Hip hop in the U.S. may have hit a lull, but it's far from dead. At home, hip hop fanatics have started to dig deeper for rarer singles from the late 80's and early 90's, and overseas it's still huge. Take Japan...
expand review for example, There, it's respected to the fullest. So, leave it to them to compile this huge hip hop sample reference book for all your digger needs. They've literally done all your research for you in this huge 241 page dictionary of hip hop artists, organized alphabetically by name, track name and the songs sampled for the track. Includes all big name hip hop artists from 2 Live Crew to Z-Trip, including even hard to find, obscure artists like Siah & Yeshua Dapo to Kartoon Krew. It even has dictionary style printing on the sides for quick flipping by alphabet. Yes it's all here in this one inexhaustible book, because you can't really take the internet with you to records stores(yet). Although it's an awesome reference, I'll warn you that the inside cover does say, "All data are not necessarily accurate." Don't fret though, I feel they threw that in there so some nerd doesn't 'cause a fuss 'cause one sample is wrong. For the most part, it's pretty spot on. Also has a list of the ten commandments of digging on the back, in broken english, "Don't forget to keep turning on your equipments." They do give you some good tips like, "Go through the records stores A-Z, even the boxes on the floor," this has always been a secret of mine. But they forgot the most important rule to digging, "Never bring your girlfriend with you." It's like the girl equivalent of a guy gettin' dragged into Sephora. -C'mish
Deadstock find, first printing hardcover edition now out of print.
It seems like this book has been in the making forever. It's been at least 6 or 7 years since we first started hearing the rumors that Bobbito was working on a...
expand review book about sneakers. At the time, nobody had done anything like that, there were no "specialty" sneaker spots downtown and ebay hadn't even come into realization yet. Every once in a while, you'd hear another something about it (grumbling about the UK sneaker book, etc), but weather it was actually going to happen always seemed up in the air. And now here, in the thick of sneaker mania and reissue fever, comes Bob's book, landing like a brick on an expectant culture that has grown since his idea started. And it's oh so official. 265 pages covering the years of 1960 to 1987, with a particular focus on basketball shoes and an incredible attention to detail. Brands, colorways, editions, boxes, advertisements, history, customization, legends and personal stories- each shoe from each year is broken down with incredible accuracy by the people who were there to see and wear them. This crack team is made up of about 20 sneaker nuts including old school court legends like Pee Wee Kirkland and Joe "The Hammer" Hammond, connoisseurs and fiends like MC Serch, Kurious, Pete Nice, Jorge Pabon aka Fabel, Schott Free, Dante Ross and others. It's everything you'd want it to be- informative, entertaining, funny, designed by Brent Rollins, the whole bit. Couldn't be more recommended. -mgmnt
If you ride a bike this shit needs no explanation. Seriously, Monster Track is some legendary alleycat shit. It's like how elephants all go to the same place to die or something, bike messengers (and non-messengers) know that sometime in the winter,...
expand review they must, for reasons unknown to outsiders, travel to NY and ride brakeless track bikes at neckbreak speed through hell, high water and murderous taxi cabs for nothing but glory. Sadly, in 2008, Monster Track outgrew itself and was cancelled. This video documents all aspects of the 2007 Monster Track extravaganza in all the filth and fury of its final year. Pop this shit in and watch as world infamous messenger Mike Dee takes you through the week of mayhem leading up to and through the main race. It's broken down into a couple of sections. First, of course, is the race footage pieced together with a bunch of handheld and helmet cams (including mad shots by Lucas Brunelle) featuring the classic Austin bridge skitch crash, some shredding through the streets, a crazy ass motherfucker on a pennyfarthing (Wikipedia that shit if you don't know rookie), and a whole bunch more. They also got a ton of interviews with riders hosted by Mike Dee and the always lovely Kym. Finally a whole segment by Mike Green and Chris Kim on Hal and Shino the 2007 world messenger track champion as they take on the snow, cabs and drunk antics of the NYC bike world. Scope this shit, it's the last hurrah of a legendary event that may never exist again. If you liked the Pedal and Mash DVDs, this shit is straight up your alley. Recommended. -Newjack
The LRG "L" gets the graf treatment on this Know What I'm Sprayin' shirt. Front and back print, with the line printed in halftone.
fit: slim, athletic fit
fabric: standard, 100% cotton -C'mish
Solid Grassroots Two shirts from LRG. Always a solid design, now in cool summer colors.
fit: standard beefy-t/anvil-type fit
fabric: standard, 100% cotton -C'mish
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Sometimes it feels like Finders Keepers and B-Music could keep reissuing records into eternity and never run out of gems to dazzle us with. For this installment in their Anatolian Invasion series, they've brought us the "space age, electronic, progressive-protest, psych-folk-funk-rock" of...
expand review Ersen. If you liked the Mustafa Ozkent and Selda collections, this is for you. Ersen just blew the minds of about half the office (the other half had headphones on), so I won't even attempt to describe the excellent sounds within, but will instead point you towards these fine selections - "Temek(1)," "Bir Aynlik Bir Yoksulluk Bir Olum(2)," "Metelik(3)," "Guzele Bak Guzele(4)," "Zalim(5)," "Gunese Don Cicegim(6)." Right? Hearing is believing. Extensive liners, rare pics and background info included in the booklet. 16 tracks; 59 minutes. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
quick audio picks: 12
Classic DnB tune on official 12" reissue from Metalheadz. Adam F's "Metropolis(1)" shook up the drum and bass world back in '96 with its dark sci-fi synths and stabs, hard rolling drums, and mean, blurpy, subterranean bass blazing the trail for many...
expand review more dark-style tracks to come. I can still see kids losing their shit and sticking their faces in the bass bins. One of the best of the era (even minimal man jocks this tune) - soooo wicked! On the flipside Adam F proves he is a versatile producer with the chilled-out, ambient breaks style of "Mother Earth(2)." The soothing vibe is the perfect antidote for a hard night of partying (you know... that point of the party when the sun is rising and the drugs are wearing off). -snackmaster
quick audio picks: 123
With everyone and their mom ripping off Black Flag's steez these days (cough... Rostarr, Blaqstarr... coughcough) the Lab felt it was time to teach you your roots. Remember kids, there's more to the band than the Raymond Pettibon cover art. Greg, Dez...
expand review and the boys had a special place in their hearts for good old fashioned drinking anthems with just the right amount of irony and self-loathing. "Six Pack(1)" fits right into that category. This is still in the pre-Rollins period with Dez on vox and Dukowski on bass and honestly it's pretty fucking hard to beat. If you want to hear the Flag at their most furious, this is a great place to start. Both cuts on side B are full scale rants on the Reagan era. Good thing so much has changed... P.S. This album features possibly the most surreal run out etching ever. It makes me hungry. Recommended. -Newjack
quick audio picks: 12
You know a track is huge when it starts getting drum n bass remixes in 2008. When it comes to Axwell's "I Found U" there's no question the track has reached stadium status, so it was only a matter of time till...
expand review it got the drum n bass remix. And for better or worse, that time has come. High Contrast has taken up the task of DnB-izing "I Found U" and this 12" offers two flavors of his remix. The first is the Berlin After Dark Mix(1) which sticks closely to his usual Hospital Records style - grinding bass with sprinkles of synths on top and sped up vocals from Axwell. Of course there are even built-in stadium crowd cheers on the breakdown! Surely this goes off well in Europe. The Oldskool Revenge Mix(2) offers... you guessed it, an oldskool rave style! The familiar rave piano chord progressions are very prevalent in this mix as well as some very recognizable classic synth and bass sounds. In the right context (Europe), this will kill. Get the glowsticks and UFO pants ready and start practicing your high- speed Tecktonik moves. -snackmaster
quick audio picks: 12
Fresh off a huge 12" for Soul Jazz with Warrior Queen, the UK's Heatwave crew revs up their own label with two fresh versions on the infectious Piano Riddim. "Mind How You A Talk(1)" has grime all-star Riko sending out a warning...
expand review to all badminds; on the flip, it's the Heatwave's own Rubi Dan getting hype for "Higher Heights(2)." As usual with these guys, this is a limited press so get 'em while they're hot (no pun intended). -Chris Lemon-Red
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