out this Memorial Day weekend, as the summer has officially kicked off. Here are some of my favorite Barbeque songs (yes, I have favorite songs about BBQ's).

Download: 2 Skinnee J's- BBQ
(Buy)

Download: Animal Liberation Orchestra- Barbeque
(Buy)

Download: Outkast feat Raekwon- Skew it on the Bar-B
(Buy)

Download: Tim McGraw- BBQ Stain
(Buy)

Friday Hotness #11

Download: Menomena- Wet and Rusting
(Buy)

Download: Chemical Brothers- All Rights Reserved feat Klaxons
(Buy)

Download: Sea Wolf- You're a Wolf
(Buy)

Interpol

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see Interpol on Saturday for the first time at the annual KROQ Weenie Roast, a ritual gathering-grounds for fat, drunk, tattooed Orange County dudes. Although they were probably burning up in their all black hipster suits, they ripped through their "hits," including their new single "The Heinrich Maneuver," and really won the crowd over. I have been a late comer to this band, but as I go back through their albums I am continually impressed by their fast-guitar driven rock songs and their downtempo jams alike.

Download: Interpol- Evil
(Buy)

Download: Interpol- NYC
(Buy)

Download: Interpol- Slow Hands
(Buy)

Download: Interpol- The Heinrich Maneuver
(Buy)

Download: Interpol- Untitled
(Buy)

Friday Hotness #10

Download: Amy Winehouse feat Jay Z - Rehab (Remix)
(Buy)

Download: Teddybears feat Neneh Cherry- Yours to Keep
(Buy)

Download: The Go Team- Grip Like a Vice
(Buy)

New Beastie Boys

Here's the new single The Rat Cage from their upcoming instrumental album, and these old dudes can still rock it. Also some older instrumental jazz tracks from their excellent 1996 compilation The In Sound From Way Out.

Download: Beastie Boys- The Rat Cage
(Buy)

Download: Beastie Boys- Son of Neckbone
(Buy)

Download: Beastie Boys- Groove Holmes
(Buy)

Friday Hotness #9

Download: Chromeo- Bonafide Lovin'
(Do these guys do anything but make heat-rocks?)
(Buy)

Download: Embee feat Jose Gonzalez- Send Someone Away
(Buy)

Download: Say Anything- Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
(Buy)

Project Pat

It's a shame how the producers of MTV's Adventures in Hollyhood have shown Project Pat as a background figure in the whole Three 6 Mafia world. This dude has been around since the beginning, he is the brother of Three 6 member and just damn funny guy, Juicy J.

The reason I like Project Pat so much is because of his cadence, it’s so different than what anyone else's flow, and he doesn’t give a shit. This dude rides the beats like he was driving his low-rider through the streets of Memphis on a Saturday night. Granted it’s different, but throw some of his shit on, put the top down and coast into summer:

Download: Project Pat- Ballers
(Buy)

Download: Project Pat- Good Googly Moogly
(Buy)

Download: Three 6 Mafia ft Project Pat- Poppin' My Collar
(Buy)

El Ten Eleven

LA's own El Ten Eleven are The White Stripes of instrumental music, as they continue to amaze me with how full of a sound they can squeeze out of a two-man band. One guy plays drums and the other rips a double neck guitar, one with a 6 guitar strings, the other neck a fully operational bass. He uses a sampler to record guitar parts, then layers over them to create a sound that is complex and transcending. It’s easier to watch then for my musically challenged self to explain:

El Ten Eleven- Live Video

And some songs for you to check out:

Download: El Ten Eleven-Sorry About Your Irony
(Buy)

Download: El Ten Eleven-My Only Swerving
(Buy)

Download: El Ten Eleven-Lorge
(Buy)

Friday Hotness #8

Download: Interpol- The Heinrich Maneuver
(Buy)

Download: Simian Mobile Disco- I Believe
(Buy)

Download: Matt + Kim- Yea Yeah (Flosstradamus Remix)
(Buy)

Download: Dntel ft Mia Doi Todd- Rock My Boat
(Buy)

What the hell happened?

No songs today, let's just think about what could have been.

Chromeo

Chromeo has been charged with a tough duty these days - Not fakin' the funk. In fact the disco/funk tradition is alive and well when Chromeo takes the stage, with Roger Troutman-esque vocoder lyrics and pulsating dancefloor grooves. Popular with both the funk crowd the the hip/hop dance community because of their relation to Kanye West's DJ A Trak, Chromeo are just trying to make you move your ass. Here are some of my favorite joints of theirs plus their brand new remix of Feist's Sea Lions, which is bound to put a smile on your face and a dip in yo' hip.

Download: Chromeo- Needy Girl
(Buy)

Download: Chromeo- Fancy Footwork
(Buy)

Download: Chromeo- Tenderoni
(Buy)

Download: Chromeo- You're So Gangsta
(Buy)

Download: Feist- Sea Lion (Chromeo Remix)
(Buy)