Show 20 - The '90s On My Mind

As I've begun to go back and listen to some of the iconic albums of the '90s, I've discovered that the jazz and soul-influenced aesthetic of underground hip-hop from the previous decade makes for really great summer music. Maybe it's that things seemed a little sunnier in retrospect, what with the economic recession and all? Whatever it is that made '90s hip-hop so buoyant, it seemed worthwhile to spend an hour looking back at the '90s by playing one (or two) track from each year of the decade -- with the exception the opening track by Giant Panda, which served as thematic inspiration.


Show 20 - The '90s On My Mind
27 July 2009

1. Giant Panda - "'90s," Fly School Reunion
2. Mic Break
3. Brand Nubian - "All For One," One for All
4. Gang Starr - "Love Sick," Step In the Arena
5. The Pharcyde - "Passin' Me By," Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
6. Souls of Mischief - "That's When Ya Lost," '93 'Til Infinity
7. Nas - "The World is Yours," Illmatic
8. Mic Break: Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Rawhide (Instrumental)," Rawhide (Single)
9. GZA - "Liquid Swords," Liquid Swords
10. The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La," The Score
11. De La Soul - "The Bizness," Stakes Is High
12. Rakim - "It's Been A Long Time," The 18th Letter
13. Black Star - "Definition," Black Star
14. Mic Break: Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing) (Instrumental)," The Live Education of Lauryn Hill
15. The Roots - "The Next Movement," Things Fall Apart
    

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Show 19 - Summer Jams

When I was growing up in the Seattle area, my brother and I got our hip-hop from KUBE 93.3. I don't know if they still do this, but every summer, KUBE would throw a huge festival, appropriately named Summer Jam. (I imagine this is not unique to Seattle or KUBE.) I never had to occasion to go to Summer Jam, but the warm weather of a few weeks ago made me want to throw my own Summer Jam. (This seems especially appropriate a few weeks late given the unbearable heat the is currently oppressing the Pacific Northwest, from whence I just returned for a visit.)

There are certain tunes that just sound like summer. Some because of their content (DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's "Summertime" for one) and others simply have that summery something that goes perfect with a glass of lemonade and a warm July breeze. Consequently, the Summer Jams theme of Show 19 was less rigid than past shows and more about capturing and setting a mood. It was my Summer Jams mixtape of sorts.

Show 19 - Summer Jams
13 July 2009

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Summertime," Homebase
2. Mic Break: Mungo Jerry - "In the Summertime"
3. Q-Tip - "Let's Ride," Amplified
4. Blu & Exile - "First Things First," Below the Heavens
5. Pep Love & Jay Biz - "Days of Blueness," The Shamen
6. Common - "Make My Day," Universal Mind Control
7. Mic Break: Sublime - "Doin' Time (Marshall Arts Remix Instrumental)," Sublime (10th Anniversary Edition)
8. Blackalicious - "Blazing Arrow," Blazing Arrow
9. People Under the Stairs - "San Francisco Knights," The Next Step
10. Blue Scholars - "The Inkwell," Blue Scholars
11. A Tribe Called Quest - "Can I Kick It?," People's Instinctive Rhythms and the Paths of Rhythm
12. Mic Break: Exile - "Your Summer Song," Radio
13. Coolio - "Fantastic Voyage," It Takes a Thief
14. Zion I - "Country Baked Yams," The Takeover
    

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Tonight on Yo! KALX Raps!

Summer jams to celebrate the beautiful weather I've been enjoying here in the East Bay.

Tune in to KALX 90.7 FM (or go here to listen online) tonight from midnight to one.
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Show 18 - Michael Jackson Tribute

In addition to how unexpected his death was, the craziest thing about Michael Jackson's passing -- for me at least -- is that up until a few weeks ago, I had never lived in a world without Michael Jackson. Granted, MJ occupied a peripheral place in my world growing up mostly limited to that song he did for the Free Willy soundtrack. (As blasphemous as it is to say at this time, I have never owned a Michael Jackson record.) While he wasn't someone I listened to with any regularity, Michael Jackson was always someone I enjoyed. And for the record, "Thriller" stands as the quintessential Halloween track.

Over the last few weeks, the King of Pop's catalog as gotten more than it's fair share of attention. As important as it is to pay tribute, I'm sure I wasn't the only one getting a little tired of hearing MJ everywhere from MTV to NPR. For last month's bonus Yo! KALX Raps! I decided to honor Michael Jackson's legacy by looking at hip-hop songs that have sampled his work.


Show 18 - Michael Jackson's Legacy
29 June 2009
[Sampled Song and Album Listed in Brackets]

1. Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P.," Naughty By Nature [Jackson 5 - "ABC," ABC]
2. Mic Break : Michael Jackson - "Bad (Dub Version)," Bad
3. Little Brother - "Watch Me," The Minstrel Show ["With a Child's Heart," Music & Me]
4. Jeru the Damaja - "Mental Stamina," The Sun Rises in the East ["Billie Jean" (drum kit), Bad]
5. Ghostface Killah - "Street Opera," More Fish ["Ain't No Sunshine," Got To Be There]
6. Puff Daddy - "It's All About the Benjamins (Remix)," No Way Out [Jackson 5 - "It's Great to Be Here," Maybe]
7. Murs - "Can It Be (Half A Million Dollrs and 18 Months Later)," Murs For President ["I Wanna Be Where You Are," Got To Be There]
8. Aaliyah - "Got To Give It Up," One In a Million ["Billie Jean" (drum kit), Bad]
9. Mic Break: Michael Jackson - "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (Instrumental)," Off the Wall
10. 2Pac - "Letter 2 My Unborn," Until the End of Time ["Liberian Girl," Bad]
11. Nas - "It Ain't Hard To Tell," Illmatic ["Human Nature," Thriller]
12. Jay-Z - "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," The Blueprint [Jackson 5 - "I Want You Back," Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5]
13. Kanye West - "Good Life," Graduation ["P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," Thriller]
14. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Rhythm Trax - House Party Style," He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper ["Thriller" (Vincent Price's laughter), Thriller]
15. Mic Break: Michael Jackson - "The Way You Make Me Feel," Bad
16. De La Soul - "Breakadawn," Bulhoone Mindstate ["I Can't Help It," Off the Wall]
    

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Show 17: Hip-Hop's Roots in Reggae

Last Sunday was the first official day of summer and warm summer nights make me want to listen to reggae. Reggae is the quintessential summer music -- Jamaica's balmy tropical climate has embedded itself in the genre's very fabric. In celebration of the solstice, I did a whole hour of reggae and reggae-influenced hip-hop. I realize that this is somewhat unorthodox since it is a hip-hop specialty show. But I feel justified in straying from the genre because I wasn't really straying very far. In many regards, hip-hop is a direct descendant of this island music. In addition to the influence that Jamaican toasting (the sing-talking characteristic of much reggae) on the development of rapping, the father of hip-hop himself Kool Herc hailed from Kingston. Herc transported the very Jamaican musical tradition of MCs toasting over dub beats to the block parties of the Bronx. That's hip-hop 101, folks. So in essence, we took it back to the roots of hip-hop.


Show 17: Reggae 22 June 2009

1. Stephen Marley - "The Traffic Jam," Mind Control (2007)
2. Mic Break: Bob Marley & the Wailers - "Stir It Up," Legend (1984)
3. Bob Marley & the Wailers - "Rolling Stone," Let's Do Rocksteady: The Story of Rocksteady (2002)
4. Lee "Scratch" Perry - "People Funny Boy," Let's Do Rocksteady: The Story of Rocksteady (2002)
5. Tenor Sax - "Ring the Alarm," Ring the Alarm (1985)
6. Shabba Ranks feat. KRS-One - "The Jam," As Raw As Ever (1991)
7. Dilated Peoples feat. Capleton - "Firepower," 20/20 (2006)
8. Mic Break: Augustus Pablo - "Chant to King Selassie I," East of the River Nile (2002)
9. Chaka Demus & Pliers - "Murder She Wrote," All She Wrote (1993)
10. DJ Prince - "Justify My Thug," Red, Gold & Green Album (2006)
11. Toots & the Maytals -"54-46 (That's My Number)," In the Dark (1976)
12. Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - "Welcome to Jamrock," Welcome to Jamrock (2005)
13. Sister Nancy - "Bam Bam," One, Two (1982)
14. Bob Marley & the Roots - "Burnin' and Lootin'," Chant Down Babylon (1999)
15. Mic Break: Sound Dimension - "Full Up," Full Up: The Bst of Studio One, Vol. 2 (2006)
    
16. The Fugees - "No Woman, No Cry," No Woman No Cry

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Show 16: It's 1988, Keep It Straight

My hip-hop history is, admittedly, rather deficient. In 1988 -- at the height of what is the so-called golden era of hip-hop -- I was three years old. I didn't start listening to hip-hop seriously until I was in college. Generally speaking, I have written off the '80s as the nadir of music and culture. Having now listened to what are not only considered some of the best releases of 1988 but also in the entire history of hip-hop itself, I have to rethink my low opinion of the '80s in regard to hip-hop. These are certified classics for a reason. Many of these albums are the records that inspired today's great MCs and DJs and, consequently, have left an indelible mark on hip-hop.

As I've begun to go back and listen to older records, both hip-hop and other genres, I have also begun to gain a new perspective on the music of today. You hear how artists were influenced, how the music has evolved and in what ways it remains the same. I think it's important to have this kind of perspective in order to really appreciate what you're listening to.

On a separate but related note, hip-hop in 1988 was both awfully fun and startling smart. The genre was still in its infancy and if you've ever read "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by Jeff Chang (an indispensable read for anyone interested in the history of the hip-hop movement) or were around during hip-hop's birth, then you know that the genre got its start in the block and house parties of mid-'80s New York. Even more serious tracks like Boogie Down Production's "Stop the Violence" have an underlying buoyancy to them. If hip-hop knew how to do anything back then, it was how to have a good time.


Show 16 - Flashback to 1988
8 June 2009

1. Big Daddy Kane - "Ain't No Half-Steppin'," Long Live the Kane
2. Mic Break: Bobby McFerrin - "Don't Worry, Be Happy," Don't Worry, Be Happy
3. Ultramagnetic MCs - "Kool Keith Housing Things," Critical Beatdown
4. Biz Markie - "Pickin' Boogers," Goin' Off
5. Eric B. & Rakim - "Microphone Fiend," Follow the Leader
6. Salt-N-Pepa - "Shake Your Thang," A Salt with a Deadly Pepa
7. N.W.A. - "Express Yourself," Straight Outta Compton
8. Mic Break: Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - "It Takes Two (Instrumental)," It Takes Two
9. Run-D.M.C. - "Mary Mary," Tougher Than Leather
10. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - "Parents Just Don't Understand," He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
11. Boogie Down Productions - "Stop the Violence," By All Means Necessary
12. The Wee Papa Girl Rappers - "Wee Rule," The Beat, the Rhyme, the Noise
13. Public Enemy - "Bring the Noise," It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
14. Mic Break: Michael Jackson - "Smooth Criminal (Instrumental)," Bad
15. Slick Rick - "Hey Young World," The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
    

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Show 15 - Left-Field Hip-Hop

Ever heard of left-field hip-hop? Yeah, neither had I until fairly recently. I noticed it was popping up as a genre tag on a lot of artists searches I was doing on All Music Guide, which piqued my curiosity. Turns out left-field hip-hop lives at the intersection of electronic music and hip-hop -- two things I already love independently of one another. Also, upon discovering that Kid Cudi falls under the left-field category, I took this as an opportunity to open the show with "I Poke Her Face," the play on that insidious Lady Gaga song "Poker Face" off of his latest mixtape. Does the fact that I find that hilarious make me a self-hating woman? Probably.

Left-Field Hip-Hop
25 May 2009

1. Kid Cudi - "I Poke Her Face," Dat Kid From Cleveland
2. Mic Break: RJD2 - "Two More Dead," Dead Ringer
3. Onra - "I Wanna Go Back," Chinoiseries
4. Boom Bip - "Mannequin Trap Door I Remember," Seed To Sun
5. Bizzart - "Stumbling Blocks," Bloodshot Mama
6. El-P - "Flyentology," I'll Sleep When You're Dead
7. Dabrye - "The Lish," One/Three
8. Daedelus - "At My Heels," Denies the Day's Demise
9. Mic Break: Onra - "Full Backpack," Chinoiseries
10. J Dilla - "Stop!," Donuts
11. J Dilla - "People," Donuts
12. J Dilla - "The Diff'rence," Donuts
13. Flying Lotus - "RobertaFlack," Los Angeles
14. Madlib - "Shades Of Pete (Super)," Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6
15. Madlib - "King Chop (Top Line)," Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6
16. Prefuse 73 - "Blacklist," Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives
17. Alias - "Angel of Solitude," The Other Side of the Looking Glass
18. Mic Break
19. RJD2 - "Ghostwriter," Dead Ringer
    

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Show 14 - Mama's Day

Emcees like to act all tough and mean, but I'm convinced that at heart they are all big mama's boys. This incontrovertible fact was illustrated by the hour of Yo! KALX Raps! I dedicated to mom tribute tracks by everyone from Goodie Mob to 2Pac. Rappers love they mamas.

I'm going to be honest here and give credit where credit is due. I hadn't heard of most of these songs before putting this show together. So here are links to places I came across during my research: a neat list that was featured on NPR, a list from About.com and a list from Co-Ed Magazine. More musings about hip-hop and Mother's Day after the jump.

On a somewhat related note, I came across some commentary on the lack of dad tribute tracks. This piqued my interest because 1) I've never thought about dad tribute tracks and couldn't think of a single one and 2) I figure I should also do a Father's Day show to be fair. This seems correlated with the fact that I think every track I played mentions that dad wasn't part of the picture.

Another interesting thing to consider is if rappers love they mamas so much how do they reconcile that with having such naughty, misogynist mouths? That "ho" you just objectified and/or insulted is probably someone's mama. Something tells me you wouldn't be okay with someone saying that about your mama ...

Also, I tried out something new this show with the mic breaks. Instead of using instrumental tracks for the mic beds, I worked some Audacity magic and put the breaks from songs on repeat. I haven't decided which is less work: finding instrumentals that fit into a show's theme or dinking around in Audacity (which proved to be more difficult initially than I had anticipated). I'll probably use a mix of instrumentals and breaks in the future. If you happen to have an opinion on the matter, by all means made it known. Onward to the playlist.


Show 14 - Mama's Day
11 May 2009

1. Brand Nubian - "Momma," Fire In the Hole
2. Mic Break
   
3. Talib Kweli - "Momma Can You Hear Me"
4. Goodie Mob - "Guess Who," Soul Food
5. Nas - "Dance," God's Son
6. Ghostface Killah - "All That I Got Is You," Me Against the World
7. Common Market - "Love One," Common Market
8. Mic Break
9. 2Pac - "Dear Mama," Me Against the World
10. A Tribe Called Quest - "4 Moms," The Love Movement
11. Chubb Rock - "Momma Was a Rolling Stone," Chubb Rock Featuring Hitman Howie
12. Beanie Sigel - "Mom Praying," The Reason
13. Jay-Z - "December 4th," The Black Album
14. Mic Break
15. Kanye West - "Hey Mama," Late Registration

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Show 13: Brand Spankin' New

I've discovered that the only apparent downside of doing theme shows (especially every other week) is that I miss out on playing a lot of new music. So my theme for last night's Yo! KALX Raps! was new releases. A lot of great stuff has come out in the past few months and I wanted to make sure that I got around to sharing it, especially the new Del the Funky Homosapien. Apart from being one of my favorite MCs, Del also decided to release his 7th album as a free digital download -- his stimulus package if you will. Check out an in depth Amoeba interview with Del here. Go here to download the album. (If you're at a loss for which file to download, my personal preference is mp3 VBR low under "Audiophiles and nerds.")

Show 13 - New and Recent Releases
27 April 2009

1. The Grouch & Eligh - "All In," Say G&E!
2. Mic Break: Exile - "San Pedro Cactus," Radio
3. Finale - "One Man Show," A Pipe Dream and a Promise
4. Two Fingers - "Whatuknowabout," Two Fingers
5. Kill the Vultures - "Crow Feathers," Ecce Beast
6. P.O.S. - "Goodbye," Never Better
7. Brother Ali - "Good Lord," The Truth Is Here E.P.
8. Mic Break: Exile - "In Tune Static," Radio
9. Grandmaster Flash - "Tribute to the Breakdancer," The Bridge
10. Zion I - "Country Baked Yams," The Take Over
11. UGK - "Still On the Grind," UGK 4 Life
12. Mr. Lif - "I Heard It Today," I Heard It Today
13. Exile - "Frequency Modulation," Radio
14. DOOM - "Gazzillion Ear," Born Like This
15. Mic Break: Exile - "Were All in Power," Radio
16. Del the Funky Homosapien - "I'm Smellin' Myself," Funk Man (The Stimulus Package)

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Show 12: Tinseltown

To celebrate the Opening Week of MLB season 2009 I kicked off Yo! KALX Raps! with "Batting Practice" by Souls of Mischief (one of my favorite songs off 93 'Til Infinity and the only hip-hop song sort-of-about-baseball song I could think of). However, this was just a segue to the real theme of the show which was was Los Angeles hip-hop in memory of Nick Adenhart. Adenhart was a young and rising star on the Los Angeles Angel's pitching staff who was tragically killed in car accident hours after pitching six scoreless innings against the Oakland A's.

A truly sad loss not just for the Angels but for the entire community of major league baseball.

Show 12 - L.A. Hip-Hop
13 April 2009

1. Souls of Mischief - "Batting Practice," 93 'Til Infinity
2. Mic Break: Madlib - "Distant Land (Hip Hop Drum Mix)," Shades of Blue
3. People Under the Stairs - "The L.A. Song," O.S.T.
4. Blu & Exile - "Blu Colla Workers," Below the Heavens
5. Giant Panda - "'90s," Fly School Reunion
6. Dilated Peoples - "The Platform," The Platform
7. Myka 9 - "Soul Beat," 1969
8. Mic Break: Madlib - "Please Set Me At Ease," Shades of Blue
9. Aceyalone - "The Lonely Ones," The Lonely Ones
10. Murs & the 9th Wonder - "L.A.," Murray's Revenge
11. Ugly Duckling - "Bang for the Buck," Bang for the Buck
12. Jurassic 5 - "Quality Control," Quality Control
13. The Pharcyde - "Passing Me By," Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
14. Mic Break: Madlib - "Slim's Return," Shades of Blue
15. N.W.A. - "Express Yourself," Straight Outta Compton
    

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Revenge of the Nerds: Show 11 - Nerdcore

Nerds had their shining moment on Yo! KALX Raps! with an entire hour devoted to nerdcore artists and generally nerdy songs. As a proud nerd myself, I thoroughly enjoyed geeking out in the studio and hopefully bringing listeners some stuff they'd never heard.

Continue reading for additional nerdcore-related reading, some personal musings on nerdcore hip-hop and the playlist.

Here's some good additional reading if you find your interest piqued by my nerdcore set: a fantastic article from Wired. Not directly related to nerdcore, but here is an amusingly insightful Nerd Handbook, which is particularly useful for those of you who find yourself in a relationship with a nerd. I speak from experience. Also, if you, too, are proud of your nerd status, then head over to Threadless and procure the "Nerds Forever" t-shirt (pictured) and we can be twins. Being nerdy never looked so damn good.

Onward to musings. Interestingly, a majority of nerdcore artists are white (at least from what I could find). I don't think that this is a coincidence. Possibly nerds are predominantly white and that reality is reflecting itself in my cursory, unscientific sampling. That would be a scientific, decidedly nerdy explanation and a perfectly acceptable one at that. I could go into a whole thing about race, socioeconomic status and opportunities for nerd-dom, but I think that would only interest me. A more fundamental point is the undeniable fact that hip-hop is first and foremost a genre dominated by people of color in which the white rapper is a rare novelty, often something more to be ridiculed than respected. Shows like VH1's "White Rapper" are a testament to this. It is certainly arguable most white rappers come off as disingenuous imitations. Don't get me wrong, there are obviously exceptions to this, i.e. the Beastie Boys, Ra Scion of Common Market, Brother Ali, 6th Sense, to name a few. So I'm not arguing that white people can't rap, but I digress. The concentration of white emcees in nerdcore makes sense because it is uncharted territory in the hip-hop genre in which newer, unknown emcees are afforded the freedom to break with the genre's conventions. In other words, white emcees found a niche sub-genre in which they could express themselves without necessarily being subject to the rules of mainstream hip-hop. It is a space where they can be exceptional without becoming a novelty.

In another interesting note, there are a lot of white DJs and producers and this has never struck me as remarkable. The whole exceptionality of the white rapper doesn't seem to apply to the white DJ. I'd have to give that more thought and it seems like material more appropriate for another post.


Show 11 - Nerdcore
30 March 2009

1. Zealous1 - "Welcome to Our Block (feat. Beefy)," Collaboc1de
2. Mic Break: Kid Koala - "Roboshuffle," Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
3. Giant Panda - "Do the Robot in Cyberspace," Electric Laser
4. YTcracker - "Meganerd," N.E.S. (Nerd Entertainment System)
5. People Under the Stairs - "Gamin' On Ya," Fun DMC
6. MC Router - "Control Panel"
7. Handsome Boy Modeling School - "Metaphysical (feat. Miho Hatori & Mike D)," So How's Your Girl ...
8. Blackalicious - "Chemical Calisthenics," Blazing Arrow
9. MC Frontalot - "Nerdcore Hip-Hop 2006"
10. Mic Break: Deltron 3030 - "3030," Deltron 3030: The Instrumentals
11. MC Hawking - "Entropy," A Brief History of Rhyme - MC Hawking's Greatest Hits
12. Sweatshop Union - "Time Machine (feat. Mat the Alien)," Water Street
13. The Mighty Underdogs - "Science Fiction," Droppin' Science Fiction
14. Optimus Rhyme - "Cybernetic Circuits," Optimus Rhyme
15. MC Lars - "No Logo," This Gigantic Robot Kills
16. Sandpeople - "Synthetique Princess," Honest Racket
17. Mic Break: MC Plus+ - "Lord Illingworth Anthem," Chip Hop
18. Deltron 3030 - "Virus," Deltron 3030

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Next On Yo! KALX Raps!: Hip-Hop Nerds of the World Unite!

With the rise of nerdcore — hip-hop for and by self-proud geeks and nerds — "geekstas" and ultra-computer-savvy emcees have carved out their own niche within the genre. They reach out to their fellow nerds with insider jokes and references to Lord of the Rings, programming languages, video games and science. On the next Yo! KALX Raps!, I'll take a look at how nerdcore artists put a twist on gangsta rap and draw from the DIY aesthetic of other alternative sub-genres like backpacker hip-hop. We'll hear from nerdcore artists like MC Hawking and Futuristic Sex Robotz and listen to songs by better-known artists such as Blackalicious that dabble in the nerdcore aesthetic.

Get your geek on with Yo! KALX Raps! tomorrow, Sunday March 29 at midnight.And here is the rest of it. Read more!

New Project: Blogging Rolling Stone's Top 250 Albums

enerally speaking, I don't take much stock in the meaningless popularity contests of endeavors like Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Greatest Album’s of All Time.” Much like the annual farces that are the Grammys, Academy Awards and Emmys, these sorts of grand gestures are tiring parades of frivolity and the public at large's unabashedly blunt sense of taste. If I’m being too discharitable, it’s probably because I’ll never get over the fact that Leanne Rimes beat out No Doubt for the “Best New Artist” Grammy, Wall-E wasn’t even nominated for Best Film this year, and Battlestar Galactica was awarded a Peabody but not a single Emmy over it’s genre-breaking five seasons.

Yes, I am bitter.

Now that I’ve spent a good paragraph explaining why I find these sorts of things to be utterly inane, I suppose I’ll have to explain why on earth I’ve decided to launch a new personal project to listen to and blog the top 250 albums on Rolling Stones’ epic Top 500 list. As someone with a great love of music and who listens to A LOT of it, it elicits some pain and embarrassment to admit that I haven’t actually heard most of the classics. Consequently, I have a particularly underdeveloped grasp of musical history and context, which probably hampers my capacity for understanding and appreciating music to a much more informed degree. So, in a larger sense, this is project of self improvement. To make a clarifying point, I don’t think you need to know everything about the history of rock ’n’ roll to enjoy what artists are currently doing, but it would certainly provide a higher degree of insight to be familiar with their musical influences and forebears. The quest for knowledge and higher understanding aside, the RS 500 is also an effective tool for systematically expanding upon my music library and listening to the albums I’ve procured but not yet enjoyed (of which there are many). So there are philosophical as well as practical reasons for this project.

Onto another matter: Why the top 250 and not the list in its entirety? First of all, the latter half of the list seems, frankly, somewhat arbitrary and at times just down right inaccurate, unabashedly flying in the face of both reason and logic. Take for example the fact that No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom” (#441) -- undoubtedly the band’s magnum opus and an amazing album to boot -- comes in 100 places behind the much inferior (though admittedly still enjoyable) “Rock Steady” (#316). As an inveterate No Doubt fan (yes, many things come down to No Doubt for me, this is the universe that I operate within) AND an appreciator of a wide variety of music, I have at least some authority in arguing that this ranking is simply flat out wrong. (Parenthetical Aside: Having awarded both albums four stars, All Music Guide is frustratingly neutral on the matter. And to make things even more interesting, “Return of Saturn” was given four-and-a-half stars, and rating that I would also take issue with.)

Ultimately, this is a large reason that the list seems pretty bogus to me, so I figure I can get around that by ignoring the latter 250 albums. Also, I tried to start the project by listening to #500, Eurythmic’s “Touch,” and while it wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating (certainly deserving of a spot on the Top 500), it was a difficult album for me to sit through since I was frequently terrified by the mental image of Annie Lennox’s gaping maw.

Obviously, the bigger issue here is the sheer quantity of 500 albums. While doing just the Top 100 felt as though I was leaving out a lot of potential listening, 500 is way, way too many. Having already attempted one false start with this project, I was quickly overwhelmed by the daunting task of tackling 500 albums. 250 seems much more manageable, therefore drastically mitigating the likelihood of failure by forfeit. In other words, 250 is literally and figuratively good middle ground from which to begin.

Finally, it seems prudent to set down some ground rules.

RS Top 250 Rules of Engagement (subject to change):

1. All 250 albums will be listened to in the order in the descending order presented by Rolling Stone. No albums may be skipped regardless of how much I may dislike them.
2. Each album must be listened to in it’s entirety in a single sitting.
3. All album reviews shall be read after and not before listening to the album at hand.

Let the listening being Read more!

Show 10: Just Another Mashup Monday

How can a fan of indie rock and hip-hop reconcile their disparate interests? With a mashup, of course. Lucky for hip-hop heads who also enjoy the gentle crooning artists like Sufjan Stevens, Montreal-based producer Tor recently released a free remix mixtape, Illinoize, which brings together said indie tunage with the likes of Outkast, Big Daddy Kane and others. In the spirit of this unexpected combination, I explore all things mashup on Yo! KALX Raps!


For those with a passing interest in culture and media studies (pardon my bias, I was a communications major in college), mashups are good fodder for conversations about the postmodern aesthetic and music. I'd give you a crash course in postmodernity, but that's what wikipedia is for and I'm also, by no means, an expert. But let me put it this way: Mashups are shining examples of many of the fundamental characteristics of postmodern works, which have been traditionally applied to other areas of artistic expression, mainly visual and literary arts -- i.e. allusion to other works both within the genre itself and to other very different genres (a fundamental aspect of hip-hop in general) and a certain irreverance for lines traditionally drawn between "high" and "low" art (i.e. sampling classical music with contemporary music). If you feel like reading something more in depth (and I don't feel like writing something more in depth), here's something I stumbled across.

Now, on to the playlist.

Show 10 - Mashups
23 March 2009

1. Tor & Sufjan Stevens - "The Tallest Man/I Like It (feat. Grand Puba)," Illinoize
2. Mic Break: Radiohead & Panzah Zandahz - "No Surprises," Me & This Army: Radiohead Remixed & Mashed Up by Panzah Zandahz
3. DJ Moule - "Black Sabotage (Beastie Boys vs. Led Zeppelin)," Best of Bootie 2006
4. Girl Talk - "Play Your Part (Pt. 1)," Feed the Animals
5. The Kleptones - "Breathe In the Summertime," Yoshimi Battles the Hip-Hop Robots
6. Bullion - "God Only Knows," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
7. Bullion - "You Still Believe In Dee," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
8. Minty Fresh Beats - "No Karma," Jaydiohead
9. Mic Break: World Famous Audio Hacker - "Doin' Time (4PM Dub)," Thievery: The Very Best of World Famous Audio Hacker
10. DJ Cappel & Smitty - "Nasty Boy/For Man There's a Woman (Notorious B.I.G. vs. Frank Sinatra)," Blue Eyes Meet Bed-Stuy
11. Three 6 Mafia - "Late Night (Unstoppable Mix)," Top Ranking
12. Radiohead & Panzah Zandahz - "Itsoweezee (De La Soul)," Me & This Army
13. Blue Scholars - "Inkwell (Crashed-Cop-Car Remix)," Unknown Album
14. The Kleptones - "Bite," A Night At the Hip-Hopera
15. Mic Break: Bullion, "That's Not Dee," Pet Sounds: In the Key of Dee
16. Danger Mouse - "What More Can I Say," Grey Album

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OMFG: NO DOUBT ANNOUNCES SUMMER TOUR

AND I HAVE TICKETS.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm a HUGE No Doubt fan -- habit from grade school that I just couldn't shake (nor did I want to). I've seen them live 3 or 4 times and they are a truly amazing live show. I will be hitting up their 17 July show at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn, WA, with my fellow No Doubter Mel. Guaranteed, we will be right up front and center singing our throats sore. You can't see me right now, but I'm giddy like a little school girl. Expect many related posts in the future. Also, here's an interview with Gwen Stefani about the tour.

O.M.F.G.
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Show 9 - All My Ladies: Celebrating Women's History Month - Women in Hip-Hop

I've been sitting on this show idea since December when I read this Slate article about the historical and contemporary dearth of female MCs. Turns out March is Women's History Month, so I finally had a timely opportunity to explore the contributions that women have made to hip-hop. I started off with Sister Nancy's "Bam Bam" as an ode to hip-hop's roots in reggae music (I think it's fair to look at the reggae toast as the progenitor of rapping) and played cuts from legends like MC Lyte and up-and-comers like Dessa (pictured) of Minneapolis' Doomtree collective.

I had to do a lot of research for this show, which is pretty sad given that I am a woman of color with a deep love of hip-hop. But I was pleased to discover that I had more than enough truly phenomenal material for a one-hour show. In fact, something that I found interesting was that a lot of the albums by female MCs from the '80s appealed to me more than albums from their better-known male contemporaries, and I generally as a rule dislike anything from the '80s.

Most of mainstream hip-hop, like a lot of other music, has taken a turn for the worst in terms of quality and having anything interesting or thought provoking to say. The contrast between MC Lyte and Trina is striking. While I admire (to a certain degree) rappers like Lil' Kim who rough and tumble with the boys, I can't say they are necessarily helping the cause of advancing the female MC as something deserving of the respect granted their male counterparts and their rightful place as an integral part of the hip-hop movement. This is why I'm excited about MCs like Dessa and Jean Grae who are multi-dimensional, quick witted, incisive and, perhaps most importantly, extraordinarily talented. And not talented for a female MC, as some might be tempted to say, but as talented as any other MC on the mic today.

Show 9 - Female MCs
9 March 2009

1. Sister Nancy - "Bam Bam," One, Two
2. Mic Break: M.I.A. - "Paper Planes (Instrumental)," Paper Planes (Homeland Security Remixes)
3. Roxanne Shanté - "Roxanne's Revenge," Roxanne's Revenge
4. Missy Elliott - "Izzy Izzy Ahh," Supa Dupa Fly
5. Salt-N-Pepa - "Doper Than Dope," Blacks' Magic
6. The Conscious Daughters - "Not Bad But Good," The Nutcracker Suite
7. Lady Sovereign - "I Got You Dancing ...," Jigsaw
8. Mic Break: Eve - "Satisfaction (Instrumental)," Satisfaction (Single)
9. Dessa - "Mineshaft," False Hopes E.P.
10. Mystic - "Once a Week," Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom
11. Jean Grae - "This World," Jeanius
12. MC Lyte - "MC Lyte Likes Swingin'," Lyte As a Rock
13. Rah Digga - "What They Call Me," Dirty Harriet
14. Queen Latifah - "Wrath of My Madness," All Hail the Queen
15. Lauryn Hill & the Refugee All-Stars - "The Sweetest Thing (Instrumental)," The Sweetest Thing
16. Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)," The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

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Show 8 - Bringing the Noise Pop

In the spirit of the 17th annual Noise Pop indie music festival here in San Francisco, I decided to take a look at the handful of hip-hop acts on the lineup.

Even though the festival is dedicated specifically to indie pop and rock, they were able to wrangle some impressive hip-hop names, mainly Kook Keith of the Ultramagnetic MCs who was scheduled to do a Dr. Octagon vs. Dr. Dooom show. Also of interest was N.A.S.A., which isn't a bunch of astronauts spitting about landing on the moon (though that sounds pretty awesome), but a DJ from Brazil and an American DJ which gives them their name North America South America. Their debut album is a smorgasborg of artists from different genres from Santogold of Seu Jorge. The track I played for Yo! KALX Raps! featured David Byrne singing the hook alongside Blacklicious' Gift of Gab, Chali 2na from Jurassic 5 and Z-Trip. This is undoubtedly one of the most exciting, interesting and unique releases of the year that is likely to have a lot of strange bedfellows bumping the same tunes.

I also played one of my all-time favorite live tracks from the Roots and offered some cuts from hip-hop acts that will be featured at the upcoming Sasquatch Music festival this summer in Washington.

It should be mentioned that my good buddy, Gaz, was visiting from Los Angeles and joined me in the studio! She was a lot of fun to have with me and reminded me that I should really look into getting a Yo! KALX Raps! sidekick. Anyone interested?

Show 8 - Hip-Hop @ Noise Pop
23 February 2009

1. Zion I - "The Takeover," The Takeover
2. Mic Break: Exile - "It's Coming Down," Radio
3. N.A.S.A. - "The People Tree," The Spirit of Apollo
4. Kutmasta Kurt - "Pmd (Of Epmd) - Straight From the Heart," Redneck Olympics
5. Crown City Rockers - "No Sense," Earthtones
6. Mike Relm - "My Heart," Spectacle
7. Dr. Octagon - "Blue Flowers," Dr. Octagonecologyst
8. Mic Break: Exile - "Stay Tuned (here)," Radio
9. The Roots - "The Seed/Melting Pot/Web (Live)," Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to the Roots, Vol. 2
10. Mic Break: Exile - "Love Line," Radio
11. K'naan - "America," Troubador
12. The Knux - "Cappuccino (Remix)," The Hole
13. Exile - "Jeppy," Unknown Album
14. The Grouch - "Show You the World," Show You the World
    

Notes:

• All the mic beds featured music from Exile in order to highlight his new release, which was forthcoming at the time the show was broadcast.
• In reality, only one mic set was dedicated entirely to Noise Pop, which is because there weren't that many hip-hop acts at the festival, it being an indie rock/pop festival and all. I decided to play the Roots track in the spirit of live shows and because it's one of my favorite live tracks. I actually prefer the live version of "The Seed" featured on that track to the original recording.
• I played K'naan also to feature an upcoming and noteworthy release.
• The Knux are going to be playing at the Sasquatch Festival this summer at the Gorge in Washington, so that was another nod to live shows.
• I ended with the "Show You the World" because it features Raphael Saadiq, who I was going to see perform at the Fillmore.
  

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Show 7 - Special Visitor & Hip-Hop Favorites

I had a very special guest in the studio with me for Show 7. None other than my favorite and only brother, DJ Scoop Rubio of UW's Rainydawg Radio fame! We each supplied half of the show's playlist with our favorite hip-hop tracks. It was such a blast having him in the studio with me and we had a good time looking back at the songs that fostered our love of hip-hop. It was SUPER special for me, because my brother is actually the person who got me into hip-hop in the first place.

Also, a fun anecdote: We befriended the fellow working at Top Dog, where we dropped by for a late night snack. My brother asked if he had been listening earlier and explained that we had been the DJs on air. Hot dog dude explained that he had enjoyed the show and that he was excited to have something fun to listen to as he had just switched shifts to Sunday nights. He advised that I drop by after my shows, which I have done and will continue to do.

Top Dog is officially the post-Yo! KALX Raps! hang out spot. So, you now know where to find me at 1 a.m. every 2nd and 4th Monday morning of the month. My dog of choice? The Weiner, of course. Hands down the best vegetarian hot dog you will ever sink your teeth into.

Show 7 - Hip-Hop Favorites with Scoop Rubio
9 February 2009

1. Missy Elliott - "The Rain," Supa Dupa Fly
2. Mic Break: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Mo Money Mo Problems (Instrumental)," Mo Money Mo Problems (Single)
   
3. Slick Rick - "Children's Story," The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
4. 2Pac - "How Do U Want It," How Do U Want It (Single)
5. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "The Crossroads (DJ U-Neek's Mo Thug Remix)," Tha Crossroads (Single)
6. Mic Break: Lil' Kim - "Not Tonight (Remix Instrumental)," Not Tonight (Single)
7. The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La," The Score
8. Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," When Disaster Strikes
9. Q-Tip - "Vivrant Thing," Amplified
10. Blue Scholars - "The Ave," Blue Scholars
11. Wu-Tang Clan - "Gravel Pit," The W
12. Mic Break: The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La (Refugee Camp Remix Instrumental)," Fu-Gee-La (Single)
13. Common - "I Used to Love H.E.R.," Resurrection
    

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Show 6 - The Shape of Things to Come

To kick off 2009 on Yo! KALX Raps! I looked forward to upcoming releases, some with slated release dates, some anticipated and others pure speculation (the Fugees?? I'm not about to hold my breath ... but a girl can wish.)

Show 6 - Upcoming Releases
12 January 2009

1. The Fugees - "Ready or Not (Clark Kent/Django Remix)," The Complete Score
2. Mic Break - Busta Rhymes - "It's a Party," It's a Party
   
3. Dangerdoom - "The Mask," The Mouse & the Mask
4. Rob Swift - "Cutting Class," Soulful Fruit
5. Minty Fresh Beats - "99 Anthems," Jaydiohead
6. Mos Def - "Sex Love & Money," The New Danger
7. Dälek - "Atypical Stereotypes," Gutter Tactics
8. Mic Break: Rob Swift, "A Natural High" and "A Scratch is a Musical Note," Soulful Fruit
9. Conscious Daughters - "Female Vocalism," Gamers
10. Rakim - "The Master," Strong Island
11. The Notorious B.I.G. - "Respect," Ready To Die
12. Deltron 3030 - "Things You Can Do," Deltron 3030
13. Mic Break: Bone Thugs N Harmony - "War (The Gorgonite Instrumental)," War
14. Q-Tip - "Believe," The Renaissance

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It's Been a While ... Show 5 Playlist

I shouldn'ta left you ... without a dope beat to step to. By beats, I mean playlists for Yo! KALX Raps! or any other kind of music related posts. I don't even have a good excuse for not blogging, so I'm just going to skip the usual written self-flagellation for not updating and just get on with.

After the jump you'll find the first of a few Yo! KALX Raps! Playlists that I've neglected to post until now.

Wow, I have to reach all the way back to December for my Show 5 playlist, that's how inattentive I've been. Better late than never, I suppose. My last show of 2008 was a look back at the year in hip-hop with some of my favorite tracks from '08.

Show 5 - Hip-Hop in 2008
22 December 2009

1. Animal Farm - "Rookie of the Year," The Unknown
2. Mic Break: Lil' Wayne - "Lollipop (Instrumental)," Tha Carter III
3. Buckshot & 9th Wonder - "Man Listen," The Formula
4. Q-Tip - "Official," The Renaissance
5. The Mighty Underdogs - "Victorious," Droppin' Science Fiction
6. 88-Keys - "Ho' is Short for Honey," The Death of Adam
7. The Roots - "I Will Not Apologize," Rising Down
8. The Cool Kids - "88," The Bake Sale
9. Mic Break: Kanye West - "Robocop (Instrumental)," 808s and Heartbreak
10. Common - "Make My Day," Universal Mind Control
11. Chali 2na - "Join the Dots," Fish Market
12. Jakeone - "White Van," White Van Music
13. Del tha Funky Homosapien - "Workin' It," Eleventh Hour
14. Giant Panda - "Laser Ray," Electric Laser
15. Mic Break: Blue Scholars - "BUTTER&GUN$ (Instrumental)," BUTTER&GUN$ E.P.
16. New Jack Hustle - "Last Newport," Sound Check

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